Claret

t e n

The voice of people exiting the gate increased the chaos around, people struggled to push their luggage when the sun was at its peak, shining over everyone's head and making everything feel tougher. Dressed in the same dress Anushka had worn while travelling to Spain she squeezed through the people with her small trolley bag and another above her flat stomach trying to protect her two weeks womb. Dhruv pulled her to himself as he took hold of her trolley with more two and eyed her stomach. His head pulsing when he noticed his driver dressed in a blue shirt. Pointing at him Dhruv took hold of trolley leaving behind Anushka with her handbag and her baby to take care of.

Settling in white sedan they breathed in a sigh as Anushka wiped her face with the back of her hand and halted to move closer to the vent of an air conditioner. Loosening his buttons Dhruv instructed the driver to drive to home.

"You okay?" Dhruv asked after ten minutes looking outside at the massive traffic. It made him feel dizzy when he looked out at people walking in the heat.

"Yeah!" Anushka nodded opening her mobile. 

It took them another hour to reach Dhruv's place. Anushka didn't really hide her amusement when they entered the posh colony, the trees enveloping every corner and to the right, she could see familiar buildings, her eyes trained outside when she gasped seeing swimming pool and switched her eyes to cubicle like duplex standing like a clone to each other. She could feel herself brightening when the car stopped in front of second last duplex of the row. Hopping off the car Anushka followed Dhruv when he gestured her to leave her bags behind.

She observed every bit of it, how there was small parking for every duplex and how there was a very beautiful garden with a swing. Her eyes followed Dhruv's back when he took her through the passage to the backyard. He walked to the balcony and opened it to show her, her room.

Her room was bright and it had two doors, one opened to the backyard and another to the main house. Settling her bags, Anushka looked how sophisticated and bright this room looked to her.

"I live with my sister here," Dhruv said settling on the rocking chair and switching on the AC.

"I haven't told her yet, about you and well she isn't really very social. You would not be walking out of this room into the house until I have told her about our whole business. You can go around in the backyard. By any chance, if you see her, I want you to avoid her and try not to interact. Okay?" His voice firm and she nodded looking at the large backyard.

"Settle yourself I will be back with the food."Nodding Dhruv used second door to walk inside the house.

.

Settling herself down on the bed she unlocked her mobile and dialled the number she was desiring to do since last few days.

"Hello?" Her voice was soft as she greeted the receiver.

"Can I speak to Maira Singh?"Her voice pleading as she caressed the white sheet.

"Hello, Maira?" She squealed with happiness when her daughter accepted her phone call.

"I am really sorry, how are you doing?" She apologized when her daughter scolded her angrily.

"I promise to be there tomorrow, we will go out. Okay?" She made the promise and encouraged herself to ask Dhruv.

"Take care." She whispered softly as Maira hung up.

.

Anushka searched through her bags, as she collected all the cash she had on a small empty bowl usually used in kitchens, she wanted to know how much money she had excluding her bank status. She had decided and promised her daughter she will be going out with her and for buying everything her daughter desired she was in need of money.

The hospital will be paying her in instalments after every third month and now she barely had money.

The footsteps echoed loudly in the corridor as Anushka hurridly counted her money as she was scared someone might bang the door open and will see her in a vulnerable posting with a bowl full of money. Instead, she heard a soft knock on the door, closing the wardrobe after keeping the bowl inside she wiped her palm on her gown and opened the door to reveal Dhruv.

"You settled?" He asked entering the room.

"Yes."She nodded.

"You needed anything?" He asked softly.

"Yeah!" She whispered looking down. Dhruv settled on the chair and looked curiously at her.

"I haven't told you something."She gazed up.

"I have a daughter. She is only six and it is the first time she is living alone." Anushka gasped realizing how she was hurting her daughter.

"Wow" Dhruv's face turned surprised. For him, Anushka was way too young to go for pregnancy and she is telling him she has a daughter and that too six years old. His mind calculating when Anushka really had a baby, seventeen or eighteen? Or younger?

"I... she is living in a missionary hostel and I..she is just too small. I want to go and meet her at least once a week. " Anushka trailed off.

"Take the driver with you and tell me beforehand." His voice soft when he looked at how much she wanted to meet her daughter. 

"Tomorrow. Can I go meet her tomorrow?" She asked softly smiling.

"Okay. I will ask staff to bring you lunch." Dhruv nodded.

.

Dhruv tapped his foot as he softly gazed at his sister who was sleeping. Her snores were soft and he had made sure she was sleeping after she had woken up from her nightmare.

Caressing her forehead slightly Dhruv walked towards the small table to continue his pending work. His eyes shifting once in a while on his sister making sure she was asleep.

It was two in the night when Dhruv was done with his work. Slipping into his pyjamas, he decided to sleep on the couch itself, considering her sister would be uncomfortable with a man sleeping beside her and he could not leave her alone. Gazing at the ceiling Dhruv's mind drifted to Anushka.

Her button nose was red this noon when she had asked his permission. He was sure she was more of a mystery but now he could not take off the fact she was a mother to six-year-old. She didn't even look like someone who would be pregnant ever. Her face was small and even when she was a bit healthy she didn't look like a mother.

Dhruv could not believe that he had slept an hour later just because he could not stop thinking about Anushka.

. . .

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Maira Singh is the daughter of Anushka, the protagonist.