And says shyly I was practicing make-up for tomorrow's fancy dress competition."But you could even do it over the cot instead of under it." I tried to play along acting serious and hiding my smile. She narrows her eyes and examines me if I was genuine and answers with her lips puckered "I thought you will scold me for applying make-up and making the room dirty." There was no use of arguing with a kid. Without answering I pull her out from under the cot and lift her in my arms to place her on the bed. I squat on the bed with her in my lap and took some wet wipes to clean her face. I do not understand how my life changed lately. Instead of doing office work or going to a pub unlike earlier, I am trying out methods to clean this grubby little face in front of me at this late hour. After I was all done I braided back her hair which she made into a scruff and took her down to feed dinner.

Present.....

Just like what happened three years ago, the house was dimly lit. As per my forethought I went to Adaah's room in anticipation of seeing her except for I don't expect her to do messy things as she is now seventeen years old and going to turn eighteen next month.

Adaah was nowhere seen and it raised an alarm in my mind. I went down the hall to check through the security. I was informed that she left the house today afternoon at twelve. My heart began to beat frenzy. I immediately called her security to find out about her whereabouts. I was told that she was in a mall hanging out with her friends. Being with friends till this late hour in the night would be the least thing I expect from her. My thoughts got me wild and rage began to reign in my system. I succumbed into the sofa of the still dimly lit drawing hall waiting for her. At around 12'0 clock in the night, I hear the hustle of the door knob and she steps inside the house.

I examine her from head to toe trying to brush out the disastrous thought of her getting drunk. My lips breathe a sigh of relief when I inscribed, she was completely conscious but my persona was shaken because of an uncontrollable fury. "Where have you been?" My angry voice echoed the prolonged walls of the drawing hall and she jumps on the tracks. "Ajit" she whispers almost shocked. "I took that you would be out of station on business work for the coming week." She answers terrified by my sudden appearance. "Oh yeah, I really shouldn't have arrived this early isn't it so that you can have some more sneaking out till midnight?" I answer her with a sarcastic smile. "Is that what you want Little Girl?" I further question her with an underlying flare in my voice. "I was too excited to give you a surprise of my return. On the contrary you blasted an incendiary which I could ever imagine." I reflect to her furiously.

I switch on the light to reprimand answers from her for getting home late but before doing anything I had to close my eyes in disgust looking at her attire. "What is it that you are putting on? Go to your bedroom and get changed to something presentable immediately." I order watching her with anger seeping through every nerve of mine. "I...I" she stutters. "While returning home there was heavy downpour and I got wet in the rain." She looks down to the floor apologetically. "I am not questioning you for getting wet but for the revealing dress you are putting on. Everything under that dress can be clearly seen even at this distance." I point at her attire marking the space between me and her. Wonder where she bought that divulging dress with a sinfully plunging neck line. She feels embarrassed and breaks into a cry. Covering her chest she runs into her bedroom.

I close my eyes tightly regretting the words which I just spoke to her. I made my little girl cry but what she had done today infuriated me to the core. First of all I have to find out when and where she bought that stupid dress and burn all such dresses which are in her closet. After a while my 'little girl' comes down dressed in a night wear. I try to speak to her a few things sounding normal but she was unpleasantly quite hardly responding to me.

I regretfully wipe away the tears which kept falling from her eyes. She wouldn't respond to me which was getting me insane. I lift her in my arms and carry her through the stairs to place her on the bed but she jiggles her head and whispers in a low voice to me "in your room." I give her a silent nod and take her to my room snuggling her into me. I wrap ourselves in a duvet and take her to my chest when she starts to speak. "I went to the parlour today afternoon. After my appointment I was supposed to return home but my friend Sejal called and requested me to come and help her in shopping. I didn't want to go but she assured me of returning home before 7'o clock in the evening and the dress...." she looks up towards me innocently with glistened eyes "was not purchased by me. It's Sejal's dress which she had forced me to put on before going on shopping." Woeful for the words I said to her, I pull her back to my chest and cuddle her. Her fragile body was coiled between my strong arms but before greeting the darkness I say out the words I kept thinking to speak since a while "I am sorry Baby girl for languishing low words upon you."