Chasing Moonlight #savealife

Chapter 25 : Realisation?

I look at Bruno as he sleeps on my bed. Lovely soul. It's amazing how much he trusts us. I'd never feel safe amongst strangers who keep on looking at me, all the time. May be it's a dog thing, to trust blindly.

He had his meal a few hours ago. After which we played a lot. I love how he bounces about the house after balls or stuff toys. I almost envy his carelessness and joy.

"Do you like him?", mum asks for a who knows what number time.

"I love him, mom", I answer.

My mother's phone starts ringing. It's my aunt, she tells.

"Hello?"

" . . . Oh, Skype? Alright"

"Your aunt is asking to video chat", mum tells.

"OK, but I won't talk", I state.

My mother sighs as I place a video call to my aunt.

"Hellooo", my uncle says, checking if connection is alright. All of us greet each other, "What are you guys doing?", mum asks.

"Nothing, just the usual stuff", aunt answers. My cousins are sitting on either side of my aunt and uncle is somewhere out of camera's reach but we can hear him and he, us.

"Kiara, how are you, child?", uncle Raghav asks.

I feel the weight of I-have-to-talk-now fall upon my tired shoulders. I feel fear gripping my throat as I think of formulating an answer. "A little better", mum says.

"Kiara, you're such a good student. You're so intelligent. How can you let such thoughts scare you this much, child?", my uncle reasons.

Again I try a lot but fail to formulate a reply.

"She says she doesn't like talking much these days", my mum confesses.

"Alright, but we yearn for the day you'll say I want to speak to aunt, yourself", my uncle says and it brings tears to my eyes.

My mind always got the better of me and so, I never let my heart see how much people, however less, whatever their relations with me were, love me so much.

The chat goes on and on and I sit there with my mother, listening to them talk and laugh, and laughing along with them.