Chapter 158

[MEMBERSONLY]

[NOCOPY]

Smita,😊

Here is the interpretation to Section 2 of Part 43.

A diaphanous light blue screen was held to separate the brides and the grooms making Arnav give it a noxious glower and Ganesh stare at Anamika through it. The guests giggled behind their hands watching the flitting expressions across the face of the two couples. The purohit started the rituals with the chanting of the mantras, invoking the diety to enclose the couple within her safety net and warding off all the evil eyes. While Anamika and Khushi focused onto what was being chanted, Ganesh and Arnav had their attention on their lady loves. Once the initial prayers were done, at the indication of the purohit, the rasam connected with haldi was begun. Buaji took the small brush made of durva grass, dipping them in the yellow mixture of turmeric, sandal and rosewater, and touched Khushi's feet, knees, arms, hands and face with them. Then she did the same to Anamika. Anjali went towards Ganesh and Arnav and started anointing them with the paste. Taking turns, Mami, Nani, Payal, Gaurav, Akash, NK, Mamaji and Amma smeared them with haldi lavishly. Ganesh looking at Arnav seeing just two eyes peering out had a hearty laugh, making Arnav smile and say, you don't look so hot either. Khushi and Anamika smiled at each other. Gaurav and NK were busy capturing the memorable moments of laughter and camaraderie on camera. Anjali saw Arnav blinking balefully at the yellow mixture smeared on his limbs. She told him, not to worry as it was all for a good cause, looking at Khushi who was chuckling at some quip of Payal's. Arnav's eyes following hers stilled seeing the laughing Khushi. Her smiling visage made his heart flip. He whispered to his Di, She is truly Khushi, isn't she? Anjali smiled and told him that, yes, she is only one of her kind and meant just for him, her papad ka tukda, jab dekho ukhda Chotey! Anjali used their childhood rhyme to describe him that meant though as small as a piece of papad he was always a little angry boy, making Arnav smile. She laughed and, dared him to be unhappy after his marriage to Khushiji. She told him, that he could not scare Khushiji with his anger and she would not let him mope around too. She would take the bull by its horns and what would he do? Anjali wiggled her eyebrows enquiringly. His query, live? made Anjali smile and nod agreeing, live and let happiness wash over you. She cupped his cheek lovingly. NK getting into the groove, dabbed haldi on Gaurav and Akash's cheeks. Akash caught hold of NK who tried to escape after his naughty deed, and let Gaurav smear NK's face liberally. Soon it was free for all with only Scooby with its pristine coat of hair. Buaji looking at the pup, that had flopped down quietly in a corner of the room exclaimed, Hai Re Nandkisore! They forgot you! Taking a smidgen of haldi with one finger, gently applied tikka on Scooby and declared, now you look as a member of the wedding party, Nandkisore!

At NK's declaration, that this jaldi ka rasam is so much fun, Buaji with her hands on her hips asked, Is it so! Then why not get him married too. It would ensure that in a moment she would comply with his wishes by plying him with haldi. NK got wide eyed at the turn of events. Buaji in a sweet tone teased him saying, Bitwaa, there are some good girls here... if you say... and before she could complete, he fled from the scene.

Once the applying the paste ceremony got over, Ganesh and Arnav were taken to the courtyard of the house and made to sit on two stools. Then it was the pouring of pots of water over them by the ladies, as a cleansing ritual, while they themselves scrubbed off the paste. Streams of haldi flowed into the earth leaving behind two men squeaky clean but thoroughly wet, while Khushi and Anamika in turns, had their wash in Buaji's bathroom emerging out looking fresh and glowing after a thorough scrub.

Soon it was the time for repast and the family and the guests sat down to enjoy the repast. Anamika and Ganesh sat together laughingly, recounting the haldi bath. Arnav pulled Khushi to sit beside him but Khushi admonished him saying, to let go of her hand. Her friends, Preetho, Nikhil and Barun were taking their lunch in her room and they had asked her to sit with them. While Arnav gave her a hard stare, Khushi unfazed by his glare told him, that she would be marrying him the next evening and would be moving away with him to RM. Her friends would miss her. When asked by Arnav, what about him, she with her innocent eyes asked him back, what about him? What happened to you? Making him elaborate, won't he miss her now? Khushi frowned at him saying, it would only be for a few minutes, Arnavji. But Aashik Singh Raizada's words, that even if it is for a few minutes, he would miss her, had her stare at him stupefied.

At that time, Buaji came along and informed them with a hearty laugh, both better gaze into each other's eyes to their heart's content. Once Arnav Bitwaa goes home, they would not be permitted to see each other till the wedding in the evening, making Arnav gasp with shock and Khushi who always had the last word, agape. She told her Buaji, that was totally unfair and how could she stay without...? And that very minute she realized what she was about to utter and stopped midway. It had her Buaji raise her eyebrows and others around giggle. Khushi with a pout and a whine asked Buaji, why could they not see each other? Buaji hit her head with both her hands and exclaimed, This Sanka Devi! When Arnav too put in his protest saying, Buaji... the Raizada ladies had smile etched on their faces. Buaji's explanation, that it is a part of the rasam where the bride and the groom don't see each other after their haldi. Both are supposed to stay in their houses, safe from evil eyes till the shaadi, had him look like a lost child at her. Seeing his woebegone face, Buaji playfully tweaked his cheek and teased him saying, that it is only for a few hours, Bitwaa. The next evening, he was more than welcome to take Sanka Devi off their hands. They would personally hand over their resident bundle of trouble to him for safe keeping. Then he could gladly suffer her for the rest of his life. While Khushi protested with a, Buaji.., Arnav nodded smiling weakly. Buaji left them to themselves and moved away to tease Ganesh and Anamika.

Khushi moved her chair as close as she could to Arnav's and sat down keeping their sides touching. He queried softly, what happened? knowing very well that she had started to miss him. Her mutter, nothing, with eyes downcast made him smile and looking at her full plate say softly, eat something Khushi or she would feel the hunger pangs later. But Khushi was preoccupied and the food that would brighten her usually, failed to entice her. It just elicited, a Haan... Trying to tempt her, Arnav teased her saying, that Buaji had made jalebi for her. It is her favourite sweet, an irreplaceable part of her staple diet, isn't it? Khushi eyed the jalebi on her plate disinterestedly. She pressed herself closer to Arnav, as if while eating he would disappear. Trying to cheer her up Arnav teased her saying, Preetho, Nikhil and Barun must be waiting for her, would not she have lunch with them? It only made her teary making Arnav regret his words. Seeing her hazel eyes pool up with tears and glaze over he pleaded, Khushi... Khushi... don't cry, I was just... but before he completed what he wanted to say, Khushi murmured to him, sniffling all the while, that she would be going home with him and she did not want to wait until the next evening. Her statement appealed to him very much but he did not know whether to cry or laugh! Khushi informed him gripping his arms tightly, that her bags have been packed already and they could leave together. Arnav was overcome with her readiness to move with him that he leaned sideways and planted a warm soothing slow kiss on her cheek, without a care of the eyes that were on them. The gasps and the laughter from the audience were insignificant to him in front of Khushi's tears. For him she was his world and he was glad that she felt at last that for her he was her world. When she was ready to defy all norms to be with him his focus was solely on soothing her, calming her turbulent mind and bringing in the smile on her face.

This update is about the right moment, right or opportune moment, the supreme moment, a moment of time where something special happens. This is defined aptly by an ancient Greek word KAIROS.

What exactly is Kairos?

The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a time between, a moment of indeterminate time in which something special happens. What the special something is depends on who is using the word. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative nature.

When a gossamer light blue screen was placed between the couples, while Arnav showed his distaste with a scowl and glare, Ganesh resorted to staring at Anamika. This gave a wonderful picture for the guests of the state of mind of would be grooms that fed their laughter. It was a defining moment where Arnav and Ganesh showed their ill-concealed irritation at such rituals that separated them from having clear vision of their loved ones. It was a significant moment as it was found that while the two brides-to-be were concentrating on the rituals and its significance, their grooms were concentrating on their lady love by giving adoring glances.

"I've always believed in savoring the moments. In the end, they are the only things we'll have"

~ Anna Godbersen, The Luxe

The haldi rasam started with Buaji anointing the two girls with the yellow paste of sandal, turmeric and rose water, using small brush of durva grass.

What exactly this ritual entails?

The family members dip the grass in all the clay pots and apply it on the bride/groom's feet, hands, knees, shoulders and head 7 times from bottom to top called as Tel Chadana and after everyone has finished, the same people repeat the process 7 times from top to bottom as Tel Uttarna. In some families Tel Chadana and Tel Uttarna are on different days. But if one is constrained on time, it is held together on the same day itself.

The same was repeated by others to both the brides and their grooms. While it was being done, Ganesh had a laugh seeing Arnav being covered with the yellow paste as mask. But it was followed by a smirk from Arnav who stated that he, Ganesh too was sailing in the same boat. It was a special moment because, Ganesh who had thought ASR to be arrogant and a stubborn ass and who had questioned Anamika as to why she was helping Khushi who was future Mrs.ASR, now shared an easy camaraderie with him. It was a defining moment in their relationship.

"There are far better things ahead than any we live behind"

~ C.S Lewis

Anjali watching her brother's distaste at being smeared by the paste, consoled him saying that it was for a good cause indicating Khushi. When both their vision met with a laughing countenance of Khushi, it made Arnav remark that she is true to her name isn't it? Anjali agreeing that she was someone extremely special and a rare gem of a person, made exclusively for him, her piece of papad, who always had his fuse lit easily. He would be sizzling with anger all along and it was difficult for anyone to approach him then.

Here papad ka tukda, jab dekho ukhda means just like a sundried papad or fried papad that makes crackling sound when touched and splinters into pieces, Arnav who would let his anger fly tangentially and overpower him easily making all the others in his path break. This is part of their childhood rhyme defining the nature of the siblings.

Anjali dared him to be so and asked a relevant question, as Khushi was not scared of him what will he do now? His answer, Live, brought in a happy relieved smile from her and she told him that was the way to live and let himself be soaked by happiness. This was a right moment to ask such a question and a significant moment where in his answer was the turning point not only in his anger management, but for also the realization that Khushi was his life and he had not been really leading a significant life so far, quality wise. For him it had been work that was significant with family to an extent. Now with Khushi beside him, he has realized that there is much more to his life than just what he had been doing. There was a world that was outside his sphere that was quite interesting too. There were others in this world who did not value money as much as human relationship. There were people who were ready to embrace him for what he was as a person and not what he earned. It was an experience that he was raring to go.

"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"

~ Hilary Cooper

It was also a qualitative moment for Anamika, Ganesh and Gaurav, who were able to experience the love and affection along with the rituals which they otherwise would have been deprived off. It brought in different hues in their life style which otherwise had only monotones in it.

"In our lives are special moments that live as their own, the rest is movement with the passage of time"

~ Donna Lynn Hope

When Arnav asked Khushi to sit beside him while having lunch, she denied saying that her friends had claimed earlier for her presence with them and as she would be leaving them the next day he would have to wait. But the minute Buaji pronounced that they were not to meet till the wedding next day, she was in tears of being separated. She lost her appetite and even her jalebi, her panacea for her worries, could not entice her to eat and stuck herself close to her Arnavji. She was in turmoil as to how to be without any contact with him. For her, he had become essential. She was so distraught that she was even ready to give up everything to be with him. She was unmindful of the consequences. Her mind was solely occupied with the thought of being away from her Arnavji. She was even ready to move in to RM then and there just to be with him. It was a moment of indeterminate time in which something special happened. She realized that she was like a vine that needed the support and he was her support that she could cling and wind herself to. Her love for him overpowered every other concern and they became insignificant. This was what Arnav Singh Raizada had been experiencing all along. He always felt heart wrenching pain when she denied his proposal, when she delayed their wedding, when she included their family for outing. All this time she had not felt her love as strongly as him. She was able to share him with others. But now she has felt the powerful knock of it, the need to be in touch with him and she does not want to let go of him even if it meant just for a day. Seeing Khushi too feeling it the same way as himself, he is one happy man. He is happy that the wait is just one more day and the wait has been worthwhile. Seeing her in tears is not a scene he relishes. He does not want to see tears in the eyes of his Khushi who spreads happiness among all those she comes in contact with. His aim now is to console her and when his attempts to soothe her with words went in vain, he resorted to deed. And right in front of the audience, he kisses her cheek that was bound to reassure her and his goal was to comfort her unmindful of the audience. It was a gesture that was qualitative, a declaration of uninhibited love. It created a special moment not only for themselves, but also a memorable moment for their their audience. It gave their audience, a glimpse of Arnav Singh Raizada's love towards Khushi Kumari Gupta to be Singh Raizada in a day's time.

"Moons and years pass by and are gone forever, but a beautiful moment shimmers through life a ray of light"

~Franz Grillparzer

That is why the word KAIROS is used to describe this update.

"Life is not made up of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years, but of moments. You must experience each one before you can appreciate it"

~ Sarah Breathnach

That's it from me. Hope you enjoy it.

rulama2013-06-19 03:48:17