Unrequited Secrets (The First Love Series, Book #1)

16. Hidden Thoughts.

Ten minutes later, Parth was walking leisurely towards her house. Maya opened the door for him and greeted him with a smile.

"Hi Parth. Good morning."

"Good morning aunty." Parth greeted her back politely and looked around the silent house. "Is Mira at home?"

Maya looked at him in surprise. "Didn't she go to find you?"

"She did but..." Parth scratched the back of his neck in contemplation. "She suddenly disappeared, so I thought she went back home."

"No, she is not here." Maya answered, and Parth shrugged.

"Ok aunty. See you in the evening." Parth bid her farewell and walked back to his house. Sunday dinner was a tradition of the two families, and it was Singh's turn to go to his house. Should he catch her, then?

But then she'd stick to his mother like glue, just like she had done the past few weeks. Where could she have gone? Parth paused. Could she have-? Parth rushed towards the backyard and towards the tree behind her house—one of their beautiful memories.

A treehouse sat atop the branches and looked the same as it did ten years ago. With his father's architectural skill, the small hut had barely made a dent in its structure and seemed to have braved the time.

Parth walked towards the wooden ladder and tested his weight on it. The ladder seemed to have changed, but then too, it seemed like it was used all the time, and his doubts were proven right when he saw her slippers beside the gap—that was the door.

Parth carefully removed his own flip-flops and spotted her sleeping on the rugged floor as he crawled inside through the door.

A sketchbook lay open beside her as she snoozed with her hands sprawled haphazardly on her sides. Parth carefully sat beside her and picked up her sketchbook. He casually browsed through the landscapes, doodles, her favorite cartoon characters, her parents, and him?

His hand paused at the page, ha- Parth exhaled and looked at his little bug. His spectacles once again hid what he felt at the moment.

~~~~~~~
*Don't forget to vote and comment*

[Parth seemed to be getting closer down on his own thoughts, what will happen now?]