Chapter 7

"Gin!" Arnav exclaimed, doing a quick mental calculation of the points his last cards gave him, "Seriously Di, You are really terrible at this game", he chuckled looking at the point sheet they were maintaining.

"Whatever! It is a stupid game anyways and you people are couple of cheaters", Anjali scoffed staring at the cards in her hands

"You are such a sore loser. Come on sweetheart, even you cannot be best at everything. Admit it, you suck at this", this time it was Shayam who spoke but since he was sitting closer to Anjali, he couldn't escape the elbow that landed on the side of his ribs, which made Arnav laugh even louder.

This is how some of the non-working weekends that Arnav could manage looked like. After losing their parents in a plane crash almost 15 years ago, Arnav and Anjali grew up much before their intended time. Even though they had each other and the support of their entire extended family, the void this lose created was unbearable. Arnav being the quiet and younger one took the blow pretty hard. They hastily moved in with their Nani and rest of the family, but the initial few years took a big toll on them.

Years later, when Anjali met Shayam, she felt some pieces of her heart finally coming back. He was in the same university as her, and showered her with so much care and love, that when he finally asked her to marry him, she couldn't help but say yes. He was so charming that he won over her entire family including Arnav who made an immediate connection with Shayam. They moved to Mumbai after marriage. But, not a single day passed when Anjali didn't worry about her still in teens brother. Finally, Shayam decided that their jobs were not worth enough for them to stay away from the only family they both had. And so, they packed up their newly wedded life, and moved to Shantivan in Delhi, the ancestral home of the Raizadas, and the land which still formed a small but significant part of the massive Raizada estate.

Shayam understood the bond between family members was one of most natural thing in the world. There weren't many families who wouldn't do just about anything for each other. But, he also believed that this was the exact reason why families became complacent in showing this love and care to each other. Losing his parents at a very young age too, he wasn't as lucky as Anjali & Arnav to have the rest of the family standing strong behind him. And so he wanted to make sure that his new family never took each other for granted. He knew how deeply each of the Raizadas loved each other, but he wanted to keep that spark alive. And so, one evening, over a cup of tea, they came up with some ground rules for the house.

They all had to eat at least one meal together everyday unless a family member was out of the city or country. Almost the entire second generation resident of their home had high powered careers & spent their time in their respective work spaces, except Anjali, who as a children book illustrator worked from the studio she had built in the house itself. And so, to make sure they all didn't drift away from each other and the three elders in the family, they decided to block one Sunday of every month to be their family day. The mornings of this day was usually spent in long breakfast and talks, and in the afternoons, after a scrumptious lunch, they did movie marathons. Evenings were either lazy ones depending on their day or sometimes they ventured to the exclusive country club they were members of. They ended the day usually being dragged by Nani to the temple where they sat in night vigil until the break of dawn.

Months later, when the 'youths' of the house were out celebrating Akash & Payal's second anniversary, they all came up with another tradition, but this time just for themselves. They decided to take at least 1 vacation together every 6 months. To keep things interesting they agreed to let different person plan different vacation. They were so serious about keeping this as surprising and as exhilarating as possible that they decided that the planner of the respective vacation was forbidden to share their plans with their respective partner too. In last 2 years, they had managed to escape to Italy, London, New York and Seychelles, each time crazier than before.

Amidst all this, Shayam, Anjali and Arnav started spending more time together. Almost every couple of weeks, Shayam and Anjali would arrive in Arnav's room, with a card or a board game, along with a cart full of snacks and beverages. And they spent hours talking about anything and everything. Arnav never asked, and they never explained, but this became their own little tradition.

"Damn these sandwiches are good" Arnav sighed with content, "Was this your creation Jiju or do I need to give another raise to Ram and Mira"

"This is all me. In my last trip to Mumbai, I tasted these amazing finger sandwiches and I just knew I had to recreate that taste. My secret ingredient, full grain mustard sauce"

"Amazing! You should definitely cook more often"

"That's the plan. I am thinking about opening a café once I retire. Spend more time with my princess here", Shayam winked as he draped his arms around Anjali, who still looked pissed after her 4th consecutive defeat

"Nice try, I still hate you both for making me lose"

"How did we 'make' you lose", Arnav sniggered, earning a scowl from Anjali, and he raise his hands in surrender, "Ok fine my melodramatic Di, you are the best and it was us that caused your failure. Now, can we talk about the movie we are watching tomorrow ? I know Nani and Mama are going to choose another one from 1940s", Arnav grimaced

"How about A Few Good Men?", Anjali suggested excitedly

This time Arnav decided to roll his eyes, "Di, you do know the number of times you have seen that movie right? I mean I agree it is a classic one but come one"

"I just lost 4 games to you two clowns. You owe this to me"

Arnav raised his eyebrows at Shayam, who shook his head, "Did she just say that?"

"She did"

"She is going to dangle this over our head for a long time isn't it?"

"Of course, you remember what happened last time, when we played Rummikub"

Arnav sighed dramatically and Anjali exclaimed, "Hellooo! Can you both stop talking about me in third person. I am right here. Now, Few Good Men is decided. I know Akaash & Payal would love it too"

"Well my darling, whether they love it or not, I know they won't dare to say no to you"

Arnav chuckled and Anjali threw another dirty look at her husband, "Moving on, I was thinking that we should invite Buaji and Khushi for tomorrow. I am sure it will make Payal really happy and it will give us all a chance to know Khushi"

"I like that, that's a great....", Shayam started, but before he could complete his statement, he was interrupted by Arnav, only this time his voice was devoid any humour.

"I don't think that's a good idea", Shayam frowned and looked over at Arnav, while he continued, "She might have her own social circle here. I don't see a point in taking her away from her weekend plans. I am happy if you invite Buaji again, but inviting Khushi is a mistake"

Anjali's eyes went wide and locked with Shayam, who too looked fairly surprised, not just because Arnav was against inviting Khushi, but also with the tone with which he opposed the whole thing.

"I know you both got off on the wrong foot, but wasn't that like 2 weeks back? I thought you would have moved on by now. And, she is part of Payal's family, which makes her an extension to ours. We can't just not acknowledge that. You both really need to get over whatever disagreements you are having at AR, at least for Payal's sake"

"It is not just about a disagreement Di. She...", Arnav took a deep breath, struggling to get his point across, "I just don't think she shares your eagerness of being an extension to our family. You can't just impose feelings on people"

"Ok I am getting worried. Can you tell me in clear words what exactly happened?"

Arnav looked up, both Anjali & Shayam staring at him, and he sighed again, "Fine. Just forget about what I said. You want to invite her, go ahead"

"Not like this, I won't. Tell me Arnav what is going on?"

"Nothing Di. Just nothing. I am sorry, I was thinking about office rifts and I misspoke. Its fine. Get them here tomorrow"

Anjali opened her mouth again to push this further but quietened when Shayam's palm covered hers and he shook his head, "It is getting really late. Think we should call it a night now"

Anjali nodded, understanding what exactly Shayam wanted to do, "Alright. Night Arnav. I will see you in morning", she then affectionately cupped his face and gave him a small smile, hoping to diffuse the mood he was in now.

"Night Di", he whispered, as both Anjali and Shayam made their way out his room.

---

Sighing deeply, Arnav padded across his room to check his phone for any emails that needed his immediate attention before he attempted to get some sleep when Shayam re-entered his room.

"Jiju? All ok?"

"You tell me. What was that all about"

Arnav closed his eyes while shutting the screen of his phone, "It was nothing Jiju. It's been a long day that's all"

"You sure? Because you were fine until Anjali mentioned Khushi"

Arnav stiffened, "Just a coincidence Jiju, that's it"

"Ok, if you are sure. Night Arnav"

"Night Jiju"

Shayam turned toward the door to leave, but stopped again. He then tilted his head toward Arnav and spoke softly, "You do know that every problem has a solution. It is up to us how and when we find it. And, I agree the process can sometimes be frustrating, but in my experience patience always pays off"

Arnav smiled. How did he even think that his brother-in-law, who in all these years had come to mean a lot to him, will ever let that tiny display of his frustration slip. He was almost as good as his sister when it came to sniffing the discomforts any of the family members felt. Amazing thing was, once Shayam felt there was something wrong, he made it his mission to get to the bottom of it. And in situations where he couldn't offer a solution, he made sure to give whatever advice he could. This trait was exactly what made him an extremely successful lawyer.

"Ok", Arnav said as he fully turned toward Shayam, "But, what do you do when the problem wants to remain a mystery? What if the problem does not wish to be solved?", he chuckled sadly, "In fact, what if the problem is so complicated that solving it might not even be worth it?"

"That part Arnav, you have to decide"

"I wish it was that simple"

"Well, usually things are simpler that we imagine them to be. I know you trust your gut. I also know your gut is rarely wrong. So, ask it"

"What?"

"Why, in all these years, for the first time a problem is bothering you this much. Is it because you are just concerned or is this something deeper? Find an answer to this question and you will know if this problem is even worth it"

"How do you know it is the first time a problem is bothering me this much"

Shayam smirked this time, "I have known you all your adult life Arnav. I know all those lovely legs that walked in & out of the penthouse of AR, but this is the first time, you have looked this hot & bothered"

"Oh come on Jiju, its not...", opposition died mid sentence, when Shayam just raised his palm, and said, "Night Arnav"

Arnav shook his head, "Night Jiju and thanks", he replied, this time his face holding a full blown smile.

"Anytime"

---

As Arnav's head hit the pillow, his mind drifted back to the last 2 weeks. Following the little fiasco of Khushi storming out the office after setting him straight that they both were not family, he made sure to treat her exactly like he did any other colleague. For the first week, his indifference was all because of the anger and irritation he felt toward her, and the best part was, Khushi seemed completely fine with it.

But, as the days progressed further, they were thrown together in numerous situations. Sometimes they were wining & dining prospective partners and clients together, and sometimes they were stuck in day long meetings that kept them in close quarters. The more time he spent around her, the more nuances he started noticing about her. Like, she always closed her eyes for few seconds right before starting any presentation, she chewed her lips whenever she was concentrating on something, her pitch and pace accelerated whenever she got excited about some idea, she displayed this immense patience when it came to motivating people around her to share their thoughts, and when she smiled, which was so rare, but when she did, it was the most beautiful sight Arnav ever laid his eyes on. He also discovered how amazing it was to see her in action. He knew it shouldn't have come as a big shock because her reputation preceded her, but the way she managed to stay a step ahead with anything and everything simply took his breath away.

He also started to notice something else that was strange about her. Although it was hardly noticeable, but he could sense she always had her guard up with people, especially men. At first he thought that was part of getting acclimated to new people, but then one evening, he took some of his clients out for drinks. He stepped out the exclusive area where they all sat to take a call, when his eyes found Khushi, sitting at the opposite corner with Lavanya, Payal and some other women he recognised from office. And that's when he saw it - that unrestrained laugh of hers that went straight to his heart. Her body language was so free that he couldn't help but wonder if it was in fact the same Khushi. This bothered him so much that just to prod this further he arranged another evening out - but this time it was himself, Akaash, Shayam, Aman, Lavanya & Khushi. He wanted to keep the circle small and familiar. He wanted to understand if that unbridled attitude he saw emerged only when she was away from office, or was it something else. And, his suspicions confirmed. She was her charming self. In fact he knew no one other than him could place a single finger on the way she behaved. But, he knew. He saw a stark difference between the Khushi from the other evening, and the Khushi that sat with him.

And this deepened the mystery for him. The only viable explanation he could think of was that may be Khushi felt comfortable around women only, but, that didn't make much sense for someone who was so adept in talking to and managing plethora of men who directly or indirectly reported to her. None of this made sense to him. And so, against his better judgement and decision, he started thinking about her again.

To quench this need to understand her better, few days back he also pulled Khushi's background documents that AR maintained for all its employees. He spent one late evening pouring over everything that was documented about her, but he couldn't find anything new that could feed his unwanted concern for her. Her parents were deceased and from what he knew from Payal, her parent took Khushi in. He knew the bond that existed between Payal & Khushi was really strong and that she was very close to Madhumati. But, none of these snippets of information aided in answering the questions swirling in his mind. He knew the pain of losing both parents, he understood it very well, but the pain and hesitance he saw in Khushi's eyes was something else.

He restlessly turned to his side, Shayam's words ringing through his head - 'Is it worth it?'.

In all honesty, he had been asking the exact same question from himself from last 10 days now. And he had no idea how to get to its answer. He hardly knew her at a personal level. He knew he was attracted to her. But, the way she looked and the intellect she had, he was sure, any one with a pulse that came in her vicinity would feel the same.

He sighed. Questions after questions ricocheting in his brain. Should he trust his guts and follow his heart? Or given the pros and cons of this whole thing, he follow the instinct of a ruthless entrepreneur and let this go before getting too deep into this?

He turned on his back again, and closed his eyes finally drifting off, with the last conscious thought, just like all other nights, of the hazel eyed mystery, who turned up in his life not even 2 weeks back, and had managed to thrust it off-course without even trying it.

---

It was little after 8 am and Raizada Mansion was bubbling with life. The aroma of coffee and food floating across the house, making people salivate with just the thought of breakfast.

"Damn! These should not be classified as breakfast at all", Akaash exclaimed, as his mouth watered looking at another batch of crêpe being smothered with chocolate sauce by Khushi, "I can eat this any time of the day. Khushi, you are the official maker of everything sweet"

Khushi laughed, "It is really nothing Jiju. My culinary expertise is pretty restricted. Foods that contain sugar are the only thing I can make"

"And eat", Payal spoke, as she entered the kitchen, catching the tail end of the conversation, "Even as a child, she used to try to make something sweet along with every meal. Really got on Buaji's nerves"

Madhumati, who sat on the counter stool next to the kitchen island nodded, "Oh yes. Here I was trying to include vegetables and fruits in every meal for these girls, and Khushi use to go and kill it all off by filling herself up with desserts and then refuse to eat the actual food"

Mami stared at Khushi

"How are you of this size then?"

"Superbly weird metabolism", Khushi and Payal both answered simultaneously, and broke into a loud laugh

"Anyways, I stopped this special diet once I was out of my teens and realised there are more food groups than sugar", Khushi continued, as she followed others to the dining area, making them all chuckle.

"Where is Arnav? I thought the rule was to be up by 6am?", Madhumati asked as her eyes took in everyone around her

Khushi felt her smile drop a little, while Shayam replied, "Actually Buaji, he was up really late last night. His usual office work. I will wake him up in a hour"

---

Almost 2 hours and endless wake up calls later, Arnav stirred himself out of yet another disturbed sleep. To avoid any more admonishment from Nani that he knew was definitely coming his way, he rushed to get ready and join everyone for breakfast.

He descended down the stairs, when his eye came in contact with the reason sleep evaded him these days.

Dressed in a simple baby blue jeans paired with a white boat cut top, hair tied back in a loose ponytail, she looked breath taking. She was walking around the length of the table, trying to get to the empty chair, when suddenly, almost as if sensing him, she looked up, her eyes connecting with his.

He saw her expression change, from calm to shock, to something he couldn't understand, and then within seconds, she smiled politely, her guards firmly back in place. And this made him sigh.

He knew that smile was nothing but a way to greet a colleague. But, those nanoseconds right before that smile emerged on her face, he also managed to see something that told him a different story. He had assumed it before, but now he was sure that she felt this too. Whatever was between them, this invisible connection, she could feel the burn of it too. And, just like that the answer he was so desperately trying to find came screaming back at him, 'Yes, this was worth it. She...was worth it'. And just like that, the decision was made. Decision to try and understand her. Decision to unravel this enigma in front of him.

With the new resolution firmly in place, he covered the remaining distance between them and took the seat right next to her.

The moment he sat down, he felt her stiffen, and he smiled. He knew he was in for a ride. The walls that surrounded her were so tall and strong. And, he braced himself for the resistance he would face when he tried to scale them.

---

Note: Hello my dear readers! First of all, a big welcome to everyone who are new to my story! I hope you will enjoy reading this, as much as I enjoy writing it. And second of all, to all who liked & commented on the previous chapters - Thank you all so much!❤️

Your comments are what keeps me motivated to keep writing this story and not give in to the laziness itching to creep in. I will wait for your reactions on this one too. Until next time, take care my dears!🤗