Chapter 16
Khushi stretched in bed, looking at the bright sunlight streaming in through the curtains. The events of the night before played out in her mind. Sighing to herself, she looked at Payal still wrapped in sleep, before her eyes wandered to the clock. Eight a.m. ... EIGHT!! Aarrgghh!!
She had to meet with the Laad Governor today for that interview - or was it still on? He hadn't mentioned anything about it. Although he had danced with her. She grinned. The man could do a mean pelvic thrust! And that towel, hayyy!! The Laad Governor surely knew how to use a towel, she blushed.
'Hai Re Nandkisore!' right on cue, Buaji's exclamation filtered through the door, before it slammed open.
Payal sat up in bed and exclaimed, 'Akash!'
'Hain?' said Buaji, stopping in her tracks.
'Hey Devi Mayya! Rakhsa karna!' said Khushi - though why she needed protection, she had no clue, just that she knew that this was not an auspicious start to the day.
'Party? You girls went to a party yesterday? and what did you do there? Thumkas?' said Buaji holding one ear of each girl in her hand.
'Aaahhh!! Buaji,' yelled Khushi. 'Just listen to us.'
'What listen? You listen! Kokilaji called this early this morning,' Buaji was furious, her eyes getting beadier with each word, as her voice got louder. 'They called off the marriages. BOTH of yours.' She face palmed again. 'Hai re Nandkisore, now what will happen? Who will marry you? Your kismat it totally phooti.' She beat her ample bosom, to show where kismat lived!
The girls looked at each other, eyes sparkling with delight! It had worked! No more 'Ji, Momji!' for them! Yesss!!!
Buaji walked away shaking her head, stopped and turned, tossing her plait over her neck. She walked back to the bed and looked suspiciously at Payal, who leaned back wondering what her Buaji was going to say now.
'Who is this Akash, Payal?' she asked.
Payal looked blankly at her and said, 'Who?'
'Akash. You woke up and said Akash,' Buaji narrowed her eyes.
Payal opened her eyes wide. 'I don't know what you're talking about, Buaji,' while Khushi tried hard not to snigger.
'Hmph!' Buaji grunted, giving her another suspicious look before walking out the door.
The girls high five-ed and jumped out of bed.
****
Arnav came downstairs that morning to find that an army of elves had magically cleaned up the house, and everything seemed normal.
Seemed being the operative word. Anjali sat in the vast living area in the middle of a couch, surrounded by colorful swathes of wrapping paper, huge piles of gifts in front of her. Naniji, Mamiji, HP, OP, JP, PP were all employed likewise. Akash was no where to be seen. But that is only until you swung the camera angle. He was hidden behind the pile of gifts.
'Di, what's going on?' he asked casting a jaundiced eye over everything.
'Nothing, Chotey,' she blithely replied. 'Just preparing the shagun to go to the Gupta house. For Akash,' she raised innocent eyes to his.
He nodded and was heading out the door, when she slyly called him back, 'Chotey, should we go with Khushi's shagun also?'
He spun around, and stared at his sister, eyes narrowed, studying her for a minute, before he smirked and said, 'sure. Go ahead.'
He might as well have yelled, 'Statue!'
They turned to stone as they stared at him open-mouthed, the gaudy papers flying in slow motion around them as he opened the door and stepped out.
Two seconds later he peeped back in and said, 'waise, I hope the ladka knows what a phansi ka phanda you're gonna tie around his neck. Wish him all the best from me.'
With that, he shut the door behind him, and stepped out jauntily to his SUV.
Two seconds later, the house was in uproar!
'What!' wailed Anjali, 'did he just ask me to take the shagun for Khushi for some other ladka?'
Akash: 'Di .. relax .. er .. it's nothing like that!'
'Anjali, bitiya,' said Nani, 'Dheeraj rakho. It's nothing like that. We can call and ask him. Let's get Akash's one ready now.'
Akash: 'Nani .. you're absolutely right... er ..'
'Hello-hi-bye-bye,' screeched Mamiji, 'what will happen to my Akash bitwa? if Arnav bitwa won't ride the ghodi, then ..' ** sob **
'Manorama, aisun kauno baat nahin,' said Nani, 'Arnav was just pulling our legs.'
Akash: 'Yes, Maatey.. er.. bhai was just...'
'No!!' Anjali said. wiping her tears, firming her trembling lips, 'We will take the shagun for Khushi ... We'll find a ladka for her! .. and I know the perfect one!'
She thought for a minute, marched determinedly to the phone and dialed.
Akash: 'Di... er... what are you doing?!' he pulled on his hair.
Nani: 'Anjali bitwa... ee kaa karat ho?'
Manorama: 'Anjali bitwa, aap phonewa lagaao..'
Anjali: 'Arnav?' she said haughtily.
Nani face palmed.
Akash hung his head in despair.
Mami said, 'ee loh! She's calling Arnav bitwa only. So where is the new ladka?'
The Prakash brothers fled the scene.
****
Arnav smirked as the call came through. He'd been expecting it. He tapped his Bluetooth.
'Haan, Di,' he said.
'Arnav,' she said haughtily. He pursed his lips. His sister was hopping mad. He was Arnav today, not Chotey. She cleared her throat.
'Arnav, we've found a ladka for Khushi,' she announced grandly.
'Oh? That's good news, Di,' he said insouciantly. 'Who is it?'
'Bhaboji's son Suraj. They were looking for a long time. We told them about Khushi - how she was such a shaanth, susheel, and bahut hi kuhubsurat ladki. So they are going to Khushi's place today to see her. And if they like her, they will have the shagun today only.'
He screeched to a halt, oblivious to the cacophony of horns that rang out behind him. Damn! His sister played a mean hard ball!
'You know,' she continued, 'the good thing is, he's a halwai, so all Khushi's jalebi making skills will come in really handy!'
He nodded thoughtfully and only said, 'Great! I'll see you later then.'
He hung up. Time to call Khushi Kumari Gupta.
****
Nani, Akash and Mami looked at Anjali with dawning admiration in their eyes. She had just played Arnav Singh Raizada and called his bluff!
****
'Khushi,' he said, when she picked up the phone, steering the wheel with one hand, the other on the gear.
'Ji, Arnavji,' she replied, her hand automatically reaching for a jalebi as her dhak-dhak went into overdrive.
'The family will be coming over this evening with the shagun for Payal,' he informed her.
'What?!' she squealed.
He winced and touched the bluetooth. 'Khushi, don't tell anyone, yet.' He swung the wheel around as he skirted past two jay walking people.
She nodded her head, before realizing he couldn't see her, and then said, 'No, I won't!' She swallowed the jalebi in her mouth and exclaimed, 'Oh, Arnavji, I am so happy for her!'
He waited a beat and then said, 'There's something else. Di has found the perfect ladka for you. They are coming today to see you! In fact, if they like you, then.. '
'What!' she coughed as she choked on dry air.
'Yeah,' he said, sadly, his smile was that of a big, bad wolf.
She stuttered what sounded like 'mmffmmhh ... adhhsmm... ' to him.
'Khushi, I don't know what you're saying. But today, they're coming with the shagun for you, too.'
'Hey Devi Mayya!' She slapped the jalebi onto her face.
Between Anjali Di and her Buaji - she didn't have a chance! They would marry her to a totally nameless, faceless person. She paced up and down the little room, until she was dizzy, biting her nails down to nothing, and muttering 'hey Devi Mayya,' every once in a while.
'Khushi, tum theek ho?' he asked tenderly, the wicked grin still on his face.
'No, no, Arnavji,' she said, tears in her eyes. 'They'll marry me off to a totally nameless, faceless person like your Amanji and I will have to belo papad and make achaar for the rest of my life. And I will have a sasuma who will find fault with me no matter what. Hey Devi Mayya, what will I do? What will happen to my gotas?' She was in tears.
'Have you given any thought to coming to Delhi?' he tossed it in there. Perfect timing.
'I ... I ... yes!' she said desperately. 'I do want to go to Delhi.'
'In that case, meet me at the office in an hour,' he said soothingly, honking as a cow deigned to get in the way of the great Arnav Singh Raizada. 'We'll work something out.'
'Okay,' she said.
'And Khushi, no need to tell anyone anything, okay?' he asked.
'Okay,' she said dejectedly.
He hung up the phone.
Check and Mate. Two Birds. One Stone. He wasn't going to let anyone else have Khushi. Nor was he going to let her incredibly talented gota work go to some other designer.
Arnav Singh Raizada had designs of his own on Khushi Kumari Gupta and they didn't involve just gotas.
****
comment:
p_commentcount