Heart In The Stars

CHAPTER 13✨

I woke up feeling the lap of luxury, wrapped in the comforting embrace of my pillow. Everything felt so perfect that even the thought of leaving it for the real world seemed unnecessary. However, reality hit hard when my alarm rudely interrupted, forcing me to leap out of bed faster than a mouse coming out of a cheese trap.

Thirty minutes later, I managed to shake off my sleepy haze and stumbled my way to the hallway. There, I found my dad sitting on a plastic chair, idly swinging his legs back and forth. When he noticed me, he greeted me with a casual "Hey!"

"Morning, Dad," I blurted out, trying to sound as if I hadn't just wrestled with a pillow for at least half an hour.

"Good morning! You look different today."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Thank you, Dad! I will take that as a compliment. Today, I have got an invitation to a birthday bash."

In a flash, Dad slipped into the bedroom and emerged with a cash surprise. "Here, champ, snag your buddy a cool gift," he said, sneakily tucking the money into my shirt pocket, all the while sporting a smile that could charm even the grumpiest cat.

As I stuffed the money into my pocket, I couldn't help but tease, "Thanks for the stealthy cash drop. You are the best!"

He winked, "Now don't pick something that requires a manual thicker than a novel."

"Haha okay, Dad! Thank you again."

In an attempt to create a special moment for Ritu on the next day's Valentine's Event, I found myself weaving a tale to my father about a birthday party. I made my way up to our terrace, carrying with me the visiting card that Divya had handed over. I dialed her number, giving her the call.

"Hello, am I speaking with Doctor Divya?"

"Yes, this is Divya. May I ask who's calling?"

"It's Jaikar." After a moment of hesitation, I added, "I hope you remember me..."

She acknowledged, "Yes, how could I forget! How are you doing now?"

"I'm doing fairly well, thank you."

Her gentle voice resonated in my ear, "Any doubts regarding the treatment?"

"I have just one concern... Why did you disclose information about me to Ritu?"

"I assure you, I didn't," she clarified. "Ritu got your name from the visitor's form."

"Oh, I should've signed in the name of God."

She chuckled softly, a hint of warmth in her voice. "I'm relieved she knew about you."

"Maybe next time," I joked, lightening the mood. "But I appreciate your discretion."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." There was a soft giggle on the other end. "So, did anything happen between you two?"

"We transitioned from friends to lovers."

"Thank God!" She sucked in her breath quickly and then let it escape in a relieved sigh. "Invite me to a party then."

"I'm clueless about a special spot for the Valentine's Eve. Can you suggest me?"

"I think Music Hall is the perfect choice. Ideal time would be around 7 PM."

"Noted, thank you for coming to my rescue once more," I said, smiling warmly.