Aasha's Pov
"Aunty why you don't like him calling you wifyy? My mumma always kiss my father on his cheeks whenever he calls her wifyyy" she asked me in her cute voice. I bite my lower lips not knowing how to answer her innocent question.
"I.. I" i stuttered looking here and there.
"Hey Arushi! Don't disturb uncle and aunty. Say sorry to her" her mother said in her strict voice.
"Sorry auntyyy" saying this she ran to her father. Mr. Malhotra aslo playing with her. Arushi's mother came towards me and sat beside me.
"Hi. I am Akshara. Arushi's mom" she inroduced herself.
"Hi. I am Aasha. Actually i am sorry. We are not couples. He is my boss and i am his PA" i said feeling ashamed.
"Oh! But the way he looks at you says different story" sha said with a smile.
"No.. No. Nothing like that" i said smiling awkwardly.
"I don't think so. Because no boss will bring his PA to a park and eat ice cream from her hands" she said with a chuckle then left the park with her husband and daughter after saying bye to us.
"Why you said like that, sir?" i asked him.
"What did i said?" he asked me with his innocent face. I sighed looking at him.
"Hey Aasha! If you want another ice cream, i will buy you one. Don't be angry" he said, taking my hand in his. Then he brought me another ice cream. I finished my ice cream soon.
"Aasha look here" Mr. Malhotra called me. I turned to look at him. He soon started to wipe my mouth with his hanky, making me go stiff. No one ever did that to me 'No One'. Not even my father. Not even my family.
My father used to wipe my brother's mouth lovingly when he finishes his breakfast. One time i intentionally smudged some food on my mouth and stood in front of my father in the hope that he will wipe my mouth like he did to my brother. But he just walked away from me like i do not exist.
But here…My eyes moistened.
Mr. Malhotra is wiping my mouth very kneenly. Like he is doing the most important work. After wiping my mouth, he cleaned my hand. After making sure that there is no more ice cream left on my face and hand, he kept his hanky in his pocket and grabbed my hand and took me to the swing. I was in a daze recalliing how caringly he wiped my mouth and my hands like i am a child. Suddenly his voice brought me out from my thoughts.
"Aasha, why are you crying? What happened?" he asked me with a concern evident on his face. I shook my head.
"Something went in my eyes. Thats why" i said wiping my tears.
"Let me see" saying this, he cupped my face and blew in my eyes. Then he looked at me.
"How you're feeling now, Aasha?" he asked me, cupping my face. I nodded at him. He then smiled at me.
"Okay now sit" he said. I looked at him shocked.
"Where?" i asked him.
"Here" he said casually, signaling the swing. I looked here and there. Its already 6 pm. Its closing time. Thats why everyone left the park. I can't believe how time flew this fast. Then i looked at him. He is holding the swing, waiting for me to sit. Seriously, i don't know what happened to him today.
"Sir, its already late. Its also closing time of the park. We have to get out of here before that security gaurd scolds us" i said hurriedly. Because the security gaurd of this park is very strict oldman.
"Who has the guts to scold Dev Malhotra, Aasha?" he asked me.
"He is a strict man sir. Please lets leave" i said. Soon the gaurd came towards us, with his scary face. He always scares me with his look. He also once scold me for plucking a flower in the garden. Only i know how many sorries i said that day. From that day onwards, he always watches me that i am plucking any other flowers or not. When he cale near us, i stood behind Mr. Malhotra.
"Did You again plucked any flower in the garden?" he asked me in his raised voice.
"No uncle. I didn't" i said.
"Then good. Its closing time. Why you both are standing here?" he asked looking at Mr. Malhotra.
"Because my girl want to play on this swing" Mr. Malhotra said in his soft voice. I looked at him shocked.
"Your girl? Oh i see. Thats why she came here with you. She always comes to this park alone and always sits in that bench silently" he said motioning the bench in our right side. Then continued.
"She cries sometimes looking at some photo in her hand. But when she came here today with you, i was surprised. At least now she is not alone. You're with her. She also brings me some snacks and food for me, whenever she visits this park even if i scold her for plucking flowers and leaves in the garden. Whatever, I am giving you half an hour time. Enjoy with your girl and after that leave the place soon" saying this he left the place. I looked at him with a smile. Mr. Malhotra turned to look at me.
"You said he is strict oldman. But he is sweet oldman" he said while patting my head. I looked at him with my wide eyes.
"Stop looking at me with your pretty eyes. Now sit here" he said.
"Sir, please no. I can't" i said, shaking my head.
"Are you disobeying your boss's order?" he asked me with his stern face and started to walk towards me. I remembered what he will do when he is angry. So i ran from him and sat on the swing.
"Good girl" he said. Then he started to push my swing fastly.
"Sirrrr… Sirrrrr please. Don't push me fast. I may fall on the ground'" i screamed at him.
"Aasha, Hold tight and just enjoy. Trust me Aasha. I won't let you fall. Even if you fell, i will catch you before your body could touch the ground. So stop panicking about falling on the ground" he said firmly. His words made me smile.
He won't let me fall. Even if i fell, he is here to catch me.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and opened my eyes. The cold evening breeze hit my face whenever he push me forward. I tightly held the either side of the the chains of the swing.
I always dreamt of my father or my family members pushing the swing while i play. But today he fullfilled my wish.
"Trust me Aasha. I won't let you fall. Even if you fell, i will catch you before your body could touch the ground. So stop panicking about falling on the ground"
The words may be a mere words for him. But for me its something that no one has ever told me before. It means a lot to me. I always yearned for that caring words. But today he showed a lot of care to me. Bringing me to the park, walking while my hand in his, buying me ice cream of my favorite flavor, wiping my mouth and hands like i am a child, making me sit on the swing and pushing it without any tired, he kept me happy today with his sweet gestures.
But he don't know that he had fulfilled my long time wish without his knowlege. I opened my eyes only to release a fat tears. But its a happy tears. I started to giggle like a little girl when the cool breeze hit my face. The smile on my face didn't fade not even a bit when i got off from the swing. My cheeks even started to hurt by my constant smiling.
"You liked it?" Mr. Malhotra asked me with a smile. How can i say that i didn't enjoyed it but loved it. I cherished every moment which i spent with him today. I can feel tears forming on my eyes. I wanted to thank him for today but the words caught in my throat. I gulped my saliva to control my tears. I am not a girl who cry in front of someone to earn their sympathy. But i want show him that i was happy today. So i did without any hesitation. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Yes i hugged him…..
I hugged the man who gave happiness to me for the first time in my life, who fulfilled my painful wishes, who created a happiest memories for the first time in my life, who made me shed happy tears for the first time.
I burried my face in the crook of his neck. He too hugged me back tightly and started caressed my hair gently. I know i should not have hugged him. He is my boss. I know may be what he did all a normal things for him. But not for me. Its not like i am hugging him because i was blinded by happiness.
I am fully in my sense. I know what i am doing. Usually i am not a girl who hugs boys casually. I am an introvert and also maintain a very good distance from boys. So what i did today is totally in my full sense. I don't care what he thinks of me for hugging him. Its my first time hugging a guy. I gave my first hug to him. I know he hugged me a lot of times. But now i initiated it. So its my first hug.
"Thank you" i said in my muffled voice. He moved me away from him. I stood in front of him, lowering my gaze. He cupped my face and wiped my tears with his thumps. I felt him kiss on my forehead, making me sigh with the feeling of warmness.
"If you can hug me like this, then i will bring you to this place more than thousand times" he said, making me go all red.