(Image: Dee's room in the day time)
Following a screaming, running Deeksha into her room was not in my bucket list. But of course, she made me do it – especially since I was the one that needed her to understand the dynamics now.
Once she dove into her bed and cuddled a pillow that looks like a strawberry for two full minutes, still in shock from what I had said to her, I decided to take the risk of opening my mouth.
"Dee..."
"Go Away" she said.
"Dee..?!"
"Stop giving me a whiplash, Harsh" she almost barked back.
"Deeksha..."
"I don't want to talk to you man!!" she snapped and threw a the first pillow she could, in my general direction without lifting her head.
"Okay.. Okay.. Fine.. I'll go – but.. You won't get an explanation from me ever again", I said. It was a gamble, making it sound like she was the one who needed it – and not the other way round. Thankfully, that got to her.
"Excuse ME?!?!" she said, finally getting up from the bed and turning to face me as I stood, waiting for the volcano to erupt.
"Yeah?" – throws a pillow.
"I...(pillow)... Need (pillow)... The (pillow) Explanation?!?!?!" she asked, running out of pillows and cushions to throw at me with the last word. I swear if she hadn't been younger to me, I would have been terrified of her as a sibling. I suppose I sort of still am.
"Deeksh... The fault was mine, all along." I said, and I could see her wall of fury crumbling, one row of bricks at a time. "I don't want to know", she said, her chin jutting out adamantly, but I knew that deep down, she was curious.
"Deven and I had some major miscommunication when the fight happened", I said – silently praying that I wouldn't have go into the details. "Surprise, surprise", she said, looking at her nails, sarcasm oozing out of her as she pretended to be bored.
"But we've made up", I say and this, makes her furious.
"Yes, Harsh. I KNOW. HELL. I also know what you said at the table. You want me to work for Deven – at least for a while. And that's what confuses me. Until a few hours ago, you were sworn enemies – or that's what you made it look like. You even got agitated when I seemed to get friendly with Dev. Then you snap like a mad dog at a family event – which is not like you at all – and though I don't blame you for it, you leave from the café, come home and by the time I get here, it's like every fight, all the ignoring of each other, the "He is my nemesis" thing – all seems like it never happened." She says, and eventually pauses, when she runs out of breath.
This time, I have nothing to say. I simply stand there in front of her, my face on the floor, ashamed of a lot of things – especially how stupid I was, in this whole process.
"Harsh... I.. Don't know whom.. or what, to believe here.." she finally says, her head falling into her hands.
Moving to sit on the bed in front of her, I take her hands in my own while she continues to stare at her lap. "Dee... Sis.. Listen to me.. I'm super, super sorry – about this entire thing. I know today has been the worst – but please? Trust me? I'll make this right."
Slowly, she looks up at me and asks, "How?"
"See.. When Dev and I made up, for me, it's almost like the world has possibilities again. And admit it or not, the day you know Dev the way I do – you'll say that having him as an ally is worth its weight in gold," I explain.
"Harsh – if it's influence.. we can try and find someone we know.. or.. Papa can talk to one of his friends..." she starts, but I interrupt her. "No.. Dee.. You don't understand. Dev is one of the best strategists I know – and believe me, it is NOT the money or the influence. It's HIM."
She heaves a sigh and I find myself desperately hoping that she agrees to work with him. She looks up at me and enquires, "Harsh.. You still haven't told me why you want me to work for Dev.. What's my role?"
"Oh.. Yes. Sorry" I say, scratching the back of my neck while formulating the right statement of explanation for what Dev and I had discussed.
"Dee.. It's something like this.. the whole Alana episode is a wreck.. quite literally", I began. "Understatement of the year", Deeksha mumbled – but I chose to go on.
"So.. I want to figure out if she is saying the truth or lying about the whole blog thing", I explain and I watch as Dee, I'm sure, recollects the whole Alana episode from this evening. When she doesn't say anything, I take the liberty to go on.
"Dev and I have agreed to work on finding this out together – because he also knows how important my dream of running my own restaurant is to me... It's something I've wanted to do since I was 10.." I elaborate. Dee looks a little annoyed as she says, "Yeah Harsh – and I've just met you right? I don't know about this at all.." Sarcasm, again.
"Yeah – yeah.. I know.. I'm just saying everything in my head right now.. so just listen, okay?" I instruct and she agrees. "As I was saying before you stupidly interrupted me.. Dev and I want to carry out a little investigation of our own, to look into who and why and what and when and how the whole restaurant issue came about. While that happens, I don't want to make it evident that I'm looking into this again – so I'll only do backend.." I explain.
"You want me to mediate between you and Dev while this goes on – so you want me to work for him" she infers, putting the pieces together. "Of course – only if you're willing to, Dee.. You know that," I state and she nods.
"Of course I'll help.." she says after a pause and a wicked smile on her face, before adding, "..at a price, of course."
Before I know it, I have promised her, "Anything reasonable, Dee – I swear on chocolate."
Little did I know she would say, "Alright – I'll take my advance in the form of you telling me the whole damn story between you and Dev... From the top."
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