"Wow, you're pretty straight forward."

• ♡ •

Advika noticed his fingers restlessly tapping on the steering wheel. Streams of sunlight fell through the windshield on his lap. She twisted her lips looking at his face. "Are you nervous?" She finally asked her father.

Kabir turned to look at his daughter. "Me?"

"Yeah, you're tapping your fingers a lot. I do that too when I am nervous. Like when I have a poetry recital at school." Advika spoke thoughtfully.

Kabir smiled, his daughter was just like his late wife, very observant. "I am not nervous." He answered focusing on the road ahead as the signal turned green. He wondered if it was the right decision. He didn't really want Advika to have a stepmother. But his mother's and sister's persuasions had given him second thoughts. His daughter would be a teenager in three years. A girl apparently did need a mother figure in that stage, was the argument his sister had brought up and his mother seconded. 

Kabir had brought up the matter in front of Advika, asking her if she'd need a mother. His daughter was mature than most kids her age. Kabir preferred to keep the relationship such that they talked openly and didn't beat around the bush. She had said she'd get bored once her Bua got married. His mother and sister took to decoding the emotions and wishes behind his daughter's simple statement. The conclusion being, she wouldn't mind having a mother. 

Getting married again was a big blow to Kabir Jaisinghani. He was willing to, however. It was better than staying under the same roof as his father Krishna Jaisinghani. Things weren't so bad initially. Although Kabir and his father often found themselves at different sides of the coin, their relationship wasn't so messed up. However, when Varsha, his late wife had revealed that she was pregnant with a girl child things began changing. His father asked him to go for an abortion. Kabir was mad, would be a euphemism. His father wanted to kill his daughter even before she was born. That was enough for Kabir to put good distance between his little family and his father. 

Kabir pulled the car outside the bungalow. The streets of Kanpur were still the same. He glanced at his sister who was seated in the backseat of his car. She passed him a reassuring smile. She was the youngest, among the three. Kabir being the eldest and his brother Maanav the one in between. He looked ahead to find his mother waving at him standing beside the old Maruti 800. He couldn't believe his father still used that. 

"Let's go?" He asked turning to his daughter she nodded. 

"Advi, you know right, you can tell me if you don't like her." She nodded getting off the car. He smiled at her understanding smile.

"What if you like her, Bhaiya?" His sister, Misha teased.

"This marriage is for finding a mother figure for Advi, not a wife for me!" He muttered getting out while she sighed. She hated this cold, jerk-type version of her once upon a time doting brother. She didn't blame him though. Loss of a person who you loved the most does make people unhappy, sometimes leaving them with a recurring pain of loss.

Kabir walked over towards where his mother stood. When Varsha was pregnant he had moved to Mumbai. He never returned to Kanpur again, until this time. His mother did visit once or twice in a year and stayed over for a couple of days sometimes two or three weeks. He looked at his father as Advi held his hand crossing the road. His hair was grey, those broad shoulders now dropped. It seemed like he no longer used the hair dye of jet black color. There was a smile, a warm one on his face. Kabir noticed his gaze drop to his daughter. His smile didn't fade, surprisingly it went wider. He simply didn't acknowledge that smile and hugged his mother.

"Daadi, I missed you!" Advika gushed hugging the older woman who adorned a simple pink saree. 

"Daadi, missed you so much, so much more." His mother cooed bending down to kiss the girl's cheeks. "Shona is growing tall huh!"

Advika grinned, glancing at the man behind Daadi. She turned to her father and then pouted. Her father and grandpa didn't like each other so they never spoke. Advika simply waved at him. He smiled placing his hand on her head. 

"Let's go..."  Kabir spoke turning, tugging at Advika's hand. He had seen a picture of the girl. She was thirty-something, a software engineer. His mother had found her profile on some matrimonial website. Kabir couldn't believe he was actually going to see a girl for an arranged marriage. He had not been very fond of the idea even years back. Of course, he was madly in love with the girl he met at a random relative's marriage. It was love at first sight.

They were greeted by an old couple and a man probably in his thirties just like him. The man introduced himself as Jatin Dhillon, the girl's elder brother. Once the pleasantries were exchanged a woman came out with a tray full of namkeen and biscuits. A maid followed with another full of teacups.

A little girl caught Advika's attention. She was grinning and hiding behind the sofa. Advika waved at her smiling. Kabir looked at his daughter and then at the girl. 

"Juhi, come, say hi to Didi." Jatin's wife Anita spoke to her daughter. The girl hurried and hugged her mother's leg. Kabir smiled looking at the little girl who seemed somewhat give year old. He remembered how his own daughter used to hide behind his wife whenever she met new people. Now, his daughter was much more confident. 

His attention was diverted when a woman walked in. He instantly recognized her as Heer Dhillon. The lady he had come to see, all the way from Mumbai. She greeted his parents with a namaste and then glanced at him with a brief nod. He acknowledged it with a slight nod of his own head.

Conversations began, mostly between  Heer's mother and his. Occasionally, Misha would ask heer a few things and she would answer. Advika was now busy with Juhi as the little one took her away to show her toys. Kabir had never felt so out of place. He simply sat there occasionally looking at the fabric of his black trousers or his blue watch. 

Half an hour later, after all the talk about families was done they suggested the two of them talk in privacy. Heer led him outside to the little garden. "Hi!" She finally smiled looking at nothing but him.

"Hi." He responded looking around. "Can we sit somewhere?"

"Yeah sure..this way.." she spoke leading him to a veranda where there a small table with two chairs.

He sat on the chair taking a deep breath. She perched on the other chair. She was dressed in a pale pink long tunic that ended at her knees. She had paired it with a pair of light blue denims on. She had deep brown hair that she had left open with a few clips. Her cheeks were full and slightly pink. She forced a smile perhaps aware of his gaze. He wondered why a woman like her was still unmarried!

He cleared his throat, "Umm, so I hope you're aware that I have a ten-year-old daughter, Advika."

"Yes.." she answered with a light smile. 

"May sound a little weird, but, why would you want to marry a widower and single father..?"

She blinked at him. He was dressed in a crisp light blue shirt and black pants. He had dark black hair, dense dark eyebrows, and a light five's clock stubble covering the lower half of his face. Now, that she looked closely at him she realized it was a well-trimmed intentionally kept stubble. He was a handsome man. 

"Uhh, I had limited options. You seemed better, besides I like the fact that you have a daughter. I mean...I -" she looked away. It seemed so simple when she had planned it out in her head. But now that she actually got to the talking it seemed so complex and hard.

"Why are you... What I mean is, why an arranged marriage?"

Heer took a deep breath and stared at him. "I used to say with my grandma... she passed away a month ago. She always wanted me to get married."

"Oh!" He nodded understandably. "Sorry, you just have been pretty close to her and..."

"Yeah." She muttered looking away. The only person she was really close to. She bit her lower lip before turning back to him. 

"I, am not ... I mean, this marriage is for Advika to have a mother figure." He spelled his thoughts.

Her lips curled up slightly. "You're settled in Mumbai. My mom told me you own a restaurant."

"Yes, we have two outlets. Planning on another two." He answered with pride.

"It's very famous, I have been told."

"Yeah. Umm, what do you do for a living?"

"Well, I am a software engineer by degree. I used to work in Noida after graduation. Then I shifted to Rishikesh. Over there, I worked in the IT sector of a bank."

"Rishikesh?" He asked surprised.

"Yeah, with Daadi."

He nodded. "How long did you stay there?"

"Four, actually almost five years." She answered.

He looked at her curiously. Why would a twenty-five-year-old, fairly pretty girl who had a life in Noida move to Rishikesh? "If you don't mind me asking, why Rishikesh?"

"Needed a break from city life."

He nodded. "What do you expect from this...marriage ?"

Her eyebrows momentarily arched up in, perhaps, surprise. "Uh, I don't really expect, I mean... " she fell silent unable to express.

"I am not looking for a wife honestly. I don't want to keep you in the dark. "

"Okay, so... we won't, I mean." She blinked confused.

"We can be a couple to the world. But, honestly, I don't think I'd ever settle to the idea of you being my wife."

"Wow, you're pretty straight forward." She remarked sitting straight. "I am not looking for a romantic involvement either. If you understand what I mean. Maybe just companionship."

He nodded. "I would like Advika to talk to you. This marriage will only happen if she wants it."

Heer's lips formed a slight smile. "Okay!"

He brought out his phone from his pocket dialing a number. He pressed the phone to his ear. Heer looked on shocked, "You gave your ten-year-old daughter a mobile phone?"

He stared at her bewildered. "It's my mom's phone." He spoke curtly. He hated it when people took him to be a dumb father just because he was a single father. Granted, he was a dumb father once upon a time, when his wife was there. But no longer. He knew what was right for his kid and what was wrong.

"Advika, walk towards the garden and take the right, around the corridor, into the veranda." He spoke staying on the line. Heer stared at him. She turned around on hearing footsteps. Wow, the girl actually understood the directions.

"Hi!" Heer greeted as the girl walked over to her father's chair handing him the phone.

"Hello!"

Heer stared at the girl. She had jet black hair till her shoulder, naturally straight. She was dressed in black trousers and a blue t-shirt that strikingly matched the shade of the shirt her father wore. Her amber eyes were analyzing her just the way she was. Heer smiled extending her hand. "I am Heer!"

The girl glanced at her father before reaching out to shake hands. "I am Advika Jaisinghani."

Here's smile widened. The girl wasn't shy like generally girls of her age would be. Heer glanced at the man seated before her. "Why don't you sit and have a talk with her?" Kabir suggested getting up from his chair letting his daughter sit on it. He walked aside and stood against the pillar.

Advika looked at him and then at the woman sitting before her. She was pretty. Advika liked her earrings. They were long. Didn't it hurt on wearing them? Her father had said they hurt. She pursed her lips. "Why do you wear those earrings? Don't they hurt?"

"Uh," Heer's hand reached to her earring. "No, they don't hurt.." she spoke turning simultaneously towards Kabir, who gave a negative nod. " I mean, I am all grown up now. So they don't hurt." She rephrased.

"Oh!" The girl nodded storing that detail in her head. She gazed at the woman thinking of what she should know. 

"Do you know how to play badminton?"

Heer was amused, "yes, I used to play a lot!"

"Can you teach me?"

"Of course!" Heer smiled.

"What's your favorite indoor game?"

"Umm," Heer thought. "Snakes and Ladders." She replied remembering how she used to play it with her grandma. The old woman would always curse the snakes in traditional colloquial terms.

"Eww, that's very boring. I like picnic and crossword." Advika answered thinking about her next question. "What is your favorite food?"

"Um, I like.." Heer thought. What did she like? She couldn't remember the last time she said she liked a dish.

"You don't know what you like?" Advika asked baffled.

"No. I like everything. I eat everything." 

"Really?" Advika asked suspiciously.

"Yeah," Heer shrugged grinning.

"Then you're like Paa. He eats everything, even bitter gourd."

Heer looked up at him while he looked on non-amused. Probably, a boring person.

"Advika, Kabir!" Mrs. Jaisinghani walked towards them. She smiled as Heer got up from her chair. She turned to Kabir, "do you guys want to talk for some more time.."

Kabir turned to Advika with questioning eyes. She shrugged giving him that look that said I don't know. He glanced at Heer momentarily before turning to his mother. "Maybe we'll talk again." He glanced at Heer, his eyes questioning her. 

"Sure!" She replied pressing a smile. She glanced at Advika who got to her feet and walked up to his father. 

Before leaving their home, the girl turned glancing at her thoughtfully. Heer smiled at her and then her father who only gave a brief nod in response. Definitely Advika had taken more of her mother's genes than her father's.

I would love to know your first Impressions.

-Anami!♡