Madav kept staring at the house located further from his, in the opposite row from his veranda.

His love's house.

It's been a week since he came back from Devon and ever since he encountered her, Madav was nowhere to be in peace. He sat on the recliner in his veranda as he kept watching the activities in that house. Madav have been doing that for a week now.

He slowly drifted to sleep.

"Gooooood morning, London folks! This is RJ Mini and you are listening to BigWheel FM" Madav smiled as the taxi driver tuned the radio to his favourite radio station.

"To where sir?" The taxi driver asked.

"Oxford Street" Madav replied and looked around as the taxi drove into the highway.

Madav had just reached London Heathrow after his second deployment of six months duration from Somerset. His first stop was to Oxford Street.

"Two more callers before we end our show today, so pick your phone and dial BigWheel's number to wish someone a GOOD DAY. Londoners favourite song coming up" as though the RJ had reminded him of something, Madav took out his phone and started dialling a series of number.

"Excuse me, can you reduce the volume. Thank you" he requested the taxi drivers before placing the phone to his ears.

The call was kept on hold for five minutes before it was attended.

"Hello! Who am I speaking to?" the voice sang.

"Hi, it's Sailor man"

The call at the other end went silent for a few seconds before they spoke again.

"Hello there Sailor man... last caller of the show. And your wishes to?"

A habit he started since the first time he came back from his Navy Force training. To call the radio station and tell everyone that he is back. But this time his call had a different purpose.

"My wishes is for you, RJ Mini.... Happy Birthday Padmini!" he could imagine how shy and dumbfound she would be right now. Padmini never liked her listeners to know her real name nor anything about her and Madav had just revealed her name and birth date.

"Thank you so much Sailor man. That's our last caller. I will be back tomorrow with another topic to talk about, till then adieu" she quickly ended the show, muted the mike and played the song from the track list. Once she was out of the radio room, Padmini hurriedly picked up her phone from her bag.

"MADAVA!!!! She yelled as soon as he answered the call. "Why did you do this? Why didn't you tell me you were coming back today? I would have taken a day off!" he hears her sobbing.

"Happy Birthday Love! Now, wipe off your tears and come on out. I'm waiting" he said as he paid the taxi fare.

"Do wish RJ Mini on my behalf too. She is an excellent RJ" the taxi driver said.

"Madav!" she came running out of the building with overjoyed tears rolling down her cheeks. 
 

The continuous honking disturbed his beautiful dream. Was he really dreaming?

No, sleep was nowhere to find him in this devastating state, Madav was reminiscing those beautiful memories. It was his one of most favourite memories he created with his Padmini.

Madav got up from the recliner and sat on the veranda railing. A familiar black Lexus  stood in front of Padmini's house.

At the same time, Padmini walked out the house with a wide smile.

Madav's smiling face turned frowning, it was her so called fiance standing next to the car.

Was it for the money she left you? Or maybe she was done waiting for you? A voice in him spoke.

"I can't believe you are the same Padmini I met ten years ago" Madav almost squeezed the leaves of his mother's hanging plant, out of anger. "She can't do this me... what if someone is forcing her to do it?" he tries to reason himself for her behaviour, walking back and forth Madav threw the mug splashing the coffee on the wood flooring.

"Madav! Are you alright?" his mother Durga came running out the house.

"I'm not maa, I'm not. She is killing me without telling me the reason." Madav said running a hand through his dishevelled hair.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she isn't doing it willingly. Padmini sure have her reasons" Durga patted his shoulder and took the broom to clean the mess as Durga didn't want to show her distress to him making him more anxious about the situation. 

"You think she has reasons, right? Even I'm thinking there should be something she is hiding... but maa, I know a lot had changed in her. I can see it in her eyes; she doesn't have the love she used to have. This is not my Padmini!" Madav darted into the house slamming the front door shut, leaving his worried mother out not knowing what to do.

A few minutes later, Madav came back out and apologised to Durga for yelling and told her not to worry about this matter and that he will try to fix things up.

Though Padmini was just few houses away from theirs, Durga had no idea on what's happening in the former's house for the past eight months. Everything that happened in Padmini's house was quiet and unforthcoming. 

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-deva-♡