Chapter 11

Athira Patel

Everyone says that Bangalore is a beautiful city and the weather is cool compared to Hyderabad. They were not wrong. Everything I heard about the city is true. Starting from the way how pleasant it looks to the traffic of it. It is a hub for many IT companies. From the railway station, we took the taxi to get to the Whitefield where our apartment is located nearby the office. After giving money to the driver we got out of the taxi taking our luggage with us inside the apartment building which is of 25 floors. It's not any shocking here looking at the other apartments around which are also of the same height. Only the top floor is of penthouse leaving all the flats in the building.

We got to the office room to take the keys of our apartment which is on the 24th floor. I was standing outside the room waiting for Dev to get the keys looking at the surroundings when a small girl came running towards me and asking something in her native language which I'm unable to understand. I was looking at her confused when a girl of almost 29 years came running behind the small girl and took hold of her hand saying something to her in their language. I just stood there not knowing what to do.

"Sorry to bother. She is kind of super fast. I think you are new here right?" I think the mother of the three years girl asked me in English breathing hard due to the running she had done just now.

"It's ok. No problem. Yes, I am new here. Me and my friend came just now. He went to get the keys from the office" I said smiling towards her.

"Oh. That's good. That is the reason she wanted to know where you will stay in this apartment. She likes getting to know new people. By the way, I'm Sana and this is my three years naughty daughter pari" She said extending her hand towards me and holding pari on her other arm.

"Oh hai. My name is Athira. It's a beautiful name" I said shaking her hand and pinching pari's cheek sweetly.

"Thank you," pari said with her sweet angelic voice. She is so cute with her shoulder-length ponytails and pink colour frock. She is having chubby cheeks with thin lips and dove-like eyes. And her smile is contagious. She can make anyone smile with her simple smile. It is easy to know that she got the features of her mother since she is also so beautiful.

"So which floor is yours then?" Sana asked looking at me friendly.

"It's the 24th floor. Room number 2408." I said remembering back to our conversation in the cab where Dev was informing me about the apartment number and their strict security system.

"Really? That's cool. We will be meeting so often then. Ours is 2407" Sana said sounding excited. Even pari is clapping her hands in happiness.

"Wow. That's awesome. So we are basically neighbours then. It's glad to meet you" I said smiling at her. Dev returned carrying the keys in his hand and stood beside me giving a questioning glance. "Dev they are our neighbours. This is Sana and her daughter Pari" I said introducing them by giving his answer.

"Oh hai. Nice to meet you" Dev said smiling towards them.

"Hai. Same here. See you then. Will meet on our floor. Catch you later" Sana said nodding her head and turned towards the other side of the building walking with pari in her arms.

"Let's go. Shall we?" Dev asked winking. I shook my head carrying our luggage saying yes to him.

We got inside the lift and pressed the 24th button to our floor. "What will happen to Casper now that both of you are not there," I asked him concerned.

"Uncle said that he will be visiting us in two weeks most. So he will be bringing Casper with him in the car" He said taking his mobile out of his pockets.

"It's good. So he will be staying with us after two weeks then?" I asked sounding excited since I love this dog as my own brother.

"Yes, mam. He will be with us" he said smiling and turning towards me.

"Wow. Now I'm feeling so happy" I said hugging him.

"You are crazy you know," He said hugging me back.

"I know. But you still love me" I said winking at him and laughing. He stopped smiling and was looking at me with that strange look on his face.

"Yes I love you," He said seriously. I was confused now. But suddenly he laughed "Look at your face. It was worth watching you seeing so confused" He said laughing and catching his stomach.

"You idiot. You are such a hypocrite." I said giving a punch to his stomach.

"God choti. Please don't manhandle me" He complained when the lift doors to our floor have opened.

We got out carrying our bags towards our room and Dev opened the door of our flat. We both entered inside taking our luggage and keeping it aside to the Corner of the room and closed the door. To say it was a single bedroom is waste. It was huge that it can be made to the triple bedroom but still, there will be a lot of space to roam with all the furniture in the room. The Hall is very large which is in 'L' shape. To the left side of the hall, there is an entrance to the kitchen, attaching to it is another door which it might be of the bathroom according to my guess and to the right side of the hall, there is another door which leads to the bedroom. Kitchen is very huge with all the needed equipment along with refrigerator, stove, micro oven and dining table. All the required stuff for cooking were also present. Besides the kitchen, there is a huge bathroom with a glass door for shower and big tub with the mirror and hand wash. There were some cupboards under hand wash and mirror. The bedroom is huge with walk-in closet and king size bed in the middle of it. Beside bed, there is a bedside table with a flower case on it and to the other side, you can see the floor length mirror with a dressing table to it. Bedroom walls were the combination of Ash and black with the same Dark Ash colour furniture matching to it whereas hall is of total white and golden colour with honey brown colour furniture. Totally, the interior is beautiful giving it a classic look.

"I must admit. Your selection is good Dev." I said standing beside him admiring the beauty of the Bangalore from our balcony.

"Ya. Thank you. It took all my time until a week to find this one. I wanted you to feel at home" He said keeping his arm around my shoulder.

"It's really beautiful. Thank you." I said turning towards him and smiling.

"Welcome, Choti. So what shall we order then? We can fresh up and eat something before we start unpacking the luggage." He suggested looking at me to say my answer.

"Ya sure. Sounds like a good idea. You can order whatever you want. I will fresh up meanwhile" I said starting to go towards my luggage which we kept at the corner before.

"Ok. And by the way, you can use the bathroom which is inside the bedroom. I will use this one" He said indicating to the bathroom which is left side of the balcony.

"Thank you," I said dragging my bag to the bedroom and closing the door behind me. I sat on the bed and started dialling dad's number to inform him that we reached safely.

"Hello, dad. Good morning." I said after dad answered the call.

"Morning princess. Did you reach safely?" Dad asked immediately after lifting the call.

"Yes, dad. We reached safely and you know what? Our apartment is beautiful. Will send the pics of it to you." I said excitedly to share this information with dad.

"That's good. Dev had done a great job then." he appreciated. "And by the way, Riya called half an hour before to intimate that she too reached safely and said me to tell you that she will call you after settling down or you can call her," Dad said laughing.

"Ok. Got it. Will call her. Ok, dad will talk to you later. Need to fresh up. Bye" I said taking my short and t-shirt from the bag. Dad said bye before disconnecting the call and to take care of myself.

I went towards the window and opened it to look at the view of outside. I can see the front gates of our apartment from here when a black car came inside the apartment and stopped at the lift opening the backdoor of it revealing a man in his jeans and Ash colour shirt. I cannot see his face since his back is faced towards me. He said something to the driver I think because once he stood fully, the car went inside further to the parking lot. He turned towards the lift when pari came running to him, he turned back revealing himself and hugged her by lifting her in his arms. My breath caught in my throat due to the sudden surprise. I can't see him clearly from this height but I think I just saw Abhilash. God, what is happening to me again. Why am I thinking of him? I thought I left him and his thoughts at Hyderabad itself. I have to forget him. Probably that was just pari's father and I have imagined Abhilash there. I closed the window and went inside the bathroom to take a cool shower and forget about him.

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After the shower, I unpacked some of my stuff since the order was in delay. I took out the photo frame of my family and kept it on the bedside table. In came Dev calling my name saying that the food is ready. He stood beside me and was looking at the photo as me.

"Your mom was beautiful," Dev said side hugging me. I kept my head on his shoulder nodding at him.

"Yes, she was. She was my best friend and the best mom I can ever have" I said thinking of our good memories together.

"You know that she will always be with you right," he asked to which I nodded. "Good. Now don't become emotional. Come, Let's eat. We have unpacking to do after eating. And to get ready for our 1st day at Gordan Saint Architects tomorrow." he said smiling.

"Yes, boss. Let's go." I said saluting him and going to the hall with Dev back on my trail.

After eating in peaceful silence we unpacked all our stuff and placed it in the closet with Dev taking the left side of it while giving me the right side of it. By the time we unpacked it was already 9:00 pm at night. Dev is preparing some light dinner for us while we spoke to my other two best friends on the call with me standing in the kitchen holding the mobile. They too were unpacking the stuff and Rishi was preparing some parathas for them since Riya doesn't know cooking. After their call, we both ate fried rice which Dev prepared and went to sleep with him occupying the right side of the bed while I took the left side.

We both slept early since we need to be there at 9:00 AM in the office tomorrow for our 1st day.

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