Midnight Whispers (short stories collection) - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Shreyanvi's POV
I sighed as I kept my hand bag on the ground. Finally! I am home! I stealthily walked inside. I wanted to give surprise to my beautiful Brothers and sisters. I know it was not very wise of me to take a break and come here without telling anyone but Drishti, but I needed to! Did I not?!
These days had been way too stressed, and a heavy guilt had settled down on me. Truth is, I did not quit working for Shlok for what had happened, I wanted to pursue what I had always wanted to,
Architecture!
I graduated in Architect from a private university (only have to go give exams) but I enjoyed doing it. I had always had an interest in it. But at that time, the job was giving me very low paid job and basically no scope. I knew they will steal my designs and publish that as there own. I know some people don't even mind if they get enough money for that.
But I was selfish. I hated it when someone will take all the credit of what I had worked on so hard for years!
I was given a job in Mumbai, in one of the biggest Architecture firms, M&S. And I left my job for that reason only! But Drishti had firmly denied me from telling anything to Shlok, so he'll get a lesson for future. I still was not sure if I can forgive him for that. The confession that he loves me and had loved me for years, and that he had not touched the girl who was at his phone, had washed relief all over me!
But love is not enough to make a relationship survive for long run! If he wants a relationship with me, he had to know that, jokes and pranks are no go to me! I hated jokes, I hated pranks. When I was young and in the orphanage, there was a girl named Leela here, who used to do pranks on me, and made jokes about how someone had came to adopt me and then my hopes will shatter when they will adopt a little baby.
I went in, and the house was eerily silent!
I heard distant noises from the back of the ground and I went there with a smile on my face. Every children were playing in the corner where all the swings were. In another corner of the garden (big field) was a sofa and two people were sitting there. I think other nanny are busy. One was Radhika Maa, and other was, I don't know, cause his back was facing me! But he was a he, I was sure. No girl will have such a broad shoulder anyway!
"Hey Maa" I called softly as soon as reached them. But my hand bang fell with a thud as I looked at the man who was sitting there.
"Hey there"
"What are you doing here?" I asked with a glare to my jerk of a boss! The nerve of this man!!! He smiled at me, but it was not evil, or malicious.
"For you of course" He said.
"How do you know I'll be there?" Don't tell me he is having me stalked. He kept smiling.
"You might not be interested in me, but I have been interested in you since we first met! I know everything about you! Don't I?"
"You don't!" I said. Lies, But I won't give him the satisfaction at all! His smile, although did not left his stupid face, but turned a bit sad.
Sigh, I wonder why!
"Hmm, you are right, I don't know you fully yet, I think, I should get to know you better, good thing I resigned as CEO of my company!"
"YOU WHAT?" I asked him appalled. Oh my god! What the hell? After the death of his parents if something that kept him on bay was the company and working for it.
He shrugged as if it was nothing!
"Are you Kidding me right now?" I asked standing up from the sofa and pacing around. What the hell! What about the stocks? And what about all the tenures that were signed in his name? And what if the company collapsed? And What if....
"Hey calm down" Shlok took a hold of my upper arms and said sweetly! "I did not resigned to give you even more head ache!" Yeah, right?
But why was I fretting, its not like I am working for him or something! I took a deep breath! I still did had a question though.
" The company was everything to you! then why did you leave it?" I asked. He smiled.
"You still don't understand?" He asked. I honestly not! He loved his work more than anything in this world! "Yes, I do, I love my company, but you know what I love more, its you! The company, the big castle I am building, All of it is such a waste if I don't have you by my side, also, the company is still mine, I just resigned as CEO!"
I froze at my place. Why is he doing this? He never showed this much love to me ever. True, he had treated me way warmly, way differently from others, but he was never this vocal about his feelings for me! And I hid my feeling from him only for that reason!
"Why are you doing this now!!" I asked. He smiled again! He gently stroked my cheek.
"You heard the quote, you don't realise the value of what you have until it's gone! I am the walking personification of that" He stroked my cheek and kissed me on forehead. I stood there still frozen.
"You should sleep, the journey must be tedious!" He said and went inside the orphanage, to the room assigned to him I guess.
I also slipped into my room, thinking about all the beautiful moments we shared, and how he had treated me like a queen all these years.
For next three months, Shlok continued to perusade me, but I didn't even budged. Why would I? He did showed how sorry he was. Practically sat day and night out of my window looking at me as if I am the most important person of his life!
Today, however, I was trying to not to talk and snap on anybody. I sighed and moved towards the office. Radha Maa had called me.
"Bring the things from the market for me Shreya bebo, please!" I smiled and nodded at her, why won't I?
I went to the market, I knew it'll take two hours or more, so I didn't tell anyone but Radhika Maa. I sighed and kept walking, when I felt someone following me. I turned around only to find Shlok behind me! I was already on my periods, and I had worst mood swings --even worse than pregnant ladies-- on my periods.
"Why the hell are you following me?" I shouted at Shlok. Shlok looked shocked as hell.
"But..."
"What but HUH!" I cut him off by shouting, I was on roll. "Are you going to give me my privacy, I can't eat my food without you looking at me like a creep, I can't sleep without you staring at me like a criminal, I can't even walk without you following around, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Shlok looked immensely hurt, but still smiled at me, turned around and walked away!
I sighed!
I need to calm down. I shouldn't have shouted at him. I was so unbothered by his actions, that they were not even a bit irritating for me. But still, mood swings.
I will apologise to him once I am back. I made up my mind and walked towards the market!
Yellow and red angry flames were coming out of orphanage! The bag full of vegetables left my hands and fell on the ground. What is happening?
Fire!!! How the hell orphanage caught fire?
I ran up to Radha Maa who was standing there, with all the children.
"What happened Maa, how did this happen?" I asked her, who looked at me with tear stricked face.
"I don't know, it started from kitchen, from the gas cylinder. I..I.. But...."
I looked around everyone was present there.
Except for one person, Shlok!
Where is Shlok?
"Where is Shlok Maa?" I asked, my heart beating so rapidly against my ribs that, I might be having a heart stroke!
Maa broke into crying again!
She is scaring me!
"Wh.. Where is he?"
"He is still inside!" My heart skipped beat once, twice, thrice.
"W- What?" I whispered to myself. Oh no! NO NO NO NO!
I ran toward the house. No way I am letting him die.... alone. Radhika Maa shouted for me, but I was far too gone inside for someone to chase me. I kept running through the fire, shouting Shlok's name. I kept running and shouting, tears running from my eyes. I haven't even apologised yet! I slid down on the floor, and started wailing loudly! I can't find him.
It was until I heard a coughing voice. I ran in the direction to find him huddled under a table.
"Shlok!" I shouted and slid near him. "Get up we need to leave" his eyes widened on seeing me.
"Shree.. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
"Dancing....now get up before we get burned without even dying" I said. He got up fast and we left for the main gate. Why it has to be me always....
We ran, holding hands, but a log fell from the roof, right in front of us.
"Oh shit" I heard Shlok. "Shree, I will make you jump over this and you had to leave from here. Fire had already consumed everything."
"If you are thinking I am leaving without you, then you have another thing coming." I said. He sighed. Without arguing he started searching for another exit. After few minutes we found the window and he double checked it. I sighed in relief. Finally.
He first jumped out and then took my hand. I smiled at him and I jumped out too. My heart was still thumping in my chest. And the first thing I did as soon as I looked at him was..............
I kissed him.
I has never been so scared in my life, at the thought of loosing him. I was not even this scared when I left this orphanage at a young age of fifteen to work in the world out there. At first Shlok was totally startled, but after a few seconds he came back at me with full force. I tried to keep up with his pace, but later gave up. He kept kissing me for a few minutes, before I tapped his shoulder to at least let me breathe.
As soon as he left me, breathe and tears both came with the same force.
"I was so scared" I said to him.
"Hey, now! Don't cry, everything is okay now!"
"Why were you in there"
"Why did you came in?" We both asked at the same time. I sighed and decided to answer first.
"When I came to know that you were inside, my heart dropped to my stomach. I was so so scared of loosing you that I don't know, without thinking I went in. It was all or none for me, either we both lived or none of us did." He pulled me by my waist and kissed my nose and then pecked my lips thrice.
"I also realised, if something happened to any of us then the last conversation we had had was of me shouting at you for no reason at all." I hugged him, keeping my head on his chest. Then I pushed him!
"Now you tell me" I said. He smiled and tired dodging the question but I was adamant. He must've had a lot of time if all the children were already out. He searched his pocket and the pulled out something.
"You remember this!" He asked, I gasped. In his hand was the shabby locket I gave him on the very first birthday of his, after we met. It was ten years old.
"I did not wanted to loose it." Rage came with full force on me. As I kept slamming my fist on his chest.
"You fool, you stupid stupid person. You shit!" I kept hitting me! He laughed. He fucking laughed!
"Hey calm down my lady" He said. I hugged him and started wailing loudly.
"I would've given you thousands of them!" I said still sobbing.
"This meant everything to me Shree, this was the first ever most genuine gift I had in my life. Especially it was from you." He said. "I can't loose it!"
I kept hugging him.
"You are everything to me Shlok, don't do this type of think ever." He kissed my hairs and I can sense his lips tilting in a smile.
"Am I now?" He asked and I punched him.
"Ouch, hey you slugger, calm down" He said and kept hugging me tightly.
"You always were, I was just so much scared to tell you, but its all ok now." I said parting with him.
"Hmm, don't you have to tell me anything!" He asked and I smiled sheepishly.
"Nope!" I said.
"No" He said and stepped toward me, I stepped back.
"Nope" I said back. He ran and I ran, we laughed as he chased me through the field!
After twenty six years into my life, Finally I can say
I was outrageously happy...........
In case anyone wondering, fire brigade had already arrived and the fire is now over, and no need to worry about orphanage, because we have a billionaire on Shree's beck and call!