The Sleeping Beauty

I still could not muster up the courage to enter her room.

I looked around to see if any other woman could help me. I was still feeling awkward. After not being able to persuade another girl, I decided to call her myself. The girl too told me that it is perfectly fine to just enter anybody’s home at any time. I went and stood in front of her room and called her name out twice, “Angel…Angel are you there?” But no response.

I heard a voice from my back side, “Don’t shout here. Just get in.” I recognized the voice as that of Aunt Fenu. Another passerby told me that we don’t shout or yell here. Be polite was his advice to me.

I swallowed my saliva and moved towards her doorway. I peeked inside and softly said, “Can I come in Angel?” Again no response. I thought its better to enter the room now. It was dark inside. The natural light coming from the ceiling was dim and the box light, filled with fireflies was kept in one corner. It seemed to me someone was lying near the wall, it should be Angel. I fetched the box light and bought it near her to wake her up.

I stared at her for a minute and then I bend down and kissed her on the forehead. I dint knew whether all this was acceptable here or not, nor did I care about the punishment that would be melted to me. It was those times when you admire something so much that you wish to capture the moment by clicking a picture or drawing a picture; I decided to capture it with a kiss. The admiring moment was Angel lying down and sleeping like the 'sleeping beauty' of the classic fairytale we all have read in our childhood, but I dint think she was in any enchantment of sleep.

 My kiss did not wake her up but a knock on the outside wall did.

“Angel, Gurpreet are you in there?” said the voice.

Angel woke up hurriedly, looked at me with surprise and then replied back “Yes we are. Feel free to come in.” And then she murmured to me, “Its Sir Lemo.”

“And what are you doing here, so close to me?” she spoke in low volume but with a big question mark on her face.

“Ah, oh, I came to kiss, no I came to wake you up. I wasn’t coming but everyone said I should go to kiss you, oh I mean to wake you. I did not want to but no one was willing to help me so had to come inside. Just came to wake you up, that’s all.” I said as I scrambled for words.

“Ok ok, now let me at least stand, give me some space.”She said as she tried to sit up.

“Oh ya sure.” I said and went and stood 2 feet away from her.

By that time Sir Lemo had come in.

“Whats going on children? Angel seems tired, want some more rest?” He asked as he patted me on my back and looked at Angel.

 “No, I am fine. I just had a quick nap to charge myself up again. All raring to go.” She said with a smile to Sir Lemo.

“Great, then let us go for dinner. I came looking for you Gurpreet but you were not there in your room. Then someone told he saw you entering Angel’s room so came up here to check. It seems you two share a good comfort level now.” He said to me with one arm around my shoulder.

“I entered her room only on persuasion of others. I did not want to do it, but everyone said is perfectly normal here. Even Aunt Fenu said so, only then I came here.” I tried to explain myself again to both of them.

“It is absolutely fine Gurpreet! Why feeling guilty? Anyways, hope you have been well taken care of here. Anything more I can do for you?”Sir Lemo asked me.

“I am at ease here. Enjoying my stay. Thanks for your concern.” I said with a smile and shook his hands.

“That’s good. So I will wait for both of you near the entrance to Foodera. Come fast Angel.” He said and started to walk away. Then suddenly stopped and turned back, “For your information, Foodera is the place where we have our dinner or I would say feast.” He smiled at me and walked out.

“We are just following you Sir.” Angel said from behind me. She was just wiping her face after washing it. “Come on Gurpreet, move on.” I must say, as were spending more time together, she was becoming more and more casual with me which by the way I liked!

“After you lady.” I said and left the way for her. She walked past me and with a smile said “Impressive, I like it.”

Sir Lemo was walking at the front, around 6-7 steps behind him was Angel and just 2 steps after her was I.

This behavior of mine was 50% due to my good atticates and 50% because I was feeling ashamed of the position I was in when she woke up and saw me. I had just kissed her on the forehead and was moving my lips away from her when her eyes saw me. Seeing a boy in such a position would be objectionable to any girl especially if she was not aware that the boy only wanted to kiss her on forehead as a sign of care and love and not anywhere else which might be taken as a sign of lust.

I said to myself “Bad timing by Sir Lemo.”  And suddenly Angel stopped, she had heard me!  

She let me come up to her and pulled me by the arm close to her and then whispered in my ear, “I know. He has a record for bad timings.”

 Was the comment made by Angel sarcastic or she actually agreed with me? Check out soon...