On Mumbai Street (Published)

Chapter 3

Arnav and I were sitting on a bench in their garden. We were silent for a while, but I don't think Arnav can ever keep quiet because very soon he broke the silence.

"So, you have a brother?"

"Yes. His name is Rohit and I don't think he is mentally stable."

Arnav laughed and I fell in love with his dimples once again.

"Nah, I don't think so. Just talked to him. Seems like a nice guy."

I fake gagged.

He laughed again.

There was another silence. But it was not an uncomfortable silence. The music inside the house had changed into 'Badtameez dil' of my personal favourite (and future husband), Mumbai's heartthrob, Ranbir Kapoor.

"Badtameez dil, badtameez dil...,"I started singing in tune to the song.

Arnav looked at me amused with his signature smirk and that one-eyebrow-thing.

"What?" I snapped at him.

"You sing horrible!"

I looked down, embarrassed and then started laughing before punching him on his arm.

"I LOVE Ranbir Kapoor, okay? And I really don't mind singing for him!"

"I don't know why you girls are so crazy behind him. He is not that great!"

That earned him another punch on his arm.

"OUCH!" he yelped, rubbing his arm.

And mind you, it was not a playful one!

I hated it when anyone, just anyone, said anything, just anything bad about Ranbir Kapoor.

"He is my future husband, okay?" I retorted, glaring at him, challenging him to say anything further in that topic.

He grinned and said, "Yeah, sure."

I knew that was sarcasm overloaded but I decided to ignore it.

"So, how is it that you have been living so near and yesterday was the first time I saw you?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Have you fallen in love with me already?"

I punched his arm, again.

"Ouch! I think I am going home with a fractured arm, tonight!" he wailed, rubbing his arm.

"That's really going to happen if you continue with your cocky remarks," I warned him.

He smirked and said, "Well, I am from Delhi. Dad got a transfer. Just came here a month ago."

"So how do you like Mumbai?"

"It's okay," he answered, unenthusiastically.

"What do you mean by 'it's okay'? It is the best city in the world!"

He opened his mouth to say something, but Aparna butted in, followed by many other kids.

"Didi, let's play hide and seek," she pleaded, pulling at my hand.

"Uhm...," thinking of the best excuse I could give not to play hide and seek.

But before I realized what was happening, Aparna screamed, "Seema maami!"

I face palmed myself. If you haven't guessed by now, Seema was my mom's name and now I would be officially screwed for not playing hide and seek with a four-year-old.

No sarcasm intended.

My mom looked out from the window of the first floor.

"What happened, Appu?" my mother called down.