158. OS: 7: The Other Woman (Part 21-22)

Part 21

Khushi called Shyam.

“Shyamji, hum Khushi he. I am sorry to disturb you at this time of the night,” she began.

“It is alright, Khushi. What is wrong?” Shyam asked, rubbing his tired eyes and setting aside the legal documents he had been perusing.

“Woh...I wanted to ask you if I could take leave tomorrow,” Khushi said, her voice low.

“Kya hua, Khushi?” Shyam asked, frowning. Had Arnav hounded her till she was scared to go to office?

“Woh... Teej he na, Shyamji. Buaji wants me to fast to get a good husband,” Khushi confessed.

Shyam hid his smile. There was a good husband hanging around her, drooling. If only she would give him the time of day, he would carry her away on his white horse before she could say Arnav Singh Raizada! It was Teej? Damn! He would have to present himself at the temple of Anjali’s choice in the evening to break her fast. He mentally reminded himself to remind Sharmaji to remind him the next evening.

“No problem, Khushi. You fast. May you get married very soon,” Shyam said, tongue-in-cheek.

Khushi drew in a deep breath. How could she tell him the tale of her premarital romantic woes starring an Absurd Singh Raizada?

“Shyamji...” Khushi paused.

“Yes, Khushi?” Shyam asked.

“Woh..woh..Can you give me Arnav Singh Raizada’s home address?” she asked, trepidation in her heart.

Shyam’s eyes widened in shock. He sat speechless for a moment. Then he said, “Khushi, you went there once, didn’t you? Ab kya hua?”

Khushi sighed heavily.

“Hum kya bataaein, Shyamji? Don’t mind me saying this, but there is something seriously wrong with your Saale-saheb,” she said.

“What did he do now?” Shyam asked, horrified.

“He..he...,” she hesitated. The less people knew about Lattoo Singh Raizada’s marriage proposal the better. “He sent me gifts, Shyamji.”

Shyam opened his mouth and then thought better of it. So this was his Harvard-returned Saalesaheb’s mode of wooing.

“I..I want to return them. That is why I need his address, to courier them to him,” Khushi licked her dry lips, praying that Shyamji wouldn’t ask her why his brother-in-law was inundating her with gifts.

He didn’t.

Shyam recited the address. Khushi wrote it down.

Then Shyam led her out of the coil expertly. “Don’t think badly of Arnav, Khushi. He feels bad that he hurt you with his words and actions. He is trying to make up for them with the gifts.”

“Ji...” Khushi croaked.

“So Khushi, is tomorrow your frst Teej?” Shyam asked casually.

“Ji,” Khushi stammered, relieved that Shyamji had asked no further questions.

“Where will you break the fast? At home or at a temple? Anjali normally goes to a temple near Shantivan,” Shyam put her at ease.

“Temple. There is one close by our home. Buaji, Jiji and I will go there tomorrow morning and evening,” she chattered in an acute sense of deliverance.

“I see,” Shyam murmured.

“Hum phoone rakhte hein, Shyamji,” Khushi looked at the clock.

“Good night, Khushi,” Shyam wished.

“Shubh raatri,” Khushi responded, feeling her heart settle in to its normal rhythm, an event that wouldn’t have happened had she heard Shyam’s conversation with Arnav after he cut her call.

“Arnav, expect a courier from Khushi,” Shyam warned him.

Arnav smiled. “I am. She made her mind very clear,” he said. “Jiju, I was going to call you. Tomorrow is Teej. Di is fasting for you. So please come to the usual temple at 6pm.”

“Why don’t we change the venue this time?” Shyam suggested.

Arnav frowned.

“Maybe you could bring your sister to the temple in Laxmi Nagar,” Shyam proposed. “You know the temple, I am sure. The one close to Khushi’s house,” Shyam’s voice carried his smile.

A smile bloomed on Arnav’s lips. “I owe you one, Jiju,” he said.

“You do, you do. I will remind you of it when the time is ripe,” Shyam threatened him playfully.

Part 22

Khushi looked at the orange sari laid out for her with a jaundiced eye.

“Buaji, is it necessary to wear a sari on Teej? Will Devi Maiyya scold me if I don’t?” she asked. Lugging a saree while going around a banyan tree and fighting the crowds was not going to be an easy feat. And that too on a hungry stomach.

Buaji hit her on the head. “Chup chaap pehen lo, Nandkisore, if you know what is good for you.”

“Ek to no breakfast, no tea. Upar se goondagardi?” Khushi put her hands on her waist and challenged Buaji in play.

Buaji swung her chotti around her neck and advanced towards Khushi.

Khushi gave up the uneven fight and ran for her life, leaping over chairs and hiding behind her laughing Jiji.

A few minutes later Khushi and Payal set out from their home to the temple. Khushi’s eyes scanned the surroundings with the expertise of a surveillance battalion on patrol.

“Kya dekh rahi ho, Khushi?” Payal asked.

“Kuch nahi, Jiji,” Khushi turned to smile widely at Payal and tripped on a stone.

Payal caught her arm just in time to save Khushi’s front teeth. “To dekha karo,” she admonished Khushi.

Khushi flushed and looked down at her sari pleats. This sari and that Asinine Singh Raizada were sure to ruin her day!

Payal tied her dhaga around the banyan tree.

Khushi looked around for a manly figure in a black or brown coat and  a head full of lush hair.

Payal walked around the tree, her hands folded, her head lowered.

Khushi’s hands were folded but her eyes were seeking a man with molten eyes that could thaw an iceberg and a voice that could cause angels to err.

“Did you pray, Khushi?” Payal asked.

Khushi nodded.

“Shall we return home?” Payal asked.

“Yes,” Khushi agreed, her fears allayed for the moment.

As soon as they got home, Khushi shed her sari and crawled in to her customary suit. She picked up the sari she had packed carefully last night and ran out of the house.

“Where has that Toofan Mail gone now, Nandkisore?” Buaji asked.

“I don’t know, Buaji,” Payal giggled.

“Payaliyya, did Titliyya tell you anything about the goonda who is following her?” Buaji asked.

“No, Buaji,” Payal replied, the laughter dying.

“Did she tell you his name, Nandkisore?” Buaji asked.

“No, Buaji, she didn’t. Hamein bahut chinta ho rahi he, Buaji,” Payal confided.

“Maybe we should go to the police,” Buaji thought aloud. “But if there is publicity or the boy tries to retaliate by hurting Khussi...” her voice trailed away. “We can’t stand guard over her all 24 hours of the day, Nandkisore.”

Payal nodded. “Maybe we should inform Shyamji. He is a lawyer. He will know what to do,” Payal suggested.

Buaji drew in a deep breath of relief. “Woh theek he, Payaliyya,” she agreed. “It is a good idea. But I wish Arnav babua would come home, Nandkisore. We could ask him what to do.”

Payal nodded enthusiastically.

Unaware of the fond wishes of her family, Khushi sent off the package with the red sari to Shantivan and stood in the office of the couriers with her eyes closed, feeling relief and some kind of nagging loss.

“Do you want to send something else too?” the clerk asked her.

‘Yes. Me to outer space. Can you do it?’ she wanted to ask but didn’t. She shook her head and walked out.

The road home seemed very long. It hadn’t appeared so when she had raced down it to the couriers. Slowly she made her way through the crowd of pilgrims, children, vendors, street hawkers and office goers.

Had she done right in returning the gift? Yes, she couldn’t keep it. It wasn’t right. But maybe she shouldn’t have called his home and revealed his obsession with her to them. What would they do? Would they fight with him for follwing her like a shadow?

‘Khushi, don’t worry about that 6-foot Adamant Singh Raizada. He is perfectly capable of looking after himself and holding his own against his nutty family. You worry about your own health and how to free yourself from the leech-like hold that man has on your head and thoughts,’ she advised herself.

“Chotey, get up,” Anjali swept aside the curtain and let sunlight fall on Arnav’s face.

He blinked his eyes and sat up. Today he would see Khushi...

“Today is Teej, Chotey,” Anjali informed him. “Your Jiju...”

“He asked us to join him at a temple close to his office,” Arnav informed her. “We need to reach there at 6pm.”

“He called you, Chotey?” Anjali's eyes filled with happy tears.

“Yes,” Arnav left the bed and stretched, his mind lingering on Khushi and all the possibilities open to him.

“Chotey, we wanted to ask you something,” Anjali began.

Mami and Nani left their post outside the door and walked in.

“What is wrong?” Arnav asked, frowning.

“Arnav bitwaa, a girlwaa phoone kiye rahe yesterday,” Mami began.

“Who? Why?” Arnav asked.

“A.. Khushi...” Anjali said.

Arnav looked down to hide his smile. So she had complained to his family.

“Chotey, she said that you are pestering her by sending her gifts,” Nani said. “What is happening?”

“Is she lying, Chotey?” Anjali frowned. “Why would you send gifts to some girl?”

“Because I intend to marry her,” Arnav said, picking up a towel. He looked at the stunned faces of his family. “Don’t worry. You know her.”

“We do?” Nani frowned. “Kaun he, Chotey?”

“Ijj it Mrs. Sharma’s daughter? Arnav bitwaa, hum kahe rahe. Iph it ijj her, I am going to Lucknow now on my phast feet if I don't get train. Saasumma, she pushed one mother-in-laaa down the seedi and ijj now looking for the next one!” Mami shuddered.

“Don’t worry, Mami, it is not her. My Khushi won’t do anything like that. She may kill me but not you,” he comforted her.

All gasped.

“Who ijj this wonder, Hello Hi Bye Bye?” Mami asked.

“The girl Di accused of having an affair with Jiju,” Arnav said as he walked to the bathroom. At the door he turned to look at the startled faces in the room. “I proposed to her. She refused. But I am determined to marry her.”

“Chotey?” Anjali whispered.

“She doesn’t know it but we will be meeting her today evening. You can apologise to her then,” Arnav told his sister before entering the bathroom and shutting the door.