The Malhotras

Advait was walking in the hallway, he was heading towards the living room when his gaze landed on Arush who was talking and laughing with Sadhwi. Advait took a deep breath and sighed in himself shaking his head. His experienced eyes could clearly see the blooming feelings between them. Advait suddenly remembered the kitchen incident when he found both of them in the kitchen very close to each other. The way they both were looking at each other and it was their age when a person gets attracted to the opposite gender.

Advait walked to their side making Sadhwi quickly run from there. Arush smiled widely looking at Advait and hugged him.

"Bhaiyaa." He whispered.

"College se aane me itna late kyun hua?" Advait asked.

Arush stood up straight and nervously looked at him. They were late because him and Sadhwi had stopped on the beach to spend some time together.

"Wo-thodi der ke liye beach par chale gaye the, bhaiya." He replied nervously.

Advait nodded, "Kal se direct ghar aana aur kahi jana hai to bata kar jao." He said.

Arush nodded, "Ji bhaiya."

"How old are you, Aru?" Advait asked, looking into his eyes.

Arush blinked in confusion, "Twenty?" He said.

"Ye age kis cheez ki hoti hai?" Advait asked.

Arush stood there in confusion, he kept quiet.

"Mai batata hoon, ye age padhai karne ki hoti hai, masti karne ki hoti hai." He said firmly, "Pehle career banao kuch ban jao uske baad jo mann ho wo karna." He said clearly and firmly.

"Mai samjha nahi, bhaiya." Arush whispered meekly.

"Sadhwi." He cleared, "Tum dono acche dost ho aur raho mujhe koi problem nahi hai. Magar sirf dost isse jyada aur kuch nahi. Tum dono ki age apne career par focus karne ki hai aur wo hi karo to better hai." His voice was calm but there was a sharp edge to his voice.

"Wo bas meri dost hi hai, bhaiya." Arush replied quietly.

"Aur dost hi rehni bhi chahiye." Advait said and walked away from there, leaving Arush alone.

Sadhwi was listening to all this while standing at a distance. She turned away her gaze and was about to walk back to her room when Arush ran to her side and stood in front of her, stopping her movements.

"Sadhwi, tum bhaiya ki baat ka bura mat manna. Wo tumhe galat nahi keh rahe the, hum dono saath me jyada time spent karte haina islie bas samjha rahe the ki humein padhai par focus karna chahiye, humare exams bhi aane wale haina bas islie." He explained to her so that she wouldn't feel bad.

Sadhwi nodded.

"Tum naraaz to nahi ho?" He asked hesitantly.

She silently shook her head and went away from there without any words. Arush kept looking at her disappearing figure with a sad look on his face.

"Ye sab Adi bhai ki wajah se hua hai poore ghar me dhindhora peet diya." Arush muttered under his breath with a scoff.

"Bhaiya bhi pata nahi kya soch rahe honge mere baare me." Arush mumbled, making a crying face.

He walked away from there with a sad pout on his lips.

~________________________________________~

Aditya was driving the car and Vanya was sitting beside him in the passenger seat. She hadn't uttered a word till now. She was sitting silently, her gaze was fixed on the view outside the window. Aditya was tiredly looking at her face, he hated seeing her like this. Her silence was like a torture to him. His gaze was drifting from her and to the road ahead. Aditya's gaze landed on the ice cream parlor and his mind sparkled up with the idea. He quickly parked the car outside the ice cream parlor and stepped out of the car leaving Vanya alone and confused but she stayed silent. He returned back with the two boxes and a tub of ice cream of her favorite chocolate flavor, carrying in his hand. He opened the car and gently placed all the ice cream tubs on Vanya's lap but she didn't move and kept sitting straight, looking away from him. Aditya settled down inside the car and started driving.