Conflagration

Chapter 24: New Beginnings

Location: Shekhawat Residence

Three days later

She twisted and turned trying to get comfortable while keeping an eye on her sleeping Amma. Meethi had been inconsolable when Imlie had gone missing and the Doctor had to be called. Her blood pressure had shot up and the doctor had advised to keep Meethi away from stress and tension to try and bring her pressure back in control along with prescribing a sedative to help her get good sleep. 

Imlie's guilt at the state her mother was in, sat like a tight constriction in her chest. The immense relief she had seen in her mother's eyes when she had returned had driven home the ACP's point. She had no right to deprive her Amma of her presence especially at a time when she had lost her life partner, her soulmate. She couldn't believe she had become that selfish considering only her pain and her misery as paramount.

She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Amma's forehead and covered her up with the blanket that had slipped off. Sighing she glanced at the clock which read 1.00 AM. It didn't seem like she would get much sleep tonight again. Ever since she had lost Dadda sleep had proven to be elusive and she ended up tossing and turning the nights away. Gathering her hair into a knot at her nape she quietly slipped out heading for the kitchen. Maybe a glass of warm milk would help her settle down she thought.

Navigating the darkened corridors proved to be challenge as she tip toed around the décor and furniture trying not to wake up everyone else. Just as she turned the corner to reach the kitchen, she collided with something big, falling backwards on her bottom in an awkward heap.

"God f*king dammit!" the dark shadow muttered switching on the corridor light to glare at her. Imlie blinked bemused, as the ACP placed the cup in his hand onto the nearby shelf and lifted the t-shirt sticking to his skin blowing on it as if he was burnt.

"Look what you have done now. Can't you see where you are going?"

Then he proceeded to pull his t-shirt off himself in front of her shocked eyes, before glancing up in irritation.

She gulped, her eyes stuck on the shift of well-defined muscles across a wide chest, tapering down to washboard abs that would put movie actors to shame. Her throat dried up and she could only squeak as he muttered something about his favorite t-shirt being ruined for good.

Aryan draped the t-shirt over one shoulder and reluctantly extended a hand out to Imlie to help her off the floor. She was staring at him gob smacked and he quirked his eyebrow up in question.

"You are hurt" she whispered, noticing the rapidly reddening skin beginning half way down his chest and extending to his navel.

He shrugged, "What do you expect when you spill boiling hot coffee on me?"

Imlie staggered upright on her own hurrying over to check for herself, her concern overriding the sudden awareness she had experienced at his half nakedness. She gently touched the reddened skin on his chest, hearing his sharp inhalation and incorrectly assumed it was because he was in pain. Dashing into the kitchen, she returned a few moments later with a bowl of turmeric powder and began to apply it to the affected skin, swiping it with gentle strokes while blowing on it to ease the sting.

Aryan let out a long exhale, his muscles jumping and tightening at her soft, gentle touch. This was hell, he groaned. He was in more pleasure/pain from her touch than the actual scalding from the coffee. Already his senses were on fire, the scent of coconut water with a hint of rose teasing him as her hair unraveled slowly from the loose knot at her nape. This is so wrong, his conscience screamed at him. She was a naïve 20 year old girl who has just lost her father. Get a grip on yourself Aryan Singh Rathore he berated himself.