There is very little dialogue but the concept is short and sweet hope you like it. Please do leave you feedback.
(For unfamiliar readers you can find my index of stories in my signature feel free to take a look..)
Ipkknd One Shot : "Deedar"
The longing and fortune of finally laying eyes on your loved one ..
6am and being the eldest and accountable daughter inlaw of a household like Raizada house was no easy responsibility the early start was just the beginning. A huge family with a lot of expectations, traditions and quirks was only something the likes of Khushi could deal with and when Arnav was away everything was a lot more taxing.
Looking into her dressing table mirror Khushi who applied her sindhoor, mangalsutra, practiced her smile in font of the mirror and made sure her eyes did not portray her tiredness, her sorrow of being apart from him or anticipation of seeing him too vividly.
A good daughter in law had to keep her emotions in check for her family that was one of the things Khushi had learned over the years.
She wondered if being apart from him whilst he was on business was worse or a day like today when he was due to return. These last few hours always played havoc on Khushi's emotion, always.
She pinned her hair up, put on her earrings, she looked perfect in her saari, simple but adequate jewelry a little different to how she used to dress when she first entered Raizada house as Arnavs wife because the relationships around her now had matured a great deal. The house needed a bhabhi, a mom (to Aarav), a badi ma to (payal and Akash's daughter) a bahu amongst many other relationships but beneath it all the old Khushi still lingered.
There was one last thing Khushi had to do before she left the dressing table and that was to put up the picture of Arnav that sat at the dressing table flat. Putting it back Khushi smiled for a moment... "Laad governor khahenge" ("Such a tyrant") she added before leaving to start her day.
Every picture of Arnavs lay face down in the house whilst he was away and every picture was put back up on the day of his return and that was because Khushi insisted that pictures of him whilst he was away weakened her spirits.
Going about her day Khushi gave a hundred percent to all her jobs, all chores all her tasks everything as ever but ASR's return from one of his long business trips always created a joyous buzz in the house. From Aarav to Aakash to Nk to even the likes of hp and op everyone was happy and of course Khushi would be too just in her own little way.
Over the years Khushi had got better at everything, at being a wife, at being a bahu, at being a mother and so much more no one could fault her in anyway but this was always difficult. As silly as it seemed his return from these trips got tougher each time if anything.
She could hear the car park into the drive way from the spot she was stood in within the kitchen and she took it as her cue to brew his coffee among all the other jobs that were going on around her. The rest of the family would surround him as soon as her got into the house, any rush despite what her heart was telling her was futile. Hearing the cheer of those in the lounge Khushi walks out drying her hands with a towel she can just about make out the side of his posture as he has Aarav carried in one of his hands and is being greeted by his sister at the same time. The joy of his homecoming filled whole house and Khushi's heart flourished to see how happy everyone was a single tear straying from one of her eyes as she hears the words dad, chote, Arnav and among it his voice colluding with his loved ones. Hugging them embracing, them, his attention was for them but she took joy in seeing the family together from a distance. Quickly wiping away a tear as Hp asks for her help in finding something dadi was after Khushi as always replies with a smile off to show Hp the way although her heart was obviously with Arnav.
A couple of minutes later as Khushi finds what it is that they were looking for in a drawer and is about to turn to Hp she hears her name being called in a very distinctive voice. - "Khushi.."
Arnavs tone, still a for a moment that sound of her name from in accent was soothing to her heart. She took a small swallow of air and composed herself a little dropping nani's medication back into the drawer Khushi turned around to see him stood before her only she didn't lift her eyes much, her heart was in too much of a fluster. Vaguely as she turned she took a glance but that was it but it was enough. Tall, dark, handsome, everything about him was as it would have ever have been the fragrance of his aftershave his sense of attire. Crisp, perfect, smart. He stepped that little closer Khushi could feel his eyes over her and they enjoyed the site of her after all he hadn't seen her in so long. He stepped closer, there was no one else present, he seemed to have slipped away just at the right time.. and if there was no one to see them then Khushi could take this opportunity to take a good look at him, to share her joy but just as Khushi put her hands to the chest of his shirt, her eyes still more on the material of his shirt and traced his name "Arnavji" on her lips they were interrupted.
That too by dadi, there was slight scuffle from the couple Khushi a little more than Arnav but it was a moment dadi wouldn't appreciate for dadi was a very stern sort of old fashioned personality, but Khushi would never be reason for embarrassment she lowered herself to her husbands feet to greet him in a more traditional way at the first sight of dadi. Arnav as ever left in awe of the beauty of his wife and her love for him responds equally as lovingly. Picking her up with instance he places a stubble kiss on her forehead lovingly. The purity of the moment even Dadi could not fault yet it still wasn't what Khushi had hoped for but that's how it always seemed to be, the family took up a lot of his time and Khushi did not want to take that away that time from them either.
...
This re-occurrence of not having time for her continued as it did on his every return and Khushi quietly accepted it now, it was just the way it was it wasn't as if he did it intentionally in fact he sole a glance of two of her as she stood in the kitchen making the last of the chappatis for the table which the family were already at. Arnav watched how Khushi so perfect in her role, a wife, a mother a daughter in law and she was beautiful. He was aware of her tendencies of keeping herself to herself on such occasions but she spoke volumes to him even from a far even though they had not yet chance to see each other speak to each other properly he knew.
She served food to the family along with Payal who had helped her cook, there was a lot of pleasant conversation on the table whilst Khusi took pleasure in just serving him, watching him from a far was something that gave her pleasure but the family also required as much attention.
...
After dinner was complete Khushi finished off drying the dishes in the kitchen and could see Arnav sat amongst his family. Maybe inside her was that little bit of that blushing bride who enjoyed seeing him from a far even after all these years. She found him so attractive even now maybe more but she let that thought pass her by there were more important things to worry about like his well being for instance. Having little pari wonder around the kitchen with her Khushi stops little pari an angle eyed little girl for a moment. Squatting a little Khushi asks pari if she would do her a little job.
"Pari beta apne bade papa se pucho ke unhone davayi li?"
("Pari sweety will you go ask your uncle if he's taken his medication")
The pale skinned little girl who looked just like Payal in some ways and was more like Aakash to behave with had agreed and trundled off to her favorite grown up, her bade papa. (Uncle.)
Khushi walked out of the lounge a little to see little Pari making her way towards Arnav, climbing onto his lap and then whispering in his ear. It was an adorable sight. She was the most adorable little girl and he was perfect with children.
Making her way back to Khushi, Pari manages to remember that the answer was no' she shakes her head he hadn't taken his tablets but she seemed to more excited about the fact that her uncle as ever had bought back gifts which is obviously what that little whisper of a conversation was about between them. For a second there was a very slight catch of the eyes from Arnav towards Khushi for he knew it was Khushi asking the question however she did not see him looking her way.
Khushi was busy reassuring Pari that she would first give her uncle his medicines and then they would go see what gifts they had.
...
The family was engrossed in conversation and the children were entertaining themselves too. Whilst Aarav was glued to his father, Pari had fallen asleep the rest were just enjoying having Arnav back it was nice. Khushi bought out Arnav's medication in a tray along with water, she quietly put it down on the side table next to him not disturbing the on going conversation because that of course was rude. Seeing his shoes sat astray on the floor before him where he sat on the sofa a old habit of his to leave them.. Khushi quietly picks them up to put them in a better place thinking he hadnt noticed her she intends to slip away a silently as she had approached but gets a "thank you" as she lifts herself up and is about to walk away. Smiling in response she leaves.
...
It was getting late Khushi retiring to their room preps for night time a fresh set of nightwear, a towel, water, pillows , even the setting the aircon to his preferred setting Khushi finally crashes to a seat on the bed in front of his suitcase. Fixing her air a little as it had strayed a little among all this she opens the suitcase.. "Hamre liyey toh aap ke paas koi vakt hein nahin .. kher chalo' she says casually glancing at the picture of him sat on the dressing table playfully. What did it matter when he was all hers anyway she told herself.
She unpacked his things found a soft toy for Pari among other gifts it was a cub lion rather adorable and cute because Arnav often called her his little cub' lion suited her because of her curly hair.
A train set for Aarav, perfumes and other smaller gifts she couldn't work out what was for whom but he was present enough for her and she was glad she didn't find anything she didn't like. He once bought her lingerie which was in someways romantic but frowned upon highly by Khushi and so he never made that mistake again.
His things were unpacked, the night had fallen deeper and darker now and the fairly lights on the wall by the poolside had come on. Khushi hadn't taken them down from last Diwali it was the little things that made all the difference after all. They made her smile. As she got up from the bed to open the french doors to get a view of the lights falling upon the water in the pool she pulled open the doors took a look at the view in front of her and smiled it was lovely.
A moment later she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, she would always think of a million things to say to him when they were finally alone, a million ways she could yell at him for the way things were but when the time came she never could. That feel of him wrapping around her back, she had missed him so dearly no words could possibly express her feelings. There was just tears that blurred her vision as she looked upon the poolside, the lig'hts and the feel of him so close. He would continue to make her feel loved affectionately if she let him he would kiss and caress her how he had missed her but she didn't want that not just yet she just wanted to see him that once. Properly without feeling conscious of onlookers or being disturbed by others just the two of them. She turned around breaking shift in the mold of his arms he had created around her waist.
Khushi.. he sighed when he saw tears trail down her cheek as she turned to him and looked up at him but he understood her silence but he was here now. He wiped her tears and looked at her with the most loving eyes she didn't have to say a word he knew. She dropped her face into his chest when the tears would not stop and he held her tight in his arms.
...
When Khushi opened her eyes the sunlight disturbing her tranquility a familiar sort of aroma infused her senses and when she opened her eyes found herself in his arms. On the recliner out on the poolside had they fallen asleep on last night. She was engulfed on his chest, covered in a blanket looking ever so at ease. The moment was a beautiful he sipped coffee whilst reading his newspaper around her whilst she lay slept upon him. It was perfect and how she wish she could lay here like this with him forever, she stole a glance of her handsome husband going about his way and could loose herself in the perfection of the moment but then realized. Before she thought about what time it must have been and how late she was.. he reassured her that everything had been taken care of.
"Aarav is at school, Pari is at the park with a Akaash and Payal, nani di and dadi are gone to satsang and hp and op have the day off." he said in a relaxed voice whilst still reading his paper. There was sense of relief in Khushi for a moment as well as surprise, she could stay where she was and not worry about a thing. It was a dreamy feeling like it was too good to be true but it was. It was just the two of them. She just looked up at him with her hazel eyes from within his chest unaware that he too could see her watching him. He looked down at her raising his eye brow for a moment but she had nothing to say she just nodded her head it was nothing' she just took pleasure in watching him that was all. In response he just smiled affectionately letting her be & enjoying her company.
End ..
Its been such a long time since I have written a One shot story really enjoyed it!
Ishaani
Cricket
267