Chapter 5
It is believed that those who had one or more sensory organs compromised, compensated for the loss through other senses. People with hearing loss have an extraordinary development of visual sense and most of them can do impeccable lip reading with practice. Visually challenged people have exemplary auditory sense. And Khushi was no different. She lived in a world that was filled with sound. She recognized people through voices. She passed her free time drowning herself in music. Sometimes she even sat with buaji through her daily soaps and recognized characters and followed stories with their voices. Particularly, the voices of people around her filled her heart with specific sensations. While her father's was comforting, Buaji's was motherly. Shyam's was reassuring and loving, Payal's was caring and authoritative. NK's voice often filled her heart with joy. The children who come to alternate learning at SPARC made her feel relaxed. Some of them even reiterated how blessed she was to have a loving family who fulfilled all her wishes without even asking. She had developed a skill to identify the nature of people from the style of conversations they held with her. Most of the people at SPARC had earned her respect. Her interactions with people in their business circle were limited and always guarded by her family members. And any others whom she networked with have been in connection with the activities of SPARC and after approval from the men in her family. Khushi herself was quite a good judge of character. Her judgment about people have turned out to be more or less true. She remembered when and where she had met Anjali first and she had immediately known that she was a very warm and loving person, who admired and not pitied her. And that acceptance of her as she was, had made Khushi take a liking for Anjali. She was also too smart to understand that her brother was affected by Anjali. She finally nursed back her long last hope of getting a bhabhi.
But Anjali's brother left her confused. The first time they had met, he had scared the living daylights out of her and his voice had sounded monstrous. It took her a long time to recover from the shock. But the same day, the man turned up at the doorstep and apologized in a voice that displayed a variety of emotions ranging from respect to remorse to repentance to friendliness left her in confusion and had made it difficult for her to outline his nature. The man must be quite multi-layered, she thought and that gave her some peace. But she was quite not prepared for the impact the texture of his voice had on her poor senses. She tried hard to find a match from all the voices that she had heard in her lifetime to the incredible sense numbing huskiness that she had found in his voice. And his soft voice and gentle touch evoked a sort of response in her internal organs that she is yet to understand. She was surprised that, since the past few days, she had selective interest in topics discussed over meals or a casual conversation that involved anything that was associated with ARD in general and Arnav in particular. After a thorough internal brainstorming session, she concluded that she was just over reacting. Just wait till the fund raiser is over. Avoid him at all cost, except absolutely necessary. Then there is nothing to worry.
But the phone call that interrupted her chit chat with Payal, changed everything.
"Incoming call from number +91-*********1"
She couldn't recognize the number, yet accepted the call.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Hi Khushi, Anjali here. How are you?"
Why was Anjaliji calling me?
"Anjaliji? What a surprise? I am fine. How are you?"
"I am fine too Khushi. I spoke to Shyam this morning and got to know that he is out of town and uncle is not well. Just called to check if he is better and if you need any help"
Aaw. How sweet?
"So kind of you Anjaliji. Dad is better. Buaji is taking care of him. And my friend Payal is staying with me."
"Okay just let me know if you need any help. I will be happy to help. By the way, this is Chote's number. My phone is being charged. My number has 9 for the last digit instead of 1 in chote's number. Have it saved and call me anytime you think you would need me"
"Sure Anjaliji. Thank you. That's so thoughtful"
Hmm. There, the name again.
"No problem. Khushi, hold a minute. Chote wants to talk to you."
"What? Anjaliji?"
No. No. No. Please, somebody, anybody, save me. This is unhealthy. Not good for my health. Why is my heart beating so rapidly? How do I slow...
"Khushi?"
Has my heart stopped?
"Hi !!"
Then she heard it.
Dhak dhak !!
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Arnav Singh Raizada, had learnt a lesson from life in a very ruthless manner so many years ago, when his mother was snatched away from him by death, in the most heartbreaking way, without giving him as much of an indication, which had drained all the emotions from the once cheerful, fun-loving boy. Both he and Anjali were witness to the mirage that their mother's love life was with their father, only that the revelation had come all too sudden. Both the siblings dealt with their loss in their own convenient ways. While Anjali did feel emotions but guarded herself from the feeling love that had life changing power, Arnav seemed to have lost the power to feel any kind of emotion, except of course, for anger. He had learnt that emotion is the greatest weakness of a man and made him vulnerable. However, the man reserved the emotionless mask only for the outside world. He did allow himself to feel' a little bit towards his family, but rarely displayed. It is no secret now that he was extremely sensitive to his sister's interests but he also graced with the same treatment, his extended family that comprised of his Nani, Mamaji, and Mamiji and their only son Akash.
Therefore, it hit him like a storm when he felt the first strings of an emotion for a stranger. Guilt.
He recovered soon enough and convinced himself that it was his mother's upbringing that was ingrained in him which allowed him to feel guilty for his misbehavior with Khushi. He wanted to rectify his mistake and he found himself feeling something like remorse. But what he didn't know was that this was only the beginning and he was destined to feel every emotion that was there on book, very soon.
He set out to right the wrong. When he was finally at her doorstep, for the first time in many years he was scared.
As he had settled down in her home with his sister gearing himself up for the apology, her self-reliance and confidence, when she prepared tea for everyone made him look at her with amazement.
When he had been left with her alone to talk to her and clear the misunderstanding and apologize, her angelic features had evoked a sense of attraction.
And that surprised him, since female company was not new to him and he was surrounded by more than enough beautiful women in his profession.
The ease with which she forgave him and put him out of guilt and remorse made him feel relaxed.
Amidst all these, she had her agenda intact and made right use of the opportunity that Arnav had offered, by convincing him to attend the fund raiser in exchange of accepting a new phone from him. She had gone ahead and briefly explained him the purpose of the event and what difference she thought, his presence would make and at that moment he could not help but admire her for her sense of responsibility towards people with physical limitations. To see her talk about SPARC and her long term goals brought out a sense of respect for her.
That night when Arnav had gone to bed with the thoughts of his angel, he noticed a strange feeling seep into his being.
Restlessness.
And that sensation had been his companion ever since. Only he didn't know why.
He couldn't explain to himself, the sudden bout of concern that clenched his heart when his sister mentioned her during lunch.
Is this even normal? What the hell is happening to me, experiencing almost every emotion on book, all evoked by one single woman, in a very short period of time and after only a couple of brief meetings?
If Arnav Singh Raizada didn't have a business empire to manage, then he would have had listed down in a journal, all the emotions that have hit him and read and re-read it to try and understand what was happening to him. And he now had one more emotion waiting to be added to that list.
Jealousy.
Every word that tumbled out of that infuriating man was nothing short of a boast of having known his angel very closely over years and also a reminder of the fact that he knew nothing about Khushi.
Yes this was it. I don't know anything about Khushi and I want to know everything about her. And for that I have to look into opportunities for interaction.
Have you forgotten that you are anyway meeting her at the fundraiser?
But that's more than a week away. And there is this Agra trip and then I am flying to London.
And there is no way I am waiting so long to get a glimpse of her.
With this realization came desperation which pushed him to get her number from his sister in the maximum possible ASRly manner as he could manage, without raising a few suspecting brows in the household. What he forgot was that his sister was way too smarter than she was ever credited for.
Once back in the sanctuary of his room, Arnav dialed Khushi's number with anxiety. But he hit the end call button even before the call connected.
What will I tell her if she asks me why I called?
I would tell I called to enquire about her dad. Yes.
He once again dialed and then immediately disconnected.
What after that? She would say he is better and then? No. that's not a very favorable outcome.
Okay, how about asking her if she needs any help?
The number was dialed and disconnected for the third time.
Wait. You want to hear Khushi say why fear when NK is here?
Dammit !! Okay, how about asking her out for coffee?
Fourth time.
Yeah, she is Lisa, she would jump at the chance and say, "of course Arnie !! I cant wait"
Arnav threw the phone on the bed and ran his hand through his dense hair in frustration. He realized he hadn't even changed after coming back from work, as he had been quite late and had joined the family for dinner, so hadn't really have a chance to come up to his room. He mechanically removed his waist coat and his tie, his mind still weighing on a convincing reason to make that call. An incoming message alert indicated a mail in his mail inbox. He opened the message and smiled in relief. He called Aman and informed him that he would attend the farewell party of the outgoing interns. To say that Aman was shocked was an understatement. He tried to reason out to ASR that he was not needed for such a small scale party and reminded him about his commitment for the evening with SPARC. Arnav brushed it off and said he would make it to the fund raiser a bit later and as this was the first time, ARD had had interns from abroad, it would only be correct if he himself attended the party, albeit briefly. With that he disconnected the call leaving Aman in wonderment. Arnav decided to change and freshen up before calling her. He walked over to the dresser, pulled out a chest and wistfully glanced at the things that marked the beginning and the end of his day and went about his routine before vanishing into the washroom. When he came back from the washroom, he wasn't prepared for his Di in his room talking from his mobile to
"I am fine too Khushi. I spoke to Shyam this morning and got to know that he is out of town and uncle is not well. Just called to check if he is better and if you need any help"
Khushi? What the hell?
"Okay just let me know if you need any help. I will be happy to help. By the way, this is Chote's number. My phone is being charged. My number has 9 for the last digit instead of 1 in chote's number. Have it saved and call me anytime you think you would need me"
That's impressive. But, why are sisters so meddlesome? Can't they stay quiet without interfering?
Oh really! Yeah I saw how efficient you were just a while back.
"No problem. Khushi, hold a minute. Chote wants to talk to you."
What? No. Wait. What am I going to do now?
He saw the outstretched arm of his sister which held his phone and then at her oh-so-innocent face, took the phone, reprimanded his sister with his eyes and shook his head resignedly when she threw a I don't care look at him, before leaving him to handle his nerves and the girl on the other end of the line.
You can do it Arnav. Come on. Okay. Here you go.
"Khushi? Hi!"
"Hi ! Ar...Arnav. How have you been?"
"I have been doing fine, Khushi. How are you and everyone at home?"
"Dad had been a little unwell. But he is much better. Thanks for asking Arnav. Anjaliji says you wanted to talk to me"
"Well, yeah. Listen, I just got the programme agenda for the fundraiser forwarded to me. I see that there is a tour of your facility at SPARC scheduled one hour before the programme to be held at the Kamaani auditorium"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Not exactly. Something has come up, a small get together. I would make it to the program. I was just thinking if the tour can be slightly advanced."
"Oh! Well, it can certainly be reworked. Only that there are nearly 7-8 VIPs including you and Anjaliji for whom we have arranged the tour. I will talk to bhaiyya. When are you free?"
"No no, Khushi. You don't have to reschedule the program. You can take the rest of them as planned. I am leaving for Agra the day after and then to London and I would be back only on the morning of the program. So, will it cause any inconvenience, say, if I come tomorrow?"
"T...tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Is it difficult to arrange in such a short notice?"
"N..no. Of course, it can be arranged"
Arnav knew he was being pushy, but he couldn't possibly miss an opportunity to see her and spend some time with her, even if it was in the presence of a sea of people around them.
"Khushi, I'm sorry. I know I am messing with your routine. But I really want to see the facility before presiding over the function knowing fully aware what I would be saying, rather than reading from a written speech."
For all the manipulation, the last part was sincere and from the heart. Khushi melted at the softness of his voice.
"Arnav, relax. There is really no problem. The PRO will be there and also a senior social worker to help me when you would drop in. When can I expect you?"
"Say around 11 AM?"
"Perfect. I would finish my classes too. Besides Payal would be there too."
"Great. I will see you tomorrow, then?"
"Yes. We would look forward to have you with us in SPARC tomorrow."
"Thank you. Good night Khushi."
"Good night Arnav"
Arnav kept looking at his phone long after the call was hung with a silly grin adorning his face, which was mirrored on two faces outside his room. His siblings had shamelessly eavesdropped on his side of the conversation. While Akash had to prevent a wolf whistle escape from his mouth with great effort, Anjali had tears in her eyes having just witnessed her brother rediscovering his lost heart and awestruck at his manipulative skills. But poor boy, what else could he have done, when he had no experience with emotions. All he knew was business.
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Shyam's affection and care for his sister was endearing, but only to those who knew how much he had yearned for a baby sister in his life and what price his mother had had to pay to fulfil his desire. She represented his mother's promise to him and her trust in him. Till now he has been fortunate enough to have people in his life who loved Khushi as much as he did, if not more. When Shyam felt the first attraction towards the opposite gender, he was over the moon. Sheetal, was everything that a family of his stature would have wanted, educated, stylish and intelligent with immense business acumen. She was quite friendly towards Khushi and that had put his only worry to rest. They had started dating and their relationship progressed to the level of both the families in favor of bringing them together in matrimony. That was when Sheetal showed her true face. She casually told Shyam that she would want them to live separately after their marriage away from his ever demanding family, particularly his sister. She didn't mince her words when she told him that she wasn't prepared to baby sit his blind sister. Contrary to common expectation of shock and heartbreak, Shyam had felt immense relief. He was thankful to Sheetal for letting her faade slip before marriage. He took no time in breaking up with her. But the heartbreak was there, only it took a different morphology altogether. He closed the topic of marriage completely. No amount of advice from his father, coaxing from Bua and sometimes even threats from Khushi, could convince him to consider a matrimonial proposal. Now, at the age of 33, Shyam had not once wanted to go back on his decision of never thinking about a life partner for himself, until he met Anjali. Right from their first meeting, she had settled down comfortably in his senses through her actions. She had spent almost all the time she was with them at their 25th Anniversary celebrations with Khushi. He was witness to her disappointment at Arnav's behavior towards Khushi. The frequent mention of her chote in her conversations with pride and affection, the silent emotional support she had offered Arnav when he had mentioned their mother during their visit to their home were proof enough to know that she was more a mother than a sister to him. He had also noticed how his chutki instantly lightened up at the mention of her name. He recalled what Khushi told him over the phone a while ago when he had entered his suite after attending the felicitation program and the party later. Anjali had called her to enquire after dad's health and ask if she needed any help. Shyam couldn't remember anyone outside the family express their concern over Khushi. Not even Sheetal even in her pretense best. He was old and experienced enough to know that Anjali had been really genuine. He wondered if it was time he came out of his insecurities and gave whatever that seems to be developing between him and Anjali, a chance. After all, he was a normal human being too, not to forget, one with normally functioning endocrine glands secreting necessary hormones required for the normal sustenance of physical and emotional aspects. He was a not a saint, alright, had had his share of occasional flings, but now he looked forward to some stability. And may be Anjali was the just the person he must have waited for so long. With that thought he picked up his mobile, checked the time and sent a text message.
Thanks for checking on my sister. I will be back the day after. Wonder if we could meet over a cup of coffee.
Five minutes later his mobile beeped an incoming message.
Please don't mention. Khushi is a sweetheart. Sure, we can meet. What time?
4 p.m? Venue of your choice.
Done. Caffe e Chocol Art? Work related?
Le Meridien? Sure. Nothing related to work.
Hmm. What should I expect?
Shyam, a friend? And not Shyam, a business associate?
I certainly look forward to it then. Good night Shyam.
Great. Good night Anjali.
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The Raizada siblings were in high spirits the next morning at the breakfast table. Devyani was not surprised to find that ever present mischievous glint in her youngest grandson's eyes. He was always upto something. Anjali on the other hand was grinning wide, her smile reaching her eyes and her face glowing more. That was unusual. Was there some hope still? Hey Devi Maiyya! Have you finally decided to knock some sense into the girl's overacting brain?
But what was wrong with Chote? His eyes were brighter than she had seen in a very long time. Moreover he was still dressed in his casuals. Isn't he going in for work? She asked him.
"No Nani. I have to be somewhere at 11. I will be delayed if I were to go to ARD and then go there. So I will finish some packing for the upcoming trips and then leave from here."
"Where are you going Bro, if I may ask?"
"Not any of your business, I guess. And if I am not mistaken, you are already late for work."
"My meeting has been rescheduled to evening."
"Whatever. Di I will see you at Lunch."
With that Arnav left for his sanctuary. He spent the next one hour in sending some important mails and packing for the two trips. Then he dressed up with extra care, not that it was necessary, but when has heart seen logic? And now that this vital organ had emerged from a long self-imposed exile, it was working full time, over powering the mind.
Arnav came down, picked up his laptop bag from Hariprakash, their servant and proceeded to the carport, feeling a mild nervousness and anticipation at the impending meeting with Khushi, but came to an abrupt stop when the tall, lean, figure casually leaning against his SUV came into his visual field. If looks could kill, the man would have turned to ashes, but he remained unfazed and stared back at Arnav with a steady gaze. Arnav disappeared and ASR emerged.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
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To be continued...
Seher Hone Ko Hai
Sports
10