IPKKND FF: Trial by fire Part 33 updated on Pg 84 - Page 35

A new day dawned. Khushi woke up early, finished her morning routine and went off to see if Di needed any help. Payal had the same thought as well and connected with Khushi as she walked to Di's room. Payal looked tired and pale and Khushi pressed for her state of health. Payal said she wasnt sure but she must have caught some bug as she was feeling lousy. "I have taken some of Buaji's recipe for stomach medicine and also have an appointmet with the doctor later today." "Jiji...Shaayad, mujhe pata hai ki tumhe kya hua hai..Par dekthe hai, doctor kya kehte hai", Khushi responded with a twinkle in her eye. They then went in the direction of Di's room. Both of them shared the concern about Di's feelings considering that Aarushi's father and Di's husband, Shyam, would not be around to perform the ceremony that was traditionally done by both the new mother and father. They hesitated to voice the concern to Di though and just helped Anjali out with bathing baby Aarushi in the baby bathtub. This was heaven, Khushi thought as she saw Aarushi lying there helpless but enjoying the water falling on her tummy. Di had already finished massaging oil onto Aarushi's body and the sisters had arrived at the perfect time to help out.

Bathing a baby, massaging her,drying her, powdering and rubbing lotion in, dressing her, the skin-to-skin contact, enjoying the perfection in her fingers, her toes -- These were moments to cherish and each of the three women relished and treasured this rare gift. Anjali was touched to see how totally pure was Payal and Khushi's love for her and now more importantly, for her baby. She thanked Devi Maiyya to have been blessed with such sweet sisters who she knew would support her through thick and thin just as family from her own blood would.

"I know you are worried how I am going to feel doing Aarushi's first havan alone after doing so many pujas and vrats with Shyaam by my side.", Anjali began. Khushi shook her head wondering how Di had read their mind and looked at Payal to see her reaction. "You dont have to be. I set aside all my feelings for Shyaam when I first overheard about his treachery from Bauji. Shyaam's subsequent actions just solidified the growing hatred of him and myself for being taken in by him. But the kidnapping really snuffed out any doubts or feelings I had about Shyaam as a human being or as a husband. He may have contributed some genes to Aarushi and that is my only connection with him now. My only focus now is to make sure I bring up, we bring up our daughter to be a wonderful human being, full of spirit and goodness, inspite of her wastrel of a father. Chotey, Akash, NK and Ka...Karan can be her male role models. I do not lack for anything with you all as family by my side - You both love Aarushi as much as I do and I know that if anything, God forbid, were to happen to me, you will care for her like you would your own daughter. ", Anjali declared with tears in her eyes. If Khushi and Payal were surprised by the tentative addition of Karan to the list, they did not show it. Instead, they rushed into Di's arms and hugged her affirming their support.

Naniji wiped away tears from outside the door seeing this touching scene. She had come to help Anjali with the baby but was happy and relieved to see Anjali's support system already in place, in

position. She thanked her lucky stars that her family had been blessed with these two precious gems who always thought of others. She entered the room and eagerly announced..
"Chaliye Payal bitiya, Khushi bitiya aap dono jaake tayyaar ho jayiye. Anjali bitiya mein tumhare madadh karthi hoon hamari nanhi raajkumaari ko sajaane mein. Aap bhi nahaa kar, tayyaar hokar aajaiyiye. Panditji kuch hi der mein yahaan aajayenge. Aaj shubh samay 10 baje se hai. "(Payal, Khushi go ahead and get ready. Anjali, let me help you in dressing up our princess. Why dont you bathe and get ready as well? The priest will be here shortly. The auspicious time is from 10 AM)

Payal and Khushi quickly dropped kisses on baby Aarushi's tummy and left.

***

Khushi entered the room with the thought swirling in her mind about how Karan's name had been hesistantly brought up by Anjali. Does Di put him in the same class as her brothers, Khushi wondered. It would be so cool if Anjali Di and Karan were to fall in love. Khushi already thought that the cool, calm and collected Karan looked like her favorite Salmanji from Bodyguard and had very positive feelings about him. It would be perfect, perfect, she thought and hoped that Anjali Di had not thought of him as one of her brothers.

It was with a smile on her face that Khushi entered her room to see a Magenta colored ghaghra with green choli and a two-colored dupatta all with intricate zari work sitting on the bed. Arnav came out of the bathroom at the same instant and noticed Khushi staring down at the dress in her hand with a confused fascination. It was a beautiful outfit and would suit her coloring and it looked like it would also fit her increased width, right.

"Kaise laga mera choice?", Arnav asked with a smile.

"Aap..aap...aapka choice?", Khushi asked. "Bilkul acha nahi hai..kaise kism ka color hai yeh...aur ghatiya design..", Khushi said trying to deny that she loved the dress.

"Jitna bhi ghatiya ho ...Even if its a sackcloth, if you wear it, you will look like a million dollars", Arnav said closing the argument. Khushi's mouth opened and closed like a fish...no words coming out. What could she say to counter that. Arnav had paid her the most backhanded compliment.

"Chalo jaake yeh pehanlo please, mere liye", he begged. When he asked like that, she could not deny him.

With the dupatta generally draped over her like a shawl, Khushi re-entered the bedroom to see an Arnav dressed in a pale cream kurta with subdued zari work around the throat and around an opening that revealed his throat and upper chest - Its simplicity highlighted Arnav's handsomeness. Khushi closed her eyes hoping to store the sight of this Arnav in her mind, forever. She could not believe that the guy who hated Kurtas and Sherwanis of any sort was dressed today in this outfit. What prompted this, she wondered. This must be Baby Aarushi's magic that her mama was now condescending to dress in Indian clothes, she decided.

"Mujhe ek help karenge...kya aap jaake jiji ko bula sakthe hai?", Khushi asked.

"Kyon, kya main help karoon", Arnav asked guessing correctly the reason for Khushi's need for her sister. "Ji ...woh...woh..ji.. aap bas jiji ko le aayiye", she asked as Arnav moved behind her. "Yeh kya kar rahe hai..bas chodiye..chodiye...", she helplessly exclaimed and tried moving away and covering up with the shawl that Arnav had brushed aside to reveal an open back, with two pesky strings waiting to be tied together. Arnav shushed a protesting Khushi with his finger pressed against her lips, turned her around and lifted her heavy waterfall of hair to drape it over her shoulder. Khushi was shocked by a plethora of feelings - the nerve endings in her back and neck quivered in anticipation of his touch, she felt extra sensitive now and wished he would just touch her and get it over with...This felt almost like as though she had a sword hanging over her head waiting to fall ..though it was not anticipation of pain, but of pleasure that had her shaking. Arnav knew that he affected his delightful wife - The magic of their love for each other affected them both, he was sure. Much as he wanted to touch the golden skin of her back, he held back. The anticipation of pleasure needed to be prolonged. Release would come and would be all the more memorable for the waiting. He gently lifted the ends of the strings and tied them together almost angrily - He was jealous of these strings that would touch her golden back all day whereas he could not.

Khushi was in a state of dreamy anticipation of Arnav's touch when she felt his hands on her wrist, drawing her gently towards the dressing table. He seated her down and held her questioning gaze. His hands reached out and opened the cream-colored jewelry box to reveal the ruby and emerald jewelry set that he had chosen himself for Khushi. He pulled out the necklace and draped it over Khushi's neck, lifted her hair up to then adjust and tighten the clasp behind her neck. Khushi was dazed and mesmerized by his eyes and could not look away or protest. It was like she had drowned in her senses and did not even realize what he was doing to decorate her. He then lifted the matching earrings and adjusted them over her ear, Khushi's hands automatically reaching out to tighten the earrings. For someone who detested all frivolousness and had never done anything like this for anyone, he was learning surprisingly quickly, Arnav thought to himself. He then reached out into the bangle box and chose the green and magenta bangles arranging them along with his mom's kangans and the newer bangles that he had got her. He then applied some lotion on Khushi's hands as he had been advised by the jeweler he had met the previous day. He then slid in the bangles chunk by chunk into Khushi's waiting hands, his own hands lingering on their softness a tad longer than necessary. All his gentle actions were causing untold feelings inside Khushi and she felt a pool of heat in the bottom of her stomach. Her heart clenched and unclenched in a familiar "dhak..dhak"..sound and she alternately clenched and unclenched her hands, closed her eyes, hoping to calm the maelstorm of emotions.

She felt a comb being drawn through her long hair - Great, this was the only thing that the Laad Governor had left undone and has now done it. This will seal my fate and reduce me to a blithering idiot in front of him, incapable of speech amidst the sensations his devilish hands arouse, was the thought that went through a small sane portion of her mind. "Khushi...", he gently prodded. "Khushi ..I dont know how to braid your hair..Can you do...that so we can then put this on", he asked holding out the matching maangtikka. A tongue-tied Khushi's hands automatically reached out to do his bidding. What magic has he woven on me, Khushi wondered, that I do his bidding without any protest. Arnav then reached out and installed her maang-tikka positioning it gently over her forehead. She looked like a precious angel, his reward for some unknown good deeds in a past life, he thought as he stared at her beautiful face.

"Baaki sab ke liye main tumhaare jiji ko bulaatha hoon", he gently told her and left silently. Khushi stared at his departing back in frustration...He was raising her senses and anticipation to a zenith and then dowsing them with ice-cold water, she thought. She turned back and stared at herself in the mirror and was stuck dumb. "Was that really her with that dreamy look on her face? And what was this new jewelry set that I have never seen before. He must have chosen all of her attire today himself. Oh my God, I wonder what he must have spent...Knowing him, I hope he has insured all this jewelry. He has remembered every little detail, even the matching bangles. He did forget one thing, he forgot to apply the sindoor", she thought as she applied a small tikka herself. "And I would have been so pleased if he had just done that." She didnt realize that everything Arnav did had a purpose to it.

*****

Sorry all for the late post. Was laid low by a fever and persistent cough. Hope you all like this edition. Please do comment and let me know how this one was. Thanks to all for your kind comments.