I waited for the voice to glide past the phone and hit the soft membrane of my ears.

My heart pounded violently against the ribcage like it was very urgently looking for an escapade.

"Kichu, it is me!" The sudden deep gentle tone with a perturbed hint almost stopped my heart but some abrupt realization made my repaired heart start its work again with long and heavy sigh of its own.

"Edin!" I whispered with immense relief and peace enveloping my being when I realized who it was.

I leaned against the couch peacefully with no worries of the world and glanced at Om gratefully for not exposing me to some unwanted loathing caller as I assumed him to be.

"Yeah! Then who do you think would eagerly look forward to talk to you at this time of the evening?" Edin's waspish tone bounced my peaceful mode out of its good humour and took it to a level of irritability.

"Well, there are many jerks who are in wait to get hold of me. So I thought this must be one of such insolent idiots who is in wait to grab my attention. " I retorted acidically glaring at Om who sat in front me on a couch.

Om's lips twitched a bit. His cheeks turned a tint of pink shade which made it evident that he was trying real hard not to break into a peel of laughter which rambled around his chest tickling his funny bones.

"Good joke. If the occasion was something else I would have laughed my head out. But now I need to change our attention to some important area. You too know where am I pointing at and heading towards,don't you?" Edin said in a business tone .

"Saffy!" I whispered lowly.

I heard him inhaling his breath sharply when he heard Safrin's name being mentioned.

"What is happening soldier? I entrusted my sunshine with you and now I don't understand what has gone wrong with her to remain cold and dead to my attempts to connect her. " Edin unleashed the complaints that were bridled up within him all these while.

I looked at Om. Om held up a paper in which something was scribbled in neat and steady handwriting.

"Elly, didn't give the name of attending Jeet's video call the whole day. She didn't even have her usual Skype chatting with him for three days."

When my eyes received those words in its correct construction I scrunched up my nose in confusion.

"Jeet?"That name escaped my lips in wonder.

"Yeah, that is my name among my dear ones. But you can call me . I don't have a sister for that matter. So the word from you feels like a million dollar worth gem" Edin said rushing with his words also in an absent minded way.

I hummed when my mind got engaged with so many pestering queries regarding Om's wide knowledge about Edin, My cousin Safrin's Fiance.

At that moment nothing felt right or anything stood before me with a helpful and sane smile.

"How is my Saffyshine? Is she okay? I don't get a positive vibe about her welfare." Edin's rushed enquiry tweaked me awake from my temporary zone out mode. There was concern and pain lacing his voice in an unsettling manner.

I controlled my urge to groan in frustration. since this evening I have been dealing with his significant other who splendidly exhibited the same disdainful and confused thoughts as of him.

"Um..."I mumbled uncomfortably looking at Om seeking an answer. But Om being the most helpful soul provided his cold shoulder with a simple and exaggerated shrug of his shoulders.

I pressed my lips together

"I dont know. She should be okay" I forced those words out of my lips

I heard Edin snorting impatiently from the other side.

"should be okay? what does that mean,soldier? What is happening to my love there. what are you guys doing to my life?"Edin shrieked dramatically like an ill- tempered girl who got her brand new dress spoilt by some coffee stain.

"That means everything, Anna. She is as safe and kept at ease as any girl of this household should be. We are not keeping a knife across her throat threatening to slit it open for you to throw such a drama. Come on, we are her well wishers and dear ones not some serial killers to act all psycho and gaga over nothing . "I spat off each and every word with venomous distaste only to be received by a desperate growl.

Growl? wow! gentle Edin is showing his colourful side.

(Do I deserve this?)

I thought looking up raising my left eyebrow at the wonderful old man who for eons sitting up there and having fun by pulling the strings of poor scape goat of souls that is humans.I scoffed and sighed at my own thought.

Om waved his palm downwards indicating me to keep my calm and control my escalating chagrin rate.

Om nodded at me flickering his eyes calmly.

" Kichu, just listen okay, I am losing my mind every crawling second. Please don't test the waters with me. I know how much love and regard you all have for my Saffy shine. More than any one I trust her with you. Can't I take the privilege to ask my sister about my life whom I entrusted with my sis? " Edin's harsh grumpy voice glided out of the phone like a tight slap.But his voice and words softened with the progression of time.

He ended the conversation with a note of sibling authority.

"But! What am I..." my voice trailed of when I felt myself at a loss.

I glanced at the Om helplessly who sat before me. He shook his head in disdain while holding his head in his palms.

"Yeah I know what you are gonna say. ( What are we to do for the foul fate of yours. Isn't that the same lines you were supposed to dish out from your part" I heard a hysterical like laughter from the other side.

"Just chill okay. I think you have lost it completely ( brother)" Not being to bottle up my emotions I had to blurt out those words .

"That is what I am trying to say soldier. Girl! Can't you just understand when I say I need to talk to my girl! It is gonna be full twenty four hours since I heard my darling's voice.And it is gonna be snail moving seventy two hours since I've seen my saffy shine beam.Something is going on in her mind. I can't just take it anymore to think that my life is suffering there alone" Edin unleashed his chagrin towards me.

"See, if you are that much concerned and worried sick about your Saffy shine why don't you call on her in person rather than showing your so called ' concern' over phone that too to a third party who doesn't even have the minutest idea of what is brewing between you two in the name of love" I sneered at Edin air quoting and accentuating the word concern in a rather rude and mean way. I pulled my eyebrows together in brooding anger and fury engulfing me.

There was a long paucity from the other side when Edin heard my mind voice this clearly.

"Is that you, kichu?" Edin's voice chimed in disbelief.

"You heard me right anna." I clarified curtly staring sharply at Om who by now stifled the chuckle that got accumulated in his throat tickling his Adam's apple.

I narrowed my eyes at him intimidatingly.

"It is a wild goose chase talking to someone who adamantly pretends to be ignorant of the mounting grossness of the situation.Just give this damn phone to Saffy. I need to talk to her now! Right Now itself!" Edin yelled at me desperately with a small throaty growl.

I flinched and cringed away when I heard his impatience taking a monstrous turn in his behaviour.

I had to keep the phone a bit away from my ears to keep my ears safe from bleeding.

Om clenched his jaw in perturbation. He got up snatching the phone out of my grasp.

"That is it. You idiot of a brother. Just keep your flying fairies at check okay! You too know the purpose of everything. Stop acting like a sick pup. Your girl will talk to you real soon. For that if I had to murder someone I will commit that capital and mortal sin too. Is that enough you lily livered squid" Om yelled at the top of his voice and rushed towards the doorway with a mad maniac like frenzy.

I sat dazed shocked and what not?

Brother? Edin? Om?

I couldn't put my fingers on this recent developments regarding Edin-Om brother relation.

Gosh! Am I missing something important in this frantic rush of my life.

Om came back and tossed the phone on the couch before plopping himself down on the couch. He pinched the bridge of his nose while closing his eyes like trying to calm down his shot up nerves.

I rubbed my palms together staring at his wired up countenance.

I felt scared of this agitated Om who seemed boggled out of his good humour.

"I am sorry" I heard a soft mumbling after what I felt like an eternity.

I raised my head and looked at Om who sat in front of me. Now he seemed a bit calm and normal.

But his eyes and cheeks still bore the sign of his past chagrin spirit as red blush marks and red veins throbbing inside the white eyeballs.

"No can do" I said equally soft and calm as he chose to be with me.

"Edin is acting weirdly off late. I don't understand what has got into his peanut of a brain? There are so many things that are at stake and direly needed his devoted attention. But he is behaving like an insolent fool for all that I know. He was never like this. Why he is acting this imbecile now? " Om muttered gruffly not to anyone in specific.

"Safrin I guess. Look, Om, he is in love with my sister and do you think anyone who has crash landed can behave normal. That is what is happening with Edin as well. " I tried to talk some sense into him as he seemed a bit normal.

Om looked at me surprise sparkling frizzy patterns in his blue eyes.

"You talk like an experienced hand. If I am not mistaken you don't have that much experience in this love thingy" Om retorted in wonder.

"Sure I don't have any personal note of experience to wail over or cherish at . But I have witnessed a lot of love relations with in my family...if...only if that could be put into the category of romance." I said while a flood of some unwanted creepy thoughts deluged my mind in its mad swarm of gush.

"Really? I would love to hear that beautiful saga of your family" Om said leaning forward lacing his fingers together and placing his chin upon them indicating his keen interest on my so called family history, for my least liking, not to mention specially.

"Cool it ! Mister we are here to talk and sort out something that is developing gruesomely in Saffy-Edin relation. I ship them like my being. I don't wanna see anything warping my sister's love life. Not even a faint trace of doubt or misunderstanding . She seemed all lost and is now at the verge of breaking down." I said looking straight into Om's eyes.

Om cleared his throat evidently rummaging for a best thread to start our conversation.

"Yeh, what is happening to Saffy ? She was never this cold and wooden to Jeet ever as far as I know her" Om mumbled more to himself like trying to find the answer to his uttered words on his own than depending on others mouth piece in this.

He rubbed his palms together whilst letting his blue eyes stray all around the milieu we are placed in.

I scrunched my nose when I heard his mutterings and mumblings. Why he is showing this much enthusiasm for Saffy -Edin patch up.

"From that, Hey! How you know Edin? And why you show this much interest in my cousin's matter. As far as I know, you are our guest. But the way you have dealt with Edin narrate some other story. If you don't mind and take my inquisitiveness as a nosy poker's attempt, may I know what is up? " I inquired him the question which hung in the thin air like a Diocletian sword from the very next moment when he gave the call of Edin to me.

Om smiled at me mysteriously. I crinkled my eyebrows in confusion.

"What?" I snapped indignantly.

"I know Edin from a very long time. Well, Since his birth should be the right way of explaining things" Om said acting all mister crypt.

"How? You don't seem that old." I gasped in puzzle scrunching up my nose and staring at him sceptically. Om laughed throwing up his head seeing my perturbed stance.

"Like you know Saffy and Ahaan.Simple!" He simplified the statement with a simple shrug of his shoulders.

Horror flashed across my features when realization began to patch up inside my dull and nimble brain. I pointed my left index finger at him with my eyes wide and mouth agape.

"You are Edin's cousin?" The query came out more as a shriek than a statement or question.

"My goodness! Don't shriek like a squirrel girl. I am. Now what is the big deal about that matter. " He said calmly looking into my perturbed brown eyes.

His calmness had a hint of challenging teasing of its own which didn't fail to strum the annoyance string of my mind's ballad.

"Why didn't you tell this earlier?" I bellyached at Om for being this shady and sketchy about his real identity.

"Why is that so? "Om asked like he didn't get the full toss of all that is happening around him.

"I would have been more careful" I muttered under my breath turning my face away covering it with my palms

Om raised his eyebrow and stared at me for a brief spell before answering. A smirk formed out of the corner of his lips

"You never did ask me. So I never felt the need to convey that fact to you. Actually Edin is not a celebrity or something for me to scream like a girl all the way that he is my cousin. Now is he?" Om asked jovially with a simple shrug.

"Does saffy know this?" I asked still not being able to get a grip over the fact that Saffy's fiance's cousin is sitting before me.

"Well, the whole household is in the know of that fact except you" Om said casually.

"Yeah , thank you for reminding my dumb idiot status and lack of proper communication with my life and family." I retorted sarcastically. But my whole being was burning inside out acidically

" Hey! Cool it Pearl, from the dagger like looks you are casting me it gives the feels that I am some vampire who just conveyed his vampiric abilities to a girl. Look, I am just Edin's cousin. Got that just Edin's damn cousin. Nothing more or less" Om said leaning forward and accentuating the point Edin's cousin repeatedly like I am some deaf gran of ninety.

"So you are kinda from suitor's side." I said shuddering a bit at the thought. I felt an urge to wail and cry closing my mouth for the nerve I had showed to talk and act over smart with Om at many situations.

Om sensed my pent up and twisted insides when I realized the gruesomeness of the situation and the possible chiding ceremony and rock party held by Periyamma for ruining everything with my long sword like tongue

"Let's take it like this I am of course in blood relation wise counts as Edin's relative. But Elly is my friend. Also I don't have a grown up and sane sister like Elly. So she can be counted as my sister. In that sense sister weighs more than cousin.So my vote is for Elly. I am bride's side" He said gently like a whisper. But his words held a deep promising tone.

"I like that tone of yours" I said impressed by his attitude towards Safrin and our family.

Om smiled Knowingly at me.

"You will never know Pearl" Om retorted with a smug and mysterious smile.

Suddenly my eyes fell on his throbbing reddish wrist.

"Um...I guess, you won't make this a big issue now that you are so loving a brother to Saffy and things as such" I said pointing at the scar shifting uncomfortably on my seat.

A sudden rumbustious laughter made me jump out of my skin.

I looked up at Om who was having a boisterous and in all stitches laughing moment in utter disbelief and puzzle.

"You have a high regard for me, it seems." Om said sarcastically trying real hard to stifle his laughter.

I chuckled nervously looking from here and there for some escapade from this awkward situation my big mouth had created. I should have kept my mouth sealed but no it has to rattle like a door handle at every unwanted and unwary moment just to make a pure clown of me.

"Well, sorry for that remark made by me" I apologized for my long strangling tongue.

"Still you are not sorry for what you have done to my hand" Om asked with a wicked smile. I never thought dimples and wickedness could have a cordial meet up on ones face till now.

After attending that seminar in live I got somewhat aware that notions are ever changing opinions.

My features hardened. I took a deep breath before letting my mind out.

"Nope, never. I never regret my action or reaction. Because you forced me into this. I gave you so many chances to mend your ways. But you were adamant enough to buy what my tiny fingers had in store for your ruthless hand." I snapped at him impatiently.

"Well miss,Elly is safe as a baby from my vengeful thoughts. Because she is my sister. But...." Om paused rubbing his palms together with an evil look on his face.

"But?" I parroted looking at him quizzically .

"But you never come under that category as far as I am involved. So keep a watch out sweetie. Because no one ever escaped the wrath of Om or ever dared to prod me even with their pinky. And you have showed the nerve of fighting me off with your smart ways . In a normal way I should detest your existence but I am great and broad enough to admire you for your unyielding and unbend ways."Om said all this staring at me pointedly with histrionics . Though the words had the overlapping of praise there was a hidden hint of warning in his tone.