Vignettes- 18. Hai re Nandkishore! Thread 1 - Page 89

"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, our family has actually become even more mad!", 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..."

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. All arrangements complete there?"

"Yup, all done. So when'll you reach here? I've arranged for the doctors to meet you at the entrance and once she's settled, we'll also come."

"Thanks for everything, Nannav. By the way, there's a small problem. Pooja's father cannot accompany her alone, and if her mother also comes with us, her brother Bittu 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. So I told them that he can also come... But what'll we do with him? 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! If her whole family will be by her side, what role will you have there?", 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 some arrangement." Arnav sighed as he ended the call and turned to update everyone. As he had expected, his sister and grandmother jumped in, "They can stay here, with us!"

He hadn't even begun to contemplate it when Payal responded vehemently, "Nahi, Di, that won't work." At Anjali's surprised look, she explained gently, "Di, they're already jittery with all the help we've showered on them, if they see this house, and we ask them to stay here, we'll really scare them."

From the corner-seat where she had been sitting quietly, Garima spoke up, "Anjali bitiya, please don't feel bad, but we ourselves were uncomfortable being in this house, amidst this opulence during Payal's wedding, and look how long it took us to actually relax and feel at home here? They're from a village, give them some time to get used to the city, and its comforts and grandeur."

"You're right, Garima." Buaji piped up. Turning to Arnav, she said, "Arnav babua, don't worry, I have an idea. I'll be alone at home once Garima and Shashi babua leaves for Lucknow. Let the boy stay with me, I'll look after him!"

Startled at the turn of events, Arnav said, "Arre nahi nahi, Buaji, why trouble yourself..."

"Arre babua, what trouble?" Buaji shot back, "It's our Nandkisore's ladki, we should also get a chance to help them, hai naah, Garima?"

"Haan, Jiji", Garima smiled at Arnav, "And Jiji has Khusi and Payaliya to help her, bitwa...Everything will work out just fine."

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...get up. When did you reach?"

"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, up. Now!"

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, "Calm down, Nanheji. We're in Dilli now, Pooja is fine, we just wanted to know when you had reached, and are they comfortably settled in the hospital?"

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. Pooja's parents and brother are there with her, but I'm not sure for how long that boy can stay there...", he trailed off.

"Arre you don't burry, NK bitwa, 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, you're brilliant! What dhamaal ki plan banaayi thi aap! Pooja's father had no problem with me staying back, thanks to your idea. And I got to spend a lot of time with her. And now this! Khushiji, you are the best!"

"Arre, she's Mrs. ASR, the brains go along with the job!", Payal agreed.

"Dhanyawaad, Nanheji. But come on now, we'll leave for the hospital as soon as we finish breakfast, and Pooja's family will have to be convinced about staying with Buaji", 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, have you thought of were you'll be staying?"

Looking over at her son, Kamla Yadav replied sadly, "Nahi, bitiya. We have to find some place, Bittu can't stay here...", she trailed off.

Seeing the chance, Khushi jumped in, "Auntyji, we'll do one thing. Our Buaji lives near here. Until you find alternate arrangements, why don't you stay with her? She lives alone, so you won't have any problems with using her house for freshening up and keeping your luggage."

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. You've already done so much for us..."

And that was Arnav's cue to jump in, "Sir, as I had already promised you, until Pooja regains her health, she's our responsibility." And his brother put in his bit as well, "You don't have another option now anyway, Sir, so until you find other arrangements, Buaji's house will be the best choice for you."

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.