Adorable Heart

Smiles and Smiles

NANDINI :

"Aachhoo", I sneezed again and a little amount of sticky fluid came out of my nostrils.

Extending my arm, I grabbed another tissue from tissue box kept on the dressing table near my bed.

I shouldn't have done that.

Who eats fifteen scoops of Choco-Chip-Butterscotch ice-cream at once, especially, on a winter night?

Thinking, it was just stupid of me to celebrate my small victory against Soha in that bellicose squabble, by giving an 'Ice-cream-challenge' to Navya, I tried to sigh but the airway of my nose was not hollow anymore making it difficult for me to even breathe.

Runny nose, swollen eyes, packed sinuses, and the temperature made my condition even worse.

Despite the throbbing pain in my head, I smiled when I remembered how Dadu told me a story last night as I was not able to sleep.

I had loved those stories as a child.

Childhood! The time when I had all the rights to believe in fairy tales.

Those stories will always have a place in my heart. They used to take me altogether to a different world.

I was all free to create myriads of imagination while listening to the stories of Krishna-Janm, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Dashavatar, Akbar-Birbal, Aladdin, Alif-Laila, Panchatantra, fairytales, even Cinderella.

The stories which made me have faith in God!

The stories which made me who I am!

As a child, I never slept before listening to a story and the tradition continued with some changes as I grew up.

Yesterday, when I started sneezing Dadu softly yelled at me for being unfair to myself about my own health as he came to know about my and Navya's 'Ice-cream challenge'. But then, he took a lot of care, too.

My Dadu! I so love him!

And I know that he loves me too!

I couldn't make it to Elite due to my condition.

In the afternoon, Dadu came into my room with a plate full of food and a paracetamol tablet in his hands.

Due to the bitter taste, I had lost my appetite so I gave him my puppy eyes look.

Dadu didn't pay any heed to my tantrums and made me eat everything.

I wasn't afraid of taking the tablet or injection, okay?!

Gulping the medicine, spreading my legs on the bed, I closed my eyes in an attempt to calm my nerves and soon my restless body snatched forty winks.

MANIK :

Should I ring the bell?

Come on, you came a long way. Just press the button. It's so simple.

I stared aimlessly at the door of Murthy Mansion as the debate in my mind was a never ending one.

Giving in to the urge of having a look at Nandini, I raised my hand but before I could press the bell button, the door clicked open.

"Dadu?" I muttered.

"Good afternoon to you, too, Mr. Eiffel tower," Dadu smirked looking at me.

"Oh. Yes. Good afternoon, Dadu. How is Nandini?" I inquired hastily.

"Did she ask you to come here and meet her?" Dadu questioned raising his one eyebrow.

"No. Actually Cabir, Navya, Nandini all were absent today. When Cabir told me that both Navya and Nandini fell ill and he is at Navya's place taking care of her, I thought to pay a visit to Nandini.", I explained.