The Enigmatic Outlander

30 - Let's go meet that Asshole with a fancy name

This is my cue, I need to leave now.

I walked out to find the room filled with all the others. "Guys, she asked you guys to stop coming here every day. Why do you keep coming?" Cam asked scowling at my classmates.

"Because we love her." Haru said with a matching scowl.

"If you really do, please understand that she feels uncomfortable when people come home to visit her as if she is a sick person."

"Guys, you know how she is. She doesn't want anyone to see her weak. Let's respect her and leave now." Sam said trying to stop the two from quarreling.

"But- but" Haru stuttered.

"Come on buddy. Let's leave them." Mabel said pulling him by his sleeve. Soon the others started leaving.

"Aren't you gonna come?" Jordan asked looking at Rishab.

"Naah. I gotta take care of Ajji." he said with a careless shrug.

"Who?" Jordan asked and Rishab just shook his hand around gesturing that he will tell later.

"What does Ajji mean?" I asked after they all left.

He shrugged. "Never bothered to know. The siblings always called her Ajji and I just copied them. But I am guessing it means Granny." He said and I frowned.

She just introduced telling that she was her aunt. Right, she said 'Aunt/Granma.'

"Oh lover boy, don't take the meaning literally. We Indians put relationship tags on everyone. They were just neighbors. But they could as well be a family. Ajji is as much as my grandma as she is to them. In fact, to the Mahfouz siblings, she is the only grandma they ever knew of. Though they aren't related by blood." He explained. I learned to ignore the nick name the boys gave me for a really long time.

"Why don't you know the meaning when you all live together?" I asked him again.

"Oh come on, we lived in Delhi all our lives. But Ajji is actually from the south. Almost every other state in India has a different language. So yeah, I don't actually speak her mother tongue. Neither can Amtul. She can understand the language though." He said and rolled his eyes at my expression.

Every state has their own language? What the hell?!

"I need to leave. My exam starts in like an hour." Cam said picking up his books from the table. "Thank you for the breakfast Mrs. Martinez." He said and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"How many more times should I tell you before you start calling me Avery or Tia?" she asked and he blushed at her. "I like your sister better. I even like Rish better. Look at that boy, he came in just a week or so ago and he calls me auntie without any problem." She said to which she received a wink from the said boy, Rishab.

"Indians generally do that." Cam grumbled.

"Indians don't shamelessly flirt with woman who is 25 years older than them." my brother said, sleepily walking out of his room and kissing the top of Tia's head.

"We Indians are versatile." He said with a smirk. When all of us looked at him with straight face he rolled his eyes. "Fine, blame me. Not my country."

"I am gonna go in and tell Amy." Cam said walking in.

"I'm coming too." he said and both walked in.

"So, how's she?" Leo asked.

"Oh my God! I was so excited to see her. At first I was like 'No way! That's not the musician. It's just some old woman who looks like her. But then when Shaden introduced us to each other, God! I can't believe I just met my favourite song writer. And she is just next door. Man! This must be a dream." I said with a dreamy sigh.