Saviour of His Heart (Sequel to Keeper of the Lion's Heart)

Chapter 10 - Thin ice

Chapter 10 - Thin ice

“Getting into an accident while trying to prevent an accident! Aren’t you unbelievable?” Tehan teased as the two of them approached her. Little boy looked half concerned for Sayumyi and half guilty. Sayumyi blushed, standing up and brushing the dirt off her quickly. He really knows how to appear in time to save the day. And catch me at my worst.

“You okay, Kaushal?” she checked on the lad first, who nodded his head fast, looking guiltier. Then she looked up at Tehan.

“How- when did you get here?” surprise and wonder evident in her tone.

Tehan gave her an arrogant grin that said I-am-better-than-superman. “I came to the campus today to get admission sheets. I was on my way home,” he said casually. There was no way he was going to own up that he came early to get admission with the hopes of running into Sayumyi and chose to go down this specific lane mainly because he overheard her friends talking about her coming here with the kids.

“Oh right,” Sayumyi said. “Er, thanks for the help-” Umm, what do I say next?

“Can I join you guys?” Tehan’s question caught Sayumyi by surprise.

“You like to look after kids?” Somehow he didn’t strike me as that type.

“Nah,” Tehan assured quickly. “I can just tag along and keep an eye for the runaway lads,” he said, with a pat on Kaushal’s head.

Hmm… this is curious. Very, very curious.

“Okay then,” but then Sayumyi remembered something that made her pause. “But what about studies, Tehan?”

“I am skipping. I hate sitting in one place,” Tehan whined. Aww, he’s cute when he makes that five-year old-saying-no-to-bitter-medicine face.

“I am the black sheep on the family, you see,” Tehan confided. “So just let me tag along and help me get out of the studying.”

 “Alright,” Sayumyi said in a low voice. “But don’t say that to the kids. It’s a bad influence to them,” she said, pressing her finger to her lips cautiously. Tehan grinned in amusement.

Chathuri and her friends joined them at the moment. They wanted to make sure Kaushal was doing fine. All of them looked up at Tehan like they were trying to look at the coconuts on top of the coconut tree. Even the boys were curious about the tall stranger.

“Umm… he’s a… friend from campus,” I was never a fan of introductions. But this one topped the awkward list. “And he wants to join us, that’s alright, right?”

Orphanage mistresses nodded affirmative without any hesitance and gave Tehan friendly smiles. He spoke with them smoothly. He seems to become a different Tehan in front of the elders.

The two ladies were soon beaming at him in approval. All the lads seemed to flock about him like he was a cricket star or someone. Girls would blush as they looked at him. Wow, the charisma! I thought only Thejan ayya had it!

“Shall we go to the independence square then?” Sayumyi checked her watch and asked. “Since the fishes underground suddenly lost their charm to the fish over ground,” she muttered under her breath as the kids got into a row.

“Jealous much?” Tehan came to stand beside her and raised an eyebrow.

Sayumyi’s cheeks caught fire in mortification.  I just called him a fish and he heard that! Great!