Arshi SS-'Adopted'. LINK TO THREAD-2 ADDED ON PG-1 30-11 - Page 14

Three months. 91 days.

Three months since she had started accepting the truth.

Three months since she had realized that your worth is not what others decide for you, but you are worth what you deem yourself to.

Three months since she had accepted that the failure of her marriage was not her fault. At least not completely.

Three months since she had realized that life was meant to be lived without regrets, for no person takes wrong decisions knowingly. You always choose what seems best at the moment.

Three months since she had started gathering back her confidence in making things right.

Three months since she had remembered that even if she was no longer Anjali Shyam Jha, she still was Anjali Raizada, a part of the legendary Raizada family.

So, when Arnav Singh Raizada expected a loving, meek and pacifying Di when he bellowed in the living room that night, he was in for a big shock.

His Di had found her voice and reason, something which she always overlooked in front of her Chhote's anger.

"Enough Di!"

"Ham bhi wahi keh rahe hain chhote. Bohat ho chuka. Ab bas kijiye." Even Di had lost her temper by now and stood up at her place.

Earlier...

Arnav was annoyed. The business party of Malhotras was being conducted that evening and he had no idea who would be his plus one. His usual date Lisa was out of town and since he wasn't informed about that in advance, now he was without a date at the last minute. The party was to start at 8 and he was standing in his office at 7:15 trying to think of someone who he could take with him. That's when his P.A. Aman quipped "Sir! Why don't you take your wife with you? Malhotras are a tight knit joint family, and they would surely get a good impression by your family man' image." Arnav had first rejected the idea in his mind, but then the situation he was in dawned upon him and he decided to call his wife of three months, only to realize that he didn't have her number. Cursing under his breath, he had dialed the land line, which was answered after three rings.

"Hello!" the musical voice of Khushi greeted him.

He didn't like the fact that he liked her voice. This combined with the embarrassment that he had to ask her to come with him.

"Itni der kyu laga di phone uthaane mein?? Kabse ring ja rahi hai!"

"Arnavji??"

Dhak Dhak. Dhak Dhak. Dhak Dhak.

W*F!!!!!! Dhak Dhak??? Seriously ASR??FREAKING DHAK DHAK?????

"Shaam ko 8 baje party mein jana hai. Main mohan ke saath car bhijwa doonga." Call Cut.

He realized he had beads of sweat on his upper lip.

The wives of the Malhotras, the Shuklas, the Singhs and the freaking Kashyaps too, were all flocking around the elder Raizada bahu as if they were flies and she was a honey drop, or should he say a honey pot!!! He was surprised to find that she was well acquainted with most of them, as if she had been meeting them for ages. Little did he know that where he had lacked in introducing her to his world, his Di had taken upon herself to rectify his mistake and give the bride of her chhote proper significance in representing the family.

"Kaisi hain aap Mrs. Shukla? Aapko yaad hai aapne jo mujhe apni soft skin ka secret nuskha bataya tha, main tabse wahi istemaal kar rahi hoon. Batayiye zara, kaisi lag rahi hoon main?" Khushi had chirped. Anjali di had warned her in hir first party experience that she was never to call any of them aunty, never ever.

"Tum to hamesha hi bohat pyari lagti ho beti. Tumhara jo natural glow hai na, wo kisi cream ya moisturizer se nahi mil sakta. Ye to sirf dil ki khushi se aata hai" the wise and warm Mrs. Shukla was in awe of the young wife of business tycoon ASR.

"Sahi keh rahi hain aap Mrs. Shukla. Aur waise bhi, middle class ladkian kahan gold aur platinum facial afford kar sakti hain, unhein to bass haldi, doodh aur besan se hi guzara karna padta hai, khaane mein bhi aur lagaane mein bhi.Meri lavanya to har 15 din mein full body spa ke bagair reh hi nahi sakti. Kehti hai mom, I can't compromise with my skin's smoothness" Mrs. Kashyap, who had set her eyes upon ASR for her daughter, had still not gotten over the fact that her daughter had lost the fight to a lukhnawi-sari-clad-woman.

"Mrs. Kashyap; doodh,haldi,chandan ,besan- yahi sab istemaal karke hamari poorvaj mahilayein apsara kehlaati thi. Aur aajkal to panchkarma in sab spa ki jagaho mein bhi kiya jata hai. Aur dekha jaye to ye sab waastav mein bhartiya ayurvedic saundarya upcharo ka hi angrezi roop hai. Jaise Swedana ko sona bath bana diya, wo jo full body massage aap keh rahi thi, use ayurved mein Abhyanagam kehte hain. Hair pack shirolep se bana; mud-bath mrida-snan se aur hum log yun hi apni hi virasat ko purana batakar in naye zamane ke angrezo ko sara ka sara shrey de dete hain. Aap bhi Lavnay ji se kahiyega ki wo panchkarma ya shirodhara istemaal karein, unhein zaroor achha lagega." Khushi finished with the same smile with which she had started.

Mrs. Malhotra, who was meeting Khushi for the very first time couldn't keep the awe out of her voice "Sushma ji ne to heera chuna hai apne naati ke liye. Kahan se mil gayi unhein aisi chaand-si pyaari aur samajhdaar bahu?? Hamein bhi batana Khushi, agar tumhari koi aur behan ho to. Chacheri-mameri bhi chalegi. Hamein bhi to apne beto ke liye achhi biwian chahiye."

By this time Arnav decided he had heard enough of Khushi's praise to last for a week, so he stepped in to tell her that they were leaving, but not before he heard Khushi's voice, which surprisingly had no trace of earlier cheerfulness "Apne beto ki shaadi usse kijiyega Mrs. Malhotra, jise wo sacha pyaar karte ho. Agar wo na hua na, to aapki sone jaisi bahu ko tambe jaisi zindagi jeeni pad jaegi, aur aisa kisi ke saath nahin hona chahiye."

He had barely reined his anger in car, mostly because they weren't alone and were being driven by Mohan. But the control has snapped as soon as he reached the living room. It wasn't very late still, so all the other members of family were sitting in the living room, chatting. Uncaring about the fact, he spun Khushi around her shoulder and said in a venomous voice "What the hell do you think you were doing there?"

Khushi was shocked. First time after three months of their marriage, her husband had taken her out with him, even if at a business party. If that wasn't enough, now he had touched her willingly and consciously. But when she realized the rest, a tiny frown made way on her brows. She schooled her features, calmly extracted her shoulders from his grip and then quirked her brows, as if asking "Whats wrong?"

This action of her seemed to snap his control.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION. ANSWER ME DAMN IT!!" Arnav had shouted at his full volume capacity.

"Aap kis bare mein baat kar rahe hain, kripya khulkar batayein."

"Kya bakwas kar rahi thi tum Mrs. Kashyap ke aage?? Do you even know ki unki company ke saath hamari kitni deals hoti hain. Zaroorat kya thi tumhein apna muh kholne ki aur apna gawarpan sabko dikhaane ki." All the confusion and anger and frustration started making a way out of his lips through these cutting words.

The gasps that followed from around them were just a proof of the impact of those words.

"Hamne aisa luch nahi kaha jisse hamari, aapki ya unki, kisi ki bhi beizzati ho. Ayurved ka gyaan hamein unse zyada hai, to hamne wahi baanta. Aur jo jaankari baantein, unhein zaahil kehna kisi bhi tarah se jayaz nahin hai" Khushi knew she wasn't wrong and no way in hell was she going to take that crap from that man.

"Oh yes!!! Tumhara Ayurved ka gyaan!! Tell me Khushi, ye f*****g Ayurved ke f*****g gyan ke liye bhi, kam se kam alphabets to padhne padte honge, to tum kaise manage karti thi, haan?? Ya tumhari gali ka paanwala tumhein padhkar sunata tha, tell me!!" he had sneered.

"Aap itne bade businessman hain aur aapko abhi tak ye nahin pata ki kisi ke bhi bare mein bina sachhai pata kiye, koi bhi raai nahi banana chahiye. Ham +2 kar chuke hain Arnav Singh Raizada, anpadh nahin hai ham. Aur agar aapke sath shaadi karke yahan nahi aana pada hota to ham aaj lucknow ke sabse bade college mein political science padh rahe hote. Hamein hamare acche anko ki wajah se wazifa mila tha. Aur rahi baat Ayurved ki to wo gyan aapke ghar mein bhi hai, aapki Nani ke paas, aapki Di ke paas. Jab wo sardi mein aapko chai mein tulsi-adrak daal kar pilaati hain, aur chot lagne par haldi wala doodh deti hain, to wo barso puraane aazmaye hue ayurvedic nuskho ka hi upyog kar rahi hoti hain. Aur jo kuch hamne Mrs. Kashyap ko bataya tha, wo sab kuch hamne apne aas paas dekh kar jana aur samjha hai. Chhote shehar ki ladkia hamesha gawar nahin hoti hain Mr. Raizada, unmein bhi cheezo ko dekhne, samajhne, parakhne , tulna karne, vishleshan karne aur nishkarsh nikaalne ki utni hi shamta hoti hai jitni aap jaise bade gharo ke laadlo mein, samjhe aap!!" Khushi was red with anger by the time she finished.

"What the hell!!! How dare you?" he had bellowed.

"Awaaz neechi karo chhote. Aur kisi ka nahin to kam se kam apni Nani ka to lihaaz karo." Anjali had said in a cool, scratch that, icy voice.

"Di aap mujhe mat sikhaiye! Aap dekh nai rahi hain ye ladki kaise bad tameezi se pesh aa rahi hai mujhse?"

"Tumne aaj tak usse ya apne rishte ko aisi kaunsi izzat di hai chhote, jo tum usse apne liye izzat ki ummeed lagaye baithe ho?"

"What the..! Di aap jaanti hain ki main ye shaadi nahin karna chahta tha. Agar Nani ki shart na hoti ki mere shadi kiye bina Akash ki Shaadi nahin hogi to main kabhi ye shaadi nahin karta."

"Hamein yaad hai chhote. Aapne hamein ya aur kisi ko ye baat bhoolne di hi nahin." The icy voice had now extended to icy demeanour.

"Enough Di!"

"Ham bhi wahi keh rahe hain chhote. Bohat ho chuka. Ab bas kijiye." Even Di had lost her temper by now and stood up at her place.

P.S. - I am reading all the comments and I can't tell you how happy you guys make me. Please keep commenting. And those who want PMs, please send a buddy request.