Part 54
Khushi looked at his terrified eyes, and slowly leaned into his arms, passing her arms around his shoulders, and placing her head in the crook of his neck. Her hot tears wet his collar.
"Khushi?", his husky voice was huskier than usual with fear.
She whispered in his ear, "You are going to be a father, Arnavji."
Arnav sat looking straight at the wall, his mouth open, his arms tight around his wife, totally oblivious of the two ladies watching them.
Aarti murmured, "Positive or negative?"
"Positive. All 3 kits.", whispered Payal.
"Why does he look as though someone hit him on the head with a hard object?", Aarti asked in a low but matter-of-fact voice.
Payal tried to control her quivering lips, and led Aarti out of the room by taking hold of her arm and pulling her to the door.
Arnav still remained speechless. But his lack of words did not faze his wife who cuddled further into his warm, loving arms.
Finally, he slowly lifted her face, and looked deep into her swimming eyes.
(Barundeewani19, thanx!)
"We are...", he swallowed, "...we are really going to be p... parents?" His eyes were moist & tinged with red.
"Ji.", Khushi smiled at him.
"I never thought... I hoped, but..." He swallowed. Then he rained kisses on her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and chin. He slowly moved his hand over the flat expanse of her waist, cupping the safe cradle where his son or daughter lay.
"Our baby!", he said in wonder. Khushi placed her hand over his, and both of them looked at their hands.
"Khushi, thank you." His gratitude was heart-felt.
"The effort was all yours.", Khushi chuckled, wiping her tears away. "I just had a lovely time...", she kissed his chin. "...being pampered...", she kissed his cheek, "...being kissed...", she kissed his ear, "...being loved..."
"Khushi?", came his low query.
"Ji?"
"Is it possible to die of too much happiness?"
Khushi burst out laughing. She said in between chuckles, "I don't know, Arnavji. But it looks like we are going to find out."
"Khushi, were you feeling ill?", he asked anxiously, dropping kisses where ever he could reach, holding her to him as close as possible.
Khushi told him about her fatigue and nausea, her frequent naps, how Aarti had found her and helped her to the bedroom, how she had called Payal for help, how Payal had felt it might be pregnancy that was causing these symptoms, how Aarti had gone to get one pregnancy kit and returned with three, and how all had turned out to be positive...
"Khushi, why didn't you tell me? What if you had fallen somewhere...?", he paled.
"I didn't know why I was feeling tired, Arnavji. I thought it was because of the wedding."
"Khushi, how come you were alone? How come our family didn't know that you were missing during the haldi function?", Arnav frowned.
"Arnavji! I was with them. I applied haldi to Akash bhai & Payalji, and was sitting with Naniji, Mamiji, & Di, having fun. Then, I suddenly felt like having a cup of tea and a short nap. I whispered in their ears that I was going to the kitchen for tea, and then to lie down for a while before the wedding."
"They agreed? They let you go alone?", Arnav was astounded.
Khushi said sheepishly, "I yawned. Then Mamiji said that you must have kept me up all night." Khushi blushed.
Arnav hugged her closer, and whispered in her ear. "Mamiji doesn't know who kept whom up last night."
Khushi laughed.
Arnav made her lie down in bed, and bent down to place his lips against her stomach. "The world thinks your mother is a lamb. But she is a tigress in real." His voice was so soft and loving that Khushi had to blink to clear her eyes.
"The world thinks your father is khadoos and akhdoo. But he is a soft-hearted darling in real.", she countered.
Arnav looked at her, his heart in his eyes.
"And he loves both of us very much.", she completed, her voice dripping honey, looking straight into his eyes.
Arnav went in search of Payal and Aarti. They were in Payal's room. Payal was sitting on the bed, holding on to an Aarti who was desperate to leave. Buaji and a few other ladies were busy setting out the clothes and jewellery that Payal had to wear that evening. The noise came to an end abruptly as Arnav appeared at the doorway. Payal & Aarti jumped up from the bed, and stood up in respect.
"Err... Buaji, can I speak to Payal alone?"
Buaji smiled widely. "Why not, Bitwaa?" She turned to the ladies. "All of you, let's go and have some tea. Let Payaliyaa's Jetji talk to her in private, Nandkisore." She herded the ladies out.
Aarti was gratefully leaving with them when Arnav Singh Raizada said, "Aarti?"
"Ji.", she sighed.
"Can you stay back for a moment?"
"Ji." No other answer was possible.
Once all the others left, Arnav shut the door, and faced Payal & Aarti.
"I just wanted to thank both of you.", Arnav was sincere but slightly shy. "If something had happened to Khushi... If both of you hadn't helped her..."
Payal smiled.
Aarti nodded, hoping this would end soon. She had started out by running away from the Sunflower, and now she was in a room with one of his Bhabis & his Nannav! How funny! Although she was in no mood to laugh.
"Congrats!", Aarti said.
"Congratulations!", said Payal.
(Archu-daffodil, thanx!)
Arnav blushed slightly, and mumbled "Thanks." He had never been a father before. All this was new to him.
Then he said, "Payal, Aarti, don't mention this to anyone today. Let the wedding take place. We can give them the good news tomorrow."
"Ji.", said Payal, smiling, understanding that he did not want to take away the focus from their wedding.
Aarti nodded. What did Arnav Singh Raizada think she was about to do? Hire a mike set, climb on top of the tallest building in Omkar, and announce this good news to the world? And have all the guests fuss over Khushiji while Payal & Akash waited for the guests to notice them at their own wedding? So this was how new fathers and loving brothers behaved!
"Is everything ready, Payal? Is there anything you need for the wedding?"
"No. Everything is ready, Arnavji. Khushiji bought me my wedding saree and the jewels I need to wear with it. I just have to wear them and get ready.", Payal smiled, happy.
"I hope she will be able to attend the wedding...", Arnav was anxious.
Payal said, "Please don't worry about her. Hum he na? I will take good care of her, make sure that she rests her legs, takes proper meals, and goes for regular check ups. She will be fine."
Arnav heaved a sigh of relief, and nodded, smiling at Payal. Aarti stood watching the interaction between the brother and the sister.
He turned to Aarti. "Let me know if you need anything. Anything at all."
Aarti nodded. Maybe she should ask him to send Sunflower back to Sydney. One boon in return for the help she had rendered Khushiji? Would that wipe him out of her mind and her memory? She wished she could try and see.
Arnav nodded at both of them, and left the room.
Payal looked at Aarti and Aarti returned the smiling look. Before Payal could open her mouth to request her to stay back, Aarti said, "I need to leave. See you in the evening, Payalji."
She left the room, her legs racing, eating up the distance to her car. She reached it, and slipped into it. She drove out of Omkar, straight to her house. As she was about to leave the car, she noticed the gift Khushiji had given her. It was on the seat beside her. She picked it up, and walked into her house.
Later, after she had fed her mother, and snatched a few bites in between, Aarti told her mother, "Amma, remember the Raizadas? I told you about them?"
Kamla Mishra nodded.
"Khushiji gave me a gift today."
"Why?", asked her Amma in a low voice.
"Only God, Khushiji, & Arnav Singh Raizada know why Khushiji does things.", Aarti smiled.
"What is it?", her Amma asked.
Aarti brought the package to her mother's side, pulled the bow open, and shed the cover. She opened the expensive-looking box inside to see a red sari with lots of gold work on it.
She took it out of the box with trembling fingers, and placed it across her Amma's lap.
"Banarsi silk saree!", Kamla Mishra's face lit up.
Aarti looked at the animation on her mother's face with wide eyes and a glad heart. She then looked at the silk with wonder. Her first sari.
"Look at the gold work! The red silk! Your grandfather gave me a Banarsi silk saree for my wedding!" Her face lost its cheer as the ghost of Mohan Mishra entered the room.
Aarti said, "Acha? Which colour was it?"
"Brick red." Kamla Mishra mumbled.
"Was the design the same one?"
"No, it was the mango design.", Kamla Mishra sighed.
Later, Aarti took the sari and its wrapping & bow to her room. Standing in front of the floor length mirror, she held the sari against her. The vivid colour made her skin look creamy. The silk seemed to want to cling to her body.
Aarti slowly folded it carefully, keeping to the lines of its previous fold. She put it into its box, and folded the wrapping & added the satin thread of the bow. She opened her wardrobe.
In the entire space, hung 2 shirts and 2 pairs of trousers. One black, and the other brown. One set of underclothes and 2 sets of kurta pyjamas were folded neatly and kept to the side. This was her yearly ration of clothes that her father had dictated. He had been dead 4 months, after being laid up for 2 months. But habit had forced her to continue with the 2 sets.
Aarti added the open box with the colourful sari to the dull, meagre contents of her wardrobe, and stood looking at the brightly coloured silk.
Part 55: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/3321019/ss-keeping-khushi-thread-6-part-59-pg-110?pn=49
Edited by smitar - 12 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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