OH MY LEELA

Chapter 4

Satyajit POV

As usual, I came to the beach to find solace in the sunset. Sometimes, God reminds us that nature can heal you in ways that nothing else can. My phone chimed with a notification, and I saw a message from SDF Arts College students. They were organizing an art exhibition and invited me to be their speaker this Saturday. It's a reminder for me of their event.

I slowly got up from the bench and strolled around the shoreline. Suddenly, my glance fell on the figure lying on the sand. As I approached, I realized it was a woman. Concerned, I kneeled to check if she was okay or not. I tucked her hair behind her ears to get a better look at her face. She stirred slightly, and it was the girl I met last week. I could see that she was breathing but unconscious.

I quickly scanned the area for assistance, but it seemed we were alone on the beach. I gently patted her cheeks to try and wake her up, but she remained unresponsive. Realizing I needed to act fast, I decided to carry her back to my car and drive her to the nearest hospital for help. Before this, I had never carried a girl in my life, but at that moment, all I could think about was getting her the help she needed. As I lifted her into my arms, I focused on keeping her safe.

I started to walk quickly towards my car, feeling the weight of her body in my arms. With each step, I take a look at her face, hoping to see a sign of consciousness. As I tripped a bit, I held her tighter to ensure she didn't fall. She opened her eyes at that very moment, and I laid her on the nearby bench. She tried to sit up while holding her head.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my heart pounding with relief as she nodded.

"Wait, let me get you some water," I said, rushing to my car. I grabbed the water bottle and the beautiful sketch I made for her last week, she loved the sketch so much but it's ruined. So I made a new one for her.

"Here, drink this. How are you feeling now? You want me to bring you to the clinic?" I handed the water bottle and asked concernedly.

"I am fine now, just a bit dizzy. Thank you for your help," she replied gratefully, taking a sip of water. I took a deep breath of relief and decided to stay with her until she felt better, making sure she was comfortable and safe.

"And this is for you, I hope I draw you beautifully as you are ." I gave her the sketch. Her eyes lit up with joy once she looked at my drawing. She touched the paper gently, a smile spreading across her face. "Thank you so much," she said, her voice filled with gratitude.

"This is so beautiful. I was having a bad day, and this just made everything better." Tears welled in her eyes, and it appeared that my gesture had touched her soul. I felt a sense of happiness knowing that I had made her day a little brighter with my small gesture. It surprised me to see a girl who finds happiness in the little things.

Some people expect expensive gifts to feel appreciated, but she found joy in a simple drawing. I scraped the sand that adhered to her hair while her eyes were glued to my drawing.

"What's your name?" she asked, breaking the silence between us.

"Satyajit" I replied.

"The one who conquers the truth," she smiled. My forehead creased with confusion.

"It's your name's meaning, you got such a nice name," she said. If it's true, I would be happy because I trying hard to find the truth about my parents.

" Nobody told me the meaning of my name, including my parents. Thanks, Leela." She looked at me surprisingly.

"How do you know my name?" Leela asked with a puzzled expression.

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Hariprasad POV

I reached my house from work, and I could listen to my elder sister's and my mother's laughter in the living room. I went inside to find out what was going on.

"Prasad, look at here, what Savita bought for me." My mother shows her neck adorned with a beautiful pearl necklace.

"Wow, it's your favorite," I exclaimed, feeling happy to see the joy on my mother's face. Savita smiled and said, "I wanted to surprise her with something special." My gaze shifted to Savita.

"When you came, Savita, where's my handsome brother-in-law?" I asked.

"I came here before half an hour; your brother-in-law went to Singapore for a meeting and will be back next week," Savita chuckled.

"Guess what? I will be with you guys for the next whole week, get ready to bear me." Savita said with a mischievous grin.

"Oh no, then I can't be in peace for the whole week," I replied jokingly, already anticipating a week filled with laughter and chaos with Savita around. "But I wouldn't have it any other way," I added with a smile.

"Let's see, Prasad, go and take a rest for a while; we are planning to have dinner at the restaurant," Savita said, already making plans for the evening.

"Okay then," I went to my room. My mom's pearl necklace brings back a memory I wanted to forget.

Flashback (author's POV)

"My dear Lalee, wake up " Hariprasad slowly grabbed the blanket from his girlfriend , who turned around. "Just five more minutes, please," she pleaded, her eyes still closed.

Hariprasad chuckled. "You promised me that you would start your workout this morning; come let's go," he says, trying to coax her out of bed.

"Can I join you tomorrow?" Leela asked, her voice still heavy with sleep. Hariprasad smiled and nodded knowing that tomorrow would never come for her morning workouts.

"Okay, then, I will ask Riya to join me today." She opened her eyes and quickly got up, screaming, "No way." Hariprasad laughed at her sudden burst of energy.

"It looks like you're up now, Lalee," he teased. She groaned, realizing she had been tricked. He sat on the bed to wear his socks. She slowly hugged his back and placed her face on his shoulder.

"Okay, I will follow you Saddu , but why are you calling me Lalee? Is it my new nickname " she mumbled.

"I already told you the meaning of lalee, did you forget it?" Hariprasad asked while wearing his socks.

She bit his shoulder playfully and said, "Haan it's my name backward."

Hariprasad pushed her onto the bed and started to tickle her hard. Her laughter filled the room. "I am sorry, I forgot," she shouted. He stopped tickling her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Lalee means pearls in Arabic. You are made of precious pearls, and I won't give you to anyone. You are mine, Leela."

Leela hugged him tightly and whispered, "You're so sweet,I love you Saddu " Hariprasad held her close and replied, " I love you too, Lalee"

End of Flashback