ArShi : Drabble Series #9: Traffic - Page 3

"Mom, what are you doing?

Myrah had dutifully come back home early when her mother called her around noon at the office.

"What was so urgent? She questioned her mother, standing in the door to her parents bedroom.

Without paying any attention to her darling daughter Khushi continued to rife through the drawers looking for something. Her wispy grey hair fell across her eyes causing her to stop bending over the bookshelf and search somewhere else.

"Do you need help? Myrah asked when she saw her mother climbing on top of a chair to reach over the bookshelf.

"What the! She mumbled seeing her mom do such dangerous stunts.

"Mom, are you even listening? I am going to call a servant to come and help you. You shouldn't be doing these stunts at this age!

Just as she turned on her heel to call someone, she heard her mother sigh in satisfaction.

"Here it is!

Khushi climbed off the chair carefully as Myrah moved forward. Her questioning look turned into surprised at her mother for thrusting a very tattered looking book into her hands.

"What's this? Myrah asked not sparing a glance at the object.

"Let's have tea... I'll explain Khushi spoke.

Myrah followed her mother into the kitchen, and then followed her towards the back patio of their house, her mother's favourite portion of their beloved home.

They sat down under the patio as the warm sun filtered through the grey skies.

"The garden looks great, mom, complemented Myrah temporarily forgetting anything else.

"Arnav insisted on hiring a gardener, but seriously if I don't even have this to do then my body and brain will rot.

Khushi poured the tea into two cups and as the aromatic smell reached Myrah's nostrils she turned her head at mother.

"Mom, he loves you so much I think he'd rather you stay in front of his eyes, all day everyday.

She pushed her lips over the lid and took a sip.

"So anyway, what was the rush? Myrah asked suddenly curious about the book placed on the table in between them. "And, what's this?

Khushi lifted the book from the table and carefully thumbed through it. She proceeded to give it to her daughter.

Seeing her mother still not give her an explanation, Myrah properly glanced at the book. Girl, Trust your Intuition.

The book had countless pages dog eared, multiple stick notes, barely hanging on to the ancient glue, with faded yet legible and meticulous handwriting stuck on the pages.

"I know that there will be a phase where you don't know who is the right person for you, Khushi spoke as she watched her daughter, "this is what I did when I was in your position.

It was known to Myrah and her siblings that their mother was intended to marry someone else, not their father. It finally clicked in her head.

"What the!! ... Mom, you used a self help book to decide when marrying Dad!?! Myrah asked in shock and awe.

Khushi noted how Myrah was her father's daughter with her constant "what the's.

"Of course.

Myrah shook her head and laughed.

"Does Dad know about this?

"Nope. Khushi laughed out loud thinking how Arnav thought it was his big gesture of declaring his love to her that had won her over.

Myrah glanced at the first few sticky notes.

Don't want a Greek god, just mortal love, in all flesh and good hygiene.

Seriously, Will. Not. Be. A. Baby. Sitter.

Directions to reinforcing an idea:Take a Vodka Smirnoff bottle, pour into 3 shots, and chug. With each chug yell out loud: goals, goals, goals. He needs to have goals.

***Someone who can help me build my dream closet!

The bottom of the sticky note read:
*** for superficial yet important things. Because they are just as important with the right person.

Let him reach the conclusion without help. I am his partner, not his mother.

Make sure that you apologize for being wrong but only after he concedes(this makes sure that he stays on his toes at all times)

Directions to your inner warrior: don't be afraid to stalk him cuz... girl, trust your intuition!

Myrah snickered at her mother for falling in love logically.

"So, take my advice, girl, trust your intuition. Khushi winked as she sipped onto her tea.

"So I think that if we move the budget meetings to next week then the department heads could get more time to get organized.

Akash looked up from his phone calendar.

"Arnav, are you even listening?

He followed Arnav's gaze and met it lingering on the Indian waitress.

"Seriously, give it up!

Arnav looked back at Akash, "what? he questioned.

"I gather from your what' that you haven't heard anything else I have said, spoke Akash. He continued, "just give it up already! She's not into you.

Arnav ignored him.

"Man, you need to stop coming to this diner just to see her, Akash shook his head and resumed to browse through the phone.

Arnav stirred the sugar in his Americano, and looked up, speaking in an amusing tenor, "oh really.

A few minutes later Akash looked back up from his phone to see Arnav smiling in a goofy manner.

"What?

"Oh, she likes me alright. Arnav finished the last of his coffee, wiggled his eyebrows and motioned Akash to get a move on.

"She likes you? How do you know?

They both got up and Arnav flicked a napkin over to Akash. The ten digit number along with the name Khushi written with a bold marker caught his eyes.

"The eyes, chico. They never lie, said Arnav after grabbing the napkin back and walking towards the door with Akash in tow.

"Oh yeah... truer words have never been spoken, Tony Montana, said Akash as they laughed out loud and left the diner.

AN: if you haven't watched Scarface, what are you even doing with your life?!?!

The traffic in New York is always like this. He knows that. Yet, he didn't leave his office on time. Now, the story that he was chasing is most likely fizzled. Great, his editor is going to roast his head for sure this time!!

He shakes his leg in frustration, checking his phone for the text from his source.

Will meet but only for ten minutes.

She is flighty, he knew that, but he still did not leave on time, getting too involved in finishing his latest obligatory story (that needed to be 5000 words) before the newspaper went to press for the next day.

Biking was not an option by the time he finished so he hailed a cab hoping that it would get him there quicker. Wrong! He shakes his leg in extremely impatience as the light turns red again halting the cab's movement.

His phone sounds off.

Waited too long, have left. Don't contact again.

"Shit! He curses loudly and kicks the seat ahead of him. The taxi driver turns with an almost sneer and Arnav is thankful that he is sitting on the opposite side, and kicked the empty seat.

"Damnit! He mutters to himself. He wants to turn back around but the thought about not physically scanning the place, hoping against all odds of finding her there makes him continue his journey.

His phone sounds off again and he gets busy with replying to his emails, and scanning the internet traffic for breaking news.

A few minutes later he looks up from his phone, rubbing his sore neck from sleeping in a wrong position while grinding his teeth in irritation at the slow traffic.

He scans to see where he is and glances out his taxi window when he sees her.

She unabashedly continues to apply layers of mascara on her eyelashes framing her pretty bright brown eyes, completely not giving any f**ks while glancing into his taxi window. The bright summer sun burns straight into his window, preventing her from seeing him. For some reason he likes watching her. Just an ordinary girl but something about her makes him smile... perhaps it's the way she is making silly faces while rubbing rose coloured blush on her cheeks... it completely takes him by surprise.

Her bike tilts dangerously and precariously on one of her legs, while her bright yellow backpack is almost sliding off her left shoulder. The gleaming silver jewellery on her bag glints against the sun and he notices the letter K' hanging on the zipper.

Beguiled at the girl, he places his chin in the heel of his palm, highly amused at her actions, and watches her with a smile.

She straightens her bike, and blows a kiss into the window, appreciating herself. Before he can roll down the window she zooms into the traffic. And suddenly his day is brightened by the strange girl on the bike, applying makeup while stuck in traffic.