It was a week later and things had rather settled down formidably. With Shreya no longer part of Birla Hospital Board of Directors, the construction of the Children's Ward went rather smoothly and without any major roadblocks. A few more weeks and the Ward would be fully operational.
Abhimanyu was at work till 7pm and Akshara was out shopping, spending their money. She needed a breather from the apartment and decided it was the best time to get some grocery shopping down. That was until she saw the most beautiful flowers sitting at the front of a flower shop.
It was a bouquet of assorted flowers which she picked up and paid for. As she turned around to make her way back home, her gaze fell upon a small four legged creature sitting beneath a car, disheveled and shivering.
"Oh, poor baby..." Akshara walked over to the car and leaned down on her knees, peeking beneath the car.
"Come here, you." She looked up at the most frightened pair of eyes staring back at her. The puppy looked terrified and lost. The constant noise and honking making him curl him tremble.
Akshara outstretched her hands, gently petting the puppy, letting him get used to her touch. She could feel his heartbeat was erratic, adding to his shakiness. Akshara continued to pet him with one hand before gently moving her other hand forwards, until she got a grip on the puppy's bottom. Once she knew he was secure in her hands, she pulled him out from under the car and embraced him to her chest, cooing at him.
Letting him know: "You are okay. Shh... You are safe."
Akshara's heart beat recklessly against her chest. The puppy was terrified and she couldn't just leave him out here like this. Maybe she should take him to a shelter. But he was so tiny, so bruised, so beaten up. So perhaps she should have him examined by a veterinarian first.
"Come, bubba, let's go." She carried the groceries and flowers in one hand carefully carried the puppy against her chest in the other.
~*~
"Abhi is going to be so mad. But look at you, you are so cute!" Akshara caressed the puppy's head gently as he snuggled on top of her chest, napping.
The puppy cooed and snuggled in deeper, enjoying the warmth of Akshara's body. "We also need to give you a name." Akshara racked her brain to think of an appropriate name but failed.
She remembered Abhimanyu telling her he was allergic to dogs and cats alike on their movie 'date'. So the last thing she wanted was for him to end up in the hospital because of his allergy attack, but maybe, just maybe, if she kept the little man away from Abhi, in different areas of the house, it wouldn't be too bad?
Right?
As if on cue, Akshara felt the doorknob jiggle, making her aware that Abhimanyu was home.
Crap! She looked at the watch to see it was just 6:30pm. He was home early.
Akshara picked up the puppy and quickly ran over to their bedroom, into the bathroom and putting the puppy in there. "Stay! Okay? And be super quiet!" She whispered to the puppy in the hopes that he would understand.
As she made her way out, she ran into Abhimanyu entering the apartment, giving her a wide grin.
"Hey you."
Akshara smiled at him, anxiously. "Hey."
"Where's my kiss?" Abhimanyu frowned playfully.
Akshara made her way towards Abhimanyu, and was about to wrap her arms around his neck when she realized she hadn't washed her hand or changed her clothes since touching and cuddling with the puppy. Which meant that the puppy's hair was very much a part of her clothing. Which also meant it would trigger off Abhimanyu's allergic reactions.
Before Akshara could stop Abhimanyu from coming close to her, or find a reasonable excuse as to why she couldn't embrace him, Abhimanyu wrapped his arms around Akshara, pulling her into his heavenly embrace. Abhimanyu crushed his lips against Akshara's capturing her lips in a passionate kiss, sure to leave the two of them breathless.
Akshara pulled back from Abhimanyu, just waiting for the moment his demeanor would change. Waiting to see him break out into hives, sneeze recklessly, have watery eyes –anything. She was prepared for the worst.
Except...it never came.
Akshara frowned as Abhimanyu did not sneeze once, or have his skin turning inflamed or his eyes water. She looked down at her clothes to see small strands of the puppy's fur blatantly sticking to her.
"Oh god, I am starving. Is dinner ready yet?" Abhimanyu asked, just in time for his stomach to grumble.
"Yes. I have some garlic potatoes and it's a make your own burrito night!" Akshara smiled, her tummy beginning to rumble too at the mere thought of burritos.
Akshara turned Abhimanyu around, and walked him towards the kitchen. "I know you are starving because I am starving too."
As they were about to enter the kitchen, Abhimanyu pulled away from Akshara. "But first let me grab a quick shower."
"Okay."
Akshara watched Abhimanyu walk towards their bedroom, for a moment there, forgetting the little four legged ball of cuteness that was currently hiding in the exact same spot where Abhimanyu wasgoing.
The bathroom.
Akshara's eyes widened in horror as she the knowledge dawned on her. She rushed behind Abhimanyu, in a bid to stop him.
"Abhi! Wait!" Akshara ran up to him and hugged him from behind, stopping him in his footsteps just as he opened the bathroom door just a smidge.
Abhimanyu turned around in Akshara's arms. "Akshara?"
"Hmmm..." Akshara wrapped her arms around Abhimanyu's neck, leaning in to crush her lips against his, trying her best to occupy his mind so that showering was the last thing on his mind.
Abhimanyu held Akshara's waist, groaning into her mouth, having been left breathless and in a mind fog due to the sultry kiss.
Akshara whimpered against Abhimanyu's lips, slowly losing herself to the kiss as she pressed her body against his.
As Abhimanyu continued to kiss Akshara, he felt something rubbing against his leg. He smiled against Akshara's lips. "You seem to be in quite a mood, Akshara."
Before Akshara could reply, a small bark sounded, bringing Abhimanyu's hopes crashing down to reality. Abhimanyu pulled away from the kiss and looked down towards his feet to see where the sound had come from.
Akshara bit her lower lip feverously as she noticed the slight shift in Abhimanyu's expressions. From the hazy, glossy lovelorn look on his eyes, he stared at the small puppy, horrified, as if he had just seen a monster.
"Ahhhhh!" Abhimany yelled, running away from the small four legged creature and jumped on top of the bed. The puppy ran after Abhimanyu, developing an instant liking to him. The puppy pawed at the bed, trying to jump up, but failed.
"I think he likes you!" Akshara pointed out, staring at the puppy affectionately.
"Yeah well, I don't like him! Take him away from here! What is he even doing here, Akshara? You know I don't like dogs!"
"Like them? I thought you were allergic to them?" Akshara frowned, furrowing her brows.
Abhimanyu stopped hopping on the bed, knowing he had been caught in his own web of lies. "I...I am allergic to dogs." Abhimanyu looked at Akshara shifty eyed before he pretended to sneeze.
Abhimanyu rubbed his nose before feigning another sneeze. "See!" *Achoo* "I" *Achoo* "Am" *Achoo* "Allergic " *Achoo* "to dogs." *Achoo*.
AKshara stood in front of Abhimanyu, her hands resting on her hips as she rolled her eyes at him. "You are such a liar!"
"I am not!" Abhimanyu retorted. "I am offended you would even say such a thing!"
Akshara picked up the puppy and held it against her chest. "I know you are not allergic to him, Abhi. I was holding him like this the entire day and I am pretty sure I am covered in puppy fur which you failed to notice or react to when you hugged and kissed me. And you didn't even remember you were 'allergic' to the puppy until I pointed it out."
Knowing there was no point of arguing with Akshara's sense of logic –because it was pretty accurate, Abhimanyu decided to go about it a different way. "I don't like animals." He scoffed.
"Don't like them or are you scared of them?" Akshara raised her brow at him pointedly, catching him in another web of lies.
"It's the same thing. Don't like them, am afraid of them. Tomato, to-mah-to."
"No it's not! How could you even be scared of a tiny little thing?" Akshara pouted, twinning the expressions of the innocent puppy as she looked at Abhimanyu, making his heart constrict.
"Okay, that's not fair! Don't do that!" Abhimanyu pleaded, eyes darting between the puppy and Akshara. Why? Why did they both have to look so cute?
"Do what?" She asked him innocently
"That! The faces! The cuteness!" It was torture for him. It really was.
"What face? This face?" Akshara teased Abhimanyu, giving him the perfect proverbial, puppy dog eyes. She coddled, stepping onto the bed, closer to Abhimanyu as he stepped back
"Akshara! Please take him away from me." Abhimanyu huffed. " You have to choose! Either I say or he does!" Abhimanyu blurted out, giving Akshara and ultimatum. But regretted it the moment the words were out of his mouth. He clearly knew what Akshara's choice was going to be.
"Okay." AKshara stepped down from the bed and headed out of the room. "You have 10 minutes to pack your things and get out of here." He informed Abhimanyu. "We will be waiting in the kitchen."
Damnit! Rookie move, Birla. Rookie move. And this is what's called when one shoots oneself in the foot.
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So you could say I was missing Sonic. And I liked the change personalities where Abhi's the one who hates dogs. Also, any name suggestions for the little pup?