Chapter 25
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OS 1 : Knowing Khushi
Part 13
Arnav stared at his black coffee, his brow furrowed.
Anjali, Nani, Mami, & Akash looked at each other, anxious.
"Kaa hua, Arnav Bitwaa?", asked Mami.
"Nothing.", Arnav shook his head.
"You are going to office early, Chotey?", asked Nani.
"Yes..", Arnav said with a distracted air.
"Bhai, is there some meeting...? Something urgent? Shall I come with you?", asked Akash, confused.
"No. I will manage.", Arnav said.
"Bhai, you look tired. Didn't you sleep last night?"
"I am fine." He got up & left the table.
The ladies looked at his untouched plate and coffee.
NK came to the table, scratching his head. "Nannav ko kya hua? I wished him a good morning, and he didn't even hear me!"
"Is there something wrong at the office, Akash?", asked Anjali.
"No, Di. Everything is going very well.", Akash said.
"Then why is Chotey so worried?", asked Nani.
Khushi walked in through the door held open by the guards. She looked up.
Arnavji was standing in his glass cage, looking down at her.
He looked at her pale face, the smile absent for once. He swallowed, pain in his chest making it difficult to draw breath.
Her feet slowed. The tickets for Lucknow had been booked for the day after tomorrow. She would never see him again.
Normally, she would gallop up the stairs to see him. Why was she hesitant to come to him? Where was her smile? The rose on her cheeks? The jaunty wave? Arnav looked at her closely.
Khushi felt a rock settle on her chest, making it difficult for her to draw breath. It hurt to look at him. She would go to Lucknow, and never return to Delhi. And he would stay in Delhi ……. living.. breathing… smiling…… without her……
Could he stay in Delhi without seeing her? He thought of his life without her in it. Drab. Colourless. Lifeless. Like him and his tired soul. Would he even care to get up in the morning after she left? Arnav shut his eyes for a moment in pain.
She walked towards the steps leading to his office.
"Khushi, don't cry.", she told herself. "No, no, don't cry." She blinked to clear her eyes. "You are here to get his photo. Take it and leave. Don't cry. And don't forget to smile at him. Or he will wonder what is wrong with you."
What did she think about him? Did she like him? Would she miss him like he would miss her? Or was he just a friend she could wave goodbye and forget?, Arnav wondered. She had a full life. Her Amma & Babuji, her Buaji, her Jiji, hundreds of friends including Mittu the parrot, the sabziwala, Happyji the mechanic…… She had the ability to turn every acquaintance into a friend. But…but he was alone…He had no one. Only her. Would she leave him behind and go to Lucknow?
Khushi paused on the steps and drew in some much-needed air. "He Devi Maiyya, give me courage. Don't let me cry. Remember what I told you at the temple today morning. I need courage. Courage. It will take only a few moments.", she whispered to herself. "A few moments of courage. I can cry after I reach home."
Khushi was always happy. Not because her life was perfect or she had everything under the sun, but because she was contented with whatever she had and knew how to enjoy and treasure what she had. Would she adjust easily to not seeing him? Forget him once she went to Lucknow? Forget that she once knew a man, no, a lion in a glass cage named Arnav Singh Raizada?, he wondered.
She went up the stairs, and finally stood at the open door of his office.
He looked at her, his eyes intent on her face. He saw the dark circles under her eyes, the slight trembling of her lips as they tried to smile at him, the way in which her fingers clutched her cloth bag…..
"Your photo…", she demanded, her hand held out, a false smile playing on her face. Her eyes were serious, bruised, strained...
Arnav smiled, with difficulty.
"Come in."
He watched the smile vanish for a second, before it reappeared. She took a deep breath before walking a few steps into his office. She held out her hand.
"Are you in a hurry? Won't you sit down, Khushi?", he asked softly. "After all, we may not meet after today."
He watched her throat muscles work to swallow. She slipped into her customary seat.
He walked to his chair and sat down, his eyes drinking in her beauty in a red anarkali.
"When are you leaving?", he asked.
Khushi smiled. "The day after tomorrow. Your photo?"
"You can have it. But Khushi, you will be happy in Lucknow, won't you?" He watched her closely, his eyes not missing her flinch or her nerves.
"Haan. I will be very happy. Why should I be unhappy?", Khushi smiled widely.
"I don't know. You tell me.", Arnav said mildly.
This stumped Khushi. But she soon gathered herself together. "I have lots of friends… neighbours….. chacha… chachi…. You will be happy here?", she asked.
"We were talking about you.", Arnav said.
Nervously, Khushi said, "Of course you will be happy. Why should you be unhappy? You have your Di, Nani, Mami, two bhais, your work….. Soon Anjaliji will be alright, and all your worries will vanish….." She smiled.
"Really?", asked Arnav.
"Really." Her lips quivered but were ruthlessly controlled. "And…and you will forget that you ever met me….." She smiled. "A few years later, you won't even recognise me if you see me….. Not that I will see you. How can I see you if I am in Lucknow and you are in Delhi? It is not like you will be coming to buy ber in the sabzi mandi near my house….", she smiled. "If someone asks you if you know a Khushi Kumari Gupta, you will scrunch your forehead and say, "Khushi Kumari Gupta? The name seems familiar, but I can't quite get the face."" She imitated him very well.
Arnav swallowed.
"It is OK.", she smiled. "It happens. Forgetfulness is a blessing. And it is good that you forget all about Shyamji and the unpleasantness and me." She held out her hand. "Your photo?"
He caught hold of her hand. Her slight fingers were lost in his big, warm hold.
"If forgetfulness is such a blessing, then why do you want my photo, Khushi? Won't it stop you from forgetting?"
Khushi swallowed. She tried to pull her hand from his, agitated. But his hold was too firm.
"I need to go home. ", she said.
"Later.", he whispered. Not letting go of her hand, he got up and walked to sit on the table next to her.
She tried to pull her hand away, but to no avail.
"You have soft, beautiful hands, Khushi.", he murmured as he lifted her hand to his face and dropped a kiss on it.
"Don't touch me.", Khushi said. "I told you…"
"That you know karate…. I remember.", Arnav kissed her palm again.
Khushi tried to get up from her chair, but Arnav put his hand on her shoulder and pressed down.
"I..I have to….", Khushi stammered.
"You have to…..?", Arnav asked, squeezing her shoulder.
She shuddered.
"I have to go home.", she managed to blurt out.
"Later.", Arnav said. "After you answer a question. Truthfully."
"Ji….", Khushi swallowed. Her hand was still in his, and his fingers were creating havoc by running along the length of her palm. She looked at his hand on her shoulder and bit her lip.
"Will you miss me, Khushi?", he asked.
"Miss you?" Khushi tried to buy time.
"Yes, miss me. Because I will miss you. Very much.", Arnav's eyes were serious as they looked into hers.
Finally, Khushi nodded. "Yes, I will miss you."
"The late night phone calls….", Arnav said.
Khushi smiled.
"Coming to your office to see you…", she said.
"The laughter…", he smiled.
"The anger…", she smiled.
"Will you marry me, Khushi?", Arnav asked softly.
She looked at him for a moment, her mouth open. Then she quickly touched his forehead, murmuring, "It doesn't look like you have a fever….."
Arnav smiled. And waited.
Khushi looked at his determined face.
Finally she said, "I am sanki."
"I know."
"I am an orphan. My parents died when I was eight. An accident.", she paused. "My mother's sister and her husband adopted me. I call them my parents.", she said simply.
Arnav swallowed the big boulder in his throat.
"I am an orphan too. My mother committed suicide because she found out that my father was involved with some other woman.", he said simply.
Her eyes widened.
"He killed himself when he found her body. We cremated them together."
Khushi gasped.
"It was Di's wedding day…… the groom & his family walked out….."
Khushi pulled her hand away from his, stood up, and threw her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close to her. She hugged him hard, as though trying to absorb his pain and his nightmares.
Arnav buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of jasmine flowers. He blinked his tear-filled eyes.
"Don't leave me and go to Lucknow, Khushi.", Arnav whispered.
Khushi swallowed her tears. "What Lucknow?", she asked.
Arnav chuckled through his tears.
"I will take care of you, Khushi. You will never be alone again. I promise.", he whispered.
"I will take care of you too. I will never leave you and go away, Arnavji. I promise.", she said.
"Khushi, don't be scared of my anger! I…I never mean it…… I…", Arnav said.
Khushi laughed. "I know. I am not scared of your anger. When you get angry, you remind me of Munnu."
"Who?"
"Kamla Chachi's grandson. He scrunches his red face and cries in anger when he is hungry."
Arnav stared at her.
"He will be two years old this September.", Khushi laughed.
An unwilling smile stretched Arnav's lips.
"So I remind you of a baby!", he asked.
"Ji. Not just any baby, but…."
"Munnu. And Mittu, your friend Preetho's parrot.", Arnav reminded her.
Khushi burst out laughing.
"Khushi, I will keep you laughing like this forever. I will make sure that you are happy. I will even take your family and mine on our honeymoon. Even Nani's pet goat, Laxmi...", Arnav smiled.
Khushi blushed.
"Marry me?", he asked, cupping her face.
Khushi nodded, looking down. Her face was rosy, tempting him to take a generous bite of her plump cheek.
"What happened to my Jhansi Ki Rani? Are you shy?", Arnav teased.
Khushi looked up at him, pretended indignation on her face. "Don't think I will let you off so lightly, Mr. Raizada. I want you to take me out on dates, and do everything that girlfriends and baaifriends do. Before marriage."
Arnav's eyebrows shot up. "Really?", he asked.
"Aur nahin to kya? Why should I miss out on all the fun just because I am getting married?" She wiggled her eyebrows at him.
Arnav burst out laughing. He swooped down & kissed her cheek loudly.
Khushi clutched her heart, her eyes round like saucers.
"Dhak dhak?", asked Arnav, smiling at her shock.
Khushi bobbed her head.
"It is OK.", he said in a comforting murmur. "You will get used to it."
"Acha?", Khushi looked at him with innocent eyes.
Arnav bit back a smile. "But you need to practice it a lot." He leaned towards her.
Khushi jumped away. Arnav raised an amused eyebrow.
"I am going home." A red Khushi grabbed her cloth bag and hung it around her neck.
Arnav smiled. "I will drop you home."
"No! People will stare.", Khushi protested.
"Let them.", said Arnav. He caught hold of her hand, and slipped his fingers through hers. He dropped a kiss on her hand, and said, "This badnam Munni is mine, & I want the whole world to know it."
The End
So that's the end of Knowing Khushi. Hope you enjoyed the mad romp.
I am planning to write the next OS in 2 days' time (if withdrawal symptoms don't make me write sooner!!!!). Please keep an eye on my blog if you would like to read it.
Love to all of you!
Love to all of you!
To all the New Readers,
For technical reasons, Smita is unable to post her FF. Hence I am posting it for her, in order to get our daily ration of her stories.
Part 12: 77626410
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