Destined

*03*

Chapter 3

Shravan's POV:

Sleep invaded me a long time ago and all I could do was just stare at everything and do nothing. It's five in the morning, birds were chirping outside and I didn't know whether it should make me happy or not. Another day of my life was going to start. Again Rosemary would come and help me to do my morning deeds, Would help me to get dressed. It's funny that I couldn't even get out of this bed without someone's help.

Though I had improved a lot. At least I could move my left hand and left feet, a little bit. Physiotherapy was doing good actually. It had been 6 months. God knew how many more days . . .months going to go like this. How much more I would suffer from my left side paralysed body. 

Today,  another new girl, my new personal assistant would come as informed by my Maa last night. "Don't know, from where she finds them!" I murmured. "But she loves you, and you know that."  Rosemary had always defended Mum. "I know, Rosemary aunty, but it's just some computer work, I can do that with my good arm, I don't need an assistant for that." The right side of my body was absolutely fine.

I was tired of all this. Again someone would come, show me pity and would make me angry, that would make me shout and she would be gone. Didn't know why this anger had not left me after that day, I sighed.

"May we come in,?" Maa asked from outside of my room's closed door. As if she was not going to come if I said no! Again irritation caught me "If I say no, will you listen to me, Maa? No, right? So why are you even asking!"

Maa entered the room with that girl. "Shravan, this is Suman Tiwari. From today she will be your assistant and he is Shravan Malhotra my son and your boss." Mum said this in one breath. I was about to chuckle and that's when I saw her, Suman Tiwari.

   

                             

The very first thing I noticed was her height. She was quite tall. Then a pair of wide, chocolate-brown eyes set in a pale, heart-shaped face. This girl looked a bit embarrassed for some reason which I didn't know. I could see that it was a strain for her to make conversation with a stranger, to be the centre of attention. I could sense her shyness from the way she held her frail-looking shoulders, slightly hunched, as if she wanted to hide from the world.

She was checking me out and it felt nice. But suddenly those chocolate brown eyes slid to my leg . . . and wheelchair! Of course, it irritated me.

"What? Are you checking me out? Or should I lose my shirt, that'll give you a better view!" I snapped. A warm crimson hue stained her cheeks as she looked down, away from the embarrassing gaffe of getting caught staring at me. 

Maa shouted at me. But somehow I was enjoying this girl's reaction. "I am on my best behaviour today Mum, but is she mute? Can't she talk? And she is standing there like a dumb! Are you sure that she is capable of being an assistant? You know, how much I despise dumb people!" I knew it would infuriate her, I just wanted to hear her voice.

There was a faint crease between her eyebrows that she seemed unaware of. She glared at me saying in her wind chime voice, "You know Mr Malhotra there is a proverb which I am sure you haven't heard of, Empty vessels make more noise. I am standing here quietly that doesn't imply that I am dumb! Maybe I am much wiser to answer your stupid rants. And just because you are in a wheelchair, that doesn't make me sympathetic towards you. So I would request you to behave properly with me and maintain the decorum of the relationship between a boss and a P.A."

WOW

Her cheeks were flushed with anger this time. Even irritated as I was, it was impossible not to find her anger a bit entertaining.

I could see Maa was utterly happy, as Suman answered me back aptly. She left without saying a word.

"You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?"

"I don't like people who are such a know-it-all."

"hmmm, Follow me then. "

***

                   

"It's your bedroom!" She was not only uncomfortable, embarrassed too.

"Don't worry your virtue is pretty much protected. I can't even move without anybody's help." I smirked.

She was royally irritated, "Are you always like this, or today is a special day?"

I smiled,  thankfully I wasn't facing her so she could not see my smile. I didn't want her to be angrier than she already was.

I turned my wheelchair around to say something which I immediately forgot. She was engrossed in a built-in shelf unit, upon which sat around twenty framed photographs of me, well a better me. I noticed she stooped to get a better view of me in which I was in my ski goggles. "Switzerland, one and the half years ago."

"I am sorry, I was just... " she blushed. But I could see the sympathy,  pity in her eyes, "You were just looking at my photographs. wondering how awful it must be to live like that and then turn into something like this! Right?" I just couldn't take that anymore. I just turned around my wheelchair and with a low hum it took me out from that girl's gaze.

The morning sagged and decided to last for several years. I was quite used to people's pitiful eyes, sympathy. But somehow I didn't want her to be one of those. So to make her busy I gave her as much work as possible in one day.

She seemed happy with that and started working on it. But I wanted to hear her voice. "So you are from Mumbai?" holding her curriculum vitae in my hand. She just nodded. "And you are an MBA! Wow, a gold medalist, then why didn't you go for a better job? Or nobody trusted you enough to give you a job?” I laughed at my own joke. For some reasons, her irritated face was tickling my funny bones.

This time she looked at me, shooting daggers with those light blue eyes! "How does it matter sir, as long as your mother trusted me enough to give me this job. Now will you mind if I proceed with my work?" she snapped.

Hmmm.

She was different from other girls I had encountered. She was entirely odd. I kept mum and my eyes shot up to a framed photograph. Me with Alisha. The only girl I had loved. The girl because of whom I got into this wheelchair, the girl who left me because I was in this wheelchair.

***

Shravan has lost it. He still doesn't know, whom he is taking the panga with. 😆