Khushi was sitting with her blue thermos coffee mug clutched in her hands on the roof of Nikunja & watching the last rays of the sun fade away as dusk slowly spread around. Ever since she had come home running away from Shantivan after that sweet assault of Arnav, had been roaming around the whole house like a ghost. Not a thought in her head, not a worry in her heart. She didn't even know exactly what she felt. She just knew she was at peace.
Khushi let out a long peaceful sigh & was about to take a sip of her coffee, when her cell phone rang. She picked the phone up & saw it was the Shantivan landline number. Instantly, she felt a rush of adrenaline hit her veins. It might be Arnavji. She pressed the button to answer the call & pressed the thing to her left ear. But her excitement ebbed away as soon as she heard Naniji's jovial voice on the other end, asking her if she was OK after she ran away from Shantivan like that. Khushi didn't know what to say to her in answer to that, so she just caught the bull by the horns & blurted out, "Naniji, I am very sorry for talking to Dadiji like that. It's just that... Woh.. Arnavji.." She stopped short when she heard a soft chuckle & then Nani's dignified voice trying to soothe her by saying, "Leave it, Khushi bitiya. I will pacify Sumi. Payal bitiya reached home safely na?"
A small laugh escaped Khushi's lips as she said humorously, "Naniji! Our homes are only so much far! Jiji came back safely long back!" But she's still not talking to me, she thought sourly. Then realizing Nani was silent, asked hastily, "Did you wanna talk to her? Is her phone busy?" But even as she asked that her mind was thinking about the additional means of the landline if Nani wanted to speak to Payal herself. Nani's next words, however, cleared her confusion, as she said, "Nahi , Khushi bitiya. I had to speak with you only. See, I know you are the youngest in your family, but I also know how mature you are. & besides, Shashi ji & Garima ji aren't here na?"
Khushi's brows gathered together in a frown as she tried to anticipate where this out-of-the-blue conversation was going. But as Nani started speaking again, she forced herself to concentrate, "Bitiya, wo, I gather you know about your sister & our Akaash bituwa?" Khushi stilled completely for a moment wondering if this was a trick question. She didn't know who else other than Manorama & Arnav knew about this thing between Payal & Akaash in the Raizada family. Hence, she really didn't want to blurt something out, & then enrage the already incensed Payal further. But she couldn't outright lie to Nani too. Nani was a too kind lady for that. So in the end, Khushi just managed a "Ji, Nani ji.", which could be a statement or a question, depending on the listener's perception.
To her relief, though, Nani didn't question further about how much she knew or for how long, & continued, "Bitiya, I wanted to invite you for the brunch Anjali bitiya arranged for tomorrow. I wanted to spend more time with Payal bitiya, but Sumi didn't like her coming over to Shantivan so frequently when the marriage talks are still going on. & she also had a point that, we shouldn't go over to your house to see Payal bitiya, since she deserves the Nek & Shagun of when we go over to your home to ask for her hand the first time, while your parents are there. But we needed to give the Kundali's of Rohan & Anjali to Pandit ji, so that he can look for auspicious moments for the rituals to begin. So, Manorama suggested, why don't we give Akaash & Payal's Kundali's to Panditji at the same time? It will save the hassle later & by the time your Amma-Bauji comes some of the progress will be done. But, asking Payal for her own Kundali didn't seem too considerate. So, can you, despite being younger to them, bring the Kundali's around for the brunch affair tomorrow? I spoke to your Amma on phone, & she said if you called her she'll tell you the whereabouts of them."
Khushi immediately agreed to the small favor & assured Nani repeatedly that she'd surely bring the Kundali's with her to the brunch tomorrow. After chatting with the surprisingly funny lady for another 15 minutes, Khushi kept the phone down & after throwing a last furtive glance at the general direction of Shantivan, she got up on her feet & descended down the stairs, straight to the main hall. On her way down, she saw Payal's room was locked from inside. Still angry, she heaved a sigh & made a resolve to her herself to make Brownies for Payal after she located the Kundalis.
Getting to the landline phone set in the living room, Khushi picked the receiver up & called Buaji's number in Lucknow. As the call got through she got ready to count how many names Buaji would call her by this time, but to her naughty disappointment, Garima picked up the call, & as soon as she heard Khushi's voice, she rushed into panic speech, "Khussi?? What-? Devyani ji called! What's this we hear about Payalia & Akaash bituwa?! I mean, when' what?" Khushi heard the alarm in her mother's voice, so she decided to just tell everything as she knew it, after filtering some of the parts.
After she told Garima about Payal meeting Manorama today, obviously withholding the part about her exchange with Dadi, Garima seemed a bit annoyed that Payal went like that without taking her parents' permission first. Then she told Khushi curtly where the Kundalis were kept in her cupboard, warned her not to mess up the cupboard too much & cut the call distractedly saying, she had much to discuss with Shashi & Madhumati.
Khushi kept the receiver over the cradle & made her way to her parents' bedroom. She actually didn't feel too much worried about her Amma's agitation. Obviously her Amma was disturbed, but as much as Khushi knew her, it was maybe largely due to the fact that the talk of Payal & Akaash's alliance had actually moved very far along without Shashi & herself being kept in the loop about any of it. & any mother would feel bamboozled by it. But Khushi also understood one thing, Payal & Akaash's alliance had got the green signal from Shashi, Garima & Madhumati, as if it weren't so, then Garima would not direct her to get the Kundalis & hand them over to Nani tomorrow.
When Khushi searched her Amma's cupboard after reaching it, she located the Kundalis immediately inside the drawer Garima said they had been kept, but as she was about to close the drawer, her eyes caught on something else. Opening the drawer further, instead of closing it off, she reached to the bottom of the drawer & pulled out two fat piles of stamp papers, each tied off with a thin red dori across their middle. She opened the first one & saw that it was the ownership deed to Swastik Mishtanna Bhandaar, their sweetshop in Lucknow. She suddenly felt her interest piqued as she read on the deed. As she got done with reading it, she again fastened it with the red dori & proceeded to the next similar bundle.
As Khushi opened the next one, she saw it was the ownership deed to Nikunja. She felt a fond smile creeping across her lips as she started to read further, but her eyes abruptly came to a halt as she took in what all was written on the deed. The deed stated in the place of owner's name, two names, one being that of Garima Gupta, & the second one being, to Khushi's utter shock, Khushi Kumari Gupta. The deed stated that were the joint legal owner of the house building & land area it stood on, & any decision regarding the property's ownership in the future would be credible after unanimous agreement of the owners. As Khushi's eyes scanned the pages further, she found that this registry was made approximately 2 & half years after her birth, & apparently something was changed in the deed in this version. As far as she knew that was roughly around the time they came to live in Nikunja. Khushi slowly tied the deed up as it was before & kept both the deeds at the bottom of the drawer.
As she slowly made her way downstairs to the kitchen, Khushi's mind was reeling with question. Why was she the co-owner of Nikunja, & not any one between Rohan and Payal? & the deed was registered much later after she was born. What prompted them to change something in the deed & put her name there while the new registry was being done? & why Amma & her? If they wanted to name one of their children owner, why not all of them? As the confusing thoughts whirled around her head, Khushi didn't even know when she started mixing the batter for Jalebi instead of whipping up the batter for brownies which she had initially intended to make for Payal.
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Devyani Raizada came over to her only daughter in law's room & peeked in. As expected, Manorama Raizada was flipping through a life style magazine while munching on Kachoris. She came into the room clearing her throat & instantly Manorama stood up on her toes as if on attention, & started blabbering something about resting after a hard day of work, Nani hid a smile as she said sternly, "Stop making these excuses at least now, Manorama. Your son's marriage talks are going on! & on that matter, give his Kundali to me. Tomorrow I will give Pandit ji both pair Kundali's so he can start regarding them." Manorama nodded rapidly to indicate she would do so right away, then when Nani was about to depart, suddenly Manorama stopped her with a startled cry, "Sassuma!! I just remembered. NK babuwa's Amma was telling me today to look for girls for NK too. Jiji was saying, I am only concerned with my own bituwa's future & I don't consider NK as my own bituwa? You tell me is that true?"
Nani smiled at her daughter-in-law's horrified expression & said, "Obviously no, Manorama. NK is as much ours as all the other kids. You give me both Akaash & NK's Kundali & I'll tell Pandit ji to look for a suitable match for him." Then as she was about to leave, she seemed to remember something as she turned & asked, "Waise, why do you have NK's Kundali here with you?" Manorama made an exasperated gesture as she explained, "Sassuma! Where will they get Pandit in Kidney? I was the one who got NK babuwa's Kundali made in the first place na? It's here with me since then!" Nani nodded, smiling a little at her daughter-in-law's English & left the room.
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As Arnav came home around 9.45, he expected everyone to have retired to their respected rooms. But to his astonishment, he saw Anjali, Nani, NK, & Akaash hanging out in the main hall as soon as he entered through the main door. He was about to go up the stairs to his room, completely bypassing the herd, when NK called out to him in a teasing voice, "Hey Nannav, come here for a sec, mere bhai! We have something interesting to talk about." Arnav halted in his steps & looked at NK suspiciously. It almost never happened that he didn't find things that NK found interesting, completely & ridiculously unbelievable. At the question in his eyes, NK continued in a slow drawl, "I heard, today Khushi was you hero?"
Arnav couldn't decide which of feelings was more dominant, the feeling of elation at being right about NK interesting thing being unbelievable, or the feeling of utter disbelief & slight annoyance at what he was hearing. Involuntarily the words came out of his mouth, "What the-? Who is my what?" A sound of mingled giggles & laughter erupted from the hall as NK continued in a barely straight face, "Yes! I heard she rescued poor you from Dadi ji's terror?" Arnav couldn't believe how every time NK managed to get under his skin like this, but he felt rattled. Throwing a glare at NK, he bit out, "Shut up, NK! & why am I even standing here listening to your rubbish?" Saying this he started walking towards the stairs when he noticed a harried Mami passing him with hands flailing everywhere. As he stepped on the first step of the stair, he heard Mami said, "Here, Sassuma, Akaash bituwa & NK babuwa's Kundalis." He continued to ascend the stairs when he halted at Nani's words, "Good, tomorrow at the branch when Khushi bitiya gives me the other two Kundalis, I will be able to give Panditji the Kundalis in pairs so that he would able to come up with probable dates."
Arnav spun around on his spot like a cyclone, shock etched in every fiber of his face. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Matching Kundalis? Mamiji gave two of them to Nani. Akaash's & NK's. & Khushi was gonna give two of them to Nani tomorrow, which Nani will then get paired up & have Panditji come up probable dates. Paired up? If one pair was Akaash & Payal, that left NK & whom? Not Rohan certainly. Arnav suddenly glared down at everyone in the hall. How dare they? Didn't he circle his boundary, mark his territory around Khushi? NK?! & Khushi?!
Arnav felt the frustrating anger heating up to boiling point like a lava inside him & suddenly he erupted, & bellowed in his loudest voice, that silenced every other voice in the hall to a pin-drop silence, "Quiet!!!! Everyone in this just keeps talking nonsense. All day long! I don't wanna hear all this preposterous, non-sensical crap the moment I come home at night!" Then throwing a last blasting gaze over all of them, he turned, & left a bunch of hurt, indignant & outraged faces behind.
As Khushi walked towards the direction of the ladies' room that the waitress had shown her, she turned a corner & saw the Ladies' Room sign on a door far along the secluded passage. She quickened her steps in that direction, & suddenly out of nowhere, she felt herself being pulled aside by her forearm & then she collided with a warm, solid, welcoming frame as hard fingers grasped her arms harshly. As Khushi got her footing back, she steadied herself by clutching at the front of his vest as she looked up at Arnav's eyes. As soon as Khushi looked into those angry eyes a surprised gasp left her lips, leaving them parted in a perfect 'o', & she saw Arnav's eyes immediately falling on them. But as she started to speak with a shy & startled, "Aranvji, what are you-?", Arnav gave her a brief jerk & said furiously, "What the hell do you think you're doing? How could you after-? But why am I even surprised?"
Khushi looked at him with eyes huge with shock, the anger that seemed to come off him in strong waves hitting her almost physically. She let go of his vest bunched up in her hands, & tried to free herself from his hold by pushing against his chest. But as Arnav felt her pushing him away, something animal seemed to flare in his eyes & was gone before Khushi could read what it was, & he said in an angry snarl, his lips pulling back over his teeth, "Whatever you think you are doing, let me tell you one thing, I won't let this marriage happen!"
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