Chapter 15
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OS 1 : Knowing Khushi
Arnav parked the car in front of the temple. He turned his head to look at the excited faces of his Nani & Di, and sighed inwardly. What he was going to set into motion would shake the very foundations of his Di's life, ...but ...but... there was no other way... he couldn't stand by and do nothing while the rascal fooled his sister and tried to marry Khushi.
"Chotey, Khushi will come at 7, won't she?", Nani asked, her eyes twinkling.
"Haan, Nani." Arnav swallowed hard.
He turned to his sister and said, "Di, did you phone Jiju?"
"No. Why, Chotey?", she asked.
"He might be waiting for you to call him between 7 & 7.30. Why don't you call him now? Once we meet Khushi, you might not remember...", Arnav suggested.
"Haan, Chotey. You are very right." Anjali took her phone out to call her husband.
Nani said, "Anjali Bitiyaa, don't let Damadji know anything about Khushi. Just tell him that we are at the temple. Let it all be a surprise to him when he returns!"
Anjali smiled, nodded, and called Shyam.
Arnav clenched his fists around the steering wheel as the cheat dripped honey all over his Di, calling her Rani Sahiba and what not... the bigamous toad! He watched Akash park his car nearby and lead Mami & NK over to his vehicle.
Finally, Anjali's phone conversation ended, and Arnav followed his family up the steps to the temple.
"What does she look like, Chotey?", Nani asked.
"Err.. beautiful...", he stammered.
"We know that, Hello Hi Bye Bye!", laughed Mami.
"Long hair, thin, light eyes, fair...", he managed to say. "She will be waiting near the banyan tree."
"Ijj that her?", Mami asked.
There was silence from Arnav. All turned to look at him, and started giggling. He was standing with his mouth open.
Khushi was wearing a sari. A red sari. The folds of the silk moulded her body with a loving hand. Her skin glowed in the early morning light, showing of its creamy, blemishless expanse, tempting him to touch her, feel the warmth of her plump cheeks, swan-like neck, her long arms, her curvy waist that peeped out from the fall of soft red silk... The rest of his thoughts were not appropriate for a place of worship. Arnav swallowed, with great difficulty.
Her hair was unbound, just a few strands gathered lightly together at the back of her head with a tiny clip. The silky strands danced in the light breeze, forming a halo around her.
As he watched her with intense, burning, possessive eyes, she lifted her eyes from her fingers that she had been twisting together, and looked up, straight at him.
Khushi saw only Mr. Raizada... Arnavji. He was in black formal clothes, standing straight and tall, looking at her. A smile bloomed on her face. Arnav's lips stretched slightly in response. Her smile widened. A lone man out to save his family from a cheat... his broad shoulders taking on the burden of the secret, working alone, suffering alone... If he had not agreed to stand by her... she would have been doomed...
As he watched, her eyes shone with trust and something like... like liking... Arnav swallowed. His family heaved a loud sigh of relief and wonder.
They looked at Arnav's face that revealed his pride in her and hid their smiles. They then looked at Khushi's rapt face, and couldn't help but smile.
"Nannav, she is so beautiful! Introduce us to Khushi... pleeease... You can stare at her later.", NK pleaded.
"Bhabi...", said Arnav. "She is your Bhabi. Take her name with respect."
Mami burst out laughing while NK & Akash looked at him with mouths wide open. Nani & Anjali giggled.
Nani laughed, "Chotey, if all of us call her Khushi Bhabi, will you condescend to introduce her to us?"
Arnav flushed slightly, and led his family up to where Khushi was standing.
The Raizadas drew in sharp breaths. Khushi was more beautiful in close up, her direct gaze and warm smile endearing her to them at first sight.
NK took a step forward to introduce himself to Khushi, but Arnav pulled him back. He then stepped forward, asking, "Khushi, have you been waiting long?"
Khushi opened her mouth to reply. But her mouth remained open with no sound issuing from it as Arnav leaned forward, and gently kissed her right cheek. His warm, hard lips grazed the softness of her cheek for a second & then pressed firmly against the satin soft skin. Her eyes became wide, and wider still in shock.
Arnav whispered in her ear, "Remember, we are baiifriend-girlfriend."
Khushi swallowed and lowered her eyes, her cheeks a rosy red. She clutched her trembling fingers together.
"Khushi, this is my Nani, Devyani Raizada." Khushi touched Nani's feet, and Nani blessed and hugged her, cupping her cheeks lovingly.
"Khushi, this is my Di, Anjali Jha." Arnav's eyes met Khushi's for a poignant moment. She greeted Anjali politely, and Anjali hugged her and kissed her cheek.
"Khushi, this is my Mami, Manorama Raizada." Khushi touched her feet, and was blessed.
"Do you have any sisters, Hello Hi Bye Bye?", Mami asked her.
"Ji. One elder sister. Payal.", Khushi replied.
"Ijj she married?", asked Mami.
"Ji..No.", replied Khushi.
Mami nudged Arnav. "Arnav Bitwaa, when we go to your Khushi's housewaa to phix (fix) your marrijjj, look at Payal carephully. If she is alright, Akash Bitwaa-Payal mamla bhi phix kar diyo!"
Arnav smiled, but with a tinge of sorrow. When they finally visited Khushi's house, Akash's marriage would be the last thing on anybody's mind.
"My Mamaji is abroad right now. This is Mami's son, Akash.", he introduced Akash to Khushi.
They greeted each other with folded hands. Akash said seriously, "Welcome to the family, Khushi Bhabi."
Khushi felt her throat choke with regret and pain. What were they doing to this family? Feeding them so many lies to reveal a truth... And when Shyamji was finally caught, this family would be shattered... These smiles would vanish...
She looked at Arnav. He nodded, comforting her. They were doing the right thing...the only thing they could do...
"Sh..shukriya...", she managed to say.
"This is NK Bhai, our cousin. His family is settled in Sydney. He is on a visit here." Arnav introduced NK.
"Khushi Bhabi...", NK's eyes twinkled and his smile was infectious. "I am so glad to meet you."
Khushi smiled.
"Khushi Bhabi, I have been wanting to ask you something...", NK said.
Khushi looked at him.
"How do you put up with Nannav's anger?"
"I just remain calm when Arnavji roars.", she laughed.
"Khushiji, how did you meet Chotey?", Anjali asked.
Khushi paled slightly. Her scared eyes darted to Arnav's calm ones. He caught hold of her hand, slipping his fingers through hers. She shuddered at his touch, & Arnav turned to look at her with intent, deeply satisfied eyes.
"She came to my office with a work proposal. I found it very interesting. We got talking. That's all.", Arnav said.
"Chotey!" Anjali protested. "Nobody can beat you in taking away the last bit of romance from a situation."
Nani & Mami nodded.
"Thank God he didn't say that she walked out out his laptopwaa!", Mami quipped.
"Khushi Bhabi, what did you think of Bhai when you first saw him?", Akash asked, smiling.
Khushi smiled thinking of the first moment when she had laid eyes on him. "A lion. In a glass cage. Roaring at everyone."
All laughed.
Arnav pressed her fingers, promising retribution.
"Nannav, what did you think of Khushi Bhabi when you first saw her?"
"He Devi Maiyya!", Arnav said. His family looked at him as though he had gone mad.
Khushi pinched his fingers that were trying to play with hers. He freed her hand. Khushi heaved a sigh of relief. But it was too soon.
Arnav slid his arm around Khushi, pulling her closer to his side, his fingers playing with the exposed skin of her waist under the cover of her sari.
Khushi jerked, falling against him.
"I thought she must be the most beautiful girl on earth.", Arnav said softly.
Khushi & the others stared at him, astonished.
The family chatted with Khushi for long, loving her ready sense of humour and cheerful nature. They asked about her engagement. Khushi made it clear that she had no liking for the man her sagai was fixed with & that she knew very little about him.
NK asked, "Khushi Bhabi, I know it is a very difficult thing to do, but do you love Nannav?"
Khushi blushed, unused to such directness in matters of the heart, and not wanting to lie.
But apparently her blush was enough. The Raizadas smiled happily.
All the while, Arnav touched her constantly. Her arms, her hands, her fingers, her waist, her shoulders, her hair... He did not miss a single chance. Khushi became more & more tense, trying to move away from him, her nerves stretched on a rack... But Arnav held her firmly anchored to his side. Her heart thudded louder than a drum & she was short of breath, finding it difficult to draw breath in.
Finally, Mami said, "Let's go in to pray. Hamre Arnav Bitwaa & Khushi Bitiyaa can spend some time with each other, looking into each other's aiijj (eyes)."
All nodded, smiling.
As they left, NK turned back, and said, "Nannav, good luck!"
Arnav looked after him, confused. NK walked away with a jaunty air.
Arnav turned to look at Khushi, and felt a bubble of laughter rising from his chest.
She was standing there, her hands on her waist, looking furious enough to kill him with her bare hands.
"Mr. Raizada..."
"Arnavji...", he corrected her mildly.
She spit out, "Arnavji!"
"Yes?"
"Just because I was forced to accept you as my baaifriend does not mean that you have the right to touch me.", Khushi bit out.
"Touch you?", asked Arnav, raising an eyebrow.
"Ji. Touch me. Idhar Udhar with your long fingers and big hands. Knowing very well that I couldn't scream at you or push you away when your family members were smiling at me." Khushi pushed her face close to his to give him the full effect of an angry lioness.
"Khushi, baaifriends & girlfriends touch each other. All the time. Why are you complaining about it?", he asked, an innocent look on his face.
Khushi frowned. "Baaifriends touch girlfriends like that?"
Arnav swallowed his smile. "Yes, Khushi Kumari Gupta. And girlfriends too touch baaifriends like this."
"They do?" Her eyes looked like saucers.
Arnav had to call on all his self-control not to burst out laughing.
She looked at him, silent for a while. Then she asked, slowly, softly, "How do they breathe when they do this? I felt as though I would die without air, with dhak dhak that was faster than my breath... How do girls and baais live through this?"
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