I was just loitering on the corridor of Karunai illam taking in the milieu and acknowledging kids presence here. Kids seemed to be in their happy go lucky mood.

A sense of ecstatic euphoria tingled and adorned the whole ambiance in its dazzling encrusting

Just before stepping inside the main hall I noticed a girl standing near the corner of the hall.

She was talking to a kid with animated and kind expression.

She was clad in a modern sky blue pencil skirt dress which reached up to calf. With the matching pair of blue stiletto shoes with a black lace in the middle. Her hair was tied high up into a stylish tight pony.

Overall she was all trendy girl yet with the gracious benevolent look on her face radiating a lovely , benign and beaming smile all the time flashing its charismatic aura to those who behold her .

From the look, it was apparent that she is new to this place . I have never seen her here before.

My eyes fell on the BP apparatus which was kept on the table before the kid.

She seemed to be diagnosing the kid who sat before her . She was typing something on her Tab while checking the kid

" ( She is one of the guests we have here today.) Meena Aunty's voice conveyed me like she had read my confused and questioning look.

I stared at her perplexed.

( For a long time mother was thinking of giving kids some annual kinda medical.check up . By God's grace as Mother Dahlia ardently wished and fervently prayed for , this girl came here as a blessing.She is the daughter of that elderly person who came here today with your dad. She is your replica . Let it be in smooth talks or kindness she resembles a whole lot like you. This child herself volunteered to Subject the kids to a series of medical check up. She is a highly qualified nurse who perceived her degree from a very well reputed nursing institute in America) Meena aunty said with admiration and adulation brimming in her eyes for the girl who was blending in with the kids so amiably.

She is a well educated girl. See, how modestly and kindly she mingles with those kids) Meena aunty said keeping her palm over her chin . She seemed happy and held a prideful smile on her lips.

For a brief second that girl turned towards the entrance and saw Meena aunty and me standing there gazing at her .

I am sure I saw a ghost of smile flashing across her features but it was gone before it bloomed on her lips.

She inhaled deeply before turning her head bouncing her pony to her side.

She leaned forward and checked a kid seated in front of her at times giving us a long side glance.

" ( Go and have a word with her honey. She is a wonderful girl. You will definitely like her) Meena aunty urged me to go to her.

I walked up to her a bit hesitantly. She turned round suddenly like anticipating my approach. She nodded at me with a warm welcoming smile or in a better sense a knowing and friendly beam glowed across her features.

" Hi" I waved my hand at her timidly.

"Hey! Buddy ! you should be Pearl,right?" She said with an exuberance of elegance bouncing her pony. Her spoken language held a slight tinge of american accent.

I stared at her surprised.

"What a surprise! How do you know me?"

"Just simply I know you. That is that " She said shrugging with a knowing smile.

I crinkled my eyebrows in confusion.

"Okay ,leave it. By the way I am Bella . Kathelyn Snowbell Moraelson Xavier." She introduced herself and held out her hand

A slight gasp left my mouth when I heard her last name. I limply raised my hand not knowing why I did so.

"You share our same family name. I am pearl Xavier" I said still enwrapped in a slight daze.

"Is that so? Wow! That is really a pleasant surprise girly" She retorted smiling widely at me but there was an insightful tone to it.

I nodded meekly.

"So we are kinda sisters. For that cheerios. Come on girly we should hug" Kathelyn said pulling me into a hug.

I stood paralyzed of my being. Slowly I raised my hand returning the gesture with a small pat on her shoulder.

"Pleasure to meet you sunny" She chimed breaking our hug and pulling my cheek fondly.

"Is it done, honey?" I heard a soft male voice coming from my side.

I turned my head and saw a man standing next to me with a smile. He was facing kathelyn.

"No darling. I think it might take an hour or so. Till then you have company. " Kathelyn said glancing at her watch and then pointing towards me.

I took the initiative to introduce myself to that unknown person

"Hello sir. I am pearl" .

He stared at me through his shades for sometime all the while his mouth was busy chewing something .

His pointer finger grazed his chin aimlessly.

He took off his shades and glanced at Kathelyn. She nodded at him with a smile. They exchanged some silent convo which I was completely oblivious of.

"Oh ! My! My! My! Is she the one?" He glanced at me and threw a dramatic spiel of gesture. His fingers cupped his mouth and black eyes bawling out with amazement.

I pulled my eyebrows together and held a dubious look as to why this man is throwing so much of dramatic tantrum upon viewing an ordinary girl like me.

"She is" Kathelyn replied curtly yet pleasantly.

"Good gracious, Snowy! I can't believe my eyes." He again mused aloud much to my vexed state.

"Believe it Gaith. She is" Kathelyn pressed now a grave expression overtaking her otherwise flamboyant features.

My eyes flitted from Kathelyn to the man .

"Oh! My where did my manners run away. I forgot to introduce you to the most precious person of my life." Kathelyn said face palming and radiating an ever glowing smile at the man with a lot of unsaid words streaming out of her brownish black eyes.

He returned the gaze with the same intensity as of hers.

I blinked my eyes trying to clear the coast of my foggy thoughts.

kathelyn locked her hand around his arm and stood close to him with a triumphant smile like she has won the world's precious gem.

"Pearl, he is Druv Sangeth. He usually goes by the name Gaith among our friend's circle. He is my fiance." Kathelyn introduced me to her counterpart with a dazzling smile flashing across her features.

she rested her head on his shoulder with a peaceful smile before exchanging glances at each other.

He seemed enamoured by her charming aura.

"Pleased to meet you Sir" I joined my hands and greeted him politely .

My greeting snapped him our of his bedazzled state.Kathelyn let go off his arm and stood a bit away from clearing her throat and smoothening her gorgeous attire.

"Hey! . Sir seems a bit oldie for a cool guy like me. I prefer Gaith." He bragged like a braggart with a smirk on his face.

I nodded quietly.

"Hold on darling. Don't you think you behave a bit boastilacious" Kathelyn teased him while pretending to smoothen his already prim blazers.

"Boastilacious?" I parroted completely unfazed of the situation.

Kathelyn and Gaith laughed waving their hands in dismissal and high fiving each other.

The seemed besties more than to be wedded couple.

"It is a code word among friends. We just remind each other when one of us tend to be a bit of a boastful or flashy. We invented this word" Kathelyn said staring at Druv warmly.

They stood like that for sometime before turning their attention towards me.

"Sorry kiddo. We just lost the track of everything it seems." Druv apologized looking at me putting back his shades.

I just shrugged my shoulders simply.

"Anyways privileged to meet the most talked person of the town." Druv said holding his hand out for a shake hand.

I was at a loss to respond immediately. Things didn't make any sense at all.

Dhruv grabbed my half raised hand and shook it violently I felt like the arm will come out of its socket if he continue to act like that.

Kathelyn tapped his shoulder warningly giving him the clue of my tortured self. When he realized it he let my hand go off and my hand fell listlessly to my side.

"What is going on?" I croaked my query out. My throat felt parched and prickly.

"Just for fun. He is kinda an enthused person who loves to become friends with anyone he meets with the accompaniment of such weird tomfoolery." Kathelyn explained but something seemed like missing or better there was a lack of genuineness in her tone.

Her expressions seemed convincing but her words felt hollow and blunt to my ears.

Druv who noticed my keen expression and nodded at Kathelyn before turning towards me.

"Pearl, I am a pilot by profession...."

"Pilot??" Before Druv continued with his introduction I shrieked tweeting his words in shock.

Druv looked a bit perplexed by my sudden reaction to the disclosure of his disposition.

"What is wrong in being a pilot? I like that profession. It has its own glamour, grandeur and adventure within it." Druv said with a shrug while chewing the gum. His long eyebrows knitted together to form a deep frown.

I suddenly realized my folly and shook my head.

"Sorry,no offence. There is nothing wrong with that profession. Just a bit freaked out. Well, Which company?" I apologised and tried to cover up my folly with some futile questions all the while praying to Almighty.

He just kept on chewing his gum and shifted the lump of the gum to the other side of his mouth warily.

"Florenza airways,US" He retorted calmly after a whole eternity it seemed.

My heart drooped to my stomach when I heard his riposte.

"Florenza?" I nearly cried out that word in panic.

"Woah! My Lord! She has got a shrill squeaky squirrel like voice. Her shriek is enough to make a whole town people sweep off their life " Druv mused waving his hand horizontally in the air with an affected amazement earning a warning nudge from kathelyn

I shuddered and flinched when Druv openly stated this.

"You know one mister Adam working in the same wing?" I asked trying to camouflage my petrified and horrified being with a forced smile.

"Sure , He is our best bud. Why....Eve?" He said sing song tone mockingly.

I stood deeply rooted to my position when he addressed me by the name Eve.

That is the worst thing ever happened to me.

Druv smirked at me annoyingly.

"Stop it honey. Don't taunt that poor kid. We have had enough fun at her panic expense. Now time to be civil" kathelyn said mercifully.

"Okay ,as you wish my queen" He caved into her demand with a mock bow and she rolled her eyes at his gesture.

He laughed throwing up his head.

"Pearl, genuinely glad to meet you here Kiddo. Sorry for my taunting spree. Just take it easy. we are gonna be great friends." Druv said gently patting my shoulder with a kind smile.

I nodded meekly.

"I will be over there sweet heart. When you are done just remind me" He said to Kathelyn pulling out his phone and waving at her.

He plugged in the ear buds to his ears and moved to a corner dancing and swaying his head in the air according to the tune that feebly and vaguely blared out of the ear buds.

I just stared at him blankly with a bland and vague feeling amassing my being.

"He is a brag, isn't he?" A sudden query jerked me awake from my slumber trance mode which always filled my mind with so many unanswered thoughts.

"Yeah" I replied instantly but regretted the next second when I saw a look on Kathelyn's face.

"No ,no, I didn't mean it in a wrong way. It was only a slip of the tongue." I tried to prove my innocence in a futile attempt by aligning some blunt facts.

"I know sweets. Also I have known him for a longer time than anyone else to think the reverse. He is always a brag of a boy to outsiders but for me he is always a matter of wonder and cuteness. I know him that deep. " Kathelyn said with her eyes brimming with dripping love and adoration for Druv.

I nodded smiling.Before we bounced back to the duty.

I helped her with small works like providing information about every kid here, there health status ,food habits, there condition after that food poisoning epidemic etc.

She held a grave expression when I explained the whole sequence of that gruesome incident which hit the kids unexpectedly.

I saw Om,Steeve,Alvin and Ben flocking inside the hall slowly. They spotted Druv. With a wolf whistling and hollering of their own they started interacting with each other in their own boyish ways.

They smacked, punched and high five with each other while roaring into thunderous laughter.

Druv seemed entirely a different person when he was with om ,Ben and my cousins.

He mingled with them like they were thick friends for a long time.

When Om took notice of my stare he beckoned me to join them. I shook my head and turned away only to meet Kathelyn's mischievous sparking stare.

I was stilled and stunned for a moment seeing this mannerism brimming within her in all its finesse..

She reminded me a lot of someone I knew very close to me, but who? That was the ultimate question which played hide and seek with my memory at times flaming up and at times going in a flickering mode with no intension of surrendering to my conscious mind.

"Go! He is calling you" Kathelyn said taking a look ahead of me above my shoulder smiling .There was a teasing hint to her smile.

I turned my head to see Om waving his hand frantically at me to join them.

"Come Kathy. We both can go" I said quickly taking her hand.

"I am needed here Pearl. I urgently need to have a word with mother Dahlia regarding kids and their health. She may pass by, so if I am here I can spot her and give the details in person. That will be fine. I will join you guys shortly. Go" Kathelyn said slowly taking her hand out of my clasp.

"Is there anything serious Bella . I know I shouldn't be interfering your professional freedom. Still these kids have been a part of me since a very long time. so I am worried sick about their welfare." I tried to reason my building up curiosity.

"It is okay. I can get you. Nothing to worry over their health. As far as my knowledge goes they are fit and fine as a fiddle" Kathelyn assured waving her hand at me and patting my shoulder gently.

I felt a wave of calmness and relief easing my rippled mind when I heard her words.

"Thank you Bella " I thanked her.

"Anytime sweeta. It is my duty to serve this society and serving and preserving tomorrow's promising buds is one of my main purpose behind taking up this divine job of nursing. From a very tender age I have a great passion to tend people who suffer in pain and agony. Now more than a hobby or passion it is my foremost duty to ensure ones safety and security once they enter my safety wing. These kids are just budding blooms of tomorrow. And you can always trust me with them or anyone. " Kathelyn said keeping her palm over her chest and raising her chin a bit up like taking an oath to serve ones country with life.

Her words and mannerism had that effect on me .

"You are really great Kathy . Your sense of responsibility and humility amazes me to wide extend. A big salute to you" I saluted her willingness to serve humanity with her acquired knowledge and prowess in her skills.

"Come soon. I will introduce you to my brother and cousins. They are over there" I said pointing at Ben and others.

Kathelyn held a mysterious smile on her face when I said so. She folded her arms and stared at me pointedly with a piercing smile.

"I will. You go and join them" Kathelyn broke her penetrating stare after a moment long pause and said calmly with a nod.

"Pearl, can't you just come over there ,once I insist you to join us." Om's demanding voice made me jump a bit earning a snicker from Kathelyn.

She covered her mouth gently hiding her throbbing smile which beamed across her features.

"Om! " I whined scrunching up my nose with a twisted expression on my face.

"As always you didn't fail to give my heart a fluctuating beat with your dashing entry" I snorted keeping my palm over my chest dramatically.

Kathelyn raised her eyebrow quizzically at Om with a smirk on her face.

"Stop it bells. She is a drama queen. You know that well, don't you?" Om complained suddenly without a second thought leaving me shocked and dazed.

I stared at Kathy in horror. Kathy mirrored my expression and glared at Om viciously.

I raised my eyebrow at him menacingly. He ignored us.