14

"What?" I asked, baffled.

It was already getting dark. If I didn't reach home on time, Grandma would be worried. I opened my phone to call her, but it died down due to the low battery. I groaned, getting irritated.

I glanced at Mr. Rude, who was looking at the sky deep in thought.

He pulled out his cell and then called someone. "I messaged you the address. Reach here with my other car as soon as possible." Then the call disconnected.

Releasing a deep breath, I started walking around, observing the surroundings. The air was thick with the earthy scent of foliage, and the silence of the night was occasionally interrupted by the rustling of leaves.

As I walked along the narrow dirt road, my senses heightened. Suddenly, amidst the night stillness, I heard a soft, melodic sound- the gentle murmur of water.

"Did you hear that?" I asked, turning towards Mr. Rude, who was busy on his mobile. He looked at me, his face emotionless like always.

"What?"

"The sound," I replied with a glint in my eyes.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he asked, "What sound?"

I rolled my eyes, and frowned, "Why are you so dumb?"

The deadly look on his face told me to take my words back and I wished I could do that.

Do you have a death wish? My mind mocked.

"Sorry," I spoke in a low voice, turning away from him to escape from his glare. Ignoring me, he went back to analyze his car.

I sighed and started searching for the spot from where the sound was coming from. I followed the sound, walking carefully, and keeping in mind not to go too far and get lost. I heard Mr. Rude calling me, but I ignored him.

The trees gradually parted, revealing a faint glimmer ahead. My heartbeat quickened with excitement as I pushed through the final stretch of foilage and stepped onto the soft sand. Before me lay a beautiful beach, bathed in the silvery light of the moon.

I took a slow step towards it, watching the waves roll onto the shore, their gentle rhythm echoing around. The sea stretched endlessly before me.

The cool breeze caressed my caressed my cheeks, making a smile form on my lips. I looked at the sky which was filled with stars. A shooting star streaked across the sky, making my eyes widen in surprise, and I yelled excitedly.

The voice of shuffling tress entered my ears, and I turned back to see Mr. Rude running towards me with a horrified expression on his face. Reaching me, he held both my arms

"Are you fine? What happened?" He asked, his voice laced with fear and concern as he scanned me. His breathing was fast, and his heart was beating so loudly that I could even hear it.

I spoke, "Nothing."

"Then why did you shout?" He asked with a perplexed look as his eye met mine.

"I shouted in excitement. Look, I finally found the beach and then I saw the shooting star," I replied, watching as he closed his eyes, and let out a deep breath.

"Never do this again. I thought I lost you, again." I heard him mutter in a low voice as he hugged me, making me freeze on my spot. I stood there stunned at his sudden action. A rush of comfort and security washed over me as his arms enveloped me. The hug was not awkward like he did with others, instead, it was kind of comfortable. The warmth of his embrace stirred a soothing calmness within me.

My mind was confused in processing the words he spoke earlier, but I came back to my senses when he broke the hug and placed his palm on my cheeks, caressing my cheeks with his thumb.

He looked at me like I was the most precious thing in the world.

And at that moment, I almost forgot how to breathe. I could see all the emotions swirling behind those ocean-blue eyes which always seemed to be emotionless. His gaze was intense. Fear, concern, hope, and... is that affection?

I was, again, taken aback by his gesture. I have never seen him like this before. He never showed any affection or emotion. He barely smiles. I almost believed he was a robot. It was hard to believe that he was the same man because the person standing in front of me was different.

His eyes roamed on my face and finally settled down on my lips. Then, his eyes went up and met mine. A shiver ran down my spine as I stared into his blue eyes which matched the color of the ocean. I swear I saw something flickering in his eyes.

Then his phone rang.

And he retrieved his hand back from my face, as fast as he could, like it would burn him if he didn't. I looked at his changing demeanor, as he cleared his throat, his face going back to expressionless as he picked up his ringing phone.

I looked away from him, feeling heat spreading across my cheeks. As I thought about what just happened. I watched the waves, but my ears were on his conversation.

"What?" He spoke in an irritated tone, ready to kill the person on the other end.

"20 minutes? Why?"

"Okay." Then he cut the call and glanced at me.

"It was Derek. He informed me that due to high traffic, It will take him some time to reach here."

I nodded and then the silence engulfed us. So, to escape the awkwardness, I sat on the sand removing my sneakers.

I closed my eyes as the cold wind blew and made contact with my skin. It was so peaceful.

The view was beautiful.

The small waves were crashing, making a soothing crashing noise like they were trying to soothe a soul. The full moon was glowing in the sky. The stars were scattered all around the sky, covering it. The water shined as the moonlight reflected on it. It looked like some painting.

I watched as the sky got even darker just like my life. I felt someone's presence beside me and watched as Mr. Rude sat next to me.

Sometimes I feel bad for calling him that name. He is not that bad. He has a heart.

He proved it today. My heart said.

And what about other days when he is always grumpy? My brain mocked.

I shook my head to stop the fight between my mind and heart.

I stare at his face. Under the moonlight, his face looked so innocent. He looks innocent. The heat started spreading on my cheeks as I realized what I was doing. I brought my eyes to the water.

His voice came breaking the silence, "The view of the ocean. It's beautiful. Isn't it?"

I rubbed my cheeks to make them look less flushed and answered, "Yes."

Why am I even blushing?

Stop!

He smiled at me and looked at the waves like he was deep in thought.

I watched his smile. Dimples pop out of his cheeks whenever he smiles. He looks more cute while smiling.

He looks like a human and not a robot.

Working with him, I almost thought he was a robot. He acts like the one, You know? Like always being emotionless.

My thoughts were interrupted when he started talking, "I love beaches. Back in India, I used to go to beaches every Sunday with someone. She was so obsessed with beaches." He chuckled, remembering the memory like it was the best time of his life.

Suddenly, curiosity piped in me to know more about that 'someone' he was talking about.

I passed him a soft smile, pushing back the feeling of jealousy, and asked, "Looks like she was really special to you."

He looked at me and passed a small smile. Smile filled with sadness. The glint in his eyes showed that talking about her was his favorite topic. Then, he spoke in a low voice,

"She was my world."