Aki with a serious look on his face- "Toh aap dono keh rahe hai ki isne Aaj Bina tantrums ke apna luck Kiya aur koi shaitani nahi ki?"
Neetu/Ramu- "Ji."
Aki- "Aur yeh khud se padhai karne baith gayi?"
Neetu/Ramu- "Ji."
Aki- "Aur iski tabiyat bhi theek hai?"
Neetu/Ramu- "Ji."
Aki- "Impossible!"
Ashi who was just coming in from the main door caught Aki's attention. He sighed in relief. Mischief no. 1. Check!
Aki- "Kaha se aa rahi hai tu?"
Ashi putting on a dull look on her face- "Bahar garden me hi thi dadu. I saw you coming. Aapne hi dhyaan nahi diya."
Aki looked at Neetu and Ramu who nodded in confirmation.
Aki- "Oh. Waise garden me kya kar Rahi thi? Are you up to something?" He couldn't digest the fact that she was innocent!
Ashi slowly shook her head. "No.Mai toh bas break le Rahi thi. 15 minutes ka."
Aki raised his eyebrow- "Accha? Aisa kya kar Rahi thi Jo break le Rahi thi?"
Ashi- "Holiday homework complete kar Rahi thi. English aur Science ka complete ho gaya and maths ke liye kuch formulas pe questions frame karne hai. Wohi karne Jaa Rahi." And here! She won't with that statement. That would surely unsettle her dadu!
Aki looked at her with an unbelievable look on his face. He had to pinch himself to ensure that he wasn't dreaming. Ashi silently trotted towards her room.
She was in the midst of learning a formula when she felt something hard being pressed against the back of her head. Finally her drama was having an impact!
"Surrender or bear my wrath, imposter." Aki said in a deep voice.
Ashi turned her head and gave a bored look to Aki. Aki flipped the toy gun in his hand and tucked it in the waistband of his trousers just like his dada. The imitation brought out a small smile but she forced the smile to dim while pretending to think about something.
Aki bent down to her level and lifted her chin- "Kya hua, Ashi? Itni sad kyun hai?"
Ashi smiled for his sake - "Nahi toh dadu. Aap faltu me pareshaan mat ho. I am fine, just a bit tired."
Aki frowned- "You are acting different Ashi."
Ashi shrugged- "Lemme learn this formula. Aap jao."
Aki- "Kab se padh rahi hai! Chal koi movie dekhte hai. "
Ashi- "Aap dekho. Mera Mann nahi hai."
Aki dramatically - "Uff! Bollywood Teri yeh gustakhi kabhi maaf nahi karega. Tujhe saza milegi. Ab meri pasand ki movie dekhni padegi!"
Ashi shook her head - "Aap dekho aapki pasand ki movie. Let me study. Go."
Aki sighed and got up. "Chal dikha kitne formulas yaad hue hai. I'll ask you."
Ashi nodded and handed him the notebook. She thanked her lucky stars for actually studying rather than daydreaming about the success of her plan. Aki asked her all the formulas in the most random fashion he could and much to his surprise, she answered all of them correctly except a slight mistake in two formulas. He made her dictate both the formulas 5 times hoping that he could get a reaction in the form of protest out of her but to no avail.
At last, Aki gently- "Ab bata kya hua hai, Ashi? Kisi ne kuch bola tujhe? Dada ne daanta kya?Ya phir kisi friend se jhagda Kiya?"
Ashi just shook her head- "Kuch nahi hua, dadu. Aap tension kyu lete ho meri?"
Aki frowned at her tone- "Ye kaisa betuka sawaal hai, Ashi? Mai aur dada Teri tension nahi lenge toh kon lega?"
Ashi stuttered- "M-Mera woh matlab nahi tha dada. I- I am just tired...." She was just trying to make him feel sorry for her but he got offended by the looks of it. That was not something she planned.
Aki irritated- "Aise kon se pahad tode hai tune Aaj? Kab se boli Jaa Rahi hai I am tired I am tired! Pehle toh kabhi nahi Hui itni tired."
Aki hoped that would do the trick. Ashi was a unique piece. She could sound all low in one sentence and if either he or Arjun dared to not agree with her, she would make them bow to them like a little lioness she was!
Ashi looked down- "Sorry dadu. Aapko itna pareshan karti hu." She tried again. Maybe a little offence would do the trick. But what she didn't know was that this offence was slowly bordering on hurt.
The way she said it, made Aki's heart ache. Her saying or even thinking something like that was practically an insult to his love and concern towards her. He concealed the look of hurt on his face and turned to leave at once.
Ashi looked at his retreating back with a hopeful look in her eyes, completely missing the look of hurt on his face. If only he had stayed on for a while, she would have definitely spilled the beans. But then another thought crossed her mind. Her appeal wasn't for the High Court! It was for the Supreme Court. Which means she'll have to continue this drama infront of her dada as well. And she'll do just that!
^^••••^^^^••••^^^^••••^^^^••••^^^^••••^^
Ayesha- "Sir Saudamini devi ke paas Avni ko maarne ka motive bhi hai aur unke against proofs bhi hai. I think we must arrest her."
Sam nodded- "Ayesha is right, team. Ye qatl Avni ki chachi, Saudamini Devi ne hi Kiya hai."
Arjun who looked lost in his own thoughts looked up- "Kuch toh chooth raha hai, Rathod. Shaadi Wale din Saudamini Devi bhale hi gayab ho gayi ho par Avni ko mansion se bahar nikalna aur phir usse marke seher se dur, ek sunsaan highway pe phekna...unke bas ki hi nahi hai. This is some outsider."
Sam- "But that doesn't explain the fact ki Saudamini devi Avni ke gayab hone ke beech kaha thi "
Arjun- "Woh apne bete se milne gayi thi."
Sam frowned- "Sab jaante hai ki Avinash Shekhawat ki koi aulad nahi hai, Rawte."
Sakshi intervened- "Umm.. lagbhag 4 saal pehle ek rumor faila tha ki Saudamini devi ka unki pehli shaadi se ek beta hai who can inherit the Shekhawat property in case there is no heir. But iss rumor ko koi confirmation nahi mila."
Riya- "An even bigger motive. Mrs. Shekhawat chahti thi ki unke bete ko hi property mile isiliye unhone Shekhawat family ki eklauti heir, Avni ko apne raaste se hata diya."
Shree who was lost in his laptop upto this point- "Gotcha! Arav Raisingh. Saudamini Devi's only child. Woh ek Delhi based businessman hai. Self built and woh in dino Mumbai me hi hai. Shaadi Wale din bhi woh Mumbai me hi tha."
Arjun- "Yeh case jitna aasan lag raha hai utna aasan hai nahi. Iss Arav Raisingh ke accomodation details nikalo, Shree."
^^••••^^^^••••^^^^••••^^^^••••^^
"Ashi." Aki said in a stern voice.
Ashi who was busy in gazing out of the window, turned back to look at him. She gave him a confused, questioning look.
Aki trying his best to deepen his voice- "You'll tell me what's wrong with you, right now!"
Aki had tried the gentle way to know what's wrong with her but no such luck. Time to try the hard way.
Ashi innocently- "What's wrong with me?"
Aki- "Seedhe seedhe bata de or else mujhe aur bhi tareeke ate hai."
Ashi- "What happened to your voice, dadu?" She knew exactly what happened to his voice. Scoldings from Aki was a daily routine for her so his tone won't exactly make a difference. Therefore he was trying to use Arjun's tone in order to scare her. Only if he knew that he was failing badly.
Aki felt like pulling out his hair. He was trying to harden his voice like his dada to scare her. She didn't have to see through it! He cleared his throat.
Aki- "Don't change the topic! Turant bol kya hua hai!"
Ashi confused- "Maine kuch Kiya kya? I was a good girl today. Subah time pe uthi, dada ke breakfast se jaane ke baad dobara soi bhi nahi, saari padhai bhi ki aur aapko pareshan bhi nahi kiya."
Aki irritated- "Tune kuch nahi kiya isiliye toh mai pareshan hu."
Ashi looked at him with fake guilt-"Mere kuch kiye bina hi aap itna pareshan ho rahe ho. Speaks volumes about..."
She mumbled something inaudible.
Aki- "About?"
Ashi- "Kuch nahi. I am tired. Mujhe neend aa rahi hai. Mai so jau?" That was her brahmastra. She won't use it now.
Aki- "Pehle dinner karna hai. Aaj Saturday hai. Dada Aaj humare saath hi dinner karenge."
Ashi looked at the clock. It was 8. They generally had dinner by 8:30 which meant Arjun would be home any moment now. She bobbed her head quietly.
Aki felt like stomping his foot. This was some perfect weirdo who agreed to almost everything he said. He wanted his brat back! He hoped that his dada would be able to make her snap out of this stupid stance.
At the dinner table, Arjun looked at Ashi and then at Aki and gave him a questioning look. Aki shrugged and gestured him to ask her what's wrong. Arjun nodded and shifted his attention tho his overly quiet kid.
Arjun- "So Ashi, how was your day today?"
Ashi without looking up from her plate- "It was fine."
Arjun raised his eyebrow. Did he just miss the full on rant he usually got to hear when he asked Ashi this particular question. He got quiet after that.
Meanwhile Ashi was inwardly stomping her foot. Wasn't he supposed to ask her what's wrong?
Arjun being a good observer was reading her stance and attitude. With the way she was drumming the fingers of her left hand on her thigh, he could clearly make out that that she was restless. She was waiting for him to ask her another question.
Arjun- "Dinner ke baad, mere room me books leke aana Ashi."
Before Ashi could say anything, Aki intervened- "Nahi dada. She studied for the entire day today. Aur woh dinner se pehle sleepy bhi feel kar Rahi thi. Let her sleep."
Arjun gave him a look- "Maine pucha tujhse? Dinner ke baad jaake Light chapter revise kar. Kal Mai test lunga and there will be numericals as well. Clear?"
Aki pouted visibly but nodded when he felt Arjun's unwavering gaze on him. He just hoped that Arjun manages to make her spill the beans in the study session. He was getting really tensed for her now.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hey dear readers! Tell me how was the chapter and how was Ashi.
Pls drop in a vote and comment.