Chapter 37

"And then?!"

 

"She runs out of the room blushing as if... as if she is a newly wed bride or something."

 

Anjali burst into laughter.

 

"I know," Khushi said, with a knowing look. "How weird."

 

It was a bright sunny morning in Shantivaan, which was rather quiet despite the upcoming wedding of it's perhaps most cherished dweller. After five long years, Anjali Singh Raizada finally consented to marry Karan Haskar. It was one of the best events the Raizada family ever witnessed, only second to the return of Khushi.

 

"Seriously though," Anjali said, forcing her giggles to an end. "I never thought I would see Ayesha like this... she looks so tough!"

 

"Yeah well, looks like Aman gets to her... She didn't even blush so much when she told me he proposed."

 

"Well at least she told you! All we got was an invitation to the engagement ceremony."

 

Khushi merely smiled, remembering the scene in question. That morning was bright, quite like this one, when Ayesha hesitantly arrived at her room and pushed a confused Arnav out of the door before bursting into a bunch of jumbled words explaining Aman's proposal.

 

"She needs this though," Anjali said thoughtfully. "The happiness a child brings is immeasurable... I probably wouldn't have been alive without Varun."

 

"True... but still feels weird. Hard to imagine Ayesha as a mother..."

 

"Agreed... But now that we are on the topic, I have to ask - when do I get to see a mini Chote?"

 

Khushi turned a slight shade of a pink. "Erm... when-"

 

"DIII!!!"

 

The two ladies looked up to see a fuming Arnav storm into the room.

 

"I'm right here Chote," Anjali replied calmly. "No need to yell."

 

"What is this I'm hearing?!"

 

"I don't know. You tell me what is it that you heard."

 

Khushi stared in bewilderment, surprised at Anjali's cool behavior and Arnav's building rage in return.

 

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking-"

 

"And you're point is?"

 

"That I'm not letting it happen! I don't care-"

 

"Excuse me?" Anjali interrupted, her eyes drawing into slits "What do you mean not letting it'? I made the decision already-"

 

"No you didn't! Because this is about all of us-"

 

"No it isn't. It's about-"

 

"Did you even think about Varun or-"

 

"Don't drag him into this Ch-"

 

"Of course I will! He is my nephew-"

 

"And he is my son!"

 

"Then why on earth would you take this-"

 

"Be-"

 

"WAITT!!" Khushi yelled, unable to follow the half sentences being thrown between the siblings. "Can one of you please tell me what is going on?"

 

It was Arnav who answered. "Karan bought a house in Agra."

 

A line appeared on Khushi's forehead. "So you are getting mad because Karan didn't inform you he bought a house?"

 

Arnav let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm getting mad Khushi because Di is moving into that house with him in two days... and she didn't even bother to tell me about it."

 

Khushi didn't reply. She found nothing wrong with what happened, other than maybe a little fault of Anjali for not sharing the news of Karan's new investment. But she knew better than to interrupt the argument, especially when she didn't side with her husband.

 

"There is nothing to tell Chote," Anjali said maintaining her cool demeanor. "I thought you knew I wouldn't stay in Shantivaan after the wedding."

 

"And why would I know that Di?" he retorted. "We decided a long time ago you will stay here even after your-"

 

"No we didn't Chote... You just made it so. But it was my fault too... I should have left the day I got married, but-"

 

"That was different Di... Things are not going to be like how it was with Shyam."

 

"Of course they won't! But that doesn't mean I stay at my maayka for the rest of my life."

 

"Oh please Di! Don't start all this maayka and sasural thing. This is your house and it will be until your last breath!"

 

"I know that. But it's customary for the bride to go live with her husband."

 

"Fine! But why Agra?! Why don't you live here in Delhi? I will find a house, bigger and better than the one in Agra and you-"

 

"It's our decision to move there Chote! Why can't you just accept that?"

 

"What about Varun? All of this is new for him... what if he needs me or-"

 

"It's two hours away... I'm sure we can handle it."

 

Arnav stared at his sister, who seemed nowhere close to relenting to his protests. He let out frustrated sigh and left the room without wasting another word.  

 

"So," Anjali said, as if nothing had happened. "What were we talking about?"

 

Khushi didn't know what to say.

 

* * *

 

Arnav stared stubbornly at the pot in front of him as his hands easily trimmed the bushy green leaves. His mother's instructions that were perhaps the oldest memory he ever had of her flowed through his head, as if she was standing right there beside him and not in a place from where she would never return.

 

 

Arnav absent-mindedly nodded, though he knew very well that his only company was the numerous plants in front of them. He knew every single one of them starting from their names, to their needs. They were the only things that brought him peace... well, them and just one other thing.

 

"I'm going."

 

If Arnav wasn't so mad, he would have actually smiled at her timing. She always appeared when his thoughts took to her direction.

 

"I left your medicines on the table - don't forget to take them."

 

Having no other choice, he put down the scissors and turned around. "If this is some trick of yours Khushi, to make me feel better - then drop it. I don't need it."

 

"What are you? A two a year old that I have to manao-fy?"

 

Arnav simply gazed at her.

 

"No," she said a little exasperated that he didn't understand her point. "I'm not here to make you feel better. I'm here to tell you that I'm going to Buaji's house."

 

His let out a sigh of relief and turned back to pick up his scissors. "When should I pick you up?"

 

"In a few months."

 

Arnav froze for a few moments before whipping around to see her serious face. "A... a few months?"

 

She nodded in affirmation.

 

"Why?!"

 

"What do you mean why'? They are my parents and I miss them. So I think they will be happy if I stay with them for a few months."

 

"No they won't!" he said quickly, his heart beginning to sink. However, upon seeing her eyebrow arch, he quickly changed his sentence. "I mean, what about us? How can you just leave?"

 

"Why can't I leave? They are my parents and I owe them something."

 

"And I'm your husband, so-"

 

"Then come with me."

 

Arnav was dumbstruck, as he desperately tried to understand if she was joking. It was a good minute before he understood that she wasn't. "C-come with you?"

 

"Mm-hm."

 

"How can I come with you?"

 

"Why not?"

 

"Khushi," he said, trying to keep the exasperation out of his voice. "I can't just pick up everything and shift base with you. And since when do people live with their parents? I mean, we started a life together. How fair is it for you to ask me to move back into your old life, throwing away our new one?"

 

"Then how fair is it for you to ask Karan to move back into Di's old life, throwing away their chance at a new one?"

 

Arnav stared hard at his wife, her words slicing through the air like a whiplash.

 "It's not the same-"

 

"Of course it is! It's just as awkward for Karan to come live here with us as it is for you live with my parents. And more than that - it's their life. Why shouldn't they have a house of their own? I'm sure Di is making a million plans right now-"

 

"Like what?"

 

"Like painting her room green or going shopping for furniture or planting orchids in her backyard!"

 

He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut right through his reply.

 

"Don't you get it?! She wants to live on her own and you are standing right in the middle of her way."

 

Arnav fell silent, her words catching him off guard. It didn't take him long to know that she was right and more importantly, that it was impossible for him to make an argument that could match hers.  And so, he simply took a deep breath and looked up to meet her understanding eyes.

 

"I thought you said you didn't come here to - what was it? - manao-fy me?"

 

A triumphant smile spread up Khushi's face. "And since when did you start believing everything I said?"

 

Arnav shook his head and diligently turned back to his plants, his mind a lot calmer than it was ten minutes ago. Sure he was beginning to feel nostalgic about his sister's impending departure, sure all he wanted to do was beg her to stay, but at that moment, he felt nothing but the presence of his wife, standing as a shadow in what he always thought was his mother's place.