BELA

When I saw the pet, I was already in love with her. It was a white squirrel, sleeping peacefully on Saumya's palm.

When Saumya said 'pet' I assumed it to be a cat or a Dog, but I least expected a Squirrel.

It was so tiny that it perfectly fitted in my palm. Soft like a cotton ball with red eyes, she looked so beautiful that I could continuously watch her to no end.

She moved her tail in sleep and my heart filled with joy and excitement, I patted her, she snuggled into my palm more responding to the touch.

Somu chuckled at my facial expressions, "she is cute, right?".

" Too cute to handle. How are you even leaving her? If she was mine I would have never given it to anyone " I whispered yelled at her, not wanting to disturb squirrels' precious sleep.

"Trust me, even I want to take her with me but my parents... Alas! I am giving her to you, take care of her " She said caressing her.

"You didn't tell me her name? "

"Oh yeah! It's Gracy"  She chirped.

"Awiee, my little Gracy" I kissed her head.

I left Saumya's place after listening to all the briefing about Gracy's food, about giving her a bath, and a few of her naughty antics.

Now the biggest task was Mumma's agreement.

***
"Mumma please see this innocent animal, she praying for food and shelter. Do you see how lonely she is? Poor her, she was crying because of hunger when I found her roadside. " I acted of being hurt seeing Gracy.
Just a little bit of a lie won't hurt anyone, right?

I could see my emotional mother already melting looking at my empathy-filled face.

"Mumma see" I put Gracy just before her face to make her see her innocence but Gracy made my work harder by putting her one leg on Mother's nose.

Shit!

"Mumma sorry, she is... "

"This is her innocence? " Mumma fumed sliding Gracy's leg away but Gracy put another leg on her nose.

Why do you want us dead, Gracy?

I quickly pulled her away to see Mumma's scowled face.

This Gracy does not even know a little bit about acting.

"Mumma... I... She... It's... Cute

"Bela, throw her out right now" Mumma glared at me and I gulped seeing her anger.

"But Mumma... "

"And you also move out with her " She closed the door on my face.

Gracy turned her face towards me as if asking 'what now? '

"How will we go inside now? You should have kept your limbs in your control." I tried to scold her but she just dismissed me with her tail.

"You are cute but you lack manners" I huffed putting her on my shoulder.

"Behave your limbs" I instructed her but she made a pillow of her furry tail and sat on it totally ignoring me.

I sat on the stairs outside our house. "Listen here, I will teach you some skills, perform them on my mother okay? " I said seriously but Gracy yawned.

"Sleepyhead, listen to me carefully"

I trained her a little after which I rang the doorbell again.

"What? "

"Mumma, Gracy is sorry. Please let us in " I said in an almost cracked voice making it look like I was crying a few minutes before and as trained, Gracy also hung her head low making Mumma believe how sorry she was.

Mumma again melted and this time Gracious looked at her with glistening eyes.

The final nail in the coffin

"Poor animal" Mumma quickly took her and caressed her head. "I forgive you. You can stay here until Bela finds an owner of you".

Which I am not going to find ever.

Gracy jumped on Mumma hugging her by throwing her all four limbs. Just in a second, Mumma was overjoyed. She went all " Awwww" For her.

I rolled my eyes at clever Gracy.

Finally, we went inside.

***
We were now doing Andy sir and Sumi Mam's room interiors because they were so impressed that they could not wait for days.
Mahir sir protested a lot against it as it was his room's turn but everyone gave a deaf ear to his protests.

Mahir sir kept whining around Andy sir but he just yawned and left.

Mahir sir sat defeated in a corner. I wanted to laugh at his facial expressions but controlled. He is a child at times.

We continued our work with a continuous interruption from Mahir sir, asking if we need any help.

I picked up my already buzzing phone " Mam, I have reached Seghal mansion where should I drop it? " I instantly guess it was the organic fragrant candles we ordered to decorate the room.

"You just wait, I am coming there" I quickly rushed out of the house to receive the order.

"Thank you" I received the parcel and that's when I heard "shall I help you? "

Oh god!

"No Mahir Ji! I can pick this up. It's not heavy"

I turned to face him, I was surprised to see his lips quivering, tears formed in his eyes.

"What did you say " It came out as a mere whisper in a croaked voice.

Did I again mess up?

"I can pick this up. It's not heavy" I recalled my last sentence.

"No before that" He complained like a child.

"No Mahir Ji? "

As soon as I said that he fell on his knees and burst into crying. His head hung and his shoulders shook indicating he was in a vulnerable condition.
I sat before him on the ground. I didn't know what to say, how to console him. I didn't even realize the reason for his state. "I...missed...you...I... Missed... You. I missed you. " He whispered and again burst into tears. I didn't know what was happening but seeing his condition it was clear he was in pain. He was helplessly crying.

"Can... You... Hold... Me, please? " He asked innocently, looking hopefully in my eyes.

If a hug can console him then why not?

I moved a little closer to him and wrapped my arms around him. His sobs got louder as if he was in any kind of physical pain. It was scaring me to see him like that, always a happy, excited person crying like a baby. I rubbed his back to console him. All he said was " I... Missed... You". I was sure that I remind him of someone. Someone very close. He held me tightly as if fearing something bad. He kept crying keeping his head on my shoulder and I kept stroking his back, praying for him to get peace. It pained my heart to see him crying.

It took him some time to calm down but he did calm down. I don't know what strong emotions occupied his senses but I do know that I don't want to see him cry like this ever. I caressed his back again, he just kept his head on my shoulder not sobbing anymore.

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Please ignore grammatical mistakes.

Thanks for reading ❤.