Payal smiled at Mahesh, pleased with the title of respect he had endeared her with. "He's gone out. I'm guessing he went to the office, he's a busy man." Payal had seen the way Arnav left the house. In the past year, the tornado like ways he left the house was a regular occurance, which usually happened when something angered him. However, she couldn't quite scare the guest with this info, so she offered a white lie.
"Hmm..." Mahesh's eyes looked far away.
"Would you like breakfast?" Payal offered.
"I was quite hungry, so I ate before I came here." Mahesh offered a sheepish grin. Payal smiled again, taking a liking to the gentle, honest man which stood before her.
"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Khushi?" Payal asked the man. He raised his eyebrows ever so slightly before answering.
"My mother delivered Shiv. Khushi and we got to know each other like that." Mahesh watched as an expression of gratitude settled on Payal's face. He had lied, and he hated it, but he couldn't tell Payal how they had really met. Khushi had to do that. And before Payal could ask anymore questions from which he would be forced to lie again, Mahesh asked to be excused. "I'm going to keep Khushi some company. We need to catch up." Payal nodded, understanding the man wasn't ready for an interrogation.
---
Mahesh stepped into the room to find a Khushi that was fast asleep. He smiled at her childlike tendencies then frowned when he remembered that he hadn't seen Shiv. Another smile replaced his frown when he remembered that Shiv must be the center of attention at the household and that he was probably not going to see him till lunch.
Not knowing what to do with himself anymore, Mahesh walked out to the poolside.
---
The smell hit him just like the flood of memories did. It had been a while since he had let himself indulge on those memories, so he allowed himself to do so this time. Away from work, away from people, he let himself be carried away to a time almost ten years ago.
He breathed in the scent, smiling. Jasmine. Or as she had said: Mulla Poove.
---
His mother was always sending him out for things like this. No matter how many workers they had, she wanted him to take care of these "special things". Frowning, he looked at the list in his hands. Various names of flowers were scribbled upon the paper his mother had given him.
Walking to the flower vendor, he had been distracted by a quarrel between a vendor and a customer, when she happened.
Rekha.
Mahesh closed his eyes, slowly, remembering every moment. "Aiyoo!" She had screamed! Turning around from the flower vendor, she had collided with his body, sending the jasmine buds she held flying around them.
Her black eyes widened, her mouth opening in a sad frown, as she watched the flower buds go flying around them. Her beauty was exceptional. Black eyes lined with kajol, hair which was pinned back half way, and a slender body with pronounced curves. He couldn't help but smile at the way in which she reacted, resembling a child who had dropped its ice cream cone.
"Ente mulla poove muzhuvan kallanjanttu, nokki chirikkuvano than?" She blasted at him in an alien tongue, as her sad frown deepened.
He stared at her, still unable to remove the smile on his face. "Kya?" He said gently.
She bit her tongue, catching her mistake before speaking in Hindi. "I mean, you caused me to drop my flowers and you're standing here smiling?"
"Oh..." He was mesmerized by the way her accent changed, and how she spoke in fluent Hindi, her tongue speaking both languages in the most beautiful fashion.
She stared at him as if he was crazy before he quickly responded. "I'm sorry, really, that was my fault. Let me buy you some since its my mistake!"
"No, no, that's not necessary. The sorry was enough." She responded, her smile lighting up the space around her. It was magical.
"Please! I'll feel better if you allow me to do this..." Mahesh tried.
She hesitated but then smiled. "Okay."
He had bought her way more than she had dropped and again he watched as her eyes widened and she smiled, setting his world ablaze.
***
"YOU!" They both grinned at their unconventional greeting. "You're a doctor?" She asked suddenly, noticing Mahesh's attire.
"Yes, and are you a patient?" He smiled, replying.
Her eyes had lost their light then. "No, my father is..."
"What's your name?" It was impulsive and the wrong thing to say in reply, but Mahesh couldn't help it.
She looked taken back at his sudden outburst, but her eyes softened as she responded. "Rekha." She smiled. His world was burning now.
"Mahesh. Mahesh Sharma." He responded, mimicing her smile.
***
Jalte hain jiske liye... Teri aankhon ke diye...
She smiled at his mother before continuing.
Dhoond laya hoon wahi geet main tere liye...
Their eyes met in a way it had never before met. Magnetic, exhilarating, explosive, there was simply no way to explain it. This time his world -he- was enveloped in an inferno.
Jalte hain jiske liye, teri aankhon ke diye
Dhoond laya hoon wahi geet main tere liya
His mother joined in with her, emitting a beautiful symphony. Their eyes never broke. His mother's eyes were rested on years far away. Yet, they continued.
Jab talak na yeh tere ras ke bhare hontoon se mile,
Yunhi awara phirega yeh teri zulfon ke tale...
Jab talak na yeh tere ras ke bhare hontoon se mile, Yunhi awara phirega yeh teri zulfon ke tale...
Gaye jaunga yehi geet main tere liye...
---
Rekha.
Mahesh opened his eyes, smiling at the pot in which the jamine shrub stood, emitting her scent.
Turning around he smiled at the sleeping figure inside.
Khushi.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***The song mentioned in this chapter is this.
Rekha
Rekha #2
Mahesh
Please listen to the song! It's one of my all time favorites! I'm aware the original is by a male,
but I liked the female version for this story. Also, the language spoken by Rekha is Malayalam.
I am half Malayalee, so I thought I would use it to my advantage. Eheheh :)
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