Part 1 Stubbornness
Aman was waiting in the Airport to welcome his Boss cum friend who was coming to India after two months, finishing his Europe trip.
The British Airways flight landed in Delhi at the right time. Seeing his friend, Aman's face borrowed the brightness from the Airport mercury lights. He hugged his friend in the manner of welcoming him back to India.
"Welcome back ASR. Congratulations on your successful trip"
"Thank you, Aman"
"I can't believe we baged the British deal also..."
"Yeah, even though our Suiting is worth it, it didn't get its recognition"
"You are right, ASR... it became possible to our company because of you"
They came out of the arrow dram and got into the car, after taking Arnav's luggage. Aman took the driver's seat and started the car.
"Kids missed you a lot," Aman said.
"I know that's why I was talking to them every day on video call"
"Do you think it's enough for them?"
"Not at all. That's why I brought them to London in between my trip... what else could I do? I decided not to go on any foreign trips for the next few years"
"I expected this" Aman sighed.
"By the way, didn't you dye your hair...?" Arnav teased.
"No, I decided to be in the PEPPER SALT look"
"Why did you take such a drastic decision?"
"Drastic decision?" Aman frowned.
"Then what? It's we who are going to see your face, don't forget that...yaar...!"
Aman punched his bicep and said,
"It's too hard to maintain dyeing you know? How do you know? Your hair is still black"
"Don't be jealous, ok?" Arnav chuckled.
"Think whatever... I'm openly jealous of you for your dark black hair... Damn, you don't look like THIRTY-EIGHT. You don't even get a single white hair yet... look at me... looking like an old man with white hair"
"I think I should ask Dhadi to keep kohl behind my ear every day to save me from your bad eyes"
"Simple kohl can't save you from my eyes. Mind it... it's so strong... apply kohl on your face. It may help" Aman laughed.
"I don't know you are this much jealous about me handsome look..." Arnav laughed.
Aman rolled his eyes.
"by the way, my hair will not turn white..."
"Why? Are you god?"
"No... a human without stress... Stress is the root cause of every problem and white is one among them"
"Agree..."
"Try to be cool like me..."
"Cool and me... until you are my boss, how could I be cool?" He said wearily, making Arnav laugh.
"How are Lavanya and Sharanya?"
"Lavanya is doing great and Sharanya is going to seventh standard this year"
"My God... time is running"
"Brutally..."
"How is AR?"
"Running smoothly"
"It seems my new PA is so smart" Arnav smiled.
"Absolutely, ASR... she manages everything well with your instructions"
"I too noticed it. Being a small girl, she catches everything easily. That's a rare quality"
"She is so excited to work with you"
Arnav smiled.
"She has high demand in our office you know"
"Means...?"
"Guys are dying to be her friend"
"Is it?"
"Yeah, she is a lively person who makes her environment lively"
"Yeah, I understood that when I talked to her for the first time"
"She is just twenty-four but so mature. At the same time, she is kind of fire..."
"Means?"
"She slapped Santhosh for clutching her hand"
"Is it?"
"Yup..."
"Where is Santhosh now?"
"Where else? He is still in AR"
"Don't you fire him?"
"I can't because it happened outside AR"
"Mmm... By the way, how did my kids become familiar with her?"
"They came to AR to give their photos for their passport. That was when they became friends with Khushi"
"What was the necessary for them to come to AR?"
"They were so curious to get their passport. That was why they came to AR could not wait for me to go to RM"
Arnav nodded his head from left to right smiling. Aman looked at Arnav said nothing.
"Whaaat? Why are you gaping at me? Concentrate on the road... don't you want to live for a few more years?"
"Dhadi is worried about you" Aman became serious.
"She always does"
"Why don't you think about getting married, ASR?"
"Don't make fun out of me, Ok? I crossed the wedding phase of my life. I'm close to forty...! I can't even think of getting married anymore"
"You don't want to get married because you want to take care of your sister's kids but what will you do after settling them in their life? They will walk away with their partners bidding bye to you. Don't you need someone for yourself? Do you think your sister's kids will take care of you?"
"I don't expect them to take care of me. Taking care of them is my responsibility. I will do it for my late sister and Jeejaji. I don't expect anything in return from them"
"Then what about your life after them?"
"I don't know. I don't think about it. I'm just going with the flow"
"I wish in the flow, you will get your match"
"Shut up... I don't want to get married and you know the reason"
"I can understand. You think NO girl will accept them as her children. Your wife may not be their mother but you will get a life partner"
"What's mean by partner, Aman? The partners must be with the same wave length. Then only the partnership works. No girl will synchronize with my wave length because I will expect her to be a good mother than a good wife. It's not possible at all because no woman will be generous to treat someone's kids as her own. More than that, it's not possible for a thirty-eight years old man like me to get a nice woman as a partner"
Aman sighed. They had Arnav's wedding talk many times and obviously, it was Arnav who won.
Arnav's sister Anjali, and Jeeja Shyam died in an accident, leaving their kids in the world. The responsibility of looking after his sister's kids fell on his shoulders. Arnav was thirty at that time. He delayed his wedding as he was busy establishing his business till then. Just before Anjali's demise, Anjali finalized a girl called Vani. Anjali stubbornly searched for a girl for Arnav. He agreed to marry her. After Anjali's demise, Vani broke the proposal only because Arnav took his sister's kids responsibility. She was not ready to carry someone's burden. She directly demanded Arnav to drop them in a hostel. That was the point Arnav decided not to get married.
Now, he was thirty-eight. His sister's kids became his. Aarav, Shali, and Shamli. They were twins. Aarav was eleven years and the twins were nine years. They used to call Arnav Dad. Arnav didn't want them to know that he was not their biological father. So, he taught them to call him Dad.
RM
Hearing the horn sound, the kids ran to Arnav. They hopped on him cheerfully.
"Wait..." they heard and saw Dhadi coming with Laxmi who had a plate in her hand.
After circling a plate and keeping vermillion on his forehead, Dhadi let Arnav enter.
"Dad, how was your trip?" Arnav asked like a big guy.
"Great..." they shared hi-fi.
"Dad, will you go to Europe again?" Shali sked.
"No... I decided to send Aman uncle to the trip. What say?"
"Dad, Archana didi will become sad, if you send her father," Shamli said sadly.
"Ok, then what do you want me to do?"
"Appoint someone to go to the foreign trips"
"I'm the Boss... he is my manager. Other than us, no could be sent"
"Can't you send Khushi Didi?"
"Khushi?" Arnav raised his brows.
"Yeah, she talks so nicely. Anyone will like her. So, she will bag the deal successfully... am I right, uncle?" Aarav asked Aman who nodded yes smilingly.
Arnav thought he nodded because he didn't want to disappoint the kids. Or, maybe, he would have thought that he could not make them understand business things.
"Let him get fresh... you go and finish your homework" Dhadi said.
"Dad, we will talk later..." Aarav said.
Arnav nodded ok. They rushed to their room.
"Will you be like this forever, Arnav?" Dhadi asked.
"Dhadi please, don't start again. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want kids to hear this talk...please don't make them feel like they have no one..."
"There are many girls in our village who will give their best. They will even agree not to have children..."
"Dhadi please..."
"Why are you covering yourself with your avoidance, Arnav?"
"I want to keep my promise that I had given to Di at her last minute... She asked me to look after the kids..."
"I don't ask you to leave them behind. Why don't you look after them, getting married?"
"I don't think it will work, Dhadi... everyone will be showing off like a nice person at first. As time passes, they will show their real color. I'm not ready for such an experiment..." Arnav said and headed to his room not wanting to drag the conversation.
To be continued...