by Anamika GK
“You've got to finish this bowl of pomegranate Avishji. It will help build new blood in your body,” Khushi said with an authority she had found with Avish after the mishap a week ago.
“Look Khushi, I am totally fine now and enough of your bossing. I am not having it and you can't make me,” said Avish trying to sound stern as he bit into his regular omelet and toast.
“Fine. You don't leave me any choice but to call buaji and complain,” she threatened. Buaji's lectures and dramatic Nandkishore's invariably shook the life out of otherwise composed Avishji.
“What are you? Five? Wagging your tail like a pet behind dad and buaji,” he jibed, although worried that she would act on her threat.
“Hawww... How rude!” she protested. Then instantly proposed “But I'll let it go if you eat this fruit bowl,”
“Don't let it go. Just let me go,” Avish stood up and collected his coat from the back of his dining chair.
“Fine. Go. Why would you care that I personally shopped these pomegranates for you because chachu said that it is good for you. You know how crowded it was there and how sunny. And then I was almost run over by a car when I tried to cross the road after getting it from the vendor”, in a bid to make him eat the prescribed diet, Khushi's outlandish dramatics were quite common these days.
“You did not,” Avish countered trying to gauge the truthfulness in her statement. She was a full of melodrama and he knew that by now.
“Yes. I did,” she stood up, trying to look helluva hurt and succeeding as well.
“You did not,” he still stood his ground.
“Did too”.
“Did not”.
“Did too”.
“Did not”.
“Did too”.
“FINE. Give me the freaking bowl,” he held his hand out in frustration and Khushi without delay handed it over to him, hiding a smug grin.
Avish was sure that she had the capability to go on bickering like a five year old for the whole day and he just could not match up with her in that department. This bowl would anyway appear in his lunch items later with an added blame of not appreciating her efforts, of which he would not hear the end of the whole day. He had very important meetings lined up today and if eating a bowl of 'handpicked' pomegranate seeds right now would let him work peacefully, then so be it.
But all said and done, Khushi did win Avish over by the level of devotion and commitment she showed in the past week towards him. While he convinced her to sleep in her room after that night, which went by fine without any nightmares much to his relief, he could not deter her from taking care of him vehemently. The girl, whom he had not seen leave her room before 8 am ever, was up at break of dawn these days, sipping her tea sitting in the veranda and keeping an eye on him while he jogged, lest he faints due to weakness after his apparent blood loss. He had made himself believe over the years that all this ‘taking care’ stuff actually hinders patient’s recovery and is utterly not required. But now he knew that it was the case of sour grapes and he just fooled himself as no one had wanted to care for him like this. Till now that is. This time his diet chart was followed to the T, not only preparation but the feeding part as well. She made sure his lunch was delivered to office on time with all the medicines that have been prescribed to him neatly stacked in a small box. She even insisted on accompanying him to his bandage change appointments to the doctor, and almost always found a way around his refusal for the same. Also instead of just calling him to inform about her arrival from college, Khushi now called him atleast four or five times a day to check on him. But to him the best part was the way she eagerly awaited his return from office every single day for it filled his heart with a never known before, want to reach home. The imposing building of Raizada Mansion never in his lifetime looked this welcoming to him as it did now, with Khushi sitting in the living room with her books in her hands, and pencil in her lips looking anxiously at the door every now and then. Avish had absorbed this sight into the deep recesses of his heart to never let go, when one day she did not spot him and he had observed her standing partially behind a pillar.
After his 'accident' she insisted that they Skype with bade papa every day after dinner. In order to make him and his dad feel better after this incident in her own way, her spirited soul had rebuild the bridges of normalcy that were burnt between father and son in the past. Avish would never admit it, but he liked the way she had started this kind of ritual of staying in touch on personal front with his dad when away. He had always been in touch with his father but mostly talked about business, but with Khushi around, they talked of everything but business. He recalled how insecure he had become when his dad did not make any plans to visit New York in the year following his heart attack. He had called after a lot of dilly dallying to ask his own father about missing his yearly trip but still could not find it in him to tell him that he was waiting for him, lest he looks needy to him. He could silently shift continents to be closer to his father but voicing his affections was an improbable probability in the twisted personal world his parents had created for him. However, by just being herself, Khushi had easily broken the ice in which father-son relationship had hibernated years back.
Nowadays he did not even try to deny, even to himself that he had started feeling a weird contentment around her. Everything felt okay in the world when she was with him. Her inexperience in the matters of nursing him back to health or managing the household was undoubtedly surpassed by her genuine intentions. Her silly chattering, her intelligent musings and her concerned lectures were replacing the hollow silence of his heart. Every morning he desperately waited for her to come out of her room but had no idea why. He looked forward to her phone calls and to the radiant smiles that had started lighting up his drab routine, but refrained from dwelling on the thought as to what was he expecting out of all this in the end. After a lifetime of dashed hopes, this loving concern was baffling him as much as it was soothing him and although he wanted to keep the warmth she has brought into his heart going on endlessly, he knew better than to hope.
It's all temporary. Once everyone comes back everything will go back to normal, he consoled his practical side which was panicking due to the emotional solace he was finding in this young girl.
But the truth was that his wilted heart was coming to life under Khushi's nurturing care. How would things go back to ‘normal’ when she had unknowingly planted tender feelings for herself on the path leading to his heart?
Feelings that will rapidly grow so strong that they will make him send the well laid plans of his life for a toss, and hers too.