Nikolai

7

Kiara POV

"Come in... Come in honey!" The elderly woman said enthusiastically.

Nico and I stepped inside as she stepped back giving us space to enter. My gaze goes to the interior of the home.

The lights are dimly lit, I can smell something soothing in the air.

"Chris! Where are you? Look who is here," she yelled.

"Place them on the sofa, honey," she said. "As you say, ma'am," Nico replied. I observed as Nico placed the gifts on the sofa.

He turned around facing the lady whose face turned red in happiness and excitement.

Nico brightly smiled at her opening his arms wide open. "I missed you, honey."

He hugged her tightly as she started sobbing. "I missed you too ma'am. Awe... Are you going to make me cry too?"

She laughed playfully slapping Nico's back. A smile grew on my face looking at this side of Nico.

My gaze met his, he winked at me before pulling away from the elderly woman.

"How are you ma'am?" he asked her gently tucking her hair strands back.

"I'm good Nico, I'm so happy that you are here," the lady said holding his arms.

"I'm happy to see you too ma'am." He caressed her cheek as she held his hand.

"Ma'am, meet Kiara. Kiara meet the most beautiful woman in my universe," Nico spoke introducing me to the old woman.

She turned around to see me, "I'm so sorry, honey," she said as she wandered to me.

"It's okay, ma'am." She hugged me and I hugged her back even if it is a bit strange to me.

I'm yet to get habituated to hugging. I usually don't give hugs when I meet anyone so it's a new thing to me but I'm happy with it.

"Hello dear, I'm Camilla Shenoy," the lady said.

"Hello ma'am, I'm Kiara Singhania."

"Aren't you eating on time? Or did you start dieting?" Nico asked playfully making the lady laugh.

"Haha, dieting and me?"

"Why not? I see that you have lost your belly fat and you look slim," Nico said stepping back, crossing his arms as he observed the lady.

"Really? I thought I didn't lose my belly fat. It's a tough task finding clothes."

"Haha... You look lovely all the time and the most beautiful," Nico said with a smile.

"Nico! How are you?" a voice came from the larboard side. I turned my head to see an old man with a stick in his hand walked into the living room.

"Hi sir, how are you doing?" Nico asked embracing the old man.

The man happily patted Nico's shoulder smiling at him. I watched as they hugged tightly before pulling away.

"We never expected that you would be coming Nico," the man said.

"Why wouldn't I visit to see my favourite people," he said making the couple laugh.

"Who is this lovely young lady?" The man asked when he saw me standing beside Camila.

I took a step forward, "hello sir, I'm Kiara Singhania."

"Hello honey, I'm Chris Shenoy," the man greeted shaking my hand with a smile on his face.

"You didn't tell us, Nico, that you are in a relationship," Chris said teasingly looking at Nico.

Nico chuckled shaking his head, "Kiara is a member of our family now. I will tell you two if I'm in a relationship," Nico said.

I looked at him in surprise, I thought he would be saying I'm a family friend. But he said I'm a member of the family.

"Hi, I am Kiara Singhania," I said.

"Come... Come have a seat. Why all are you standing," Camila said.

I sat beside Nico, Chris sat in front of us. "What you like to have Kiara, would you like to have some tea or coffee?" Camilla asked.

"Anything is fine ma'am," I reply.

"Same, anything is fine with me," Nico replied.

"I will be back soon," Camilla said wandering to somewhere, probably the kitchen.

"How are you doing Nico?" Chris asked.

"I'm good sir as you can see. How is your health sir," Nico asked.

"I'm doing good Nico and I know that you are in contact with Dr Hamilton," Chris said.

"Ah... Dr Hamilton told you." Nico chuckled shaking his head. I have learned that Chris and Camilla means a lot to Nico. They are important people in his life.

"So Kiara what are you doing now?" Chris asked me politely. His voice is soft and gentle.

"I'm doing my master's degree sir," I replied.

He laughed "Call me Chris, I even told Nico to call me Chris but he doesn't listen."

"How can I call you by your first name when you and ma'am have been my teachers for ten years," Nico replied.

"That was thirteen years ago Nico. I was not even sure if you read the letter or not," Chris said.

"Why would I not read the letter you've sent sir. I know it is very important the moment I received it," Nico said.

I looked at Nico, I have known this man for the last three days. All these three days he has been teasing me or stealing my food. The only thing I have seen was mischief but now, I see sincerity and respect towards Chris and Camila.

That's very different and new to me. It brought pleasant happiness to me. I don't know what it is but Nico surely earned so much respect from me.

"Here, have the mango juice," Camilla said walking into the room.

"Thank you, ma'am," I tell her as she placed the tray down and hands me the glass.

"Thank you, ma'am," Nico said.

"Nico, I would like to talk to you in private," Chris said.

"Sure sir."

Nico looked at me, giving me a short signal before leaving with Chris. I spoke with Camila while both men spoke something in private.

"You and Nico are friends from?" Camila asked.

"From this morning." I laughed when her eyes widen in shock.

"I have known him for three days but all the three days we kind of fought and today morning we spoke normally," I said.

"But Nico doesn't fight with anyone, he is a very kind and generous person," she responded with a surprised smile on her face.

"I don't know about that but the minute we met all he did was scare me, steal my food and tease me," I answered.

She smiled shaking her head like she knows something.

"Why are you smiling ma'am?" I asked her because her smile scares me.

"Nothing, tell me how many days Nico is going to stay?" she asked.

"Elora aunty said that he will be staying for twenty days," I said remembering aunty's words.

"I bet that boy is going to stay for so long," she said more to herself but I heard it. I looked at her weirdly.

"Kiara..." I heard his voice, I turned around to see him standing near the door.

He wandered over to us, leaned down spoke with Camilla.

"No, have lunch with us," Camila said holding onto Nico's hands.

"I'm sorry ma'am. Perhaps some other time, we have to go somewhere," Nico said politely.

Camilla gave him a sad smile, "I will visit you soon."

"Oh, but visit us soon," Camila said hugging Nico.

I hugged Chris and Camilla before following Nico got. I wave my hand before getting into the car and buckling my seatbelt.

Nico started driving I looked out of the window watching the landscape. "Where we are going?" I ask him.

"Home."

"Then why didn't we stay for lunch when Camilla asked so much?" He glanced at me before looking ahead.

"Because they need to back their bags and catch up the flight."

"Huh?"

"Their wedding anniversary is on Wednesday, Chris sir is taking ma'am to honeymoon. If we stayed for lunch, they would miss their flight."

"Oh."

"So you visited to hand the flight tickets?" I ask him.

"Not entirely, I missed them and also it's a surprise from my side. I had to hand tickets to Chris sir."

I nod my head in understanding. "Don't you wanna know where they are going?"

"Where they are going?"

"Greece."

"I will take you somewhere but first we will stop to buy our lunch. Is pizza okay for you?" Nico asked.

"Okay." He drove us to nearby Pizza Hut.

"Chris and Camila are your teachers?" I asked him.

"Yeah, they both taught us for nearly ten years then retired," he said with both his hands lazily laying on the steering wheel.

"You respect them so much," I said.

His lips twitched into a beautiful smile "They both taught me some great lessons of life. They are like my grandparents but I respect them a lot."

"It's new to see someone coming back to meet their teachers. I mean nowadays they don't even care about the present teachers and here you are," I replied truthfully making him chuckle.

"You shouldn't forget the people who were the ones who moulded you into something that you are today. I will always be there for them when they need me," he replied.

I smiled at that, what he said is very true. We reached Pizza Hut.

"You wanna come inside or wait here?" he asked me.

"I will come with you," I said.

I got out of the car with him. I walked beside him. I saw a few boys turning around and eyeing my way. I didn't like it a bit so I moved close to Nico.

He must have understood as he pulled me to another side and wrapped his arm around me protectively. And all I can do is smile. We made a beeline to the counter.

"What you prefer?" he asked me looking down at me.

I looked at the menu on the wall. I told him what I want, we chose two different flavoured pizzas with cokes. He drove us too far away from the city, we soon crossed the city outskirts.

I looked at the wild tall grass, we are in the fields. It was around the past five. He got out of the car with the food and climbed on the car sitting on the top.

"Come on," he said.

It's not new to me, I used to sit on the top of my father's car back in Hyderabad with my brother to watch the sunset.

He opened the pizza boxes and put them in between us. It is perfect. No one was there and the sunset.

I took my slice and started eating it watching the golden fields and the sunset.

"When I'm home, I visit this place. It helps me feel free from all the stress," he said looking at the setting down the sun.

"This place is magical."

"Chris was the one who brought me here for the first time. I was thirteen years old and I had terrible anger issues. I punched Xaiden one day because of my anger issues. He was just ten years old. His nose broke and blood started following down," he started saying.

"My mom was shaking looking at the blood and Xaiden was crying continuously. I regretted that day, I hated myself for getting angry. Chris brought me and helped me with my anger issues. It took a lot of time but I'm grateful that I changed," he said now looking at me.

"Kiara..."

"Yes?" I say looking at him.

"Anger can make a person kill the good in him, never kill the good in you no matter what," he said looking straight into my eye.

I nodded my head before shifting my gaze to the sunset because his eyes are occult.

Little did know was; that was the beginning of our new future.