"Now, What kind of Boy friend does this Ryan?" A vibrating female voice growls at me over the call.

"Hello, sorry but may I know to whom am I talking to?" I inquire in reply for her accusations, rubbing my eyes to wipe off the remains of sleep.

Last night that girl kept me awake for quiet a good time then Estella's nightmare. I could hardly sleep after hugging my buddy, Scotch. And now this anonymous call and her accusations. I want to be rude and cut it but her voice seems a bit vibrating. It could be a sign of her age or some emotional instability.

In both conditions, it's not appropriate to be rude with the person. And She is a Woman. I can't misbehave with her.

"Ok, so now you don't have Her number either. Does that mean You guys have already broke up? Or it actually never happened at all." Her voice sounds shaken at my question.

I quickly lower the cell, to have a look at the screen. It's showing Her name, 'Estella'.

"Shit!" A curse escapes under my breath as I realise that I picked the call half asleep without checking the caller's name. And if I'm not wrong, this must be Aunt Rose, her land-lady.

"... I thought to inform You about her as She told me that You both had a fight that's why You both are not going out these days." Though I missed some information from her while checking the name but I chose to avoid it still I can hear the concern in her voice.

"I'm sorry Rose, don't worry I still have her number. Actually I was sleeping and just woke up by your call only." I accept the truth.

"Oh dear sorry to disturb Your sleep. I just hope You guys are not breaking up. Are You?" She says with much concern in her voice.

"No, No. Just don't stress yourself." I assure her for the thing which actually doesn't exist. Now I get to know why Estella was so stressed when I lied to Rose about equations between us.

"Oh that's a relief. Thank You dear. So, should I expect you for lunch or You are coming right now?" She asks as if It is obvious for me, to be there.

"I will be there for lunch If someone will give me the address." I mention the fact with a bit of laughter, and invited myself at their place for lunch. I'm not very sure but this call is like a granted wish. I want to see Estella since that wired dream of mine has freaked out my sleep.

"Oh my God! Don't tell me This girl hasn't given you our address too." She wonders at my disclosure.

"No, She hasn't, that's the reason we are not able to hang out Rose. I think She did it intentionally to keep me away from You. So insecure She is!" I add up to make her laugh while getting up from bed and heading towards the bathroom. I can hear her light giggle in return.

"Yes, you are right. But She doesn't know I've much experience than her age. I'm texting you the address, come and we will have fun in front of her eyes." And she starts to laugh wholeheartedly but all sudden controls her laughter.

"Aunt Rose, are You still busy with your friend on call?" I think I hear Estella's voice from behind. "Yes baby, just a minute, I'm coming." Rose replies her.

"Rose, does Estella knows that We are chatting right now?" I inquire as I don't think that She is aware of all this.

"Obviously She knows I'm talking to my friend. And don't worry She will not mind if we talk a bit more and deduct a bit more balance of her's. Am I wrong Estella dear?" She says it a bit louder as if talking to her only.

"Don't worry I will delete this call record before handing it back to her. She told me that you were mad at her. Just surprise her by a visit and fix it." She adds up in hush voice.

"Ok, but I was never mad at her it was just a moment. I will pacify her, as I was never mad at her. Even the fact is, She got mad at me. I will be there just text me the address and delete it." I add up a bit of more lie, How dare Estella made me a rude villain in eyes of Rose. I never misbehave with girls.

🛁 🕛 🕧 🚘 🕐 🏡

I got Rose's text in few minutes and I'm not much surprised to see the address from the same area where the Cafe was. Just a few lanes away from the cafè.

I accept the fact that I could easily ended up this lie of mine. I just needed to approve her doubt of the most impossible break up of the year, as there is hardly any relation to break.

But here I'm taking it a step further because Miss Estella has told her land lady that I have been rude and mad at her.

How dare She tried to tarnish my 'lover boy' image? You want a loving and caring Boyfriend Miss Estella? Here I'm coming for you. I may be wrong about her Gold digger thing or may be not but for one thing I'm sure, She is a new kind of woman which I still need to know.

If She is a player then she is playing it very well but it seems like She is genuine. She hasn't tried to contact me in last two weeks. Even I want to see her. As , It seems like I know her much before all this. She mentioned herself that we were in same college. It feels like I need to know a few things which She is hiding.

I stop my car in front of the given address and walk down the beautifully paved stones, making way from road to the small Victorian door, decorated with Victorian lamps on both sides. I knock once at door and turn around to check the place a bit. Though it seems quiet out of place in this big city yet living here must be relaxing. There is a small patch of greenery too, beside paving stones.

I hear a soft crank of door opening and turn around to find Rose smiling at me wholeheartedly. She steps out and greet me with a warm hug. I hug her back and handed her the Roses I brought for her.

"Good morning beautiful." I wish her cheerfully.

"Ah... It's really a very good morning dear, as I see you. It gives me hope to see you here with in an hour." She replies back with misty eyes, patting my right cheek.

"I don't understand, why do You get emotional every time we meet?" I ask her clearly this time.

"Ah! Don't you know?" She looks up at me lowering her round, golden frame spectacle, "As Estella got such a handsome young boy as a Boy friend. Why don't you born a few decades earlier?" She winks at me and gesture me to follow her inside.

We laugh at her comment and step inside the house.

"Well, You would have given Eric a tough competition." She adds up to her previous comment, sliding her fingers across a picture frame of a young couple at the wall and walks ahead. I stop by the frame to have a look at it.

The lady or I should call her The Girl in picture, must be in her twenties seems beautiful, elegant and must be wearing most fashionable clothes of that era, well fitted around her petite waist, long, fluffy waves of fine fabric is flying a bit and she is holding her huge British Duchess Hat with left hand, looking backwards over her shoulders with a bright smile at the handsome man in Black three piece suit, Who is holding her waist with both of his hands, beaming at her only.

"It's beautiful." I admire the beauty of that colourless yet so beautiful picture.

"Yeah, it is. Eric always looked breathtakingly handsome. I had to upgrade my fashion senses because of him." She admires her husband in picture with huge amount of love in her eyes.

"You mean He asked you to upgrade your fashion senses? Or helped you with it?" I question her without any single thought.

"Ha ha... none of these. He proposed me before leaving for his first business trip to here in Stated and that too when I was in kitchen, wearing apron, drenched in flour. He never gave a thought about my looks." She wipes corner of her left eye and continues, "I never get to know, what exactly he liked in me. But He loved me the way I was, and it gave me the confidence to be what I'm today."

"So cute." Though I find such kind of talks bit foolish but I can't say it on her face, especially when it's her reality.

But No one, No Girl dated me back then in college when I was a Geek. Well that's what I think. It's a different story that I never payed attention to anyone as that time I was fool enough to trust in all these 'True Love's crap and all. And my whole concern was my Studies only.

"You know why I got emotional to see you with Estella?" She looks up at me with grave looks and continues, "because You are doing the same thing. Accepting and Loving my Baby Girl, as She is." And her palm cares my face with affection.

God! I'm feeling that damn guilt!
Why I lied to her at Cafe?

"Go, She is in back garden area, must be lingering around the artificial pond or at swing." She walks away gesturing me the way to backyard.

I walks out from the back door. Wait a second!

Am I living in my Dream? Or nightmare again? This part of their home is really looking very similar to our home.

This garden is a bit smaller to our country home, the pond at our place is a bit large and real. I can see Estella sitting on the stone edge of the fountain, attached with the small pond. She must be thinking about something serious as she hasn't noticed the clicking sound of the knob of backyard door as I closed it after assuring that Rose has gone.

I step ahead toward her but my feet are freezing, with fear. As if I'm walking into the nightmare. Yes, I loved to see Her in that dream, I totally love the feel that dream gave me last night, to hold her in my arms, to get that warmth in her hug, in her eyes and in her voice.

God! I'm so engrossed in that dream that I can feel it all again. I look up at my arm to find goosebumps all over there.

"Calm down Ryan! That was a dream only." I assure myself, taking steps toward her but as I'm covering the distance between us my heart start to beat harder as if the beautiful dream will turn into nightmare in reality too.

"Estella." I call her name from behind and She stood up with a jolt as if I broke her reviere. And a slight sound came from behind her, from the pond. As if something got dropped in it.

"Ryan! Shit!" She gasps and covered her open mouth with left hand and next second she turn around to look back at pond.

Wait a second why her one arm is tied and hanging in a strap from neck!

"Your... Your Arm?" I don't know how but It felt like the nightmare is turning into reality. Her arm is broken, her face is all shocked and next She will start to break and fly into air by bits just like a dandelion!

My heart start to sink, quickly I covered the distance between us and pull her closer. I want to hug her, hold her tight, so tight, so firm, so close that there will be no place of air between us, that can cause her any harm. That can take her away from me. Mom said, 'Don't let Her Go'. "I will never let you go." I mumble absentmindedly.

It feels so relaxing to have her against myself. So soothing as if I'm carving for her only, for ages.

"Ryan what are You doing.?" I hear her words almost a growling sound.

Shit! What the fuck I have done? How can I act so impulsive for her?

"Ryan, leave me. I told you no touching and You are hugging me. Are You insane or what?" She growl against my chest.