The Other Half

Chapter 17

(Seat 16: Give and Take)

Advay realized a turn late that this wasn't ideal. "Arnav, let go."

"No!"

"Arnav, people can't see her!"

"It's okay, Mr Raizada." Khushi extricated her hands from his brother's. "Thank you. I... I needed that."

"Thank your sister. If she hadn't hinted, we would all be in four different seats right now." Advay looked at Payal.

She was red faced from the all the exhilaration.

"You really don't like ferris wheels, do you?"

"I had a bad experience." Payal held Khushi's hand. "Since then we always sit together, if she is being stubborn about it."

"One of those?" Arnav asked.

Khushi nodded. "I used to hate it. She loved them. So we went on one. Me with Ma. She with Papa. Let's just say that was the last time we didn't sit together."

Advay looked at his brother. Arnav rolled his eyes. "They were probably teens then. We have grown up."

"I don't even want you to suggest it." Advay warned. It seemed Arnav had a different kind of funny side. He had seen it all in the last 24 hours. Arnav was witty, sarcastic, funny. He was kind even without realizing it. He didn't seem to care about Khushi. He did care about her. Every time anything happened, he was the first one to ask her about it. Right now too. Payal could have handled Khushi a few seconds later. But Arnav didn't hesitate. For someone who hated the K that destroyed his fashion show, Arnav was extremely protective of K, on instinct.

"You're thinking something?" Payal's voice broke his thoughts.

Advay looked up to see her face back to her normal shade. He shook his head. "You look better."

"Well, she's calm now that her worry is out of her system. I get to enjoy till she gets hyperactive again."

"I'm not five." Khushi whined.

(Seat 12: Blind Interrogation)

Pause after pause, NK had extracted a lot of information out of Chandani.

Like the fact that her mother liked to begin the days of Kumbh by being in the temple till noon.

Like the fact that her Maasis spent afternoons in the study, or the mall, or some other lunch invite.

Like the fact that they heavily relied on Shilpa and Parth for her father's care.

Like the fact that her only Maasaji spent Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at their hotel in the outskirts.

Like the fact that she was supposed to perform an imminent puja at the Shiv Temple on Thursday, post which the treasury would be opened after 16 long years.

This was the fact that struck him the most. For when he asked Chandani why the treasury is opened so long apart, she had no answer. He didn't probe further. Some answers, he figured, would be best provided by people who had seen what happened the last time the treasury was successfully opened. NK realised he had to find people who had been in Allahabad for at least 40 years.

After they descended and left the platform, he took a deep breath.

"I am starting to get why Mom hates what you do." Pooja whispered to him.

(Seat 14: Hidden in Plain Sight)

Shikha sighed as their seat stopped just above the platform. "When can I stop feeling like I'm some criminal?"