Thanks to everyone who has commented. I appreciate all the feedback. Here is Chapter 4.
Chapter 4: Guess who's coming to dinner?
"I hear you're having dinner with your ex-family?' asked Freddy curiously.
"You heard correctly." Said Khushi absently.
"Want me to go with you? I could pretend to be your boy-toy!" said Freddy, extremely seriously.
"Thanks Fred. But no. I have to to do this on my own."
"Well, at least let me style you tonight." Said Freddy.
"I guess I got lucky. Freddy Meek wants to style me" said Khushi wryly.
"Anything for you Minnie. You know that." Said Freddy. He walked over to his closet and picked out an outfit. "Here you go, darling. Go change" he said thrusting a dress into her hands. "I have Louboutins your size to match."
She emerged 10 minutes later, looking drop-dead gorgeous. The dress was fire-engine red, cowl-necked and fell a little above her knee. It hugged her figure like a second skin. While it was extremely modest in the front, it was cut to the waist at the back in a deep V.
"I don't think I can wear this to dinner with ASR's grandmother. She must be 80 years old and will think it's too much" complained Khushi.
"Since when does Minnie Gupta care what people think?" asked Freddy, pushing all the right buttons. She made a face. He handed her a wrap. "Here, I knew you would have some such concern. So, I made sure to find you a shawl. It was black silk, he draped it around her shoulders, such that it covered her back completely, He even pinned it to one shoulder discreetly, so it would stay in place. She thrust her feet into the Black Louboutins he gestured to. They made her about 4 inches taller. She had done her face before donning the dress, so she was good to go. Her lips were as red as her dress, her eyes were lined with kohl. She wore smoky grey eye-shadow, giving her heavy eyes, a look she didn't usually go for, but tonight she felt she needed the extra help.
"OK. I'm all set. Do I look OK?" she asked anxiously.
"Darling, you look gorgeous. And before you go, I have a gift for you." said Freddy. He handed her a flat. Black box. She opened it to find a diamond bracelet resting on a silk cushion.
"Freddy, its too much. I can't accept it." She protested, closing the box.
"You can and you will wear it tonight, and whenever else you choose to." Said Freddy firmly. He opened the box and clasped the bracelet to her right wrist.
"I love you Fred!" she said, sudden tears shining in her eyes.
"I love you too sweetie. Now go." Said Freddy. She was heading out, when Aadit came in, He wolf-whistled when he saw her. She twirled around for better effect.
"Well now, such an outfit, deserves some matching jewelry. Good thing I had something lying around for just such an occasion as this." Said Aadit, fishing around in his pocket.
He too produced a flat, black box of his own.
"Aadit! Freddy! You guys were in on this together." She punched Aadit lightly and opened the box. A pair of matching diamond drops lay twinkling back at her.
"You guys really shouldn't have." She said, now really touched. She wore the earrings quickly.
"Khushi" said Freddy, using her given name, which was rare for him. "We know this is hard for you and you won't let us help you. This is our way of showing support. Knock 'em dead!"
"Remember, they have money and power, but you have Freddy Mercury and Aadit Murthy!" winked Aadit. "I sense a group-hug moment" he wise-cracked. Khushi fell into both their arms and hugged them tight. "You guys are the best" she said.
Freddy, who tended to adopt an avuncular attitude towards her on occasion said, "Remember young lady, we'll be waiting up for you. Let us know when you get back, OK?"
"Yes, Dad." Said Khushi. "Now, may I please leave or is Jeremy waiting for me with a necklace that matches?"
"Way above his pay scale" said Aadit. "He sends his best wishes!" Khushi hurried out quickly.
45 minutes later, she was at Raizada Mansion, 2 gift boxes in her right hand. She had had her personal assistant find out how old Payal's children were and buy them gifts. In her left hand she carried a Bottega Venetta clutch. She rang the bell and took a deep breath. "This is it Khushi." She told herself quietly.
Payal opened the door. "Welcome Khushi. Come in, everyone's waiting for you." she said warmly.
"Good evening. These are for your children." Said Khushi handing the gifts to Payal.
"Oh. Please give them to the children yourself. They are waiting to meet their Massi." Said Payal. Khushi nodded and walked inside quickly. She saw Naniji first and went to her.
"Namaste Naniji. How are you?" she asked, bending to touch Naniji's feet.
"I'm fine beta. You look wonderful. Beautiful as ever." Said Naniji.
"Khushiji! I'm so happy to see you." said Anjali, stepping forward to shake Khushi's hand. Khushi didn't take the hand held out to her. She cocked one eyebrow at Anjali instead.
"Mrs. Jha. What a pleasure." She said in a tone that would make hell freeze over.
"I'm no longer Mrs.Jha. Its Ms.Raizada again." Said Anjali quietly.
"I see. Mr.Jha is..?" her voice trailed off questioningly.
"That worm is in prison serving a prison sentence for fraud and larceny, among other things." Said Akash.
"I see." Said Khushi. She nodded a greeting to Akash. And cracked her first smile of the evening at the person standing next to Akash. "Mrs.Manorama Raizada! Hello. How wonderful to see you again." She said in a false sugary-sweet tone.
"Hello-hi-bye-bye" said Mamiji snidely, following it up with a "Hmph." Khushi took a step forward towards Mamiji.
"I understand the Hi reinforces the Hello. I never got the bye-bye right after the Hi. That's just plain old bipolar. Even for Manorama Raizada." She said snidely. Mamiji turned bright red. "I don't need to explain myself to you.." she didn't get to finish her sentence. Khushi had taken another small step forward. The sound of cloth ripping was heard.
"Oh. I'm so sorry. Lagta hai aapki saree phat gayee." Said Khushi in a cold tone. "How careless of me to step on it. Do forgive me." She said. Mamiji's face turned from red to purple. "How, how…dare you, you.."
"Phatti saree! Aapki, meri nahin" finished Khushi for her, her eyes now twinkling. Naniji looked amused at this tableaux. Anjali and Payal were biting back smiles. Akash was openly grinning. Buaji looked like she'd died and gone to Nandkishore heaven. Garima looked amused and thoughtful. Khushi turned her attention to them.
"Ah. My two favorite women in the whole wide world. My ex-aunt, and my ex-step Mother. How are you ladies?" she asked perfunctorily. Buaji looked ashamed and said nothing, Garima flinched at Khushi's cruel words. Payal intervened hastily.
"Khushi, these are my kids. This is Arjun, and that's little Khushi." She said pointing to a boy, about 5 who looked exactly like his Dad, and an cherub, about 3, in pigtails who stared back at her aunt fearlessly. Khushi smiled her first genuine smile of the evening upon seeing them. She beckoned to them. Arjun hid behind his mother's saree, but Khushi stepped forward. "Hello, Khushi. My name is Khushi too." She said, extending a hand to her.
"Khushi massi, Hi! That for me?" she pointed to the gifts in her Massi's hand.
"Yes. This one is." Said Khushi, handing her a box wrapped in pink. The little girl took it eagerly, and began ripping the wrapping paper off it.
'You didn't say thanks." Piped up a defiant little voice. It was her brother. Little Khushi didn't even bother looking up at his words. She was too busy admiring her new doll. Arjun walked up his aunt.
"I'm Arjun, Khushi massi. I'm 5." He said solemnly, shaking her hand.
"Hello, Arjun. Here, this is for you", she said handing him a purple gift wrapped box. "Hope you like it."
"Thanks Massi." He said correctly. "May I open it?" he asked.
"Of course you may." Said Khushi smilingly. She watched him ask his mother to help him open it neatly, so the wrapping paper wouldn't tear. She smiled to herself. Such a little Akash in the making he was. She could see him 20 years from now. Quiet, stolid, dependable. With a sly sense of humor that would rear its head every so often.
Garima walked up to Khushi. "You must be hungry. Come, dinner is ready. Let's eat."
"Sure. Let's eat, by all means." Said Khushi, not asking the question at the tip of her tongue. "Where was he?" she was wondering. Then she heard the clatter of footsteps coming down the stairs. It was him. She'd know his quick, firm step anywhere. He'd made the late entrance on purpose. He'd wanted her to meet her family first. Besides, he'd wanted to make an entrance. He needed to impact her a little. She couldn't possibly be as indifferent to him as she feigned.
"Ms.Gupta! Evening." Said ASR.
"Mr.Raizada, Good evening to you."
They walked to the dining table, led by Payal and Garima. The children had already eaten and were playing happily with their gifts watched over by OP. Naniji took her usual place at the head of the table. Arnav and Anjali sat on either side of her. Mamiji excused herself on the pretext of fixing her saree. No one really noticed. Garima sat next to Arnav, followed by Payal and Akash. Buaji sat next to Anjali, and Khushi slipped into the seat next to Buaji. Garima and Payal had taken pains with dinner, making all of Khushi's favorite dishes. If Khushi enjoyed the food, she didn't let on. She ate quietly, refusing second helpings of any dish, saying merely that she a light dinner. Halfway through dinner, her phone rang. Since conversation had come to a grinding standstill, she was glad for the distraction. She smiled seeing who it was.
"Hello sweetheart!" she said cooing into the phone. Arnav's hand tightened on his spoon. He looked up sharply.
"Yes, baby, I miss you too."
"I know. I'm sorry. I meant to call earlier, but I got busy. How was your day?" the smile didn't leave her face through the length of the conversation. She looked delighted.
"Bye darling, I love you too. Yep, hand her the phone." She said, as the phone quickly exchanged hands at the other end.
"Hey Lavs! How are you? Thanks for watching them, yaar, I owe you. I hope they're not too much trouble." Khushi said. By now, the entire table was staring at her, curiosity writ large on their faces. "Is the other one asleep? OK, never mind. I'll catch up with her tomorrow." Said Khushi. She rang off a minute later, promising to call back after she got back to the hotel.
"Who was that?" It was ASR, of course. He looked murderous.
" Lavs..oh, your ex-fiance..Lavanya Kashyap. Now Lavanya Woodward. She got married 1 year ago and is expecting her first child in 3 months." Said Khushi.
"You and Lavanya are in touch?" asked Anjali wide-eyed. Khushi merely nodded in reply.
"Who was on the line before Lavanya?" asked Arnav. "The one you were cooing sweet nothings to." He bit out.
"That was my daughter, Sheila. Actually, she's my eldest. She's almost 5, The younger one Nita is just 2. She'd fallen asleep already." Said Khushi, aware that she was dropping a bombshell on her ex-family and especially on ASR.
"Your, your, daughter! And you have 2 of them! You're married?" he sputtered.
"I have 2 daughters, yes. And, I am not married, no." said Khushi, dropping bombshell number 2.
"So, you were married?" asked Anjali.
"Nope. Never married. Don't believe in marriage." Said Khushi. Bombshell number 3, she thought wryly. She was enjoying this. ASR looked like he would explode any minute now.
"So, who's the father, then?"
"Err. I don't know." Said Khushi, eyes now twinkling with amusement. This was nothing less than a Hiroshima level bomb, she knew.
"What the!" he thundered. "Khushi Kumari Gupta, will you explain yourself."
"I don't see why I owe anyone in this room any explanations about my personal life." Said Khushi quietly. She turned to Garima. "I knew this was a bad idea, Mrs,Gupta. But you insisted, so I came." Maybe I should go." She stood up.
"Sit down Khushi." It was Naniji. "Chotey, be quiet. Khushi bitiya has no need to explain anything to us. Tell me about your girls, Khushi." She asked.
Khushi's eyes sparkled as she began talking about her daughters. "Well, Sheila is almost 5, but very precocious. She can read really well…2nd grade level, really. She is a quiet girl too, not too fussy. Eats her vegetables. But my other one. Oh, she is hell on wheels. She is barely 2. She runs everywhere and puts everything into her mouth, including bugs. She is fearless, a little bit like your girl" she said nodding at Payal.
"Do you have pictures?" asked Garima.
"I'm sorry. No." lied Khushi. Truthfully, she didn't want to share her daughters with these people. That was her family. Her comfort zone. Her happiness. And she wanted it kept safe.
Dinner was done, and they all sat in the living room, sipping coffee. Payal was passing Jalebis around. She'd made them herself, for her sister. Khushi refused them. "No, Thank you. I don't eat Jalebis anymore." She said.
"What the? You don't eat Jalebis anymore!" sputtered Arnav. "God! Where is Khushi Kumari Gupta and what have you done with her?" he asked exasperated. "You look like a fashion plate, you speak English like you're the Queen's sister, you have children, presumably out of wedlock, whose father's identity is unknown even to you, and you don't even eat Jalebis." He trailed off disgusted.
"What part of all that hurts you the most, Arnav Singh Raizada?" asked Khushi. "Is it that I speak good English and Manorama Raizada can't hello-hi-bye-bye me anymore? Is it that I dress well,so she can't phatti-saree me anymore? Or is it that I have a family unknown to you, which means I am happy, independent of you, and even in spite of what you did to me?" she finished quietly.
"That's it, you're coming with me." He spat out. "We need to talk."
"Uh-huh Rambo. Remember what I did to you, the last time you tried to coerce me to talk. This time, I'll make sure you can't father any children in the near future" she finished. Everyone laughed at this, except ASR, who looked furious.
"Come into the patio, I want to talk with you, please." He bit out with difficulty.
"Much better. Not that I have anything to say to you. But I have 5 minutes before my chauffeur will be here to pick me up. I guess I could talk with you for 5 minutes without doing permanent damage to my brain and your body" They walked into the poolside patio, where they'd had so many trysts in the past. The pool was covered. She raised an eyebrow at ASR when she saw it.
"Its for the children's safety. I had it covered. Its only uncovered when there's someone in there with them." He muttered.
"Makes sense" She said.
"Khushi. I am sorry about the things I said and did 7 years ago. You have no idea how sorry." He came straight to the point. He figured she deserved the truth.
"I've moved past it. I suggest you do too." She said in a hollow voice."
"So, do you forgive me?" he asked, in a humble tone, far removed from ASR's usual demeanor.
"No. I don't think I ever can" she said. She turned away from him. He walked to her and held her hand. "Khushi, please" her clutch slipped from her hand fell to the floor. She bent to pick it up, and her shawl slipped off one shoulder. He caught a glimpse of her smooth back, exposed.
"That is some dress" he swallowed.
"It is, isn't it? Freddy gave it to me" she said, teasing him on purpose. She didn't bother pulling the wrap around her. Instead she turned away from him on purpose, so he could look his fill at her open back.
"Khushi." His voice cracked. "You are so beautiful" he said. She smiled a little, still turned away from him.
"You remember that evening, by this very poolside?' she asked.
"How could I ever forget" he groaned. "You were wearing red that evening too."
"Hmm. Yes. Red saree." She said absently, walking toward him.
"You remember backing me to this very wall?" she asked as she backed him into it.
"Yes. And then I.."
"And then you held my face in your arms like this" she said clutching his face. "You bent your head towards me, like this.." she said her lips inches away from his. His heart was thumping so loudly, he was sure his Di could hear it in the living room. His breath came in small gasps. He wanted her so badly. Wanted that kiss.
"And then your phone rang. And you stalked off and declared that you would marry Lavanya." Said Khushi, releasing him with a jerk. She smiled up at him. "I've forgotten nothing. Only, the tables have turned. That time, I didn't know what the hell was happening to me. And today you know exactly what I have done to you. Your 5 minutes are up. Ciao!"
She walked away, without looking back, head held high.
Tell me what you think, people😊!
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