Banner credit: From A & K... Happy Birthday Masi!
Collaboration by Choti (chotidesi) and Jigs (Chokri_ASR) in honor of Ruchi's (Arshi67) Happy wala Birthday!
Hope you all enjoy this One Shot and join us in wishing Ruchi for her Birthday...
Chalte Chalte
He lowered his shades to the tip of his nose and looked up at the sky through the tinted window. The sun shined brightly. He squinted, slipping his black matte metal framed aviators back on again. Despite the fact that the air conditioning was on at the highest setting, he could still feel the heat of the sun against his legs as it streamed through the window.
It was such a contrast to the grey of London, he mused. The skies were almost never such a clear blue, covered instead by clouds that hung low over the sky.
But wasn't that what he loved about London?
It was cool and calm, without any of the chaos that came with India. It suited his personality and his lifestyle.
He would never have even come here if it hadn't been for his sister and Nani, and the fact that his sister was expecting her first child. Anjali Di had successfully guilt tripped him into coming back, insisting that she wanted him to be around for her delivery.
He rolled his eyes, even as he smiled inwardly. Although he had been abroad for five years, he and Anjali had remained close, Skyping each other frequently. She and her husband, Shyam, had also visited him in England. But his Nani hadn't, and Anjali had added that to the list of reasons on why he should come back to India and visit.
He was jolted out of his thoughts when the car lurched, slamming him forward. He heard a loud pop as the car grinded to a halt.
"Is there something blocking the street again?" The driver shook his head before getting out of the car. He leaned in through the open window, an apologetic look on his face.
"Bhaiyya, the tire looks like it's flat. We're going to need a mechanic. I know one right down this street, I'll just go call him." Arnav swore under his breath as he dialed his sister, wondering briefly if it would be possible to get him another car.
*********
He stood by the side of the dusty road, holding his phone to his ear. He glanced around as it rang, grimacing as the sooty air swirled into his nose. He lifted it from his ear, cursing roundly as the monotone voice of the voicemail came through.
"You have reached 91988-"
He hit end call, letting out a huff of frustration. He had no choice but to wait, since no other car could come through for him in time.
His car was barely off of the road, tilted onto the sidewalk as the cars swerved around it, not even blinking an eye at the obstruction. The cars putted as they went by, honking loudly. The wooden carts of the sabziwala clogged the already painfully slim alleyway, the cars following patiently behind them. They were interrupted by the occasional colorful lorries that drove slowly, HORN OK PLEASE painted messily on their bumpers.
He raised a hand to his forehead, blocking the sun that beat down on him. The air suffocated him, blurring his vision as it rose up from the ground. He had already removed his designer Armani charcoal grey suit jacket and loosened his tie, his sky blue custom tailored shirt darkened with sweat as it stuck to his body.
"How much longer will it take?" He turned back to his car, squinting into the sun. The man didn't lift his head.
"How much longer will it take?" He asked more loudly, and the mechanic finally looked up. He flashed Arnav a toothy, red-stained smile, before going back to the hood. Arnav rolled his eyes, striding closer and tapping him on the shoulder.
"How much longer will it take?!" He yelled over the din, and the mechanic jumped in surprise.
"We have to order a new tire rim. The rim is bent, so replacing just the tire won't work."
"So what does that mean? Look, I have to get to an important meeting. I don't have all day here..." He spit out. The mechanic just smiled at him, seemingly unfazed by his irritation.
"This is India sir, it takes a while to get things. It will probably take a week." Arnav stared at him incredulously.
"A week? I have to be there in the next thirty minutes! I'm leaving in ten days for England!" The mechanic shrugged. "Sorry sir, I cannot do anything about that. If you want your car, you will just have to wait." The mechanic's face suddenly broke into a smile, and he waved at something behind Arnav. Arnav turned, his eyes falling on a slender figure sitting on a red scooter, her dupatta flying behind her. He couldn't see her face, since it was covered by a helmet that looked entirely too large for her body.
"Good morning, Happyji!" He could hear the smile in her voice, happiness bubbling over. Her voice was a soothing balm to his irritation, and he watched as she pulled up next to the curb.
"Good morning, Khushi Didi!" The mechanic said.
Khushi? What a fitting name.
Khushi lifted the helmet off of her head, shaking her hair loose. It was long and slightly moist, tumbling down to her waist as she ran a hand through it. He caught a faint whiff of jasmine. It was oddly mesmerizing, drawing him to her.
She hadn't acknowledged him, still speaking to Happy. He found himself annoyed, and then caught himself, not knowing why he was so affected by her. He tapped his foot impatiently, scrolling through his phone as he waited.
They fell silent and he looked up, realizing they were looking at him. He looked directly into her gaze, taken aback by the depth of her eyes. They weren't dark brown, like most Indians.
They were hazel, with flecks of gold and green sparkling back at him. Her smile crinkled the corners of her eyes, lighting up her entire face. It faded slightly when her gaze fell on him, and he saw her eyes roaming over him. He bit back a smirk, tilting his head.
He reached out his hand, but she stiffened at the gesture. She tentatively mirrored him. As their hands touched, they felt a spark of warmth spread through them. It felt familiar, despite the fact that they were strangers.
Arnav took a deep breath, clearing his throat. She quickly let go of his hand, and her eyes darted away. She shifted on her feet, clearly trying to compose herself.
"Arnav Singh Raizada." He said. She smiled politely, but her cheeks had pinkened. "Khushi Kumari Gupta."
Happy glanced between the two of them, wondering why the normally chipper Khushi had suddenly grown so shy.
"Khushi Didi, Sir's car's tire rim is bent. It will take a week to get him a new one... but Sir says that he has an important meeting in thirty minutes. Could you take him with you?" Khushi glanced at him uncertainly. Suddenly, his phone rang. Arnav smiled, seeing the picture of Anjali pop up.
"Hi Di! Took you long enough to pick up my call." He walked away, and she watched as he spoke gently to his sister. His face had softened, tenderness in his voice as he calmed his sister down. She turned back to Happyji, nodding.
"Of course I will take him. Where does he need to go?"
"Connaught Place." Arnav interrupted, slipping his phone back into his pocket. Khushi lowered her gaze, gesturing towards her scooter. She swung her leg over it, settling herself down. He waited for her to put the helmet on, but she turned around and handed to him instead.
He stared at her. She gave him a pointed look, and he shook his head.
"I am not wearing this." She simply continued to look at him. He began to feel distinctly uncomfortable under her gaze, and sighed heavily, shoving the helmet on. He saw her smile, and turn around, revving up the little scooter.
As soon as she pulled away, he felt himself being jerked back and clutched the sides of the scooter.
"This is a... nice ride."
"She's my Jaanu." She said, and he could hear the pride in her voice. "I named her myself after what my Nani used to call me. I bought it myself, you know. I saved up money for a whole year from tutoring Pintu, and selling jalebis with Papa from our shop. It's the most famous mithai shop in Chandini Chowk! I've worked there since I was little, and I love jalebies. Do you like jalebies? I like rasgulle and gulab jamun too, but jalebies are my favorite. I make them whenever I'm upset, or angry, or happy, or excited, or-"
"For just about anything?" He interrupted wryly. She was surprised when she heard his voice, realizing that she had been talking nonstop and had said just a little too much. She hastened to apologize.
"I did it again, didn't I? I'm so sorry, you know, Buaji always tells me that no one will ever marry a girl who talks so much, but I just can't help it!" The scooter screeched as she pulled to a halt, and he flew forward unexpectedly. "Ouch!" She winced, rubbing at her shoulder where his hands squeezed tightly. He quickly let go, placing his hands on his lap.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to." She brushed him off, turning to glance back at him. "So... where are you from?" He could hear the curiosity in her voice, but before he could answer the light changed to green.
She sped off, but she seemed to be waiting for him to respond.
"London."
"Haww! London?! You know, my chachi's mausi's bua's chacha has a nephew that lives in London. His name is Rahul. Do you know him?"
"Um... no, I don't think I've met him before." Her face fell, but she quickly perked up. "Do you live in Birmingham? My chachi's mausi's bua's chacha says that Rahul lives there."
"Actually, I live in Kensington." Khushi paused, the information sinking in. She seemed to have realized that he was well-off. "Is it a nice place?" He smiled inwardly. "Yeah, it's pretty nice." She nodded, falling silent for a bit. He knew she was a little taken aback.
"My family lives in Delhi." He offered. He saw her perk up and smiled. "I have a sister, Anjali, and she and her husband live with my Nani in Shantivan. It's in South Delhi." She remained quiet, realizing the magnitude of his wealth.
After a few minutes of silence, he realized that he didn't like it when she was quiet.
"So what do you do?" He asked, hoping to hear her voice again. "Oh, I'm a student at IIM-Delhi. I'm going to be done with my MBA next month! I want to take over Papa's business."
"You're doing an MBA to take over a mithai shop?" He asked. She resented the amusement in his voice, and defended herself.
"Papa wanted me to get a degree, and I topped my class." Pride slipped into her voice. He was impressed by her tenacity, and couldn't help what he said next. "That's impressive." He said genuinely. She thanked him, before continuing.
"Jiji never wanted to take over, but I always have wanted to. She just got married and is expecting her first child." She said, and he could hear her excitement.
"Anjali Di is also expecting her first child." He said. She spoke animatedly, and he found himself reciprocating. He wasn't used to speaking so freely about himself, but realized that he wanted to share with her.
He didn't even realize when they pulled to a stop outside the place he had told her to. She turned to look at him, indicating for him to get down. Shaking himself, he slipped off of the scooter.
They stood there in silence, feeling slightly disappointed at having to leave each other.
"I should... get to my meeting." He hesitated. "Thank you for giving me ride."
"It was no problem." She said. They fell silent again. "I should go." She turned, taking slow steps towards her scooter. She adjusted the helmet as she swung her leg over the scooter.
She turned before she started her scooter, her voice muffled by the helmet. "If you need a ride back... let me know, I'll be coming back this way and I can pick you up."
He shook his head. "I don't want to bother you, I have a ride. My sister will send the car as soon as she gets back." She nodded, flashing him a smile through the dark glass as she drove away.
He sighed, turning to face the building before glancing back at her retreating figure. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the meeting.
Maybe he could see her again... to thank her.
*********
"Would you excuse me? I have to use the restroom." Arnav nodded at the man across from him, a future business partner for AR Inc. He turned to look out of the window of the upscale restaurant, leaning back in his chair. As he looked out of the window, his mind fell back to three days ago. He briefly wondered where she would be.
Probably riding that red scooter.
He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face at the thought. He could still hear her sweet voice in his head, the unbridled energy spilling over. He had found himself turning every time he passed a stall selling strings of jasmine, automatically looking for her.
He watched the cars rumble by, the tinted window muting the vibrant colors outside. There was a channa stall right outside of the restaurant, providing an amusing contrast. He saw a flash of a emerald green dupatta blowing into the woman's face. She reached a hand up, pulling it away from her face as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder.
His breath caught. It was her.
He stood up abruptly and tapped on the window, calling out name. His heart picked up its pace as she stilled. She glanced around, then turned to face him. But he knew she couldn't see him, her brows furrowing in confusion. She shook her head, and took the bag of channa from the vendor with a brilliant smile.
He saw her turn to walk away and glanced back at the bathroom door. His companion was still in the restroom, and he threw his napkin down on the chair as he walked quickly towards the door.
Hot, muggy air pummeled him in the face as he pushed it open. There was an immediate swell of people around him, and he looked around, searching for her. He pushed his way through, stopping at the channa stall. The people standing in line looked at him in confusion as he frantically looked around again.
He finally caught a glimpse of the red scooter, but it was driving away. Her dupatta flew behind her, waving at him.
"Khushi!" He called, taking off down the road after her. But she was already too far ahead, and he slowed to a stop. Disappointment flashed through him, and he stared after her with a heavy sigh. He turned and went back into the restaurant, sitting down just as the other man returned. He gave him a smile, returning to their conversation even as his mind lingered on her.
He wondered if he would ever see her again.
*********
She slowed as she drove past the tall building, coming to a stop. She bit her lip, wondering if she should go in. She had done for the last six days as she drove past the building he had asked her to drop him off at.
"Arnav..." She murmured.
But she froze, seeing the glass doors swing open to reveal the man she had just been thinking about. He squinted, slipping his aviators out of his pocket and sliding them on. She found herself staring, swallowing audibly. Heat spread through her cheeks. She self consciously brushed her hair behind her ears, smoothing it out.
There was something about him that made her heart pound against her chest, a distinct sense of awareness whenever he was around. She couldn't look away as he turned to talk to the man beside him, loosening the tie around his neck and unbuttoning his top collar.
The man walking beside him said something and she saw him laugh. She felt her own lips turning up in a smile. She was about to say his name, but stopped herself, realizing that he was completely engrossed in his conversation.
She stepped back, starting up her scooter and driving away.
Maybe she would come back another day.
He turned around, feeling something familiar. But there was no one there. He stood there for a moment, thinking about the woman who had consumed his thoughts for the last six days.
Had she been there?
"Khushi..."
*********
Music filled the atmosphere as the kids weaved between the legs of the adults. There was a cloud of color in the air and he could hear the high pitched giggles of the children as they squirted each other with color.
He sat on the verandah, his crisp white cotton button down still pristine. He rolled his eyes as yet another kid began crying, whining to his mother that his little brother had gotten color on him. He coughed, the powder irritating his nose.
"Chote, why are you sitting here? You only come back in a blue moon, come play with us." He glanced up at his sister, her hand resting on her stomach. "You shouldn't be playing Di, you're pregnant." She shook him off, fixing him with a glare.
"I shouldn't be playing, but I still am. You should be the one that's playing, and yet you're sitting here with that damn phone in your hands."
He sighed, rubbing his temple. "You know I don't like all this, Di. I'm only staying here because of you." She came over to him, sitting down on the swing next to him. They sat in silence for a while, and Anjali kicked back on the swing as it swayed gently. He knew she wanted to say something.
"Spill it. What do you want, Di?" She feigned innocence, her eyes widening.
"What? Who said I wanted to say anything?" Arnav gave her a pointed look, putting his phone down and turning to face her. She bit her lip, her eyes glimmering with excitement.
"Alright fine. I want you to meet someone." He stared at her incredulously for a moment, mentally groaning. He shook his head, going back to his phone.
"No, Di, you know I do not want to meet anyone." He could see her pout out of the corner of his eyes, her face falling.
"Come on! Please?"
"No."
"Nani wants you to!"
"Oh really? Still no."
She stared at him for a long moment, and he looked up at her. She was looking at him with sad eyes, her entire body slumping. He let out a long breath, leaning back against the swing.
"Fine. Who is she?" Anjali's face magically brightened, and he rolled his eyes.
"She's the daughter of Papa's close friend from Lucknow. They have a house in Delhi. They're a very good family, and her Bua is close friends with Nani. Nani loves their daughter, and..." She trailed off, looking at him imploringly. Arnav gritted his teeth, sighing in irritation.
"What's her name?"
"Khushi." His gaze flashed up to hers, his heart thudding in his chest. Anjali's smile widened, and he saw the knowing look in her eyes. He quickly masked it, clearing his throat.
There were a lot of girls named Khushi. It couldn't be her... could it?
"So, are you interested?" Anjali asked. He could feel her badly repressed excitement.
"It's not like I have a choice, do I?" She grinned, getting up from her seat and ruffling his hair. She placed a kiss on his cheek, tucking the end of her pale yellow sari into her waist.
"Nope. But I'm glad you're excited about meeting... Khushi." She winked, walking away. He looked after her to make sure she was okay, nodding when he saw Shyam wrap an arm around her waist. He turned back to his phone and muttered.
"Unbelievable."
*********
Khushi quickened her pace, excited by the vibrant energy in the atmosphere, trying not to topple the pile of jalebis on the plate. She loved Holi.
She placed the jalebis on the table, bending down to touch Nani's feet. Nani lifted her up, pulling her into a hug. Nani gave her a warm smile, touching her head.
"Hamesha khush raho, bitiya. (always be happy)" Khushi smiled. She suddenly reached for the bowl of powder, streaking it across Nani's cheek with a mischievious grin. She laughed, pulling out of Nani's grasp before Nani could cover her face in color. "Happy Holi!" She called, as Nani laughed behind her.
"Titaliya! Oh, Titaliya!" Khushi skidded to a stop when she heard Buaji. She creeped out from behind the corner as Buaji bustled by, still calling her name. Grinning, she grabbed Buaji, brushing her powder covered hand over her cheek.
"Happy Holi, Buaji!" Buaji swatted at her, fixing her with a playful glare. "If you keep doing this, no one will marry you." Khushi raised her eyebrow.
"Oh really?" She asked, leaning back with a dreamy sigh. "No, Buaji, I will find a rajkumar to take me far away from here. He'll stick out his hand from the train, and I'll run towards him and-"
"Chup kar! Sanki. You have been watching Shah Rukh Khan too much. What happened to your Salman?"
"Oh, Buaji, woh... Salmanji toh..." Khushi blushed and Buaji glared at her.
"Hmph. Too many movies, I tell you, too many movies." Buaji muttered, shaking her head.
"Madhu?" Nani stepped into the room, holding her hands out for Buaji. They put color on each other's cheeks, and Khushi stood by with a small smile. "Did I tell you, Madhu? My grandson has come from London." Nani's face broke into a happy smile, the age from her face erased.
Buaji and Nani exchanged a look, and then turned their gazes to Khushi. Khushi looked back, trepidation settling in. "What was that look?" She asked, her gaze narrowing. Buaji looked back at Nani, an eager smile on her face.
"We want you to meet him." Khushi stared at them for a moment, shaking her head slowly.
"No... no... I see what you're doing here. I'm going to go play out with the kids." She turned to leave, running out behind the first little kid she found. Buaji and Nani looked after her with small smiles, hoping her resistance would fade once she met him.
*********
Arnav pushed through the crowd, raising his hand and trying to block the colors. He felt a vibration in his back pocket and tried to reach for it, but crashed into someone before he could get to it.
He put his arms out, grabbing the slim shoulders to steady her. He heard a muffled grunt, as she stumbled, grabbing ahold of his shoulders. He opened his eyes, looking down at the woman in his arms.
Her face was covered in color, her long, silky hair streaked with the powder. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, but they snapped open, staring back at him.
"Khushi?" He would have recognized those hazel eyes anywhere.
"Arnav?" She stared at him for a moment before her lips curved into a stunning smile. He felt himself reciprocating, warmth spreading through him. He could scarcely believe it was her. He had spent the last week wondering where she was, but he had never expected to actually see her again.
"Didi come on! You said you would play with us!" He looked down to see a little kid tugging on her yellow and white kurta, holding a pichkari in his hands. Khushi looked at him helplessly, her heart torn between playing with Bablu and wanting to talk to Arnav.
"Bablu, I'll-"
"She'll be there in a minute." The kid shrank back from him, scared by his authoritative tone. She glared at him, loudly whispering.
"What are you doing? You just scared Bablu!" Arnav tilted his head, giving her a pleading look. She held his gaze, not breaking it as she spoke to Bablu again.
"Bablu, I promise I will be there soon. Didi has to talk to him for a moment." Bablu looked between the two of them.
"Why, are you going to marry him?" They both stiffened, still staring at each other. Arnav cleared his throat uncomfortably, mentally reminding himself of why he had distanced himself from children. They had a way of breaking those romantic moments.
"I'll be back in a little while, Arnav. I promise. If I don't go, Bablu will have us married in ten minutes." He snorted, inclining his head for her to go. She smiled warmly, letting Bablu take her hand and drag her away.
From the distance, Nani and Anjali watched as Arnav stared after Khushi with a soft smile on his face. Nani turned to Anjali, who lifted a hand for a high five. Nani slowly ambled over to Arnav, innocently standing behind him.
"Who was that, Chote?"
"Khushi." He said without thinking, still following her with his eyes. Anjali bit back her snicker, keeping her voice carefully light.
"Did you meet her?" Arnav hummed, his eyes softening as Khushi threw her head back and laughed when the kids sprayed her with water. Anjali and Nani shared a glance, grinning widely as he continued to stare at her.
"So... what do you think of her?"
"She's beautiful."
Nani's mouth fell open while Anjali covered her mouth, raising an eyebrow.
"Accha? Is that so?" Arnav nodded, unable to tear his gaze away from her.
"Our Khushi?" Arnav shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips.
"No, she's my Khushi."
He watched as Khushi walked away, colored water dripping from her face. He didn't even glance back at his smug family, taking off after her. He stood behind her as she splashed clean water on her face from the tap, squeaking as she turned it off. She was about to pat her face dry with her dupatta, but then saw a handkerchief being handed to her.
She turned, holding her breath as she came face to face with Arnav. They stood underneath the shade of the gazebo, sunlight streaming in. He continued to stare at her, his eyes not leaving her face.
"Your dupatta is dirty, you should use this." He gestured with the handkerchief and Khushi slowly took it from his hands. They stood there in silence, with Khushi's gaze darting away from his. She played with her fingers, clearly nervous. He could see the pink spreading across her cheeks under his gaze. He smiled, realizing she was just as affected as he was.
"Khushi." He paused, watching her reaction. "I've been waiting the whole week, hoping to see you again... and now you won't even look at me?" She looked up sharply, her eyes wide. He bit the inside of his cheek. She looked adorable.
"Um... I... what?" She stammered, struggling to form a response. He smirked, and her heart skipped a beat. He took a step towards her and she took one back, her breathing quickening. He had her up against the pillar, and he was entirely too close to her. She wrapped her hands behind the pillar, swallowing nervously. She turned her face to the side, away from him before clearing her throat.
"You uh... have something there." She gestured wildly in the general direction of his face. He tilted his head, still looking at her.
"Where?"
"... there." He touched his cheek, trying to feel for it. She shook her head, and he moved his hand up towards his eye. She shook her head again, and he moved to his nose.
Sighing in frustration, she reached up, taking a step towards him. He felt the spark as she touched the edge of his lips, her fingers slowing as she wiped it off. She quickly stepped back again.
"Thank you." He said. He was surprised by how low his voice sounded to his own ears.
"Um... what are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see you." She gave him a look, and he smiled, shrugging.
"Di wanted me to meet a girl..." He said, testing the waters. She snapped back to him, clearly taken aback. She shook herself, trying to recover.
"Sorry for taking up your time. I'll let you go meet her." She turned to walk away but he caught her wrist, tugging her towards him.
"Don't you want to know who she is?" She looked away, her lips pursing.
"No." She tried to get out of his grasp, but he held her tighter.
"Why not? Maybe you know her, and you could... help me out." She glared at him. He looked at her with false innocence.
"What's the matter, Khushi? Did I say something wrong?"
"Um... uh... no!" She finished the sentence forcefully.
Why was she acting this way around him? She barely knew him. Why was she bothered that he was here to meet some girl?
He leaned back, narrowing his gaze. He crossed his arms over his chest, a smug look on his face.
"I think you're lying." He said.
"No! I'm not!" She spit out, clearly annoyed. He simply raised an eyebrow. She huffed, rolling her eyes.
"Fine, who is she? Maybe I do know her, and I will help you." He regarded her for a moment, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Her name is Khushi." She stared at him with wide eyes as he took another step forward, his voice growing animated.
"She's the daughter of my Papa's close friend from Lucknow. They have a house in Delhi. They're a very good family, and her Bua is close friends with Nani. Nani loves their daughter, and..." He trailed off, watching her disgruntled expression. He burst into laughter, unable to hold himself back and she swung around to face him.
"Are you making fun of me?" He grinned.
"Isn't that how you explain things? You know... your chachi's mausi's bua's chacha's nephew...?" She gritted her teeth, irritation flashing across her face. They fell silent, even as he kept his gaze on her. He cleared his throat and she looked up.
"So what do you think? Would she be right for me?" She lowered her gaze, her cheeks suffusing with color. He hooked his fingers underneath her chin, raising her eyes to his.
"Khushi?" She nodded hesitantly, a small smile on her lips. He took a step back, keeping his face impassive despite the light in his eyes.
"I will talk to my Di and Nani then..." She looked up at him, biting her lip. He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, kissing her cheek. He heard her soft gasp and leaned in, whispering.
"And tell them that I found my Khushi."
*********
Bigg Boss 19
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
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