Musings of Wnderlust Arhi ff - Ch 3 (14) 2nd march - Page 9

Chapter Three: What she want is...

21^st December, 2010

Kovalam Beach, Kerala

Allie snuggled her head into the pillow as she pulled the quilt over her before glancing at the wall clock in her bedroom back in her hometown. It was half past seven. She groaned, her hand searching for the source of the sound that had been disturbing her otherwise peaceful room. With a quick glance at the caller ID, she swiped the screen to answer the call.

"Why can't you let me sleep, Krishna!"

She groaned into the mobile and sighed at his deep chuckle through it as a greeting. Knowing well what was about to follow as their conversation, she sat up on the bed, pulling the covers and tugging it under her chin. "Why are you calling early in the morning?" She asked him, her voice low and calm, ready to have the talk.

It had been four days since she reached home and avoided talking to Varun, or Krishna as Allie called him by his second name. For all the lectures she would be subjected by her best friend's cousin, Allie treated him as her own brother. And the brother that he was, never failed to look after Khushi and her - something her own elder brother failed often owing to their busy schedules, though Noah displayed his affection for Allie in special occasions.

"And I thought I was disturbing you," Varun replied lazily just as Allie watched the door of her room opening wide to reveal her brother stepping in with two mugs of her mother's filter coffee that the siblings loved to share.

"You are," she snapped, her hand reached out of the covers and towards Noah as he handed a mug and plonked himself on the bed. "I would have a few more minutes of sleep if it weren't for your call, Krishna." She replied with forced calmness.

"This isn't fair, darling."

The third voice filtered through the mobile and Allie rolled her eyes at her friend's rather dramatic way of letting her know of her presence. "Come on Khushi," Allie said, her eyes avoiding to meet her brother's questioning ones. She knew that her brother didn't buy her reason of celebrating the festival with her family. If anything, it alarmed her brother. "Why is it that you three decided to round me so early in the morning?"

"Noah is with you?"

She heard Khushi's cheerful voice at the mention of her brother and smiled. It always amused her as how she was fond of Varun and Khushi was of Noah. The four shared a friendly relationship. "You know what," she said while smiling at the chance, "I know you missed my brother more than I did. So Khushi, talk to him first, we can talk later." Without waiting for any of them to speak, Allie thrust her mobile in her brother's hand and ran out of the room.

"Alannah... your coffee!"

Allie ignored her brother's call as she followed her feet to nowhere in particular. She ignored her mother who was in the kitchen, preparing a family brunch that took place on the whole Christmas week. She ignored her father who was reading the newspaper on his rocking chair that faced the foyer from his study room. She ignored the cousins who were roaming around the place, and paused when she reached the front part of the house - a lake that connected all the houses of that area. She liked the place; the surroundings made her forget her problems momentarily.

Four days. It had been four days since she spoke to her boyfriend. Allie shook her head, watching the morning sun dancing along the water body that spread vast in front of her. She had met him on the first day of her college and they hit it off well. If she was funny and career oriented, he was responsible and never bothered about taking life seriously. They stood poles apart, and that might be the reason, she thought yet again, for them to complement each other perfectly. Half year of their friendship led them to be in a relationship. When she shared the news with Khushi and Varun, their reactions surprised her. Khushi was romantic among them, while Varun was practical. But when Allie confessed that she was in love with Rohan, it was Khushi who had the initial problem, while Varun accepted in without much of a fuss. Even Noah, whom she thought would never like the idea of his baby sister dating, had been okay with her choice and decision. Allie never understood why Khushi had the problem in accepting her two friends as a couple, but as she saw the whole in new light, Allie couldn't help but wonder whether she was finally able to see what her friend saw years ago.

Rohan and she were never meant to be. The past four days away from him provided her ample of time to think about her and them properly. It was not just the recent incident of him not sharing one of his important decisions with her. It had always been in that way. Things that Allie saw important and to be shared were the very things Rohan viewed as silly and space consuming. She couldn't even remember the last time that they spent some time together as lovers do without any arguments. It was time to amend few things and address the others in her life.

Allie shut her eyes as she inclined her body towards, arching her head, absorbing the sun's rays. It was time to say goodbye to Rohan, before things changed from arguments to awkwardness.

"Here you go." She opened her eyes to see the mug with the coffee, her brother staring ahead of him as he continued. "I asked Mom to heat it. The taste might still be the same. It helps reduce your headache."

"I don't have a headache," she replied, holding the mug between her palms. She held it near her, letting the aroma linger her senses before taking a sip. "Thanks for the coffee, though."

"Sure," Noah shrugged his shoulders and faced her. "That's the only time you avoid speaking with Varun, sister, if he's going to have the talk... or the reasons for your sudden visit. Don't worry," he said with a smile, "I'm not going to corner you to reveal your reasons but tell you that I'm just a call away."

"Did I ever tell you that I love you?" Allie asked her brother as the siblings sipped their coffees in the comfortable silence that followed them. She knew she was doing the right thing. All she needed to do was tell Rohan that they were done. "Rohan and I... it's becoming too hard to handle, Noah." She said finally breaking the momentary silence.

She watched her brother looking at her, shocked at her sudden declaration but smiled after a moment. "If that is what you think is good for you," he said with a genuine smile, "I'm with you, darling. And did I ever tell you that I know you love me?"

Allie narrowed her eyes at his words before adding. "No, I think." And then she chuckled, forgetting about her problems, enjoying the time with her brother after a long time.

***~***~***~***~***~***

Shri Nivas,

Hyderabad

"Why do we need to go there? I mean, isn't it strange that Rahul asked us to visit the client's place to get their brief?"

Khushi rolled her eyes at the constant complaints that had been flowing out of her friend from the time they started an hour ago. She nodded, not understanding why Rahul decided to deal with this VIP client out of his usual way. The team did visit the place of construction several times during the period, but never before the client himself coming to their office and made the deal. "The client's important in some way," she filled Shiva in, "he's helping Abhi's father to have success or something like that. And apparently, he is unable to bring his whole family members to the office."

"Not his whole family, Khushi." Shiva snapped, irritated, "we are here to meet one person and note down what she wants. I mean, I accept he is a "VIP" but still... every other VIP client made sure they visit us in our office first. We are Architect's, not their personal assistants to follow them around."

"I know, and I hate it too." Khushi gave in, pushing her decency aside just as they entered the apartment complex. "But we are ordered to do this. We have no other option than to follow Rahul's orders and meet this miss VIP."

"We are here to meet Miss Anvi."

Shiva informed the security guard who made a quick call to confirm. Khushi watched as the guard passed the visitor's book and a card that would help them get in through the building. "It's Block-A, penthouse." The guard informed, "take the right at the end of the lane to reach there."

"No doubt the "VIP" has a very luxurious life," Shiva mused aloud, making her laugh even as she agreed.

It took them ten more minutes to pass through the security guard of the block who escorted them to the penthouse on the tenth floor. Khushi watched around the place, her eyes noting everything she could as her mind suggested what could be done to increase its beauty. The door was answered by an elder woman clad in brown cotton saree, her hair tied in a bun. She nodded at the guard, dismissing him with a friendly smile while inviting them in. "Please do come in," the elder woman led them to the front room, "sorry for the short notice. I hope you aren't much troubled with that."

"No, Ma'am," Khushi replied politely as they returned the elder woman's smile, "that's okay. It's our work to visit the clients frequently."

"Yet," the woman said while the trio sat on the plush couch, "I do know the trouble one faces with last minute changes in plan. But Anvi is supposed to travel with her father and Arnav's flight got delayed. So Arnav arranged this."

"We understand, Ma'am." Khushi stated plainly. She liked the elder woman, she decided. "It happens," she said while turning to Shiva and added, "well, we are supposed to go meet other client too. If you don't mind," she requested politely, "can we meet Miss Anvi?"

"Miss Anvi!" The elder woman laughed at her and shook her head with what seemed as amused smile. "Well, give me a second." The woman replied as she leaned onto the couch to look at her behind over her shoulder as she called out. "Anvi, stop pouting and come out of your room now. Arnav asked the designers to meet you here in the meanwhile."

"I don't want to, Dadi!"

Khushi looked at Shiva at the voice that shouted back to the elder woman, her eyes narrowed at the tone. She looked at the direction of the sound only to find a girl of about four years with two ponytails climbing down the stairs, a pink teddy in her hands that partly hid her yellow Mickey printed top and a blue jean shorts.

"Papa promised that he will take me to the designer Uncle's office today." The kid complained with a pout. "He is changing, Dadi. He never broke his promise before. I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to talk to the designers too."

Khushi watched the kid, shocked that she was Miss Anvi, the VIP client's pampered daughter that they thought that they were supposed to meet. She looked at the elder woman who laughed as she faced Khushi and Shiva. "She's one pampered father's daughter." The woman then turned towards the kid as she spoke. "Papa's not breaking his promise, Anvi. His flight got delayed by few hours. He will be here any time now. You can talk to the Aunty and Uncle here till your Papa joins you."

"No!" Anvi shouted as she shook her head, her walnut ponytails dancing along with it. "I will not talk to anyone. I planned so much for my birthday and Papa said he will take me to that cartoon movie along with my friend."

"Anvi..." the woman tried explaining, "he will be here soon, beta. He called half hour ago that he stopped by to buy you an ice cream. You don't want Papa to shout at you, do you?"

"No, no, no... NO!" Anvi shouted as she walked towards them. "I'm sorry you came here to meet me, but I'm angry on my Papa and being a bad girl. I can't meet you now. Please go, Aunty, Uncle. Don't waste your time here by..."

"Anvi!"

The sound echoed the room as Khushi jumped on her seat at the angry voice that called the kid from their behind. She turned around at the source of the voice to find a man standing few feet away from them, his eyes glaring at the kid.

"Is this how you greet your guests, Peanut?" The man continued as his eyes cooled down at the sight of Anvi flinching at his voice. He inched the distance, ignoring Khushi and Shiva on his way, and kneeled to the height of the kid as he said in a low yet serious tone. "Apologize. NOW."

Anvi turned reluctantly but following the man's order. "I'm sorry," she said before turning back to face the man. "But Papa, you broke your promise too. You are late. One hour late."

"I'm sorry, my baby." The man replied, his husky voice calm and velvet as he hugged the kid. "Now, come with me and talk to them as how you want your room designed for the birthday."

"Ah, anything Papa likes," Anvi replied cheerfully as the man lifted her up in his arms and made his way back to where the other three stood - Khushi and Shiva trying to understand the happenings, while the elder woman watching her son and his daughter with amused smile. "I don't understand why Papa needs someone's help when he knew what his Peanut loves."

The man smiled at the kid, but said nothing. He then acknowledged his guests as he introduced himself with a polite smile. "Arnav... Arnav Shri Vallabh."

***~***~***~***~***~****

PS: Many of you are worried with Arnav having a Kid. But this story is different altogether and so are Arnav and Khushi. I wanted to deal with this kind of love story and well, sorry if I disappointed you with such a fact but no, Arnav is the kid's biological father and no wonders will take place and reveal it otherwise.