Southern Avenue

Chapter #2

Chapter #2

"What do you need from him?" He said in the most polite way possible, while she kept taking steps back as his overexcited puppy retriever almost jumped over her. He didn't want to scare her away or come off as a prude.

The lights of the place still hadn't been turned on so he couldn't quite see her face clearly.

"Nikki! Behave..sit down, girl!" He grumbled at his pet, who still kept barking.

"I'm here on some business. How can I go in? I don't think the guards will let me in." She huffed and looked down at the sad face of Nikki who had been scolded for almost jumping on her. Nikki looked so sad, that she couldn't help but give a small smile towards her direction.

She knelt down to her height and cradled the top of her head softly to which his pet Retriever barked happily and wiggled her tail, but as her master had ordered her she was still sitting down on the ground.

"Your pet is pretty I must say." She chuckled and Nikki waved her tail in happiness, her tongue out.

"Thank you." He paused, "I'll let you in, what's your name?"

"Sharanya Devyani." She looked up to see the face of the man, which was now visible because of the lights that had been turned on in the extended lawn. "You will?" She asked in a hopeful voice.

He smiled and nodded, "I am Ranvijay Singh Shekhawat."

Sharanya quickly went up on her feet and looked at the man she had been looking her. She had never seen him, yet she'd come for one promise made years ago. He had striking features that were hard to ignore. What stood out the most was his calm posture that he had even though it was quite evident that he had just come back from a run with his dog.

"I...you might not know me. I can explain." She looked at his face, that had a two-day-old stubble and had an attractive edge to it because of that. The man had an angular jaw that couldn't be ignored. It also seemed like he had a small dimple on his chin.

"I would gladly give you the chance to do so." Ranvijay nodded and walked in towards the villa, where the security guards salaamed him and he curtly nodded towards them.

Sharanya just quietly followed him in, hoping that the talk would just go smoothly.

He pulled Nikki up in his lap, as she was still a baby pet of his and he absolutely adored her like nothing less, then looked back at the girl named Sharanya who was following him without a word. He did notice her eyes looking around discreetly, taking in all the details of the house that he lived in. It was a Villa, in all its glory and honesty. Some preferred to call it a mansion rather.

He didn't know who she was, and he was sure she was seeing him for the first time as well. The way she in-took his features and the fact that she couldn't recognize him was fact enough to prove his doubts. Moreover, while it was total idiocy on his part for letting in a stranger into his place without knowing who she was or what she wanted to do with him, the girl didn't seem to be lying when she said she had some business.

Now he just had to see what kind of business it was.

Walking into the hall, he showed her the couch, "You take a seat, I'll be just back."

Before talking he definitely had to change out of the sweaty clothes that he was in. There was no way he wanted to talk to a girl he'd just met in smelly and sweaty gym wear that showed way too much of skin to be comfortable for a first meeting.

Sharanya curtly nodded and sat on the couch, while another dog, this time a small white furry Speech barked in front of her, shaking its tail energetically in her direction.

"Jimmy come...no..." Ranvijay started to say, but by then Sharanya had gone on her knees and started giggling with the other pet of his while scratching his neck, to which the Speech purred happily.

"I can take care of...him." She said looking up at Ranvijay who smiled a bit, and finally let Nikki off his lap as she had started barking wiggling to get out of his arms. She had way too much energy to just be cradled in his arms.

"You seem good with pets," Ranvijay said, gulping down a bottle of some drink, while the servant provided Sharanya with some juice, and wished her a good evening.

Sharanya gave a small nod and a smile to the middle aged man, and wished him back sweetly. Then the man walked away.

"I love them." She hushed formally and smiled at the two puppies.

"That's good." He nodded and disappeared as he went upstairs, while she waited with only Jimmy with her. The little furry pup seemed to be very excited about someone's new presence in front of him. It was common for dogs to dislike the presence of a stranger in their homes, but these dogs seemed to like her. Shranya in turn, liked the dogs back because she had always been in love with them.

She played with him a little, caressing his head while Jimmy poked her on the feet with his nose.

Suddenly her thoughts went back to the reason why she was there in the first place. Why she'd come to visit Ranvijay.

She didn't know him, then again she had to fulfil one promise to the people who had changed her whole life. For that, she needed to talk with Ranvijay.