Posted:
Okay last one coming up shortly... and that would it for tonight. I hope you guys liked the marathon!!
Chapter 25
Arnav stared at Payal and Khushi blushed. Arnav muttered something about getting rid of the stain and joining them in a few minutes and went back into his room. Payal kept giggling all the way and asked, "Ye kya teri mehndi toh saari bikhar gayee, ab rang theek se nahi aayega toh?"
"Woh' koi baat nahi ' nahi aaya toh nahi aaya'" Khushi muttered evasively.
"Par tum dono kya kushti kar rahe the jo'" Payal asked persistently and then burst into giggles at the image that emerged.
Khushi then said irritatingly, "Nahi Di, mein kyon kushti karoongi' woh bhi Arnav ke saath. Woh uska peir phisal raha tha toh mein usse bachaane gayee aur hum dono'zameen par gir gaye'"
She finally fibbed with her fingers crossed praying her sister will not ask Arnav what had happened. Just then she saw Arnav join them on a trot, still rubbing the spot near his collar with a napkin.
She looked at him questioningly if he heard what she had said and he gestured with this eyes that he got the story.
Sighing her relief, they went on to have dinner.
It was Aakash who saw the telltale light orange mark of mehndi on his neck and asked elbowing him in the ribs as he sat next to him, "Arre Arnav' Lavanya se hickey milli kya, bhai tum toh bade utaavle ho rahe ho."
"Shut up and eat, Aakash, don't try and make an announcement please." Arnav hissed.
But Payal said, "Lagta hai bhai ko bhi mehndi lagani thi, kyon Arnav? Nani, hamare mein riwaaz nahi hai larko ke mehndi lagane ka?"
"Nahi beta woh toh marwariyon mein hota hai, par aisa kyon kahat ho aap?" Nani quizzed Payal.
"Woh, bas mujhe aisa laga ki Arnav ko ab haath peele karne ki jaldi machi hai." Payal ribbed Arnav who shifted uncomfortably in his chair giving dirty looks to Payal.
Anjali seeing this elbowed her husband and all of them started teasing Arnav and how to be a patient groom.
Arnav irritated with the whole Lavanya and how soon they will be married rant, just bore it silently. The only person who was not teasing him was Khushi.
"Kyon parmeswari, tujhe kuch nahi kehna, waise toh hamesha shaadi ki baaton se khush hoke apni shaadi ki baatien apne mooh karti hai, aaj ka hua..konhu saanp soongh gaya kaa?"
Buaji asked noticing Khushi's reticence in joining in the teasing.
Khushi's eyes darted to Arnav at the saanp metaphor for she felt like the desire he evoked in her was like a snake that would devour her and the poison was spreading into her as it was wrong to desire a man who was marrying another woman. She had gone into the room to tell him in no uncertain terms what she thought of his double standards. It was fine for him to kiss one woman, no not just kiss, they had practically made love that night; and he could marry another and if she laughed with Aakash, she was a woman with loose morals. But, things had just gotten out of hand the minute she has seen him look so intently at the laptop. He had looked as if he was somewhere else and when he had looked at her, for a moment she had felt as if everything had faded, her reason for being there, the reason for her anger. His eyes were deep pool the drew her into them only to drown and yet she felt alive, blessedly alive when he looked at her.
Khushi had been jolted out of her thoughts when she heard laughter around the table at something someone had said. She excused herself as quickly as she could and went up to her room. She decided she was going to stay away from Arnav as much as possible. She realised that this was going to be another night without much sleep. She paced in her room as leaving it would also meaning a chance of bumping into Arnav and she had to collect her thoughts before she saw him again.
The morning was another gorgeous one that seemed to be taunting her for her morose mood. She went into the kitchen and made chai for herself, took it out on the back patio and let the morning sun and the adrak chai improve her disposition and mood.
Feeling better for some reason, she pottered around the house only to find that Arnav and Aakash had gone to get some grooming taken care of and also that they were going to be in office. Relief washed through her at the news. The Sangeet was this evening and both the families were to kickstart the celebrations together at one of the heritage hotels in the city as after this the families would meet on the day of the wedding which was after two days.
There was a sit down listening to some top notch Ghazal Singers of Lucknow and some Sher-O-Shayari in typical Lucknowi andaaz. The whole set up was with mogra garland strings with white gaadi and takiya around the perimeter with oil lanterns between gaadis in various colored glasses, predominantly in green, golden and red. The mogra garland strings made fragrant curtains that enveloped the whole room and created an atmosphere that was simply breathtaking.
A raised platform with red carpet around was created for the Ghazal singers. There were some traditional swings interspersed around the room for the elders so that they wont have any discomfort in sitting.
Some hukkas and paan daani were also placed strategically. It looked like a Mehfil in Lucknow was recreated in Delhi's posh hotel.
The dress code was set for red, green and white that would add the color in otherwise stark set up.
Khushi had worn a white sharara that was pearl studded with her dupatta fixed over her head and a big maang tikka on the side. She looked like a Lucknowi Royalty. The golden lace and gold and pearl jewelry made her look ethereal.
Arnav and Aakash had worn white achkan but Arnav had put in a red scarf in his pocket while Aakash had put a mehndi green. Payal had worn a Green lengha with white work on it and complimented Aakash as he took her hand as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
Arnav had been spellbound as he saw the vision of pure beauty and grace walk down the stairs. He had wanted to touch her so that he could know that she was real. As she came to the bottom stair with her eyes glued to his, he extended his hand instinctively and felt a thrill run through him when she took it.
Something was changing between them. He had tried to remember the bitterness at who she was but somehow it seemed too small minded of him to hold a grudge against her when it was not her fault. She seemed as much a victim as he was of that woman's deception.
Suddenly he let go of her hand. She did not know what had just happened. One second he had taken her hand and the next he had left it. The man was contradictory if nothing else.
His curt, "Shall we go," did not help either. She did not know why he swung between tenderness and harshness from one moment to another. She figured she will never know him.
Chapter 25
Arnav stared at Payal and Khushi blushed. Arnav muttered something about getting rid of the stain and joining them in a few minutes and went back into his room. Payal kept giggling all the way and asked, "Ye kya teri mehndi toh saari bikhar gayee, ab rang theek se nahi aayega toh?"
"Woh' koi baat nahi ' nahi aaya toh nahi aaya'" Khushi muttered evasively.
"Par tum dono kya kushti kar rahe the jo'" Payal asked persistently and then burst into giggles at the image that emerged.
Khushi then said irritatingly, "Nahi Di, mein kyon kushti karoongi' woh bhi Arnav ke saath. Woh uska peir phisal raha tha toh mein usse bachaane gayee aur hum dono'zameen par gir gaye'"
She finally fibbed with her fingers crossed praying her sister will not ask Arnav what had happened. Just then she saw Arnav join them on a trot, still rubbing the spot near his collar with a napkin.
She looked at him questioningly if he heard what she had said and he gestured with this eyes that he got the story.
Sighing her relief, they went on to have dinner.
It was Aakash who saw the telltale light orange mark of mehndi on his neck and asked elbowing him in the ribs as he sat next to him, "Arre Arnav' Lavanya se hickey milli kya, bhai tum toh bade utaavle ho rahe ho."
"Shut up and eat, Aakash, don't try and make an announcement please." Arnav hissed.
But Payal said, "Lagta hai bhai ko bhi mehndi lagani thi, kyon Arnav? Nani, hamare mein riwaaz nahi hai larko ke mehndi lagane ka?"
"Nahi beta woh toh marwariyon mein hota hai, par aisa kyon kahat ho aap?" Nani quizzed Payal.
"Woh, bas mujhe aisa laga ki Arnav ko ab haath peele karne ki jaldi machi hai." Payal ribbed Arnav who shifted uncomfortably in his chair giving dirty looks to Payal.
Anjali seeing this elbowed her husband and all of them started teasing Arnav and how to be a patient groom.
Arnav irritated with the whole Lavanya and how soon they will be married rant, just bore it silently. The only person who was not teasing him was Khushi.
"Kyon parmeswari, tujhe kuch nahi kehna, waise toh hamesha shaadi ki baaton se khush hoke apni shaadi ki baatien apne mooh karti hai, aaj ka hua..konhu saanp soongh gaya kaa?"
Buaji asked noticing Khushi's reticence in joining in the teasing.
Khushi's eyes darted to Arnav at the saanp metaphor for she felt like the desire he evoked in her was like a snake that would devour her and the poison was spreading into her as it was wrong to desire a man who was marrying another woman. She had gone into the room to tell him in no uncertain terms what she thought of his double standards. It was fine for him to kiss one woman, no not just kiss, they had practically made love that night; and he could marry another and if she laughed with Aakash, she was a woman with loose morals. But, things had just gotten out of hand the minute she has seen him look so intently at the laptop. He had looked as if he was somewhere else and when he had looked at her, for a moment she had felt as if everything had faded, her reason for being there, the reason for her anger. His eyes were deep pool the drew her into them only to drown and yet she felt alive, blessedly alive when he looked at her.
Khushi had been jolted out of her thoughts when she heard laughter around the table at something someone had said. She excused herself as quickly as she could and went up to her room. She decided she was going to stay away from Arnav as much as possible. She realised that this was going to be another night without much sleep. She paced in her room as leaving it would also meaning a chance of bumping into Arnav and she had to collect her thoughts before she saw him again.
The morning was another gorgeous one that seemed to be taunting her for her morose mood. She went into the kitchen and made chai for herself, took it out on the back patio and let the morning sun and the adrak chai improve her disposition and mood.
Feeling better for some reason, she pottered around the house only to find that Arnav and Aakash had gone to get some grooming taken care of and also that they were going to be in office. Relief washed through her at the news. The Sangeet was this evening and both the families were to kickstart the celebrations together at one of the heritage hotels in the city as after this the families would meet on the day of the wedding which was after two days.
There was a sit down listening to some top notch Ghazal Singers of Lucknow and some Sher-O-Shayari in typical Lucknowi andaaz. The whole set up was with mogra garland strings with white gaadi and takiya around the perimeter with oil lanterns between gaadis in various colored glasses, predominantly in green, golden and red. The mogra garland strings made fragrant curtains that enveloped the whole room and created an atmosphere that was simply breathtaking.
A raised platform with red carpet around was created for the Ghazal singers. There were some traditional swings interspersed around the room for the elders so that they wont have any discomfort in sitting.
Some hukkas and paan daani were also placed strategically. It looked like a Mehfil in Lucknow was recreated in Delhi's posh hotel.
The dress code was set for red, green and white that would add the color in otherwise stark set up.
Khushi had worn a white sharara that was pearl studded with her dupatta fixed over her head and a big maang tikka on the side. She looked like a Lucknowi Royalty. The golden lace and gold and pearl jewelry made her look ethereal.
Arnav and Aakash had worn white achkan but Arnav had put in a red scarf in his pocket while Aakash had put a mehndi green. Payal had worn a Green lengha with white work on it and complimented Aakash as he took her hand as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
Arnav had been spellbound as he saw the vision of pure beauty and grace walk down the stairs. He had wanted to touch her so that he could know that she was real. As she came to the bottom stair with her eyes glued to his, he extended his hand instinctively and felt a thrill run through him when she took it.
Something was changing between them. He had tried to remember the bitterness at who she was but somehow it seemed too small minded of him to hold a grudge against her when it was not her fault. She seemed as much a victim as he was of that woman's deception.
Suddenly he let go of her hand. She did not know what had just happened. One second he had taken her hand and the next he had left it. The man was contradictory if nothing else.
His curt, "Shall we go," did not help either. She did not know why he swung between tenderness and harshness from one moment to another. She figured she will never know him.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
35