Chapter 47
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OS 2: Finding Khushi
Part 16
Section 1
Khushi touched her cheek... the one he had kissed... and blushed. She was alone in her room, sitting cross legged on her bed.
In front of Naniji, Anjaliji, Jiju, Nanheji, Mamiji... BUAJI!!!!... Amma, Babuji... Arnavji had pulled her into his arms, hugged her, and kissed her cheek...
She could still see the shock and dawning pleasure on the faces of both families, the confusion on Nanheji's face, the wide-eyed shock on Akash Jiju's face, the blush on Jiji's cheeks...
The ladies who had witnessed the hug had asked Naniji when Arnav Babua's wedding was, whether it was to be held along with Akashji's... All had looked expectantly at Khushi for the answer.. all, including Arnavji...
Khushi buried her face in her hands.
It was so easy to ask questions.. And so difficult to find answers to them...
In the last few weeks, her life had turned upside down till she no longer knew if she was standing on her feet or on her head... Most probably her head, she thought. Because nothing made sense anymore!
The tragic meeting at Sheesh Mahal... the mannat ki chabi... the video clip shown on TV... Jiji's & her exile to Delhi...
Literally running into Arnavji in Delhi... The debt of 25,000... her attempts to find a job... landing in Arnavji's office to put up with his cruel words and rude behaviour, his hatred and his contempt... She shuddered.
The night at the guest house, her resignation... Anjaliji's blackmail to get her to RM to train Lavanyaji to become a sanskari bahu... Khushi sighed.
Arnavji's anger, his uncontrolled fury... moments and glances of attraction' fleeting touches... Diwali night... his attempt to run away from her... his anger at having lost control... his reluctance to give in to the attraction between them...
Unwilling and helpless attraction between two people who should have never met at all... who were as different from each other as could be.. who shared nothing except the loss of their parents, and a nagging sense of loneliness.
Were these enough to build a marriage on?, Khushi asked herself.
What did she know of life and marriage, except what she had seen in Salman Khanji's phillums?
The marriages that she knew were arranged marriages like her Amma & Babuji, her Buaji & Phuphaji.. men & women who were content with what they had, who had selected spouses from a similar background, with ordinary expectations...
But Arnavji! He was no ordinary man. He lived in another world, with preoccupations that she could not share... His likes, dislikes, hobbies, his education, his view of life... All were alien to her...
What if he regretted marrying her? What if she regretted marrying him? She sighed heavily.
Payal looked at her with a smile in her eyes. "Khushi, what are you worrying about? Arnavji?"
Khushi looked at her with startled eyes. "Why should I worry about your Arnavji?", she asked with a cross look on her face.
"You know, Khushi, when you both met at Sheesh Mahal and then you started working for him, I would never have thought that one day...", Payal smiled.
"One day...?", Khushi asked.
"One day Arnavji would... in front of all of us...", Payal blushed.
Khushi looked away.
"You used to curse him, Khushi. And he used to be so cruel... Khushi, tumhein pata he, when he carried you home from the guest house that night, I screamed at him for putting your life in danger...", confessed Payal.
"You! Scolded Arnav Singh Raizada?", Khushi stared at her sister. When had the lamb turned into a tigress?
Payal giggled.
"But, now... he is so different, Khushi. What happened? What made him change?"
Ee lo!, Khushi thought. More questions for her to answer!
"Shall we sleep, Jiji?', she asked, clutching her head in both hands.
Khushi slipped the cloth bag around her neck, grabbing her lunch box and bottle of water on her way out of the house in the morning.
"Oh Sanka Devi! Where are you racing off to so early in the morning without breakfast, Nandkisore?"
"I have some work to finish, Buaji!", Khushi managed to say against the glass of milk that Buaji was pressing against her lips.
"Finish this!", Buaji ordered. "You won't move an inch without finishing the milk!"
"Buaji!", Khushi protested as a gulp of milk went the wrong way & she choked.
Buaji rubbed her back, and forced the milk down. "Piyo, piyo, Munshiji ki chamchi!"
When the glass was empty, Buaji looked up to see Arnav standing near the open door, looking at them.
"Arnav Babua, tum!", she exclaimed.
Khushi jerked around, startled, to see him in dark formal clothes, looking at her.
"I was going to the office. Err.. I thought I would drop Khushi at her office...", Arnav said.
Khushi looked at the clock. It was too early for him to go to the office.
"Oh Sanka Devi, wash off your milk moustache before you go with Arnav Babua!", Buaji instructed.
Khushi ran off to wash her face.
"This girl, Nandkisore!", Buaji placed her hand on her head.
As Khushi left the house with Arnav, Buaji shouted from behind, "Finish your lunch, Titliyaa! Your lunch box should be empty in the evening!"
Khushi shouted, "Haan, Buaji!" as she left the house on rapid feet.
Arnav opened the door of his car for her.
She hissed, " The godown is on the next street. Even if I roll on the ground, I will reach it in 5 minutes, Arnavji! Why did you come here so early?"
"To see you.", Arnav said softly, his eyes on her clear skin and bright eyes.
"To see me? Why? Is something wrong?", she asked frowning, thinking of Jiji & Jiju's wedding preparations.
Arnav sighed, and nodded his head.
Anxious to know the problem, Khushi got into the car, sitting by him.
"What is wrong?", she asked.
Arnav drove in silence to her godown, stealing glances at her, loving her worried face and impatient gestures.
He parked in front of her godown.
"What is wrong?", Khushi asked again.
"I can't sleep at night, Khushi.", he said seriously.
"Uugghh?", Khushi asked.
"I can't work, I can't sleep...", he said.
"It must be acidity...", Khushi thought aloud.
"And dhak dhak.", Arnav added. "I want to see you all the time. Be with you always."
Khushi stared into his beautiful, serious eyes for long.
Then she asked, "What happened to you, Arnavji? Why have you changed so much? You don't get angry nowadays. You don't even say 'What the!' anymore!"
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