Arhi FF: Labyrinth - Thread 2 Link posted - Page 7

Chapter 4: Invitations

After my morning shopping with Savitha aunty to go over the blinds for their bedroom, we decided to get lunch at a nearby salad bar. Having gained my senses since that morning incident, my crucifying embarrassment had returned and I felt nervous about calling Dhri or Papa to find out, if Suyodh or Aditya had made it difficult during their account negotiations.

The waiter placed our orders on the table, mine a heap of salad green piled in a Moroccan blue plate.

Blue; my breath wavered at its pace, slowing at first and then beating faster as my mind went over the scene of Arnav handing me back my clip and the tirade that had followed. My hair was now in a bun, fastened by a stray band I had found in the abyss of my satchel and I pondered what I could do to feel a bit less enveloped in that mire of emotion.

"Savitha aunty, just a moment," I got up picking my phone in hand. "I need to make a phone call."

Dialing the only number I could afford then, I walked to the edge of the terrace; the expanse of the city in my view, doing little to alleviate my nervousness - my problems appearing still appearing unconquerable.

"Vishwa here," I heard him pretending to not know who had called him, when I was well aware he had perhaps, been in wait for my call.

"You knew you wouldn't have to explain any of those weird directives you had issued this morning: bring the file; fill the coffee pot. You knew everything would become clear to me once the events would fall in place," I asked, a slow surge of indifference in my voice.

"Besides Arnav, you are the second person asking me that," he sounded amused, "Why won't anyone believe me that I had no part to play in what ensued? I didn't ask him to come bursting inside the board room - he was convinced on his part that he'd waited enough for Dhri. Neither did I tell you to pick him over Aditya in what Suyodh started on his own."

"I didn't pick him." I cut-in and cringed at the choice of his words. "It's for Dhri's instruction, let's be clear on that front."

"Fine! You didn't pick him," he assented, though it was only to falsely placate me.

"Vishwa!" I cried losing my patience, "You have to stop moving the pieces in my life, like they are your pawns."

"Why? Are you going to hire someone else to do it? Because, I haven't seen another man in your life in the last 10 years I have known you." He sounded hurt.

I closed my eyes, as my chest ached from time-worn memories and refused to answer his question.

"I want to meet you tonight," he said after a moment of silence, "I will text you the address and the time once I decide."

"If it's another one of your games," I began when he interjected mid-sentence.

"It would be just you and me at the dinner table," he said, a solemn promise distilled in his voice and I wanted to believe him and decided against it. "I have to meet up some clients over drinks, but we can have dinner first," he clarified.

"And don't worry, the deal with H360 is still on," he reassured without my asking and a small smile crept up my lips. "Isn't that why you called me?" He asked seeking his confirmation to gratify his instincts.

"No, to tell you that you are a pompous ass!" I said before hearing him break into a laugh.

"That I know," he said and with that our call came to an end.

My mind went back to his affirmation: It would be just you and me...When he'd put it so plainly, I couldn't help but recount the few times that we had had dinner alone, but those instances had been sudden and unplanned, leaving us in the delicate company of the other when the intended others had dropped out owing to inane reasons.

This time around, it was different; this was an invitation, I knew and yet, I wondered if he'd extended something similar to the other person who had confronted him like I had.

Arnav! No Arjun...Being of Vishwa' s blood, was he Vishwa himself? I asked the mercurial blue above me that dissolved into the horizon. How else could I explain the ease with which he'd taken a seat in my conscious and beyond?

Thank you for this update, it's like having a cup of good filter coffee in a land where everyone and anyone drinks chai.

The subtle way you tell us the influence Vishwa has on Shyama is to be read to be believed, she calls him to check on the status of the deal. Let me be honest, you talk of a modern day Mahabharata but I imagine men and women in long following robes.

Vishwa succinctly told Shyama she picked Arjun over Aditya and Suyodh, she make deny the same but she too knows she picked him. Dhri's instructor or not, she picked Arjun.

This dinner invitation sounds very interesting, I am going to list out my question to ask Vishwa, not that he will answer me, at least I hope Shyama gets her answer

Originally posted by: Kalyaani

I am going to list out my question to ask Vishwa, not that he will answer me, at least I hope Shyama gets her answer

Originally posted by: Lahari.

Questions for Vishwa...now this is interesting, but I will wait to hear what you are curious about.

Originally posted by: dieforasr

Dear,
i hv a genuine qs. Did she love Vishwa?Actually ur last line made me confused.I thought Vishwa was her infatuation.😊

Originally posted by: RTlicious

Brilliant and captivating...I am so hooked already!

I am an avid fan of Mahabharata and have read every material on it that I could get my hands on...and I must say, you are doing a brilliant job with it...I read both the updates together and was simply awed with the subtle way in which you have added an essence of mahabharata and its characters in your story..

For example, Kampilya...never would have thought of it...it actually sounds good for an Ad Agency...also in the next chapter, both cousins had come to Kampliya for the supposed 'swamwar' ties in with the fact that Draupadi's Swamwar takes place in Kampilya when the kauravas with Karan and the exiled Pandavas are both present.

I was one of the people who questioned you about the Swamwar and how Draupadi's polygamous state will be written here...but i completely loved the way you showed that situation where Khushi un-intentionally chooses Arnav over his cousins and the way she re-buffs Suyodh [love the name] and also subtly insults Karan's credentials which once again ties perfectly!

I suppose, thanks to this, they will loose this account and have H360 on an opposing stance...by the way, does the 'H' in H360 stand for Hastinapur? and Dadaji is Bhisma? I can't wait for your story to unfold!!

Oh and sorry for the delayed response, was travelling for work and just got some time to read it :) I will most definitely recommend this to my readers in my next update!

Arati

:)

Originally posted by: Lahari.

I thought i could refrain from quoting the Mahabharat in the thread, but looks like that is going to be required in tantamount to the nuances I want to write about. 😆

Anyways, Krsna (Draupadi) was eternally in love with Krishna. Now don't name this love for even the Mahabharat didn't name it quite well, at least until the part I have read. That said, Krsna was also a combined avatar of many goddesses, one of whom was Sri - the goddess of wealth, the consort of Vishnu. So this divine attraction is bound to be.

That said, you should also know that Arjun and Krishna are more like two parts of the same soul, for they were the Nara and the Narayana twins in their previous birth. For those same reasons, its said that her love for Arjun came just as easily as it did for Krishna.

Hope this helps!

Originally posted by: -Aarya-

It was never Krishna, but Karna that she secretly loved! :)