Chapter 12

To those who missed these OSs, and took the pains to let me know, thank you!

And thank you to those who loved and let me know of your appreciation for my first ever FF - the previous Vignette, From..., with love.

Hope you enjoy this return to the OS-land after the venture into FF and please do leave your comments...

The two brothers were seated at the dining table, realxing after a hectic day at work. Chin propped on his hand, Akash was watching his wife bustling around in the kitchen, while Arnav was busily fiddling with his phone.

Coming out of Naniji's room at a run, Khushi paused to smile at her husband and Jijaji before rushing off to join her sister. "Jiji, Naniji has asked for khichdi for dinner. She wants to have something light today."

"Okay. Good that you came and told me before I started making the rotis. Khushi, hand me that vessel, please...", Payal pointed to a vessel on the other counter as she turned to get the rice for the khichdi.

The sisters got busy in their work, their conversation flowing without a break, even when they turned to give intermittent instructions to the domestic staff.

Still watching his wife and Bhabi, who were executing what appeared to be a well-rehearsed dance as they went about their routine chores, Akash muttered to his brother, "Look at those two, Bhai. Completely in-tune with eachother."

Looking up to glance at the women, who were stepping out of eachother's way and handing eachother things without even being asked to, Arnav smiled faintly, "Its their daily routine..."

Nodding, Akash replied, "Do you know what they remind me of? Magnets! When one moves, the other shifts to accommodate it..."

Taking one final look at their wives, the brothers went back to discussing their day, unwinding gradually.

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

Walking into the head-office of AR, Payal and Khushi were welcomed with wide smiles by the staff, who loved their unassuming, considerate Madams. Seeing the discussions still continuing in the mezzanine conference room, they declined the offer from the Office Manager to call their husbands and settled down in the lounge to wait for them.

It was a Friday evening, and both couples had made plans for one of their frequent joint outings. Not wanting to waste time shuttling to-and-fro, stuck in the heavy pre-weekend traffic, the women had offered to join their husbands in their office and go out from there. But now, apparently, the meeting was stretching a bit.

Sitting back quietly and watching the goings-on in the meeting room, even as her sister got busy in catching up with the office news from her ex-colleagues, Payal smiled thoughtfully. Finally bidding goodbye to her friend from the cafeteria, Khushi sat back and turned to her Jiji, only to see the soft smile on her face.

Putting her hand on her sister's arm, smiling inspite of not knowing why, Khushi asked, "What's up, Jiji? Why are you smiling?"

Titlting her chin at the conference room, Payal smiled at Khushi, "See, Khushi. See how Arnavji and Akash work together; completing eachothers sentences, and taking turns in being the hot-tempered one and the cool one in their negotiations. Totally in sync and complimenting one another in running the business..."

Looking over at the men, engrossed in fianlising some deal or the other, Khushi chuckled, "That's true. Ram-Lakhan ki jodi hain!"

Sitting back to wait for them, she continued, "You knowJiji, at times, these two remind me of magnets. Turning this way and that according to its pair...See..."

Smiling at the typical Khushi-style analysis, Payal nodded, as she too sat back, watching and waiting for her better-half to come join her.

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

The next day, walking into the study hall at Prateeksha, Akash and Payal looked around for their brother and sister, not able to spot them in the midst of the melee of children.

Finally catching sight of them sitting in a corner, busy in helping a group of pre-schoolers in making sketches of flowers and animals, Akash smiled and pointed them out to his wife, "There they are..."

Making their way across the room, they came to halt at the periphery of the cirlce of curious children surrounding the two and stood, looking on silently. After watching Arnav and Khushi working as a seemless team, sometimes handing eachother colours and pencils without being asked for it, sometimes reaching over to help the other in managing a wriggling child, sometimes shifting around to accommodate the other as they explained the figures they were drawing to their impressed audience, Payal smiled, recalling Khushi's earlier words.

"Magnets...", she muttered.

"Hmm?", Akash asked absently, still looking on at his brother's artwork. Smiling up at her tall husband, Payal clarified, "Yesterday, when we were waiting for you at the office, Khushi was telling me how you and Arnavji reminds her of a pair of magnets, seeing how atuned to eachother you are. And now, seeing Khushi and Arnavji reminded me of that...See how they're stuck together...just like iron stuck to a magnet!"

Chuckling, akash replied, "You know what? A couple of days ago, I called you and Khushi magnets, after seeing you both dancing around eachother in the kitchen!"

Laughing at the coincidence, they walked off to start their routine coaching work for the senior students, not hearing when Khushi looked up and seeing them walk off, arms around eachother, murmured, "What a pair...like we said of Jijaji and Arnavji, Jiji and Jijaji too make a pair like iron and magnet!"

Turning back to her husband, Khushi smiled as she recalled how she had called her husband and Jijaji by the same name. "Devi Maiyya keep our family together always...just as it is now!", she prayed as she took over the shading-the-duck-yellow duty from Arnav.

This is a short one...I'm taking a well-earned rest after the mega-updates I gave you in the Dhruv-saga!

Don't worry, guys...as I said, these stories, the Vignettes into life at Shantivan, will go on for a while yet...in the form of OSs or SSs or FFs...the stories will keep flowing...God willing...