AN: Please go through the covers designed for this story and let me know which one is your favourite. Link : https://www.facebook.com/713243342098372/photos/a.713492315406808.1073741828.713243342098372/713492395406800/?type=3&theater
CHAPTER 59 HOME, SWEET HOME!
Despite her dislike to long distance bus journeys, Megha chose it to escape reliving the horrors of her last train travel; the journey that had cost Nanhi her family. She would gladly have a bus journey induced splitting headache any day over those terrifying memories.
They started the journey after having dinner by the night bus. It was Nanhi's first long distance journey in bus and hence, she was excited at first. She occupied the window seat and sat staring at the city lights with eyes full of wonder. After about an hour, she began dozing off, laying her head on Megha's lap. Megha curled her arms around the girl tightly and dozed off herself for a while.
Sometime past midnight, Nanhi woke up and started throwing up. Megha didn't know how to deal with the situation as Mahi and herself had never encountered a one like this in their childhood. Somehow, she made the conductor stop the bus at the nearby petrol pump and got down and cleaned Nanhi and herself as much as she could. After making Nanhi take a few gulps of water, Megha climbed into the bus again. Nanhi kept fidgeting for a while, but finally fell into a fitful uneasy sleep, with her head tucked in Megha's nape this time.
Megha called home as morning came and told her mother about Nanhi's condition, but the fluctuating network didn't let her hear the reply properly. As if they realised this, her parents messaged her to give citrus based food to Nanhi. Megha bough oranges from the hotel where the bus stopped at morning, but Nanhi refused to eat them. With so much of coaxing and cajoling, she finally had some some lime juice.
I should've taken air tickets for both of us, however pricey they might be. Megha thought regretfully and passed the remaining hours comforting Nanhi to the best of her abilities.
Thankfully, Ved was waiting for the two at the bus stop with a taxi to take them home. It was past twelve o' clock by the time they reached home. Vidya came out to the courtyard of their old, two storey home and took Nanhi into her arms.
"We will look after Nanhi, Megha. You go and freshen up." Ved proposed.
Megha conceded and entered her room. To remove the musty smell due the lack of use, she opened up the windows and put on the ceiling fan. The sight from her window remained the same: the curving driveway bordered with neatly organised flower pots bearing roses, orchids and such delicate bushes, flower beds of balsam, zenia, and marigold, the wide wooden gate flanked on either side by concrete pillars which were hardly visible now beneath the jasmine vines, the outer fence of shoe flower, ixora and moringa. Just beneath her window sill was an unknown plant bearing small, white and sweet smelling flowers.
As she moved near the window to admire them closer, a small wriggling spider suddenly entered her field of vision. Megha frowned at the tiny spider which was dangling off the window bar on a thin gossamer thread. She took a sheet of waste paper from her table and managed to wrap the cobweb around it; the spider followed automatically. As soon as it landed on it, Megha threw the paper down. She was not afraid of spider, but neither was she fond of them.
Luckily, her bed didn't have a speck of dust; her mother had remembered put new bedsheets and pillows and even a jug of water on her bedside table. Even though she wanted to drop onto the bed right then, she controlled the urge and freshened up first. As soon as she emerged from bathroom, the call for lunch came.
Ved was feeding warm porridge to a drowsy Nanhi (since she was sick and her digestive system was recovering) and Vidya was laying the table for the rest of them when Megha entered the dining room. Megha helped her mother and then sat down with her parents and Nanhi. The way Nanhi gulped down porridge without any protest indicated how tired she was.
Nanhi reattached herself to Megha's hip as soon as they finished lunch. It was after tucking in a contentedly sleeping Nanhi that Megha finally relaxed. As she sleepily dug out her phone from her bag to message Prerna that she had reached, she noticed three new messages, one from Mahi and two from Mohan.
Ur network sucks, Di! Y out f range vrytym I cal? >:-/
Mohan Bhayya is fyn, infact is awsm!
V hd a trip 2gthr 2dy 2 solv ur prblm :D
Cal me wen u rch n I'll tel al d fine details f our adventure 8D
PS:Welcm in advance :P
Mahi
11:02 am
Megha couldn't help rolling her eyes at her brother's cockiness. She texted a quick reply with a promise to call by night after taking a much needed nap. Next, she opened Mohan's first message, which was sent earlier.
So sorry I forgot 2 tell u about my trip! Tell sorry 2 Nanhi from her Green Uncle, would you? Goodnight and happy and safe journey, u two! I'll try my best here.
Mohan Gardener
11:48 pm
Megha felt satisfied as she saw Sorry in his message, that too before he met Mahi. It meant he remembered about them before Mahi could remind him. The second message was send almost simultaneously with Mahi's.
Reached home safely? How's Nanhi? The earrings will be in your friend's hand in two days. See you soon. Take care, you two and keep away from strangers.
Mohan Gardener
11:00 am
Megha kept staring at the message in awe for a few seconds as Mohan's message confirmed the success of his and Mahi's plan, whatever it had been.
I wonder how these two managed to convince Renu bhabhi. It would be definitely an interesting tale, but if I call Mahi now, he'll go on for hours and at last put forward some unreasonable demand in return. Better call him at night. I'll call Mohan and thank him after that. Megha decided.
She was anyway relieved and happy that she could ensure that Prerna would be receiving what she deserved. She was also flattered by Mohan's concern for her and Nanhi. But didn't he stretch it a bit too much by telling her not to associate with strangers?
We reached by noon. Nanhi is fine now. Thanks a lot for taking the effort, Mohan and also for the concern. But you needn't tell me not to associate with strangers; I'm not a three year old girl.
She reread the message and thinking it sounded too ungrateful, deleted the last sentence before sending.
I would deal with him later. Now, I desperately need some rest. Megha decided and placed the mobile on the bedside table. Then she snuggled in with Nanhi in the once familiar bed after months and fell asleep instantly.
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THE CLOUD'S CHARM
FanfictionMegha, as her name suggests, is a dynamic girl - one who floats in life's flow just like clouds. And Mohan, despite his name, is not much of a charmer in his social circle: he was yet to find someone special and currently, he was concentrating on...
