DREAM / REALITY

Chapter No- 02

"Chote I want to talk with you," Arvind said and Arnav felt like someone has splashed a bucket of cold water on his face.

"What papa wants to talk.?? Did he got to know that I beat my one mate in the academy.??? But no one knew about it. Then....??? Did he got to know that I stole one laddoo during Pooja.??? Did he got to know about the girl I recently liked.??? God why he is creating suspense like villains of Hindi movies.???" Arnav mind thought thousands of possibilities about what his father wants to talk about with him.

At that particular moment, he remembered all his sins and naughtiness at a single time. In no time his face was drenched with sweat and seeing this Arvind chuckled making him smile nervously.

"Even after touching 27, he is still afraid of him," Ratna thought with a mild smile. Arvind decided to end the suspense and awkwardness. He calls Arnav to come and seat beside him and Arnav obliged without wasting another second.

Once Arnav was settled beside Arvind, and Ratna in front of both Arvind started speaking, "Chote, you have turned 27 and I think it's the right time to enter into married life."

Arnav who was watching him with bated breath got relaxed after hearing him. But his relief was short-lived as his brain registers Arvind's words.  Just after hearing the word, "Marriage" Arnav mind formed the image of that particular girl that he saw a few minutes before.

Somewhere deep in his heart, that girl made a place without even talking or meeting. Somewhere his mind picturised her as his wife. But now his father wants him to marry some other person and it surely flipped something in his stomach.

He felt uneasy thinking about two girls at the same time which his father noticed and asked in a friendly manner, "Chote did you want to say something.??"

Arnav looked at him and then averted his eyes. Till now he never talked about something like this with his father but now the situation is different. He needs to talk otherwise it will affect everyone.

"Can I talk with you," Arnav said after mustering all his life courage. Arvind glanced at the tensed formed of Ratna and then at Arnav who was not meeting his eyes and looking down. Arvind gestured to Ratna to give them some privacy which she reluctantly did and went into the kitchen. Even though she entered the kitchen still her heart, the mind was there in the living room only with her husband and son.

"Tell me what you want to say," Arvind initiated that suffocated Arnav. He never feared anything but talking on this matter was making him feel something that was foreign to him. A feeling that cannot be described in words.

"Papa, don't take me wrong. I don't know whether it's right or wrong. I mean I know it's wrong but. Papa understands what I m saying okay. Don't get angry." Arnav said and Arvind just kept looking at him with soft smile seeing his nervousness.

"Papa, I don't know whether to say it or not but then.... I don't know whether I should say this or not.... I mean you can understand what I m saying right.... I can't say that... I know it's wrong. but then...." Arnav kept on blabbering which made Arvind smile wide. He decided to put an end to his nervousness even if he was enjoying it a lot. It was not easy to see Arnav stammering and Arvind was not at all interested to stop the play so soon.

But poor Arnav was literally drenched in sweat. His face turned red and his words started fumbling because of which Arvind kept one hand on his hand. 

"Chote, come we will go outside," Arvind said which made Arnav relax for a moment and nodded in return.

"Ratna, we are going to the near temple. Will be coming in half an hour." Said Arvind from the living room which set her poor heart on fire. But she can't do anything in front of her husband.