SS: Keeping Khushi: Thread 7 Part 67 Pg 129 - Page 53

Originally posted by: -_-harsh42

I am at work, and Smi knows it!!

But I am stalking too!!!

Hello there, lovelies!! 😃

Originally posted by: toeditor

😆😆...I do the same...having a browser open always...no matter what whether I read them or not...but I need a glimpse of this thread...like a much needed sugar dose...to keep me going. Never been this way...but am all loving it..😊

Part 65

"Arnavji, we are going shopping for clothes for the wedding today.", Khushi said, thrilled to bits.

Arnav who had been getting into his coat to leave for office, paused, his hands stilling.

"We?"

"Haan.", Khushi smiled at him. "Di, Naniji, Mamiji, Payalji, & me."

"The others can go. I don't want you to go.', Arnav was seriously agitated. "Standing for long, walking up and down the floors... I know how they shop. So, Khushi, stay at home. I will ask Maniramji to bring sarees home. You can buy whatever you like from him here."

"That is very kind of you, Arnavji. But please don't bother Maniramji. I don't need anymore sarees. I have enough. I just wanted to have fun with Di and the others. If you don't want me to go, I won't." Khushi was matter-of-fact. She smiled, and walked out of the room and went to the kitchen.

Arnav sighed. He felt bad. But, how could he let her harm herself and their baby?

He walked down.

The ladies of his family were gathered in the living room, chattering like magpies, excited about the shopping. Smart Mamaji had made himself extinct.

NK was laughing at something Nani was telling him.

"Hello Hi Bye Bye! I will buy a golden Benaras sari, and wear the jewellery set you gave me 20 years back, Sasuumma.", Mami said.

"You will look like Madhubala.", complimented Nani.

"Madhubala? That is so old-phasioned, Sasuumma. Madhuri Dixit kahiye. Aishwarya Rai kahiye! How can the Mami of the bridewaa be old-phasioned?"

Nani laughed.

Arnav looked around. Khushi was nowhere to be seen.

He called loudly, "Khushi! Khushi!"

"Lo aa gaya, hamre Arnav Bitwaa, calling for his beloved like Shammi Kapoor singing Yahooo! Yahooo! Chahe Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe!"

"But there is no barfi (sweet) here, Maasi!", laughed NK, shaking his head & body and dancing around like Shammi Kapoor.

"Barf (snow), not barfi!", corrected Di, giggling.

Arnav frowned at his Mami and her motley crowd of clowns. His family!

Khushi came out of the kitchen.

"Ji?"

"I am leaving for the office, Khushi."

"Ji."

"I won't be back for lunch, Khushi."

"Ji."

The Raizadas looked from Arnav to Khushi, and back again as though they were watching a tennis match.

"Tum theek ho, Khushi?"

"Ji."

"Acha. I am leaving.", Arnav said, reluctant to leave her in case she was upset, and wanting to speak to her in private.

"Ji."

Mami sighed. "Khushi Bitiyaa, go with hamre Arnav Bitwaa to the door so that he can give you hidden kissiya behind the flower potwaa as he does every morning!"

Arnav & Khushi blushed. The rest of the family laughed.

"Now you know why Hamre Arnav bitwaa loves gardening, Saasumma!"

"So that is why he is always digging in the dirt, Mamiji!", Di teased them.

"And the house is full of plants and pots!", Nani added.

Khushi quickly accompanied her husband to the door.

At the door, Arnav paused, and said softly, "Khushi, I don't want you to strain yourself. That's why..." He gently touched her tummy where his baby slept in peace.

"I know, Arnavji.", she smiled. " I am not angry. I was just disappointed. But it is OK. Suniye, when all go out, I will be alone here. So shall I go to Omkar?"

"Yes, Khushi. Go to Omkar in Mohan's car. I will phone you."

She nodded.

He kissed her cheek gently, and then with more pressure, not wanting to take his lips off her cheeks.

"How did Mami find out?", he finally whispered.

(Keshini4u, thanx!)

"Mamiji has been walking around for 2 days with a pair of binoculars, saying that she is a female Bond. Maybe she saw us.", Khushi whispered back, blushing.

"Your cheeks are red.", Arnav said, his expression making her blush more. "So many months after our marriage, and you are still blushing!", he teased.

Khushi pushed him away, playfully.

"I am not blushing! It is your stubble...", her voice tailed away.

"What did my stubble do?", he asked, smirking.

"Nothing." Khushi pushed him out of the door, laughing.

Aarti sighed silently. She had been putting it off for too long. She really had to go shopping today. It was her mother's birthday next week, and she had to get a sari for her. And some underclothes for herself. Maybe she should buy a third set of shirt & trousers.

She leaned against the back of the stone bench in her garden, looking at the dew drops on the new buds, the lotus buds in the small pond she had built, the tree with nests, the rose bushes she had planted under her mother's supervision...the small world she had made for her mother.

She sighed. Shikha was gone. She would feel the wind no longer. See the sun no longer. Her smile was lost somewhere, never to be seen again. Her laugh...

Her father was thankfully dead. It was just Amma & her.

And Gopi Kakka.

As though her thoughts had summoned him, Gopi Kakka came with a tray of hot coffee for her.

"Gopi Kakka, how many times have I asked you not to bring my coffee out in the cold? Your knees will hurt, and you will have to hobble around.", Aarti scolded him.

"You have your coffee, child.", Gopi Kakka said, his rough voice matching his rugged face. "As it is, she eats like a bird pecks at food...", he muttered.

"I heard that, Gopi Kakka.", Aarti said, smiling.

"You did? Very good. Then why don't you eat something?", he retorted.

Aarti picked up her coffee tray, & followed him to the kitchen. She watched him prepare breakfast. She tried to help him, but he snatched the knife from her, and motioned her to leave the kitchen. She took a plate to set the table. He took it from her hand, and said, "Go and have your coffee."

She stayed, watching him. After a few moments, she said softly, "Gopi Kakka, I have purchased a house for you in Ramling, your village. Along with some land."

Gopi Kakka looked at her in shock.

Then he said, "I am still not leaving."

Aarti sighed. "Your knees are getting worse, Gopi Kakka. You need rest. The last thing you should be doing is cooking & cleaning this monstrosity of a house."

Gopi Kakka remained stubbornly silent.

"And you won't let me employ maids to help you..."

"I can manage."

Aarti sighed. "And you won't let me help you with housework."

"No, you do the work of four men daily. No more.", said the stubborn old man.

A few moments later, Aarti said, "Gopi Kakka, I have paid in a good amount into your bank account. Even if something happens to me..."

"Don't say such nonsense to me.", said Gopi Kakka, furious. "And I don't want the money."

"My father underpaid you for years, hoping you would leave. You didn't. You held on, despite all his attempts to throw you out. For us. Only for us. But for you... If you had not been there, Gopi Kakka, I don't know what I would have done. I can never give you what you really deserve."

Gopi Kakka said, "Don't disturb me in the morning with your nonsensical talk. I have work to do. Go and drink your coffee, and let me work in peace."

"Gopi Kakka, I want you to be independent. To live life without having to depend on your nephews after you go home. I have arranged for a monthly pension for you, along with the money in your account. You will never have to worry about money again, Gopi Kakka.", she said softly.

"How many times should I tell you that I am not going any where?"

Aarti looked at Gopi Kakka. Her eyes held a world of pain. "It is time, Gopi Kakka.", she said softly.

Khushi stitched the button on to Chotu's shirt and hummed along with Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Sahib,

Kaa Karoon Sajni,

Aaye Na Baalam...

Tadapat Biti Mori Un Bin Ratiyaa,

Aaye Naa Baalam...

Rovat Rovat, Kal Naahi Aaye,

Tadpat Tadpat, Mohe Ram, Kal Naahi Aaye...

Nis Din Mohe Birha Sataaye,

Yaad Aavat Jab Unki Batiyaa,

Aaye Na Baalam...

(What am I to do, my friend? My beloved has not come.

My whole night has passed in suffering without him, but my beloved has not come.

I keep sobbing, I keep suffering, but tomorrow comes not.

Everyday, when I remember him, I suffer the pangs of separation.

My beloved has not come.)

Arnav stood near the door, watching her. He smiled. No sulks. No anger. No tantrums. The smile slowly faded. Khushi had learned to live with disappointment at a very young age. He sighed.

"Missing me so much?", he asked, as he walked in. "Your Baalam has finally come home."

Her face lit up.

"Arnavji!"

He walked up to her before she could get up, and sat by her, hugging her close.

"What are you doing here, Khushi?", he asked.

"Ji? Stitching a button on Chotu's shirt." She showed him the shirt in her hand.

"Is this how you behave, Khushi?", Arnav looked serious.

Khushi frowned. "What did I do wrong, Arnavji?" She looked at the button, the needle, the thread, the shirt, and him, anxiously.

"There is a wedding in the family. The others are buying clothes, and you are sitting at home?"

Her mouth fell open.

"Come with me. Let's join them."

Khushi's eyes too opened wide. "YOU are going to take me shopping with Di, Mami, Nani, & Payalji?"

"Well, somebody has got to keep his eyes on you.", Arnav said, smiling.

"Your office?"

"It won't run away if I am away for a couple of hours."

Khushi pinched herself. Arnav hid his smile and stood up.

She slowly came to stand by him.

"You are alright, aren't you, Arnavji?", she asked naughtily, touching his forehead to check for fever. "Leaving the office for 2 hours to take me shopping!"

Arnav smiled. "Let's go."

(Barun_lover, thanx!)

Khushi hugged him and kissed his cheek, caressing the stubble with her warm lips. "Thank you."

Arnav shuddered.

"Do we really need to go shopping?", he asked, his husky voice touching all her nerves.

Khushi laughed. "Chaliye!", she dragged him out.

Aarti stood looking around her with an expressionless face.

All around her were clothes. Salwar Kameez, anarkali, kurta, sarees, lehengas, whatever... All colourful...

She saw salesgirls displaying hundreds of sarees, draping them over their shoulders to show their beauty to the buyers, girls and women trying out clothes, and preening in front of their friends and family...

She just needed one sari. For her mother.

A sales assistant approached her.

"Madam, what would you like to buy?"

"Err..A sari..."

"Which material would you prefer?"

Aarti was stumped. Cars were easier to buy.

"Err... Something soft. Expensive. It is a gift for my mother."

The girl smiled kindly. "Please come with me" She led Aarti into another room, where sales assistants catered to families and groups of buyers seated on the floor on plush cushions. "This is the silk section."

Aarti nodded. "Thank you."

The girl offered her a cushion to sit on, and moved behind the counter. She began to take out silk sarees one by one, and spread them out in front of Aarti who was sweating. If only she could spend the day in the undemanding company of her men in the workshop, half-buried inside a truck to be repaired!

This was torture. Capital punishment. This was seriously freaking her out! Aarti smiled wanly at the kind sales assistant, and looked to the left and the right for some avenue of escape.

"Aartiji!", came a call.

Horrified, Aarti looked to the left.

Khushiji and Payalji were getting up from their seats and walking over to her, smiling in delight.

Aarti gulped.

They came, kneeled down beside her, and hugged her, Khushiji on the right and Payalji on the left.

"How wonderful to see you here!", Khushiji said, smiling.

"Let's shop together.", said Payalji.

Aarti looked up with doe-in-the-headlights eyes to see a smirking Arnav Singh Raizada and a thrilled Sunflower watching them.

She gulped.

"Who is this, Hello Hi Bye Bye! Introduction to kar dio. Aisan huggiya hi karte rehenge kaa?", laughed Mami.

"Mamiji, this is our friend, Aartiji.", said Khushi.

Payal introduced Aarti to a smiling Naniji, the one-and-only Di who was glowing with joy in the anticipation of marrying her bearded Devdas after waiting for him for 10 years, and their Mami.

Aarti looked at the vividly made-up and richly dressed Mami with horrified eyes. So she was the one who would kidnap her, get her married to the Sunflower, and stand outside their bedroom door on their Suhaag Raat to keep intruders out?

Arnav and NK smiled.

Part 66: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/3334536/ss-keeping-khushi-thread-7-part-67-pg-129

res

*edit*

*grins happily*

Beware, Aarti, beware! Muhahahahaha! 😆 Awesome update, and I relate with Aarti completely when it comes to shopping. I feel as though I'm in an alien universe. Much more comfortable with a novel, or a bookstore 😃 Adorable update, and just goes to show, sometimes the people you least expect give you the most strength and support. Love you, Gopi Kakka!

Smita,😊

Here's my interpretation for Part 65.

It is a word derived from Latin which means to write a rule or direction that must be followed sums up this update.

Kushi full of enthusiasm told Arnav who was getting ready to go to the office that they ' Di, Nani, Mami, Payal and she were going out to shop for trousseau and other clothes. Arnav decreed others could go but not Kushi. He was worried that it would strain her by standing long hours and running around. He would send the haberdasher Maniramji home with his wares and Kushi could select whatever she wanted. Kushi declined his offer saying she had plenty and was not planning to buy anything for herself. She just wanted to accompany Di and have fun with them. She agreed to abide by his diktat and went about doing her chores. Arnav felt bad for denying her the enjoyment, but also felt his hands tied up.

Arnav gave a direction to be followed and Kushi did so.

"We cannot always oblige; but we can always speak obligingly" ~ Voltaire

When Arnav went down he saw his family gathered in the living room all excited about the clothes to be bought. When Manorama Mami said she would buy a golden Benares saree and adorn the set given by her mother-in-law twenty years back, Nani said she'll look like Madhubala, the beautiful actress of yester years. This was not accepted by Mami.

"Madhubala? That is so old-phasioned, Sasuumma. Madhuri Dixit kahiye. Aishwarya Rai kahiye! How can the Mami of the bridewaa be old-phasioned?"

Nani laughed.

Arnav who couldn't find Kushi called out to her.

"Lo aa gaya, hamre Arnav Bitwaa, calling for his beloved like Shammi Kapoor singing Yahooo! Yahooo! Chahe Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe!"

"But there is no barfi (sweet) here, Maasi!", laughed NK, shaking his head & body and dancing around like Shammi Kapoor.

"Barf (snow), not barfi!", corrected Di, giggling.

This evoked a frown from Arnav at Mami and her Clown Alley! His Family!!

Khushi came out of the kitchen.

"Ji?"

"I am leaving for the office, Khushi."

"Ji."

"I won't be back for lunch, Khushi."

"Ji."

The Raizadas looked from Arnav to Khushi, and back again as though they were watching a tennis match.

Arnav was reluctant to leave her.

"Love is . . . Knowing that the other person will always be with you regardless of what happens, Missing the other person when they are away but remaining near in heart at all times"

He wanted to talk to her in private. Seeing her chance to rib the ever serious Arnav,

Mami sighed. "Khushi Bitiyaa, go with hamre Arnav Bitwaa to the door so that he can give you hidden kissiya behind the flower potwaa as he does every morning!"

Arnav & Khushi blushed. The rest of the family laughed.

"Now you know why Hamre Arnav bitwaa loves gardening, Saasumma!"

"So that is why he is always digging in the dirt, Mamiji!" Di teased them.

"And the house is full of plants and pots!" Nani added.

To get away from being the butt of their jokes, both rushed to the door. At the door, Arnav explained why he didn't want her to go. She said she understood and asked his permission to go to Omkar, instead of being alone. He readily agreed and asked her to avail the services of the chauffeur driven car of the house.

He kissed her cheek gently, and then with more pressure, not wanting to take his lips off her cheeks.

"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment" ~ Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever

"How did Mami find out?", he finally whispered.

"Mamiji has been walking around for 2 days with a pair of binoculars, saying that she is a female Bond. Maybe she saw us.", Khushi whispered back, blushing.

"Your cheeks are red.", Arnav said, his expression making her blush more. "So many months after our marriage, and you are still blushing!" he teased.

Khushi pushed him away, playfully.

"I am not blushing! It is your stubble..." her voice tailed away.

"What did my stubble do?" he asked, smirking.

"Nothing." Khushi pushed him out of the door, laughing.

Even after all this time,

The Sun never says to the Earth,

'You owe me.'

Look what happens,

With a love like that,

It lights the whole sky."

~ Hafiz

Again Arnav Singh Raizada gave a direction to be followed and Kushi agreed to abide.

Aarti decided she couldn't postpone her shopping expedition any further with her mothers' birthday nearing. Mentally she made a list of things to be bought. Sitting on the stone bench looking at the landscaped garden laid out as per her mother's wishes she remembered her sister Shikha, who was the victim of their father's cruelty. Now only she and her mother were the remenants of Mishra family and of course there was Gopi Kaka. The subject of her thought came out with a tray of coffee for her. She admonished him for doing so without any thought to his knee which acts up when exposed to cold. But he was adamant and murmured to himself about her habit of pecking at food, by his standards. When she heard it and said so he said then why don't you eat. He would not allow her to touch any thing in the kitchen as she worked extremely hard outside. He prepared the breakfast and set it before her.

Aarti who has grown up eating the food cooked by Gopi Kaka was indebted to him for his selfless love and loyalty.

You don't earn loyalty in a day. You earn loyalty day-by-day" ~ Jeffrey Gitomer

She stayed, watching him. After a few moments, she said softly.

"Gopi Kakka, I have purchased a house for you in Ramling, your village. Along with some land.", she said softly.

Gopi Kakka looked at her in shock.

Then he said, "I am still not leaving."

"Master, go on, and I will follow thee

To the last gasp with truth and loyalty"

~William Shakespeare, As You Like It

Aarti sighed. "Your knees are getting worse, Gopi Kakka. You need rest. The last thing you should be doing is cooking & cleaning this monstrosity of a house."

Gopi Kakka remained stubbornly silent.

"And you won't let me employ maids to help you..."

"I can manage."

Aarti sighed. "And you won't let me help you with housework."

"No, you do the work of four men daily. No more.", said the stubborn old man.

A few moments later, Aarti said, "Gopi Kakka, I have paid in a good amount into your bank account. Even if something happens to me..."

"Don't say such nonsense to me.", said Gopi Kakka, furious. "And I don't want the money."

"Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike" ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

"My father underpaid you for years, hoping you would leave. You didn't. You held on, despite all his attempts to throw you out. For us. Only for us. But for you... If you had not been there, Gopi Kakka, I don't know what I would have done. I can never give you what you really deserve."

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within" ~ Elizabeth Kbler-Ross

Gopi Kakka said, "Don't disturb me in the morning with your nonsensical talk. I have work to do. Go and drink your coffee, and let me work in peace."

"Gopi Kakka, I want you to be independent. To live life without having to depend on your nephews after you go home. I have arranged for a monthly pension for you, along with the money in your account. You will never have to worry about money again, Gopi Kakka.", she said softly.

"We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving"

~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

"How many times should I tell you that I am not going any where?"

Aarti looked at Gopi Kakka. Her eyes held a world of pain. "It is time, Gopi Kakka.", she said softly.

Aarti Mishra, like Arnav Singh Raizada, is used to make decisions. Their decisions and the deeds done are taken in tandem with the welfare of the ones who depend on them. They direct a rule to be followed.

Arnav who came to Omkar saw Kushi mending Chotu's clothes humming a Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Sahib song

Kaa Karoon Sajni,

Aaye Na Baalam'''''''.

(What am I to do, my friend? My beloved has not come''''''''.

He stood watching her thinking here was a gem of a person who had to undergo so much of hardship early in her life, so much so that she took things as they came without a murmur or even an iota of anger. His heart went out to her. He knew for all her troubles the root cause was his father.

"Use what you've been through as fuel, believe in yourself and be unstoppable!" ~ Yvonne Pierre, The Day My Soul Cried: A Memoir

This is what she had done. She drew strength from her sufferings and had carved a beautiful life with its help.

"Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss"

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kushi had utilized it well. Arnav knew it could have been avoided if only his dad had been careful.

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all"

~ Walt Disney Company, Mulan

With a sigh,

"Missing me so much?", he asked, as he walked in. "Your Baalam has finally come home."

Her face lit up.

"Arnavji!"

He walked up to her before she could get up, and sat by her, hugging her close.

"If a hug represented how much I loved you, I would hold you in my arms forever"

"What are you doing here, Khushi?", he asked.

"Ji? Stitching a button on Chotu's shirt." She showed him the shirt in her hand.

"Is this how you behave, Khushi?", Arnav looked serious.

Khushi frowned. "What did I do wrong, Arnavji?" She looked at the button, the needle, the thread, the shirt, and him, anxiously.

"There is a wedding in the family. The others are buying clothes, and you are sitting at home?"

Her mouth fell open.

"Come with me. Let's join them."

"The secret to humor is surprise" ~ Aristotle

Khushi's eyes too opened wide. "YOU are going to take me shopping with Di, Mami, Nani, & Payalji?"

"Well, somebody has got to keep his eyes on you.", Arnav said, smiling.

"Your office?"

"It won't run away if I am away for a couple of hours."

Khushi pinched herself. Arnav hid his smile and stood up.

She slowly came to stand by him.

"You are alright, aren't you, Arnavji?", she asked naughtily, touching his forehead to check for fever. "Leaving the office for 2 hours to take me shopping!"

Arnav smiled. "Let's go."

"You can't measure the mutual affection of two human beings by the number of words they exchange" ~ Milan Kundera

This made Kushi extremely happy and earned him a hug and a kiss. His question whether there was any real need for them to join the rest in shopping was reciprocated with a lets go and a tinkling of laughter.

"If conversation was the lyrics, laughter was the music, making time spent together a melody that could be replayed over and over without getting stale" ~ Nicholas Sparks

Once again Arnav Singh Raizada gave a direction to be followed with Kushi's happiness in mind and Kushi did so .

Aarti who had come shopping was at sea. She was not used to shopping clothes. While she was pondering,

A sales assistant approached her.

"Madam, what would you like to buy?"

"Err..A sari..."

"Which material would you prefer?"

Aarti was stumped. Cars were easier to buy.

"Err... Something soft. Expensive. It is a gift for my mother."

The girl smiled kindly. "Please come with me"

She was led to another room where the silk section was located. The girl started to show her sarees after having her seated on a cushion. Aarti just was not able to appreciate any one of them. She was more at ease with the men at the repair shop. She felt it was a punishment. Just as she was thinking of getting away from the place,

"Aartiji!", came a call.

Horrified, Aarti looked to the left.

Khushiji and Payalji were getting up from their seats and walking over to her, smiling in delight.

Aarti gulped.

They came, kneeled down beside her, and hugged her, Khushiji on the right and Payalji on the left.

"How wonderful to see you here!", Khushiji said, smiling.

"Let's shop together.", said Payalji.

Aarti looked up with doe-in-the-headlights eyes to see a smirking Arnav Singh Raizada and a thrilled Sunflower watching them.

She gulped.

As if that was not enough she heard,

"Who is this, Hello Hi Bye Bye! Introduction to kar dio. Aisan huggiya hi karte rehenge kaa?", laughed Mami.

"Mamiji, this is our friend, Aartiji.", said Khushi.

Payal introduced Aarti to a smiling Naniji, glowing bride to be Di, and the heavily made-up, expensively clothed, walking jewellery store the one and only Mamiji.

Aarti looked at the vividly made-up and richly dressed Mami with horrified eyes. So she was the one who would kidnap her, get her married to the Sunflower, and stand outside their bedroom door on their Suhaag Raat to keep intruders out?

Arnav and NK smiled, watching Aarti's expression.

Manorama Singh Raizada gave a direction to be followed and both Kushi and Payal did so. Manorama Mami, being the saasumaa of both Kushi and Payal has the responsibility of looking after the welfare of her Bahu's. So she too has the right to direct.

The word which means to write a rule or direction that must be followed is PRESCRIPTION

Arnav Singh Raizada, Aarti Mishra and Manorama Singh Raizada all issued Prescriptions that has direct impact on the recepients.

With Arnav's prescription it was the health and well being of Kushi and their unborn child.

With Aarti's prescription it was Gopal Kaka's life ahead, for all the service rendered with utmost love.

With Manorama Mami's prescription it was the welfare of NK, that is getting introduced to the future Bahu by the entire family.

Let us see what happens next!!

That's it for today. Hope you enjoy it.