The Rose In His Garden

Anjali and Aman sat on the chair as they talked about each other. It's a good proposal and Aman seems to be the perfect match for Anjali who is in late twenties. Both of them already took a liking for each other. Aman and his family is about to exit when Arnav entered the room.

Arnav Singh Raizada the only brother of Anjali who is three years younger than him. Aman's family looked at Arnav from head to toe making him uncomfortable. Even after all these years, he isn't able to handle the way people stare at him.

"Who is he?" Asked Aman's mother.

"He is Anjali's brother." Ratna said to them.

"Brother??" Raj, father of Aman asked again to confirm.

"Yes, my adopted brother." Anjali lied smiling at them.

Arnav swallowed the lump in throat when he heard his di told them that he is her adopted brother. Arnav greeted the guest and went to his room. Ratna and Arvind looked at Anjali with disappointed look.

Arnav straightly went to his room and lied on his bed. He hated it, he hated how people only find his flaws. It pained when he recalled what happened downstairs, but he don't feel any anger towards his elder sister. Because of him, all the alliance or relationship she had didn't work. When they know that he is her brother, most of the boys will break up with her. He can't blame his di for telling that lie. At the age of 30 being unmarried is a big problem for an indian woman. He heard his parents questioning Anjali after sometime. He removed his hearing aid and laid down on the bed not wanting to hear any hurtful words.

"Why did you lie to them, Anjali?" Asked Arvind.

"Then what should have I done. Tell them that I have a brother like him and this one too will get rejected like always."

"Shut up Anjali... You have hurt chote with your behaviour." Her mother told her.

"Yeah, it's all about him... For you only he matters... I have been sidelined from the moment he was born." Anjali shouted and went to her room leaving her parents in shock. Arvind and Ratna looked at eachother not knowing what happened with their daughter. Arvind wrapped his arms around Ratna as she sobbed onto his shoulder.

"Did we really neglected her when we were busy taking care of chote?" Ratna asked him. Arvind patted his wife's head, not knowing what to answer her.

******

Arnav is on his way back to his home in his truck filled with supplies for his farm. He sat behind the truck while his helper Ramesh drove through the secluded road.



Arnav lean on to the side and saw a girl in her early-twenties waving hands at his truck. He opened the small window and asked Ramesh to stop the truck. The girl jumped in happiness and moved towards the truck.



"Bhaiyya, can you take me to Mythri nagar?" Asked the girl to the truck driver.

"Hmm, can you ask my boss?" He asked pointing behind. Khushi saw the man standing behind.

"Can you drop me to Mythri nagar??" She asked him an she nodded his head.

"Hmm, do you mind if I sit on the back side too?" She asked him hesitantly. Arnav nodded his head and opened the side door of the truck.

"Here catch it." Saying this she throw her backpack at him. Arnav placed it down and helped her to get in.



"I always dreamt of traveling in a truck like this." She said standing next to Arnav.

"Bhaiyya, should I start the truck?" Asked Ramesh who looked at them through the window. He saw Arnav gesturing him to drive.

'Is he mute too?' Khushi thought as he never uttered anything till now. They sat down in middle of the sacks and plant saplings. She could make out that the sacks contained some coconut shell and charcoal.

"Is it for a farm or something?" She asked breaking the silence. Arnav is about to answer when she took out a notepad and pen.

"Here, it will help us to communicate." She told forwarding it to him. He chuckled a little and smiled.

"Yes, it's for farming." He said in his deep voice making her mouth wide open.

"You can talk... I thought you won't as you didn't speak anything till now. Anyway I'm Khushi, what about you?" She placed the notepad back in her bag and forwarded her hand for a handshake.

"Arnav." He said reciprocating the handshake.

"So you are a farmer...hmm..aren't these orchid saplings?" She asked pointing at the saplings.

"Orchids and vanilla."

"Wow...I have never seen a vanilla plant this close. I really like vanilla flavour and it's a shame that I haven't seen its in real. You are doing a cool job."

"Where do you want to go in Mythri nagar?" He asked her.

"Ohh... Wait... I totally forget the address." Saying this she took the notepad and showed him the address.

"It's four - five houses away from my home." He let her know.

"So we are neighbours... Now I don't have to worry about finding my home. Actually my parents moved here recently. I'm studying in Bangalore and here to surprise my family. I lost the way in between and end up in the road. In Lucknow it was easy to find our home, but here it's bit difficult. Anyway I'm happy that they decided to move to Pune, now I don't have to travel all the way to Lucknow from Bangalore. You know it's really tiring to travel like that. Already these books are eating my brain without any mercy. I'm such a stupid to promise my parents that I will pass engineering without any supple. It's so hard to keep up with that promise...you know..." Khushi them noticed Arnav staring at her.

"Ohh...did I talk too much??" She asked him.

"No, you didn't." She smiled with embarrassment.

"When I start talk I just forget everything... That's why my friends call me chatterbox... I even did commentary for our college cricket tournament. Just like the way we see in the TV.... Here goes the six... What a catch!...What a lovely shot!...Excellent delivery..." She mimicked the commentators making him laugh. She looked at laughing face and observed his features.

It's been long since someone talked to him like a normal person. Most of them think that he is mentally retarded to even make a conversation. Here this girl is talking non stop as if she knows him for a long time.

"Yeah, you will make a good commentator Khushi." He complimented her.

"Well...that's so sweet of you Arnav." She said with a smile.

"Hmm, we will be reaching your home soon. My home comes after yours."

"Ohh... anyway it's nice meeting you Arnav. So friends??" She asked forwarding her hand towards him.

"You want to be my friend?" He asked still not believing what he heard.

"Yeah, here you will be my first friend. So do the honour Arnav." She told him. Arnav shake his hand with her and smiled.

"Friends then..." He uttered looking at their hands.

*******

At night,

Khushi opened her laptop and typed

'Downward slant of the outer corners of the eyes

Malformed ear and missing ear

Absent cheekbones

Small chin and the lower jaw '

She pressed enter and the results appeared on the screen.

'Treacher Collins Syndrome'

*******

Do comment and vote.

Sorry if you are offended by this TS.

Try to comment then only I can write. It may be hard for you to accept Arnav like this...but that's life.

It's a unconventional Arnav. There is a lot of Arnavs like this one.

Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by distinctive abnormalities of the head and face. It alters the development of bones and other tissues in the face.