Dinner with Mr and Mrs Raizada
"You got your keys?" She shouted a little as she walked passed the mirror in the hall way on her way to the kitchen. Checking she looked okay in between the rush.
"Yeah" Aman replied to his wife as he walked down the stairs "You got the wine?"
"yeah, come on!" She replied loud enough to be heard as she opened the fridge.
They both met each other in the hall way from their respective directions.
Both as ever complimented each other Aman on his wife Riyas quirky western dress sense that always impressed him, red lips, funky curls, jeans and nice blouse of course the famous leather jacket. Aman the cool casual in a shirt and blazer.
"Shall we" he said and she agreed.
"Lets."
Fairly chilly outside at this time of the night Riya rubbed her hands frantically waiting for her husband to activate the car doors. So they could get in and on their way soon.
But after a second did Aman ruffle the back of his hair awkwardly, "Oh I left my keys behind."
She rolled her eyes for god sakes wasn't that exactly what she had been shouting about for the last 5 mins .
She pulled a face as he went back into the house and when it took him a lot longer than it should have she walked back into the house herself to check on him. The only thing was then when she walked into the house it was dark, she walked in a little and shouted his name, getting a little worried for him but soon enough she jumped a little when she felt him wrap his arms around the back of her.
Aman! You idiot you scared me!!
We can afford to be a bit late come on.. he said implying that they had a little time for romance but Riya wasn't having any of it she hit him for being annoying took the keys and marched out to start the car.
She was going to drive which was fine but he was going to choose the radio station. That was the type of relationship these two shared forever child hood friends in romance.
...
Hariprakash looked at Khushi with hopeful eyes it was 6pm and he'd rather be at home and Khushi was always slightly more considerate about these things than anyone else. Yes he could leave she said but only before letting Arnav know that dinner was nearly prepped and Aman and Priya would be here any moment.
Off went Hp and Khushi continued the prep for wonderful meal as ever all the while managing to not stain her saari and keep her hair in place.
A little later and Khushi had begun laying the table but there was no sign of her better half, rather than go up there herself Khushi decided to be tactful and use the house phone. As she layed the cutlery on the table did she balance the phone between her her shoulder and cheek.
"Aap tayar hai .. ?", ("Are you ready?")
"Maybe " he answered a twinkle in his eye as he fixed his shirt and blue blazer in the mood to tease his wife a little tonight.
"Maybe?, yey kaisa ajeeb javab hai." (What kind of answer is that..) she said pulling a face but when she heard him react a little bluntly she bit her tongue.
"Excuse me?" - he raised his eyebrow of a moment and Khushi defaulted to a retreat.
"Ji..kuch nahin, woh Aman our Priya ate honge." (Er nothing, Aman and Priya will be on there way now.)
He put the phone down and with a smirk where as Khushi wondered if she had aggravated him.
...
Khushi who had seen him from a distance as she finished off the trimmings on the table from a distance on his phone a glance had no idea that he had noticed more of her than he let on. His beautiful wife as ever the quintessential wife for some reason he was curious to see her in a slightly different light.
Hearing his footsteps enter the kitchen, Khushi who was still working to get the last little bits into the lounge from her the kitchen instinctively reacted without turning to him.
Aap ko kuch chahiyey tha.? ("Are you looking for something? ")
Feeling him a little closer startled Khushi a little who least expected this. Him with his hands around her waist but then she realized that all he was doing was untucking her pallu from within her waist which she had forgotten to fix now the cooking was over.
"Aap nahin, Arnav" (Its not aap, its Arnav.) he spoke close to her ear as he looked over her shoulder at the counter and what she was doing.
Not quite sure what the implications were "Ji ?.."
"You heard me" He reconfirmed still very close to her but the door bell had its timing to he would have to get that and that was that.
...
Priya gave Khushi a hug and handed over the bottle of wine whilst Aman said his hello's and headed off with Arnav because that's the way men were they'd probably talk about football or something and the girls didn't mind either because that meant they could talk about girly things and they did whilst they prepped the dessert for later on so it would be ready.
Everything was set, the table, the food, they were all finally in one space near enough one thing that remained was the wine and neither of the ladies at good opening the bottle thing and so Khushi took over to the lounge.
Put her hand to his shoulder she did to get his attention and he turned his head a little to see her perched on the side of the sofa a little.
"aap ise .". she begun but she saw something only she understood in his eyes.. something expressive at the way she had used aap again...
His eye brow a little raised and an implying look in his eyes that told her he would if she would correct her use of words that was he would be more than happy to help her. Arnav' instead of aap' would be perfect. It was a private dialogue between the two of them and Khushi reaction as just to take it lightly. Even her denial was graceful, the drop in eyes followed by a gaze that was adamant to pretend she didn't know what he was asking of her. At the same time an innocent nervousness she knew he could see.
When Aman caught on and offered to help it was then that Arnav responded, its okay ive got it - he said his eyes still lingering longfully on Khushi before leaving the sofa to head for the table.
Khushi blushed a tad if blush is what you could call that little bit of a loss on her face whilst Aman asked if dinner was read.
She smiled, yes it was.
...
That silent dialogue didn't end there it seemed to go on at the table too, Khushi tried to ignore it but her husband had his way of being irresistibly charming, demanding but flirtatious too. He may not have mentioned it but his eyes spoke to her on every opportunity and the message was the same he wished for her to act on what they talked about earlier. It wasn't that much of big deal was it?
Address him across the dinner table, because he'd enjoy that even more. His eyes spoke the same language every time Khushi happened to catch sight of him. He would ask for a certain dish across the table to give the opportunity to fulfill his desire, or keep something on his side of the table purposely so she would have to ask it from him but Khushi would only resort to the usuals ji's, or aaps, suniye's and that stirred some interesting eye contact.
..
When Khushi walked into the kitchen under the pretense to pick up more food, Priya had followed her in.
You can't stay in here forever she smiled holding her glass of wine to which Khushi tried to deny that it was anything of the sort but they were friends.
Don't think I've not noticed the flirting between the two of you.. she smiled with tease.
Khushi denied it because he may have been but she wasn't.
What is it, go on tell me..? whats going on between the two of you?
Khushi couldn't lie,
Nothing.. she began with and began moving more food into a dish as she confessed what it was.
Once she did share she got a typical Priya reaction.
"That's hot..!" she claimed
Khushi however didn't see it that way yes it may have been flirtatious and it was the tiniest thing but even so she found it difficult and it was hard to explain to anyone else.
" I just can't" She confessed in a quieter tone thinking Priya would judge her for it.
''hamara risha..woh" - Our relationship is just so much more than that.. and he isn't just anyone, I know its silly and its not cool, or that it might not make sense to anyone but that's the way it is for me."
"I think its romantic" replied Priya - that wasn't the reaction Khushi expected.
"You guys have so much chemistry and you don't even know it seriously.
The looks you give one another uff.."
Khushi laughed a little because she had never thought of it like that.
Talk of the devil it was,
Arnav walked in excused himself for interrupting them. The women just smiled Priya more than anything who was now even more observant of the couple then ever before.
We're done with food its still early so we're going to have a game of cards and a few drinks ..
Khushi just looked at him for a moment god he was handsome and yes maybe they were hot' as her friend had put it. After a moment Khushi realized that he was after something she moved a side to find a container of matchsticks and handed it over.
..
Arnav seemed to be winning at least there seemed to be a hell of a lot more match sticks in front of him than on Amans side. The woman hadn't been in the room for long they did there own thing but when they did walk in Priya took straight to Amans lap whilst Khushi stood behind Arnav's chair. She over looked his deck of cards from behind him when she placed her hand over his shoulder did he place is over hers. That was the contrast of both couples and Khushi noticed how different Aman and Priya with, she'd always know of course but she observed it more now. They were a lot more expressive, open, they made fun of each other, there childhood romance and there bond was ever so vibrant. They were hip and happening maybe that's what Arnav wanted from her she thought for a split second but then when she focused on the way he had her held, her hand in his she realized that she was wrong and when he happened to look up at her and his eyes question what she was thinking about she was able to reply nothing because it didn't matter.
A little later and as Aman and Priya leave Khushi who had seen them off to the door renters the house to Arnav sat at the dinner table finishing his wine post having cleared away the cards.
She watches the back of silently for a moment with a smile and after a moment she speaks. "Arnav.."
Is the word she uses which gets his attention.
...
Meanwhile is as Aman and Priya drive home this time Aman drives because he was the sober one and listens to his wifes crazy talk not drunk she was always just a little mad that was all especially during drives they made her think. (Radio in the background.)
"Aman ASR and Khushi are something else aren't they..
why can't we be like that...me and you. - a hot couple like them."
Aman looked at her not surprised this was more sane then some of their previous conversations in life.
We're hot too just different hot you know. Like hot friends in love forever, trendy type hot you know.
Priya took a moment to think about it and then both laughed it off because there was a strange kind of sincerity to those words.
...
Outside the house they parked up their red car it was cold. Aman opened Priyas side of the car door and she stepped out for a moment both of them felt inclined to one another and shared a kiss.
...
And so there it was what he had been waiting for all night he turned around to find Khushi looking conscious about her choice of word for a single moment after which she lowered her eyes for a moment and the pleasure was of it seemed all that more now for him. She was the most beautifully innocent soul he had ever laid eyes on and he loved that about her. It was now his turn to return the favour so he did. He stood in front of her with the warmest of eyes telling her he would listen to anything he would say for however long after hearing what he had done. The blush of it was still a little visible on her face.
She was going to say something else but she ought to say this first seen as he looked at her the way he did.
"Yey sab hamre liyey asan nahin hai" --"I don't know why this is so difficult for me ..maybe because our relationship it .."
"Shussh.." he said - - "I know ..You don't have to say another word"
She smiled at his ability to be this way, he understood her more than she understood herself. She placed the palm of her hand on chest of his shirt, played around the buttons whilst whispered sweet nothings into her ear as he caressed her with kisses.
Maybe she would willingly call out his name as they made love he whispered in her ear which made Khushi go pink in the face and hide in his chest .
Book Talk
Anupamaa
Vasudha
272