Safe haven [Yourstoryindia]

#Chapter 4: Something in the rain.

It was raining and Alvin was standing beside the window with a cup of coffee in his hand. He liked when it rained here. Rain, in a hot oven like country, is always felt like a miracle.
Unlike Kerala, here rain is not a season, it is a transition from summer to winter. A few rains and winter will cover them with it's cold wings. Temperature would drop below 15° and cold wind will run all over the country sometimes covering it with the dust.
He kept staring outside, listening to the music of rain. Like the gloomy surroundings he felt a pang of gloom in his heart. As raindrops danced on the window glass, his mind wandered to her.. Anusha.. It has been one week, since he came here.
After their more than awkward encounters, she was pretty much avoiding him. They are friends now or so he thought, because he was the only one in that friendship. Occasionally they met in Akki's home, made hi bye conversations but he was sure she was avoiding him like plague.
Why is that? He wondered. She was a pretty girl with her long black hair and chocolate brown big eyes, which kind of intrigued him.
She was not like other girls who tried to get the attention.
She tried to keep herself discreet, like she was invisible.
She was cute in her office uniform and her beautiful hair in a ponytail and with a light pink glossy lips . She walked like a wind like it's ok if nobody noticed her, like she is pretending that everything is perfectly normal, if she lived like this. But still he saw her crying in the church , left him wondering what is wrong with her. Why was she avoiding him? Why was her eyes expressed a loneliness sometimes, he had no Idea.
It was Friday morning, and his uncle who was working in a private bank, was home. Aunty was in kitchen and their daughter Riya was still asleep in her room.
When Alvin turned around, he saw his uncle entering the room.
John uncle was in his early fifties, with grey hair and plumpy features.
He was like a father figure for him. Alvin smiled at his uncle who sat on the couch with his steaming coffee .

'What are you thinking so deep in the morning?' his uncle asked him in his deep voice. Alvin gasped and went to sat with his uncle in the couch, facing the window.

' Um..how much do you know about Anusha?' He asked in a low voice making his uncle shifting his gaze towards him.

His uncle was bit surprised at his nephew's query.

'Why? Do you like her?' he smirked and made Alvin shift in his seat uneasily.

'No uncle, it is not like that. We are friends but not actual friends. There is something that I don't know. I think she's avoiding me'. He was sure about that, she was deliberately avoiding him.

He said and drank his lukewarm coffee. Uncle cleared his throat and stared at the window. Rain has stopped now, and the drops of rain now making its way down on the window glass.

'She is a nice girl, but she had some issues in the past. I don't know the details though. When Akki brought her here, she was in kind of depression. Akki was worried about her. But gradually she got out of that. Got a job and when Ninnu was born, she was more than happy' His uncle paused a few seconds before continuing.

' when I first met her, she reminded me of you Alvin.The young boy who moved here with his mom. You were lonely and sad. She was exactly like that. Her eyes were hollow and empty. But now, she has changed, she smiles often.. at least I think so.' His uncle said in an unsure tone. '

'Grief can break a person...you know that. Akki was the one who took care of you... What they say...umm.. like safe haven... May be Anusha could use a friend now. You can be a safe haven for someone now.' he said with a tinge of smile in his face. Alvin nodded silently.

He still remembered that time vividly. He was in fourth standard when his father died. Mom had to take responsibility of the three kids and pay the loan. She was working in a nearby hospital. They needed more money to survive. That is when John uncle asked mom to take an interview for Qatar hospital. Luckily she got the job and mom and Alvin came to Qatar.

They couldn't afford to take his sisters with him so they were send to a convent hostel. Mom was grieving over his dad's death when they moved to Qatar and he missed his sisters terribly.

New country, new people, new school and he felt all alone. He often cried himself to sleep. Akki was his real saviour. He was older than him and took care of him like a little brother. Akki made him to believe in himself and filled him with confidence.

After two years, mom brought his two sisters there but Akki remained his best friend. Alvin sighed heavily. May be he could help Anusha to find herself again.. but the question was will she let him into her life??

******""""""*********

Anusha woke up to the sound of rain. She lay there on her small bed covering herself with the comforter. Today was her mom's bday.
She missed her mom every day. But today was more difficult. On mom's bday Anusha and her sister Ansa used to spend their saved money on gifts and their efforts made mum to shed happy tears.

They would make payasam together and they would unwrap the gifts together
. She cherished all those happy moments like a treasure so that she could open it whenever she missed her mom. She was exactly like her mom, was emotional, attached and soft hearted .

She couldn't say 'no' to a person without feeling guilty unlike Ansa, who was like dad.
Ansa could say 'no' a million times ruthlessly and was more practical. Mom was ill all the time she knew her.
Dad was a bank employee, who kept himself busy in his job. Mom had *peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) when she was pregnant with Anusha. She survived the delivery but that eventually affected her health and lead to severe heart attack one night.

She was in ICU for few days and never came back home. It was a shock for the family. Anusha felt a hole in her heart ever since. The hollow feeling was so deep, that she never recovered completely from her loss. Ansa was more practical, she took the charge of home and run it like a pro. Anusha loved her sister, but for emotional support she was all alone. Dad rarely talked to her, maybe he held her responsible for all the loss. She felt like an unwanted child. She felt defeated and lonely until Nevin came along...

She cried along with the rain. She will never be okay again. For the past years, she had got control over her emotions. She could hide her pain in a smile, pretends everything is perfectly alright. Rashi was worried about her. Her mom antenna was so strong that she could sense her fake smiles and soft sighs, which was a sign that everything was not fine. Anusha was thankful to have Rashi in her life but she didn't want to burden her with all her troubles.

Anusha finally got out of her bed and made a coffee herself and went to her tiny verandah, and sat on her old couch. It is a special feeling to watch the year's first rain.

She sat there sipping her coffee. She needed a lot of strength to face this day without crying Infront of others. She could go to church in the evening and pray for her mom. Anusha sat there lazily until the rain subsided and then she went to Rashi's home. Ninnu came to her crawling with a big smile on her little face as she opened the door. Ninnu never failed to make her smile. Anusha took her in her arms and kissed on her chubby cheeks. May be she could face the day without crying.. she thought...

*PPCM is a heart condition begins during the end of pregnancy that leads to heart failure. Survivors may be permanently affected by the condition and 25% progressing to severe heart attack.

Hi...hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter will be out in three days. Please vote and comment..
Thank you 😊