Chapter Five
" Come in Joy!"
Joseph Oliver invited the figure standing at the door of his chamber.
Joy walked in and took a seat. " Good morning sir."
"...hmm... so this permanent transition from uncle to sir...isn't gonna be back to being normal ever. Right? "
Joseph smirked.
Joy smiled but remained silent.
" Sir... the marksheets of 3B." , he placed a bunch of papers on the desk. " You would like to go through I suppose. "
" Oh yeah. Sure!! "
Joy stood up. .
" Ohh sit!! I need to talk. "
Joy shoved uncomfortably and then sat down again.
" so...how's your sister? "
" Recovering. "
" Okay, I hope she does soon. May I know more about her?"
Joy felt extremely irritated. But he knew he had to answer these, no matter how disturbing things sounded.
" I hope you remember, last year I went for a seven days' treck to Manaali. I met her there. My dad and her dad weren't in terms before my parents got married, so maybe... they didn't know of anything... " , Joy stopped.
Because lying stupendously was not something he enjoyed. Joseph kept staring questioningly. But Joy was in no mood to continue.
" I have a class sir. "
Joseph was a bit startled at this abrupt change in topic. He looked at the wall clock. And then himself changed the topic anyways. " Diana wanted to meet you. She's not doing much well these days. Cough, cold and fever you see. So can you please come over to our place for dinner today? "
Joy stared surprisingly at Joseph for sometime. And then said, " I'm...sorry sir but... I can't leave Shelly at home that way for dinner at someone else's place..."
Joseph stared back, a bit cold. " Can't she come along? "
" no sir. She still limps a lot. "
" Diana wanted you to be at our place tonight. Moreover, it hurts me to hear that the place you grew up in has turned to 'someone else's' place now. "
Joy stayed silent.
" I know Joy, you want to avoid coming to Oliver Mansion because it reminds you of Christina. But... why does my daughter have to suffer because of someone else's life decisions? If she chose to leave, do you think my daughter is responsible for that?"
Joy did not like the turn of questions now. He remained absolutely silent and looked at his watch.
" You gotta answer me Joy. You very well know what we want from you. We want you to move on... to forget someone who didn't value your love, and hold onto someone who does. Why don't you get that Joy? Christina was not the perfect match for you ever...but..."
Joy stood up. " I'm not sure if I can join you for dinner sir. I'll try. "
" Joy!! " , Joseph springed up. And he had such command in his statement that Joy shook for a moment.
" You have no right to ignore my words everytime I speak. You seem to have forgotten your past!!! "
Joy was completely taken aback. Though he knew every bit...but he really hadn't ever heard Joseph Oliver saying things on face.
He himself must have realised that too.
He steadily came forward to Joy and placed his hands on his shoulder. " I...am so sorry Joy. I actually... I remain so disturbed with Diana's health these days... I... I...just can't see her unhappy or sick... you know how I want to do everything she wants me to... you know how much I love her... "
Joy slowly took a step back. And uttered softly, " I know sir. How you can do anything for her. "
Joseph looked on. Joy added... " I haven't forgotten my past sir. Had I... I would have long back left Rungpo forever. "
Joy left. Joseph dropped himself on his revolving chair and closed his eyes as tight as possible. He felt like giving up. Everything. At a go.
***
Anushka whispered, keeping her ears on the door. " Who's there?"
No one replied, but the knock happened again.
Anushka hesitatingly opened the door and through a slit viewed outside.
A woman stood before the door, she looked in her mid twenties.
" Yes? "
The woman smiled and pushed the door along with Anushka to get in. Anushka was highly startled but she wasn't in a position to resist, given how weak she was.
She just moved back a bit and her eyes widened. The woman closed the door and spontaneously took a seat on a chair. Anushka kept standing.
" Shelly, right? please sit! I'm Diana. Diana Oliver. "
Anushka's heart beat fast. Though Joy hadn't told much yesterday after he stopped, he had made it clear that she needed to be extremely careful with the Olivers specially. She didn't know why though, but...maybe, through her own life, she could judge somehow. She could feel her tongue get dry.
She smiled only.
" so...don't you get bored staying here alone throughout the day? I bet you do. And so I invite you for dinner tonight at our place. " , Diana kept smiling.
Anushka surprisingly looked once at her and then at her leg. " but...I... "
" ...can't walk?
So what? Joy can carry you on her arms, can't he? " , Diana grinned.
Anushka's features stiffened.
" ...after all you are his sister. ." , Diana added. With an unnecessary exaggeration on 'sister'.
Anushka quickly sat down on the chair. She very much wanted Joy to be here now. A pretty much. Because she felt weak alone.
" well... what do you do? "
"... I ...just finished my mba. " , Anushka lied spontaneously. If only...
" ohh wow! That's tremendous. " , Diana's eyes glittered. " I don't like studying. " , she twitched her lips. " ...dropped after graduating."
Anushka was careful not to speak anything not needed. She just smiled.
" Anyways... I want to know so much about Joy's sister you see. I have always known he was a loner in world who only had a mother of his own. Where from did you drop in...? "
Anushka was a lot afraid at this point. She now had to tell a predesigned story, and if by chance she left loopholes, things might go downhill for Joy... and... maybe she too.
" I... I actually didn't know, I had a brother. My...dad and her dad... weren't in talking terms..before... his parents got married, and... so... maybe we...we didn't know... " , she almost choked.
" Wow... such a beautiful story! "
Anushka chilled. Did she understand that it merely was a story?
" I mean... it's so much like a story. " ... Diana grinned again. " Please keep taking. " , Diana crossed her legs and made herself more comfortable.
Anushka didn't know what she would do now.
She only kept praying of something she didn't know.
And just then the door whizzed open. Joy walked in.
Anushka felt like she would faint out of relief. She just wanted to run to him and hide behind. She immediately stood up.
So did Diana. Her expressions so much showed that she hadn't expected Joy here right now. They both stood still and stared at each other, Anushka kept watching.
" You...here?" , Diana asked.
Joy smiled mysteriously. " I pay for this house Diana, so I believe I am supposed to be here. "
" I didn't mean that. I meant you are supposed to be in school now. "
Joy didn't answer. He rather looked at Anushka, whose eyes showed clear panic. " Had your lunch Shelly? "
"... err... " , Anushka didn't know if she could actually say a 'no' because ..would her wait at lunch for her so called brother make some other sense to Diana?
Joy turned to Diana and walked close to her. Diana's features had something that Anushka couldn't judge. She looked a lot of something else.
Joy slowly uttered.
" Diana... I know you too are not well. I promise, if we can ...we would be at your place for dinner. But if Shelly isn't well... we may not turn up... I hope you won't mind. "
Diana looked into his eyes, Anushka couldn't at all read her eyes . She only knew, Diana Oliver was hard to cultivate.
Diana left the place without a word. Joy readily walked inside the kitchen, and Anushka alone had to face a look Diana gave to her as she left. A look Anushka would never like to view again in life...
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