Chapter 16- Sherry’s POV ( His kindness
” Get yourself inside the car! ”
He said, pushing the door of his car open for myself.
A selfless, chivalrous act apparently.
Even I would have mistaken his actions for kindness if I had not witnessed his previous and forthcoming actions.
” How long does it take for you to reach your home and come back on that bus? ”
He had let me go already but he had also followed me outside. I was standing at the bus stop and he was waiting there in his car.
” Umm, around twenty-five minutes to go and twenty-five minutes to come. So fifty in total. ”
I replied, calculating the average daily speed of the bus along with traffic and everything else.
” I cannot allow you to borrow that much time from me. Your time is my money. ”
He pulled his car almost above my foot but luckily I stepped back. He flung the door open and commanded my presence inside.
I had no idea what surprise awaited me at the end of the ride.
” Put the seat belt on. Don’t you even know the basic rules of this country? ”
I didn’t understand why he needed to be so mean to me every time. It was almost as if I was satiating something uncanny. It was not like people behaved nicely with me. But with him my expectation was building. That in itself was flattery. Why should I expect anything from the person who literally bought my misery. I should be just happy to get my dying father his daily medicines, pay his hospital bills and have food for both of us on the table.
I closed my eyes and fell back on the car seat.
I had this unsettling feeling that his eyes were watching me.
That would not be possible, would it be? He was driving. His eyes were on the road. How could he have his eyes on both places together?
Even if he could, why would he.
I opened my eyes with the sound of choppers somewhere nearby.
I always liked looking up at planes and helicopters when I was young. I loved chasing after them till they disappeared in the horizon. The habit did not leave me as an adult. I still looked up at any flying object and smiled like an idiot.
This time I saw the chopper almost hover over my head.
Then we failed to keep up with its pace. It went ahead as I eagerly looked on.
My eyes fell on him and his steering. I felt like asking him if he could drive faster so we could catch the flying thing.
Could he read my mind or did he just guess from my gestures? He had a smirk on and his foot had pressed the acceleration.
We were heading at full speed behind the flying chopper.
I almost leaned half my body out of the window in excitement as we caught up in no time. Either the chopper was slow or we were driving at too high a speed.
” Get your thick head back inside. It would cost more than your weekly salary to clean the mess on my car if you bump and crack your head on one of those posts or any of those incoming vehicles. ”
I pulled in immediately. But he could have said that nicely.
I kept looking at the helicopter in front when he opened the sunroof and said,
” You are distracting me. I can’t drive peacefully with you monkeying around. Staring here and there out of my window. ”
I was slowly getting this feeling that he was a coconut. Hard on the outside but soft inside. He cared and he was gentle but he was somehow afraid to show that.
I smiled at him and slowly pulled myself out and spread my hands.
The wind in my face felt wonderful. My hair flowing back with the wind giving it a nice but dusty blow , I pulled my handkerchief out to tie it properly in place. I saw him watching me through his rear view mirror.
His face was blank. It had no expression.
Was I annoying him?
Was he mad?
But only god knew when next I would be privileged enough to enjoy a ride like I was having. So I quit worrying about his feelings and instead, danced with my hands as the wind tickled my fingers.
When we took the turn that led straight to the dump yard, I understood that we were not following the chopper but the chopper was following us.
I looked up at it with worry and then looked back at him.
” Is that yours? Did you get that to follow your car?”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
People belonging to the underworld were people with high risk. Both from their own kind and the authority. Perhaps that chopper was his body guard because he was out in the open. Driving his car alone with a pauper like me.
Perhaps that chopper was his security.
It was logical of me to think in that line.
Or so I was assuming.
” Is that mine? ” He repeated my question. Then answered it, ” Yes, that thing belongs to me. ”
Then went ahead and repeated my second question,
” Did I get that to follow me? Well the answer to that will be a big, No! I hate being followed. Everybody who knows me well, knows that. They also know what happens to those who even try in the slightest to follow me. I am particularly allergic to jump scares. It gets on my wrong foot.
But since you have no idea as to who or what I really am, please stop presuming things about me, for your own good. I hate to see you standing with people who have stepped on my wrong foot. Do not repeat the same mistake once again Sherizad!”
He called me that once again. He called me Sherizad.
With a shrieking brake we came to a halt.
He flung the car door open and jumped out.
We were standing in front of the door of my place.
The chopper was landing directly opposite to us, in the middle of the flat plain in the dump yard.