章 14: Haunting memory from past
|Innaya|
'Come on, this is nothing. Why is he being this way?' I desperately held my gaze at Eshan for a few seconds, when it became too much for me.
He was driving since past fifteen minutes from the time we were out of the airport, heading back to his home and all this while, he had not uttered a word or the nicknames he kept for me.
'Yeah I know, I always said they were awkward for me but I cannot deny now... I have to accept, I have become habitual to them.' If I could say with more clarity, I have developed likeability towards every nickname and the phrases in his, other languages.
Even though they were nothing but foreign to me but they always sounded sweet, just like his nature. Now, it was more like if I did not hear them even for few hours, I would feel uneasy along with a hint of something missing.
"Eshan, it is okay, really. Do not take it upon yourself, okay?" I attempted to get him speaking, something. I knew, he was blaming himself for my muscle stiffness. I thought, he would let it go soon but no, I was so wrong.
He tilted his head slightly, enough to catch my glance and did a false attempt to smile.
I sighed at that. "Stop the car, Eshan."
"N'allez pas s'il vous plait." He did not stop the car but lowered the speed. "I am fine, don't get down please."
Oh so he thought, I was getting off the car, planning to do a walk after being tired like anything to our new home whose address I had no idea of.
'No way on the earth! I guess, he is a little too upset that made him think, I would jump out of the car. He gets so naive at times.' I thought.
" Eshan stop the car."
My sudden stern voice made him halt the car immediately. I did not want to do that but we were moving ahead of it. He looked at me, with those eyes filled with certain sadness again.
"Eshan - ice-cream, there," I pointed at the Ice-Cream vendor; putting some insight in my husband's brain that why I was asking him to stop the car.
'My Husband?'
'Seriously?'
I watched him deeply exhaling while closing his eyes as if relieved. I averted my eyes as the relax face of him created some flutters in my stomach.
"I will bring one for you."
"No, I am coming along." I insisted, stepping out of the car. If I was being frank, I had no mood for ice cream today. Already, my throat was feeling a little sore but I decided to ignore it.
Eshan was low and all I could think was, how to cheer him up. He always has been thoughtful and searched ways to make me smile and now, I could not let him the way he was being.
"Flavours?" The ice cream vendor asked and I had just opened my mouth to reply when Eshan's voice cut my words even before they could come out.
"One Butterscotch, please."
'Okay, now this is serious. He knows about my favourite ice cream flavour too?' I looked at him with amusement and got him smiling a little and then I knew, he knew, what the amusement in my eyes was for. I wonder how much Granny had told him as in this one month of my marriage he often surprised with how much he knew about me.
"Make that two." I quickly shifted my gaze to the vendor only to receive Eshan's denial post it.
"I won't eat, Innaya."
"You can ignore him, royally. He does that to people, too. Get us two." I had that tiny sarcasm in my tone. I never behaved this way with anyone other than my family or people I was close to perhaps he earned his place in my life to have me this talkative around him.
Vendor smiled at me and handed me our cups while Eshan paid him. Eshan took his cup from me and we both started walking towards our car parked at the side of road.
I dipped my spoon and scooped out spoonful of ice-cream.
"Mmm... yum," I moaned in bliss as I took first bite. The sweet, chocolaty, and cold taste had me close my eyes in a pure satisfaction.
"Careful!" Eshan held me by snaking his hand around my waist and pulling me towards him. My eyes opened with a jerk. Startled I look at him for an explanation. With his eyes, he pointed forward.
I gasped as I realized as was about to step on dog's tail. Eshan's hand slid down across my stomach and he carefully tugged me aside. Then like a slow motion, it happened.
As our closeness registered in my mind along with sudden panic moments before, the cup in my hand fell. It did not touch the ground. Instead it had to fell on that sleeping dog abruptly waking him up as the freezing cold ice-cream sprawled across his body. I involuntarily stepped more into Eshan as the dog turned towards us, ready to attack.
***
"You don't know how to behave? This shall teach you a lesson." The sickening voice of that woman thundered above the loud bark of Golden Retriever dog she held leash of in her hand.
"No, please. No." Nine and half year old frightened me pleaded as tears streamed down my face.
It did nothing to her stone heart as I watch her hold on leash slackening. Her 'rocky' as she called him, scooted forward on his paws while barking and sniffing the air. I crawled backwards from my already fallen figure on the ground. The cruel smirk on her face turned to the sadistic laughter.
"Sorry, sorry. I'll behave. No. No," I chanted continuously.
***
I felt blood rushing faster through my veins, adrenaline shooting in whole body as my heartbeat raced up to the point I could hear the pounding in my ears. My vision blurred as the memory of that incident clogged my senses. I wanted to crawl back from that haunting memory but it felt as if my senses were numb, I couldn't move.
"Shhh... relax. Breathe in. Sweetheart, listen to me. Breathe in for me."
I found myself concentrating on the voice that softly whispered in my ear as the arms wrapped around me tightly and I felt the steady heartbeat beneath my palm.
"Breathe in."
"Hold it inside."
"Let go."
"Breathe in."
"Hold it inside."
"Let go."
I followed the instructions the voice steadily commanded in my ear while holding me close. I unconsciously gripped the soft material under my palms while my eyes squeezed shut on their own.
"Sleep, sweetheart. Sleep. Ti ho amato. Dormire." As my brain registered endearment and the foreign language, the certain someone uses, I sighed in relief, "Eshan."
I faintly remember watching Eshan's face before the exhaustion won and sleep took over.
*
クリエイターの想い 
Mukta
Mukta N'allez pas s'il vous plait: Don't go please(French)
Ti ho amato: I got you love (Italian)
Dormire: Sleep (Italian)
*
I'm sorry for irregular updates. Real life sure throws the tantrums out of the blue. I won't give excuses. I deeply apologize. I will make up for it. In coming week I would release 12+ chapters.
Do let me know your thoughts regarding the story. Reviews, comments, power stones are appreciated ❤
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