Zindagi

Chapter- 3

The next morning, breakfast was a silent affair. There was something in Kabir's behavior that Kritika wasn't able to point out. He was behaving as usual, yet something was amiss. Thinking that it was about work, she didn't put too much thought into it. However, her guilt was killing her from inside. She knew she couldn't undo what she had done, but she could at least talk it out with her father. She could confess and face the consequences rather than keeping it to herself and breaking Kabir's trust.

"Papa," she called out as Kabir and Kiyansh made their way towards the door.

Kabir turned to look at her.

"Papa, vo... mujhe... aapse kuch baat karni thi..." She stopped as Kabir's phone rang. Whatever was said from the other side made him tense.

"I will be there... Mujhe ane mai late hoga as I have some work. Till then, you take care," Kabir said and disconnected the call.

"We will talk once I'm home. I need to leave, Kriti," before Kritika could say anything, his phone rang again. He received the call and left with Kiyansh, leaving Kritika dejected.

While Kabir drove off with Kiyansh to school, even the little boy found his father's behavior weird, as he wasn't talking or joking like his usual self. When he tried to initiate the conversation, rather than humming in response, he got nothing. At last, he too gave up, thinking the same, that it might be related to work.

When the car came to a halt, he turned to look at his father with a smile, which wiped off as Kabir stepped out of the car, something he never does. He would see him off and leave once he makes sure that his son is under the school gates. What changed suddenly...his thoughts broke as Kabir opened the car door for him, and he immediately got down.

Kabir held his son's hand and started to guide himself and his son inside the school.

"Aap andar kyun aa rahe ho Papa?" Kiyansh couldn't help the curiosity and asked.

Kabir stopped and looked at his son before walking inside, "Well, you didn't bother to tell me that your class teacher wants to meet me... so I thought I should meet her on my own as you might have forgotten to inform me," Kabir said sarcastically.

Kiyansh's eyes widened in shock. Something inside him said that today he would be in trouble!

Kabir directly guided his son to the staff room. As he has visited the school quite a lot of times, it was not a hard task to do. Not forgetting the fact that he had visited the school just last month and wondered how he didn't receive a single complaint from his teacher within a period of one month...did his son suddenly became a good boy! It was today in the morning he just got an email from the school that his son's class teacher wished to see him.

He had his own doubts about the unusual behavior both his children displayed yesterday, yet he kept quiet, wanting to see what actually happened.

Once he knocked and entered after hearing a "Come in," there sat the man, Mr. Subramanyam. Well, Kabir never held grudges with anyone, nor did he get annoyed by usual creatures, but this one... he was a unique piece!

He was a big foodie in the world... maybe he could eat the whole world's meal and still say he didn't ate much. And that never mattered to Kabir as it was his personal life, obviously, but what annoyed him was his visits to his hotel... not once or twice, but more than that every week. And every week, the man would eat in tons but would always be short of money. Kabir never minded that, but there is something like decency which this man doesn't have... as he isn't shameful about his acts. Adding more to it was, his wish to become Kabir's friend... imposing himself on him. Just because the man was his son's class teacher, Kabir let him scooter free and let Arjun handle him, or he would have shown him how annoying and obnoxious he is!!!