Chapter 5

She was dead.

She could consider herself dead and cremated.

"Miss Gupta, isn't this the scarf you had bought for your sick aunt?"

She gulped. What would she say now? His parents were both looking quite shocked at the two of them.

"Errm... actually... what happened is that... uhh... my aunt... actually... she... errm... she... she died!"

Please, she thought, buy this! Just, please buy this, Mr Raizada! And don't ask me any more questions! Let me go!

"She died?"

Khushi nodded, trying to appear as sincere as she could.

"Yeah... right on the day I went to meet her at the hospital... and she wanted me to have the scarf..."

She just hoped her innocent face would convince him enough.

"And how exactly did she die?"

He Devi Maiyya! Would there be a day when his questions would be over? Laad Governor! He should have been a lawyer!

"Oh... uhh... actually, uhh... she... she had another... she had another heart attck!"

He looked at her sceptically.

"Well... I think... I think I should go now... my friends are waiting... It was a pleasure meeting you... Good evening..."

Khushi hurried away from the Raizada's table as quickly as she could. Anji was smiling wickedly at her.

"To, Khushi? Kya hua? Mil paayi tum? Mr Arnav Singh Raizada se?" (So, Khushi? What happened? Were you able to meet him? Arnav Singh Raizada?)

Khushi just sat silently, though her eyes were shooting daggers at her friend, and had dinner without opening her mouth even once for the remaining of the night. Her eyes, however, searched him from time to time, and what unsettled her deep within was that whenever she glanced at him, he seemed to be watching her...

***

"Khushi? Tu aa rahi hai, na?" (You're coming, right?)

"Haan, Amma, humne kaha na? Hum parso ki flight she aajayenge!" (Yes, Ma, I told you na? I'll be coming on the flight day after tomorrow!)

"Achha, vaada kar ke tu aayegi! Varna tu kabhi nahin aati!" (Okay, promise me you'll come! Otherwise I know you won't!)

***

"Fine! I promise!"

"Pakka?" (Sure?)

"Yes, Ma! Don't worry! I'll take the first flight available day after tomorrow. I need to settle some things before."

"Theek hai, Ulka ko bohot achha lagega." (Fine, Ulka will like it too.)

"Ek to business ki itni saari pareshaaniyaan hai, aur doosri taraf yeh ladki jo kuchh samajhna hi nahin chahti! Ma, you should have-" (I already have these business problems, and now this girl who refuses to understand...)

"Chhote! Hum phone rakkhte hai!" (I'm disconnecting!)

"Ma-"

Pavitraa disconnected immediately to avoid hearing her son's ranting. Arnav initially looked at his phone in astonishment, then he grinned. She always did this when she got the feeling he would start to rant with her. He chuckled and went back to his work, though one person was fully occupying his mind since a couple of months. Khushi Kumaari Gupta.

***

"Khush! I don't want you to go, yaar!"

Anji sat on the couch sipping tea as Khushi packed her bags. Her flight was scheduled for that night and they had decided to have lunch with Shyaam one last time. The two girls already had breakfast together and now Khushi had finished, she concentrated on her packing. She was only going for one week but she had packed four briefcases already.

"Khush? Isn't that way too much?"

"What? No! I haven't packed my shoes and make-up yet!"

"What? Khushi, are you kidding me? How much are you planning to bring? And by the way, what have you packed yet?"

"Oh! Just a few clothes here and there, you know..."

Anji stood akimbo, frowning at Khushi who was grinning awkwardly at her.

"Yes, I know you! Open this suitcases at once Khushi Gupta! Why do I always have to sort out your things? You should be more responsible!"

She strode to the four bags.

"You're going there for just seven days! Aur tu kapde bhi India mein hi kharidegi na? To yeh sab kya hai, Parmeshwari?" (... You will be buy your clothes there in India, right? Then what's all this, Parmeshwari?)

Khushi could not help but giggle while Anji threw open her luggage one by one. Whenever Anji was annoyed with Khushi, she called her by her full name, or names like Parmeshwari, Sanka Devi, Chamkeeli; and she also started speaking Hindi. She did feel guilty for causing so much trouble to her dearest friend, but what could she do? Anji had herself said, "Pack what you need!" So Khushi had done exactly that.

She had packed what she needed. Really needed. But Anji would not understand that, would she?

***

"Bye, Khushiji. Take care of yourself."

"Yeah, Khush! Take care. And call me once you reach there!" Khushi rolled her eyes. As if she could forget that? Anjali had chewed her brains during the full two hours they had taken to reach Heathrow Airport, constantly reminding her to take care, enjoy and call her at least once every day. Shyaam did not speak a lot. Well, he never did. He was too dumb! He was a nice guy, but not Khushi's type, and she hated the efforts Anji made to put the two of them together.

"I know, Anji! Kitni baar bologi?" (... How many time will you tell me that?)

Anjali just beamed cutely at her, while Shyaam smiled shyly. They were not that closely related, even they shared the same family name. In fact, their dadas (paternal grandfathers) were the sons of two brothers. Apart from the name, they had nothing similar. Khushi shook her head and headed to the immigration desks. She had already completed her check-in formalities. Actually, she had felt quite disappointed when Anji had cut down her total luggage to two suitcases and one handbag, and these contained all what Anjali thought was 'REALLY NECESSARY, NOT STUPIDITIES YOU WON'T HAVE THE TIME FOR!'.

***

Arnav sat in the lounge, reading his mails. He hated leaving work. He was attending this stupid wedding only for his Ma's sake. He did not care about Ulka at all. He did not even understand how people could be stupid enough to decide getting married. He himself did not believe in marriage. People got married, had children, but then they found out they could not handle things, the marriage broke and the kids suffered the consequences...

Never mind! He shook the idea from his mind. Why think about the past?

His Blackberry beeped. It was his Ma.

"You are coming, right?"

He smiled at the message.

"Yeah, I told you not to worry!"

He sent the message and finished his coffee. As the boarding was announced, he checked his mails again for one last time, entering the plane, then, he put his mobile to silent mode, wondering why he had ever agreed to go back to this place he hated so much...