Smita,😊
Here is the interpretation to Section 1 of Part 7.
It is said every action has an equal and opposite reaction, popularly known as Newton's third law of motion, and this is what this update is about. REACTIONS in general and RIPOSTE in particular.
As Arnav sat looking at the sweet face of Khushi, in the arms of Morpheus, curled up under his blanket after an eventful day, which had seen bringing Di back from the hospital accompanied by Buaji, he noted that the clock showed that it was day seven. He was racing against time and it was his own doing, insisting on a contract marriage that has boomeranged. Buaji who had come with Di, had taken Khushi in a bear hug, commiserating with her on the day of her parent's death anniversary. Khushi had been silent all evening helping the others take care of Di. Every time he had tried to talk to her, it had proved to be elusive as the sea-line far due to the demands of the rest on their time and by the time he could get into his room she was in deep sleep. Looking at her calm yet vulnerable face, he acknowledged with a pang under all the jocular talk she was a very serious and a tired soul. At a very young age she had become wise beyond years due to her sufferings and fears, the realities of grief offered by the life. Even though it would time and again haunt the places in her mind, her capacity to see the beauty of life had helped her to bear the weight of her tragic childhood apparently with ease. Her fine poise was admirable. A small smile played on his lips, to see this beauty in deep slumber who had come to mean the world to him. As he remembered that it was day seven, the smile got wiped out. He had only seven more days to make her change her mind. He wondered what made him specify time frame for marriage. It would have been a service unto himself if he had just forced her into marriage without adding the time frame. But for all his shatir dimaag, he had to specify it as a time bound contract! It had backfired! Now the same clause that he had used as a cloak of protection had become a mill stone around his neck. By adopting an ostrich strategy of choosing to ignore the problem in the hope that it will resolve itself or disappear will only make matters worse. He just had seven more days to convince her otherwise. What if he failed to do so? Will she be willing to give him another chance? It hit him like nothing else could. It was a trilemma that left him on a sticky wicket. He recoiled at the thought of Khushi leaving him and it was not at all an option. His reflection that she couldn't leave him, as she loved him as much as he loved her and she couldn't live apart from him any more than he could, gave him some sort of comfort. He paused to collect his thoughts, reminded himself of his avowed intent of showing his love to her when he felt. He thought, by his actions and deliverance of his thoughts, he would be able to counterbalance the credibility gap that she feels now. He would make her understand how much he loved her and needed her in his life. These thoughts helped him to come to grips with the situation and ushered him to act. Snatching the car keys he made his way out.
Khushi feeling something soft and velvety touch her cheek, wondered if Laxmiji was again resorting to her bad habit of stealthily getting into the bedroom and nibble on people and things. Fluttering open the fringed curtains of her sleepy eyes, she saw that it was not Laxmiji but a jet red rose making her eyes dilate in reflex. As her gaze steadied she found that the rose was held by a familiar hand. Her eyes slowly ascended up the hand to rest on the bewitching caramel eyes that was gazing into her. His whispered, Khushi, had her sleep wash away and made her enquire whether he was feeling fine. In answer he thrust a bunch of red roses into her hands. Khushi looked at the roses and at the clock. Noting the time she looked at Arnavji's face. In reply, he told her that was for her, as though she had expressed her doubt. She was caught unawares and asked what happened, when she could form words. Arnav asked her in a voice that was authoritative and commanding, is it necessary for something to happen for him to give roses. Moving her eyes from him to the bouquet, she inhaled their scent deeply and expressed her appreciation with a soft thanks.
When Arnav called out to her and began to say that he was wrong to force her into marriage, she silently listened to him. He told her that she had nothing to do with Shyam and she was innocent. He had believed the pack of lies that Shyam had fed without even trying to find the truth out. His anger, the situation, Di.. As he was voicing out, Khushi trying to soft pedal the issue, told him that it was alright. But refuting her retort, he tried to apologise saying that she was blackmailed by him into a marriage of six months and he had tried to make her life a living hell. He had been extremely angry with her... Khushi could not comprehend the way this talk was oriented to and trying to steer the conversation from entering into dangerous waters she told him with levity, that his anger was not something new to her. He had always been a bear with a sorehead, ready to bite her head off. She was used to taking flak from him. Seeing her smile at what she was saying, her attitude that it was of no consequence, made his eyes go bleak and say that it was not alright. It was wrong on his part to let her take the brunt of the anger of their families alone when she was not even aware of what she was being punished for, by him. She could have lost her life falling from the terrace that day, if he had been even a little bit late. Recalling the scene his face blanched and feeling the need to touch her he cupped her cheek. Khushi felt a frisson run down her spine now sensing where the conversation was leading to. Feigning sleep with a yawn, pushing his hands away she said, that it was all over. It belonged to the past and can she go back to sleep? He replied, no, she can't. Now receptive to her feelings, he said, at Buaji's house, when she was describing her wedding to her friends that was far from the reality... with a voice filled with pain he stated that he took away all her dreams, did he not? His contrite face made her sigh, placing the bouquet on the nightstand and echo his words, that did take away all her dreams. Arnav felt like a heel for burning all her dreams to ashes. Heaving out a deep sigh she made a rejoinder, that they were just wishful thinking, never meant to turn into a reality. That is why they are called dreams. Her dreams were just that and nothing more. Does he know what they were? She had fantasized that when she met a man she would want to marry, it would rain flowers accompanied by procession with the band and the fireworks, stars and lights glowing brighter, an occasion for joy and laughter, all the stuff the fairy tales were made off. Her words were like sharpenels that entered his very being and the realization of the repercussion of his hasty action made his face ashen out. She proceeded to say, does he have any idea what would have happened? It would have been her parading in front of some boy, in a forcibly worn saree at the insistence and help of her sister and her friends, entering the hall with a tea laden tray and serve them samosas, sweets and tea. It was a kick in his guts to paint Khushi being given a look over by some other guy than him. Arnav was irritated enough to wring the neck just by the thought of the imaginary boy and he didn't need her to paint such a picture. Unaware, she carried on painting the picture saying, that Buaji would have pulled the pallu over her head! With a laugh she asked him to imagine such an absurd scene. Arnav's eyes slightly crinkled with laughter seeing her laughing countenance. She delivered a wisecrack with, when on a normal day she could not even walk straight without tripping, what a sorry picture she would cut balancing a tray with sari and pallu! It would have ended up with the tea on the boy's lap and instead of flowers it would have been a profusion of profanities that would have been showered on her. The boy would have been subjected to fireworks from the scalding tea and Amma and Buaji would have taken her to task, vented their spleen out that would have put any band to shame and she would have seen stars at the very first thump she would have received from her Buaji! By the time she finished her narration Khushi was rolling in laughter! Arnav did a double-take at her reaction and even he had to chuckle at her words. She told him that's what her dreams amounted to and he need not feel bad about it. She smiled at him but inwardly was sending fervent prayers to her Devi Maiyya to not to let him pursue the subject. Whom was she kidding! It was Arnav Singh Raizada. He was persistent if not anything, worse than a dog with a bone. He did not let it rest. He persisted saying, at their marriage, he had pulled her roughly up along the steps of the temple. As she had said, it was a wedding with just the two of them. There were no witnesses, no purohits, no rituals... Khushi hiding her sigh, smiled at him reciprocating with his long back thoughts, why was all of them necessary for a contract marriage? After all, the marriage is tantamount to just a deal. He had made an offer with the terms and conditions and she had accepted. It was just a legal contract that bound them for a stipulated period and in this case it was for six months. At his protest that it is a marriage... she forged ahead to say that it was a contract marriage with a set of conditions that she had followed. So where was the place for dreams in a business deal. At his continued protest she laughed out and came out with a response asking him was that the way he cut deals? Did Mr.Arnav Singh Raizada mix deals with dreams?
Realizing that she was trying to ease out of the marriage, without much ado, countering all his moves by shooting salvos as not to let any serious discussion take its root, but take a tangential route without touching the topic, catching by her arms he shook her. He could not let her get her way on this matter. Cornering her on the bed and in a voice that was cold and dangerous, he probed, so their marriage was just a business deal for her, was it? Khushi, trying to bail him out of his tense mood, made light of the situation, smiled and retorted with a playful chide, for having read too much into their hasty marriage and for making a mountain of a mole hill said, that it should have been so for him too. Arnav's eyes burning holes through her, countered her argument with, where was it written in the contract that she had to risk her life to save his? Not once but twice she had done it! Khushi, unable to withstand his intense stare that was filled with silent rage, tried to skitter her eyes but in vain. In a knee-jerk reaction, giving her a thorough shake he asked, was it in the contract that she had to commit suicide, paving way for him to have a life with someone else? Khushi was unable to keep her eyes on his glaring countenance. Arnav increasing his firm grip on her arm, challenged her to look at him and tell him on his face, that she does not feel the thumping of her heart filling her ear as he nears her, that she does not feel breathless when his eyes are on her. As she wondered how he was aware of her vibes, she tried to get away from his grip. Once again trying to play down the implication, she rebounded saying, those were of no consequence as she squirmed to get out of his grip. He was fuming mad to hear her say, not important, and asked her, then what was important? Managing to free her arms, she slid back in bed. She told him, paying back in his own coin, that what was important was his work, his business, Amanji... Her words made Arnav stare in disbelief as if he had heard wrong. She continued to say, his Di and her future, his family, his life here, his peace... Listening to her list he gasped her name. Staying on course, unheedful of his reaction, hugging her knees she told as though giving tit for tat, in her life her Amma and Babuji, her Buaji, her Jiji were important and it would be lived far away from him. Then he could get his peace knowing that she would not be there to fall into his arms and spoil the perfect fashion show as she had once done. She would not be there even to mar the happiness of his Di or her life. His own words were being resonated back to him. Beaming at him she said that she too could breathe a bit easier knowing that she was not going to be shouted at or have her arm twisted.
Arnav haunted by remorse and jarred by her reverberating words apologized to her for the hurtful words he had thrown at her a few days back. Her smile did not waver. She told him that was a closed chapter. Shyam was in the past and it was better to dwell on the future. In a desperate plea Arnav asked her to marry him. Khushi felt herself teeter-totter, by the impact of his words. The very ground she was on seem to shake with the waves of tremors. Even then, she maintained her poise with a smile. With a slight frown burrowing on her forehead, she queried as though to confirm what she had heard was not a figment of her imagination, again? He wanted her to sign another contract? He confirmed that she had heard the marriage part correct, but hastened to add that it as not a contract marriage, a real one that was meant to last their lifetime, with all the flowers, band and baraat, lights and stars, her dream red and green lehenga, their families, her friends, saat phere, purohit... in toto, everything she ever dreamt of. He waited in bated breath. Khushi was tremulous and his words poured upon her like a trembling flood but still smiled while she said, people after marrying once and regretting, refrain from committing the same mistake. But he, who never wanted marriage, now wanting to marry twice? Moreover, to the same girl? Her contrary reaction to what she had wanted earlier put him on pins and needles. When Arnav grabbing her by her shoulders, insisted that he was serious about wanting to marry her amidst their families, Khushi too countered that she too was serious when she says she does not want to marry him.
At Arnav's protest she started to list out the reasons as to why she would be unsuitable, beginning with her craziness and nutty behavior, being poor with middle class mentality. For Arnav the pain behind her words was like the bitterness of dissolution and her smile was a slow poison eating his insides. It brought in with it revulsion to his deeds. Khushi got on with her list saying, one with loose morals, a slave of money. Hearing all the words that he had spewed out in anger, Arnav's apology seemed a pathetic attempt to his own ears. In his intense anger, a blind rage, unable to see the signals indicating that it would be appropriate to stop he had responded to other emotions, sadness, betrayal with angry words. Instead of grasping the case from all sides and not respond immediately to a stimulus, time and again, he had given in to his instincts. When the need of the hour had been to defer judgement, he had hauled her over the coals. Right then, he could kick himself for being such a nincompoop as he knows the basic truth that one has the ability to choose one's reaction! Khushi cheerfully moved ahead to say, that with a low class mentality as hers, without any status, bad position, weird behaviour, prudeness, bad English.. Khushi was stopped by Arnav placing a hand over her lips to silence her. Shaking him off Khushi kept on rolling various reasons for her not being fit for the post of his wife. She warned him, that she was dangerous and unworthy of him so much so, that he ran away from her on Diwali day only to announce his engagement to Lavanyaji, eventhough he was reluctant to be clubbed with her, choosing the lesser of the two devils. So saying she laughed, while Arnav being in a tight spot, broke out in cold sweat. She laughed hard saying, he had tried extremely hard to fight her charms, as though she was the very persistent cold he was trying his level best to avoid. Seeing Arnav's misery, Khushi with a laugh, as a compensation told him that, he would be a terrible husband for her, for he was not crazy enough for her ways. Too educated, too Laad Governor, a British left-over. He was too serious for her chirpy ways. He considers her as an onerous duty, a bundle of crazy burden. His anger, razor edged tongue... Arnav not able to listen anymore, blurted out Khushi, I love you, making Khushi peer at him with curious owlish eyes and come out with a snappy comeback what is love? That was a loaded query, where, if Arnav tried to explain, it would put him in a quandary. Whatever he would describe love as, was in sharp contrast to his deeds and would be unable to justify. If he kept mum, his declaration held no meaning. Innocent Khushi, gullible Khushi, Khushi who time and again was reminded that she does not possess enough brains, smart as a whip, posed the question, what is love?Khushi has left him in a double bind, a Catch 22 situation. What a place to be in! Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea! Arnav Singh Raizada has been outwitted by a simple query by the small town girl Khushi Kumari Gupta, Singh Raizada for seven more days as per the conditions prevalent. It is interesting to see how Arnav Singh Raizada would extricate himself from this double bind!
For Arnav Singh Raizada, his shatir dimaag turned out to be the stumbling block in his love life! For Khushi Kumari Gupta, Singh Raizada for a wee bit longer, his shatir dimaag proved to be a blessing in disguise giving her arsenals, to anticipate as well as counter his every move.
"The Law of Karma is also called the Law of Cause and Effect, Action and Reaction and: as you sow, so shall you reap"
~ Sham Hinduja
That is why this is titled RIPOSTE.
That's it from me. Hope you enjoy it.
Edited by rulama - 11 years ago
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Debate Mansion
10