My heart shattered into countless pieces as his words sank in. Tears brimmed in my eyes, and in disbelief, I whispered, gazing into his stormy grey eyes, "What did you say?"
He repeated his words, each one heavy with emphasis: "Do. You. Require. One. Night. Stand. To. Leave. Me?"
At that moment, my soul felt utterly crushed, leaving me hollow. Tears streamed down my face as I pushed him away and fled from his house.
I ran until I found the abandoned park near our house, unable to enter my home in my present state.
I stumbled through the gate to seek refuge on a secluded bench where I sobbed, my cries echoing in the stillness.
Just as I thought I might drown in my sorrow, a gentle voice reached my ears.
"Calm down?" he asked softly, offering me a handkerchief. I looked up to see a handsome face framed by beautiful hazel eyes, a chiselled jawline, and a muscular physique that hinted at a disciplined fitness routine.
I had never noticed him before in our neighbourhood. My heart has always belonged to Dhruv since I was three, making me oblivious to any other boy who crossed my path, even in school or college.
Embarrassment washed over me as I accepted the handkerchief. It was vulnerable to let a stranger witness my emotional state—something I had never shown, even to Dhruv or my own family.
He spoke to me, trying to ease my distress.
He introduced himself as "Jay Surya Chouhan" and mentioned that they had recently moved to our community. He was a stranger, yet there was something familiar about him, something that made me feel I was safe with him. "I'm Esha Raghvendra Sharma," I replied, finding comfort in his easy-going demeanour and humour.
Once I had calmed down, he kindly offered to walk me home. It's quite a long walk for me, but I agreed. I didn't want to face 'that person,' who bore the name "Dhruv" and who was the cause of my present misery on the way. At least not right now, after I braced myself and controlled my injured feelings, at least temporarily.
To my surprise, I discovered our houses were separated by just a few others in the community of mansions, and the handsome guy who called himself Jay told me he knew my house. He parted when we reached my home, and he wished me goodbye and left. After saying goodbye to him, I entered my home with the spare keys I always carried, relieved to find my parents' absence while unlocking the door.
Our families, mine and Dhruv's, have stayed in this same community from the beginning, although most of the original owners had left the place to move to various locations, living in spacious bungalows, befitting their new status in society. Our two families didn't go out, refusing to let go of our memories here, so we fixated on this place despite our high social status. We found solace in this place where we grew up from our childhood. Thus, Dhruv and I were brought up in this same neighbourhood since childhood and shared many common memories.
My parents were not yet home. I assumed they were at Dhruv's house or perhaps still hadn't returned from the beautiful resort trip for dinner.
My father, Raghu Raghavendra Sharma, was a business tycoon in the textiles industry, with interests in numerous other businesses as well. He married my mother for practical reasons; that's what they once told me when I asked them about their cute couple-marriage story, but over time, they must have fallen deeply in love, forming a bond that seemed unbreakable.
It was for their love that I came into this world.
Retreating to my room, I leaned on the chair, sitting by the window, as darkness enveloped me, and I briefly closed my eyes, taking in the scenarios that had happened that day. Involuntarily, my mind has started recollecting my association with Dhruv from the earliest days, as if I were reliving those scenes as if they had happened yesterday.
*****
"Hi," I greeted a cute boy outside my house as he and his family moved into the mansion across the street from ours. He ignored me, turning to his father.
I had a nagging feeling that I had met this boy somewhere, but I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. I might have definitely seen him somewhere, but something doesn't quite fit. As I was slowly growing into the age of a memorable mind, things started to register in it. Ignoring the smoking thoughts that were clouding my mind, I looked at him again.
His mother approached me, lifting me into her arms, pinching my cheeks, and saying I was cute. She was as beautiful as her son, but he had eyes different from those of her mother or father.
While I was staring at her, she asked for my name and then inquired about where my parents and I lived.
I pointed to my house, saying, "That is my house, and my parents are inside. I came out to play with some of my friends."
"Aunt, will you come to my house with your son? I like him a lot, and I want to introduce him to my parents so we can play together."
His parents chuckled as they carried me and their son to my home while the workers were still unloading their belongings. The cute boy's dad instructed them to continue working as we proceeded to our house, which was just opposite ours. I wriggled free from the cute boy's mom's grasp and ran to my parents, excitedly introducing them to the cute boy's family.
While they exchanged pleasantries, I noticed the cute boy, still in his dad's arms, looking at me with disdain.
Ignoring his attitude, I approached him and asked, "What's your name?" He turned away, prompting his mother to nudge him for not responding.
He was only a little taller than I. His eyes seemed like storming grey clouds, which captivated and took hold of mine.
"I'm Dhruv Rajvanshi Malhotra," Dhruv introduced himself with a rough attitude. I didn't know what was wrong with me for him to be so aloof, but I remained calm as if nothing had happened inside of me.
I introduced myself, "I'm Esha Raghvendra Sharma. These are my parents, Manisha and Raghu Raghvendra Sharma. I'm three years old and will be going to The Little Buds Convent School. How old are you? Which school will you go to? What are your favorite games?" I bombarded him with questions.
My parents, relatives, and all others used to comment that I behaved like a grown-up even when I was a 3-year-old kid. I'm not sure of that, but my memory was undoubtedly sharp, and I can recall most of the events of my childhood from the time I was three.
Dhruv remained silent, and his mom answered for him, bending to my eye level, "I'm Riya Rajvanshi Malhotra, and this is my husband, Goutham Rajvanshi Malhotra. He's Dhruv, and he's Six. He'll be attending the same school as you. He loves computers and video games."
Excitement lit up my face. "Wow! Then my dad can drop us off at school together, and we can have lunch together in school! We can play together… but well, I'm not that good with computer games," I exclaimed while whispering the last part, fidgeting my fingers in embarrassment.
Dhruv snapped back, "I'm not going to have lunch with you, and I'm not going to play with you." Looking at my father, he continued, "And he's definitely not going to have anything to do with me." With that, he jumped down and ran back to his home, followed by his parents with a gentle farewell smile. What caused him to dislike my father and me, I could not understand, but it ached in my heart.
My mother and Aunt Riya saw my hurt and consoled me by assuring me that he was just feeling too shy to play with a girl.
I did not understand the complete meaning behind it, and why a boy should be shy to play with a girl. Over and above this was the weird mental acuity of mine, all commented on, although I nodded with my glossy eyes like a good kid.
In the weeks that followed, our families became inseparable, enjoying picnics and shared meals at each other's homes.
Even after the family fortunes of both families grew up, we were accustomed as well as attached to this environment, so we haven't shifted from this locality.
*****
A knock on my bedroom door pulled me back to reality. It was my mom calling me for dinner.
I kept the events with Dhruv to myself, and I enjoyed a peaceful meal at home.
Afterwards, I returned to my room, where my mom, sensing my silence, came to ask, "What's wrong, my precious darling? You are so unlike yourself today."
"Nothing, Maa! I've just been waiting for my job offer onboarding email for a few days now. My friends have started to get theirs, and I'm starting to worry."
Availing myself of the opportunity offered by my father, I can take over one of his businesses and run it. However, I'm more interested in working in the fashion business, for which I have equipped myself with the necessary education. So, I pursued my interest and am awaiting a job offer, for which I successfully attempted the interview a few weeks ago at the Grace & Grandeur fashion company, which is a top one in the fashion industry.
"Oh, my darling! If they don't take you, they will lose a diamond for their growth." My mother's reassuring words were a familiar comfort, a mantra she repeated whenever I felt uncertain about my confidence.
"Alright, Ma, it's getting late. I'll go to bed now. Good night!" I said, feeling her soft kiss on my forehead as she closed the door behind her.
Slowly, darkness crept back into my mind, but a sudden email notification jolted me awake.
When I saw the message, joy erupted from within, and I screamed my lungs out with delight.
My parents rushed through the door, concern etched on their faces. "What happened?" they asked, their voices laced with worry, quickly checking my forehead as if to check whether I was having a fever. Overwhelmed with happiness, I showed them the email, and my father lifted me into the air, twirling me around in celebration.
The excitement on their faces was overbound; they darted to share the news with Dhruv's parents, leaving me alone in my newfound happiness, and at that moment, I found myself indifferent to Dhruv's reaction.
—
The next day, Aunt Riya, whom I would affectionately call "Second Mom" since I had decided at five that I would marry Dhruv when we grew up, organized a small party in honor of my achievement, inviting my best friends, Lilly and Aarti, to join us at their house along with some of the neighbourhood families.
Despite the festivities, I wasn't in the mood to celebrate, especially after yesterday's incident with Dhruv, and now witnessing his nonchalant demeanour as if nothing had happened between us.
After the party, I asked my dad to have our driver drop my friends off at their homes, but they all dismissed the idea, saying they would go by cab as they had some business to attend to in the middle.
Standing on the balcony, I pondered how to search for a apartment without alerting my parents. Aunt Riya called for me to come inside, but I made an excuse, claiming I had some work to do, and slipped back into my home.
The next morning, after my parents left for work, I hired a cab and set out to explore some apartments near my office. Fortunately, I found a good one at a reasonable rent. I wasn't poor, but I didn't want to waste my father's money on unnecessary expenses.
I called my parents, telling them I was out with my friends and could be late returning home. After buying some dresses and other work-related and home-related items, I returned home on time.
On my way, I locked all the newly bought things in my newly rented apartment, preparing for my midnight escape without having to carry too much.