"On the sixth day,I had already decided that I would try to talk to her and cinvince her to seek councilling but when I reached there,she had already checked out.I was devastated and had no idea where to look for her..again.I went to the little room she was living in and found that it had been emptied.There,Omaya had left me a note stating that I should give the baby up for her as she would not be able to do it and then live my life as if nothing had happened.She said she was going to Country C to teach the baby's father a lesson..I had no idea what to do.."After agonizing over it for days,I finally applied for adoption and named the baby girl,Alicia..after the Alicia we know..I had seen Alicia shower unconditional love on your nephew and I wanted to do the same for my neice.The name was a reminder of my friend as well as for me to remember to be strong and love her always..Everything was working in my favor.My parents were away for business,so they would not know until it was a done deal..But fate had different plans.The day I received the adoption papers was also the day I received news from here that Omaya had pa.s.sed away.She has committed suicide.And it was my fault!I knew,she was suffering and yet I did not follow her immediately to bring her back.But I meant to..I swear Neil I meant to follow her here and bring her back.."

Again, Onita was sobbing into her hands and the next words she muttered were all garbled.Neil too could feel a headache coming on.He hated suicide cases the most..They always took him back to the past..Getting up from his place,Neil went to the small fridge that was placed under his desk and took out two gla.s.ses from the mini bar.Pouring a few small sips of whisky in the gla.s.s,he took it to Onita and gave her some while gulping down his gla.s.s..

Onita looked at the amber liquid swirling in the gla.s.s and unexpectedly a small smile graced her lips even as her eyelashes sparkled with tears.."Do you want me to get drunk in the middle of the day?I have not touched alcohol for two years now.."

Neil looked at Onita carefully and after a minute and lightly replied,"I am sure it is evening somewhere so let it burn down the emotions inside...You need it after not having touched it for two years.."

Like Neil,Onita drank up the liquid in one go but unlike him she sputtered and almost threw it up in the next moment.It seemed she had forgotten the bitter taste..."

The next moment,there was a knock on the door.Neil went to the door and opening it saw his junior lawyer standing there with some doc.u.ments that needed his signature and approval.Taking the doc.u.ments,he told Onita that he would be right back and indicated to the junior that they would be discussing it outside.Lance Inc had been in the middle of acquiring a new business and the terms being proposed had to be reviewed multiple of times to avoid any future complications...The discussion took longer than Neil had expected and an hour had pa.s.sed before he was able to go back inside his cabin.

Once he went inside,he saw that Onita was slumped on the sofa with her head resting on the back while her feet were tucked under her.Shaking his head,he went to the adjoining bedroom and picking up the blanket put it on her.Neil then went outside and sitting on the a.s.sistant's vavant chair,continued his pending work that he had ignored from the previous day and this morning.On his laptop he had opened the surveillance from the day care room and every once in a while he would look up to observe what the little cupcake was upto.The people who were covertly observing the scene,felt their imaginations heat up at the small smile..Neil was actually in the middle of preparing the proposal and everyone thought that he was smiling because the proposal was coming out well.They almost pitied the other party.

Neil watched as the little cupcake was trying to climb a toy bus.Everytime she tried to sit,the bus would move forward causing her to fall on her rump.Her face scrunched in concentration,she once again fell down.But this time instead of trying to climb it,she kicked it..or atlease tried to...since it moved forward again when her feet touched the back.

At this point,Neil let out a small chuckle that shocked everyone in the office.One of the juniors was brave enough and thought to see just what his boss was laughing about.However,just as he reached behind and was about to peep,Neil turned around with a fierce expression,scaring the poor fellow.Handing the proposal USB,which Neil had finished fifteen minutes ago,Neil got up and went inside his cabin while giving instructions about what to do with the USB.

The moment the door closed the gossipy staff went to the computer to see the last checked window.And looked unbelievingly at the day care surveillance..They were sure that Neil was not watching this..But no other window was open.They were sure they had been fooled by Neil and not one person believed that Neil was looking at the children in daycare.