Chapter 24

Ulrick pov

I arrived home late in the night. Ana was deep in sleep. I inwardly thanked God that she did not wake up. Otherwise, she would have been worried about my absence. I changed myself into black tracksuit pants and, a white T-shirt and went to bed pulling her to my chest. It is the only way I can have a pleasant night's sleep after everything that happened a few hours ago but my quietude wasn't long-lived to my lament.

Ana pushed my hand away and jerked up from the bed. I was appalled by her pivot. Her eyes which always showed warmth and love for me radiated fear and disgust, the emotions which I can never sustain even in dreams from my little one. She was behaving idiosyncratic. I fell aghast by her actions looking at her outraged form. Analyzing the obvious, I could clearly note, she was having a very bad dream.

With soothing words, I tried to pacify her. My hands reach the back of her head attempting to comb her tangled hair which is now a mess. "Cupcakes you might have had a bad dream. I am here to take care of you." She pushed me away in an aggressive slug and looked at me viciously. I was shocked unable to decrypt her exertion.

While I was in a state of somnolence she ran to a different room. My emotions fell scattered like bits of paper. I stared at her motionless unable to decipher the recompensing change. Then it knocked me like a lethal power. Did she know about my virulent businesses?

My worries began to escalate. But how would she? She hasn't stepped out of home? It is night time and the security might have informed me if any such things happened. Calm down, Ulrick. I brushed my tormenting thoughts away. She would never know. My doll is innocent and unsullied to know the fiendishness of my world.

Keeping all my worries aside, my first matter of concern was that she was burning with fever and had rashes all over her body. I needed to attend to her and opened the bedroom door with the spare key. By then thankfully she was fast asleep. If I woke her up for giving medicine she would be mad at me for disturbing her. As I was thinking about how to treat her, I had a sudden idea.

I brought cold water from the fridge with a handkerchief. I dipped the hanky in water and put it on her forehead to abate the temperature. I streaked her body with an ointment which I stored to treat rashes. After some time the fever reduced. Tomorrow she will be fine. And if her condition doesn't improve I will take her to a doctor.

While treating her rashes my thoughts went back to her disintegrated behaviour. What sort of a dream was she having? Surely it felt dreadful and dangerous with the way she was reacting. She has a lot of spare time now after completion of her studies and is watching too many of those horror movies. I need to stop that and involve her in some activity or probably include her in our family business. Tomorrow I am going to ask her about her future plans but then something struck me like a blessing and I smiled like a maniac. Sweet Heavens! She was avoiding me because of her skin infection.

My wife worries too much about me. She loves me so much but what she doesn't know is I will be freaking ready to fall sick a thousand times if it meant to rid her of her sufferings. I smiled and closed my eyes peacefully now that I knew the reason for her hostility.

The next day morning I woke up to the shuffling I heard in the house. I stirred and opened my eyes anticipating to be greeted by the beautiful person sleeping beside but to my chagrin, I found the bed empty.

She is a late riser. Why would she wake up so early? Probably she is not feeling well. The invoking thought brought instant panic in my heart. I need to take her to a doctor immediately. I shot up from the bed in a whoosh and went to our bedroom. "Doll, aren't you feeling well? Get ready we need to see a doctor." I told her before choosing one among the several shirts hanging in the cupboard. But there was no response. I took steps forward towards the washroom and knocked on the door. "Cutie pie, are you okay?" I met with silence and a view of a vacant bathroom greeted me. My worries begin to explode as I hustle towards the staircase. "George" my voice rose in panic and before I could complete the sentence I found her near the entrance with a bag in her hand.

I took a breath which I didn't know I was holding until I found her. "Where are you going Doll?" I asked her worried. "Umm... I am going to my friend Stella." She answered a bit startled.

Stella has been a friend of Ana since her school days. She recently got a job in Miami. "Okay, but let me check on you before you leave. You were running temperature with rashes and acting like a weirdo yesterday," " I scurried towards her while speaking and get down the stairs but before I can reach her she runs away half yelling. "I am fine Ulrick. I will see you in the evening."

Settling my hands on both sides of my waist I look at her shaking my head with a smile. My doll is sometimes very crazy. I know I could not stop her when she was too excited to meet her friend. I pick up my phone from my pants pocket. "George, be after Ana and let me know if she has any health problems."

My mind begins to foresee something dire and I ask my secretary to permit him inside.