Chapter 29
It was the morning, the Malhotra brothers were settled at the dining table and having their breakfast while talking about random things.
"Bhaiya, what's the plan for today?" Abhishek asked excitedly.
"Nothing special, baccha. We'll be having dinner with Reyansh and his family." Advait replied.
"It's too boring, bhaiya. It's your birthday you should throw a party." Aditya said.
"I don't like to celebrate my birthdays." He replied quietly remembering all his birthdays he spent with his mother.
"But we do and you have to celebrate. For us, please." Abhishek encouraged.
"Eat your breakfast quietly." He ordered eyeing all of them.
Abhishek and Aditya sulked but didn't push him further when Reyansh entered the house screaming loudly, "Happy Birthday Darling!"
Advait shot him a glare at the name, "Kam se kam aaj ke din to smile kar." Reyansh said taking him in a side hug, Advait leaned in his hug.
"Inhe smile karne par tax lagta hai." Aditya mumbled but all of them heard it.
Reyansh laughed, "Pehli baar kuch sahi bola, Adi."
"To isi baat par bataiye vanu kaha hai?" Aditya asked making an innocent face.
Reyansh gritted his teeth, "Tu apna muh band hi rakha kar."
"Aaj to party karenge." Reyansh said wiggling his eyebrows to Advait.
"Koi party nahi hogi." Advait replied.
"Arey kyun nahi hogi?" He asked, pouting.
"Wahi to hum bhaiya ko keh rahe hain par wo mana kar rahe hain." Abhishek said in a complaining tone.
"Mera mood nahi hai koi party karne ka." Advait said in a final tone.
"Par kyun bhaiya?" Arush said looking up at him cutely.
"Hmm bas aapke bolne ki hi kami thi." Advait said taunting him.
"Please bhaiya maan jaiye na party ke liye." Aditya pleaded.
Abhishek also joined him, "Haan bhaiya please na."
Reyansh interrupted them, "Arey iss pathar dil ke aage gidgidane ki koi jarurat nahi hai, mai bolta hoon aaj party hogi tum log ready raho bas." He cheered up.
"Sacchi?" Abhishek asked in excitement.
"Mucchi!" Reyansh replied high-fiving with him.
They all screamed in happiness, "Yeah!!!"
Advait shook his head at them, "Party shaam ko hogi abhi pehle jaldi se breakfast karo aur school jao." He ordered.
"Matlab aap party ke liye maan gaye?" Arush asked happily.
He rolled his eyes, "Kyun meri birthday party mere bina karne ka irada hai kya?" They all hugged him happily making him laugh.
~________________________________________~
Advait was in his cabin working on some files and Reyansh was sitting in front of him scribbling on the paper.
"Bata phir kis kisko invite karna hai?" He asked putting down his pen.
"Party ke liye tune haan bola na ab ye sab bhi tu baith kar decide kar mere paas itna time nahi hai." Advait said without looking up.
Reyansh squinted his eyes, "Mai sab kar lunga par kis kisko invite karu ye to bata de."
"Employees and some business partners and clients." Advait replied.
"Ask Tia, she'll help you." He added looking at him mischievously.
Reyansh smirked and passed him a flying kiss, "Tu meri darling hai." He said and ran away from there before Advait could catch him.
He went outside and bumped into Tia but he caught her at the right moment before she could fall down. She squeezed her eyes shut in the fear but when she feel herself in the air she opened her eyes only to be turned them into a glare.
She looked at Reyansh with a glare but he was grinning at her widely.
"Leave me. Sir!" She said firmly.
"I'll never." He replied drowning in her beautiful eyes.
"Huh?" She narrowed her eyes.
"I-i mean if i leave you, aap gir jayengi na." He replied.
"Gir jaane dijiye." She glared.
"Kabhi nahi." He replied with a protective edge in his tone.
She jerked his hands away and stood straight, she fixed him with a glare and was about to walk away when he stopped him.
"Wait." He said blocking her way.
She snapped her head at him glaring at his soul.
It was not the first time, he was behind her since their childhood.
She always tried to ignore him because he used to flirt with every other girl in school.
He did this just to tease her, to make her confess her feelings but his plan back fired at him and she started ignoring him from then.
"I need your help." He asked politely.
"I don't work for you." She replied curtly.
He rolled his eyes, "But your boss told me to ask for your help."
She exhaled sharply, "What do you want?"
"You." He replied looking into her eyes but quickly changed his sentence after receiving a hard glare, "I-i mean your help."
She nodded, "Hmm let's come to my cabin." She said and started walking leaving him to follow her behind.
~_______________________________________~
In the evening, Advait had returned from his office. He entered the home and found it was decorated precisely as per his choices and the last moments arrangements were going on.
He went to his room to freshen up and came back in the living room to check on the preparations.
Abhishek, Aditya and Arush were on his toes to make the perfect arrangements. A small smile curved on his lips looking at his brother's dedication for his birthday party.
He was just sitting there just to ensure they didn't hurt themselves while doing something stupid as he knows his brothers were not the one to stay still at the same place for so long. They love to run around, to do the most reckless thing to invite the troubles.
He was looking at his brother's when a voice echoed in the mansion halting everyone's movements.
Advait recognized the voice and took a deep breath to prepare himself for all the drama. He stood up from his place and looked in front just to find an elderly woman in his 60's was standing there. Her face was calm devoid of any emotion. 'Kalyani Devi.'
Abhishek looked down to avoid her while Aditya gritted his teeth. Arush was still in his own world.
"Happy birthday puttar!" She sang and stepped forward.
Advait bent down and touched her feet, "Thank you, dadi." She happily hugged him tightly peppering his face with the kisses, "Mera pota humesha khush rahe kabhi kisi ki nazar na lage usey." She blessed him in her sweetest voice.
She glared at the three brothers standing behind Advait, "In logo ko manners nahi sikhaye tumne?" She spoke while glaring at them.
Advait looked behind and eyed them to greet her, Abhishek came forward and touched her feet. She hovered her hands over his head making faces just because of Advait was standing there. Arush mirrored Abhishek's actions while Aditya was still standing on his place.
Advait looked at him and he rolled his eyes in response but complied.
She finally looked at Advait who was already staring at her. She cupped his cheeks, "Kesa hai mera puttar?" She asked lovingly.
"Theek hoon, dadi." He replied shortly.
"Maine socha mera pota apni dadi ke phone ignore kar raha hai to khud hi chal kar usey surprise de deti hoon." She said but there was a mocking edge in her tone.
Advait looked away not answering her anything but she was adamant to press his nerves, "Kesa laga mera surprise?" She asked.
"Bohot jor ka." Aditya mumbled but Abhishek elbowed him to shut his mouth.
"Kitne din rukengi aap yahan?" Advait directly asked her.
She looked at him with a hint of hurt, "Abhi to mai aayi hoon aur tumhe mujhe bhejne ki jaldi hai." She said.
"Dekhiye dadi mujhe aapke yahan rehne se koi takleef nahi hai bas mere bacchon se dur rahiyega, aapne jo last time kiya tha na wo is baar karne ka sochna bhi mat." He warned, his voice was firm and commanding.
She looked at the brothers with disgust but another voice came through the entrance.
"Iss baar aisa kuch nahi hoga." A man in his 60's was standing there.
He was wearing a kurta pajama and looking very simple and peaceful in his attire.
He was tall and his posture was still like a rock.
His features were soft and his demeanor was radiating authority. 'Amrinder Malhotra.'
A wide smile spread across Advait's face and he pulled him into a tight hug. The elderly man wrapped his arms around Advait protectively. Advait parted away and bent down to touch his feet but the man again hugged him halting his movement.
"Happy birthday mere sher!" Amrinder wished patting his back.
Advait chuckled, "Thank you, dadu."
"Aapne bataya kyu nahi aap bhi aane wale hain?" Advait asked smiling at him.
"Aap humara phone uthayenge tabhi to hum bata payenge." Amrinder said playfully.
Advait looked away, "Don't worry puttar mujhe pata hai tu apni dadi ko avoid karne ke liye mere calls ignore kar raha tha." Amrinder whispered near his ears, "kaash mere paas bhi ye option hota." He dramatically said making Advait chuckled at his words.
Abhishek, Aditya and Arush were confusingly looking at the interaction between his brother and the man. They were seeing him for the first him, they had listened about their grandfather but never met him in person.
Amrinder looked at the brothers and smiled warmly to ease their discomfort. He went to them and ruffled their hair, only this little lovely gesture brought up the smiles on their faces.
They touched his feet but Amrinder pulled them in a hug. Kalyani was witnessing everything with a scowl on her face.
"Tum log mujhse pehli baar mil rahe ho to mai apna introduction de deta hoon. Mai hoon Amrinder Malhotra, tumhare baap ka bhi baap, tumhara dadu." He said laughing a bit but Advait clenched his jaw on hearing his father's name.
"Ab tum log mujhe apne introductions do." He urged.
"Mai hoon Arush." Arush chirped.
"Mai Abhishek." Abhishek said politely.
"Aur mai Aditya, the most intelligent one." He said raising up his imaginary collars making Advait rolled his eyes.
Amrinder laughed and turned to Advait, "Bachpan me tum bilkul aise hi dikhte the." He told him.
"Mai aisa nahi dikhta tha, ye meri tarah dikhta hai." Advait said narrowing his eyes.
"Aur harkatein bhi bilkul same hai, I'm sure he always keeps you on your toes." Amrinder commented.
"Indeed." Advait said ruffling Aditya's hair who pouted at him in return.
"Agar mel milaap ho gaya ho to kamre me chalein mujhe aram karna hai." Kalyani interrupted.
Advait nodded, "Aap dono rest kar lijiye thodi der me party bhi start hone wali hai."
He called kaka and asked him to show them their room. They followed kaka leaving the brothers behind.
Advait pulled Abhishek into a comforting hug and kissed the top of his head, "Don't worry meri jaan, mai hoon na is baar dadi tum logo se kuch nahi kahengi." He rubbed his back.
Abhishek smiled to reassure him.
"Keh kar to dikhayein." Aditya muttered angrily and Advait fixed him with a glare.
"Go and get ready for the party." Advait said patting Abhishek's back.
Abhishek and Aditya left from there. Arush was still standing there looking at him with doe eyes.
"Aap bhi jaiye sir, aapko ready ni hona party ke liye?" Advait asked lightly pinching his puffed cheeks.
Arush bobbed his head and extended his hands upwards, "Aap kar do." He said blinking rapidly.
Advait rolled his eyes picking him up in his arms and took him to the room to help him to get ready.
~________________________________________~