Little Book Of Red Lies | Shubman Gill ✓

12. Blissfully unaware

Theme song - Are we there yet by Ingrid Michaelson

Shubman Gill

"You're such a foodie mannnn." Remarks Kavya as she sees me unpack dabba after dabba from my suitcase.

"It's not my fault Mumbai doesn't sell good aloo de parathe, is it?"

"That I can completely understand, but you've also carried three heavy bottles of pickles with you. I mean wow. There's no way you're going to finish them all in a couple of weeks. putting them in chota dabbas would have really saved you all the trouble."

I stop unpacking for a moment and look up to meet her eyes. They're unsuspecting as always but they shouldn't be. I wonder what she would have thought had she known that it wasn't pickles that I was carrying but blood disguised as pickles.

"What? Just because I am a Punjabi you expect me to forgo all this gadha majoori?"

"No, no, taunt me how much ever you want to but...." I get up. And rush towards their kitchen....

"I am dying to see whether you have a soft spot for a food item or not..." Instinctively, I open her fridge, only to find -

"2 packets of Amul cheese cubes, four sachets of Amul cheese slice and One packet of Mozzarella cheese!! Kitne mahine ki cheese stock kar rakhi hai aapne madam? Chaar?"

"Nope that's not my poison, Rahul is the one who loves cheese."

I study her. Kaash Rahul ki college thodi late hoti toh mazza aa jaata. Oh there's a smile, ahhhaaa.

"Chal jhooti!"

"Haan Haan theek hai. Hoon Main cheese lover bas. Now let's finish putting your clothes in the wardrobe."

"Kavya, you seriously don't need to help me with this. I can manage."

"Yeah I know but I don't want a stranger opening random drawers in my house, so chetti karo mister." Her tone is stern but her eyes smile as she asks me to hurry up in Punjabi.

"Does it get lonely?" I blurt out. I can't help but notice that she genuinely seems happy to have a guest in her house.

Kavya stops in her tracks and turns back.

"I mean I know you have your bestfriend, li-"

"Bestfriends."

"Huh?"

"Plural. Arjun is my bestfriend too."

Oh. Yes, of course. How could I forget? If only I could tell her that he was my bestfriend too. Long ago.

"Go on."

"Yeah, I know you have your bestfriends live next door but...do you ever feel lonely?" I don't want to ask her if she misses her parents because of course she does.

She pauses and seems to search my eyes for the earnest desire to listen to her. Maybe she finds it because after a few moments of hesitation, she asks, "Sach bataun?"

"Haan?"

"Sometimes, yes. It usually the nighttime when I do. Roz raatko ek thakaan mehsoos hoti hai. Aisa lagta hai jaise kitna unfair hai ki main yahan hoon aur Mumma aur Papa nahi hai. I don't say this out loud but kabhi kabhi mai ghar sirf Rahul ke liye aati hoon...agar woh nahi hota na toh...toh aisa lagta jaise...jaise..."

"Out hokar pavillion laut rahi ho?" And that's my feeble attempt of wiping her sadness away. It meets with a teeny tiny success when a choti si smile appears on her face.

"Precisely."

Questions after questions erupt in my mind. What had happened? How did they die? When? And the one that she has been asking every night - why? Why would God rob anyone of their parents?

Kavya rubs her hands and starts walking out of the kitchen.

"Don't worry about me. I somehow manage. Mumma kehti thi ke Waheguru bande ko utni hi takleef dete hai jitni woh sehen kar sake." I notice how her eyes are on the photo frame that holds her parents' smiling faces. It's such a beautiful picture of a happy family. Seems like a wedding because all of them are dressed in traditional Punjabi attire with a banquet hall in the background. Kavya is goofing around in the picture, ruffling Rahul's hair.

Now if my sister, Shahneel, did that to me....I would have yelled at her but Rahul doesn't seem to mind. He's looking at the camera with pure joy on his face.

Waheguru meher karna.

******

Nighttime tries to overtake Mumbai. But it doesn't succeed. The speed of Kavya's thoughts is magnificent as she dreams a beautiful dream. However, the night has seldom been kind to Shubman who grows restless with each passing second and has misses the sensation of sleep. But tonight, he is restless for other reasons.

******

Unknown POV

Manvir and Kamaldeep Arora had made a huge mistake by blocking my way, that day. I had almost succeeded in my mission. Almost. But these bloody Aroras had to conduct a Bravery exhibition. Anyways, who cares.

In these 9 years, I have already killed Kamaldeep's elder brother and Daljeet's younger sister. Oh and the man who had almost saved them...but nah, those weren't the real deal. True fun will be in destroying their daughter's life. In an unhurried fashion. Hurting her as much as I can before I let her die.

Poornima has put some pawn of hers to protect Kavya. Hah. As if a three year old vampire can have any effect on me. I don't even remember my exact age now. Is it 126 years? Or 136? I don't know. Neither do I care about it anymore.
As I watch Shubman stare into nothingness with his forehead, creased, I smile. How exciting it would be to thrust a dagger in the heart of an emerging cricketer.

What would the headlines look like?

"Cricketing heartthrob loses his life in an accident?"

Naah, too plain.

"U-19 sensation dies a premature death. Body found in the room of his girlfriend's bestfriend's appartment."

Now now, wouldn't that be scandalous?

*****

A/n - There won't be any updates until Mid - April due to exams. Until then, take care!