Chapter 12

Adaah

Three years later

"Baby girl, wake up it's six in the morning. Don't you have to go to school?" Ajit sits besides on my bed and mellows down to me. I pull down my covers and look at him smiling with my sleepy eyes. He brushes the hair away from my face and looks at me tenderly for a few moments. Wishing me a morning, he kisses my forehead and gets up from the bed. I return his greeting and get into the washroom to freshen up.

It had been four years since I came here. Ajit loves me and has always been very supportive in all my endeavours. I joined dance classes and even gave performances at times. Whenever I practice at home Ajit observes and suggests methods to improvise. He had always been behind like a rock in all my past years when I was almost into depression hurting for the loss of my parents.

Today is the last day of my school and after that we are having a break. In future I want to be an interior designer. I applied for a few colleges too. Sitting at home was really boring after years of hard work. I asked Rhea to come and join me for the vacation but she couldn't. Her college was starting within a few days. She was going to be a fashion designer. Ajit's face was worth watching when he came to know about his sister's change of plans. It was literally glowing in happiness. I raise an eyebrow getting amused by his reaction but he just shook it off saying the house is saved from hosting a monkey menace. I raise a fake temper tantrum upon him but he was smart to brush it away giving me no reaction.

That night Ajit came home a bit tensed. He had to go on a business tour to New York. It was for starting a new clothing line under men's formals. He wanted to expand the brand overseas for which he had to go on an urgent business tour. Ajit tried all means to take me along with him but we had some passport issues.

It was really a very difficult for me to convince Ajit that I could spend the vacation with Rhea comfortable at their parent's house. Though he doesn't want me to be away from him, it was the safest option available. Ajit's mother is a calm and loving lady. She treats me like her own daughter. She would bake different kinds of cakes for me and prepare my favourite dishes. Her sweet gestures bring tears in my eyes as it reminded me of my mother. I lost my mom long back but God had been kind enough to send me another. I thought to myself.

Ajit went through several problems in raising me up but never gave up on me. This was the first time after four years that we are going to stay separated from each other for a long time. Earlier though he went on business tours it was only a maximum of a day or two but now it is for week. Thinking of the time we have to spend in separation bothers me a lot but I am not supposed to reveal my worries to him. He has businesses to take care though he never made me feel that way. Swallowing all my grief of our partition I encourage him to follow his plans.

Tomorrow I am leaving to Mumbai by early morning flight. Shockingly Ajit went for work even before I got up. He left me a note on the bedside table saying the breakfast was ready on the dining table and that everything is taken care regarding my journey. I am departing to Mumbai through one of his private planes. Though I feel disappointed to leave the house in his absence, I understand him well. He cannot stand goodbyes from me. Complete last week he was avoiding me. We talked only when it was necessary and yesterday he was yelling at his overboard crew concerning my safety. He lined up all the bodyguards giving them instructions about my security. In short I understood he was going insane in parting from me. I was going to the airport with ten bodyguards to help me board the flight. The head of the security always had ear piece connected, communicating about everything. Though Ajit was not present beside me I know he was scrutinizing every move of mine.

I recall yesterday night was different from all the nights I spent in the last four years with Ajit. It was always my insistence on sleeping with him either because of night mares or psychological fears I suffered after witnessing the death of my parents. But yesterday, I felt him in my shoes. I went to bed early as I had to catch an early morning flight. He slept almost at midnight after planning everything for me. His chest was to my back and his hand was around my waist. He was all the time caressing my arm though he wouldn't speak anything. After sometime I stirred and turned to his side, he ran a hand on my face and kissed me on the cheeks. To my surprise I smelled alcohol through his lips. He never did it in my presence. It was Ajit's principle that we should preach only the things we can follow and so alcohol was out of bounds in the house. I nuzzled my head into his chest and we cuddled each other the whole night. I felt something different about him, a sensation about which I am not able to exactly form words.
I stradled him, my chest connecting his and started kissing him on the face with my hands on either side. He held me by my waist putting me firm in my place and enjoyed my kisses with a slight smile. After a few minutes I was tossed down on the bed.