So, I promised to write a third part to the original OS: A Poolside proposal. I never got around to that. So this is, A Poolside proposal, beta version. Hope you like it.Oh, and this is dedicated to that new, patently ridiculous, but curiously lovable character NK. I heart him. 😊
OS: A Poolside proposal (2)
"Khushiji, will you marry me?" asked a rather squeaky voice.
"Whaaat?" asked Khushi, flabbergasted. They'd been standing and talking by the poolside in the Raizada home. Khushi liked the pool, and came here often to sit and watch the still waters. It made her feel restful.
"Will you please marry me Khushiji, I love you." Said NK, his voice getting higher and squeakier as his nervousness progressed. His palms were clammy and he'd wiped them on the inside of his pant pockets several times in the past 30 minutes. After 2 weeks of being with Khushi and interacting with her on a daily basis, he was convinced that she was the girl for him. He was in love. Unfortunately, he'd never been in love before, and he didn't know that one of the side-effects of falling in love was an increased tendency to sweat like a pig and a heart rate that always made him feel like he was running. In other words, she left him breathless. So, after 3 torturous days of feeling like a rat on a treadmill that wouldn't stop, he'd decided the time had come to tell her how he felt. And since she was so traditional and "desi" like she so cutely put it, there was just one thing to be done. He had to ask her to marry him. He knew she liked him. He hoped she liked him enough to take the plunge with him. It was all very stressful, thought NK reaching for the stress ball in his pocket. He gave it a tight squeeze and looked again at Khushi.
Khushi stared at NK like he'd grown an extra head. Marry him? Marry NK? NK, whom she called Nanhe? She was a little astounded. She'd spent the last 2 weeks hanging out with him, trying to teach him Hindi and learning a bit of English from him. They got on very well, her and Nanhe. He understood her, and she him, even though they didn't always understand what the other person was saying. She even liked him. Quite a lot, as it were. He was sweet, and chivalrous and made her laugh. Unfortunately, her heart didn't go all dhin-tana when he picked her up for dinner. Not like when a certain someone looked at her when she wore red. His eyes. As he took her in, from head to toe. That hot, piercing gaze. It made her feel uncomfortable. Like she wasn't wearing enough. The thought made her blush. And a gentle hand on her shoulder jolted her back to reality. NK was looking at her, a concerned look in his eyes.
"Khushiji, are you alright?" he asked. He saw the pink steal over her cheeks and felt slightly hopeful. Maybe she did like him, he thought.
"I'm, I'm fine Nanheji. It's just. I'm a little'you know, surprised," she said. She chastised herself mentally for thinking of HIM when another man had just proposed marriage to her.
"I thought you liked me," said NK, looking slightly crushed.
"Oh. Oh..Nanheji, I do like you. I'm just not sure I," before she could finish, a vise like grip had wound itself around NK's neck and was pushing him to the wall.
"Khushi can never marry you. Never. Get that through your thick skull NandKishore, or I will drill a hole in your head if I have to, to get the message across," said ASR. He was in a fine rage. His eyes were bloodshot, and his color almost purple with anger. He spoke in a low voice though. That low, deadly tone that was reserved for when he was most angry. The hapless, quintessential Aman had been known to pee his pants when ASR spat hello at him in that tone on the phone. Only 2 people in the world dared talk to ASR when he was that mad. One was his Di. Because she knew he'd never hurt her. And the second was standing in front of him, trying to pry his hands away from NK's neck. Self-preservation had never been Khushi Kumari Gupta's strong suit.
"Stop it Arnavji! Do you mean to kill him?" she said angrily as she dragged NK away from ASR.
"Kill him. I should kill him. For wanting to marry you. He can't possibly marry you!" said Arnav.
"Err'why ever not?" asked NK innocently. Khushi tried to drag him away, but NK stood his ground. "No, wait Khushiji. I want to know why I can't marry you. Kya Naanav aapse barbaadi karna chaahte hain?"
"Huh?" asked both ASR and Khushi. Khushi got it first. "Barbaadi nahi Nanhe ji. Shaadi! Aapke matlab hai shaadi!" she said grinning.
"Yes. That's what I meant. Main aapse shaadi kyun nahin kar sakta? Kya Naanav aapse barbaadi, sorry, shaadi karna chaahte hain?"
"If he marries me, it will, quite definitely, mean barbaadi!' quipped Khushi. Arnav turned an interesting shade of blue.
"Shut up Khushi!" he said. "And NK. No. She definitely cannot marry you. That's for sure."
"Who are you to decide whom I can and cannot marry?" asked Khushi defiantly. She regretted it as soon as she said it. He took a menacing step towards her, and she stepped backward.
"Why can't she marry me? As far as I know, she's single. From what she's told me, when we've hung out, she's quite ready to mingle. And I think she likes me. And I like her quite a lot. In fact, when I look at her I feel like I'm looking at a melting ice-cream on a hot summers' day. More specifically, tutti-frutti ice-cream. 'Cos that's her, a little fruity, a little nutty. And all completely sweet," Finished NK eloquently.
"Awww'.Nanheji. I love Tutti-frutti. That was such a beautiful description. I'm so flattered," said Khushi, batting her eyelashes at him. An idea had struck her, and she was planning to milk it for all it was worth.
"You like being compared to melting ice-cream? Ice-cream that melts into a messy puddle and leaves your fingers all sticky. And then in the hot summer, your fingers are sticky all day long. That sounds gross to me!" said ASR.
"Aah. But think of the potential. You could lick the ice-cream off the sticky fingers as it melts. That's the best part," said NK, winking. NK really had no idea how close he was to the being completely eliminated from this universe.
"Oooh. That sounds like fun," said Khushi, studying her fingers demurely. "I think I'd enjoy that. Someone licking the ice-cream off my.."
"Khushi, for once in your life, shut the hell up." Said ASR, "And you, NK, you are not licking the ice-cream off Khushi's fingers. In fact, you're not licking anything off Khushi's fingers. Or any part of her. Actually, let me be clear. Touch her, and you're a dead man." He said coldly.
"Errr..Arnavji, why?" asked Khushi coyly.
"Why what? Do you want him to lick the ice-cream off your fingers?" said ASR, not realizing how ridiculous he was sounding.
"No. But, I mean, someone's got to. I can't go through my entire life with sticky fingers, you know."
"If anyone's going to lick that hypothetical ice-cream off your fingers in the summer, which is six months away, in case you hadn't noticed, I can tell you one thing. It's not going to be NK."
"So..if not Nanheji, whom?" Arnav said nothing. Khushi was taunting him to speak, and he'd be damned if he gave in to her.
"Nanheji, I feel like ice-cream. Let's go get some now. Tutti-frutti sounds good." Khushi marched to NK and took his arm. NK looked from Khushi to Arnav. "Umm. OK", he said licking his lips nervously. He squeezed that stress ball in his pocket extra hard. This was proving more difficult than he thought.
"NK. You take one step out of this house with her and I will flay you alive" said ASR sternly.
"Pay no attention to him Nanheji. He's just a big party pooper. He won't let you marry me, or buy me ice-cream. But he won't say why. It's like I have to stay an ice-cream virgin and an actual virgin all my life. For no good reason. Well, I'm not going to. I am going to eat all the ice-cream I want, and have all the'" she didn't finish because ASR had placed a large hand across her mouth to silence her.
"Will. You. Shut. Up."
"Mfffppfffgghh" she said struggling under his hand.
"I know of only one way to shut you up, Khushi Kumari Gupta!" said ASR, removing his hand from her mouth and replacing it with his lips. He kissed her thoroughly, and while she resisted initially, her hands wound their way around his neck. Before she knew it, she was kissing him back with equal fervor.
"Khushiji, I guess that's a No!" said NK, approaching them tentatively.
"You bet it's a No." said ASR, shoving at NK unnecessarily. "Now, where were we?" he asked Khushi. But she had already pulled away. For NK, had fallen into the pool with an almighty splash.
"Oh. Oh.Nanheji. I'm so sorry," she said. She went running to the edge of the pool and reached out a hand to him. "Here, take my hand." She said. Arnav came striding to her, and pushed her away gently.
"NK. Here," he said, reaching out a hand to his cousin. NK looked at them, slightly dumbfounded. He took ASR's hand and stepped out quickly.
"You're batshit crazy Naanav. Do you know why I call you Naanav, by the way? It's my secret code word for Daanav. Which is what you are. And you, Khushiji. I thought you were all nice, and normal and a good cook, and a splendid dancer. But you're even crazier than he is. Anyone who can love Naanav's gotta be nuts. I wish you both well. You deserve each other. I hope you name your kids Tutti and Frutti. I'll be going now," he said, walking off huffily.
"Nanheji, Nanheji'" said Khushi running behind him. ASR caught her hand.
"Leave him be. He'll sulk for 2 days and get over it. The important thing is, we're getting married." He smiled at her.
"We are?" she asked.
"Well, what do you think all that was?"
"You told Nanheji he couldn't marry me, then manhandled me, kissed me and pushed Nanheji into the pool. I don't remember us discussing our impending wedding?"
"Oh, come on Khushi. You know I want to."
"No, I don't. More importantly, I don't know If I want to."
"OK. OK. Will you please do me the honor of being my wife Khushi Kumari Gupta?"
"Where's the ring?" she cocked an eyebrow.
"I don't have one."
"Should've thought of that before proposing marriage. Also, I'd prefer if you went down on your knees while you asked me."
"What the!" he muttered.
"In fact, this whole set up doesn't work. We need a candlelight dinner, there has to be a ring. And you need to be on your knees. And Me. I need to wear a pretty dress. This old thing won't do. Tell you what. Let's do this. Take me out to dinner tonight. Find a place with a water body next to it. I like water. You know, like a lake. And organize everything I just told you. And oh yeah, wear a suit. I should go now. I need to find something to wear. 6.30 work for you?" she asked, without stopping for a breath.
"I'm not doing all that!"
"Do you want me to marry you?"
"Yes."
"Then you have to do it right."
"OK. Say the magic words then."
"I love you Arnavji."
"I love you too baby!" he swung her off her feet.
Tell me your thoughts. 😊
Cheers!
Vidhya
My other works:
FF: Highway to Hell
OS: A (modern day) Christmas Carol
Cricket
Current Affairs
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