Arnav
"No, cancel all my meetings for today, Aman!"
"I've already arranged your meetings for the afternoon, as you'd said b..." Aman's reply came through the Bluetooth.
"Just clear the day!" I interrupted quietly through my teeth as I stared down from the second-floor hallway at Khushi, who was sitting next to NK with Payal, Nani, and Mami, and I felt both empty and alive at the same tim...
"But ASR, you've got an important conference call tonight. It can't be cancelled!" He replied, interrupting my thoughts.
I sighed quietly through my nose while I looked at my feet before asking, "When?"
"11 p.m."
"Arnav?" Di called from the bottom of the steps.
"Fine." My brows tugged. "Don't line up anything else other than that."
I looked down at her as I removed the Bluetooth from my ear.
"It's dinner time." She said it with a smile, then gestured for me to come down, then turned to the living room and asked everyone to come along.
I dropped by my room to leave the Bluetooth and my coat behind before joining everyone at the dinner table.
"Hello-hi-bye-bye, Payal Bitiya, why aren't you eating?" Mami cried loudly while I took my first bite, unbothered by it because this happens every day now. The only difference is that now all the care is for Payal, where it was for Akash previously.
"Maa Ji, I don't feel like eating now." Payal answered from somewhere on my right or opposite.
"Bitiya, you shouldn't stay on an empty stomach. It's not good for your health." Aunty said.
"Payal, do you want to try this?" Di asked before I looked up, then she passed a bowl to Akash, who sat next to Payal and had his brows rising with a fixed worried look on his face and features.
Mami motioned for him to give her the bowl of curry, and as she was about to scoop out a spoonful, Payal placed a hand over her mouth, completely turned away from the food, and hid her face on Akash's shoulder, who had frozen completely, but he soon recovered.
"Maa, don't force her." He said this as he wrapped a protective hand around Payal, who was still turned away from the table.
Mami pushed the bowls away from Payal. As she stood up, with a hand on her hips, she asked, "What do you want to eat? Tell me, I'll make it."
I felt my brows rise as I stared at her with shock. Mami will cook?
"Manorama, you're okay na?" Nani voiced her shock from my left.
But Mami just gave her a look with pressed lips before again turning to Payal, who also slowly turned and shook her head.
"It's still like a shock to see Manorama Ji care for our Payaliya like that..." Bua Ji started, but Khushi suddenly stood up from next to NK, who sat next to Di. Why are they always together?
"Laddo khao gi?" She asked as she stared at Payal with slightly raised brows and parted pink lips while some of her hair framed her face before she pushed some of it behind an ear only to reveal a small earring hanging from her earlobe. She's so beautiful!
"Khaye gi! Khaye gi!" I blinked away from her as I heard Mami's excited voice.
"I'll get it!" Khushi said before she smiled at Payal, then went to the kitchen. I have to talk to her.
And without a second thought, I stood and followed behind while avoiding the side glances that were thrown my way by my family. Especially Di and Nani. And, Bua Ji.
As I entered the kitchen, Khushi looked up with a smile and was about to say something, but when she saw me, her smile dropped, and she looked away with a hard look on her face.