Chapter 7"They're here! They're here! Payal quick go check on Khushi!"
"Garima calm yourself down. I will get the door"
"Hold it! What do I do?" Shyam held is hands up.
For a whole second everyone glared at him and resumed to their positions as he stood laughing his lame ass off.
Meanwhile the guests got settled, Khushi upstairs was pacing back and forth deep in thought, her red and cream anarkali rustling in air.
"Khushi sit down and think, you will have to make your way down soon and before that I have to do your hair..." Payal tapped the comb on her hand.
"Payal you do know why I am doing this right?" Khushi asked her.
"Yes I do. You are all mature now, I am happy you are taking this step"
"Mmm yeah" Khushi mumbled.
Little did anyone know that she still did not want to get married. But when did people listen to her? So Khushi and her brilliant brain came up with a plan of going ahead with the whole rishta thingy and somehow not making it work. She can then act like she is in depression because of it breaking off and then people will surely leave her alone for quite a bit of time.
Taking deep breathes in and out, Khushi sat down cross legged in front of her sister and let her do the poof. She stared at herself in the mirror, her habit, taking in her gorgeous outfit, makeup and hair. It was the dress her mom had bought her for diwali, an anarkali with a Chinese collar. It was all cream colored except the borders and pleats around her waist, which were lined in red.
Payal put in the last pin and smiled at the mirror, "you look like a princess."
"Oh puhleez! Don't sweet mushy talk with me" Khushi made a face.
"Okay ugly princess! Don't make that face downstairs. And do not laugh like last time!" Payal warned.
"I couldnt help it, those women were crazy. They were discussing me right in front of me!" Khushi burst into giggles.
Finishing off their laughter, Payal went downstairs to check on things before she took Khushi with her.
Khushi went over her brilliant plan one more time. Biting her nails, she realized she didn't have any step by step action. Exactly how was she going to deal with this? Her heart started beating, and of course her tummy had to get hungry now, palms sweaty…crap!
"I need counseling!" she muttered to herself.
It was her life, finally she had got enough sense to make it proper and she did it make it proper. She had worked so hard and she wasn't ready yet to share herself and her life with another person or persons.
The culture, the society, family, more culture, more and more culture was driving her nuts. She didn't understand how unmarried twenty three year olds could be labeled as spinsters!
Again she turned to the mirror and started talking to herself.
"Honestly Khushi , you honey are screwed"
She picked up her dupatta, nicely laying it over one shoulder, dabbed on fresh gloss, swung her hair back for an affect and headed downstairs.
~~~
Arnav stared at the stairs on his side. He did not like the layout of the house. When the girl comes down, he wouldn't even know. He tried to keep a look out for her through the corners of his eyes but soon they started to hurt, then he craned his neck to the side, that started to hurt as well and not to mention also started to attract attention.
He stared at the younger brother, Shyam, who was a car nerd. His brothers and he had hit off as soon as they shook each other's hands.
Their brother in law Aman was his grandfather's student. Damn the small world, he thought. When did students and teachers started matching people up?
He thought back to the dinner when his grandfather had brought up the topic, same typical speech, a decent girl, for a good family, educated, blah, blah, and blah. He had to give in before he was driven crazy. He knew his family would never leave him alone until he was 'married' and 'settled'. So to get them off his back he had agreed and now he was sitting in the living room of the unknown girl's house whose even picture he hadn't seen.
He was nudged violently from his thoughts by Dhruv's elbow. Arnav made a mental note to get back to him for it. He stared at grinning Dhruv, irritated. When he signalled with his eyebrows, Arnav turned to see the girl descending the stairs.
"What the...shit" he cussed under his breath.
"World is apparently smaller than the small world" Dhruv whispered in his ear.
"It will be alright Arnav, breathe..." Anjali whispered in his other ear.
"I am bre-" Arnav was about to snap but stopped, realizing he indeed had his breath held.
He wondered if she recognized him. She met everyone properly with a 'namaste' and sat adjacent from him.
Dhruv's over excited face and Arnav's even more grim face was not passed unnoticed by Akash.
~~~
If it were possible, Khushi would have been sure her heart would blow up by the speed it was beating.
She was all fine when coming down the stairs but right after she saw him, every layer of her confidence was stripped.
It was unbelievable. Ironically he was the same person who once had literally broken off a suitable rishta of her's...for the later good.
Five minutes later, she still had the same smile fixed on her face while everyone around continued to converse, without her.
Oh but she was stared at by everyone...except one pair of eyes. He apparently found the glass of water way more intriguing than her.
This was not going to be good.
~~~
"Who invites people over for dinner the first time?" Khushi hissed at Payal as they lay the table.
"Sssh! The grandfather is Aman's teacher...kind of...well he has his rotations under him for the next three months."
"So what?"
"This is more than them coming here for you..."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah"
"Teachers dont go to student's houses for dinner!"
"Excuse me...is there anything I can help with?" Anjali asked her hand leaning on the wall of the dining hall.
Khushi froze at her spot. Did she hear her?
"N..no" Payal began but to be cut off.
"Please I would like to. That way I can break the ice between Khushi and I" she smiled.
Khushi thanked her lucky stars she wasnt made to stand the entire time and serve food. Some extra chairs were brought to fit all of them, and she sat with everyone.
She stuffed her mouth and mentally groaned at the timing the grandfather chose to ask her questions.
Politely finishing of her morsel she replied to his inquiries.
~~~
Soon Arnav and Khushi were sent into the informal family lounge, followed by Akash for company...why? No idea...some cultural thing...who knows two strangers just might do something shady.
Arnav mentally kicked himself for agreeing to Akash accompanying them.
He cleared his throat and questioned her.
"Why did you think of counselling at a fashion school?"
Khushi stared at him for a second, and then proceeded to answer.
"Fashion school in particular was not my target. I happened to find a job there..."
"mhmm"
"I was actually hoping to deal with kids but I was recommended to this institute"
"It must be tough, you are probably around the age of most students"
"Yeah kind of, its not bad or atleast hasnt been so far"
"Hmm. What do you think makes you a good counselor?"
Akash subtly smacked his forehead at his brother's questions.
"Are you interviewing me?" Khushi asked him sharply.
"Uh n-no. What made you think that?"
Akash didnt like where this was going. He quietly slipped out before Arnav dragged him in.
"Your questions"
"My questions? Whats wrong with my questions, theyre legit"
"Theyre legit but they are also not really relevant at this point of our meeting"
"Thats what you think. I think this is the correct time to ask these questions. I would like to know where I am getting myself into..."
"Do you really think one of the really good schools in the city will just hire anybody?"
"Fine"
They sat awkwardly in silence for a while.
Khushi was dying to question and tell him that she remembered - yes!
"You know we have bumped into each other before, few times actually. You nearly broke my foot the first time..."
"Umm I did not break your foot that time and no we have not bumped into each other before, ever"
"What? You do not make sense"
"Excuse me? I dont make sense? In case you dont know I am the owner of one the top leading industries in the country" he snapped.
"Are you serious? Listen mister I am doing this for my family, which already took half of my patience, so dont finish off the other half and test me"
"What do you think, I am here because I want to be here? No, its because of my family"
They sat in silence again, but this time their brains were working together.
"They have been bugging since forever" Khushi muttered.
"Me too"
"Lets get engaged and then break it off!" Khushi jumped in her seat.
"What the! No! That is so immature" Arnav looked at her weirdly.
"How? Clearly our families like each other so they would want to go ahead. And clearly we are not going to get along, asIdontlikeliars, we wont last long together sooo...it will all come naturally"
"Why do we have to break it off? We will get marrried but live our lives separately"
"What? But I do plan to get married in the future..." Khushi was close to yelling.
"Yeah whatever. We will see how it works out"
"No no no. Im not going to be tied with you for the rest of my life even if we dont live together!"
"Yeah? I'll see how"
"What do you mean you'll see h-"
Arnav had stood up and exited the room by the time she had finished her sentence.
Back in the living room, Arnav walked over to Anjali and sat down next to her. When she looked at him, her eyes questioning the obvious, he slightly nodded his head.
The entire Raizada family beamed with happiness.
Edited by justforuse - 13 years ago
CID
Anupamaa
Tum Se Tum Tak
35