Vignettes 29. In Flight Mode - UPDATED Part 2, Pg 3 - Page 2

Welcome back.very nicely written

Hayye Aparna!! You came back AND you are fulfilling one of my long term fantasies!! Wanted to see this fan club - Khushi interaction story for the longest time... Eagerly waiting!

P.S. miss English translation dear, would be happy if you have time for that.

Welcome back. Happy to see some of the old and esteemed writers coming back to IF to give us stories to read I have reread all your stories.

Loved the chapter ,you always have portrayed the Raizada family in a different way .Kushi and Payal are no longer treated as doormats. This is the first time they are going for a holiday. Kushi is aware of the fan following her husband has but Payal is awe struck seeing it since it is her first time .but now that she has puyt this matter in kushi’s brain will have to wait and watch and see what plan sankadevi comes up to deal with Arnav’s female fan club.

Enjoying the craziness of Arnav and Khushi.

Welcome back girlie. It was as if you picked up promptly from where you left it...

Well written and it is not at all rusty. Thanks for the season 2 😳

Loved the vignette, brilliant.

Back with a bang.

Thank you for the pm.

Can just imagine the number of other bets they have had. Hilarious.

It was amazing to see the changes in Arnav in Frequent Flyer through the eyes of his "fan club". Can't wait to see what Khushi is going to do. Won't be surprised if it changes from "ASR fan club" to "Arshi fan club"

This was fun... 😀😀

Pls do write what khushi does too 😀😀

Hello my dears... It feels good to be back, especially after the warmest of welcomes that I received here!

Very glad to be back….

Go on to Part 2!

In Flight Mode - Part 2


”Sab le liya na?”, asked Arnav Singh Raizada, brushing back Khushi’s bangs. The first call for the first-class passengers having rung out, he had gotten up from the seat near the gate, gathering up his wife’s things as she turned to hug her Jiji and Jeejaji.

“Khushiji, apna khayal rakhna, shawl pehen lena zaroor”, Akash said, giving her a bear-hug, as Payal commented, “Sone se pehle. Tu toh so jaayegi paanch minute mein aur fir neend me thand lagegi.”

Turning to her and squeezing her tight, Khushi complained, “Hum bachchi thodi hai, Jeeji! Aap log Mumbai me humare bina zyada masti mat maarna. Humare aane ke baad hi ghoomne jaana!”

Smirking over at an irate-looking Arnav, half irritated with the lengthy goodbye, and half with the fact that there was a need for goodbye, Akash quipped, “Arre aapke bina Bhai toh grumpy ASR mode me jaayenge, aur Payal apne Jethji ke mood sambhaalne me busy rahegi, aur bechara mai aapke aane ke intezaar me pal pal ginta rahoonga, taaki Bhai ke ASR version se koi mujhe bachaaye!”

Arnav was about to shoot back when Khushi’s delighted giggles stole his attention. His frown lines smoothening out, but the light in his eyes dimming a bit at the thought that she was about to leave, he held out his hand to her.

Giving her Jeeji one final peck on the cheek, Khushi slipped her hand into his and moved to his side, leaning against him. Leaving his hand, she turned around to cup his face, looking into those eyes, and sighed. “Ek din hai, Arnavji. Kal dopahar tak aapke paas honge hum. AAp hume aise dekhte rahoge toh hum chain se kaise jayein?”

“Doesn’t matter. Ek din ya ek hafta, the world doesn’t make sense when you’re not with me”, he sighed back, leaning his forehead against hers. Drawing a deep breath, permeating himself with her lavender-and-lily-of-the-valley smell, he straightened up.

“Go on now. Delay jitna hum karenge, chances of me cancelling my ticket or yours will increase exponentially. Ye hum donon ke business ke liye achcha nahi hoga.”

Grabbing his wife in a bear-hug before she could react, he kissed her on her forehead and started towing her to the boarding gate. Planting her feet against the push, Khushi turned to give him a hug back and leaning up to kiss him on his cheek, she smiled, “Apna khayal rakhna, Jeejaji ko zyada tang mat karna, aur Jeeji pe chilla mat! Hum yoon gaye aur yoon aaye!”

Jumping up and down suddenly, she clapped her hands like the childish Khushi that everyone loved the most, “Haaye! Ye huyi naa baat! Ab hum lag rahe hai Mrs. ASR! Aise havaayi-jahaz me yoon jaana aur yoon aana, jaise ki hum koi, kya bolte hain aap? Haan, hot-shot ho! Devi Maiyya ne bhi humari kya tarakki karvaayi hai! Hain naa Arnavji?”

Grinning wide now, Arnav grabbed her for another quick hug before gently pushing her towards the ticket collector, not noticing a couple of lounge stewardesses standing a few feet away, open-mouthed at the antics of someone who they all had looked on from afar for the past couple of hours, wife of ASR himself!

With a final wave, Khushi walked on, disappearing from view. Stepping up to his side, Payal looked up fondly at her Jethji. Giving his arm a light rub, she murmured, “Chalein, Arnavji? Aapki Khushi kal aa jaayegi.”

Looking over at a smiling Akash, she continued, “Chalein? Humare flight ka bhi time ho rahi hai na?”

Talking and laughing to keep Arnav distracted, they made their way back to their boarding gate, taking the escalator down.

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

Boarding the flight and giving the air-hostess a wide smile and a namaste, Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada settled into her window seat. Stowing her overnight case under her seat, as instructed by her Arnavji, who was confident that if she tried to put it in the overhead bin, she would manage to drop it on herself or worse on some poor unsuspecting soul seated nearby, she leaned back, buckling in and sending up multiple prayers and obeisances for herself, Arnavji, Jeeji and Jeejaji, all the while murmuring several entreaties to Devi Maiyya for their safe journey.

To be on the safe side, she sent up a few for her family back at Shantivan as well. All, this, with her voice pitched low, but in no way below the audible range of anyone within a couple of feet. Sticking close, the air-hostess who had greeted her, the same member of the sisterhood who had been tasked with shadowing Mrs. ASR, was trying had to keep her face schooled into the polite, impassive smile that she had been trained to maintain.

The prayer ritual complete, Khushi got out her phone, and was about to dial when it rang. Laughing in delight, she answered, “Kya baat hai, humara timing bhi match karne lage hai aajkal.”

“Mujhe pata hota hai tumhe exactly kitne minutes chahiye apne prayer routine ko poora karne ke liye. Hum charon aur ghar jitne bhi log hai, sabke liye pray kiya na?”

Smiling at the husky, smiling voice, but refusing to let him have the win, she quipped, “Laad Governor Kaheenke, nazar rakh rahe ho hum pe?”

His grin evident in his voice, Arnav replied, “Obviously! Apne priceless posession pe kaun nazar nahi rakhega?”

“Haun! Hum aapke patni hai, ardhaangani hai, partner hai, koi posession-vosession nahi hai! Samjhe aap? Aaya bada! Laad Governor!”

To say that the eaves-dropper nearby nearly fainted with the stress of having to hold back her laughter would be the understatement of the year.

Laughing outright now, Arnav replied, “Humara flight bhi announce hua hai, Khushi. Have a safe flight, call Zakeer as soon as you land. He will be waiting. Aur jaldi kaam khatam karke aa jaana Mumbai.”

“Ji, Arnavji, aapko bhi safe flight. Hum ho aate hain. Waise bhi humein Mumbai se zyada Goa ke baare me sochke khushi hai! Kitna achcha tha humara pehle wala trip! Aur iss baar Jeeji aur Jeejaji bhi hai toh aur bhi maza aayega! Hain na?!”

“Hmm, I’m looking forward to the weekend too. Leave me a voice message when you land. Mujhe tumse zyada time lagega, I’ll call as soon as I land. Theek hai?”

“Ji”.

“Rakta hoon, bye.”

“Bye, Arnavji.”

Smiling at the caller image that was fading from her screen, Khushi made two quick calls to her Di and to her Babuji to let them know that she had boarded her flight. She had barely switched off her phone when the occupant of her neighbouring seat rushed in, harried and breathless.

Khushi looked on in curiosity as the young woman settled down, expertly juggling her hand-bag, her baby bag, her baby and her carry-on case, to drop down in a heap into her seat. Asking the air-hostess to stow away her bags, she kept the baby-bag next to her feet and laid the sleeping baby on the crook of her arm before leaning back, heaving a great sigh of relief, before turning to grin at Khushi.

“Never have a baby without signing a contract with your husband that he will accompany you on any and all trips! That way he can’t escape like mine just did! Nalayak insaan!”

Grinning back, Khushi replied, “Hum yaad rakhenge aapke ye tipni. Waise aapko kuch madad chaahiye, abhi?”

“Ni ni, I’m fine now that I’m inside. Seat tak phonchne ki jo process hai na, check-in, security, waiting… ye sab hai jaanlewa. Ab toh pohonchte hi iss janaab ko uski Daadi le jaayegi and then I can chill! Waise toh achcha hai ki isska Papa nahi aaya, warna mai kaise chill karti?!”

Laughing, Khushi fell into conversation with her new friend, recognizing a like-minded, funny soul. Seema and her son Sourav were travelling to her husband’s house in Lucknow where she was looking forward to spending some quality time with her mother-in-law, who also happened to be her America-settled mother’s best friend.

Food had just begun being served when Seema started feeling dizzy. Seeing how pale she had gone and the perspiration flowing off her in rivulets, Khushi quickly summoned the air-hostess, even as she tried soothing her new friend. Assessing the situation quickly, the air-hostess brought Seema a glass of glucose and announced for the aid of a doctor, if one was available in flight.

Already having taken Seema’s now sobbing son in her arms, Khushi looked on, in growing concern and prayed as hard as she could, “Hey Devi Maiyya! Sab theek kar dena! Aapki kripa Seemaji par baneya rakhna, inko kuch mat hone dena!”

A doctor having been found, she quickly examined Seema, who was now looking better, and deemed it as a case of low-sugar, Seema having skipped breakfast and lunch in her hurry. At her suggestion that Seema be quickly served something really sweet before a solid meal, Khushi, who was holding calm and steady for the sake of the baby, piped up, “Humare paas ek dibba jalebi hai! Woh hi de deejiye. Air-hostessji, humare seat ke neech ek bag hai, usme se nikaliye sara.”

It was anybody’s guess what went through the minds of the doctor and the air-hostess as they saw the enormous container of jalebi. While Seema was plied with the sugar laden jalebis and made to rest with a glass of juice, Khushi settled back down in her seat, sending up thanks to Devi Maiyya for making sure she had her jalebis with her.

Rocking a now dozing baby in the crook of her arm, she grabbed the jalebi container and started munching, the stress and anxiety having finally caught up. Under the amazed gaze of the hovering air-hostess, she all but inhaled half a dozen jalebis before drawing a deep breath.

Looking up, Khushi spotted the gaping air-hostess and exclaimed, “Hey Bhagwan! Hum bhi na! Aur kisi ko diya bhi nahi, bus apne app khaati rahi!”

Holding out the container, she smiled, “Leejiye, aap le leejiye. Aur baaki yaatriyon mein bhi baatiye.”

Stunned beyond belief, the air-hostess mutely took the container, before it dawned upon her that she should have refused!

All her polite protests waved away, Khushi made sure that the entire first-class was served her jalebis, with a running commentary on how she had made it for her family with her own hands, albeit with help from her Di and Jeeji, while bemoaning the fact that she couldn’t send it back to the economy passengers.

By the time the captain had announced the descent, the entire first-class had and crew had gotten an undiluted Khushi Kumari Gupta SIngha Raizada experience, one that brought smiles and laughs all around, even from a now recovered Seema. Thus proceeded the busiest, most entertaining one-hour flight in the memory of the crew.

As they landed and taxied, she quickly made calls to Babuji, Di and Zakeer, and left a voice message for her Arnavji, “Hum pohonch gaye, Arnavji, theek thaak. Aap pohonchke ye sunte hi hume call kariyega.”

Turning to her, Khushi informed Seema, “Aapne kaha tha na aap taxi leke jaa rahe hai, aapke Saasuma ke yahan. Aisi halat mein hum aapko bilkul ni jaane denge. Aap rokiye, humare Zakeer Bhai aapko pehle aapke ghar chodenge, aur fir hume apne ghar le chalenge.”

Shushing a protesting Seema, she quipped, “Arre! Aise kaise! Aap ab humari zimmedari hai! Aap aur Sourav donon. Aur aap zyada behes mat keejiye, aap humse jeet nahi paayenge. Hum toh ASR university se graduate hain!”

While the last comment apparently went unnoticed by a smiling Seema, it was received with wide grins from the crew, who were sitting close.

Preethi, the air-hostess who had been with Khushi since the beginning, the representative of the fan-club, smiled wistfully. “Aisi hai ASR ki biwi toh ASR must be the happiest man on the planet. Batana padega mujhe, ki ab Mrs. ASR jo bhi flight me jaayegi, woh humari personal responsibility rahegi. She deserves the best possible service every single time!”

As for Mrs. ASR, she cemented her position as the new favourite and a close contender for a new fan-club formation when she stopped at the door to thank the crew personally, shocking them by calling out each one’s names, having noted it as she was served her food.

“Shukriya air-hostessji, aapke sewa ke liye. Aapke aagewala flight safe aur sukhad ho.”

As she escorted Seema and her son out, Khushi missed the admiring and fond glances she got from the entire crew.

Authors Note:

And Phinis!

Please do let me know your thoughts… be generous, people!

Hello!

I had made the correct prediction .

Khushi with her cheerfulness and selfless nature won over all the crew and will soon be having her fan club 😆.

She shared her Jalebis in the flight too?! This sounded less like a flight and more like a train journey 🤣 (You know those typical Indian Train journeys 😆).

I love the relation your Akash-Khushi and Arnav-Payal share ❤️.

It was a nice continuation but I would like to see the vacation too. If not as a direct continuation here than in another Vignette 😃.

Waiting to read more of your work 🥳.

Love,

Stuti