Arjun's POV :

"I brought the necklace for you", I told Rubina calmly over the phone "That's the only reason I gave it you. So for heaven's sake, just keep it. And don't keep calling me and giving me headaches after this. I'm seriously done".

We had come home just that morning. I and Rubina never had an encounter last night after the party. She had taken her own sweet time and had finally taken the trouble to call me.

"Okay Arjun. I completely respect your decision. And I'm sorry, I mean it", Rubina said, "And the necklace is beautiful so thank you".

"Alright. Don't irritate me", I said as smoothly as I could, "I don't want to get into a fight".

"Okay. I'll leave you alone from now", Rubina replied in a trying-to-be-polite tone, "It was nice getting to know you".

"Bye" , was all I said.

I turned around to see my sister standing in the doorway with one arm on her hip and trying in vain to hide a triumphant smile.

"So it's over?", she asked.

I nodded.

"Was it rough?"

"Not really. We were both polite", I said "And she apologized". Why was I feeling the need to defend her? Because I knew it wasn't her fault alone?

"How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad", I said "I'm actually feeling a bit relieved. Which itself is a sign that it wasn't right, I guess?"

"Good for you", she said coming in and wrapping me in a brief hug. I patted her back.

"You're really happy, aren't you?" I asked.

"Not really happy. But happy, yeah".
  
                                      ~~~~~~

"So do you know what Arav said in his speech competition about his ambition in life on Saturday?", mom asked me and Ananya at dinner. We were relishing Radhika's cooking after ten days of just hotel food. This routine happened during each level of the competition but this time it strangely felt a little more comforting to come back home than usual.

I didn't bother to ask what Arav had said. I instinctively knew what was coming. I caught Janvi's eye and grinned.

"He said he wanted to be a doctor", dad gloated.

"See Rajesh, what did I tell you yesterday? Everyone in this family has passion for medicine!" mom said happily.

"What are me and Janvi then?", I burst out "Next door neighbors?"

"Come on Arjun!" said mom soothingly "Deep in your heart, is the desire to stitch, cut, operate, cure and bring smiles on faces, just like Ananya. It's just that you haven't realised it yet".

I so badly wanted to tell mom that I did want bring smiles on faces, but in a different way.

I just sat there with a glum look on my face and mumbled, "How can you be so sure?"

"How am I sure? Okay, Arjun here's a proof that I am right - you were born to us! If you're not meant for this, why weren't you born to someone else?"

Nice. Very nice. 

"Because my karma from the last birth wanted me to suffer with such a nutty family!" was the reply that sprouted in my head but "Don't know", was the only reply that came from my mouth.

Mom chuckled and shook her head.

And then she, dad and Ananya started talking about the next revision examination at school and how on earth we were going to manage it with the competition on one side. I most certainly didn't want to be a part of that conversation so I zoned out and focussed on devouring my chilli parota.

Later that night I checked Rubina's WhatsApp status.

No pictures. Just one written post which said "Say no to nepotism products. Encourage real talent and hard-work. Those two things only matter".

Real talent and hard-work? My foot. If those were really the things that mattered, why was I still struck in the mess that I was? I had got nowhere close to winning the competition and I was already fed up with it. I couldn't tell my parents what I wanted to do either. They were still stuck with sickening medicine mania. Ananya was the right child for them. Arav wasn't actually their child but was still right for them. I was the real misfit here. Why wasn't I born as some singer's son? Destiny is a such a bitch!

I subconsciously blocked Rubina's number and stared at the screen for some twenty seconds before suddenly deciding that I wasn't going to be the typical pathetic ex boyfriend and unblocked her.
        
                                      ~~~~~~

No girl came out of Ananya's room that easily, after we'd got the One Direction poster there many days ago. Even Radhika spent an unusually long time cleaning Ananya's room more than anybody else's.

In such a scenario I  never thought it would be technically possible for Ananya to like a guy more than Zayn Malik or Harry Styles.

"Kishan has replaced Zayn Malik as the guy in your heart", I announced to Ananya as we sat in her room after having a video chat with Pooja.

"Shut up", Ananya mumbled.

"Come on. It's too obvious that you're in love with him. Your eyes speak, Ananya", I said wisely "And so does my experience".

"Your experience?" Ananya snorted "What? Four relationships each of which lasted for two months?"

"Ananya I'm serious", I said "This Kishan is every bit of a boyfriend material. Even more than me to be honest. And he is handsome too".

Before Ananya could retort, my mom walked in through the open doorway from nowhere.

"Who are you both talking about?", she asked suspiciously.

"Uh...Shawn Mendez", Ananya said.

"See? You're so distracted. He's one of those guys in that poster right?"

"No he's not in that poster mom", Ananya was the one to reply again, "He's not in that band at all. He's a solo artist".

"If I hear too much of talk about these male celebrities from you, we'll have to peel off them from the walls", mom said.

"No mom, we won't have to do that, really", said Ananya effortlessly in an utterly convincing tone that I had struggled to master all my life but had never succeeded.
                         
                                     ~~~~~

"I don't understand why human beings think they're so important dad", I said "I mean, really".

I felt like we were in a movie scene. It was nearing midnight and I was sitting with dad, out in our roomy and spacious balcony. It was almost like a drunken conversation. Just that, I wasn't old enough to drink and dad hadn't touched so much as a glass of beer in his life.

I couldn't wait to become legal and uncork bottles of champagne at my eighteenth birthday bash. But I was sure I wouldn't be allowed that too. I would probably be asked to settle with Tropicana fruit juice. What a dumb life man!

"That's a nice doubt", dad chuckled absent mindedly "But we human beings are self obsessed and selfish by nature, Arjun. Our own stomach ache or head ache will seem like a bigger problem than say even death in another person's house".

Whoa! That's a thought!

Suddenly, I had another one. Another thought, I mean. Conversations like these with my dad or mom were very rare. But when they happened, they seemed much more relaxed unlike their usual practical, pragmatic and forever professional composure.

I looked at dad. There was no grey hair on his head. I had rarely seen any on mom's too. There were only very few wrinkles as well. They were too perfect in hiding their age just like everything else.

But behind the countenance that showed eternally eagerness to work, I also saw some amount of wear and tiredness. Though I hadn't seen the journey, I knew they had started from a rented apartment to reach this big bungalow.

Maybe they would actually understand my dream? They had theirs too, hadn't they? And they had made it happen. So maybe I should just tell dad now. I didn't know when I was going to see him in such an easy demeanour again?

Dad was still going on about life and it's struggles.

"You're seventeen Arjun", he was saying "And at seventeen you think you're immortal. I'm forty five. Nobody needs to tell me I'm not immortal".

Come on Arjun! Just say it. I hadn't struggle so much for asking out any of my girlfriends.

I finally opened my mouth but all that came out was "You're right dad".

Dad smiled, "Alright", he said getting up and moving towards the living room "Now how's your NEET preparation going?"

Great!

A/N :  We are back to the family scenario! ❤️❤️