The clock struck 2:00 AM, when a restless Arnav found himself standing outside the servant quarters. He hesitated for a heartbeat before knocking.
"Kaka!"
A bleary-eyed Mohan Kaka opened the door, a yawn dying in his throat as he came face-to-face with Arnav. He straightened up instantly, his sleep-fogged brain scrambling into alertness.
"Beta? You’re here? Is everything alright?" he asked, his voice laced with immediate concern.
"I need to talk to you. It’s important," Arnav replied, slipping past him into the small, tidy room before Kaka could even protest.
Arnav sank onto the edge of the bed, his shoulders tense. He cleared his throat, staring at the floor as if the words were written there.
"That day... when you mentioned... marriage..."
Kaka’s ears practically perked up. The exhaustion vanished, replaced by a sharp intrigue. He remained silent, remembering the scorching temper Arnav had displayed the last time this topic was mentioned.
"If..." Arnav started, his voice uncertain, "If you think I should get married someday... how do you see me? I mean.. as a husband. Do you think I’m even capable of being a good one?"
The silence stretched. Kaka stared at the young man he had watched grow up, the man who ruled a business empire with an iron fist but looked like a lost child at this moment.
"Be honest," Arnav pressed, looking up, "Say what’s on your mind. I won't be angry or feel bad."
Kaka took a slow breath, his gaze softening. "To be honest, beta... I don’t actually see you as an 'ideal' husband right now."
Arnav’s expression didn't flicker, but the light in his eyes dimmed. He nodded curtly, expecting such answer.
"You look like a machine, always busy with your work," Kaka continued gently. "You are like a ghost in your own home. You carry your anger like a shield on the tip of your nose, and you don't communicate your feelings easily to anyone. It's like you only breath your office work and forget the world around you."
"That’s not entirely true," Arnav blurted out, his defensive instincts flaring. "I make time for her. I spend time with her brother and Buaji. I don't... I don't lose my temper with her like before. And.. I talk to her. More than I’ve ever talked to anyone in my life."
A wise, knowing smile spread across Kaka’s face. "Then I think you already have the answer you were looking for."
Arnav froze, the realization hitting him like a physical wave.
"You might not be the 'ideal' husband for the world, beta," Kaka said, his voice laced with affection. "But you are willing to become that man for Khushi Bitiya. That is all that matters."
A smile threatened to break across Arnav’s face, but he quickly masked it with a frown, his ears turning a slight shade of red. He stood up abruptly, the vulnerability of the moment becoming too much for THE ASR to handle.
"You’re the one who convinced me to keep her in my life," Arnav grumbled, walking toward the door to hide his shining eyes. "Now look at me. From ASR to... Mr. Cold Light, Jugnu, Genie.. and what not."
Kaka chuckled, watching the boyish retreat. "Wait, beta! Where are you going? Should I start the wedding preparations?"
Arnav paused at the threshold, glancing back with a rare, genuine spark of joy in his eyes.
"Not yet, Kaka," he replied, a smirk playing on his lips. "Let’s wait for your Khushi bitiya to say yes first."
As Arnav disappeared into the night, Mohan Kaka couldn't contain it anymore. He let out a muffled cheer and broke into a silent, joyous bhangra right there in the middle of his room.
