Tiptoeing towards love

11

Parthiban

By the end of the day, Mozhi and I had dinner together and we part ways to doze off in our respective rooms. Surprisingly, Mozhi didn't create a scene like she did the last day...

Speculating about the same, I locked my room door as a caution and turn the light off before lying against the mattress.

Momentarily, I fell asleep but was jolted up by the continuous knocks on my door. Who would it be other than my niece!?

Hopping off the bed, I turn on the bedside lamp and unlock the door, meeting my niece on the doorstep as foreseen.

I look down at her coldly while she stares up at me like an innocent kid.

"What?" I spill out, offering her an irritated glance.

"Oiiinnngg oiiinggg..." She makes a weird sound and I stand there, disputed as to what has gone wrong with my niece!?

"What was that Mozhi?" At my question, she again starts to create that odd sound. "Oiiinnngg..." What the hell is going on with her!?

"Mozhi!?" I grab her by the shoulders and she pauses, gazing at me innocuously. "What is it?" I question her, concerned.

"Mosquitoes mama. They aren't letting me sleep," she puts forth a stupid reason to avoid sleeping in her room and I almost show the smile that tries to appear on my lips upon noting her deception to sleep in my room.

My niece is cute.

"There's no way a mosquito could get in this house Mozhi. Every corner is cleaned on alternative days by the maids and so far, no mosquito has bitten me. Also, you have air conditioners in your room and If I'm not wrong, mosquitoes would die in a cool environment," Mozhi blinks at me.

"But mama..." She trails off and frowns.

Then she silently turns around and saunters off.

My lips tug into a smile as I watch her amble away disappointedly.

She always makes me smile from within. Be it before this ordeal of marriage or now...her ministrations and adorable demeanor never fail to carve a smile on my brims. She and my sister are the only ones who get to see my emotions. It is because of their real and raw love with no expectations or pretense.

I've lost my sister and now the only person who loves me loyally with no greedy intention is my niece. But I've to let her go someday and though it hurts...I've to endure it.

She is not meant to live with me...

With someone like me who can't reciprocate the kind of love she anticipates. I would only ruin her life If she continues to be with me and expects me to love her the way she wants me to.

I don't know why, but I cannot understand love, the romantic one. Perhaps it was I never gave a chance for myself to feel or maybe because I'm just not capable of feeling it.

Even now, I love my niece the most but not in any amorous manner...

Well, that doesn't mean I'm a man with no lust though. I do relieve myself when I'm overwhelmed but I never felt the urge to indulge girls in it.

I can take care of myself just fine and I'm perfectly okay with how my life is flowing...

That night, I slept with my niece taking over my thoughts. On the following morning, Mozhi had prepared breakfast earlier and had decked out a plain green churidar to attend her classes.

Post the breakfast, I drop Mozhi on the campus. "I informed the driver to pick you up in the evening, okay?" She bobs her head and silently watches me as I drive off the campus.

Subsequently, I attain the office building and enter, receiving morning greetings from my employees till I reach my cabin on the 5th floor through the elevator.

Settling in my seat, I call in my assistant Swathi who schedules all the meetings I'm to attend. I usually keep a record of everything in my head but from the previous day, I had been thinking frequently about my niece and I've lost track of my schedule...

"Any meetings?" I ask her as she pauses in front of the desk. "Sir, you have an appointment with Mr.Dhruv at 11 a.m.," I nod toward my assistant who swiftly exits the cabin.

The day was hectic as any other day in my office and it was late evening when I finally reached my home. Inside, on the lounge, my niece is perched on the couch in a pink t-shirt and black knee-length pants that rendered her look small.

She seems like a grown-up in churidar but in these clothes, she appears so young, similar to a high school student.

Her hair is put up in a loose bun and some free hair strands are caressing the sides of her face, offering her an adorable look as she watches the television with an uninteresting expression on her face.

However, upon noticing me, her countenance glows in glee. "Mama!" She runs to me and jumps, clinging to my body tightly with her hands around my neck and legs banded around the region of my torso.

I was taken aback by her excitement and stumbled back a bit, catching myself before we both plummeted.

"I missed you, mama..." She rests her head on my shoulder and murmurs sweetly. Her words did something to my heart and I can't quite figure out what it was...

But anyway, it is a nice feeling to come back home to a person who earnestly awaits my presence.

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