PART-1
Khushi gave a bright grin as she comfortably settled herself on the bluish gray seat of the railway compartment.Sure, AC compartment windows hardly allowed you the thrill of the outside view, but nevertheless, she pressed her nose close to it, just to see tiny spots of light beyond the station.
En-route to Lucknow, the Kashi V express was pretty close to it's departure time. She shifted and peered out into the aisle to assess the number of co-passengers, and not much to her surprise, the seats were all occupied. No wonder, the ticket business had been this much of a trouble. Well, it was holiday season after all, despite the weather. If it weren't an emergency for her, she would have considered travelling in such a weather, complete craziness. Nature seemed to be in full fury today.
She glanced around at the four sleeper bunks around her. Well, no one had arrived as yet and if luck favoured her, she would have the leisure of choosing which one she preferred to sleep in, a first.
At times, you hope too soon, and it seemed like the same thing had happened with Khushi. No sooner had the thought passed her mind, than a tornado seemed to have entered the compartment. Several heads turned, and what with curiosity being a natural gift to Khushi Kumari Gupta, she bent herself halfway to look at the source of the disturbance.
"ENOUGH!" Arnav roared into his cellphone, as two fear struck uniformed bodyguards, hurried behind him. "Aman I am not interested in hearing your excuses of what and why and how. I am in the train, and now the least that expect of you is to keep the arrangements at Lucknow ready. If even that seems difficult for you-"
He stood listening to the profuse apologies coming from the other end, before rolling his eyes in exasperation and disconecting the line.
He then glanced up to the two uniformed men and raised an eyebrow.. "So, are we supposed to stand here the entire journey, or has a seat been reserved?"
"The seat, oh yes, sir, please this way. It's 402, 403 and 404. This way Sir, please"This was not the bodyguard but the railway official who had just arrived, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.
Khushi munched on her cracker, customary to her habit of beginning with her goal to finish half the edible items packed along with her, in the very first hour of the journey.
Lol..what an arrogant jerk. Woe be to the one stuck up with him for the rest of the journey. I mean, look at him! Okay...so why is the entire entourage coming this way? Oh no, no, no,no. Pass by me, pass by me, yes yes, move on move on, great, shit!
The official bent down to check the seat numbers before straightening up and nodding vehemently. "These are the ones Sir"
Arnav, his left hand buried within his trouser pocket, glanced around the bunks before his eyes came to rest on Khushi, who immediately gulped down the large piece of cracker inside her mouth.
"I am..401"
Arnav glanced left at the railway official, who immediately panicked.
"Sir, if this is a problem for you, I can..I'll just try to adjust this so you-"
Arnav waved his hand in a dismissing gesture, implying that he would make do with it, though anybody who saw his face right then, would have a hard time believing it.
Khushi fumed. What sort of a behaviour was this? This was a public transport for heaven's sake and he might be the President of India for all she cared but she had an equal right to travel in the seat reserved for her. This Mr President need not make it seem as a favor on her.
She chose to simply ignore the party and moved further in the seat towards the window and resumed with eating her crackers.
Yes, take that mister, I just gave you a royal ignore. Yes, I find my cracker more interesting than you. * MUNCH* LOL, look at his face.
Arnav summoned a substantial amount of will to ignore the non-chalant cracker munching figure on the seat in front and as the guards got busy with his bag, he turned to the railway official and someone else, who had rushed inside the coach. Like what was he? Khushi couldn't think anything beyond douchebag.
"Sir if there is any problem, all you have to do is just-"
"It's 'kay Mr Mehra. I am thankful enough that you could get even this arranged in a one hour notice"
"Oh please Sir, we are ashamed enough already that a coupe could not be arranged. If it had been just this morning or even about five hours we would surely have had it done, and what with the season rush and previous boo-"
"Mr Mehra" Arnav cut in "It's okay. I'm fine. You got an hour to do it and you did your best"
Khushi mentally did an eye roll as she tore open the packet of chips from her bag. One hour, this man had given a one hour notice and got this done. She had been confirming her booking since days!
Finally, after what seemed like ages of fussing over Mr Arnav Singh Raizda, the two men left, leaving Arnav with his guards behind. The train took a start and it was 8:00 p.m already.
The guards, who seemed to be having a hell of a time actually sitting before their boss kept getting up from the seats for one reason or the other. Arnav sat beside Khushi on the opposite bunk at the farthest distance possible, (the credit for which totally went to both the parties) while flipping the magazine in his hands.
Khushi grinned as she saw the caller ID on her phone.
"Hello, haan jiji the train just started. Ya I am completely alright. Really? Give the phone! Give the phone! Alllaaayy mela bachha, mausi is coming shona, Adi- mauchi, Adi remembers mauchi? OMG jiji how cute, I just can't wait to reach Lucknow now. What? No-HELLO? HELLO?"
Arnav shut his eyes to control himself. Not accustomed to hearing sentimental phone calls of fellow passengers, what with a constant habit of air travel, this was totally getting on his nerves.
"Excuse me!"
Khushi turned her head right.. "yes?"
"We are traveling"
"okay...so?"
"So would you mind switching off your phone?"
Khushi stared at him confused for a while.. "why?"
"Because-...Forget it"
Khushi shrugged her shoulders and got back to trying to reach her sister.
He was certain he had seen her munching crackers.
Then it had been potato chips.
And now, as you could see, it was fruit cake.
Arnav signalled the guard who immediately got up and moved closer.
"Sir?"
"This train serves dinner right?"
"But of course Sir, any minute now"
Arnav nodded.
Did she even know they would be served dinner in here? If yes, then what was this? An appetizer course?
For someone who was getting irked with Khushi's phone calls a while back, Arnav was certainly facing an embarrassing time.
This was Di's 3rd call.
"Hullo, yes di, no...hmm..yes, fine, Di I am not a two year old okay?" he pressed his protest in the lowest volume possible.
"Di just stop! I am traveling for the first time in a train does not mean that I don't know when to or not to get off the train at a station"
A burst of giggle erupted from his side and he turned his head sharply to see a Khushi, who had raised her stole to her face, to hide the uncontrollable laughter erupting from within her from hearing the conversation.
Arnav fumed as with a loud 'OKAY FINE DI!' he shut his cellphone.
How dare she laugh at him? How dare she..
Khushi sighed a happy sigh as she wiped her hands on her tissue. Lovely dinner.
She had failed to understand when Arnav had stared at her wide eyed when she had piled up all the empty foiled boxes one on top of the other. Finally she had to shrug her shoulders in a 'what??' gesture to which he had simply made a condescending expression, muttered 'unbelievable..' and got back to inspecting the chicken inside his foiled box for the fifth time.
"It's dead" Khushi finally couldn't resist speaking up.
"what?"
"The chicken. Rest assured it's dead"
Arnav flared his nostrils as he finally tore open the rice box foil.
He is done? Omg, he really is done! 4 boxes straight untouched! Does he even know how delicious that rasgulla is? Anyway, who cares? Gosh, he left the chicken. ROFL.His Highness The Prince of Wales.
Arnav caught her staring intently at his plate and raised an eyebrow at her. Two complete meals one after another and maybe she still wasn't done.
"you want something?"
Khushi promptly shook her head and turning her head to the window, rolled her eyes.
Half an hour later Arnav finally turned to her "Where are you sleeping?"
Khushi, music playing within her ears, remained ignorant to his question.
Arnav shut his eyes, trying to control.
"WHERE ARE YOU SLEEPING?"
Khushi, lost ,listening to Atif Aslam songs on loop smiled a deep smile, blushed on a sudden memory and continued to look out of the window.
Arnav lost it.
Afsos hota hai,
Dil bhi yeh rota hai..
"DAMN IT listen to me!"
Khushi jerked back startled as a tall figure stood towering over her.
In the process the earphone cables came out of the mobile phone and a loud-
Hum the mile, tum se na jaane kyun..
At the moment, Khushi couldn't have related to it more...
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Thank you for all the love. Your comments and PMs just make my day. Missing you all loads too and it feels lovely to put at least something (no matter how much it sucked) up.
Part 2- page 30.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Tum Se Tum Tak
Financial markets and global economy
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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