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"Sorry guys for keeping you in wait. It really was not intentional.Duty calls, you see, and I can't simply give a blind eye. Sorry once again"Georgette uncle apologized, bolting towards the main hall and taking his seat on the couch,laid in the center of the hall.

His eyes were still glued to the phone he had in his hand, though he seemingly apologized to my elders.

Dad held a grave countenance. Dad glanced at chithappa. Chithappa had a pleading look in his eyes. Dad pursed his lips grimly and looked away.

Georgette uncle raised his head and glanced at my elders when he didn't receive any response in favour or against his words of apology.

My dad, and other elders excluding chithappa folded their arms across their chest and stared back at Georgette uncle like taking a challenging stance or in a way too better sense gorging down Georgette uncle with their scathy heated glare.

If looks could kill Georgette uncle would have been turned into a pile of ashes by now,considering the ghastly and lethal glare he has been receiving from my elders.

I was left aghast to see this cold and impassive attitude my elders had received against Georgette uncle.

In a normal sense they should be cordial and warm in their dealings with him considering the fact that he is Safrin's future in law.

But things appeared pretty downhill from the way my elders including periyappa , Safrin's dad, chose to express their bitterness at him.

Georgette uncle cleared his throat awkwardly and shifted uncomfortably on his seat yet his stiff and stern attitude seemed to loom around him

Georgette uncle was apparently at a loss for ample words to form a sentence to pull up a convo with my elders.

My dad and uncles seemed unyeilding and unpleasantly hostile.

I frowned looking down.

"Your parents and elders are having a great time deep frying my uncle with their scourging hot glare. Really fantastic reception, I must admit. No wonder why Elly is like this. The chip of the same good old block"Om remarked in a mocking tone.

I scoffed initially when I heard Om's jeering words. But nodded relentingly when the truth sunk into my puny brain.

"Usually my parents and elders are very much warm and open to the guests. I really don't get it why they act so cold and impassive towards Uncle?" I said thoughtfully more to myself grazing my fingers across my jawline.

I heard Om snorting grimly.

"Don't put your brain in the oven ,Pearl. They are good old buddies. So stuff as such are prone to happen. May be even scathier than anyone had ever known." Om retorted sighing deeply and somehow there was an undertone to every single word he uttered.

I glanced at Ben who stood away from me in the hall leaning against a pillar with a grim look etched across his features.

I tried to get hold of his attention towards me by waving my hands at him but had to give up my Tom foolery attempts soon enough when periyamma glared at me and put her index finger on her lips and signalled me to give a shush down switch to my antics.

At this juncture my Oh -so helpful brother glanced from me to Periyamma enthused by the happenings staged before him.

When Periyamma seemed to turn her attention towards other important stuff I glared at Ben.

He smirked at me complacently. I huffed rolling my eyes.

I pointed my eyes at Georgette uncle and then raised my eyebrow quizzically.

Ben spread his eyebrows wide when he understood what I was pointing out.

Ben showed his palm down indicating me to remain calm.

I understood he won't give in that easily and standing here I can't make him blurt out whatever that is going on.

I switched on my phone and jabbed my fingers on the keypad typing out the message to Ben and hit the send button.

" What is going on man? Why dad and others are behaving this hostile and cold to uncle?)" I typed and sent the message to Ben

Ben jerked up when the beep sound alerted him of a new message. Krystal who stood next to him held an equally wired up look.

Ben glanced at Krystal for a moment. She nodded calmly at him.

Ben took his phone from his pocket looking completely dazed and shocked like there was no chance in this world that anyone could message him at this hour of night.

But his features relaxed when his frizzy brain contemplated things as they are.

He sighed but that sigh of relief was short lived when he shot a quizzical look at me.

I nodded and glanced at Krystal who stood beside him with more or less the same look on her face.

My phone went off with a message alert instantly. I glanced at Ben confused he signalled me to check the messaged he seemed calm and composed.

I ,with racing curiosity opened the inbox but all my enthusiasm seemed like going in ruins and shambles when I read his message.

"!" ( Dunno)" Was his reply. I scrunched my teeth and wriggled my nose irately.

". (So very important a reply . Come on now you buffalo and just blurt out what is going on here? ) Don't test my patience unnecessarily idiot! Blurt out!

I sent the message with an indignant look sprawling across my features. Ben shot deathly glares at me before sending his reply.

He gesticulated me to read the message

" Don't eat up my brain my ponnu aniyaththi ( My sweet little sis) And Stop being nosy,pearl .Phone switch off l.( Just switch your phone off and listen to what dad and mom have got to say in this)I am done with this message sending deal. Just spare me. I am as oblivious to all the craziness that is going around as you are. Just spare me. That is it"Ben switched his phone off furiously and stuffed the device in his pocket and looked away.

I knew that when he asserts his disapproval in something he will never move his stand come what may

Om cleared his throat drawing my attention towards him. I threw a disapproving look at Ben and shook my head grimly before turning my attention to Om.

"Pearl, they are meeting after a long time like this. May be some communication gap has taken within their harmonious relation. So it is better we just give our brain a short break from such disturbing queries and concentrate on more important things at hand right now." Om whispered lowly leaning forward to my height.

I could see Ben sending deathly glares at Om out of the corner of my eyes.

"What is more important than this ?" I queried innocently ignoring Ben's killer looks.

Om grimaced when he heard me and pointed his fingers lazily towards the pillar where Edin stood obscured by the shadow of the pillar. I squinted my eyes to get a clear focus of his face.

"Look both Jeet and Elly are not having the best of their lives standing apart like this with thousands of detrimental and disquieting queries about the existence and strength of their relation, soaring in and out of their mind. They must talk this dispute out or else a small glitch in communication in a relation can result in thousand other painful outcome." Om explained gravely.

I nodded and glanced at Safrin who stood a bit away with a gloomy and sad look on her face.

"Go and cheer her up, Pearl. Only you are capable of doing that" Om urged me to join Safrin

I inclined to his will and moved towards Safrin.

*****************

"It has been a long time since we have met like this." Georgette uncle said with a small curt smile on his lips looking at dad and my uncles.

Dad forced a dry smile on his lips as if a reply to Georgette uncle's friendly effort to start up a conversation.

Periyappa and chithappa exchanged glances at each other uncomfortably shifting on their seats .

Moraelson uncle as always held a bored and sneering smirk on his face.

Georgette uncle noticed this attitude of Moraelson uncle but chose to ignore it and decided to concentrate on more important matters.

"I guess the meeting should be over by now"Georgette uncle tried his best to pull up a conversation with my elders.

But my elders seemed different and impossibly rigid for anyone's hold or smooth grasp.

.

"I think so. Daniel will inform when it is done"Dad replied after what everyone and I present here felt like ages.

"Good!"Georgette uncle added slowly yet sternly.

" ( First off have something.After that we can talk leisurely) Chithi said taking a tray full of home made snacks and holding it out before Georgette uncle.

He glanced at Chithi for sometime before breaking into a Peel of thunderous laughter.

". ( You haven't changed an iota. One should learn the art of side lining the main topic from you .) Georgette uncle remarked playfully but somewhere there was an undertone of snide remark to his casual words.

Chithi looked taken aback for a second but that expression faded away as soon as it came and she bounced back to her normal beam.

" ( Yeah! Yeah! And one should learn from you the art of nitpicking. And habits seldom die. So don't you ever dare to think of changing my nature. And Now stop it brother. Please do have something. You reached here after a long and tiring journey. You might be hungry and tired as well for that reason) Chithi retorted taking a sisterly authoritative stance which amazed me a lot. Especially when I heard her addressing him as brother.

But my astounded state was short lived when my realization ricocheted back to reality.

They used to be old buddies due to Georgette uncle's sibling affinity with Daniel uncle.

I mentally slapped my dull brain which at times refuses to perceive things as they are.

Safrin stood next to me sulking. I nudged her softly making her jump a little.

She glared at me but I held a happy go lucky attitude and shrugged my shoulders simply.

"Kichu, just behave properly" Safrin snapped at me warningly.

"How does this 'proper' thing of yours work. To be cold and deaf to your loved ones,huh?" I asked sneering at her air quoting the word proper.

She glared at me but I held an exuberant and positive attitude.

I smiled exultantly at her with a mock batting of my eyelashes.

Safrin seemed like fuming and bubbling with unabated anger.

Our sibling riot came to a pause when an uncomfortable clearing of throat interrupted our concentration. We turned our attention towards our elders giving a break to whatever that is going on between Saffy and me.

" ( Yeah sure sure. Before that, where is my Saffy kiddo. First of all I need to see her and get the soothing calm effect of viewing her after a long time. Then will make arrangements for nourishment party , my system is in wait for.) Georgette uncle said happily, gently pushing away the plateful of snacks which was extended towards him by Chithi.

A gasp of panic escaped Saffy when she heard her name being mentioned this passionately by a mighty, handsome man in his mid fifties.

". ( Saffy sweetie, please do come here) Periyamma called out for Saffy in a buttery and sugary tone which sounded faraway and out of the skin demeanor as far as Periyamma is concerned.

Saffy stepped out from the side of the pillar and slowly moved towards Georgette uncle.

"Saanj borem Zavonn, uncle ( Good evening, uncle)" Safrin said joining her hands in polite and respectful gesture.

My lips parted a bit when I heard these strange wordings she had uttered in greetings.

" ( I hope my ears are not ringing. Or does Saffy lose it completely to mutter such weird chantings in the name of greetings to her future in- law) I wondered a bit aloud.

I heard Om chuckling standing next to me.

"She is speaking Kongani. Our mother tongue" Om whispered softly.

My lips twisted into an 'O' position when I heard him.

"Wow!" I exclaimed with an appreciative smile when my initial shock being waned out. Om nodded back looking equally gleeful.

"Borem dhoo. Aaoo tsaud khooshi ( Good daughter, I am so happy) You are a brilliant girl I must admit. You easily got your tongue attuned to this language. I really like this attitude of yours Anne" Georgette uncle said very much impressed and moved by Safrin's behaviour.

Though Safrin held her smile intact on her features. The beam on her face failed to spread its radiating charisma as it used to. Her bitterness could never be hidden out of my eyes.

"It is nothing uncle.Om bhai helped me with getting in tune to this language easily. Also Abhi used to converse with me in Kongani whenever he calls. So that made it easy for me. I like to learn new things so that made me grasp everything easily than I had ever thought"Safrin explained like a record which had everything set for the moment to get blasted off once you press the play button.

Georgette uncle held a complacent smile on his face when he heard this.

"Anyways beta I am so very glad that you are easily blending in with the colour and fragrance of our family. It seems like all these stuff come quite natural to you as if you have been all the while with us as one among us. That is great if you ask me. And I am splendidly happy to have you as my lovely gem of a daughter" Georgette uncle said genuinely standing up and hugging Saffy for a brief moment.

He pulled away from Safrin and smiled at her. He kept his palm over her head and blessed her.

Sarin's smile seemed to be at a fading point when she heard this. She forced a curt smile out of the corner of her lips.

"God bless you my child. I am really glad to hear our mother tongue after a long time that too from my lovely girl. I feel like I have reached the salty sandy lap of my birth place" Georgette uncle said closing his eyes and inhaling deeply like savouring some delectable nostalgic moments.

Georgette uncle stared at her with a rare twinkle in his black eyes.

"How is everything going sweetheart?" Georgette uncle asked kindly.

Safrin nodded lowering her gaze. Periyamma's deathly glare made her clench her thoughts to her mind and keep her lips sealed as always.

Out of nowhere Khushi dashed towards Georgette papa and laughed loudly.

"Jet papa!" A tiny squeal and fervent tug on his pant made Georgette uncle jump a bit before breaking into his signature rumbustious laughter when he caught the glimpse of this cute darling near his knee.

"Little fairy! Wow! " Georgette uncle picked Khushi up in his arms and cradled her.

She giggled cutely.

"You look like a real fairy with this beautiful blue Alice bow and blue dress. Blue shoes! Wow you are a blueberry fairy I guess" Georgette uncle listed the number of items that were arranged on her hair and dress as accessories.

Khushi nodded her head vigorously asserting the point that she is a blue berry fairy.

"" ( All these things are gifted by Harry) Khushi said with animated expression enthusiastically as ever.

"Is it? " Georgette uncle asked with a surprised look on his face.

Khushi nodded pursing her upper lip cutely.

"."( Oh! Boy! This young man seems to be very fast and forward in such stuff.) Georgette uncle muttered to himself whilst staring down at Harry who stood next to Georgette uncle with a smug and goofy grin of his own.

Safrin sniggered closing her mouth.I chuckled but camouflaged my chuckle with a feign cough when Periyamma pinned me down with a glare.

Om nudged me playfully when he saw all these actions taking place before him.