One Day At A Time

Chapter Twenty Nine - Home Is Where The Heart Is

"Arnav!" A completely unaware and unprepared Shekhar opened the door and stood staring at his son in absolute shock. "Dear God, this is — this is some surprise!" He said, finally finding words to put together wearing a heartwarming smile on his lips. "Shaila! Shaila, look who is here!" His voice suddenly came alive after surviving the initial shock.

Arnav grinned as he entered the house along with Akash. Akash deposited the suitcase in the living room and left immediately after making an excuse of his parents waiting up for him for dinner at home. Arnav touched his father's feet and watched Shaila burst into the living room from the kitchen. She broke into sobs the moment she laid her eyes on her handsome son after four long years and ran into his arms. She held on to him for long, crying without saying a word to him while he tried calming her down with soft, soothing words of comfort.

"You didn't forgive me for saying that to you, did you, beta?" Shekhar asked, tears stinging his eyes. "Because your mother surely hasn't."

Arnav didn't respond initially, but his slight swallow and the understanding in his eyes told his father that he realised what he was talking about. "I had forgotten all about it until you mentioned it right now, Pa." Arnav turned towards him after making Shaila comfortable on a new brown leather sofa which had replaced the old wooden one.

"I had been harsh with my words then. I hope you forgive me." Shekhar murmured with a tremble in his voice.

Arnav felt his heart give a painful pinch hearing his father's words. "No, Pa. You had every right to object. I had flown down in the middle of the course, spending a lot of money on the ticket when I wasn't even earning well." He stepped towards his father and enveloped him in a hug. "I swear to God, me not coming here all these years had nothing to do with what you said, and everything to do with my demanding and hectic work life, Pa." He assured him as he held his father's hands in his. "And please don't ever apologise to me again. Ever. Please."

Shekhar nodded. "Very well, then." He smiled. "I cannot tell you how happy I am right now." He said earnestly as he circled an arm around Arnav and turned to look at his wife. "Shaila, let's have his favourite daal chaawal for dinner tonight. I am sure that must be the first thing on his mind." He looked at Arnav and saw him grin at his mother. "And in the meanwhile, my son and I will help you in the kitchen while catching up on what's going on in his life."

****

An hour later, Arnav stood leaning on his bedroom balcony's balustrade after having showered and changed into a burgundy vest and black lounge pants. Was he ready to take on these two weeks, he wondered. A wave of nostalgia hit him as he walked back inside and stared at his room, leaning against the door. It had surprised him when he had found his bedroom precisely the way it had been on the evening he had left Pune four years ago. Only more organised and cleaner. The only change he noticed had been the addition of some more framed old photographs of him with his parents and extended family on his desk and the walls. His parents had missed him... the realisation struck the core of his heart with a painful blow. He felt a prick on his conscience, wondering if he was the reason behind the tinge of sadness he had seen in their eyes earlier. With every passing moment in the house, he was now berating himself for staying away from them so long for selfish reasons. Although Kabir had always been with them, he regretted not having made a single trip to check on them. Unfortunately, with his father being too busy with work and his mother refusing to travel without him, he hadn't been able to convince them to make a trip to London either. Now he realised with guilt that although the time he had been away from home seemed to have raced by him, it had passed painfully slow for his parents.