It was festive season in Lucknow; whole of the Gupta family was in a heavy mood of happiness as it was season of double marriage! Both their daughters are been send married off. Khushi looked skeptical, it was her marriage, and she never expected that on her sister's wedding day she will be nervous. She flipped through the pages of some old magazine, took in deep breath, sipped in her tea and went on making endless jalebis. She stared at the heap of jalebis she made and started munching in some. Keeping on munching her jalebis she walked aimlessly in the room.
She peeped outside and saw the whole house filled with relatives, friends and known and unknown ones, it looked as if the whole of Lucknow was wrapped under the roof of her house. She is going to be the wife of the great Arnav Singh Raizada, she sighed and took in another sip of tea, and her simple life is going to be changed into a luxuries royal one which anyone would dream to live! She saw her house filled with expensive gifts and jewelers and rich dresses, the daughter in law of Raizadas are to be enveloped in riches and luxuries. She looked at her simple cupboard and wondered will a change of overnight shift her to a palace of gold and diamonds and changes her living style. She loved Arnav and so did Arnav. They both loved each other that even after so much of differences they are going to tie knot. They couldn't think of a life without the other, but somehow amidst the hurry burry she was longing for peace and simplicity, in this hustle bustle she is finding herself getting lost. She looked outside and saw the whole of the family and friends and relatives strolling out for a walk in the streets to indulge themselves in the delicacies of Lucknow.
Taking the time as right Khushi slipped out of her house stealthy, she took the other side of the road and was walking through the streets of Lucknow where she grew up, she saw her childhood memories flashing up in her mind, she saw the Chaat centre where she and Payal used to gulp in golgappas. She smiled on remembering all the silly things she used to do as a kid. She moved forward and thought of those kids for whom she used to take tutions, those lovely innocent kids who used to run behind her to clear their doubts and who used to pull her for listening to her stories of princess and fairies and prince charming, she thought about them and felt an urge to be with them. Her eyes welled up, she felt like staying there forever, be there and let the time stand still forever. She didn't feel like going back, she didn't wish for luxuries and riches, she just wanted to be loved by Arnav and lead a simple life.
Aimlessly Khushi continued walking and walking, she didn't knew how time was flying she just let herself walk through those familiar roads which are enriched by her childhood memories both happy and sad, she sat down on a bench near a tea shop and closed her eyes and relaxed for a while breathing in deep. Suddenly someone poked her and she turned back to see a small kid standing there with a note in his hand, the kid smiled at her and she smiled back taking in the note and reading it, a tiny piece of paper in which a small note was scribbled, the scribbled words said her to go to Ramu Kaka's sweet shop as a surprise is waiting for her.
The note looked as if written by a kid, she didn't think much of it but decided to go to sweet shop, curious and eager was she added to being bit doubtful.
It was her favourite sweet shop; she loved the crispy jalebis of this shop and has always been her and Payal's hangout spot since school days, happy she marched into the shop to be startled and shocked.
She was indeed shock to see all those kids for whom she took tution standing there with a beautifully crafted chart paper on which they have written
"LOVE YOU LOADS OUR CRAZY YET AWESOME TEACHER…
YOU ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD…
AND NEVER CAN WE FIND A BETTER ONE…"
Khushi stood mesmerized by this gesture by her students and was awed by it, for some seconds she was numb and then tears rolled down her eyes as she hugged them all, each one came in and fed her fresh crispy yellow jalebi.
After a while she gained back her sense from this emotionally overwhelming gesture and smiled at them when a small girl came to her, kissed her on her cheeks and pointed her towards a man.
There she saw the handsome Arnav Singh Raizada looking more handsome than ever with a subtle smirk on his face, seeing her bewildered face he slowly moved towards her, lifting her face up he looked into her eyes and saw her happiness in her tears. He smiled and gave a subtle kiss on her forehead and bent down a bit and whispered in her ears
'Why on earth should you dream of living a life you dislike?, I know what you love and what you don't, being Mrs. Arnav Singh Raizada doesn't mean not being the crazy mad Khushi Kumari Gupta whom I fell in love with, so why be upset over silly reasons and spoil your mood for marriage'
She looked bemused and happy; she wondered how he can read her thoughts by not even being near her.
He smiled and continued
'Don't worry I know how your crazy head works nothing to be surprised of'
Khushi smiled back, looked at the innocent face of kids and their lovely smile,
'Always be with me Arnavji'
Book Talk
Cricket
