"Aapko bas yeh sari kitaben sahi sequence aur sahi author ke base par set karni hain."
Norah nods, her gaze flickering between the boxes filled with tons of novels. Probably a century old. Waiting to be dust.
"Chalega na?" The old man snaps again, uncertainty clouding his face. Norah smiles, enthusiasm radiating off her.
"Chalega nhin daudega uncle!" She mumbles, firmly clasping her hands together. The tiny bookstore, seemingly covered in dust, seems like home to Norah. She's already learnt one thing- The smell of old books is even better than the new ones.
Their probably couldn't be a better job than this! Her fingers wrap around one from the box, she swiftly blows on it, freeing it from the dust. It's time to get started!
Thirty minutes fly away and so does Norah's chirpiness. The high-pitched sound of the vegetable seller, yelling his own mantra just around the corner, fills the silence in the store.
The old man slurps from his tea, very peculiarly noticing her actions. A sigh escapes Norah, before she sulks. This is the sixth weird book title she's come across.
It's like the author didn't even bother to think—
"Aap bhi likhti hain?" The old man's shaky voice makes her head snap towards him. She casts him a tight smile.
"Likhti thi" She breathes, before crouching to grab another set of books.
"Esa kyon?" The old man mumbles, leaning back into his chair, his belt almost reaching his chest.
"Kya karen, aajkal ke log esi kitaben padte hain, hamare talent ki kisko kadar!" Norah almost whines, stacking the books in correct order.
"Esi kitaben matlab?" The old man counters back, curiosity evident in his tone. Norah swiftly turns around with a book clutched between her fingers.
"Five signs you're falling in love" She reads, the exact title of the book. Faint sunlight brushes her face.
"Esi kitaben, jiska naam bhi bina soche rakhagya ho!" She spats, motioning towards it, before returning back to work.
A soft chuckle escapes the old man, a smile playing on his withered skin.
"Aapki shaadi ho gyi?" He says, which unknowingly brings Norah to a still. She gulps, a nervous laugh escaping her. She hesitantly shakes her head, wondering if this would effect her share of the property—
"Kabhi koi chakkar?" The old man urges again, rubbing his palms together.
"Unfortunately nahin" Norah says with a click of her tongue. It was true though. Seeing her first—one and only crush in high school, kiss her own best friend, is heart-wrenching.
"Fir mein yeh hi kahonga ke don't judge a book by it's cover" The old man blows on his glasses, before wearing them. Norah gets back to work, rolling her eyes.
It takes tons of effort, for her, to create covers, of course she'll judge the covers!
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Fateh's gaze keeps on flickering to his left. Well, yeah, why shouldn't it. She practically thinks she owns the house.
Her foot is most annoyingly planted on the edge of the chair while she eats. Oh and don't even talk about what she eats.
Ramen with coke. With absolutely no self-guilt. She rotates her fork, swiftly twisting the noodles around it. Her hand stills, as if she's just noticed his ever-lasting gaze.
She instantly points towards the bowl, silently trying to offer him. He, who would puke if he even smells it from up close.
"That is poison" Fateh spats, casting it a disgusting glare, as if it's committed a crime. Norah plops the fork into her mouth with a shrug.
"Toh woh kya hai" She mumbles with her mouth-full, pointing towards his plate of freshly boiled vegetables. Just freshly boiled vegetables.
In perfect proportion. Half a bowl cooked beans, a small heap of broccoli and not to forget- tons of spinach.
"Zindagi" Fateh sighs, plopping his fork of broccoli into his mouth. Norah let's out a sharp breathe of laughter.
"I'd rather die" She grits, a shiver running down her spine. How can somebody eat everything so kacha- as in raw!
"Oh and that you will, don't worry" Fateh counters back, his gaze finally dropping to his plate.
"Tum bachpan se hi ese ho?" Norah mutters, letting go of her fork with a soft clink.
"Kam se kam mein bachpane se bahar toh nikla" Fateh says, sarcasm dripping off his posture. Norah bites her tongue.
"Aur tabhi 60 saal ke buddhe ban gaye!" She chuckles, clearly trying to hit a blow.
"Shut up" Fateh breathes, evidently exhausted. It seems as if none of them would stop with the come-backs.
Norah rolls her eyes, resisting the urge to shout "make me". She knows he would not waste a minute to kick her out.
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Norah scrolls again and again and again, each reel getting tedious. She scratches her head, rather furiously, making her hair a ready-mess.
A sharp bell pierces through the door, instantly making Norah's heart pound in her chest. This would definitely give her a heart attack.
She scrolls again, this time chewing a nail—The bell rings again, making her head finally snap towards the door.
Her gaze diverts to his room, closed room. Is he taking a dump or something? She hastily scrambles of the couch, slumping all the way towards the door.
Who can it be anyways, probably an Amazon delivery—The lock clicks open, and the door swings with a creak.
Jujhar wide-eyed, glares back at her. His gaze unwantingly diverting to her bare thighs. It takes him a moment to fully analyze.
A girl in mini shorts at this time of the day. His lips part.
"My brother is not a virgin anymore! "
YOU ARE READING
Just For Inheritance
Romance"Money can't buy love." Could be True. But Money can definitely buy an unlimited data pack, Netflix subscriptions, Two half-plate pav bhaji( Two half mein one se zyada milta hai:}) and that in-trend Denim Jacket. What's the need for love when you...
