Vignettes - 16. 'Uninvited' visitors

Hello, my dears!

Here comes an OS that had been in the making long before some of you requested me to do my real-life job in relation to Shantivan :-)

And this one's for Vidya, who has been waiting patiently for a really long time ... thanks, honey ...

Enjoy and as always, leave your comments please!

16. "Uninvited" visitors

"Hai re Nandkisore! Sankadevi, zara sambhaal ke!" Madhumati Gupta yelled, trying to slow her niece down as she rushed to open the front door.

Khushi had come to visit her Buaji after quite a while and instead of sitting down with a cup of tea and catching up, she was, in typical Khushi-style, running around the house, finishing up as many chores as possible. Her logic was, if Buaji couldn't get a day off her usual routine when her niece came to visit, then when would she?

She'd been happily chattering away while sweeping up the kitchen floor when the door-bell rang. "Hum dekhte hain, Buaji. Aap math uthiye", she called out as she ran to open the door. Now, Khushi tended to forget that she wasn't just Khushi Kumari Gupta anymore, but Buaji didn't. She knew that Arnav babua would lose it if his wife fell down and hurt herself. Hence the yelling.

Paying no heed, Khushi screeched to a halt in front of the door and drew it open to see her next-door neighbour standing there with another woman.

"Arre, bitiya, tum kab aayi?" Seema aunty asked, smiling at Khushi. Trying to get the cobwebs out of her hair, Khushi smiled back, "Namaste, Auntyji. Hum subah hi aa gaye. Bus socha ki aaj ka din Buaji ke saath bitaaoon. Aap kaise ho?"

"Main theek hoon bitiya. Aur ye humare naye padosan hain. Urmilaji. Woh Sharmaji ka khaali makaan tha nah, wahan rehne aayi hain. Toh maine socha ki aap sabse bhi ek baar mila doon."

"Arre wah, yeh toh khushi ki baat hain." Turning to the lady who was dressed in a shiny green chudidaar and looking around with a slight frown, Khushi said "Namaste Auntyji, andar aayiye nah."

Walking inside ahead of the visitors, Khushi said, "Dekhiye Buaji, kaun aaye hain. Aapke naye padosan."

Getting up from the sofa, Buaji greeted her guests with folded hands, "Namaste, Nandkisore! Achcha kiya, Seema, ki inko iyaan le aayi. Padosi hi har cheez mein kaam aate hain, kaahe?'

Nodding her head in smiling agreement, Seemaji sat down, while the new lady looked around with a superior air before settling down daintily. Doing the introductions, Seemaji continued, "Urmilaji asal mein Kanpur ki hain. Unke ladke ko yahaan Dilli mein nayi nayi naukri mili hain toh yeh aur inke pati yahaan uske saath rehne aaye hain."

Interrupting, Urmila clarified, "Diploma kiya hai mera beta, Engineering Diploma. Aur yahaan ka ek bahut badi company mein Engineer ka post mila hain ussko. Humein ek achche se area mein ghar chaahiye tha lekin itna kam samay mein nahin mila. Milte hi yahaan se shift ho jaayenge."

"Toh Nandkisore ki kripa se aapko jald hi achcha ghar milein." Buaji smiled as Khushi walked in with the tea tray and did the introduction. "Yeh humri bhatiji hain. Khusi. Apan pati ke ghar mein rehti hain, aaj iyaan humri madad karne aayi hain."

As Urmila took in her simple clothes and dishevelled hair with a sniff of disdain, Seema elaborated, "Inhone toh aise hi bol diya. Humri Khushi bitiya toh ek bahut bade khaandan ki bahu hain, bade bade kaarobaar ke maalik hain iski pati."

Picturing a merchant of some means in her head at the description that Seema gave to Khushi's husband, Urmila dismissed it from her mind and after sometime, took her leave, ending the courtesy call as soon as she could. The Guptas didnot match up to her social standards!

*******************

A few weeks later, Madhumatiji was on her way to Shantivan, having accepted Anjali bitiya's invitation for a family dinner when she saw Urmila stepping out through the crowded lane, apparently in search of an autorickshaw.

Poking her head out, Buaji called out, "Urmilaji, aayiye, hum aapko raste mein chod denge."

Reluctant to share a ride with people who didnot meet her status requirements, Urmilaji was about to decline when her inherent miserliness lifted its head and deciding to save some money, hopped in.

"Waise aap kahan jaa rahe ho, Madhumatiji?"

"Hum toh apni bhatiji ke ghar jaa rahe hain, Nandkisore! Unke sasuraalwale humein khaane mein bulaaya hain, toh bus chal nikle hum. Bade pyaare log hain, Nandkisore!"

"Achcha, toh kahaan hain ghar? Yeh pata chalein ki hum kahaan utarke doosri auto le sakenge", Urmila sniffed, already looking down upon someone who went to dinner at her niece's in-laws.

The answer, however, took her breath away, " Golf Links ", it being one of the poshest areas in New Delhi. Thoroughly confused now, and wanting to see this for herself, she replied, "Toh theek hain, humare raste mein hi hain. Hum wahaan tak chaenge aapke saath aur doosri rickshaw le lenge wahaan se."

Smiling in agreement, Buaji chit-chatted about day-to-day matters until her auto stopped in front of the massive gates of Shantivan. Gasping at the size of the entrance, Urmila stared, disbelievingly, until Buaji turned to her, "Ee lo, hum pahoonch gaye. Toh aap isi rickshaw mein hi kyun nahin chali jaati? Iyan tak ki paisa toh hum de diye hain."

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Urmila repied, "Arre, aise kaise? Aapke padosi hain, aapko andar tak chodke hi jaayenge! Aap chaliye!"

Slightly surprised though she was, at the sudden display of neighbourly affection, Buaji nodded her thanks before turning to the gate, which was being held open by one of the security guards, who smiled at her in recognition, but frowned as he saw the newcomer. Urmila gaped open mouthed as he brought forward a body-scanner, but was waved away by Madhumatiji who vouched for her.

Unable to help herself, she asked, "Humne toh poocha hi nahin. Aapki bhatiji ke pati ka naam kya hai?" The answer to which left her open-mouthed, being beyond her wildest dreams.

"Arnav Singh Raizada?!", she gasped, as she hurried after her neighbour.

*******************

The visitors having been announced already, Payal came running to open the door, her face glowing with her wide smile. Just then, the brood of Prakashs came in from their shopping trip and in the melee, Urmila got left behind. Not noticing the additional person, she hugged her Buaji, getting a bear-hug in return, "Kaisan ho, Payaliya?"

"Hum theek hain, Buaji, aur aap?"

"Nandkisore ki kripa se hum toh kushal hain, bitiya. Waise, Parmeshwari kahan hain? Ghar mein naahin hain ka?", Buaji asked, completely forgetting about her companion, who stood frozen behind her, gaping at the elegant, subtle wealth that was on display before her.

"Khushi toh kuch zaroori kaam se abhi-abhi baahar gayi hain, Dhruv ke saath. Bus paach minute mein aa jaayegi. Aap aayiye naah, sab log Dadiji ke kamre mein hain."

"Humre bachche kahaan hain, Payaliya? Donon dhikhaayi nahin de raha?"

"Arnavji aur Aakash toh aate hi honge, Buaji. Ab bhi bahut waqt hain naah, khaane mein."

Walking in, catching up on their mutual news, the two women left the uninvited guest behind, who, busy in mimicing the motions of a periscope, what with her head swivelling this way and that, did not notice that she had been left all alone, unattended.

Taking in the great room that spanned the breadth of the building lying open in all its glory before her, Urmila stood staring at the living and dining areas, before suddenly realising that she was surrounded by a group of chattering people, but her neighbour was nowhere to be seen. She stopped one man who was walking past her and on mentioning Madhumatiji's name, he smiled and pointed towards the wide corridor that went under the first floor balcony and she took off, part eagerness in seeing more of the house, part bewilderment at having such opulence laid bare before her.

As she walked past the courtyards on either side, she missed the verandah by the side of the one on the right side that led to Devyani Sigh Raizada's room where the ladies were now gathered. Walking past the guest rooms, she reached the private staircase near the study, and after looking around for a minute, still not able to make sense of where her companion had disappeared to, went up the steps, looking around in envious appreciation as the wide courtyards and gardens of Shantivan gradually appeared before her.

Reaching the mid-level landing, she saw the wide terrace to one side and resisting the urge to explore, continued on her way, coming up to the upstairs lounge. She was about to turn back and go down, when her inherent inquisitiveness poked its head up, and unable to stop herself from taking a peek at atleast one of the rooms to see what the interior looked like, pushed open a random door.

The next thing that happened was a duet of screams, "AAARRRGGGHHH!"

*******************

Khushi and Dhruv were just entering the house from their shopping trip when they heard the screams. While Dhruv stood frozen, Khushi recognised NK's voice and began running towards the stairs, soon followed by her dewar. Just as they ran into the lounge, Payal and Manorama also ran up the private stairs and all four turned to NK's room, only to hear his yells, "Who are you? Aap mere room mein kaise? How, how? Oh God, who is this woman! Aap kuch bolti kyun nahi?"

The foursome too stood stunned, seeing a strange woman inside their home, who was now looking as guilty and blanched as if she were a thief. "Haan, chorni! In Manorama's house! Itni daring! Dhruv bituwa, calls police, now itselef!"

Just then, Anjali, Buaji and Naniji arrived, and seeing her neighbour standing there, looking like a deer caught in headlights, Buaji exclaimed, "Nandkisore! Urmilaji, aap iyaan?"

Turning to her, Khushi gasped, "Aap inhe jaante hain?", not recognising the woman she had met briefly weeks ago.

Looking a bit shamefaced, Madhumatiji replied, "Titaliya, tumhein yaad naahin? Humre naye padosan, Urmilaji, tum mile the naah inse, kuch hafte pehle?"

Now realising why the woman looked familiar, Khushi replied, "Arre haan! Par Urmilaji yahaan?"

Red-faced, Madhumatiji confessed, "Humre saath rickshaw mein aayi thi aur humein iyaan chodke kahin aur jaa rahi thi. Kaha ki humein darwaze tak chod denge aur andar aane ke baad hum inke baare mein bhool hi gayein!"

Turning to her now shame-faced neighbour, she continued, "Humein kshama kar deejiye, Nandkisore! Lekin aap iyaan kaise aa gayi? Nandkisore ki kamre mein?"

Not wanting to confess to her snooping, Urmila replied, "Kisi ne kaha ki aap andar hain to hum aapko dhoontne chale, aur itna bada ghar hain toh idhar-udhar bhatakte hue yahaan pahooncha."

Noticing how the woman was avoiding looking at anyone, Manorama blurted, "Hain! Ee suno! Toh aawaaz kaahe nahin kiya? By not caall for helep? Peeking Tomwa in housewa!"

"Manorama! Chup!" Devyani snapped before turning to Madhumatiji, "Aapke saath aaye hain toh khaatirdaari karni hi padegi! Chaliye, neeche chaliye."

As the older women went downstairs, Anjali, Khushi and Payal stood waiting, sure that Dhruv would not let go of a chance to rib NK. Sure enough, he smirked, resembling his Bhaiyya so much that Anjali and Khushi drew in sharp breaths in anticipation.

"NK Bhai, aapko unhone room ke andar aake dekh liya? Aapne cheekha kyun?"

"Haan, Dhruv! I was startled! Aur mein toh almost nanga tha..." he trailed off, almost biting of his tongue at his slip.

"Kya?!" four voices shouted in unison before bursting into laughter as they finally understood why the poor woman had stood pale-faced and perspiring.

"Bhabi, humare NK Bhai ka toh charitr chura liya uss auntyji ne!" Dhruv sniggered, knowing that the Hindi word would end up being something else altogether when NK reused it later.

*******************

Khushi later relayed the story of the uninvited visitor in Shantivan to Arnav and Akash, with a delighted Dhruv being called on to do a role-play of NK's shock and his comments.

Laughing uproariously, Akash joined in the ribbing while, Arnav's grin quickly turned into a frown.

"Kya hua, Chotte", Anjali asked.

"Nothing, Di. I was just wondering if we should strengthen the security. I don't like the fact that koi stranger humare ghar mein idhar-udhar wander kar raha tha and no one knew."

"Oh, come on, Bhaiyya!", Dhruv replied, "Woh aurat Buaji ke saath aya tha, so she was let in. A stranger can't enter just like that! Waise bhi, agar koi aa hi gaya, toh NK Bhai hain naah, unhe kuch na kuch dikhaake ghabraane ke liye!"

"Aur nahin toh kaa? Waisan bhi, I didn't like hers. Peeking tomwa lady tha, ek dum. Phati saadi, apan Buaji se bolo ki aisan peoples se friendship naa karo. Achcha hua NK babua ko full-detail mein dekhke, shock mein woh running kar diya!" Manorama supplied.

Surrendering to laughter finally, Arnav sat back, enjoying his mad family, while miles away, a red-faced woman was contemplating how she had been talking about high-society to people who actually belonged to it, but neither mentioned it, nor displayed it.

:-D