Love Finds a Way !!!

Chapter 39

Anil hadn't been expecting another tall, well dressed, good looking man to enter the suite and overwhelm him with just his presence. Authority seemed to radiate from all over him. Anil rose as he watched him enter and then go straight to Chitra Singhania who positively beamed at his arrival and kiss her cheek with affection. Anil gulped. Wasn't meeting Tanish enough? But he was different from Tanish. Right from the way he dressed to the way he behaved and even in looks. He looked at Kanak who entered and raised his eyebrows a little. And she smiled. But she appeared apprehensive to him. And then came the introduction.

"Mr. Sharma," Chitra said in her soft voice, "this is my eldest nephew, Aarav," she introduced the man who smiled but it never reached his eyes.

Though Anil heard affection in Chitra's voice. Maybe he just looked scary. Anil had never in his life known to be scared of anyone but the piercing gaze of the young man who stood before him unnerved him. It was as if he could look beyond what one presented to him and Anil didn't like it. His eyes were sharp and very focused. He didn't have the lazy demeanor Tanish had. He was more alert. And his clothes screamed class and sophistication. What had Palak done? Was this how the rest of the family were? How was he going to match their standard ever? And the worry took over. He saw Sharda rise and smile. How come she stayed so calm? Didn't she feel daunted? He didn't know.

"Hello Aarav," Sharda said welcoming the young man, "I am Sharda," she said, "Palak's mother and this is my husband Anil," she said and introduced him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Sir," Aarav said politely and lifted his hand towards Anil.

Anil looked at his hand and then as he got a nudge from his wife took it in his. He was a tall guy and his hand was a little bigger too. But it was firm. One shake and he let go of his grip. And Anil smiled hesitantly. He had addressed him with 'Sir'. The boy was taught well. For some reason suddenly Aarav didn't look all that scary. In fact, he liked Aarav better than Tanish, he decided. They all sat down and Aarav was the last to sit. He didn't take a seat till the ladies had. And Anil liked the man instantly. His worry vanishing. Yes, he was still a bit overwhelmed but he somehow felt more relaxed. And so he smiled.

Aarav had taken the couple's appearance almost instantly. Sharda was a beautiful woman and she must have been very good looking in her younger days. With years of hard work and constant struggles she looked a bit older to what she really was. And maybe in all that she had never had the time or the luxury to keep herself up to date. The wrinkles around her eyes and fine lines around her mouth was a direct contrast to the more tighter and smoother skin of Shilpa. But her eyes shone with wisdom and a little worry. It wasn't easy to mask all of it. And he was sure Tanish with his attitude must have marked a dent in their confidence anyway. But despite that it was hard to miss the natural glow of Sharda's skin, her big eyes and long black hair that she had made a loose braid of. She was a bit on the heavier side. But the cotton sari she was wearing made her look nice. The color suited the woman too. A pale yellow. She seemed like a warm person. She must be. After all she had taken in Kanak after her parents had died. And he found respect for her. As for Anil Sharma the man was an exact opposite of how Sharda looked. He was more quiet. More reserved. He was about five feet eight and very thin. The blue full sleeves shirt he wore looked new. With black trousers and black sandals. His hair was thinning in places. And he wore glasses. He was a simple man. There was a thin gold band in one finger and a watch on his left hand that must have seen better days. They were honest people from an ordinary background but they had the strength of character that most people lacked these days. He was surprised Palak was their daughter and not Kanak. Maybe Kanak had picked up all the qualities and not Palak. He smiled.

"I hope your stay here is very comfortable Mr. Sharma," Aarav asked politely.

"Yes...yes," Anil said a bit flustered. So far only Sharda and Chitra had been talking and Tanish hadn't spoken anything to him or Sharda but at suddenly being addressed by Aarav he felt a bit out of sorts. "Though we are not used to such things so it was a bit awkward at first," he said and then smiled a little.