Chapter 12
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[MEMBERSONLY]
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rulama 2013-11-14 01:07:08
[NOCOPY]
MARRYING KHUSHI
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Part 14
Khushi stared at him, her mouth open. "What for?" she finally asked.
ASR swallowed. How could he tell her why she had to marry him? If he could get her to marry him without having to confess his feelings for her...
But he didn't have to worry. Khushi had no time to wait for answers. She was too busy asking questions. She quickly switched off the radio that was playing the advertisement for Nirma Washing Powder, and lit in to him.
"We met in the market. You dragged me to my house and forced my family in to forcing me to work for you. Then you tried to give ch... chumban to my hand and cheek... and when I left your job, you came all the way after me to force me to work for you again." She placed her hand on her head, trying to make sense of what was happening in her messed-up life. "And when I asked you to go away, you want to marry me? Pagal he aap?" she asked solicitously. "Does Anjaliji know?"
"Don't talk to me like that!" ASR tried to block her from delving deep in to his illogical actions and unreasonable demands by putting on his cold face.
Khushi placed her hands on her waist and challenged him. "Hum aise talk karenge to aap kya kar lenge?"
ASR was always like a bomb ready to go off. But Khushi was perhaps the only person on earth who could claim to have frustrated ASR to such an extent that he was tempted to pull out his hair with his bare hands and roll on the floor in a childish display of temper, but the irritant was supremely unaware of her inborn potential and innate talent for disrupting his life.
"Khushi! Don't tempt me to become badtameez..." ASR threatened her through gritted teeth.
Her response to his threat was unexpected.
She burst out laughing. "Can you be more badtameez than you have been so far?"
"Khushi!" He clenched his fists.
Khushi said, placatingly. "Ok, Baba. I agree."
ASR's heart did a pole vault. She was willing to marry him, throw in her lot with him?
"I agree. You are the most badtameez man on earth. You can be very, very badtameez. Your name is included in the Guinness Book as the most badtameez man in India. Ab khush?"
ASR stared at her, the wind taken out of his sails, a familiar feeling in Khushi's presence.
ASR gathered his senses together. "Khushi, I want your answer. Now." he demanded.
Khushi frowned. "Are you my teacher? Am I giving an exam? Who are you to ask me for answers?"
ASR's mouth fell open. "Khushi!"
Khushi frowned. "Jab dekho Khushi, Khushi! Yeh Khushi Khushi ka kya rat laga rakha he?"
ASR looked heavenwards for patience and self-control. "Khushi, I am asking you to marry me."
"Why?" It was a cry from her heart. "Why should I marry you? You are always angry and never cheerful, you are from Delhi and not from my Lucknow, you are not a halwai, you hurt my arm every time we meet..." Khushi listed her grievances. "Then why should I marry you?"
ASR swallowed, seeing the thorny path ahead of him. He should have started AR Sweets rather than AR Designs. It would have earned him more brownie points with her. Would it count in his favour if he started a sweet shop now?
"And why are you asking me? Who am I to decide whom I will marry? Woh sab is the responsibility of my family. I have nothing to do with fixing my marriage." Khushi neatly washed her hands off the whole issue. "Asking me to marry him. Who does he think I am?"
ASR looked at her, his jaw dropping at her announcement.
"Khushi! Will you let your parents choose your groom?" he managed to ask.
"Not just my parents. My Buaji too." Khushi declared.
"Khushi, will you live with a stranger... Khushi, will you be able to share... Khushi..." He stared at her, seeing her uncomprehending look with a sense of frustration. "Khushi, will you give your... all your chumban to a stranger?"
Khushi frowned at him. But only for a moment. "But he won't be a stranger when I marry him." she responded cheerfully. "We will meet many times before marriage. And my family will select only a good boy for me. Hamein vishwas he unpe."
"Khushi!" He was at his wits' end.
"Do you know what kind of boy he will be?" Khushi asked.
ASR looked at her, almost fearful of her next statement.
"He will have a big moustache." Khushi said cheerfully.
(Thank u, aruni50218)
Was it too late to grow a mush? ASR asked himself.
"And he will have red lips!" Khushi declared.
ASR frowned. "He will wear lipstick?"
"Why should he wear lipistick? Is he one of your patli patli models who eat cabbage leaves?" Khushi asked, challenge in her eyes.
ASR looked at her, waiting with bated breath.
"Paan khaye Saiyya hamaro
Sawari suratiyaa, hont laal laal!
Haiyye haiyye malmal ka kurta
Malmal ke kurte pe cheent laal laal!"Khushi sang cheerfully.
Mittu whistled her contribution to Khushi's vocal performance.
ASR looked at her with horror in his eyes. "You really want to marry a man who chews paan?"
"Or a paanwala!" Khushi giggled. "Just think what a match it would be, Raizadaji! Halwai and paanwala! I will give him sweets, and he will give me paan!" She lowered her head in pseudo bashfulness.
He should have gone to Benares to learn paanmaking instead of going to Harvard for his MBA! he thought, his heart sinking.
"Khaike paan Banaraswala
Khul jaye band akal ka taala!"sang Mittu.
"Khushi! How can you let your family decide whom you should marry?" ASR asked, sweating.
"Why can't I?" Khushi asked.
"Khushi! It is your life! Your future!" ASR tried to make her understand the enormity of her decision. "You and only you have the right to choose your future, Khushi! How can you let your family decide whom you will marry?"
"Easily. As easily as they adopted me when I was ten." Khushi said, smiling.
"What?" ASR was dumbfounded.
Khushi sighed. "My parents died in an accident when I was ten. My mother's sister gave me shelter in her husband's home. I call her Amma today. Her husband is my Babuji. His daughter is my jiji. His sister is my Buaji." She looked directly in to his eyes. "They did not ask my permission before giving me a roof over my head and food to eat. They don't need to ask my permission before fixing my marriage."
ASR stared at her in shock.
"Khushi, you are an orphan?" he asked, his heart melting, aching with sympathy.
"No, not now. I was an orphan." Khushi declared firmly. "Have you finished your interview? I want to go home."
"Khushi..." ASR asked, his throat still choked at the thought of Khushi as a ten year old orphan.
"Ji?" She was impatient to be gone.
"Khushi...?"
"Ji?" What was wrong with this Rakshas man? Why was he chanting her name? And she was hungry. What had Amma made today?
ASR thought furiously.
"You will marry any man your family chooses?" he asked, brains in full gear and hope budding in his heart.
Mittu muttered in her sleep, "It is just the question of a question,
Ek sawaal ka sawaal he!
Duniya badal de saari
Sahi sawaal ka yahi kamaal he!"
"Ji." Khushi replied, hunger preoccupying her.
"Whoever he might be?" ASR confirmed.
"Ji, Ji."
"Promise?" ASR asked.
"Why should I promise you anything?" Khushi asked, grimacing. "You are Dilli's diabetic shehenshah. I am Lucknow's sweet Jalebi Bai. You will go away to Delhi after making the models walk on stilt-like chappals in Lucknow. I will marry my paanwala and live here in peace!"
"Let's see." ASR challenged, his heart beating fast. He had to make his move now.
"Jab dekhne keliye kuch hoga nahi, to aap kya dekhenge?" Khushi asked, an eyebrow in air.
"Let's see if the paanwala is able to visit you in your dreams, Khushi Kumari Gupta!" ASR smirked as he left the room.
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