SS-Tell me!Are you still there?*Complete* - Page 26

Chapter Five

The world was a blur. The flashes, the clicks- nothing made any sense anymore. The cheering crowd was like a mute flute to him. All he could see was his Khushi making her way towards him on the red carpet in a manner which he could never imagine her to be in. The smile, the make-up and the heels- everything was just right for the event. The saree reflected the glamour of the night and her curls could give any model a run for their money. He swallowed only to realise how constricted his throat was. He had forgotten breathe. He didn't know what to make out of this. Whoever she was, she wasn't his Khushi.

After what seemed like a torturous eternity, Khushi finally halted before him with an alien smile playing on her lips, a kind of smile which Arnav had never seen before. A smile which somehow didn't meet her eyes but brought about the effect of shallow sophistication and that hurt him. Where was his Khushi?

Almost mechanically he put his hand forward to reach out to his love, to hold her hand and to pull her back from the illusion she tried creating. Instead of a warm soft hand, a cold well-manicured hand with blood-red nailpaint ivied around his expectant palm causing Arnav to shiver. He felt a chill run down his spine. Why was she doing this?

"Shall we?", he heard an icy voice of Khushi bringing him back to reality.

~

Sheetal was shocked. She could feel the ground slip under her feet. Her ship was sinking. No! No! Not yet! If not anything, life had taught her to be strong, to never give up! Arnav was hers! She had to get her act together before it was too late. What could she do that would rock this relationship? She started thinking hard, ignoring all the buzz of the event around her. She had to get it right and then it suddenly struck her.

She quietly slipped away from the scene and went into the administrative room. She pulled her laptop out and checked her inbox for the hosting script for the evening. She smiled wickedly at her ingenious idea. Khushi would not forgive her husband. Not for now, that's for sure. Not when this happens publicly. She'll be made to believe that the world thinks her assumptions to be reality and that would buy her enough time to get her Arnav back.

She knew Arnav would do anything to make this night impeccable. Every mistake would be covered for the sanctity of the show. Nothing could fumble tonight. The sponsors weren't supposed to figure out any slip-up, that's what Arnav had told the team before the event started. Everything was to go with the flow. The idea of trapping Arnav in his own words made Sheetal gloat with pride. "If I'm going down, I'm bringing you down with me, Arnav" she muttered victoriously.

~

Aman was rushing all around the backstage, taking care of all the last minute patch-ups. Something at the back of his mind was inkling, something was going wrong. He went through every routine, music checks- everything seemed fine yet something was still wrong. He stood in the corner of the dressing room trying to figure out the puzzle. All the models tried grabbing his attention. Pouting their lips and applying lipsticks but all of it went unnoticed by him. Years of management had given him some idea. He knew things weren't fine between his boss and Khushi Bhabhi, the darling of a person. She didn't wear that saree which ASR himself customized for her and Sheetal's clinginess did not go unnoticed by him. The way she slipped out of everyone's notice was suspicious. She was upto something. Oh yes, she was! But what?

He was lost in a trance when he heard Sam, the compeer, the host for the night announce in the green room "Ladies! It's almost time! Hurry up!" and that snapped him out. This had to be it! He rushed out and ran all across to the other end of auditorium, up the stairs and into the tech-room. It was just the teleprompter operator there. Sam was to host reading out the script prompted on a screen from here.

He quickly started going through the script and halted only when he found the folly. He was right. It read "..let's welcome the man of the night, Mr Arnav Singh Raizada and his beautiful wife Mrs Sheetal Raizada".

"Oh no, Sheetal! You're not getting away from this" he murmured. The original plan was that Arnav would come on stage and he himself would invite Khushi to join him. Sheetal knew if she could get this stunt through, Arnav and Khushi would break forever but it's always said that God watches over us. Anything that's not supposed to happen will never happen. Aman's hand was itching to delete Sheetal's name from the list of designers but he let it be. She did work hard for it. He was no one to take it away from her. Restoring the script to its former self, Aman sighed and walked out calmly out of the room, now content that everything was fine.

~

Khushi had no idea what was waiting for her. She thought it was going to be like any other launch party and didn't expect much out of it. She had see the hurt flicker in her husband's eyes when she walked in and oh, how much she wanted to run upto him and his cheeks and let him know everything was ok but she had to stand up. If not for her then for her baby. Their baby! Every time she said that, a smile lit her face up.

Arnav had walked her down to the front row where she was now seated waiting for him to come back. He was attending his guests and the show was about to start any minute.

The light dimmed and the host took over the stage and she felt Arnav creep back to his seat beside her. She looked at him and saw him smiling back in the dark. His palm pressed hers and she knew he was excited. Well, he should be! He worked day in and out for it! The music blared and the models walked the ramp but all Khushi could feel was his hand in hers. The tight grip. It felt so good. She never knew she missed it so much.

The music lowered and the lights dimmed and the showstopper made his way in but nothing could get Khushi back from her trance. She was staring at nothing in particular. "Khushi" Arnav called but got no response. "Khushi!!" he called out louder. "Huh?" Khushi looked at him, flustered and saw Arnav point at something with a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. Confused, Khushi turned to what he was pointing at and got the shock of her life!

There he was! In the spotlight! With all the models behind him! Looking like a God, like he always did! Khushi gasped.

Salman Khan!

She always thought she would be speechless with joy if she ever met her Salman Ji but never did she imagine that she would have the same reaction but for some other reason. Arnav Ji did this for her. Her Arnav Ji! Her eyes welled up. Her Arnav Ji!

Arnav saw her reaction and thought it was just out of the pleasure of seeing Salman Khan live. Little did he guess that it was all because of him? Khushi turned to face him and quickly kissed him on his cheeks and that came as no surprise. He was expecting one.

She turned back and saw all the models and Salman Ji walking back and Sam coming back to call out the designers on stage to be felicitated by Arnav Ji, like it was usually done in all the launches. Sam walked up and proudly asked Arnav to take over the mike. She felt the tight grip loosen and that made her feel a little sad. Moody as she was due to her pregnancy.

Arnav saw her smile fade a little. Understanding the scenario, he whispered in her ears "Don't worry, Khushi. We'll be together before you know it" and with that he confidently got up and walked towards the stage. Turning back, he saw confusion on her face and to that, he just flirted a wink back at her.

ASR walked up the ramp and the crowd went wild. He waited patiently with a sexy smile for the thunderous applaud died down. As it did, ASR started with his words.

"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman. I'm really glad that all of you could make it tonight. AR Design has proudly launched its new Winter Line and it wouldn't have been possible without the effort our designers! Can I please have a round of applause for them? Thank you for making this such a huge success. All this wouldn't have been possible without your hard work."

As the cheer settled, he continued "This year, our collection has turned to be very different. The general subtles and the nudes have been replaced by bright pastels and prints, defining the change in our moods and manners. My heart has been warmed by a lady just like the winter has thawed away into a bright summer. Had it not been for her, I would not been standing here tonight. Please welcome on stage my love, my wife, Mrs Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada" and as he said that, the crowd blasted into a huge cheer.

~

Sheetal stood in the backstage, seething in anger. It was over. She had lost yet again. She had lost to a stupid, menial middle class ladki. Her face had gone red with emotion and all of it was being enjoyed by Aman who was quietly resting in against the wall with a wicked victorious smile flashing on his face.

"He looks so cute! The smile! The stubble" cooed Mandy to Shannon, sitting at the dressing table. They were the two amongst the many models of the night. "Go for it" ushered Shannon. "What's there to lose?" Mustering up courage, Mandy put her stilettos back on and confidently walked up to a not certainly-not-expecting Aman. "Mandy" the model introduced herself and Aman turned to look at her surprised and slowly it sunk in. "Aman" he introduced himself back and a flirty lopsided smile graced his face and hand in hand they made their way out of the place. Someone was getting lucky tonight.

~

Khushi sat at her place rooted not registering whatever was happening in and around her. On being ushered by a volunteer did she finally get up and walked towards the stairs of the stage and met Arnav waiting up at the higher end of the stair flight with his palm, reaching out to her. He was smiling and she smiled right back at him.

Hand in hand they walked down the ramp with a music blaring and frenzy lights all around them. The audience went berserk. They smiled at them all. She was remembering when they first met. It was a similar setting and yet again they were tonight but metaphorically, they had moved on so much with time. She was overwhelmed. Finally, all that mattered was that they were together.

Together they felicitated all the designers and the sponsors. They smiled when it was Sheetal's turn but was surprised when they just got a scorn of an expression on her face in return but they were too busy to ponder over it. They were having the time of their lives and just as she thought the night was about to end, she felt a tug. She walked down the ramp again and stopped and rested only when she was right beside him with his hand intertwined in hers. Nothing was making sense. The show just got over. Why are we here? She was about to whisper this in his ears when she heard him speak again.

"Before we all leave and call it a night, I have something more to announce. AR Designs have always been known for they are best at but now we have decided to venture into the unexplored and tonight was our first baby step as we stepped out from our usual genre for the first time. Seeing that it was such a huge success, thanks to all of you present here tonight" He stopped for sometime before he continued with a raised and excited voice "Let me announce our new line KHUSHI!!!!!!!! A line for all expecting ladies like my wife, Khushi herself." They were again cheered and the flashes of the cameras clicked away to glory. He turned towards an astonished Khushi and said "Khushi, thank you for bringing me back to life" Turning back to the crowd, he continued "It which will be launched by Fall next year and I hope it brings about as much success as tonight. Khushi and I, Arnav thank you all for joining us tonight in our celebration. Thank you". "Ma, hope you're proud of me" hoped Arnav secretly.

~

The night had been great. Every bet, every challenge and every sign of remorse had faded away. Khushi met Salman Khan but had clung to Arnav in excitement. He had half expected Khushi to go all Phan-girl on him but was surprised when she didn't leave his side and behaved in a very posh and sophisticated manner but her high squeaky excited voice had given her away to everyone who was present around them. Arnav just smiled at her. His Paagal.

Later, they had gone for a lovely candlelight dinner where everything of Khushi's choice had been served and romantic violins were played in the background. Following the night, they had gone for a lovely long drive where the cool night winds played the tune of their love and finally when they came back home, long after midnight and retired to their room Arnav kissed her passionately and professed his undying love to her and their baby for the umpteenth and last time for the night. As they crept their way into the bed, Khushi felt his hands snake around her belly and his lips kissing their baby inside and that is how he had fallen asleep for the night. Khushi smiled and ran her fingers through his hair and sent up a silent thank you to her Devi Maiyya and drowned peacefully in the cradle of slumber.

~

END