Innocent Temptation

Chapter One: Coming back Home

Aira stood in front of the familiar white picket fence, her heart fluttering with a mix of excitement and nervousness. After eight long years, she was finally back home. The small town, Watford, was just as she had remembered and it filled her with nostalgia and a bit of longing, making her heart pang with the years she had been away from her home. Not much had changed, it was the same colour of the sky, same neighbourhood, same flower pots and same streets with the same quaint shops but somehow everything felt a little different. Maybe it was because she herself had changed— grown older, a little wiser and with a hint of cynicism that sometimes touched her with its cruel fingers— trying to make her lose that innocence she had grown up with here.

She pushed open the gate to her childhood home and stepped into the path leading up to the front door, memories flooded back to her like a tidal wave. The sound of laughter echoing through the halls, the smell of Mom’s homemade cookies, her own epic failures in baking before she started to get the hang of it. And most importantly, the feeling of safety and warmth that only this place could provide. She had missed it all more than she ever thought was possible.

The door swung open before she could even knock, and then there they were— Mom and Dad, standing in the doorway with wide smiles and open arms. Tears welled up in her eyes as she rushed forward, throwing herself into their embrace. She had thought she had become strong enough to face her parents after that incident that had taken years off her life before she learned to become normal and tried to be the girl who had left home.

“Welcome home, sweet pie,” Mom whispered, her voice filled with emotions and her eyes sparkling with tears as she cried openly hugging her tight.

“Let me hug my little girl,” Dad said, his own voice gruff and eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Dad, I missed you too.” She hugged her father, feeling safe for once after years and various sessions of therapy.

“And, yet you didn’t come to visit us in the last four years!”

“Dad, I am sorry. You know I was busy with the internship.”

He hummed and she doubted he believed her with the look he gave her. With a soft pat to her head, he whisked her inside. “Where is Jay?” She asked, looking around but not finding her little brother, Jayden.

“He went for football practice, he’ll be here soon. Why don’t you freshen up and I’ll prepare some tea and snacks for you.” Mom said, and before she could leave she once again hugged her tight. “I won’t let you leave now, no matter what you say. I need you here with me,” she murmured for Aira’s ears alone and then kissed her forehead before letting her go.

As she made her way upstairs a small voice nagged at the back of her mind but she ignored it and focused only on her family. But as soon as she stepped into her childhood bedroom that small voice became loud enough that everything rushed back in like a black and white movie with occasional pink that had made her young heart flutter and fall for unattainable man. And as if on queue, against her wishes, her eyes went to the windows on the left side of her bed. The same windows that looked on her neighbor’s house, and not just the house but straight into the bedroom of the man who she didn’t want to remember or think of.

Pointedly ignoring that window and her scrambled thoughts that confused her, because she had already decided before getting into the plane that she wouldn’t let her stupid heart make her act crazy anymore. She had already decided to let go of her silly dreams and it was time to move on. No more thoughts of the man who didn’t ever glance at her more than annoyance and a permanent scowl on his face. But this time it won’t matter because she was no longer that young girl with a crush and hope in her heart, she no longer dreams of him, of holding his hand or to imagine what it’ll feel like to kiss him. The thought only made him shudder and filled her with apprehension.

Turning away from the closed window, she made her way to her closet. She will unpack after some tea and a short nap, right now she wanted one of her fluffy pyjamas to relax her. And as she opened her closet, a wide smile spread across her lips for she knew her mother had kept all her things as she had left them. Everything white, cream and pink was there. All her dresses, hair bands and clips, including her furry friends that she had missed on the hard nights that had made it impossible for her to fall asleep.

She picked her favourite one from the group, Mr Grumpy, and took her to her bed where she put it down between the pillows. It was a large brown and orange cat with a grumpy expression on his face. And she loved it the most, and it certainly didn’t remind her of anyone.

“Aira!” She heard her mother call to which she replied with a loud, “Coming!” Then, she quickly grabbed her clothes and dashed to the bathroom.

By the time she came downstairs, she was feeling refreshed and had a smile on her face that only grew when she saw her mother setting up their small dining table and her brother was sitting there with his back to her. Her mother gave her a conspiratory smile, telling her that her brother didn’t know of arrival yet. “Mom, that’s Aira’s favourite, at least wait for her to come back before you make all these,” Jayden said even as he picked up a blueberry muffin and finished it in one bite like an animal.

“Boo!” She yelled in his ear and laughed when he almost jumped out of his seat.

She heard their parents’ laughter in the background as her brother stood up with a shocked expression and then picked her up in a bear hug. He had grown a feet taller than her, and she had left him a scrawny boy who had sniffled at the airport as he had bid goodbye to his elder sister. “Oh my god, you are back!” He turned in circles with her in his arms, a huge grin on his face. “Mom said you were coming tomorrow. Why didn’t you tell me, I’d have come to pick you up.”

“Put me down, you giant. How did you get so tall!” she laughed, tears gathering in her eyes. “I left you as a small minion.”

“I drank all the tears I shed as I missed you.” He held out his arms, showing her his biceps. “Now, look at me.”

She let out a hearty laugh and then hugged him again. “I missed you too.”

“Come on, now let your sister sit and eat something.” Mom grabbed my arm and pushed me down in a chair. Jay sat beside me, curling an arm around my shoulders. Dad said, “Make sure your sister eats everything, it looks like Paris didn’t have any food there. She has come back even more thinner than she went.”

She rolled her eyes, parted her lips to respond when Jay pushed a muffin into her open mouth. Wide eyed, she stared at him and he said, “Dad said to feed you.” She elbowed him and he just smiled. “I am glad you are back, it was so dull without you.”

“I am glad to be home too.”

“Oh, maybe after some rest, you can go meet Mrs Colson. Mac is here too.”

I spoke too soon, it seemed. She thought to herself as she picked up her cup of tea.

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A. Gupta