IPKKND - Vignettes - 27. Tujhpe Kurbaan Dil... Pt14/Pg31 upd 10/01/21

Hello my dears... 

Repostingthe first two chapters as I am not able to edit the old thread for some reason!

Here comes the next FF in the series...

To those who missed the earlier TS - Annapoorna, this is Anjali's story... 

The same Anjali, who was a mother to her orphaned brother...

The same Anjali, who kept the family of temperamental Raizadas together for years until Khushi and Payal joined her...

The same Anjali, who inspite of losing her parents, her husband and her unborn child, still manages to be the loving, cheerful, bubbly woman who hides a spine of steel in her gentle demeanor...

The same Anjali who people tend to forget, is first and foremost, a Raizada, Arnav Singh Raizada's older sister, and can the apple have fallen far from the tree?

In this case, she's the one who brought up the young man who's famous as ASR... 

She is Anjali Singh Raizada, and woe betide anyone who makes the mistake of forgetting that!

Parts 1,2 & 3 - below

Part 4 - Pg 2

Part 5 - Pg 5

Part 6 - Pg 8

Part 7 - Pg 9

Part 8 - Pg 11

Part 9 - Pg 13

Part 10 - Pg 16

Part 11 - Pg 19

26. Tujhpe Kurbaan Dil...


Part 1

Meri aakhon mein tu muskuraayen 
Meri dhadkan pe hain tere saayein 
Poojti hain nazar tujhko aathon peher 
Kaun tere siva yaad aye 
Zindagi pe karam tujhse 
Har khushi har gham tujhse 
Vaadein aur kasam tujhse 
Har khushi har gham tujhse 
Zindagi pe karam tujhse 
Har khushi har gham tujhse

Anjali's clear, soothing voice drifting up the stairs was what woke Arnav on a cold December morning. Opening his eyes with a soft smile, as memories and images from hundreds of similar mornings flowed into his mind, he got up, his eyes immediately searching for his wife. The sound of the shower letting him know where she was, he flicked a glance towards the bed-side clock. It was still very early, not the usual time that he woke up. 

 

Aakein dekhe koi yahan 
Apne hote hain kaise 
Jashn khushiyan manaati hain 
Ghar jannat ho yeh jaise 
Ek dooje ke bandhan mein 
Band gaye hain ham aise 
Koi shikwa na ho 
Daur jaisa bhi ho 
Fasla beech mein aa na payein
Kabhi rootein na ham tujhse 
Har khushi har  gham tujse 
Vaadein aur kasam tujhse 
Har khushi har gham tujhse 
Zindagi pe karam tujhse 
Har khushi har gham tujhse

His Di's voice almost pulling him towards her, he knocked and opened the door to their toilet-suite, and seeing that Khushi was still inside the misted-up shower cubicle in the far corner, he cleaned up his face and mouth and strode out. Quickly walking down the stairs, he came to a halt near the dining table, quietly watching his sister as she finished her morning Aarti. 

Zindagi pe karam tujhse 
Har khushi har gham tujhse 
Vaadein aur kasam tujhse 
Har khushi har gham tujhse 
Zindagi pe karam tujhse 
Har khushi har gham tujhse

The rest of the women still getting ready, Anjali was alone in the mandir, as was her daily routine. The house woke up to her melodious voice resonating in the air, but it was rare for Arnav to be the first person to come down. Standing quietly behind her, he watched the serene face that he had grown up finding peace in, his rock in the stormy life they had both had. 

For the whole world to see, it had always been Arnav who was Anjali's protector and provider, but he knew, that whatever he had achieved, whatever normalcy his life had had, it was all because of his Di. Her unshakable faith in him, her steady love and support, her laughter and little fights, it had kept him sane, it had kept him without shattering until she brought Khushi into his life. Yes, it had been fate that threw them together, destiny that brought them closer,but it had been Anjali, and her stubborn wiles that had kept them in each others' company long enough for them to recognize in eachother their soulmates. Arnav Singh Raizada owed almost everything to his sister, and she never failed to amaze him with her sheer resilience and optimism.

Anjali finished her pooja and turned around to see her brother standing behind her with a wistful smile on his face, his eyes unfocussed as he stood lost in thought even as his eyes remained trained on her face. Her face wreathed in a wide smile, she walked towards him, "Arre, janaab uth gaye? Itnisubah?"

At his answering grin, she held her thaal forward and once he bowed before the lamp, fed him the prasad, and asked, "Aise kyun dekh rahe ho,Chotte?"

"Kyun, main apni Di ko dekh nahi sakta?"

"Lo, ho gaya shuroo!", she sighed, and pulling at his nose, chuckled,"Khoob dekh sakte ho! Tumhe itni subah yahan dekhne ki aadat nahi hai, issliye poocha. Ab jaao, jaake taiyyaar ho jaao. Khushiji abhi aati hogi tumhara naashta taiyyar karne. Humein bhi ready hona hai. Aaj humara ek event hai, toh hum donon ko bhi jaldi nikalna hai."

Putting a companionable arm around her shoulder, he gathered her close to his side as they walked out of the mandir. "Di, aap bahut khush ho naah? Iss naye career ko le kar?"

Being an expert in reading every nuance in her brother's voice, she understood the underlying worry and his need to shield her, and turned to him, her heartin her eyes, "Hum bahut, bahut khush hain, Chotte. Aur iss baat se aur bhikhush hai ki yeh kaam hum Khushiji ke saath milkar kar rahe hain. Tumhein nahipata ki humein kitna kuch karne ko mil raha hain, kitne logon se mil rahe hain.Sach mein, Khushiji ka idea humare liye bilkul sahi nikla."

"So I gather, from all the glowing reports that I'm getting", Arnavmurmured, a warm smile on his face as he took in the utter happiness on his Di's face.

"Sach mein? Kisne kaha tumse?"

Turning her around in front of him and linking both his arms around her neck,he grinned, 

"Apparently, Ms. ASR is a formidable negotiator when it comes to sourcing the best raw materials from vendors! Di, I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard someone mention this from a neighbouring table while I was out for lunch. Meri sweet, docile Di, aur Ms. ASR?! Aur, aapne jo fund-raiser event organise kiye the naah, last week, for the Bhatias? Well, Mr. Bhatia ke saath ek meeting tha mera, and he was also absolutely thrilled with the decor and the food. Looks like your Annapoorna is a hit, Di!"

Walking down the stairs smiling at the peals of laughter that Anjali had collapsed into, Khushi called out, "Aur nahi toh kya, Ms.ASR hai humara PR Head-cum-CEO. Hit kaise nahi hoga?"

Looking up at his wife with a glorious smile, Arnav gathered his still chuckling sister close for a tight hug, at peace finally where Anjali was concerned. He had never seen her this happy in the recent past.

Even though Khushi and Anjali had started Annapoorna several weeks ago as a Wedding Planning enterprise, they had gotten their first break when they got selected to host a corporate dinner after an impressed guest from a wedding recommended them to her husband, and then on, their clientele had become very varied, cutting across different types of functions ranging from dinners to corporate functions to weddings. And now, within a month of their launch, they had become one of the sought-after Event Managers for high-profile functions,the benefit of which was felt very much in Prateeksha, with all of the employees sourced solely from there.

And with Anjali's MBA and design skills being put to its maximum use, the solid backing by Khushi's Catering Division and Payal's team of seamstresses had won Annapoorna the envious position of rising to the select club of elite Event Management Enterprises. With AR Group's patronage, they were sure to grow fast and steady, and no one was happier that Arnav himself at the transformation these few weeks had made in his Di. The old confident, articulate, professional Anjali Singh Raizada was back, and back to stay. But the biggest test was yet to come.

Edited by AparnaRenu - 3 years ago

Part 2

"Di!...Di!...Kahaan ho aap?", Khushi ran down the stairs, with her cellphone plastered against her 

ear, as she looked around frantically for Anjali. 

Not spotting her anywhere, she tunred to run down the corridor, only to see Anjali come rushing 

out of the library, a few files clutched close, her cellphone held tight in her hand, a broad grin 

splitting her face.

Before she could utter a word, Khushi spoke up, "Ji, Sir, ek minute hold keejiye, hum aapko Ms. Raizada se baat karvaate hain. Saare scheduling aur agreement ke baatein who hi handle karti hain", before promptly handing the phone to a gob-smacked Anjali, who mouthed "Kaun" to Khushi, only to have her shake her head and do an on-the-spot jig in her excitement.

Shaking her head, Anjali took the phone, an in front of her sister-in-law's admiring eyes, transformed from her gentle Anjali Di into the cool, composed, Ms. ASR. Aftersending Arnav off to office, Khushi was busy straightening up their room and getting ready for her day at Pratheeksha when her phone had rung. Pre-occupied in planning the menu for the day's function, it had taken her a moment to recognise that the voice speaking over phone was Mr. Goyal, one of the biggest industrialists in town, and an important client of the ARH, what with his corporate account being managed by ARH for over five years. 

And at his jolly booming voice informing her that he had decided that he wanted 'Annapoorna', of which he had been hearing rave reviews to cater his upcoming annual charity ball, Khushi had fairly jumped out of her skin, and barely managing to piece together a coherent sentence about Anjali being the one handling the scheduling, had run downstairs. Having attended his ball the past year, she knew what a grand function it was, and what a coup it would be if Annapoorna could carry it off successfully. the publicity from that one event would keep them booked through the year!

So engrossed was Khushi in her daydreaming that she started as she heard the tail end of Anjali's response, "... I'm really sorry. Hum ummeed karte hain ki aapko koi suitable firm mil jaayein... Nahi, Mr. Goyal, pehle se hi scheduling aur agreement ho chuki hain, aur hum yeh tod nahi sakte, kisi ke liye bhi... thank you, for your appreciation. Ok, bye."

Looking up to see Khushi standing as if someone had stolen her Jalebis, Anjali smothered a grin, even as disappointment coursed through her. At the sputtering question from her sister-in-law at having turned down the offer, Anjali sighed, "Kya karein, Khushiji, humari woh Wedding Reception, Mr. Khanna ke bete ka, ussi taareekh ko hain. Aur itni short notice mein hum agreement nahi tod sakte..."

Her face falling, as she remembered the other commitment, Khushi replied, "Koi baat nahin, Di. Aur bhi bahut saari maukaayein ayenge. Chalo, ab humein nikalna hoga, varna taiyyaariyan shuroo karne mein der ho jaayegi", refering to their event of the day.

******************************

They were on their way to Pratheeksha when Khushi's phone rang, the familiar ringtone making her smile fondly. Answering the call, she said, "Ji, Arnavji?"

His voice softening in a smile, Arnav said, "Khushi, why did you turn down Mr. Goyal's offer? Jaanti ho kitna valuable client ho sakta tha?"

"Hum jaante hain, Arnavji, lekin hum aur kya karte, ek prior booking tha, aur woh hum aise hi cancel nahi kar sakte hain naah?', Khushi sighed.

Heaving a big sigh himself, Arnav replied, "Di ko phone do..."

Grimacing slightly as she took the phone Khushi had held out, anticipating a yelling, Anjali said, "Hello...", only to hear a big sigh from the other end, "To think that this is the woman who I've always called 'Sayani'!"

Surprised by this sudden proclamation, Anjali stuttered, "Huh?... Yeh kya bol rahe ho, Chotte?"
"Di, Mr. Goyal ka account aapke liye bahut important and profitable hoga, and I would've thought that someone with your business skills would've found some way or the other to remain in the loop with him."

Brushing aside her justifications, he continued, "Di, aapki poori staff toh engaged nahi honge, naah? Uss din? Toh why now hire a make-shift crew to help you out, or even partner with another smaller firm to cater for the event? Decorations toh aap additional hired crew se aaraam se karva sakte ho..."

The silence on the other end telling him that the wheels were turning indeed in his 'Sayani' Di's head, Arnav bid her goodbye and kept the phone down, smiling to himself at how much he was enjoying this new enterprise that his wife and Di were running. He would do all he could without coming out from behind the curtains.

*********************

It was a grinning Anjali who greeted her brother that evening. His questioning look morphing into deep laugh, he asked, "Di... toh final decision kya liya?"

The answering hug squeezing the very breath out of him, Arnav gathered his sister close in a hug, smiling over her head at his wife, who too was fairly jumping up and down in her excitement. And it would take on a new dimension, the results being anybody's guess.

Edited by Appurs - 8 years ago

Yay!!!! Edited by loves_aishu - 8 years ago

Part 3

An evening, a couple of days later...

The sounds of laughter and happy voices leading him to the first floor Patio, a weary NK hefted his suitcase up the stairs, one hand holding his cellphone close to his ear. Leaving his luggage in his room, he stepped out to the Patio, a happy smile on his face as he talked to Pooja. Waving a 'hi' to his cousins, he collapsed on one of the empty chairs, bringing his conversation to a close, grinning at the catcalls from Akash and Dhruv.

"Okay, okay, I'm done. Come on, guys, cut a chap a break, will you. Chain se pyaari-pyaari batein kar raha tha main, with my fiancee..."

Grinning cheekily, Dhruv retorted, "Haan, haan, khoob karo, par humare saamne karoge toh thodi si leg-pulling jhelna padega.Waise NK Bhai, itni saari goodbyes kyun bol rahe the? Kal kaam par nahi jaa rahe ho kya?"

Sighing as he leaned back, NK looked over at his Nannav, who was sitting in his usual chair, silently enjoying his family's company, his wife sitting on the floor in her customary pose, leaning against his leg, and replied, "Actually, no, I'm not. Nannav, abhi-abhi office se nikalte waqt par Dad ka phone aaya. Our close family friend's son's marriage got fixed all on a sudden, and they want me to attend. The wedding is day after, toh mujhe kal jaana hoga." 

Seeing Arnav sit up straight, he raised a hand, palm out, and continued, "Everything is delegated and the week's schedule has been handed over to Pooja. You know she will handle everything. Waise bhi, I'll be gone only for a few days."

It was Anjali's turn to reply then, "NK Bhai, yeh toh badi khushi ki mauka hai. Aur Jaa hi rahe ho toh kuch din ke liye rehkar aayiye naah, apne maa-baap ke paas. Itne dinon baad jaa jo rahe ho." Turning to her brothers, she asked, "Chotte, Akash, tum donon bolo naah..."

Sending a quick glance at his brother, and nodding once, Akash replied, "Ji, Di, NK Bhai bilkul reh sakte hain. Pooja hi kaafi hain ARH ko sambhaalne ke liye, she's that good!" HIs smile turning mischievious, he went on, "Par NK Bhai apni mangetar se itni door kitne dinon ke liye reh paayega, yeh toh hum nahi jaante..."

And away went everyone into peals of laughter again, until Arnav's phone rang. Holding Khushi back as she made to move away to let him stand up, he answered the call, making quick work of it. Looking up on finishing it, he grimaced as he looked over at Akash. "Woh Frankfurt-wali plant mein quality control inspection chaalu tha naah, wahan par kuch zyada hi problems hain. Looks like we'll have to make a trip. Akash. That too, this weekend, else we wont be able to review everything before the final inspection on Monday. "

Still not moving from where she sat, Khushi looked up at her husband, smiling her agreement, thining to herself how far they both had come in their marriage. There was a time when the very thought of being away from him would've made her hyperventilate. But Mrs. ASR understood, approved of, and supported the demands made on her husband. Looking over at her Jiji, she saw the same smile reflected on her face as she looked at Akash. 

The evening progressed along its normal course, until Manorama called them all down to dinner.

*****************************

Burrowing further into his side, Khushi wrapped her free hand around Arnav's waist, one bleary eye focussing on the table-clock, sighing in relief as she saw that there was still a couple of hours before he had to start getting ready for the early morning flight. The past couple of days had been very busy with NK leaving for Australia, Akash and Arnav in hurried preparation for their German trip, and Anjali, Khushi and Payal in preparation for their mega event. With their days taken up with work, they had had gotten only two nights to spend with eachother. And this Friday night, they had not had time to go out for their weekly dining out.

Sighing as he pulled her closer, Arnav turned over, murmuring, "Time ho gaya?"

"Nahi...do ghante baaki hain...", she whispered against his neck beofre falling asleep again.

Three hours later, Khushi sat on the bed, watching him cross-check his travel pouch for his passport and wallet, and asked, "Toh aap donon iss budhwar tak wapas aayenge naah?"

Smiling up at his wife, Arnav asked, "Missing me already?". Walking up to her, he continued, "Haan, pakka. Would've come on Tuesday, Khushi, lekin short notice mein tickets available hi nahin hain." Sitting down beside her, he took her hand in his, "Tumhara event toh kal raat ko hain naah. I've been watching you and Di running around getting everything ready, and the arrangements seem foolproof. How is the catering being handled?"

"Woh toh Di baat ki, Mr. Goyal se, aur unhon ne hi iss kashmakash ki hal nikaale. Do tarak ki food chaahiye tha, appetizers and hors-duvres during the ball, and then the dinner. Toh hum pehli turn le rahe hain, aur dinner doosri catering group sambhaal rahe hain, jinko Mr. Goyal hi appoint kiye hain. Di sab kuch manage kar rahi hain, apni Ms. ASR avtar mein," she giggled. 

Grinning as he got up, dropping a soft kiss on his wife's head, Arnav took his travel bag and followed Khushi out. Akash and Payal joined them outside their room, and the two couples walked downstairs, the pre-travel routine being carried out on auto-pilot. The elders were waiting downstairs to see them off, and Anjali walked up with her Pooja thaal to see them off. Quick goodbyes later, the men were off, driven to the airport by Dhruv, wishing their sister and wives the best of luck for their event.

Returning inside, the family went back to bed, seeing how a few hours were left before they had to start their day. Only a day left to prepare for their biggest job till date, Anjali, Khushi and Payal decided to meet up in the afternoon from their respective offices to do the last minute detailing. But their world as they knew it was set to change irrevocably in the coming days, that too with their men not by their side...

Hi i love your series are you gona uppdate in engish to because I don't understand Hindi?

 Thank you. Waited for you to come back. Loved reading it.

WOW... u r back... god knows how much i missed your writing dear... a very welcome back to you... so so sooo happy to have Vignettes back again... its no less jashn than getting ArShi back on screen... kyun ki jab IPK nahi thi, this series was my IPK... I'm so happy u r back di... looking forward to enjoy the ride once again.

welcome back...what a dhamakedaar reentry  by you..loving it

Welcome back!