Kiaan thinking about tolerating Jaanvi
Typed On 30/10/2018 - Finished typing on 31/10/2018
Chapter 17- One Week
She steps inside her house and the first thing her eyes drop on is her favourite cake on the dining table. It was untouched. Pineapple cake. And it looks delicious. She licks her dry lips at the sight of the beauty waiting to be attacked by her but she stops remembering one thing.
Hero made it.
He always baked different flavoured cakes for her every time she was angry. She isn't angry though, she's hurt. Beyond words.
The best way to ignore the sugary cake was to divert her attention to something else. She brings out her phone from her pocket and starts scrolling in her YouTube explorer page. So far it's working, she's starting to forget about the cake begging her to devour it.
"Jaan, cake." She hears Aditi whispering in her ear. I can see it. Her friend isn't doing a remarkable job at staying quiet. Jaanvi rolls her eyes, dismissing the cake weary.
"Thank you very much, I can very well see that." Her sarcastic and sassy replies always sound funnier than she anticipates when she's hungry and frustrated. This is the best personality trait of hers. "I should stop eating cakes, I'm getting married within a month you see." She gives her phone a dirty and nasty look re-reading his old messages, "let me add, to a world-class jerk!" How did I land on our texts from YouTube?
But her biggest concern, realizing, she'll be married soon was; I need to look the best. I should probably stop eating junk food and oily food. Perhaps start eating boiled food? I've heard it's good to lose weight—but I'm not fat. But Kiaan would most likely bully me so I need to take this seriously. Okay, Jaanvi, from tomorrow onwards, you need to eat boiled food. Mash potatoes, broccoli, no noodles, no cakes, no cookies, no fries and no—
"Jaave" Her father's lenient tone breaks her chain of thoughts. It's astonishing but Jaanvi turns to face him but continues thinking as if he's not there. All because of Kiaan. Oh my god, what was that video called? Seven days yoga? Or beach bo—"Jaave."
Huh? She blinks. Eyes on her father and then her friend. And then back on her father. Oh, here comes the emotional blackmail. She thought taking a deep breath in to prepare herself for another round to emotional blackmail. Jaanvi wonders when exactly her brain would seize and stop working and, eventually, explode because of all the expectation and pressure everyone in her family tops her head with. Deliberately or not.
She drops her eyes on the floor and ears perk up at the sound of his footsteps coming closer. Jaanvi is reaching for Aditi's hand for moral support but doesn't find it. Her eyes shot up to give Aditi a hard stare but she was nowhere to be found.
Did she just ditch me?
"Haaa" She hears her father's voice. Rolling her eye, her father figures out who his daughter is looking around for. She doesn't need to speak for him to understand her.
"Sooyee" He apologises, joining his hands in a Namaste. Her attractive brown eyes framed with long natural black lashes lift and stare at her father standing in front of her now. Her helpless father—begging for forgiveness—has her heart wailing. (Sorry)
Jaanvi appreciates his kindness and upbringing because nobody in his age—the people she's come across—would ask for forgiveness from their child, especially in this manner. They are not as mindful as her father. That's his best quality. He treats her like a best friend and not a daughter but she's in no mood to forgive him so easily.
He broke her trust. She would have listened to his lecture and thought-process patiently and contemplate it but slap. That isn't right in her opinion. Not when she's hundred percent sure she's accurate with her judgement. She is utterly humiliated. Everyone saw. If possible—somehow—Jaanvi would exchange this slap to another time-period.
She can't endure the degradation she's faced. Slapped at twenty-five would always be worse in comparison to five.
If this wasn't related to Juhi, she would pull her father into a warm hug and tell him it's okay. She's okay. Kiaan knows too. He was angry—his reaction as powerful as hers—then how can she not be?
Grasping her cold, distant and emotionless face he sighs. Eyes shamefully casting on the floor. He feels her embarrassment and hurt deep inside his bones like a sting. He can do anything to win her leniency.
"Jaave, sooyee. Sooyee." He wants—craves—to say more but be can't. His tongue will not support him. (Jaanvi sorry, sorry.)
She is certain nobody can persuade her into forgiving her father. Her father—with an unfriendly face—lectured her to respect elders, so she is doing exactly this
'I'm mute, deaf and blind from now on' She recalls her stone-like words from last night during the fight.
'What are you saying? I can't see, remember I'm blind?' She echoes her opinions in sign language with her father. Her hands effortlessly motioning to communicate with him.
'I'm sorry. Please forgive me' He replies in sign language. Eyes teary.
'I can't see what you're doing! I'm blind!' Her face is as grim as her actions delivering her message.
"Jaave" Her father's pleading voice melt her heart a little. Getting a hold of her hands he kisses it fondly, making his tears fall on her knuckles. She gulps down the lump forming in her throat and looks away from her father. If she maintains an eye contact in his pitied figure for a few more minutes, she's sure she'll end up forgiving him.
"Jaave, sooyee." He begs again putting his face on her hands making her breath heavily. Getting no response from her, Ansh kneels down on his feet ready to beg. He is about to put his hands on her feet for forgiveness but just in time, she moves away from him.
Her face turns sour in horror. The step she took backwards was a giant one. "No! How can you do that?" Plead has a limit. He is passing it. Jaanvi hates it.
He deserves a punishment, and his punishment is her ignorance but not this.
Kneeling down to his level, she grips his shoulders. Her fingers curl around his old body, pressing a little firmly to gain attention. His wet dark brown eyes finally get the message and glance up.
"You know I can't hate you. I can't stop talking to you. I can't stop loving you. Then why do you do things that make me feel this way? Make me feel like I'm a terrible daughter, responsible for your actions and useless in your life. Like I'm incapable of being called your daughter. You have a child yet you're begging, do you understand how this looks, Papa?" Her lips are quivering like her voice. She is on the verge of crying but takes a grip of her emotions.
'I'm sorry. You're my pride, my strength and my life Jaanvi' He actions out his words in sign language with a sad smile.
She giggles lightly, sniffs her red running nose in delight. His seriousness was gone replaced by his usual self. "I want to finish that cake." She eyes the beauty sitting on the dining table making her father chuckle loudly along with her.
Sometimes we expect things, just like Jaanvi expected to give her Hero a silent treatment but didn't. That's why they call it expectations vs reality. No matter how angry she is, she can't ignore the man who raised her with love all alone. The only living reason behind her smile.
She is angry but it all drains down the river because of her father's guilty eyes. Those eyes had endured so much for her, she couldn't bring herself to be the reason behind his misery.
They say love can blind you, her father's love blinded her to neglect his actions. The only thing—quality Jaanvi desires in every human being—or ones she's close to—is honesty. Be honest with her. Like her father was a couple of minutes ago. Gifts, expensive clothes or food can't buy her heart but truthful and straight-forward conversations, statements, messages can.
It is easier to pretend to love someone than mean it. She prefers being a second choice as long as there's trust in the relationship. She has never been someone first priority—apart from her father—and she's fine with it. She's happy. She okay. Her number of position in someone's life doesn't matter as long as she's her father's number one pick to call in an emergency and someone's trust.
She chews into the soft fluffy cake and wonders—prays, just be honest with me, Kiaan. All I need is honesty. And this relationship would work.
____
Being light chested was such a wonderful and precious feeling one could experience day-to-day. She pushes her bedroom door open with a sunny grin. Her best friend—who has turned secretive these days—is busy reading something on her phone and smiles like a teenage girl chewing her fingernails as if to control her beam.
Jaanvi tiptoes closer to her bed and has a suspicious expressions plastered in her face. What has her attention more than I do? Jealousy blooms in her chest. She peers over her best friends shoulder to get a glimpse of whatever she's reading on her phone but Aditi is in alert mode.
"Jaanvi!" Aditi flinches, face petrified. When did she come? Jaanvi examines her face and finds terror.
"This is rude."
Jaanvi eyebrows knit together at the accusation. She touches her heart dramatically, "I'm sorry but hiding things from your best friend is ruder!"
"I-it's n-nothing," Aditi replies turning her phone of hurriedly. She places it screen flat down on the drawer beside her side of the bed and turns back to Jaanvi with an unsure side smile.
"I can tell." Jaanvi's sarcastic reply joins the conversation. She moves to the right side of the bed and stars to arrange her pillows properly.
"So," Aditi says. The corner of her eyes peek a quick glance at her phone, dying to see—or continue—whatever she was reading or doing in her phone again but she leaves that aside. "You and uncle all good?"
Jaanvi nods in reply getting inside the duvet, "You know, I decided to not forgive him this easily but," She pauses looking at her fingers, "he was touching my feet for forgiveness. I know Hero and I are close, like we live for each other but—" In situations like these, Jaanvi can go completely speechless and inexpressive. "I don't know."
"You couldn't see him sad." Aditi voices out her thought smiling while looking at the ceiling above once they settle themselves in the bed.
"Yeah" Jaanvi sighs. I couldn't see him sad.
____
Days were passing by rapidly.
Jaanvi never heard from Kiaan after the car incident, which meant he reached his so-called meeting on time. Though, she wished he didn't because being the cause of anger and annoyance pleased her.
What a better way to start your day then ruining your enemy's? Unfortunately, he most likely made it on time not filling her satisfaction.
Rashi had tried talking to Jaanvi but it was of no use. Jaanvi kept ignoring her and maintained a safe distance so things wouldn't get out of hand. She'd acknowledge her presence but it was nothing more than formal conversations. The little sister she liked wasn't the one in front of her. Rashi had—has—changed. Her behaviour towards Aditi is still fresh in Jaanvi head.
Jay and Jaanvi were fine, though, so far because he hasn't overstepped the boundary. They speak like before but less because of her café and wedding arrangements. For the past weeks, she's been occupied all day with her café from the help of Aditi's.
Her best friend is living in her parents' house for the last three weeks as her parents were finally back from their trip.
"Got everything you needed?" Asks Asha walking inside the kitchen spotting Jaanvi in a corner.
"What?" Jaanvi questions writing the new order on the whiteboard with her elegant and readable writing.
"Your bridal wear, your weddings in one week that's why I was wondering if the fitting—" Jaanvi interrupts her by putting her hands on her face sighing in fatigue.
"Please, not now. We have customers waiting for food!" The thought of sharing her room, house, cupboard, life with Kiaan is freaking her out and building her anxiety. She still can't believe she is going to be Mrs Kiaan Rajput in one week. She wants to scream and scream and then eat ice cream with chocolate cake.
She wants to kill him.
She wants to push him inside a hungry shark's mouth.
She wants to hand him over to the snakes.
She wants to taunt him, kill him with her pleasant words.
But she can't.
"But is everything ready?" Asha press on. She sounds like an officer leading an important investigation.
"Look, Asha," Jaanvi starts, "Friendship can go flying out the window if you don't follow my instructions. We have people waiting to get their order." Her tone was strict and powerful in a businesswoman like voice.
Asha knew better than to piss Jaanvi off with the kind of mad and bossy expressions she was withholding right now. Asha quickly leaves the kitchen and goes back to work. "Why is everyone so interested in my wedding? Am I marrying some prince or a cricketer?" She yells gaining the chefs attention, "What?" She asks annoyingly.
Fuck you Kiaan.
____
"She's pretty. Damn bro, you're luckier than I thought." Aarav, his best friend, comments straight after Kiaan shows him Jaanvi's photo. "How can a jerk like you get her?"
They don't know the beauty is far away when she starts talking. And guess who has to tolerate it?
ME
"Excuse me?" Kiaan replies completely offended and neurotic.
"You're excused," Reyansh mutters earning a glare from the soon-to-be groom. "Come on, seriously, though."
His best friends were driving him nuts by praising Jaanvi. How could they? I need attention over here.
"She's not even that beautiful as you guys think. Your prediction is wrong. You haven't seen her dark scary brown eyes. When she looks at you with those eyes you feel like some witch is in front of you. When she talks, it's like some dead bird trying to sing. When sh—" Aarav cuts him off scoffing,
"Dude, dead birds can't sing. They are dead. D E A D, dead." He spells out as if to convince his friend into reality, "According to Google, dead means, 'no longer alive.' So please explain, where and what type of dead bird you saw singing." He says trying to sound serious and hide his laughter.
Reyansh has no filter nor any self-control. He burst out laughing hearing Aarav's words, "I-i-I'll d-die." He exclaims in between his laughed, annoying Kiaan even more.
"Shut up! Are you my friend of hers?" He questions both the men with gritted teeth. Jaw clenched.
"If a girl can piss you off this much, then definitely her." Aarav's response is as quick as lightning, rewarded by a smack on his head, "What the fuck?"
"Violence." Reyansh declares in a theatrical voice, "I won't tolerate this. This is unacceptable." He said butchering the definition of the word 'serious.'
"And I won't tolerate your shit," Kiaan replies hitting him as well.
One week.
Until my life turns into hell.
Or would it?
Married My Enemy
Edited On – 06/05/2020 (3:50 p.m.)