Kalki, the beauty with brain. She and Aryan were together since their nonage. Viswanathan, father of Kalki was an attorney, who hated the family of Hadars since the marriage of Vivek with Rekha. He did had obeisance for Dayanand and was the only reason why he looked after the charters at JAPMI. It was Kalki’s tertiary education that ordained the family to drive away from the city.

Kalki was an omniscient woman. Very vulnerable and highly umbrageous – yell out her name, you should see her weeping. She stood at five odd feet and had a white complexion, very amicable in her behavior. Her bonny teeny-weeny smile on her wee lips would bring back the spring for a while. While there’s a myth about ‘quick on the uptake’ women’s pulchritude, she was however disparate, men would not stop to gawk at her. She was bewitching and a dazzling star lending the delight to men.

It was more than couple of years after Aryan’s puberty that she popped out with a ‘hi’. Since then a lot has changed with Aryan along with the mentally coming-of-age, for the most part, the car racings and merry making had upraised in parlous. Although her details were in the feed of his digital diary but he never tapped on them for a natter or Witter. When Aryan received the text message from her father’s number, he was flabbergasted to know it was her after reading the text out loud in his mind. He was absorbed into his past, he didn’t hesitate to respond but was agog into the bargain. It was a snug as a bug in the rug, a very singular feeling for Arya.

They had a chat for more than a few hours, this went on for days followed by for a few months. As the time lead them, he was sad that he missed her being with him in person but at the same time he was more than happy that he got in touch with her and they were talking. The irony in his life, whenever he felt that something was just going right, it happened that the same thing took turns in the next days, periodically snooping into his grit.

One evening she texted him – ‘papa warned me regarding of times texting, he insisted me to stay away’. He flinched at the crux in the text, he couldn’t withstand after discerning the subtle message she delivered. He felt he would be alone, he revoked his heart and asked her for any other means to stay in touch. She replied with her personal number, he was overwhelmed to find her number out there in the messages list.

His heart spoke to his mind the next moment, the only words that reverberated in his mind were, ‘you will be no more single, and she has come’.

It is inane to see me fall for her in a short time. I never had feeling of this kind when she was with me in the good old days. Maybe we weren’t fully fledged enough to have a sensation by then. Now I am a guy of in full bloom and thus why I have the hunch that I am being sensible about it. What if this is a puppy love? Different perceptions!

Despite the unknown outcome of Kalki accepting his love. He kept thinking on the matter whether to get her in to his life. Crazy it seemed to be; he was fairly confident on what he was thinking, and at the rock bottom he contemplated as how a stereotypical nineteen-year old would do. That’s exactly the phase of life he was in, have extreme confidence in anything. It was like having the feeling in his bones of selling this world and get to be a rich bastard overnight. Aryan asked himself a few questions before he took a leap step in the matter. What If I ask her to be mine and if she shows no objections? Would I be able to write my vow diary to her and make her my soul mate for the rest of my future? He was stymied by.

But the haplessness was with Aryan for a brief time. She stopped texting him for a while after a passable amount of pressure from her father. He didn’t really know what other things a venerable man said had they been in his shoes. He endorsed a few of them of what he had seen from the past. As luck would have it he was rewarded and that when he heard her voice on phone.

He was amazed to find her speaking to him on phone for the first time after an eensy break. They never spoke on phone before. The spoke as the hours kept trailing for longer and longer. They got to know each other very well in a very short period. He could claim that he knows her completely, her interests, her likes and dislikes, cause for her happiness and sadness and so did she. He only realized that she had changed too in the due course of time. They were in a state where there would be at the least one short call in the morning and for an hour call in the night.

She once had happened to tell him that he had become a part of her world. He always felt her in her soul, which he hid being noticed by her and consoled his heart by saying that she’s his closest friend and he, is the only one, on whom she lay her trust more than anybody in her own world.

On a week day Kalki called Aryan as usually in the night. She informed him that she had a message and then went on saying that she had a proposal at her college. Aryan was going down as soon as she revealed an unexpected content. He was lost in constructing words in response. He asked her coyly what she felt for the same. “You know what my answer would be”, the reply from Kalki was nimble.

Aryan knew her answer to those proffers would be a whacking ‘No’. As he wanted to hear it from her he said, “I don’t know what will be your reply to those questions, Kalki”.

Kalki tended to be in a frenzy but she puffed heavily out and regained consciousness, “If I had to figure out an answer to them, I would have asked you to make the choice for me,” She replied. Aryan in a double quick time fell head over heels yet again.

Later, he asked her momentarily to send him pictures of hers. Kalki never said ‘No’ to his statements and she was on her thinking hat looking for means to send him her photographs despite of brooding over to send them. While it took a long time before Aryan had seen her, the wait had been a significant one for him.

Every other time he asked for a picture of her, she complied and sent him in minutes. Above all, her decision making moments were all left to his choice from then. Till then his love to her was only for her character and to the words she had spoken to him on phone. Kalki even drove him out of his mind by the way she looked in the pictures. The lovely petite girl with whom I had spent my childhood for a while, has been driving me crazy lately with her looks. Aryan thought. Girls see a change in their superficial features after schooling as a result of the culmination of the transition to woman from girl. Although there would be a girl in every woman and a woman in every girl but they only come out when they sense their need for a presence. She is the magic that will never again happen to me in this life with any other. Aryan thought.

February’ 2003,
Midtown, Manhattan Borough, NY.

It had been a long time for Aryan since he went out with Rekha. He felt ecstatic touring with her, and he thought for all that was had been substantial if Vivek would had joined them but he reminded himself that there was no space for to be remorseful about.

It was on a mid-day Friday. Aryan was driving the car with Rekha seated in the back seat. While he was pondering over his abstractions, he arrived at one of his most-liked restaurant to which he had planned a while back to take Rekha.

“Mom, this is an Italian restaurant and I like it here. Will walk in, what say?” he asked to look-see if she is gonna give something the nod.

“You think? Let’s get going,” She said passively.

“Great, I will park the car and come, you may want to wait over there in the lounge,” he guided her with a gesture.

---

Aryan drove into the loft. While he was ticketing for the parking his phone beeped. Aryan read it in his mind, “Are you alive? I’ve not heard from you since coon’s age. I’ve called you several times, you are unreachable on phone. Call me back when you see this”. Aryan thought he should respond to the text positively later in the evening and he put the message as a remainder. He was really bad at remembering things and the remainder helped him a lot with his daily routine. He slid the phone into the overcoat pocket and walked with Rekha inside the restaurant.

---

“Looks like something’s equivocal. Why are you smiling?” he asked her when the shill opened the restaurant door and solicited them in. “Good afternoon sir and madam, could you please let me know If you had any reservation made for the afternoon,” the lady receptionist asked in polite tone. “Not really,” Aryan answered her. “Yes please,” there came a voice from behind which caught the attention of the lady receptionist but it took Aryan by utter bolt out of the blue, “we have seats reserved for two and here are the details of the booking,” Rekha handed over the invoice to the lady.

“Are you kidding me?” Aryan murmured, “When have you made the reservations? How did you figure out that I would drive you to this particular restaurant?” He asked in a flabbergast. Before Rekha proceeded to answer, “Madam, our head waiter will walk with you to your table,” the lady confirmed on the booking.

“You wanna tell me now Mom,” Aryan repeated his question, “how?” he stressed. “Madam and Sir, this way,” the head waiter said and they both followed the man. “I will let you know after we are seated,” Rekha said on their way, “don’t be anxious,” she said and spanked on his back.

“Mom…” Aryan gazed into her eyes displacing his left hand onto his bahookie. “What?” Rekha asked in turn raising her brows, “Just because you left puberty doesn’t mean I shouldn’t spank you” She said. Aryan had an only choice to put a wide smile on his lips and remain silent. He eagerly waited to be seated before he could make any more queries.

---

“Okay we are seated and I am not gonna wait anymore,” He said filling the highball glasses with the bottle of cocktail, “When have you called the restaurant? And how did you know that I would drive you here?” He asked her yet again handing a glass over to her. She sipped a little amount and squinnied as it sent a shudder down her spine, “It’s been days since I had cocktail,” She pulled herself up and said, “and to answer the question you are longing for. That’s a little magic trick from your mom. You know the necromancy and stuff, how is the show honey?”

“Oh! That is really a cool trick and I am impressed but guess what, check this,” he gave her the bill of the advance payment for the assortment of viands at the same restaurant. “Oops! Clever son. How did you know that I wanted to have tachos this afternoon,” She asked him in an amusing tone. “Ah! Mom, that’s a little magic trick from your son, how is the show darling?” He repeated her last statement laughing out loud but little did he know that Rekha has an ammunition of a riposte, “but I already had stolen the show son” she said.

The waiter arrived in medial conversation, “Sir, would you like to place more orders before I bring you the Tachos”.

“No, we are good. Thanks,” Aryan answered, “We would like to have enough calories to carry tachos” he said with a smile. “No worries,” the waiter uttered and left the spot.

Rekha vocalized her preconceptions, “How is she? Did you talk to her lately?” She enquired breaking the silence. Aryan felt the jerk running through his dorsum and spouted the cocktail from his mouth. While it caused him to be at a stand, “Who is that she being referred to?” he asked her as if he knew nothing about the ‘she’ on whom Rekha showed her concern.

“Are you giving a word to the wise that you are having more than one girlfriend?”

“What do you mean mama,” he asked preparing himself with a thinking hat about the subject.

Aryan was excited and tensed at the same time after learning the fact that Rekha found out what he had been burying deep in his heart for some time then. Something always knocked him outta his tracks, lugging him back from talking it out with his mom. That moment what so ever thwarts into the screenplay, he decided to weigh up on the matter as she herself ushered him into the talk.

“I am talking…” She grabbed the snail fork and cheese knife, “You couldn’t help yourself to bring it to my knowledge so I had to learn on it by myself. You seem to spend much of your time with her lately, giving her your available brief time, loving her with all your heart and etcetera,” She asked casting her eyes away from Aryan.

“Yes, mom,” Aryan hesitated gulping down the last of his cocktail drink, “I share and care as well, I feel different for her. It’s inexplicably bizarre but enticing and beautiful at the same time. Mom, she’s become a special person in my life all together. I wanted to make her mine,” he let it out in prominence, “truly and completely. I feel she is the one for me and she might have actually come in to this world just for me,” He was on a free flow in his tenderness, “Just for me,” he repeated pressing his fingers on his heart, “I wanna grow old with her” he finished telling Rekha looking right through into her eyes with no trace of being in two minds.

Rekha envisaged the tenderness of Aryan but she had compact knowledge about Aryan’s chivalry, “You are engrossed by her thoughts, aren’t you?” She smiled in a pause period and continued, “Why don’t you let the cat out of the bag? You should talk to her, see what she is up to in your case. Do not impel on the matter, take it nice and easy,” She reposed him into his comfort zone by dabbing on his aplomb.

“Do you think so,” He tried to dig deep on perspicuity.

“Personally, I don’t see any defaults by which she is gonna say ‘No’ to you. You are together for several years. I meant, you guys grew together since your childhood. You might have known each other well enough by now, which is essentially a concern in a relationship,” the waiter arrived with the viands intervening them in their confabulation.

“You are persuading my mind to be in line with yours. I have the same hunch but you know, I see I have responsibilities to take up and besides I don’t want myself to take lead in this because I can’t lose or face her if things don’t favor us,” She isn’t Mruna He thought for a while and continued, “I am actually waiting for the time where I can show up to her and tell her my feelings looking right through her eyes. To love and express is not be planned, it is to be happened, mom. Come on! Have the corn,”

“By the way, I was asking, did you talk to her lately?” She said, “Umm! This corn is amazing. Your daddy loves it as well. He’s really missing something delicious this afternoon,”

“Yeah! The dish is amazing, I never expected it will turn out to be this delicious but I am waiting for the tachos” Aryan said and gestured for the waiter. “Coming to Kalki, I didn’t talk to her for a long while. She doesn’t even know about the demise of Nemo. I didn’t tell her, she only knows that he is ill and under medication. I received a message from her an hour ago while I was parking the car. I should be calling her this evening,”

“You don’t wanna miss her out today,” Rekha encouraged him.

“I won’t,” Aryan assured her.

They spent a lot of time at the restaurant before they returned to the house. Rekha sorted things out for Aryan from his multiple interests. While Aryan braced himself for what he ought to do next and he never knew what was coming on his way.

February’ 2003,
Midtown, Manhattan Borough, NY.

It had been one and half months since then the demise of Dayanand. Aryan and the family missed him as the days went by. Not much had changed with the ménage. Aryan was resting on settee; Shekar and Vivek were sitting on the studio couch while Rekha stood near the sofa couch, all of them gazing towards the bifurcated staircase inside the foyer. The staircase was built by a wide flight of stairs at the start which bisects into narrow flights at the mid-landing. The two narrow flights starts from either side of the mid-landing leading their way into the top floor. A colossal sized portrait of him was installed on the wall ahead of narrow flights at the mid-landing.

“Good god,” Shekar puffed air out, “His elegance will live forever,” he said as they continued to look over Dayanand in the portrait.

“Rightly said,” Vivek joined with Shekar’s remarks, “and he will be with us forever”

“Vivek, I understand this is not the right time to talk but as a board member,” he made a quick look at Rekha and continued, “I am under legal obligation to bring it your notice. We should continue the works of your father to keep up with his good name and only then his soul will rest in peace” he said displaying a docket containing several printed loose sheets, “We have got a new contract, sort of a business venture worth $50 million. There is demand in the market and there is also lack of supply for the product. The need of the customers is known, we have the idea. We will develop, market it and sell. I believe we should take up this venture. It’s gonna help us in the horizontal business expansion but before to sign the contract, we need an authorizer, Vivek.”

It was a bolt from the blue to Rekha and Aryan. While he got up and sat with his back erected on the settee, Rekha descended on to the sofa couch going sick in the head but Shekar continued, “Yes! Vivek. I am considering you. With the demise of Dayanand the chairman rank has been void till today. The board has decided to hand over the charge to the patriarch. Accept the status as a patrimonial bestowal from your father. I hope he will be happy after you choose to lead JAPMI”

“Uncle Shekar, I am happy that you choose me to take over but truth is, I consider myself to be unfit for this. I never did any business infact I never went to college as you knew it. I was taught to be a spendthrift”

“True Vivek. You were a spendthrift and an investor does the same job but in a wise manner. You know how to spend, let me teach you how to be wise. You will gradually become an epitome in the investment management, your strategies will be the references for the grads at Harvard. I know your capabilities, and you are not alone in the journey. I will always be there for you, you are like my son dear. That is the bond me and your father shared. I will guide you and teach you to do some real business” Shekar grabbed the veen 5 bottle of water.

“Papa, you want the industry to face bankruptcy? It seem you do,” Rekha had an objection with the board’s decision, “My husband is not going to be entrusted with the JAPMI and I am least bothered if somebody is offended” she exclaimed her disapproval.

“meine liebe Tochter, don’t you trust your daddy?” Shekar looked at Rekha, “We need somebody from the family to carry out the business. Dayanand holds sixty percent ownership of the industry and Vivek can have the right ownership in his father’s absence. Dayanand had bequeathed the shares under the name of Vivek and he is the only son who can inherit the ownership” Shekar presented the facts to Rekha

Shekar intervened and took the lead, “let there not be contention. The heated disagreement is gonna rupture the bond,” he got up from the studio couch and walked towards Rekha. He wrapped his arms partially around her shoulder, “Look up,” he said, “If that displeases you then I will find no interest in the consignment”

“I beg your pardon,” Rekha mumbled. “you don’t have to,” he whispered in her ears and turned to face Shekar.

“Uncle, I have no concern in the operations of the industry,” he said, “Look for a new chairman among the board until then I would be willing to take charges, maybe just to take part in the meeting to cast my vote on behalf of father”. He made it plain to Shekar terminating any remote discussion from the central point in the subject. Shekar sauntered towards the bifurcated staircase rasping until he was abandoned by an abstraction, “and for now, I would sign the deal for you. You are the outside director of the board, I reckon you will have an unequivocal picture in a blanket of the industry operations than what the insider board has,” he cast his eyes on Rekha for a second and said, “I would rather respect that outlook than being embarrassed by shrugging it off”

Shekar was delighted to hear on Vivek’s tidings, “Great Vivek. Thank you for your understanding over the issue. We would like to finish the procedures by next week preferably on Wednesday at the JAPMI’s guest house during brunch,” he dictated, “would that be good for you?” he enquired.

“Absolutely fine by me,” Shekar raised his chin with his fingers slithered on his throat. Rekha perceived that something’s wrong with Vivek.

“Alright! I will pick you up. See you sweet pea. Take good care of your husband, he is going to be a Businessman, real soon” he said. Rekha could only feel embarrassed of the family’s situation in the absence of Dayanand, It has changed in a few months and change? It is temporary she thought to herself, but not for the Hadars’

Rekha never liked Shekar venturing for a business. She didn’t like her husband to be one among those who does business. Primarily she believed that he was unfit for the job and secondarily she believed that it changes person’s subjective feelings killing any trace of compassion and only leaving them to act rationally.

“Vivek,” She called him as he was climbing up the staircase, “Is something wrong?” She asked. Vivek visibly looked gloomy although he was engaged in the conservation on a firm voice few

minutes ago. “Not really. I am having the commotion, as a flare from the throat runs into the chest. Maybe I should get some rest,” he said.

“I am just wanting to know inside out. Are you sure you wanna go ahead with dad’s proposal? We both know well how capable you are. Don’t we? It’s a venture. Neither you foreknow nor do you know no details of the venture,” She asked wryly.

Aryan approached her mom who was standing still at her spot, “You have always shot them at dad. Those would only cast aspersions, why take a challenge and put him at the unease. Why do you even wanna play with him?” he flopped on the sofa couch.

“Aryan… your father doesn’t feel responsible. I wonder if he is aware of my presence as his wife in his world. He needs only the wine,”

Rekha walked away into attic room with tears in her eyes. In spite of the fact that Vivek took notice of Rekha being ripped off in her heart he only disregarded the moment. That was the very first time in the conjugal life that Rekha had sounded out acerbic words. Never had ever Aryan had seen Rekha being outrageously sober at something. While Vivek treaded upstairs into his room Aryan followed Rekha in a trice.

“So…” Aryan cleared his throat walking towards an altar located at the end of the room, “why did you marry him in the first place when you know what kind of a man he is” he questioned her gazing into a portrait in the predella.

“Aryan, that should not be your concern. Why do you care to ask on the forefront, you better let it go except that you should learn a thing. My life was not in my hands. I am the daughter of a business magnet. These ruthless businessmen do anything with their daughters’ lives, in fact any women lives to blend and win deals for money. My life had been traded to indirectly strengthen the business between the families” She spill the beans.

Aryan took a gander at Rekha and said, “So, is that it? You say you had been traded,”

Rekha kept looking vacantly over the Mannington flooring, “Yes, that’s the truth but Nemo had always been a nice person to be with. He was my next father. With the death of his wife, there were no women in this family. I’ve come here as his daughter to look after him and not just to carry the name of a Hadar. To say nothing of, I was and will be worried for your father” She paused and breathed out heavily, “Son,” She called Aryan and he looked at her, “money changes people,” She casted her eyes on Aryan, “Yes, it did change your father. He was the same man before I got into his life as he is the man till today. In due course of time, I only realized to know that his change will never ever happen, not at the least my death will cost it. I gave up on him and the little hope that I had he would transmute.”

“Well mom. What was with Nemo? He had got enough of spondulicks and there were no signs of change. Why did only dad become different?”

“Aryan, it is not always the one who enjoys what they earn. It’s always the one who enjoys the inheritance. Nemo hailed from a typical middle-class family, the fortune we are living through is his exude perspiration. He had to swedge with the fate. Well, I could go on telling you all day and

Nemo’s personal diary is such substantial,” She said drawing herself close to him, “The self-made man entrenched himself into a classy businessman. He knew the value of money as he earned it hustling through his life. Your father relishes in what his father has raked in for him. A father makes money for his precedes’ happy life and this is very plain in any family. I have no time to discuss things with you right now but when the right time comes you will find answers to your questions”

“Alright mom, No pressure” he said coyly.

“Aryan,” Rekha installed herself by a whisker distance from him. She cupped his face with her hands and patiently gazed into his eyes, “would you promise me a thing?” She asked.

“Mom, I love you ever since you brought me into this world. There should never be a choice for me to make when you ask something. I am your son, you say and I do,” He pecked on her forehead.

She took a step back, “Come here,” She beseeched, “hug me,” She said and Aryan assented. “I agree that we have money but that should never let you down as a person. I would never like it to see you being the one as your dad. You should learn how to live on your own and take good care of yourself. I wanted to see you as an established individual without embezzling your inheritance” She said and wrapped him in her arms.

“I will sure keep up with your words darling. Consider it’s done,” He said, “Ah!! I would let this fly off before we be domiciled in sober. Why don’t we go out? Only you and me. We had made plans some time ago but hadn’t been fruitful lately. Let’s make it this time, Lovely mom with her lovable son. Perfect, isn’t it?” Aryan’s all smiles.

“Do you really think we should go out? The patriarch might just need assistance, he looked somber just before” she said wryly.

“Hahahaha! Mom. You are a crazy woman, aren’t you? You play the odds against him and suddenly you care,”

“Idiot! He is my husband, remember?” She winked at her son.

“Alright, I saw that coming. I will probably do a check on him if it’s okay to take you out. He should comply with his son most likely. You knew, he never said no to me, had he? So you better be prepared, we should be leaving in half hour”

---

Aryan entered the bedroom and found Vivek lying on his bed watching a competition on the TV catching glimpses of the women in their swim suits, “Hey, dad” He intervened incising Vivek’s sight, “you seem to be busy ogling at the female of the species on the show. How is it going? Need some drinks to compliment the ambience?” he asked attempting a flout at him.

“You got be kidding me. I am not actually ogling at the women but I am literally lost in my thoughts for other reasons. By the by, what brings you here?”

“Oh! Seriously? I am sorry for being disgraceful. Are your thoughts have been wandering over the ownership and the contract?”

“Hmm,” He moved his head up and down, “kind of” he replied.

“Well you did decide on it dad. You can’t get bogged down, don’t think too much. You may not want the outcome to take a toll on your health, do you? You should get some sleep now, I see the puffiness over the lower lids.”

“You are right, I should” he said and recollected the question he asked him, “what brings you here, you don’t want to leave it unanswered”

“Mom and I would like to go out. Little prime time, maybe on a lunch. Will return soon.” He informed him.

“Have a nice time both of you. See you again,”

“That’s awesome. Have a good sleep not a bit of a shut-eye,” he said as he walked out of the bed room.