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Originally posted by: dieforasr
pls update...really interested to know next chapter..
Chapter 25
He parked his car at the basement of the building and took out his cellphone to call Khushi. She had called him on his way here, but he had forgotten to carry his Bluetooth device and couldn't take her call. She picked up at the first ring.
"Please tell me you're at Di's place. You asked me to remind you that she had invited you guys to dinner and I forgot and then you didn't pick up the phone and -"
"Stop right there, Khushi. Don't worry, I'm already here. There was a lot of traffic so I just reached. I'm on my way upstairs now." he said as he locked his car and moved towards the elevator.
"Good, thank god. Did you also remember to take the laddoos Nani made for her?"
"Aakash took that with him when he left...he got here almost half an hour back. He has already called me twice to accuse me for the grumbling in his stomach. But first tell me, how did your call with Karthik go?"
"It was okay. Thank God I managed to get some time to work on my manuscript in the past two weeks. God bless Merchant for attending a week long conference. Anyway, Karthik wasn't ecstatic but he definitely wasn't unhappy either. He is going to run it through his editor and get back to me."
Okay...Khushi I'm getting into the elevator now, so I'll lose signal. See you tomorrow, okay?" he asked, ignoring the old lady glaring at him for holding the door to the elevator open till he could finish the call.
"Fine. Good night. And give my regards to Di and Shyam." she chimed and disconnected the call.
Arnav threw a charming smile at the old lady still waiting for him to close the door to the elevator, and chuckled as he saw a warm blush replace the anger on her face. Just before he stepped out on the 8th floor, "Thank you for waiting" he said cheerfully and made his way to his sister's apartment.
To his surprise, the door opened before he could ring the bell.
"Hey Arnav" Shyam said in a hurry as he picked up his coat and a laptop bag. He looked ready and dressed to go to work. "I thought you were joining us for dinner, Shyam."
"Some urgent work has come up, Chote" Anjali explained as she came towards the door. She was smiling brightly. Too brightly.
"Sorry Arnav, you'll have to excuse me" said Shyam, his voice and demeanour barely apologetic. "Something has come up and I have to attend to it right now. Sorry man, some other time." he said. Leaning towards his wife, Shyam placed a quick peck on Anjali's cheek. "Bye" he said and walked out the door without sparing another glance.
Arnav saw his sister straighten her shoulders, as if trying to physically dispel the disappointment. Looking up, "Its okay Chote. It must have been urgent, he was looking forward to this evening." she said sweetly and came forward to hug him. Not wanting to say something that would worsen the situation and make things unpleasant, he returned the hug quietly. Taking off his shoes and socks, he entered the living room to find Aakash sitting, or rather sprawled over the large leather couch. "Welcome, Bhai." he said smiling, but didn't move an inch from the couch. It was far too comfortable, greeting his brother properly could wait.
Arnav chuckled looking at his brother; Aakash had always loved the couch in Di's place and had made sure all the furniture in his office was ordered from the same dealer. "You look like a fat cat on a warm bed, Aakash" he remarked and took a seat on the chair next to the couch.
"Those cats have the most enviable lives Bhai. People offer them treats when they allow them to rub their bellies." Aakash said and stretched his arms, much like the cats his brother had just compared him to.
Just then they saw Anjali walking toward them with a tray in hand. She placed it gingerly on the dining table - a beauty in teak placed a few feet away from the couch. "Stay right there" she said as soon as she saw Arnav make a move to get up. "I've been free all day and this isn't any trouble. I don't need any help so just relax." she said seriously. If not for Devyani, Anjali was sure her brother would have spoilt her rotten. She was the elder one but it was Arnav who had pampered her. With his love, his kind gestures, the gifts, the affection. If he had his way, he wouldn't let her lift a finger. She cracked her knuckles on her way back to the kitchen, silently praying to the Gods to keep the evil eyes away from her brother.
As she warmed the food on the stove, she recalled the days when she was trying to convince her family to consent to her marriage with Shyam. For the first time in her life, she had seen Arnav hesitate to give her something she desired. He had agreed eventually because of her persistence, but she knew he had done that half-heartedly. He didn't dislike Shyam but found him to be weak in character. She had confidently assured him that that wasn't the case, that Shyam was an honourable man and loved her dearly. At the time, she hadn't known that his love for her was no guarantee that he'd make a good husband.
She had, for two to three years after their marriage, denied the truth. The truth that her husband was kind but lazy, respectful of her as a wife but gave no importance to her aspirations beyond their kitchen and the bedroom. He refrained from taking a stand whenever his mother made unreasonable demands from her, or any decision making for that matter. From groceries to filing for tax returns, everything was her responsibility. She had to be a daughter to his family but he had taken no efforts to be Nani's son. He continued to live like a bachelor with all the perks of a marriage. Anjali wondered what her life would have been like if she had paid heed to her brother's instincts. She still loved her husband dearly but wondered if it was worth all he compromises she alone had to make.
After she had finally come to terms with the reality of her marriage, she found it difficult to trust the worthiness of anyone around her. Especially Khushi, as she concerned her brother. Arnav was emotional and young when he fell in love with Khushi, what if he was making the same mistakes she did? Khushi had proved time and again that her love for Arnav was of utmost importance to her, yet Anjali had found it difficult to have full faith in her. Especially because she was aware of Khushi's independent streak; she would never allow herself to be so completely taken over by an emotion that it blinded her to everything else, including her individual strength. Only after Anjali witnessed the way Khushi had stood by Arnav when he hit rock bottom a few months back, and the way she had helped him get past it without being condescending, had she been able to allow herself to accept that Khushi was truly the right person for Arnav. And that he was lucky to have someone like her in his life.
Once the food was warmed, Anjali transferred it into bowls and brought them to the table. Once she lay the plates, "C'mon, you guys. Attack." she announced and giggled at the way her brothers nearly sprinted their way to the table. Some things never did change, she mused as she served them hot roti-s from the casserole. "Have some pickle too, I made it myself." she gleamed.
Once Aakash managed to convince her that her brothers were fully capable of serving themselves and that she could enjoy her meal with them rather than after, dinner was a riotous affair. The chitter chatter that followed was a merry concoction of effortless laughter and shared giggles (smirks, in Arnav's case) over mundane things; warm and comforting just as the love that the siblings shared.
*
For a post-dinner surprise, Anjali had baked a fresh batch of mint-chocolate-chip cupcakes. "More minty than chocolaty" she described, "You won't need an after-mint once you have this.".
Aakash was back on the couch, wolfing down his fourth cupcake as Arnav and Anjali took chairs opposite him. "Mmm these are delicious Di" Aakash managed to speak even as he devoured the cakes. "Take them away from me" he swallowed and his voice was finally clear, "Please keep them away, I'll eat them all. These are sinful!"
"I'll help you out" Arnav offered generously and grabbed the plate with cakes. He placed it on the handrest of his chair and popped one cake in his mouth.
"Eat all you want" sighed Anjali. "Maaji is coming in two weeks and then I can't bake any of this till she stays. She hates this videshi' food."
"Oh don't tell me" Arnav almost bawled. "I don't know how you tolerate that woman, Di. I have a tough time just being civil around her for any more than ten minutes."
"Chote" his sister chided. "She is my mother in law. Don't say such things."
"Di please" it was Aakash who spoke. "She is your mother in law and we respect her because she is now family. But that doesn't change the fact that she an irritating, pompous, consistently negative person who makes no attempt to make those around her feel comfortable."
"She is different, Aakash. People have different ways of showing their affections."
"Have you ever felt any affection from her end, Di? It's always you who is forced to make the efforts. That reminds me, have you thought about your concert tour in UK? Have you spoken to Shyam jiju?"
Anjali looked down for a moment, playing with the ring that lay nestled in her left hand. "I haven't decided yet. I really want to go... but it's a long tour and Maaji will be here..."
"Stop right there Di." Arnav interrupted. "Firstly, your Maaji is here every other month. Most of the times I come to visit you, she is here. She is here all the bloody time. Secondly, what does Shyam jiju say?"
"He doesn't say anything" she said softly, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice. "He says I can do whatever I think is right'. I know what that means."
"f**k" Arnav swore before he could stop himself. He didn't care for the reprimanding look on Anjali's face. "It's your life Di. And this is a golden opportunity. You can't keep letting these chances go just because a you need to prepare lunch for a perpetual guest."
"Arnav she is family-"
"Di, give me one instance when she has behaved like one." Aakash was seething.
"Shut up! Both of you!" Anjali got off her chair with a start. "She is family. I don't get to coplain because I chose to be a part of this family. I haven't yet made a decision about the tour. I can use your inputs but you two ranting about Maaji is not helping at all. What do you suppose that is going to achieve? I need to think with a clear mind and that's impossible when you keep telling me just how terrible my mother in law is. I know her better than you, there's nothing you can tell me that I don't already know." she thundered.
She saw her brothers control the urge to argue; when they lowered their heads and nodded almost imperceptibly, she silently thanked them for the mercy. She understood their impulse to defend her and the desperation they felt in watching their sister possibly give up on a dream she had nursed and cherished for years. Wouldn't she feel the same if they were the ones who had to make a worthless sacrifice?
"Okay now don't look so morose. Not yet at least. I'll think about it, okay?" she tried to reassure them. Seeing no response other than some more restrained nodding, "Seriously, I wanted to have a nice evening with my brothers. Now your faces make it look like I invited you to a funeral." she pouted. She had some success; their stances seemed to relax and they managed to give her a soft smile.
"Uff! At least I tell you guys about whats going on in my life. You two don't even bother to do that."
Aakash smiled at his sister's attempt to change the topic and decided to play along. "Bhai here, is working on one of Sinha's case single-handedly. This is going to be his case, Sinha has entrusted him with it. Completely. On the other hand, my work life has been uneventful since that deal we cracked last month. But because of that our work load has more than doubled, that's why you haven't heard from me since."
"And your life outside of work?" Anjali probed. She was still waiting for Aakash to tell her about him and Payal. She was taken aback when the saw the light on his face dim as soon as she finished her question. "Everthing's the same, Di. I don't even have any time left by the time I get done at work." he shrugged.
Anjali was concerned, and noticed Arnav's face mirror the same feeling. What was up with Aakash? She knew better than to push for any details; there was no one who could make him talk if he'd decided not to. She sighed thinking of the early days in a relationship. When it was all about stolen glances and love and excitement. And then people moved forward, learning more about the person, some things pleasant and many unpleasant. The little fights and the arguments. She had been so madly in love with Shyam, she had turned a blind eye to all his shortcomings, sincerely believing that there was nothing more important than the love they shared. In retrospect, she realised she had been foolishly nave. Arnav had tried to warn her but she had assured him that being the elder one, she was wise enough to make the right choices.
She knew better now; her brothers would learn from their own mistakes but she would warn them of the potholes in the rocky road that was a relationship. But how was she to do that if they kept their problems from her?
Walking to the couch, Anjali made herself comfortable next to Aakash who moved aside to make some space. Placing her hand on his, she spoke carefully. "I don't know it is that's bothering you, Aakash." She held her other hand up when he tried to protest. "Don't deny it, there is no point. You two have always been wiser than me but I still your Di. I'm not going to force you to talk, but you will have to listen."
"Go ahead." Aakash resigned.
"You are smart and I don't really need to teach you things. But if there is something I have learnt from my marriage, it's that it was the most significant decision of my life. It takes a lot of hard work, and it changes everything. And I don't just mean your personal life."
"I don't understand Di... where is this coming from?" Aakash was stubborn. His relationship with Payal was a mess at this point. He was aware of his Di's apprehensions about the Gupta girls; he didn't want to add any fuel to the fire. He was sure that Arnav and Nani had an inkling about him being in a relationship with Payal, perhaps they had shared that with Di.
"You are an astute man, Aakash. Figure it out." Anjali said solemnly. "All I am saying is, be wise when you choose your parner for life. It's a lot of work, a lot of compromises, and it often looks unpleasant. Make sure it's worth it. And since we're at it, also make sure that you are worth it. And if you can't do that, then be with someone who wouldn't expect that from you in the first place. It isn't just your home. Trust me when I say this Aakash, that choice you make will be the most important decision for your professional life as well." The last bit was a mere whisper; it was a truth she had accepted for some time now, but voicing it made it all the more real. She didn't know if it was her frustration over her own foolishness in the past, or the guilt at implying, that at some level, she regretted her marriage.
Akash fidgeted with his hands and straightened up on the couch as he understood the implications of his sister's words. At the back of his head, he felt for his sister who was struggling just to be able follow her dreams. But his conversation with Payal the other day echoed in his head like the remnants of a bad dream. Who was he to accuse Shyam when he himself had put the woman he loved in the same spot as his sister's ?
Payal had gone ahead and accepted the offer and was now working on her Visa application. They spoke at least once a day; while she tried her best to bring them back to a place where there was some semblance of the times that they had shared until a few months back, he had been obstinately reserved. He was ashamed of his pettiness; but every time he thought about Payal leaving and her obvious thrill at her admission to Duke, all his compunction was gone and he was left only with chargin and a sense of foreboding. This had to change; he would have to meet her halfway. The question was, could he get himself to do it?
Arnav, on the other hand, wondered if perhaps he should have tried harder, been more assertive during the days leading up to his sister's marriage. Shyam was a good man but a callous one, a man Arnav had never been able to respect and always found unworthy of his sister. He had vowed to take care of her and he hadn't been able to stop her from doing this. She had been stubborn and passionately in love, refusing to listen to any arguments against Shyam. Unable to see her sad or dejected, he had given in to her wishes. He remembered the way Khushi had been with him during those days, offering her support in her own sweet way. She was still in school then.. he smiled fondly remembering the way she had insisted that he call it junior college', and not school.
Khushi... he took a moment to thank the gods for bringing her into his life. He had seen the doubts and the guilt in his siblings held in their eyes, and realised how lucky he was no have never known what that felt like. Khushi had been with him through thick and thin, never judging, never demanding; a silent support and a vocal critic. A witness to all his highs and lows, she had been there for him without ever imposing or being condescending, allowing him to make his mistakes but holding him steady in case he stumbled. Even before they were lovers, she had been his companion, his friend.
He hoped to have been able to do the same for Khushi. He had tried his best, especially during the time her father had forced her to let go of her admission at a reputed Arts' college. She had worked hard for it and believed that once she secured a place, it wouldn't be difficult to convince her father. She had been wrong and it hit her hard; at the time she saw that as a betrayal from her father and it had taken several months for him to help her get over that heartbreak. At least to some extent. Convincing her to forgive her father had been another challenge, but she had done it. Sending a prayer for Anjali and Aakash, he promised himself yet again never to take what he shared with Khushi for granted. He wouldn't allow his own doubts and the occasional diffidence to draw a wedge between them. He'd make sure he never put her in a place where she would have to make a choice between him and the dreams she held dear. Never, he promised.
PS - For those who don't recall (owing to my awfully erratic update schedule), Anjali's upcoming UK concert tour was discussed in Chapter 10.
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