Poles Apart

Chapter Eight

Arjun

I walk into the lobby, strapping my watch onto my wrist. My steps falter when I see the girl sitting on one of the couches, waiting for the rest of them.

Arvi Ravichander. In her white top and multi-coloured pants and dupatta that compliment her features, I wonder if she can ever not look divinely beautiful. She looks up at me with the round, honey-brown eyes of hers that make me forget how to breathe. Her pink lips quiver with hesitation. She doesn't hold my gaze for much longer, her eyes dart left and right, escaping mine. Her hands go up into her braided hair, and she tucks the few stray strands of her hair behind her ear.

I sit down beside Prithvi and give him a high-five in greeting. We were friendly in general, but for the past few days he had been acting off with me.

Surprisingly, today, he grins at me. "I hear the kachoris here are super famous," he says. What happened in the last twenty-four hours?

"I hear they are," I agree, stopping the hesitation or confusion from seeping into my voice.

He regards me with an assessing look and then turns to his cousin, who seems to be busy with her phone. He looks at me again, forcing me to pull my eyes away from the beautiful woman.

Prithvi looks at me for another moment. His gaze flits to his sister as if he's trying to tell me something about her. Warning me, I realise. The proposal was probably the reason for his aloof behaviour and is now the reason for the reversion.

I nod at him, letting him know I understand. He nods a final time, cordially. I have the feeling of having closed a deal.

I notice that Prithvi's elder brother, Pranav has come. He bumps his fist with mine in greeting, throwing me a quick grin before settling down beside his cousin. I had noticed in the past week that Arvi only opened her mouth around her family and friends. Other times, she nods her head, throws polite grins and tramples over boys' hearts. Harsh? Definitely. But I don't even get those polite grins. I don't mind, though. I'd sooner she told me I was an arsehole, in her British accent than be polite to me.

I could name ten other guys who were captivated by her. It's the way she carries herself; with confidence and elegance. Sure, she'll joke around with her cousins and siblings, throw a few sassy comments here and there, but you always know the limit with her.

How she carries herself around people doesn't allow for much lenience. The farthest she'd go was a polite smile and a handshake. An air of innocence surrounds her. Her honey brown eyes could look the most innocent and change shades within seconds. I should know, I received a fair share of glares, innocent looks and narrowed eyes from her.

I should have been righteously angry when she impaired my foot, but instead, it had amused me.

After everyone comes down, we file into the cars. Kaushik sits next to the window, making Arvi sit in the middle. I know for a fact that he wouldn't let me sit next to her unless he approved of me. His glares don't give the approval, but I know he's willing to give me a chance, and I'm not letting it slip.

One very crucial detail about Arvi Ravichander's life? She has three elder brothers and three younger brothers; all of them insanely protective of her.

I looked at the girl next to me, throwing a cautionary glance at Kaushik and Pranav who seemed to have his ears trained here, waiting to pick up the slightest frequency.

Kaushik gives me a warning look. I wink at him in response, evidently annoying him, but what can he say when she's sitting right here?

I lean towards her slightly. "Why did you braid your hair?" I ask her. I half-expect her to glare at me and leave the question hanging, not even bothering to answer, but her flustered reaction gives me the satisfaction of having that kind of an effect on her.