What Dreams Are Made Of: Episode 28

Episode_28

 

 

On hearing Alice and her mother approaching the room, Chrissy went back to the bed. She was not in a position to talk at the moment. They thought she was asleep because of being tired and didn’t disturb her.

 

Chrissy had closed her eyes hoping for sleep to come to her rescue and to make her brain stop working but had to wait for a long time. Her mind seem to be stuck at that one time. She went through that same experience, ecstasy followed by misery countless number of times that night.

 

When her eyes couldn’t stay awake any longer, she had slept off but still found no peace. She dreamed about being in Nikloi arms. She had tossed and turned in the bed, not knowing whether she wanted or to repulse those arms.

 

She woke up at the first light to end her torture. Setting a kettle on the stove, she thought to herself.

 

Will she ever be able to be normal? Is this what happens in love? She doubted miserably.

 

She was having her tea, sitting at the window seat, when her mother came in. She got a cup of tea for herself and sat next to Chrissy.

 

Chrissy knew her mother’s instincts would tell her something was bothering Chrissy but Mrs Smith didn’t question her. The two ladies sat in silence giving each other quiet company.

 

Chrissy was thankful to be with them but the fun of being on a vacation with her family was suddenly over. She didn’t want to feel so gloomy but her heart had decided otherwise. She needed to do something to get her heart to focus on other things in life.

 

She was just about to ask her mother if they should go out for the day and if her mother would like to visit someplace in particular, when there was a doorbell. She was surprised to find Steven at the door.

 

 

For a moment her eyes flew beyond Steven, wondering if Nikloi was also there with him. But he wasn’t. Steven confirmed that. He said that Nikloi had already left Bath early that morning.

 

“He said something urgent had come up at London and in any case his work here was over”, Steven said.

 

Chrissy was again taken aback with that information. Not that she was interested in his whereabouts but the knowledge that he was he longer in Bath did pinch her. But she had to put a lid back on her feelings and focus on what Steven was saying. “I need to follow boss soon but I had to deliver an important message before that”, he said in the living area.

 

Chrissy asked, “What message? Tell me”, wondering whose message he was to deliver. Was it from him?

 

“Yesterday, I got a call from the hospital your mother was admitted to. They asked to collect her medical reports. They also said that the doctor had referred your mother’s case to a specialist in London and that you should visit along with your mother when you return”, Steven told her.

 

“Is there a problem? Did the doctor specify?”, questioned Chrissy, immediately concerned for her mother’s well-being.

 

“No, they didn’t say anything like that. But that the doctor suggested your mother would get good treatment there. I thought of collecting the reports yesterday but I was here. Nikloi specifically told me not to leave your family alone”, he said smilingly.

 

Chrissy knew his tyrannical nature well. She smiled back at Steven.

 

Steven continued, “I would have helped today but Nikloi changed the plan suddenly. And now I have also to go after him. So I thought I should inform you before leaving”.

 

 

Chrissy was grateful to him. When he stood up to take leave, she shook his hands warmly. “Thank you, Steven. You have been of great help to my family. Thank you for taking the pains for us”, she said.

 

“You are a good girl, Chrissy. I like to see you.. happy”, Steven returned her handshake smilingly. He was about to say something else but decided otherwise at the last minute. He could see she was a genuinely nice person and he really wanted her to find her happiness. With that he turned and left.

 

Chrissy collected the reports from the hospital later that day. As Steven had told, the doctor confirmed that her mother was not critical at the moment but she did

 

have this rare form of nervous system disorder. They suggested her to consult a specialist in London who was renowned for his work. Chrissy thanked them, took the details of this specialist and left for home.

 

They spent the next couple of days relaxing at Betty Granny. They didn’t go to any of the far off places, just the nearby areas, but mostly, they just chilled at home. If thoughts of Nikloi disturbed Chrissy, she just pushed them at the back of her mind without letting anyone know.

 

When the week came to a closer, they packed their things once again to board the train back to London. Betty Granny was almost in tears that her favourite of the kin were going back to their place. She hugged Chrissy and Alice for a long time and wished them all very well. She wanted them to be happy, especially Chrissy who had grown up too soon to take up too many responsibilities. She wanted her to live her life instead of being loaded under the pressures of managing everything for her family.

 

On the train back to London, Chrissy was lost in her thoughts. While she had a difficult week, she also remembered that this was the only trip she had had with her family in a long long time. And inspite of what happened, she was glad to have gone with them.

 

After the trip, Smith ladies were happy to be home. Chrissy was fine and rested, at least physically. Even though the trip had been far more taxing for her heart, she wanted to leave everything else behind and just focus on her work.

 

 

Next day when she reached the hotel, she was quite happy to be at her shop. She got busy with her day to day operations as soon as she opened up the shop. Two weeks of break was catching up with her and she was lost for most of the day in tracking the status of her deliveries and new orders.

 

At lunch time, when Linda came to see her, she was still busy with her inventory management system. Linda gave her a tight hug and almost dragged her to the coffee shop. She told her that she had really missed Chrissy and had too many things to share.

 

Once seated inside the coffee shop in a small corner, Linda started filling her in about all that had happened in the hotel. Chrissy was not interested in knowing any of the gossip but she didn’t want to hurt Linda by telling her so. So she just sat there listening to her, not really focusing much.

 

Linda spoke about several things which Chrissy didn’t even remember before she said something that Chrissy couldn’t ignore. Linda told her that she was to start working on the new Regiment Estate hotel soon but things were a little different at Swaroski House when she visited there last week. Chrissy was suddenly interested in what Linda was saying but she didn’t want to show her interest to Linda.

 

“What happened at Swaroski House?”, she asked nonchalantly.

 

“Oh nothing much. But some of the people were saying that the hotel construction work is close to completion. This week they had scheduled couple of important meetings to complete the last leg of formal approval process which Mr. Swaroski was to steer. He was after the team to get these meetings concluded. But finally when the team managed to get the time with concerned authorities, Mr. Swaroski seems to have taken off to nowhere”, Linda said surprisingly.

 

“Taken off to nowhere.. meaning?”, Chrissy was more confused now. He had returned from Bath in the middle of last week. Steven had told her something important had come up suddenly. She had had automatically thought it was his office. But if not here, where did he go? She wondered.

 

“Mr Swaroski had come to office in the middle of last week but only for a very small time. They say he was in a foul mood. His secretary had told no one to meet

 

 

him that day. And then suddenly he left. His team had been trying to reach him since then but he is not reachable”.

 

Chrissy’s heart was beating fast. She could hear her own heart pumping in her chest.

 

 

 

“We all know how important this Regiment Estate hotel has been for Mr. Swaroski. He had been committed to it with his entire being. He had been working on this project for more

 

than two years, much before work started on the ground around it. Every project is dear to him but this project was like his baby. He was living it day in and out and pushing everyone around him to meet the stretched timelines. And then suddenly this!”, said Linda.

 

Chrissy didn’t know what to say. Where was he?

 

Struggling to appear calm, she stood up from the table. She was not hungry anymore. She wanted to leave. Do something that would ease this confusion. She managed to tell Linda that she has suddenly remembered she had to make an important call. Linda quickly finished her lunch and they both left the coffee shop.

 

Chrissy hurried back to her shop. She had to find out. But what could she do. She had been keeping all thoughts of Nikloi at abeyance, making sure she didn’t think about him at all but this was too much for her to ignore. She wanted to know if he was alright.

 

She thought of calling Mrs Clarks but what would she tell her if she asked why she was interested in Nikloi’s whereabouts. Similarly, she couldn’t ask Henry as well. They would be surprised at her question. They may even feel she was getting into a personal matter. In any case she was not comfortable giving them any impression that she was interfering in a personal matter. That would lead to too many speculations.

 

When she couldn’t take it any further, she decided to call Steven. He was bound to know where Nikloi was. He always accompanied him. He was not also family so he will not think she was trying to get into their personal space. She had always

 

 

experienced him to be far more humane than his employer and knew he wouldn’t question her.

 

She quickly found his number in her contact book and gave him a call. He picked up on second ring. Chrissy wavered for a little while but then knowing she had no other person whom she could ask, she overcame her hesitation and asked him if knew where was Nikloi.

 

Steven immediately asked her if everything was alright. “Do you need any help?” Chrissy smiled at his caring nature and replied everything was fine. She had just returned to the hotel that day and had heard about Nikloi not being in the office. She was a bit concerned since office people were not able to get in touch with him and work was suffering because of that.

 

She tried to appear that her concern was limited to work only but Steven could hear the anxiety in her voice no matter how hard she tried. He didn’t want her to worry but didn’t know how he could tell her what she wanted to know. Finally he decided to stick to facts.

 

“Yes, Nikloi has gone away for some days but he would be back soon. He knows too much than to let his project suffer because of him”, he said.

 

“But where is he?” She asked again.

 

“He has gone to his private resort. He needed some time to clear out somethings but I am sure he will be back soon”, Steven told her.

 

Private resort? Chrissy was more confused than ever. She had so many more questions to ask now.

 

Nikloi had gone to a private resort? As in on a holiday? Was he alone or with someone? Susan? Why?

 

She wanted to ask Steven but there was no way she could bring herself to ask such personal questions. And what if he questioned her back on her inquisitiveness? What will she answer?

 

 

So she controlled herself from asking any further questions. Steven didn’t say anything else about him. After few more minutes, she thanked him and disconnected the call.

 

Nikloi may be away from his work, which was really very surprising, but he was not away from Susan. It hadn’t taken him a few days to go back to what he was used to, to what he liked. She should better forget about him and focus on her work. That was the only way possible to continue. She lamented over these thoughts and resolved to move on.

 

If her heart was hurting, she convinced herself it would get used to the pain very soon.

 

 

 

▶To_be_Continued