||CHAPTER 18||
《¤》

I was pretty sure that the scowl on my face was not temporary. It all started Saturday morning, the work-out days. While coming back home from the one hour run, Arnav challenged me into racing him the whole route back to our apartment. He didn't wait for me to accept his dare, he just started speeding up as if we hadn't run for an hour at all.

And hence, I was rewarded with him twerking to rejoice his win, shoving his bum into my face in the elevator.

"Ew, Arnav," I scowled again, "Stop it!"

No, he had to sing along to his twerks too, "Bijli girane, mai hoon aya; Arnav is faster, poor Vika!"

"Do you even hear yourself?!" I smacked his bum to stop him.

He stopped twerking, rubbing his bum and facing me, "Don't blame me! Daadi kal raat ye gaana sun rahi thi, and now it's stuck in my head!"

"Listen to something else then, your voice is horrendous, just like you!"

The elevator came to a halt, and we were greeted by our neighbors. We quickly filed out, getting inside our house. Just to spite me more, Arnav wound his sweaty arm around my shoulder.

"Chhi, Arnav!" I scowled again, his odor filling my nostrils. "You are stinking, haath hata!"

I proceeded to unwound his arm, but he just leaned his head, brushing the sweat off his hair on my left arm, chuckling mischievously.

"I hate you, you badboodar bandar!"

"Well, you are badboodar bandar ki twin, matlab tu hui badboodar bandariya!"

Whatever response I had scoured up, stopped when we saw our Dad giving us strange looks. "Kya hua?"

"Kuch nahi," he shook his head. "I thought tum log sirf jhagda hi karte ho."

"Ham jhagad hi rahe hai, Dad!" I rolled out my sweat band from my wrist, and rubbed it on Arnav's face.

"Dude," he drawled, pausing my movement, grabbing the band, "is this my Nike band?"

"Enough!"

He should have said Statue instead, because that's what we became when our Dad tried to grab our attention.

"These are yours," he passed out two envelopes on the coffee table, sipping his coffee. We grabbed them, opening it, only to receive flight tickets.

"Delhi to Mumbai? Eighteenth ko?" Arnav had fake confusion lacing his features.

"Hmm," he replied, flicking on the T.V.

"Dad, hum Mumma ki shaadi attend nahi karne wale hai," I said finally after a few seconds passed.

"You, out of you two, should be the last one to say that, Vika."

"Last or first, doesn't matter Dad," Arnav let go of his poker face. "Both of us aren't going to the wedding."

"Why?"

"Why aren't you going, you tell us."

His gaze remained on the wall unit. "I am the ex-husband."

"But she did invite you, didn't she?" I asked.

"Some matters," he looked at us, "you shouldn't probe around. Jo bola gaya hai, wahi karo."

"No!" Arnav's voice rose slightly. "Mai us Oberoi ko-"

"-Mr. Oberoi for you-"

"-nahi bardasht kar sakta hoon! Ham agar waha gaye to hamara mazak ban jayega!"

"Tum agar nahi gaye, tho tumhara mazak banega, Arnav. This isn't just about a family gathering, do not force me to word it out for you."

"Dad, I am not going to attend the wedding. You can keep the tickets to yourself." He kept his envelope back on the table, storming off to his room. It was the first time I witnessed his temper get the best of him–in front of our father.

"Arvika, have a seat."

I did.

"Remember what I told you about Raman Oberoi's marriage to your mother–"

"–being a sham?" I nodded. Not those exact words, but the same difference.

"It's not a sham, Arvika. It's business. You might not understand the full implication of it now, but what you need to know is that that's how it works in our world."

Thing was, I did understand the implication of it all. I had overheard conversations of my mother with her lawyers and advisors back in Mumbai. I had eavesdropped on my grandmother dropping hints whenever Raman Oberoi had come over for dinners. "There is a chance that Mumma might sell off her shares in our company to him, isn't it?"

Dad didn't look surprised. However, he didn't confirm my notions. He put his mug on the table and leaned forward. "All you need to know is that he can't be trusted. Which is exactly why his actions are predictable."

"I'm a little confused..."

"Your mother still has your custody, Vika," Dad tried to explain. "Which means you're important to him. You'll understand what I am trying to say when you grow up, but for now, all you need to know is that he will try to use... the likeness of your name... for a number of transactions that are not exactly legal."

"Wha–why?!" I was shocked. "Can't we report him?"

"It's not a new concept, Arvika. It's an open secret, and you are not going to spill a word about it."

"So what now? I'm just gonna let him pawn me like that? That's a fraud!"

Dad observed the confusion in my eyes before continuing, "You're going to make sure he doesn't do it for free. That's negotiation."

His words had struck me. On one hand, it scared me, but on the other hand that itched to stretch and call it a deal, I was thrilled. It excited me that my father trusted me enough to deal with a situation as tricky as this.

"Okay," I spoke after a few seconds. I just needed to hear from him that there was something I was better at than my brother. "What about Arnav? Won't Mr Oberoi try the same thing with him?"

"He will. And as much as I want the both of you to work together in this, we both know Arnav is more emotional. I cannot levy that risk right now. Can I trust you to make sure that you won't let Oberoi take advantage of you and your brother?"

My response was quick. Too quick, in fact. Dad grinned, crows' feet appearing on the side of his eyes as a nervous smile crossed his face. "You'll be careful? You'll tell me everything that happens there? You'll tell me if it gets too overwhelming for you?"

All I knew is that I didn't want to disappoint him. "Yes, Dad."

I didn't realize Dad was squeezing my shoulder until he spoke again. "I trust you to do this, then. Vika, I've just got you back. I'm not going to let some hooligan take you away from me again."

The chemistry lab of Mystic High was as bad as my dislike for the subject was.

The lab assistant sat on her chair after scribbling something about the Salt Analysis we were supposed to perform.

"I just have four test tubes, and you have six. All I'm asking is for one more so that we can be in equilibrium!" Ritwik was pleading Vansh, who stood opposite me, handsome and hot in his lab coat.

"I also have ten tests to perform in the next hour, and determine the salt. So no buddy, I am not a great friend right now."

Yeah, just like I said, getting test tubes in this lab was no less than being in the Hunger Games. Begging wasn't an option.

Ritwik turned to me, trying his puppy dog eyes as I washed my test tubes.

"I have got eight of them, and I'm not giving it to your charity," I smiled wickedly.

"You are a heartless, cold hearted witch."

"I can't be cold hearted if I am heartless to start with," I smiled again, placing the test tubes in the stand, and proceeding with the experiment.

Vansh let out a chuckle, fist bumping with me.

"But you can be very careless," his other hand sneaked across the tiled table, reaching for my tubes.

"Haha, not yet buddy," I swat his hands away, but he snatches one nonetheless, and Ritwik grabs it instantaneously. With a taunting look my way, he saunters off to his place. Guess seven have to make it then.

"Arnav bol raha tha that you're going to Mumbai..?" Vansh starts.

I don't stop my preliminary tests even after Ishita, who was beside me with her lab requirements, tunes into the conversation. "The hell, really?! You just arrived in Delhi, tu wapis shift ho rahi hai? Dude, what about school? What about us?!"

Analysing her reaction (ignore the pun), Vansh clears his throat. "Lemme rephrase it. Arnav told you decided to go to the wedding..?"

"Oh..." Ishita nodded in understanding. "Wait, you mean for your mother's wedding?"

"No shit, Sherlock," I sighed, proceeding towards the cation identification test, as described in the manual. "You guys are invited too, aren't you?"

"Yep," Vansh replied. "But we won't be able to go. My parents are going to Sydney for some work, and you know how Arnav is about this deal."

"Same, my mother will be in Shillong for charity and my Dad doesn't know your mother that well."

"So it's true you're going?" Vansh asked, pulling out the lab reagents.

"Seems like it," I shrug. "I guess I will just meet my old buddies to waste my time."

"And patch-up with Aryan?" She smirked.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "How do you know about Aryan? Tu mujhe kitna stalk karti hai? Do I need security?"

"Dude, sabko pata hai tere aur Aryan ke baremein. I mean jo tujhe janne se pehele tujhe stalk kartein hai."

"Don't freak out," Vansh chuckled, "it's just her who stalks everyone better than the FBI."

"Nahh, utni bhi tareef mat kar Ishita ki," I retorted. "Warna use pata hota that I'm never going to 'patch-up' with that guy."

Her eyebrows scrunched up, "Why though? That guy's chilli hawt wala hot!"

"And he is also Raman Oberoi's nephew."

It seemed like Vansh couldn't control his emotions as his test tube fell into the sink with the test tube holder, cracking, but no one except us noticed. "You dated your would-be Chacha ya Bua ka beta?" He and Ishita were having a good laugh at the revelation.

"Ugh, shut up. I didn't know back then, okay? Our relationship barely lasted three weeks."

"Even then, that's epic. What will you do when you see him at the wedding?"

"You find him hot, tere liye rishta leke ayun?" 

"Dude, he is hot, but I don't do long distance. Moreover-"

"Ladies," Vansh stopped our babble. "Can you like, not call another banda hot in front of me? It hurts my ego being one of the best specimen."

Oh, he did look irresistible alright, but he wasn't getting a compliment from us.

"Bro, you're as hot as Vickey's Bunsen burner," she pointed to the flame in front of me which I had lighted for another test. "And we don't exactly fancy being in the chemistry lab."

"Ishita, I'm loving your chemistry jokes a lot nowadays," I laughed along, just to spite Vansh.

"You guys have a bad sense of humour."

"At least we have one," I winked. "It requires brains to enjoy the puns."

He narrowed his eyes at me, and I stuck my tongue out.

_____

Namoshtaii!

How many of you loved Chem labs? Gahh, I didn't. Still don't. Doesn't mean that I like Physics lab better tho.

So what are ur thoughts abt Arvika becoming an Oberoi?

Also, I want to mention that Sridevi's Hawa Hawai parody mentioned above isn't intended to hurt anyone's feelings. She was one of the best actresses out there, and I loved MOM and English Vinglish. So RIP Sridevi.

On a brighter note, I composed two songs for DJH.
How many of you play instruments?

Anyways, read, vote, comment and promote!

~chaashnee