The Wrong Woman

35. Mouna

The words from Dhruv that day was something I could not get out of my head. Dr Arshan was Rani's ex boyfriend. Not only that, but they were together at the bar. Why had Rani lied to me? Is that why she wanted to stay in my body? Because she still had feelings for him and not her husband?

I tried not to think about it, I truly did. Every time I thought about Dhruv and seeing him smile around me, however, made me wonder if what I was doing was the right thing. When everything changed back to how it was supposed to, Rani would only be mean and indifferent again, right? She had told me to stop because she didn't like him. That was the only way she would treat him. That would hurt Dhruv. It wasn't right.

What else was I supposed to do? Give him the silent treatment which is something that Rani would do? After I'd already established some sort of connection with him?

I was flicking through the notes for the meeting that Rani had mentioned and hadn't realised that my distracted thoughts had taken over well over the night until the door bell rang. I opened it, only to reveal Dhruv holding a medium-sized black dog, one eye gray and cloudy, the other a big, light brown. It was the dog that Dhruv mentioned bringing home for us to look after and I squealed. I reached out, scratching it behind its ear and it stuck its tongue out, breathing heavily.

"Her name's Kippie," he said before I could ask, putting her down. She licked my hand and nuzzled it before heading back over to Dhruv, using him as a shield.

"She seems to like you," I said, ushering the both of them inside.

"I think she just likes that I give her my full attention. She'll be all over you in a sec."

Dhruv placed a blue bag on the floor as I quickly gathered my files and notes so that Kippie wouldn't think they were toys. "I brought her bedding and some toys for you two to get acquainted with each other while I take a shower."

I sat down criss-cross and grabbed the rope toy as Kippie sniffed around, the back of my neck tingling. I turned to catch Dhruv staring at me—he had been standing by the end of the staircase. His hair was completely mussed, from the wind or from the exertion of the job, I couldn't tell. That, paired with the knitted brows made him look like a confused little boy.

"I'd always thought you were afraid of dogs," he said to me before I was able to ask him what was wrong. "I was shocked when you'd said yes to taking her in."

A noise of surprise caught in my throat. I thought back to when Rani had asked me if there were any pets in the building. Of course she was afraid! Why was I so silly to not see that? "Oh, um, yes but I have had a lot of free time lately and watching dog movies on Netflix has made me want to experience it for myself."

The explanation seemed slightly believable because the crease in his face was gone. Kippie bumped into the table and I gently guided her to walk toward me so I could massage the area she had hit. That explained the one grey eye—she was blind. I thought she'd want to play but it seemed as if she was as exhausted as Dhruv because she nestled her head in my lap. I leaned over and kissed her atop her head.

"You might not want to do that. I haven't given her her bath yet. She was rolling around in God knows what today."

"Bleugh!"!I stuck out my tongue, turning my head to the side to spit. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Maybe because I wanted to see you kiss some poo off her head?"

"Chi! Dhruv!" I grabbed a pillow from the couch and aimed it at him.

"Wait, I was just kidding!" He rushed up the stairs when I flung it. I missed horribly but his laugh rang out and I couldn't help but snigger myself.

That was enough to help me make my decision.