Harvest Moon

Chapter 4

THE next morning, Khushi came down for breakfast wearing light blue jeans and a navy blue polka dotted top. She heard a noise downstairs and her heartbeat quickened in anticipation. As she ran down the last few steps she stopped short when she saw a man and woman in the kitchen.

The woman was tall with straight shoulder length hair, twinkling eyes and a smile that reminded one of a child's. She wore jeans and a lovely orange printed kurta which Khushi was pretty sure was purchased at Fib India.

"Hi!" The woman said with a huge grin plastered on her face. "You must be Khushi." She stepped forward and threw her arms around her. Before Khushi could ask her she said. "Oh I am Anjali by the way – Arnav's sister. And this is Manav Shergill."

"Her boss." Manav quipped, tongue in cheek. Manav was dressed casually in blue denim and green t-shirt.

"Business partner." Anjali corrected.

"Oh - hi!" Khushi said stepping back. "I am sorry I didn't recognize you."

"How could you?" Anjali said affably, "I don't keep any pictures around the house," she said setting the plates on the table, "please sit down – let's have some breakfast."

"Thank you," Khushi complied by pulling a chair and taking her seat. Where was Arnav? She looked up the stairs expecting him to come down any time.

"Arnav has gone back to Faridkot." Anjali informed her.

"Oh." She nodded nonchalantly hoping her disappointment wasn't evident on her face.

"Khushiji," Manav addressed her, "I will be dropping you off at the hospital."

"That will not be necessary Manavji," Khushi assured him, "I can manage."

"I am sure you can Khushiji," Manav said, "but Arnav won't spare me if he found out I let you go on your own."

If he was so concerned he would have stayed back himself and made sure of that and not delegated the job to someone else.

She is coming back tomorrow and after that I will be gone alright?

He had said he would be gone and he really had left --- without saying a word. She stemmed her anger with a bright smile. "Let's go."

Khushi looked out at the moving traffic as she sat in the passenger seat while Manav manoeuvred the vehicle in a slow and steady manner. Arnav drove a little faster than that but it was no way rash or jerky. He had the steadfastness of an expert driver and ----Stop thinking about him Khushi, she admonished herself.

"Don't worry Khushiji," Manav said affably, "only the best doctors will be attending to your grandfather. Arnav made sure of that."

"He seems to have a lot of clout at the hospital."

"Well ---" Manav paused, "he is one of the trustees of the hospital."

"Ah!" she said, "No wonder people fall all over themselves to please him. One must be so lucky to be born into money."

"Don't be too hasty in judging him." Manav defended Arnav vehemently, "It hasn't been easy for him."

"Hasn't been easy?" Khushi remembered what her dad had said. "His family owns land don't they?"

"Which they almost lost when Arnav's grandfather got old. Unfortunately Arnav's uncle wasn't capable enough to manage the lands. Then thanks to Arnav, the lands came back to their former glory. So you see Khushiji, being born into money doesn't really ensure a lifelong comfort."

It was clear to Khushi that Manav was close to Arnav. "Have you been friends a long time?" She asked him.

"You could say that I suppose. Our mothers were best friends. We were born a month apart at the same hospital."