Opposites attract

Chapter 13(Ashika)

We reached Neil's house after a silent drive. I greeted uncle and offered to cook lunch for him, but he had already prepared food. Apparently, he somehow knew that we were going to eat out.

I am sitting in Yakshi's room, on her bed and watching a movie on my laptop after all its Sunday. Uncle is in the living room watching some cricket match on the tv while having his lunch and Neil is in his room playing his video games as usual, but today he is not shouting or cursing as usual.

I concentrate on the movie playing in front of me, but every few minutes my mind drifts off to a certain irritating man in this house.

My mind goes back to the moment when were in that café having pasta and when gave me a compliment. My heart was dying to believe that he actually meant what he said, but my mind knew better, obviously.

Because my mind knows him well. My mind knows that he hates me. My mind knows that he thinks I am an unloving, uncaring person. And my mind can't be fooled. My heart can be fooled but my mind can't. So I listen to mind always.

People who listen to their hearts suffer just like my sister suffered. I will not listen to my mind and then I will never get hurt.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It's already 7pm when step out of my room, Yakshi's room I mean, but let's call it my room for now. I didn't intend on sleeping for so long but the movie was so boring that even after trying a number of times sleep took over me.

I find Neil and his father in their kitchen. They are both laughing over something as Neil is kneading the dough for roti while his father is preparing the gravy for the sabzi. I wanted to go in and help but seeing them so deep in conversation and lost in their laughing, I stopped and memories of my parents came to mind. It's been 12 years since I last lived with them.

I go back home for holidays, festivals and weddings but it is never equivalent to actually living there. Staying away from them was my choice. I could have gone back after college and started my business there. But the amount of money people were willing to pay for just advertisement and marketing is insane here, so I decided to stay here instead.

I wanted to make them happy. I wanted to provide them with everything that money could buy. But I could only do so at the expense of staying away from them.

Initially, I used to talk to my mother for hours, but once she started to pressurize me for marriage, I started ignoring her calls. Papa is not a big fan of calls and texts. The last time he called was at my birthday 5 months ago.

"ASHU", uncle screamed my name and I drift out of my thought.

"Yes, uncle?", I ask him.

"I called your names 5 times. Where are you lost?"

"Nothing.", I replied as quick as I can.

"Are you sure, Ashu? I am here in place of your father if you have any problem, you know you can talk to me." Uncle said to me with worried expression.

I thought Neil will comment something on this but he didn't even look back at me once . What's wrong with him?  Is he mad at me? Well, he is always mad at me so that doesn't  even mater. Maybe he thought I was working in my room and because of that he has to do the work here at the kitchen. I pushed all thoughts of him aside and gave my sole concentration to uncle.

"No uncle, I am not having any problem. It's just that.....", a pair of hopeful eyes stare at me and I know, I can't lie to them. "I miss my parent."

"I get it.", uncle said and patted my hand.

"Yes, you truly are Yakshi's friend, she misses her parents too.", Neil says to me without sparing a glance but I am confused. What does he mean Yakshi misses her parents?

"Don't look at me like that, you know we picked her from garbage, right?", that brings a smile on my lips. Elder siblings and these garbage jokes go hand in hand since forever. 

Didi used to say the same about me.

"Why don't you come help us with the dinner?", uncle said handing me a spatula. He had a grin on his face that matched my father's. He is right. He is my father figure.

I go to my room after having dinner and rested on my bed. Tomorrow is going to be long day. I have got 3 meetings and then I will have to go and meet the official of Zebronics with Sarah for picture selection. At the end I have to teach Neil new steps for his performance.

But none of these tasks are going to be a big deal. The actual deal is going to be talking to my mother. I have to call her tomorrow at least to tell her but my flat. But I know very well that our conversation won't be limited to my flat. Eventually it will shift to my marriage like all of our other conversations.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Right now I am in my car. I am going to Zebronics' office. Sara has been there the whole morning discussing their next steps. I only have to be there for the photo selection, that too because the marketing official requested me. My phone rings and shows the name of my mother. I take a deep breath and the pick the call putting my phone at speaker.

Everything happened as I had expected it to. As soon as I stopped speaking about my house, Mumma started with her get married lecture. I listen to it for a few minutes before I interrupt her, "Mumma I have reached my destination. I will call you later."

"Don't you try hanging on-", I cut the line before she could utter a word more and step out of the car. I will deal with her later. Maybe lie to her about network issue at the parking but for now I have to focus on my clients.

I enter the office, where the receptionist greets me and guides me towards a room. As I enter the room, I see there Sarah, our photographer with his assistant, two officials and Neil all sitting on the sofa discussing something.

All the eyes move towards me and they welcome me with a smile. Why is Neil here, I wanted to ask them but I didn't. 

I think Sarah can read mind because the statement she made is the answer to my question, "I summoned Mr. Neil as the officials wanted him to be present during the photo selection. After all they are his photos and are going to be posted on his social media."

"I get it Sarah." Just then my phone rang, I pulled it out of my pants and it says that the call was from my mother. I declined the call and pocketed my phone again after putting it on silent. Then I take a seat on the chair next to Neil's as it was the only empty one.

During the entire meeting my mother had called me at least 10 times. I didn't even take the phone out of my pocket. I knew it has to her. After the meeting, we bid our byes as we exited the office building and started walking towards the parking.

Sarah had stayed back because she had to discuss their further motives. The photographer and his assistant climbed into their car that was at the starting edge of the parking. I had parked my car away inside the shed for no specific reason.

So now it was just me, Neil and our very own, very familiar and awkward silence. We were just about to reach the spot when Neil said, "Is your mother troubling you again?"

"When has she stopped," I said without realizing. "How do you know it was my mother?"

"You had a frown on your face when you declined the call. Also, during the meeting there were instances when your hand reached your pocket and the frown returned.", did he really observe all that about me.

We reach my car and I say, "I will see you at home." And climb into my car without waiting for an answer.

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Hey reader, I don't thing Neil can be mad at Ashu for a long time even after she hurts him. After all he is the caring one, right?

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