239. OS 13. Laad Governor and Afghan Jalebi (Part 3)

Link to my new short story: Taking Care of You


“I thought I was dreaming when I first saw you," he said.

 “How did you know it was me?” she asked. “I could have been anybody. A thief even.”

He smiled wearily. “I don’t know many thieves who would look at me with anxious eyes and then cry because I was sick,” he mumbled.

Is it possible for love to bloom, sight unseen? Juhi and Abhay are strangers who know each other better than they know themselves. One night changes the equation and the even tenor of their lives and puts all their doubts and fears to rest.

http://pothi.com/pothi/book/ebook-smita-ramachandran-taking-care-you

Link to my first e-novel; A Home for Meenakshi

http://pothi.com/pothi/book/ebook-smita-ramachandran-home-meenakshi

"I love the way you love, Meenu," he whispered, his eyes on hers. "Such loyalty, such passion..."

Meenakshi Sharma, an orphan, lives in Varanasi with her uncle, a chronic bachelor who wants her to become a professional musician. She unwillingly relocates to Delhi to study under a renowned musician for eight months. Staying for rent in the outhouse of the Agrawals, she meets Aditya Agrawal, an attractive young man brooding over the memories of his horrendous past. Pulled between her uncle's expectations of her and Aditya's love for her, Meenakshi struggles with her feelings. How can she disappoint her uncle who had devoted his entire life to her upbringing? How can she pretend to be blind to Aditya's feelings for her? A romance that moves between the alleys of the holy city of Varanasi and the modern city of Delhi.

A blog for my VMs:

http://smitarsvms.blogspot.in/

Dedicated to Supriya Sahasrabuddhe (Sups/ aniyathi). She wanted Mami and Payal to plot to bring A-K together. So here goes,

Part 3

“Khushiji, aap kitne shakkar ho,” NK complimented her, smiling sweetly at her.

ASR swallowed hard through a constricted throat.

Khushi burst out laughing. “You are no less sweet, NKji,” she said. Then she frowned. “NKji doesn’t sound nice. Hum aapko Nanheji bulayenge because you are so naughty. Theek he?” she asked.

“You can call me anything you want, Khushiji,” NK said, smiling like a besotted fool.

ASR clenched his fists, taking pleasure from imagining he was squeezing the life out of NK.

“Devyaniji, aaiyeye, Please have dinner,” Sasi invited nani and the Raizadas.

“We will, lekin ek shart par,” nani said, her face serious.

Sasi frowned. Garima looked at buaji, worried.

“We want you to join us. Let’s eat together,” nani said, smiling.

Sasi burst out laughing.

“Hai Re Nandkisore!” buaji exclaimed with a smile.

Garima smiled in relief.

“Chaliye,” Sasi said, showing them the way.

ASR looked at Khushi. She was seated across from him, NK stuck to her side like a barnacle. They were cracking jokes and laughing at the silliest of excuses.

If Khushi’s face was beautiful when she was still, then her face was damn irresistible when she was animated. When she smiled or laughed, ASR’s spine tingled even as his heart protested at the power she held over him.

“Garima, give us Khussi too,” mami demanded. “I have come to loot your house of all girlswaa.”

ASR looked at mami, startled. Had she noticed his unwilling interest in Khushi?

Garima chuckled. “Let me see what kind of sasumma you make to Payaliya, Manno. Then we can think about Khussi,” she teased right back.

All laughed.

“I bill be the best mother-in-law in India, Hello Hi Bye Bye!” mami claimed.

“Yes, you will, mami,” Anjali reassured her, laughing.

Soon it was time for bidaii.

Payal cried buckets, hugging her father, mother, buaji and friends.

ASR looked on, uncomfortable, uneasy at Payal’s grief.

NK’s eyes turned red with sympathetic tears.

“Aap chinta mat keejiye, Sasiji,” nani reassured him. “We will take care of Payaliya. She will be our beti, not bahuriyya.”

Sasi nodded, trying hard to stem his tears.

Payal hugged Khushi and wept. Tears flowed down Khushi’s alabaster cheeks.

‘So this is why she cried during the wedding,’ ASR thought.

“Jiji, stop crying. What will jiju think?” Khushi tried to cheer up her jiji.

Akash looked as though he would weep any moment. He regretted marrying Payal and taking her away from her family. He was willing to return Payal to them if it would make them all stop crying!

Payal loosened her death grip around Khushi and tried to dry her cheeks.

“Jiji, don’t forget. You have to name your children Poori Kumari and Aloo Kumar,” Khushi said, trying to make her jiji laugh.

It had the desired effect. Payal smiled bashfully. The Raizadas and the Guptas heaved sighs of relief.

Payal walked away with her husband towards the car that was to take them to Delhi.

The Raizadas bid farewell to the Guptas. Arnav tried to catch Khushi's eye, but she turned her head away to avoid him.

“Khushiji, it was so nice meeting you. Aap Delhi aa jayiye na?” NK requested. “Delhi ki Shayyar karva doonga mein.”

ASR's heart stopped. Khushi in Delhi? How would he manage if she was underfoot 24x7?

“Shayyar nahi, Nanheji. Sair, sair,” Khushi laughed.

NK pulled his ear, smiling.

“Comedy circus agar khatam hogaya ho, to chalein?” ASR bit out, his eyes promising to burn NK to cinders.

“Coming, Nannav,” NK replied hastily.

ASR marched away to the cars waiting for them.

“Waise,” Khushi stopped NK, “why do you call him Nannav? His name is Arnav, isn’t it?”

“Khushiji, if you want to know the answer, you have to come to Delhi,” NK said, his eyes twinkling. “Yeh ek gehra, kaala secret he.”

Khushi smiled. “Then I will live without knowing it,” she said.

“Khushiji,” NK sighed.

“Let me think,” she said. “I am sure I can guess why.” She thought furiously for a moment. Then she said, “Because it rhymes with Daanav?”

NK smiled and shook his head.

“Bandar?” she asked hopefully.

“No,” NK said chuckling.

“NK bitwaa, chalo,” mami called.

“Bye, Khushiji,” NK said.

“Bye, Nanheji,” Khushi replied.

He walked away.

Preetho appeared by her side.

“Yeh kya ho raha he? Yeh kya ho raha he?” she sang softly to the tune of Yaad aa rahi he.

Khushi spared one look at her best friend.

“You were looking at the elder brother like a dog looks at a bone when the wedding began. Aur ab when the wedding ended, you are smiling at the younger brother?” she asked. “Hamein to loot liya milke Raizadon ne, angry angry aankhon ne, buri buri Hindi ne. Very fast, Khushi, very fast.”

“Chup kar, Preetho ki bachi,” Khushi hissed.

“By the way, why was your jiji’s jetji ghooring at you?” Preetho asked.

“Go and ask him,” Khushi replied, turning to walk away.


Rash's interpretation:

Part 3

To Arnav’s chagrin, Khushi and NK got on like a house on fire… when he had insulted and degraded her at their first meet, NK seemed to speak the same language as Khushi and were as thick as thieves by the time they started their dinner… The two families were like birds of same feather flocking together…

Arnav’s eyes were feasting on the beauty in front of him… He could see that she was a beauty who brought happiness around and that happiness was enhancing her beauty… Her power, the smile, that illuminated her face and radiated happiness, was like a sword that was piercing his heart, as it was due to his goofy cousin and not him… But still his mind was not ready to take in the power she had over his heart…

Mami who was on cloud nine over getting her friend’s daughter as her Bahu was on a roll to procure the other daughter too as Raizada daughter-in-law… Though it was spoken in jest the intention was very clear… This is bound to bounce back in Arnav’s mind at the appropriate time in future…

The tears in Payal’s eyes and her grief during Bidaii made Arnav uncomfortable… NK, Nani, Shashi and the rest too were not spared…  While hugging, the streaming of tears down the cheeks of Payal and Khushi due to the pain at being separated was intolerable to both. It was like raining as sky no longer able to bear its heaviness… Seeing the tears in Khushi’s eyes now he realized that the tears he had witnessed all through the ceremony which she had wiped surreptitiously were simply the raindrops from the storm inside her… Seeing Payal cry copiously Akash felt as helpless as the owner of a sick goldfish… If it was feasible he would have let go off her just to see the smile brightening up her face… But it was Khushi, putting on a visage of cheerfulness, lightened up the situation asking her not to forget to name her children as Aloo Kumar and Puri Kumari… The effect was like raindrops pierced by sunbeams bringing in cheer all around… Arnav Singh Raizada saw that Khushi Kumari Gupta was indeed a special person to be able to make her sister smile when in tears…

With Payal consoled a bit, the Raizadas got ready to go to Delhi… Arnav’s wish to catch Khushi’s attention went unfulfilled… She resolutely stuck to NK’s side and was promptly invited by him to visit Delhi with a promise to take her around and introduce to the delights of Delhi… Shrouding the reason of him calling Arnav as Nannav in secrecy NK told her that she needs to come to Delhi to get to know the answer… Even her pretence of nonchalance did not yield the result…

Once the Raizadas left it was the turn of Preetho to bug and rile Khushi as to what was going on??? Titliya had caught the eyes of the remaining two brothers and why her Jiji’s Jethji’s eyes never moved away from her all the time? Though Khushi was silent on it and avoided a reply, she knew that he was a silent man, like still water, could be deep and may be dangerous… It was not that she didn’t have the answer but was not ready to face the question…

Change is never easy… You fight to hold on… and you fight to let go… 

Good update Smita…. Loved it…