anyway here goes.
The title is as usual one of the songs i love by U2.
Please excuse the grammar.
Chapter 1
She was making jalebis at the speed of lightening. Her swift expert hand turning the funnel, made out of a cloth, to make perfect round, swirling jalebis. As she removed the jalebis from the frying pan and put into the sugar syrup, she heard her Mom come into the kitchen and yelp.
"Ab kya hua?" her Mom asked. "iss bar kisne tujhe kuch keh die jo saara gussa in jalebiyon pe nikaal rah hai. Hai! ye larki na'"
Just then her father entered as well and said, "Arre bhagyawan, woh Chaubeji ke larke ne uski Jiji ko kuch keh diya tha, pehle toh uski badi tukaayi ki aur phir jab usne Khushi ko keh diya ki itna sab kisi paraye ke liye kyon, toh bas phir kya, ab achcha hi hai ki us bechaare pe nahi aur inn jalebiyon pe gussa nikaal rahi hai. Kya kehti ho?" Laughingly he added.
"Hmm! tab toh theek hai, par uske mooh lagne ki jaroorat ka thi. Chup Chap wahan se nikal aate. Par nahi, inhone toh ye seekha hi kahan hai? Jahan jaayengi koi naya bakheda khada kar deti hain?" Her mother added two pence.
Shashi then whispered to his wife, "Arre ab choriye bhi nahi toh aur gussa aa jaayega toh aaj iss halwai ke yahan sirf jalebiyan hi milegi. Aur koi mithai ke liye jagah hi nahi rahegi."
"Aap ko bhi mazak soojhta hai har waqt. Aap hi ke lad pyar ne bigaada hai usse." Khushi heard her Mom give the final statement and smiled.
She was so happy to have family like hers. A fair mother, even though she was not really her mother, a doting father and a loving sister. She felt she must have been the luckiest girl to have been orphaned for she was sure her real parents would not have loved her this way.
Her mother was actually Jiji's, that is Payal, her elder sister's mother and she was brought home from somewhere but no one seemed to discuss from where.
As if thinking of her sister brought her in front of her, Payal appeared and softly admonished Khushi, "ab bas bhi kar, pata hai na Ma kitni chidh jaati hai phir, do din take sunte baithna."
Payal placed a hand on Khushi's shoulder and said, "itna gussa achcha nahi hai, Khushi, tu samjhdar hai na, phir kyon itna gussa karti hai. tujhe kitni baar kaha hai' ek se sau tak gin lo sab theek ho jaayega."
Khushi turned then to her sister and growled, "Par who samjhata kya hai apne aapko, larka hai toh kuch bhi bodega? Aap toh itne naram ho ki asp toh usse kuch kehte nahi," she continued putting her hands on her hips, "Mujhe hi kuch karna tha na, uski toh aankhein noch leti mein, who toh asp beech mein aa gayee. Bacha gaya aaj, agile bar'" she raise the hand that held the strainer.
"Theek hai! Theek hai! Ab ye toh band kar." Pointing to the stove and then switched it off.
Payal's Mom heaved a sigh of relief and got back to arranging things on the shop shelves.
Khushi then washed up and went to serve a customer. She was one of the best sales person as she had the ability to draw out people and bring a smile to their face. She epitomized her name, Khushi.
Helping her father was just one of the things she did. Her real passion was embroidery. Her Chikan work was famous in the old city area and many retailers gave customized work to her. She finished orders on demand and made beautiful creative embroidery with legendary Chikan thread.
No one knew where she got the talent but perhaps it ran in her blood, for her adopted father and his family were sweetshop owners from generations and there was no connection to the Chikan work that Lucknow was famous for in their family. But Khushi was someone who had some extraordinary skills.
A firebrand with sharp tongue and impulsiveness to go with it; Khushi got more in trouble than she got out of. It was Payal the sensible one who always was the peacemaker.
Just then a customer came to the shop and asked Khushi, "Kyon beta, aadha kilo halwa mileage."
"Haan chachaji, abhi deti hoon." she quipped as she started filling in a box with the halwa and placed it on the weigh machine.
"Chachaji, Shobha jiji ki shaadi toh nazdeek aa rahi hai. Uski meethai ka order bhi de dena. Itni badhiya mithai banayenge ki saare baaraati ungliyan chaate reh jaayenge. Kyon Babuji, hum sahi keh rahe hain na?"
The customer replied, "Haan bitiya, soh toh hai, par ab tumhein apni shaadi ke laddoo khaane ka waqt aa gaya hai, naaki ki sabki shaadi mein laddoo bananeka."
"Arre chachaji apnea toh hamare dil ki abate hi boll di." she smiled as she joked with him.
"Sharam nahi aati, parmeswari, apni shaadi ki baat karat hao." just then Buaji entered the store adding, "Hai re Nand Kisore, kaun samjhawe ab iss chukariya ko."
Seeing Buaji, Khushi quickly packed up the box of halwa and gave it to chachaji and was about to scoot away when the Buaji caught her arm and asked, "Kyon ree, Payaliya se pehele hi apni saadi ke sapne dekhat hai?"
"Nahi Buaji, woh toh mein '. yunhi'" but stopped as her Babuji asked her not to argue.
"Shashi babua, hum uhai baat karne aayee hai, Humein ek rista mila hai jo Delhi ma hai Payaliya khatir. Kaho toh baat chalayee de?"
About to speak up, Shashi stopped Khushi with a raised hand and said, "Haan Jiji, iss bare mien ghar par baat kareka padi. Inhya theek naahi hai. Khushi Bitiya, jara dukaan sambhalo. Hum aawat hain. Chalo Jiji." Shashi escorted his sister towards their home which was a couple of blocks away.
With a twist to the mouth, Khushi muttered to herself, "Bas hamein hi koi batana nahi chahta. Yahan dukaan par chore diya," as she started twiddling with her long braid.
Khushi went home after couple of hours restless to know what the talks were all about and just as she entered the home she heard, "Arre Payaliya, ab toh tohar saadi samjho bas hui gayee' Shashi babua kar liyo tayyari."
Chapter 2 Page 2
Chapter 3 Page 4
Chapter 4 page 7
Chapter 5 page 9
Chapter 6 page 9
Chapter 7 page 10
Chapter 8 page 11
Chapter 9 page 14
Chapter 10 page 15
Chapter 11 page 19
Chapter 12 page 21
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/1753524/ss-ff-with-or-without-you-chp-38-pg144?pn=21
Chapter 13 page 21
Chapter 14 page 24
Chapter 15 page 27
Chapter 16 page 29
Chapter 17 page 33
Chapter 18 Page 36
Chapter 19 Page 37
Chapter 20 Page 48
Chapter 21 Page 50
Chapter 22 Page 55
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46480680
Chapter 23 Page 55
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46481320
Chapter 24 Page 56
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/1753524/ss-ff-with-or-without-you-chp-38-pg144?pn=56
Chapter 25 page 58
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46482737
Chapter 26 page 59
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46483654
Chapter 27 page 65
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46514031
Chapter 28 page 67
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46515503
Chapter 29 page 80
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46610763
Chapter 30 page 81
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46612261
Chapter 31 page 88
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46638755
Chapter 32 page 98
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46670771
Chapter 33 page 103
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/1753524/ss-ff-with-or-without-you-chp-38-pg144?pn=103
Chapter 34 page 107
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46674695
chapter 35 page 115
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46702453
Chapter 36 page 117
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/1753524/ss-ff-with-or-without-you-chp-38-pg144
Chapter 37 page 131
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46729774
Chapter 38 page 144
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/46793389
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