Arrival, Contemplations, and Insistence
Malik's Penthouse
7:45 PM
Khanak got back to the penthouse around five and fixes dinner just as she had told Armaan she would. She had found everything in the kitchen to cook up a non-veg main course for him. Her mind compares her present lifestyle with her past one. How things were back when she was in Mumbai…the apartment where her mother had taught her all that she knows about cooking now. It wasn't anything like this luxury kitchen she is standing in now…but her senses can revisit it anytime she wants, she just has to close her eyes and imagine the noise, the dirt, the grey beach…it's all there in her memory.
She has even dressed up for the evening in a very simple gold chiffon saree. It's very plain with just a few intricate sequencing on the blouse and hemline. Her light make up and simply styled hair would only be obvious to an expert, but to any other eye it's all very subtle and natural.
Clock reads 8:15… her wait continues around the dining table.
"Hey…" Armaan's soft acknowledgment reaches her as she slowly moves her resting head off from the surface of the dining table. Her exhaustion had led her drowsiness to hover over her senses while she waited.
"App…"
"Took forever, I know… I'm sorry…" He says kneeling down on the expensive rug underneath the contemporary dinning setting.
"Umm..voh.."
"From the looks of it, I don't think you have helped yourself to any of this deliciousness I see…" He gestures visually towards the edible arrangements in front of them.
"Nahi…"
"Then lets…I'll warm this up…it looks lovely!" He says getting himself up and about instantly with one of the crystal bowls. It's all a bit too fast for Khanak's senses to grasp but a faint smile appears on her lips as she watches Armaan Malik walk away towards the kitchen, complimenting her preparations.
………….
Battery Park City, Big Apple
Sachdev Residence
12:15 AM
He turns off his Mac book and finds that the stack of mail he had brought with him to his study hours ago is still untouched…he had intentions of sorting it out, but instead he got himself caught up in responding to almost 2 dozen emails he had received within the past three days…conferences…rounds…fellowships…life of a Psychiatrist… nothing new about his work load.
Bills…invites (mostly Raina's)…more bills…catalogues… Fairgrounds Festival of Lights (a Christmas event in Hamburg, NY)
Darya would enjoy it… He knows for certain as he remembers seeing her excited last year around this time when she saw the city light up like magic for the first time…
"Staying up…?" Raina appears through the wooden doorframe of the study.
"Yeah…I…just sorting the mail…"
"I see…you can put mine aside…"
He nods in response and looks back down at the picture promoting Festival of Lights.
"Shaan…" Raina walks up with her arms hugging her robe wrapped slim figure.
He looks up at her…she pauses, thinks…walks herself even closer up towards him…he puts the mail aside…her kneeling down by him provokes his curiosity further…
"I…I am sorry…"
"For..?"
"Yelling…Dari didn't deserve that…"
"No, no she doesn't…"
"Please…I just…I wasn't myself…"
"When are you…yourself…??"
Raina sighs…her hand reaches out to his… her touch has no effect on him and so his indifference is intact…
"Do you forgive me…? I'll make up to Dari…"
"You do that…"
"I will…"
He nods, his hand pulls away from hers…she doesn't let go.
"It's getting late for you…go to bed…" He says
"I could say the same for you…"
"I can't… I have a few things left to do…"
She gets up nodding, leans over, and kisses his cheek.
"Good Night…" She lets go of his hand.
……………………
100 Maspeth Avenue @ Olive St, Brooklyn
Pre-School
Miss. K keeps her adorable class busy with arts and crafts since it's an official snow day for the city outside and weather related delays are expected from parents this afternoon…(with exceptions of a few, of course)
"Woww! What a beautiful snowflake Katie…would you like me to string it up…?"
"Yes! Can I help tooo…?"
"Of course, sweetie, in fact let's get that stepping ladder and you can hang it up on the wall yourself…" She offers politely before going back towards her desk to grab the string.
"Missh K…" a distinct sweet call halts Khanak's advancing steps and she turns around.
"Yes Darya…?"
"Dari needs strinngg twoo...!"
A small laugh escapes Khanak's mouth as she lowers herself down to Darya's desk; it earns her a cute little nose crinkling facial expression that they usually do on "their" moments.
"I'll get right on it…!" Khanak complies getting back up.
The snowflake hanging activity goes well for everyone in the classroom and soon the huge arts and craft wall is filled with symbols of winter…snowman, snowflakes, skiing rods…whatever the genius three and four year olds can come up with is there…
"Wooow! You guys have done an awesome job! Let me see if I can get Ms. Roberts next door to come and take a class picture of us…"
"I don't mind taking it…" it's not Ms. Roberts leaning against the classroom door, dressed crisply in navy Dockers and jet black outerwear.
"Daadddyyy!"
Dari makes a reflexive run towards him... Khanak is not surprised at his timely arrival regardless of weather delays that everyone else is experiencing.
"Hey Munchkin!" He greets his daughter lifting her up in his arms, hugging her to him.
Meanwhile kids arrange themselves for the picture and when Khanak turns to call out to Darya she is already slipping down her father's hold to get to her…
"Ready everyone…?" He says pulling out his iPhone 5.
A synchronous "CHEESE" sounds off after the kids pull Khanak in and center her amongst themselves. He clicks a couple of times…multiple snaps are always good…the fifth one, has Darya hugging Khanak's denim covered legs she has paired with her teal turtle neck sweater and leather boots. He snaps a few more before kids decide to disperse around…
"I'll forward you these…" He says holding up his gadget.
"Thank You…"
"Daddy! Daddy..! liya app ne..?" Darya came up to him in a rush as if she had remembered something very important.
"Kya…? What my munchkin…?" He brings himself down to her level and questions back.
"Tchits…lights ke liyaay…"
"Ooh! That…haan…kal ajaaye gay…" He smiles, glad to see Darya comfortable with Hindi in a setting that wasn't their home or Mahavi's.
"Can Mish.K come too…? pleazzzee…"
Shaantanu looks up at Khanak who is observing the father-daughter interaction infront of her. She isn't sure of what Darya is going off about.
"I…I'm not sure.."
"Daddy pleaseee…pleazzee…! preetty please..."
"Okay…you ask her and see what she says…" Shaantanu turns his little one by her shoulders so that she is facing her teacher's curious eyes that are looking down at her.
"App aaogay…Dari ki saath..?" She makes the cutest plea, without messing up any of her Hindi. It make Khanak proud and Shaantanu surprised.
Khanak remains in her place, smiling genuinely at the little girl who she has grownfond of. Not because of her heart condition and definitely not out of pity…perhaps, the reason is just too difficult to pinpoint…to put in words for now…
"Hum ja kahaa rahay hain…?" She lowers herself down to her level and reaches for Darya's tiny hands so she can hold them in her own.
"Chistmas lights dekhnay…pleaazeee come!"
"Hmmm…Phir toh mujhe aana he paray ga…" Khanak agrees giving in to Darya's wish with only a slight pretense of thinking and earns Darya's overwhelmed hug in return before she runs back off to join her classmates.
"You didn't have to…"
"No, I did…" She counters his statement looking out to a very excited and happy Darya who couldn't contain the huge grin on her adorable face. "Mujhe bata saktay hain tickets kahaan se…"
"Don't worry...main arrange kar loonga…"
"Per pay main khud karoongi…"
"I am insisting..." There is some sort of a hidden command in the way he said it.
Khanak nods in response and is quiet as he fills her in on the details about the event. Their conversation is very usual, very real…she couldn't get herself to think twice about the long drive to the Festival, the fact that she'd be with him and Darya, just the three of them…nothing is "unusual"…not to her..not to him...to them.
For as long as Khanak Goyal could remember, this is the real her…known for giving in to genuine gestures wholeheartedly…it's who she is as a person…but she isn't Khanak Goyal anymore…She is Khanak Malik, married to Armaan Malik.
The realization hits her only after she steps out through the snow covered pavement and finds Armaan leaning against his silver Corvette, waiting for her with a smile and a dozen pink roses in his gloved hands.
...
P.S: ...And again...The parallels in their lives strike again...let me know your brainy thoughts on it...take care!
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