28th September

It drizzled past noon, so the weather was quite nice to sit in the garden. Shreya was undoubtedly mesmerized by all sorts of exotic flowers growing in the garden. Apart from some native varieties, she couldn't recognize the majority of those unknown species.

She and Dev were sitting on the ground after Dona laid a worn-out mat over the freshly mowed grass. Dev was mostly interested in painting, but since solving jigsaw puzzle was more necessary for the development of brain, she was determined to make him work on it. She laid the puzzle board between them which had a drawing of a space rocket, before disarranging them and ordering the boy to solve it.

Dev was severely pouting because he couldn't make it right and she was adoring the view in front of her. To be very honest, she didn't have a lot of work behind Dev. He was an obedient and quiet kid. Mostly, he'd oblige whatever he was told and not defy much. At least she hadn't seen his being disobedient until now. Sometimes she wondered, what must have happened on that day of his accident. How much triggering that incident must have been that led him to hurt himself?

She glanced on her watch and noticed the time. It was time for his evening drink. It was new drink his doctor had prescribed which was launched just recently. Dev loved chocolate flavor, so Tiyasha bought him the chocolate flavor drink. It had been only three days he was drinking it, but after first day, he didn't seem to like it a lot. He would try to dodge drinking it instead.

Shreya shook her head and smiled to herself as she put two tablespoons of the health drink powder to his milk before mixing it.

"Dev, here. Drink it in one go." She held the glass in front of him and waited for him to drink it.

Dev raised his eyes from the puzzle board as they fell on the glass on her hand. A frown immediately crossed his face as he shook his head in tiny and pouted. "I don't like it."

"Why? Isn't it your favorite flavor?"

He nodded.

"Then why don't you like it?"

Instead of answering to her, he pouted again then before she could understand what he was up to, he rose from his sitting position and started running along the swimming pool.

"Dev! Don't do that!" She scolded after him before standing up as well and started running after him.

The swimming pool was at the right end of the garden while the other end met the driveway at the front. When Dev saw her running after him, he giggled and ran to the opposite side.

"Dev! Wait...!" She yelled after him as he went towards the driveway. Thankfully the garden and the driveway had separator between them otherwise it would have been very risky for a child running around the house. Because right at that moment two car rolled inside through the main gate. One was recognizable. A BMW, and another was a Mercedes. She had no idea about the models because it was beyond her imagination. She shouldn't focus on something she couldn't afford.

She stopped dead on her tracks as she successfully reached and grabbed Dev's arm when the cars rolled by in front of them and stopped in front of the main door of the house. The first person to leave the first car was AR, followed by one more person sitting in the passenger seat. Then from the second car, emerged an old man. From his appearance he appeared to be fifty something and he still looked handsome. They entered the house and she averted her gaze on the little boy.

"You naughty boy. Why did you made me run?"

Dev giggled and started pulling his hand to release it from her grip. Shreya was panting slightly from the running.

She rolled her eyes at the boy and scolded mildly. "No, Dev. That is not very good. You don't behave like that. That's bad."

Dev stopped struggling for a second and looked at her. But she didn't get the chance to restrict him as he cackled and jerked his hand free and started hopping around the garden. The grass was wet from the earlier drizzle, so as he jumped on them, the water splashes made his clothes dirty.

Shreya made a frustrated noise and ran after him to catch him. "Dev, don't do it! Dev!"

The boy ignored her and sprinted around the garden while giggling.

Shreya got tired from all those running as she gave up and sat down on the mat. When Dev noticed she wasn't running after him anymore he came to her and sat down beside her, and grinned.

"You're a naughty boy," Shreya scolded. "Now drink it."

Dev shook his head again. "I don't like it."

"Don't be stubborn, Dev. Your mother won't like it." She picked up the glass and moved it to him.

Dev shook his head, then sprang to his feet and ran towards the house.

"Dev!"

The little boy was fast. He went inside the house in an eye blink and didn't return. Shreya huffed. It was very unlikely of him. He never misbehaved before. Having no ther choice she stood up with the glass and collected all other materials that were scattered around on the mat, then went inside the house as well.

After entering from the back door, one needed to traverse the hall to reach the right wing as the back door was at the left side of the hall. As soon as she entered the house, she spotted the three men talking among themselves, and all of them were standing. From the look of it, they were definitely engaged in a heated argument, and her assumption was proven right when the older man suddenly shouted aloud, "Abhimanyu, don't be irrational. You should have waited for my or Roy's consent before launching the product. I never expected you to act rash like this."

Abhimanyu. Shreya inhaled deeply. Abhimanyu Roy.

AR stared dead at the other person and spoke. His voice was deep but calm and monotoned. There was no trace of urgency or the need of acquiring a defensive tone.

"We've had the board meeting regarding the collaboration beforehand, Vijay uncle. No one had any objection before, and the product has already been clinically tested. Why are you having complaints now? As the CEO of the company, I have the right to take such decisions. It was just a matter of time. The product was supposed to launch a month later. I've only pre-launched it."

Vijay countered immediately, "It's not about pre-launching, Abhimanyu. It's about you didn't wait for us."

AR calmly said, "Both of you were out of town. Besides, everyone else in the board consented. So, I thought it'd be fine. I didn't know I'd have to face your unnecessary lashes."

Vijay threw up his hands. "What? Unnecessary lashes? Abhimanyu, talk decently. You're talking about your father and me."

Shreya's feet were frozen on the ground so far, but when he turned slightly and his eyes found her in the corner, she felt as if she was sinking into the ground. He fully turned towards her with undivided attention making her sweat profusely. His gaze unnerved her as she found herself in this horrible situation. She was caught eavesdropping. Oh god! Why?

Vijay also followed AR's gaze and found her standing in the corner. He inquired right away, "And who you might be?"

Her breath hitched in her throat. She stuttered, "Uh- I- I am Dev's n-nanny. I-I was just go-going to his room."

"Oh! Dev's nanny. Very well." Vijay smiled at her. "Okay, go then."

She nodded stiffly then hurried to Dev's room. All the while supremely conscious of all three pairs of eyes on her. Her ears felt hot and she was sure her cheeks had taken a shade of crimson as they felt aflame. Why she had to make a fool of herself like that? Why she had to be a living example of embarrassment personified?

~~~

"Why can't you consider me as your real friend, Shreya? I told you innumerable times, you can tell me anything."

Shreya sighed as she pressed her phone closer to her ear. Ashwin kept talking on the phone while she only listened.

It was true. Her and Ashwin's friendship was surface-level. In fact, she didn't have any friend with whom she had ever connected deeply. Ashwin and she talked on several topics but they had always been worldly matters. She never felt safe to talk to him or anyone else from inside, about things that truly matters to her and what she truly wanted to talk about. Her connections with everyone she had in her life revolved around materialism and she had never felt intimately close to anyone. It was her fear of mental and emotional intimacy that kept her from expressing her inner self to anyone including her parents. Trishna had always been all about discipline and restrictions. They had talked on various subjects, but she never felt heard with her. Dibyendu was surface-level as well.

This was why Shreya connected with animals more than people. Ashwin was her friend from a young age true, but with him she never felt that connection to share everything that was residing inside her. Because she knew he wouldn't understand, and because she never was successful in having close friends, she sucked on the comfort Naveen provided, despite it being only physical. She never could say no to him because she was afraid to be left alone. Because she was tired of her loneliness. She didn't even have a huge social media following, as she hated to façade her authentic self.

It was all very complicated, but she was too wounded to unjumble it.

Ashwin said, "I hope you'll one day open up, Shreya. I really do."

"Me too," she whispered.

There was a small pause before he said, "I'll have to go now. I'll talk to you later."

Shreya nodded habitually. "Okay. Bye."

After hanging up the call, she focused on the cooking pan. She was making dinner for Dev, and it was almost done. After what happened earlier, she didn't leave Dev's room until it was time for his dinner. She didn't have the nerves to face him again, though she knew the chance was very little. But staying inside Dev's room appeared the safest option at the point.

"Are you cooking?" The sudden question startled her as she spun around and saw Gyan entering the kitchen.

"Wha-" She exclaimed, alarmed at the sudden intrusion.

"Did I scare you?" He winked as he walked in towards her.

"Anyone would've been scared if you drop like that suddenly."

He let out an airy laugh then his eyes moved towards the apple pie she made. "Is that pie?"

She followed his gaze and affirmed, "Yeah!"

"Can I have some?"

"Well, I guess so. Dev wouldn't be able to eat that much."

"Oh great!" He grinned as she cut it in half and gave him one portion. He bit into it enthusiastically and appreciated. "Wow! This is delicious. You cook well."

She smiled at that. "Thank you. So, why are you here?"

He bit another mouthful before saying, "Actually, I have arranged a party on Navami night. You are invited."

"Oh!" Well, that was unexpected. "You want me to come to your party?" She asked doubtfully.

"Why? You don't like parties?" He looked at her with knitted brows.

"It's not that. I mean, there would be your high-profile friends and all. Wouldn't I appear out of place?"

"High-profile? My friends?" He chuckled. "Oh, come on! They are anything but that. You'll enjoy our party, trust me."

She shrugged.

"Okay then?" He smiled and finished the rest of the pie before turning towards her completely and stood there watching her.

She turned off the fire and served the cooked food in a bowl before noticing him still standing there.

"Anything else?"

He hesitated, "Uh-m, actually, no one knows about this party. Didiya is leaving for Pune tomorrow and will return after Puja. And Ritu will be at night out with her friends." He paused and frowned staring at the food tray.

"Okay. And?"

"Well, I don't want you to reveal it to anyone. Not even to..." He averted his gaze towards the door and whispered, "...Dadabhai."

Shreya flinched. "Is it a secret party? Are you going to do... illegal things?"

"What- no! No, no! No illegal things. Just... some alcohol. That's it. Actually, alcohol is not allowed in our home. So, they would be mad if they learn it."

"And you want me to stay quiet about it. Why?"

A blush crept up his face. "First of all, you'll be home. So, I thought why not include you with us. Dona di is too old for that and Ram, well... I don't like him. And second, I like you. You're... nice."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

He noticed that and immediately defended himself. "I swear to God, I don't have any other intensions. Gods! Don't suspect me!"

"I'll think about it," she quietly said.

"Okay. But don't tell it to anyone."

"I'll think about that too."

He rolled his eyes but didn't say anything else and took his leave.

Shreya watched his back as he left the kitchen and wondered, was it in their genes? Everyone in this family seemed to be rebelling some way or the other. She shook her head then picked up the tray and went to Dev's room.

~~~

Author's note: Hi readers, I hope you're liking this story. Please let me know you're presence and reactions by voting and commenting. Help me reach 500 followers, please. It'll mean a lot to me. Your support is the only incentive that keeps me writing. :)