Destiny's Play!!

Chapter - 41

Dinner was a peaceful affair barring the constant banter between Uday and Manya and gentle admonishments every now and then by Nilakshi. Karan was enjoying too. It had been a long time since he had shared a tension free or fight free meal with his family. He was sure had his dad been here fireworks would have been in the offing. It felt so good to see Uday and Manya in their usual forms and his mother's constant efforts to make them stay inside the boundaries of decency. The best part, Avni was there too. It was amusing and enlightening at the same time to see her trying to stay neutral. He had been amazed at the answer she had given to Uday in the evening. So she did possess a certain amount of quirkiness too. After all it wasn't written anywhere that quietness and sense of humor did not go together. Maybe she had it in her to laugh and joke only she didn't allow herself to. Was it her past? Or was it her conditioning? Or was it her? He watched as she ate. She had such a small appetite compared to the amount of food he, Uday or even Manya consumed. And then his attention was grabbed by what his mother asked.

"So Avni," Nilakshi said, "how was your lunch with Uday? Hope he took you to someplace decent," she asked.

"Ma," Uday said as if wounded, "I am appalled at the lack of faith," he said.

"It is not lack of faith son," Nilakshi said lightly, "it is just that I know you. Last time you took Rinni for lunch and she couldn't stop complaining about the rotten place and the equally rotten food," she reminded him.

"Well, Avni hasn't complained and Rinni was too uppity," Uday retorted, "she got on my nerves. Besides had I taken her to the finest the country had to offer she would have found faults in that too," he said with a huff.

"Avni would never complain that is why I am asking her," Nilakshi said with a smile. She knew what Uday was talking about. Rinni was Tej's friend's daughter and had come to visit last summer. She was a bit...different Nilakshi thought for lack of a politer word. Though secretly she did agree Rinni was too uppity. Forget Uday who had refused to take her around after the disastrous lunch, Manya who never did get along and had pretended to be busy the entire time, Nilakshi herself hadn't been able to keep the girl pacified. There was just no pleasing her.

"Tell her Avni," Uday said sullenly, "did you have a good time?" he said and crossed his arms over his chest.

Avni had been enjoying till the conversation at the table had brought the attention back on her. Karan sat on the same chair he had taken the last time he was here. And she was very aware of the man sitting so close to her. She had felt him go very still at the mention of her outing with Uday today. And that had made her conscious too. But before she could answer Karan jumped into the conversation.

"I thought Manya went with them too," Karan said casually. They had come back together.

"You see bhai," Manya started with her mouth full, "I had a last minute doctor's appointment," she said as she gulped her food quickly when her mother stared at her, "sorry mom," she said apologizing for talking with food in her mouth, "the annual checkup, so couldn't go with them though the original plan was we go together but I met them later and we shopped together before Uday picked us up," she said with a grin.

"I see," was all Karan said.

He went back to eating. Why had he reacted like that? She was a guest. And this wasn't the first time Uday had taken someone out for lunch. For a second he had felt a strange tightness. When he had seen them together on the swing yesterday he had reacted similarly, initially, before he had sorted it out. Even now it was just his initial reaction before the explanation came. It was this reaction that had him worried. This strange sudden possessive feeling he couldn't comprehend. He looked at Avni who looked worried too. If it was a normal lunch what was she worried about? He had a hunch there was something more here. Her odd reaction, her uncomfortableness. What was she thinking?

"It was good aunty," Avni said slowly, "Uday took good care of me," she said and then bending her head went back to eating.

Why was she such a puzzle Karan thought? The conversation continued. He didn't have much to contribute. He spoke only when required. Though he smiled from time to time. But he had always been like that. He had followed his dad to the T when he had been younger. He was very much like his father and yet different. His father had been his ideal and he had never thought of doing anything besides following in his footsteps. But all that had changed. That image had shattered. And he had grown up in that one day. He had realized there was always more to a person than met the eye. That no one was perfect including parents. One could aim towards perfection but there were certain traits in each personality that were wired in the human body in such a manner that it was practically impossible to behave otherwise. He loved his father. It wasn't as if he hated Tej Vir Singh Dogra. The man had great qualities. Only he had faults too. And Karan hadn't realized that. The moment he did he was a changed man. His father had called him a rebel and washed his hands off him. Since that day they hadn't seen eye to eye on anything. Their thoughts, values, beliefs had become poles apart so much so they rarely spoke to each other. He chewed on that last thought.

Avni kept casting glances at the man who sat next to her. He smiled from time to time, interjected or said something when required but she could see his mind was elsewhere. What was he thinking? Could it be possible he had misunderstood her outing with Uday? But why should he? Why was she so conscious about it? It was an innocent outing and with the permission of his mother. If there was anything wrong Nilakshi aunty would never have allowed it. Why was she feeling guilty? There was something wrong with her. She had started to question everything she did. It had become a constant with her now she realized. Whether this was right? Whether it was wrong? Should she? Shouldn't she? Could she? Couldn't she? When exactly had she become so critical of her every action? She constantly questioned the intent of everything. Why was she doing this? Agreed, she had always led a different life in a more conservative environment where one wasn't even allowed to have a male friend forget about having a lunch with him somewhere and here it was all so open. There were no hoos and hahs about what you did what you said or even where you went. It was an exact opposite to what she was used to. Was that why? It was open, yes, modern, yes, and yet there were boundaries set for what was appropriate and safe. It intrigued her that freedom was such an amazing feeling. Not being burdened by the dictates of societal codes of behavior. The idea to learn to be free without endangering yourself or others. The insistence on using your own brain. To be the judge of what was good and bad. After all with human nature absolute freedom could be a frightening experience. Everything needed guidelines. She couldn't help but compare the lifestyle she had had all her life and what she was witnessing here, experiencing here. She was confused. That was the problem. She needed to sort things out. Of her own she glanced at Karan who had just finished his food and was wiping his mouth with the napkin. Before she could look away he met her gaze and held it with his more compelling one. For the life of her she couldn't look away. His eyes were blank as usual. But she saw him frown slightly. Had he read her confusion? And that made her finally look away. Should she talk to him? Should she tell him she was only friends with Uday? She wasn't sure. Not even when or how. He had told her just that evening that they knew each other better and so she shouldn't feel she couldn't say what came to her mind. Maybe she should take him up on that offer.

And destiny was in the mood of being kind just this one time. So she decided to create an opportunity where Avni could talk to Karan. Maybe this little interference would put things in perspective for Avni.

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