by Anamika GK
Khushi nodded absentmindedly when bade papa kissed her good bye on her head, her mind stuck where Avishji had adamantly avoided her again while leaving the table two seconds ago.
He is not going to make it easy, is he?, she closed her eyes and sighed.
Chapter 5
Avish Singh Raizada, the young Midas man who had risen high and fast in concrete business was not a happy-go-lucky kind of a person, but his professional collègues and contacts could swear that ASR was not a short tempered man either. Yes, he was a very quiet person, blunt at times and his eyes had a ferocious gleam in them. He almost never smiled and could quieten you with a single glare, but verbal lashing or a temper tantrum, never. Brooding and aloof maybe, but anger was not something construction world would identify ASR with. And personally no one knew him that much.
Because, Avish did not let people in his personal life that easily. He believed that if he will be important enough for someone they'll walk that extra mile to reach him, like his dad. But he knew that he was not an easy person to live with, thus had serious doubts that someone will be willing to do that for him, and no, he was not complaining. He had long suppressed the desire to be wanted or cherished. He was content with professional victories, applauds and power that he had garnered in quite a short time. It gave him a reason to exist peacefully with his flawed self. He had a very bad temper and he accepted that. But he kept his anger issues to himself because displaying it to his professional counterparts will not get him anywhere. They were not indebted to endure the aftermaths of his broken home, his cheating mother or his wilted heart.
But it did not change the fact that anger was the only emotion that Avish's subconscious knew as a way to express the pain buried in the deep trenches of his heart. The very pain that he refused to acknowledge to even himself. His self-destructive bout with anger may have receded with professional help, but a slow burning furnace of rage still remained inside him. And he wanted to burn the world down for being unfair to him with that fire, but a sane part of him knew that it was not even remotely possible. There was a phase where he had constantly told himself that there are many other kids in same situation as him, but the thought did not lessen his pain in any way. It only aggravated his anger that he was not a part of the normal lot of kids with a life full of love. Who would have thought that after being born with a proverbial silver spoon, what he was finally destined for was a life of affluent loneliness and silent pain.
And to mock his misery, here in his own house, where he had been subjected to a child's worst nightmare and cruelest heartbreak, lived one of those normal kids.
Avish was quite sure that Khushi had got ample hints in morning at breakfast table about his intentions to avoid her. And if she had any sense in her, she would make the feeling mutual and stay out of his way. He did not wish to be an acquaintance, a friend or a family to her. What he wished was every living being in Raizada Mansion to unwrap themselves from her little finger, at the earliest.
As he approached the dining table, he found buaji and Khushi there chatting. His dad was missing and Avish had two minds about turning on his heels to go back to his room and return later. Buaji most probably had no idea of his cold equation with Khushi and he was in no mood to enlighten her. Avish actually liked his father's sister enough to not want to hurt her by making it apparent that he did not like her Titaliya, whom she visibly doted on. She was a simple well-meaning lady with an outrageous devotion towards her Nandkishore, owing to the fact that she was married into a devout family residing in Vrindavan. She had been his father's constant support since his parent’s divorce, so much so that she had shifted with him to take care of him.
But before he could make a move buaji spotted him.
“Come, bitwa. We were waiting for you only. Let’s start dinner”, she lovingly welcomed him as she uncovered the curry bowls in front of her.
“Let's wait for dad, too”, he said.
“Bhaiya will be dining out. It’s just the three of us”.
Left with no other option he walked to the dining table and sat at the head of the table with buaji and Khushi on his either sides.
“Bhaiya had to go to some dinner meeting today. He called Titaliya a little while ago to inform”, buaji explained, as she started serving.
The thought did not go well with him. “So now that this girl has returned, dad will communicate with rest of the people in this house through her? Bloody great' Avish's heart fumed.
As if sensing his mind, Khushi looked up from her empty plate which she was staring at since his arrival and addressed buaji, “Bade papa was trying Avishji's number but his phone was busy. That's why he called me.”
While buaji nodded smilingly not really getting the point, Avish's lost appetite made a partial come back with this piece of information.
As the meal proceeded, buaji's attempt to involve Avish into the conversation started meeting resistance. Truth be told, Avish was feeling like a lost child without his dad with him on the table. His dad knew all about him and they could always talk about business if they run out of safe topics. With buaji's interrogation about his life in London, his life in New York, his future life in India, he was getting a little restless. His short and concise answers were not well received by her, and her goading, by him. So he heaved a sigh of relief when buaji rushed to her room for her TV serial, momentarily forgetting that it’s just him and Khushi on the table now.
He realized it when he heard her voice calling his name, very hesitatingly.
“Aa…Avishji”, she said looking at him a little apprehensively.
Avish looked at her, and then diverted his attention back to his food instantly.
“I wanted to talk to you”, she continued, trying to stay focused on what she had planned to say rather than his attitude.
“Hmmm…” he grunted, a little miffed that 'this girl' did not get the hint after all.
“Ji, I am sorry”, her apology, earned her his attention.
Avish looked straight at her. Taking it as a positive sign she released a breath she did not even know she was holding.
“I am very sorry for what happened on that marriage night. I cannot change what happened but I want to apologize for the inconvenience caused to you on my account” she said.
“Hmmm…” he said again, but not as coldly as earlier.
“And I am sorry on bade papa's behalf too. He did not mean to anger you either. He was just concerned about me”, she continued.
“You don't have to apologize to me, on my father's behalf. I can sort my issues with him myself”, came the first ever sentence that Avish Singh Raizada spoke to Khushi Sharma.
“Of course... Ummm... Sorry about that” stuttered a startled Khushi.
“Listen. Just stay out of my way. It's a big house and I am sure it is not a difficult thing to manage”, Avish spelled what he thought did not get across by his rude gestures.
“Ji?” she blurted.
“What, ji? Don't you understand English? Should I repeat it in Hindi?” he spat.
“I understand English alright” she said hurt and confused at his behavior.
“Good then”. He diverted his attention back to his dinner.
“But how do you plan to explain my 'staying out of your way' to bade papa?” she questioned. He will be devastated with all this she knew.
“There is no need to explain anything to anyone”, he brushed her concern aside.
“Maybe, you don't feel the need, but I do. I need to explain my bade papa, that why am I staying out of his son's way” Khushi said, gathering all her courage. Is this man for real? Is he planning to avoid her forever? Bade papa just requested him to marry her, no one pointed a gun on his head. How about moving on now? What about bade papa's happiness?
“He is ‘my’ father”, he could not believe the nerve of this chit of a girl. Sitting in his house, making claims on his father.
“And he is more than a father to me”, she replied, unfazed. One thing she was sure
in this entire world was her bade papa's love for her. “So I suggest, you tell me how I explain my not talking to you, while we stay under the same roof”, she added.
“I don't care how you do that. Not my concern”, he replied, irritated.
“Fine. Then I am going to talk to you, and it’s up to you whether you reply or not. That automatically makes explaining him the situation your concern”, she attacked her rice as she finished speaking. Is he really her sweet bade papa's son?
“Listen girl. Spare me the drama”, he fumed.
“Khushi. My name is Khushi”, she corrected, now gaining the much needed footing in this impromptu argument she was pushed into.
“Okay. Khushi. Just stay out of my way” he chewed out his words.
“I am not dying to get into your way either. But I shall not sit back and see bade papa hurt, even if it’s you who is hurting him. Get that straight and get that clear”, she replied, with equal intensity.
“What the! ... Listen you live in ‘my’ house and he is ‘my’ dad. Stay in your limits' he hissed.
“Well. He is ‘my’ bade papa and last time I checked this was ‘his’ house”, she flung his words back.
“I am his biological son”, he bit out.
“Still, he had been more of a father to me, than he had been to you. Ever!”, she retorted.
Oh! O. That hurt. A lot. It was the truth Avish was desperately trying to forget since long. Khushi too realized that she had crossed a line here, but before she could apologize Avish's innate self- defense mechanism had kicked in. Anger took over his senses and he dealt with the situation in the manner he deemed appropriate, by hurting where he knew it will hurt the most.
“Of course. The way he was trying to procure you a replacement groom after you shooed the original one away says it all”, his voice dripped with animosity.
Khushi was taken aback by his sheer bluntness. He had touched her fresh raw wound without delay, and his next sentence showed that he intended to scratch it till it starts bleeding again. So much for trying to befriend him!
“What did you do, Miss Khushi Sharma, that your fiancé ran away? Oh, lemme guess, you unleashed your sharp tongue on him? Or were you cheating on the poor fellow?”, he asked in a mocking serious tone.
Khushi averted her eyes, trying to blink away the tears that were adamant on springing out.
“What? Cat got your tongue?”, he looked at her pointedly.
“Whatever happened is none of your business” she replied, in small voice, giving Avish the satisfaction that he was right on target.
“I believe it became my business the moment I was dragged into your mess”. He will see to it that this girl never speaks to him like that. As if all she is getting in this house is not enough, she dares to challenge his position in his dad's life.
“You saw yourself out of that mess, didn't you? And why are you bringing that up now? Can't you just let go?”, she pleaded.
“Damn right, I saw myself out of that mess. What did you think that I'll marry you?”, he spat.
“No. And even if you had agreed, I wouldn't have. I had no intention to drag you into my messy life”, she said while getting up. “And although I don't want to, I will still try to talk to you in front of bade papa. It will make him happy that at least one of us is trying to get along”, she added as she pushed the chair back.
The next few seconds happened really fast. In a hurry to get away from the rude man who was pressing all her wrong buttons, Khushi tried to make a hasty exit. And in the process she lost her balance and started falling face down on the marble floor beneath her. Avish who was watching all this quickly got up from his place as a reflex and caught hold of her arm and yanked her up. Had it not been reflex, then also Avish had no intention to sit back and watch a girl fall and hurt herself. Whatever their disagreements be, it was no excuse to not help. And within moments he was staring at her face, with eyes squeezed shut and fear written all over it, near his face. She was looming a little towards her back and Avish was bent a little over her face, her arm still in his hold and his other hand reaching out to her other arm to make her stand straight.
And then she opened her eyes. It was the first time Avish actually noticed her deep sparkling orbs with emerald flecks. He did not want to notice them, but it was impossible for set on her small oval face those had to be the largest pair of doe like eyes he had seen. Also it was hard to miss them. They literally glowed. But before he could think further, Khushi jumped out of his hold as if it scalded her and he was harshly pulled out of his thoughts. It did not take Avish much time to revert to his senses either.
“Clumsy girl! Can't you even walk properly?”, he bit out.
The glare he earned was phenomenal. Khushi could not believe her ears. Does he ever stop? Rude insufferable man. Nobody talks to me like that, she thought as a helpless anger started its ascend in her eyes. But instead of creating more scene than what they already had, she ignored him and turned to leave.
Avish was looking at the play of emotions on her face fully expecting a sharp comeback, but she turned to leave. Instead of walking away though, she turned back after a second or two to face him as an afterthought.
“You're right. I can't walk properly”, she said in a tone that had equal amounts of sarcasm and sadness in it.
When Avish looked at her confused, she knew that he did not know.
She sighed with a strange emotion flickering in her eyes that he could not fathom.
“I limp. My fiancé, the one you think I shooed away, he was uncomfortable with my limp. Guess bade papa forgot to mention this tiny detail” she said. “You see it was neither my tongue nor my character that drove him away. It was my handicap”, she completed with a wry smile.
And for the first time Avish did not know what to say. Tongue tied and stunned, he just stood there as his dad's precious Laddoo slowly limped her way out of his sight.
Chapter 6
Sumer Singh Raizada walked inside his house at around ten in the night, after what he thought was a very fruitful meeting. He could not wait to get started on the details of the project tomorrow first thing. Avish has definitely infused a new enthusiasm in him for his work by his own dedication and success rate, he smiled to himself.
Avish his son, who he realized was standing in the living room with his hands folded on his chest right now.
“What is the deal with this Khushi Sharma, dad? The whole deal”, he spoke in dead pan tone without a preamble the moment he saw his father enter, startling Sumer.
Two hours back, tongue tied and stunned, he just stood there as his dad's precious Laddoo slowly limped her way out of his sight. And for the last two hours Avish had been waiting for his dad, to ask some very important questions that he needed answers to. In that time Avish couldn't help but recall noticing the renovations around the house when he had arrived. What he thought was his dad's attempt to demolish remnants of his bitter past were done for a very different reason altogether it seems. Everyone's bedroom was shifted to ground floor and so was dad's study. Upper floor had home theater, gym, guest rooms and party hall. Rooms which were not used on regular basis, all for Khushi's benefit now that he thinks of it.
How come dad forgot to mention this 'little' detail about his Laddoo? Had he been given a heads up, he wouldn't have made such a fool out of himself. It was not as if the thought that Khushi might be playing a prank on him did not cross Avish's mind. It did. He vaguely recalled her own loyal driver mentioning their babyji's penchant for silly stuff, but that sad look in her eyes had him discarding that notion within few seconds of its appearance on his mind. Now, he intended to know everything about this girl, and anything else that he should know about anyone else in this house, before he gets blindsided again.
“What deal?' asked a confused Sumer.
“About… about her limp. You never mentioned anything about it”, Avish accused.
That's when realization dawned on Sumer. Of course, Avish did not know about her le
g and must have seen her walk today. Good. Now at least he is interested in knowing about her enough to bring up the topic himself.
“As far as I remember, you never wanted to talk about her son”, Sumer said while making himself comfortable on couch and loosening his tie.
“Yeah. About the usual how sweet and nice she is. But this is major, isn't it? I should have known this before I talked to her”, Avish retorted.
“You talked to her?”, Sumer asked smiling.
“Well no...I mean... Yes. So what’s her deal with the limp and her staying here? She has relatives, doesn't she?”. He wanted answers. All the answers.
“Why are you suddenly so interested in her?”, Sumer cross questioned.
Because, I freaking yelled at her that she can't walk properly and guess what? She actually can't. How about that?, Avish rued in his mind. Aloud he said “So that I don't get blindsided again.”
“What do you mean by again? Did you already say something to her Avish? Did you shout at her?”, Sumer sat up and asked sternly.
“Are you telling me or not?”, Avish asked edgily, trying to dodge the question.
'It a birth defect, a muscle mass issue. No accident or anything. She used to wear a leg brace earlier, but then I took her to a physiotherapy institute in Switzerland and they helped her get rid of that. I have consulted her case with top most doctors in USA too. They say that operating on it won't help. Her current situation is the best it can get. That is the deal with her limp' Sumer summed up.
“Hmmm. The renovations in the house... can't she walk up the stairs?”, Avish asked letting the new information sink in.
“She can. But I don't want her to take the trouble. Wait, are you pitying her son? Because if you are then let me tell you…”, Sumer started but was cut off by Avish in between.
