Chapter 6: When vision and olfactory senses collide (Part 1 of 2)
Sixteen years ago, late summer
She watches the
flowing traffic four floors down from the balcony. She is waiting for her
husband to come back from work. She is wearing the sari that he had told her to
wear, along with the accessories he had especially chosen for her the previous
night. He likes to dress her up in the way he things she sees her best and she
lets him. Payal says it's very romantic. Two years ago Khushi when she was
newly married, she had assumed the same and blushed whenever Payal insinuated
that. Now, it's nothing more than a habit for her. Her husband, whose name is
so long that he introduces to everyone as Teddy, has told her several times
that she lacks the talent to choose the right accessories for the saris that
she wears or choosing the right sari for the right occasions. Since she never
cared for such things in the past, she believes him readily. Besides, everyone
including her own sister find her better dressed these days. It's a win-win,
she thinks idly. She carefully adjusts the pleats on her sari as she shifts
around and leans on the railing. Her perfume is a delicate smell that cocoons
her in its aura. She smiles at the memory when Teddy first sniffed it on her
neck and he broke into a wide grin. The perfume was a present from Payal for
her birthday. It was a pricey gift for Payal to give since the watch business
wasn't doing so well. After their parents' death the shop barely managed to
sail through.
She jumps when she
hears the bill ring. Teddy is home.
They don't exchange of
pleasantries.
"You look very nice
Khushi," he says, unbuttoning his shirt. She waits patiently by the bed to take
the shirt from him and hang it to air. His actions are methodical and
mechanical. There is precision in his actions, his well-built physique singing
like perfectly functioning machinery. Her cheeks warm at the thought of his
arms enveloping her and hopes he would pull her into his arms soon. Three weeks
had started to seem like a very long time to go without an intimate gesture.
Her hands hang limp next to her as she watches him change to fresh clothes.
"Do you need
something?" She asks.
He shakes his head. He
stops when he passes around her to pick up car keys.
"Which perfume is
this?" He asks, knitting his eyebrows.
She smiles sensing his
pleasure. "Oh, it's the new one Payal gave it to me on my birthday. It smells
divine, isn't it?"
He looks at her
thoughtfully and offers a tiny smile. "It smells wonderful love. But its
killing the entire ensemble, you know?"
The smile on Khushi's
face fell a little. Was perfume that important to complete a look? She had no
idea about such things. "Really?" She asks, voice small.
He smiles gently. "Of
course love. Look, when you are striking up a conversation with someone you
sometimes end up standing less than a foot away from them, correct?"
She nods, taking his
theory in.
"We humans have the
ability to see, smell and taste - all the same time and derive a conclusion. In
your case when the brain is building up your profile, the vision and the smell
will clash horribly. The person you are talking to won't even realize why they
feel like moving away from you but their brain would have made their decision
for them." Teddy explains gently.
Khushi flushes in mild
embarrassment. He chuckles at the redness that has now covered her neck and
upper chest. "Why don't you take a quick bath? I will wait." Before she can
react, he adds: "Also, let's not use that perfume for a while, okay? Your
current wardrobe sits in a higher plan than that of this perfume. It doesn't
suit you anymore, actually." He pauses when Khushi's eyes widen as his words
fully sinks in. "Tell you what. We will see this weekend if we can fit this
perfume to any of your clothes. It sounds like a good plan, doesn't it?"
She lets out a huge
breath that relaxes her slowly tensing muscles as she nods. He adds, "We will
be late but I will apologize to our hosts. I am sure they can understand your
last moment wardrobe malfunction." He winks at her.
She bites her lips and
rushes out of the room but stops when he calls her out.
"Let's visit your aunt
on our way back, yeah?" He says casually.
She is excessively
grateful for this kind gesture. They go to her aunt's place once in a month and
spend exactly an hour with the older woman. They meet Payal twice a month; once
at Payal's living area above the shop and a fortnight later Payal visits them
for lunch on a Sunday. Teddy has made sure this schedule is kept and maintained
for two years.
"Thank you Teddy," she
says, eyes bright with unshed tears.
"Of course love," he
says easily. "You have spoken to her more often in last one week than previous
two weeks, right?" He watches her while she removes her sari.
"She has been a bit
lonely when I spoke to her last week. So made a couple more calls to her this
week." She stops after dropping her petticoat. "Should I have not done that?"
She asks, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.
He laughs and shakes
his head. "Don't be silly love. If you want to talk to her, then ask me. I will
take you to her to see instead of talking over phone for twenty odd minutes
about god knows what." She ignored the hardening of his tone in the end and
latches on to his initial offer.
Her smile is grateful.
"Looks like my new diet is working," he says watching her step into the
bathroom. "Your thighs now have a spectacular shape and you look taller since
you have gotten a little slender."
"Have I really?" She
asks, turning around.
He nods. "Of course
you are not still in perfect shape, but we will get there, won't we?" He asks
giving her front a critiquing look.
Her answer is quick
and urgent. "Definitely Teddy. I will follow your regimen exactly how you want
me to."
He smiles and blows
her a kiss. Warmth settles in her stomach. "I will be quick." She says and
disappears in the bathroom. She misses the way Teddy's face crushes realizing
that they will be an hour late to the party and it's all Khushi's fault.
-----------------------------------------------
"Penny for your thoughts."
She whips around and stumbles when words are thrown at her
seemingly from nowhere. Arnav is looking at her with mild amusement tinted with
a smidgen of sorrow.
"A bit heavy on your perfume today, aren't you? Did you take
a dip in a vat of perfume this morning?" He asks, laughter in his eyes. She
rolls her eyes.
"I was reaching for a spare part in my shelf and one of my
old perfumes fell on me." She waves her hand around her torso.
"It smells pretty great." He says drooping on her workbench.
"Suits you." He adds after taking a fresh whiff. He doesn't speak when he
realizes Khushi's silence is screaming.
"Payal gave it to me on my twentieth birthday. It was
unaffordable in the way her business was running. She pulled few strings, gave
up what little luxuries she had to buy me this. It was official ending of my
teenage years and she did it extravagantly." Khushi didn't smile, didn't choke
on the stifling smell of sweet aroma. The smell had surfaced a memory that she
had tried very hard to come to terms with.
"Payal is..." Arnav asks, not knowing the conflict that Khushi's
head is currently spinning.
"Payal is the one who has summoned you today. My boss. My employer.
My sister." Khushi explains.
Arnav's slightly baffled look is replaced by the one with
respect. She isn't able to discern the change but she isn't ready to question
her own power of recognizing minor changes in his facial expression.
"Am I in trouble?" He blurts.
Khushi is startled that draws out a laughter from her. Arnav
smiles dolefully.
"I generally don't find myself in situations like these. Its
frankly unnerving. It's like I am being called to principal's office. Weird,
isn't it?" Arnav chuckles.
Khushi lets out a burst of sharp laughter at the sight of
this ridiculously successful man turned into a twelve-year-old boy because her
sister had demanded to meet him at once.
"Your project is going to cost a lot of money. Money that we
cannot invest blindly. I think she wants to talk about that." Khushi explains
patiently. Her lips don't stop twitching.
"Oh." He says, going back to drooping on her workstation.
"Why? What were you thinking?" She asks, curious.
"None of your business." He replies in what is tried as a
haughty tone but is completely missed because he is desperately trying to
smoothen his laugh. "Your headband is over sparkly and extra pink today." He
adds unnecessarily.
"Whatever weirdo." She says. Arnav looks at her, surprised
at casual way Khushi treats him. Its only third time they are meeting and the
boundaries between them has already turned a shade lighter. Seeing her surprised
face, he is glad that she has arrived at the same conclusion as him.
Payal's footsteps draw quiet between them and Khushi
squashes the "principal" theory vehemently. Not that it goes away completely.
"Payal Gupta," Payal says, extending her hand. Arnav stands
tall and still, offer his hand in return. He is impressed by the strength Payal
puts in the handshake. He is impressed by the way Payal has carried herself in
these few seconds. His personal wardrobe probably cost more than the entire
worth of the items the shop carried but in Payal's presence, he felt
sufficiently humbled. She demanded respect in the way she had carried the
conversation with him earlier in the day and he didn't fight his instincts to
treat her as if they were carrying out a deal that involved millions. Her admired
that. He adored that.
"I want to know where you are going with this." She asked
directly.
"I promised a unique grandfather clock to my friend. Khushi
is building me one based on an idea I found on the internet." Arnav replies.
"What is your involvement in this project?" She continues
ignoring the way Khushi's face goes blank with this question.
"I am there every step of the way Ms. Gupta. I am choosing
the clock. I will see the design progress, definitely won't bother Khushi when
she is assembling and will be here as often as possible during testing." Arnav
puts his foot down. Aman deserves the best and Arnav isn't going to let this
big sister ruin what would make go Aman over the moon.
Payal holds his gaze for several moments and then nods. "You
pay half upfront." She decides.
"Payal!" Khushi gives her sister an admonishing look.
"Okay. Draw up invoice for the hours you are expecting
Khushi to put in along with necessary hardware and software and I will pay half
of it up front. I will choose grandfather clock along with Khushi and pay for
separately." Arnav negotiates. He probably would have given everything and more
but that would be insulting to Payal.
"I will draw some paper work. Let me know when you want to
take Khushi out for shopping." Payal waves at the two and leaves them alone.
"That went well." Arnav says brightly.
Khushi gives him a "Are
you kidding me?" look.
"What?" He asks.
She smiles and shakes her head. "Nothing. Call a day before you
want to go clock hunting, alright? And bring ideas." She says moving to her
workstation.
"You got it," he says.
He lingers for a moment more than necessary at the door. His
break up with Lavanya is now three weeks old. The cathartic reaction that
followed the break up has dissolved some of the oldest aches in his bones. Blood
thrums in his veins without moaning in deep rooted misery. There is a lightness
in his spine that he believed was lost to his youth and the tragedy that
followed.
He has thrown himself to work, to molding his friendship
with Lavanya and adoring the f**k out of Aman who tolerated his miserable sorry
ass for a week without stop.
For now, he had a company to run, grandfather clock to build
and sparkly pink headbands to ignore.
Edited by RockBarbie - 7 years ago
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