#4: Storytime

#4: Storytime

Savi held her pillow to her chest and walked into her Aai's new room. She looked around and didn't see Sai. Buddy was on his phone. She knocked on the door and Buddy looked at her and beamed.

"Savi, come on in. Is there anything you needed?"

"Aai tells me a story before I go to bed. Where is she?"

"She is freshening up. Do you want to wait for her? Hop on." He patted on the bed and she jumped next to him.

But soon enough, the hectic day took over her and she laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Satya looked at her and cleared his throat.

"Once, a lion terrorized his fellow jungle mates."

"Huh?" Savi asked in confusion.

"You look sleepy, I am telling you a story."

"But that's not how you tell a story. Where was the lion? How did he terrorize the fellow jungle mates? Why did he do that? Who were the jungle mates?" Savi asked in one breath. Satya gawked at her. 

"Ummmm...."

Savi raised her eyebrow and waited for him to gather his thoughts. As pieces of puzzles started fitting in his brain, he cleared his throat again.

"There was a jungle near the Rampur village."

"Much better." Savi said, in a serious tone. Satya smiled and continued with the story.

Savi interrupted her after every few sentences, asking questions or correcting his logic. But finally, she did fall tired and gave in. She breathed softly as Satya continued with her story.

He stopped in middle to cover her with a duvet when she turned. Afraid that she'll wake up, he started patting her head and continued with how the rabbit got the lion to the well who thundered at his reflection.

Sai entered the room, wiping her hair.

"You are the only one except me who could make her sleep with your story telling."

"I wasn't telling her one, she was tutoring me. This Chutki is very picky. I am sure she inherited that from you."

Sai smiled but then frowned when he called her picky.

She was happy that Satya was being kind to her daughter. He had no reasons to be, especially after the child's family had been so horrible to him. She was right about one thing, Amba had raised him to be a kind man, and in her hasty decision, she had brought this man in her daughter's life and she had no regrets.