Once upon a rain [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER-4

Published on- 14/7/23

AUTHOR'S POV

Arnav sits on his couch, engrossed in a book when his phone rings. He picks it up, and it's his mother calling.

"Hello, Ma" He smiles.

"Hello, beta. How are you?" she asked concerned.

How Aisha left him is not hidden from anybody. It's their helplessness that they can't come from India to console him.

"I am fine, ma" he smiled a little.

"Beta, I wanted to ask you something. There's a girl who needs a place to stay urgently. Her landlord has kicked her out of her apartment, and I thought you could help her out by letting her stay with you for a while. Her mother is my friend and she is really worried about her daughter who is all alone there" she said waiting for his reaction.

"What? Why should I be responsible for someone else's problems? I have my own life to deal with!" He took a few seconds to process everything and then said angrily.

"Arnav, she has no one else to turn to right now. It's just for a temporary period until she finds another place. Please show some kindness and understanding" she said calmly.

Arnav's anger grows, and he raises his voice in frustration.

"Mom, I can't believe you're asking me to accommodate a stranger in my own home! This is ridiculous!" He was frustrated.

First, Aisha.

Then that research student. 

And now this uninvited flatmate!

Just as Arnav continues to argue with his mother, the doorbell rings. He looks towards the door, startled by the interruption.

"Ma, you called me to ask or tell?" he asked suspiciously.

"Hehe" His mother laughed sheepishly.

He hung up, his frustration going to another level.

Arnav walks towards the door, still annoyed by the conversation with his mother. 

He opens the door.

"Hi! I am Aradhya! I hope my mom told...........YOU!" She started blabbering as soon as he opened the door and then got the biggest shock of her life.

"YOU!" he shouted when she finished.

What's with them and their screaming?

...

Arnav and Aradhya stand facing each other in the living room, surrounded by her belongings. 

They have finally agreed to share the flat, but the tension is palpable. 

Arnav holds a piece of paper, which he has turned into a makeshift contract.

"Aradhya, we need to establish some ground rules. Let's divide the chores and responsibilities to ensure a smooth living arrangement" He said slightly annoyed. No completely annoyed.

With all the happenings in his life, he now has to babysit a 20 year old as well.

While Aradhya's condition was no better. The person she is hating most at the moment is him and still, she has to live with him because certainly she has nowhere to go.

"Ground rules? Are we running a business here, Sir? Can't we just go with the flow?" She raised her eyebrows.

"No, we can't just go with the flow. This is serious. We need a proper agreement" he said dismissing her.

Aradhya lets out an exasperated sigh but decides to play along.

"Khud toh pagal hai hi, mujhe bhi pagal bana dega" she muttered under her breath.

(He is already crazy himself, he will make me crazy too)

"You said something?" he asked.

"No no" she laughed nervously.

"Fine, Mr. Serious...I mean Sir. Let's hear your ground rules" she rolled her eyes.

Arnav starts reading from the paper, his voice authoritative and stern.

"Rule 1: Arnav will be responsible for grocery shopping, bill payments, and maintenance of common areas. Rule 2: Aradhya will handle cooking, laundry, and cleaning the bathroom. Rule 3..." 

Aradhya interrupts, unable to contain her frustration.

"Oh, come on! Do we really need a contract for this? It's just common sense!" she mocked.

"Common sense isn't so common, Aradhya. And some people clearly lack it" He taunted.

Aradhya bursts into laughter, finding the whole situation hilarious.

He looked at her weirdly.

"Iske andar pause ka button hai ya humesha hasti aur chilati hi rehti hai?" he thought.

(Does she have a pause button inside her, or does she always keep laughing and screaming?)

"Sir, you're impossible! Who prepares a contract for sharing a flat?" she asked laughing.

"I do, Aradhya! Because I believe in being organized and structured" he replied clearly irritated.

Aradhya wipes away her laughter, trying to maintain a serious expression.

"Okay, fine. Let's sign this contract and get it over with" She resigned.

As Arnav hands over the contract and a pen, their eyes meet, and a playful smirk appears on Aradhya's face.

"But remember, Mr. Desai, contracts can always be renegotiated. We'll see how long your strict rules last" She said, something witty definitely cooking in her mind.

Arnav narrows his eyes, feigning anger.

"Oh, is that a challenge, Miss. Kashyap ? We'll see who can stick to the rules better" he challenged.

She rolled her eyes sighing the contract.

Now, it was time to carry her heavy bags to her room. And she was clearly exhausted.

He crouched down near her luggage.

She smiled widely seeing his kind gesture.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Desai. You are not as stone-hearted as I assumed you to be. I was clearly exhausted. You are really a kind man" she praised him stretching her sore muscles.

He picked up the cap of the pen from the ground and went inside his room closing it with a thud.

She looked at him open-mouthed and her eyes widen open in disbelief.

"Bhagwan kare Iski future wife ko khana banana na aata ho!

Bhagwan kare 30 ka hote hote ye ganja ho jaye!

Bhagwan kare isko 6 bacche ho jaye! Phir banate rehna ground rules!"

("Hoping that his future wife doesn't know how to cook!

Hoping that just before turning 30, he goes bald!

Hoping that he ends up having 6 kids! Then let's see how he sticks to his ground rules!")

She kept on cursing him carrying her luggage to her room...

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I can't😭😂

6 kidssss?????😭😂

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Love
Sonal❤️