Vignettes- 18. Hai re Nandkishore! Thread 1 - Page 88

"Are you sure, Aman? They shouldn't face even the slightest of discomfort, is that understood? Okay then, go ahead. And keep me posted", Arnav Singh Raizada finished the call and stepped off the last stair, only to leap forward to keep his much-adored wife from falling face-first in her hurry to welcome her family. "Watch it!", he called out, the soft concern in his voice a far cry from the exasperation that had been his trademark in his pre-wedding days.

Pausing only for a second to smile and drop a quick peck on his cheek, the indomitable Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada ran off to bring in her parents and aunt and get them seated comfortably. Shaking his head, he followed her, calling out to his sister and grandmother to let them know that his in-laws had arrived for their quick visit before Shashi and Garima left for a neighbour's wedding in Lucknow.

Soon the foyer was in total chaos, what with everyone greeting everyone, and Dhruv wandered up next to his brother, a bemused expression on his face, "Bhaiyya, I didn't think it was possible, but I think over the years, especially since your marriage, humari family aur bhi pagal ho gayi hai!", the response being an indulgent chuckle as Arnav watched his wife getting a bear hug from her aunt who was already pulling his Mami's leg within minutes of her arrival.

Once comfortably seated, the family was deep in their usual banter when Arnav's phone rang again. "Haan NK, bolo..."

It had been a couple of days since Akash and Payal had returned and all arrangements were finally in place to shift Pooja to Delhi. NK had stayed back to take care of everything in Etah, and had successfully established a cordial realtionship with Pooja's parents, much to his relief. They no longer looked at him in askance when he showed up at the hospital twice a day to enquire after his assistant.

"Nannav, everything is ready here, we're about to start. Wahan arrangements sab ho gaya naah?"

"Yup, all done. Toh kab tak aaoge? I've arranged for the doctors to meet you at the entrance and once she's settled, hum bhi aayenge."

"Thanks for everything, Nannav. By the way, ek cheez bataana tha. There's a small problem. Pooja ke saath, unke Pitaji akele nahi aa sakenge, and uski Ma bhi chali toh her brother hai naah, Bittu, he won't have anyone to look after him. His leg is still in a cast. They're not comfortable leaving him with relatives for so long when they're so far away in Delhi. Toh maine keh diya ki he can also come... Ab kya karein? Were'll they all stay?"

Arnav sputtered, "What?! The whole family is coming? NK, I thought it was your grand plan to get her here and then be her caretaker! Uski poori family aa rahi hai toh tumhara role kya hai?", he lifted his hand to silence his wife who was hanging on to him, impatient for information, while the rest of the family looked on with extreme interest.

"I know, Nannav. But you should've seen her parents faces when I said that I would arrange for Bittu's stay. They were very impressed... and I thought..."

"That I'll think of something...huh?"

NK's sheepish voice came over the line, "Yeah..."

"Fine! Bring them all, I'll figure out something." Arnav sighed as he ended the call and turned to update everyone. As he had expected, his sister and wife jumped in, "Toh yahan rehne ka intezaam kar denge!"

He hadn't even begun to contemplate it when Payal responded vehemently, "Nahi, Di, yeh theek nahi hoga." At Anjali's surprised look, she explained gently, "Di, woh samajh nahi paa rahe hai ki hum unka itna madad kyun kar rahe hai toh aise karne se toh woh darr jaayenge."

From the corner-seat where she had been sitting quietly, Garima spoke up, "Anjali bitiya, tum bura mat maanna, par humare liye hi Payaliya ki shaadi ke samay yeh ghar-parivaar dekhke khabraahat huyi thi toh in logon par kya beetenge? Gaon se hai, thoda waqt lagega shehar mein, yahan ki suvidhaon se parichit hone mein."

"Tum bilkul sahi keh rahi ho, Garima." Buaji piped up. Turning to Arnav, she said, "Arnav babua, fikar karne ki kauno jaroorat naahi. Hum hai naah. Humre ghar ma, hum akeli hogi, Garima aur Shashi babua ke Lucknow jaane ke baad. Toh woh ladke ko humre yahaan bhej do, hum achche se dhekhbhaal karenge!"

Startled at the turn of events, Arnav said, "Arre nahi nahi, Buaji, aap takleef kyun utha rahe hai..."

"Arre babua, iss mein kaunsi takleef huyi?" Buaji shot back, "Humare Nandkisore ki ladki hai, toh humein bhi unki khaatirdaari karne ki mauka milni chaahiye, hai naah, Garima?"

"Aap sahi keh rahi hai, Jiji", Garima smiled at Arnav, "Aur Jiji ke madad ke liye Khusi aur Payaliya hai naah, bitwa...Sab theek ho jaayega."

Looking around at his smiling family, Arnav sighed and nodded, preparing himself for the drama ahead.

*********************

The rest of the day went in waiting for their arrival and since it was late, Arnav, Khushi, Payal and Akash decided to put off their visit to the hospital for the next morning. NK came in sometime during the night and crashed in his room, seen only by a bleary-eyed Hari Prakash. Hearing that he was home, Khushi ran up to his room, with Payal and Manorama close on her heels. A quick whispered conference on whether he should be woken up or not, Khushi walked up to him, "Nanheji...uthiye naah. Kab aaye aap?"

"Mmm...I'm sleeping, Khushiji...go away...", he mumbled before turning on his stomach and pulling his pillow over his head. Smiling at Khushi's grumpy face, her sister marched up, "Nanheji, uthiye. Abhi!"

Jumping up as if he had been shot, NK's head whipped around, "Payal Bhabi... what happened, is it Pooja? Is she alright?"

Chuckling at his frantic questions, understanding that he automatically associated her and Akash with his stay in Etah, Payal replied, "Aap shaanth ho jaayiye, Nanheji. Ab hum Dilli mein hai, Pooja theek hai, hum sab bus yeh jaanna chaahte the ki aap kab aaye the, hospital mein sab theek se hua tha?"

Settling back in relief, NK smiled at her, "Haan, Bhabi. They're all there. The admission procedure went without a hitch, thanks to Nannav and Aman. Ab Pooja ke parents aur brother bhi wahan hi ruke hue hain, but I'm not sure for how long that boy can stay there...", he trailed off.

"Arre you don't burry, NK bitwa, yeh Phatti-Saari aur Khoon-bhari-taang combined hoke ek pilaan banaayi hain. You listens," Manorama grinned and proceeded to explain how they had decided that Buaji's house was to be designated to be base-camp for the Yadav family.

Leaping upright again, NK clutched at Khushi's hands in delight. "Khushiji, aap ek dum brilliant ho! Kya dhamaal ki plan banaayi thi aap! Pooja ke Pitaji ko koi problem nahi hua mere wahan rukne se, thanks to your idea. And I got to spend a lot of time with her. And now this! Khushiji, you are the best!"

"Aakhir biwi kiski hai! Shaatir dimaag toh hona hi tha!", Payal agreed.

"Dhanyawaad, Nanheji. Par ab chaliye, humein naashta karke aspataal jaana hai, aur Pooja ke parivaar ko Buaji ke yahan bhi le jaana hai", Khushi got up.

**********************

Finishing breakfast quickly, it was decied that Payal, Akash, Arnav and Khushi would go with NK to the hospital since they were the ones the family already knew and had implicit trust in. And once they reached there, after the initial greetings were over, flicking a glance at an exhausted-looking Bittu, who was sitting with his leg propped up on the couch, Payal asked Pooja's mother, "Auntyji, aapke rehne ka intezaam kuch hua?"

Looking over at her son, Kamla Yadav replied sadly, "Nahi, bitiya. Ab dekhna padega, Bittu ko iss haal ma aspaatal mein...", she trailed off.

Seeing the chance, Khushi jumped in, "Auntyji, ek kaam keejiye. Humare Buaji ka ghar yahan paas mein hi hai. Jab tak aapke rehne ka intezaam nahi ho jaata, aap naha-dhone aur samaan rakhne ke liye wahan chaliye. Buaji wahan akeli rehti hai, toh aap aaraam wahan ki suvidhaayein istemaal kar sakte hai."

Looking slightly dazed at the quick solution that had been presented to the problem that had been hounding them since leaving from Etah, Diwakar Yadav protested weakly, "Arre nahi, bitiya. Humare liye waise hi aap bahut kuch kiye hain. Ab yeh bhi..."

And that was Arnav's cue to jump in, "Sir, main bhi aapse kaha tha naah, Pooja jab tak theek nahi ho jaati, saari responsibility humari hai." And his brother put in his bit as well, "Waise bhi aapke paas aur koi option nahi hain naah, Sir, toh tab tak ki doosri arrangements nahi ho jaati, Buaji ke ghar ki facilities use keejiye."

As they nodded in agreement, NK sat back smiling, almost bursting with pride and gratitude and love for his family who had come out, all guns blazing for his cause.