ArHi SS: Berries & Vodka Ch7A Page 25 04/16

Chapter 1 : Lucknow to Delhi

"Sankadevi, yaad rakh 21 din hain tere paas" as if her father's words weren't enough, she now had Buaji to deal with. Buaji's words hung over her head like a proverbial sword; she was reminded of those  unfortunate souls guillotined during the middle ages feeling absolutely helpless; may be Khushi Kumari Gupta was destined to die a kumari.

"Who has a kumari for a middle name?" the girls at work had mocked her, "It's so middle class" one of them who took a local bus to work had quipped. Talk about double standards, Khushi thought, enraged but it was her first day at work, she wasn't going to fight back. She knew working at AR Designs would be nothing less than a battlefield to her from Day 1, she was ready for the challenge. If there were there betting on her failure, she was going to prove them wrong.

"They said that?" Preeto was timid by nature, "Khushi" her voice laden with concern, "Are you sure you are doing the right thing?" she asked, "Working?" Khushi questioned back as if implying, "Is that even a question?" But her friend was already distracted, her eyes focused on something behind Khushi's back.

"What is BankeLal doing here?" Preeto nearly choked on the pani-puri. Khushi didn't even have to turn around to confirm Bankelal had arrived. Eversince they were kids, Bankelal used to secretly use his father's Sandalwood Musk, everyone knew about it. It practically nauseated her, and now when waves upon waves of strong Sandalwood surrounded her, she felt like throwing up. Reminding her exactly why she had taken that vow years ago that her future husband would never wear Sandalwood Musk. But, life had a way of catching you off guard. Precisely, two months ago, Bankelal's family had sent a marriage proposal her way. They owned the biggest Mithai shop in their neighborhood, bigger than Gupta sweets and so it was seen as a big step up. That night, Khushi had dreamt of Mrs. Bankelal,  her face partially hidden by a mountain of Jalebis she was gorging upon; she looked morbidly obese, as she sat at the counter, she even cursed like Bankelal did. Khushi had woken mortified upon seeing that Mrs. Bankelal was an obese version of herself; the lips permanently reddened by excessive paan intake, her body like looked like a big lump of jalebi goo, gone was everything that stood out as Khushi Kumari Gupta. That morning, she had run away from home. That was two months ago.

"Khushiji" Bankelal's voice confirmed her worst nightmares, she shot a frustrated glance at Preeto before turning around to face that eventuality; Bankelal with a pan stuffed in his mouth. His big hopeful eyes looked back at her willing her to marry him, almost pleading at times. Things had not changed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, of course she knew. Buaji had told her the night before, "Bankelal is coming to Shantinagar"

"Why is this news to me?" Khushi had asked, "Don't act smart Sankadevi, you know very well he is still ready to accept you, after you know..." 

"Buaji don't bring it up again, it wasn't my fault"

"Ofcourse it wasn't, your sister's baraat went back because you lost the dowry papers, its not your fault..." Buaji didn't bother to notice the tears that pooled in her eyes, she went about doing her work, "Bankelal is opening up a branch of his Mithai Shop here at Shantinagar..." Khushi had lost her after the first part of the conversation. Khushi knew she wasn't Buaji's favorite being the adopted one and Buaji never failed to make it obvious, every single time.

Tears welled up in Kyushi's eyes but she refused to cry, "I'm not marrying Bankelal" she made sure the she shut the door loudly to Buaji's face. This is precisely why she had escaped to Delhi from Lucknow, to get away from this mess. Except it had followed her here and she was no where near to resolving her situation. Her father's words haunted her day and night, "Fine six months, thats what you will get. If you don't get a stable job by six months, you are coming back and getting married to the guy of our choosing" She had not talked to her father since. He hadn't called her, and she didn't know how to break the ice, she knew he was mad at her.

"Don't stay in Delhi Khushi" her mother had pleaded over the phone, "So many bad things happen there" referring to all the negative news, "But Amma, I got a job"

"But its not a safe city, you will be alone"

"But Buaji is here. Preeto lives next door. And in two months Jiji will be here too" And thats how Khushi Kumari Gupta of Lucknow had ended up a Shantinagar, Delhi. Except instead two months later, Bankelal had shown up. 

"What am I going to do Preeto?" she paced around her room chewing her finger nails nervously, "I can't get married to him...I don't want to"

Preeto giggled, "whats so funny?" Khushi glared at her friend, "I think he's cute"

"Hey Devi Maiyaa, you are supposed to be my friend"

"He is like a cuddly bear, he practically worships the group you walk on. Have you seen the way he looks at you?" Preeto pointed out, Khushi wasn't having any of that, "And your point is?"

"Look, sooner or later, we all need to settle down. He is good man Khushi, he is stable financially and will treat you like a queen, what more do you want?" 

"I don't want to be a queen or be worshipped" Khushi began but one look at her friend, she realized it was pointless, "Chod Preeto, I'll find a way out of this"