chapter 4

 
      

                             'Capricious Colloquies'
 

    Arnav strode to his room and shut the door with a bang.

"Unbelievable..What is wrong with me,dammit? Khushi should not feel anything is left undone? Get a grip ASR. The girl herself is crazy as it is and now driving me too...And still I am pondering over the thought of making a deal with her today. What the? "


'You really don't need to make the deal, you know?' said his brain thoughtfully.


He gauged at the question before answering , "I know but I'm doing this for my family."


'But they didn't ask you to', drawled his brain.


"They didn't ask me exactly now but they have been demanding about this since long. I should respect my Di's request.(such efficient transition from pestering to requesting ) I have to fulfill her every dream"..he answered happy to be able to play his Di's role against Him for once.


'But why now? You didn't think about Di's dream when Lavanya was here'..detailed his brain.


Realizing his own intelligence he bit out,'I really don't see the need to answer you about anything. So keep your questions to yourself and tell me how to proceed with this.'


'Sorry. But sadly, I can't help you much this time. It's clearly not my department.' shrugged his brain.


"What do you mean by 'not your department'? I have trained you to work on every deal dammit!"..boomed arnav.


'Sure enough you did, but this seems out of syllabus. I am afraid you will have to ask someone else for help'...reasoned his brain.


"Who?"..was his impatient snap.


'umm..maybe, the hibernating organ of yours..his highness..Mr.Heart'


"What the ? I have never felt it of any use other than all the pumping of blood it does...and I won't ever "..he put it firmly.


'That's all I could offer to be of any assistance to you.'Brain resigned helplessly.


"Fine!... So keep away from my deal, I will handle it myself. Arnav Singh Raizada doesn't need anyone to help him". ..He retorted.


'As you wish' his brain shrugged and dismissed itself.



          Arnav jerked his head as it denied to help him and went to cupboard. He pulled out a navy blue velvety box and opened with an unknown restlessness. There was a heart engraved at top of the box. As the lid opened'.Another beautiful heart carved out of a ruby faced the confused and anxious face of ASR. Today it was his 10^th attempt to assure himself that what he had brought from jewelers yesterday was indeed suitable for the deal. It was his first time to buy any jewelry by himself. He always called jewelers home when any of the ladies from family wished to buy something. Even if they went to any jewelry shop, he never accompanied them as he felt it was a boring and mere waste of time But this time he could not find any other way than visiting the shop by himself and choosing this piece of elegance. He knew it was the most beautiful ring he could find as he never doubted on his own choice but the question was if Khushi would feel the same? He lifted the ring from the box. The golden rays of sun reflecting from the ruby were spreading the sparkle at every corner. The blend of golden and red poured out into his otherwise pale room.

        He kept staring at the ring. It was a ring made in ruby and solitaire. A heart of ruby was accompanied on both the sides by two small solitaire hearts. The color of the ruby, reminded him of her. Ruby is lot like her. Bright, attractive, deep and reflecting .While the plain solitaire hearts made him realize that his heart was much like those plain colorless stones. Do Both these stones put together presented a beautiful ring? Or they seem mismatched pieces in a single jewel? Only she could answer the question. With that thought he kept the box at its place and went to the poolside.

       This was the place where he witnessed her every craziness. Initially with fury, then with a frown and later with a smirk or an amused smile at some rare times. Even she managed to make him laugh twice. And this was indeed the biggest achievement of any girl in the history of Arnav Singh Riazada's life. He agreed and so she is the appropriate party for this deal. He felt satisfied at the conclusion.


  Suddenly a frown replaced his calm features, 'What if she does not agree to the deal?'


  He groaned. How hard is it, for Arnav Singh Riazada's brain to understand the meaning of 'Shut up and don't ask any questions?'


"She has to accept the deal, understood? She is not offered with any choice. Yes or YES it is..!" He chided his brain.


 He didn't realize her craziness of talking to self that involuntarily had already seeped into his system until he was brought out of his trance by HP's knock on the door and who had brought his outfit for the evening.

 

"woh Bhaiya, Anjali didi has sent your clothes for the evening" He hesitated to stay there and tried to slip as fast as he could but today his destiny ..not only his... rather all Prakash brothers'....was at the mercy of 'His Highness'.


Arnav called him "HP"

 

"Ji bhiaya?" He asked doubting his stars today.

 

"Are you married?"

 

"What?????" His pale face and widened eyes made Arnav feel as if HP was seeing some ghost.

 

"Was it a difficult question to understand? I simply asked do you have a wife?" This time he asked more arrogantly.

 

"n..n..No bhaiya. I'm not married." HP replied horrifyingly shrugging the blush that crept uninvited & trying to strain his little brain about where the conversation was heading.

 

"Why? Why you didn't get married? You too don't believe in marriages?"...arnav asked curiously.


"Ahh?" Why is he supposed to not believe in marriages...HP confused and replied awkwardly..."Woh..actually...wo..."


"Answer me damn it!" Arnav boomed impatiently & stood in front him.


HP gulped audibly and tried to speak with dried throat,

"Actually..I never got time to go to my hometown and seek a girl for marriage. My brothers are unmarried too."



"Oh...you believe in marriages then? Then why didn't you tell me earlier that you would like to marry?" Arnav asked irritated.

 

"??"..HP didn't know how to spell those question marks which were visible on his face now.



"Anyways, now once I and Akash get married..You people can go and get married too..I will talk to Di" Arnav ordered suggestively.

 

This time HP really could not make himself stay over there for another second and ran out without listening what Arnav barely completed.