Part 14 Responsibility

Shali was searching for Shyam in the whole house. As she didn't find him, she rushed to her mother.

*Mumma... where is Daddy?* She asked Anjali.

*He would be in the living room...*

*No... he is nowhere in the house...*

*Have you checked in the terrace?*

Anjali turned back to see Shali but she was not there. She already run to the terrace to check on her father. Anjali was right. Shyam was standing on the terrace, looking at the sky. Shali saw him and came to him, taking slow steps.

*Boo* She frightened him in a thin voice.

He smiled at her mildly. If Shyam were in a good mood, he would have acted like he got scared.

*Daddy... come with me...*

*You go. I will come...*

*Please Daddy...*

Shyam rolled his eyes. Lifting her in his arms, he came downstairs. Seeing his face,

*Are you alright?* Anjali asked him.

Shyam nodded yes.

*Do you want anything?*

Shyam nodded NO.

*Mumma, I want an apple...* Shali asked.

*Not now... you won't eat dinner then.*

*Then give me dinner*

*Come...*

*No, Daddy will feed me*

Anjali looked at Shyam. He nodded ok. Anjali gave him a plate with Roti dall. Shyam started feeding it to Shali. After a four-piece,

*Daddy...* Shali pouted.

Shyam looked at her and got to know that he put the roti on her forehead instead of her mouth. Anjali took the plate from his hand and she fed Shali.

*I was just...* Shyam stammered.

*We will talk later. Have this* she pointed to the plate on the dining table.*

Shyam ate it silently. Anjali finished feeding.

*Shalu... go and watch cartoon...I and Daddy will come in a few minutes...* Anjali said.

*OK...* she rushed to the living room.

*Tell me what happened...* Anjali said.

*Nothing... just office tension* Shyam said in a gauzy tone.

*Is nothing more than that?*

Shyam nodded no smilingly.

*Why do I think you are lying?*

*No... not like that...*

Anjali nodded ok, thoughtfully.

The next day

Arnav got a call from Khushi while entering GI. He attended it right away.

*Good morning Ma'am...*

*Come to my cabin...*

*Yup...* He galloped to her cabin, disconnecting the call.

He knocked on the door and got,

*come in Arnav...*

Arnav entered.

*Take your seat*

Arnav sat.

*This is our next project...* She said keeping a file on the table.

*This project is in Shyam's hand ma'am*

*He took it in his hand because you were not in GI at that time...*

*But...*

*Take it under your control...*

*This is not done ma'am...* He said sadly.

*Why?*

*I'm going to get confused...* he sighed.

*But why?*

*Then what...? If I get this project, I will give my best.*

*Of course. That's why I want you to take this project*

*Then I will win the Rolex watch again... how could I wear two watches at a time?* he asked with fake sadness.

Khushi laughed even though it was a blunt joke.

*If you win the appreciation award again, the gift won't be a watch. Don't worry...* She said smilingly.

Arnav smiled at her. Khushi kept a cover in front of the table. Arnav raised his eyebrows questioningly. Khushi gestured to him to GIVE A LOOK. Arnav opened the cover and saw two business class tickets.

*Our tickets to Bengaluru...* She said.

*But how did you reserve my ticket without my passport...?* He asked with a serious expression.

Khushi frowned at him like 'are you mad?' Why did the passport need to reserve tickets inside INDIA? Arnav burst out laughing, seeing her expression and Khushi rolled her eyes.

*I thought my program manager has no basic knowledge...* She countered.

Arnav laughed.

*Do you have any friends in Bengaluru?*

*No...why?*

*If we have someone in Bengaluru, we can roam there without wasting time.*

*Roam? Are you going to roam in Bengaluru?*

*Of course. I'm going to Bengaluru for the first time. You said its climate would be cool. So, I'm going to roam in Bengaluru... and I got a good companion too...*

Arnav looked left and right, searching for who was the GOOD COMPANION? Khushi looked at him raising her eyebrows. Arnav grinned at her.

*You know, nobody talks to me like you do.*

Arnav was embarrassed. Did he cross his limits?

*I'm sorry... actually...*

*Hey... take it as credit...* She smiled.

*With pleasure...*

Arnav stood, taking the file in his hands.

*I will go through it, ma'am*

Khushi nodded ok. Arnav came out of her cabin all smiling. Would he have thought on the first day when Khushi criticized his outfit that he would become her friend? He was not even ready to work under a haughty-headed woman a few days ago. Now, he was ready to go on the trip with her... he even started teasing her... and adding to it, she took it lightly which he never dreamt of.

At the same time, Khushi was also thinking the same. He was the only one who talked so friendly with her. She thought he was a head weighted guy. But nope... he was a nice guy.

Arnav came to his cabin and started analyzing the file. His concentration chain got broken as his phone rang. He attended the call as it was from Anjali.

*Hi sis, how are you?*

*Doing Good...*

*Tell me*

*I need to talk to you about something important*

*What's the matter?*

*Don't say Shyamji that I called you.*

*Anything serious?

*I think something is disturbing Shyamji*

*What made you think so?*

*He looks lost... he lost his briskness*

*Ohh...*

*He never was like this Arnav. When he comes home, he leaves all the office tension out of the house. He was happy even when Khushi ma'am behaved rudely to him. But now, he is not like that. Do you know why?*

*I don't know what to say...  I'm not seeing any difference in Shyam. He is so normal...*

*Really?*

*Hann...*

*I don't know what his problem is... please, help me, Arnav*

*What do you want me to do?*

*Try to find out the issue...*

*I'm not sure how much I can do it... but I will try*

*Thank you Arnav*

*You can't escape from saying just a THANKS... you have to do something in return*

*What do you want?*

*What else? Biryani...* he chuckled.

Anjali laughed.

*Sure...*

*Ok, sis...*

*Bye...*

Anjali disconnected the call. Arnav leaned on the chair thinking about what Anjali said. He too observed Shyam. He was not as brisk as before...But why? What was his problem? Tilting his head, he looked at Shyam's cabin. He saw him pressing his head. What could be the problem which he was not ready to share with Anjali? Arnav sighed. How could he find out his problem? Anjali trusted him like her own brother. That was why she handed him over the responsibility of finding the problem of him. He had to help her. He had to find the problem at any cost. Arnav decided.

To be continued...