Deciphering His Love

70 | The One With Raghav Ramakrishna

"What do you mean, you got the wrong specimen?" Leila exclaims into her phone. She crumples the A4 paper on her workstation in anger. "Siya, I sent the best private detective to look into this and your saying he messed up?"

"Siya, do you realize the seriousness of this matter?" Leila says taking a deep breath. "We are losing with every minute we waste. You and Uday need to find out another way to get your asses into the mansion and get that-"

"HI LEILA!" Madhu waves loudly as she walks into Leila's office. "Mumma asked me to sit here in your office until she finishes her meeting with the sari people."

"I'll call you later." Leila says and disconnects the call. "You mean the meeting with Mr. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, CEO and Founder of Sabyasachi. Yeah baby, that's a very important meeting for us all."

"Mumma got mad because I was asking her the meaning of all the big big words she and the others were using." Madhu says as she sits on the seat opposite Leila's desk. "I also want to learn these big big words and talk like her and Nanna. Nanna talks faster than Mumma and uses really big big words. I've seen him do meetings. And the biggest word I know is cheese sanchwiches."

"You're just four, baby." Leila says as she types on her laptop.

"I turn five in Octomber." Madhu says as she plays with the paper weight.

"Stop playing with the paper weight." Leila says without taking her eyes off the laptop. Madhu lets go of the paperweight and tries to take the little flat bottle of ink. 

"Don't even think of touching the ink bottle. I don't want to get yelled at by your mom. I've already had enough scoldings from your dad and your grandpa."

Madhu nods her head diplomatically. 

"Do you want some paper and pens to draw something?"

"Do you have any rubby bands I can play with?" Madhu asks.

"Rubber bands?" Leila asks quirking up an eyebrow. She opens the desk drawer and throws her a packet of rubber bands. "All yours kiddo! Now don't disturb me."

She opens Whatsapp and starts to text Siya.

"Madhu, by any chance do you have a pet?" Leila asks Madhu who was tying the colourful rubber bands to her pigtails.

"One doggie. I call her Meow." She says. "I love her so much. I asked Mumma and Nanna to buy her so many things from toys, to doggie clothes, doggie pillows -"

"And hairbrushes?"

"Yeah that too, but sometimes I brush her hair with mine too." Madhu shrugs.

Leila blinks twice.