Part Four
(Two weeks later...)
"Don't you think you should move back home?" he said.
"Colonel!" she said.
I sighed and dropped the fork that I was holding in my hand.
My parents suddenly, in a very rare phase, decided to visit Kittu and I at the store to persuade me into spending some time with them.
I couldn't really say no as I still felt guilty about leaving, but I wanted to do something for myself for once.
Just staying in my family's house, having everyone waiting me hand and foot, as if they were afraid if I was left alone I could've hurt or even kill myself without even knowing.
It was impossible to move or breathe, to do anything and so with Kittu in arms, we started the flower shop off on our own from an abandoned store that used to be a small clothing shop.
In less than two years we started to have some type of moderate success and even now we were still doing really good and for the first time in my life I felt confident and pleased at something that I was able to create and accomplish without having someone waiting for me arm and foot.
It was both of our efforts, both of Kittu's and I's, but still I felt more happy, more confident, and finally independent.
I sighed and before I could pick up my fork again someone was already placing it back into my hand.
I internally groaned but I left it alone.
I picked up where I left off where I was eating while my parents continued talking.
"Anyway, Shraddha, Colonel didn't mean it like that...its just that we...we let you live on your own for the past six years or so...so we was wondering maybe...maybe you might...might want to come back home. I mean you are about to be 25 and maybe you should start thinking seriously on settling down." My mother said.
"You don't have to be so complacent and vague with her, Shraddha, you are coming home now. You played your games with your friend but you are an adult now and you have to start taking your life seriously. We are thinking of getting you married." My father said.
I paused in my eating and I tried to look towards my father direction, remembering where his voice came from.
"I was not having fun or playing around papa, I was earning a living, which I have done, which Kittu and I have done successfully without either papa's or mama's help. I am not changing the lifestyle that I have finally gained for myself. Nor will I invite a third party in this who will only treat me as if I was dumb or if I was a child." I said and continued to eat.
"That...that's...that's...that's not true we have found many good selectons..." mama said.
I reached out for my glass and in no time one was in my hand and I groaned even more.
I took a sip of the water, before I carefully placed it back onto my left side.
"It's either you mentioned papa's name and his business or your mentioned the fact that you will take care of any expenses that might come into handling me." I said.
There was a pause and it only confirmed what I believed.
"Like I said, I'm not interested in moving back home nor am I interested in getting married to someone who will either be as stifling as living here or be as negligent as those nurses that used to watch over me." I said.
"Shraddha this is something that..." Papa started.
"Something you must have thought about long and hard but this is not right. I don't want to give up my independence nor be treated in kid gloves." I said.
"Shraddha..." Mama tried to lament but I was not hearing none of it.
"No mama, I refuse to go with someone that will see me as a burden nor as being pathetic." I said.
There was silence and for a moment I heard my father geared up into another argument until my mother silenced him and spoke up.
"Okay, okay Shraddha we will think about this but we won't lament on you coming back home. I don't like you living on your own...at least visit more often and we can go from there." She said.
"Madam, there is no way, she has to come back home, the complaints last time of someone..." papa started but I heard mama trying to silence him once more.
"Colonel and I agree to this and please just hear what we were saying for a moment?" she requested.
I nodded and continued to eat my dinner knowing that I was up for an even more difficult battle.
*********************
"Just place it there." She said.
I nodded and placed the three bags of groceries on the table as I turned to my mom who was locking the front door.
"So what is the special occasion?" I asked while slowly helping her pack things back into the cabinets, pantry, drawers, and refrigerator.
"Its because of those letters that came in." she said.
I gave a soft smile but lost it at what she was talking about.
"So which one are you planning on going to?" Mom asked with excitement.
I paused from my packing and sighed before I resumed.'
"I'm not sure right now." I said.
"You should hurry and decide...you have less than three weeks." She said.
"I know." I said.
I continued to pack until I felt an arm on my shoulder and I stopped packing the flour and sugar into the cabinet and turned to my mother who had a worried expression on her face.
"Don't let me be the reason for your final. I raised you well by myself since your father passed away, I can take care of myself without you. This is an important phase for you and it should be your decision." She said while smiling.
I nodded and she turned back around to finish packing the oven mitts onto the handle of the oven while I placed the flour and sugar into the cabinet.
"Your father will be proud of you...following into his footsteps in becoming a lawyer." She said.
I smiled softly and I closed the cabinets, double checking that all the groceries and other items were packed and there was nothing left over.
I was going to head upstairs to my room, to quickly change, but my mother called me back.
"Yes mom?" I asked.
She smiled.
"You're going out again later on today is that correct?" she asked.
I nodded.
"Is there anything wrong?" I asked skeptically.
"No, there is no problem...I just hope whatever or whoever is making you go out, I hope at least some day you will introduce me to her." She said softly.
I lost my smile and stared back at my mom who started to giggle.
"How...how...how..." I started but she giggled even more.
"How would I not know? When my son was a coach potato and all of a sudden is out of the house majority of the time of course it has to be because he is seeing a special someone...I just would love to meet who this special someone is before you leave." She said.
I regained my composure and smiled and I nodded at my mother.
"No problem...I will make sure that you will." I said before I left the kitchen.
***********************
"Thank you have a great day!" Kittu yelled.
I quickly tried to select the flowers that one of the customers requested, gave it to them, and once again the cash register opened as Kittu received their cash and handed them their change, and the register closed once more.
There was so much talking and noise going on, it was really hard on trying to place which noise came from where that I started to have a headache.
This continue for almost another three hectic hours and when we were finally done the dull pain became more prominent.
"Here...Shraddha." Kittu said.
I heard something shake and she opened the palm of my right hand and she placed something into my hands.
"It's aspirin...take it." She said.
"How did you know?" I asked and closed my eyes as another pulse of pain throbbed throughout my head.
"You usually start squinting and your face scrunches up when you have a headache." Kittu said.
I smiled softly.
"Thanks Kittu." I said and opened my mouth and raised my hand and placed the pills into my mouth and when I lowered my hand I felt something else being into them.
"Water, it's in a cup." Kittu said.
I lifted the glass towards my mouth and swallowed the pills down my throat with the effort of the water, it made it a lot easier.
I handed the glass back to Kittu and I heard her walk away but I still heard her voice when she asked me the next question.
"What happen this time with auntie and uncle?" Kittu yelled.
I sighed and I found one of the stools that we kept behind the register, pulled it out, and sat in it as I answered her.
"The same, come home, close shop, and eventually get hitched." I said while sighing and internally groaning as the medicine still didn't take effect.
"Your parents don't trust me?" she said, this time her voice sounded closer.
"They do...in a way...but it's probably the fact that I'm getting older...I don't really know but I'm not interested. I don't want to be treated as a prisoner in my own freaking home." I said.
Kittu laughed and I heard another chair drag beside me.
"I remember when I used to visit, inspection every time to make sure I didn't carry anything potentially dangerous that you would sit on, walk on, or even trip or fall over by mistake." Kittu said.
I sighed.
"I will continue to refuse but knowing papa, he won't easily accept it but mama is more understanding so maybe..." I said.
"Maybe?" Kittu questioned.
"I will still be here to continue to harass you." I said while smiling.
"And I will still be able to figure out who you keep on secretly meeting. Remember our promise?" Kittu said.
I lost my smile and turned away from her and I could still hear her laughter.
(Two days later...)
I wringed my hands together trying hard in not making too much noise as I went down the stairs.
It was still around five or six, early in the morning, before the sun came out and turned the entire place into a compressed sauna.
I pressed the next step and I held my purse so close to my body when I heard it creaked.
I waited for ten seconds, another five, then three, but luckily Kittu's door never opened so I heaved a sigh of relief and continued until I reached the bottom step.
I carefully maneuvered towards the back door in the store, afraid that the creaking noise from the front door would make too much noise and alert Kittu.
I carefully unlocked the door, shutting it into place, and walking around from the small patio that was in the back of the store.
I sighed and I went into my purse to get my walking cane, unfurled it, and used it to help find my way around to the front, while using my hands on the store's brick and cement walls to guide me until I made my way to the front.
I continued to walk until I heard a noise and hesistantly stopped, my body tense, and ready for any course of action.
"Shraddha?" a soft questioning voice.
It was familiar...Kunal.
I smiled to myself and continued until I heard footsteps come over.
"Shraddha...good...good...good...good morning." He said while stuttering.
I smiled and I felt his hands wrapped around mine and this time I let him as he guided me towards whatever he was trying to direct me.
He released my hands and I heard some clinking and something fell and he cursed as he fumbled around and I smiled at how nervous he was.
"Goodmorning Kunal as well, no need to be so shy." I said.
"Okay...okay...okay...okay...it's it's just that you look so...so beautiful...really...really...gor...gorgeous." He said stumbling and stuttering even more and I smiled.
"Thank you." I said while blushing.
I felt him moving and this time he moved towards me.
"Put...put...put...put this...this...I mean put this on." He said trying to gain composure of himself.
I smiled even more.
"Why...what am I putting on?" I asked confused.
"It's a helmet... because...because...because I...br...br...br brought my motorcycle so we can head to the beach...beach...beach." He said stuttering even more.
"You have a motorcycle?" I said while raising my eyebrow up.
"Not...not really. A fr..fr...friend let me borrow it. Car was...was...was...in...the shop." He said getting even worse as the time passed.
I shook my head and placed my cane back into my purse, opened my hand for him to give me whatever he wanted and I almost lost my balance but he quickly grabbed me before I fell.
"I'm sorry...so...so sorry." He said.
"It's okay...I lost my balance but thank you." I said and I felt his arm on my upper back, only causing that area to slowly become warm and I felt as if I was red.
I was able to right my footing but his arm was still there and I was starting to become even more uncomfortable.
"It's okay, you can remove your arm." I said in the calmest of voices that I could manage.
"Oh..oh,,,sorry about that." He said quickly and I felt the warmth completely disappear and I felt disappointment.
I touched the helmet, trying to decide which part was the front and continued until I figured it out.
"Oh..oh...let me help." He said and before I knew it I felt the helmet loosen from my grasps and soon I felt it over my head, sealed into place securely on my head and neck.
"Thank you." I said.
"No...no..no problem. I will get on first and will tell you when to get on." He said.
I nodded and in less than a few seconds I was able to hop on, with a little bit of assistance, as I climbed up behind him.
I placed my purse in front of me, using my hands to tangle the straps among one another so it couldn't fly off.
I then leaned my hands forward and I felt as if I was patting on his back and I felt him tensed up.
I then moved my hands forward, towards his stomach as I joined my other hand, folded them together, as I leaned forward, placing my head against his back.
"I hope its okay if I hold onto you?" I asked.
I felt him tense even more.
"It's...it's...fi...fi...fi...fi...fi...fi...fine" he answered in a hoarse voice.
I smiled and leaned even more against the crook of his back.
"Thank you." I said and waited as he started up the bike and we slowly made our way away from the shop.
********************
I stared at her in awe.
She was busy shimming herself out of her shirt and she tossed it on the sand below.
I had to gulp and tried hard not to stare but it was impossible especially since her hair was loose and was blowing in the wind, whipping, and flying across her arms and neck. She also was wearing nothing but a white top with shorts that stopped at her upper thigh, exposing nothing but long smooth legs.
I tried to swallow but my mouth was incredibly dry, my blood seemed to have rushed elsewhere, and it was becoming impossible to push air into my lungs that seemed to squeezing and burning in discomfort.
It took us almost a good 15 minutes to reach the beach and the sun was barely making its presence out of the clouds that were dotted along the sky.
There weren't anyone else there except for an older couple that we passed along on the way.
I sighed and I heard shuffling and turned to look back at Shraddha who gripped the band of her jean shorts and pulled it off and I quickly turned away, blushing.
I tried to look away but I couldn't and noticed that she had a tattoo of a red rose on her left upper back along with a trail of stars that seemed to start higher but could only see part of it that was peeking out from her bathing suit that was on her lower back.
"Kunal!" she yelled.
I stopped looking at her and felt myself blush even more.
"Yes!" I tried to say with a clear voice and quickly jogged to where she was and she was searching for me , trying to find my voice and I quickly linked my hand into hers and she calmed down.
"Join me...this is the best time before the water becomes too hot during the day...come on." She said with excitement in her voice.
"But...but...but...but I don't...don't have a swim suit and didn't buy another pair of clothes." I said releasing my hands from her.
She smiled and she backed away from me, heading closer to the water.
She leaned her head to the side, causing some of her hair to cover her eyes and her nose.
"You don't have to worry about me seeing you because I can't so it wouldn't really matter if you don't have your clothes on." She said with a smile.
I blushed even more in embarrassment and she laughed, a hearty light laugh that was carried throughout the wind.
"You're really cute." She said and she turned around and was slowly heading into the water.
"Are you sure you can do that...tha..that...that...by yourself?" I asked as she was heading further into the water.
She turned her head to the side and smiled.
"If you want to stop me, then come and get me." she said and my heart fell face down onto the sand as the remaining drops of blood definitely headed down south.
The innuendo in her voice, it took me no less than a second to strip off my shirt, shorts, undershirt, shoes, socks, and anything that was attached onto my body, except for my underwear, and trudged foot first into the ocean.
She was laughing and every time I tried to make my way towards her, she would move out of the way, deeper into the ocean.
"Shraddha...it's dangerous...you shouldn't go out too far." I tried to say but she wouldn't listen and instead tried to splash me with water.
"Shraddha..." I tried to grab for her but she went further away from me until the water was covering the top part of her chest.
She laughed and this time she splashed more water at me and giggled.
"It's okay Kunal...I have been swimming since I was four." she said while giggling.
"But still..." I tried to say.
"Have fun for once and stop worrying, I should be more worried than you." She said with a cute pout.
I smiled and without warning I splashed water on her.
She stopped what she was doing for the moment and she countered back.
"Hey.." I said while laughing and we continued for the next twenty minutes and soon the sun the small rays of the sun started to peek out casting a light glow onto Shraddha.
I stopped splashing water as I stared at her as the sunlight caused me to finally stare at her eyes that were a brown, like I always noticed before, but had a distinct grayish almost opaque cloud over them.
I didn't know what made me do so but I lifted my hands and I cupped her face, causing her to pause.
"Kunal?" she said with a confused voice while she wrapped her hands around my arm.
"I...I...I like you." I said without fully thinking and when I finally realized what I said I almost wanted to bite my tongue in mortification.
"I meant...that...I mean that...you are...I mean...I want to..." I started rumbling on and my entire face felt hot and I could feel my head was starting to turn redder as time passed and I felt something wet land on my face and realized it was Shraddha's hands.
She placed them carefully on either side of my head.
"Calm down...I can hear your breathing...calm down before you pass out." She said softly.
I dropped my hands and tried to calm down as Shraddha still hand her hands on my head.
After a few minutes I calmed down and Shraddha removed her hands from my head.
"Better?" she asked.
"Yes." I said while nodding.
I took a deep breath and stared at Shraddha who was waiting for me patiently until I said my next response.
"I wanted...wanted...to...to..to..." I stopped and sighed and tried again.
"I wanted to tell you that every since...I..I...I like you Shraddha." I said quickly with my eyes shut and my cheeks flaming red.
"I liked...liked...liked you ever since...since...since I first met...met you." I said with my cheeks still flaming red.
"I know you are going to say I am an...an...id..id..idoit...but I...I...really do." I said and hanged my head, too embarrassed and anxious to hear her response.
There was silence and resigned myself until believing that she was planning the best way in trying to reject me.
"It's...it's...it's okay..okay...I just...just wanted to..." I tried but I couldn't finish my sentence as she leaned upwards, placing her lips against mine.
I was stunned and couldn't comprehend as she slid her lips against mine, little butterfly nips and touches that I couldn't fully process until she wrapped her arms around my neck and she pulled herself closer towards my body.
Her lips continued to press against mine and it felt so soft and tasted just like the water, a mixture of saltiness and sweetness.
Her scent, a mixure of strawberries and the salt from the water that was hanging on her body only caused me to become more overwhelmed with her smell, her touch, and her overall presence.
She released her hold on my lips and for some reason she was stalling and I didn't know why.
"You're not an idiot...just really cute." She said and she resumed kissing this time using her time to prod for access into my mouth and I let her, easily opening my lips giving her access and I heard her moan as she stroke her tongue against mine.
My stomach felt hot and urgency started to pulse in my blood and I wrapped my hands around her waist, trying to get us closer as she continued to stroke my tongue, sliding against it, and I tentatively tried to slide mine against her and she made another moan so I tried to continue it again and she reacted the same way.
I felt her leg raise itself in the water, stroking against my left leg and I tried everything in my power to remain calm and rationale but she kept on stroking my tongue with hers, making whimpering sounds, and sliding her legs against mine.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, pushing her closer to my body as I tried to take over and she pressed herself even closer as we stayed enveloped in one another's arms while the sun made it slow rise into the sky.
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Members Lounge
16