20. A Lonely Being

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I and Melanie were in our room after nightfall. Melanie was ironing some of her clothes while I was folding up mine and putting them back in my small wardrobe. I think I was in need of good clothes because all of my clothes now looked frayed, even the colors were fading. I was planning to ask Matt's permission to go for shopping or else soon I would have nothing good to wear.

"What's your plan for the weekend?" Melanie inquired.

"No plans." I replied while putting the pile of my clothes inside the wardrobe.

She stopped ironing and gave me a disbelieving look, "Seriously Sanaya, I've been observing you and you seem so weird. I've never seen you going out of this mansion. Are you introvert or what?"

I hated lying to her when she was so nice, so helpful to me. Rubbing my temple, I sat on my bed, "I don't have many friends and few of them already left for college to different cities, so I don't talk to them much."

She turned off the iron, dragged a wooden chair and sat in front of me. Her grey eyes were sparkling in the dim light of the room, "I can totally feel you. I've lost almost all of my high school friends for the same reason and believe me, I miss them so much."

Melanie had thick red curls, cascading down her back, small lips and average height. Most of the time, her hairs were piled up on the top of her head when she wore a uniform Andrew had given to her. At the night time, she untied them and put them on her back.

"That's how life moves on." I said.

"But, you should not waste your youth in just earning money. You need to have a life. Money is important, but it shouldn't be the only important thing in your life." She was sounding like an elder sister.

"Yes, Miss Melanie, I'll remember that." I responded sarcastically.

"Let's hang out with me this weekend." She suggested.

I immediately shook my head, "No, I can't."

"Why?"

I scoffed, "Today, you're asking so many questions."

"I'm sorry for being nosy. I just wanted to hang out with you." Her small lips curved downward.

I want that too. I abstained myself from replying her and chose to remain silent.

"I know there're things you're hiding, but I won't force you to tell me, but remember that you can consider me one of your good friends." She gave me her contagious smile before walking out of the room.

I thought I'd made a new friend, but it was not the case. I couldn't return the friendship she was offering because of my dark secret that I had been trying to hide from her. I was keeping my distance.

I opened my room's door and about to step out when I saw Katherine was standing there. Her hand was in the air as if she was about to knock the door. Lifting my brows for a moment, I came out of the room and closed the door behind. Her face looked stiff. Her presence here in the staff's quarter could be risky and doubtful for the workers.

"Yes?"

"Why are you living here?" She asked in a demanding tone.

"Sorry to say this, but it's not the right place to talk. Your staff will find it odd that you came here for me." I was just trying to keep my promise that I made with her husband. I wanted to keep myself away from anymore problems.

She didn't say anything, but her facial expressions showed that she understood what I was trying to say so she started moving towards the stairs. I followed her silently.

She stopped in the middle of the dining hall and asked the same question, "So, can you answer me now why are you living in that room instead of the room my husband chose for you?"

Looking around here and there, I checked if there was any servant near us or not. When I was sure that we were alone, I explained to her in a low voice, "Matt. Hobsons gave me this job on one condition that I won't let anyone from the household staff to know about my reason of staying here. I just can't go to that room when other staff is around, so I thought of sharing a room with Melanie. It is the best way to hide the truth for now."

The look on her face indicated that she liked my cleverness. I stopped the smile that was about to appear on my lips by flattening them. "So you've really planned to stay here. I still can't understand what are your goals? If its money then tell me your price and just leave this house."

I frowned at her. Not again, please. All of this family had a serious obsession for their money. They couldn't think of any other reason, "I don't want your money how many times I've to repeat myself? You and your family caged me here. I've no desire to live here."

"If it's not money then what else?" She widened her eyes in anger, "Remember that Ashar will never accept you his wife. He doesn't forgive frauds."

I was about to go ballistic now. There should be a limit to their misjudgments. It was true, I found Ashar attractive, but that was it, nothing more. It really didn't mean that I was thinking to marry him.

"You're thinking of me in a wrong way. I was never interested in this marriage or in your wealth. Yes, I want all of you and Ashar to forgive and believe me. But remember, I'm also waiting to be free from this trap." I raved. Without waiting for her response, I left the hall.

I was getting sick of all those false allegations. I was not that low.

💙

Later at night, I saw Melanie entered into the room, looking frazzled. She went straight to the bathroom whereas I was lying on my bed lazily, trying to get some sleep, but I could not because Katherine's words kept crossing my mind. I had no personal grudge against her. I had admired that woman and it was woeful for me that my image was spoiled in front of her.

Ashar was a fortunate one. He had great and loving parents who were with him in his difficult times. At least he was not alone to deal with the on-going hassles. I was jealous of him because I was going through the same trauma like him all alone. I was even forced to cut off my connections with the people I knew.

Melanie stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind. She stood in front of the mirror and untied her red curls, "Andrew is such a pain. He made me clean the two rooms of the first floor all alone. My whole body is aching." She looked at me through a mirror.

I moved my arm under my head and used it as a pillow, "Why? Did you do something?"

She sat on her bed, massaging her feet, "Not at all. Two servants weren't on duty today, so he asked me to do."

"Oh. You should take some rest then."

She exhaled, "Yeah, right."

"Hey, Mel, tell me one thing," I turned my head to her, "When I came here first time, Andrew told me that hidden cameras are there all over the mansion to monitor the domestic staff. Is it true because I haven't seen a single a camera till yet?"

She grinned, "Andrew says this to scare us, but old employees know that he is lying. Don't worry. There aren't any cameras and no one monitor us except Andrew himself."

I heaved a sigh of relief and placed my head back on pillow. It was creepy to think that someone could be spying on me. I had already one bodyguard that was keeping an eye on me all day. I couldn't handle those security cameras.

"Why are you asking this question? Don't tell me you did something bad?" She massaged her shoulder.

"No, I didn't. I was just scared." Most of the time, I was lying to her.

"Alright, Sanaya. Stop giving yourself so much stress." She yawned, "I'm sleeping now. See you tomorrow."

She laid straight on her bed and hid herself inside her comforter. I also tried once again to sleep and placed another pillow on my eyes to try to shut off my brain this time.

"Good night, Mel." I whispered.

💙

Two hours passed. And I was wide awake. I sat up, getting annoyed due to waiting for sleep. I guess today was also like every other night when sleep would not come to me easily. This was happening to me since I had shifted to this house. My stress kept me restless all night.

Glancing at Melanie, I jumped out of my bed. Her whole body was hidden in the quilt, so I assumed she was in deep slumber. Straightening my pull over, long-sleeved, V-neckline, orange pink sweater, I moved a brush in my long hair to remove the tangles. Casting a quick glance at the wall clock, I grabbed a bag of salted, potato chips and wandered to the swimming pool lounge. It was 1'o clock in the morning.

The lounge was located at the backside of the mansion. I was going there since three consecutive nights to get some fresh air. The calm and silent environment of that place helped me to sleep. Moreover, it was the only place for me nowadays where I could see the sky and inhale fresh oxygen.

I rolled up my ankle-length pants up to my calves and sank my legs into cold water. Goose pimples formed on my arms. I shivered for few moments, but gradually my body accustomed with the water temperature. A full moon was lessening the inky blackness of the tranquil, clear sky above me, but the far away stars similar to snow-flakes still managed to keep themselves visible.

The weather was neither cold nor hot. It was like a spring night. A soft breeze was caressing the exposed areas of my body. The swimming pool lounge was also very spacious just like every other portion of the mansion. The dim, night bulbs along with the moon light was making my surrounding bright enough for me to see everything clearly.

I started eating my snack while gazing at the moon and the sky together and enjoying the silence of the night. Few minutes later, I got distracted by the sudden, weird sound - resembling to bubble popping noise. My eyes roamed around and searched the cause of it, but I couldn't find anything. Putting my snack down beside me, I tried to hear it again. This time I didn't hear it, but actually saw bubbles were popping in the middle of the swimming pool as if someone was there.

Momentarily, I was scared stiff. My heart missed a beat. Seconds later, a man rose up from there, making a loud cacophony of splashes. I shrieked in fear unknowingly and pulled my legs out of the water, pressing them to my chest.

That man ran his hand in his soaking hair, moving them back and looked up at me. My eyes widened to its full length when I recognized the face; Ashar? Why him?

He groaned aloud, shaking his head at me. I was froze for few seconds, still couldn't believe my eyes. He rubbed his palms against his face to wipe of the water from his face. My eyes followed the water droplets that were going down to his naked chest.

Wait, naked chest?

The sight brought roses to my cheeks. Instantly, I took my snack in my hand and stood on my feet. Ashar swam under water towards the end and jumped out of the pool. My eyebrows rose in surprise when I got to see the full view of his body. He was just in plain, black shorts. Something tickled in my stomach as my eyes stubbornly scrutinized his masculine and robust body.

"Why are you here at this time of the night?" I heard his raspy voice. It broke my haze. My gaze met with his, feeling nervous for no reason.

"I...I was..." I lost my train of thoughts as I observed water driblets dripping from his hair, slipping down his neck, to his chest wall, to his belly where my stupor disrupted because he rubbed the white towel there and dried the moisture. I quickly moved my eyes in other direction. Shutting them momentarily to recollect my thoughts, I glanced back at him. He was giving me a bemused look, still waiting for my answer.

The pounding heart and the frightening feelings brought me back to my senses and I recalled the situation I was in. "I, I was just eating my chips....lo-oking at the moon and then, I saw a nake- I mean, you. I thought there w-was some intruder. Gosh, I was so scared." I explained stutteringly, putting my hand on my chest to calm down my heart.

He quirked a brow at me, making me realize that I stuttered unnecessarily. I composed my posture and moved my hand from my chest. He broke the eye contact, lowered his head down to the floor while drying his hair from the towel. If I had seen correctly, then I noticed a faint, suppressed smile on his mouth. Confusion crossed my features. Why was he smiling?

"How could you stay in the water that long? I mean, I didn't have a clue that there was someone under water." I managed to ask a question.

He looked up at me again, throwing the towel on one of the folding, backpack chairs, left his bare upper body on full display. I was again distracted.

"I can stay in water even longer. It's just that I'm tired today and I wanted you to know about my presence."

"Oh." I was surprised. It means he knew I was here. My obstinate side forced me to ogle at his chest. I couldn't just focus on conversing with him when he was standing shirtless in front of me. Under the moonlight, his skin was gleaming with a soft silver glow. The protruding veins on his upper trunk were intersecting each other. Those wide, muscular biceps and the perfect abs looked so scrumptious that I felt my mouth became dry. Tingling in my hands started because they wanted to trace his skin. I closed my fists involuntarily.

"Why are you staring at me like as if you've never seen a man's body before?" His voice broke my reverie. One corner of his mouth lifted up into a smirk. My mouth fell opened at his mocking remark, enlarging my pupils.

I quickly pulled myself together and hid my embarrassment. Although, I was sure that my cheeks were tinted with pink shade. "I was not staring at you."

"Yeah, right." His smirk widened. I frowned at him and then turned around, waiting for him to cover up his body.

He was actually right. I was evidently acting like as if I had never seen a shirtless man before. Since our first encounter, Ashar was shaking my sanity due to his seductive looks. I had to hold my horses because I was not allowed to think of him this way after what had happened between us. This was not good. I thought of turning around when I was sure I had given him enough time to put something over himself.

I was left completely off-guard when I moved around because he was now standing just a step away from me. He was in black singlet. His gleaming eyes were moving on my facial features. I was fazed by his whirlpool of cerulean orbs.

"You're blushing." He looked at me with amused expression.

I immediately looked away, probably the tinge of pink shade would've increased on my face. I was only making myself embarrassed in front of him. I didn't know the blush on my face was that much noticeable.

His eyes sparkled with humor as he lifted up his brows. He was surely enjoying my nervousness. I scowled at him, "I'm not." I stepped back because his nearness was giving me creeps.

Again a faint, mocking smile touched the corners of his lips. I was astounded. It had been quite some time since I last saw him smiling. He was surely in a good mood today. "If you want me to act blind, I can."

"Should I make you coffee?" I asked without thinking. I touched my opened mouth when I noticed he contracted his jaws, looked angry. I shouldn't have said that. I didn't even know why I asked that.

"Why? Do you want to again burn my skin?" He fumed.

"I guess it's no then. I should leave now." I acted casual. I turned in opposite direction and started walking. I really portrayed myself a fool, a retard to him.

"Wait, small head." His voice disrupted my ambling.

Before I could move around, he came in front of me. He gave me a long, intense stare, making my legs turning to jelly. Abruptly, he snatched the bag of chips from my hands, "I'm taking this because I'm quite hungry right now. Thanks."

Leaving me dumbfounded, he scurried away. I was still lost in a trance after seeing his normal behavior with me. No sarcasms, no tantrums, no fury at all. He didn't even get angry on me for intruding his privacy. I guess he was also surprised like me to catch me here. It was after all, an embarrassing encounter. I would never come to this swimming pool lounge again.