Dil Jaanta Hai | ✔

seventeen

||CHAPTER 17||
《¤》

Late evening, Daadi was watching her T.V. serial in her room, clueless about the fact that I was about to play Dadaji's favourite Kishore Kumar's song that he used to dedicate to her when he was still alive, on her ivory stereo.

And so, she was startled when suddenly, Kishore Kumar belched out the lyrics to her all time favourite.

"Roop tera, mastana,
Pyaar mera, deewana,
Bhool koi hamse na, ho jaye..."

The saxophone part was my most favourite part, and the delight in Daadi's eyes when she turned around to search for the source of the music, was the most pleasant thing I had seen.

The verse started again, and I rushed into her room, her eyes trained on the stereo when I placed it on the bedside table.

"Ye... ye theek ho gaya?!" She stood up, and I took her hands to start dancing.

"Nahi daadi," I rolled my eyes playfully, "mere voice box se Kishore Kumar ki awaz nikal rahi hai."

I twirled her around, and just to prove her point, I started singing along, "Raath nasheeli, mast sama hai... Aaj nashe mein, sara jahaan hai..."

She broke out into a heart warming smile and literally squealed, taking my hands and grooving her hips to match the rhythm. "Kab theek kiya ise?!"

"Tab, jab aapko pata nahi tha," I winked. She shook her head, letting go of the matter, and swaying to the music. Her T.V. serial was now a forgotten background.

And as I danced along, walls crumbled down, and I realised that these were the moments I missed the most. My goofball island.

The clearing of throat halted our grooving, and I turned around to find Dad standing near the door, his hands in his pocket.

"Arvika, mere office me aajao," he said, walking back. "Let's have the postponed talk."

Daadi smiled meekly, releasing my arms. With a nod her way, and getting a reassuring smile in return, I followed my Dad.

His office was just the same as it was last time, intimidating and yet, boring.

But Dad's expression wasn't boring, just intimidating.

"I'm disappointed."

You always are. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Didn't mean to what, Arvika? Didn't mean to fail again? Didn't mean to cheat?!"

"I wasn't cheating for myself!" I finally snapped.

"BUT YOU WERE CHEATING, GODDAMMIT!"

I bit my lip, looking away.

"What the hell do you want from your life, Arvika? Look at your brother, he is getting good grades without having to give retests. I don't understand what your problem is!"

I swallowed. "My problem is that I am not Arnav! I can never be your user-friendly kid! We might be twins, but we aren't identical in every sense."

"I am not asking you to be like your brother, because honestly?" He drawled, "You can never be."

My nails were digging into my palms, and I knew that a little more pressure would make them pierce the skin. But it was either that, or letting open my tear gates, and I wasn't doing the latter in front of my father, ever.