ArshiFF: Strings Attached! NOTE pg53 - Page 5

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Strings Attached!

Chapter 3

Anjali- "Chote, which impuDent chit are you talking to these days, hmm?"

Arnav closed his eyes and breathed out, what timing! His right hand crept up to his forehead, dragging across the expanse with exasperation written all over him.

Arnav- "Good Morning Di!, Hi jijaji. Late aren't you guys?" He had plastered a fake simile on his face; he knew he was going to be in trouble as soon as his jijaji motioned a slit throat action towards him.

 But all the while shyam was smiling as his share of anger was going to be showered on saale sahib; Aloo-ka-parantha yum! Shyam moved towards the table and picked up chun-mun from the line of fire. He placed a kiss on her forehead and said:

Shyam-"Good morning sweetie! Good morning saale sahibs." He just nodded towards the senior Raizadas and bent with chun-mun in his arms to touch Nani's feet. For chun-mun it was a game.

Chun-mun- "Daddy lower!"

Shyam bent even farther almost touching her hair to the floor and was paid-off with a fit of baby giggles!

Chun-mun- "Daddy more!" by this time she was shrieking with laughter in her voice and rest of the family was watching them indulgently. But Arnav was conscious of the daggers Anjali was directing towards him as she made her way to her chair.

Shyam- "More? Maybe I should drop you on the floor'hmm and then what would daddy's favourite girl do?"

Chun-mun- "Daddy more!" Shyam laughed out loud.

Anjali- "Chun-mun, mamma ke paas aao. School ke liye late ho raha hai na? Breakfast khana hai." "Chun-mun, come to mamma. It's getting late for school, you still have to have your breakfast."

Chun-mun- "Mamma, make chote mamu me eat from his plate!"

Anjali- "Darling, make chote mamu, LET me eat from his plate."

Chun-mun- "Mamma, but you were late for breakfast today and I get to eat from mamu."

Shyam had started smiling way before his daughter had started pulling the thread to the situation; rest of the family was also hiding smiles. Very slowly Anjali's cheeks were getting red and the temperature of the room was increasing.

Anjali- "Chunnu, I told you what to say, correctly."

Chun-mun- "Oh! You were busy with something that could not wait any longer, ab mai chote mamu ke saath kha loon?" "Now can I eat with chote mamu?"

Shyam guffawed attracting the attention of the devil at loose this morning, while the rest of the family smirked behind their paranths. Anjali made big eyes towards Shyam to shut up, but that just made him crack more.

Chun-mun- "Daddy you also want more?"

This it seemed was the limit, as everyone at the table let loose their laughter at the innocent musings of the baby in the family.

Arnav silently sighed at being spared from the "what-girl" interrogation.

Khushi had planned to help buaji to settle down with the accounts of her Saree business as had been their long standing arrangement. She had worked for her Buaji on and off during the summer and enjoyed it too, but the real perk were the sarees themselves. As kids she and her jiji used to drape the saree on them behind closed doors, but with maturity and her Buaji's flourishing boutique, both Payal and Khushi were used to volunteer as models to drape the creations. Today was going to be the usual or so Khushi had thought!

Payal came out of her room towards the room set aside as the boutique (Read as the room rented out to Evil-Shyam in the show) and on spotting khushi burying her nose in the ledgers, smiled slightly.

Payal- "Khushi, hum newspaper padh rahe the and came across an advertisement for a kinder garden teacher, I think I'll apply." "Khushi, I was reading the paper and came across an advertisement for a Kinder garden teacher, I think I'll apply."

To say Khushi was stunned is not an understatement!

Khushi- "Per jiji, hum toh bas kuch hi dinno ke liye aaye hai na?" "But jiji, we are here for just a few days, aren't we?"

Payal grimaced and decided to let her bomb drop.

Payal- "Khushi hum wapas nai jaa rahe." "Khushi, I am not going back."

Khushi- "Jiji?" khushi was constantly looking at her sister's face for a more elaborate answer, when she met with further silence she said:

Khushi- "per jiji, hum musibat se bag toh nai sakte naa? Usse kabhi na kabhi to samna karna hi padega." " But jiji, we can't run away from a problem; we'll have to face it someday or the other."

Payal- "Khushi, humme iss bare main koi baat nai karni hai." "Khushi, I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Khushi- "Per jiji, kuch dinno ke liye toh theek hai, hum humesha ke liye Buaji ke paas kaise reh sakte hain? Amma Babuji se door, akele? Upar se Buaji ki aamdani per hum doono ka kharcha?" "But jiji, it is fine for a few days, but how can we shift here with Buaji for forever? So far away from Mom and Dad, alone? And on top of that, two extra mouths to feed on Buaji's limited income."

Khushi knew she had hit home, but payal's face did not flicker in worry as she had hoped.

Payal- "Khushi, tum yahan kyun rahogi? Aur main school main padhaoongi na." "Khushi, you don't have to stay here. And I'll be teaching as well."

 Khushi- "Jiji hum aapke bina ghar nai jayenge!" "Jiji, I will not go back without you!"

Payal blew out a frustrated breath and counted 10 mentally. Khushi could be so stubborn at times, that she forgot all logic.

Payal- " Khushi, amma babuji ke paas bhi toh koi hona chaiye na. Buaji bhi akele sab sambhal nai pati ab, mere yahan rehne se unko bhi sahara ho jayega." "Khushi, someone should be with mom dad as well. Buaji also cannot handle everything on her own anymore and my being here might be to her advantage."

Khushi- "Jiji, yeh mat sochiye ki hum nai jaante ki aap kya karne ki koshish kar rahi ho!" "Jiji, don't think that I don't know what you are up to!"

Khushi gave a stern look to her sister and decided to call in the big guns. She just walked off from the boutique almost rushing to the phone in the hall. It took payal less than a second to realize what khushi would do next, as every younger sibling on the planet she was going to call Mommy on her. Payal ran behind khushi and trying to grab hold of her duppata, but pulled the dori of her kurta (shirt) instead. Khushi stilled instantly as a shiver ran through her. Her jiji's hands were replaced by big, callous hand of a man or rather The man, as they traced the bare skin visible out of the deep cut of her kurta. This time the shiver that ran through her was not of shock but of embarrassment.

Payal saw and felt the shivers that ran through khushi and put her hands on her shoulder and looked into her baby sister's eyes.

Payal- "Khushi, kya hua? Aise ruk kyun gayi? Humme harana nai hai,dar gayi kya?" "Khushi, what happened? Why did you stop so abruptly? Don't want to beat me, scared?"

Khushi bounced back to reality, with the fierceness of a wounded tigress and said:

Khushi- "Jiji aap jaanti hai Khushi Kumari Gupta kissi se nai darti!" "Jiji you know Khushi Kumari Gupta is not scared of anything!"

Buaji- "Aacha! Toh kissi se nai darti ho? Toh abhi kahe aise bheegi balaiya jaisi thitoor rahi thi?" "Really! So you are not scared of anyone? Then why were you shivering like a drowned cat, a while ago?"

Khushi- "Areey buaji, wo toh hum jiji ko thang kar rahe the." "Oh Buaji, I was just goofing around with jiji."

Payal- "Nai khushi tum-"  "Seriously Khushi you-"

 Before payal could interrogate further Khushi had dialed their Lucknow number.

Payal- "Khushi! Phone rakho! Abhi!"  "Khushi! Keep the phone! Now!"

Khushi- "Jiji shhh.. Hello Amma? Hum Khushi. Kaisi ho Amma? Aur Babuji kaise hain? Kahan Amma kuch theek nai hai!" "Jiji shhh'Hello Mom? Khushi speaking. How are you mom? And how is dad? Nothing is alright mom!"

 Buaji cast apprehensive looks towards payal, when payal shied away from her eyes, buaji concentrated on Khushi and Garima's conversation.

Khushi- "Amma hum bakwass nai kar rahe, jiji keh rai hain ki wo ghar wapas nai aane walli, sach!"  "Mom I am not talking non-sense, jiji just told me that she doesn't plan to come back, seriously!"

Khushi- "Lo jiji tum hi baat karo-" "Talk to mom-"  Khushi handed over the receiver to payal and moved towards Buaji.

Buaji- "Khushi, kya  yeh sach hai?"  "Khushi, is this true?"

Khushi- "Haan buaji! Pata nai jiji kabhi aisi baatine karti toh nai, par shayad ye baat unko bahut chubh gayi" "Yes buaji! I don't know, Jiji never talks like this. I think this thing has pinched her a lot!"

Buaji- "Toh theek hi hai na! nai jayegi payalia kidhar bhi. Itna bada ghar hai aur hum akele, tu chahe toh tu bhi reh ja! Ee payalia, apni amma se jara baat toh kara" "Yes this is correct! No, she won't be going anywhere, it's such a big house and I live here alone rather if you want you can stay too! Payal let me talk to your mother."

Payal passed the phone meekly over to buaji, but she seemed to have gained a sparkle in her eye which did not go unnoticed by Khushi, but before she could ask her sister buaji turned towards them and informed the duo that tonight they have to accompany her to the annual function of "School for special needs" as buaji's son before he expired had studied their and this function and School was close to her heart.

Incidentally, this very school had also housed Anjali as a teacher after she and Arnav has received the boot from their paternal relatives and had less options. As the Raizadas were not well-off back then, Anjali had taken up her first job here to support Arnav's education. And Anjali had taken special interest in Madhumati Ji's son "Shailendra" and over the years Arnav had donated thousands of Dollars to the school for their better facilities.

Anjali was used to being a Chief Guest at various functions by now, money did that to you; but this function was her baby, she had started it back when she was working here. So every year she would come here to the Annual function of "School for special needs" as the Chief Guest carrying 4 cheques of obscene amount of money signed by the Raizada brothers and the Jha's.

As soon as she entered on Shyam's arm, she spotted Madhumati ji, she made it here, and every year without failing, after all the school had given Shailendra 5 glorious years before his tumour claimed him to death. She smiled at her and received a warm smile in return, then she looked-looked properly and there was the "photo-girl" from Lucknow! Anjali clutched at shyam's arm a little too painful, he let out a surprised gasp and looked at her in query, she motioned towards "photo-girl". She left him with a 1000watt smile and the thought "Trouble" with capital "T" floated in his mind.

Shyam- "Anjali, I see principal Sharma there, I go greet him and meet you in a while?"

Anjali ' "Coward!" she gave him the evil eye and walked straight towards "photo-girl"

(P.S. This is the last time Khushi will be referred as Photo-girl, I don't promise on what ASR might call her.😉)

Anjali- "Namaste Aunty. Kaisi hain aap?" "Good evening Aunty, How are you?"

Buaji- " Namaste bitiya. Hum toh bilkul theek hain, tum batao tum kaisi ho, aur tumri bitiya aur tume pati kaiei hai?" "Good evening Honey. I am absolutely fine, so how are you, your daughter and husband?"

 Anajli- "Bilkul theek hain, aaye hai wo Principal Sharma ke saath hain." "They are fine, he has come and is with Principal Sharma."  Anjali looked at Shyam while talking about him and he instinctively looked towards her and on spotting Madhumati ji looking in his direction he folded his hands in silent greetings, but never budging from Principal Sharma's side.

Anjali- "Aapke saath koi aaya hai Aunty?"  "Someone has come with you?"

Buaji- "Arrey haan! Anjali bitiya humri bhatiji se milo, Payal aur ee hai Khushi." "Oh yes! Anjali meet my nieces Payal and Khushi."

Anjali savoured the name Khushi and smiled politely at the duo. While she managed polite conversation with Madhumati ji and her nieces, he brain was zapping for an opportunity to know more about Khushi.

Anjali- "Khushi, so what have you done after school?" It was a safe question, the girl looked barely 18.

Khushi- "Anjali ji, I have just finished my Bsc. Textile and plan to work now for a while before getting into designing."

Anjali- "Oh really! That's amazing! But seriously I would have pegged you for a model." Anjali knew she was forgetting discretion but what the hell!

Khushi- "Wo'no, I want to be a designer." Khushi smiled weakly all the while throwing glances at buaji, hoping she has not caught on the model comment.

Khushi- "And Anjali ji what do you do, I am sorry I am new here."

Anjali- "Nothing to be sorry about, I think you are going to like knowing me as I own AR textiles and would like a smart girl like you to come and interview for an internship, we are currently hiring." Anjali smiled her signature smile, she was satisfied everything was falling in place.

Khushi was flustered by the generous offer and could not manage a single word for 1 minute straight, Anjali kept on smiling. The A teacher from the school approached Anjali to request her presence on the stage to open the festivities.

So how was this for some serious Strings attached? Well keep looking for more strings attached as how there are more.

Updating from campus computer..which sucks by the by...so will be sending PM's when my internet connection works!

Ciao!

Teaser

"Hi" Payal could not believe her eyes! He was here! What the hell was he doing at a kinder garden, how had he found her!

Payal- "Oh My God are you stalking me?"

Aakash-  "What? Why? I mean- mean huh?"

Arnav- "YOU! What the hell are you doing here? How did you enter the freaking building!"

Khushi could not believe her eyes! The Laad governor was here'Oh God where had Anjali ji sent her!

Chapter 2                                                     Chapter 4

That was brilliant...Anjali is so sneaky,  I love her and Shyam's relationship!!!!