Falling For The Enemy

Chapter 11: Tension

"Pooja, your child is very aggressive, she has beaten this boy very badly." The daycare lady, in her concerned tone, complained holding Lyla's hand tightly.

Lyla's mother appeared disheveled as she came running from her office leaving her important job as soon as she got the call from this lady regarding Lyla beating up a child. She glanced at the boy, sniffing waiting for his mother to arrive.

"Lyla, come here my girl." Pooja took Lyla by her side and took her aside to talk with her.

"Lyla, why would you do that? It's a bad behaviour. Mummy is very disappointed." Pooja said fixing Lyla's clothes and hair which were all over the place.

"He was making fun of me. He said you don't love me that's why you leave me here everyday."

Pooja breathed sharply as she looked at the boy who was being consoled by the daycare lady. "Did he say that to you?"

"Yes." Lyla nodded.

"No no. Bacha. We don't hit people. No matter what. It's a bad behaviour." She tried to discipline her. "Do you understand?"

Lyla didn't agree hence she didn't reply anything. "Tell me, would you hit anyone now?"

"Lyla, what is this behaviour? You won't listen to mummy now?"

"Does she even think of you as her mother? Don't you barely see her?" A womanly voice came booming. Lyla looked at the lady furiously.

"Excuse me?" Pooja stood up facing the lady. "Could you repeat yourself?"

"I said, if you're a mother then act like it. It's because of you, your child is acting like a complete psycho."

"Don't talk to my mom like this." Lyla screamed at the boy's mother.

"Lower your voice, I will hit you hard for hurting my child." The woman threatened Lyla by widening her eyes enormously.

Lyla spat on the lady the whole room fell into complete madness. The boy's mother shocked beyond her belief wide opened her mouth and Lyla's mother quickly protected Lyla. "Mrs Sharma, your daughter is out of control. You better control her. I can see what kind of teachings you're giving to her. I'll complain to the authorities and won't let your child enter any kind of daycare."

The whole fiasco put the sharma family into a huge tension. All three sat at the dining table, botg sighing as they looked at Lyla. Lyla could visibly see the disappointment in their face. "This is all your fault. She is totally out of control."

"How is this my fault? You weren't present in her life just as equally." She raised her voice in protest.

"It's mother's responsibility to look after  their child's development. She needs her mother." Lyla's father increased his volume slightly more than Pooja.

"Arnav Sharma. She is your daughter as well. I'm not the only one raising her."

"Why can't you be like other mothers out there? Focus on kids more than your career. Is she more important than your goddamn career?" Arnav stood up and yelled, scaring Lyla in her seat.

She hated seeing her parents fight whenever they met. Lyla's eyes welled up and started crying loudly, gathering both parents' attention. "Now she starts crying. What is wrong with your daughter?" Arnav loudly banged the table, scaring both Pooja and Lyla. Pooja embracing little Lyla in her seat. This outburst made her cry even louder, irritating the father more.

"I want her out of sight. Right now." He insisted, glaring at the child.

"Papa--"

"Go to your room!" Pooja let loose of her hold and let Lyla walk towards her room, defeated. She sat in the lifeless empty room painted in pink. She cried till her throat was sore and her eyes hurt with excessive tears. Between her sobs she will hear her parents fighting yet again. She would hear things falling and yelling outside but she wouldn't dare go outside for the father acted very rashly in these situations. She knew she shouldn't go out.

"Lyla, where are you?" She zones back into the office, seeing her laptop screen with floating ballons of various colours.

"You've been staring at it for like fifteen minutes."

Lyla was covered in sweat and it was very visible to Jeet. "You okay?"

"Oh I'm just feeling hot." Lyla smiled nervously.

"In 22 degrees people feel freezing cold in India." Jeet said casually as he sensed her breathing deeply to let go of a tension.

"Well Lyla is very hot. So no wonders." Riya jumped in.

Lyla automatically feeling better hearing that, smiled widely.

"You girls are weird as hell." Jeet gave up.

During lunch as usual sitting at their spot, Lyla found herself remembering things from her childhood. She knew going back to them will only prove harmful as those were the memories she buried inside because they were too painful to face. She, again, sat besides Yash and Jeet.

"Do you guys know how wonderful of a dancer Lyla is?" Riya started the conversation and Lyla's thought shifted to last night. Her cheeks coloured reminiscing last night.

Lyla witnessed a new found connection with Riya. As if all awkward had vanished and there's something special between them. "Really? That's new." Ronit joined in, wanting to hear more about it.

"So Lyla, you didn't tell us about your dancing skills. But wait, Riya. How do you know that?" Saya asked looking over at Riya sitting beside her on the right.

"Lyla and I ran into each other last night." Riya continued. "I was with my friends and she was doing her nightly stroll. I made her join my friends and we had so much fun." Riya cheered.

"First of all, doesn't Lyla stay at Goregaon? And you stay in Dahisar right?" Jeet tried connecting the dots.

"Bro. I was at Goregaon. That's why." Riya said the obvious.

"Continue. Continue." Yash said calmly waiting for the story.

"It's nothing. I don't even know how to dance Riya." Lyla chirped feeling embarrassed.

"You must be kidding me. She danced so romantically with my friend Hasan." Riya rejoiced remember the moment, one would think she was flying. "My mood literally lifted after seeing that."

"OMG it was a guy! And a romantic dance!" Sangeeta and Saya were too interested.

"This is surprising." Jeet too commented. "Have you recorded it?" He added curiously.

"No no I forgot. I should've recorded it. They both moved so naturally." Riya expressed light hearted regret.

"It wasn't that romantic. I think it's normal." Lyla protested, visibly red with embarrassment.

"Let me show you. Imagine I'm Hasan and there's imaginary Lyla I'm holding." Riya stood up enthusiastically showcasing the full dance.

"Let me join you. I'll be Lyla." Sangeeta joined in. Riya tried imitating the dance , but in more sensual manner. Lyla protesting throughout that it wasn't even close to this. One must really admire Riya's confidence to act like a complete full in a lively cafeteria, not having an ounce of fear of judgement inside her.

The table was blooming with laughter and remarks. She momentarily glanced at Yash, who didn't seem too much bothered about it was rather calm. He sipped his water bottle and laughed looking at the weird dance done by them. When he sensed that Lyla was looking at him, he turned his head in her direction.

"You should show this performance one day on fun Friday." He wriggled his eyebrow with a smile.

"I'm never doing that." Lyla rubbed her cheeks which was getting heated.

"Lyla. So Hasan." Saya cleared her throat. "Was he handsome?" Saya asked curiously.

Lyla didn't know why but she looked at Yash to see his reaction and he appeared neutral, occupied in his eating. As if she wanted to get a reaction from him, hence she said, "Yes. Very."

"Awww"

"Really"

Riya and Saya said in unison. "Well. He's single. You want me to set you up?" Riya added

"No. No. I'm fine." Lyla denied immediately. She sighed deeply seeing no reaction from Yash. She didn't know what she was feeling was it disappointment or relief?