Posted: February 13th, 2019

♛ Jhanvi ♛

**Please excuse any gramatical errors. A part of this was written originally in Aarav's POV which I changed to make it a longer chapter**

2.23 Eyes and Ears

          Inaaya Aarvi Raichand.

The name I announced at the naming ceremony two months ago. In the silence that had followed, Eva had asked, "Say that again?"

I had smiled up at her aware of the reason she was stunned, "I was talking to Sam before we left for Australia and he'd told me. That's the name you'd chosen for your baby girl."

With tears welling up in her eyes, she had nodded in response. "It was," she had whispered.

If you ask me, as I had said to Aarav once, there could be no better name for my baby... naming her after the two people who had taught me so much about love and friendship. Eva... she does not get her due sometimes and caught up in everything, I fail to express it to her often but I do remember how she had been the first when I had been new to Mumbai to be my friend. I may have grown closer to Annie as a friend, but Eva is still more like an elder sister I don't have. She has been a silent inspiration in my life and undoubtedly, an active one in Aarav's life since they were children. And not to forget, she is the one who brought Aarush into our lives as well. If not for him as well, I would not be holding my baby securely in my arms. I might have lost her a long time ago.

So, if you ask me, I say she is the one person here who seems to know a lot more about what is going on than anyone else. I have no doubt that she knows everything about Aarush given they are close friends. She knew of Aarav and Annie long before the two of them knew themselves.

She is the gift that keeps giving.

Even now, when her wedding is in a few months, she is taking the time off from all the preparations by coming with me to the ancestral palace. I'd tried to tell her to focus on her wedding, but she'd said there were lots of people to plan her wedding. Eventually, the compromise I'd struck was that she could come with me but only if the wedding takes place at the palace - that way she can be involved in preparations as well. After all, no one has more of a right to make decisions other than the bride.

As such, two months seem to pass by in a blink - caught up in everyday life and the struggle to set into a routine of being a single mother and learning as much as possible about my family history and all the things they have been involved in with the business. Taking over is not as easy as it may seem. There are never enough hours in a day.

Today, however, is different as everyone arrives for the wedding. It is in two weeks and as such, all functions start in just a couple of days. Aarav had been apologetic over the months that he wasn't able to visit often but even I understood he had things to do. After spending months in Australia, there was much on the business front and his personal life to settle: with the most important being dealing with Shyam. It did not help, ofcourse, that the man seemed to have disappeared once again - leaving Aarav on edge and never knowing when he would return out of the blue.

They had their people on the search for him but it seems that when the man did not want to be found, he made it difficult.

The elders disperse after dividing the last-minute preparations among themselves, and I climb up the stairs to show the workers to the rooms so they can leave their bags in respective rooms. From the first floor, I glance down to overhear Eva and Aarav's conversation.

"Is Annie coming?"

She glares at him and I am sure he knows why. He must have asked her 10 times since last few days and each time she's ignored him and changed the topic by giving him one task or the other related to wedding preparations.

I could tell he is this close to begging, "Just tell me. Please."

She sighs in defeat, "Kiddo, why are you forcing me to be the one to hurt your feelings?"

He frowns catching her indirect answer. "Ask her again."

She pries her arm off his hold, "Okay, look. I'm the bride. I have much better things to do than track down your love interest and ensure she is coming to the wedding."

"But there's only two weeks left. She should have given you an answer by now."

She answers in a raised voice as she begins to walk away, "I don't know, Aarav. If you're so desperate, ask her yourself."

He scoffs, "How rude, Eva. I'll remember this."

She pauses briefly, sighs, and then turns to face him with an instruction, "Just go talk to the florists again so they don't mess up the order." Then, she disappears down the hall.

I too walk off to my room to check on Inaaya. She'd been asleep, but it seems about the time when she'd wake up from her afternoon nap.

Some twenty minutes later, I hear a mutter. "Oh, thank the Lord."

I stick my head out from behind a changing screen, "Aarav?"

He walks further in the room and spots me as well, "Hey, this place is a maze. Have you considered putting up sign boards so people don't get lost?"

I disappear behind the screen again with a laugh. "It isn't so difficult. Most of the areas are still closed off."

He counters as he gets on the bed with Inaaya, "Hey baby," and kisses her forehead in a greeting before replying, "Ask someone who just spent the last half hour getting here. Anyway, what are you doing?"

"I'm being forced to wear these dresses and our lovely, talented designers don't understand that I have yet to shed off some of this pregnancy fat." I complain showing myself, standing in front of him with a huff at the tight fit that I can barely breathe.

He lacks in sympathy knowing he cannot side against his family in value of his life, "You've got two weeks to lose it. Hit the gym."

I accuse with pursed lips, "Some friend you are."

He focuses on Inaaya as she pulls his hand wrapping her tiny palm around his large thumb in a tight grip, and places her favorite toy in it - a wooden boat. He doesn't understand how she prefers this over all the other soft toys she's surrounded in. He'd asked me why I got this toy for her when he had first seen it since Inaaya was still young and she could hurt herself if she put it in her mouth - and as is known, babies often put everything they get their hands on in their mouth.

He tries to hand Inaaya a stuffed toy but she throws it back. He turns to me for help, "Okay, I've got no clue what she wants me to do with this boat."

"Hold on," I quickly change back into my normal, comfortable clothes before walking to the bed. I take the toy from his hand and place it on Inaaya's other palm. Her eyes brighten up as if she knows what's coming next. I grin along with her as I slide the boat up her arm and Inaaya laughs as the movement tickles her.

He smiles as well hearing her adorable squealing laughter. "Seriously?"

"With babies, you don't question logic." I point out shrugging my shoulder.

Inaaya grabs the boat and places it in his palm again wanting him to play with her. He listens and drops logic as suggested and plays along.

As I fix the room from the mess Inaaya had made by throwing toys here and there, I start a conversation. "So, what were you doing that you got lost?"

"Bugging Eva."

I ask in a teasing voice, "Don't tell me you were asking her again about Annie?"

He groans in embarrassment, "You know too?"

"I may have heard her rant a few times after you would irritate her."

He frowns while defending himself, "I just want to know. Is that such a crime? This is the longest we have gone without talking to each other."

I stop moving about to catch a breath. How can anyone get winded just by fixing up the room and returning things where they belong? Maybe Aarav is right. I do need to hit the gym.

Anyway, focusing on the topic at hand, I suggest, "Why don't you just text her then? I'm sure she'll reply."

"I don't know. I don't want to bother her." He expresses the reason for not having done so already. Carefully, as if internally debating whether he wanted to hear the answer to this, he asks. "Have you been in touch with her?"

"If by that you mean if we've texted each other, then yes. She occasionally demands I send her pictures of Inaaya. I think those are the days that are tough for her."

"I guess that answers my second question of how she's doing." He mumbles returning the toy to Inaaya to let her play on her own and sits up to move to the foot of the bed.

I turn the question on him, "How are you doing?"

He shrugs with a blank mind. "Eh. I... Mostly... No." At the end, he gives up. There does not seem to be a clear word in his dictionary for him to express an honest answer to that question.

"Oh Aarav," I approach him and drape an arm around his back sitting next to him. I don't have to say anything else to help him feel better. He places his hand around my shoulder and returns my side hug with a deep exhale.

I do wonder... where is our life leading us? It was not long ago that I was giving Aarav a lecture on having hope and climbing the ladder to our happiness. But is that happy ending anywhere near? It just seems to be an uphill battle that never ceases. It is getting exhausting and what can I say to cheer him up when I myself seem to be in the same mood as him half of the days?

It's as if in our silence, we understand each others difficulties of our individual situations. This is the cruel balance of life, correct? To one, it gives all the riches and power but takes away the love. To another, it gives all the love and family but has them struggle in meeting day to day life. No one in this world has everything. Even when born into one of the most elite families out there, nothing comes easily. We all have to struggle for something or the other. We all have something to chase after.

Inaaya chooses that silent moment to showcase her throwing abilities as if scolding us for brooding rather than paying attention to her - thankfully it was a stuffed bunny. It hits his back and then topples on to the floor. He grumbles with a chuckle, "Gosh kid, who taught you to throw?"

I chuckle as well and bend to pick it up. "Well, take it as a hint. So long as you're here, forget everything and just be with Inaaya. You'll be surprised how stress-free you can feel after just playing with her for a few minutes."

He takes that as an undertone and asks, "People giving you a tough time?"

"Mm, yeah. Nothing unexpected. They're not too receptive to the idea of having a foreign-return modern female with a child out of wedlock as the royal face. I'm sure you can already imagine the scandal and whispers everywhere I go. Eva's been trying to get me to dress a bit more traditionally as if it'll get them to respect me but if you ask me, that makes no sense. How are respect and clothes related? Anyway, it's a sworn fact - saris and I are arch nemesis. I mean, I can't very well run about taking care of Inaaya. Have they not seen how big this place is? Oh, and the business advisors? Don't even get me started on them. Who even approved their degrees? They're so narrow minded and completely turn a blind eye anytime I try to bring up a suggestion by calling it non-traditional. What the hell does that even mean? It's a freaking suggestion. It can't be traditional or non..."

I trail off finally noticing the amusement on his face from my answer to such a short question he had asked. I stop the waving of hands for emphasis that I'd been doing while ranting.

He points out, "You're pacing."

That used to be his thing. Still is, I'm sure. I exhale and apologize. "Rubbed off on me and sorry, I didn't mean to rant. It's just these people really push my buttons."

He suggests getting up to stand in front of me, "I get it. One step at a time, okay? You're new to them just as they are to you. It'll take them time to get used to this. They aren't used to having to answer to anyone in the last few decades. Maybe they feel threatened and so they are doing everything in their power to antagonize you by making you feel inferior."

My shoulders sag, "I know. I should be the bigger person, but it's like they have sworn to say the opposite of anything I have to say simply because I am a female and apparently, one of low character at that."

He scolds, "Hey, don't let it get to you. You know that's not true!"

I smile in return to ease his worries, "Relax, Raizada. Ofcourse I know I shouldn't let it affect my self-esteem, but it does bring out my toxic side when they refuse to listen. They've created this image of me in their mind and they allow nothing I attempt to do to shatter it. They don't want to. It frustrates me to no end."

He suggests after pondering a bit, "Let's see if we can change anything with this wedding?"

"How so?"

"Well, when they see you with our family, maybe they'll change your opinion just a little. If they see you following rituals, taking a part in ceremonies, dressed traditionally for the occasions..."

"It's a nice thought..."

"But?"

"But I feel it'll be fake. I mean what happens once this wedding is wrapped up and I go back to the way I dress and live? It's almost double standards for them to change the way they look at me just because I put up a show."

"It's not a show." He counters, "You do respect our culture. You'll be enjoying taking a part in the wedding, won't you?"

"Yeah, ofcourse. It's my first Indian wedding I'll be attending. I'm pretty excited."

"Exactly. So, the only part remotely fake part is your dressing sense but worry not. This is a family of designers. I'm sure my talented lot can come up with a wardrobe style you'd be comfortable in and one the people here will come to accept."

I ask apprehensively, "You think so?"

He chuckles dropping the weight of his heavy arm on my shoulder, "Yes, Shona. Honestly, I don't get why you've been stressing all these months. All you had to do was pick up the phone and call us. My angels would have solved this issue in a snap of fingers."

"Ever my savior family." Though I speak it in a light undertone, I do mean it seriously.

He cheekily plays along, "That's us, The Raizada's. We love playing Fairy Godmother to our Cinderella's."

I roll my eyes pushing his arm off, "Okay, now you're overdoing it. Look after our Princess? I've got some things to check on."

"With pleasure." He says and plops on the bed on his stomach. The mattress bounces as it accommodates his weight. "So, Princess, what shall we do now?" He asks as if this two-month-old baby can understand him.

She replies by putting her bunny's head in her wide-open mouth and drooling all over it.

Shaking my head with a smile, I leave the two be. I say, this time with Inaaya is much needed for Aarav. It'll hopefully help soothe the pain he is caging inside of him from his separation with Annie.

I really do hope that girl will come around and attend the wedding. Even if nothing else gets sorted in our lives, the two of them aren't Annie and Aarav if they aren't in each other's lives. I have seen Aarav with and without Annie by his side and without a doubt, they bring out the best in each other.

Annie is the one person capable of pulling Aarav out of his dark path.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

           During the evening, we gather around the living area waiting for dinner to be served when Eva says in irritation while looking at her phone. "Ugh, he's insufferable!"

"Who is?" I ask. "Don't tell me you and Jigar argued again over some arrangement. What was it this time, flowers or seating?"

"No, not him." Eva quickly dismisses it. "My source of irritation tonight is Aarush flipping Rawal. Even after all my begging, he just texted saying he can't come. Can you believe it? I, Eva Irani, begged! And he has the guts to say no!"

"I'm sure he can't if he said it." I speak in his favor causing both Eva and Aarav to glance at me. "What?"

"You're defending him?" Eva questions. "I wasn't aware you two were such good friends."

I answer casually, "We're not but holed up in a house together, I'm sure even Aarav would agree that he would have come if he could have. He doesn't seem the kind to dismiss other people's emotions."

Eva comments arching a suspicious brow, "You're certainly talking like you are close friends." Aarav opens his mouth and just then I throw a glare in his direction. It doesn't miss Eva's keen eyes, however, and she instantly asks. "What? What don't I know?"

Aarav gives an apologetic glance, half sincere, as he spills the beans. "She likes him."

I deny but my voice comes off a bit squeaky as it's a lie, "I do not! Stop lying to your cousin, Raizada."

Eva sits up from her slumped position in complete interest. "Say what now? Details! Why am I just hearing of this? Come on, out with it. I am supposed to be the one to know everything, all the said and unsaid secrets."

"It's nothing, really. Aarav is speaking nonsense." I try to get her to not pay much attention to it.

However, this is Eva we are talking about. She does not miss things or let them go. "You're getting awfully defensive and that tells me Aarav isn't speaking nonsense."

He gloats at having Eva's support, "See. I'm not lying. You are."

I can't believe the heat creeping up the back of my neck as I negotiate, "Let's call it infatuation, okay? No one can deny he's attractive."

"Oh, that's crap." Aarav counters calling me out on my past actions, "You'd go beyond yourself to get him to talk to you."

"Infatuation - that's all I'm admitting to. Especially since there's 99.9% chance that I'll never meet him again." I announce in my end-of-discussion tone while trying really, really, hard not to blush when remembering my last moment with him couple months back in the kitchen. "Now, the people getting married here are Eva and Jigar. Can we get back to teensy details of their cocktail party?"

Eva grumbles, "You're boring. No one's giving me the juicy deets of their life anymore."

"How about you give us some of yours?" I turn the table on her.

Aarav mutters under his breath, "Please, I do not need to hear this."

Turning a deaf ear to him, Eva replies, "Sweetheart, the juicy deets come after the wedding. Right now, I'm afraid we only argue over lights and flowers. Seating arrangements. Blah, blah, blah. Nothing juicy in that."

"Kidding me? Aarav, you should have seen them the other day. Jeeju was an absolute sweetheart trying to appease her after their fight. I swear, I'd have snatched him up for himself if I didn't adore the two of you together."

Eva fights the smile on her face at the recall. "Fine, it was cute. And maybe a little romantic. We've got years of distance to catch up on."

I ask Aarav who had been smiling as well and understandable - any guy would be happy seeing his sister happy, "Oo, speaking of romance, how's our youngest lovebirds doing?"

He catches on that I am enquiring about Sanya and Rihaan. He fills us in about the things he's noticed over the months and we both grumble, slightly jealous. "They seem to be having a life ten times better."

"They're teenagers." He speaks in their favor but knows what we mean. We're in our mid to late 20s and our lives are nowhere sorted and on the other hand we have Sanya and Rihaan. Teenagers and yet well on their merry way.

Eva suggests shaking her head and returning from her thoughts, "Let's get back to the party before we start envying those poor cuties."

Agreeing, we check off the invited guests with the RSVP list to create a final list to give to security so no one who is not supposed to be attending or working the event can enter the palace.

Yes, go ahead and say it. We are a bunch of hopeless people. Even the bridge and groom are working on their own marriage despite having a trousseau of people working for us.

. . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. .

          The next morning, after having picked up the jewelry orders for Eva's wedding trousseau and paid the shop owner, I walk out of the shop asking the guards who had come with me to help the shop employee bring the boxes to the car. As I am walking after them, someone runs into my side from behind me, walking away.

I open my mouth in instinct to scold him to watch where he is going when I feel the slip of paper that was in my hand. I look up at the retreating figure in the distance of the man who had bumped into me. I only catch him for a second as he turns the corner of the street and disappears.

A guard calls, "Rani sa?"

God, I wish they would stop calling me that! It's not as if it means anything or I feel worthy of it or that they even say it out of respect. It's a mere formality.

Seeing as he is holding the door open, I walk up to the car and get inside. As the guard is walking around to the passenger seat, I unfold the small slip of paper.

Eyes and ears.

My forehead crinkles for a second in confusion before I recall something Aarush always said. That he was my eyes and ears while he was protecting me. That in his job, he always saw and heard things he was probably not supposed to. His last warning is clear in my head. Because he wouldn't be around, he wanted me to learn to keep my own eyes and ears open, to recognize my enemies for that list was most probably a few pages long.

As the door opens, I quickly crumple the paper in my fist again and keep it there till I reach the palace. What is the meaning of this? Is Aarush here? Was that person Aarush who bumped into me or did he have someone deliver this message? And if so, why? If it is a warning, then what against?

I know the village heads, members of the village council and the powers that be of this district are not happy with me being back here. That itself must be a rough estimate of 20 people who want me gone. And how low their intentions run? I have no idea. All I know for now is that their prejudice is deep and they are unwilling to give me a chance - focusing solely on the facts that I was raised in a foreign country, dress differently, and am a single mother out of wedlock. Who I am as a person makes no difference to them for they have already declared me an unfit match for stepping out of the stereotypical role of a woman and for some God forsaken reason, have disgraced myself and my late ancestor's legacy.

Do they see Hiten's fault in anything? No. Do they even care to know I was innocent and the one who suffered because of him? No. In their minds, because he is a guy, he can even get away with murder. Here I thought such oppressive and radical ideologies were a thing of the past. I always was aware of the fact that life is tough for a single mother no matter where in the world but this takes it to a whole another level that I find myself helpless due to the narrow-minded people around me.

I ask the guard, "For security at the palace, were you able to install cameras?"

"Yes, Rani sa. The last of it was installed last week."

"Good, nothing should go wrong with the wedding." I say masking my reason for asking as a concern for the celebrations happening at the palace and the prestigious guests attending.

Once I get to the palace, knowing exactly where I had asked for the screens for the cameras to be placed, I make my way towards it.

Eyes and ears.

The place where he can see and hear everything through those cameras.

A guard who was stationed in the room stands up seeing me. "Rani sa. Did you, uh, need something?"

As I continue to walk inside, I answer, "Just here to check all the cameras are working."

"Of-ofcourse." He answers moving aside so I can take a look at all the screens.

I place my fingertips on the table in front of me and while my gaze shifts from one screen to the next, I ask. "All the footage is stored?" When he answers in an affirmative, I send him on a goose chase. "Get me the footage from the 7th and yesterday night's celebrations. I just want to skim. Make sure there are no blind spots."

He nods and leaves the room.

I sit on the rolling chair, looking at the cameras again just for a second before announcing into the not-so-empty room. "You can come out now."

Seconds after, I hear a quiet footstep behind me. I remain facing the screens as he answers. "Didn't think you'd get here this quickly."

Oh, that voice. My heart skips a beat. I was throwing an arrow in the dark here. I wasn't confident about my suspicions that it was Aarush's message. But knowing that I was starting to know him and his tricks was a confidence booster for sure.

I hide a smile hearing his voice, softly speaking. I turn the chair around to face him, one leg crossed over the other. "You should know better than to underestimate me, Cap'n."

He lowers his head for a second, a hint of a smile tugging his lips up. "How are you, Rani sa?"

I groan hearing that title. "Ugh, don't you start now too."

He answers his own question for me, "You look good."

"Looks can be deceiving." I place my hands on the arms of the chair and stand up.

The chair rolls back slightly and I take the moment to take in his looks as well. But... why? Not like he would look different in a matter of two months. Then again, I suppose a part of my was checking if there was a visible sign of any other mortal wound on him as if that was my way to know if he had gotten into any trouble while he had been away.

Blinking back to his face, I add. "I am guessing this is not a social call."

He breathes out, a grim expression on his face. "I wish it was."

"Yeah, figured with you telling Eva you wouldn't be at the wedding. How did you get in here without him noticing?" I ask hinting at the guard who'd been in here.

He bobs his head to the side, for once giving me his secret, "He drinks a lot of water."

I find myself chuckling at the bit of information I could have lived without knowing before I cross my arms over my chest, "So, who wants to kill me now?"

"Lucky for you, it's not there yet. Do you really think I'll only show up when its life or death situation?" He adds later in an admonishing tone.

I would not have taken him to be the one to make a joke, but that description is more fitting of the Aarush Rawal I had first met. By the time he had left, I had started to see changes in him and his personality. He was opening up.

I give him a knowing look, "Can you blame me for thinking that?" The last time, that was the only reason he showed himself.

He walks around me to look at the screen. I follow his eyes to a particular one where Khushi is in the living area with Inaaya, playing with her. His eyes soften, a look of pure admiration on his face.

Despite my earlier question, I find myself informing. "That boat of yours is her favorite toy. She does this thing where she loves moving it over her..."

"Arm," he finishes letting out the facts that surprise me. "She loves how it tickles."

I do not hide the surprise from my tone, "How...?"

He blinks away from Inaaya to me. The look on his face answers it for me. He's had his eyes on us from the distance, but he had to have kept his eyes on us for some time for him to know this pattern. The question is, how long?

He opens his mouth to speak when he pauses and turns his head a little to the right as if he hears something. Changing his mind, he speaks in a rushed voice as if out of time, "Just remember." He leans in from where he stands next to me and whispers the next bit, "The only person capable of sneaking past your security detail to get to you is the one who created it."

My brows narrow, unable to make sense of why he tells me this for Eva created the security detail. Why would she need to sneak me past it?

Unless... she was not the one to create the plans.

I turn around to question him if it had been him, but I turn to an empty room. He seems to have slipped out of the windows.

This guy.

I will never truly understand him, will I?

This chase... always running towards life with death after me... it's getting a bit tiring. Even if there isn't someone who has reached the decision to want to kill me to get rid of me, someone is around to threaten me.

Though uncertain with what is going on, there is a sense of comfort knowing he is around - probably has been around for longer. And, as long as he is around, nothing is happening to me.

That much I can be certain about even in my sleep.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

∞ author note ∞

Sorry, sorry! Please don't be alarmed at my disappearance. Things have been crazy busy since I got back to Boston (work, lab, school - why did I do this to myself??). I'm usually leaving 7ish in morning and coming back 8ish dead tired. All I get to do is eat, sleep, repeat and weekends end up being all about homework.

By now, I had plans of having already finished Hope and being half-way through the next book but LIFE :| 

How are you guys doing??! Catch me up! It's been a sad, sad life without you guys & wattpad </3

PS: Didn't realize we didn't have Jhanvi's POV since chapter 17 :o So long one (5500+ words) & ofcourse trying to make up for the break in between..

QOTC: What danger does Aarush bring with him? *raised brows*Like their chemistry build-up so far?

Next chapter is Annie. Get ready!