A smile spread across Khushi's face, as she sleepily opened
her eyes to see Shyam standing in front of her, holding her favorite black
forest cake filled with burning candles. She wasn't surprised to see him there;
no in fact she was waiting to hear him walk into the room for several minutes.
It was almost a ritual in the Gupta household - her birthday always started
with her brother's wishes.
"Get up birthday girl," Shyam said. "The candles will burn
out soon!"
Khushi yawned and sat up, for once, not missing the warmth
of the covers. "How do you always
manage to wish me first?"
"Because it's me
and it's your birthday," he answered,
handing her a knife. "Now make a wish!"
She obliged happily and closed her eyes, though like always
she never wished for anything - she understood, as early as her tenth birthday,
that no amount of wishing could change reality and alter the course of life.
She simply took a deep breath and blew out the candles as Shyam applauded
loudly in the background.
"By the way," she said, once the niceties were done. "Where
is my gift? You can't get away with just my favorite cake!"
Shyam snorted. "As if I even tried."
And much to her excitement, he pulled her out of bed and
secured a blindfold on her eyes.
"Bhaiyya!" she groaned, trying to rip the cloth off her eyes.
"Nope," he said, forcing her hands away. "We are doing it my way."
Khushi sighed and grasped her brother's hand, slowly edging
through the room. She felt herself walking down the stairs, and eventually out
the main doors into the chilly morning.
"Where are we going?" she asked, slightly shivering in the
cool breeze.
"Almost there..."
"Almost? I am frozen already! Why can't you just give it to
me upstairs?"
"Because it won't fit in your room silly."
Khushi now was really confused. "Won't fit? What on earth
are you getting me that won't fit-"
She stopped mid-sentence as the blindfold was suddenly taken
off. Her jaw dropped as she stared at her present - a gleaming, red convertible
that looked as if it was snatched right from pages of a glamorous magazine.
It was Shyam who broke the silence. "I hope you like it."
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! YOU ARE GIFTING ME A PORSCHE FOR MY
BIRTHDAY?!"
A grin spread across Shyam's face as he watched his sister literally
jump up and down in delight. He watched in satisfaction she ran forward and
began to run her hands over the car, trying to convince herself that it was
indeed real, that the obnoxiously fancy vehicle was indeed hers.
"OH MY GOD!" she squealed in excitement. "OH. MY. GOD. THIS IS ACTUALLY MINE?! HOW DID YOU EVEN KNOW? AND WHEN
DID YOU GET IT? AND-"
"Calm down Meeti!"
Shyam admonished, even though he felt nothing but joy at seeing the glee etched
on her face. "You will wake up the whole neighborhood!"
"I DON'T CARE!! YOU DON'T GET A PORSCHE EVERYDAY, OKAY?! OH
MY GOD - LET'S GO FOR A DRIVE!"
"Now?!"
"YES NOW!! MY BABY IS DYING TO MEET ME!"
"It's five in the
morning-"
"Even better! The roads will be empty!"
"I am not going to
encourage you to go over the speed limit-"
"Please? It will be so much fun!"
"What about Akash and Lavanya? I am sure they are dying to
meet you!"
Khushi laughed at the mention of her two best friends. "Oh
don't remind me - they came up with this stupid plan of a surprise' birthday
party-"
"They told you about the surprise?! "
"No, they were trying to cover it up, but it was so obvious! Lavs brought it up literally
every minute yesterday and then she would change the topic halfway through
because Akash would glare at her. It was hilarious
to watch them!"
"It's the thought that counts."
"Yeahh... no," she said, shaking her head. "The last thing I
need is a party right now."
"Meeti-"
"I have the interview of my life tomorrow Bhaiyya! I should
be preparing!"
"No, you shouldn't, because you have been preparing for it
all your life. So relax and have fun
today."
"You are a bad
example of a parent, okay?"
Shyam grinned. "Never said I wasn't!"
And suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, Khushi threw
her arms around him. "You are the bestest brother in this entire universe!
Thank you so so much!"
"I didn't know Khushi Kumari Gupta can get sentimental," he
said, patting her affectionately.
Khushi grinned. "Only because it's you and it's my birthday
and this is the world's best present."
* * *
"JAYA!!" Khushi yelled, as she scrambled through her closet.
"WHERE ARE THE EARRINGS I BOUGHT YESTERDAY?!"
Jaya hurried into the room. "I kept them in the first drawer
Madamji."
"Oh forget it," Khushi muttered, closing the doors in
frustration. "I'm getting late for class!"
"Should I bring your breakfast here?"
"No, I don't have time to eat!" Khushi answered, picking up
her bag and walking out the door. "And don't bother cooking anything today, I'm
gonna eat at Akash's house and tell-"
She broke off, having almost walked unseeingly into her
mother, who for the first time in years, appeared to be smiling.
"Happy birthday Betiya," she wished. "I made jalebis for
you... they are your favorite, na?"
Khushi didn't have to look down at the plate Garima was
holding to know that they were indeed jalebis - she could smell them a mile
away. There used to be days when she could finish a whole plate in less than
five minutes. Of course, that was a long time ago.
"No, they are not my favorite anymore," she said coolly.
"Jaya I'm leaving."
And she walked away, determined to not let her mother
dampen her day. She had just reached her car, when her phone suddenly rang.
"Hello?"
"Good morning Ma'am," said the unmistakable voice of a Bank
Teller. "I am calling in regard of a cheque that bounced back from your
account. It appears that you would have to re-deposit it."
"What cheque?"
"It's from Mr. Shashi Joshi."
Khushi felt her heart stop momentarily. "W-who?"
"Mr. Shashi Joshi."
She gulped as she hesitantly asked, "What seems to be the problem?"
"The cheque is addressed to you, but it doesn't have the
correct account number. It's best if you get it re-issued."
"Okay, I will sort it out."
Khushi hung up, not daring to believe her ears. Of all the people she expected to wish her,
Shashi Joshi was not one them. Of course, depositing a cheque was nothing out
of the ordinary, but she knew him enough to understand that it was nothing
short of a gift.
Despite years of neglect, it appeared that he neither forgot
her nor her birthday. So pushing all thoughts of her class and her brother's
wrath, should he ever find out what she was up to out of her mind, she turned
on her car, a sudden excitement coursing through her.
She steered through Delhi's streets, bustling with the
morning traffic, to the richest area of the city. And within a matter of
minutes, she was pulling into the driveway of the famous Joshi Mansion, which
looked nothing less than a castle with its enormous size and magnificent
design.
Khushi vaguely wondered how long it must have taken to build a
structure of such grandeur and more importantly, how much it cost to maintain
it. Surely, the stunning lawns took a lot labor to look the way they did!
However, her doubts vanished as soon as a butler opened the door, demanding to
know the reason for her arrival.
"I'm here to see Mr. Joshi," she answered, promptly.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Err... no. But he would want to see me."
The butler watched her skeptically, no doubt debating
whether or not to pay heed of her request. After what seemed like endless
minutes, he finally stepped aside to let her in.
"Please have a seat," he said, gesturing to a plush leather
sofa in a lavishly decorated hall. "I will get Mr. Joshi."
And he disappeared, leaving Khushi to mull over the past,
while she blankly took in the vast expanse of the room. Whether it was the
majestic chandelier hanging above her, or the luxurious carpet underneath her
feet, it was evident that everything was handpicked and artfully arranged. An immeasurable amount of money was spent on
the house.
"... well, tell him to look again! That tender was pathetic,
and I'm not going to accept such-"
Khushi turned around, trying to locate the source of the
voice floating into the room. Her heart suddenly picked up in anticipation, as a
middle-aged man stepped into the room, talking angrily into his phone. Khushi
hungrily took in his appearance, noting the numerous white hairs in what was once his jet black hair, the golden-framed glasses covering his calculative gaze and the
perfectly ironed navy blue suit fitting his tall frame.
Shashi Joshi changed
a lot from the last time she saw him.
He has barely taken two steps into the room, when his eyes
fell on her and widened in recognition. "I will call you back," he said,
snapping his phone shut. And looking straight at her, he asked in a voice full
of contempt, "What are you doing
here?"
Khushi was taken back to hear Shashi's tone. Of all the
things she expected, anger was not one of them. "I-I..." she stammered, not
knowing what to say.
"Who let you in?" Shashi asked, not bothering to let her
finish. "I told Tony very clearly, not to let anyone in without an
appointment!"
Khushi tried again. "Ba-"
"Shashiii?!" a foreign voice called.
"I'm in the hall Juhi," Shashi answered, turning around,
almost as if he wanted to avoid seeing his visitor.
Stung, Khushi watched quietly as an unfamiliar lady walked
in, her heels knocking loudly against the marble floor. Being in her late
forties, she appeared well maintained to say the least. Dressed in a beige
coloured pencil skirt and a blue dress shirt, she looked nothing short of the
women published in Business Weekly.
"Did you get the update on the tender we sent in yesterday?"
she asked, in a no-nonsense tone.
"Don't worry," Shashi assured gently. "It's all under
control sweetheart."
The woman - Juhi - laughed. "Of course you do. So silly of
me to even ask! An-"
Juhi broke off as her eyes fell on the still figure of
Khushi. "Who is this?"
Shashi grudgingly turned around. "This is Khushi Gupta," he
introduced, the slightest tinge of hesitancy in his voice. "She just came by to
sort out some paperwork."
Khushi didn't understand why Shashi was lying or more
importantly, why he looked cautiously at the woman, as if he was seeking her
approval.
"She looks a lot like her mother," Juhi said finally, her
tone unmistakably cold. "Anyway, I'm getting late. I will see you at the
meeting."
And giving Shashi a quick peck on the cheek, she departed
the hall, leaving behind a very bitter silence.
It was Khushi who spoke first. "W-was... is she... w-who was
that?"
Shashi raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you would be the
stammering' type... anyway, that was Juhi, my wife."
Khushi fell quiet.
"So, what is it that you want?"
"You sent me a cheque."
"Ahh...," he said. "Yes, the cheque. Well, it was going to be
deposited in your brother's account as usual, but I realized it drew a lot of
unwanted attention. So I asked my accountant to send it to you this time. I guess
the amount isn't enough - I will ask him to increase it."
Khushi felt the words bite into her. "Y-you think I am here
because the amount is not enough?!"
Shashi started blankly at her. "Well, yes. What other reason
is there?"
She didn't answer.
"Well, if that's all you had to say," he said, letting out
an impatient sigh. "Then I should get going. I think you can show yourself the
way out."
Khushi stood rooted to the spot, as Shashi began to walk
away. He was almost out of the hall, when he turned back and said, "Oh and next
time, take an appointment before coming to see me."
And he left, without another glance. Khushi stared after him
in complete disbelief. After sixteen long years, she had finally met her
father.
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