Chapter 17 - Dil se Dil tak!

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When Arnav and Mohan Kaka returned to Raizada Mansion, the first thing Mohan Kaka did was warm Arnav's food and told him to wait at the dining room to have his dinner and meds before retiring to his room.

While Mohan Kaka was in the kitchen, Ratna came downstairs and found her son in the dining room. She approached him with a confused expression written on her face, "Arnav.. what are you doing here alone?"

"Kaka is reheating my food. I'm about to have dinner," Arnav replied.

"Oh God. You haven't had dinner yet. Do you realize what time it is? Why don't you make an effort to come home early and have dinner with all of us? Is it necessary to work till late at night every day?" she asked in a worried tone, scolding him with a frown adorning her forehead.

"What to do? I never had anyone to remind me of my mealtimes back in London, so I've become used to this routine of eating on irregular schedules," Arnav shrugged, staring at her accusingly.

"Can you stop taunting me and talk to your mother normally for once?" Ratna sighed as she pushed a chair to sit next to him.

"Your father made this decision to send you to study abroad because he had plans for you, son. Just look at the man you have become now. We are proud to have a son like you," She looked at him with pride, raising her hand to stroke his hair, but Arnav tilted his head to the side and looked away, refusing this gesture of affection from his mother.

"Arnav, stop it," she looked at him, hurt.

"What?" he looked back at her defiantly, "Weren't you the one who refused to show affection and care towards me when I was a child because you and my father didn't want me to turn into a sensitive, emotional, delicate and weak man? Now, what's the use of this affectionate behaviour of yours?" 

"Don't tell me you still think about the things that happened in the past. I just can't believe this. Look at you, look around you, Arnav. You've everything, you're privileged, not everyone is lucky to have this kind of lavish lifestyle like you. Your father sent  you to one of the best schools and universities in London. And now you're handling all the properties that he worked so hard to get. Everything is being handed to you and Anjali on a silver platter, but you two aren't even grateful for your privileged background. You are whining over your past, and Anjali, instead of getting involved in the family business, stays at home crying because she wants to become a professional photographer. I don't understand you two. Why don't you two just enjoy life and stop cribbing all the time?" Ratna sighed, caressing her temple stressed.

"Can you leave me alone and let me have my dinner in peace?" Arnav asked with a straight face when Mohan Kaka came with his food.

Ratna sighed hard, staring at him offended as she got up to leave from there. 

At the dining table, Mohan Kaka stood a little behind Arnav, thinking whether to wait or not for him to finish his food.

Arnav glanced at him, "Sit. Bodyguard banke kyun khade ho mere piche? (Why are you standing behind me like a bodyguard?)"

An embarrassed Mohan sat on a chair as he watched Arnav eat his food silently.

"Theek ho na beta? (Are you okay, son?)," Mohan Kaka gulped as he asked hesitantly. He didn't know if Arnav would like to be questioned about his wellbeing at this moment, after the kind of conversation he had with his mother. He ended up eavesdropping their conversation and felt bad seeing him question his mother over her behaviour with him in the past, and his mother dismissed his feelings and pain like that and then made him feel that he should be grateful for everything they as parents did for him because of the privilege he has for being their son.

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