Chapter 2
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Once Upon A Christmas.
Of love, Landour and letting go...
NOTE: This is based on the characters of my FF, A Late Spring but can be read alone too..:) Link to ALS can be found in my index( Just Jenny...at the bottom of each post of mine..)
PART 2 (LAST)
All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.
Havelock Ellis..
Landour.
The Sun slowly emerged from behind the snowy summits causing multihued, warm light to play upon their magnificent, pearly white visage and making it come alive in an explosion of pure gold. Landour, cocooned securely in the encircling arms of Garhwal Himalayas was waking up from slumber.
It was the month of December and the little town, empty of tourists, atleast those with saner dispositions, was expectedly desolate, half smothered by a thick sheet of fresh -fallen snow. The deciduous trees seemed to raise their dark, bare arms towards the skies in a silent plea for sunshine, while the unforgiving skies remained stubbornly gray for days on end. Amidst such stark environs, the delicate, pastel blossoms of spring, the lush foliage of summer, the murmuring of the silver streams over smooth river rocks was like an unattainable dream, a swiftly fading memory.
A little tea shop in the tiny bazaar, unimaginatively named 'Char Dukan' was the hub point for the handful of permanent residents of the town, where they gathered each morning to jointly lament upon the travestities of nature and immediately followed it by an enthusiastic exchange of local gossip. A process doubled in enjoyment when concurrently accompainied by the patrons partaking of hot, invigorating cups of strongly brewed chai.
The air was thick with frozen breaths and tea vapors as a man wrapped up in layers of woolens looked up from a local daily and announced, "Arnav Foster is getting the old Townsend bungalow renovated. So that's what all those trucks loaded with building materials and all those Bombay people parading around for the past few months has been about. It is reported he will be spending Christmas here with his family..".
His companion, looking singularly unimpressed by this unsolicited bit of information took his time responding to it. After a long, noisy sip of the potent brew, he made a well chosen, disparaging sound that was not only supremely dismissive but also highly successful in conveying volumes about what he thought of the rich and their whims and fancies.
In an old cottage, a little way from the back of the Church, the new, freshly appointed pastor sat at the dining table across his young wife. His wife, who had just arrived from Bangalore was shivering with cold, despite being almost smothered in layers of woolens. The pastor, a somber faced young man cast a fond look at her and walked over to the fireplace to stoke the waning flames with fresh firewood. He added some dried pinecones as well for their aroma and half listened to his wife reading an article from the the local newspaper.
"The century old Townsend Bungalow in Landour is undergoing a major renovation project, initiated by Mr. Arnav Foster, CEO of India's leading software company, Cyberex Ltd. Built in 1926, this Raj style house has stayed in their family for generations and is currently owned by Mrs. Janice Townsend, Mr. Arnav Foster's grandmother. Sources tell us that Mr. Foster plans to use this quaint house, located in a particularly picturesque part of Landour, whimsically named 'Fairy's Glen" as a summer home for his family. Landour hills are sprinkled with summer homes, owned by celebrities including a best seller author, a Bollywood actor and...".
As his wife read on with obvious enjoyment, he drew the bright, flower patterned curtains against the dreariness of outdoors and sighed...
He just did not have the heart to reprimand her for indulging in vain talk today.
Christmas is almost here, after all...
Not too far from the bazaar, later that day, the pale golden rays of Sun slanted down on a couple as they sat on a solitary bench in the furthest corner of the snow covered school grounds of Woodstock school.
"And this is where the lone Wolf would sit, away from the rest of the school", Khushi said soft, her head resting on Arnav's shoulder, a little smile hovering on her lips.
"And then you left the rest of the school to keep me company here...", said Arnav smiling.
"Lisa used to be so mad at me, when I first started doing that...", murmured Khushi, her eyes soft with fond reminiscences.
"I can't wait to see Lisa again, should we go inside now or is it still too early...?
Thanks to Facebook, Khushi had been able to maintain contacts with almost all of her school friends and was now eagerly looking forward to meeting them again. Arnav on the other hand was eagerly waiting for the 'reunion' to be over, even before it had actually begun. He had even extracted a promise from Khushi to leave early, something she had actually done without much persuasion...
The old gym was decorated once again with flowers, fairy lights and paper lanterns and a makeshift stage had been constructed at one end of it. It was getting crowded already and the air was abuzz with laughter and excitement. Arnav and Khushi made a striking couple as they entered the gym together with their hands joined. Since the dress code was casual, Arnav wore jeans and a black cashmere sweater under his winter outerwear and Khushi wore a sweater tunic in a lovely shade of jade green, paired with black leggings. It had rhinestone accents on it's boatneck, while it's thin material clung to her curves like a second skin, which made Arnav view the whole prospect of spending the next few hours in a public place, as nothing but nuisance.
His bad tempered reverie was broken by an earsplitting shriek followed by a small person, dressed nicely in light blue, hurling herself at Khushi..
"Khushi!!! OMG...It's been so long. Let me look at you...you look amazing..!!
"Lisa!!! You haven't changed at all...!! You look gorgeous..!
Indeed for the rest of the evening, similar breathless conversations were heard a lot in the old gym much to the consternation of those better halves who were not Woodstock alumni.
"Hey Arnav...". Lisa turned her attention to Arnav after the longest time...
As Arnav extended his hand and they shook hands somberly, Lisa said with a sudden grin, "I still haven't forgiven you for stealing my best friend...and that too during the last few months of school...".
Arnav smiled back in a way that was totally new to Lisa.
"You shouldn't have given her up without a fight..".
Returning his smile, Lisa stared at him in wonder. He looked so drastically different from the sullen, hot-tempered and quite antisocial 17 year old, she remembered.
As she was about to leave them to rejoin her husband whom she had summarily abandoned in her hurry to meet Khushi, she said to Khushi in a loud stage-whisper "He looks so changed, what have you been doing to him..?
"A lot of things...", whispered Khushi naughtily, before laughing at Lisa's widened eyes.
It was quite obvious that Arnav was not the only one who'd changed.
Even though the evening wasn't quite as horrific as Arnav had supposed, and he even found a kindred spirit of sorts in Lisa's husband, after a couple of hours he was just about done and texted Khushi, who was sitting right opposite him.
"Let's leave. We can have dinner somewhere else".
"If's okay with you...", was added as a late afterthought, keeping in mind the various times he had been very vocally accused of being bossy by his normally even tempered wife.
As Khushi looked up and smiled at him, Arnav felt a sudden surge of excitement rush through his veins, which made him realize how much he had missed being alone with her.
Evening had already fallen when they emerged out from the school gates, and a large yellow moon had risen high in the star spangled sky. It was bone chilling cold and even with her knee length, quilted down coat, hat and gloves on, Khushi felt uncontrollable shivers down her back. Hugging Arnav's arm with both of hers, she said quiveringly, "It's so cold. I have gotten used to Mumbai weather now...".
They were walking on the Valley View road, which was covered with about three inches of snow, awash with the Moon's pale glow. With the snow covered slope on one side, the other side of the road faced the valley, which at this time of the day was aglitter with a million orbs of lights.
"After we walk for a while, you'll feel better..", said Arnav reassuringly, pulling her closer.
Continuing to feel her shivers, Arnav freed his arm and pulled her in his arms.
"I need brandy", she joked, with her teeth chattering..
"Don't have brandy but perhaps this might work as a substitute?", he said huskily with a smirk, leaning his face to capture her freezing lips with his. Throwing her arms around his neck, she molded her soft curves against his warm, firm body and a different kind of shiver took over, as his lips cajoled hers open and he kissed her in a deliberate tantalizing manner, taking his time about it too.
The warmth and strength seeped from his body to hers and lulled her mind into a delicious, intoxicated haze.
Relaxed conversation, teasing banter and plenteous laughter cut through the frozen, moonlit night as they strolled along the railing barely noticing the incessant gusts of marrow-chilling wind that rose from the valley and stung their faces from time to time.
Soon they came to a fork in the road, with one leading to the Townsend bungalow, and the other sloping down precipitously to the bright and bustling, Mussoorie Mall Road area.
"Where do you want to go for dinner?, asked Arnav.
"Somewhere very, very informal..", said Khushi emphatically.
After doing a roadside google consult, they decided to go to a small restaurant called Whispering Windows, just because Khushi liked the sound of it.
Soon they were being led to their seats in a small but tastefully decorated restaurant, with an amazing view of the lights of the valley on one side. Taking their coats off, they settled in and while waiting for their orders called home to be pleasantly reassured that everything was well and contrary to what Khushi feared, the kids weren't pining away for them, every passing second.
Khushi's order came first and glancing at her plate, Arnav shook his head.
"This is your dinner? Seriously?
Popping a juicy, zesty panipuri in her mouth, Khushi smiled at him, "You should try one too, it's so good".
She was surprised when he said after a moment's hesitation, 'Oh fine, I'll try one, I've never had one before..".
"Come closer", Khushi ordered and smiled as he brought his head closer and opened his mouth like a kid.
Popping one carefully prepared panipuri in his mouth and watching him swallow it, Khushi's hand stilled and she watched his face closely for results.
"How was it?, she asked, suppressing a smile for her question was quite superfluous in light of certain impossible to miss facts like beetroot red ears and watery eyes.
After taking a few moments to get his bearings back, he said with a grimace, "You should have warned me".
He stuck to his boring old chicken fried rice after that and after dinner they lingered , talking pleasantly about nothing in particular and gazing down at the distant city of lights. During a lull in the conversation, when Arnav took his phone out to check something, Khushi protested at once.
"Remember what we had agreed upon! No stock market news, no match scores, no internet at all, in fact".
"I know..", said Arnav placatingly, eyes still glued to the screen, "Just checking on tonight's weather forecast, it's important".
"Oh..what does it say?
Arnav looked up from the screen, "It says cloudy with..".
The waiter approached them right at that moment, with the bill and after Arnav had taken care of that, Khushi prompted him.
"Cloudy with...?
Donning his coat on, he paused, eyes warm with sudden mischief. After running his eyes lazily over her face, the smooth column of her neck and further south, he got up from the seat and said naughtily with a half smile, "Cloudy with a chance of love..".
Smiling a little, they emerged out of the restaurant onto the crowded, noisy Mall Road, while a song blared loudly from a loudspeaker nearby...
jitne paas hain khushbu saans ke
jitne paas hothon ke sargam
jaise saath hain karvat yaad ke
jaise saath baahon ke sangam
jitne paas paas khwaabon ke nazar
utni paas tu rehna hamsafar
tu jo paas ho phir kya yeh jahaan
tere pyar mein ho jaaun fanaa
mere haath mein tera haath ho saari jannatein mere saath ho
It was a short walk to the newly renovated Townsend home, but uphill this time and both were slightly out of breath when they first saw it's welcoming lights twinkling from the windows. With snow crunching underneath their shoes, they reached the verandah and taking a key from his coat pocket, Arnav unlocked the front door. As he held the door open for her, she walked inside, her heart racing like a new bride.
Khushi crossed the foyer after divesting herself of the coat and boots, with Arnav right behind her. Coming to the huge family room, Khushi sighed in contentment gazing at the beautifully decorated Christmas Tree by the fireplace. They had decorated it together before leaving for the school reunion.
Arnav hugged her from behind and gathering her hair to one side, nuzzled at her ear and side of neck. As her breath hitched in the throat, he said against her skin, "You said something about making coffee..".
Soon they were in their gleaming, black granite and steel kitchen, with Khushi filling the carafe with water and carrying it back to the percolator. As Arnav watched, she tripped over a fold in the rug and stopped herself from falling by bracing herself against the island.
Hearing her wince, Arnav came to her side at once.
"You okay?, he asked taking the carafe from her and placing it on the counter.
"Yes...my ankle hurts..", she said, hobbling a little.
"Let me see..", said Arnav and had soon picked her by the waist and hoisted her atop the island counter.
Kneeling down on the beautifully polished hardwood floor, as he examined Khushi's ankle carefully for any sign of swelling or bruising, he was surprised to hear her giggle..
As he looked up questioningly and their gazes met, she said with her eyes glinting with humor.
"Are my feet nice and sexy too?
His eyes flickering with lazy, almost feline humor, he said dismissively, "They are not too bad, I guess".
Getting up to face her, he walked right into the warmth of her personal space and said, "You're lucky they don't need fixing, I was raring to go with my newly attained knowledge..".
Looking at his face, just inches away from hers and for once at the same level as hers, she got a familiar whiff of Bleu De Chanel. With her body afire with desire, she slid her arms around his neck and puckered her lips for a kiss..
An invitation, Mr. Foster accepted with much alacrity.
With wild abandon, they kissed hungrily, stoking the fire that was already coursing through their veins into a raging inferno. Arnav's impatient hands ran down the length of her body caressing and molding her curves.
As he cupped her mounds and stroked their sensitive peaks with his thumbs, Khushi moaned softly threw her head back to give him more access.
"Take your sweater off', he said huskily, tugging at it's hem.
As she readily pulled it off, Arnav gazed at the red, lacy, VS creation, she was wearing and felt his body getting taut with a fresh surge of desire.
Khushi slid her hands under his sweater to feel his hard, well toned back and getting the hint, Arnav removed his sweater and shirt too, groaning with pleasure as he felt her nuzzling and dropping hot kisses all over his chest and neck.
As he felt her nipping the side of his neck, he laughed shortly, "You're going to give me a hickey again".
Raising her head, she smiled at him, her eyes hazy with desire, "I know you like it".
"I love it", he drawled, sliding the satiny straps off of her creamy, petal soft shoulders, and unhooking the back strap.
Then he swooped his head down to ravish her in a manner that made her plead for mercy and thrum with desire.
"I don't think, we're going to make it to the bedroom..", she said panting, clutching at her soft hair for dear life.
After a while, he raised his head again with his caramel eyes filled with pure devilry.
After unfastening the button of his jeans and unzipping it, he wrapped her parted legs tightly around his waist.
"I doubt, we'll make it out of the kitchen, dear", said Mr. Foster, with a glint in his incredibly sexy, 'bedroom eyes'.
And thus, they had their 'moment', actually several moments, while the silvery snowflakes fell from the skies throughout that night and the whole next day as well, turned Landour into a magical winter wonderland.
Christmas Eve...
It was way past one when the mass finally got over and the sleepy flock emerged from the double teak doors of the old Church to make their way home in the still falling snow. Despite the frozen weather, there was an air of cheerful festivity in the air with greetings and embraces being exchanged all around. Everyone in the Foster household, Janice and Rachel included were thankful to be adequately dressed for inclement weather as they trudged in five inches of snow, their breaths surrounding them like a cloud.
Sofia and Emma had dozed off in the Church after several sincere and valiant attempts to manually keep their eyes open and now being carried by their mom and dad respectively. Aiden, though very sleepy too, refused to be carried by Aunt Rachel and was manning it up, just like Brandon.
At times like these, one realizes with startling clarity just how lucky they are to have a warm home to return to and they all heaved a collective sigh of relief as they stepped inside the house and closed the door behind them to keep out the snow, the ice, the howling wind.
"Hot cocoa', Aiden demanded, impatiently peeling layers of clothing off.
"I could do with some too", added Brandon, rubbing his hands together.
The family room was suffused by a warm mellowness, originating from the roaring fire in the fireplace and the fairy lights adorning the Christmas Tree and their was a strong smell of mulled apple cider, which Janice had started in a crock pot before leaving for the mass.
Soon they sat around the fire, all except Sofia and Emma, nursing a warm beverage in their hands. Brandon and Aiden with their hot cocoas and Janice and Rachel with the apple cider.
In the kitchen, Arnav opened the door of the wine cooler to fish a bottle of Goldschlager out. Spiking his cider generously, he asked Khushi with a smile, "A little bit..?
Khushi extended her glass and allowed him to put barely half a shot of the cinnamon schnapps in it. Hating all forms of alcohol because they all tasted and smelled like liquid benadryl to her, mulled and spiked apple cider was the only alcoholic beverage that she actually liked and that too only on Christmas.
As she raised her glass against the light to childishly peer for glinting gold flakes, Arnav slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
"I bet you let me add that just so you can look for gold flakes..", he said teasingly.
Aiden entered the kitchen with his empty mug.
"I'm going to stay awake all night", he announced to his parents, followed quite contrarily by a yawn.
"And why is that?, his father asked amusedly.
"I'm waiting for Santa. Last year he brought the wrong present by mistake and I had to get it changed at the toy store..".
After reassuring him that his message would be passed to Santa, Khushi took him upstairs to bed and it was past three by the time Arnav and Khushi went to bed after neatly arranging all the presents under the Christmas Tree for Christmas morning.
Arnav had already gone to bed and Khushi was about to turn the lights off in the family room and retire for the night when on a sudden impulse, she picked up her phone and called her mom's number. Though her mom called her every year for Christmas, she had never really allowed herself to open her heart to her and their conversation never progressed beyond a formal exchange of cliched greetings, stilted enquiries and empty platitudes.
Her mom picked up the phone almost at once and Khushi could sense the surprise she must have felt on seeing her number on the caller ID.
"Hello?, she heard her mother's breathless voice reach her from across the oceans.
"Merry Christmas, Mama..", she said, feeling an almost immediate lightening in her heart.
She knew that the past could never be changed nor the fact that for all intents and purposed, she had been abandoned by her own mother, yet the fact remained that she still loved her...
And holding on to that love, however inadequately reciprocated it might have been brought her peace...
As did letting go of the acrimony, she had in her heart for her...
In her flawed, selfish way, Khushi just knew in her heart of hearts, her mother did love her.
Later as she climbed upstairs to her room, there was a little soft smile on her face...
This was one Christmas, she and Arnav would never forget in the years to come...
Christmas morning dawned with all it's fun, excitement and craziness. Still clad in their night clothes, the kids opened their presents and the adults braced themselves from the expected onslaught of earsplitting shouts of thanks, choking embraces and sloppy kisses.
The adults were a lot more sedate in showing their appreciation, though maybe just as excited.
"This is from Daddy, for me", said Khushi with a smile, looking at a large box handed to her by Sofia. Done opening all their presents, the kids were just as impatient to have others open theirs.
It was a red, hooded coat made of the finest cashmere.
As Khushi smiled a thanks to him, Emma said excitedly, "Mama, you'll look just like Red Riding Hood, when you wear this..".
Arnav's eyes flicked in amusement.
"Yes, wouldn't she ?
It was Arnav's turn to open Khushi's present.
Unwrapping it, Arnav stared at it in absolute silence causing the kids to climb on the couch to peek at it.
"It's a picture of Daddy with his mom and dad..", they announced.
A picture, picked and framed after much deliberation by Khushi and especially for the genuine, happy smiles that shone from their eyes.
A moment that didn't last maybe, but a moment to hold onto nevertheless..
"Thanks", he said finally, looking up at her and the sheen in his eyes made both Khushi's and Janice's eyes' to moisten too.
Clearing her throat, Rachel spoke out cheerfully and quickly changed the topic.
"So who likes having Christmas in Landour?
"Me..!, yelled the kids in chorus.
"But I've already had a Christmas here, when I was four..", Brandon said with a smile, not having missed the significance of the emotional moment that had just passed.
"That was when I had first met Dad.", he said, smiling at Arnav.
"You remember, Branny?", asked Khushi lovingly, his old nick name slipping out, inadvertently..
"Of course.".
"The man who sat in your chair?, said Arnav, his characteristic amused smile back.
As Brandon laughed remembering, Emma asked suddenly, with a pout,"How come I don't remember when I first met Daddy? When did this happen?
Picking her up with a smile, Arnav sat her down in his lap.
"Once upon a Christmas...not so long ago...".
Dear friends,
Hope you all are enjoying the holidays..:)
A new year is almost here so here's wishing you all a very happy, productive and prosperous 2014.
Hope you liked this Two Shot, would really love reading your feedback, your thoughts, your suggestions as usual..
Love you all,
Jenny :)
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