Chapter 15: The London EyeA/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here is the next update! :D :D
Happy Reading! :D :D
Thirteen hours later saw Ranveer and Ishaani leaving the Heathrow Airport in an autumn-decked London as they took their respective seats in the car, their escort driver leading them towards the Ritz where they were to lodge at for the night before leaving for Sydney the next evening. Ranveer could feel the tiredness creep into his nerves as sleep had been a treacherous pal in the flight that'd fled at the first sight of the ten-hour journey ahead of them, the thirty-four hour stretch now beginning to give him a headache even though Ishaani remained unaware about this in her nine-hour slumber spell.
But even as Ranveer and Ishaani entered the magnificent Ritz, he knew that sleep was not an option unless and until the meeting was over and done with and the sample diamonds handed over. Finch and David had directly headed for Sydney for the preparations of the three-year anniversary of his own chain of resorts that was in less than four days. Ranveer and Ishaani quickly checked into their two-bedroom presidential suite and freshened up into their formal work clothes while the room service helped them with their baggage
At exactly twelve noon, Ranveer and Ishaani found their way back in the car as they now headed towards the Tower of London where the meeting was to take place where the exhibition of the Queen's Jewels did. The first major attraction that Ranveer and Ishaani came across on their way to the Tower was the Buckingham Palace, one of Britain's most iconic buildings along with its most popular display of pomp and circumstance, the Changing of the Guard.
Their driver in question gave them a little more trivia upon the Palace that was built in 1837, it been the London residence of the Royal Family since Queen Victoria's accession. He further added that if anyone wondered whether the Queen was, they were to simply look at the flagpole atop the building: if the royal standard was flying day and night, she was at home. On special state occasions, she and members of the Royal Family would even emerge on the central balcony.
Ranveer and Ishaani heard on with genuine interest as the driver jabbered away quickly, his thick British accent surprisingly not a hindrance for either of them to understand what was being said. Getting upon the more touristic approach of the same, the driver let them know how visitors could purchase tickets for tours of the State Rooms, the Queen's Gallery and the Royal Mews when the Queen was away at her summer palace in Scotland.
One of the best ways to tour the palace, according to the driver, was to see the Changing of the Guard, and experience a traditional afternoon tea by being on a four and a half hour Buckingham Palace Tour including Changing of the Guard Ceremony and Afternoon Tea. This tour was a very efficient way of seeing the highlights in a short period of time, believed the driver, and had a knowledgeable guide to explain the history that made the whole experience much more enjoyable and relevant for first time visitors.
On the way, they passed the Big Ben and the Parliament, which according to Ishaani was nothing spelling London more emphatically than the 97-meter tower housing the giant clock and its resounding bell, something as iconic a landmark as the Tower Bridge. Below it, stretching along the Thames enabled Ranveer and Ishaani to see the Houses of Parliament as the car halted in the traffic, the former telling about how tours of the parliament buildings now offered a unique chance to see real-time debates and lively political discussions.
The car moved further along Westminster Abbey, another location with a long association with British royalty. Making a stop over at the Central Bank as Ranveer and Ishaani greedily drank away the sight of the chic Picadally square, the next attraction catching their fancy after crossing the path along the Thames was the London Eye, built to mark London's millennium celebrations in 2000.
The London Eye was Europe's largest observation wheel, its individual glass capsules offering the most spectacular views of the city as one embarked on a circular tour rising 443 ft above the Thames, fantasized Ishaani out aloud as she told Ranveer about her experience sitting upon the same. The journey lasted thirty minutes, often quicker than the time spent queuing for one's turn, she mused and that earned a good chuckle from Ranveer.
The moment they reached their destination, however, Ranveer and Ishaani both sobered down and let the light atmosphere get replaced by one filled with anxiety.
Ranveer and Ishaani finally step foot out from the car as they got off at their destination at exactly half past twelve, the sample hundred diamonds safely tucked away under the inner lining of Ranveer's overcoat as they walked hand in hand towards the Tower. From prison to palace, treasure vault to private zoo, the magnificent Tower of London had fulfilled many roles down the centuries, Ranveer told Ishaani as they walked along a gravel path. One of Britain's most iconic structures, the Tower was a fascination for visitors curious about the country's rich history for it had been witness to so much of what had happened, Ranveer added further while Ishaani pulled her overcoat tighter around herself as the chilly autumn winds blew by.
Ranveer and Ishaani made their way inside the massive White Tower, built in 1078 by William the Conqueror as reminded by Ranveer. They took a quick tour around the place before they came across the 17th-century Line of Kings with its remarkable displays of royal armaments and armor below which an official sat, giving them a curious look.
Ishaani pulled out an invitation from her purse and handed it over to the official, who nodded his head and asked for the documents in question related to the consignment. Ranveer fulfilled the needful before the officiator gave the two of them a couple of undertakings to sign, accepting the sample diamonds in question.
Ranveer and Ishaani nodded their heads as the official bid them good day, giving them quick instructions about the room the meeting was to be held in. The room in question was backroom to where the famous Crown Jewels exhibition was held, Ranveer secretly thankful that it was nowhere near where the Beefeaters, the Royal Mint, and the gruesome exhibits about executions of the past took place on the grounds.
Ishaani couldn't help but marvel at the breathtaking view of the adjacent Tower Bridge as they made their way towards the room in question, its two huge towers rising nearly sixty meters above the River Thames as the water body glimmered beautifully in the distance, the autumn sun making it sparkle even more so as the leaves around remained in several shades of green, yellow, brown and red.
Reaching the room at long last, Ranveer pushed the door upon for Ishaani as they entered a decently furnished room with a conference table in the center, two representatives from De Beers already present, looking anxious. Their anxiety didn't easy anymore at the sight of their rivals for the deal as RV and Miss Parekh walked into the room with an air of purpose, the atmosphere suddenly dropping by a couple of degrees when they both saw who exactly was accompanying the foreign official from DeBeers- Sharman Parekh.
RV and Miss Parekh walked towards their seats opposite the two representative as the former eyed his watch pensively. 12:37PM. Sharman seemed to have the same mirrored look of shock and anxiety creep upon his face that flickered upon Ishaani's for barely a fraction of a second before her face turned impassive, eyeing him placidly. Ranveer gave the representative a warm handshake from across before sitting while Ishaani did the same. Sharman only received a stiff handshake and a cold look from the two of them before the room lapsed into the same cold atmosphere.
Ishaani and Sharman continued to stare at each other while Ranveer eyed Ishaani out of the corner of his eye, marvelling at her ability to keep a straight face and give him the kind of poker look that she was giving. Ranveer was saved the trouble of trying to break away the ice-cold tension when at exactly a quarter to one, the door opened to reveal a tall man with grey hair, his expensive cologne and pinstriped suit speaking for itself as the build of his body spoke of power.
He sat at the head of the table just as both sides stood up in respect, the man waving his hands for both sides to resume their seats again. Once everybody settled down, the man addressed out aloud.
"Samples?"
"Deposited them with the official downstairs," spoke aloud RV while the representative across him affirmed the same from their end. The man at the head of the table gave them a brisk nod.
"Good. They will be examined and scrutinized today, and you will get an answer by tomorrow noon. Two in the afternoon, at the most. The rest of the terms and conditions will be communicated once the deal is finalized with the selected party," stated the mysterious man and everybody nodded their head in agreement before he spoke out aloud, this time in introduction.
"I'm James Kenneth Tennyson, representing the Royal family. I've been in personal acquaintance with Miss Parekh and Mr. Barton here from our last meeting six months ago for the same," he added, pointing towards the two heads of the opposing party in question, while the two of them nodded their heads in polite courtesy. Mr. Tennyson turned his head towards RV, a cue for him to introduce himself. The latter nodded his head.
"I'm RV, representing the-"
"RV Group of Companies, yes," completed Mr. Tennyson, lurching towards upon his chair as his shrewd cat eyes took in RV's appearance. The latter couldn't help but notice how his eyes deceived the soft features of his ageing face and even though he was beginning to have a slight paunch, the vivacity of his eyes raged with the spirit of youth. And the fact that he knew who RV was came as a complete surprise to him, as Mr. Tennyson noticed the same upon his face.
"You're a name upon the lips of more than half the people associated with the world of business and economics, sir. You need no introduction," he added rather jovially as he shook hands with RV warmly. Out of the corner of his eye, RV could see that Sharman still looked gobsmacked, the stunned disbelief from upon his face not dissipated at all. When Mr. Tennyson and RV resumed their seats again, the former continued.
"I'm assuming that the two companies have collaborated for the deal then?" he asked, this time redirecting his question towards both RV and Miss Parekh. The latter smiled, nodding her head politely.
"Something like that, yes."
"And about you, young man?" asked Mr. Tennyson now to Sharman, who in turn looked looked suddenly flushed as all pairs of eyes fell upon him. He cleared his throat awkwardly and rushed into a hasty speech.
"I'm Sharman Parekh, legal counsel to DeBeers and junior partner at Freshfields."
"Ah, I'm afraid I don't really know you," replied Mr. Tennyson apologetically, even though he didn't really look so. RV and Miss Parekh caught each other's eye and barely managed to conceal the sly smile that threatened to break forth. The tiny victory of the moment was broken, however, when Mr. Tennyson posed his next question to him.
"Are you and the wonderful Miss Parekh here related?"
A thick silence enveloped the room as Ishaani and Sharman stared at each other for a good, long moment, each wondering whether or not to acknowledge their relationship. Memories from the past came galloping into their minds along with a sudden gush of nostalgia, during which RV simply watched the silent tussle going on in the minds of both. But the moment they came to the end of the tunnel, Miss Parekh spoke aloud rather tautly.
"No, we are not. We just share the same last name, co-incidentally," she added as she rested her back upon the chair. Mr. Tennyson smiled and nodded his head, turning his attention back to RV.
"Mr. RV, it's a sheer delight to have made your acquaintance. In fact, I'd love to discuss a few prospects with you with regards to the chain of resorts you run on behalf of the British Governemnt. We've been hearing a lot of extraordinary things about it and would personally be honoured if you do open a branch in London at your convenience. We're definitely looking forward to having an association with the brand you've become, young man. How old are you?"
"Just celebrated my twenty-ninth a week ago," replied RV and Mr. Tennyson gave him an approving nod.
"Extraordinary, the name you've made for yourself in these past few years. Success like this is gifted to very few, lad. And even rarer are those who can handle it. I'm sure that you must have had a lot of backing from your parents to support your ambitions, powerfully path-breaking as they've been," commended Mr. Tennyson just as RV gave him a modest smile. But even before he could say anything, the next statement struck everyone dumb in the room.
"He and his father were servants at our place once."
"What was that again?" asked Mr. Tennyson as he turned to look at Sharman rather sharply, who now looked flabbergasted at the slip of tongue that did come off rather rudely. Ishaani stared at him in outrage and burst out into speech even though Ranveer held her hand under the table to prevent her from doing so.
"Mr. Parekh here means to say that Mr. RV here was a helper at his place along with his father when he was younger. He came from rather humble beginnings," added Miss Parekh with fierce pride as Sharman sunk lower into his chair at the deathly glare that he was getting from her in that minute. Ranveer turned to look at her, astonished with the love in her voice for him that misplaced RV's balance for a moment before he caught hold of himself.
"How did you manage to reach along here?" asked Mr. Tennyson, who was aware about the suddenly tension in the air as he and Mr. Barton gave each other a look of understanding. Just like the previous time, Miss Parekh spoke instead.
"My father mentored him by educating him well and making sure that money was never an issue in the path of his dreams, even though the society clearly was," she remarked rather harshly and Sharman hissed in spite of herself. RV stared at Mr. Tennyson wordlessly, letting Ishaani speak for he knew she wouldn't stop unless and until she'd spoken her share.
"I thought you said that you weren't related," exclaimed Mr. Tennyson sharply as he now looked from between Sharman to Ishaani, confused at the family politics. Ishaani replied with the same bitter momentum as though she was under oath to speak only the truth.
"We aren't. I was adopted by my father when I was eight years old because he was courageous enough to choose to marry my mother and give the two of us a home. Mr. Parekh here happens to be his nephew. So we aren't really related by blood."
"Intriguing," was all Mr. Tennyson found himself capable of saying once Ishaani fell silent in a huff, the room once again enveloped with the same stoic and cold atmosphere. When no one chose to say anything and avoided looking at each other, Mr. Tennyson decided to address RV.
"And then how did you get your big break, Mr. RV?"
The man in question knew that it was time to put an end to the discussion. He cleared his throat softly, interlocking his fingers as he put his hands upon the table, giving Mr. Tennyson a sincere look, even though his eyes were suddenly as sharp and cold as the older man's ones. The room fell silent as his aura pulsated with the power his name was come to be associated with.
"RV doesn't have a past or a personal life, sir. With all due respect, do not get me wrong for I do not mean to be arrogant or egotistical. I'm a man of few words for my work speaks the rest. But yes, if I am here today the way I am, it's only because of my late mentor, Mr. Harshad Parekh. He and another great man who I had the good fortune of working with during my beginning days, Mr. Sanjeev Zaveri."
Mr. Tennyson gave RV a deep look as he remained silent for a few minutes, trying to study the man in front of him while the latter gave him a small smile. No one dared to speak in between as the two men stared at each other, until Mr. Tennyson knew that RV was a closed book whose mind could not be delved into even though some things were very obvious. And so he stated the same.
"From rags to the riches... Your spirit amazes me, young man. And I can see that fire in your eyes striving for even more. After hearing what he had to say-," pointed Mr. Tennyson towards Sharman, who in turn looked even more embarrassed now, "-I'm even more eager to work with you, contrary to beliefs you may have about the British in general," added Mr. Tennyson cheekily when he saw RV's jaw drop slightly.
The latter nodded his head in silent gratitude before turning to look at Ishaani, who was now staring at Sharman with her cheeks blotched red in what was a mixture of disdain and anger.
"That'd be an honour, sir," replied RV as Mr. Tennyson now stood up, the rest of them following suit.
"Good enough. How about you stay back with me right now and we get to discussing things?" proposed Mr. Tennyson as he shook hands with RV, who in turn gave him a quick nod of approval.
Mr. Tennyson gave him an enthusiastic look before shaking hands with Miss Parekh and Mr. Barton warmly. RV was amused to notice that he barely gave Sharman another look as he shook hands with him curtly, walking them all out towards the door. The moment the three of them left the room, Mr. Tennyson shut the door close behind him and walked towards RV, who in turn, took his seat again as he waited for the older man to occupy his seat at the end of the table. This time, however, Mr. Tennyson sat across him instead of at the head of the table, his eyes shrewd once again.
"Would you be interested in opening a whole chain of resorts along a twelve acre land we own along the Thames?"
-x-
"Wow, that was quick," exclaimed Ishaani out aloud as Ranveer walked out from the White Tower, feeling a gush of adrenaline course through him at the thought of the unexpected prospect that had opened for the RV Group of Industries. The meeting had gone up for a good forty minutes before RV and Mr. Tennyson had departed amicably, their next meeting set for four months from now.
He was surprised to see Ishaani waiting for him at the entrance of the tower while Sharman stood beside her, looking rather awkward. Ranveer could make out that the two cousins had stopped their heated conversation abruptly at his sight as they now refused to look eye to eye. Ranveer noticed that Ishaani's eyes looked dewy as the sardonic curve of her lips now remained pronounced.
"I didn't know you were still here," exclaimed Ranveer and even though he looked at Ishaani while saying so, the real person it was targeted to was evident. Ishaani gave him a grimace before forcing herself to look at Sharman.
"Well, he owes you an apology. It's why I made him wait," spoke Ishaani tersely as Ranveer cocked her eyebrow at her.
"An apology? For what?"
"For what he did inside," replied Ishaani and Ranveer's bewildered look that quickly changed into one of exasperation.
"Ishaani, it's no big deal, alright?"
"It is a big deal! I will not stand here have people talk about you like this!" she yelled aloud that made both Ranveer as well as Sharman flinch at the harshness behind it. Ranveer put his hand upon her shoulders and turned her towards him, giving her a quiet look of plea to let the matter drop.
"Ishaani, let it go, okay? It doesn't matter to me because what he said inside was the truth. It's my past and there's nothing I'd do to change that because it's why I am what I am today. He doesn't have to apologize to me for anything. If he owes anybody an apology, it's you. Although an apology is nowhere enough for being an opportunistic gold-digger," he said suddenly as he shot Sharman a spiteful look.
"How dare you accuse me of something like that?" hissed Sharman, outraged at what Ranveer had just called him as his face lost all colour. Ranveer shot him a cold look that made the next retort die upon Sharman's lips as he let go of Ishaani and walked towards Sharman.
"I can dare a lot now, Sharman. But I would never, even for a moment, have dared to believe that you'd abandon your sister at a time when she needed you the most. You were not blood but the bond you cousins shared went much deeper than what blood could even provide. And was money that powerful that your bond fell dead against it all? Even at a time when you knew she was homeless and had no family or roof left upon her head anymore... I could excuse not having an emotional bond anymore, but no humanity was something I would never have accepted from you. Any of you cousins."
Sharman remained silent as he remained lost for words, no longer able to meet eyes with either Ranveer or Ishaani. The latter took the opportunity of the same and spoke once again.
"This is exactly what I was telling you just before he came here. You know what always made him so extraordinary, bhaiyya? It was his loyalty and his will to learn and succeed in life that made him an equal to all of you who only had money to compensate for. All these years, I wronged him in several ways and yet here he is today, defending me instead of himself. All these years, he's been showing his class not with money or status, but with the upbringing and manners that he's learnt from his Mota Babuji, which is something that none of you ever could."
"Ishaani, you-" began Sharman helplessly but Ishaani raised her hand as a cue to remain silent as she continued speaking like she wasn't interrupted in the first place.
"He's been unwell for the past few days and yet he chose to come for the meeting in spite of however his health is. That's his dedication. He was the only man in the room who didn't need an introduction beyond two initials because the world knows about the rest. That's his hardwork and sincerity. He could have spoken a lot about you and could have downcast you when you spoke about his social beginnings, but he chose to honour his Mota Babuji instead by crediting his success to him. That's his loyalty and honesty. And no matter how many courses you do at Harvards or how many ever books you read, you'll never learn what he has in all these years - humanity, loyalty, respect."
Ranveer made to speak but found the words dying away upon his throat as he felt his eyes prickle slightly, taken back to a memory from ten years ago when Ishaani had defended him in a party the same way. Instead, he simply interlocked his fingers with Ishaani as he felt his temples begin to throb dully once again, the tiredness creeping back into his soul as the dilemma returned. Sharman on the other hand, walked ahead and turned his full attention towards Ishaani as he took her other hand in his own. Ranveer quickly let go of her other hand the moment Sharman began to speak again.
"I'm sorry, to both of you. Ishaani, I know that no matter what I say, it's not going to remove the black from my ledger because I've wronged you and failed you as a brother in all ways. But do you have it in your heart to put this behind us and maybe have a fresh start? Catch up sometime soon and I don't know... get into the groove of things again? Maybe when I come back to India we can all catch up... Devarsh and Gauri have settled back in Mumbai again."
Ishaani remained silent for a few minutes as she finally let the tear of disappointment and pain leave her eye that had come with her expectations crashing around her feet over the only people she did ever trust in the clan she called her family. She remained silent as she could see her entire past flicker in front of her eyes in a flash, until the realization suddenly dawned upon her about what Ranveer was going through all along. She looked up at Sharman and gave him a rueful smile.
"I may have the heart to forgive you, but I cannot give you a fresh start pretending that it never happened. This is always going to be in between us, no matter what you do and what you say. I never forget," she added as she felt Ranveer's gaze upon her.
Ranveer looked at her in surprise as he knew that she now understood his dilemma from all these days, but he knew that now was not the time to talk about it especially when she chose not to look at him in that moment. Instead he looked at Sharman, who in turn gave Ishaani a solemn look.
"If this is your decision, then I accept it. I wish you all the luck and hope that you do make Harshad Uncle and Falguni Aunty proud, wherever they are watching upon you from. And in case you ever do change your mind, let me know. I'm just a phone call away. And even you too, Ranveer. It's good to see you like this and I couldn't have been happier for you because I always knew that you had it in you to succeed. And I'm sorry about earlier," he added as he shook hands with Ranveer and patted his shoulder. Ranveer was still unsure about how to react with his conflicting emotions, the fore at which was still anger.
"It's alright... you don't have to be either," added Ranveer rather halfheartedly as he turned to look at Ishaani. Sharman nodded his head and turned back to look at Ishaani, who gave him a blank look.
"I really do hope that someday we can redeem ourselves somehow and make amends with you. Both of you. Goodbye," he whispered as he gave Ishaani a bear hug and kissed her upon her head, while Ishaani didn't protest as she hugged him back slowly. Breaking from the hug, Sharman gave Ranveer a quick side hug and a handshake before walking away towards his car, turning back just once to give them both a small smile before he sat into the automobile and let the driver take him away.
Ranveer pulled Ishaani into a side hug as they walked towards the car the same way, his arm never once leaving from around her shoulders as the winds grew chillier. Both of them sat in the car without exchanging a single word for a couple of minutes before Ranveer decided to break the silence finally.
"That's an eventful start of the day," stated Ranveer as he let his head fall upon the headrest of the car while he let his eyes shut momentarily, letting the events from the past few hours swim in his eyes while he felt his headache intensify slightly more. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that Ishaani was staring at him already.
"Very. And we have half a day in hand still," she added halfheartedly as Ranveer realized that she was in no mood to talk about what had happened. Instead, he chose to go upon another path as he felt something in his inner pocket of his overcoat.
"Want to sight see?" asked Ranveer as he pulled out a brochure from his pocket. Ishaani looked up at him bewildered, wondering what was going on in his mind as she gave him a hesitant look.
"I've been here way too many times. I've seen it all."
"Then maybe you can take me around the city. This is only the second time that I've been here. The first time was a quick business meeting till I had to take another flight to Chicago. So didn't get to sightsee much, to be honest," he added as he did something that he hadn't done in forever - give Ishaani what she reputedly called the puppy dog look.
"Well, you've already seen quite a lot of things," she added as she realized all-the-too well what he was up to now. Ranveer gave her a sheepish smile as he opened the brochure and quickly viewed its contents.
"I got a tourist guide on the way out of the Ritz. We could give this a read perhaps," he stated as he handed over the brochure now to Ishaani, who in turn read aloud the contents of what the hotel termed as the Ritz Special.
The British Museum
Displaying one of the world's finest collections of antiquities, the British Museum contains more than 13 million artifacts from the ancient world. With priceless objects from Assyria, Babylonia, China, Europe, and elsewhere, it's hard to know where to begin. But most tourists head first for the museum's most famous exhibits: the controversial Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, the Rosetta Stone, the colossal bust of Rameses II, the Egyptian mummies, and the spectacular hoard of 4th-century Roman silver known as the Mildenhall Treasure.
Hyde Park
Covering 350 acres, Hyde Park is London's largest open space and has been a destination for sightseers since 1635. One of the park's highlights is the Serpentine, an 18th century man-made lake popular for boating and swimming. Hyde Park is also where you'll find Speakers' Corner, a traditional forum for free speech (and heckling). Another Hyde Park landmark is Apsley House, former home of the first Duke of Wellington and purchased after his famous victory at Waterloo. Now a museum, it houses Wellington's magnificent collections of paintings, including Velzquez's Waterseller of Seville, along with gifts presented by grateful European kings and emperors. England's greatest hero is also commemorated at the Wellington Arch.
The Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (aka the V&A) is part of a South Kensington-based group of museums that includes the Natural History Museum and Science Museum. Founded in 1852, the V&A covers close to 13 acres and contains 145 galleries spanning some 5,000 years of art and related artifacts. Exhibits include ceramics and glass, textiles and costumes, silver and jewelry, ironwork, sculpture, prints and photos.
Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square
Two of London's best-known tourist spots, these famous squares lie not far apart and mark the gateways to Soho, London's lively theater and entertainment district. Trafalgar Square was built to commemorate Lord Horatio Nelson's victory over the French and Spanish at Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson's Column, a 56-meter granite monument, overlooks the square's fountains and bronze reliefs, which were cast from French cannons. Admiralty Arch, St Martin-in-the-Fields, and the National Gallerysurround the square. Piccadilly Circus marks the irregular intersection of several busy streets - Piccadilly, Regent, Haymarket, and Shaftesbury Avenue - and overlooking this somewhat untidy snarl of traffic stands London's best-known sculpture, the winged Eros delicately balanced on one foot, bow poised.
St Paul's Cathedral
The largest and most famous of London's many churches - and undoubtedly one of the most spectacular cathedral's in the world - St Paul's Cathedral sits atop the site of a Roman temple. The previous church structure was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, and Sir Christopher Wren designed the re-build. Today, the twin Baroque towers and magnificent 365 ft. dome of St Paul's are a masterpiece of English architecture. If you're up to it, be sure to walk the stairs with their spectacular views of the dome's interior, including the Whispering Gallery.
Covent Garden
The market halls of Covent Garden are only the beginning of the neighborhood, which encompasses the shops and restaurants of Long Acre and other adjacent streets, those of Neal's Yard and Seven Dials, as well as the Central Square with its street performers. The halls and arcades of Covent Garden Market are lined with specialty shops and kiosks selling everything from fine handcrafts to tacky souvenirs. Housed in the former flower market, you'll find the London Transport Museum, filled with historic buses, trolleys, and trams. This area is also where you'll find the Royal Opera House.
The Two Tates: Tate Britain and Tate Modern
Once collectively known as the Tate Gallery, London's two Tate galleries - Tate Britain and Tate Modern - comprise one of the world's most important art collections. Opened in 1897 as the basis of a national collection of significant British art, the gallery continued to make acquisitions and needed more space to properly display its collections. The end result was the establishment of Tate Britain, in Millbank on the north side of the Thames, as home to its permanent collection of historic British paintings. A superbly transformed power station across the Thames became home to the modern art collections. Art lovers can spend a whole day viewing both sites, conveniently connected by high-speed ferry.
National Gallery
Ranking among the top art museums in the world, London's National Gallery represents an almost complete survey of European painting from 1260 until 1920. The museum's greatest strengths are in its collections of Dutch Masters and Italian Schools of the 15th and 16th centuries. Among its highlights are a cartoon (preliminary sketch) of the Madonna and Child by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo's The Entombment, Botticelli's Venus and Mars, van Gogh's Sunflowers, and The Waterlily Pond by Monet.
"So... you think you can do so much?" asked Ishaani as she gave him a soft smile, unable to control herself as Ranveer gave her a pensive look. He, in turn, couldn't help but feel an intoxicating happiness bubble in his heart at the quick buzzing memories from the conversations earlier today as he took Ishaani's hand and gave her a loving look, unable to control the gush of gratitude he felt towards her in that moment.
"I think it's more than sufficient for today."
-x-
"Wow! That was one heck of an eventful day."
"Oh yeah, it was. I've taken a tour around the place several times, but this was definitely the most fun," replied Ishaani as she came out of the washroom in a black tank top and fluffy red pajamas, quickly donning a white hoodie upon her top as she felt goosebumps erupt upon her skin the moment she walked towards the window. Autumn had hit London with a punch as the nights grew much chillier than the days. Ranveer gave her a tired sigh as he plopped down upon the bed.
Ranveer and Ishaani had begin their tour from the London Eye as they managed to catch a ride on the ferris wheel at a miraculously odd hour without much rush before making their way towards Tate Britain, going around and tracing every single item on the itinerary list until they finally reached their hotel back again at ten in the night, heavily exhausted. Ranveer had just finished his toiletteries for the night as he changed into a mulberry t-shirt and grey track pants, pulling his sleeves up as the t-shirt remained snug upon his figure. They dined at the fine restaurant down in the dining area of the five-star hotel before finally retiring to their room for the night.
"I just hope things works out tomorrow. We've waited too long for this. Mota Babuji has waited too long for this," exclaimed Ranveer as Ishaani gave him a small smile, making her way towards his bed and taking a seat upon it. Ranveer gave her a gentle smile as he followed suit.
"He has, yes. And I'm sure that wherever he is at this moment, he must be so proud of you," she whispered as she took his hand into her own. Ranveer leaned ahead and held her hands in his own as he bore his gaze into her own soulfully.
"Of both of us. Perhaps you more so than me," he added with such sincerity that it made Ishaani love him just a little more. She cupped his cheek softly when she realized that his face again signified a fever.
"You've got a fever again. Didn't sleep in the flight, I'm assuming," she added rather crossly as Ranveer smiled at her unabashedly, shrugging his shoulders just as she rolled her eyes at him.
"Well, I can't sleep away for nine hours straight like that," shot back Ranveer cheekily and Ishaani slapped his shoulders, annoyed. She pulled away her hands from upon his own and crossed them across her chest angrily. Ranveer couldn't help but notice how child-like she looked in the attire, reminding him of their teens and how nerdishly cute she used to look, a contrast to the ravishing dame she was now.
"So staying up for thirty six hours is a better solution?" she retorted back, exasperated. Ranveer gave her a reassuring smile at the sight of worry upon her face.
"It must be because of the exhaustion that the fever cropped up. Trust me, I'm fine."
"Then why're you rubbing your temples? Come here," she spoke irritably as she stood up and sat on the other side of the bed, pulling Ranveer's head upon her lap as he continued to eye her movements in bewilderment, finally giving up the moment his head hit her lap.
He shut her eyes just as her fingers began working its way upon either side of her temples, making sure not to apply too much pressure upon the part where the faded cut from four days ago was slightly visible. Ranveer sighed in relaxation as her fingers seemed to work a new kind of magic upon him, his headache suddenly abating as she knew the exact points to pressure upon, reminding him of the several massages that his mother had given him. And yet there was something entirely different about this one.
"Wow, when did you learn to massage so well?"
"We all have our hidden talents now, don't we?" she teased softly as she kissed Ranveer upon his forehead.
He smiled lazily upon the touch of her lips and Ishaani kissed the bridge of his nose, enjoying the fact that his smile was beginning to grow more and more natural and human, even though there was still some time till it went back to the way it used to be. When Ranveer simply 'hmmed' in reply, Ishaani decided to finally talk about the topic that was adeptly swept underneath the rug for her.
"Didn't you feel bad? When Sharman said that?" she asked, and Ranveer opened his eyes slowly, giving her a puzzled look as he finally sat up again after a fifteen-minute long massage. He pondered upon whether or not to tell her the truth before he realized that her eyes had already sought the truth from his soul through his eyes. He just had to let the words out now. Ranveer sighed.
"You want an honest reply? Yes, it did. After everything I've earned in all these years, I guess some things don't change after all. Maybe the title of being a servant is something that I'll just have to live with. But I don't know, really... Maybe it's my face that's just like that," he added jovially and Ishaani slapped his shoulder playfully.
"Oh no, your face is perfectly alright! In fact, I'd say that it's rather char- er, never mind," she added, rather flustered at her sudden gush of emotions as she felt the heat rise up her neck.
"You just keep surprising me more and more," whispered Ranveer as Ishaani slid off the bed and made her way into her room abruptly, leaving Ranveer confused. Her voice carried into the room again after a couple of minutes.
"Well, then in that case, I have another surprise."
"What's that?" asked Ranveer as Ishaani returned back with a large-sized tupperware bottle in her hand. She handed over the bottle to Ranveer, who in turn now looked puzzled at the sight of the honey-coloured fluid.
"I made you a kadha."
"You made me a what-?" asked Ranveer, nearly choking upon his own words. Ishaani took a seat beside him again, giving him an eager look.
"Kadha. Just like the one Baa and Amba Kaki would make you during your paralysis phase. Amba Kaki used to tell me that nothing works better on you during fevers except the kadha. It's good for strength as well, she used to say. I've had this in mind ever since you told me that you've been getting the fevers on and off, so I thought of bringing some along with me just in case you sprouted a fever again. And well, my instinct was right."
"How'd you get your hands on the thing?" asked Ranveer after some time, wondering how Ishaani always came up with things like this just when he thought that she couldn't surprise him anymore. And her giving him a traditional kadha was the last thing he was expected.
"I brought it with me from India."
"You smuggled that through customs?" asked Ranveer in stunned disbelief, his mouth agape as he pondered upon how she must have actually managed to get that through her baggage without the customs raising a red flag upon fluids being taken.
"I'm afraid it's an Indian trait," replied Ishaani nonchalantly and it reminded Ranveer of the first time she'd smuggled away the terrace keys for him on his tenth birthday. Ranveer kissed her forehead softly as he rubbed circles upon her face with the pad of his thumb.
"You didn't have to go through the trouble of getting me some. Besides, the bottled ones don't work. Homemade ones do," he added softly as Ishaani lightly slapped his forehead. She wondered how he was still so impossibly goofy at times.
"So who said it's a bottled one? I made the kadha for you myself," she stated rather proudly, and to her slight dismay she noticed that Ranveer paled considerably.
"What?"
"Don't look so surprised. I did make it on my own. I found a recipe of it in Chaitali Kaki's room, so I had Mala help me with it. She got me the ingredients and I did the rest," explained Ishaani as she crossed her arms across her chest like a child who'd done something extremely difficult. Ranveer gave her an unsure look.
"Mala helped you, you say?" asked Ranveer, and Ishaani suddenly realized why Ranveer had reacted the way he did. He'd remembered the previous time that she'd cooked for him. It was the only ever time that she'd attempted to cook and needless to say, both of them clearly remembered what the result was.
"It was a one-time thing! And I've stuck to the recipe this time! No peanut butter fillings," she added as an extra assurance and Ranveer chuckled, knowing that there was no way that the kadha could do anything wrong in terms of it being near-fatal.
"You really didn't have to take the trouble for me though," spoke Ranveer softly as he took the bottle into his hand, remembering how bitter the traditional medicine was from the days of his paralysis.
"Shut up and just drink it already!" roared Ishaani as he hastily opened the cap of the bottle and drained down a little of its contents, instantly regretting it for it was as bitter as always. He coughed and retched as he pulled faces at the even more horrid aftertaste in his mouth, Ishaani now looking worried.
"Yuck, it tastes just as abysmal as I remember it!"
"Well, then I've got it right," whispered Ishaani in relief as she relaxed, happy that her kadha was proper. Ranveer shot her an annoyed look, but was saved the trouble of saying anything when Ishaani jumped up from bed quickly as the clock struck eleven.
"Go to sleep now, you need to rest! The kadha should help hopefully. Get well soon, we have a lot of excitement awaiting us tomorrow. Goodnight, and sleep well," bid Ishaani goodbye as she quickly kissed his forehead once again, Ranveer suddenly touched by her gesture of taking so much trouble for her. There was something about everything she'd done today that had touched him, and left him happier and more gratified than he could ever express in words.
"Ishaani?" he called out when she reached towards the door, still unsure of what to say. Ishaani turned behind with an eager look on her face, her smile a strange solace to his heart as he noticed that it was beginning to bloom more and more like her smile from all those years ago although there was still some time to go for it. But it would do for now.
When Ishaani signalled him to speak, Ranveer shook his head, unable to hide his coy smile.
"Nothing. Goodnight."
Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D
Next chapter:
Chapter 16
Edited by LadyMeringue - 8 years ago
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