What I LOVED: 11th April 2012

SWOPI ruled the show again.

The Tika-fication of Arnav Singh Raizada

So Khushi decides to get more filmy than usual. Generally, her brand of filminess deals with daft ideas, larger than life theories, grand viewpoint on traditions and festivals, et al. Today, she went off into the filmy romance genre. She had tried this once before with Arnav; at the time of Payash's wedding debate, she'd spouted off some Karan Johar dialogs - 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mami ji. Aap nahi samjhengi!' - That Arnav had very well termed as 'What crap!'

Just yesterday, you were sounding off your Di that no one else would dare to tika-fy him and he'd allow no one else to do this with him. At the time, I was wondering that pretty soon, you'd be handing out a Bill of Rights to Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada that would enable her all privileges on Arnav Singh Raizada - no holds barred. However - Dude, the dame's ahead of you once again. What you were yet to grant her - she ain't waiting for any grants - she's taking what it hers and fully enjoying it too!

The Tika Moment

Khushi, look here, look straight into the eyes *looks closely* just what do you think you are doing? That tika thing ... was that meant to irk him? Out of all the things you did, this one was the only one that did not irk him. He actually liked it - no! He's loved it beyond anything he's known before. Of course he hated it that he loved it.

How did you even come up with that? Where did you get the guts to do that to him? Just what were you thinking? That's the closest hit you've achieved after you got wedded! He still is yet to get over you kissing him, partly the reason why he's buried that memory for some time. But if you keep this up, all his memories will come flooding back with a vengeance and he'll drown!

Take courage, hold your head high, straighten the back, pull up the shoulders, c'mon! You've won many battles and many wars! Take it easy! This is just one little tika - you'll get over it - er...okay, scratch that last one. You're not getting over it in this life time. Hey, where are you running off to? Don't run away, she'll think you're scared. *screams into the air* Confront your issues!

After Effects of the Tika

Dear Khushi,

There are times when one makes one's best attack on one's enemy and expects mass destruction. Often, such attack backfires causing more damage in-house than outside. You thought your filmy idea of tika-nation of your hubby would catch him unaware and he'd be irritated no end. He'd be mostly tongue-tied, except for an over-used 'What the --!' and you'll have the time of your life.

Well, you did catch him unaware. And boy, was he surprised! He was tongue-tied too. So far, so good. But then, the key impact of the action sort of fizzled out. He was not, I repeat, was NOT irritated.

Definitely his initial reaction was nothing you expected, though he caught up with himself later. But we'll discuss him in a while. What happened to you? Why did you lose it there for a few seconds?

Didn't you feel a slightest bit of pause in your pace when you did this? Nope. It seemed not. You had him exactly where you wanted. You drew out the introduction and the hitch. And then, you went for the kill. Clean swipe in one go, before Arnav could even realize what you were up to, it was done.

But then, what was meant to irritate him no end, didn't quite turn out the way it was intended. Not only was he caught in the moment, so were you. You seemed to be holding that instant precious to you as well. It wasn't until you heard him whispering your name in his choked voice that you come around and announced, while still gathering yourself, that you only wanted to put the tika on him.

You too were embarrassed ' was it because of what you did, or because he accepted what you did quietly? His reaction took even you by surprise. He seemed to be smiling, probably thinking - Unbelievable! Nope, no anger. No, irritation. And definitely no hatred or disgust. Remember this reaction, Khushi. You've no clue but you've entered the Forbidden Zone in ASR Land.

Dear Arnav,

With a wife like Khushi, you always need to be on the alert. Of course, today you received a practical lesson about this fact of life.

What a start this day has had! And now, finally, you get to be ready to go to your own House of Lords, when the wife wants to apply some tika on you. You pay no attention. She has a habit of muttering stuff that you could not be bothered to make sense of. She mutters something about having an empty container. Oh good, less trouble!

And then, the earth swung on its axis and all else became irrelevant.

All of a sudden you were pulled back and the next thing you knew was your face in her hand and Khushi's forehead on yours. Oh ho ho ho ho! That breath was stuck in your throat for the longest time.

What did she just do? Since morning she's been on my nerves, trying to be the wife. But this? This is not an 'attempt' to be a wife - this is the wife. Only Khushi could do this. I'd allow no one else to do this, in any case. Isn't this the most normal thing to do for a wife who loves her husband?

The effect it had on you was evident in the way her name was whispered, the way you looked at her hardly believing what she did, the hope made its way to your eyes - let this be true, the slight smile, somewhat embarrassed, somewhat blissful, somewhat perfect.

The moment she gave her explanation about why she did it, you did not even snub it. Her face was flushed red. You accepted her explanation and she was surprised at the fact that you did not retaliate.

And then of course, the earth returned to its orbit and unimportant things became relevant.

You attempted to tell her to stop what she was doing. Only this time, the order wasn't quite an order - it seemed more like a desperate plea. Stop this, Khushi. Stop messing with my mind. I'm losing control fast and I don't like that. You're trespassing where you're not allowed. This zone of me is off limits for you.

Finally, follows a silly pointless attempt to undo what happened. You wipe the tika off your forehead and hope it's memory is wiped off your mind. Uh huh! Futile, inane, useless shot at moving on!

Arnav Singh Raizada, the very fact that you run from that place like scared bunny, pleading for letting you live in peace and wiping the mark of her victory off your forehead are evidences that - your tika-fication is complete!

Arnav & Khushi

1. Back in red and green.

2. Khushi can't help being Khushi. Even when she is trying to be a docile wife. When by chance she has made fun of her husband's shirt choice, she immediately joins hands and apologizes, 'Shama kijiye, Swami ji!' [Forgive me, Swami ji!]

3. Ah! The joys of having a good wife - and the sorrows thereof!

She run ahead of him and place his plate for him. He is irritated, but ignores.

She tastes everything for him, before letting him eat. He responds - 'Excuse me!' - which translates to, 'That was my food you're biting into!'
And the wife goes ' 'Oh, I merely want to ensure that everything you eat is excellent!'

Yeah, as though before this moment, everything he ate was unfit was consumption!

4. Even the family recognizes that the shirt choice must be the wife's idea. How she smiles coyly at being credited with red shirt

5. Arnav receives Prasad, poor fellow, his wife's prayers for his good health. And the first thing that follows is that he leaves the table having lost his appetite.

6. Arnav, you had to resort to complaining to Nani about Khushi? You're THAT desperate?
Arnav: Nani, tell her to stop it. She's been calling me 'Swami' since morning.
He made to repeat it and everyone sniggers.
Fandom: yeah right! Dig your own grave!

7. Now, you are seriously scared.
Khushi: Hum apki kucch madad karein? [May I help you in any way?]
Arnav: NO! koshish bhi mar karna! [Don't even try!]

8. Aww, my wifey misses me!
Khushi: Sham ko jaldi ayiega. Hum apka intezaar karenge. Hum apke liye karele bana rahein hain. Aap ayenge na! [Come home soon in the evening. I'll wait for you. I'm making your favorite food (guess what!) bitter gourd! Would you come in time?]
Arnav: ye band kar do - just stop it!

That last bit was a plea more than anything else. Your eyes showed that the resolve would soon break if she kept up things like applying tika on his forehead using her own.

9. Business Presentation? Nope. Lunch break!
Arnav: *hears the Payal tinkling* You're kidding me!

10. Wrap up the meeting, boys! The boss of your boss is here.

Khushi: Ye TV kaise band hota hai [How does this TV (meaning projector) turn off?] Aap kitne duble ho gaye. Apne nashta bhi theek se nahi khaya! [How thin you have become! You didn't even have your breakfast properly.]
Arnav: *slowly reaching boiling point; hisses* Khushi, stop! Khushi, stop. What are you doing?
Khushi: Laying out your lunch! *to the team* you all can also go eat. Your Tiffins are in.*Closes everyone's laptops. Picks up the phone and hands it to Swami* put this over there.

11.Arnav had to bring her into his cabin, away from prying eyes.

Arnav: *one last chance to explain* What are you doing?
Khushi: I told you. Getting you lunch.
Arnav: *wrong answer* I don't want your lunch. Take it and go. NOW!

Woman! The ease with which you walk into his domain and take over, I applaud you!
Arnav, love the way you drag her around trying to maintain, rather retain, your dignity at work, I applaud you!
You both deserve each other. TOTALLY!

12. Khushi: Khali na jayega ASR pe vaar. [the attack on ASR won't come back void.]
Oh dear! Better know what you're up to!

Others

1. Welcome to the family Miss B.
What a cute child! And what an attitude! If she weren't 9 years old, she could've given Mrs. A a run for her hubby!

2. Arnav: Turn the projector on.
AR employee: You had your lunch?
Arnav: *mind-your-own-business tone* I said, switch it on!

3. LOVED Mami Jaan's attitude to the kiddo!

4. Akash and Babli's friendship is SO cute.

5. Payal was mildly jealous. Akash didn't even notice it!

6. One of ASR's employees has asked his boss' wife to make him jalebis - if only ASR knew! He'd probably be updating his resume pretty soon.

On the Lighter Side

1. Arnav: I can't believe you told the family yourself about your new designation - Swami! What did you think; they'd ask Khushi to stop doing? That sounded so much like a complaint than a reprimand. Your family just loves the tricks your wife plays on you and they get to laugh at your stuffiness a little more.

2. Khushi: Geela geela pushta!
Arnav: Pushta nahi, Pasta!

3. Where is Shyam? On Paternity leave? Already? How come we didn't know he was in his last trimester?

Precap

AAHH!! Arnav passed out!
ALL STATIONS ALERT! Rush to the spot! Calling all units! DEPLOY DAMAGE CONTROL! DEPLOY DAMAGE CONTROL!

Arnav Especial!

We don't know about Khushi, but the way you spoke her name, made it amply clear to the Fandom - in bold and italics - the effect her open display of affection had on you.
I'd wanted to mention this yesterday following Anjali's tip to Khushi, that Arnav may have trouble displaying emotions and expressing love to most people, but with Khushi, he's been way more expressive than he'd be with others. It's been restrained, but the expression of his affection for her has not been missing.

Of course, Anjali cannot know it.

His concern, his possessiveness and his jealousy has not been unnoticed by Khushi. The care he's showered on her has always surprised her. When he saw her wearing the bangles he'd bought for her, his reaction to it shocked Khushi. He's gone on to kiss her once and attempt it twice. His choice to give up competition and dance with her was an expression of his care.

On Diwali night, when Arnav dropped Khushi home, she was pretending to be happy for him. He saw through her pretense and expressly interrupted saying if she didn't want any answers from him. He dared her to ask him. Later, he dared her to accept that she missed him when he went missing, that he does matter to her, that she had the A henna-ed on her palm on purpose, he dared her to kiss him.

It seems that with Khushi, he's wanted her to express her affection, to show that he does matter to her and that he does hold a special place in her life. Whenever Khushi has expressed her feelings, in any way, Arnav has not really gotten angry.

Of course, the current scenario tenses him and he may feel suspicious about everything she does. The moment he sees her doing something for him, he is immediately suspicious. He starts to wonder what her plan is, what her intentions are, what is she trying to attain - the brain begins to process it as it would for any business competitor. However, his heart is not completely unaffected, and he does not react in anger to genuine love and care, even if he doesn't understand it yet.

wow how well u described his current status