Ok here we go guys, unexpected I guess but something that's been in the back of my mind for some time and in a word document for even longer. Just a very short story, simple and light let me know what you think and I will continue. Buddy me if you would like pms, my usual readers will have already got one or its on its way 😉
Chapter 1 After an a moment or two an elderly looking lady opened the door, it the lady Khushi had spoken to on the phone by the tone of her voice, her husbands grandmother, all though that word seemed to give her the butterflies others seem to always refer to him as her husband as she knew no better. Nani was one person who was living witness to all. witness to relationship between ASR and Khushi that their parents had initiated. As soon as she opened to door she knew who she was looking at it was Khushi and her eyes took to an instant excitement. "Pechanat ho hame??, Haam nani, Arnav ki nani"
Hearing his name left Khushi with a strange feeling, she had heard it from time to time and it always sounded a little unusual to be connected to someone this way and have no clue about them especially in this day and age.
As Nani smiled at Khushi and admired how pretty she had got with time Khushi was a quick thinker and knew paying some respect was probably a good idea. It certainly was it looked like Khushi had already won her over even before stepping into the house.
Before Khushi new it she was being welcomed by her inlaws, the next and most adorable person by first impression was Anjali who too was aware of who Khushi was and took a shine to her in a similar way to nani had. They both were all for seeing ASR settling down with a wife and there late fathers wish for ASR to marry Khushi was something Anjali kept close to her heart wanting to honour her father and do the right thing by him.
In no time at all Anjali was showing Khushi around the house, they talked and seemed to get on very well at first instance. Anajli was sympathetic to Khushis hardships because she had been through similar , genuine she was and a very down to earth all the things that seemed to help Khushi in communicating her circumstances, her wishes her feelings. A whole lot of feelings were shared just on this one encounter if not via words then actions. The task of showing Khushi around the house was more getting to know each other and quite well at that.
Khushi was amazed by Shaantivan, its grandure, the staff, everything she had never seen a home such as this and the strangest thing was this was her home. Although Khushi wasn't one to be thrown by materialistic things she appreciated the grandeur of the house and noticed the small elements. The images of her fathers best friend and his wife. Her inlaws, she paid respect to them from a distance and shared how she remembered seeing Anjalis father visit their sweet shop many a time when she was very young. This conversation about their fathers is what seemed to bring Anajli closer it almost seemed as they had known each other for some time after an hour or so.
As the tour of the house continued and they approached one last room, ASR's room Anjali busy with everything else had forgotten to mention the most important person in all this. Or the second most important person in all this Arnav.
"yey Arnav ka kamra hai.. " (This is Arnav's room) she said as she pushed open the doors but failed to realize that Khushi had paused behind her a second. Turning around she looked at Khushi for a moment and smiled seeing a mix of hesitation and insecurity in her eyes.
Its okay Khushiji ..i'm sure he wont mind aur waise bhi woh yaha nahin hai kuch din mein loat aayenge.." (he's not here anyway, he'll be back in a few days.)
Khushi smiled trying to make out this wasn't a big deal but it was and every inch of her body told her so. She felt her heart beat that little more as she stepped into the room she didn't know why but the feeling was overwhelm seemed to fill her. She about to get a flavour of the man she was tied to yet so distant from. Stepping into the room Khushi felt an instant feel for his personality, the grandeur, to the fragrance of his aftershave that still seemed to linger in the air; every corner of the room was filled with a signature feel of the man. Anjali noticed the way Khushi seemed to look around a little tentatively it was understandable enough although there was one more thing Anjali had picked up on.
Khushi seemed to avoid or dodge looking at the photos of ASR scattered around the house and even the one that sat at in his room, one which she was apart of it. It wasn't hard to guess why, it was probably likely that Khushi hadnt see Arnav since they were very young ..a part of her was probably a little nervous and the other part of her heart had many a time imagined her better half..it would be a shame to be confronted by a portrait rather than the person after so many years aloof. "Khushjii aap ne kabhi ..Arnav ko nahin dekha ?" (you haven't yet met Arnav have you Khushiji..)
Koi baat nahin kuch din mein woh bhi kami puri hojayegi.. Anjali seemed to carry a mischievous glow she was definitely one of those who liked romance she seemed more excited than anyone else turning over the famed picture of her brother Anjali could sense that Khushi was wanting to see him in person rather than through a portrait.
Finally after quite an extensive tour of the house Anjali dropped Khushi off into Arnavs room where her luggage had already been taken, a guest room would have been sufficient and would have made Khushi feel hell of a lot more at ease but nani was not having any of that. In Nanis eyes Khushi was already a Raizada bahu and her rightful place was in her husbands room.
It felt odd that was certain but she would get used it she told herself there was one thing that did bother Khushi one thing she had to get off her chest and managed to before Anjali left the room. "Anjali ji ham aap se ek baat kahe.." (Anjali ji there is something I wanted to say..) about to head off after showing Khushi the odd thing about using the shower and other similar necessities Anjali turned back to Khushi with a smile. "Khahiyey na khushiji.. and please call me di." (please go on..)
"Ham uhne bohot phele se pati ka darja de chuke hai lekin agar woh ..
Anjali could see how genuine Khushi was she meant every word and she knew what Khushi was getting at. Cupping Khushis face with a smile Anjalis words were very warm and reassuring too. It was the type of gesture Khushi really missed after loosing her family but in this one moment it seemed as if she was on her way to gaining a new one. "Aap yey ham par chor dijey.." ("You leave that to me.")
...
Whilst Khushi's world was changing from all corners and her heart felt every unknown feeling under the sun for ASR it was a normal day. Sitting at the back of one of his chauffeur driven cars on the other side of the world it approximately the time his sister would video conference him or check up on him as it was.
ASR had been away for at least 3 weeks now and Anjali missed him enough to skype him every day same time with pretty much the same questions. ASR was on vacation one he was deprived for the last five years with his empire and so one of the questions was to make sure he was investing time in relaxing rather than working.
With his appearance these days Anajli didn't have to worry about the work aholic just about making sure he tidied himself up before getting home. His hair grown a little longer and he seemed to be supporting quite a fast growing beard. Not that he looked bad, just a little casual, relaxed but casual. Anajli couldn't remember the last time she had seen chote so relaxed, his posture his attire everything but he looked well. Australia seemed to have done the trick.
"Good morning di, " it certainly wasn't morning in India but Anjali went along with it.
"How everyone back home??"
"Sab theekh hai, app bato aap ghar vapas kab arheh hai.." (were're all fine, so when are you coming home Arnav.) Anajli always asked the same question, at least every other day she missed him but today it was more than that she wanted to know how much time she had before she would have to discuss Khushi with him.
"A week or two maybe" A week or so wasn't a lot of time, and it was probably better to talk this over now she thought.
Atcha Arnav, ek aur baat bhi thi.. woh aaj Khushiji hamre ghar ayi thi.
Khushi, Gupta uncle ki beti?? ,Wohi jise babuji ne batchman mein aapke liyey..
("There was something I needed to talk about, Khushiji visited today, Gupta uncles daughter the one dad wished for you to marry") Anjali was speaking with caution but it wasn't long before ASR had heard enough.
"Di you know how I feel about marriage, tell her I'm not interested." It wasn't that easy and Anjali couldn't begin to stress how complicated things were not this way over a computer screen. "Arnav..you know it doesn't work like that its no ordinary proposal" Arnav had heard this many a times and already made clear that he wasn't interested in getting married.
"Di.. maybe shes just after money, really us baat ko kitne sal hogayay." (its been such a long time..that was back in the days. ) Her brother was the practical sort he didn't believe for a second that a girl that his father and chosen for him such a long time was still out their with the intention of being his wife. Not in this day and age it was impossible. Anjali opposed his take because he had no idea what he was talking about. "Chote apni business soch na is mein mat laayon, Khushiji aisi nahin hai." (Chote don't go all business minded on this, Khushiji isn't like that. )
This conversation wasn't one to be had this way and so with that in mind not realizing that how big a deal this was back home ASR had ended the conversation
"Okay di, we'll talk about this when I get back." Anjali had no real reason to force Arnav to continue the conversation she could hardly tell him that Khushi was not just a conversation topic but a wife that he would come home to.
A moment or two of having ended the conversation and closing his laptop to look out of the car window at the landscape Arnav received a message.
Opening it up it was from non other than Anjali a picture of a girl, assuming this was Khushi Arnav couldn't deny that felt connected to her. He only looked at it briefly and then put his phone to sleep but that sensation seemed to linger within him for some time.
...
Day two in Shantivaan and Khushi was still very much alien to everything and everyone in the house. She was aware that the family was much bigger than Anjali and nani but those were the only to people that were around at the present time. As Khushi makes a her way down early morning she sees that Nani and Anjali are busy preparing for something.
Something religious by the looks of it, not only that they seemed have luggage.
"Good morning Khushiji ..ham abhi upar ane hein wale they, Nani ko lakhnow jaana hai..unone waha ke mandir mein aap ke aur Arnav ke liyey manat mangi thi, agar aap ana chahe toh aa sakti hai." ("Good morning Khushiji I was just about to come upstairs to you. Nani wants to visit a mandir in lakhnow where she would like to pray for you and Arnav. It means we will be gone for a day or so but you can come with us if you like." )
Lakhnow bought back memories afraid that she would feel herself fall back into the past Khushi chose to stay here although that meant staying on her own in a house which was pretty much unknown to her but that seemed the better option. "Di ham soch rahe they ke ham yahi rukhe ghar ki kuch baate samaj le." (Di I was thinking I should stay here maybe get to know a little about the house.)
"Theekh hai jaisa aap theekh samje, agar aap ko kisi bhi cheeze ke sarurat pade toh watchman hamesha bhar rahenga aur phir hp or ohm prakash bhi hai, hah jab hp aayey toh une kahiyey ge woh garden ka kaam dekh Arnav ke aane se phele varna woh bohot naraz honge." (" As you wish if you need anything the watchman is always outside and theres always HP and Ohm prakash and oh yes please ask Hp to take a look at the poolside garden before Arnav gets home or hes not going to be very happy." )
Khushi was happy with the arrangement although she was to be on her own for he next to days it also meant that she could get to know the house a little better as well as get her mind into perspective at the changes that were so sudden in her life.
...Meanwhile on the other side of the world Arnav Singh Raizada who had decided to surprise his family by boarding the next plane was very much on his way home. ...
Edited by jagrutid - 10 years ago
Ishaani
Cricket
267