Posted:
12 years ago
Hello. Here is Ch 3. Very little ArHi here...sorry. But story's gotta move a little. 😃 Oh, and I gotta get to work and stuff. So, PMs will go out in a while. Sorry abt that.
Chapter 3: Kabhi Khushi. Kabhi Gham.
ASR picked up his phone while driving and called home. "Hi Payal!"
"Arnavji. Hello!" Payal's meek-voiced Arnavji never failed to irritate the hell out of ASR. He ignored the urge to tell her to stop ji-ing him and instead got to the point.
"I have news, Khushi is back. Tell Di. Let everyone know. I'll be home in 15 minutes." He put the phone down in his usual abrupt style without saying bye.
Payal thought she'd heard wrong. She sat down on the couch looking shell-shocked.
"What is it Payal? Was it Chotey?" asked Anjali.
"Yes. It was Arnavji. He's on his way home. He said'he said..Khushi's back. And he asked me to let everyone know. I must tell Amma and Buaji." Payal stood up slowly and walked up the stairs. She looked back once, to see Anjali smiling, with tears pouring down her cheeks. "Thank God! She's back. Oh, how we've missed her and wanted her. I must tell Amma." Payal muttered to herself and rushed off.
At the hotel, Aadit knocked on Khushi's door. She opened up, looking completely different from the ice-queen avatar she'd donned for the evening. She was wearing black PJs and a faded pink T-shirt that said "Kickboxing rules". Her face was scrubbed clean of make up. She wore her hair in a long ponytail.
"Hey Aadit! Sorry I came up before we could say good night. I was tired."
"You must be. Its not every day you floor a man of ASR's size."
"You mean its not every day I floor a man with an ego ASR's size!" wise-cracked Khushi. "You saw that, huh?" she grimaced.
"Yep. Nicely done, btw." winked Aadit.
"He was being an Ass. I've taken enough shit from him for this lifetime. I finished with being quiet and self-sacrificing and powerless 7 years ago. This Khushi, the one you see is very different from the one ASR was used to. He would bully me, and I would get bullied. He would yell, I would jump to do his bidding. He would man-handle, I would weep." Her face darkened as she spoke of being manhandled.
"You worked for him?" asked Aadit.
"Briefly." Khushi nodded. "For about 4 months."
"And?"
"And things happened. I left. I haven't seen him since. And I don't want to ever see him again."
"And what about your family?" he questioned gently.
"You guys are my family. Rising Star, you, Jeremy, Freddy, Sheila and Nita. You guys are my family now. I have no other family. You know I don't like to talk about this, Aadit." She finished firmly.
"OK.OK. I don't want to pry. But if you ever need a shoulder.."
"I know, I know. Yours are very broad and very available to cry on. Thanks Aadit. You're the best."
"G'night Min. Sleep tight." He planted a light kiss on her cheek and left.
"G'night Aadit."
Khushi curled up in bed with "In other rooms, other wonders" but though she tried hard, she could not focus on her book that night. Nor could she sleep. He kept showing up in her dreams. He kept telling her she was a wh**e. She kept crying and pleading with him to believe her. But he didn't let up. He didn't let up. She woke up in the middle of the night with tears streaming down her cheeks. She brushed them away firmly. "No more tears Khushi. Not for that animal. Not for the people who called themselves your family who so mercilessly cast you away. No. You are done with all that. Done."
At the Raizada homestead, a tense atmosphere prevailed. Amma, Buaji, Naniji, Mamiji, Payal, Akash and Anjali were gathered in the living room, waiting for Arnav. The moment he entered, a barrage of questions was flung at him. "Where was Khushi?" "Where has he seen her?" ,"Was she OK?" , "Did she speak to him?" , "How did she look?", "Did she seem happy?" Amma and Payal were especially insistent. Buaji just sat there looking shame-faced. Mamiji really didn't care about Khushi. Her son had gone against her wishes and married Payal, so her sentiments regarding Khushi had undergone no substantial change. Naniji was anxious and Anjali almost frantic in her haste to know everything. She felt the most guilty about what had happened to Khushi 7 years ago. She wanted to repent. Beg Khushi's forgiveness.
"Everyone, please. Quiet. Let me speak." Said Arnav mustering up all his reserves of patience. "I saw Khushi today at the project launch party. She works for Rising Star. She seems to be a highly valued employee there. She looked healthy, and well, happy. She has changed quite a lot. I did try to speak to her, but she, er, didn't want to talk to me." He trailed off.
"Did you try to bully her Chotey? You know you always did that." Asked Anjali.
"Di, she just didn't want to talk with me. She basically told me to go to hell." Said ASR.
"What was she wearing?" asked Payal timidly.
What a nonsensical question, thought ASR. Typical female. They want to know what everyone is wearing. But his memory seemed surprisingly accurate. "Herve Leger black ombre sheath dress. Jimmy Choo pumps. She was carrying a McQueen clutch. She wore pearls around her neck, and no other jewelry."
"I see you didn't look very closely at her, bhai." Said Akash, trying to lighten the situation.
"Shut up Akash." Said ASR, as Anjali and Payal both bit back laughter.
"When can we see her?" asked Garima mildly. "When can I see my girl?"
Arnav walked up to her. He liked and respected Garima. She had lived with him for 7 years now, and he thought of her as his mother too. "I don't know, Amma. She won't talk to me. Maybe you can try. I can take you and Payal to her hotel tomorrow. You guys have the best chance of being able to get through to her. She won't even look at me and Di, and Buaji." He pressed Garima's hand lightly. Anjali and Buaji flushed at his words. They had all done so wrong by Khushi all those years ago.
Arnav couldn't sleep that night, of course. He had an almost compulsive urge to go see Khushi. Knowing that she was in the same city. Knowing where she was exactly, after 7 years, and not being able to be with her every moment was torture. He wanted her. He had always wanted her. He always would. He let his mind drift to that fateful Diwali, 7 years ago when the wanting had destroyed the first shreds of his self-control.
Diwali Day, 7 years back.
Khushi was backed up against the wall, having nowhere to go anymore. Arnav pressed up against her. He held her face in his hands. She was so beautiful in her red sari. So, so beautiful. He had resisted all evening. And now, he didn't want to resist anymore. He wanted her. Now. He bent his head towards her and was about to kiss her, when his phone rang. The moment was over. He'd been horrified at his loss of control. She'd been perplexed at his wild behavior, and the fact that he'd apparently had her anklet for quite a while. He reacted the only way he knew. By hurting her. By announcing his willingness to finally marry Lavanya. By telling her, her anklet meant nothing to him, their encounter by the pool meant nothing to him. By insulting her. She had given in. In the face of his professed indifference, Buaji's constant badgering and her parents' helplessness, she had given in and said Yes to marriage with Shyam.
How he wished he had never run away from his feelings that evening. That he'd done the decent thing and told her he loved her. But ASR didn't love. He just couldn't. Or at least, he wouldn't acknowledge that love, even to himself, even though his every action spoke it. But he hadn't. He had behaved like the cad he was, and things had just careened out of control from that point onward.
Arnav took Garima and Payal with him to The Leels with him the next morning. At the reception, they were informed that Ms.Gupta was breakfasting in the patio with her friends. They walked into the patio hastily, to see Khushi laughing at something Freddy was saying. She was wearing blue jeans and a white kurti, with a dark blue stole wrapped around her neck. She had no make up on except lip gloss, and her hair was up in her usual tight bun. No wayward curls escaped onto her forehead, giving her the severe look she preferred for work. Garima and Payal almost ran to her table. She looked up as they approached. Not a muscle moved in her face. She didn't even stand. Garima and Payal made to hug her, but she held them off with her hands.
"I might have known you would do something like this." She flung at ASR.
"They wanted to see you, don't shoot the messenger." Said ASR, surprisingly mildly.
"Beta, Khushi. How are you? It's been so many years. I've longed to see you, We all have. Forgive us Khushi, we made a mistake all those years ago." Said Garima quietly to Khushi.
"We'll be going now. I've eaten quite enough." Said Aadit, rising. He pulled a reluctant Freddy up. Freddy looked like he wanted to stay and hear this conversation out, but Aadit would have none of it. They left, and Khushi finally spoke.
"Ma'am. I'm sorry, I don't know what you are talking about." Said Khushi stoically. Garima flinched at the Ma'am. "Khushi please, just hear me out. We were wrong. I am so sorry for what happened that day. I'm your mother Khushi, I love you."
"Wrong." Said Khushi, still very much in control. "You are not my mother. My mother died in a car accident when I was 8 years old. You were my adopted mother. Key word here being were. You threw me out 7 years ago, and that's that. We are nothing to each other now. You said you never wanted to see me again, and honestly, I'm fine with not setting eyes on you ever again. But I'll be more polite with you than you were to me. Please, join me for breakfast today. And then, never ever seek me out again." Said Khushi, her eyes now flashing magnificently. Garima and Payal exchanged nervous glances. This Khushi unnerved them. She seemed so controlled. So mature. So, not Khushi-like, it was bizarre. They sat down, as did ASR.
"I don't remember inviting you" said Khushi, raising an eyebrow at ASR.
"I own 3% of this Hotel. I don't think I need an invitation." Sneered ASR.
"Of course you don't. If only your money could also buy you some conduct, you would be well-served. Unfortunately, classiness is not available for sale." Said Khushi sweetly.
"Some tea Ms. Gupta?" Khushi asked Payal. Payal almost jumped out of her skin at being addressed.
"Er. Sure. And its Mrs.Raizada now." Said Payal.
"Oh, so Akash did screw up the courage to marry you. Good for him." Said Khushi.
"We have 2 kids. A boy and a girl. Would you like to see pictures?" asked Payal, rummaging in her purse.
"No, thank you Mrs.Raizada. I'll take your word for it, I'm sure they're the cutest kids on Earth." Said Khushi swiftly, taking in Payal's crushed face.
"Khushi please. Call me Jiji. Don't be like this." Said Payal.
"No thank you Mrs.Raizada. I prefer this." Said Khushi firmly. "Like I said, I don't want to claim any relationship with you or anyone else for that matter."
Garima was crying quietly now. "Khushi, can you please stop being so thick-headed. We just want to talk to you and apologize for what happened." Said Arnav. He put an arm around Garima to reassure her.
"A-For the last time, call me Ms.Gupta. B-Its too late for apologies. You should have thought of that when you called me a wh**e in front of all the neighbors and threw me out onto the street with just the clothes on my back. And most importantly, C-What you people did to me is seared into my soul. I will never forget it. But I have moved past it. I have made a new life, new friends and a new family. I ask that you respect that and really, just leave me alone."
"Khushi, please come home just once. Naniji wants to see you. Anjali wants to see you. We just want to make sure you are happy. Please." Begged Garima.
Khushi's face softened at Naniji's mention. Naniji had been the only one who had retained a semblance of sense when everything had gone so wrong. "How is Naniji?" she asked softly.
"She's good. She has arthritis, so her knees pain her. But apart from that, she is fine. She wants to see you Khushi. Please." Said Garima. "Come home just once. We all live at Raizada Mansion now." Said Garima. Khushi's eyes widened a little when she heard that.Arnav could hear the wheels in her head turning. How do the dynamics of that work out, she was thinking. Wouldn't Buaji and Mamiji have murdered each other by now? This she had to see.
"OK, Ma'am, Mrs.Raizada." said Khushi nodding toward Garima and Payal. "When do you want me to come? Oh, and is my favorite person in the whole wide world, Mrs.Manorama Raizada also there?" she quipped, knowing the answer.
"Well, you know she is, Khushi. But Mummyji won't say anything to you." said Payal.
"Ha! From Mamiji to Mummyji. You've come a long way Mrs.Raizada. As for her saying anything to me. Can she really say anything worse than what she said back then? I think not. Besides, I can take care of myself." Said Khushi sternly.
"Come tonight, for dinner." Said Garima.
"I'll be there." Said Khushi. "I'll send the car for you." said Arnav.
"Don't bother. I have a car with a chauffeur for my personal use here. See you tonight." Khushi walked away without once looking back. Garima looked at her in wonder and pride. She liked her daughter this way. Proud, independent, and a little unforgiving. God knows, their behavior didn't deserve forgiveness. Payal cried a little into her handkerchief. ASR groaned internally. She would cry the whole way back home now. How did Akash put up with this watering-pot, he thought. Arnav just stood there looking at her walk away with a tiny smile playing on his lips. She was coming home tonight.
Good? Bad? Just plain awful? Lemme know.
Edited by madmaxine - 12 years ago
