2020. 1. Heart of a Rose (Part 3)

Part 3

Nani looked at him with eyes filled with hope.

His lashes trembled and fell. He just held out the photo to nani.

“You don’t want to see the other photos, Chotey?” she asked, her voice faint with fear that he would backtrack.

“No,” he mumbled. He took a deep breath and found a reason to leave. “I have to get to office.” Work was a good excuse if it meant he didn’t have to dissect the reasons why he had taken the most important decision of his life in seconds.

“I will get in touch with the broker,” nani said with a relieved smile.

He nodded.

                                                         ***

On the way to office, Arnav’s head was filled with the image of the girl in the photo. Her eyes had been brimming with naughty laughter. 

His lips relaxed in a slight smile.

Akash looked at him with wide eyes. Bhai was smiling? He moved closer to his bhai to see if he had mistaken a tic or facial spasm for amusement.

“Kya?” Arnav asked with a frown.

Akash retreated, drawing his head back like a tortoise at the sight of a threat. “Nothing, bhai,” he murmured, inching away closer to the door. He knew when to leave a prickly cactus alone.

The smiling visage of the girl remained in ASR’s head as he went from meeting to meeting, digesting large amounts of data and negotiating like a master, leaving his opponents gasping in the dust.

It was very late at night that he lay on his bed, still thinking about the girl. He hadn’t asked nani for information on her. He didn’t even know her name! Unbelievable! How could he have been so remiss? What kind of businessman was he to take the most important step of his life without finding everything worth knowing about the girl he was to share his life with? Should he employ a private detective? No, his nani was more efficient.

The discomfiting thought that he had managed to sweep under the carpet of his mind throughout the day made its presence felt. Was he ready for marriage? What could he offer to the girl? Would his past and a head filled with nightmarish and gory images let him live what people called a normal life?

And fidelity. Would he end up like his mother, betrayed by the person she had trusted with all her heart? His heart fluttered. He looked down at his chest, slowly placing his hand on the left side to check if the organ was still beating.

His lashes fell to cover his eyes. Di had to get on with her life, not hang around waiting for him to deal with his problems. He sighed. Did he really have a choice about marriage? The question was rhetorical. He sighed. He needed to find out as much as he could about the girl and protect himself from his mother’s fate.

Sleep came to him with great difficulty that night.

Morning saw Arnav at his nani’s door.

“Chotey?” she was surprised. “Aayiye. Kaa hua?”

“Did you contact the broker?” he asked directly.

“Yes. He has promised that he will arrange a meeting at the earliest.”

Arnav nodded. “What do you know about her...family?” he asked.

Nani hesitated. “Chotey, she is not from an aristocratic family like we are, but they are nice people. I think you should give her a chance,” nani urged.

“I see,” he murmured. “Please ask him to inform the family about our past so that there are no unpleasant surprises for them after we visit them,” he reminded.

Nani nodded slowly.

“What is her name?” he asked, feeling his heart go thump, thump.

“Khushi Kumari Gupta,” nani said with a smile.

He nodded and left the room. Khushi, Khushi...the name resounded in his head. Happiness. Her face flooded his mind. The name suited her, he felt. A small smile graced his lips.

                                                    ***