Passive Aggressive

18 As a father...

"Why would I be embarrassed? I'm very much comfortable with Arnav. Don't you know that Arnav?"

Arnav was silent. Ratna wondered as he did not deny.

"You know Aunty, Arnav agreed to come to our college trip only for me"

Ratna looked at him, getting thunderstruck. Arnav was going on the college trip? She wanted not to faint again. Arnav's silence confirmed that he was going on the trip.

"At first he was not ready to come... after that, he agreed... only for me... am I right Arnav?"

Arnav was silent.

"Say yes... then only Aunty will trust me. Otherwise, she will think I'm lying"

Arnav looked at Ratna and nodded yes. Ratna was overawed. She smiled contently, whereas Arnav sighed inwardly. He knew what his mother was thinking. This was why he didn't tell her anything because he didn't want to give her FALSE hope but he was unable to stop Khushi from giving her hope. Khushi was doing that unintentionally and he could do nothing.

"Come... you can stay in this room..." Ratna said, pointing at a particular room next to Arnav's.

"Is it a guest room?"

"Maybe, from here on, we can say it is a guest room because you are the first guest who is going to stay here"

"Is it? Don't your relatives come here?"

"No... because we don't have close relatives"

"Strange..."

"I will bring you tea. Have it" Ratna went to the kitchen.

Khushi ran her eyes in the living room.

"Your house gives me a pleasant feel you know," She said smiling, and walked to the going-to-be guest room.

Arnav stood not knowing whether he should follow her or not. She liked the room very much. It was compact like a kids' room.

"Arnie..." She called him, sitting on the bed.

Arnav walked in.

"This room is so cute... I liked it very much" She was so glad.

Arnav smiled. Khushi opened the window of the room and looked outside. She saw an umbrella-like hut without walls in the backyard.

"Arnie... What's that?"

"We just spend time if we get to be at home"

"Let's go there..." she said gleefully.

"Not now... we will go tomorrow morning"

"Why not now?"

"It's already started getting dark... there would be venomous insects... that's why"

"Ohh..."

Keeping her bag in the room, she came out. At the same time, Ratna came with tea. Khushi sat on the couch, taking a cup.

"Thank you, Aunty" she sipped it.

"Mmmm... so tasty..." she said relishing it.

Ratna smiled. She could not still believe Arnav brought Khushi to their home.

"Aunty, I did not want to sleep but study but after seeing the guest room bed arrangement, I so want to sleep, covering myself with a quilt. The room is so awesome..."

"It was Arnav's childhood room. He was there until he was ten. After that, he changed his room"

"How could you give up on such a cute room?" she asked.