Clandestine

|-9-|

He interrupts me by walking towards his car.

"Karan!", I say in disbelief that he would walk away from me mid- conversation.
He stops and sighs while looking back at me.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not in the best mood. I'll call you later ", he said softly with hurt eyes and with that he leaves the parking lot in his car.

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Home

I open the doors and head into our olive-green themed kitchen to see Drishti setting out ingredients with a Santa baby outfit.

"Drishti what is all this?", I snicker mostly talking about her costume.

She does a twirl in her candy cane skirt and smiles. "I thought we would spice it up while making homemade Mac and cheese and chocolate chip cookies!"

Ugh, the sound of baked mac and cheese.

Drishti and I spent the afternoon baking and putting our delicious Mac and cheese in the oven while listening to Mariah Carey. Yes, that exact song you're thinking of. We start cleaning the countertop and Drishti stops the music and looks at me.

"What's up?"

Drishti takes her gloves off and sits, while motioning me to sit.

"I had an announcement today and I was going to tell you over dinner but it just can't wait", she says scaring me with a serious face.

I wait a few beats and she grins incredibly.

"I kind of...met someone."

Besides working for me at home I let her out on weekends and whenever she's done with her work. Mom and Dad hired her when she was 18 to watch after me and since then she became my legal guardian. She still works the same job she had 12 years ago when I was 5. She doesn't tell me much about where she goes but I leave it to her to make her own life.

I immediately stand up and look at her.

"A-as in-"

"Yes, as in I met a guy. Ugh and he's really sweet and handsome and nice and-"

I stop her by squealing and giving her a hug. She laughs in adoration.

"Wait wait let me finish", she gently pushes me away from the embrace but still holding my shoulders. "I want you to meet him, because I think he is going to be in my life for a while. He knows I am a legal guardian and all but I would really love for you to meet him."

"Cool, when?"

"I was thinking of inviting him over for Christmas dinner?"

Oh. Well if I knew this was gonna happen I would have called Aarshiya and Manvi over.

"Oh", I say not knowing what to do.

"I know I know it's so soon but his family is in Atlanta so he's alone for the holidays and I figured it would be alright. You don't have work on Christmas anyways".

She has a point.

"Yeah, yeah that's fine."

She thanks me with another hug and finishes the last of clean up.

After dinner I head upstairs for a hot shower. I think about who this guy is and what he looks like.

And also about the guy in my life.
Does he have family to be with over Christmas?
Why was he this upset today?
I let the hot shower fog my thoughts and sleep.