Poles Apart

Chapter Eleven

I enter my house with my hair tied up in a bun, contrasting to how I wore it down for my first day of work.

No, work wasn't so harsh that I'd have to wear my hair up in a bun, but the heat of the summer undeniably was.

My first day at work wasn't spectacular and a lot of other things, it was a mildly boring day with human interaction and no work to do. It included welcomes, lots of bouquets and even more capability assessments.

At the end of my day, I rushed to my car and drove back home, not waiting any longer. I needed to rejuvenate myself. I was away from work for two months and forgot all the bad parts about it; the whole experience.

Anyway, while I drove back home, I passed by a pet shop. From the transparent glass, I saw a puppy; something I'd wanted with all of my heart as a kid.

Rohan and I would always pester my mother about getting a dog. For about a year, every conversation started with "Please, Ma, why not? It's just one dog, what will it do?" and ended with our mother's "Absolutely not. I already have three dogs."

Finally, having grown tired of my mother's ignorant behaviour towards our pleas, and having got no support from our father or brother, we dropped it. However, I promised Rohan that I'd buy him a dog, whenever I was earning, and we could afford to get kicked out of our home.

At twenty-three years old, almost twenty-four, I'm positively sure that Zēlos pays me enough to be able to afford a big house that allows dogs, in Hyderabad.

I picked up the cutest, friendliest dog I could find. It was genuinely hard to find. Every dog is cute. After a five-minute Google search, I decided that a labrador would be best suited for our home.

However, the pet shop did not have a pure-bred labrador, so I chose the closest dog to a labrador they could offer; a golden-labrador: a cross between a labrador and a golden retriever.

I enter the living room, careful not to catch the attention of a worker, who would tell my mom I was home or my mom who'd see I came home with a dog. I at least need to pack my things before I get thrown out of my house.

I see Rohan in the living room overlooking the patio. He was flipping through the dull channels and looked like he only wanted to sleep.

"Rohan?"

Rohan jerks out of his stupor when I call out his name and looks at me. A surprised expression takes over his bored face. "Is that-" his face stretches into a big smile, and he tumbles over to where I'm standing to hold the dog. "Is this- Are you- What about-" he doesn't complete any of his sentences as he takes the dog from me.

Rohan's mouth goes in a full 'oh'. "You can't be serious," he says, bouncing with excitement. "What are you going to tell Ma?"

"About what?" I ask Rohan, petting the dog.

Rohan's excitement reaches a momentary stop. "Is this not ours?" he asks, his face falling just within a few seconds.

I consider shaking my head, but seeing his face fall makes me feel bad. "It is," I tell him, with a smile, "He's yours if you'd like."

Rohan goes back to bouncing like he's on a bouncing castle. "Really?" he presses, looking at me with apprehension.

"Really," I assure him, ruffling his hair.

Rohan's face falls back into a grin. I chuckle at his excitement, ruffling his hair affectionately.

"What's happening here?" A voice thunders, making me bite my tongue. Rohan's eyes go wide, and he looks at me as if asking if I hadn't told our mother.