His Shadowed Love

RUHI

" Home is where we find solace "

Ruhani's POV

Life is unpredictable we cannot even imagine half of the things we go through in life like if somebody would have told me that I would live away from everything and everyone I have come to know of for the most important 11 years of my life I would have most probably laughed on there face and would have told them that he would never send me away from him or if someone would have told me that my father Dev Vardhan Singh who never once called me in these 11 yrs that how I am asked me to come back to Mumbai. So my life is pretty unpredictable from that day 11yrs ago to yesterday.

So here I am sitting on a bench after my morning run at 5 am watching the sunrise at my favourite place. Dehradun for me is not just a place in India it is my home more than Mumbai has ever been. The silence here has a different kind of peace which you can't just forget it makes me temporarily forget all the problems in my life. But I can't just sit here all my life forgetting all my problems that I have to face at some point of my life.

Standing up looking at the view for the last time I took a picture of the sunrise in my camera capturing the moment I took the way to my apartment. Jogging back to my place I took the route to a café owned by a elderly couple to pick some coffee and breakfast for myself and Shivangi and meet them like everyday.

Walking upto a beautiful homely looking café I went to search for grandpa who must be in the pantry getting scolded by Granny for having sweets even though he have diabetes but he never listens to her. Walking up the pantry I saw I was correct.

" Good morning beautiful people" I said. They finally looked around and saw me standing at the entrance of the pantry and took a break from their bantering.

"Good morning Ruhi " Granny said smiling after she saw that it was me. Grandpa was standing there with a fallen face.

"What happened handsome why so sad on this beautiful morning ?"

"There is nothing beautiful left in my life after I married your granny." Grandpa said in grumpy tone.

" Ruhi ask your grandpa what was he doing here"

" Ruhi ask your granny did she allow me to answer before she started scolding me early morning"

" Ruhi tell your grandpa that was because I know what he was doing here, having sweets early in the morning even if the doctor advised not to have too much sugar "

" Ruhi tell your granny that I was going to make a hot chocolate for you and that is why I was in the pantry"

" Ruhi tell your grandpa that you always have banana milkshake after your jog every morning and not hot chocolate or is he too old to even remember that."

" Enough both of you " finally I had enough of both of them fighting like nursery kids.

Ignoring grandpa's look to back him " Grandpa don't lie to granny because we both know you can't lie to save your ass and about that hot chocolate granny he was going to make it for you as a surprise because today was the day when you both first met 50yrs ago and he wanted to make today special for you.''

Grandpa looked shocked but immediately changed his expression when granny turned her face towards him " Ruhi you spoiled my surprise. " " Sorry Grandpa but I could not see you get scolded badly."

Granny looked confused but after seeing grandpa's face she started apologizing " Sorry Honey how can I not remember such an important day but I think that day was not... "

" No honey I get it you are always stressed about the café and working whole day here it's okay." Grandpa hugged Granny and after breaking the hug they looked at each other with eyes full of love for another.

" Okay I feel sorry to cut your romantic moment short but now as everything is sorted can I have my breakfast and a milkshake for me and coffee for shivangi otherwise she will eat my head. Shivi without a coffee first thing in the morning is like having a face to face with a zombie and I don't want that.

" oh dear sorry, you must be hungry I'll quickly make it." Granny quickly moved out of the pantry to kitchen to prepare my breakfast.

I looked towards grandpa and he stood there with raised eyebrows and crossed arms , raising his arms toward me he twisted my ear.

" Ow grandpa leave me it's hurting " I said.

" Young lady don't try to act to smart with me, you never lie to your granny and that too to save me from her. What is cooking in that evil mind of yours?"

"Grandpa nothing is cooking in my mind, I could not see you sad that is why I lied to her and by the way you know na I can't cook to save my life except for Maggie and tea." Grandpa left my ear after listening .

Shaking his head he said" I find it difficult to trust you on it. I don't even know how my own wife doesn't believe my lies but she believed yours."

Rubbing my aching ear I said" Because she loves me more than she loves you."

I laughed seeing grandpa's grumpy face "Okay handsome no need to be jealous of me lets go from here otherwise this time I'll not be able to save you."

Stomping his legs grandpa left the pantry laughing on his childish action I followed him out to the main area of the café where I saw granny on the billing area.

She looked up and saw me walking up the counter" Ruhi this is your banana milkshake and I have packed your breakfast."

I snatched the bill from Ronit standing beside granny, who work as an waiter in the café, seeing this granny strictly said " Ruhi you don't need to pay the bill. You are like our daughter and I would not let my daughter pay for something from her own café. Understood "

" Nope " I said and handed the money to Ronit. Turning towards granny I saw her frowning so I went behind the counter and hugged her from behind wrapping both arms around her shoulders.

" Ruhi when will you start taking me seriously I am trying to scold you here."

" Granny who said I don't take you seriously and about paying the bill we have discussed this many times, you don't let me help you with the café I know I can't cook to save my life but I can work as a waitress or an accountant but you never allow me so at least let me pay me own bill "

Removing my hands from her shoulder, turning towards me but still keeping my hand in hers she said" that is because I know how busy you are with your college, assignments ,exams and above that with your job as an assistant photographer in the studio but still you come each day just to meet us."

" But I am never too busy for you both and enough of this discussion. I paid the bill, end of topic." Then only I saw grandpa standing there smiling looking at both of us.

" Okay I better go now otherwise nobody will be able to save me from shivi and before I go I wanted to inform you that I'll be going back to Mumbai tomorrow and for how long I myself don't know so if there is any problem with the café or anything I am just a call away."

"But you never go to Mumbai even on holidays Ruhi. What happened?"

" Dev Vardhan Singh happened. He called me to come back by tomorrow."

" Okay Ruhi take care of yourself and if there is any problem you know we are there for you." Grandpa said and granny pulled me into a tight hug.

Pulling away from the hug bidding them bye I walked to the entrance of the café. Suddenly remembering something I turned toward to face granny again and shouted " Hey granny I forgot to tell you something."

"Grandpa lied,he was in the pantry to have sweets and not to make hot chocolate and the day you both met is not today, sorry I lied" I said showing her a sorry face. Granny angrily turned her face towards Grandpa and grandpa was looking strictly towards me and said" Ruhi come back, I am not going to leave you." I teased him by showing my tongue and ran from there shouting " Sorry Grandpa ."

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So Guys this is the first chapter

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Looking forward to your support throughout the this book.