Collab FF: IPK 2.0-Doing it right#3, Ch23, p144 - Page 42

Chapter Seventeen 

Ten minutes later, however, Arnav Singh Raizada's smirk had disappeared. His face was now covered in the famous ASR wrath and anger, which he was generously giving Aman, his right-hand, a taste of. 'What The, Aman. Who told you to arrange the meeting with the Mehras today evening and that in Delhi?' Not giving Aman a chance to answer he continued barking into his Bluetooth as he shrewdly manoeuvred the Black SUV through the streets of Lucknow. 'You know, how important this deal is for us. The Mehras are going to help us set up our textile mill at Gurgaon and I have to be there. Aman, you are just useless nimcompoop. Remind me to cut off your bonus this festive season. You didn't deserve the chance of hosting the Fashion show,' Rudely, cutting off the line, Arnav dialled Khushi's number. They'd have to postpone the meeting and change the place. He had to go to Delhi, reach there within the next two hours.

'Now, why is this girl not picking up her phone?' Arnav muttered to himself as he impatiently waited for Khushi to pick up the phone on the other side. After three rings, Arnav heard, 'Hullo...' and the sound of traffic in the background. Shit! She had already started off for the AR offices. 'Where are you, Khushi?' Arnav asked without any greeting, while he banged the horn for the watch-man to open the metal gates of Sheesh Mahal. 'Woh interview ke liye nikal ne se pehle, hum chau raste par Bankelal ji se baat kar rahe the(Before coming for the interview I was talking to Bankelaljee),' Khushi answered him while tucking in her colourful jhola on her shoulder and waiting for an auto-rickshaw. 'What? Who is Bankelal?' Arnav asked as he parked the SUV inside the premises of Sheesh Mahal. 'Bankelal ji ki chau raste par paan ki dukan hai. Hum unse keh rahe the ki agar Bhabhojee aur Surajjee aaye toh unko sirf kathe aur chuna wala paan kheela kar wapas bhej de (Bankelaljee sells paan on the crossroads. I was telling him that if Bhabhojee and Surajjee come then give them only katha and chuna paan),' Khushi patiently explained Arnav as if it was so obvious and Arnav was a three year old to understand her. 'What The- What's katha? Anyway, listen I am going to Delhi right this moment. Agar tumhe interview dena hai toh mere saath chalo..abhi.. Main Chopper mein tumhara interview le lunga aur tum kal se Delhi mein apni job join kar sakti ho(If you want to give the interview. Come with me..now..I will take your interview on the Chopper and you can join the job in Delhi from tomorrow),' Arnav told Khushi rapidly as he climbed up the stairs to his room. 'Hai Devvi Maiyya,' Khushi's loud call to her favourite Goddess attracted many nasty glares from others on the pavement. 'Par hum..hum kaise aa sakte hai?(But how..how..I can I come now)' Khushi whispered into the phone conscious of the stares. 'What? Tumhe job nahi chahiye? Theek hai...Jaao Bhabhojee jab shagun le kar aaye toh unke pair chu kar unki beendni ban jaana(Do you need the job or not? Okay..Go..when Bhabhojee comes, touch her feet and become her daughter-in-law?),' Arnav smirked into the phone knowing this was highly impossible. 'Par..par..aaj..abhi shayad aap bhul rahe Mr. Raizada ki aapke pariwaar wale shagun le kar aa rahe aaj shaam (But..But..have you forgotten, I suppose, Mr Raizada that your family is visiting with customary gifts today evening),' Khushi said, finally recovered her confidence. 'Okay. Tomorrow at 10 then at AR headquarters Delhi,' Arnav conceded. "Kal, magar...kal hum Delhi kaise pahunchenge?Tomorrow..but..how will I come to Delhi tomorrow),' Khushi wailed again as she started back to Gomti Sadan. 'Day after tomorrow then. No Changes. Tumhe job chahiye ki nahi? (Do you need the job or not),' Arnav rudely cut the phone again, without giving Khushi a chance to respond.

Khushi wailed again, 'Hai Devi Maiyya, yeh samjhte kya hai apne aapko. Ab hum ghar waalon ko kya bole. Kaise jaaye Dilli parso? Laad Governor kahike! (What does he think of himself? Now what will I say at home? How will I reach Delhi the day after tomorrow?Such a Laad Governor!)' And our dear readers, as you very well can imagine that this girl ' with weird habits and weirder sense of clothing, was attracting weird stares from all the pedestrians as she stood in the middle of the street folding her hands and looking up at the sky.

Arnav Singh Raizada, on the other hand prepared for his hasty departure to Delhi for a meeting AR dependent on. He collected his files and laptop. He rang up the Chopper's pilot to fuel it up and be ready to take him back in half an hour. And then, he called HP and gave him a note for Di, telling her he was going back and would not be there to accompany them to the Guptas.

'Kalele ki hogai chaggayi Chakalgandh Nachan ko chali aayi,' NK was singing as everybody settled in the SUV - ready to visit the Guptas with shagun. 'Arrey, what dis you singing, NK babua?' the ever inquisitive Manorama mami asked. 'Masijee, Kyunki hum Akaash ki chaggayi larne jaa rahe hai, I thought the song suits the occasion(Masijee, Because we are going for Akash's engagement I thought this song suits occasion),' NK told his dear aunt in his accented and highly flawed Hindi. 'Chaggayi nahi saggayi, NK bhai,' Anjali corrected her cousin fondly. 'What is kalela, NK bitwa?' Manorama mami asked her question number two. 'Unka matlab karele se tha mami jee, yeh Govinda ki picture ka gaana hai.' her niece told her. 'You meanz beetterr melons (bitter melon). Humar Payal karela nahi hai!(He meant bitter melon, Mamijee. This is a song of one of Govinda's movie)' Manorama almost screeched at her nephew. 'Didz yew naat see the fotos, Damadjee showing of my Payal (Did you not see the photos which Damadjee showed of my Payal?),' Mamijee gloated.

Shyam had shown Mamijee what-looked-like photos of Payal's modelling days. Mamijee had seen her future bahuriya in fashionable dresses ' some skimpy floral frocks, some halter necked tops and jeans. Shyam had also shown her the website with Payal's bio data and sob story of the girl from Lucknow streets whose father was so self-dependent and conscious that he refused help from his rich daughter. Therefore, they still lived in the old Gomti Niwas after Payal returned from Mumbai for a break. Manorama from then till now was so happy and joyous about her 'phuture daughter-in-law that she couldn't stop gloating about her almost Miss India bahu and her sanskaars. And Nanijee wasn't there to stop her bahuriya's gloat galore. She had had to return to Delhi the previous night with Manohar Mama  when news had reached that one of nanijee's close friends had met with an accident. Our dear readers, as you might have gauged the photos were photoshopped and the site, fake ' so much for our Baand Mamijee!

The ride to the Guptas continued, with NK running his hand through his hair guiltily and pursuing his maasijee.

All this while Akaash sat in the front seat of the car ' not minding in the least that he had to carry one of the dagras carrying shagun. He had the silliest grin adorned on his face. The eyes with which Payal had fallen in love with, fanned by the eyelashes Payal so adored were lost in dreams of valleys. And in those valleys Payal was Sridevi and he was Rishi Kapoor. She was in a sarree and he was in a sweater. And they both were singing and dancing.

Payal, on the other hand was no Sridevi in saree at present. Instead, she was waiting and pacing the length of her room. She was happy and she was anxious. She was happy because this was one step forward. She was anxious because nobody at home except Khushi new of Raizadas' impending arrival.

Khushi too was pacing the same room. She was also munching her jalebi ' her perpetual companion. She was also talking to Devi Maiyya her warehouse of complaints - this time muttering about some Rakshash and some Laad Governor. How was she going to convince the gharwalas to let her go to Delhi!

DHAM!

'Jiji, tum idhar se udhar chalna band karo(Jiji, stop pacing),' Khushi admonished her sister when they both clashed into each other. 'Aur tum kya kar rahi ho? (And what are you doing?)' Payal asked her, raising her eyebrows.

Madhumati Mishra opened the doors of Gomti Sadan to look at an entourage of men and women carrying piles of gifts. 'Aap kaun hai, babua? (Who are you, babua)' she asked the guy with a pierced ear. The woman with straight hair answered, 'Ji hum Anjali Jha hai. Aapko Payaljee ne nahi bataya? Hum humare bhai Akash ke taraf se unke liye rishta aur shagun laaye hai. (Jee, I am Anjali Jha. Did Payalji not tell you? We have come from my brother Akaash's side to ask for her hand and bring the customary gifts)'

At that Payal's buaji almost fainted. Almost being significant

After a few minutes -

'Hai Rey Nandkishore,' Buaji wailed at the sight in her drawing room. Koki behen had just broken off the relationship today morning. And here were the Raizada with the shagun. What would the mohallewalas say? She thought almost aloud. Their girls had ruined themselves by going to the party. Everybody would now think Payalia had been raas racha-ying!

The Gomti Sadan living room was tottered with piles of gifts wrapped up in Sanka-Devi-wale-glossy paper and dagras carrying the shagun ke meethai. And they were there only because, when Madhumati Mishra had opened the gate and gawked at the Raizada entourage, the mohallewalahs had gawked too. The ever conscious Garima and she had then invited the Raizadas inside.

'Ji Buaji,' NK looked up when he heard his name mentioned.

'Tum nahi babua, Nandkisore(Not you Babua, I am talking about Nandkishore),' buaji said. 'Main NandKishore kheer hu, buaji (I am Nandkishore only),' NK said. 'Hai, kheer?' Buaji asked perplexed.

And once again NK was corrected. Buaji was given an explanation by a gloating Manorama about NK's Australian background. In that moment of boasting and embarrassment, Madhumati Mishra decided she didn't like the cartoon of a woman, the boy's mother was. In that moment, Manorama Raizada decided she didn't like this 'plate-shaking bupphhaalo' (plait-shaking-buffalo) in the shape of a woman.

Payal and Akash sitting on opposite sofas across the centre tables had eyes only for each other. Payal had dressed up for him. Akash had borrowed some gel from his bhai for the occasion. He admired her plaited hair and purple ribbon. She admired his new red rimmed glasses. And the glasses of their dream and dancing broke when they heard buaji speaking.

'Hume maaf kar do, bitiya. Par hum abhi yeh shagun nahi le sakat hai. U kya hai na, Nandkishore, abhi abhi Kokila behen ke bitwa ke saath rishta toota hai'. aur phir log bhi toh baat banayenge..aap samjhat ho na (Please forgive us, bitya. But we cannot accept these gifts at the moment. The fact of the matter is, Nandkishore that Kokila behen has just refused the relationship and then tongues will wag. I hope you are getting what I am saying),' Buaji spoke to Anjali. She couldn't even look at Manorama without seeing red. Garima stood there by her side and nodded her head furiously just so their guests weren't offended and she added. 'Agar hum shagun agle maheene kare toh, zyada behtar rahega, nahi? Bachche ek dusre k jaan bhi lenge. (If we do this next month,won't it be better? The children will get to know each other better until then)' She hoped to gain some favour. She didn't want such a nice rishta to go away. She didn't want tongues wagging either. And Madhumati jiji had said this was a good way in their sneaky conversations in the kitchen.

'Koi baat nahi Aunty, hum samajhte hai. Hum thode din baad baat kar ke sab tay kare? (No problem Aunty. We understand. Shall we talk about this a few days later?)' Anjali asked her hosts. She found herself in a tight position with Nani not here and what with Mamijee being not-the-right-person to talk with buaji.

Khushi all this while had been in the kitchen making samosas and chai for everybody. She came in with plates and cups. She came in with samosas and jalebis. She was anxious about Bhabhojee also entering the scene but not as much anxious as she was about the phone call buaji would soon receive.

The guests and the hosts munched on the snacks and sipped chai in awkward conversation. All kinds of emotions floated in the air ' chashni laden from Khushi's jalebi, NK's incorrect Hindi, Akash and Payal's eyelock conversation and Mamijee's disappointment. When the SUV departed the Gomti Sadan at seven that evening the only good that had come out of the whole thing was that Khushi's jalebis from earlier in the day had found stomachs to fill instead of the municipal garbage vans!

~~~~~

Hari Prakash opened the door of Sheesh Mahal when the bell rung at two o' clock in the afternoon, the next day. Anjali asked, 'Kaun hai, Hari Prakashji. Mohanji aa gaye kya? Humme hospital jaana hai. (Who is it, Hari Prakashjo. Is it Mohanji? I'm getting late for the hospital)' 'Nahi di, yaha toh, (No,di..It is..)'' the man's pallor matched his outfit - pale. At such a blurred reply from the help, Anjali walked to the door with her lab coat in hand. And she came to a halt at what she saw. Her mouth opened and remained open.

Anjali registered the sound of something falling on the floor.

'Hello Hi Bye Bye! Humaar Payal daughter-in-law.'

(Hello Hi Bye Bye! My Payal daughter-in-law)

There stood Akash and Payal. Akash in his everyday attire and special occasion gelled hair. Payal in a saree - a red saree with frills and gotas - clearly borrowed too. And with garlands of marigold and roses and rajnigandha round their neck and on closer inspection Payal had sindoor filled in her maang and mangalsutra round her neck.

And this author could hear Kesha singing loudly in her ears,

'Love! Love! Love!'

~~~~~

A/N - So, here is the seventeenth chapter guys. I hope I did justice the storyline and was able to follow the maha writers before me. And a special thanks to Saiyyu di, Madhu, Vee and Maxine for helping me out with the update 😊

-Dee

P.S. - I have put up English translations for the conversations. :-)

They tricked Manorama Baand to agree to Payaliys's rishta for Akash!😆

Now what has Khushi's sanki mind cooked up?

"She was also talking to Devi Maiyya ' her warehouse of complaints '..." I liked the comparison!😊

So Akash and Payal got married!? Vhoa!

Loved the update!