Chapter 61
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OS 2: Finding Khushi
Section 2
Dedicated to darl Kajal (I-F ID Hazza.oneD). May your soul rest in peace, sweetheart! Nobody can match your courage and cheer. Ever.
Dedicated to darl Kajal (I-F ID Hazza.oneD). May your soul rest in peace, sweetheart! Nobody can match your courage and cheer. Ever.
Arnav watched the guests and the families having a lovely time at Payal & Akash's expense, egging them on in the games after marriage. NK was devising new games to keep the couple from their bed, and the crowd was encouraging him. Akash looked harried, and Payal was one big blush.
He looked at Khushi. She was laughing at some comment by Buaji. Di had her arm around Khushi's shoulders and was laughing with her. Mami, standing by them, was chuckling.
It was time to call it a night.
"Nani, it is late. Shall we wind this up?", he asked.
Nani smiled at him & nodded.
Akash & Payal got up with relieved smiles, and the guests joined them in rising.
Arnav looked at Di. She smiled and nodded.
Arnav put his hand in to his pocket, and took out a jewellery box. He walked up to Payal and placed it in her hands.
"Welcome to the family, Payal.", he said. The Guptas gasped. The Raizadas were no less surprised.
Payal stared at him for a moment, astonished. Then she bent to touch his feet, he being her Jetji. Arnav almost jumped back in shock, not having expected such respect from Payal who was now his sister.
All smiled.
"Open the box and see if you like it, Payalji!", Di joined them.
Payal opened the box. Akash joined her to peek into the mystery box.
In it was a jewellery set. A necklace with diamonds, rubies, & emeralds, matching bangles & earrings, maangtikka, & anklets...
"It is beautiful!", gasped Payal.
"Bhai, you shouldn't have...!", Akash said.
"Why shouldn't he?", Nani smiled.
NK nodded. "Payalji is Nannav's sister now."
The Guptas and the Raizadas looked at each other and at Arnav, moved beyond words at his generosity.
Khushi stared at Arnavji.
Low aukat... choti family... A girl like you will do anything for money... What does it matter if your Jiji loses one groom? Girls like you will always snare another man... His words rang in her ears. Was this the same man who was welcoming her Jiji into his family?
As she watched, he motioned NK to take Akash Jiju & Jiji to their room and neatly herded the guests away.
"Hello... Khushi...?", Arnav drawled in to the phone, abandoning his laptop without a thought and leaning back in his recliner to savour the few moments he could hear her voice.
"Arnavji... hum..."
"Kya hua?" His concern could not be doubted.
"Woh...Vimla Chachi wants me to return to Lucknow with them. Woh kya he, Sudhakar Chacha needs to go to a clinic for 2 weeks for an Ayurvedic treatment for leg pain. She needs help in the shop, and...", Khushi came to a halt.
Arnav swallowed hard. Khushi was going away... leaving him...
"I had promised to do so. Earlier. After Jiji's wedding. The wedding that didn't happen because of us meeting at Sheesh Mahal... But then Jiji & I came over to Delhi...", her voice trailed away.
There was perfect silence from the other end.
Khushi tried again. "They have a textile shop in Lucknow. Chachaji & Chachiji run it together..."
There was no response.
"It is just for 2 weeks...", she said.
"Khushi...", he finally found his voice. "Khushi... your work... Delhi... Buaji..."
"Buaji, Amma, & Babuji are happy that I am going to Lucknow to help Chachaji & Chachiji. I can also check on our house and clean it.", Khushi said.
"Munshiji... ", he tried again.
"He gave me 2 weeks' leave. He said that the files in the godown would go nowhere, and that I needn't worry. That there was enough work for me to do there till I became an old Dadi Amma and had to walk with the help of a stick.", Khushi laughed.
Arnav looked around, desperate for inspiration. His chest hurt as though someone had placed a boulder there. Drawing breath was an efoort, a very painful effort.
"Arnavji, are you listening to me?", Khushi asked, thinking that he had abandoned the phone, her chatter having driven him away.
"Khushi, what about us?", he finally asked.
"What about us?", Khushi frowned, perplexed.
"Are you... we... Khushi... You will be in Lucknow and I will be in Delhi...", he struggled to express his anguish at her departure, having little experience in voicing his feelings.
Khushi smiled slightly, confused. "Arnavji, it is just for 2 weeks. Fourteen days. Then I will be back here in the godown."
Arnav's fingers tightened on the phone, almost crushing it.
Khushi looked at the phone. It was silent. She frowned at it. Why couldn't it ring? When she was in Delhi, Arnavji used to call frequently. So frequently that Munshiji had given up leaving the room to give her privacy. Now that she was in Lucknow, he couldn't even call her more than 3 times daily?
It had been one week. One week with her in Lucknow and him in Delhi. She sighed.
Well, she could call him. She selected his number and pressed the requisite button. Switched off. Khushi pursed her lips and looked out through the window at the busy street outside, trying to hide her moist eyes.
Vimala Chachi smiled at the defeated posture of Khushi. She said, "Khussi Bitiyaa, why don't you go to the cellar and bring up the latest consignment of Banarsi saris?"
Khushi nodded, not looking at her, and hastily left the hall.
One week. Seven days without him. Seven nights of dreaming about him as she lay in the narrow single bed of her childhood in her old room in her ancestral home, Gomti Sadan... Khushi dragged a chair up to the cabinet, got up on it, and pulled the big packet of saris closer, and untied the knot.
Her eyes lingered on the bright colours and gold design on the precious silk, not seeing them.
How could one be lonely when surrounded by people? Why did she want to catch the next bus or train to Delhi, when Lucknow was her home? How could one man cast such a spell over her that everything familiar seemed foreign to her?
She blinked red, wet eyes, and lifting the bundle of silk, turned around.
She gasped. The saris fell from her nerveless fingers in a cascade of multi-coloured silk. She wobbled on the delicate chair, struggling for balance.
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