Arshi TS: Wait

Part 1

Varun was sitting in the passengers' seat while Arnav drove the car through the curved roads of Nainital they hit off quite well. Arnav has not spoken to her anything apart from explaining her job as a teacher for two kids a boy of 5 and a girl of 3. Payal Sharma is the widowed wife of his maternal cousin Akash Sharma and the mother of the two kids. Akash passed away two months earlier and Payal has no more will left to live not even for her children.

Looking at the father and son duo sitting in the front kushi couldn't help but think that how long she will be able to hide the fact that these both are father and son because who ever take a close look at them can say that they are father and son. They were speaking about the beauty of Nainital and joking about how in some movies they show Nainital as some foreign country. Arnav's eyes travelled to Kushi who was enjoying the scenery sitting in the back seat, she still looked the same but more beautiful with a mature look in her face. Her and Varun's clothes spoke of class and richness but why did Shyam leave nothing to them in his will except for a hefty balance in their accounts. Why none of his ancestral properties were passed on to his son? And why did Kushi marry a man twenty years older to him? Why should Kushi accept this work while she can easily get so many good jobs with considerate amount of salary? And most importantly how can she marry someone else after all that have happened between them?

They reached the estate compound, the estate was a heirloom passed on from generation to generation, Arnav's nana divided the estate into two and gave them to Akash and Arnav. Akash was taking care of the estate while Arnav exported the flowers and fruits from their estate. After the death of Akash, Arnav had to stay back to look after the estate and settle down the life of Payal and the kids. It was then the idea of having a mistress for the children for the next 6 months as it was November then came into his mind. He was shocked to see Kushi applying for this job, he did his investigation on her and found that shyam had died and left nothing to his wife and son as property but her bank balance id hefty but why should she come for a job like a nanny? Time has to answer all his queries?

"Will it be like Ooty here?" Varun asked grabbing the attention of both his parents. "Uncle you did not answer my question yet." Said Varun. "Yes it will be cold here more than Ooty, from here our estate starts, this is my house" he said pointing to a little house which looked cozy, compact elegant and modern. "I built it just three years back and this one in the middle of both the estate is our guest house but from now on it will be your house till you return." He parked the car near the house and got down. "We should meet the children and Payalji first" said kushi. "First fresh up and then you can meet them. Come on Varun help me to get them into the house"

Arnav helped them and introduced Hariprakash Kaka (HP) to them. He is the one taking care of Arnav here and in his home since his parents is no more. Kushi took bath and draped a maroon soft skill sari which spoke of richness and wore a pair of her daily wear diamond bangles and diamond earrings and diamond pendant in an elegant gold chain. As she came out of her room getting ready she saw Arnav and Varun having their coffee and snacks provided by HP, seeing his mother Varun went to the kitchen to get her coffee and snacks "you don't look like a mere nanny, you are well off and dr. shyam have left you enough money to live comfortably and you are well educated then why do you want to be a nanny in an estate? Are you so greedy that you want to make money out of every opportunity given? Is this the reason you married Dr. Shyam? Had you known even I'm rich you would not have left me right?" Arnav asked her as he approached her, he couldn't control himself when he saw her coming out of the room so well dressed and looking like a queen. Kushi started to answer him hotly when Varun came with the coffee and snacks. They had their evening snacks with Arnav and Varun enjoying themselves as their tastes matched almost in everything and Kushi watching them and having her coffee. Arnav started the car and waited for kushi to lock the door while Varun stood near the passenger's door waiting for his mother to come. Arnav couldn't help but wonder how perfect this moment seemed to him he and his son waiting for Kushi to join them in car a perfect family moment, he know it will not be long before he make them his. He is now sure that Kushi still loves him but why did she marry Shyam whom she considered as her father? He saw Varun sitting near him, this little boy's face and appearance seems so familiar but he couldn't pin point the resemblance. He saw kushi entering into the back seat and their eyes met now he knows that Varun has her eyes.

They reached the compound of Akash's estate, "kushi do you remember my cousin Akash?" Arnav asked kushi." Yes the tall man with specs." "Yes it's him Payal is his wife.""Oh! He was a good man. How did he die?" "In a landscape accident that has made Payal bitterer towards this estate." "You are to look after their children Payush and Akashi" "Sure." "But what about Varun is there any good schools for him to attend nearby?" "But ma in my school they have allowed me to take online classes and finish this year. I need only internet connection Ma rest I can manage." "Then its set, I'll see to that you get a good internet connection soon." "Thank you uncle." They had already reached the front drive of the house and they got down.

The house closely resembled a vintage British castles found in India. But the house didn't have a life in it. Arnav took them to the living room where two little children were sprawled in a sofa laughing at the cartoon that was playing in the TV. They were surrounded by dirty plates and the floor looked like it was never swept or mopped for weeks. "Akashi, Payush" Arnav called them, they turned and squealed to see their favorite uncle "Badi papa" they cried as they hugged him around his legs. He ruffled their hair and scooped Akashi in his arms and brought them near to kushi and Varun and introduced them to them. "This is Kushi aunty and this is Varun Bhai they are here to help you both to learn for some time. Say hello to them." Payush was fascinated by the looks of Varun; he looked like some of the senior boys whom he used to idolize in his school. Varun was quite tall for his age and had a boyish athletic built body since he loved to play outdoor games right from his childhood; he said a shy hello to both of them and stood beside his Badi papa, looking at Varun with admiration. He reminded Arnav of Akash when he first met him, they were 3 years apart, they first met when they were 13 and 10 respectively, and Akash had instantly taken up the hero worship as he looked up at his brother. Now Payush is following his footsteps.

His thoughts were disturbed by Akashi as she wanted to get down and reach her new aunty. Kushi liked both the kids Payush reminded her more of Akash, while Akashi looked may be like her mother. Kushi looked at the untidy kids before her, "let's get you both tidy first, Varun help Payush," turning to Akashi "let's go to your room and get you dressed up like a doll." Within the next half an hour both the kids looked fresh and they along with Varun and Arnav helped kushi in cleaning up the living room and the kid's room and the playroom. When they were about to finish setting up the living room Payal came down from her room. She looked like a body without soul, she mirrored Kushi during the initial days of Arnav's betrayal, and this made Kushi to warm up towards her. Seeing her mother Akashi grabbed the flower wase she had arranged with her bade bhai as she had started to call Varun and ran to her mother and gave it to her. Payal looked around the house in awe, it looked like how it would look when Akash was alive, when her daughter ran up to her with flowers in her hands she realized Arnav was right when he told that Kushi will bring kushi into this house. She smiled her first genuine smile at her daughter after her husband's death and saw kushi with admiration, gratitude and sisterly love. And they both bonded so well in a very short span of time and laughed their heads off when they saw Payush following Varun like a lost puppy and Akashi bossing over both the boys. Arnav looked at the happy picture they made with a smile on his lips, he have to act fast he has already wasted 13 years of his life without Kushi, now he ready to let the past go and embrace his future with open arms. He will make Kushi his and Varun, Shyam may be his biological father but he will raise him as his son his first born, with this determination he started to plan on his moves.