Yash walked out of his bedroom in search of Arti. Just as he was about to call for her, he saw her standing in the balcony. He opened the French doors and walked out to join her. She paid no heed to him and continued what she had been doing. Yash observed her for a few minutes and then mentally shaking his head, he finally gave in and asked, "What are you doing Artiji?"
She had been closing one eye, then the other and switching back the whole while. Opening both eyes now, she glanced at him and then turned right back to her eye-srunching. "I am trying to see the 'gorgeous view' you paid so many extra lakhs of rupees for... Though I must say Yashji, I think they conned you. There is no 'gorgeous view' here".
He grinned and turned to the front. Throwing out his hands expansively he exclaimed, "What do you mean Artiji? Don't you see the slums on the right? And the dilapidated buildings on the left? Oh - I know what it is. The street is empty. Well, what do you expect at 6 in the morning? Check this out a few hours later and the street will be full and you will get the complete effect of the 'one-of-a-kind, gorgeous view'". And he turned to her with a cheeky grin to find her grinning back at him.
They had come to Delhi almost a month back. In the beginning they stayed at a hotel till the deal on the house had been finalized. It was a gorgeous pent-house apartment in a building that had been re-built in the heart of Delhi. They were just a few kilometers from Connaught Place and the location was perfect - close to all the vendors they had to work with, yet the immediate area around the building was relatively quiet, away from the hustle of the capital.
Both Yash and Arti had fallen in love with the apartment. It was large, a 3-bedroom+1 and very spacious. But the main attraction for them had been the wall of sheer glass that ran one entire length of the house flooding the house with light during the day and presenting an enchanting view of the starry night sky. Three rooms ended up with this wall of glass, each of which had French doors which opened out into the wide balcony that ran the length of the apartment - the living room, master bedroom and the extra room which Yash immediately claimed as his office. There had been no need for any sales pitch since they had already finalized the deal, but the estate agent could not resist showing off the wall and insisting on the 'one-of-a-kind gorgeous view' they would have from their 'one-of-a-kind gorgeous penthouse'.
The house was finally theirs - they had signed the deal a few days ago, and the griha-pravesh had been two days ago. At Yash and Arti's insistence, the family had come from Bhopal for the puja. They had all spent one night together and the rest went back to Bhopal the day before, leaving Yash, Arti and Ansh in their new abode.
As Yash looked at Arti, a lock of her hair fell forward, covering half her face. Instinctively, Yash reached out and tucked the lock behind her ear. It was only when she looked at him in surprise, he realized what he had done. He was about to apologize when she smiled at him, drawing a returning smile. Yash cleared his throat and asked, "Chai Artiji? Or should I make my world-famous coffee?"
Her smile broadened and she shook her head, the lock of hair falling over her face again. "No Yashji, chai is ready. You make the coffee in the evening, ok?" As they went back into the apartment together, both looked back to the balcony and Arti said, "You know what we need Yashji?" And he completed her thought, "A jhula".
She nodded her head as she tied her long still damp hair into a loose knot. She turned back to find Yash smiling at her, a quizzical look in his eyes that she could not read. "What happened Yashji? Why are you smiling?"
"It's you, the way you look" he said and Arti's heart sank as a feeling of deja-vu spread through her. She was wearing one of the long skirts and kurtis he had gifted her, having gotten used to them again. Unconsciously her hand clutched the pleats of her skirt, as she waited for the laughter.
"You look so'so adorable!" Yash exclaimed as he came to her and tucked her lock of hair again. "You always look beautiful, especially when you leave your hair down. But in this skirt and your hair tied in a knot you look so cute! Just like a college girl."
At his words, Arti's eyes filled with tears as a feeling she could not identify consumed her. She blinked back her tears and smiled tremulously at him, before turning away towards their room. Unsure why his words had brought the reaction it did, Yash tried for a lighter tone as he went towards the kitchen, "Master Chef Yash Scindia will whip up some yummy breakfast. Why don't you get Ansh ready?"
It had been barely a week since they had moved in and they were hosting a dinner party. It was to be a small gathering though with only Zoya-Ahmed and the Khans attending. Arti and Yash had spent a major part of the week decorating the new house along with the work for their new contracts. It had been a hectic few days, but the house was at least presentable now.
Zoya and Ahmed had been the first to arrive. After a guided tour of the house, Zoya followed Arti into the kitchen where she was putting the finishing touches to the dinner. "Wow! I love your kitchen Arti" Zoya exclaimed as she walked around the large room, gleaming with stainless steel appliances.
Arti smiled as she decorated the cake. "Yes, I do too. Though" and she turned to look at her friend, "I have really used it for the first time today. This past week was too crazy, I don't think I spent more than 30 minutes in the kitchen each day." And Arti smiled to herself reminiscently. Ironically, Maggi, the instant noodles she had refused to eat earlier, had been their savior now. Aside from one teasing comment Yash had eaten it everytime she had served it, which had been every second day that week.
She finished the cake and called Zoya, "How do you like it?" she asked as Zoya came to take a peek. Her friend gasped in shock, for the cake said "Happy Anniversary Zoya and Ahmed". Zoya turned to Arti and asked, "What anniversary?" and then her eyes widened, "You remember?"
Arti grinned cheekily, "Of course I do. How can I forget the memorable day when Ms. Zoya Khan proposed to the handsome Dr. Ahmed Ansari?"
"Don't tell me you are going to show this cake to everyone!" Zoya exclaimed. The evil gleam in Arti's eyes was all the answer she needed. "You wouldn't! Arti ' please! Baksh mujhe" (spare me). Arti laughed out loud at that and relented, "Ok then, I won't bring the cake out. You and Ahmed can help me cut it and serve it along with ice-cream."
Zoya sighed in relief. But now it was her turn and as she cut the vegetables for the salad, she asked Arti nonchalantly, "So, did you do it yet?"
Preoccupied, Arti said absent-mindedly, "Do what?"
Zoya left the vegetables and turned Arti around to face her. "Do what married couples do. If you need me to spell it out - it has three letters and starts with S and ends with X."
"Shut up Zoya!" Arti exclaimed, her face a flaming red.
Zoya shook her head, "Umm, no, you have not done it yet. Why may I ask? He is good looking enough. You both are married, and its legal you know".
"Shut up Zoya" Arti repeated.
Zoya sighed exaggeratedly. "Marriage has severly limited your vocabulary. I know what - do it and it will relax you enough to start using words again. The act has many benefits you know - its relaxing, its..."
"Shu..." Arti started and Zoya completed the words for her "Shut up Zoya" and rolled her eyes. "Say something else Arti".
They continued working in silence, though Arti did not fail to notice the teasing smile that lit Zoya's face. Eventually her curiosity got the better of her and she couldn't stop herself from asking, "Waise how do you know that we did not do 'it'?"
Zoya curbed her laughter but her face split into a wide grin. After one glance at Arti's flaming red face though she concentrated on the salad as she said, in mock seriousness, "You don't have the look."
Arti took the bait, "And what look is that?"
"The one a woman has after she has been made love to thoroughly" Zoya said and glanced up at her friend who avoided her eyes. She barely heard Arti's mumbled, "I thought that look was temporary."
"Uh huh" Zoya said. "It shows though. You look like a woman who has forgotten what it is like to be made love to. I think I need to have a word with my Jijaji..." She teased as Arti gasped out an outraged, "Don't you dare Zoya, I will kill you!"
Later that night after everyone had left, Arti stood in the dark balcony of their bedroom. The moon was hidden behind clouds and she liked the darkness, for it let her hide. Vidhi had said much the same thing the night before she left. "You both are going to rebuild your lives together Arti. Allow love to blossom, give a chance to your friendship to bloom into love, into passion, into the desire I sometimes see ..."
Arti had turned to her best friend in complete and utter shock. "What are you talking about Vidhi? What desire?"
Vidhi had shrugged, "Figure it out. It is not necessary to spell out the obvious, is it? But life has given both Bhaiyya and you a second chance. Now its up to the two of you to give life and love a chance."
Vidhi's words had been more...subtle perhaps, but they had the same underlying message that Zoya had spelt out in clear words, words that Arti could not mistake. She liked where they were, Yashji and her. She liked their comfortable friendship, their teasing banter, their ability to work together smoothly, help each other. She liked having him as her friend; she knew - even without words - that she could depend on him. He gave her strength and confidence like no one else, even without asking... But love, desire... and Arti shook her head - those were meaningless words to her now. She had loved and would love only Prashant. She liked Yashji, very much so...but love? No! That was not possible. And she would not risk their hard-earned friendship for anything...No. She would not let this silly conversation affect her. Yashji should not know...
Yash stood at the entrance to their room, looking at Arti while she stood in the balcony with her back to the room. Just then the moon peaked out of the clouds and for a moment he could see her silhouette clearly. She was tense, stiff, her hands clutching the railing tightly. He could see the way her shoulders tensed, the way her hands tightened at the sudden influx of light...and he could imagine the white of her knuckles, he knew how tightly she was holding on ...he understood - oh too well. He had come to the kitchen to get some glasses when he overheard Zoya's teasing remarks. Immediately he had concealed himself on the other side of the door, unable to leave, loathe to hear... and Zoya's remarks had left a furious blush on his face. It had taken all his sangfroid to appear normal with the guests that evening, to talk to them, to interact with Arti.
He understood... but Zoya's words had left a prickly sensation under his skin. Just looking at Artiji now, as she stood bathed in the moonlight for an instant, he could feel the warmth creep up his body. He turned away from the door. He would not be able to sleep tonight, definitely not in the same room as her. He went back to his office and shutting the door gently, he started the CD-player. As the old classics played, he sat down in the easy chair and let his head roll back. Closing his eyes, he let the music wash over him and tried to remember...why was it getting so hard to recall her face now? At one time he could close his eyes and Arpita's face would float into his mind's eye. Now...now he had to strain to remember her features. He didn't want to lose her...He sighed and just before he fell asleep he determined ...he would not let Zoya's silly comments affect this relationship. Artiji's friendship was too precious, her trust too fragile...she would never know he had heard...
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In the last few weeks they had been in Delhi, Yash and Arti had started working together - be it in caring for Ansh or working on the fledgling business. They continued to do so with Yash working mainly at home and going out only when he had to meet clients or vendors. In this really early stage, they did not want to invest in an office space and made the office in their home their primary work center.
Ansh stayed at home with them. It was fun to be with him the whole day, it felt right too, but it was also very distracting. He needed a lot of attention and Arti remained focused on him. As the dates of the events neared, Yash started panicking, unable to handle the myriad details of multiple events on his own. For the first time he realized how much he had depended on his father and their staff.
He stood at the balcony one evening, staring at the night sky with unseeing eyes. Arti found him there, his hands white as he clutched the railing tight. She put a hand on his bunched shoulders and at her gentle touch, he loosened his grip on the railing. Without asking, without a thought and for the first time, without any hesitation, she stood behind him and massaged his shoulders. As the tension drained out of him, Yash relaxed and putting his hand behind him, he caught her arm and pulled her to his side. They stood side-by-side and finally Yash confessed, "I can't do this Artiji. I can't do it alone. I need your help."
"I am here Yashji. Tell me what to do" Arti replied.
He shook his head, "You don't have time. Ansh takes up all your time, you just get a couple of hours. That was fine in the beginning, but now I need more of your time. All three events are close together, and the time is so near and there is so much to be done."
"So, let's hire some one" Arti suggested.
Yash shook his head, "We can't, not till the events are over. All our cash is tied up with the vendors at the moment. We don't have enough money to build up staff. Till we get paid, we won't have sufficient cash-flow. And we won't get paid till the events are complete - successfully" he emphasized the last word. "Moreover, hiring some one means we have to train them, and there is no time for that".
"Can't we ask Bauji to send one of our trained staff from Bhopal?" Arti asked.
Yash sighed, "We can. But I am not going to ask for help." Arti looked at him in surprise and he sighed again and held her hand. "Bauji did not say this in so many words Artiji, but this is not only a business opportunity, it is also a test for us. He has worked hard and set up the business himself, Bhaiyya set up his business himself and grew it with Bhabhi's help. Now it's our turn. We need to at least try and do this ourselves." He looked at her then, "But I need your help Artiji. I can't do it alone."
"I will help ...I am..." Arti started saying, a trace of desperation in her voice as she got an inkling of where this conversation was going.
"We need to put Ansh in school" Yash said.
"NO!" Arti said explosively. She pulled her hand away from Yash's. "Why did you marry me if you had to put Ansh in school? You could have just hired a nanny."
Her hair had come undone in her agitation and Yash tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She shook her head in exasperation. He took hold of her hands which were fluttering in agitation. "Artiji, you are Ansh's mother. Tell me, when both parents work, don't they put their child in school? And its not only for convenience you know. The child does learn a lot." He took a deep breath and continued, "There is a Montessori school close-by. Can we talk to them and see if they will admit Ansh? Montessori will teach him a lot, help him prepare for school as well."
As Arti opened her mouth to protest, he put a finger to her lips. "Please Artiji, come with me to the school. Let's at least visit them. I promise, if you don't like it, if you have any doubts at all, we will not admit him."
She grabbed his finger and pulled it away. "Promise? Can I trust you on that?"
"Of course. But you need to make an honest assessment too Artiji. Don't go with a preconceived mind. Agreed?"
She nodded her head and he took both her hands in his and and held on tight. "Thank you" he whispered.
Arpita had wanted to put her child in Montessori and when he saw the school on his way home, Yash had remembered and got the idea of putting Ansh there. He spoke to the officials and then the three of them visited the school. Despite herself, Arti was impressed. She had promised Yash she would make an honest assessment and she was determined to do so; yet a part of her had wanted to dislike the school.
The school had classrooms split by age-ranges, with older children in the same class as younger ones in the established Montessori method. All the children seemed to be happy and engaged as Arti and Yash did a tour. What really cought their eye was the layout of the classrooms, the number of learning tools, the way the children worked with them. The clincher however had been Ansh and his reaction.
Ansh had skipped into school, happy to go wherever both his parents led him together. As he entered the classroom though, he left his parents' hands involuntarily and walked away. Arti watched, fighting down the pang of separation, making sure she did not display any of the nervousness she felt. But Ansh was too engrossed to notice anyway, enthralled as he was with the colourful work items, which looked so much like toys his hands itched to play. And when the teacher had smiled and extended her hand to him, he had happily clasped it and sat with her, looking intently as she showed him how to use one item.
Yash had a small smile on his face watching his son. And Ansh had come away from the school more excited and happy than Arti had ever known him. She knew then that the school was the right choice.
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Hi!
Thank you so much for your encouragement and support to reach thread-3. And for waiting patiently for me to get back from vacation. I have no idea if this update was worth the wait. I needed to show this though - an update basically telling how Arti and Yash settle into their life in Delhi before ... well, i can't reveal the before yet, can i now 😆?
Thanks for reading,
Kat
Next: Chapter - 23
CID
