LOVE SOAKED

CHAPTER 10- baby, let the games begin

ASHER

The dial tone echoed in my ear for the tenth time. Frustration gnawed at me, laced with a strange sense of worry.  Trisha's drunken fiasco the night before, a whirlwind of colorful Hindi  insults, left me reeling. The amusement I initially felt was quickly overshadowed by concern.

There were explanations needed, apologies to be made.  But with her godamn phone unanswered all morning and an empty desk greeting me at work, I was fucking pissed and was at a complete loss.  Work offered little to no solace. Meetings blurred into a haze of reports and deadlines, each passing minute stretching like an eternity.  Finally, saying fuck it , I made a decision that would have made my corporate lawyer faint.

I was at Trisha's doorstep, armed with nothing but a desperate hope and a back up plan to tie her up and get her to fucking listen.Taking a deep breath, I pressed the doorbell.  The wait felt like forever. Just as I was about to retreat, the door creaked open, revealing a petite woman with warm eyes and a stern expression.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice laced with a subtle suspicion.

"Uh, hello," I stammered, my carefully practiced Kannada greeting evaporating into thin air.  "I… I'm Asher Brown. Trisha Sharma's…"  Boyfriend? Boss? The words wouldn't come.

Her eyes narrowed.  "Trisha's what?" she demanded, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Thinking  here goes nothing, I confidently said, "Boyfriend. We've been… seeing each other."  It wasn't a complete lie, not exactly.  But it felt unethical that she got no say in it.

A low growl echoed from behind the woman's legs.  A small, furry blur shot past, nearly knocking me over.  A cute little beagle, its tongue lolling out in a goofy grin, wagged its tail furiously.

"This is…" I fumbled, trying to regain my composure.  "This is sparkle, right?"  At least I remembered the dog's name, thanks to Trisha's endless stream of pet photos.

The woman, a flicker of amusement softening her features, chuckled. "Yes, this energetic fellow is sparkle.  Come in, come in.  You must be parched after standing out there in the heat."

Relief washed over me as she ushered me inside.  The living room was a warm, inviting space, decorated with colorful silk paintings and family photographs.  A man, slightly older than the woman, sat reading a newspaper in the corner.  He looked up as I entered, his gaze unwavering.

"This is my husband, Arjun," the woman said, gesturing towards him.  "And I am Aadhya ."

"Namskara," I greeted them both, bowing slightly.  Remembering a phrase from the phrasebook, I added, "channagi idira?" (Are you well?)

Uncle grunted a reply, his expression unreadable. 
Aunty, however, surprised me.  "Kannada channagi baratta?" (Do you understand Kannada well?) she asked, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Asht channagi illa aunty, kalita idini" (I understand a little bit) I replied, hoping my pronunciation wasn't atrocious.

Aunties lips curved into a genuine smile. "Ah, you're learning.  Good!  Would you like some filter coffee?"

Desperate for some normalcy, some way to break the awkward silence, I readily agreed.  As aunty bustled around the kitchen, the rich aroma of coffee filling the air, I attempted some small talk with uncle.  He remained mostly quiet, offering monosyllabic replies, but I caught a flicker of concern in his eyes when I mentioned work.

"Trisha hasn't been answering my calls," I confessed, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. "I was worried, so I came here."

"She's probably just… busy," Uncle  mumbled, avoiding my gaze.

"Busy?" Aunty echoed, placing a steaming cup of coffee in front of me.  "Busy doing what? Ignoring her boyfriend? Forgetting to tell us, she had one?"

I flinched at the words coming from aunties mouth but before I could say anything to defend Trisha and explain the situation , aunty's phone rang.  Putting it on speaker, she held it up to her ear.  "Trisha? Where are you? Asher is here, claiming to be your boyfriend, What's going on?"

The sound of Trisha's voice, laced with a mixture of anger and embarrassment, filled the room.  I knew then I was in for a long afternoon, but at least I wouldn't be facing it alone.  Sipping my coffee, the bitter taste oddly comforting, I braced myself for the inevitable storm. My storm.

I would spend how much ever time apologising for the situation I had put her in and I wouldn't blink twice if she asked me to spend my entire fortune on her as an apology but I needed to see her, to say my piece and to ask for a favour that would change our lives, forever.....