Chapter 11
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OS 1 : Knowing Khushi
"What?", asked Arnav Singh Raizada, trying to act as though talking to girls on the phone at night and laughing like mad were regular activities of his.
"Chotey, you were... laughing?", Anjali asked.
Arnav lifted his eyebrow.
"Bhai, are you alright?", Akash asked anxiously.
"Of course.", he said, smirking.
If there was a tinge of red on Arnav's cheeks, the darkness hid it.
"Arnav Bitwaa, who was calling on the phonewaa? Tells us, tells us!", asked Mami, a roguish look on her face.
Arnav swallowed.
"Whom are you going to meet in the morning, Nannav? Eh? Eh?", NK teased.
"Chotey?", Nani asked, a small smile playing on her lips.
Arnav took a deep breath.
"Nani, our Chotey na, he is not what he appears to be.", Anjali teased. "We thought he drove away women with his anger and his akhdoo behaviour, but apparently he is not like that with them."
"Oh! So, Anjali Bitiyaa, Arnav Bitwaa saves all his akhdooness for us?", Mami asked, hiding a smile.
"Haan, Mami. Looks like he is a regular Romeo with girls'.", Anjali teased him.
"Di'", Arnav protested.
'So who is the girlwaa?", Mami asked. "Is she bootiphool like your Mami?"
Looking at his whole family waiting eagerly for him to talk about Khushi, Arnav had a brainwave.
"Err... she is a friend.", he said.
"Friend? A girl? Bhai's friend?", poor Akash looked flummoxed.
"Friend? A girlwaa who ijj also a friendwaa? A girl friend?", Mami exclaimed. "Saasumma, lagat he your grandson is up to some mischief. It is time you shackled his feet!"
Nani smiled. Anjali giggled. Arnav flushed.
"Nannav has a girl friend! Nannav has a girl friend!", NK shouted, dancing around him.
"Bhai has a girl friend?", Akash whispered. "A girl friend?"
"Who is she? Where does she live? Does she have a family? When shall we go to them with your proposal?", Nani asked.
Arnav said, "You can't take my proposal to them."
"Bhy not?", asked Mami.
"She is getting engaged next week.", Arnav said simply, watching all the faces carefully. All paled and became serious.
"I am sorry, bro. Hard luck.", NK said.
"Engaged?", Nani whispered. "Engaged to be married?"
"She doesn't like the man her parents have selected for her, but she has no choice.", Arnav added.
"Chotey, you like her?", Di asked.
Arnav nodded.
"You want to marry her?", Nani asked.
A picture of Khushi hiding under the sheet to talk to him on the phone sent a laugh bubbling through him. He bit his lip & nodded.
"Then you should marry her, Hello Hi Bye Bye! Saasumma, it is only a sagai. And a sagai can be cancelled. You don't borry, Arnav Bitwaa. Your Mami will break her engagement phor you."
Arnav smiled slightly.
"Just a minute, Mami. Chotey, does the girl like you?", Di asked.
Arnav bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling as he laid claim to Khushi's heart without her knowledge.
"Yes."
A huge sigh of relief left the family.
"Nannav, you are sure she likes you?", NK asked, a frown on his forehead.
Anjali hit NK on his shoulder. "NK Bhai!", she protested.
"No, Di. I was wondering at the girl's courage. She must be a Jhalli Ki Rani", NK declared.
"Who?", asked Akash, confused.
Arnav looked at his shoes, wishing he could tell them how right NK was.
"The queen who rode horses and fought wars'", NK expalined.
"Jhansi Ki Rani, NK Bhai!", Anjali & Akash exclaimed together.
"Chotey, what is her name?", Nani asked.
"Khushi.", Arnav said it with a smile in his voice. The listeners stood silent for a moment, touched by the unexpected & sudden softness in his tone.
"Chotey, why doesn't she like the man her parents have selected for her?", Anjali asked, curious.
"Khushi's father is bedridden after a stroke he suffered a few months back. Her Amma & Buaji take care of him. Sometime back, a man came to their house & asked for a room for rent. Being short of money, they agreed. He stayed with them, and became close to Buaji & Amma. He then asked for Khushi's hand in marriage."
"Did he come to their house after seeing Khushi or did he see Khushi after coming to the house?", asked Mami, whose brain was as sharp as her tongue.
Arnav smiled. "I don't know. Khushi's father does not like him, but Amma & Buaji are for this rishta. Khushi's sister too supports them."
"You don't borry, Arnav Bitwaa. Give me the girlwaa's address. I bill go there & break the sagai before it happens."
Arnav's sharp brain worked overtime. "You should meet her first.", he said mildly.
All gasped.
"You will introduce her to us, Chotey?", asked Anjali.
"Why not?", he asked.
Mami clapped her hands.
"Saasumma, give her shagun & book her when we see her. After that we can go to her house, tell her parents & Buaji, & carry her off."
"Carry her off?", asked NK.
"This boy!", Mami laughed. "Very weak in the romance department! How many times have I told you to go & see Dilwale Dulhaniyaa Le Jaayenge?"
"Chotey, what about the man she is going to be engaged to?", asked Nani.
"Saasumma, bhat about him? Who ijj he in phront (front) of our Arnav Bitwaa?"
"Still'", Nani said.
"If he says he won't let Khushi go, our Arnav Bitwaa will do dishum dishum and carry her off in his carwaa!, Hello Hi Bye Bye"
"Manorama!", Nani sighed. "Don't give the boy ideas!"
"Saasumma, hamre Arnav Bitwaa does not need his Mami to give him ideas!", Mami laughed.
Anjali sighed, "If only your Jiju were here! How he would pull your leg!"
Arnav grit his teeth thinking of the violence he would like to do his Jiju, and said, "He seems to be travelling a lot these last two months, Di."
"Haan, Chotey. He has taken on more clients so that he can buy another house in Delhi soon."
"Another house?", Nani asked, frowning. "Why does he need another house? Chotey gave you a huge house when you got married, didn't he?"
"Haan, Nani. But he wants to buy one more house. I told him not to worry, that Chotey will help us, but he said that it was not fair to ask Chotey.", smiled Anjali. "I told him that Chotey will be happy to help us."
Nani unexpectedly put her foot down. "Damadji is right. Chotey has given you both enough. It is time he focused on his own future."
Mami nodded. "Let Damadji buy his own house, Hello Hi Bye Bye!. Atleast people will stop calling him Ghar Jamai!"
Anjali pouted. Arnav clenched his fists.
He said, "Don't tell Jiju about Khushi. Let us surprise him when he returns."
All faces brightened.
"Yes, let's.", said Nani.
"Anjali Bitiyaa, be carephool (careful). Don't let the billi out of the bagwaa when you phone him!", Mami warned her.
"No, Mami, I won't." Anjali pouted. "He is so busy that he has asked me to phone him only in the morning, & that too between 7 & 7.30."
That must be the time Khushi normally goes to the temple, Arnav thought. If he could lay his hands on his Ji-Ja-Ji, he would break his bones to little pieces and enjoy doing it.
Arnav stood in his office and watched Khushi walk in through the door held open by his guards. She looked anxiously around her at the deserted office, the chairs waiting for their occupants, the air of stillness... Then she looked up at the tall figure in formal clothes, waiting for her in the glass cage.
He stood, unsmiling, his eyes devouring her. Dressed in a lilac anarkali, she looked like a flower that had bloomed on the creeper that he had pegged to his garden wall.
As he watched, a wide smile spread on her lips. His lips curved slightly in answer. She walked up the steps to his cabin. He held out a chair for her. She stood undecided for a moment, and then sat down. He breathed in the jasmine scent of her hair and clothes, letting it fill his lungs.
He slowly walked to his chair and sat down, his eyes still on her. Khushi clutched her bag in her lap.
"You wanted to discuss our plan?", she asked, feeling her breath hitch at the look in his eyes.
"Yes. You were worried about Di & my family misunderstanding you and your family, weren't you?"
"J..jii'", Khushi stammered.
"My family should meet & know you before Shyam is unmasked. That will help them understand who the villain is."
"Uuhh?"
"And they should know that you were unwilling to get engaged to Shyam."
Khushi stared at Arnav with wide eyes. "How'?"
"I have already taken care of it.", Arnav stated.
"How?", asked Khushi, her eyes wide with wonder.
"I have told them that we love each other.", Arnav said, and waited for the explosion.
But Khushi looked at him, confused. "You and Shyamji?"
Arnav lowered his eyes to hide the smile in them.
"No. You and me."
"You and me? YOU and ME? We love each other?", Khushi's mouth was open in a perfect 'O'.
Arnav took a moment to compose himself.
"Yes, you and me. I told them that we loved each other, and that you were going to get engaged to a man you didn't like."
Khushi stared at him for a moment in silence. She then threw her hands in the air & then clutched her head. "Hey Devi Maiyaa, Yeh Aapne Kya Kar Diya!"
(Thank u, Titaliya_AP)
Arnav swallowed his laughter, sitting back to enjoy her dramatics.
Khushi jumped up from the seat, and arms swinging wildly, said, "I was having trouble with one man. One man. So I came to you for help. And now I am having trouble with TWO men?"
Arnav clenched his jaw to stop the smile from breaking out, and averted his eyes from her militant stance to avoid losing his control.
She placed her hands on his glass table and leaned towards him, "Is this the way you help me?"
"Yes."
"By complicating my life further? Mr. Raizada'..", Khushi started.
"Arnav.", he said mildly.
"What?"
"Arnav. How can you call your premi Mr. Raizada?"
"Grrr'", Khushi growled, raising her hands to choke him, stopping an inch from his neck.
"Violence against your baaifriend, Khushi?", Arnav asked, tongue in cheek.
"Baaifriend? I don't have any baaifriend. And I don't want one. Or Two.", Khushi stated, a menacing look in her eyes.
"Well, you have one."
"I don't want him. I mean, you."
"Khushi, sit down. Listen to me."
"No, I won't."
"Khushi'!"
"No'.", she closed her ears with her hands. "No..."
Arnav curled his fingers around her slender arm to pull her closer.
His hold on her arm felt like a brand. Khushi jerked, trying to free her arm from him, but to no avail. His fingers slipped down her arm, leaving a trail of fire behind, singeing her.
He stood up, & moved closer to her, not letting go of her arm.
"Khushi...", he murmured. She looked up.
"My family should meet you, know you for what you are. Once they are convinced that we care for each other, they will discount Shyam's claim that you tried to seduce or coerce him into marriage."
Khushi let out her breath in a rush.
"I have to bring them to your house to show them Shyam's true colours. We have no choice about that. Only seeing him at his worst will open Di's eyes."
Khushi nodded.
"But I don't want you or your family to be blamed for his doings."
Khushi nodded.
"If we had more time, we could have'we could have done lots of other things... but...", Arnav paused.
Khushi sighed. She pulled her arm away, rubbing the skin that he had burned with his touch.
"Hum chalte he...", she said, her lips all turned down.
Arnav nodded. "I will bring them to your temple tomorrow morning. 7am, isn't it?"
She nodded, and then turned to walk away.
As she reached the door, Arnav said softly, "Khushi, we will have to convince them. You understood what I meant, didn't you?"
Khushi turned to look at him with wide, innocent eyes.
"We will have to make my Nani, Mami, Di, & my brothers, Akash & NK believe that we are in love. That you are my girl friend. That I am your baaifriend."
"I can't sing." Horrified eyes looked at him. "And I am not dancing in any park for you. Especially not in the rain. I already have two baaifriends. I don't need a jhukaam (cold) too."
Arnav coughed to hide his laugh. "I will spare you this time.", he managed to croak.
"Hhmpfff'", she snorted as she walked away.
"Khushi'.."
She stopped and looked at him.
"Call me at night.", his husky voice made her feel as though a thousand butterflies were dancing in her tummy. She clutched her bag closer to her stomach and nodded.
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