YEH TERI GALIYAN (Avinash Mishra and Marlene Favela)

Chapter sixteen

Shaan walks around his room in confusion.
'What is wrong with that girl? Why did she act like that today? She knows we're siblings. No, she must be pranking me. It's probably nothing,' he says to himself, switching his computer off. He had been planning on getting back to work. He's based in the United states, but since he's back in India he'll have to take over the company here as the new CEO.

He takes his Bible and turns to a random page. Landing him on Genesis 39. His eyes scan down until he falls upon this, 'Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, "Lie with me." But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"'
Immediately this makes him think of how Paula treated him today. He rolls his eyes and sighs. He decides to go to bed with all the disgust he feels in him.

'How can anyone even joke like that?' He asks himself.
'I was so excited to finally have a sister, and this is how she turns out to be. Let's just hope all that happened was a silly joke,' he says to himself again, turning off the lamp on the side of his bed.
'Oh, Lord, have mercy on me. How can I be so silly? Of course she's joking. She seems wild, but she can never have such dirty thoughts towards her own brother. That's disgusting.'

Just as Shaan finally falls asleep late in the night, he's door slowly opens. She takes slow steps towards his bed, careful not to make any noise. Slowly she gets herself under his blanket, and slowly lies her head on his breathing chest. His little movements scare her for a bit, but he doesn't actually wake up. Who could she be?

As Shaan is fast asleep, he sees his dear mother, Ragani walk towards his little ten-year-old-self. She still has that beautiful smile she always had.
'Mama,' Shaan whispers with tears in his eyes. She smiles down at him and caresses his cheek.
'Why did you leave me, Mama? There's so much I want to tell you. There's so much I want to show you. I... I miss you. Come, let's go home. Let's go home, Mama,' he pulls his mother's hand but she doens't budge, making Shaan cry all the more.
'Mama, come! Why aren't you moving? Why don't you want to come with me? Please!' He falls to her feet, weeping. Ragani kneels down next to him, still smiling.
'Shaan, I've never left you. I'm always with you, here in your heart. Keep being the man you've become. Actually, become even better. I'm so proud of the man you've become. Not letting anyone shake you from your faith, Shaan. Always live to please God. There are tough times coming, Son. Tougher winds will blow. You will be faced with so much confusion. The haters will be loud. The odds high. But keep being with this your God. He will never leave you or forsake you. Just be confident, Shaan. Be strong in the Lord,' Ragani says. And all suddenly Shaan is crying at no ones feet. He isn't a little boy anymore. He's all grown up and in rags.
'Ma? Ma? Ma! Ma!' Shaan cries, waking up. With the moonlight he can see the time on the wall. It's 3 a.m. Shaan battles with himself to understand the dream he just had. Upon turning his face to his left his eyeballs fall out. Right there next to him, on his bed, there's a body. But he can't see who's body it is. He assumes that it's his brother Rhidoy or Ranveer. Ranveer used to enjoy sneaking into Shaan's room. He rolls his eyes then quickly prays about the dream before returning to sleep.

Two hours later he wakes up again, he usually goes to the pond a few kilometers from the stables for a swim before his bath. But he doesn't want to get delayed for his first day at work. In the shower he can't stop thinking about the dream he had last night. He misses his mother so much. It felt weird to see her in action again after so many years. Her smile was always one of the things that kept him going. Maybe also the reason he isn't interested in women, because if there's a woman for him to be interested in, then she'd have to be better than or at least very similar to Ragani. And up until now he has never met a woman like her and doesn't believe woman like her still exist.

After dressing up in a suit and getting ready for work, it's then that he can actually glare at the feminine figure on his bed. Paula. She was the one sleeping next to him the whole time! He angrily walks to her and grabs her arm, waking her up and bringing her to her feet. He pushes her against a wall, but some protective part of him and his respect for women makes him take it easy on her so she doesn't get hurt. But the rage is visible in his eyes.
'How dare you come into my room like that and even sleep on my bed? Are you insane? What is wrong with you?' Shaan asks her.
'What's the problem, huh? This is my house too, I can be where I want when I want,' she says.

'Paula, this madness has to stop. What will people say if they see us like this?' Shaan asks.
'So, what? Wait, so you don't have a problem with me. You have a problem with what people think. They don't have to know,' she smirks, putting her arms over his shoulders, causing Shaan to use much needed force not to lash out his anger on her.
'Let this be the first and last time you not only come into my room, but also for you to insinuate such nonsense. I've never been interested in a woman, but I'm pretty sure that even if you weren't my sister and that I was interested in women, then you wouldn't even be the last person on the list. Don't push my buttons, Paula.'  He walks past her and grabs his things before storming out of his room.
Paula remains with a truimphant smile on her face.
'Two strikes.'

Shaan almost bumps into Chanda on his way out.
'What's wrong, Shaan? Are you okay?' She fakes concern. He looks at her not knowing how to answer her question.
'I'm... it's nothing. Sorry, please excuse me,' he says then walks away. Again he bumps into someone, Ranveer.
'Hey, Bro. What's up? I've never seen you so... so disturbed. What's wrong?' Ranveer asks him. He's about to tell him what happened with Paula but decides to keep it to himself.
'Nothing. I'm off to the company. Dad is still sleeping and I don't want to bother him. I'll see him when I come back. And please say goodbye to Nevi Mama for me,' he says then walks away with an agitated and disgusted mind.