My Dad's Best Friend

Chapter 3: Please, call me Nikitasha

I went to my dad's bedroom who was so infuriated by my sister. I knocked on his door which was open and he looked at me giving a sign to come in. I pulled a stool and sat across him waiting for him to say something; anything. It's been ages we spoke to each other, forget a one on one conversation like this. So naturally I was hesitant. But I was reminded by my reason to be there and decided to play the role.

"So tell me more about her," I said.

He gave an inquisitive look, obviously given our history.

"What do you mean?" he seemed genuinely confused.

"About your best-friend. I have never seen you so calm and relaxed (I was careful to not use the word, happy) before. Honestly, none of us understood how were you coping. If it's your friend that helped you then I would like to thank her personally someday, and I don't want to be estranged from her when that day comes."

He looked at me with a blank expression. As if I just stated the impossible. Well he's not wrong, but for my plan to come to fruition, this must go on. So I continued, "Dad, I know we don't talk that often about anything. Even if we did it's based on something casual which was never meaningful. But after everything we went through I think it's high time that we bonded. We are a family after all."

He smiled and said, "I am a little shocked because of all the people, I never expected you would accept this. Well I am glad that you want us to bond. I am sorry for not reaching out to you before, because honestly I didn't know how to. So thank you for talking to me, and I will introduce you all to her. First we need to meet up in person and I am going to see her tomorrow for the first time. Once I'm all caught up I will make the introduction."

I smiled and nodded at him. As I took leave and heading back to my room I noticed my brother standing right outside my dad's room. By the look on his face I understood he heard everything. So I didn't bother to say anything and left knowing that he would follow suit.

Back in my room now, it's my brother who pulled a stool and sat across me, giving me the eye. He's not wrong though. All this time when there was no communication between me and my father, Raj did act like a bridge and let us keep a tab on each other. So this act of mine confused him.

So he began, "What's up bro? You seem to be quite determined to know about our dad's best friend. Anything I need to be worried about?"

"Nothing that should be of your concern," I responded curtly.

But my brother was persistent, "If you are really trying to bond with our father then it's great. But if there is an ulterior motive then I don't think you will achieve that by hurting him."

"I do not intend to, but don't you think it's weird? He is 65, for crying out loud and I do trust him. I just don't trust the other person."

"That other person helped dad which made everything easy for us. You remember dad was lost and wasn't ready to move on for months. Without mother we could have never spoken to dad. Heer was worried about his health the whole time. I understand you still didn't forgive him for what he did. None of us did. But he was just hurt as us when mom passed and he is our father after all."

"I don't need to need to know her. Especially, after everything he's done it makes no sense," I shot right back at him.

"This friend of his, is innocent. I think we should give her a chance before we judge her. I didn't say anything at the table because I wanted to see where it will go and I still feel the same. Let him bring her to us, we will find out."

"He's meeting her tomorrow for the first time. Don't you think we should follow him?"

"I don't think so. Dad needs to get acquainted in person with her which will be awkward for him. Let him bring her to us whenever he pleases. Promise me, that you will not wreck this."

I smiled and nodded at him, which was enough for him to think that the coast is clear and he left.

I got up at 6'O clock in the morning. I checked on my Dad who was still sleeping. So I decided to go to gym and by the time I come back he will be up and then I'll find out where he's going.

After an intense workout as usual, I reached home at 9 only to find out my dad already left. It could mean two things; one: he already anticipated that I never would support his friendship and would try to ruin it, two: he couldn't wait to see her, so he left early. My sister tells me that he left to have breakfast with his "friend" and will be back by afternoon with her. When I asked what are they going to do after breakfast, she rolled her eyes. I didn't bother to say anything next. I had breakfast and lunch, and did nothing much after that except wait for him.

At 4PM, I heard my dad calling us out all. I realized I drifted to sleep and woken up by him. By the time I came out of my room, Raj and Heer were already there. I saw a girl not more than 5 feet tall in mid-twenties in a formal black pant suit standing beside my dad, all smiling. The girl wasn't a stranger to me. I mean she is a stranger but I was familiar with her. She was the same girl across our apartment. The one who stuttered when she asked me about the nearby grocery store. Her eyes landed on me and suddenly she stopped smiling. Our eyes were locked at each other.

My dad started, "Everybody, this is Nikitasha Nandan. She is my best friend. I call her Nick. Nick, these are my children, Heer, Raj and Harsh."

She's got the same dumb-founded expression on her face just like the one when we met before. I couldn't believe this girl would inhabit the apartment across ours.

Like usual she got out of that so-called trans of hers' and said hello to us. Raj being the kindest host of all stepped forward, offered his hand to shake hers' and said, "Hello Ms. Nandan! We're so glad to have you with us."

She shook hands with him and said smiling, "Please, call me Nikitasha."

That smile tells me something about her. I might have caught her of guard twice, but that smile tells me she is confident. Especially when she averted her eyes back to me from my brother.