Chapter 8

First published on 31/May/22

Q/N - this chapter might sound like preaching, especially to my young readers, but this is a crucial one of 'best foot forward' and my attempt to address the rising issue of 'broken families'.

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The first day of his stay in his sasural aka Gupta house had been as eventful as it could get, and ASR was already sweating! Literally. Thankfully, he had asked Aman to arrange enough cash in small denominations for his week's travel. Aman had given him strange looks but didn't dare to ask questions. But then, while coming back to Lakshmi nagar, the taxi he had hailed broke down halfway and, on that road, he couldn't get anything else except an auto rikshaw. It was still the time around sunset so wind was cool but rather humid on that day. The dammed vehicle didn't have any a/c and by the time he reached home, he was sweating.

By the time he got freshened up and came looking for Khushi, he observed she wasn't around. Shashi was watching television in the hall and saw that Arnav's eyes were looking for Khushi.

"Khushi has gone temple Arnav bitua." he said without looking in his direction.

Ok. Arnav had to admit it, Shashi Gupta was an intimidating person! And just as he was about to go back to his-er-Khushi's room, he saw Garima and buaji hurriedly running here n there, probably finishing cooking before Khushi came back.

Arnav wasn't blind to the thick tension between Gupta ladies and Shashi or the fact that they were told to not come in front of Khushi and he himself had felt satisfied with it. He was there when Garima had tried to slap Khushi the day they had eloped and married, and when buaji had berated Khushi for her being an adopted child. He had shared same discomfort towards them as Shashi and that gave him courage to speak with him.

"Mr. Gupta?" Arnav addressed Shashi as he was still engrossed in TV. He waited for a minute, but Shashi didn't show any sign that he had heard Arnav. He tried to summon all the patience in the world, and called again

"Sir? I wanted to talk to you." Arnav said a bit louder and got his attention. Shashi seemed to give him a thoughtful look and then switched off the TV.

"Sure son, and I think you have earned to call me babuji now, so if you wish, do call me that. besides, that 'sir' is annoying to my ears." Shashi said in a stern voice as Arnav relaxed and smiled sheepishly. Talking to her babuji would always make him nervous, he decided.

"Thanks sir, I mean, sorry babuji. I was actually thinking, you are not really speaking with Garima aunty...and buaji... right?"

"Yes. They did something wrong, and they need to amend their behavior." he replied with a serious look

"So are you separating from aunty?" he asked without thinking. To be honest, that's what he had seen relationships as, make them when you want and break them as soon as you think they are unbearable. Marriages were dispensable commodities to him which is why he was averse to them. It wasn't until he wanted to be with Khushi that he willingly went into one! But even to her, he had initially proposed a short-term marriage with validity of six months, no less!

Shashi laughed a little before answering,

"Arre beta, rishte todna itna aasan hota toh hamare yaha samaj ki zarurat hi nahi hoti. Tum aajkal ke bacche rishton ke maayne bhulte ja rahe ho, rishte bana toh lete ho par nibhana bhul jate ho. Rishta banana utna hi aasan hota hain jitna mitti par mitti se mitti likhna par nibhana utna mushkil jitna pani par pani se pani likhna*. Lekin unhe nibhana padta hain, kai baar khud badal kar toh kai baar samne wale ko samjha kar, par unse bhaga nahi jata beta. Yahi zindagi ke sahi maayne hain!"

(Son, if it was so easy to break relationships, we wouldn't have a society. You today's generation are forgetting meanings of relationships. They are as easy to make as writing sand on sand with sand but as difficult to stay in one as writing water on water with water! But you have to fulfil them, at times change yourself or change the other person but not run away. This is the right purpose of life).

Shashi said patting his shoulders and went away, leaving a thoughtful Arnav behind.

--*--

Just like breakfast time, dinner too was with Shashi, Khushi, and Arnav. Garima and buaji probably ate later or in their room, but neither Khushi asked, nor Arnav cared!

'Barf ka gola (ice candy)🎤!' They suddenly heard a loud voice from outside, indicating a roadside hawker selling ice-cream and candy.

"Babuji humein gola khana hain (I want to eat ice candy)!" Khushi said excitedly. If anyone saw her now, they would say she was a schoolgirl! But then again, she was really young! Arnav couldn't help but feel like adoring her.

"Jao. But not more than 2, ok?" Shashi legit 'permitted' her and Arnav once again admired the bond between this father-daughter. He realized Khushi was this carefree after a long time, probably first time since he entered her life and wreaked havoc in it! Unknowingly her babuji's demand for them to stay there, was bringing his old Khushi back!

He followed her out, where a lot of kids as well as grown-ups were crowding around the ice-cream vendor's bicycle! He too tried to reach near Khushi when he felt a push

"Tanik baju mein hatne ka kasht karenge(will you please move)?" a lady almost pushed him saying so, while he looked puzzled. Which language she spoke? He understood Hindi alright, definitely better than NK, but this seemed something else.

"kash-what?? what do you mean?" he asked but the lady had made her way.

"it's shudhha hindi Arnavji, She meant will you please move?" Khushi replied chuckling, already having her both hands full with 2 colorful ice candy's and got busy with competing with neighborhood kids on who finished the ice candy first!

Alright, whatever those words meant, but he will willingly take any language if that brought such a cute smile on her face.

Arnav kept looking at her and didn't realize Shashi had come outside too, standing beside him

"That's my daughter, Arnav bitua. She doesn't need big things to make her happy. She doesn't need high-fi restaurants' costly food or branded items. Her happiness lies in small things, she finds joy in small gestures. If she gets a plate of pani puri or baraf ka gola, it's enough to make her whole day!"

"I know babuji. She is precious!" Arnav said without looking away from Khushi

"She is! Which is why I want to ensure you understand what you are getting." Shashi gave another lesson for the day before retiring for the night.

--*--

Khushi indeed was very happy that night. She had forgotten all her worries, all her tensions, even the fact that a certain laad governor was sharing her room and bed!

Arnav however spent another restless night without a/c. Come on, how can he adapt to her way of living overnight? He decided to talk to Babuji tomorrow if he can install a/c in the house. Sure, he would not deny him, right? After all, he had spent 2 nights like her way of sleeping now, so it should be enough. With that thought, he fell asleep after midnight.

However, next morning came with its own set of challenges! The lack of sleep of 2 days had made him sleep for a bit longer and when Khushi came to wake him up, he didn't budge.

As it goes in most middle-class houses in India, water supplies have specific timings which means it isn't available 24*7. So, by the time Arnav went for bath, it seemed he had missed the 'time for bath'!

So there stood Arnav Singh Raizada, clad in nothing but shower gel and foam all over his body with no water to wash it off! Already he was irritated due to lack of sleep, then he was worried if he would get a taxi, or he will have to travel in that auto thing again and then this! he had enough!

"This is it. I can't do this." he said to no one in particular but slammed the door and was about to step out. He will tell her babuji that it was impossible to live like them, he would convince them and if they didn't agree, he will find some way!

And as he had made that decision, something happened. her babuji's words from yesterday rang in his ears, 'Its easy to make relationships, difficult to keep them. you can't run away, you have to fulfil relationships, at times molding yourselves.' And he halted in his steps.

It was as if Shashi unknowingly had filled that void in his life which his own father had left vacant! Arnav Singh Raizada was not a bad person, he just needed someone to show him right path, scold him at times and intimidate him when needed. And now, Shashi Gupta had done that job.

And just like that, Arnav calmed himself and called out to Khushi. He was sure she had some solution to this 'issue'!

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A/N - We are nearing end of Arnav's redemption. pls let me know your views on shashi's views :). Also, fulfilling a relationship would never mean staying in a suffocating or abusive relationship. At the same time, the dangerous trend of today that a couple splits after the first roadblock they hit is also not done. you need efforts from both sides. anyway, I am digressing.

Do check NSIV-s3's sneak peek if you haven't already. We'll begin that fun ride soon :D

* - a famous Hindi quote