The Visitor

four

M E D H A
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Once it was night, after the dinner, I was back inside dadi's room to continue my incomplete conversation with her. She was sitting on her bed, reading a book. The journey of healing was the name of the book. I sighed and sat beside her on the bed.

"Do you think these authors are being truthful when they write such drastically dramatic incidents and claim them to be true?" She asked me without looking up at me. I thought on what she said for a while before replying.

"I think they are truthful. Because life is all about drastically dramatic incidents only. Like, who knows, miracles happen?" I said and dadi chuckled at my words in response. She then closed her book and looked at me, giving me her undevided attention.

I smiled at that.

She held my palm in her.

"I missed you shona." She sighed kissing my palm and that was the moment I felt like my broken, twisted soul came back to life. The way she called me by the endearment and the way she kissed my palm, a hint of my dadi, the cool dadi who used to make me pasta for school lunch, appeared.

I

smiled and kissed her palm back, then replied "I missed you too dadi. So much more than you believe I did. Turkey was good, but nothing can compare your warmth and Mussoorie." I replied and laid my head on her lap. She smiled at me and started to caress my hair.

I loved this feeling.

"I am so sorry for not letting you know about.....all of this. You already have a lot of work responsibilities and I just couldn't let you be worried and stress you further. That would have been so cruel." She replied and sighed, making my heart ache more than it already did.

"Dadi! What are you talking about! You can never be cruel to me, don't overthink. And if not me, whom would you tell about anything and everything that's happening to you huh?" I asked, sitting back up and staring in her eyes intensly.

"You mean a lot to me dadi, more than you know." I said finally when she didn't reply to my earlier sentence and took her in a hug. She instantly wrapped her arms around me and I kissed her head.

"You are going to tell me everything that happens with you, from today on. No matter how small it is or how irrelevant you think it is. Got it?" I asked firmly, more like told firmly. She nodded her head in a small nod and I sighed. "Good. Also, I am staying here until you get better ok?" I let her know.

Her eyes lit up at the information though there was still some hesitation in them. "But shona, your work?" She asked me with concern. I couldn't help but let out a helpless amused smile.

"My pyaari dadi, work means nothing in front of you. I have taken a month long holiday and I'll extend it more if needed. Don't worry." I said and kissed her cheek. She was about to say something but I shushed her by keeping my finger on her lips.
(Pyaari dadi- lovely grandmother)

"You are a stubborn one! Whatever, I am glad that you are staying here with me." She said and planted a kiss on my head, lovingly. I sighed.

Finally!

"Now go and sleep, you need some rest." She told me and I nodded in agreement to her words. I stood up, and was about to wear my flip flops when a soft furry texture touched my feet making me scream, and run from there.

Though my leg slipped on the carpet the next moment, resulting in me falling on the floor with a loud thud, on my back. "OUCH!" I screamed and looked at the spot where my leg touched the furry creature, only to see Cadbury purring at me innocently.

I glared at the cat and sat on the floor, while rubbing my back. Turning my head around, I looked at dadi, but also saw Vansh standing near her. Both of them were staring at me with wide eyes. I blinked a few times, heat curled up my cheeks in embarrassment.

"I....I slipped." I don't know why I said that. But the next moment I observed amused expressions on both of their faces. I groaned internally and started getting up. It was hard.

"Let me help." Vansh said and came to me quickly, taking my palms in his hand and helped me stand up on my feet. Right, he loved helping people. "Thank you!" I said, embarrassed, while dusting my pyjama pants off on my butt. Then I turned to the cat and glared at her again.

"You should teach some of your kind tendencies to your cat too." I said to Vansh, thought my eyes were fixed on Cadbury, who was busy licking herself without a care in the world. As if she understood my words, she stopped licking and walked towards me.

Looking up at me, she meowed softly and her tail started to wiggle. Not going to lie, the scene was so cute. But I was angry on her.

"She likes you." Vansh grinned at me but I ignored him. "Absolutely. That is why she made me fall down." I say and picked her up in my arms. "Such a naughty little thing." I said to her firmly and she let out a loud purr, trying to wiggle out of my grip. Sighing, I left her on the bed and she instantly ran towards dadi, who took her in a warm embrace.

"I am sorry for what she did." Vansh said sincerely, his grin changing into sincere expressions. I looked at dadi and she smiled while nodding at me. "It's okay, not a big deal. Just....make sure she don't do this with dadi." I replied with a small smile on my own and dadi laughed.

"Oh come on! My addy loved me so much! Right addy?" She asked Cadbury and nuzzled into her fur. In response, the car purred lovingly.

The scene was just too adorable.

"I'll leave to my room now." I let Vansh know, who nodded, and shut my way out of dadi's room.