Chapter 63
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[MEMBERSONLY]
[NOCOPY]
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Part 15
Khushi looked fearfully at Nandini, a middle-aged lady dressed simply in a white cotton saree and brown blouse.
"Aap neeche aa jayiye. In 10 minutes. It is time to meet the head cook. His name is Bhavani Shankar Tiwari." the lady said.
Khushi nodded, feeling her heart gallop in fear. Would she be able to manage?
The lady looked slightly uncomfortable. "Khushi, woh kya he, Bhavani Shankarji is err... slightly hot tempered. Don't be scared if he scolds you."
Khushi gulped.
"And don't cry. Whatever happens, don't cry. He hates it if people cry when he scolds them."
Khushi felt her limbs tremble.
"Do whatever he asks you to do. If you don't know something, ask him. He will explain. Once." Nandini looked at Khushi with something like pity in her eyes.
Khushi bobbed her head.
"Wash your face and hands, dress in simple cotton clothes, and come down. And haan, remove your footwear before you enter the kitchen. Or he will..." Nandini stopped. The last man hired for this post had run away so fast that he had not even stopped to collect his luggage! Nandini didn't want to scare away the new girl. She smiled kindly at her, and said, "I will be there too. You come down."
Khushi nodded, unable to find a word. Nandini left the room after giving her an encouraging smile.
Khushi drew in a sharp breath. She had to do well. She had to adjust to working with Tiwariji. And she couldn't cry. She had to be brave. Even if he scolded her, she couldn't show her distress. She had to show him an expressionless face. Like... like Arnavji. She had to be like Arnavji. Her mind filled with thoughts of his terrible past. He had taken charge of his family at a very young age. And he had made everything that the family had today. He must have been very nervous the first time he had gone to make a deal. But he must have hidden his fear behind his expressionless face... She shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She would be like him. She too would face the world on her own and manage to make a life for herself.
She quickly washed her face & hands and went down.
Bhavani Shankar Tiwari looked at the slip of a girl waiting to meet him. Her hair was in a neat plait, her clothes were simple, and she had removed her jhootis before entering his kitchen. He nodded, and waved her in.
Khushi looked at the mountain of a man, dressed in a white kurta & dhoti that matched the colour of his closely-cropped hair, sitting on a stool, chewing paan.
She swallowed nervously and walked to stand in front of him.
"Three thousand children eat breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner here." he said.
"Ji." Khushi replied. Her voice was low, but there was no trace of fear in it.
"There are 300 teachers too. And another 100 ladies doing cleaning & other jobs."
"Ji."
"I cook for all of them. You are here to help me. Do what you are told. Always." he instructed.
"Ji."
"And tie your hair in a bun when you enter the kitchen."
"Ji."
"The kitchen should be as neat as the pooja room. I will not tolerate any untidiness." he warned her.
"Ji."
"Put up your hair and come down now. We have to make dinner." he said.
"Ji." Khushi turned to go.
"By the way, what is your name?" he asked.
"Ji, Khushi."
Bhavani Shankar nodded. "I hope you don't become 'dukhi' when you see the amount of work waiting for you."
Soon, Khushi was slicing vegetables for dinner. Had she been doing it at home, she would have popped a piece of cucumber or carrot in to her mouth and watched Kamlesh Khabri as she did her work. But this was Varanasi, and she was working under Tiwariji. She focused on the work at hand.
She felt Tiwariji's eagle eyes inspect her work as he passed by. She felt him move away to check on the other 15 ladies who were slicing vegetables.
"Is this the way you cut carrot? How many times have I told you to cut them thin? Are you cooking for some rakshas who can gobble up huge chunks? You are cooking for children. My children! If you can't do as you are told, get out of here!" Tiwariji shouted.
Khushi trembled in fear, even though Tiwariji's ire was not directed towards her. "Arnavji... Arnavji..." she chanted. "Remember Arnavji..." Slowly her fear left her and her arm steadied.
At 12 at night, Khushi prayed to Devi Maiyya and fell in to bed, exhausted. She had to get up at 6 to start breakfast. Lying on the bedsheets that Arnavji had bought for her, looking at the stars Arnavji had hung for her over the bed, she thought of him. He must be on the way to Delhi, driving in the night. She hoped he had taken his dinner and his medicines.
She took the phone and called him.
"Khushi..." his dear voice filled her ears and tears filled her eyes.
"Are you driving?" she asked, her voice choked.
"Yes. How are you, Khushi?" He was anxious.
"Did you have dinner? Did you take your medicines?" she asked.
"I did. How are you, Khushi?" he asked urgently.
Khushi smiled through her tears. "I am fine. Arnavji, aapko pata he, the kitchen is ruled by Bhavani Shankar Tiwariji, a terror."
"A terror?" Arnav's voice was faint.
"Ji. He shouts at his helpers if they disobey him. His anger is terrifying. And he is very strict." Khushi smiled.
"Khushi, did he scold you?" Arnav was angry and upset. How dare anyone scold Khushi?
"No, Arnavji. He didn't scold me." she smiled. "I was very careful. And I am not very scared of him now. Woh kya he, I am so used to you shouting at me that..." she laughed.
Arnav grimaced.
"Acha, hum phoone rakte hein..." Khushi began. But how could Arnav let her go?
"Khushi, why are you up so late?" Did she have to work such long hours? Arnav paled.
"We cooked dinner. The waiting staff served it. The cleaners cleaned the utensils, but Tiwariji was very particular that only I should clean the kitchen at night. And that too, according to his instructions. After I finished cleaning, Tiwariji & I arranged the utensils in their place, ready for breakfast. Then we set out the ingredients for breakfast. Then he went to the temple to pray & then to his room to sleep. I came up to my room." Khushi was cheerful.
Arnav swallowed, his eyes moist.
"Can you sleep in tomorrow morning, Khushi?" he asked, knowing that it would not be possible.
"I have to be up at 6." Khushi smiled. The smile slowly fell away. "Arnavji, can I tell you something?"
"You can tell me anything, Khushi." Arnav reassured her.
"In the beginning, when I had to go down to meet Tiwariji, I was very scared. Very scared. Because Nandiniji had told me that he was very short-tempered. Then..."
"Then..." His heart ached for her.
"Then I thought about you." Khushi confessed in a low voice.
"Me?"
"Ji. When you started out, you were young. And alone. You must have been so scared when you went for your first meeting, tried to make your first deal..."
"Yes." Arnav confessed, a lump in his throat. He would admit it to no one else, only Khushi.
"You must have kept your face cold, expressionless, as you did what had to be done."
"Yes."
"You succeeded through your hard work, and today you are able to give your family a secure life. I want to be like you, capable of facing every difficulty bravely, capable of overcoming every hurdle..." Khushi was honest.
Arnav felt a tear slip down his cheek.
"Arnavji, I am going to sleep now. Otherwise I won't wake up when the alarm rings." Khushi smiled. "If I am late, Tiwariji will kill me. And you will become a widower."
"Good night, Khushi." Arnav croaked.
Khushi said softly, slowly, as she slipped in to sleep, "It feels so strange to sleep alone... Arnavji..."
The next tear trailed down his cheek.
Part 14: 91128103 Part 16: 91262266
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