Chapter 34: Chapter 34

I felt a smooth feather-like touch on my head caressing my hair so affectionately and passionately. I leaned forward for her touch and a smile crept on my face.

She is the cure for my pain. I wrapped my hand around her small waist and drew her closer to mine.

"Mommy, you are awake?" She giggled in her sweet angelic voice.

"No, Mommy wants to sleep more," I said in my husky voice and buried my face deep into the pillow.

"No...You were asleep for an hour, now wake up..." She shrieked in her high-pitched tone.

"Sweety.." I whined like a child covering both my ears with my pillow.

"Now be a good girl and wake up." She climbed out of the bed and stood beside me putting her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes on me. It reminds me of my mom. She used to wake me up when I was a kid, too lazy to drag my lazy ass out.

Not again. I shook my head to get rid of those memories and sat on the bed with the slumped shoulder.

"Hurry up... Sweety is hungry." She squealed.

I glanced at the wall clock and it showed past eight in the evening. Ohh my bad. She must be hungry.

"Sorry, Baby. Mommy will cook fried rice for you."

"Yeah... Yeah..." She jumped up and down and gave me a toothless smile.

I dragged my lazy ass to the bathroom to get fresh up before making my way towards the kitchen. I let out a sigh of relief when I finished cooking on time. I set the bowl of rice, vegetables, fruit salad, and chicken on the table and called Sweety to eat.

"I'm coming..." I heard her voice from the playroom. After that, we both enjoyed our dinner and I dragged her to the bathroom to give her a warm bath.

Sometimes she acts weird when it comes to bathing especially in the winter season. I can't blame her she gets from me.

In the end, I too ended up having a warm bath cause this little devil splashed water all over me while I was trying to bathe her. After changing her into the pajamas, we are ready to go sleep.

"Mommy, I don't wanna get sleep. Shall we watch Tom & Jerry?" She asked rubbing her eyes and letting out a soft yawn.

"Maybe tomorrow..."

"Come on Mommy, At least do this time. You are always restricting me." She jumped out of my lap and stood up with all her might.

Ohh... God! Kids are unpredictable. A minute ago, she was in a sleeping mode and now she is a volcano ready to erupt anytime soon.

"Okay... Okay... But only for an hour." I raised both my hands as surrender and my brows as a question.

"Hmm... Okay done." She gave me thumbs up.

I let her watch her favorite show Tom & Jerry until she fell asleep. I scooped her in my arms and walked towards our room. When I was about to lay her in our bed, I heard a doorbell ringing.

Why I am getting visitors at this unusual time? I furrowed my brows and thought for a second about to open the door or not.

Having sweety in my arms, I peeked through the peephole and found Draco was standing there, his left side was facing me. It seems he is talking with someone.

I opened the door for him with one hand but was engulfed with a hug and heard a soft whimper.

From the smell, I could recognize who it is. It's none other than my dear friend Claire who is mad at me since when I disappear.

She let go of me from her embrace and made eye contact with me. "Riya..." Before she could say something Draco cut her off. "Let her take Sweety to their bed. She may get up." He instructed.

Having excitement all over my face, I laid Sweety on the bed and wrapped the blanket over her. At first, she stirred but went deep sleep when I rubbed her shoulder.

I made my way to the living hall and saw both Draco and Claire sitting on the couch. When she saw me walking towards them, once again she gave me a warm hug not giving me any space to breathe.

"I'm Sorry, Riya! I misunderstood everything. You lost too much in your life; No one can replace your loss. I'm so sorry about what happened to you." She let out a deep breath when she stopped her waffling.

I gulped down when I felt the lump in my throat. I have no words to describe how I am feeling right now. Whether should I be happy for getting my friend back or sad for my loss which she brought the memories, the memories of where I lost my half part.

"I should have told you everything that... that I was pregnant with his child, but I don't have that courage to tell you. I just ran away like a coward." I mumbled.

"What happened then?" She asked.

"My parents were happy to accept me back when I surrendered myself to them, but they want me to abort the baby and marry their business partner's son. I gave them my firm answer and left that place not wanting to spend any second of my life." I started to narrate everything that happened in my past and collapsed on the couch at the end.

"How awful they are. No one can bear the pain you went through in your life. God is so cruel to you." She wiped her tears.

For a moment the dead silent engulfed in the living room, no one utter any words. We remained silent for what seemed to be an hour but only a minute passed.

"Can I see her?" She asked breaking the silence. I nodded my head and gestured for them to follow me.

"She is so beautiful, like you." She whispered eyeing Sweety with so much love and adoration.

"Yeah." I chuckled.

"So, you are dating my friend, huh?" I asked Draco trying to change the topic to light their mood up.

"Hmm..." he cleared his throat before he spoke. "I...I love her, Riya." He scratched the back of his neck.

"You must be, otherwise you have to face me before you die." I gave him a playful yet warning glare.

After that we talked, we chatted, we cuddled, and we hugged until time flew by 3 AM. I felt relief when I opened my mind to her; it helped me to put all my stress down from my shoulder.

We hugged once last time when they took their leave and she promised me to visit every day as possible.

---

I dropped Sweety to her school before I headed into my office. I greeted Payal and entered the elevator to make my way to the 7th floor.

As usual, everyone minded their own business when they saw me walking past them. It's not my concern anyway.

Juliet seems okay now. We had our breakfast together and I told her everything that happened on Saturday except some parts that I wanted to forget.

When we finished our breakfast Harith joined us. We chatted for a minute and I left them alone to do my works.

These past days I have been noticing that Harith is finding any fine opportunity to hook with her. I don't know what goes into his mind.

"Riya." I sighed when I heard the most annoying tone in the world.

"Call me Kader." I gritted my teeth.

"That's not a matter. I just want to know the truth. You sure you are not with me?" He asked rubbing his jaw still thinking deep inside.

"Yo.." Hemp...I cleared my throat before I spoke again. "What are you saying? I cleared myself that I was not with you that night. You dropped me in my apartment and I spent my night sleeping peacefully in my bed, not with you. Are you clear?" My heart thundered heavily against my rib cage. If he had been two feet closer to me, he would have heard my heartbeat, no doubt.

He twisted his lips like he didn't take what I said. "It felt real." He murmured to himself then his blue orbs searched for mine but I averted my gaze and looked somewhere but him.

"Can you move aside? You are blocking my way." I said not looking at him.

He cursed something under his breath and walked into his office then slammed the door with a loud thud.

I let out a long sigh that I was holding since he came into my view. Thank God! He doesn't remember anything that happened between us. I am saved from the embarrassment.

I was kept thinking about how I am going to face him, it was haunting me since the morning I wake up from the strange place but didn't think it would be turned into another way. It's not that much bad as I expected. Once again, I was saved from the embarrassment.

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