Chapter 13

Here is the fourteenth Vignette.

I've always wanted to see some pampering...

This one's for Elizabeth, my ex-roommate, an Arnav-Khushi junkie...and for Sarada, who might just end up killing me!

Hope you like it...and, as always, looking forward to your feedback.

Hearing the door open, Payal and Akash looked up from where they had been huddling by the television. Seeing her Jethji and sister walk in hand-in-hand, Payal smiled at her husband and got up. Coming down the stairs, she said, "You're back... how was the film?"

Grimacing at the song-and-dance routine his wife had subjected him to for two whole hours, Arnav was about to reply with a caustic remark when his wife jumped in, "Haye, Jiji...what a movie! Salmanji and Sonakshiji has done an awesome job! Just like their first film!"

Grinning at the enthusiastic Khushi, Akash replied, "Haan, haan, I can see how much Bhai must've enjoyed."

"Arre Jeejaji, your Bhai doesn't know the first thing about watching a movie. Yeh toh..."

Sputtering in indignation, Arnav had interrupted her with a "What the! Khushi! I sat with you for two whole hours..."

Shaking her head at the regular routine being enacted in front of her, Payal butted in, "Bus, bus, don't start now. I'll set out your dinner, eat and then fight."

Glowering at his wife, Arnav replied, "No, thanks, Payal. Thanks to Miss.Always-Hungry here, we ate on the way. From some unhygenic wayside stand. I told her we'll eat at home, but when has she been sensible when it comes to food?"

Bidding his brother and his wife good night, he turned to stride up the stairs, his wife running after him, loudly voicing her disagreement on his comment regarding her choice of eatery.

Smirking at the couple, Akash turned to his wife, "Come, our movie isn't over yet."

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

Arnav got out of the washroom to see his wife standing grumpily by the poolside window. Walking up to her and giving her a light shove, he said, "Ok now, enough. I'm sorry I didn't enjoy the movie like you did. But I got my money's worth, after all."

Turning around to look at him suspiciously, Khushi asked,"How?"

Poking at her nose, he smirked, "Watching you! Your reactions are a lot more fun to watch than a movie. You know I can watch my TV-Biwi for hours!"

Sputtering as she tried to decide whether to be annoyed or be glad at the veiled compliment, she watched him saunter to his side of the bed. Sitting down, he looked back up, "Now go and come quickly. I'm sleepy."

Turning and marching to the bathroom, she shot back, "Then sleep! Don't let me keep you."

In sweet surrender, her husband called out just as she closed the door, "You think I can sleep without you?"

Opening the door again to smile at him, Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada too declared the sparring match over. Ahh...just another day in their lives!

***********

Arnav was subconsciously aware of his wife's tossing and turning all through the night, well, more tossing and turning than usual. At one point, he even woke up when she pressed herself close to him, almost pushing him off the bed. Turning to look at her, he noticed her face scrunched tight. Thinking that she must be having a nightmare, he gathered her to him, rubbing her back soothingly. Curling into his warmth, she again pressesd her full length against his side and finally quieted down in sleep.

He woke again when her alarm went off. Turning over for a last minute snuggle, he was rudely pushed away as Khushi leapt off the bed and ran to the bathroom. Rolling over to hug her pillow, he missed the distressed look on her face. Bolting upright as he heard retching noises from the bathroom, he ran to the door which, in her hurry, Khushi had left unlocked.

Finding his wife bent over the water-closet, he started rubbing her back whith one hand while he gathered her hair away from her face with the other. Subsiding into dry-heaves, she leaned on him for a minute before she groaned, clutching her stomach. Straightening suddenly, she pushed him out of the toilet and banged the door shut.

Not understanding, he banged on the door, "Khushi, let me in! Are you feeling sick again? What if you collapse?"

A groaning voice answered him, "No, Arnavji. Just give me a minute."

Pacing worriedly, he waited for his wife to come out. Taking one long look at her pale face, he gathered her up and put her to bed, ignoring her weak protests. "You will stay in bed!. I'll go down and get you a cup of light tea or something like that."

Turning back at the door, he asked, "Should I send Di up? And, shall I call the doctor?"

Smiling tiredly, she replied, "Don't worry, Arnavji. I'm better now. And don't bring up my tea, I'll come down in a minute."

Walking back to her, he sat down at the edage of the mattress. Combing her hair back with a gentle hand, he bent down to place a soft kiss against her forehead. "Khushi, you're not okay. Rest a while, please. What if you feel sick again? We'll go after you get some rest. Okay?"

Knowing how much her husband would worry until she got better, Khushi decided to abide by his advise and nodded.

***********

Walking downstairs, Arnav yelled for HP and told him to take a glass of ginger-lime tea upstairs to his ailing wife, the instructions on how to make up the tea making the poor man's head spin. Seeing a dazed-looking HP come into the kitchen, Manorama asked, "Baat haippened, HP? By so confioosed?"

Busily fixing up the juice, he replied, "Woh Khushi Bhabi bimaar hain naah..."

Had he looked up, he would've seeing the herd of Raizada women whip around enmasse before he could complete his sentence. "Baat!", "Ka hua?", "Hey Bhagwan!", "Kya hua Khushi ko?" resonating in the air, HP stood like a deer caught in headlights, head swinging from one person to the other.

Not waiting for a reply, they turned around to rush upstairs, stampeding past Arnav who was also going back up. Seeing the group, he shook his head, marvelling again at how his wife had the entire family wrapped around her little finger.

As he entered the room, everyone was already standing around their bed, faces somber in their concern for the patient. Just in time to hear his wife tell them about how she had thrown up and felt faint, he was stunned to see the faces of his Nani and Di light up.

"Huh? You're smiling? Seeing her sick?", he blurted incredulously.

"Chotte, I think Khushi bitiya should get a check-up done. Maybe it's good news...", Nani smiled, fairly jumping in anticipation.

Rolling his eyes as he caught on, Arnav smirked, "Unbelievable! You all have a One-track mind!"

"Par Chotte..."

Interrupting his Di, Arnav yelled, "She has food poisoning! After her gol-gappe eating spree last night! For God's sake, Di!"

Faces falling, the ladies stood silent, just as Khushi jumped up to run to the toilet again, followed equally quickly by a now-worried Arnav who barely escaped having his nose crushed as his wife slammed the door shut, with a muffled yell, "I'm not nauseous...just a little stomach trouble..."

By the time she got out and was escorted back to the bed, the doctor walked in, followed by a hysterical NK. "Khushiji...you're sick! Kya huyi?"

Reaching his limit, Arnav looked at his sister-in-law in despeation, who, luckily was the still-sane one in the family and sending a sympathetic look at him and giving a quick hug to her sister, herded everyone out.

***********

After the doctor left, prescribing medicines to arrest her nausea and diarrhoea, and getting Khushi to promise to take lots of fluids, Arnav settled down next to her, keeping her company. As she looked up at him in misery, he chuckled, "I know its mean, but Khushi, I told you so..."

Scrunching up her face, she replied, "You're laughing at me?"

Gathering her to him, wrapping the blanket securely around her, he replied, "Naah...just making sure that you'll remember this the next time you feel the urge to eat from the roadside."

Cuddling up to her husband, who was rubbing her back soothingly, Khushi replied fervently, "I'll never ever eat again...", before she leapt up again to rush to the toilet.

Coming back in a few minutes, she collapsed wearily into the waiting arms of her husband, and after taking a minute to get her breath back, murmured, "Arnavji..."

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something..."

Grinning at her, he asked, "Why the introduction? Some mad question, huh?"

Her face serious, she looked up at him, eyes vulnerable, "What Nani and Di said..."

Understanding where this was going, her husband kept silent, waiting for her to get it out.

"Woh...what do you think? Humein...I mean...children...now...you know what I mean! Hearing your reply...you still don't like children? And you always use protection..."

His breath catching as he looked down at her innocent face, Arnav hugged her tight, dropping a kiss against her hair. Wanting to see her eyes as he replied, he pulled back.

"Khushi, the day you give me the news that we are going to have a baby will be one of the happiest days of my life. I wasn't lying when I said that you've turned my life around completely. I want children, Khushi, a whole brood! But I want you just to myself for some time...we'll start our family, not just yet...do you understand what I'm saying?"

Seeing the earnest look on his face, she smiled, her heart lifting at his soft words. Hugging him again, she nodded against his chest, happy in their cozy little world. The time would come when two became three...but for now, it was just him, her and her food-poisoning.

***********

By the end of the day, it was tough to say who was more exhausted - the patient or her dedicated by-stander, what with the relentlessly frequent trips to the loo.

Sighing, Arnav leaned back, watching a worn-out Khushi sleeping, face pressed against his stomach. He was just dozing off, when he felt her stirring. Stroking her hair, he asked softly, "How are you feeling now? You've stopped throwing up...that must mean you're getting better..."

Looking up at him sheepishly, his incorrigible wife replied, "Arnavji, I'm hungry!"

The room stood witness to the look of utter shock on Arnav Singh Raizada's face, followed by his wife's giggles, joined soon by his deep chuckles... Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada was back in action!