Part 29
After about forty minutes they finally pulled up outside her house in Laxmi Nagar. Khushi groaned as Arnav stopped. Sitting on the veranda were her Babuji, Amma and Bua-ji.
Looking straight into the car. At Arnav.
Arnav turned and looked at Khushi. 'Well Khushi, I guess it's time for me to meet your family...'
For a split second, Khushi felt as though she was frozen to her seat and if she thought that she had been overwhelmed earlier; then this was taking it to a whole new level! Khushi felt like she was on a rollercoaster ride and now she just wanted to get off the manic ride. Why are you doing this to me Devi Maiya...groaned Khushi. She turned to him 'No Arnav... You don't have to do this...umm... we can do this some other time maybe...and you really should rest after...after that low blood sugar...' she babbled desperately.
Arnav looked at Khushi quizzically. 'Khushi I'm here now and they've quite clearly seen me, not to mention that it would be rude to leave particularly now that I'm not just your boss anymore,' he drawled with one eyebrow rising as he pulled the key out of the ignition. 'Let's go.'
Khushi knew there was no way out. This was happening whether she liked it or not. Now what was she going do she wondered in blind panic as she watched Arnav place his hand on the door handle and begin to open it. Khushi immediately opened her door and jumped out of the SUV ' there was no way she was having him open the door for her in front of her family. If Khushi had her way, this was going to be a 1 minute meeting; then she'd be getting him of there.
Arnav watched Khushi as he came around to the front of the car and they began to walk towards the house; she was like a cat on a hot tin roof.
Khushi began walking in front of him as they walked up the three steps leading to the veranda area. Her Amma and Bua-ji stood up as they watched Arnav and Khushi approach. They very curious as to who this well dressed rather handsome young man was.
Khushi hugged her Amma and Bua-ji and touched her babu-ji's cheek gently before kneeling down in front of his wheelchair to give him a hug. Her mother and Aunt leaned close to her, standing on either side as if to protect her. Arnav instantly detected a very different bond amongst these people. It was very evident that they shared a close loving relationship, protecting one another when the need arose. Arnav cleared his throat, glancing at Khushi with the intention of giving her the lead here. He saw her nervously swallowing, her dupatta as always, coiled around her fingers.
'Aaa... Amma.. Babu-ji, Bua-ji... this is Arnav Singh Raizada... my..ahh...my boss, yes my boss' she stammered. She couldn't bring herself to look at Arnav.
Arnav's gaze was locked on Khushi as she introduced him to her family. He'd known that she wouldn't introduce him as anything other than her boss. He folded his hands in greeting, meeting the eyes of her father first, then silently offered his greetings to her mother and aunt, who both reciprocated, their eyes large and wary of him. Garima, Khushi's amma, and Bua-ji exchanged a silent glance. Both were thinking the same thing; both had thought that their Khushi's boss would be someone older, a lot older...maybe balder...with a paunch..but definitely older given how successful the company was; they certainly hadn't been expecting someone so young. Her aunt spoke first; Arnav was caught off guard by her large booming voice, 'Arre Khushi bitiya...jao chai le ao..' she instructed before she turned to Arnav and asked hesitantly 'app chai...yaan kuch aur...shayad thanda...aur app...batiye na?' she asked somewhat hesitantly as she pointed to a chair. Khushi had never heard Bua-ji who was normally very direct being so apprehensive.
Khushi spoke up 'nahi Bua-ji..Aranv-ji ko jana hai...'
Arnav nodded slightly and sat as instructed, 'chai' he murmured even though he couldn't recall the last time he had a cup of tea; black coffee was normally his choice of hot beverage. He felt quite uncomfortable and very unsure of what to say to these people.
Khushi glared at him.
Her mother spoke. 'Khushi...chai..' she said in low voice as prompted Khushi.
Khushi really didn't want to leave Arnav alone with her family but had no excuse to stay. She rushed into the kitchen as she put on a pot of water to boil, the cups and saucers clattering as she assembled them into a tray. Devi Maiya, please please don't let him say anything to them she prayed feverishly.
Bua-ji and Garima, stole glances at each other. They felt like they should talk to Khushi's boss but neither had the faintest idea of what to say. Bua-ji decided to speak up...'Toh kaam kaise chaal raha hai beta? Hamari Sank..Khushi toh theek-taak kaam karti hai?' she asked.
Arnav smiled shyly, 'Ji kaam theek hai. Khushi..' bloody hell! How was he supposed to talk about her?! Arnav wasn't a man who engaged in small talk 'actually...I mean mera matlab hai ki Khushi..mujhe...'
'Chai!!' announced Khushi with more pretend enthusiasm than she intended to as she waltzed in. She set the tray on the table and gave Arnav a cup of streaming black coffee knowing full well that he never drank tea. Arnav shouldn't have been surprised by her gesture, but he was and looked at Khushi as he took the cup, but her gaze was averted from his. Khushi passed tea cups to her amma and bua-ji. They all sipped quietly for few minutes. Khushi spoke up.. ' ahh...thank you for dropping me off Arnav-ji...you have that meeting very early tomorrow which you need to prepare for... I don't want to keep you...' she said to him before turning to her mother 'Arnav-ji is a very busy man Amma...'
Arnav looked at Khushi. She wanted him out of there ASAP and she wasn't even hiding it he thought as his eyes narrowed. He set the cup back on its saucer and stood up. 'You are right Khushi' he said as he turned to her mother and father, bowing his head slightly by way of saying goodbye and to bua-ji as well. Arnav turned to Khushi 'goodnight Khushi' he said very curtly.
Arnav was walking back to the car when he heard her call out to him as she came running.
'Arnav-ji...my bags... they're still in your car' she said breathlessly.
He was so tempted to pull her to him and kiss her senseless as a punishment for calling him Arnav-ji and not introducing him properly to her family. Instead, Arnav glared at her. Khushi knew in an instant that he was mad. She gulped as she walked to the back of the SUV, the body of the car shielding them from her family's view. 'Khushi...' he began, she instantly interrupted him 'Arnav-ji...Arnav..you have to go..' she instructed as she pulled her suitcase out. Arnav could feel his blood pressure rising; why was she acting like a scared teenager who was afraid of getting caught?! They were adults for heaven's sake! He was about to tell her the same but Khushi was already halfway back to the house.
Now Arnav was mad.
He got into the car and pulled out to the main road as he headed to Shantivan. As Arnav thought about it, he realised he was probably madder at himself than her.
It was time to rectify this error.
Five minutes later Arnav found himself knocking on the front door of the Gupta house. Bua-ji answered the door.
'Aap?' she asked in a very surprised voice.
Arnav apologised for the intrusion again and asked if he could come in. Bua-ji moved aside and Arnav walked into the small modestly furnished living room, his eyes scanning for Khushi. She wasn't there but her mother and father were.
Garima stood up from her seat on the sofa, 'Arnav-ji aap... ahh.. Khush abhi abhi bahar gayi hai..mandir..apko kuch chahiye tha. Main usse bulake lati hoon..' she said as she advanced to the door.
'Nahi...ahhh..Aunty' stammered Arnav completely unsure what he should call her. He walked to the middle of the room where Shashi sat in his wheel chair. Arnav looked directly at Shashi Gupta..'App se baat karni thi, kya main beht sakta hoon?' he asked. Garima came and stood by her husband's right shoulder. She was very confused. Why had Khushi's boss come back and why did he want to talk to them?
Arnav sat down and looked straight at Shashi Gupta. There was no point beating around the bush he decided.
(I'm typing this in English because my hindi sucks...but imagine Arnav speaking in hindi to Shashi and Garima)
'Sir, I should have done this properly when I was here earlier. My full name is Arnav Singh Raizada, I own AR Corporation. I'm 33 years old. I've never been married. My parents are deceased, I have one older sister, Anjali, she and I live with my Nani, mama, mami and my cousin, Akash. I don't want to hide this from you, so it's important that you know I am the one who has approached Khushi and not the other way around. I also don't want to put Khushi in a position where she feels the need to hide anything from you. I'm Khushi's boss but I am here to ask for your permission to get to know Khushi personally.'
Shashi Gupta was partially paralysed but possessed all his mental faculties and whilst his speech was slightly affected, he could still converse. 'Why?' he asked Arnav simply.
Arnav took a deep breath and looked straight into Shashi Gupta's eyes. It was a fair and valid question. Arnav spoke as honestly as he could. 'Sir, I could give you a very long speech but I won't. All I will say is that I like Khushi, I respect her and I would like very much like to get to know her better. I would also like to assure you that I understand you will have many concerns about your daughter and me. Khushi will have equal say in this relationship and will not be compelled to do anything she doesn't want to under any circumstance. I give you my word on that. 'Do I have your permission to see your daughter?' he asked.
Shashi Gupta had met many men in his life. Some good. Some bad. The young man seated in front of him appeared to be from the first category from the earnest but silent honesty in the way he spoke but if truth be told; Shashi Gupta didn't judge a book by its cover and more importantly in this situation, this was going to be Khushi's decision. He had raised his daughter to be strong and honest and make her own choices which he and Garima respected.
Shashi spoke slowly.
'I want to talk to my daughter first.'
Arnav nodded letting out a breath silently.
He stood.
'Thank you for letting me speak to you both ' he said quietly and then proceeded to walk to his car after bidding everyone goodbye.
His bit was completed. The ball was in her court.
=======================================
Khushi walked home slowly from the Mandir. It was a beautiful warm and balmy Delhi night and she savoured the feeling of being back home. The visit to the Mandir had soothed her frayed nerves considerably. So much had happened over these past ten days and she hadn't even had a chance to sit down and process her thoughts. Maybe she'd speak to jiji tonight. Khushi and Payal were not biological sisters, but they shared a very deep bond and had never had any secrets from one another and somehow talking to her sister always helped.
Khushi opened the front door of the Gupta home and stepped into the living room where her Babu-ji and Amma were seated. She smiled at them. They were her world and she would do anything for them in a heartbeat. Her Babu-ji looked as her and tried smiling as much as his afflicted facial muscles would allow.
'Khushi, come. I want to talk to you,' said Shashi.
She walked to her father and took a seat in front of him, where unbeknown to her, Arnav had been sitting only moments earlier. Her Amma came and sat next to her. Khushi was perplexed as Shashi and Garima exchanged a glance.
'Amma...is something wrong?' asked Khushi with a note of worry in her voice.
Garima looked into Khushi's eyes as she spoke quietly.
'Khushi, Arnav-ji came back here a short while ago when you were at the Mandir. He asked your Babu-ji for permission to see you.'
Khushi's eyes widened as she tore her eyes from her mother and looked at her father who nodded. She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. They knew!! HE had come back to TELL them!! Ohhh Dear Devi Maiya. Khushi gulped.
Shashi spoke 'Khushi, do you like Arnav?' he asked quietly.
She looked in her father's eyes and nodded silently.
'Why' he asked.
Khushi took a deep breath, her eyes downcast, her trusted dupatta keeping her fingers occupied as she began to speak almost in a whisper.
'He..he's...mean... and rude... and he constantly glares at me...oh and he yells at me, sends me into rooms that have no light, makes me work through the night to get the work done, he scares me whenever he gets the opportunity...'
Her Amma gasped 'Yeh insaan hai..ki Rakshaas?!'
Khushi smiled. 'That's what I used to think Amma, that he was the biggest Rakshaas on this planet... but then Amma in the last few days I've begun to see another side of him...he is fair and considerate...strong...so intelligent...he teaches me things.. and encourages me.. he thinks about what is good for me...' Khushi smiled as she continued, 'he is gentle with me, doesn't push me to do anything I don't want to do. Talking is hard for him, but he makes an extra effort to try and communicate as best as he can...he lost his parents too Amma...he understands me...and he makes me feel save..' her voice trailed off.
Khushi realised at that moment that though she not had the chance to work through her thoughts and emotions, sitting her in front of her parents and talking about him crystallised one thought in her head..she heard his voice echoing in her mind 'I want you Khushi..'. Khushi wanted him too. It was a terrifying but liberating thought.
Shashi watched his daughter as she grappled with her thoughts. It was apparent that the attraction was mutual for both her and him. But it still scared him; she was his little girl and the thought of her getting hurt petrified him. He gathered his thoughts and spoke slowly as he tried to enunciate his words clearly.
'Khushi, Garima and I have raised you and Payal to always make your own decisions which we have always respected. We trust you both, knowing that you will never abuse the faith and belief we have placed in you. Khushi, you are fully aware and understand the sensitivity behind you entering into a relationship with Arnav both for you and us, your family. I dont need to talk about that...so Khushi, it's up to you... you want to go ahead?' he asked.
Khushi gulped. She looked straight into her father's eyes. He saw the answer there even before she spoke.
'Yes.'
Shashi smiled at his little girl who suddenly wasn't so little anymore as he placed his trembling hand on hers 'Ok.. then we are with you Khushi.'
Tears emerged from her eyes of their own accord and flowed down her cheeks in a gentle waterfall. This was really happening. And it was happening with her parent's blessing. Garima's sensed her daughter's overwhelmed emotional state and enveloped her into an embrace, giving her the sense of peace and safe haven that only exists in a mother's arms. After a few minutes she pulled away from Khushi and wiped the tears.
Khushi took a deep breath. It was time to give Arnav Singh Raizada a call. How dare he!
From a writer's perspective, this is I want to say: Arnav is learning the importance of honesty from Khushi, and she in turn is learning to stand up for herself and take her future into her own hands...clearly there's a two-way masterclass happening between them, but not in the way you guys are used to...
Second, I dont believe in hiding things. In this situation, its just plain absurd. They are both adults. They dont need to hide. From anyone. But what I did want to show is that whilst Arnav is a very progressive, modern independent thinker; he understands and very much appreciates the sensitivity and implication of this relationship for Khushi. These are faucets of his personality that are unrevealed thanks to his brutal black and white way of operating in a cut-throat corporate world. They may not be seen often but they are there.
'this story is losing its charm'
that its becoming 'just like any other fanfic out there',
that 'this arnav is BORING my brains out',
and that 'how stupid is Khushi that a few kisses from Arnav and her brain stops working'...
Well to you guys I will say - what I have tried to show is an evolution of character (both Arnav and Khushi) from day one to now. They have to change to grow...not only themselves, but this relationship.
"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."
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