|| ENIGMA || Editing

♣️41.

A shout startled teja awake. She tensed up , blinking her eyes in half sleep laying in the darkness of her room. Another muffled shout ran through the house keeping her away from drifting into sleep again. Ripping apart the sheets from her body , The ten year old's heart thumped louder

" Abhi please , you can't do this to me , to us . Think about teju .She's too small to understand where her father went " She heard her mother's voice and her height tightened as she stepped into the hallway

Nothing made sense to her .All she saw was her father standing at the door ,all dressed up with a suticase that stood beside him .

" Naina , I can't do this anymore . Tell teju anything you want. But i can't suffocate myself here anylonger" His gruff and detached voice entered her ears and she frowned trying to make sense of things

" Suffocate ? Tell me this has nothing to do with the bitch you slept wi-

" Naina "She heard her parents shout back and forth. Terrified at the sight of it , she closed her ears , her hands shivering as her small figure slumped down taking the support of wall. She stayed there hidden listening to cries and shout of both of them. She couldn't stand up from there untill she heard a click of door and sound of footsteps going away.

A fear suddenly ran through her and she quickly got up running outside. She saw her mother's hunched figure crying and her dada outside the door.  Eyes widening understanding nothing but only thing that her father was leaving , she ran outside without any slippers , her feet touching the uneven ground , not that she cared though
" Dada! " She shouted . The pause in her father's movement told her he heard her but he made no move to turn to her
" Dadaa, Where are you going ? dadaa" She shouted again running to his car
" Dadda , are you gojng to office ?" The man just nodded from the car window and her eyes lit up .

" When will you be back ? " She screamed impatiently trying to confirm that her dad was coming back and wasn't going forever .

The little girl wailed , tears pouring her eyes as dada's car speeded away. Standing there in anticipation that he will be back , she stood there her eyes shining with hope .

" Teju , come inside " She heaed her mother's voice as she came closer and held her shoulders , drops of tears still fresh on her face

" No , aii ,i am waiting for dada. He said he will come soon " The little girl held to that one nod , only hope that she will get to see her dada again.

" Teju ,let's go inside , he'll come soon " Her mother sighed

" Promise ? What if he comes and doesn't find me here waiting for him and leaves me again ? " She pouted , not knowing what depth her words held

" He will come . Promise " He mother wrapped her in her arms nreaking down and she wound her arms against her not knowing why she was crying. Her small hand pat her mom to stop her from crying.

From that day , her mother witnessed her standing on the parking way , waitng for her father with hopeful gleem in her eyes , the same way he left them . But he never did. He never came back .

***

Her eyes held hesitation as her mother called her over. Taking slow steps she sat close to her mother hiding in her  embrace at the presence of another person in the room