A Heart of Stone with a Coat of Gold

A Quiet Morning

Author's Note - Dear Readers, I hope you are fine and in good health. You have reached thus far and I hope earnestly that you are enjoying the book. I would like to take a moment to thank you for your support till now.

I would appreciate if you could take a few moments of your precious time and tell me how you feel about the book thus far. Is Neel right in his thinking? What should Anu do, should she openly confront the man or should she leave things as they are? Please kind Sir, and Ma'am, just a few words is all I ask.

P.S.- Its a very short chapter.

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Neel didn't say a single word the next day to Anu or the kids. He spent his weekend in his study, working on his laptop and later going through novels. Anu didn't mind, she herself had loads of studying herself, the exams were just two weeks away. Reema, on the other hand, was happy as she went through her new books. Her school was starting the next day and she was very excited about it. And Aryan, being Aryan himself, was in his own dreamworld when he was not crying or playing with his father. So lost either in the world of papers or dreams, the day passed away fairly quickly and in peace for all of them.

Surprisingly the next day, both Neel and Anu woke up early, at almost the same time. Neel still used to sleep on the couch, Reema and Anu being in the bedroom, the only difference being he had shifted the crib to the living room so that he could tend to Aryan at night. Anu felt slightly guilty whenever she saw the tall man curled up like a ball on the couch, his feet dangling from the edges. She realised, the apartment was turning out to be too small now that there were 4 of them.

After brushing her teeth, as Anu sat on the table, Neel came up with two cups of tea. "Here." He said as he handed her one. One thing that Anu loved about Neel was his morning tea. The man knew how to make one of the most delectable drink. Every day, before leaving he would keep the tea in a kettle, with a simple note. Most of the times it would be short and simple, like 'Have this tea'. But once in a while, she had also gotten a few rude ones that said, 'For God's sake, stop forgetting your bras in the bath". She had been so embarrassed reading the note that she tore it instantly.

It was one of the few days today that she was having his fabulous tea without a kettle and a note. As she sipped, Neel sat down on a chair adjacent to her. "Anu, I want to say something." He sounded hesitant. Anu, just nodded, she was still feeling drowsy. Since childhood, she had always been a late riser.

Neel cleared his throat and continued in a slow and low voice. "What happened at Nishant's place will never happen again. Not until you agree. It's a promise" Anu kept her cup down and took a deep breath. She didn't know what went through the man's mind, but she couldn't deny she was relieved to hear his word.

Neel continued, it showed on his face he was finding it very difficult to mouth "That's my word as a man."

He paused and then continued, a tinge of hope in his voice, "Is this a better start?" .

"Much better," Anu replied with a smile. Neel stared at her silently for a few moments and then suddenly reached out his hand. He took a lock of hair that was dangling over Anu's eyes and pushed it to the back. Anu flinched, only slightly. He calmly replied, "Don't worry. I mean to keep my word. I just didn't want the oil in your hair to spoil my excellent tea while you sip."

Silence ensued. Neel with nothing better to do lit a cigarette and nonchalantly started blowing puffs after puffs on Anu's face. So much for a fresh start.

Anu was about to snap a retort when suddenly Neel rose to his feet with a start. He glanced at his watch and then glanced at Anu, worry written all over his face. "Shit, Reema's school starts in 45 minutes and its quite far."

All hell broke loose in an instant. Reema was still in bed. How could they have forgotten? Neel's office opened late. But the school was an hour earlier and Neel had to drop Reema on his way. It was as if the spirit of a demon entered Anu. She rushed to Reema to wake her up and get her ready. Neel meanwhile rushed to the wardrobe and took out his office clothes.

"Is Reema in the washroom?" Neel asked, the hurry evident in his voice. Anu nodded and received a frown as a reward on Neel's face. He would have to miss his shower.

As the washroom was occupied, where he usually changed, he hastily removed his Tshirt in the bedroom itself. He turned over to pick his shirt. It was still dark in the early morning, but even in the faint light, Anu thought she saw something strange. She was facing Neel's back and it was the first time she was seeing it bare. She moved closer to have a better look. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw it vividly.

His back was a mess. Like a canvas with streaks of paint, it was all crisscrossed with scars.

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