AMBAR

Chapter 26

Ambar's POV

As promised I met my maternal uncle for a meeting. When Satbir ji arrived Kanwal Daadi greeted her. To my fortune Armaan had to fly to some other city to check some work. The awkward silence between Kanwal Daadi and Satbir ji was haunting. Satbir ji was humble enough to greet with her nicely. But how can I judge Satbir ji positively. If some one like him can abandon their siblings in trouble what is their credibility. Kanwal Daadi walked out of the room to give us some privacy. I told other servants to keep all the essentials on the table and not come here.
I looked at Satbir ji. He was looking tensed. To break the ice I got up from my seat, poured a cup of tea and gave it to him. "So Satbir ji why do you wish to meet me? I won't lie, I met your mother I did not like it." I said truthfully. He gave me a half smile.
"You did inherited my sister's sharp tongue." He said and took sip from the cup. He kept the cup back on the table.
"Armaan wants you to take over after him." He said. I looked at him.
"I thought he is grooming Kabir for that." I replied.
"He is. But there is only one person who leads the company. It will be nice if that person is"
"I am going to stop you right there. I am no bait to be considered. If you are here to cast some influence on me and turn me against any one then let me make this clear that is not happening. I am a kid but not naive." I said.
"I am not here to cast some influence on you I want to warn you about the struggles that you are going to face because of inexperience." He said.
"Believe it or not but it is inevitable. Life pushes you to walk on roads that might take you some place where you don't wish to be. There are men in that company who will chew you and spit you out." Now it makes sense. If I look at the course of events then I guess I am destined for a life full of struggles.
"Satbir ji why should I trust you?"
"Because I want you to be safe. Tell me what do you know about Ranayal corporations?" He asked.
"They make some mechanical components. That's all I know." I replied. He laughed. "They're into mining steels, textile,construction, they're in hotel business and so on." I was literally sitting there with a hanging jaw. I took a deep breath.
"What should I do then?" I asked.
He smiled. "You have been here for like 10 months now?" He asked.
"Yes." I replied.
"You must socialize but do not do anything that brings you in limelight because up till now you are not." He technically counselled me about everything but still there were doubt in my mind that need to be cleared.
"Every step you will take in future show should be calculated." He concluded.
"Why do you want to help me?" I asked him. He looked at me for a long time as if he was at loss of words.
"Because." He said while rubbing his hand. "I have seen my sister cry. In that dark time only your news made her happy. I don't wish to see you like that. It'll just prove that nothing changed." He smiled. I had no words in my mouth. I took a deep breath. He then got up from his seat. "I should leave now."
"Let me walk you" I couldn't complete it. It was after a lot of time that I can really feel something other than anger. Embarrassment could be one of those. As we were walking out he stopped. "How stupid of me. I brought this for you." He said while putting hand inside the pockets of his coat. It was something that was wrapped in a brown paper. It looked like a book. He forwarded his hand with that wrapped thing towards me. "I can't take this." I said.
"You should have it. Besides this uncles are bound to bring presents for their nieces." He said with a huge smile. I took it. "What is this?" I asked.
"Your mother Raina's photos." He said.
I looked at him in disbelief. "You are her's and she is yours."

After Satbir ji left I ran into my room and looked at all the photo albums. Most of her photographs were solo. In one photo she was holding a stethoscope. In the other she was just smiling and sitting witha lot of girls. In one photo there she was sitting on a bike. Behind her a small kid holding cold drinks and chocolate. She seemed to be a easy going and funny lady. While my nose is round her nose was long and our forehead is slightly different but other than that she looks like me. Same shape of eyes. Same lips. High cheek bones and broad eyebrows. Mom once said that I am taller than my birth mother. I could feel my vision getting blurred. I was not even wiping my eyes. She was a great woman and she'll always be a great woman for me.

Armaan came back after two days. Those two days were quite peacefull for me. We all were having dinner silently.
"You ar not eating anything." Kanwal Daadi asked.
"I am not hungry." He said. I don't know why but he was not looking fine.
I finished my dinner and went back in my room. I slept a little early. Next day I woke up around 8. The house seemed dead silence. By this time mostly Armaan and Kanwal Daadi have breakfast. I walked into the kitchen and saw Jogi uncle talking with someone on the phone. He was looking quite tensed.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Ambar madam last night after you slept Armaan sir collapsed in his room." He said all tensed.
"Collapsed? How?" I asked.
"Well Kabir baba thinks that his sugar may have increased." He said.
"Armaan is diabetic?" I asked.
"Yes madam." He replied. So there are possibilities of getting of rid of Armaan quickly. I thought. But when I looked at the worried face of Jogi sir and other staff all I could think was "Do not smile Ambar." I walked out of the kitchen and went back to room. I brushed my teeth and took a quick bath. I dressed myself in a loose shirt and track pant. I wanted to have my breakfast in peace but then I heard a very loud voice of wailing child. "I want to go." Ridhima was yelling and crying. I went to check on her. "I want to go to meet Bade Papa." She said with tears in her eyes. Ridhima's nanny was trying to console her. She was holding a teddy bear in one hand.
She looked all baffled up. "Stop screaming Ridhima." Her nanny Kusum said. Kusum is already a very petite woman. She already looked tired while the day was young. I walked towards Ridhima and she looked at me with her moist charcoal eyes. "Listen munchkin, if you will yell like this then nobody will listen to you." I said to her firmly. I know that Ridhima is a little scared of me. I thought of something that Saami anna use to do with us (Ambar, Arush and Tejas) when we were kids.
"Now Ridhima you want to talk with your Bade Papa right?" I asked.
She nodded her head in a yes. "Hmm. So you have to first brush your teeth, take a bath and eat." I said to her.
"Then I'll tell your Kabir Bhaiya that Ridhima did all her work and then Armaan will return home soon." I said. Poor thing did exactly what I said. While she was bathing I called Kabir. He picked up his phone.
"Hello, Kabir how is everything up there?" I asked.
"He is fine Ambar. It's just a little high blood sugar. He got a little dizzy so we brought him to the hospital." He said. Worry was totally audible in his voice.
"How are you and Kanwal Daadi?" I asked.
"We are fine." He said. "We might return by evening after all his tests are done." He replied.
"Ok. Should I send some thing to eat." I asked.
"Yes. That'll be nice and how is Ridhima?" He asked.
"She is fine. Don't worry I'll look after her." I assured him.
"Hmm." He said. Now I cam hear like he was crying.
"Kabir don't worry Armaan will be fine." I said.
I spent my whole day keeping Ridhima distracted. I took her to a park where she actually seemed to loosen up. She played with other kids. We had our lunch in a restaurant and then we returned home. Ridhima had slept in the car so I carried her to my room. She seems small but she is heavy. I was keeping my books on shelves when I got a call from Kabir.
They will reach home late as Armaan had to meet a dietician and physiotherapist. Fortunately Ridhima slept until 6 in the evening. That milkshake was doing wonders. After Ridhima woke up I sat with her to watch cartoon movies. I enjoyed it very much. I made Ridhima to eat her dinner with me. I was feeding her.
"Bhaiya says our Papa got sick one day and he died." Ridhima said innocently. I know how much it hurts her right now. She is practically with someone who is a sort of stranger in her life.
"Will Bade Papa also die?" She asked.
"Ridhima." I heard Kusum stopping her. I looked at Kusum and told her not to stop her.
"No." I said.
"My mother left me here so that I can be happy with my Bhaiya." Ridhima said. "Did your mother left you too?"
"No." I said.
"Then why you use to stay in Bangalore." She asked.
I couldn't help it. I needed to stop her questions.
"When I was born, my mother got sick and she died." I released a deep breath. I filled a glass of water for Ridhima. She holded the glass with both her hands.
"What happened after that?" She asked.
"At that time nobody wanted me because I was also born sick."
"Why?" She asked. Removing a grain of rice from her lips.
"Sick kids cry a lot." I said. "My mother's only company at that time was her best friend. She was a blessed woman. She took me to her house in Bangalore and I grew up along with her son." Ridhima kept looking at me blankly. "Now I am talking to a similarly blessed girl." I kept my hand on her head and she got up from her seat and climbed on me to hug me. "Ahh." I said and hugged her back.