Chapter 43: Chapter 43
It was seven in the evening. Anvesha was sitting in her apartment after a tiring journey. The trip with Adhyayan to Lansdowne, the unspoiled town was truly amazing. The couple indeed, enjoyed themselves and made beautiful memories together. Looking at her phone and swiping the pictures, she smiled glancing at a candid shot of her with her doting boyfriend at Tip N Top. She forwarded the picture to her mother who was delighted at the progress of their relationship. Adhyayan and Anvesha had reached Delhi in the afternoon. Dropping her at her place, Adhyayan drove to his penthouse.
Anvesha urged to call Adhyayan and talk to him. She was sort of missing him and his adorable talks but she knew, he was tired and he must be sleeping after driving continuously for eight hours. She flustered reminiscing their sweet moments together.
Her thoughts drifting to Adhyayan’s confession about his family relations. Anvesha was thinking how to mend the relations of the father-son duo, when her phone rang. She smiled looking at the caller ID.
“Hello”, she chirped. It was a long ago when she last talked to her brother.
“Hey, Anvesha. How are you doing?” Hruday, who was planning a trip to Delhi, asked his younger sister. He surely missed her but he did not have the heart to clip her wings and ask her to revert back especially when she was at the peak of her career. His baby sister was doing well miles away from him and he was happy for her. Being an entrepreneur, things were not easy for him. He could not find time for his family. For some business purpose, he was visiting Delhi and looking forward to meet his sister.
“I am doing good, dada. How are you?” she said. Exchanging pleasantries, they talked about their lives. Anvesha was delighted to know that her brother would be visiting her on coming Thursday. Happily Anvesha made up her mind to tell her brother about Adhyayan.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “Hruday da, I need to tell you something”, as her heartbeat raced. She knew her brother would never reprimand her for anything but after Vipin, she kept a room for doubts and negativity.
“What is it, Anu? Is everything fine?” Hruday asked panicking. Thousands of thoughts came in his mind. He wondered if his baby sister was suffering with some hardships. Being an awesome elder brother, Hruday was concerned of his sister’s safety and well-being. He could sense seriousness in her voice and it was natural for him to get worried.
“Dada, I am dating someone”, Anvesha spoke fumbling. She was anticipating a positive reaction from her brother.
“Who is he and what does he do? Is he a sensible one?” Hruday bombarded questions to his sister in a calm tone. Internally he felt happy to know that his sister had completely moved on over her previous relationship.
A smile crept on her lips as Anvesha said, “He is Adhyayan Joshi, the chef whom mummy loves! He is truly a gentleman. You will meet him when you will come here”. She could sense the faint laughter of her brother who welcomed the news.
“I can relish some lip-smacking meals then”, Hruday spoke as he chuckled. Having met Adhyayan once in person, he found him to be an interesting man. He was happy for his sister and somewhere, proud of Anvesha’s choice.
With a hearty laughter, they chit-chatted a bit when Anvesha told her brother about Adhyayan’s parents and his relationship with his father.
“Dada, I want to mend their relationship but I don’t know how to. His mother and his sister miss him. His father has held his ego while he is waiting for his father to break the ice.” Anvesha told to her elder brother who sighed exasperatedly pitying Adhyayan for once.
Hruday came up with an idea to which Anvesha could not help but agree. She smiled satisfactorily as her brother wished her luck for the success of his plan. Talking a bit about their lives, the brother-sister duo disconnected the call.
The wall struck at eight in night. She wondered if it was right time to call Parisa or not. She was excited to see the reaction of Mr. Hariprakash Joshi if Parisa managed to do as her brother had said. Contemplating, if she should call today or tomorrow, Anvesha decided to text Adhyayan’s sister.
Hi Parisa
How are things at Dehradun? Whenever you are free, just call me. I wanted to talk something important.
She cooked a light meal for herself and ate her dinner. She was washing her dishes, when her phone rang.
Parisa, on the other hand, returned to her room after having the dinner. Since the day her father had told Anvesha that she was a single-child, things were never the same. She had tried to confront her father for once but Mr. Joshi had avoided the topic like plaque. She was helpless because her mother had never taken a strong stand for her brother.
She sighed as she checked the text of Anvesha and she smiled. She contemplated if she should call tonight or tomorrow. Without thinking much, she dialed Anvesha’s number and waited for her to receive the call as she stood in her balcony admiring the shimmering lights of Mussoorie hills dazzling at the horizon.
Anvesha received the call and chimed in, “How are you doing, dear?”
Parisa smiled as they chit-chatted about their day. Coming to the point, Parisa asked her, “What you wanted to talk, ma’am?”
Anvesha smiled at the straightforward nature of the little girl. Anvesha explained her the same idea Hruday had pitched to her earlier. Parisa was flabbergasted for once.
With fear rising inside her, Parisa said, “You know if I do something like this, my father would skin me alive”, sharing her apprehensions. She knew her father would be angry at her.
Anvesha chuckled humorlessly though anger rose up inside her. She wondered Adhyayan’s sister was just a good speaker but could not support her brother. She took a deep breath and said, “Someone was behaving really mature that day.”
Anvesha sighed infuriatedly as all her hopes had shattered. Her heart ached when she remembered Adhyayan’s confession and his pain. She wondered the sister who craved for reuniting her family had stepped back when she was given a chance to help her brother. She said, “Actually I am a fool to intervene in your family. It is your life. You know what Parisa it was you who confessed about your brother. You could have simply avoided things like your father when you are just feigning the longing. Just forget it. Why should I care?”
Having bombarded rudely at Parisa, Anvesha disconnected the phone. She was fuming in anger but she knew she had hit the right nerve.
Her words, ‘why should I care?’ were enough to ignite fire in Parisa.
Adhyayan’s sister, no doubts, wanted the reunion of her family. Parisa realized Anvesha was trying her best despite she was no one to them. She wondered it was indeed, easy for any girl to enjoy life with her brother but here, Anvesha wanted things to get back to normal.
Making up her mind to follow Anvesha’s advice instead of blaming her mother for not supporting her brother, Parisa called her again. Anvesha who was lying in her bed sighed looking at the caller ID but nevertheless, she picked up the phone.
“I will try once for my brother. Thank you.” Parisa chimed in immediately while Anvesha smiled. Wishing for the best, they bade each other good night.
Anvesha was beyond happy as she anticipated the retired brigadier, Mr. Hariprakash Joshi to melt down. She urged to talk to Adhyayan though she did not plan to reveal anything to him. It was their daily routine to talk at the nights. She twisted and turned on her bed because sleep was nowhere found.
Adhyayan, on the other hand, was missing Anvesha. He contemplated if he should call her or not as he wondered she was tired after a hectic journey and had work the next day as clock struck nine reminding him about his daily routine to talk with her at the peak hours of his work.
Closing her eyes, she tried to sleep when her phone rang and she smiled. Engaging herself into a romantic conversation with Adhyayan, she delightfully enjoyed talking to him after all, there was no disturbance in the background tonight because Adhyayan was at his home instead of his workplace.