Chapter 16

Chapter 16 (A): Strings Of Apprehension

“OH MY GOD. This is bizarre JE. I can’t believe you fell right into his arms. It looks like it was love at first sight for you and you were too desperate to land into Arnav Singh Raizada’s arms” Abhay said, grinning while Khushi smacked his arm.

“Everyone is not a cheapo like you, Abhay! I still remember you tried to kiss Naina in my 16th B’day party and the lights had gone off right at that second. Your face was worth watching when you had realised it was me instead of Naina” Khushi said, recalling the old days.

“I see that you have got grave misconceptions, Mrs. Raizada. I wasn’t trying to kiss Naina. I actually wanted to kiss you. I was trying to thank you for inviting me to your b’day party. And it wasn’t even a kiss. It was a peck on your scrubby cheeks” Abhay said recalling the incident and once again feeling embarrassed.

“Scrubby? I am not going to talk to you” Khushi said, pouting and turning her face to look out of the car.

“Okay, not really scrubby but quite okay cheeks” Abhay said and saw Khushi rolling her eyes.

“So, are we going to only talk about my not so happy memories or are you going to narrate the main part of your story?" Abhay said, now dropping in a serious tone.

“Main part?” Khushi tried to sound confused, even though she knew what was he referring about.

“You know it, JE. You told me how you met your ‘Laad governor’, you told me how you fell in love with him, you also told me how he used to tease you but where is the marriage part? You didn’t tell me how did you two get married? Was it a love marriage or arranged one?” Abhay asked, and saw a flash of pain in her eyes.

“That part isn’t that exciting to be narrated. We went to a temple and got married” Khushi replied.

“Whoa? What about the grand wedding you used to talk about?” Abhay asked, pressing a painful nerve and to his surprise tears rolled down Khushi’s cheeks.

“Hey I am sorry, Khushi. It’s okay if you don’t want to..”

“No I am sorry. I..I am okay”

“Sure?” Abhay asked and she nodded.

“Will you stop ‘sure-ing’ me now?” Khushi said and Abhay rolled his eyes this time.

“Fine. I was just concerned” Abhay replied and continued driving home.

~~***~~

‘Thanks for the ride. Want to come in and meet my family?" Khushi asked.

“No, I am in hurry. Have to reach my hotel on time. And tell Mr. Raizada I didn’t smooch his wife.” Abhay said.

“WHAT? Are you crazy, Abhay?” Khushi said, furious at his remark.

“Now you don’t ‘what’ me, Khushi. Hadn’t you noticed that ‘I’ll-kill-you’ expression he was throwing at me when we left together? I bet he was jealous” Abhay said, grinning.

“He hasn’t got a reason to be jealous” Khushi said, defending her husband.

“That we’ll see tomorrow” Abhay said, giving a crooked smile and driving out.

~~***~~

For the first time in his life, Arnav Singh Raizada was rushing to go home. Ever since Khushi had left, Arnav had wanted to go home too.

He wanted to see her placing her things back in their room, giving life to the room again.

Winding up his work, he started for home, his mind full of happy thoughts.

~~***~~

As Arnav climbed the stairs to his room, his heart seared with happiness. Hiding the beautiful bouquet of red roses behind his back and smiling widely, he stepped inside his room.

The exuberance dwindled away and was slowly replaced with sadness as he took in the surroundings of the room.

The room looked exactly like he had left it this morning, with no sign of Khushi being back in it.

She must be still packing her things in the guest room. He told himself and taking the bouquet, walked towards the guest room in quick strides.

As he stood before the guest room door, his heart thudded violently. Should he knock or should he wait?

He hadn’t forgotten her request of him not stepping in this room, and he wasn’t going to violate it for anything.

So, instead of knocking he took out his cell phone and dialled her number.

“Unreachable” it said.

Now what? He thought and finally decided to knock and wait for her to come out of the room.

So, he knocked the door and stood waiting against the same pillar he had leaned upon the previous night and spent nine good hours.

The memory of those nine silent hours brought a smile on his face.

To others, those nine hours would have been tiring and uncomfortable but to him, those nine hours were the hours of bliss.

In those nine hours, he had relived each and every single memory he had spent with Khushi.

Starting from the epic and tragic fall of Khushi Kumari Gupta into his arms and ending with the memory of their discussion in his room, where she had asked him the question that how could he believe everyone but her?

A question which had electrified and intensified his guilt, and he was aware that his mistrust in Khushi was an irrevocable mistake of him, and he would have to live with it and its consequences.

The thoughts drifted away as his phone beeped a message, and he realised it had been ten minutes since he had knocked.

After knocking at the door again, he opened the message and read with no interest.

“One boy was rejected

and one girl was selected

in an interview due to the same reason

.

.

.

Because the first two buttons of their shirt were open ;)

P.S. Khushi sent me your number. Have a nice day.

-Abhay”

“What the?” Arnav swore, reading the message and nearly dropped the bouquet he was holding in his hands.

He had to read it twice to actually believe that such cheap messages were being sent to him, that too by that audacious and good-for-nothing Abhay Singh.

Once Arnav overcame the shock of the message, his attention went back to the door which wasn’t open yet.

As he was about to knock the door again, Naniji reached there.

“Arnav Bitwa? Why are you standing here? And these flowers?” She asked, seeing the bouquet.

“I brought th…Where is Khushi, Nani? I have been knocking at the door, but she isn’t answering. Would you please go in and check on her?” Arnav said, trying to sound casual and dropping the bouquet part from his answer.

“She isn’t inside, Arnav Bitwa. After she returned home from the office, she and Payal bitiya left for Laxminagar” Naniji informed him.

“What? I mean..How can she go? She..” Arnav asked, mostly to himself, and the bouquet finally dropped from his hands.

Has she really left? Left him?

The thought once again knocked out the oxygen from his lungs making it hard for him to breathe.

~~***~~

“Raani Sahiba, I am totally fine now” said an irritated Shyam as Anjali pestered him to drink the turmeric flavoured milk.

“No, you aren’t fine. You still have bruises on your back and hands, and I am not listening anything. Please, drink this” replied Anjali, not ready to budge off and Shyam finally took the glass from her hand, emptying the glass in one go, to which Anjali smiled.

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re the real kid or the one we’re going to have” Anjali said, with a slight blush and Shyam rolled his eyes.

“How’s everyone in the house? You hardly allow me to move and go down” Shyam further complained.

“But they visit you in your room, don’t they?” Anjali replied.

“Except Chote and Khushiji” she added in a sad tone which was caught well by Shyam.

“It’s okay, Rani Sahiba; they must be too busy with their own lives to have time for us” Shyam said in his crooked and manoeuvred tone.

“Yeah. Chote seems really tensed about something, maybe because Khushiji is staying in the guest room. Plus Chote isn’t telling us the reason behind it. Seems like something is really wrong” Anjali said in a thoughtful manner while Shyam had to praise himself.

“So Khushiji is staying in the Guest room? All alone?” Shyam probed, as numerous thoughts and possibilities sprouted in his brain.

This seems like a good chance to have his way.

“Yes, she’s staying alone but today she and Payal have gone to Buaji’s house.”

“Buaji’s house? All of a sudden?” Shyam asked, as his curiosity piped up.

“Yeah, Actually..” Anjali started but the ringing of her phone interrupted her speech.

“Richa Di calling” she read on the screen.

“Richa Di?” Shyam asked.

“My doctor” Anjali replied back before receiving the call and got up the bed, discussing her appointments and check-ups while Shyam lay down on the bed with a smirk.

Finally, the time had come for him to make his move.

.

.

Chapter 16 (B): "I missed you"

"Titaliya, go and check the daal, I think it's burning. I forgot to turn off the stove" Buaji called from the hall and Khushi rushed into the kitchen from her room where she and Payal were chatting.

"You saved it in time, Buaji. It's just a bit overcooked" Khushi replied, stirring the daal with a spatula.

"Okay good, now fry it too. I am leaving for the market, have to buy some grocery" Buaji said, taking out a jute handbag from a nearby drawer.

"Payalia? Come with me." She called over.

"Me, Buaji?" Payal asked, emerging out of her room.

"If your name is Payalia, surely you" Buaji said in an exasperated tone.

"Okay Buaji, let me get my dupatta" Payal replied with a smile and joined Buaji back in the hall.

"Take care of the house, Sankadevi. We'll be back in half an hour. Don't burn down the house in our absence" Buaji said and after getting a 'Theek hai, Buaji' from Khushi, set out with Payal.

~~***~~

Khushi was slicing the onions to fry the daal when the door was knocked.

"Buaji is back this soon? Might have forgotten her spectacles like every time " She thought to herself and continuing her slicing, said aloud.

"The door is open, Buaji. Your spectacles must be in the left drawer"

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she finished with the onions and placed them aside to start with the chillies.

"Hi" The familiar husky voice resonated close to her ears and in shock cum surprise; Khushi dropped the knife on the floor with a clattering noise.

"Sorry for startling you" she heard him say as she turned 180 degrees to face his smiling face.

"Aap?" was all she could say, as his gaze travelled all over her face.

"Here, your knife" He said, bending down and picking it up to offer her back.

"Thank you" She replied, taking the knife from him and placing it on the slab.

"Sorry I couldn't inform you..." She started but he cut in,

"It's okay, Khushi. You don't have to apologize for it. Nani told me that Uncle and Aunty have gone to some health camp in Varanasi and since Buaji was left alone here, she called you two to visit her"

"Hmm" She said and turned back to her chillies, not knowing what to reply with.

"I was missing you" He said and her heart skipped a beat at it. He had never been so open about his feelings to her and now when he actually said he missed her, she felt happy about it.

"When I got home from office I visited our room and then the guest room but didn't find you. It was then Nani told me that you've come here and I..was...scared"

"I thought you...left..me" He continued after a silence of ten seconds, but she didn't reply to any of it. Although his last sentence made her understand what he must have actually felt seeing her sudden disappearance in the house and her heart went out to him. She did feel bad for him.

"Khushi..please say something." He said, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her around at him.

He noticed her teary eyes and was surprised.

"Khushi?" He said, lifting her face up by cupping her face with his palms.

"I am sorry again, Arnavji. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. Buaji called as soon as I got home, and she was so stubborn to have me and Jeeji here and I didn't think you'll perceive it this way. Otherwise, I would have told you.."

"No Khushi, it's okay.. I am not accusing you. I was just sharing what I felt. After all I have done, I couldn't help but think that you have left me. And even if you actually did it, I don't think I have rights to question your decision" He continued in a melancholic voice unaware of her gaze on his pained expressions.

"I didn't even ask you to sit. Please have a seat in the hall, Arnavji. I'll make some coffee for you" She replied, and he shook his head.

"It's okay, Khushi, don't bother. I don't need a coffee".

'I'll just prefer standing here and watching you' He added mentally.

"Ohkay" She replied and turned her attention back to the mundane art of frying the daal.

As the smell of fried daal wafted across the kitchen, Arnav got reminded of the flowers he had brought along with and had placed in the hall.

So, he walked back to the hall to get the flowers and as he returned to the kitchen, he noticed Khushi standing on her tiptoes, trying to get hold of a jar placed in the upper shelf.

Placing the flowers on the slab, he hurried to help her.

Khushi went rigid as she sensed his chest pressing against her back and his hand emerged from behind her to hold the jar, brushing her hands in the process.

She quickly withdrew her hand and stood still, making no movement as Arnav lifted the jar and stepped back from her.

"Here" He said handing her the jar and once again, his fingers brushing hers making goose bumps to erupt all over her skin.

"Thank you" She replied.

"I brought this for you" He said, collecting the bouquet from the kitchen slab and extending it to her.

"Roses" A bright smile lit up on her face as she took hold of the bouquet, smelling the flowers.

"These are beautiful, Arnavji" She replied genuinely, looking at him with gratitude laden eyes.

"I am glad you liked them" He replied with a small smile, mesmerized by her 1000 watt smile.

"I should leave now" He said after a second and her smile faltered and finally withered away.

"Won't you meet Buaji?" She asked, expecting him to say 'yes'.

"No, Khushi, not today. There are a few things to be handled at home" He replied and read her disappointment which was now all over her face.

"Ask me to stay, Khushi" He wished but knew well there was no chance of its fulfilment.

"Arnavji" She quickly said out as he turned away from her, to leave.

"Yes, Khushi?" He turned back at her, expecting her to ask him to stay.

"I missed you too, Arnavji" She said with lowered gaze, and his heart surged with happiness.

And with the same happiness surging in his heart, he stepped forward and hugged her.

"Come back soon, Khushi. I miss you too" He whispered and stepping back softly placed his lips on her forehead.

She closed her eyes at the feel.

"Ahem..! I disturbed a private moment" A voice in the kitchen broke the trance and Khushi quickly stepped back from Arnav, making Arnav frown at the voice.

"Abhay?" Khushi asked, taken aback by his presence.

"Surprised you, didn't I, Jalebi Express?" He simpered.

"And I didn't come alone. Look who I brought along" He said, stepping aside and giving the view of Buaji and Payal entering the house.

"Now before you bombard me with questions, I'll answer all of them. I was in Laxminagar market for some work and then I saw Payal and Buaji in there. So, we just met there, did some Hi-hello and Buaji invited me to come and have some tea. And she also told me you're here but Arnav's presence was a surprise" Abhay said, all in one breath.

"Khushi I think now I should..." Arnav started but was cut in by Buaji's loud remark.

"Arnav Babua? When did you come?"

And even before Arnav could answer, she shot another question at him.

"And why are you standing in the kitchen? Didn't Sankadevi ask you to have a seat? Hain, Parmeshwari? Why have you made Arnav Babua stand there?" Buaji continued in her shrill voice and Arnav was confused which question to answer first.

"Buaji, even you are not asking Arnavji to sit" Payal interrupted putting an end to Buaji's rant.

"Arnavji, please come and sit. Abhay, you too should choose a chair instead of that slab" Payal said, shifting her gaze to Abhay who had by now taken a seat on the kitchen slab and was sitting upon it with his legs dangling down.

"Unbelievable man!" Arnav thought and giving a quick look to Abhay turned his attention back to Buaji and Payal.

"Buaji, I was just leaving. Can't stay any longer" He said in a soft voice.

"But Arnav Bitwa..."

"It's okay, Buaji. Mr. Raizada is a busy man, you shouldn't hold him here. He's got meetings to attend. Right, Arnav?" Abhay said, getting down the slab and Khushi could almost hear a silent 'What the' from Arnav.

"I think I can stay for a while, Buaji" Arnav said, giving a stealthy look to Khushi while mostly his gaze lingered on Abhay's face.

"That's great, Babua. Come and sit in the hall. Abhay babua, you move in the hall too. Titaliya will make some tea for you and coffee for Arnav babua"

"Okay Buaji" Abhay said and followed Arnav who was already heading towards the seating.

"Payalia, you take out these vegetables and sort them here"

"Ji, Buaji" Payal replied and Buaji left towards the hall.

~~***~~

"So Babua, how's the work?" Buaji asked as she took a chair before Arnav and Abhay.

"It's good, Buaji" Arnav and Abhay replied in unison and looked at each other, the former with a frown while Abhay simply grinned.

"Seems like he knows nothing better than showcasing that silly simpering face of him" Arnav thought as Abhay animatedly started talking about his business to Buaji, who didn't seem to understand any of his technical terms, but he continued anyway.

"Arnav Babua, why are you so silent? How's everyone at Shantivan, especially Anjali bitiya? I hope she's being careful these days" Buaji said.

"Ji Buaji, Di is fine and so is everyone else" Arnav replied, his gaze travelling back to kitchen to have a glimpse of Khushi.

"Acha hai" Buaji replied.

"Who's Anjali, by the way?" asked Abhay, thus pulling Arnav's attention back to the conversation.

"Arnav babua's elder sister. She's preg..." Buaji replied but was cut off by Khushi who just appeared in the hall will a tray and Payal followed with some snacks in another tray.

"Arnavji, your coffee" Khushi said, offering a cup to him and as she handed him the cup Arnav held her hand instead of the cup.

"Arnavji" she whispered looking towards Abhay and Buaji but neither of them were looking at them as Payal was serving them.

Seeing the anxious look on her face, Arnav slowly let go of her hand and took the cup.

"Jalebi Express, you are allowed to sit" Abhay sat as he noticed her standing quietly beside Arnav, watching him have his coffee.

"Yeah..I..no I have some work" She said.

"Oh great. I'll come with you and you can show me your room" Abhay said, excited which of course didn't excite Arnav.

"Yes, Sankadevi, take Abhay along and show him your room. Payalia you come and help me with the dinner"

"I would also like to see your room, Khushi" Arnav said, drawing everyone's attention at him.

"It's all the same, Arnavji. Nothing different from how we had left it a few weeks back" Khushi said, reminding him of the week they had spent together in the house, which also brought back the associated bitter-sweet memories.

While Arnav was catching up with the memories, Khushi left for her room with Abhay following her closely.

~~***~~

"You're all the same, Khushi. This Salman poster, these stars, god it looks same as your room back in Lucknow" Abhay said with a smile, and she smiled back.

"So, what's wrong between you and him?" He asked out of blue.

"Who 'Him'?" Khushi asked, turning her back at Abhay and looking towards the stars which hung above her bed.

"You know who, Khushi. I am talking about Arnav" Abhay said, placing his hands on either sides of her shoulder and turning her towards him.

"Something is wrong between you and him, I can see it clearly. The way he keeps giving you looks and the way you respond to them, nothing seems normal" Abhay said, forcing her to look up in his eyes.

"You're overthinking it, Abhay." Khushi said, stepping back from him.

"Fine, if you don't want to share it's all fine. But mind it, Khushi, I am going to find it out" Abhay said in rather heated voice.

"Abhay, I think you should leave now" Khushi said, looking away.

"Has he hurt you?" He finally asked, stating his doubts.

"I think Buaji is calling me, I'll go and check" Khushi replied and tried to leave but Abhay caught her by her arms.

"Who are you running away from, Khushi? My questions or from yourself?" He asked, trying to force out a reply from her.

"You can share anything with me, Khushi. Anytime!" seeing the silence on her end, he finally said out the words with a sigh.

"Thank You, Abhay" She replied, and he hugged her in return.

"Khushi, I am leavi...ng" The words got caught in his mouth as Arnav stepped in the room, quite at a wrong time.

Hearing him in the room, Khushi pulled back from the hug and together, she and Abhay turned to face a confounded Arnav.

"I am leaving" He repeated, trying to reflect indifference on his face but failing miserably.

"Wanted to ask when shall I come to pick you?" He continued, stepping further in the room.

"You don't need to come, Arnavji. Jeeji and I will come back by tomorrow afternoon" She replied.

"Err..Khushi, I'll be outside. Don't want to play the gooseberry here" Abhay said and left.

"You already have" Arnav mumbled under his breath which was caught well by Abhay as he walked past Arnav.

"Wo..Arnavji..Abhay and I" Khushi started to explain, wanting to wipe off the gloom over Arnav's face which had settled in as he had walked in the room.

"I trust you, Khushi and you surely don't need to explain. It's just that it wasn't a really pleasing sight, but I am okay. Bye. See you tomorrow...in our room" He said, the latter part with a smile and turning his back at her set out, and failed to notice a thoughtful Abhay standing aside the door.

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