Chapter 65: Domino Effect

As the trio waited for the doors to the movie theatre to open, Cabir popped popcorn into his mouth, balancing the tray using one hand.

“Dad told you to be careful.” Aarav exclaimed as a few popcorns fell from the tubs into the tray and even a few onto the ground.

“Your dad says a lot of things, don’t listen to everything. Anyway, aren’t you supposed to be in your rebellious period now, going against whatever your parents tell you?”

“Now I see why mom says never to follow your example, Uncle Cabir.” Aarav’s gaze at him was very critical as he analysed the elder standing in front of him.

“Wai-wait, what?! Aanya!” Cabir turned his head towards the lady in question who was scrolling through something on her phone.

She made no attempt to respond to him.

“Hey, Aanya!”

With a deep sigh, she raised her head, “What…oh, about what Aarav just said?”

“So, you were listening. Stop pretending to be looking at your phone then and tell me! You really told your son this? Is that how you teach him to respect elders?” His face conveyed grievous hurt which only seemed to disinterest Aanya further.

“I’m multi-tasking. And yes, I did tell him that. If you want respect, act like an elder. Now, stop disturbing me.”

Before she could return her attention back to the phone, Cabir told Aarav, sympathetically wrapping an arm around him, “You are becoming a real Mama’s boy. And Papa’s too, of course.”

“Having an opinion isn’t the same as being disobedient. Stop trying to use reverse psychology on him to get him to be as unruly as you were. And then you ask, why you aren’t to be respected.”

“Hey!”

Aanya didn’t pay any more attention to the pointless banter Cabir was intent on making and redirected her focus back to important news regarding businesses on her phone.

“Don’t worry Uncle Cabir, I respect you. Just not going to follow your example.” Aarav smirked at the older man.

“Oh, getting smart, are we?” Cabir wrapped his arm tighter around Arav’s neck, pressuring the boy slightly, who staggered a bit. The unstable weight tripped the tray-bearing man though he managed to gain his footing almost immediately.

Another shower of popcorn fell into the tray and onto the floor.

“You really are making a mess, uncle.”

“Oh, who leaned his weight onto me?”

“Hey, you strangled me.” Aakash looked at the older man incredulously, stunned at his childishness.

“And who was being smart before that?”

Seeing no recourse, Aarav replied, as if reverting to some default setting, “Mom was right.”

“Hey!”

Cabir punched Aanya on the shoulder who didn’t even flinch and nudged his arm away.

“Hey!”

Cabir punched Aanya who nudged his arm away again.

“Hey!”

Even as Cabir’s fist was about to land, a fist grabbed it.

“Stop disturbing me for your-”

“No, no, look there! So unexpected!” Cabir freed his hand and pointed at an angle.

As she followed the direction of her friend’s arm, Aanya’s eyes locked onto a person walking towards them.

“Wow, Aakash is walking towards us is the most stupefying thing in the world.” The lady commented drily.

“What? No! I didn’t-Oh, Aakash is walking towards us. I mean, I wasn’t pointing there, I didn’t even see him! Look there, there!”

He minutely changed where he was pointing and put some force to make his arm rigid. His index finger trembled at the unexpected pressure. Aanya looked again and her gaze locked onto a familiar figure. A pleasantly surprised expression blossomed on her face.

“Oh, I see him.”

“Good.” Cabir shook his hand, as if pointing had drained him of his strength then shifted the load onto the same arm.

Waving in the direction of his fast-approaching best friend with his other hand, Cabir endeavoured to attract his attention. When Aakash twisted his wrist with a quizzical expression, Cabir gestured for him to look sideways.

As Aakash turned, a small smile appeared on his face.

The trio watched as he walked over to a tall man who was looking at the menu on the neon-lit food serving area. They were completely unable to make out the words due to the hubbub around them but the expression of joy on the other person’s face was unmistakable as he firmly shook and pulled Aakash into a half-hug.

As Aakash pointed in their direction, the man looked over and after waving quickly turned to someone who wasn’t visible to the three.

Then they saw a lady in deep purple with light blonde hair flowing freely appear beside him. A head shorter than the man, it was clear she was unfamiliar with Aakash as she sported a polite but distant smile at him whilst shaking his hand.

As the group made their way over to Cabir, Aanya and Aarav, the man muttered, “Is this a domino effect? Having reminiscences after reminiscences and meeting old friends after old friends just after Aarav asked about our childhood once?”

“Seems that way.” Aanya replied softly by his side. “Who knows, we might run into Prisha someday soon too.”

Cabir jumped and glared at the woman next to him. A knowing smirk was on her face which annoyed him further.

“Of course, that’s what you would say.”

“I daresay everybody would enjoy it. Aakash, Harshil, Re-”

“Oh, definitely. You all definitely will. Friends are the bane of my existence.”

In the short duration the two conversed, Aakash and the couple had made their way over. Even as the man strode forward, Cabir’s eyes broke into an unstoppable grin.

Handing over the tray to Aanya who barely managed to steady it, he reached out to clasp the other’s palm in a tight grip.

Laughing, Cabir tightened the pressure unconsciously, as he punched the also grinning man on his shoulder with his other hand, “Well, well, well! It’s been a while, Reyansh! How’ve you been?”