Bonds of Trust

Stepping into their life

Ovi who was enjoying the cold night breeze on her face was barely keeping awake with her drowsy eyes. As it is, the wedding had overwhelmed her and all she wanted to do was reach home soon and cuddle to sleep with her papa and froggie.

"Papa, when will we reach?", she asked an equally tired Saheer.

"We would take another hour sweetie. Why don't you sleep for some time hmm?", Saheer suggested.

"Okay papa.", Ovi nodded already giving in to sleep.

Suddenly they heard the sound seeming alike to thousands of men raking coal.

"Ahhh, papa, bhoot, bhoot!!", Ovi screamed in fear. (bhoot - ghost)

Even Saheer was startled with the sudden noise, which continued to persist. He applied urgent brakes to the car.

He glanced backwards and saw that it was in fact, the new girl who had been snoring. He shook his head in disbelief. This woman was not even awakened by Ovi's scream.

'Such a deep sleeper.' - he thought.

"Sweetie, it's not bhoot. Look, she's snoring."

Ovi glanced backwards and decided to shake Veera's arm to stop her snoring, only to have the noise increased.

She glanced towards her papa with a helpless expression, they shook their head in defeat and Saheer started driving again. The father-daughter duo now wished to just run away home leaving behind the new addition to their family.

After a torturous journey of an hour, they reached their home in Delhi. Just as Saheer parked the car, Ovi rushed outside and heaved a dramatic sigh of relief. Saheer chuckled looking at her antics. Now came the task of waking up the snoring dinosaur, he thought.

'How should I wake her up? I won't touch her. Ahh, wait, I can ask Ovi to keep shaking her arm till she wakes up.', a brilliant idea struck his mind.

"Sweetie, keep shaking her arm till she wakes up. And, you can also shout in her ears if she doesn't respond."

"Okay papa."

Ovi undertook the serious mission.

"Aunty, wake up, we have reached home."

The poor girl vigorously shook Veera's arms with all of the little strength she had, but to no avail.

"Excuse me, wake up", Saheer too joined in now. After all they had to go to their apartment.

After five minutes of persistent efforts of Saheer and Ovi, the very sleepy Veera finally opened her eyes.

"What?", she muttered sleepily.

"Kumbhakaran aunty, we have reached. Wake up.", Ovi said like a sassy four year old.

(Kumbhkaran - a figure in Indian mythology who was said to sleep for unusually long periods of time and would be difficult to wake up)

Saheer was barely controlling his laughter hearing his daughter's creative remark.

Veera's mouth opened in shock at that remark. She narrowed her eyes at Ovi who stuck out her tongue and hopped towards her papa.

"See Miss, just lets go home. Its already too late.", Saheer said, having once again regained his cold face.

"Okay", Veera stumbled getting out of the car in that heavy lehenga. As it is she was sleepy and tired and this heavy clothing did not help much.

When they entered the apartment, Veera loved the homely feeling it had. It had been the first time she was here, but this place felt more of a home than her parent's home ever had.

"Miss, that room besides the dining space is your room. Decorate it as you want. Do whatever you want in there.", Saheer said.

Just as Veera was about to interrupt, he decided to have a talk with her. Ovi had already skipped to her room.

"Miss,"

"Arre, just call me Veera, dude. What's with this 'Miss' thing?", Veera could not understand his obsession with that word.

"Okay, Veera, I did not know your name. And, don't call me dude. I am not your dude.", Saheer said in an annoyed tone.

"Just remember one thing, we might have married, but I am not your husband, I mean legally yes, but I do not consider this relationship. So, neither are you my wife nor is Ovi your daughter. Stay away from the both of us. I will provide for you, but do not interfere in our things, and this will stay just between the two of us. Do not go on broadcasting it to the world. Another, and the most important thing, if I ever saw even a single scratch on my Ovi because of you, you will face my wrath.", Saheer warned her in the most serious tone.

Here, Veera's mind bubbled with happiness. She finally had all the freedom with no one to meddle.

"Seriously, thanks dude. Woah, you made my day. I was never interested in being your dharam patni (wife) or your kid's mom. They forced me to get married. Heck, I do not even know how to speak with kids. Thank you so much.", Veera almost squealed with joy but then refrained herself from jumping with happiness.

'What a weird woman. I though she might have some expectations from me. Here, she's made my work easier. Good for us. But this is the first time she smiled. She has such a beautiful smile.', Saheer thought and then shook his head, chastising himself for letting his thoughts go astray.

"That's great. Good that we are on the same terms.", Saheer replied as though trying to strike a business deal.

"Waise dude" (waise - by the way)

"Can you quit calling me that?", Saheer interrupted in an exasperated tone.

Veera narrowed her eyes, "Arre ruko to tum (Just wait). I was about to ask that. What's your name?"

"Saheer"

"Cool, you have a nice name", Veera complemented.

Saheer could feel the tips of his ears burning at that. To shake the awkwardness, he coughed and cleared his throat.

"Anyway, goodnight."

He turned to tuck Ovi in and then sleep away the fatigue.

"Psst, Saheer."

Hearing her voice, he turned to find her with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Goodnight, dudeee", stretching on the word dude, Veera immediately closed the door of her new room.

Saheer scowled at her antics.

'She seems to be worse than Ovi. Let it be. She's promised to mind her business, and that's enough for me. At least, I did not get a meddling woman.'

Here, Veera could not believe she behaved so freely in front of someone she met for the first time. She did not know why, or how, but Saheer seemed safe as of now. His home felt safe, warm.

'Or maybe, he might harm you later.' - the negative side of her mind piped in.

'No Veera, see how he's with his daughter tomorrow. That will give you an idea if he would harm you.', her subconscious suggested. Veera liked that suggestion.

She was happy to be a roommate and not a wife or a mother. In fact, she was ecstatic about this.

After a lot of years, she would finally sleep without tears in her eyes or a swollen cheek.

That night, Ovi slept tucked safely in her papa's arms. Saheer had his lifeline close to him. They did not need anything else.

While Veera, for the first time experienced, what the tiniest slice of home tasted like, despite of it being someone else's.

So guys,

How was this?

Did you like Ovi's nickname for her new aunty?

And what do you feel about Saheer's interaction with Veera?

Do vote, comment and share!! - Like seriously, do not forget this :)

See you in the next chapter.