SS: Keeping Khushi: Thread 6 Part 59 Pg 110 - Page 13

Is Khushi pregnant?? looks like it... nice update.. no sunflower.. but Aarti is so gone.. Khushi is already into her match-making mode.. waiting to read more..

Part 53

Soon guests started pouring in. Ladies in large numbers alighted from vehicles, and made a beeline for the hall where haldi was to be held.

Aarti withdrew from the scene, and sat in her car, watching the crowd.

Arnav Singh Raizada was wearing black formal clothes. He was smiling at something Vivek was telling him as they carried heavy baskets inside.

The children were all in white kurtas & pyjamas, ready to dip Payalji & Akashji in yellow haldi mixture.

The... the Sunflower was in a golden yellow kurta. Her eyes lingered on him as he helped Chotu hang garlands of yellow and orange marigold flowers across the entrance. His tall, muscular body in the yellow kurta lured her eyes. The broad shoulders...the deft fingers that knotted the strings so effortlessly and decorated the entire place in a few minutes... the long legs as he clambered on to chairs, stools, & ladders to reach high pegs...the smile on his face as he chatted to Chotu as they worked...

As she watched, he finished his work and walked past her car into the house. Aarti sat, petrified. Would he come to meet her? The firm brush of his lips on hers! The very thought of it had been stealing her sleep and peace of mind. Not to forget his marriage proposal...

As she sat watching the main house pensively, she saw Surajmukhi walk out, towards her car. She slowly slipped out, and darted behind the other cars to reach the kitchen. She could always claim that she had been looking for a glass of water. She rushed into the kitchen, but stopped short.

Khushiji was sitting, slumped on a stool in a corner. She was leaning against the wall, resting her head against it, weary. Aarti stood motionless for a moment. Khushiji sitting still like this! Looking so pale! Sitting silent! That too on her darling devar's haldi & wedding day. It was not natural. There was something wrong.

Aarti looked around anxiously. Where was her family? They loved her, didn't they? Then why were they not around, keeping an eye on her? But there was no one else. Only her. Aarti slowly walked up to Khushiji, and touched her shoulder.

Khushi opened her eyes to see the anxious eyes of Aarti looking at her.

"I am feeling very tired, Aartiji. I don't know why." Her voice was feeble, her face pale. "I came to make some tea, but the smell of the tea leaves..." She waved her hand in front of her face. "I couldn't..."

"Shall I call...?"

"No." Her eyes shot open. "Let the wedding be over. I will go for a medical check up tomorrow. Till then, somehow..."

"Shall I help you to your room?"

Khushi smiled wanly. "Would you? I will lie down for sometime. I will feel better then."

Aarti slowly helped her stand up and walk to her room. As they entered the room, Khushi said in a low voice, "Please lock the door."

Aarti locked the door from inside, and helped Khushi lie down. As Aarti tried to get off the bed after arranging the pillow beneath Khushi's head at a comfortable height, Khushi caught hold of her arm. Aarti sat back on the bed.

"Don't tell anyone. If Arnavji finds out, he will be very upset. Baba, my children, Naniji, Di, Mamiji, Akash Bhai, NK Bhai, Mamaji, Payalji, Buaji, Amma, Babuji... They will be upset."

Reluctantly, Aarti nodded. She poured some water in a glass, and holding Khushi's head up, made her drink it. Then she sat looking at Khushiji, lying with her eyes closed, her hand holding Aarti's hand firmly.

It was a comfortable silence.

"Do you like NK Bhai?", Khushi asked suddenly, shattering the peace.

Aarti stared at her, speechless.

"I hope you do. Because he loves you, Aartiji."

Aarti swallowed.

"He is a good man. Honest. Loving. Loyal. And most important, kind."

Aarti could not get a word out to save her life. She should have known that the Sunflower would tell his Khushi Bhabi everything.

"When he said that he loved you, I was so happy. I was ready to love you without seeing you. But when I met you, I realised why he loved you so much.", Khushi smiled, her eyes still shut.

Aarti looked away, finding it difficult to breathe.

"There is something so honest and good about you. It radiates from you..." Khushi's voice was weak, but she was determined to speak her mind. "I knew that the girl who married NK Bhai would be lucky. Now I know that NK Bhai is also lucky if he gets to marry you." Khushi pressed Aarti's fingers in hers.

"You... you need to rest, Khushiji."

Khushi nodded. "Will you open the wardrobe for me?"

Aarti opened it. Many colourful sarees & suits were neatly arranged and hung in it. The fragrance of jasmine emanated from Khushiji's clothes. She looked at Khushi, silently asking her what it was that she wanted.

"On the right side.", Khushi pointed. There was a gift-wrapped package. Aarti withdrew it from the cabinet and took it to Khushi to hand it over to her.

"It is for you.", Khushi said, a small smile on her lips. "I hope you like it."

Aarti stood, shocked, the gift in her hand.

"I bought three. One for Payalji. One for you. And one for me. I bought other gifts for Naniji, Di, & Mami."

"Me? You bought something for me?", Aarti whispered.

"Haan. I hope you like it.", Khushi smiled at her.

"Thank you. Now...now I... I will leave you to rest.", Aarti manged to say. She needed to get out of here at the earliest. Her throat was all choked up and burning.

Khushi smiled, and closed her eyes.

Aarti opened the door and rushed out, only to halt suddenly at the sight of the Sunflower waiting for her outside his Bhabi's room. Escape was impossible.

"Aarti!" He smiled at her, his eyes on her lovely face under the cap. He rapidly walked up to her, and in a quick moment smeared haldi on her right cheek. She stood staring at him, her big eyes fixed on his laughing ones.

"Hey, what happened?", he asked. "You look pale."

Aarti remained silent, only her rapid breathing and pale face conveying her discomfort. If she could kill him, she would. He and his family! They were bent upon turning her life upside down. She clenched her fingers around the gift. His kiss! His marriage proposal! His Bhabi!

She wished she had never set her eyes on him.

NK walked into her, throwing his arms around her, hugging her, holding her close and safe in his warmth, her head under his chin. She struggled slightly. He did not tighten his hold, but just continued to hold her, not letting her push him away, throw him off. His very gentleness disarmed her.

She stopped struggling and sagged against him. What was she going to do? Khushiji... Buaji... Payalji... The Sunflower... Her mother... Their past... Her truth.

For a moment she wished she were a spoiled toddler who could lie on the floor, beat her arms & legs in fury, bang her head against the wall, pull her hair out, and generally make a spectacle of herself without eliciting comments.

She sighed. But she wasn't a toddler. She was Aarti Mishra, the sole caretaker of her mother, a mausoleum of a house, a successful business, the careers & financial security of hundreds of employees, the insides of many cars & trucks... She had to take control of her life, manage matters better. Otherwise, others would suffer.

She slowly withdrew from his arms, and wiping off the haldi with her hanky, left him. NK stood looking after her.

The haldi was over. All the women, children, and men were washing away the turmeric mixture. Aarti managed to get hold of Buaji for a moment.

"Buaji, I need to go to the office for some time. Any time you need me, just give me a call. I will be here in 10 minutes."

"But lunch, Nandkisore! The feast..."

"I will have something later."

Aarti prepared to leave Omkar, but her feet faltered at the thought of Khushiji lying alone in her room. She looked around. Where on earth was her husband?

She saw him then. Arnav Singh Raizada and the boys were carrying heavy poles to the site where the marriage was to be held in the evening. The Surajmukhi was with him.

She would have to do something. Aarti went inside the house, making her way through the crowd till she spied Payal drying her face & hands.

"Can I speak to you for a moment, Payalji? Alone?", she asked softly.

Payal looked at her, startled.

Taking her aside, Aarti whispered about finding Khushi in the kitchen. About her weariness and her nausea. "She asked me not to tell this to anyone, but... Can you just check her?"

Payal smiled at her, & nodded. Taking hold of Aarti's hand, she accompanied her to Khushiji's room. They knocked on the door. There was no response. Aarti pushed the door open, softly. Khushiji was asleep.

Payal & Aarti went in. Payal sat by Khushi, and touched her forehead. Khushi woke up.

"Payalji? The haldi! I am so sorry... I..."

"Can I examine you, Khushiji? You seem unwell."

Khushi looked at a smiling Payal and a determined Aarti standing with her arms crossed and a mulish expression on her face. She gave in.

Aarti left them to it, and went to stand outside the room.

A few minutes later, Payal came out and whispered in Aarti's ear that she suspected Khushiji was pregnant and that she needed a home pregnancy test kit for confirmation.

"If you can ask someone to buy one...?", Payal said.

"I will go.", Aarti said.

Aarti drove to the nearest medical store and asked for a pregnancy test kit. As she was about to pay for one, she hesitated. What if the result was incorrect? Or the kit defective? She bought three kits, all of different brands, and brought them back to Omkar. She made her way silently into the house, and slipped into Khushiji's room.

Khushi & Payal were waiting for her. Aarti handed over the three kits to them. They stared at her.

"If one is wrong or defective...", she shrugged.

Khushi & Payal smiled at her, moist-eyed.

"Err... I need to get to the office. I will be back in the evening. I have taken permission from Buaji. The other 6 drivers will be here, anyway." Aarti told Payal, and made to leave the room.

"Aartiji, can you wait for 5 minutes?", Khushi asked.

Aarti swallowed. She didn't want to hang around. She didn't want to see Khushiji's tears of disappointment if the test was negative. She didn't want to see Khushiji's tears of joy if the test was positive. She didn't want to see the Sunflower. At all.

She just wanted, no, needed to get out at the earliest. Go back to her house and her mother, and remind herself of her reality.

"Just five minutes.", said Payal.

Aarti nodded, reluctantly. "I will wait outside.", she said.

Aarti stood cooling her heels outside Khushiji's bedroom, glancing at the old clock hanging on the wall. Tick tock, tick tock, the clock measured the passing time.

Payal opened the door, and called Aarti in. Khushiji was sitting on the bed, tears falling down her cheeks. Damn! Damn! And double damn! Those stupid things must have been negative!, Aarti thought.

As Aarti walked up to the bed, Khushi caught hold of her hand. She held on to Payal's arm with her other hand.

The door slammed open. Arnav Singh Raizada stood there, looking anxious. "Khushi? Kya hua? I looked for you, but....I asked the others, but no one had seen you. Khushi...?"

Payal and Aarti moved away from the bed.

(Shopau, thanx!)

He rushed to his wife, sat down by her, cupped her face in his hands, and asked in a terrified whisper. "Kya hua, Khushi?"

Part 54: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/3321019/ss-keeping-khushi-thread-6-part-59-pg-110?pn=33

Originally posted by: fffan123

Congrats on the new thread Smita. 🥳 🥳 🥳

Wow Khushi is pregnant. Looking forward to the celebrations at RM and Omkar on hearing the news.

Love Buaji in your update and love Aarti a lot.

The ARHI moments were very cute and romantic.

Thank you Smita for this SS of yours. ⭐️

Congrats on the new thread
thanks for the update
awesome chapter as always

mujhe pata tha !!!!

Res

awesome..

thanks 4 keeping arhi alive through ur stories...