OS - Cast and Carry!!!

OS- Cast and Carry

"Khushi! Khushi!" he called as he strode into the house, stopping at the entry to kitchen wondering why there was no reply. It wasn't like her to take this long to respond to him. Sometimes she'd know he's come even before he called her. Her silence told him that something was either wrong or Khushi wasn't at home.

Seeing Nani and Di in the study, he made his way towards them loosening his tie and cuffs on the way. "Nani, Khushi ghar pe nahin hain kya?"

"Nahin toh Chottey! Who toh apan kamare ma hi hain dopahar se!"

Surprising! He mused to himself as he turned around and walked up the stairs towards their room. Had she fallen asleep at this hour? No! It can't be…I admit she's strange…but this strange! No…something's not right.

He opened the door to their room and froze on the spot! Lying sprawled on the bed in the weirdest taekwondo position ever was his crazy wife. However what was shocking was not that she was asleep but that he could hear soft moans and cries of pain escaping her lips.

"Khushi!" dropping everything he rushed towards her falling on his knees on the floor. "Khushi! Kya hua? Why are you sleeping like this? Why are you crying?"

"Arnavji! Woh hum fan saaf kar rahe the aur fisal ke gir gaye. Mere left leg mein bohot dard ho raha hain!"

"Khushi, tumne kisi ko bulaya kyu nahin? Can you get up?"

"Arnavji, agar hum uth sakte the toh hum utke niche aapko milene aate na?"

"Shut up Khushi! Pehle tum yeh sab harkate karte ho jo tumne nahin karne chahiye! Tumhe kuch serious ho jata toh?" he shouted back at her. One thing Arnav couldn't stand to see was Khushi in pain and tears. The world fizzled away and nothing mattered if Khushi was hurt or troubled.

Lifting his wife gently in his arms he carried her down the stairs towards the car among shouts of worried family members.

"Khushiji? Kya hua?" Di came limping forward seeing a distressed Khushi in her brother's arms.

"Nothing Di. She just fell and has sprained her leg. I'm taking her to the doctors. Hopefully it's nothing serious."

One hour later, Arnav walked into the house carrying a smiling Khushi in his arms. Smiling because her leg pain was now gone but her leg was now in a cast, thanks to the hairline fracture she managed to get because of her hyper activeness.

"Khushi stop smiling! This is not funny!" Arnav growled at his wife as she continued to smile up at him.

Arnav brought them straight to bedroom avoiding the enquiries from his family. He needed to put Khushi down to rest before he could answer any of them.

"Khushiji, aap theek toh hain na?"

"Haan Di. Bus ek chotta sa fracture hain! 3 hafte mein theek ho gayega….hain na Arnavji?" she asked smiling sweetly at her husband who could only look back at her scowling.

"Di! Agle 3 hafte tak Khushi yeh kamre mein hi rahegi. Doctor ne bed rest prescribe kiya hain aur kuch kaam bhi nahin karna hain….."

"Par Arnavji hum theek…." She started but was only cut short by her rather irritated and upset husband.

"Theek nahin ho Khushi! Main bhi ghar se he operate karoonga Di!"

"Theek hain Chottey, jaise tum accha samjho. Ab tum dono aaram karna. Main khana upar bhej dete hoon. Chaliye Nani."

"Thanks Di!" Arnav said while closing the door. He turned around to see he wife struggling to sit up straight and arrange the pillows around her. He made his way forward to help her, sitting down next to her and looking at her with this sad regretful face.

"Arnavji! Hum theek hain Arnavji!" Khushi noticed the distress on his face and raised her hand to caress his cheek. "Arnavji, aapko chinta karne koi zarurat nahin hain"

"Shut up Khushi!" he glowered back at her. Khushi knew he wasn't angry. The worry lines across his forehead didn't go unnoticed by her but she couldn't say anything further as the knock on the door informed them that dinner had arrived.

They had dinner in silence but silence that was companionable and welcome. After their plates were cleared, Arnav helped Khushi settle back into bed and went to change into his night clothes. Coming back he placed a pillow under Khushi's leg to elevate it as the doctor suggested. Lying down next to her, he gently placed his hand across her stomach trying not to disturb her but just wanting to feel her still near him and with him.

Sensing his hand come across her Khushi opened her eyes and turned her face in his direction. She gently placed her palm on his cheek feeling his day old stubble tickle her and smiled warmly at him. Closing his eyes at her touch he lent into her hand feeling her warmth envelop him.

"Arnavji…." she began slowly, "hum theek hain! Aap please hamari itni chinta mat kijiye!"

"Kaise nahin kar sakta Khushi? Tumhe kuch seriously ho jata toh? Agar mein aaj late se aata aur tab tak tum aise hi pade rahete toh? Khushi! Tum jante ho ki tumhe kuch ho jata toh mujhe kaise feel hota hain? Mujhe lagata hain ki tum mujhe chod…."

The next morning Arnav carried Khushi down for breakfast after a very long debate over her shower. He set her down on the chair and started to serve her breakfast. The rest of the family looked on amused as Arnav, who preferred to be served first was now serving his wife and making sure she ate before he could sit down for a meal.

After breakfast, he carried her again to the living room to sit with the family for a while till he finished his conference calls for the day. 2 hours later, he came back down and carried her up to their room to rest for a while. When lunch was announced, the family watched as Arnav carried his wife down again and repeated the morning's ritual of serving her first. This time though Khushi resisted but was quickly admonished like a small child.

And so the next three weeks passed with Khushi being carried around and all through the house, up and down the stairs much to the amusement of the family who snickered and laughed quietly watching the sight before them.

Arnav got more exercise carrying his crazy wife around the house in 3 weeks than in a year of running.

3 weeks later, the family gathered for breakfast at their usual hour. The house was abuzz with chatter and laughter that stilled almost immediately as they saw their Chottey carry his wife down for breakfast.

A sudden hush fell on the crowd gathered and Arnav and Khushi noticed it as they approached. Raising the famous eyebrow to Di he asked what happened.

"Kuch nahin Chottey! Hum bas aap dono ko dekh rahe the! Waise Nani aapko nahin lagta ki Chottey aur bhi patle lag rahe hain?"

"Haan Anjali bitiya. Apan patni ko jo idhar udhar ghuma rahe hain 3 hafto se….patle toh ho hi jayenge na?"

Khushi blushed and hid herself in Arnav's chest as he made to put her down in her chair.

"Waise Khushiji, aapko bina cast ke kaisye lag raha hain?" Anjali asked as she snickered to NK sitting next to her.

None of them missed the shocked faces that Khushi and Arnav exchanged with each other. Khushi looked down at her leg only to confirm that her cast had actually been removed. She stared back at Arnav and let out a faint Hai Devi Maiyya in reply to Arnav's lopsided smile that refused to leave his face. The rest of the family was in splits laughing at the craziness of these two who just realized that their daily routine had now ended.