Chapter 11

I resigned thinking I would worry when the time would come and went to sleep with lots of sweet memories from today. For the first time in my life, I felt fully content and satisfied. More importantly I felt really alive like I was born again...

I set my alarm to wake up half an hour earlier. I woke up early and got ready in a loose deep neck t-shirt with a push up bra and exercise pants and shoes.

I locked my house and headed out for a walk with the single goal of finding Ramu and getting close to him. It was still dark outside as the sun was yet to rise.

I found him sitting in the guard house next to the neighbourhood main gate watching something on his phone. He saw me walking towards him and came running.

He folded his hands and said “Namaste Amma, what are you doing outside so early”? (Amma is how you respectfully address a woman in south India).

I quickly replied “Ramu uncle please don’t call me Amma, you are so much elder to me so please call me Nandini only...” followed by a warm smile. Ramu said “but amma if I call you by your name what will people think or say...”.

I held both his hands in mine which kind of startled him making him take a quick deep breath. I replied “Ramu uncle what people think or say doesn’t matter to me. If you call me by my name, then I will really love it...”.

Now his body relaxed and he breathed easy. He quickly held both his hands around mine and said “god bless you Nandini ... You are such a beautiful and nice person at heart...”.

I gave him a big warm smile like yesterday and it worked making him genuinely smile back. He said “I will call you Nandini but you will also have to call me Ramu instead of uncle”.

I replied “but ... but uncle you are so much older than me, how can I call you by your name...”? He replied “it’s okay Nandini, call me Ramu only because I will also really love it...”.

In my mind I knew I was making good progress with him so I was ready to do anything to please him ... I replied “fine Ramu, I will always call you Ramu only from now on...”.

He smiled and said “ohh Nandini ... it sounds so nice when you call me Ramu”. I quickly replied “Ramu I too love it when you call my name”. All this while his eyes kept switching between looking at me and my cleavage...

I said “Ramu I hope I am not interrupting your guard duty”? He quickly replied “no Nandini, not at all ... I was resting after my last patrol because my next patrolling round is in thirty minutes.

I saw the time, Ramu was right. This is why he was the first to see me yesterday when I was doing yoga in the open. So I had a full half hour with him if I wanted ... I asked “Ramu is there a place where we can sit...”?

He looked at his guard house and then at me. He said “Nandini I do have a place but it is not suitable for a rich woman like you to sit on...”. Even now Ramu was still holding my hands and I too didn’t pull them back...

I removed my hands and patted his chest. I warmly replied “Ramu only this decides if a place is good enough or not ... not the money or status...”.

I began walking towards his guard house and Ramu rushed in before I entered. I saw there was only one table and bench next to the window overlooking the gate.