The Past Dressed in Black

17. Family in India(Edited)

Keep going, no one's stopping you but you!

♡♡♡

Dave's POV

What's wrong with this girl again?

Can't she live without seeking attention for once?

"Mallik, start the engine right away." I roared at the driver, "But sir-"
He eyed me through the mirror, his face filled with fear but this time I was done, "Mallik, go." He nodded and started accelerating up.

We were very close to her now but she was still kneeling on road. The car was about to crash her-

But...

She instantly jumped up, fear plastered all over her face when she sat inside the car.

"Are you really this clumsy? Couldn't even hear the honking? I'm not as free as you."

She kept her face straight, guts this girl has! She's ignoring me, I took a pause to say something again.

"Who was on the phone? Some of your fuck buddy?" These words spilled out of me without thinking.

The same instant she finally faced me, full of rage but shrugged her shoulders rolling her eyes at me.

Somewhere, she encaged a title of ruining my mood. Her rolling of eyes seemed to push me below the belt.

"Stop the car." Her phrase caught me again, shouldn't I be the angry one?

I stopped him, "Mallik don't stop we ain't have time."

Our faces were straight no one dared to look each other, "I'll open the door so stop, all blames on you."

"Mallik, stop. Throw her out of my car." I roared again at him, "No need." She replied in a low whisper while opening the door.

"You'll pay for it, Ms. Taylor." She'll deal with fire tonight, there was no guilt in her eyes.

Rose's POV

No, I can't show anyone my weakness. My mom raised me to be a strong girl.

I can't live pity and sympathy.

As soon as I heard car honking behind me I stood up. The driver looked at me with pity but his master, with rage.

As I sat inside he yelled at me, "Are you really this clumsy? Couldn't even hear the honking? I'm not as free as you."

But I was void of any mood for his complaints so better ignore him, "Who was on the phone? Some of your fuck buddy?"

Anger rose in my veins, as much as a refrigerator keeps the inside cool but the outer is burning.

It's not visible to a human until they touch it, right?

I was experiencing it all...

As much as I tried to flush out the fear Xavier was giving me, my face wasn't able to hide it.

And just with my one feet out the door he said something again. Well, he didn't say instead he threatened, "You'll pay for it, Ms. Taylor."

Void of any spell I swiftly moved out and slowly his car faded away. He doesn't know but me?

I do know that I've paid enough, Dave. I'm bankrupt now, people can't scare me more than this.

But throughout my heart's pumping humongous amount of fear with my system. It feels as like I lack everything but fear...

Bubby Barry!

A voice from within shrieked with a happy name. A name to drain all my fears away, a place where sweet, old memories reside- Bubbly Barry's candy store.

Mom used to bring me here everyday after school it was our secret addha till date I don't know what addha means, it's just an Indian word with it's meaning unknown to me. I took a cab to Barry's. 

Barry and Gummy bear, these names rang sharply inside my mind bringing Barry and Mom's moments when she was there, by me-alive...

No. No. No, my mom was not fat so you to relate her with a bear, she was a happy go lucky person. Just like a gummy keeps kids jovial same was with mom, she did home people with contentment and happiness.

As he pulled the car in front the store a different rush of tears filled inside me with nostalgia. The entrance to the store was same and everything felt like yesterday but it wasn't! A man's back was facing me when I advanced in. It has to be Barry, his hair were a little more grey and his contact glasses again resting on his crown.

Bobbling down the knot in my throat I sang, "Jack and jill went u-up a-a hi--hill-" With each word escaping both the words and me were breaking, "To f-fetch a pail of w-water." Each and every atom in my body danced seeing his face after so long, my knees going weak. I was tearing down as I sang.

"Jack fell do-down and...and broke his crown-" I was rejoicing and sobbing parallelly at this phrase, "And Jill came tumbling after." Barry dragged his feet towards me with tears in his eyes.

"See I forgot again the rest again, yo-" And before I could finish he embraced me in a tight hug. His caressing palm glided up and down and more fresh tears made their way out, "I missed you, Barry."

The fragrance of this place brought mom's face in front of me but little late did I realize that I was seeing her with little Rose and this grown up Rose, can't see her anymore.

"Me too, Bubbly." He pulled back after patting my back like always, "Again bubbly?" He giggled with a nod. Barry was a tease and he still is, "Barry, I know we have lot to talk? but you remember what mom said before she-?

"Yes, I do." A wide smile spread across my lips as I pulled my palm out, "Barry, please give me those letters. I need-need to read them." Sadness filled his face hearing mom's name but these letters were something mom wanted me to read after-after she left.

"I'll give it to you but why not talk first? About how these past years were?" I couldn't. I just can't. Cause if I'll about these days then I know that I'll end up breaking in front of him and I didn't wish to break beyond this.

"No, Barry. I-I miss her, please just give it to me. I'll come back to you. I'm in town now." He bobbed his head understandingly and replied, "Okay but you know how to read them, right?" No! I didn't get what he was trying to explain, "What do you mean?" I inquired.

"There are few letters for you. And you'll open them one by one only at a certain age as mentioned on the envelope."

"Oh, okay." He went inside his small cabin and after few seconds came with a brown envelope and before I could take it, he pulled the letter to him saying, "Bubbly, would you like to know it's title?"

Curious me definitely said, yes.

"It's called Family in India" What? Family in India? I know that she was from India but never did she mentioned about her parents and family, "Barry, don't you wanna know what's inside?"

He smiled sheepishly, "I know everything much more than these letters, go read it and come back. Also gummy knew you loved Smarties a lot so take have one." He opened my other palm as he enclosed smarties within, making the child within dance happily.

And with a forehead kiss and my favorite smarties that he gave me, I left the store. To find a place to read this where I'll have mumma more near to me. Where she was last seen at. Where she is living since what feels like eternity. 

I hope you've guessed it right...

 The graveyard...

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