Marry Me

CHAPTER-14 CHARLIE

"Hey, Hey, Baby. Baby please open your eyes, please." Kiyansh's voice is decadent, it's the trail of a leaf jostling in the storm.

I feel his both hands cupping my face and I catch that leaf, that leaf that makes the storm a little bit okay. My eyes open and he looks into them, he looks and nods and doesn't let me turn back where my mother would be standing with a disappointed face, where my father would be worried or Tanya Tai wondering what happens to her.

His brown gold eyes stays with mine, it doesn't go to any other place. And in that moment I know, I know when his hands goes to my waist, and he picks me up from the floor and wraps me around himself, my head fitting to that same spot on his shoulder, I know when I hear the gasp of my mother and the clatter of something my father must be holding, I know when he doesn't pay them attention and just says, "Excuse us," holding me tight and not letting them see me cry, before moving out the kitchen and out the house and only stopping when we reach the backyard, I know that I still love him more than I can ever imagine when he puts me down on the spot where we buried Charlie and he lets me look into that face of Charlie which we painted from our own hands on that metal flag we had dug in the ground, and he keeps on holding me, letting me cry until I feel that storm fade away, that deep of pit reforming in the shape of my stomach.

And I am glad, I am so glad that I am holding the leaf, my leaf. And he is holding me back.

He moves his hand from my shoulder to my head, and scratches on my scalp softly, "Okay now?" he asks and his other hand goes to his jeans pocket and he takes out the handkerchief, passing it to my hand.

And I half laugh and rub my nose in it. He takes it from my hand when I am done, and keeps it back inside his pocket. I make a face and ask him "Why do you do that?" my voice comes out as wobbly so I clear my throat.

He smiles at me and pats my head, "I am sorry." He says.

I shake my head, "You don't have to be, it just happens."

"Was it because of the cup?" He asks me softly, sadly.

"Not completely." I say, and it is true.

"I am sorry" he says again, wiping at my dry tears.

"Shhh" I say and bend down to the ground touching the rusty paint on the metal flag, touching Charlie's painted face, "How are you? We missed you." I whisper.

Kiyansh bends down with me. His hand falls above mine, and my breath hitches, my heart spinning in my chest when he says, "We'll always love you." 

We both come inside minutes later, and I have washed my face and we both have discussed that we are not going to get my father worried and just tell him I missed Charlie.

The smell of butter, eggs and sugar floats in air when we re-enter the Kitchen. "Hello Kiddo's" My dad looks worriedly at me from the kitchen countertop, beside my mother, and removes the watermelon coloured apron with colourful types of food inscribed on them, and before I can say anything he is moving across the Kitchen and he is hugging me tightly.

I hug him back and he moves soothing hands on my back. "You okay Kiddo?" he whispers.

"I am okay." I whisper back.

"Promise?" he asks

"Promise," I say.

He nods his head and lets me go motioning at the table, but my eyes goes to my mother frowning at me from the same spot, for a second I think to move to her and ask her for curiosity what is she thinking about, because Aisha Sharma doesn't frown, she sneers.