Welcome to Thread 3 (yes 3!) of H2H. It's been a fun journey so far and it ain't over yet. Many thanks to you all for your appreciation and support. Links to thread 1 and 2 here and here. Someday when I'm feeling less lazy, I'll put up links to every chapter individually here. Until then, you'll have to navigate through the sink-holey mess. Sorry!
Oh, and if you are interested in reading my other works, please check out my Index.
Anyways, here is Chapter 39 (yes 39!..who'da thunk it?)
Chapter 39: Full House
The house was buzzing. There was laughter and talking everywhere. You couldn't enter a room without falling over piles of clothes or stacks of gifts. Meals were mega events with Garima and Payal cooking up a storm. The kitchen was perpetually redolent with the aroma of the ghee they used in their cooking. There were now 4 children in the house. All full of spirits and all excited about the upcoming wedding. The house rang with the sound of them running around the house chasing each other in the pointless way that only children enjoyed. Khushi loved it. Arnav put up with it for her sake.
Everyone was surprised at how accommodating Mr.Arnav Singh Raizada was being. He didn't snap when he found the toothpaste tube uncapped. He didn't say anything when Arjun used up his shaving foam because he wanted to give shaving a shot. He merely grunted when he was told that little Khushi and Sheila had usurped his silk shirt and made a doll's dress out of it. (Though the girls were told off heavily by their respective mothers.) He didn't even make a fuss when Naniji told him to move into the guest room with Akash until the wedding. Payal slept with Khushi in her room. Payal was astounded at how good humored her usually stiff Jethji had become. She found she was no longer afraid of him. She even ventured to address a remark or two to him over their noisy meals. It was another matter entirely that he never replied because she whispered her comments under her breath and he never heard what she said. Aadit and Anjali had practically moved in. They only went home to sleep at night, and that reluctantly. They would have stayed over, except there was absolutely no room. Khushi's home was bursting at the seams.
Malli had adjusted pretty well to all the new people. She was sleeping in Sheila and Nita's room. Her room had been appropriated by Naniji. She still spoke very little to everyone except Arnav and Khushi. But as Arnav and Khushi had warned everyone to leave her alone and not ask questions, it worked out pretty well. She made a concerted effort to participate in all the happy chatter, though it was hard for her. But Arnav and Khushi knew she was trying and appreciated the effort she was making.
"Khushi Maasi, where are you and Arnav Chachu going for your honeymoon?" asked little Arjun brightly.
"Mommy, what's a honey'honeymoon?" asked Sheila.
"Silly, it's where married people go after they get married!" explained Arjun wisely.
"What do they do there?" Sheila looked curious.
Oh, you know'kissy-wissy!" said Arjun, the six year old sage.
"Oh! But Mommy and Arnav are always doing that anyway! I don't think they need to go on a honeymoon," said Sheila. Everyone shouted with laughter, except Khushi who blushed pink. Arnav picked Sheila up and hugged her till she begged him to stop. Then he planted a noisy wet kiss on her cheek. "So, Miss! Your Mom and I are always kissing huh?" he asked. She smiled at him and kissed him back.
"He's going to be my Daddy, you know?" she told Arjun from the safety of Arnav's arms. She looked back at Arnav. "After you marry Mommy can I call you Daddy then?" she asked seriously.
"You can call me Daddy now if you like!" said Arnav.
"No. I think I'll wait till the wedding," said Sheila slipping out of his arms and going off to join the other kids.
"Arnav, really. You should control yourself better. There are children in the house!" Nani chided Arnav after the kids had left the room.
"Yes, really Bhai! Shame on you!" said Akash, eyes twinkling.
"I agree. Shame on you Arnav. What kind of example are you setting for your girls!" Aadit chimed in.
"Watch it Aadit. I am setting a better example than you..who isn't getting married on the planned date because he made his wife pregnant," said Arnav, dryly.
"Touche!" said Aadit.
Garima and Payal blushed at the thought. London seemed to be a den of iniquity, they thought. What with Arnav and Khushi's living together and Anjali's unplanned pregnancy. Naniji, for all her outspokenness, was really much less shocked. She was only happy that her grandchildren had found peace and stability. She might have been a stickler for convention in the old days. Now, she just wanted to see her family happy and settled.
"So, where are you taking Khushi for the honeymoon?" asked Payal hesitantly.
'It's a surprise," said Arnav. "Not telling," he smiled.
"I bet its Paris," said Akash. "Bhai is a closet romantic."
"Nope. Not Paris," said Arnav.
"Venice?" asked Anjali, knowing her Chotey loved Italy. He shook his head in the negative.
"Hawaii?" asked Aadit, knowing Khushi liked beaches.
"Wrong again. And no more guesses. It's a surprise." Said Arnav firmly. He walked out of the room to prevent further conversation on the subject.
"Arnav, come on. Tell me. I'm dying to know," Khushi called to him as he stood at the foot of the stairs.
"No can do baby!" he said smiling at her childish excitement.
"Come on. I'll make it worth your while!" she winked.
"Oh, really. How so?" he asked, sounding interested.
"Well you know how Nani said you and I can't, you know'before the wedding?" she asked. He nodded in response, grimacing. "Well, I will make sure we can and we do! Before the wedding." She promised.
"In the house? With all these people and children around us? Are you joking?" asked Arnav incredulously.
"I'm absolutely serious. Are you telling me you don't want to.." she let her voice trail off.
"I'm not saying that. Of course not," said Arnav flustered. "What if we get caught?" he asked.
"That's a risk we'll have to take, of course." Said Khushi easily.
"Sorry. I'm not risking being caught in flagrante delicto by my grandmother," said Arnav, lips pursed.
"Are you saying No to sex?" said Khushi, shocked.
Arnav thought about it for a moment. He didn't want to seem wimpy. And of course he didn't want to say No to sex. But it sounded risky to him. "Oh, well he thought. No guts. No glory. What the heck, I'll do it."
"OK Khushi. You have yourself a deal," he said.
"OK, then. Where are we going on our honeymoon?"
"Na-uh. Follow through on your promise first. Honeymoon location shall only be revealed after the act has been performed," said Arnav, ever the hard-nosed businessman.
"OK then. Wait for me tonight," said Khushi. "I'll come get you."
"I'll be waiting," said Arnav. He couldn't wait to see what his madcap fianc had in store for him. Being married to her was going to make sure life was always exciting, he thought.
Aadit heard the entire conversation from behind the door he was standing at. He smiled to himself. "OK, Arnav Singh Raizada, Mr.Propriety you are not. Time to get my own back!" he grinned evilly and went back to tell Anjali, Akash and Payal.
Anjali and Aadit decided to stay back that night. They said they'd squeeze in. Anjali with Payal and Khushi. Aadit with Arnav and Akash. They men sat up late that night with a bottle of Scotch. And when Arnav kept looking at the clock, Aadit nudged Akash, and they both sniggered.
"You have someplace to be Bhai?" asked Akash innocently.
"No. Of course not. Where would I want to be?" asked Arnav indignantly.
"Get you another drink?" asked Aadit looking at Arnav's empty glass.
"No. I think I'm done for tonight," said Arnav.
'What? You only had like 2 pegs of Scotch. You gotta have another. This is like the best Glenfidditch man!" said Aadit, pouring him another drink. Arnav sat back on the sofa exasperatedly. He picked up the glass, swallowing his annoyance. And since he couldn't even express his annoyance openly, he was forced to glower inwardly and make conversation with an unusually enthusiastic Aadit and Akash. It was 3am by the time they had finished discussing the sorry state of Indian cricket, Indian politics, and Indian censorship policies.
In the meanwhile Khushi kept checking up on the guys quietly to see if they'd gone to bed. Payal and Anjali smiled at each other, but managed to keep a straight face in front of Khushi. "Why so restless Khushi? Go to sleep," said Payal.
"Yes Jiji. Doesn't look like I'm going to do anything else tonight." said Khushi, exasperated. She tucked a pillow under her head, punched it in annoyance and went to sleep. Anjali winked at Payal, before they turned in for the night as well.
At the breakfast table the next morning, Arnav looked hungover and Khushi seemed grumpy. Aadit and Akash seemed unusually chirpy though.
"So, Minnie, do you know where you're going on your honeymoon?" asked Aadit.
"Err. No. It's a surprise," said Khushi.
"I see. Well, I admire your patience. Anjali drives me nuts about everything. I can't keep what I ate for lunch from her. You're very patient to not want to know where you're going on your honeymoon,"said Aadit, goading Khushi.
"Yes well. Khushi is so mature. Not like me. I would've inveigled the truth out of you, by fair means or foul." Said Anjali sweetly.
"Minnie's not like you Anjali. She doesn't use Sex as a bargaining chip," said Aadit. "I mean, I guess she doesn't use sex as a bargaining chip," he modified his statement when he saw the glare his wife sent his way. "Minnie's that rare woman. Practically perfect in every way. Like Mary Poppins!" he quipped.
"God! Then it's not just Payal. When she's mad at me, I sleep on the couch for days," said Akash sadly, shaking his head. Payal threw him a look so filled with reproach that he felt compelled to look away.
"This conversation is beyond disgusting. I'll be upchucking my cereal if you guys don't stop," spoke Malli quietly. Her face was a bilious shade between green and yellow. "It was bad enough with just Arnav and Khushi. Now there's 3 couples here. And all so disgustingly in love with each other. Almost makes me sick," she finished.
"We love you too," Aadit assured Malli, but she merely grunted in response. She was still upset at being told that she wasn't allowed at Khushi's bachelorette party the next day. Anjali had broken the news to her that unfortunately, 17 was too young for the risqu events on the agenda for that evening. After ruminating over the injustice of being left out of the more fun aspects of the wedding (but being eagerly solicited to baby-sit!) while Mommies went shopping, Malli made a decision.
She was going to gatecrash Khushi's Bachelorette Party.
Next chapter: Khushi's girls' night out, of course. And if the ending seemed choppy...its because I slept off while writing it😳. PMs later. Too sleepy to send 'em out now. But I did want to put the chapter out there tonight.
Cheers!
Vidhya
PS: Very sad that Pats lost. 😭
Chapter 40 : Here
Chapter 41: Here
Chapter 42: HereChapter 43: Here
Chapter 44 part-2: Here
Chapter 44 part-1: Here
Chapter 45: Here
Chapter 46: Here
Chapter 47: Here
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