Posted:
Arjun bhi dekhna shuru kar dia kya!?😛
Arre baategi toh sabko na! I prefer sugar..never had sugarfree!
redwine had a good analysis on DC. thinks this is all due to khushi's insecurities. true i think.
but itna bada ghar and she has to go into a cupboard to think???
Originally posted by: ipkkndfanforeva
LOL!
The house has got such a wonderful poolside, a terrace!
Looks like Sankadevi prefers cupboards🤪
Haai ..Gutter again ..and Swetha you started it this time round !!!!😲😆PS - I can't stand the sight of the Arjun-guy, started watching for lavanya and 4lions, but couldn't do it ! But I have to say, the promo is really impressive, wish they would pay attention to IPK too ...but no, its probably that or Qubool Hai all the way now !!!!
Originally posted by: ipkkndfanforeva
Did I!??😆
How? when ? why?
Even i watched at the start a bit though due to Sana{L} as well. But then just didnt continue!
You will watch QH?
TIP: AS YOU REACH THE LAST PART, READ IT SLOWLY... SLOOOWLYYY 😉
CHAPTER 18 SCENE 3
Payal, Khushi and Nandini are sitting on the bed chatting up with each other while waiting for the Raizada party to turn up. A plate of samosa and almost cleaned up plate of jalebis is in front of them. Khushi is happily chomping on a samosa and holding a jalebi in her free hand; trust her to have an appetite any time of the day for her favourite snacks.
Nandini is dressed in her usual blue jeans and a pretty multicoloured lucknowi kurti reaching midway down to her thighs. She is half lying on the bed, supporting her frame on her folded elbows as she lazily watches Khushi eating. She had been surprised but very happy when Khushi had called her an hour ago to accompany her for shopping. She was meeting her close friend after almost a year, so any excuse to spend time with her was good enough.
"Khushi, tumne abhi abhi lunch kiya tha na?" Nandini asks teasingly as Khushi stuffs another samosa in her mouth and looks sheepishly at her.
"Haan.. wob kyb ben na..." Khushi mumbles incomprehensibly through the food in her mouth. Nandini and Payal burst into laughter.
"Tum pehle kha lo Khushi, fir batiyana," Payal nudges Khushi in her ribs. Khushi hastily munches, her eyes becoming teary with the pressure of eating quickly. She finally gulps down the samosa and turns to Nandini.
"Woh kya hai na Nandini ji, samose aur jalebi ke liye to humara pet mein hamesha hi thodi si jagah khali hoti hai," Khushi explains patiently. Nandini goes on laughing at her explanation; Khushi's love for jalebis was legendary.
Nandini and Khushi had met at Shashi's sweet shop a few years ago when Nandini wanted to give a huge order of sweets to him for a function at her college. Nandini had come for ladoos and had gone back with basket and basket of jalebis at the insistence of the shop owner's daughter. And so, she not only gained appreciation by her college friends for getting such succulent jalebis, she also gained a new friend in Khushi.
Nandini was doing her B.Ed and B.A. in Hindi from Lucknow University. Khushi and Nandini were similar in the way that the both were fiercely independent; both wanted to earn their own living and both had big dreams. While Khushi always wanted to feed people with her fabulous cooking, Nandini wanted to make a difference by taking up teaching professionally. Both shared a tender love for Lucknow, even if Nandini was originally from Delhi.
But the similarities ended there. Behaviour wise, they were poles apart; if Khushi was eternally cheerful and bubbly, excitement very rarely overflowed from Nandini; she hardly ever expressed her feelings. While Khushi smiled most of the time, Nandini rarely smiled; even when she was amused, only her eyes betrayed anything. While Khushi was hasty to jump to decisions, Nandini was more level minded who took a minute to ponder things through. And while Khushi was a bubble of never fading energy, Nandini was lazy as hell, well apart from the times when Khushi called her to accompany her for an evening of roaming around.
Which is why Nandini was now sitting with the Gupta sisters, waiting for these mysterious Raizadas whom she had run into (quite literally) a few days ago. All she knew was that Payal di was married to one of the Raizada men. She had no idea that Khushi's alliance, or rather, the broken alliance had been with a Raizada too.
Suddenly, they hear the screech of breaks outside their house. Payal immediately jerks away the plates of snacks from Khushi's reach. "Bas ho gaya bahut khana. Lagta hai woh log aa gaye. Khushi tum jao, muh haath dho lo," Payal says admonishingly. "Hum ja kar ye thaal rakh kar aate hain. Nandini, zara kursiyan seedhi kar do." Nandini groans at the prospect of working, but gets up nevertheless.
Khushi and Payal go inside to quickly freshen up before inviting the Raizadas inside. Nandini is arranging the chairs when she hears footsteps behind her. She straightens up and watches familiar faces greeting her; a healthy woman heavily laden with jewellery and bright pink sunglasses walks through the main door, her hands hanging in mid air. Nandini gapes at the fashion disaster who looks completely lost in her own world. Just behind her a heavily pregnant woman follows who is smiling and positively glowing. A cute looking guy dressed in a tee shirt and funky jacket is holding her carefully by her arm guiding her in. He meets her eyes and smiles shyly at her before quickly looking away. Finally ending up the party were two tall guys; one of them with glasses shoots her a glance and immediately looks towards the guy in jacket, a strange smile appearing on his face. Nandini follows his gaze and looks at the guy with the jacket again, her eyes narrowing slightly. Finally she looks back at the guy who had walked in last of all.
Nandini's eyes widen again in shock as she stares at the broodingly handsome man. She feels her throat drying up as she takes in his appearance; a crisp white shirt open at the collar, a black waistcoat and black straight cut trousers. He looked manly and at the same time had boyish good looks. She walks to him as if in a trance and offers her hand to him.
"Nandini," she introduces herself, her confident voice quite contradicting her distraught nerves. Arnav looks at her as if pleasantly surprised. Then he takes her hand and shakes it firmly.
"Arnav Singh Raizada," he says politely and smiles at her.
Just then Khushi walks out of the house. Her eyes fall on Nandini and Arnav standing together smiling at each other, Arnav holding Nandini's hand firmly in his and Khushi feels like the breath is knocked out of her lungs.
"Nandini ji!" Khushi shouts suddenly from the distance. All the Raizadas stare at Khushi some in shock, some in curiosity. Arnav and Nandini withdraw their hands from the hand shake. Khushi looks awkwardly at all of them, suddenly having realised that she had actually shouted out loud. She consciously walks out to the courtyard to greet everyone. Payal too comes out behind her smiling. Khushi moves between Arnav and Nandini and then throwing a dirty look at Arnav gently nudges Nandini away from him and towards the rest of the people.
"Nandini ji, ye Aakash jeeja ji hain," Khushi introduces Aakash first who again gives her the weird knowing smile. "Ye hain Manorama ji, Jeejaji ki mataji," next was the fat woman, Nandini tried hard to suppress the laughter that was threatening to burst out of her. "Ye hain Nanhe ji, Aakash ji ke bhai." The cool looking guy extends her hand to Nandini confidently.
"I'm Nandkishore," NK says charmingly. "But you can call me NK." Nandini feels her eyebrow rising up as she looks from NK to his extended hand. She folds her hand in a Namaste in response. NK withdraws his hand and he too sheepishly folds his hands in Namaste.
"Ye Anjali ji hain. Manorama ji ki bhanji," Nandini smiles at the pregnant woman who warmly smiles back at her. "Aur ye -" Khushi finally turns to Arnav who was now smirking at her, waiting expectantly to see how Khushi would introduce him. But Nandini goes one step further.
"Ye Arnav ji hain," she tells a surprised Khushi. Arnav smiles warmly at Nandini.
"We've met," He explains to Khushi, his eyes glinting with mirth. She feels a sudden pang of irritation shoot through her.
"Nahin! Ye koi nahin hain!" Khushi suddenly hisses, leading a dazed looking Nandini away from Arnav and out the main door towards the car. Arnav raises his eyebrows for a moment at Khushi's reaction. As they walk away, Khushi turns around to look at Arnav. He smirks at her and she immediately looks away muttering to herself.
A few minutes later, the rest of Raizadas accompanied by Payal join them outside. Arnav gets behind the wheel. The moment it seems to Khushi that Nandini is going to sit in the co-driver's seat, she pushes Aakash towards the door. Aakash looks at Khushi in confusion who vigourously nods towards the seat throwing a knowing look towards Nandini and NK. Aakash understands what Khushi is trying to say, realising she too had been let into NK Bhai's secret. He looks longingly at Payal for a moment. He was hoping to sit with her, meeting her after an entire day, but it doesn't seem possible to him. So he sighs and gets into the front seat next to Arnav. God, what all he had to do for his brother's love life to kick start. Anjali, Mami and Payal sit in the middle seats leaving a satisfied Khushi, a delighted NK and a disappointed Nandini to sit on the seat at the back. And they set off.
NK was smiling shyly at Nandini and was trying to make small talk. Nandini was replying in monosyllables.
"So, Nandini ji, aap kya karti hain?" NK asks charmingly. Khushi beams a big smile, as she senses the conversation part kick starting. Nandini, however, sighs.
"Padhai."
"Nice! Aur aap Lucknow ki hi rehne wali hain?" NK asks again.
"Ji nahin." But her disinterested tone rather than deterring NK, just encourages him to go on.
"Oh okay. So aapko Lucknow kachha lagta hai?" NK asks further.
"Ji?" Nandini stares astonished at NK displaying a rare emotion. Did he just say Kachha? She wonders. NK immediately looks stumped too, realising from Nandini's reaction he had botched up his Hindi again. He quickly looks at Khushi for help.
"NK ji, kachha nahin achha," Khushi says giggling. "Kachha matlab..." NK nods at her eagerly to enlighten him. Khushi stops, suddenly looking embarrassed.
"Kachha matlab underwear, NK," Nandini declares, her her eyes glinting with laughter. In response, NK's eyes widen in horror and he suddenly clasps his hands over his mouth covering it in shock of saying something so embrassing. Nandini smirks and looks at Khushi who is smiling sheepishly back at her.
"Woh kya hai na Nandini ji, Nanhe ji ko zyada hindi nahin aati hai. Woh," Khushi turns to NK, "kahan rehte the aap?" she asks him.
"Synnby" NK mutters, his palms still blocking his mouth. Then realising what he was doing, he sheepishly removes the hands from his mouth and says, "Sydney," in a clear voice, looking anywhere but at Nandini. She smirks again.
"Interesting," is all Nandini replies. And the three of them sink into silence.
Arnav dexterously drives through the busy afternoon traffic as he follows the directions being shouted by Khushi from the back seat. Everytime Khushi shouts out, Arnav would gaze into the rear view mirror to look at her. He was amused to see her flustered every time their eyes met.
They were on their way to Ameenabad; the busiest and most happening shopping hub of Lucknow. The numerous lanes of one of the oldest Muslim dominated areas were lined with shop after shop offering the traditional embroidered Lucknowi chickankaari work on varied types of clothes. Beautifully vibrant coloured sarees and salwar suits were hung down from the ceiling to the floor of every shop showing off their best pieces. There was a lot of hustle bustle on the street; a mix of hawkers selling ice cream, cheap plastics and fake watches amidst pedlars and customers who were swarming everywhere like flies. Arnav curses under his breath. He hated driving in busy areas like these. After a quick consultation with Aakash, he decides it would be better to walk instead. Arnav finds a paid parking space a little ahead and parks the SUV. Everyone gets off from the car.
Khushi notices Nandini immediately making a beeline for Arnav again, who smiles at her. They immediately start a conversation. Khushi frowns in irritation. She turns to NK.
"Nanheji! Aap yahan kya kar rahe hain?" Khushi mutters annoyedly NK. He innocently shrugs back at her. Khushi sighs exasperatedly, "Aap ko aage hona chahiye, Nandini ji ke saath." NK's eyes widen again and he vigourously shakes his head.
"Nahin Khushi ji, not at all! Nandini ji bilkul bhi mujhe like nahin karti hain! Dekha nahin, kaise ghoose se mujhe dekh rahi thi?" NK replies in a fearful voice.
"Ghoose nahin, gusse se Nanhe ji," Khushi automatically corrects him. It had become like a reflex action now. Khushi sees Nandini talking cheerfully to Anjali and Mami showing them the shops around. "Agar aap unse baat nahin karenge, to Nandini ji aapko janengi kaise?" Khushi again glances warily at Nandini who was now talking to Arnav again about something. Khushi glares to see Arnav smiling back at her. "Aur agar woh aapko janengi nahin, to aapko pasand kaise karengi?" she reels off hastily. NK looks thoughtful as he absorbs the gyaan dispensed by Khushi Mata.
"Baat to aap theek kar rahi hain Khushi ji," he mumbles thoughtfully. Khushi nods her head vigourously and pushes NK towards Nandini. Just then, Anjali wraps her hand into the crook of Khushi's arm. Khushi jumps at the sudden touch.
"Khushiji, humein aur Mamiji ko kuch sariyan khareedni hain. Aap humare saath chalengi?" Anjali asks her. Khushi nods and leads Anjali and Mami to the nearest showroom which boasted of having the most authentic hand made embroidered sarees. Khushi steals a final glance behind her to see NK talking to Nandini, while Arnav was checking something on his phone. Payal and Aakash were no where to be seen. Hey Devi Maiyya, Nanhe ji ki raksha karna, Khushi prays and enters into the showroom.
The eager salesman starts piling saree after saree in front of the two awestruck ladies sitting in front of him. Anjali asks for the price of one and the salesman quotes it to her. Khushi narrows her eyes and starts negotiating with the salesman at that very instant, telling him off how he is looting innocent tourists. The salesman realises that Khushi was a local and apologetically reduces the quoted price by some amount. Within minutes, Khushi is intensely immersed in the shopping state of mind finding sarees of different hues for Anjali and Mami, completely having forgotten that she had come with five more people.
There was a blood red saree with black sequins embedded all over it that stood out from the rest of the sarees. The salesman noticed that Khushi was staring at it longingly and takes it out of the pile and offers it to Khushi.
"Bahut achhi pasand hai aapki, Didi. Iss gote ko Mukhesh kaam kehte hain. Aap par ye bahut jachega," the salesman says to Khushi. She shakes her head and dismisses him with a smile.
"Hum aaj kuch khareedne nahin aaye hain Bhaiya. Aap bas inki pasand ki gayi sariyon ko alag nikal kar rakh dijiye," Khushi tells the salesman and determinedly tears her glance away from the saree.
Fourty five minutes later, just as the salesman happily adds the last saree to an already growing pile, Anjali and Mami decide to call it quits. Khushi too gets up to join them.
"Yahan par sirf ladies ki hi cheejein milti hain? Gents ke liye kuch nahin?" a familiar voice falls into Khushi's ears and she turns around to see NK standing behind him looking morose. Khushi stares at him.
"Nanhe ji? Aap yahan kya kar rahe hain?" Khushi looks around the shop. "Nandini ji kahan hain?"
"Woh bahar choom rahi hain," NK explains. Then, as Khushi's eyes widen in alarm, he smacks himself on the forehead, "GHOOM! Ghoom rahi hain." He corrects himself. Khushi rushes to Anjali and tells her she will be outside while Anjali paid the bill. Khushi holds NK's hand and drags him outside the shop
"Kiske saath ghoom rahi hai?" Khushi asks, an alien feeling of panic rising inside her heart. NK looks at her in confusion.
"Aakash aur Payal ke saath," he replies looking at her worriedly. "Unhone hi mujhe bheja aapko bahar bulane ke liye. Khushiji aap theek to ho na?" he adds as he watches Khushi hold on to his arm. Her head is suddenly reeling.
"Humein paani peena hai," she gasps. NK looks around immediately, but there are no shops around that sell refreshments. Then he remembers something.
"Khushiji, gaadi mein ek bottle rakhi hai. Main woh leke aata hun," but Khushi stops him immediately.
"Nahin! Nanhe ji, aap wapis Nandini ji ke paas jaiye. Gaadi se bottle hum lekar aate hain." Khushi doesn't want this wonderful set up between the budding lovebirds to go waste. "Jaiye." She eggs NK towards Nandini, and sets off towards the parking lot.
The sun has already set, tinging the evening skies with streaks of twilight. The streets were getting more and more crowded as the evening market was just starting off. Khushi walks on remembering the landmark she had mentally noted for the car park. Ten minutes later she find the place and the SUV too. She walks boldly to the door and wrenches the handle. Nothing happens. She tries again. This time there is a loud ping noise and the door opens. Khushi stares at the open door in surprise. "Pehle to darwaja band tha," she mutters to herself.
"Haan. Door kholne ke liye car ko unlock karna zaroori hota hai." Khushi freezes. The familiar voice had whispered very close to her right ear. Too close.
It is steadily getting dark all around her and as far as she can tell, there isn't another soul close by. Khushi turns around very slowly, her heartbeats suddenly racing, her mouth feeling suddenly dry. She raises her eyes to meet his brown orbs merely inches from her, gazing at her as if mesmerized. Her eyes unknowingly move down to his tantalising lips, before she determinedly looks back into his eyes. He smirks at her. He had placed his right hand on the car's body and his left on the frame of the open door. So basically, Khushi is trapped between the car and Arnav's body that was slowly inching closer to her.
"Aa... Aap?" Khushi squeaks, her vocal chords betraying her right at this crucial moment. Arnav's lips curve up.
"Kyun? Tum kisi aur ko expect kar rahi thi?" he asks huskily. Khushi's eyes widen.
"N... Nahin." She stutters. What was it about him that rendered her speechless everytime he came close to her? She had been angry with him since morning right? And even later when he was flirting with her friend? "Aap yahan kya kar rahe hain?" she asks him, some confidence creeping back into her voice.
"Tum nahin chahti ki main yahan aaun?" Arnav asks, coming an inch closer. "Tumhare paas?" he adds in a whisper. Khushi's eyes fly open. The air between them starts crackling up again. She stares at him again losing track of her thoughts and her anger and her irritation, while his eyes dart to and from her lips to her eyes. "Agar tum nahin chahti ho, then push me away Khushi," he whispers. Her heart is beating at a pace that would surely make her heart seize in a few minutes. Her breathing hikes up rapidly, her mind blissfully blank. He goes closer to her, shifting slightly so that his mouth hovers next to her left ear. He is so close that Khushi can actually feel his warm breath on her face.
"Push me away Khushi," he growls, although he barely means it. Khushi closes her eyes and allows her senses to being assaulted by him. She is feeling weak-kneed at hearing him purr those words in her ears. Her mind is registering his words but her limbs aren't carrying out that command. She realises that she actually doesn't want to push him away and that this is the most alive she has felt in weeks. As his eyes again linger on her slightly parted lips, Arnav feels the yearning growing inside him again, to hold her in his arms. His left hand slowly slips from the frame of the door and brushes her waist. Electric current surges through Khushi's body.
And that was it.
The physical touch of his body on hers jolts Khushi out of her trance immediately. She opens her eyes and as she realises that Arnav is standing so close to her, his lips fraction of an inch away from hers, she brings up her hands and places them on his chest and pushes him away with all her might. Arnav looks shocked for a moment as he stares at Khushi who stares back at him, her chest heaving up and down in ragged breathing. Arnav watches a scary realisation dawning in Khushi's eyes: a realisation that she too wanted him.
Pursing his lips he determinedly starts walking towards her; Khushi's eyes widen in fear as she watches Arnav erasing the distance between them. Her gaze flits between his arms, his hands and his face, as she looks at him searchingly, wondering if he was going to grab her or push her against the car or something similar. However, before he can so anything, the rest of the family appears behind Arnav laughing and talking amongst each other. Arnav stops midway, glares at Khushi once and quietly walks to the back of the car to open the trunk. Khushi breathes out in relief. Her weak knees unable to support her weight any longer she staggers to the front seat and sits down, resting her hands on her knees to steady them. The blasted bottle of water is looking up at her from the docket in the door reminding her... Too close, too close...
ENGLISH VERSION
CHAPTER 18 SCENE 3
Payal, Khushi and Nandini are sitting on the bed chatting up with each other while waiting for the Raizada party to turn up. A plate of samosa and almost cleaned up plate of jalebis is in front of them. Khushi is happily chomping on a samosa and holding a jalebi in her free hand; trust her to have an appetite any time of the day for her favourite snacks.
Nandini is dressed in her usual blue jeans and a pretty multicoloured lucknowi kurti reaching midway down to her thighs. She is half lying on the bed, supporting her frame on her folded elbows as she lazily watches Khushi eating. She had been surprised but very happy when Khushi had called her an hour ago to accompany her for shopping. She was meeting her close friend after almost a year, so any excuse to spend time with her was good enough.
"Khushi, you just had lunch right?" Nandini asks teasingly as Khushi stuffs another samosa in her mouth and looks sheepishly at her.
"Yeah.. actbuagly..." Khushi mumbles incomprehensibly through the food in her mouth. Nandini and Payal burst into laughter.
"Finish eating first Khushi, then talk," Payal nudges Khushi in her ribs. Khushi hastily munches, her eyes becoming teary with the pressure of eating quickly. She finally gulps down the samosa and turns to Nandini.
"Actually Nandini ji, I always have some space reserved in my stomach for Samose and jalebis," Khushi explains patiently. Nandini goes on laughing at her explanation; Khushi's love for jalebis was legendary.
Nandini and Khushi had met at Shashi's sweet shop a few years ago when Nandini wanted to give a huge order of sweets to him for a function at her college. Nandini had come for ladoos and had gone back with basket and basket of jalebis at the insistence of the shop owner's daughter. And so, she not only gained appreciation by her college friends for getting such succulent jalebis, she also gained a new friend in Khushi.
Nandini was doing her B.Ed and B.A. in Hindi from Lucknow University. Khushi and Nandini were similar in the way that the both were fiercely independent; both wanted to earn their own living and both had big dreams. While Khushi always wanted to feed people with her fabulous cooking, Nandini wanted to make a difference by taking up teaching professionally. Both shared a tender love for Lucknow, even if Nandini was originally from Delhi.
But the similarities ended there. Behaviour wise, they were poles apart; if Khushi was eternally cheerful and bubbly, excitement very rarely overflowed from Nandini; she hardly ever expressed her feelings. While Khushi smiled most of the time, Nandini rarely smiled; even when she was amused, only her eyes betrayed anything. While Khushi was hasty to jump to decisions, Nandini was more level minded who took a minute to ponder things through. And while Khushi was a bubble of never fading energy, Nandini was lazy as hell, well apart from the times when Khushi called her to accompany her for an evening of roaming around.
Which is why Nandini was now sitting with the Gupta sisters, waiting for these mysterious Raizadas whom she had run into (quite literally) a few days ago. All she knew was that Payal di was married to one of the Raizada men. She had no idea that Khushi's alliance, or rather, the broken alliance had been with a Raizada too.
Suddenly, they hear the screech of breaks outside their house. Payal immediately jerks away the plates of snacks from Khushi's reach. "Okay, enough eating. I think they are here now. Khushi go and freshen up," Payal says admonishingly. "I'll go and keep these plates inside. Nandini, please straighten up the chairs dear." Nandini groans at the prospect of working, but gets up nevertheless.
Khushi and Payal go inside to quickly freshen up before inviting the Raizadas inside. Nandini is arranging the chairs when she hears footsteps behind her. She straightens up and watches familiar faces greeting her; a healthy woman heavily laden with jewellery and bright pink sunglasses walks through the main door, her hands hanging in mid air. Nandini gapes at the fashion disaster who looks completely lost in her own world. Just behind her a heavily pregnant woman follows who is smiling and positively glowing. A cute looking guy dressed in a tee shirt and funky jacket is holding her carefully by her arm guiding her in. He meets her eyes and smiles shyly at her before quickly looking away. Finally ending up the party were two tall guys; one of them with glasses shoots her a glance and immediately looks towards the guy in jacket, a strange smile appearing on his face. Nandini follows his gaze and looks at the guy with the jacket again, her eyes narrowing slightly. Finally she looks back at the guy who had walked in last of all.
Nandini's eyes widen again in shock as she stares at the broodingly handsome man. She feels her throat drying up as she takes in his appearance; a crisp white shirt open at the collar, a black waistcoat and black straight cut trousers. He looked manly and at the same time had boyish good looks. She walks to him as if in a trance and offers her hand to him.
"Nandini," she introduces herself, her confident voice quite contradicting her distraught nerves. Arnav looks at her as if pleasantly surprised. Then he takes her hand and shakes it firmly.
"Arnav Singh Raizada," he says politely and smiles at her.
Just then Khushi walks out of the house. Her eyes fall on Nandini and Arnav standing together smiling at each other, Arnav holding Nandini's hand firmly in his and Khushi feels like the breath is knocked out of her lungs.
"Nandini ji!" Khushi shouts suddenly from the distance. All the Raizadas stare at Khushi some in shock, some in curiosity. Arnav and Nandini withdraw their hands from the hand shake. Khushi looks awkwardly at all of them, suddenly having realised that she had actually shouted out loud. She consciously walks out to the courtyard to greet everyone. Payal too comes out behind her smiling. Khushi moves between Arnav and Nandini and then throwing a dirty look at Arnav gently nudges Nandini away from him and towards the rest of the people.
"Nandini ji, this is Aakash jeeja ji," Khushi introduces Aakash first who again gives her the weird knowing smile. "This is Manorama ji, Jeejaji's mother," next was the fat woman, Nandini tried hard to suppress the laughter that was threatening to burst out of her. "This is Nanhe ji, Aakash ji's brother." The cool looking guy extends her hand to Nandini confidently.
"I'm Nandkishore," NK says charmingly. "But you can call me NK." Nandini feels her eyebrow rising up as she looks from NK to his extended hand. She folds her hand in a Namaste in response. NK withdraws his hand and he too sheepishly folds his hands in Namaste.
"This is Anjali ji. Manorama ji's niece," Nandini smiles at the pregnant woman who warmly smiles back at her. "And this -" Khushi finally turns to Arnav who was now smirking at her, waiting expectantly to see how Khushi would introduce him. But Nandini goes one step further.
"This is Arnav ji," she tells a surprised Khushi. Arnav smiles warmly at Nandini.
"We've met," He explains to Khushi, his eyes glinting with mirth. She feels a sudden pang of irritation shoot through her.
"No! This is nobody!" Khushi suddenly hisses, leading a dazed looking Nandini away from Arnav and out the main door towards the car. Arnav raises his eyebrows for a moment at Khushi's reaction. As they walk away, Khushi turns around to look at Arnav. He smirks at her and she immediately looks away muttering to herself.
A few minutes later, the rest of Raizadas accompanied by Payal join them outside. Arnav gets behind the wheel. The moment it seems to Khushi that Nandini is going to sit in the co-driver's seat, she pushes Aakash towards the door. Aakash looks at Khushi in confusion who vigourously nods towards the seat throwing a knowing look towards Nandini and NK. Aakash understands what Khushi is trying to say, realising she too had been let into NK Bhai's secret. He looks longingly at Payal for a moment. He was hoping to sit with her, meeting her after an entire day, but it doesn't seem possible to him. So he sighs and gets into the front seat next to Arnav. God, what all he had to do for his brother's love life to kick start. Anjali, Mami and Payal sit in the middle seats leaving a satisfied Khushi, a delighted NK and a disappointed Nandini to sit on the seat at the back. And they set off.
NK was smiling shyly at Nandini and was trying to make small talk. Nandini was replying in monosyllables.
"So, Nandini ji, what are you doing?" NK asks charmingly. Khushi beams a big smile, as she senses the conversation part kick starting. Nandini, however, sighs.
"Studying."
"Nice! And you are based out of Lucknow?" NK asks again.
"No." But her disinterested tone rather than deterring NK, just encourages him to go on.
"Oh okay. So aapko Lucknow kachha lagta hai?(He's trying to ask if she likes it in Lucknow)" NK asks further.
"Ji?" Nandini stares astonished at NK displaying a rare emotion. Did he just say Kachha? She wonders. NK immediately looks stumped too, realising from Nandini's reaction he had botched up his Hindi again. He quickly looks at Khushi for help.
"NK ji, not kachha, achha," Khushi says giggling. "Kachha means..." NK nods at her eagerly to enlighten him. Khushi stops, suddenly looking embarrassed.
"Kachha means underwear, NK," Nandini declares, her her eyes glinting with laughter. In response, NK's eyes widen in horror and he suddenly clasps his hands over his mouth covering it in shock of saying something so embrassing. Nandini smirks and looks at Khushi who is smiling sheepishly back at her.
"Actually Nandini ji, Nanhe ji doesn't know much of Hindi. He used to stay," Khushi turns to NK, "where were you staying?" she asks him.
"Synnby" NK mutters, his palms still blocking his mouth. Then realising what he was doing, he sheepishly removes the hands from his mouth and says, "Sydney," in a clear voice, looking anywhere but at Nandini. She smirks again.
"Interesting," is all Nandini replies. And the three of them sink into silence.
Arnav dexterously drives through the busy afternoon traffic as he follows the directions being shouted by Khushi from the back seat. Everytime Khushi shouts out, Arnav would gaze into the rear view mirror to look at her. He was amused to see her flustered every time their eyes met.
They were on their way to Ameenabad; the busiest and most happening shopping hub of Lucknow. The numerous lanes of one of the oldest Muslim dominated areas were lined with shop after shop offering the traditional embroidered Lucknowi chickankaari work on varied types of clothes. Beautifully vibrant coloured sarees and salwar suits were hung down from the ceiling to the floor of every shop showing off their best pieces. There was a lot of hustle bustle on the street; a mix of hawkers selling ice cream, cheap plastics and fake watches amidst pedlars and customers who were swarming everywhere like flies. Arnav curses under his breath. He hated driving in busy areas like these. After a quick consultation with Aakash, he decides it would be better to walk instead. Arnav finds a paid parking space a little ahead and parks the SUV. Everyone gets off from the car.
Khushi notices Nandini immediately making a beeline for Arnav again, who smiles at her. They immediately start a conversation. Khushi frowns in irritation. She turns to NK.
"Nanheji! What are you doing here?" Khushi mutters annoyedly NK. He innocently shrugs back at her. Khushi sighs exasperatedly, "You should be at the front, with Nandiniji." NK's eyes widen again and he vigourously shakes his head.
"No Khushi ji, not at all! Nandini ji doesn't like me at all! Didn't you see, she was looking at me with so much of ghoosa (boxing)?" NK replies in a fearful voice.
"Not Ghoosa (boxing), gussa (anger) Nanhe ji," Khushi automatically corrects him. It had become like a reflex action now. Khushi sees Nandini talking cheerfully to Anjali and Mami showing them the shops around. "If you don't go talk to her, how will she get to know you?" Khushi again glances warily at Nandini who was now talking to Arnav again about something. Khushi glares to see Arnav smiling back at her. "And if she doesnt come to know you, how will she get to like you?" she reels off hastily. NK looks thoughtful as he absorbs the gyaan dispensed by Khushi Mata.
"Well you do make sense, Khushi ji," he mumbles thoughtfully. Khushi nods her head vigourously and pushes NK towards Nandini. Just then, Anjali wraps her hand into the crook of Khushi's arm. Khushi jumps at the sudden touch.
"Khushiji, Mamiji and I need to buy sarees, will you come with us?" Anjali asks her. Khushi nods and leads Anjali and Mami to the nearest showroom which boasted of having the most authentic hand made embroidered sarees. Khushi steals a final glance behind her to see NK talking to Nandini, while Arnav was checking something on his phone. Payal and Aakash were no where to be seen. Hey Devi Maiyya, please watch over Nanheji, Khushi prays and enters into the showroom.
The eager salesman starts piling saree after saree in front of the two awestruck ladies sitting in front of him. Anjali asks for the price of one and the salesman quotes it to her. Khushi narrows her eyes and starts negotiating with the salesman at that very instant, telling him off how he is looting innocent tourists. The salesman realises that Khushi was a local and apologetically reduces the quoted price by some amount. Within minutes, Khushi is intensely immersed in the shopping state of mind finding sarees of different hues for Anjali and Mami, completely having forgotten that she had come with five more people.
There was a blood red saree with black sequins embedded all over it that stood out from the rest of the sarees. The salesman noticed that Khushi was staring at it longingly and takes it out of the pile and offers it to Khushi.
"You have a wonderful taste, Didi. This sequined work is called Mukesh work. This will look beautiful on you," the salesman says to Khushi. She shakes her head and dismisses him with a smile.
"I haven't come to buy today, Bhaiya. You just concentrate on what these ladies need and keep it aside," Khushi tells the salesman and determinedly tears her glance away from the saree.
Fourty five minutes later, just as the salesman happily adds the last saree to an already growing pile, Anjali and Mami decide to call it quits. Khushi too gets up to join them.
"Are the only things available here for ladies? I don't see anything for gents." a familiar voice falls into Khushi's ears and she turns around to see NK standing behind him looking morose. Khushi stares at him.
"Nanhe ji? What are you doing here?" Khushi looks around the shop. "Where's Nandini ji?"
"She's out choom-ing (kissing)," NK explains. Then, as Khushi's eyes widen in alarm, he smacks himself on the forehead, "ROAMING! She's roaming." He corrects himself. Khushi rushes to Anjali and tells her she will be outside while Anjali paid the bill. Khushi holds NK's hand and drags him outside the shop
"Who is she roaming with?" Khushi asks, an alien feeling of panic rising inside her heart. NK looks at her in confusion.
"With Aakash and Payal," he replies looking at her worriedly. "They only told me to come and call you outside. Khushiji are you alright?" he adds as he watches Khushi hold on to his arm. Her head is suddenly reeling.
"I need to drink water," she gasps. NK looks around immediately, but there are no shops around that sell refreshments. Then he remembers something.
"Khushiji, there's a bottle in the car. I'll get it for you," but Khushi stops him immediately.
"No! Nanhe ji, you go back to Nandini ji. I'll get the bottle from the car" Khushi doesn't want this wonderful set up between the budding lovebirds to go waste. "Go." She eggs NK towards Nandini, and sets off towards the parking lot.
The sun has already set, tinging the evening skies with streaks of twilight. The streets were getting more and more crowded as the evening market was just starting off. Khushi walks on remembering the landmark she had mentally noted for the car park. Ten minutes later she find the place and the SUV too. She walks boldly to the door and wrenches the handle. Nothing happens. She tries again. This time there is a loud ping noise and the door opens. Khushi stares at the open door in surprise. "But the door wasn't opening at first," she mutters to herself.
"Yeah. You need to unlock the car to open the door." Khushi freezes. The familiar voice had whispered very close to her right ear. Too close.
It is steadily getting dark all around her and as far as she can tell, there isn't another soul close by. Khushi turns around very slowly, her heartbeats suddenly racing, her mouth feeling suddenly dry. She raises her eyes to meet his brown orbs merely inches from her, gazing at her as if mesmerized. Her eyes unknowingly move down to his tantalising lips, before she determinedly looks back into his eyes. He smirks at her. He had placed his right hand on the car's body and his left on the frame of the open door. So basically, Khushi is trapped between the car and Arnav's body that was slowly inching closer to her.
"You?" Khushi squeaks, her vocal chords betraying her right at this crucial moment. Arnav's lips curve up.
"Why? Where you expecting someone else?" he asks huskily. Khushi's eyes widen.
"N... No." She stutters. What was it about him that rendered her speechless everytime he came close to her? She had been angry with him since morning right? And even later when he was flirting with her friend? "What are you doing here?" she asks him, some confidence creeping back into her voice.
"You don't want me here?" Arnav asks, coming an inch closer. "Near you?" he adds in a whisper. Khushi's eyes fly open. The air between them starts crackling up again. She stares at him again losing track of her thoughts and her anger and her irritation, while his eyes dart to and from her lips to her eyes. "If you don't want me here, then push me away Khushi," he whispers. Her heart is beating at a pace that would surely make her heart seize in a few minutes. Her breathing hikes up rapidly, her mind blissfully blank. He goes closer to her, shifting slightly so that his mouth hovers next to her left ear. He is so close that Khushi can actually feel his warm breath on her face.
"Push me away Khushi," he growls, although he barely means it. Khushi closes her eyes and allows her senses to being assaulted by him. She is feeling weak-kneed at hearing him purr those words in her ears. Her mind is registering his words but her limbs aren't carrying out that command. She realises that she actually doesn't want to push him away and that this is the most alive she has felt in weeks. As his eyes again linger on her slightly parted lips, Arnav feels the yearning growing inside him again, to hold her in his arms. His left hand slowly slips from the frame of the door and brushes her waist. Electric current surges through Khushi's body.
And that was it.
The physical touch of his body on hers jolts Khushi out of her trance immediately. She opens her eyes and as she realises that Arnav is standing so close to her, his lips fraction of an inch away from hers, she brings up her hands and places them on his chest and pushes him away with all her might. Arnav looks shocked for a moment as he stares at Khushi who stares back at him, her chest heaving up and down in ragged breathing. Arnav watches a scary realisation dawning in Khushi's eyes: a realisation that she too wanted him.
Pursing his lips he determinedly starts walking towards her; Khushi's eyes widen in fear as she watches Arnav erasing the distance between them. Her gaze flits between his arms, his hands and his face, as she looks at him searchingly, wondering if he was going to grab her or push her against the car or something similar. However, before he can so anything, the rest of the family appears behind Arnav laughing and talking amongst each other. Arnav stops midway, glares at Khushi once and quietly walks to the back of the car to open the trunk. Khushi breathes out in relief. Her weak knees unable to support her weight any longer she staggers to the front seat and sits down, resting her hands on her knees to steady them. The blasted bottle of water is looking up at her from the docket in the door reminding her... Too close, too close...
Writer's note: 😳 Haye re Nandkishore! I was so frikkin excited to write this that I was like I have to update it ASAP and read some comments to soothe my heart hahahaa
This is like one of the LONGEST scenes I've every written people and so I DEMAND that you give me comments worth the scene ok? OK I won't demand, but I'll request, pleaseee?? with a bug hug and a bigger kiss. hehehe
Feedback people, aaj to banta hai! (and don't you dare scream cliffhanger! I've given you jealous Khushi, a HOT RV and such a long scene 😆)
muaaah to all my lovely readers! 🤗
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