Dearly Beloved

Chapter 32.

"We need to start his treatment immediately." Danny said softly not looking at me. A painful pang shot through my heart knowing instantly that Danny was evading giving me the news that things were not too good.

Fighting the urge to cry I blinked my eyes rapidly in my attempt to stop the unshed tears from spilling over.

"Shravan and Pushkar have gone up to speak with Mr. Ramnath."

I nodded not trusting myself to speak just yet without chocking on my tears.

How could life be so cruel to the man who spreads so much cheer just with his presence? I watched as he guffawed with everyone around him, age not being any factor.

Even when my heart felt torn in pieces thinking about his ailment I could not smile as he joined in the bickering about the favourite flavours of ice cream.

Then he surprised us yet again when I saw the boys pay for their own ice creams and leave after cheerfully waved at us all and went off to continue with whatever they had been doing before coming here.

Nanu and Dadaji helped the younger ones count their change and pay the vendor.

People flocked to him because they loved his company. They enjoyed being with him, not because they wanted a treat from him but because was fun to spend time with.

I turned around slowly wanting to walk ahead, not wanting the grandfathers see the change in my mood.

As I started walking I saw Shravan and Pushkar walk towards us from the opposite direction. Stopping on my steps I waited for them to reach me.

Shravan smiled at me while the brat scowled at me and gave my shoulder a push with his shoulder before walking on.

"What was that for?" I hissed turning towards him.

"I saw you were eating ice cream- without me!" he responded making it sound like I had commited the biggest crime in this world.

Before I could suitably retort Dadaji saw him and shouted "Piggie has come!"

I grinned as I saw Pushkar playfully tackle Dadaji and the bystanders joined us in laughter. These two were always like two unmanageable kids around each other.

The rapport they shared was so special, so unique

Shravan pulled me to his side and I turned to look at him. "Dadaji will be okay, right?"

He looked away, the pain on his face made my heart ache even more.

"You there, bakri putra- son of a goat- come here." Dadaji shouted at Shravan and once again managed to dissolve away the sadness so effortlessly. I and Shravan chuckled and walked to join the group.

All of a sudden I felt an odd sensation engulf me. I looked around, having the feeling someone was watching us.

Running my eyes around as I walked beside Shravan I did not notice any thing untoward but still could not shake away the feeling of having eyes on us- on me.

I shook my head trying to clear such baseless thoughts off my mind. Possibly the tensed situation was making me hyper and making me imagine things.

Shravan's POV.

I had been away here in London when Dadaji had left home to go and stay in the village house. At that phase of my life I had been missing everybody, I had been alone and was heart broken thinking my Sumo had betrayed me.

When he had made himself non reachable then it had been a part of many losses for me. I had not even been aware of him going away till Pushkar had mentioned to me over phone. He and Varun bhaiya had been missing him terribly, though at that point of time no one had known he would be away for so many years.