Love Me

7

"Here," Daksh said softly, passing the cup of warm milk towards her.

She lifted her eyes to him. Daksh blinks seeing her magically innocent eyes.

"I don't want milk. Its smell makes me feel like vomiting," she muttered, wrinkling her nose. Daksh suppresses the chuckle and gives her a stern look.

"Enough of lies, drink it right now. You are acting like i haven’t seen your mumma forcing you to finish it," He replied firmly, setting the glass down on the table.

"Let’s finish writing. I will drink it slowly," she said in her sweet, coaxing voice.

Daksh nodded, reached for the register and pen, and they began their work together.

"It’s my work, yet look at him he’s more focused than I am. I hate writing, that’s why I make my friends do my schoolwork." Roshni thought, chewing her pen.

"Roshni, why are you not writing? Look, I’m done. Did you complete yours? Give me your work, let me see how much you’ve done," he said, taking the register from her hesitant hands.

Her eyes darted nervously towards him.

"Roshni, it’s been two hours, love, and you haven’t even done half your work," he said, unaware that she had stopped listening after hearing that one word 'love'.

"My fingers are hurting, and both my legs ache. I can’t concentrate," she complained, stretching her legs out and showing him her sore fingers.

"Two subjects work is finished, three are left, and madam, you haven’t even done half of one. Nonsense. Leave it we’ll finish tomorrow. If Ayaan comes, we’ll make him do some. If not, then we’ll both complete it." He said closing all the books.

She happily nodded her head and stretched her palm forward.

"What?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Your phone," she said with a mischievoussmile, teeth flashing.

"No. Go and watch TV, or else finish your work," he said, shaking his head not wanting her to engage in the phone.

"Buy me a phone too, please," she pleaded.

"I will buy one once you get into college. Now, let’s watch a movie." He asked with a lot of expectations but it broke within a second.

"I’m going to my room. I’m sleepy," she announced, rubbing her eyes dramatically, pretending to be sleepy.

"Why can’t you watch a movie with me? Don’t you want to spend some time with me?" Daksh said, disappointed with her constant rejections.

"I’m just sleepy, really," she said and ran to her room.

Daksh sighed. "Let’s go for a walk. She won’t come with me anyway," he thought and headed to the park.

Meanwhile, Roshni sat cross-legged on her bed, sketching in her notebook.

"It’s so beautiful," she whispered, admiring her drawing of a couple in reality imagining her own parents who used to sit in the garden most of the time. Her eyes filled with tears which she blinked away and lay down.

But boredom crept in, and within minutes, she drifted into slumber without realizing.

That evening, Daksh returned holding a packet in his hand. He went straight to Roshni’s room, knocked, and when there was no response, quietly stepped inside. A smile play on his lips seeing her sleeping carelessly. He sat beside her admiring her face.

"Roshni, wake up. It’s evening you shouldn’t be sleeping now," He said softly, brushing his hand gently across her cheek, only to find her skin burning with heat. He cursed under his breath and shook her shoulder.