Anjali climbed the stairs quickly, with a magazine rolled in her hands, an expression of delight on her face. She sprinted across the landing to her room and burst into it, causing her husband, Vinay, to jump in alarm and drop a stack of rolls of building plans he was clutching in his hands.
"Really Anjali, you gave me quite a fright!" he mused "what on earth happened? Why are you looking so excited?"
"Why shouldn't I be excited? It is the eighth wonder! Something seemingly impossible!" Anjali replied, barely able to keep her feet firmly on the ground.
"Did that pet kangaroo of yours give birth to a baby? If yes, then I don't see anything remotely exciting in it to be termed as the eighth wonder! That's completely normal!" Vinay chuckled.
"What's it with you and Dimples? I don't see why you hate my pet so much! She is so sweet! Anyway, that's not the point! The point is..." she trailed off and held a magazine in front of her husband's eyes. It revealed a man in a charcoal suit. The caption screamed in big bold letters,
UNPLUGGED: ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA!
Know all the secrets of the Fashion Lord!!
Vinay gaped at it as though he saw an alien in front of him. This particular magazine, known for its biographical interviews, that is to say like a typical diary or a slam book kind of questions, was the magazine his brother in law hated more than anything in the world. He hated giving such candid interviews and here it was a full blown article on him in that very magazine!
"How on earth did this happen? How did Arnav agree to give an interview to this magazine out of all the other choices?" he asked incredulously.
'Well, being a sister has its advantages, you see! I pestered him for a month before he gave into me and agreed. These poor magazine editors wanted Chhote's candid interview from such a long time and they were ready to offer a huge price for it! They requested me and I couldn't deny them! People love to read such interviews of people whom they adore and Chhote in one of the most adored people of the world!" Anjali gushed excitedly.
"This is definitely news! This magazine people are going to cash in big time with this!" Vinay murmured and took the magazine from Anjali's hands to read.
Straight to the questions with no introductions or anything of that sort was one unique concept of this magazine. Another unique feature was it had only interviews of those people whose professional life was as revealing as a glass but personal details were hidden unceremoniously till the right amount of money dug them out. There was no particular photo shoot exclusively for the magazine, typical Arnav! Questions and one word or occasionally one sentence answers adorning with pictures taken from the web.
Date of birth
18 March, 1983
Where were you born?
Lucknow
The meaning of your name
Google it
Your educational qualification
MBA
What are your interests?
Not anything in particular, it depends on my mood
Your hobbies
Business and fashion designing
But that's your work
I don't have time to go and find time for hobbies separately. I am doing what I love and I suppose that's another definition of a hobby.
Are you into adventure sports?
Absolutely not...I just go and watch races. That's all the free time I have if I get some in the first place.
Your favorite cuisine
Italian
Your favorite dish
Risotto and pasta
Your genre of music
Rock
Your favorite band
Nirvana
Your genre of movies
Action, of course
Your favorite movie
James Bond series
Your favorite colour
White
Your favorite sport
Baseball
You play baseball?
Occasionally
Who are all there in your family?
That's a known fact I suppose. Nevertheless, my family consists of my grandmother, uncle, aunt, cousin brothers and my sister. My mom and dad are no more.
People tell you are adopted, is that true?
Rumours can never be true. What people tell randomly is classified as rumours.
Your family is very traditional and strongly believes in rituals and in God. What's your take on it?
I don't believe in God or in the traditions.
Do you think it is right to condemn the beliefs your family has?
I am not condemning the beliefs my family has. I am what I am and I don't believe in doing something which I don't believe and have faith in. I have never said no to something that goes on in my home. My family believes in traditions and I have got no problem with that.
Why don't you believe in the traditions?
I don't think I have to explain why I don't believe in them.
What does it feel like having such a perfect life?
It feels perfect.
What do you owe your success to?
Hard work
Who is your inspiration?
I don't have any person as my inspiration. I always think of reaching a little higher than where I am now.
What's important in life, relationships or money?
Both
Are you social or like being alone?
Depends on my mood
You and your family are largely into philanthropy...why?
Helping people is an instinct... that's a basic reason why people go to philanthropy. At least, that is the reason in our case I suppose.
Your relationship status
Very much single
Are you interested in being committed?
No
Why?
That's personal
What kind of girls do you like?
An inappropriate question. The women in my life cannot be termed as girls. They are married.
Who are those women? If I may ask
My grandmother, my aunt and my sister
Are you homosexual?
What made you think I am?
Do you encourage such relations?
When I have the right to do what I love then others do have the same right. I am no one to encourage. If they want to then I suppose they should go ahead.
This long list of questions went on and on for another 2 pages and all the answers were one word or a sentence. The interviewer might have had a very tough time. Vinay could imagine the posture of Arnav- stiff, without blinking an eye; cold and expressionless. That's how Arnav was. He never behaved warmly with anyone for that matter. Be it his sister or his whole family. In fact, he cut himself off from the family business and established himself in a different field where there was nobody to help him. But he came up all by himself. Fashion designing was the love of his life.
"Such a sweet interview! I loved all his answers! That's my Chhote!" Anjali said excitedly.
"Bhai is very confident. It shows in the way he has answered. Specially the part about being homosexual! Seriously the reporter would have been close to a nervous breakdown after seeing his steely gaze!" Akash muttered "I bet he was angry at that question!"
"Anger becomes an understatement, Akash! I bet he was furious!" Vinay said.
"Yeah, whatever! But still it was worth! Good interview though, don't you think?" Anjali questioned tired of dissecting Arnav's reactions.
"It was, but still it doesn't seem digestible though...I mean bhai and interview, that too, a candid one. Something's missing!" Akash muttered apprehensively.
"I am actually thinking ditto!" Vinay said "but I must say Anjali has a tremendous power over him" he muttered hastily as he saw Anjali look pointedly at him.
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With a sarcastic smile on his face, Arnav was looking at the interview in the magazine. Tell anything with confidence even a lie seems a stark truth. Arnav Singh Raizada was such a private person that no one in the world, which really meant no one in the world, knew his birth date and who knew weren't there anymore and he wasn't stupid enough to go and tell that in a public candid interview! Please!
For Arnav his privacy was something that had no right of being intruded upon. He didn't like sharing his personal life with anyone, including his sister, with whom he was close to a certain extent.
Though he was smiling, this smile didn't reach his eyes. His eyes had a distant, forlorn look. All his emotions were frozen forever as the one who had the power to unleash his feelings had gone away from him.
A lone tear escaped out of his eyes as he closed his eyes, painfully reliving the moment. This emotional side of Arnav wasn't discovered by anyone until now. He was still a cold, ruthless hard hearted person who wasn't fit to be called as a human being in the eyes of others.
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