Chapter 4

Dusk was falling, after dinner, I decided to browse through my social media accounts. I stalked Abhir, swiping forth and back our past messages which began with teasing each other, few flirting, and ended with his lack of replies and many unanswered questions.

Raz! What's your problem? Why were you acting strange? (1:00 PM)

(1:00 PM) I wasn't, don't turn this around me. You are acting strange.

Are you kidding? I tried to talk to you,

you are the one

who pushed me away. (5:00 PM)

(5:00 PM) Pushed you away,

seriously? You threw me out.

We were supposed to go out tonight. You took her.

I am out, I will talk to you later (10.00 PM)

(10.00 PM) It has been a day Abhi,

Are you going to talk or not?

I am having a hell of a time, Raz. (8:00 AM)

(8:00 A.M) Yeah, you must have,

Running behind Sasha

Is this what it is? (8:10 A.M)

(8:15 PM) It is not what you think. It is just… Forget it.

Raz, You don't have to hide anything from me.

You know right, I am here for you. (8:16 PM)

It has been a week Raz, You are scaring me.

Talk to me. (6:00 AM)

(3:15 AM) It is just I miss you …

I am right here Raz. (6:00 AM)

(6:00 AM) Are you? I don't you were here holding me whispered in my ears the

same, that made sense,

I felt you. Now I don't. You seem distant Abhi.

3 Missed calls from Raz

(2:00 AM) Abhi?

Can you please stop acting oblivious?

I am not Raz, Physically or not

You will always be my friend (2:00 AM)

(2:00 PM) Friends? Fine. Maybe I

am overreacting.

You are not.

You are just not mature enough. (2:01 AM)

(2:01 AM) But, You like my innocence.

There is a difference.

Can you honestly tell me

what is bothering you? (2:02 AM)

(2:02 AM) I don't know, it is like

yesterday you were here

and today you are gone.

It is not a big deal Raz,

It is just that we

both have been pretty

close friends lately,

Now I am dating

you just miss your friend.

Try to get along with Tia and Nityami,

you will feel better (2:05 AM)

I just thought

it might be something serious (2:10 AM)

Are you there? (2:15 AM)

(2:15 AM) What do you mean by

'Something serious'?

I thought you liked me.

Well, it is funny. (2:20 AM)

(3:02 AM) Yeah IKR.

Good night!

Good night. Glad we cleared this. (3:05 AM)

(11:00 PM) I know it is crazy to ask after a month. But how

would you react

(11:01 PM) if I said I like you?

(5:00 PM) It was just a drunken mistake. You don't have

to answer that.

(3:17 AM) On second thought! What

if I liked you?

(5:30 PM) Are the rumors true?

You proposed to her at our birthday party.

(7:49 PM) I am happy for you.

(4:37 PM) I know it is weird to ask

since your two years

history with Sasha but

(4:39 PM) Do you love her?

(12.00 AM) I didn't want to say, but I am

leaving India for

the summer holidays.

I will be back after 3

months.

(12:01AM) See You later, I guess.

Have a great summer.

I would be lying, If I said I am not crying. I still remember the night I have been crying after been friend-zoned and every time I have been rejected. It was my mistake to think that he would reciprocate my love. People would go for the better ones. I am just a naive girl who believed in every word he said as If he felt those for me.

I felt Ruhi's little figure trying to reach my face. Standing on toes, pressing her hands on the bed she pushed herself up and wiped my tears.

" I am sorry" She whispered.

"Why would you be?" I asked wiping away my tears.

"I am not mad at you. I will not shout at you. Please Don't cry?"

Oh, baby! You are the cutest.

"Fine I won't cry, If you decide to be friends with me" I forwarded my hand.

"Friends?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Friends" She shook my hand.

I opened my arms to hug her. Her little hug calmed me.

"I will share my toys with you," She said after breaking our hug.

" It is late, isn't it? Shall we sleep?" I asked her.

Nodding she led me to her room.

She began to narrate all the fairy tale stories, I am sure I slept between mice turning into horses and princess kissing the frog.

I woke up from a stinking smell around me. I knew this would happen.

Instead of waking to this smell, she can just smacked me.

It's fine Raz, she is a kid, she is allowed to pee.

"Ew"

Ew!

After showering I marched to the kitchen, made a coffee, Lisa arrived as I finished my coffee.

"Mrs. Lisa?" I closed the newspaper.

"Yes Raz"

"Ruhi and I became friends, we were doing great until she peed on the bed and I was stinking" I complained.

I am still stinking.

Lisa broke into laughter as soon as I finished.

" I will help her bathe, I will take them to laundry. Don't worry. Ruhi is a baby, and it is a first time she is without her mother she is a little scared. Try to be attentive to her, she will eventually feel safe around you.

I felt bad.

"Thank you and sorry" I smiled.

"Hey, it's okay you are a teen girl, you are not supposed to know this but I appreciate you for agreeing to this, Not everyone can agree to three-month babysitting." She got my attention.

Three months?

What!

Am I going to spend my entire summer here?

What about my plans?

Why I haven't informed about this before?

Did they manipulate me in this?

Why am I here in the first place?

I cannot live here.

I want to go home.

I want to meet Abhir

I miss India.

I miss Abhir

I am lost

I am literally lost when I began my internal complaints, I roamed as my legs led me, now I am somewhere in this huge mansion.

They should have boards hanging with signs everywhere to reach the main hall.

With similar wall prints, I recognized that the library is somewhere on this floor. I can walk back from the library to the main hall.

Searching for what seemed an hour I found the huge library, I saw the diary lying there untouched as I left before.

Walking in I opened the page where I left off,

It began as

'Everyone clapped around me for her answer and she was beaming with happiness.

They narrated a few scenes and she went on to amused me with her beauty. Once in a while, she removed her hair locks pinning them behind her hair, blushing for every appreciation, and fidgeting her dupatta to kill nervousness, which isn't helping.

She felt real.

"Do you want to ask anything?" A contempt bald guy eyeing her sexually raised his voice towards me.

"Well…,"

Damn

" Well, Can you sing a song?" I questioned as I locked my eyes with her brown ones.

Everyone in the room laughed.

I suddenly felt conscious about my surroundings, nervously I shifted in my seat, slumping and rising my shoulders once in a while I chuckled.

"It's okay it is a stupid question anyway" I dismissed.

"Yes, I can If you still want me to?" She glanced at everyone and settling at my face.

"Well, who doesn't appreciate a good harmony?" A lady spoke.

Smiling she waited for my reaction.

I nodded.

"Sure" She passed me a smile.