Ariya FF The lucky charm - Page 22

Arjun ne kitna politely rinku chachi se baat ki ariya dinner ke liye bahar gaye nice scene and conversation oh no nxt match mein riya team ke saath nahi hope they will win the match fab update dear eagerly waiting for nxt and thanks for pm

Great going dear....loved the date....dinner with Lohia was hilarious....really love the story....do update soon.

Awesome update

Love it

Plz continue soon

Thanks for pm

Hello there its been long and long but I am back as I completed my semisters and this time before another break I would wrap up this story andstart the another discontinued project.

The match started badly for India because Rawthe lost thetoss and Bermuda said they wanted to bat. In a little while their openersstrolled out and the match began. I tuned them out at this point as the cameracut to arjun, looking positively murderous, Boost-brown eyes burning as heglared at Rawal. He didn't looklike he was experimenting. He looked likewinning this match mattered., he probably just wants to prove he doesn't needyou, the hairy Indian crab whispered megalomaniacally into my ear. You. That'sall this whole match is about.

The Bermuda managed to finish it off with a respectable 232all out in the forty-sixth over.

When they went in for lunch, I saw Rawthe with his armaround Rawal, saying something to him pretty earnestly. Then the Bermudacaptain came up to them and started chatting, a fully hero-worshipping look onhis silly face. What a sap. Didn't he get it? These guys were the enemy. Showme some Indian blood, Bermuda boy!

***

They lost. (The Indians, I mean.)

They had got off to a good start but then Sam and Shivee gotout pretty quickly. Then, for some strange reason, Rawal came in third insteadof Laakhi. (The commentators said Rawthewas experimenting because this matchwasn't vital or anything, but I think he just let Rawal come in one downbecause he was in a sulk.) Then, when Laakhi and Rawal were doing pretty good,there was some confusion with the calling and Laakhi got run out. At thispoint, Arjun came in and settled things a bit but Rawal got out LBW and thenNivi totally collapsedand got out for like five or something. Rawthe soldieredon but Bala and Thind never looked comfortable, Ali got out ludicrously (theBermuda guys actually laughed, so did Jay and Beeru) and finally Shree was onstrike for the last ball and had to make a six, and couldn't.

Jay: That's twice in a row, Beeru! What isgoing on withIndia and Bermuda, anyway?

Those seemed to be Rawthe's sentiments exactly, when he cameup to receive the Man of the Match award for his unbeaten 103, frustration writlarge on his handsome face. Arjun got pretty nasty when they asked him abouthis team's performance today. He looked incredibly hot as he said all thisstuff. And I loved him with almost all my heart.

But I didn't cry for him, Argh

I gloated with a secret joy.

Even at that key moment, a moment designed to bring out thepatriotic deshpremi in even the most hardened of hearts, the moment when Shree Sentwacked that last ball away and it soared up into the air and started droppingtoo early, my heart hadn't dropped with it.

Oh no…My heart had soared on through, all the way over theboundary for a six, singing a vile victory song. It was only after we switchedoff the TV and I turned around with a smug satisfied smile to see the tearsstanding eyes of armaan.

Armaan: We lost! (Tearfully) India lost! They beat us,(turningto Rosh) Mummy! You said we were going to win but we didn't! We're losers.We're losers.

And that' when armaan went away crying leaving meshame-faced and guilty and wondering what exactly I was turning into....

***

The next few days were pretty quiet . The Super 8s weredrawing to a close all over Australia and New Zealand, So our boys now had almost a week off, inwhich time they could hang loose, practise at the nets and nurse any lingeringinjuries. I, of course, didn't dare callthem. I was too scared.

Meanwhile, the four of us did a lot of sightseeing around Melbourne.We rode on romantic trams everywhere, hired bikes and went cycling and took theMet to look at the World Cup trophy in the legendary MCG gallery.

It was on the train back from the MCG that Rinku Chachi suddenlygot a call from Gajju.

Chachi: Haan, G.Singh?

she went, her face lighting up happily.

Chachi: Hain? Kya? Oh, Riya se baat karni hai...

Looking a little amused,she handed me the phone.

Chachi: He wants to talk to you,

I tok the phone

Riya: Hi, Chacha, (cautiously)

Chachu: Riya! What is the true story? Everybody is askingme! They are saying you will know for sure!

Riya: Sorry, Chacha, what true story?

Chacha: Uff, you don't know?

Riya: No,(puzzled)

Gaju chacha: coach’s e-mail. Get a newspaper, child. What is theuse? You must know all these things. Information is power, you know!

Rinku chachi: boring as always, Worried about thephone bill.What did he want, Riya?

Riya: He wants me to read the paper,Chachi, Something about an e-mail...

We grabbed one as soon as we could.

***

The news stated a email which coach sent to Nikhil wasleaked online and was doing rounds. In that mail the coach clearly mentionedhis discomfort with robin rawal and he stated that Nikhil has to pick any ofthem.

***

Rosh read it aloud as we zoomed back to our hotel on theMet. It was potent stuff. We discussed it heatedly, all of us talking at once.Who'd have thought the strong and silent Wes Hardin had such depths to him? HadRawal really thrown the match? Him andRitu-dumper-Nivi and that quiet guy, Ali? And what was Rawthe's take on thewhole thing?

Investigative journalists scrutinized the Rawal-Lohiafriendship from the day it began, It was a sweet story.

Cho chweet.

Rinku Chachi : D'you think they're gay, beta?

Riya: No, I don't think they could be gay, Chachi, okay? Maybe...maybe he's on the take too, huh? How about that?

Roshini's( eyes widened): Hey, maybe he tore out the visafrom your passport!'

***

Of course I phoned Arjun the moment we got back, He didn'tsound at all surprised.

Arjun: Hi, Been reading the papers?

Riya: Yes, of course, How are you?

He laughed.

Arjun: Great, actually. I've no idea how that e-mail leaked.But I'm happy. It's quite a relief actually.

Riya: How's the coach sir?

Arjun: He's right here; He's been singing philosophicalcountry songs all morning. Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose;did you know that one, Riya?

Riya: Are you drunk?

He chuckled.

Arjun: No, of course not. I wouldn't hit the juice overRobin Rawal!

Riya: Where's he?

Arjun: I don't know. Shut up with his godfather in his fancysuite, I guess.

Riya: Maybe he'll give a press conference,

Rawthe: You know what? You could be absolutely right.

Riya: What about Wes? Is he talking to the media?

Arjun: He's switched off his phone, He still hasn'trecovered from the fact that somebody leaked his confidential e-mail.

Riya: Tell him, I'm flattered he doesn't want me sent hometoo, and listen, Roshini's got this weird theory. She thinks maybe Rawal toreout my New Zealand visa.

Arjun: Really? D'you know one paper in Lucknow is sayingyou're on the take too and that you tore out the visa yourself?'

Riya: Oh my God, I'd never thought of that!

Arjun: Another callcoming. I have to take it. Don't give any quotes, stay put in your hotel and -I'll try to come see you in the evening, okay?

Riya: Okay,

I said, but he'd cutthe phone already.

We stayed in our rooms and watched TV. The leaked e-mailscandal was on all the sports channels. In India it was the only thing thejunta was talking about. Rohan called me, on a crackly, buzzing connection fromarmy camp and yelled down the line,

Rohan: Shame on you, Gaalu! Taking ghoons from thechaddiwallahs! All my buddies are shunning me here.

I told him to shut up and get lost, but he went on and onfor a while, hiding his concern for me under all kinds of inane comments.

Riya: How are you, anyway? All quiet on the western front?

Rohan: Eastern, actually, Yeah, everything's quiet. Majorsnowstorms, of course, but I still have all my fingers and toes and am makinggood movements every five days.

Riya: snow! Your tent must stink.

Rohan: No, no, Gaalu, Our sleeping bags are totallyairtight,you know. Be good, okay. And tell Rinku Chachi to remember she's amarried woman. Tell her to leave all those hunky West Indian players alone. Ifher foot slips, we will not be able to show our face to the clan in KarolBagh...

He kept chattering away about inconsequential things for awhile, but he wasn't fooling me. Sure enough, as he was winding up, he askedcasually,

Rohan: So, did you think about what I told you last time?

Riya: No, Rohan, I didn't,

Immediately hung up on him.I got a lot of calls after thatfrom numbers I didn'trecognize (journos, I assumed) and ignored them all. By seven-thirty in the evening I figured arjunwas too busy to come over and got into my baggy pajamas and sat on the floor toput coconut oil in my hair.

Rinku Chachi got behind me on the sofa andstarted giving me a teeth-rattling champi, talking about her daughter, so faraway in boarding school.

That's when this breaking news came on and a thin Aussiesportscaster said: 'IndianSouthpaw Robin Rawal finally broke his silence with apress conference this afternoon,

So Rawal wasn't going home quietly. He'd cleverly given Wesa way out, by which he could save face and stick with the team till the end ofthe World Cup. My respect for Jogpal Lohia rose; he'd turned out to be quite aSubtle Bihari behind that beard, after all.

I didn't think it would work though. Wes didn't sound likehe was in the mood to deny the e-mail. Not from what Arjun had described to meof his state of mind in the morning. But Rosh and Chachi thought otherwise.

Rosh: Wait and see, they'll patch up and come to a compromise,Riya,

chachi banging the top of my oily head vigorously.

Chachi: This Weston will be on TV soon, saying ki I neverwrote any e-mail, Rawal is like my younger brother, it happens all the time.

Rosh:I think so too,After all, he wriggled his way into theside, didn't he? None of us thought he'd make it. Zing! didn't even want to renewhis contract!

I wanted to say that I didn't think Arjun rawthe was thesort of man who made compromises. But he'd let me pile on to his team table,hadn't he? And he'd accepted Rawal into his squad too. So maybe they had apoint. I'd been fast asleep for over an hour, I think, when the phone rang.

Arjun: Hello?

arjun’s deep voice came crisply on to the line.

Riya: Hi,

I said, sleepily.

Arjun: Are you up?'

Riya: Just about,

I said, sitting up in bed and cuddling the phone to my earhappily.

Arjun: Can you come down to the poolside?

Could I ever! I jumped out of bed, caught sight of myreflection in the mirror and froze in my tracks. My hair was all tied up in afat oily plait. I looked like a greasy laddoo.

Riya: Uh, can't we just talk on the phone.

There was a little pause, and then he said, a littleformally,

Arjun: Is there a problem?

Riya: No, yes...not really.

Arjun: Then come, no, Please. I don't have much time and Ireally want to meet you.

I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed. I looked trulyawful.

Riya: Okay...I'm coming,(sighing)Just don't laugh when yousee me, okay?

I hitched up my baggy pajamas, slipped on my fluffy shoesand headed for the poolside. He was sitting in the shadows on one of the deckchairs, and I don't think he recognized me at first. The light from the lobbymade me practically a silhouette and it wasn't till I was standing right infront of his face that he said, in an unsure voice,

Arjun: Riya?'

I sat down on the deck chair next to him.

Riya: I look horrible, I know.'

Arjun (laughed): No, it's just that I didn't recognize youat first. Is that why you didn't want to come downstairs.

I nodded crabbily.

Arjun: Seriously?

Riya: Yes, okay? I don't like meeting people when I looklike a gaalu aalu.

Arjun: You don't look –

He began to say, then a slight hint of impatience crept intohis voice. He shrugged and said,

Arjun: Never mind.

Oh God, he's got all this stress on his head and he thinksI'm only bothered about how fat my face looks. Quickly, I sat down nextto himand asked, in this very sensitive way,

Riya: So, what's the latest onthe stand-off?

Arjun: It's still just that. A stand-off. Wes refuses todeny the mail, Jogpal refuses to drop Rawal.

Riya: What are you going to do?

Arjun: I don't know. The whole thing has turned into a mediacircus. There's even an sms going around asking all true Indians to burn theirBermuda shorts.

Riya (giggled): Really?

Arjun: No,(his voice smiling in the dark) not really. Well,the good bit is that it's all come out into the open before the Super 8s. It'sa chance to sort things out before the matches start getting tougher.

Riya: That's good,

Arjun: In a way it's a second chance for me to fight for thesquad I really wanted.

I nodded, muttering something non-committal, feeling way outof my depth, but at the same time also feeling very important, because he washaving this high-level-type conversation with me. And then he said,

Arjun: What do you think, Riya?

Oh no, what would I know?

Riya: I don't know, (hesitantly) What's the worst that canhappen if you guys deny Wes wrote the mail, anyway?

Arjun: We can't really. The boys know how Wes feels. He didn'texactly make a secret of it. He totally bawled out Shree too, for not gettingthat last six.

I winced, remembering guiltily how happy I'd been when thathappened. Good job, Rawthe couldn't read my mind, he'd have probably thrown meinto the pool instead of stroking the back of my oily neck in the absent way hewas doing now.

Arjun: Basically, they all know he's written it. If hedenies it, he'll lose respect. If I back him up on it, I'll lose respect.Morale will plummet. And, of course, it'll mean fielding the same team we'vegot now. Ergo more dropped catches and run-outs. All because of the gloriousuncertainties of the game...

Arjun: And supposing you both say that yes, Wes did writeit?

Arjun: (shrugged): Well, the boys will rally around us, butif we lose the World Cup, we'll both lose our jobs practically as soon as weget home. Which will be okay for Wes, he can get another team to coach, but notso okay for me.

Riya: And if you win?

Arjun: Then it should pan out all right, I guess, All willbe forgiven. Happiness all round. But that's easier said than done, Riya. Thereare nine matches to go still, and we're not exactly the best team in town.

He pushed his dark hair back from his face with a frustratedgesture and glowered down at the calm swimming pool waters, a queer smiletwisting his (seriously sexy) mouth. I watched him with eyes full of desperation.I was crazy enough about him to tell him whatever he wanted to hear. Troublewas, I didn't know what he wanted to hear. And then he looked up at me, thequeer little smile almost savagely challenging. He asked again, Boost-browneyes boring right into mine,

Arjun: So, what do you think I should do, Riya?

Riya: See only thee eye of thee cup…only...thee eye of theecupboard.'

He gave an unamused laugh.

Arjun: Oh! That.

He pushed his hair back from his face again and saiddeliberately,

Arjun: Focus only on winning. Defy Lohia, you mean. And whatif I stick my neck out and we lose anyway? What about then?

I said, hesitantly, scared of him almost, with this odd moodupon him.

Riya: Then you'll know you did the right thing?

Rawthe gave a short laugh, and got to his feet.

Arjun: Do you have any idea, how difficult it was for me toget the captaincy a year ago? Any idea at all?'

I had to shake my head, no. Because I usually use the sportssections of newspapers to pick up Meeku's potty in.

Arjun: This is a very new, and very unstable team,There areno givens at all. Those guys can change us around, drop us, do whatever theylike. All I have to do is make one mistake. Just one. AndI'll be playing gallicricket for the rest of my life. So, what was that you said just now? Yes,knowing I did the right thing will be very cold comfort if I end up being thatcompletely uncool thing - an ex-captain.

I didn't say anything. There was really nothing to say.

Arjun: I have to go now,' he said.

I nodded relievedalmost.

Riya: Sure.

The queer glittering look left his eyes then. He let hishands rest on my shoulders, smiled and said

Arjun: Thanks for the chat.

Riya:Anytime

I said relieved,smiling up at him, like a lovelorn gaalu-aalu. He stood looking down at me fora while, then said mildly,

Arjun: What a pugnacious little chin you've got. I've nevernoticed it till today.

Riya: Thank you,

I said crossly, giving him a little push.

Riya: Goodnight.

He pulled me in for a long tight hug.

Arjun: Goodnight, Riya from AWB.'

I crawled back to my room and slept like the dead. When I wokeup, there was no sun in our usually gorgeously-sunny-in-the-morning room and Irealized it must be practically midday. My first thought was of Nikhil. Whathad he decided? I grabbed my phone and dialled his number but he'd switched itoff.

Then, when Ifound a note for me next to my toothbrush, I realized that Rinku Chachi wasmissing.She'd gone shopping with Rosh, apparently, and they wouldn't be backbefore three. Oh great, so now I would have to fret and worry all alone.

In a bid to relax, I ran a hot bubble bath and soaked in itfor a while. I got rid of all the oil in my head, then sat on my bed to comb itthrough with a wide-toothed comb. As I made neat sections and worked my waythrough the knots from tip to root, I wished there was a way I could untangleall the thoughts that were swirling around inside my head and giving me akiller headache.

Basically, I wasworried that my advice to Arjun had been too filmi and unreal and that he mightbe hassled with me for being such a fake.

Supposing he woke up this morning and thought, Hmm, who doesthat pompous, pontificating, chubby-cheeked chick with the oily plait think sheis anyway? I'm so done withher. Where's my little black book full of the phonenumbers of genuine, honest people like calendar models and Bollywood actresses?

It panicked me so badly I started feeling hungry. Not justnormal hungry, but Indian food hungry.

I scanned the Room Service menu but they had nothing desi onit. A quick rootle through the Mel-pages revealed no Indian restaurants closeby. The closest thing to Indian food in the vicinity was a tandoori pizza fromBenito's, so I ordered it and sat down to wait the mandatory half-an-hour,mindlessly flicking channels and worrying myself sick.

Maybe Arjun values people who tell him some hard truths, Itried telling myself. He's so surrounded by sycophants and insecure people allthetime.

But you're insecure too my brain whispered.

Riya(m.v): You want him to like you, you just told him whatyou thought would make him respect you more as a person. Would you ever seeonly thee eye of thee cup birrd if it meant losing your job?

Sure I would, I thought unhesitatingly.

Not your crummy twenty-grand-a-month job, my brain saidsnidely.

Arjun: His, like, thirty-lakhs-a-week job or whatever. Wouldyou stick your neck out if it meant losing that?

The truth is, I wasn't sure. I mean, I stand up for thenational anthem, and I cried when that fat kid made all the goras sing Saarejahan se achchha in the school scene in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum but thetruth isthat my patriotism has never really been tested.

So, basically I had no business advising Rawthe the way Idid. I had no idea about how much he'd struggled to get where he was today.

Damn.

Where was the tandoori pizza anyway? I was starving.

I waited and waited and was finally reduced to eatingeverything in theminibar before calling Benito's and abusing them. They saidthey were very sorry, but my delivery boy had met with an accident (theyactually expected me to believe that?) and that they'd send me a free pizza inthe evening.

So I was full of Planters' peanuts and Ferrero Rochers andvery, very crabby when my three shaapper-owns trooped in at three-thirty. Armaaninstantly put on Disney channel in his room and Chachi went to sleep in ours soI couldn't watch the news there any more. I did try to bully Armaan into givingme the remote but Rosh gave me such a filthy look that I desisted.

Rosh: Don't you dare,the child needs his daily dose of nicenourishing television and I need some adults-only conversation or I'llcrack up.

So we poured ourselves a couple of adults-only drinks andsat out on Rosh's balcony, watching the sun go down.

And that's where Arjun rawthe strode in at seven-fifteen,brandishing a copy of that evening's tabloid. He lifted me off my feet, swungme around in the air, kissed me resoundingly on the mouth, and declaredlaughingly,

Arjun: Riya, I believe it now, you really are a lucky, luckycharm!

***

The Evening Star

Sports section:

LUCKY CHARM BREAKS AN ARM

DOCTORS SAY NO WORRIES, NO LONG-TERM HARM!

ROBIM RAWAL HIT A PIZZA DELIVERY BOY AND THE ORDER HE WASCARRYING TO MISS RIYA..THE OFFICIAL LUCKY CHARM.

***

tbc

Wow that was a great update...really loved it specially ariya kiss....nd thank god u finally updated this story....do give the nxt update soon...

Nice update

Love it

Continue soon

Awesome update

Love it..

Plz continue soon

Read the last three parts. Every part was nice.

Riya's father was reluctant but let her go.

Looks like both didn't want to let go of their ego & for that the date didn't happen.

Both were jealous misunderstanding others situation😆

Liked their evening moments. Arjun gift a bracelet to Riya written their name letter, so sweet. But that was bad Riya couldn't figure out😆

I think someone intentionally didn't get Riya's visa to be sure with the lucky charm.

I really liked the conversation Ariya had in last part. Arjun wanted a support from his close one's which he seemed to find in Riya.

I really want the team win at least one match without Riya but looks like it'll not happen.

Wish we would be given some scene from Arjun's POV.

Thanks for the PMs.

Continue soon.

Plz update this story....