Author :
Continuing from where we left.
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Happy Reading!
:)
• • •
At Anshuman's Home 🏡 :
(Backyard of house, in the lawn.)
"Looks like you are enjoying a lot!" Bhishma comments at his best friend seeing her sitting alone looking at the group.
He sits beside her when she says smiling brightly, "हद से ज़्यादा!"
[ Translation : "Too much!" ]
She narrows her eyes at him, "Where were you? I have been calling you."
"I had to take care of something." He says sighing.
"You should also take some rest Chauhan. Look at you! All tired and irritated, I can tell." She says being worried for her Dadaa who nods slightly then asks, "Why are you sitting alone?"
"No one is interested in sitting with me." She shrugs and adds smiling sarcastically, "What an amazing welcome Party!"
He looks at her knowing well she doesn't care at all but is somewhere hurt with their behavior, however he knows well she will not say a word about it. He leans forward the table joining his palms with elbows resting on the table and says, "I wanted to ask you something?" She raises an eyebrow in question to which he asks, "Why were you being so hesitant while hugging everyone?"
She narrows her eyes at him as if he asked the dumbest question and stares in a funny way.
*Background crickets' sound.*
"I want to know." Bhishma says sternly.
She looks at her Dadaa with a forced smile then makes an irritated face saying, "You already know that then why are you asking?"
Bhishma knows that it has been long since the last time she met her parents and family and that's why it's awkward for her to be there all of a sudden with her family. However, he knows there is one more reason or may be too many to mention.
Bhishma rolls his eyes at her not wanting to remind her of something he himself hates the most and takes out a new Android from his blazer's pocket. He hands it to her saying, "Here, take this. Your new phone with new number and from now on you will use this one. And yeah, all of their numbers are already in your phone except for some kids, whom you don't know much."
"I hardly know anyone here but hey! Wait! And what about my previous one?" She asks the last part bewildered.
"Well you are not gonna use the same number here." He says simply making her facepalm earning some chuckles from the adults at her funny way which gets the youngsters attention towards her table where they find her facepalming at Bhishma. Arushi giggles looking at her when Nishi says further unknown to the attention, "Arreee.........I mean फ़ोन खरीदने की क्या ज़रूरत थी? I already have one! सिर्फ सिम दे देते काम चल जाता न!"
[ Translation : "Ugh! I mean, what was the need to buy a phone? I already have one! Just giving the SIM would have worked, wouldn't it?" ]
Bhishma sighs and says, "What about it's IMEI no.? That's the issue."
She narrows her eyes at him and says scrunching her nose, "बहुत बढ़िया! मतलब भाईसाहब! प्रोटेक्शन के नाम पे इन्ना फालतू खर्चा करना कोई आपसे सीखे!" She says dramatically gesturing towards him with her both hands.
[ Translation : "Very good! Means, Bro! Someone should learn from you to spend money unnecessarily in the name of protection!" ]
He sighs, "Baby, I can't do anything in this one."
She gives him a bright fake smile, "Dadaa! आपने पहले भी क्या उखाड़ लिया था?"
[ Translation : "Dadaa, what did you do before?" ]
"Shut up!" He says boringly which makes her confused then she smiles mischievously and asks as if he is a baby, "पप्पा ने डाँटा?"
[ Translation : "Father scolded?" ]
He nods pouting making some elders chuckle amusedly seeing him acting like a kid for the first time. She laughs at him to which he makes an irritated face and whines, "Stop laughing at me! Will you?"
"Not really!" She says giggling making her mother smile seeing her laugh carefree. He glares at her shutting her giggling to which after few seconds she bursts out laughing. Bhishma folds his hands and looks at his youngest bestie angrily.
"He never behaved like this with us." Vinayak, Manav's father says in a daze and Avneesh chuckles while Vineet just stares at his daughter's laughing state.
"हंसो! हंसो! बहुत मज़ा आ रहा है न?" He asks her smiling fakely with anger to which she nods repeatedly laughing at him.
[ Translation : "Laugh! Laugh! You are having a lot of fun, aren't you?" ]
He makes a face then gets up shouting getting attention with his irritation, "Fine! You laugh, I'm leaving!"
Nishi grabs his hand stopping him and says laughing, "अच्छा, I'm sorry यार! Sit na!"
The scene earns some giggles and smiles from here and there except Vihaan, Kabir, Akriti, Arika and Anshuman.
[ Translation : "Alright, I'm sorry man! Sit no!" ]
He gets irritated and sits while complaining, "This is all because of your father! He makes me work day and night without offering any break!"
She says with a serious face, "इसीलिए कहती हूँ, शादी कर लो! अरे शादी नहीं तो at least एक गर्लफ्रेंड ही बना लो! फ़िर तो ना चाहकर भी वो तुम्हें break दे देंगे. But नहीं, तुम्हे मेरी सुननी कहाँ होती है! अब भुगतो!" He glares at her but then laughs when she snickers.
[ Translation : "That's why I say, get married! If you don't get married, at least make a girlfriend! Then he will give you break even if he does not want to. But no, where do you have to listen to me! Suffer now!" ]
Everyone was enjoying themselves and Vihaan was looking at the duo while fisting his hands as he wipes them in a tissue paper ripping it into the smallest size possible.
"You are still the same! ड्रामेबाज़!" She shows her tongue to him to which he smiles and asks, "Care to eat something?"
[ Translation : ड्रामेबाज़ – Drama queen. ]
"Naah! मुझे मरना नहीं है इन्ना तेल-मसाला खाकर!" She says nonchalantly with irritation.
[ Translation : "No! I don't want to die after eating this much oil and spices!" ]
"There is also ice cream and Golgappe you know!" He tells her with a teasing smile.
[ Panipuri (originally known as Jalapatra from Mahabharat times) , Gupchup, Golgappa, or Bani ke patashe is a type of snack originating in the Indian subcontinent, where it is an extremely common street food. ]
"I'm hungry! Let's go eat!" She gets up quickly walking towards the food stall. He laughs at her sudden change of mood and gets up shaking his head at her love for indian street food.
"I never saw Bhishma Uncle being this much comfortable with someone." Tej says with a smile on his face looking at Bhishma being himself with Nishi.
"You should have seen both of them when we were at Vihaan's home. Trust me! He was behaving like a kid. That was a rare sight to watch." Manav says mixing some Rice with his favourite Chick Peas Curry.
"Really?!" Abhishek, Tej, Rahul, Divya ask in unison with surprise. He nods in positive making Dipali, Sanjana, Nia surprise too.
"They must be friends then." Kirti guesses with amusement in her voice.
"Yeah! They are." Rajveer says nonchalantly sipping some water.
"Wow!" Nikki chirps with cuteness eating her favourite spaghetti making Vihaan, Mrityunjay and Avinash smile at her innocence.
"Mmm!" Manav gets everyone's attention and says after gulping a spoonful chewed rice looking at Vihaan, "This reminds me of something! Vihaan your sister is planning to prank your Tauji."
Hearing his sister being the topic of their conversation, he rolls his eyes saying dryly, "I know!"
Manav looks at his wife who is already looking at him nervously. He clears his throat and drops the bomb, "She is planning to pic him up from the airport..........for the prank." He says the last part slowly making every head turn in his direction and Vihaan frowns angrily whereas the news has no effect on Rohan.
"Has she lost her mind?!" He shouts lowly making Nikki flinch at his tone who never saw her brother this angry. He looks at her realisng his tone and says with an apologetic soft tone, "Sorry, बच्चे।" She smiles at him calming down herself being her usual self.
[ Translation : "Sorry, kid." ]
Nia, Gia, Trisha and Arushi who too flinched at his tone relax when Manav assures the quartet with his soft smile. Rohan gives a kind smile to Gia which no one notices, not even Gia herself.
"Does not she know that we are trying to hide her arrival from revealing?" Vihaan asks this time in calm tone but everyone can see his temper through his eyes which he is trying his best to not to show because of Nikita, Nia, Trisha, Gia and Arushi.
"Don't worry भैया! It's not a problem." They all look at Rohan when he adds blinking calmly, "She already told me about her plan asking if there is any issue in doing it but I told her there is."
[ Translation : भैया / Bhaiya – Elder brother. ]
"And she is still being stubborn on doing it. Am I right?" Vihaan asks frowning deeply with fisting hands trying to be calm but Rohan nods in negative and says, "No, Bhaiya. She said she will not go anywhere if there are issues."
Rohan's words surprise Vihaan but he gives an irritated face saying, "Fine then! End of the chapter!"
Gia and Arushi were already told by Rohan that she is not gonna pull any prank anymore due to the situation right now but the duo gulps hardly in fear thinking what will happen when Vihaan will hear that they too were planning to go with her to the airport. But Manav's reassuring blink relaxes them as they know well that their Manav Bhai will not let Vihaan burst on them to which they beam at him sheepishly making him smile and shake his head at their childishness.
Rohan and Trisha notice the exchange between Manav and the duo which makes them smile at the trio.
"Alright, now I gotta go!" Bhishma says making Nishi scrunch her nose in miff ones they were done with Golgappe.
"You haven't even come properly and you are already leaving now?" She complains grabbing a plate.
"I really need to look into something before going back to home." He tries to convince her to which she says, "Okay! Okay! Fine! At least have your dinner before you join your darling work again."
"I already had it. You enjoy!" He informs her giving her a side hug while adding, "And don't eat too much! तुम्हे आदत नहीं है इतना मसालेदार खाने की."
[ Translation : "And don't eat too much! You are not used to eating so spicy." ]
She nods to which he smiles. He kisses her side of the forehead and says, "Okay! I'm leaving now, be safe!"
She smiles softly and warns, "You too!" He smiles and leaves.
She takes some light dinner, only rice, chick peas dish and some salad and then was going to get her favorite butter scotch ice cream after dinner when a hand grabs the spoon to serve. She looks on her left side finding Vihaan standing with Nikita beside him with Rajveer, Avinash, Nia, Arushi, Gia, Kirti, Trisha and Smriti behind Nikki aka Nikita.
"Here your favorite ice-cream! Happy?" Vihaan says serving Nikki her favorite flavor who smiles at him excitedly making him smile too. He then serves the ice-cream to the remaining people with a smile.
Nishi waits for him to finish serving them then in the end she stretches her bowl forward to Vihaan for him to serve her which he notices as she beams at him saying, "भाई! मुझे भी!" He ignores her and leaves with Nikki saying with a bright smile, "Let's go, Princess!"
[ Translation : "Brother! Me too!" ]
Nikita looks back at Nishi and something tugs in her heart out of nowhere but Vihaan turns her head to look forward. She looks at Vihaan who looked calm but she noticed his blank eyes and looks down at the ice cream in her hands.
They all notice Vihaan's behaviour. They were blinking at the retreating duo of Vihaan and Nikita. When they turn back to expect an upset Nishi standing there like a statue, they find Nishi grinning at the ice cream while serving herself. This surprised them that it didn't effect her, again. She turns back and starts walking towards her table with empty chairs around it with Trisha and Kirti exchanging confused looks. Nishi left a confused group behind while Nia just leaves rolling her eyes at Nishi's walking away figure.
Someone finds it disturbing seeing the special person sitting all alone when actually the entire party is specially held for her.
She was enjoying her ice-cream when someone comes and sits beside her which she doesn't notice being so immersed in her ice-cream. He smiles at her full concentration on the ice-cream finding her adorable.
"I get it you love ice-cream, but that doesn't mean you will become ignorant to others!" Rohan says with folded hands trying to conceal his smile with a blank face.
She gulps the remaining ice-cream in her mouth making it hard for him to not to smile at her and says, "Oh! When did you come? I didn't notice you."
"Wow! Miss detective didn't notice someone sitting beside her! Hard to believe." He says with dramatic surprise.
She narrows her eyes at the officer then says smiling sheepishly at him, "When I eat ice-cream I forget about my surroundings."
He chuckles at her reply. "So, you aren't gonna prank on your Tauji anymore?" He asks plainly making her stop in the middle of licking the spoon.
[ Translation : Tauji - Father's elder brother. ]
"Who said I'm not gonna prank on him? I only said that I'll not go to the airport." She says shrugging.
"So, the plan is still on?" He raises an eyebrow asking the question.
"Plan has changed but the goal is still same!" She says nonchalantly making him chuckle. "My Di is cute! Isn't she?" She asks out of the blue while enjoying her ice-cream.
"Who are you talking about?" He asks dumbly having no idea about the subject of their conversation.
"The person from whom you can't take your eyes off of her adorable face." Her words make him confused at first but then he widens his eyes in realisation.
He composes his posture immediately and stutters, "I........I.....I don't know what you are talking about!" He sits straight looking everywhere but not at the ice-cream lover.
But soon Rohan gets another shock when he sees a screen in front of his eyes showing him a picture of the timing when Gia was sitting with Arushi after lunch and Rohan was looking at her with some emotions in his eyes while smiling at her softly. He looks at the owner of the phone and then snatches it from her hands, deletes the picture straightway and sighs with relief. He then looks at a laughing Nishi at him. Louring at her laugh, he says, "You know, it's a crime more than bad manners when you take someone's pics interfering in their privacy?"
She stops laughing and narrows her eyes at him.
"Don't interfere in my life ever again!" He scolds her coldly with a low voice while looking at her and leaves from there thinking, 'It was a mistake to meet her! Mann is right, who knows how is she in real. How can she interfere in my privacy? I better stay away from her! That's for the best!'
Nishi narrows her eyes at his retreating figure and mutters, "I was going to help him out but why did he get angry at such small thing? Taking pictures of your family members is not a crime! Rotten tomato!" She curses making a face at his back.
Her face falls when a thought pops in her mind, 'Yeah! He is not wrong either. Taking pics of strangers invades their privacy. After all who am I? Just a guest for few days.' She chuckles darkly and finishes her ice-cream when Ariv comes walking towards her and says, "Mam, it's time to leave. The car is waiting for you!"
She makes a face and says, "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" He takes aback by her question but answers anyways, "24. May I ask why this sudden question, Mam?"
"Yes, I'm just 15. तो आप मुझे प्लीज मेरे नाम से बुलाइये। It's weird hearing Mam from an elder's mouth." She makes a face to which he smiles nodding while suppressing an urge to laugh at her accent.
[ Translation : "Yes. I'm just 15. So please call me by my name. It's weird hearing Mam from an elder's mouth." ]
"Can I call you Bhaiya?" She asks chirpily while following him.
Her words makes him stop and turn back and say with a serious face, "No! You are my boss's daughter, I would like to keep it professional. So, please!"
She looks at him with dumbness and says,"I'm just talking about the addressing way. Chill!" She smiles at him but for some reason he rolls his eyes at her. She sighs and follows him.
'Isn't he Anshuman Bhai's friend? A family friend? I saw them interacting so friendly and closely.' Nishi thinks.
'He is not my security guard, is he?' She thinks frowning while looking at Ariv's back.
'Let's just stay on alert.' Nishi thought nodding to herself and shakes her head before any stupid thoughts enter her head.
She goes to the group of mothers when Karuna asks, "Had your dinner?" She nods. "Ready?" Karuna asks her daughter who nods again at her question.
'Is she coaching you for a race or what?' A voice asks but the teenager shuts it up, 'Shut up!'
Akriti looks at Nishi sitting near the group with Arika on a table and says to Karuna who is standing beside the table where Nikki is sitting with Vihaan and Tej-Kirti, "Aunty, don't mind but be careful! Make sure the bodyguards don't turn into boyfriends." Arika smirks at Nishi.
The youngsters frown deeply at her words while Gia sighs at her words in displeasure. Vihaan looks at Rajveer blankly who was already looking at Akriti with a louring face.
"Akriti! Do you want me to contact your parents?" This time Arika's mother gives her a warning with a glare. Akriti rolls her eyes at her Aunt's words.
Nishi tilts her head and looks at Akriti and Arika with the same soft smile with which she looked at them a while ago. Her expressions confuses everyone and makes the duo shudder uncomfortable for some reason and the two best friends look away not saying anything any more which surprises all making them exchange looks.
Nishi smiles apologetically at the two bestfriends' reaction. Then she looks at her mother yawning and says, "I'm sleepy! I'll leave now!"
Karuna smiles at her daughter and says patting her cheek, "Okay! Tomorrow is Sunday so we will be late! You rest, okay?" Nishi nods. Karuna hugs her daughter. Like earlier, she was uncomfortable and hesitant again. However, this time she goes blank for a few seconds which adds to their confusion but it makes Arika and Akriti look at each other in a silent confusion.
Nishi hugs her mother lightly and leaves for home.
*
In the Car 🚓 :
Rohan sits beside her on the back seat while Ariv sits on the passenger seat and Ajeet drives away. She looks at Ajeet and asks from behind the passenger seat, "Ajeet ji?"
"Yeah?" He asks looking in the rear view mirror at her while driving.
"Can I address you as Bhai?" She asks with a polite smile to which he replies with a professional yet a rude tone, "No! Keep it professional please, Mam!" He says concentrating on the road now with a tight grip on the steering wheel.
She makes a face saying, "Okays, but I was only talking about the addressing way."
He hears her but doesn't say anything.
The trio chats with each other and to their surprise Nishi was silent during the whole ride.
*
At Vihaan's House 🏘 :
She goes back to her house and leaves for her room.
After changing her clothes, she checks her new Android when someone knocks on the door. She unlocks the door and finds an adult woman of 24 wearing Indian suit. She greets Nishi and asks, "Hello, Babyji! मेरा नाम कश्ती वर्मा है. आपकी मॉम ने कहा था की अगर आपको कुछ ज़रूरत हो तो मैं यहाँ हूँ. बस आपको इन्फॉर्म करना था. आपको कुछ चाहिए क्या?"
[ Translation : "Hello, Babyji! My name is Kashti Verma. Your mother said that if you need anything then I'm here. Just wanted to inform you. Do you need anything?" ]
Nishi greets her back in the Indian style and says politely with a smile, , "नमस्ते! नहीं, मुझे कुछ नहीं चाहिए और आप सो जाइये जाकर, काफी टाइम हो गया है। Goodnight." The kid says while yawning to which Kashti nods dumbly saying, "Okay. Good. . . .night. . . .!" Nishi locks her room giving her one last smile leaving Kashti standing at her room stunned with her greeting way. Kashti did not expect her to behave so respectfully towards her.
[ Translation : "Hello! No, I don't want anything and you go to sleep, it's too late. Goodnight." ]
'Were those all rumours about her?' Kashti thought before leaving.
She takes a pillow and lies down on the floor in her room and as always, here starts the staring competition between her and the ceiling. She is traveling everywhere except stopping on her sleeping station. She gets up goes near the big window in her room. Stares at the crescent moon 🌙 blankly thinking about the entire day which was not less than Mahabharat in her head.
*
In the Party :
"What are you doing?" Asks Mrityunjay standing with Vihaan near the fountain in the center of the lawn.
"What do you mean?" Vihaan asks back looking at a far away sitting Nikki with a smile who was talking with Anshuman who tickles her and she laughs with others who were enjoying her state.
"You know well exactly what I'm talking about! Why are you ignoring your own sister?"
Vihaan looks at him with a straight face and says, "Because I don't want to talk to her, simple!"
"I understand your dislike towards her choice of staying in the foreign instead of coming back home. But that doesn't mean you will be this rude to her. You could have said a simple Hello. She is just a kid." Mrityunjay says calmly.
"If you think I care about that then think again." Vihaan says trying to stay calm.
"Then what's the reason?" Mrityunjay frowning.
Vihaan clenches his jaw and snaps looking at his best friend before leaving, "You don't have to know!"
Mrityunjay stands worriedly with Avinash standing behind him sighing at his walking away figure.
"I don't understand this guy! She did make a mistake but still, he could have said a simple Hello atleast for the sake of the formality. What's wrong with him?!" Avinash says with an irritated look to which Mrityunjay shrugs his shoulders not understanding their best friend.
"What do you mean, what's with him? When Vineet Uncle asked her to come back after that unknown threat who was sent behind the bars, she chose to stay in the foreign and enjoy to learn the different traditions. But not even once she asked about her brothers and sisters or any other family members in all these years, let alone calling them! She never paid her home a single visit in this entire decade!" Manav says frowning as he comes.
"Manu, don't forget she lost her grandparents not long before Uncle asked her to come back. She needed some time to relax after all that chaos." Mrityunjay says calmly.
"And what about after that? What about all these years? Why she never called? His anger is not wrong and you know that!" Manav says and Mrityunjay had no answer.
"But he said that's not the reason." Avinash says making the duo look at him. "Then what's the reason?" Avinash asks. The trio look at Vihaan who was talking to Nia.
They go back to their houses nearby 12:30 a.m.
*
At Vihaan's House 🏘 :
It's 06:30 in the morning.
Vihaan is tying his shoe laces while sitting on the green sofa and his father is reading an important file of a new project which he told Bhishma to find yesterday and Bhishma gave it to him before leaving for the party. Karuna is in the kitchen to get the breakfast done with the help of Kashti and Hareesh Kaka.
"कश्ती बेटा, निशु उठ जाये तो उसे नाश्ता दे देना। Let her sleep, she must be too tired from the long journey and the party last night. And हाँ! ध्यान रखना वो बाहर ना जाये, okay?"
[ Translation : "Kashti dear, when Nishu wakes up, give her breakfast. Let her sleep, she must be too tired from the long journey and the party last night. And yeah! Make sure that she doesn't go out, okay?" ]
Kashti nods her head while preparing the toasts and mutters in concentration, "Ji!"
[ Translation : Ji – Okay. ]
"अगर कुछ भी परेशानी हो, कुछ गड़बड़ लगे तो सीधे रोहन को या विहान को कॉल करना। वैसे तो सिक्युरिटी है लेकिन फिर भी, just in case." Vineet says looking at Kashti who nods obediently.
[ Translation : "If there is any problem, if there is anything wrong, then call Rohan or Vihaan directly. Well there is security but still, just in case." ]
Then they all hear a whistling sound coming from the upwards.
They look at each other in confusion when Nishi descends the stairs leading to the roof near the kitchen. She is wearing a tank top and sweat pants. Her hair are in a ponytail and sticky to her skin here and there due to sweat dripping from her body. She has a pair of bluetooth headphones around her neck and wearing white running shoes.
"Were you at the terrace? I thought you were still sleeping and why are you sweating so much?" The mother asks her daughter who is completely drenched in sweat.
Nishi directly looks at her mother and says coolly, "Oh! I was doing yoga!"
"You could have sleep for some more time na? You just came yesterday!" Her mother complains while Vihaan rolls his eyes with his sister at their mother's words making his father notice the siblings' behavior at which he blinks realising something is coming soon in their lives which they all have been missing, his kids' childish fights and jokes.
*End of the chapter.*
Author :
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