Arhi FF 'Sandcastle' Th 1. Reposted all the parts - Page 7

Chapter 1

Pressing his knuckles over his eyes, Arnav blinked twice before opening them. He stared around the room for a while, confused and propped on his elbow to inspect the place. The room was colored with bright orange and pale yellow on two walls, while a wall was covered with bookshelves. It took him a second to realize he was not in his room. Remembering the last night, he sighed with a yawn. The Carnatic music blasted from the speakers that he could not identify. Climbing off the bed, he stared at the room with keen interest. The place was comfortable, giving him a feel of home, and reminding him of the sun's early rays. It was quarter past 7 and he had to start his day early in order to reach the office in time. Groaning and cursing under his breath, he called the cab and enquired about the transportation he had planned already. His car would reach him in a few days.

The shrill ring of his phone broke his trance and he diverted his gaze from the bright walls. "Amma," he answered with a smile, as he ruffled his hair and unlocked the door, letting the early morning rays and breeze hit him. The open terrace was arranged with plant pots to a side, he noticed in the broad light, and there were few wire ropes hung from one corner to the other. A concrete bench was arranged in the front portion. It held a magical feeling and Arnav could not help but remembered similar structures back in his mother's parental hometown."Eppadi irukkinga?" (How are you?)He asked his mother and heard her giggle.

"I am lost," his mother said with a sigh, "you never speak to me in that language when I tried but you will initiate whenever you are away from me. Why is that, Suriya?"

"It's Arnav, Amma," he groaned with closed eyes, "how many times do I need to ask you to not call me that?" he lowered his voice when he noticed someone at the stairs, "and I thought you will be happy about it. But clearly, you are not."

He sighed when he heard laughter from the other end. Giving his mother to overcome whatever joke she remembered about his childhood, as he was sure that was the next thing she would bring in every call whenever he was away in a business trip, he looked at the girl, who stood at the front part of the terrace. With one look at her behind, he knew she was not Bindu, and her mother. She was the one Mr. Yalavarti was shouting at when he entered the place. He tried to remember the way the elder man addressed this girl but unable to point at it. His eyes then travelled down, taking in her appearance. Her waist-length hair was wet and left open, making it stick to her like a second skin and she was wearing a long skirt and a sari blouse, with a dupatta draping around it like a sari. Half sari, he distantly remembered his mother speaking about it to his cousin. And he had seen such kind of half sari's in his childhood.

"I don't understand you," his mother complained, breaking his gaze, "it was you who wanted that name like your cousins did. Now, you feel it embarrassed to be called by your own name, is it?" he heard the sarcastic tone from the other side, his father's, calling him, "good morning, Suriya!"

"That is the reason I never attempted to change it, Amma," Arnav said helplessly, "because I liked it but you have to understand that I am not a kid and it is really funny to introduce by that name. Come on, Avinash Singh Raizada sounds so powerful but my name..."

"Come on, Suriya," his mother chuckled while stressing the word Suriya' to annoy him, "your name does not sound bad too. In fact, it has a new ring in it, you know. Arnav Suriyaprakash Raizada."

Arnav wanted to shot back at his parents for teasing him with his middle name but controlled his urge, as he watched the girl. She arched her head, facing the sun that came out of the clouds, with a copper kalash in her hands. He stepped forward to have a clear view and watched her hands extending in an angle, and she started emptying the water from the kalash slowly, her eyes fixed on the sun through the water.

"I will call you later," Arnav said into the phone and disconnected the call before his mother could object. He then watched her offering the water to the sun, her lips parting and closing as she recited some mantras silently. He let his eyes travel her length, noticing her hair sticking on her bare waist, her black hair contrast with her complexion. She then, after emptying the vessel, bent down to touch the water and placed her fingers on her forehead, making it wet. She touched the water and then her eyes and followed the same to her throat. She then offered her last praying to the sun and turned around, only to be stopped as soon as she saw him. "Good morning," Arnav wished her with a friendly smile.

She returned his smile with a swift one, her dark eyes glaring at him, making him wonder about her reaction. Before he could ask, she snapped, "Amma asked me to inform you that she is preparing breakfast for you." She eyed him suspiciously and asked, "Are you okay with our food? I mean, do you not want to have some of your likings in any hotel?"

Arnav pretended to think about her suggestion, while in reality, he was enjoying her hostility. He wondered she was different from the family that extended hospitality to him not twelve hours ago. "I think you are right," he said suppressing his chuckle, "I prefer some hotel over your homemade food but you see," he said as friendly as he could, "I can't hurt your mother with my rejecting now, can I?"

Before he could get any reply, he heard another voice and turned around to see Bindu walking with a bucket in her hand. "Good morning," she wished him, "where your office is located, Arnav? I can help you with the easiest way to reach there."Bindu then turned to the girl and said, "godava padadamledu kada, Khushi. Ayina neku late avvadamleda? Vellu, Nanna pilustunnaru." (You are not fighting with him, right, Khushi. Anyways, aren't you late? Leave now, father is calling you.)

Khushi. Arnav smiled at the younger one, while Bindu made her way towards the ropes and started hanging the wet cloths. "Thank you for extending a helping hand," he said, while his eyes watched in amusement as the girl, Khushi, left the place, muttering under her breath, "it is somewhere in Banjara Hills or something and I got the directions. Cab will be here anytime now. I have to go, start my day."

Arnav bid goodbye and closed the door, making his way to the bathroom. He did not want to be late on his first day or else he was sure, Aman would eat him alive.

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"Khushi, come here."She tried to ignore the call as she climbed down the stairs but decided against it. Instead, she walked towards her father and sat on the steps, beside him as he folded the newspaper and placed aside. "Are you still upset with me?" he asked calmly, knowing well that she was not so pleased with his decision.

"I hate you," Khushi snapped at him but snuggled close to him as he pulled her with his arm around her shoulder. "I know Papa that you thought a lot before deciding this. But, is it really necessary to allow a stranger live with us? I mean, come on, Papa. Why do you think I will be okay with it?"

Arvind laughed at his younger daughter at her childishness. He signaled his wife to look at their kid when she handed him coffee mug. "Who said Khushi is very understanding girl?" he asked his wife, pretending that he was thinking about the person, "all I can see is the same Khushi who cried when she was four just because we asked her to handover Bindu's doll."

"This is not funny," Khushi glared at him, "and this is definitely not a similar situation, Papa. You actually want me to allow that stranger stay in my room for a month. My room! I can't believe I have rivals in my own family."

"Let's do this then," Arvind suggested in a final attempt, "you will get the chance to choose everything in our family time as long as you allowed Arnav to stay in your room without creating any scene or doing any naughty things to scare him."

Khushi jumped in his arms with happiness. "That meant you are ready to fulfill my wishes," she asked curiously, "is that what you really mean, Papa? Can I choose anything?"

"Wait a second Papa," Bindu shouted as she heard the last part. Placing the now empty bucket aside, she sat on the other side of Arvind and said, "the first thing our Khushi wants us is to take her to that scary house' in the mall and kill us with her scary ghosts for nine whole minutes. The second is, we have to take her to the tank bund and buy her loads of ice cream at 1 AM. Now," Bindu winked at Khushi, "are you up to that challenge, Papa?"

"This is cheating," Khushi shouted at her elder sister, "you are jealous that Papa loves me more than he loves you, you pussy cat."

"And you think you can actually have anything in your way?"Bindu retorted, "not a chance, you monkey."

"God!" Arvind raised his hands in mid air and looked at his wife, "I thought I have two beautiful daughter, Shailu. Who would have guessed I have two devils as daughters!"

"Papa!" they both shouted at their father before walking away in their respective directions.

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