ISSABELLE (Completed)

CHAPTER : 5

The next morning Issabelle woke up in a happy frame of mind. Though she was financially broke, she promised herself, very soon she would do something about that. She would remain positive, whatever may be the circumstances. After her doctor visited, and examined her she was discharged. She was instructed to follow up at the counseling center after three days and was advised about the medications to be continued.

Issabelle was very grateful as Sister Annie had taken an off at the hospital, and was waiting to collect Issabelle and guide her to Mrs. Betty Baker's house. Issabelle left the hospital but not before properly thanking all the doctors, nurses, and the other staff who had taken good care of her.

Mrs. Baker's house was about forty minutes' driving distance from the hospital. They reached there by lunchtime. Annie gave the necessary introduction about Issabelle to Mrs. Baker and then left, but not before Mrs. Baker made sure that Annie, finishes lunch with them. At the lunch table, Mrs. Baker also introduced Issabelle to her beautiful adopted daughter Emma. 

Issabelle struck a chord of friendship with Emma from day one. She felt that God had blessed her with a mother in the form of Mrs. Baker, and a sister which she never had in the form of Emma. They both were so kind and gentle and treated Issabelle as if she was their own. She was given a room next to Emma and was told that if she wanted, she could also live with Emma in her room. Issabelle took up the second option and started sharing a room with Emma. Both of them very soon became inseparable.

The next day Mrs. Baker called Issabelle to her room and very sweetly told her that she could consider her as her own mother, and talk to her or discuss anything she wished if she ever felt the need. She assured Issabelle that she was always there to listen. She also told Issabelle that, God had blessed her with a second daughter.

Issabelle felt that she was never so much happy in her life, as she was now. But she felt that she had to do something about her life, she was not the one who could sit idle for very long. She decided to discuss this with Mrs. Baker.

Finally, after a discussion with Mrs. Baker, she decided to join college, and take up Psychology, so that she could become a Psychologist and help others like her. Issabelle was so impressed with her doctor, that she wanted to get people like Issabelle back to the mainstream of life. 

Issabelle took admission to the college and attended it regularly. As the college finished at 1 pm. She was free for the whole evening. With the help of a few friends, she found herself a job at the boutique at a short distance from the college. Her degree in fashion designing came in handy. She was taken up as an assistant designer at the boutique. She worked there part-time, but only after informing Mrs. Baker. Mrs. Baker told her she could earn if that's what made her happy, but only as long as her part-time work didn't detract her from her studies. Issabelle assured her about that. She was very happy with what life had to offer her. She discussed it with her newfound friend, c*m soulmate Emma. Emma was very happy for her too.

NEW CHARACTER :

{ RYAN DICKSON: A Final year MBA student at the college. He is very rich, tall, and handsome with girls swooning all over him. But he has set his heart only on Issabelle. He had fallen in love with Issabelle, the moment he had seen her. }

Ryan started waiting for her at the entrance to the college to just get a glimpse of Issabelle. He started waiting for her at the library, after college, just so that he could draw her attention. This was brought to her notice by her friends who kept teasing her. But Issabelle was decided that she wouldn't be ever convinced, as she was off all men. She was very sure she would never, ever fall in Love.

But as they always say resolutions are meant to be broken. As fate would have it, one day Issabelle got very late, while returning home from work. She was not able to get a cab to drive her back home. It was getting very dark. She was very worried, and her previous fear's kept haunting her. She was very surprised to see Ryan passing by in his car, outside the boutique. She wondered whether Ryan kept following her even up to the boutique. He offered her a lift in his car, to which Issabelle reluctantly accepted. He dropped her at her residence. When she was about to leave after thanking him, he held his hand out and extended an offer of friendship, which she could not refuse. 

The next day Ryan was waiting for her at the college entrance, Issabelle gave him a nice little smile and they said Hi! They walked inside the campus together, and after dropping her at her class he left for his lecture. They used to meet during lecture breaks, and after college, and then he would drive her to the workplace. 

One day when she had an off at work, he invited her out for lunch, after college. He was so straightforward and honest that Issabelle couldn't refuse him. while they were driving down to the restaurant, Issabelle had sat in blissful silence, overwhelmed by Ryan's presence to make an attempt at conversation. They had a nice lunch at the restaurant, followed by some dessert, and then champagne. After they had finished lunch he enquired whether she had enjoyed it. She nodded in affirmative to that question. After that, they left, and he dropped her home. When Issabelle was about to get out of the car, Ryan gently held her in his arms, as his hands caressed hers,  and then kissed her. His mouth was hard and hot on hers, his tongue stroking her lips, coaxing them apart, due to which Issabelle started shivering with emotion and arousal, willing to give him anything he asked in the heat of the moment. But then suddenly fear overtook her and she realized how close she had come towards breaking her promise of staying away from all males. She separated herself from his embrace and left with a curt goodbye. 

While sleeping at night Issabelle admonished herself, what was she doing. Hoping that she was not again falling in love, or had she fallen? She had no answer to that question though.