Chapter Eighteen
Megha's nervousness faded only when she reached the parking lot in Mohan's office, after their much awaited encounter. She knew she had long way to go before she could confess her feelings to him. I have to know him better! Though she didn't expect any major outcome from their meeting, she prayed to go through it, without spoiling the moment with her anxiety. And yes, I did it! With closed fists, she shivered in action closing her eyes.
"Are you alright?" She sprang open her eyes as she heard the voice close to her ears. In a flash of the moment, the breeze was so mild but strong. She must have needed it, because she caught a dust particle in her eyes accidentally, to close them shut again.
"Mohan!" She turned abruptly, dashed into his arms with closed eyes and he caught her around her waist in perfect time
"Megha!" He said in a husky voice, an effect of being in close proximity with her
When Megha rushed out, after informing her work details for the next day, Mohan couldn't register anything immediately. It all seemed like a vague memory one moment and in the next he found himself following her. He found her near a scooterette and watched her from afar before closing the distance in swift steps.
"You ok?" He asked again not letting go off her
"Something fell in my eye" She said with efforts to pull out a voice from her
She liked being held by him that close and she wanted to see his face. She opened the other eye as if in a wink and looked at him with a tilted head, biting her lower lip. He was focusing on the hurt eye, trying to open it for blowing dry air. She found him amusing with his cheek just an inch away from her lips. She had a sudden urge to kiss him and run from there.
But she asked "Is your tongue clean?"
That odd question took him off-guard and he moved away urgently. He felt guilty as his thoughts too were wandering around kissing her eyes, when she stood near him, with her eyes closed.
"Pardon!" He said hiding his embarrassment
She chuckled and then burst into laughter lost in her own thoughts. When he gave a confused look, she said "I watched a movie where the hero licks the heroine's eyes to clean the dust"
Both laughed out loud but inside they were tickled with sensation of feeling the other, close to their own body as their imagination took them to the scene.
"Hope to see you tomorrow" Megha said diverting her thoughts, as she positioned her scooter for the ride
"Of course we will see each other" He said as if he had thought about it already
"Do you visit the showroom site often?" She asked trying to hide her curiosity to know
He then realized that she would be working from the site and not from his office. Ignoring his disappointment he said "I would be needed there now"
She waited for him to add more and when he didn't, she said "We'd like you to visit us!"
He understood the we' and was excited to be part of it again.
"I'm still wondering whether this is all a dream" He said frankly
She pinched him hard on his arm that made him scream. "Believe it for real, Prince Charming!" She refreshingly was unselfconscious when she did that and that surprised Mohan. Did she know how pretty she looks doing those acts?
When she left leaving a note with her address in it, he found himself alone and desperate to follow her immediately. He managed to push through the day with his focus at work.
As he drove near Megha's house in the evening, he got a glimpse of a baby at the verandah. She was a smiling little angel and Mohan could hear her giggling, on the road. He smiled as an instant reflex watching the pretty smile. He knew it. She is my Cookie!
Then he glanced at the man who was carrying the baby. The man was in his stylish Capri pants and t-shirt, wearing earphones, smiling with the baby. With an intense look Mohan found that one of the ear phones was on the baby's ears and it appeared that they were listening to something on the phone.
The moment he laid his eyes on the scene, he was raged in envy. He couldn't imagine his Cookie enjoying somebody else company as much as she enjoyed his. He came to stop the car in front of the house not removing his suspicious eyes away from the man, who he assumed must be the Nanny.
It was Nanhi who shifted her gaze on the new visitor entering their house. Her smile didn't fade away. Mohan involuntarily smiled back at the pretty doll and outstretched his arms to take her. Just then he realized that the Nanny was giving a cold stare at him, not letting go off the baby.
"Hello Cookie!" Mohan said casually approaching the baby ignoring the Nanny's stare
"We are not selling any Cookies here" It was the Nanny's rude response that made Mohan put on an angry stare back on his face
"I am not talking to you" He tried to hold his temper not wanting to scare the baby
"Then there is no one you can talk to" The Nanny's words irritated Mohan further
"I am talking to the baby"
"She doesn't talk" Nanny said
"Muuu-mooo..." Cookie talked
That's it. Mohan ignored the Nanny. "My darling Cookie! How are you?" Mohan focused on the baby and he was excited to see the little one all grown up. He felt fluttering inside him as the baby responded to his petting with "Gooo-gooo... Duuu-douuu..."
Mohan-Cookie duo continued their conversation, as the Nanny looked at them with pursed lips.
"Come baby, let us go inside" Nanny turned to go inside when Mohan stopped
"Hey you stop there" His voice was loud enough to reach inside
"Who is it, Guru?" Megha called from inside
"Someone selling cookies, Di!" Guru said and walked in carrying the baby
Mohan stood still with his hands on his hips, shaking his head hopelessly. Megha stepped out and bumped into Mohan who was heading in.
"I'm sorry" Both said in unison
Megha welcomed Mohan in and seated him. He glanced around the small house which was homely and lively. He was thrilled to be back in his favorite world where he belonged once. He instantly felt the moment of agitation and was grinning seeing everything.
Megha took the baby from the Nanny and offered her to Mohan. As if waiting for those precious moments, Mohan grabbed her but with utter gentleness. He was contented and was filled with moments of all the missing pleasure, the baby brought into his world. He felt the soft skin of Nanhi as he rocked her in his hands and kissed on her forehead.
The moment he started talking with her, Nanhi responded enthusiastically as if waiting for the first opportunity to get introduced to him.
"Do you remember me, Cookie?" He dreaded the answer but still asked
"Boowooo-meoowww" Her response seemed to say Yes' to him
Mohan found something being offered in front of him and lifted his head to find the Nanny throwing the silly angry face at him. He was holding a juice tray in his hand.
"This is Guru" Megha introduced him
"He is my friend, cook, Nanny and everything" Megha added as Guru smiled at her proudly
"Hi" Both said
Mohan gave a sharp envious look at Guru who shared an angry look with him. As Megha glanced at the juice, she promptly grabbed it away from Mohan's hands much to his dismay and said to Guru
"Mohan doesn't drink orange juice" Guru took it away disappointedly
Mohan gave a confused look at Megha when Guru returned with a tray of snacks. Mohan was glad for Guru's hospitality amidst his hatred for him for whatever reason it was. Megha noticed Guru's wicked smile as Mohan took the snack in his hand.
"Come Mohan, I will show you around the house" Megha forced him to get rid of the snack and pulled him up. Guru went in with a letdown again.
Though he wasn't hungry, Mohan was looking at the snack tray expectedly but went along with Megha.
Time passed without Mohan knowing it. He was involved in his familiar world of bliss and was lost playing with his Cookie. Guru came in with two bowls of pudding. He offered one to Mohan and he took the other to feed Nanhi.
"Give me I will feed her" Mohan asked
"No, it's my duty. I prefer to do it myself" Guru resisted
Mohan tried not to get mad at him and said in a calm voice "Guru, give it to me"
"You are our guest. Please eat something" When Guru didn't show any fury Mohan decided to obey
He took the bowl of pudding to eat and Megha entered.
"Guru!!!" Megha's scream made Guru grab away the bowl from Mohan and vanish from the room
Mohan was astounded by the act he just witnessed. He gave a confused look at Megha who was holding her face in her palm.
"Sorry Mohan. Guru takes the role of my bodyguard to save me from bad visitors. And he uses his trick to mix some weird medicine in their food, so that they don't come home again"
She controlled her laughter as Mohan's eyes rolled in utter shock.
Edited by Senpoo - 12 years ago
