POV: Narrator
12 December 2022
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, California

"Now I see where this story is connected to Kabir." The doctor noted in his diary.

"You wanna hear ahead?" Clazer asked him

"Yeah, continue please."

...................................................

POV: Clazer Oath telling past to Doctor.

"It's late, go home."

I turned around with the hope that my Sirania was finally here, but she wasn't.

"It's raining cats and dogs- Oh my god! Are you crying?" the girl panicked when she looked at my face.

"No" I replied with shivering lips. As my trance was broken, I can feel water dripping from every inch of my body. I started feeling extremely cold.

"What are you doing here sir? It's raining like hell." She said sitting on her knees beside me, covering me under her umbrella.

"Nothing much" I murmured, looking anywhere but at her. We were extremely close to each other. I could feel her gaze on my face.

"Why are you crying? Has anything serious happened? Don't you feel cold?" She asked before reaching her free hand out and ruffling my wet hair.

I held her hand, "Don't do it ever again."

"Okay...sorry, where is your driver? Why don't you call him? Don't tell me he kicked you out of your car, Sir!"

Great! She was making fun of me now!

"He is on leave and my phone is dead," I replied standing in my position making her stand with me. I took a few steps back trying to create more space between us. The water started hitting my head again.

"Take a taxi home, or use my phone..." Vinneta offered coming closer again.

"I don't want to go home and neither am I interested in using your phone..." I walked ahead and she started chasing me with the umbrella over her head.

"Your family must be worried!" she said trying to convince me.

"Dad is out on a business trip."

"Your mom must be worried or rich people don't care where their son is the whole night"

"My mom is dead."

"Oh...sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Aren't you hungry?"

"No," I replied rudely.

"Ok! I will leave....goodbye sir." She declared all too suddenly. Though I wanted her to stop bothering me, this was too quick even for me.

I thought she was still following me, but I didn't hear her footsteps anymore. I turned around to look at her.

Our eyes meet, and she smiled ear to ear. She was right behind me, just a couple of feet behind.

"Weren't you leaving?" She said with that triumphant smile of hers.

"My choice."

"Okay," She said and walked right past me straight ahead.

"Are you leaving?" I asked holding her hand and pulling her back towards me.

Was I not willing to let her go?

"Yes, someone promised me to meet here at around 8 o'clock but I guess he won't come now. It's raining heavily and damm this traffic, what are you doing here?" Vinneta asked.

"Same, someone was going to come..." I replied looking into Vinneta's eyes which managed to capture me every time.

"She might have gotten stuck in traffic and could not contact you as your phone is dead. So stop crying..."

Vinneta offered me a tissue. I wiped my face.

"You will catch a cold, go home," she ordered me like a mom now.

"No."

"You said I look like your relative, then follow my orders."

"I said No."

"Stop behaving like those bad boys from Wattpad, Wanna visit my home? Come with me. You can stay with us tonight, you helped me a lot."

"Really?" I asked with a smile. This would be convenient. Some time away from everything might help me cool down.

"Look at you, you are all hyped up. Why are you ready to come with me? You won't say no now?"

"It's cold, my phone is dead, I am hungry, my dad can't contact me, and neither can the driver," I said like a little kid, even though I did not understand how my mood changed so quickly.

Minutes ago I was out in the rain washing away my sorrows, and now here I am, smiling like an idiot when a girl offered me her place to stay the night.

"Okay enough excuses, come with me, but for tonight ONLY, because you are my boss and also you helped me." She said covering me under her umbrella once again, but I did not move back this time.

"If I ever need your help again, will you?" I asked as soon as we started walking together under the same umbrella.

"Yes, why not?" She replied smiling.

...............

We took a taxi to her home. We reached in about 10 minutes, it was still raining heavily, Vinneta's apartment was on the 12th floor.

"We are a home mom!" Vinneta announced taking a step inside.

"And so am I..." I replied in a low voice. Her house wasn't big but felt very cozy just stepping inside.

"Mom, where are you?" she said loudly.

We entered from the hallway to the main drawing room.

There was a note on the table.

Dear Vinneta,
I tried calling you but I think your phone was not working. My boss called me. There is an urgent case to handle, so I won't come home tonight. Cook for yourself, and lock the door.

"I guess it's just us tonight. Mom got a job recently, they are paying her handsomely, the salary of one month in her new job is equal to the salary she used to get for one year in her previous job."

"Oh, good for her, but didn't she forget to lock the door?"

"Damn! This isn't something new, she is so careless." Vinneta said in an excited tone licking her lips.

"Yeah! We are alone today..." I started getting nervous all of a sudden.

"What? Why are you moving backward?" She asked taking steps towards me.

"Wait, don't dare to touch me, I think you knew that your mom was not home so you brought me here with you!" I accused her of kidnapping me. Just what was happening to me? Why was I acting so childish and carefree?

"You agreed to come with me and I don't have any wrong intentions. You can go home if you don't trust me. It's not too late now. I am a girl, I should be scared to stay with an unknown person, and here you are throwing tantrums..." Vinneta answered back shaking her head dismissively.

"I am unknown now? Wow... Not even a minute ago this was a thank-you gift because I helped you in your job. I am not going anywhere. I will stay here tonight and that's final." I said folding my hands like it was the boss, which technically I was.

"Yeah? If you want to stay here, follow my rules quietly." She said mimicking my posture with the same attitude.

"Ok madam, as you command..." I said. Well...she was my only shelter tonight.

It was fun arguing with her. The way she laughed made me smile brightly.
Vinneta went to her room to find clothes for me.

"I don't think there are men's clothes around..." her voice came from inside her room as I stood unsure in her drawing room, completely drenched and cold.

"Oh, it's fine...The clothes are not too wet." It was an obvious lie.

"You will catch a cold..." she said returning from her room. She looked at me with a hand on her chin as if thinking something.

"Wait, there might be some men's clothes. Let me check mom's cupboard!" She rushed inside what I assumed was her mother's room.

After a little investigation in endless chaos, she finally found a casual T-shirt and a pair of regular pants.

"Here, wear this after you take a bath." She said passing the clothes to me.

"There is a bathroom on the left side from that corner." She said gesturing towards the mentioned corner.

"Okay, ma'am..." I said dumbly before walking towards the bathroom.

Once I was done taking a short shower, I exited the bathroom fully clothed and saw Vinneta drying her hair with a towel. Her clothes were different from earlier, she must have taken a bath as well. She looked glowing in the dim lights of the room.

"Now go and wait in the dining area boss, I will prepare dinner for us." I came back to my senses as soon as I heard her voice. She was looking at me with her intense capturing gaze.

"Don't try to peep pervert!" I retorted. I was being a pervert a few seconds ago, and the thought alone irritated me now.

"Not interested at all! Just go inside!" Vinneta said pushing me towards the dining room.

"Man, that was the smallest bathroom I ever visited, though I feel relaxed now. Thank you so much for allowing me to stay here tonight Vinneta!" I said while she was pushing me toward the room.

"A negative comment on my house, you are kicked out Mr. Clazer." I paled at that. Vinneta let out a hearty laugh looking at my face.

Oh...she was kidding...where did your common sense go Mr. Oath?

"You look good in casual clothes too you know?" Vinneta said all of a sudden. I felt blood rushing to my cheeks. 

"I know I am handsome, I didn't think these would fit me so well though," I said referring to the clothes she gave me to wear.

"I am going to the kitchen, you can charge your phone if you want." She said walking towards the kitchen.

"Can you cook?" I asked remembering how the manager scolded her for not knowing how to cook properly.

"Yes, I can..." she said casually like it wasn't a big deal for her.

"Then why the manager was shouting at you last time saying you can't cook properly?" I asked.

"He was such a bad-mouthed person! He shouts at me for no apparent reason, the spaghetti was already overboiled by the time I reached the kitchen, what's my fault for that? "

Vinneta cooked food and I helped her in chopping vegetables, I tried helping her.

I sat on the chair once everything was ready and was observing Vinneta while she was serving rice for me.

'Vinneta is just amazing, her smile is contagious, she looks so beautiful, and she reminds me of mom sometimes, is it my destiny to meet her?' I thought as she placed my plate in front of me.

To be continued.