Chapter 138

Smita,😊

Here is the interpretation to Part 35.

Lisa, who was in her apartment was informed by her agent, Ashok Batra, that all her contracts that were in India stood terminated. Lisa fumed at her agent and chewed out how dare they? It was inconceivable that she, Lisa, the top model had been slighted! While Batra looked at her impassively, she was ready to pull those people apart. She bit out an oath, how dare they cancel her contract. She would show them... She was cut off from her swearing by Batra who informed her, that it might be a slightly difficult proposition for her. No one was willing to hire her. Lisa was flabbergasted by this information and stammered at Batra, What...? How...? Batra informed her, that apparently as per the grape vines, she had been nasty, her usual self, with a certain Khushi Kumari Gupta who is all set to be Mrs. Arnav Singh Raizada. Lisa was stumped to hear it and denounced, that... that rotten upstart! Batra, with a smile, gave her a friendly piece of advice, that the next time she wanted to speak out, maybe she could ensure that the person was not the wife to be of ASR and the new friend of Anamika. He was relishing the fact, he was able give this piece of news that would be a blow to her and pull the rug from under her feet! Lisa collapsed on the chair. She bit out an epithet, What on earth...? She was gone for just a few weeks and... Batra, without hiding his distaste towards her, bubbling with glee completed it for her saying, the world had turned topsy turvy. Especially her world. No one would give her a chance now that she was an outcast.

Lisa, with her anger on tip of her nose, who was used to throwing tantrums and get things done and used to bulldoze people who got in her way, felt a huge wave of anger consume her. In her fit of anger, jumping out of her chair, she grabbed the vase, threw it at the wall with such force that the fragile piece broke into smithereens. It looked as though a grenade had exploded within it. Batra was looking at the shards of glass, water and the broken heads of flowers that were scattered on the floor, expressionless. He had seen Lisa with her temper for a long time, much worse than this. When Lisa picked up her phone to call ASR, Batra was all smiles and rejoiced in telling her, that ASR is supposed to be waiting for her return. This had Lisa look at him uncertainly. By the time ASR was done with her, he would have to scrape her out of the floor was his verdict that is, if she set up a meet with ASR. Lisa's eyes were spitting fire at him, but unmindful of it, he said that, if anything is left over after being sent to shredding machine by ASR, it would be taken care by Anamika. As of now she was a non entity among the fashionistas and she is blacklisted in the modeling circles in India. If she even tries to utter a word, even if she grovels on her knees, she would not be hired even for the maintenance work in this country. Lisa stared at him with an innate desire to dismember him. He recounted the three options in front of her.

One, stay and starve in India.

Two, stay and snare a rich fool who would be besotted enough to marry, if she could find one.

Three, go abroad and start a new life.

Lisa, who was given to screaming along with ranting and raving, screeched in her thin reedy voice, that was shrill, piping, squeaking and unpleasant, making him shut his ears to its harshness. Batra getting ready to leave, told her that he had e-mailed her his resignation. Get out, was the bellow from Lisa along with making the paper weight her missile! Used to being on her firing range, Batra ducked and the missile hit the mirror on the wall leaving behind a splintered crack. With a sarcastic chuckle saying, it was always a pleasure to obey her, Batra bid adieu to Lisa.

When Arnav entered Buaji's house in Laxmi Nagar, he was was dumbfounded to see Buaji and Amma dancing to Fevicol Se. Seeing his expression, he was told by a laughing Buaji, Arnav Babua, don't be scared, Nandkisore! They have not become mad by staying with Sanka Devi for years. They were practising for his sangeet the next day! Arnav trying to put on a straight face looked down. Amma chuckled at his reaction and told him that she would bring him his tea. At Arnav's smiling rejoinder, pakoras, Buaji and Amma laughed. Amma confirmed, that Khusi had prepared them just before she left for the grocer's for sugar and asked him whether she knew that he would be dropping by? At Arnav nodding his head in negative, Buaji laughed out saying, Our sanka devi has learnt how to read his mind, Hai Re Nandkisore! And she had thought the girl would never grow up to know her own mind!

Standing on the veranda, Arnav looked out at the street while waiting for Khushi. It was a suburban scene. Children were playing on the street, women were collecting water at the hand pump, Happy Singh and his men were working in the garage, Channawala and chudiwala were selling their wares, calling out to the crowd. Men and women were going to and coming from the temple nearby. He could hear the temple bells and pigeons cooing. It was a busy time of the day filled with people doing their chores. The rhythm of the daily activities made him draw in a deep breath.

The gentle breeze was billowing Khushi's dupattas that were on a clothesline on the veranda. They were caressing his shoulders and face, making Arnav smile. He remembered, that wind had blown her dupatta off her neck and on to his head at the time they were locked in the storeroom at his office. How flustered she had been! How he had been panic-stricken, at her declaration of her intention to leave him and be away at Lucknow. It had seared his soul. It had given him plenty of nightmares of her leaving him, waking up with her name on his lips, drenched up in fear... And he was obtuse enough not understand that he had fallen in love with her! His thoughts made Arnav smile at his own folly. What a huge blunder it was!

His mind had been filled with thoughts of one Khushi Kumari Gupta to the exclusion of everything else. His cabinet had been filled with her pearls, her resignation letter, a piece of her broken chudi, a strip of her torn dupatta..., all trivias to look at, but filled with deep rooted memories and he still had not known why he had hoarded the things she left behind, why he had obsessed about her, why he had longed to see her, why he had pushed her away when he saw her, why she had aroused such fury in him, why he hadn't been able to keep his hands off her... why seeing her crouched in his wardrobe had relieved him no end... why he had known where she was and what she was doing every moment of the day when she had been working at his house... why he had heeded her requests every time, after refusing Di's and Lavanya's... why each tear that he had caused her to shed had burned a hole in his heart, why each time she had walked away from him, he had felt his breath stop... Catching her dupatta in his hand, Arnav, gently clutched the material between his fingers, and looked out at the road, hoping to see her.

As though conjuring up she appeared at the bend, walking home with a small cover in her grasp, stopping by to chat with a neighbouring aunt who was in her front yard gathering dried clothes. Her sweet disposition of being friendly with all, made him smile. He wondered, how could Khushi be friends with everybody? As he watched he saw her joke with the kids who were playing cricket, and then like a little girl, jump over the small puddle on the road with a naughty smile on her face. Waving at Happy Singh, she turned towards Buaji's house to see Arnav standing there, watching her. Seeing him watching her, her face lit up with joy! An exuberant Khushi, skipped towards him asking, Arnavji! You got out of office early today? Arnav nodded

Coming near him she stood close by, her face reflecting the inner joy that she was feeling. It made Arnav feel a huge lump stuck in his throat. A few runaway strands were dancing on her cheek. With a gentle caress, moving them behind her ears touching the sensual spot there he made her shudder and let the locks fall back on her face. Looking at the trusting, innocent sweet face, he whispered, that he was sorry. Khushi frowned and asked, what was that for? Arnav struggling to get words, said, Khushi... I.. I... She asked him in a soft voice, whether he wants a way out of getting married? Making him exclaim with shock, Khushi! In a mild and kind expression, she asked him whether he was feeling trapped? Was he feeling claustrophobic as though he was being forced to do something he never wanted to do? Her query left him open mouthed. She told him, that it was fine. He better talk to his family and cancel the sangeeth and the rest of the ceremonies. Later, when he was upto it... her voice dwindled eventhough she offered him the choice of his freedom in a silver platter. Hearing her generous offer and the note of care in her voice he came out of the stupor to tell her that he wanted to marry her. He had not changed his mind. He wanted to marry her at the earliest, and if possible, then and there itself. He gripped her by the shoulder, scared lest she slipped through his fingers like the fine sand! This made Khushi curious and ask him, if that was the case what made him apologise? Arnav explained that it was for hurting her, for all the hurtful word he spewed at her, for every stupid action of his, that cut her heart and shredded it, for putting her through the wringer unnecessarily just to protect himself from admitting to falling in love with her. Khushi who held clear conscience told him, as though they were nothing and of no consequence, Oh, that! I had almost forgotten! Arnav looked at her as though she had grown two horns and wondered, what was she made up off? She was unfathomable! Trying to figure out what was going on in that quaint head of hers, he asked her, Why did she think that he was against this marriage? Khushi smiled at him and told, because happiness never lasts, At least not in her life. Just as she begins to smile, something inevitably happens to make her cry. And she was very happy now, happier than she had ever been in her life. That was the reason... Khushi paused, and looked away unable to meet his eyes. Arnav who was staring at her while she explained took hold of her chin and gently turned her face towards him and gave her a solemn promise that they were going to get married on the 15^th, and were heading towards a life filled with laughter and happiness, forever. He asked her softly, whether she has any idea why he could make such a promise? When Khushi shook her head, he stated the truth, with a wee bit of embellishment. It is because if she leaves him, he will die he won't be able to breathe, neither smile, work nor live. Without her, he would wither away and fade into oblivion. A life without her was not worth living. Living without her was something he could not think of at all!

His words, stirred her heart bringing in tears into her eyes. Uncaring of any prying eyes, Arnav took her in a tight hug. The billowing transluscent dupatta gave them some privacy.

This update is about result of actions, following as an effect. CONSEQUENTIAL.

Though it is consequential it had double effect. Both are quite opposite and not what was intended.

One, with the incidental result or secondary effect, an undesirable one, FALL OUT.

The other, with the incidental result or secondary effect, a desirable one, SPIN OFF.

When Lisa came back to India she was informed by her agent in India, Ashok Batra, that she had lost all her lucrative contract that she had bagged earlier and stand terminated. It has her in a fit. She who is known for her tantrums and wily ways was at a loss. When wanting to know the reason, Batra doles out freely the news of the grape vines, that she had messed big time with Khushi Kumari Gupta who is the would be Mrs.ASR. When he wanted to know whether it was true, her epithet, that rotten upstart, said it all. Batra doles out an advice that was not taken in the right spirit. He tells her, that next time to choose the opponent wisely, maybe not to be Mrs. ASR, who also happens to be very close to Anamika. For Lisa, it was a rug that was being pulled from under her feet. A nobody, Khushi Kumari Gupta, was wielding so much power in the fashion circle was hard to digest. She was not only marrying Arnav Singh Raizada, but was also a close friend of Anamika the Fashion Diva, the ultimate designer whose creations every model would vie to show on the ramp! If she approves, it was like owning the Bank of England. The eyes of the international market would be resting upon the model. With the business tycoon, Arnav Singh Raizada and Anamika by her side, Khushi had risen from nothing to everything, within a few weeks she had been abroad! All that she, Lisa, had gained through years, with her snooty, arrogant, shrewish ways had gone down to dust! To add insult to injury, her agent was gleeful at her misfortune that she had pulled on herself. It was like a proverb in Hindi, aa bail, muje maar! She had destroyed her career, with her own hands. Her temper, though would give vent to her feelings by throwing the vase and paper weight, it was of no real consequence other than loss of her property. She had hand picked her destruction, listening to Pam and Sim. When she wanted to call ASR for the injustice (as per her) meted to her, a friendly advice once again from her agent comes, that ASR was lying in wait for her return and by the time he had finished she would be in a shredder and if there was anything that still remained, it would be made mince meat by Anamika. With a spit-fire Lisa staring at him, he gave her the three options, all of which were of distaste to her. She had just one thought in her mind that is to hurt someone and she threw in her paper weight at Batra, when he told her that he had washed his hands off her and his resignation was on the e-mail for her kind perusal! He was one happy man to obey her wishes to get out.

The original effect of her act, was to separate ASR from Khushi, that went awry.

The secondary effect, an undiserable one was the FALL OUT. She has lost every thing that she had worked for with her temper and jealousy. A virago indeed!

"Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die"

~ Carrie Fisher

When Arnav walked into Buaji's house it was to witness Amma and Buaji practice their dance for the Sangeeth next day. When Amma offered to get him his tea, he requests for pakoras that make them laugh. Amma, tells him that Khusi already has prepared it before stepping out of the house! They were stunned to know that she had prepared it for him, without even knowing that he would be coming over. Buaji expressed, Our sanka devi has learnt how to read your mind, Hai Re Nandkisore! And I thought she would never grow up to know her own mind! They are amazed to see that she is so attuned to his thoughts. This sensing the other person's feeling is the secondary effect, a desirable one, a spin off of their love.

"Women are more attuned to feelings than men are, and if they're not being truthful, more often than not it's because they think truth might hurt your feelings. But it doesn't mean they don't love you"

~ Nicholas Sparks, At First Sight

While Arnav, stood waiting for his lady love, his eyes took in the surroundings. It was a normal suburban, middle class locality, where the street was always vibrant with activity. Along with that, the sounds of the temple bell and the pigeons cooing made him draw in a deep breath. It had a calming effect. It was in contrast to the area he lived in where people visited only when invited, in the streets people were hardly seen. When a gentle breeze, billowed Khushi's dupattas on to his face he smiled, remembering the events they had shared. Khushi getting flustered when her dupatta flew off her neck on to his face while they were locked in the store at his office, his panic when she announced that she would be shifting to Lucknow, his nightmares about loosing her forever, even with all the potent omen he had not been able to understand what they meant. He had irrevocably fallen in love with her, but like a dunce head, he had chosen to ignore it! Arnav could now only smile at his folly! Even with all the things that he used to do, her thoughts predominated, his treasure trove was filled with various small pieces, all connected to her. Even after hoarding these things he was unable to understand why he felt they were his treasures. He was never able to understand why he always longed to see her, yet when she was around he would shout at her. If she was away he would go searching for her, but when near would push her away, he never realized why she evoked varied emotions in him. But he always sensed when she was around, when she asked him he would oblige to do things that he had refused for others, her tear would rip his heart and when she walked away he felt deserted. On hind sight, he understood that though he was fighting to be in control of his emotions that was the primary effect of staring blindly at love, the secondary effect was he had felt the loneliness and she had completed him. This was the spin off of his attempts to keep her away from him.

"The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved"

~ Mother Teresa

While he wished for, she appeared like the proverbial Genie of the lamp. He could see her friendly nature make her talk to each and every person she met, be it just a wish. Seeing Arnav watching her, she was overjoyed to be with him. When he apologized she was not able to comprehend and suddenly it clicked to her that he must be having wedding jitters and not want to get hitched at the present time. She told him that if he felt trapped or pressurized, he was free to cancel rest of the functions and could be held when he felt better, offering him a way out. He was stunned by her assumptions fearing her moving away from him, just like in his nightmares, he told her, that it was not so. He wanted to marry her and if possible the very minute. He told her that his apology was for hurting her innumerable times, with actions as well as words. He could see the secondary effects of him spurning her earlier reverberating even now at the slightest of hints, but with a difference. Earlier she would withdraw herself silently, but now she withdraws after verbalizing her thoughts. This is the spin off of their love.

"In this life, when you deny someone an apology,

you will remember it at time you beg forgiveness"

~ Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut

When Arnav asked why she thought so, her answer was quite poignant. Because happiness never lasts. At least not in my life. Just as I begin to smile, something happens to make me cry. All through her life it had been so for her and it had played such a huge role in forming the Khushi now. The positive side was she had become stoic and accept it as fait accompli. As she had never held much hope, she used to enjoy each day to its fullest. That's what she meant. She was used to taking brow beatings but resilience helped her to see through so far. Seeing her seriousness and her insecurity, he promises her that they would be married on 15^th and that was definite and no going back on that and they would lead a happy life from there on. He gives her the reasons in a filmy dialogue way, pepping her up, driving her out of melancholic thoughts, he said, that he was able to promise her so, because, if she left him he would die, life was not worth without her nor his breathe to him. Nothing held his attention without her beside him. All those things amounted to dross without her to enjoy. This admission was the spin off of her insecurity. Without a care of being seen, Arnav hugged Khushi while the wind billowed her dupatta giving them privacy.

"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be"

~ Abraham Lincoln

The result of Lisa's action had been two fold.

First it brought out all the insecurities to the fore before the relationship of Arnav and Khushi forged ahead. It helped them resolve a lot of matters that needed to be addressed.

Then it had a desirable effect and an undesirable one.

The desirable was, that it strengthened the trust and love between Arnav and Khushi once everything was resolved, a SPIN OFF, of Lisa unleashing her fury on Khushi at the New Year Party.

The undesirable one was Lisa shot a self goal! It not only alienated her from all in the modeling world, she also became the persona nongrata, an undesirable person. She lost her standing in the fashion world. She made two strong enemies, ASR and Anamika, who were ruling the fashion world in India and without whose help she would not be able to survive as a model. That was the FALLOUT.

Hence its CONSEQUENTIAL.

That's it from me Hope you enjoy it.