Bringing Lavs back for this one. Also, not much story movement..but I am too exhausted to make the story move. I do know what I want to write. I just needed to get an undemanding chapter out before I write something more taxing.
Chapter 36: Lavanya's party
They were in a Mall. Arnav had talked Malli into going with them. And Khushi had dragged her into Burberry. Arnav watched the kids while Khushi and Malli shopped clothes. They walked out an hour later laden with bags. Malli protested at Khushi buying her such expensive clothes, but Khushi waved her concerns away. She told Malli she deserved to be pampered after all she'd gone through. Arnav's jaw dropped at the sight of the Malli who stood in front of him. She was wearing dark blue skinny jeans and a blue tunic top with the classic Burberry checks. She wore a pair of brown suede trainers on her feet. She'd continued to wear her hair in a simple ponytail after her stint in the hospital. Khushi had talked her out of the make up as well, and all she wore nowadays was lip gloss. He blinked a couple of times.
"Who's this?" he asked Khushi, grinning widely.
"Don't be a smartass," said Malli, grinning back. "I don't look that different!"
"Err. Malli, I hate to contradict you, but you actually look like a girl now," said Arnav laughing.
"Be nice Arnav!" admonished Khushi. "You look very nice Malli. Not that I didn't like your style before, this is just more, you know…err..low-key," she finished uncomfortably.
"That's my Khushi. She doesn't give clouds silver linings. She makes silver clouds!" said Arnav kissing Khushi on the cheek.
"She does," said Malli. "She makes silver clouds and you make rainbows out of garbage." She walked away, clutching Sheila's hand, not looking back. Arnav and Khushi smiled at each other. "Typical Malli", they mouthed to each other. They'd grown used to this odd girl over the last 3 weeks. She spoke little, but when she did speak, she made a lasting impact. And then she pretended she didn't care about what she'd said, because all said and done, she was a teenager. She'd recovered almost completely. Her hand was out of the cast. Her ribs had healed. The bruises on her thighs had vanished. The bruises on her heart would take longer. She saw a counselor once a week, and said it helped. The police had not yet tracked down the man who'd beaten her up so brutally. Her aunt and uncle had fled to India in the aftermath of what had happened, afraid that they'd be thrown into jail as well. Arnav still wouldn't let her leave the house unaccompanied. He had tried to impose this on Khushi as well, but she'd just rolled her eyes and reminded him of the night they'd met several months ago, when she'd floored him with her martial arts skills. He'd shut up after that. But he insisted on accompanying Malli when she had to go out.
Malli seemed happy spending her time helping with the kids. She had also warmed to Khushi quite a bit. As for Arnav, she adored him, though she would rather die than admit the fact. Arnav had done a lot for her. And he'd done it unobstrusively and without hurting her pride. She liked and respected him for that. She was happy for the first time in a long time. And a lot of the happiness had to do with the security of having a home and a family. And some of it to with the fact that a crazy man was no longer stalking her! Arnav hadn't broached the topic yet, but her intended to, soon enough. He and Khushi wanted Malli to go back to school in the fall and graduate high school. But for now, they were letting her be. Also, their own wedding was a mere 3 weeks away and they were a little swamped with wedding plans.
Akash, Payal their children and Garima were flying to London 1 week before the wedding and staying for 2 weeks after, giving Khushi and Arnav a chance to go away for a weeklong honeymoon after the wedding and leave the girls in safe hands. Mrs.Murthy and Khushi met every afternoon now. Arnav didn't really know what they talked about. She mostly came home muttering questions like "jonquils or sweet-peas?" or "Does Godiva personalize chocolate?" Arnav didn't know the answers, nor was he expected to. He had booked their trip and told her it was a surprise. Apart from that, he had allowed himself to be dragged to a store and be fitted for a wedding outfit. He let Khushi handle the rest. For now, they were enjoying their last few days of peace before the entire family descended on them for the festivities. The schedule was pretty hectic. Khushi had drawn up a detailed itinerary which made Arnav's head whirl. He told her to remind him where he needed to show up in the morning and make sure he didn't pick anything inappropriate to wear. Even his male brain registered the rough schedule of events, though. It ran something like this:
8th July: Their families arrive
11th July: Khushi's bachelorette party
12th July: Arnav's Stag night
13th July: Freddy's cocktail party
14th July: Mehendi
15th July: Spa day for Khushi
16th July: D-day
17th July: Leave for honeymoon
23rd July: Back home
He was contemplating talking to Aadit to make sure the Stag night wasn't too raucous when Khushi walked in to his study.
"You should be getting ready!" she said mock angrily.
"Where are we going?" he asked blankly.
"Arnav, I've reminded you a million times, we're going to Lavanya's house tonight. She's throwing us a dinner party to celebrate our engagement. How can anyone forget a party held in their honor?" she asked exasperatedly.
"Sorry!" he said contritely. He pushed himself off the bed and made to find something decent to wear. He thought about Lavanya as he got ready. Lavanya Kashyap. Once his fianc. Now Lavanya Woodward. Someone else's wife. A mother. And ecstatically happy. He'd met her several times after coming to London. She and Khushi were good friends. She'd visited the hospital many times when Nita was ill. And he and Khushi had gone to her home once to see her new baby. Baby Abhay. With his father's blue eyes and his mother's black hair, he made quite an impact. An almost exotic looking baby. But beautiful, like all babies. And while Lavanya had always been lovely, her beauty had always had an edge to it. It had always been a sharp beauty, surrounded by a brittle aura. Now she had the ripe, open, smooth beauty of woman who was loved and at peace with herself. Her husband Edward was a movie producer and several years older than her. He was also a doting husband and father. Arnav had liked him. "Who'd have thunk it?" he mused, "Khushi and I are eating dinner at Lavanya's house tonight. Ha!" he laughed thinking of all that had passed between the three of them almost 8 years ago now. It all seemed so silly and trivial now. The events of the days gone by. He shrugged himself into his sports coat and walked out whistling.
They presented themselves at Lavanya's house at 7pm sharp. The Gupta-Raizada clan and their assorted menagerie. Khushi, Arnav, Sheila, Nita, Malli, and Nigel. Freddy had been invited. As had Aadit and Anjali. And a number of other people known to Khushi from work or her volunteering acivities at the shelter. There were also several friends of the Woodwards whom Khushi did not know. Lavanya's house was a mansion in Belgravia. One of the advantages of being married to a multimillionaire film producer who worked with Christopher Nolan and Guy Ritchie on a regular basis. Lavanya had a separate party organized for the children, on a different floor with magicians to entertain them and several of her people to watch over the kids. Malli elected to go with the children even though Khushi told her to join the adults in the ballroom. She wasn't comfortable making small talk yet. She got along with Arnav and Khushi and even Nigel to a certain extent. She usually didn't speak with the others unless spoken to. Not Freddy. Not Aadit. And definitely not Anjali. But after 1 hour of watching rope tricks and card tricks, she was bored out of her mind. She decided to go back down. Sheila and Nita didn't even notice when she left.
She stood clutching the balustrade, watching the scene in front of her. The entire ballroom was lit up. Twinkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their tiny crystals catching and reflecting light. A band was playing live music. The dance floor was littered with couples sashaying slowly to Rod Stewart's "Have I told you lately that I love you." Khushi was wearing a Bibhu Mohapatra gown in deep red silk. It draped beautifully and revealed nothing, but made her look alluring all the same. Her eyes were lined with grey liner and silver-grey eye shadow. She wore her hair up, and her neck was bare. Her only jewelry was a thick gold bangle that hung on one wrist. She rested her head on Arnav's chest, her arms around his neck, as they danced slowly. When the dance was over, they strode off the floor, hand in hand. Khushi spotted Malli and nudged Arnav. "Ask her to dance for the next one," she whispered into his ear.
"Oh…no. I can't dance. You know I can't. I only dance with you babe!
he said winking at her. She put her hands on her waist and glared at him. "Arnav, I am ordering you to dance with her. Now."
"Order me all you like. She won't do it. I'm sure," he said lightly.
"Yes, she will," said Khushi, "Now go. Ask her. Now." She pushed him so he almost stumbled. "I'm going, I'm going. Termagant!" he said under his breath. "And after you dance with her, you must ask Lavanya as well," called Khushi behind him. He sighed and nodded.
"Miss Malena, will you dance with me?" Arnav held out a hand to her.
"Oh, I don't dance. Thanks Anyway," said Malli.
"Look, I know you don't dance. Honestly, I only dance for Khushi. I have two left feet. But she has ordered me to dance with you. And honestly, I dare not disobey her. I am getting married to her in less than 3 weeks. She might make me spend the honeymoon on the couch or something. So come on, be a sport and do a guy a favor," he begged.
"Oh..OK. Let's get this over with. You're petrified of her, aren't you?" asked Malli.
"You don't know the half of it Malli!" said Arnav thankfully, whirling her onto the floor with a flourish.
"I thought you couldn't dance," said Malli, laughing at his extravagant gesture.
"I am on my mettle. She is watching!" he said laughing at her surprise.
They danced to Elvis Costello's beautiful song, "She". Khushi had told the band to play this song for them. She thought it was appropriate for them. Malli looked absolutely stunning in a white Burberry slash front dress in fine chiffon. Khushi had thought it was too old for Malli, but Malli had really liked it, so she'd given in. It was completely plain white, and hit at the knees. It had a high neck and a tie at the back. In the front, it was slashed from neck to waist, but Malli was so slim, the slash didn't show at all. It had some bead detailing at the shoulders, to relieve the extreme severity of the plain white. She wore her hair in a chignon, from which a few tendrils fluttered down around her cheek. And no jewelry or make up, but nude lipstick. She looked ethereal.
She
May be the face I can't forget
The trace of pleasure or regret
May be my treasure or the price I have to pay
She
May be the song that summer sings
May be the chill that autumn brings
May be a hundred different things
Within the measure of a day
She
May be the beauty or the beast
May be the famine or the feast
May turn each day into a heaven or a hell
She may be the mirror of my dreams
The smile reflected in a stream
She may not be what she may seem
Inside her shell
She
Who always seems so happy in a crowd
Whose eyes can be so private and so proud
No one's allowed to see them when they cry
She
May be the love that cannot hope to last
May come to me from shadows of the past
That I'll remember till the day I die.
Khushi was dancing the song with Freddy who danced her close to them at the end of this verse.
"May I cut in?" he asked Arnav, eyes twinkling. Arnav gave Malli up and went to finish the dance with Khushi.
She
May be the reason I survive
The why and wherefore I'm alive
The one I'll care for through the rough in ready years
Me
I'll take her laughter and her tears
And make them all my souvenirs
For where she goes I've got to be
The meaning of my life is
She
She, oh she
"That was sweet of you Mr.Meek," said Malli.
"Yes, well. That's me. Sweet." Said Freddy. "Malli, you look lovely today," he said abruptly.
"Thanks," she said, slightly embarrassed.
"Why don't you consider being a model? Seriously. You are perfect. The way you carry yourself, you're tall, you have something about you which is very exciting, slightly mysterious almost. You should think about it. You'd make a lot of money in a very short period of time."
"How much money?" she asked. He told her, and her jaw went slack. "That much?" she asked, astounded.
"Well, that's just the beginning. Sky's the limit, really. Listen, think about it. I know you want to do something else with your life. And that's OK. You could do this for a few years, make a lot of money, and it will help with whatever else you want to do for the rest of your life. Give you a headstart, so to speak." He finished. They had finished dancing, and were sitting on one of the couches, talking now.
"I'll think about it," said Malli, seriously. Freddy nodded at her and left her thinking hard.
"What is she doing here?" muttered a low voice, as they saw Malli and Freddy talking. "I must talk to her," he thought to himself. "I must!"
In the meanwhile, Arnav was doing his duty by Lavanya.
"Nice party Lavanya," he said easily, as he danced with her. "You always were a superb hostess," he said.
"Thanks ASR!" she said, using the nickname she'd always called him by. "ASR," she said.
"Hmm?"
"This time, don't screw it up. She's the best thing to happen to you. Don't screw it up."
"I won't Lavanya. I won't," he murmured. "And Lavanya," he said, "I'm sorry!"
"For being a bad dancer and stepping on my feet unmercifully?" she asked, smiling at his discomfort.
"Well, that too. But mainly, for being a jerk all those years ago. I treated you badly, Lavanya. I apologize."
"It's OK Arnav. I've moved on. You've moved on. It's all good. But this time, if you screw it up with Khushi, I will hunt you down and murder you," she said. He started laughing, then stopped when she saw that she was serious.
"Man. That's the third death threat I've received for this particular reason," he quipped.
"Yes, well. Khushi has some good friends. And my husband, he knows some people who could kill you and dispose of the body without a trace," She said smilingly.
"I'll keep that in mind Lavanya," he said dryly.
"You do that Arnav. Now, thanks for the dance. I should go look in on Abhay," she said, excusing herself.
Khushi walked up to Arnav. "What were you and Lavanya talking about?" she asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing. I apologized for being a dick. She made a few death threats. All in a day's work," he said.
"Ahh. Is that the second one?" she asked.
"Third. Marrying you is proving to be a dangerous proposition Ms.Gupta," he said.
"Well, you're stuck with me now baby!" she laughed.
"And I hope to be stuck with you forever Khushi Kumari Gupta. I hope to be stuck with you for forever."
Wedding preps will make an appearance from the next chapter. I'm going to go all Sooraj Barjatya on your asses! 😉 Anyway, how was this? Let me know.
Cheers!
Vidhya
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