Yes, yes I know I need to get a life outside of IPKKND and stop writing about them but I can't help it! :P
This one was a bit rushed and is sort of unfinished but I figure you all would appreciate reading it anyway (hopefully!)
Send me a Buddy Request for future PMs and read all my other work at my INDEX
I retain sole ownership of all these works of fiction so please do not reproduce or alter my work and claim it as your own on India Forums or anywhere else.
The Lining is Silver
Khushi took a deep breath and tried to forget. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered now that they were getting engaged. Even if Arnav came and fell at her feet and asked her to... asked her to what? Arnav Singh Raizada who didn't even bow to God would never prostrate himself in front of somebody as ordinary, somebody as low class as her so why was she even imagining such scenarios?
She went back down to the living room which was teeming with guests and she sought out Anjali who was in a corner looking distressed and talking on her phone. 'Anjaliji?'
'Is everything okay Anjaliji?'
'No, my husband still hasn't arrived. He says he has some important work. What can be more important than my brother's engagement?'
Khushi tried to console Anjali as best she could, hoping that just maybe she'd be lucky enough to have a marriage like Anjaliji. Hopefully Shyamji would be away on business as often as Anjaliji's Shyamji seemed to then maybe she wouldn't have to pretend so often.
Khushi remembered the voice she had heard on Anjaliji's phone and she paused. Could it be? Was it even possible? She had been wrapped up in her thoughts of Shyamji she didn't notice Anjaliji's tears had increased and she suddenly walked away from Khushi and towards the stairs trying to avoid people as she went.
Khushi groaned in frustration. Why could nothing go her way? Why did Devi Maiyya seem to hate her so much lately? She walked back through the crowd reluctantly and up the stairs. She stopped at his door and took a deep breath before knocking. There was no response, he didn't come rushing to open the door even when she called and Khushi slowly opened the door and peeked in. He wasn't in the room and she took a tentative step inside to look through the window to the poolside.
He was still dressed in one of his casual jumpers and was attacking one of his plants with scissors. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing again. He didn't matter, he wasn't important to her life anymore, he couldn't affect her anymore.
'Arnavji?'
His head jerked up at the sound of her voice and she felt panicked should he accidentally hurt himself with the scissors again.
'What do you want?!'
'Anjaliji is very upset, I think she's in her room crying. I thought you should know.'
Arnav's face changed from anger to concern immediately and he dropped the scissors and began to walk towards her. She moved out of the way letting him stride past her. Khushi hesitated for a while, taking the opportunity to look around the poolside. The place held so many memories for her, for them. But that's all they ever would be now, memories. Khushi looked away reluctantly and followed the path Arnav had taken.
'Di, stop crying. It's not the end of the world just an engagement.'
'No Chote, first he misses your engagement and then next it will be your wedding.'
Khushi looked down at the mention of a wedding. Why did it still hurt? She was engaged herself, she would be getting married too to Shyamji so why did any talk of his marriage affect her so much?
Shyamji, her fiance. Her fiance who had cancelled their date last night, who had been so adamant she shouldn't attend this engagement. Shyamji, Anajaliji's husband who had gone out on a date with Anjaliji last night, who was missing from his own brother-in-law's engagement. Could it be? Was it even possible?
Khushi suddenly came back to reality. How could she have been so blind? She'd been so wrapped up in thoughts of Arnav and Lavanya that she had missed all the signs.
She blinked a few times trying to get control of the situation, of her emotions again. 'Arnavji, I need to speak to you, outside.' She didn't wait for a response and stepped out of the room and waited for him. She watched him look from her to Anjali with a torn expression before he stepped out himself.
'Khushi this really isn't the time for your nonsense, Di is...'
Khushi ignored him and closed the door halfway as she spoke. 'It's exactly the right time. It's about Anjaliji's husband. His name's Shyam right?'
'Yes, why...'
'Wait here,' Khushi interrupted him again and rushed downstairs to retrieve her bag. She came back to find Arnav still standing there looking confused.
She moved past him to close the door completely this time before she took her Babuji's phone out of her bag. 'I'm going to ring my fiance, I want you to listen.'
'What the...? Why would I want to listen to you talk to your fiance?'
'Shh!' Khushi put a finger to her lips as she dialled the number and put the phone on speaker.
'Hello, Khushiji?'
She watched for Arnav's reaction as the phone was answered. There was definitely recognition there and she suddenly felt so much disgust and loathing towards the man on the phone but she had to disguise it. 'Yes Shyamji, I was just wondering if maybe you could come to the Raizada house? There's not many people I know here and I would feel much more comfortable with you here.'
'Erm... er.. Khushiji, how can I come there? I don't even know them, how will they feel if I just turn up uninvited to a private celebration?'
Khushi watched as Arnav's face hardened and he took the phone from her hand to be able to listen better.
'But Khushiji, if you don't feel comfortable maybe you should come back. I mean you don't need to keep going to their house anymore now that your job is done and once we're married you won't need to work at all.'
'Yes I know Shyamji but Lavanyaji is my friend so I have to stay... Okay I'll talk to you later then?'
Arnav pressed the end call button and looked up at Khushi with fire in his eyes. 'So that's why you didn't care about my engagement? You already had somebody else lined up?'
Khushi's mouth fell open in shock. Had they been listening to the same phone call?
'When you couldn't land me, you went after my sister's husband?!'
'What?! Oh yes of course,' she spoke angrily, feeling numb inside at the thought that he could honestly believe she would do this. 'I have nothing better to do with my life than run after married men. And then once I've trapped them into engagement, I tell their brother-in-laws all about it so they can accuse me of being a gold digger again.' She grabbed her phone out of his hand, taking off her engagement ring at the same time and placing it in his now empty hand before she turned on her heel making sure to walk calmly ignoring the desire to run away from him as fast as possible.
Arnav looked from the ring in his hand to Khushi's retreating back. She wasn't engaged? She wasn't engaged! He forgot everything about Di, about Jeejaji and sprinted after her grabbing her arm and pulling her to face him.
'You're not engaged?'
'Of course I'm not. You really think I would stay engaged to someone who's already married? Is that what you think of me?'
'I don't know what I think anymore! I don't know... I don't know what I want!'
Khushi tried to release her arm from his grasp, 'let me go Arnavji. I have to leave otherwise Shyamji will never come and... and you can't get engaged.'
'What? No, Khushi! I'm not getting engaged if you're not engaged.'
She stopped moving, stopped trying to release her arm and looked at him confused.
'Khushi, this game we've been playing, this push and pull it's gone too far. It has to stop.'
'I haven't been playing any games!'
'You told me you were happy with your engagement. You said you were very happy. Why did you lie? Why did you get engaged to someone you don't love? Someone you can't live with?'
'Why are you!?'
Arnav looked at Khushi's eyes, she was still restless but there wasn't any of the sadness or despair he'd seen yesterday. 'If you say it Khushi, I'll say it too,' his voice shook with emotion.
'Say what? What do you want me to say? I don't know what you want from me!'
Arnav held her other arm and pulled her closer to him, 'I want you!' He let go of her arms to frame her face with his hands, 'Khushi, I want you,' he said much more softly this time.
Khushi stumbled backwards away from Arnav, 'but... Lavanyaji? I can't... You can't...No...'
She turned and ran away but before Arnav could go after her he felt a hand on his arm stopping him. 'Chote? You and Khushiji?'
Financial markets and global economy
Book Talk
Aami Daakini
44