Saturday 5 December 2015

257. OS 13. Laad Governor and Afghan Jalebi (Part 28-29)



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 28




Khushi hyperventilated, holding the towel to her chest in a death grip.


A knock sounded on the door.


Arnav rolled his eyes in exasperation and went to open it. There were too many kebab mein haddis in his house, he thought, even though they were a vegetarian family.


Anjali stood there with an apologetic look. “Chotey, HP said he saw you going to your room. I am so relieved to know that you are  home early. Can you please come down and help me?”


Arnav sighed.


“NK bhai and Akash have gone to get the priest,” Anjali explained.


“Aap chaliye. I will join you,” he mumbled.


“Now, Chotey,” Anjali pleaded.


Arnav left the room with her.


Khushi ran to lock the door. She dressed frantically, desperate to be ready by the time he returned. She slapped makeup on her face, threw jewellery on her body, brushed her hair, applied sindoor and ran out.


“Khushi, you are ready?” Payal asked with a smile as she met her sister in the corridor.


“Ji,” she panted.


“Kya hua?” Payal asked with a frown. “Were you running?”


Khushi smiled noncommitally. How could she tell her jiji that she was running away from her husband’s love-making because it shattered her, made her forget that she shouldn’t fall in love with him, gave her hope that they could have a future, made her dream he could change....





Arnav finished repairing the faulty light and stepped down. He turned to return to his room and saw Khushi and Payal join his family in the living room.


He pouted.





“Chotey, won’t you change your clothes?” nani asked smiling.


He nodded and went to his room. It was no use hanging around.



                                          ***



“Chotey, sit with Khushi bhabi,” Anjali instructed him. “Akash, sit with Payal bhabi.”


Arnav sat down as close as he could to Khushi. She shifted away an inch and fiddled with the pallu of her designer saree.


The priest started the pooja.


Khushi sat with her hands folded, eyes shut.


“You look beautiful,” Arnav whispered.


Her eyes shot open.





“I will show you how beautiful you are when we get to our room,” he promised.


Khushi felt her mouth dry. "Hey Devi Maiyya," she whispered.


Nani poked Arnav from behind and hissed, “Don’t talk.”


He shut his trap for a couple of minutes.


Then he muttered, “Come out with me for a drive, Khushi.”


She looked at him, her eyes wide.


“After the pooja,” he added.


She said nothing.


“Khushi?” he asked.


“Arnav bitwaa, shutuppiya hi kar lio or the priest will throw you into the phairez,” mami informed him in a sibilant hiss.


“Khushi?” he asked again.


“Yes,” she agreed to shut him up.


He sat silently waiting for the pooja to end, cultivating patience because he couldn’t kidnap Khushi from the function. Not that he couldn’t. He could. He most definitely could. But he was not sure she would like it. So ASR, out of consideration for his wife’s feelings, sat through the pooja like a good boy.


When it ended, he asked Khushi, “Is it over?”


“Ji,” she replied.


His fingers curled around her wrist.


“Chalo, Khushi,” he invited.


‘He Devi Maiyya, why did you give him such an irresistible voice?’ she asked her friend. “Ji,” she replied loudly.


He led her out to his car, seated her and drove away.





                                          ***





“Shall I book a restaurant, Khushi?” he asked. “We can dine out.”



“Dine out? But our family is at home. Unhe bhi bulana tha na, Arnavji? They will feel bad,” Khushi replied.


He smiled. “Khushi,” he said softly. “A married couple do many things together that others can’t be a part of.”


Khushi turned her red face to the window by her side.


“We can have dinner out if we want to, go on a honeymoon, spend the whole day in our room, watch movies, whatever,” he explained.


“How do you know what married people do?” Khushi asked crossly. “As though he has been married a hundred times. Laad Governor kahin ka,” she muttered under her breath.


He chuckled.


Khushi turned her head away.


‘Why does he have to marry when he can have girlfriends by the dozen?’ she asked herself. ‘Khussi, you are married to a man who has had many wife-like girlfriends. You are so lucky to be married to a Laad Governor who is an expert on marriage.’






Her lips drooped.


“Kya hua, Khushi?” he asked, a frown creasing his forehead.


“Nothing,” she replied. ‘It is all nothing to him anyway. What does it matter to him if it is Lisa or Lavanya or Khushi? What do my tears matter? Learn to live with disappointment, Khushi. Poochne wala koi nahi hoga if you let him into your heart and he breaks it.’


He braked hard.


Khushi looked at him in surprise.


“Khushi, come with me,” he invited, excited. He came to her door and opened it. “Come on.”


Khushi alighted from the vehicle.





He took hold of her hand and led her across the road to a posh  saree shop.


“Arnavji,” she protested, looking at the hundreds of silk sarees on display.


“I want to buy you a saree, Khushi.”


“I have more than I can wear.”


“It is a gift,” he told her. “Show me the red one on display, please,” he told the salesman.





Soon she found herself walking out of the shop, now the confused owner of the red, the mint green and the coral sarees on display and three anarkalis, all selected by her husband.



He helped the salesman load their purchases in the car.






 As he turned, he saw a young girl selling red, yellow and pink roses.


“Bhaiyya, buy a rose for your wife,” the flower seller suggested.



Arnav looked at Khushi for a second and then purchased all the roses the girl had, adding a huge tip along with it.


As the girl stood staring at the money in her hand, he handed over the bouquet to Khushi and opened the door for her.








“ASR,” came a call from the dark.


Khushi and Arnav turned to see Lisa and her fiance, a young, handsome man with a ready smile.


Lisa threw herself at Arnav. He staggered and moved away as soon as he could.


Khushi stood there, watching them, numb, frozen. An ache alone was left where her heart had been. At that moment she realised one inescapable truth—that it was too late to distance herself, too late to protect herself from hurt, too too late not to fall in love with him.






“Khushi,” he called hoarsely, his eyes trying to read the blank look on her face.


“Is this your new girlfriend?” Lisa asked, all smiles. There was nothing to hide anyway. All the girls ASR dated knew the score. They couldn’t miss it, could they, when ASR always dinned it into them that it was a passing, temporary relationship and that he was anti-love and very anti-marriage. “I heard that Lavanya had left for London.”

“Khushi is my wife.”


The steel in his voice didn’t register with Lisa who was reeling under the shock of finding out that the ASR who was allergic to marriage had gotten married.


“Wife?” she squealed.


Khushi looked away, wishing she were anywhere, even six feet under the soil, anywhere except here.


“I am so happy to meet you,” Lisa said in excitement. She must be the only person in Delhi who had seen ASR’s wife. What a coup! “Meet my fiance, Rohan Agrawal.”


Khushi managed to nod at Rohan, thankful she didn’t have to do more, her shaking hands being full of flowers.


He beamed at her and shook hands with Arnav, saying, “Congrats on your marriage.”


Arnav nodded his thanks.


“I am so glad you sent Lisa to Paris last year. We met there,” Rohan said.


Arnav nodded, his uneasy eyes on Khushi’s pale face.


“It was love at first sight,” Lisa chimed in.


“We came to get sarees for our mothers and aunts,” Rohan explained. “They are planning a loud sangeet.”


Lisa and Rohan chuckled.


Arnav nodded.


“Khushi, your saree is so gorgeous. Did you buy it from here?” Lisa asked.


“No,” she mumbled.


“I designed it and had our production team make it,” ASR stated.


Lisa almost fell down in shock.


“You can design, ASR?” Lisa asked, her eyes as big as saucers. “Really? How come no one knows? And since when has AR Designs produced Indian wear?”


“We are trying something new,” ASR mumbled.


“You designed it for Khushi?” Lisa asked, her eyes dancing. “How romantic. Marriage has definitely changed you.”


Khushi flinched. Romantic? Tragic was the word.


“Have you finished your shopping?” Rohan asked ASR easily.


“Yes,” Arnav replied.


“ASR, you bought flowers for Khushi? You? You bought a gift for a girl? Really?” Lisa’s surprise was genuine. “Decided to give Aman a break?”


Arnav swallowed hard. “Time for us to leave, I am afraid,” he muttered.


“ASR, I will send you my wedding card. It is on the twentieth of next month. Please bring Khushi with you,” Lisa said. “Everyone will be thrilled to meet Khushi.”


‘Yes, they will be,’ Khushi thought. ‘It is not everyday that people get to laugh at a fool who threw in her lot with a man like Arnav Singh Raizada. And with my luck, all the guests at the wedding will be his former or current girlfriends.’


“Yes, it would be wonderful if both of you could make it,” Rohan said cheerfully.


“Let’s see,” Arnav said. He nodded farewell to Lisa and Rohan who waved at them and walked into the saree shop holding hands.


“Khushi,” he held the door open for her, scared that she would bolt.


She held out the bouquet. It seemed too heavy for her tired arms.


He relieved her of its weight ad tossed it on the back seat.


Khushi moved to the car on unsteady legs and slowly got in.


Arnav shut the door and took the driver’s seat.


He looked at Khushi’s wan face and hunched shoulders. His heart clenched in grief at the look of devastation and loss in her eyes.


“I dated Lisa briefly,” he said softly.


Khushi said nothing, just looked down at her hands on her lap. What could she say? What was left to be said?


“Last year,” he added. “She is a model. We used to employ her.”


Khushi swallowed through a dry throat. A model. She looked it. She was so beautiful, so well-groomed, so slim, so tall, so well-dressed, so graceful, so confident....everything that she, Khushi Kumari Gupta, the adopted daughter of a Lucknow halwai wasn’t.


“When there was an opportunity in Paris, I recommended her for the slot,” he continued, glancing uneasily at her pasty face. “She met Rohan there, it seems. There was no reason to stay in touch and I was surprised to see her at the Zaveri showroom. She was shopping for her engagement ring.” ‘Please, please, Khushi, look at me,’ he pleaded in his mind. ‘Palat, palat, please.’


She sat there, still, silent, head lowered, defeated, not thinking of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge at the moment.


He started the car. The earlier he took her home, the better, he realised. Khushi looked shocked; her face was sallow.


He drove in silence for a while, his heart beating rapidly.


He shot a look at her. She was still looking at her fingers on her lap. Fear filled him. What if she left him?


“Khushi, I moved on. She moved on. It meant nothing to us,” he explained softly, trying to make it clear that Lisa had nothing to do with him or their marriage or their future.


Khushi blinked.


‘Either this world is ajeeb or I am ajeeb,’ she thought, her very soul feeling pummelled and battered by circumstances. ‘How could he touch Lisa like he touched me last night and then shake hands with her fiance and wish them well? How could Lisa share her body and soul with him and then introduce him to her fiance?’


“It was a long time back, Khushi. It meant nothing,” he tried to impress upon her, her silence and her deathlike stance scaring him.


Khushi saw Arnav hugging Lisa’s slim body like he hugged hers.


Her chest heaved, suppressed sobs taking their toll.


She saw his face coming closer to Lisa’s, his eyes naughty, his lips smirking. She saw him angle his head and kiss Lisa’s red lips.


Her nails cut into the soft skin of her palms.


One solitary tear escaped her eye.






He died seeing that single drop roll down her ashen cheek.


Khushi lifted a trembling hand and shakily wiped away the betraying moisture.


Arnav opened his mouth to say he knew not what, but was stopped by the sound of Khushi’s phone ringing.


She looked at the display. Buaji.


She swallowed her tears and answered the call.


“Hello,” she whispered.


“Titliya,” buaji called. “Tum kaahe kal aur aaj phoone naahi kiye rahe? I was worried. You normally call every day, Nandkisore.”


“I—I was busy,” she mumbled. She felt homesick, desperately homesick. She wanted to sprout wings and fly away to Lucknow, but how could she?


“Acha?” buaji teased. “Our Sanka Devi is too busy in her husband’s house to spare a moment for her family?”


Khushi was beyond finding a reply. How could she return to Lucknow and shame her family?


“How is damadji?” buaji asked fondly.


“Fine,” she replied. “How is babuji?”


“Feeling much better, Nandkisore,” buaji said.


Khushi drew in a deep breath. ‘This is why you married Laad Governor, to keep your babuji healthy and safe. Never forget it, not for a moment. Forget Lucknow, forget your happiness. Focus only on babuji.’


“Are you happy, Titliya?” buaji asked.


Khushi’s voice wobbled as she said, “Yes, buaji, very happy.”


Arnav winced.


“Chalo acha he, Nandkisore,” buaji said laughing. “You got the badtameez groom of your dreams.”


“Ji, buaji,” Khushi agreed softly.


“Phoone rakhthi hoon. Call us tomorrow, Parmeswari,” buaji ordered.


“Ji.”


“Give our love to Devyaniji, Garima and Anjali bitiya,” buaji ordered.


“Yes, buaji,” Khushi whispered before cutting the call.





He wanted to talk to her, but they had reached RM. He parked the car and she left the vehicle quietly, walking into the house, leaving behind her new clothes and the bouquet.


Nani was carrying a heavy tray of pooja paraphernalia. Khushi rushed to take it from her hands.


“The guests left just now,” nani told her with a smile. “They loved your jalebi.”


Khushi tried to smile.


She looked around. There was a lot of cleaning to be done. She joined Anjali, Payal and HP in clearing the living room, ignoring Arnav as he walked past them to his room.


“Chotey, the flowers? You got them for bhabi?” Anjali teased.


“Yes.”


“What is in those packets?” she asked.


“Sarees for Khushi,” he replied.


All Raizadas except Khushi smiled.


Arnav walked up to their room. Khushi remained with the others.


“Khushi bhabi, you have changed our Chotey,” Anjali complimented her. “Full credit to you.”


Khushi said nothing, only smiled bitterly.


“Buying phlowers, buying sarees,” mami shook her head in wonder. “Is it hamre Arnav bitwaa?”


“He is happy,” nani said slowly. “I never thought I would ever see him happy.” She turned to smile at Khushi. “It is all because of you, Khussi bitiya.”


“Haan, nani. Remember how he used to work till late at the office,” Anjali reminded them.


“And his ghooosa,” NK added.


“And his akadwaa,” mami contributed.


“He has mellowed, become softer,” nani said with satisfaction.


“Comejj homewaa at six. Sharp,” mami announced.


“No anger now, no akkad,” NK said.


Payal smiled at Khushi in genuine delight. Khushi was a lucky girl to get such a loving husband, she thought.


Khushi slowly moved away. If she stayed there any longer, she would cry like there was no tomorrow. She slipped away up the steps.


She stopped before their bedroom.


Arnav stood waiting for her to come in, his ears trained on her footfall.


‘Should I go in?’ she wondered. ‘I need to cry. How can I cry here when he is watching?’

Her eyes fell on the door of the room she had occupied on her last visit.

‘Can I stay the night there? Cry till I am left with no more tears?’ But then the thought of someone finding out entered her head. ‘There will be a hundred questions. The truth will out and the peace in this house will be shattered. Jiji—naniji—di—mami—Nanheji...no, I can’t take the risk.’


Reluctantly she pushed open the door of their bedroom and hesitated near the entrance.


Arnav took one look at her face and left the room to sit in his garden. She needed privacy to cry, to think. He was grateful she had chosen to join him in their bedroom. Her love for their families was stronger than her sorrow, her disgust for him.


He collapsed on his black recliner.


Had he known he would meet a girl like Khushi, feel his heart throb for her, have his blood rush through his veins at a single look from her, want her in his life desperately, die to have her marry him, he would have remained celibate till he met her. He wouldn’t have wasted even a glance at another girl.


But he hadn’t known.


He hadn’t known that his life was not a rudderless boat. He hadn’t known that his dard would meet its dawa, that one day his nightmares would stop, that a day would come when his past would lose the power to draw blood, that a guileless girl would walk up to him, saying “Suniye, hum Khushi he.”


He shook his head in distress.


What had he known then of khushi, of happiness? He knew only gham, pain. He hadn’t recognised her, hadn’t known how important she would be to his existence, hadn’t known he would have no existence without her.






He buried his head in his hands.



Rash's immediate, lightning-fast & insightful interpretation:


Part 28


In life only the foolish believe that words and actions go unchecked without fear of consequence or repercussion... Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the action of individuals can have far reaching effects...


Arnav had tried to expose what is wrong with Khushi when he couldn't take in what is right about her... This was the beginning of the scale getting tilted...


Seeing Liza when he was with Khushi was like being welcomed to Karma Cafe... where there are no menus but get served only what you deserve... This too added its weight to the already lopsided balance...


Khushi felt he had no compunction of having been involved with Liza and still behave just as casual friends... This was incomprehensible to her... Her mind started questioning his integrity based on values not personal gains... Nafrat paas aane na de…



When Arnav tried to strike a conversation, the   monosyllable answers he used to receive got replaced by silence... for silence is the most intolerable of answers... Any amount of valuable gifts he bought turned into dross... Her silence was a statement ... your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water...


When Khushi received a call from her Buaji, she realized  what her priorities ought to be and what she values the most... Khushi's actions expressed her priorities...  At the enquiry of her happiness she assured her Buaji that she was very much so...When they reached home... she took to the task of clearing things and help the rest...


Actions of Arnav Singh Raizada relating to his numerous flings in the past, have come to haunt him... His one nightmare has been replaced by another of his own making... He's caught in the crossfire of his and Khushi's silent screams... He has jumped from the cozy warmth in the night of heat to the icy winds in the  heat of the night... What a drastic change in his life... Her silence has evoked an unprecedented response in him... His actions of the past are bringing in him an unparalleled regret... In the heat of the night the whys’ were coming around and pounding in his head... they were looking for answers... they were relentlessly chasing him down to the brink of self loathing... His loneliness got a place to settle down... For Khushi is near yet so far... all thanks to himself... a reaction to his actions... Mohabbat door jaane na de…


The choices in front of Arnav and Khushi are... they either can let it define them, let it destroy them or let it strengthen them…

Loved the update Smita…



Part 29



Khushi grabbed a set of casual clothes and locked herself in the bathroom. Burying her face in a towel to muffle her sobs, she wept as if her heart would break.


After a long time, she freshened up, changed clothes and leaned against the wall, her eyes closed.


‘What will I do now?’ she asked herself. ‘Can’t go back to Lucknow, can’t stay here. Kya hoga mera, Devi Maiyya? Help me.’


She wiped away a tear with her fingers.


‘I need to think, to plan,’ the practical halwai thought. ‘What are the positives and the negatives of the situation?’


She wiped the next tear away.


‘I can’t return to Lucknow but babuji is safe. My family is happy. Laad Governor’s family is happy. Jiji is very happy.’


She sniffed.


‘Lisa is getting married. Now she can chase her own husband. She won’t need mine,’ Khushi comforted herself.


‘One year. Arnavji said she was his girlfriend last year,’ she thought with a frown. ‘And di said at the Zaveri showroom that Lisa had been Laad Governor’s girlfriend before Lavanya. So Lavanya must be this year’s girlfriend. Where is she? Maybe she hasn’t heard that her boyfriend got married. Or maybe it doesn’t matter to her. Why should it if our marriage doesn’t affect her relationship with him?’


Khushi dried her wet face again.


‘But Lisa was last year and Lavanya is this year. So maybe he has only one girlfriend at a time.’ She shrugged. ‘Who knows?’
Khushi sagged against the wall, despondent.


‘Di will know,’ she realised suddenly.

She moved away from the wall in a sense of urgency.

‘I can ask her, but.’ She sagged back. ‘Why involve others in this mess? And it is so tacky, so sordid. How can I ask her how many girlfriends my husband has at a time?’


Khushi drew in a deep breath. ‘But how can I live in ignorance, in fear of being hurt, always scared?’


Her cheeks were wet again. She dried them with a determined hand.


‘I will ask my husband,’ she decided. ‘He will know for sure. Di might miss one or two, but he won’t.’


She walked to the mirror and quickly patted her hair into obedience. She washed her face again and draped the dupatta neatly around her neck. She bit her lips to give them colour, patted her cheeks to make them look less bloodless.


Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom.


‘He must be in the garden still,’ Khushi thought. ‘Or has he gone looking for more congenial company?’


Her eyes fell on the clock. It was past midnight.


She looked at the bed.



Her bouquet of pink, red and yellow roses was lying near her pillow. The packets with her sarees were placed beside it. My husband, my bedroom, my marriage, my life, my flowers, my sarees, she thought. And all were under threat.


Tears glittered in her eyes. She blinked them away.


Khushi slowly moved to the door leading to the garden.


A chill wind plastered her suit to her body. She shivered and hugged herself.


Her eyes fell on his medicine box. Had he taken his pills for diabetes?


She looked out into the garden. Her eyes widened.


Laad Governor was lying on the black recliner, staring at the night sky.


 ‘Is he mad? It is so cold. Ek kambal bhi nahi liya, budhu,’ Khushi thought. ‘And did he have his dinner? His pills?’


 She grimaced.

Of course not.

Had he ever done anything by himself? It was always HP or di or herself running after him with trays of food and beverages, pills and glasses of water.


Khushi turned and walked down to the kitchen. She unlocked it and quickly made a couple of sandwiches and brewed a pot of tea even as a hundred questions she wanted to ask him burned in her mind.


She carried it up, hesitated near the glass door to the garden and then drawing a deep breath for courage, stepped out. She lowered the tray on the table by him and straightened.


The next thing she knew was that his arms were tight around her waist and his head was buried against her bosom.


Khushi clutched his shoulders to maintain her balance.


A moment later, she said softly, “Have your dinner. You have to take your pills.”


“Khushi,” he whispered against her chest. It was a plea for forgiveness, a cry for help.


Maybe it was the chill wind that knocked some sense into her or the feel of him clasped in her arms or the silence of the night that gave her courage to voice her demons.


She asked softly, calmly, “How may girlfriends do you have right now?”


He looked up, shocked out of his skull. “What?” he breathed.


She didn’t bother to repeat her question, just looked at him with her big, beautiful, serious, direct eyes.


“None,” he replied.


Khushi looked into his honest eyes. “Lavanya?” she asked bluntly.


“No,” he replied. “That ended before you even visited Delhi, Khushi.”


Khushi swallowed hard. Then why had he been hugging her at Purple Orchid? She had to ask. How else would she know what she wanted to know? “Then why were you hugging her in Purple Orchid?” she asked directly.


He shook his head. “I wasn’t, Khushi.


Khushi firmed her lips. “I saw you.”


“I know. But I wasn’t hugging her. I was dragging her along. She was dead drunk,” he explained.


Khushi gasped.


He found the words without any difficulty, maybe because she was very calm about the whole mess.


“I was at office when she phoned. She sounded very drunk. She was doing the last week as our employee before moving back to  London. I wasn’t sure she could make it to her flat without help. So I got her from the restaurant, held her up as I took her out, bundled her in my car and dropped her at her home,” he said simply.


Khushi blinked, processing all the new information. Finally she said, “I thought—I thought you had two girlfriends, Lisa and Lavanya....”


He shook his head. “Only one at a time,” he stated softly. “Maybe it is because Papa was such a—anyway, I don’t cheat. Never. Not in business. Not in relationships.”


Khushi drew in a deep breath of relief.


“I will never cheat on you, Khushi. Never. Duplicity of any kind is abhorrent to me. I lose my temper, my self-control. I feel like burning the world,” he whispered against her heart. “I will never hurt you, Khushi, never.”


Tears of relief filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks to fall on his face.


He looked up.


Seeing her tears, he stood up and pulled her into his arms. 


“Don’t cry, Khushi,” he begged. “Please don’t cry.”


They stood hugging for long.


Then Khushi freed herself and dried her cheeks and eyes.


“Have dinner. It is very late,” she reminded him.


He made her sit on the recliner by him and handed her a sandwich. They ate in companionable silence and shared the pot of tea. She handed him his pills and a glass of water. He swallowed them.


Khushi made to take the tray.


“Leave it. HP will take it later,” he suggested.




She nodded.


They moved to their bedroom.



“I will change,” he muttered, rooting in his wardrobe for casual clothes.


She nodded.


She went down, got a flower vase, returned to their room and arranged the big bouquet in it. Arnav emerged from the bathroom to see her set it on the low table by her side of the bed.


Happiness filled his heart, flushing out despair and darkness.
He picked up her sarees and placed them in her wardrobe.


Khushi used the bathroom to freshen up and crawled into bed as he dimmed the lights.






They lay staring at the ceiling, their minds and heads full of the happenings of the evening.


Khushi asked quietly, “You don’t design clothes?”


He sighed. “I used to, when life was simpler, when I was starting out. I enjoyed it. But the business got too big too soon. I had to spend every moment keeping track of it. We have our in-house team of designers now. So I stopped designing.”


“My clothes?” she asked.


“When I saw you in Lucknow—pata nahi kya hua—matlab, I know I was very rude to you, but—I began to draw lehengas...Khushi, come with me tomorrow morning? I want to show you something.”


“Ji,” she replied softly.


They lay in the dim light, both of them relieved that they had managed to step back from falling into a dark abyss at the very last moment, grateful that they still had a marriage to work on, desperately glad that they were not alone.





Khushi’s eyes fell on the roses.


“Thank you for the flowers. The child was happy. I love them,” she murmured.


He smiled in quiet pleasure.


“Lisa seemed surprised that you had bought me flowers and clothes,” she wondered aloud. “Why?”




He struggled to find words to explain. “I—I don’t go shopping. Matlab, di drags me along, but otherwise I avoid it. Aman picks gifts for birthdays if necessary,” he mumbled uneasily.


“For girlfriends?” Khushi asked, surprised.


Arnav shrugged uncomfortably. “I rarely remember such days and dates. Work keeps me busy. Aman takes care of all that,” he murmured.


Khushi’s eyes widened. What kind of boyfriend was he? So unromantic, so distracted, so disinterested? Then she frowned. If he hated buying gifts, why was he burying her under an avalanche of them?



Rashmi's interpretation: Part 29



When Khushi let herself be submerged by the stream of tears, the raindrops from the storm inside her... it cleared her mind's eye and could see clearly what she needed to do... Still she was worried of what the answer would be if ever she posed her question... She called upon her reserves to give her the courage to confront what she has imagined her marital situation to be...



That was the turning moment… a moment when she found the courage to let go of what she can't change... She knew Arnav had his girlfriends... it was a fact and it could not be changed even if both wished... What she could do was determine whether there were any from the time she came into his life and what would be her position in his life... She saw that future was more important than the past...  The past is behind and the future is ahead but the present is here... so living it fully and making it beautiful and worthwhile was important for her, for him and their family too...



Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway... It means you don't let fear stop you... She saw that he was lying outside by the pool on the cold shivery night without any warm covering…. In her mind she berated him for being careless…. She also knew he had not had his food and medicine… Knowing whatever may be his answer her caring nature would not let him go without his daily intake of medicine. Making a snack and a pot of tea she went to him…. Gathering her wits she posed directly to Arnav about his girlfriends giving him a much needed opening… His explanation that he had girlfriends but only one at a time and to each one he had been faithful till it lasted and he abhorred duplicity be it in business or relationship… maybe it was because he loathed his Papa and what he stood for in his mind… He had come clean off the relationship with Lavanya even before she, Khushi, had visited Delhi… His repeated reassurance that he would not hurt her went a long way in assuaging her splintered heart… It made her believe that he too wanted this relationship just like her.  Her heart and her mind which could only see darkness ahead could now see beautiful pictures… Beautiful pictures are developed from the negative in a dark room… When both thought that things were falling apart, they actually fell into place with just HOT…Honest, Open and Two-way communication… With this she made peace with his past and set herself free of the lingering doubts over her future… After resolving the issues that had led to the mayhem that evening, they could feel happiness by the simple gestures of the other…



When they lay down on their bed, still both had a lot to talk and the conversation led to designing clothes… His admittance, that he had given up designing due to work pressure and Khushi was his muse to take it up again in a varied line than he used to do earlier, made her happy… The knowledge that he never bought or sent things personally to his girl friends’ and those were always a part of Aman’s job had her relieved … It meant they meant nothing to him in personal sense… But it made her ponder as to why he bought so much for her personally both simple as well as expensive stuff when he hated to shop and buy gifts?... She wondered what kind of a relationship it was to have a detached unromantic boyfriend!



Happy is the person who knows what to remember of the past... what to enjoy of the present... and what to plan for the future...



Loved the update Smitha…










198 comments:

  1. Awesome... Read it once phataphat...
    Loved it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One song ki kuchh lines for this update...

      Sau aansu roye do akhiyan
      Sau aansu roye do akhiyan
      Maara hai jinhe neendon ne
      Kabhi na soye wo akhiyan

      Wo.. o...

      Kaise koi roke bhalaa
      Haath laqeerein chhod gayin
      Laakhon dil ke tukde kiye
      Dhadkan ko bhi tod gayi

      Kabhi theharega dard kahin
      Koi gunjaaish dikhti nahi
      Chanda bin jiya na lage
      Jal kaajal si ratiyan

      Sau aansu roye do akhiyan
      Sau aansu roye do akhiyan
      Maara hai jinhein neendon ne
      Kabhi na soye woh akhiyan

      Delete
  2. I feel bad for Arnav. Hope khushi will understand him slowly and return his love. Then there will be fireworks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, they need to figure out what the heck is happening with them.

      Delete
  3. Feeling bad for them both, but I guess this was slotted to happen with the very little communication going between them. loved the update smita.

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  4. Poor Arnav. How is he going to convince Khushi?

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  5. Poor Arnav. How is he going to convince Khushi?

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  6. The thing is bith5are suffering because of arnav's past girl friends which can't be changed. .there is more heart ache to come in form of lavanya...I don't know how 'll both overcome this heart ache...but they love each other..let's see what hapoens..beautiful update showing there feelings. ..thanks for update smitaji..gud luck

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  7. Iss Poojali Ko bhi abhi tapakna tha kya? Good that they ran into Lisa and Rohan at least now Arnav will get a chance to talk and clear all confusion that is in khushi's mind. Smita can't see our Titaliya in so much turmoil. Make everything ok soon

    ReplyDelete
  8. See... pata tha aap yeh karo ge humaare saath...

    Emotional wreckage...

    I am clueless here... The past is the past... can not be changed... It's the future that she needs convincing of... And he hasn't found the right words yet!

    Seriously all those super romantic moments wasted coz she is stuck in the quicksand of misunderstandings... Arghhh!!! Ok... I do believe in magic... I do! I do! So I will leave it to you... FIX IT!

    And please some one... knock some sense into Anjali!

    Unfair S ji... bahut ghalat jaga pe chora hai...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do what I do at times like this.
      Step 1 : Plajjee your handwaa on your heartwaa and say All ijj well, all ijj well.
      Step 2 ; Pester Smitaji for assurances and updates.
      Step 3 : Repeat Steps 1 and 2 as needed

      Delete
    2. LOL! kal update doongi

      Delete
    3. All ijjj NOT well... Abhi La has not even made her contribution to this mess... Hai re Nandakishore!!!?

      Delete
    4. Deep breaths, SB, deep breaths; Can't have you hyperventilating like this. Otherwise how will you last till kal , which is when Smitaji has promised an update.
      Knowing Smitaji, it doesn't rain, but pours ( bad eg. considering the situation I'm in but it fits) La is entering the picture even as we speak.
      Re: Anjali - agree with you 200%. I'm thinking of ways to punish/knock some sense into her/ get her out of the way. How about we hide the pooja thali and make her search for it all day, then she'll be out of Arnav and Khushi's hair (hopefully)

      Delete
    5. With our luck, she will probably go to search in A&K's room at.... You guessed it... The entirely Ahem time!!!!

      Delete
    6. Ha..ha..She used to leave even mangoes to dry by the poolside and walk in to get them. LOL!

      Delete
    7. Poor female... means well, but cursed with such rotten timing... That is why she pairs so well with Aman... S ji, something to keep in mind...

      Delete
    8. ha..ha.. I know the way ur mind works, SB. Keep Anju baby busy with Aman so that A & K can have a life!

      Delete
    9. Can you blame me... And I quote...

      “Aap chaliye. I will join you,” he mumbled.


      “Now, Chotey,” Anjali pleaded. Unquote...

      Really? Face planting into the nearest flat surface...

      Delete
    10. SB - this one is for you
      ASR : (on the phone) Aman, I need the Singhania file NOW.
      Aman : Right away ASR.
      In the mean time, ASR decides to spend some 'Ahem' time with his delectable wife.
      Aman reaches RM. Rings door bell.
      Anjali : (looking very pretty in pink and carrying a (wait , you guessed it - a pooja thali) Yes?? Can I help you? (insert musical notes here)
      Aman : (insert little hearts floating around the head ) Errr, yes. you can. I mean yes, of course you can ....
      Anjali : (looking doubtful) Poor man! Must be mentally retarted. No, Anjali, remember what Mrs. Roy from the outreach prog. said - no using words like retarted. Intellectually challenged. (Smiling sweetly and in a kind voice) continue please, I can... what?
      Aman : (face palming) Get a grip you idiot! (Regrouping what little was left of his scattered senses) I I I ... ASR meet now.
      Anjali : Oh! you want to meet chotey? I'm Anjali , chotey's sister. Of course, come in come in.
      He must be up in his room.
      Aman: I'm Aman. Please inform him right away as he wanted this file urgently.
      Anjali : Oh, well in that case, just go up these stairs and knock on his door.
      Aman goes up. Mean while ASR and KKGSR - beginning to ahem ahem.
      Aman : (knocks - no response. knocks louder) ASR? Sir, I have the Singhania file that you wanted. ( demanded is more like it, you slave driver)
      No response from the room.
      Aman : Ma'am?
      Anjali : Please call me Anjali or if you prefer Anju.
      Aman : (in a tizzy at being given this privilege) Anju, there's no response from the room. What to do??
      Anju : Yeh chotey bhi naa?? (indulgent smile) Come, let's try to gether.
      Both go up and knock. Chotey, CHOTEY!!!! Amanji is here to see you.
      ASR : What the @$#&**^$
      Khushi : Arnavji, Chodiye hume. Di aap ko bula rahi hai.
      ASR : Shut up Khushi. Don't say a word, don't even breathe. May be they will go away.
      Anju: Hmmm! That'strange. He came in here, I know that. (to herself) what is going on?? CHOTEY! OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW.
      All is quiet.
      Anju: Amanji, you continue to knock. Don't let up and as a back up keep trying his phone simultaneously. In the meanwhile I'll enter the pool side through my room and bang on his poolside door. We'll get him Amanji, don't worry.
      Aman : (besotted) Of course, Anju. I'll start right away.
      Anju: If all else fails, I'll use my tears and wobbly voice and use my famous dialogue " Chotey , you have changed after marriage. You don't want to talk to me or give me any answers. " You watch Amanji, it never fails.

      SB, is this what you want? Aman and Anju pairing up??

      Delete
    11. Stop....Stop!!! I can't take this torture anymore... If I were ASR... I would just shoot myself... Actually even as myself... I might just shoot myself! What an imagination... for HORROR!!!

      On the plus side... all the tension has drained out... Coz I was so busy rolling on the floor laughing that I could not hold on to it...

      You are CRAZY, KC... and I love you for it!!!

      Delete
    12. Nahi S ji, ignore all my future suggestions coz I obviously don't know what I am talking about... This picture will never erase from my mind!!!

      Delete
    13. KC, that was hilarious!

      Delete
    14. KC: NOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
      Please make them stop .its too much, I cant take it anymore..

      SB : Im sure THAT is not what you envisioned?!!

      Delete
    15. Hai... na... My retina has been damaged forever by this image... and my brain cottage cheese ho gaya hai...

      yaad i maazi ( read as yeh scene ) azaab hai ya rab!
      Cheen le mujh se hafiza mera....

      Delete
    16. LOL! Scary scenario, KC. Very scary. Lub isstory horror isstory banti jaa rahi he.

      Delete
    17. Since you are here Sji, any chance for an update?

      Delete
  9. Feeling sad for both of them :(

    ReplyDelete
  10. Feeling very bad for both arnav and khushi..
    How is he going to make her understand..
    I really really hope they sort out the matter asap
    Cnt soon

    ReplyDelete
  11. hello Smitha chechi.. Busy with Uni xams...Missed so many update....Haila bahuth kuch hua.....
    Lisa ji with her fiancee.......Lack of communication is the main problem in their relation..Arnav didnt clear his past and khushi still Misunderstanding his character..
    and in all this they consummated. damn it...
    I am fearing Khushis question to Arnav in Sanka style...Lavanya ke pahale aapki zindagi mein kithne saheliya thi..Arnav ji...my god Smitha chechi I hope u will not give dat type of shocks to us... With Arnav ji ki list...*horror face*

    I really need spank both this thick heads....I dont know with Lavanyas entry MU will stretch a bit...
    What will happen if our Payaliya and Nani too come to know abt all this.... jeth ji ki band bajega...
    sry chechi for so many questions.......ur updates r so strong dat it activated my brain cells...lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am laughing here thinking of you spanking them!

      Delete
  12. Smitaji, you must have been one heck of a cricket or baseball player. Your googlies and curve balls are astounding. Just as I was bracing myself for various scenarios that involved La's appearance in their lives, what do I find? Limber, lithe ,lissome Lisa and her absurd, asinine assumptions about girlfriends.

    What an intense update!! Reminds me of a line from the show. Actually, it was the only time I found myself agreeing with snakewaa : "Life has no rewind buttons" . ( I think Scrap Booker also quoted this line earlier, if I'm not mistaken)
    No matter how much Arnav wants to he can't turn the clock back and no matter how much khushi wishes she can't undo her decision to marry him. Both of them have to face the truth and more importantly each other.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Smitaji,

    Okay so no bakwas only sidhi baat...
    Hum ab kab blog pe aayenge nahi pata...take care and aap humko miss kareinge ya nahi yeh toh nahi pata but hum aapko miss kareinge.

    Love hugs n chumban.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah... no one goes anywhere till this story is resolved...

      Jokes aside... are you alright?

      Delete
    2. Hetal what happened?

      Of course we'll miss you..... How can you think otherwise... ! Our relation is not a few weeks old but quite a few years now...

      Delete
    3. Are you sick? Travelling? Holiday pe jaa rahi ho?

      Delete
    4. I am not going anywhere sweethearts. It's just I am going through a lot in my AD thanks to my hubby and my son ...Muje kuchh nahi hua....but haan kuchh baatein aisi hoti he jo bataati nahi ja sakti.

      Love you all and miss you all.

      One group hug ho jaaye !???

      Delete
    5. Itna darra denay ke baad to pehle aap ki class na le li jaaye?

      Par hug bhi chale ga... Hope things work out for you... Best wishes!!!

      Delete
    6. Smitaji sickness aur mera barso puraana naata hai....so its OK hota he chalta he
      And hubby aur son ki wajah se I am much more in my senses warna ab tak jo bacha kucha mera mindwa haena woh bhi jagah se hill jaata. I will try my best to return ASAP.

      Delete
    7. God give you the strength to cope with everything. My best wishes to you. Muuuuuaaahhhs and hugs.

      Delete
    8. GROUP HUG! Hetal, blog ko goli maar. Take care of your health. When you get back to us, I want you dancing the garba. Madi tara mandiriyama. Got it?

      Delete
    9. Take care Hetal...take care... Get well soon... Will be waiting for you...

      Delete
  14. Ok... I am going to be in minority here... As in all of ONE ( So completely prepared for whatever comes my way... actually I might disappear for a few days after this)... but other than the first 'cursed' meeting with Khushi... I still can't figure out what Arnav did wrong... He laid out his rules for a relationship... He didn't force anyone into it... He was more caring with his girlfriends post relationship than they deserved... Sending Lisa to Paris because she liked it there and taking care of La in the Bar... also putting up with her frequent call... ok ASR style but he could be more blunt... He respectably sent Rishta for Khushi... once again did not force her ( Unlike our hero in the original show...) Khushi agreed of her own will... whatever her reasons.... Some one tell me... What is Arnav's fault again???

    Khushi is doing... Kahin ki eenth... kahin ka rorha... Bhaanmati ne kumba jorha
    Meaning she has taken all these unrelated facts and come to an erroneous conclusion... Solid in HER mind... but that is KKGSR... Arnav still thinks she is only worried about his past... Which she shouldn't be... since it was NOT hidden from her... The poor guy is going nuts in love with her... his actions, as every one keeps pointing out... completely out of character... and yet!!!!

    Totally confused here...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Girlfriend, you are not alone. It's not Arnav's fault. ( Actually, I might disappear too, after this) I cringe when I say this, but Khushi did walk into this with her eyes open. Communication is the key but as we all know it is not ASR's strength.
      Our past shapes our future . In Arnav's case it was his father and mother and the whole sordid mess that made a disbeliever out of him. In Khushi's case it was her Bauji and what she owed him after being orphaned at such a tender age.
      Previously there was a 'his life' and 'her life' now it is 'their life' that is the most important. I hope I've made sense because I've confused myself here.

      Delete
    2. I don't how I'm going to last till the next update. Already I'm tired, cranky and running low on sleep. At this rate I can go on a shopping spree with the bags under my eyes.

      Delete
    3. LOL! Just a few more hours. All ijj well. And you are both right.

      Delete
    4. Ok... huge sigh of relief... No jootas or chapels have come... Few more hours it is... Thank you S ji...

      KC... how are you doing over there?... I should tell you to go to sleep... but we miss you when you are not here... Stay strong!

      Delete
    5. SB...KC... we know what Arnav has done and has not done... But Khushi doesn't know... Neither he nor his family has given her any explanation but hints which could mean either way... They have not had a heart to heart conversation... Thats where the problem is... ;)

      Delete
    6. Mother Nature's fury is quite something to behold. Still reeling under the impact. Still raining (I'm sick of the word 'rain' let alone the real thing) There's shortage of drinking water - talk about irony (we resemble an island for crying out loud) Right now we've grouped ourselves so that we can address different issues and then meet in the evening to compare notes. Slow but steady.

      Delete
    7. Downpour started once again is it?

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    8. Hey there rulama, was wondering where you were. Yup, communication is the key -but will it happen before La enters the picture. Is La even going to enter the picture?

      Delete
    9. Wohi to.... Half knowledge is a dangerous thing... And she is going down that dangerous path... Phir phatte gi volcano ki tarah... And our Boy will go all stoic... Pessimist much? KC is right...

      All ijj well!! All ijj well!!

      Delete
    10. Downpour?????? Torrential rain, deluge, cloudburst, inundation, drencher, precipitation, thundershower - you name it and it's here. And there's no question of 'started once again' - it never stopped to begin with. May be a couple of hours here and there but man , oh man , It's like the sky has a hole in it.

      Delete
    11. All ijj well. We are so used to the clown they made K look like at the end of IPKKND that we never expect her to show the qualities she did at the beginning of IPKKND. Let's meet that original K.

      Delete
    12. KC, I was watching videos & seeing pics of the situation in Chennai. It is too much, yaar.

      Delete
    13. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    14. Now the anticyclone rains have set in... :(

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    15. If we keep repeating All ij well... then we will become The 3 Idiots... ;)

      La may or may not...

      If La is a la carte … and comes as a la mode.. …femme fatale… it is surely L’appel du vide…
      (If La is on the menu… and comes in the style of a … deadly woman all set to seduce… it is surely the urge to engage in self destruction…)

      ;)

      Delete
    16. Again rulama? Seriously, cyclone rains, anticyclone rains- what the heck - a pain by any other name is still 'rain'.
      a La carte, a La mode, - ha ha . Trust you to come up with such gems.

      Delete
    17. Smitaji, I agree. The CV's made Khushi a total clown. I think they were catering to a small group of 8 pm aunties whose idea of entertainment was the 1980's saas bahu stories. Actually I have a lot to gripe about , the only saving grace being the yummy ASR and cutie KKG.
      Gasp!! Is Khushi really going to shoot L or L?

      Delete
  15. "He died seeing that single drop".....wow floored by that single line.....communication gap creating problems :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He always felt too much and so put on ASR face to scare away the world.

      Delete
  16. He faced what he was doing and now its effecting his wife hope khushi see through him

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  17. wow brilliant update loved it can't wait for next part thank you for pm....ameena671

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  18. He is in a royal mess he needs to have a conversation with her tell her that he is not involved with anyone and that he married her to cherish and value her in his life ,he can write her a letter explaining the matter

    ReplyDelete
  19. beautiful update. wish arnav and khushi be together soon.
    waiting for more.

    ReplyDelete
  20. "Karma cafe - where there are no menus and one gets served only what one deserves " . Life's philosophy in a nut shell.
    "His one nightmare has been replaced with another of his own making" - Terrific. I think he has to first reconcile ASR's actions in the past with Arnav's intentions for the present and the future.
    I think I will add the following adjectives to describe your interpretation : intutive, perceptive, discerning, penetrating, astute, sagacious. Lovely, as usual , Rash.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Awesome...abhi lavanya ka aana baki hai.. What about sheetal .. Kahin woh na aa jay.. Arnav ka phir kya hoga

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You gave me an idea! Thank u!

      Delete
    2. Rano sweetie, don't we have enough on our plates without adding Sheetal to this mess.

      Delete
    3. And I am forced to repeat myself... Hai Re Nandkishore!!! Still taking deep breaths though!!!

      Delete
    4. Hahahahaaha..agar sheetal bhi scene main aa jaye as one of ex gf of asr tab to it 'll all be spiced up even more. ..fir to asr ko apna Harvard brain hi use karna padega to woo his wife and make her trust him....waise kehna padega acha khasa romance chal raha tha....Lisa ki entry be usey badal hi diya...arnav's ex gfs are enjoying and here he is repenting keeping them as gfs
      Let's see arnav ji ab Kya karte Hain...I am enjoying this story a lotttsssssssss

      Delete
  22. Hello Rulami Ji...

    Loved your interpretation... Here's mine... not interpretation exactly... I don't know what to call it...

    Something has been bothering me from the beginning of this story... Thus my frustrated question again and again... How is Arnav wrong? And this is what I came to...

    This story is the flip side of the original show...

    1.Arnav witnesses an 'embrace'... Khushi, here, witnesses one too...
    2. Then Arnav forces Khushi to marry him... Here Khushi marries him by her own choice...
    3.Arnav sees what he thinks are assignations between Khushi and Shyam... Khushi sees his meetings with his old girlfriends where they are being demonstrative...
    4.Khushi did NOT want Shyam... Arnav does not want L or L
    5.Khushi loved Arnav and did everything in her power to show that love... Here Arnav loves Khushi and is doing everything he can to show that love...
    6. Arnav doesn't tell her what he thought was her fault and tortures her with his silences... Khushi is doing the same here...
    7. We thought Arnav was 'wrong'... Then how is it Karma here?

    ReplyDelete
  23. KC... counting on you to save me if too many chapels come my way!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SB, remember deep breaths. First of all karma is not necessarily bad or evil. Karma is merely the consequences of your actions. If you do good then you reap the rewards and all that sort of thing.
      ASR was at perfect liberty to have affair(s) and that is not wrong. What was wrong however was his callous treatment of his gfs - again not that he was not upfront about his expectations of said relationship. By callous, I mean, there should be some element of friendship, involvement etc. and that was missing. His girlfriends had only one purpose and it's no wonder those relationships didn't last. It is that karma that has caught up with him. Khushi is treating him the way he treated his girlfriends - without (unwilling to ) taking into account his feelings. His relationships were business like and so is hers ( for the sake of her bauji). Except in this case, she is also in love with him.
      Perhaps now, he will realise that he owes La and Lisa an apology, not for breaking up with them but for objectifying them.

      I hope I made sense. It's too early in the morning here.

      I too hope no chappals come my way or tomatoes or rotten eggs.

      Delete
    2. You made very good sense actually...ok lambe saans ander... or lambe saans bahar...

      Thanks KC... See I called on the right person to save me here...

      Ok... sitting back to let Sji weave her magic...

      Delete
    3. The sense part referred to your explanation and Rulama ji's interpretation and not the deep breath part... Laughing!!!
      Thank again!

      Delete
    4. Karma is the sum of a person's actions, viewed as deciding their fate in future. It can be good or bad, viewed as resulting from one's actions.

      Right now Arnav is bent on rectifying the mistakes he committed towards Khushi and while he is putting all his efforts... another aspect has come to play against him.. that is his GF's... There is a huge difference between Khushi's mindset on fidelity and Arnav's... He needs to make her trust in him and his actions, before he can rest in confidence that she belongs to him totally like he belongs to her... His past is not letting him out easily off the loop... This is where Karma factor comes in...

      In addition to KC's hope this clears your thought...

      Delete
    5. Thank you Rulama ji... You are right... and unfortunately it seems his past is not going to be done with him anytime soon.

      I really enjoy your interpretations... They are, to me, food for thought and food for debate.. Thank you for sharing.

      Love and regards,

      Delete
    6. Yes, Yes!! That's it exactly. The huge difference between Khushi's mindset on fidelity and Arnav's. Bhootiphul rulama.

      Delete
    7. Kaaycee... Here Khushi does not know how he has treated those girls... She does not know that those girls too were not emotionally attached... All she knows now that he is able to detach from them when he is finished... This is also lurking in her mind... She is able to see only what is happening before her eyes... She neither talks about it with others or confronts Arnav with it... Right now she is in a sort of helpless mode... Nowhere to turn to... But time and again she is fired up and is tenacious enough to hold her head high

      Delete
    8. When is the next update???

      Delete
  24. Hi there. I am a new reader of this blog and I have to say that I am absolutely in love with this story! I have read all of your stories but this one is different. The emotions and the raw agony of Khushi and Arnav tug at my heart!
    Khushi needs to speak with Arnav instead of trying to ignore and avoid him, that's the only way this can be resolved. But, I understand why she is not doing so at this point in time. Nonetheless, I feel so bad for Arnav!
    Khushi is bottling up her feelings and I fear that an outburst is in the works in the near future. I hope that they resolve this misunderstanding soon!
    Looking forward to your next update!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Today. So glad u are enjoying the tale.

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  25. Smitaji, update please, please. The suspense is killing me.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I think it is high time he understands that this feeling is called 'love'!!! And then he should woo her properly! Loved the update!

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    Replies
    1. Ek beech mein deewaar he, ek beech mein deewaar
      Mein tadapoon yahaa, tu tadape wahaan, haiye chain bhi aa nahi paaye...ooooo...neend na mujhko aaye...

      Delete
  27. Poor Khushi.. Not sure if Arnav talking to her would work..

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  28. S ji, did your read KC's vision of what Aman and Anjali pairing would result in? Not to be missed...

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  29. Smitaji, have made kichidi for brunch and am out to distribute it. Am renaming Hubby dearest as 'Grumpy' (after the 7 dwarfs) 'cos that's his expression right now as he sees me putting my tablet in my backpack. Will check periodically for updates ( no rush) Grumpy not withstanding. Fellow Smitens, I'm sure you all understand how I feel. How can I miss an update?

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    1. May God bless you for your kind heart, KC! Aaj update pukka.

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    2. God Bless you. With the government doing squat, imagine the suffering it were not for folks like you.

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  30. Hi S ji, ummm... woh... KC wanted an update... Just saying...

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  31. Nice update.so khushi don't want to trust arnav cause she is scared of getting hurt that totally right knowing his past.. In my POV arnav is always right cause it was never his intention to become asr he always protect himself from getting hurt in the mask of asr... He only need someone to understand him despite of his past flings...nice thought of arnav obviously if he knew that was going going to come in his life he would have stay away from those churails:D very nice and emotional.... Hope to get next part soon:)

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  32. Hello smitaji.... I have just started reading your work and fallen in love with them totally.....wish I could get this specific "arnavji" in my life 😍keep up the good work .......😘

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  33. Awesome update Smitaji. So one (Sheetal) showed up and rocked the boat, now the second one (Lavanya) is going to show up to devastate the relationship that is budding. ASR with his talks is making it worse. What's the use now? He didn't expect an angel would cross his path calling herself Khushi and now he is dying seeing her being sorrow stricken.
    I am waiting for the next update Smitaji but dreading to feel how hurt Khushi is going to be when La shows up.
    You always make us expect the unexpected Smita!
    Waiting...

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  34. Have to batten the hatches once again. Expecting heavy rains . Net connection is shaky. Will connect with you all later.

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    Replies
    1. KC, take care. Lots of love and prayers. Be safe, my dear.

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    2. Sending prayers your way KC. Stay safe, girlfriend!

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    3. Take care girl... Once the rain lets... Can I suggest something to you?... To stop mosquito breeding... Can you pour a tablespoon of cooking oil into stagnant water? It kills the mosquito larvae and hence stops breeding.... Why I am asking you is because by the time Gov't agencies apply their mind to this. Mosquitoes would have spread... This oil forms a thin layer and suffocates the larvae... Kindly pass this message to others there too... Its a simple bit effective technique....

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    4. Dear Kaaycee, please, take care and stay safe!! Be strong!

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    5. Will pray for your well being and those around you, stay safe

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    6. Rulama,
      I didnt know! That is an awesome & easy suggestion , will pass it on & since its cooking oil no harm to the environment as well. Hi5

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  35. There's light at the end of the tunnel. Every thing will fall into place now that they are having a honest conversation. Nice update Smita. Now that All IZZ Well I can continue with my Sunday in peace

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  36. Ok.... This is what you have been doing that has been driving me to distraction.... You create what seems to be the 'creation of world' problem... Something that feels catastrophic... And then provide such a simple, logical conclusion... That I am left thinking... Of course! Exactly! I do believe I have said this before...

    Maybe the problem is that I am programmed to expect exaggerated problems ( courtesy of the original show... Laughing... ) and you show that most of them can be solved simply... She asks... He answers... Done... So again, major hugs and kisses your way...

    Her confusion at the beginning of the update was so cute... Her innocence just as adorable... My favourite line(s)

    ‘I will ask my husband,’ she decided. ‘He will know for sure. Di might miss one or two, but he won’t.' Unquote...

    Funny, poignant... And shows her trust in him... Whether she realises it or not.

    Fabulous update Sji,
    Love and regards.

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    Replies
    1. See SB, 'All ijj well' really works. The reason we are worked up about everything is that it's a case of once bitten twice shy. In the show things went from bad to worse to worst. Therefore we are bracing ourselves for the impact.

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    2. As we say here...True, so very the true

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  37. Wow all things cleared .....me dancing with joy.....but wait .....will there be a La bomb attack.....

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  38. Awesome updates Smitha!!! At last they both are going in the right direction.

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  39. Dear Smitaji, is so beautiful...Sorry, couldn't comment later,my laptop with login and password for google was occupied, but I couldn't miss the continuation of your story and I read it via my tablet without possibility to comment((
    So, it's warm and cute and I'm so happy that Khushi at least a little more will believe Arnav...That's he is't cheating her. Hope that they will be fine soon=)))))))

    Thank you very much for these updates, dear Smita=)))))

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  40. wow mind blowing update loved it can't wait for next part thank you......ameena671

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  41. Finally seeing some teeny weeny progress
    At least they're talking which is an important step towards a good, healthy relationship
    I'm glad that khushi asked him directly rather than asking Anjali about It
    That would have been DISASTROUS!!! Like literally, I can't even imagine what crazy scenarios his crazy family would have conjured up
    Loved the update
    Thanks a looot for the update Smita
    You're a darling for updating so frequently

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  42. She is a true sherni ,she faced her quandary upfront and asked him outright ,he should now tell her how he has felt emotion and caring only for her ,

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  43. Khushi behaved very maturely.. Loved her for this

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  44. Well that was direct enough he don't cheat
    Hope she understand this cuz this is what was holding her

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  45. wonderful. finally they start discussing. Time for ASR to make things better.
    Thanks Smita, waiting for the next update.

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  46. Beautifully written, good they are talking Khushi behaved maturely. She perceived Arnav as a serial cheater,he hurt that he unintentionally hurt her but that was his past he can do nothing about it. He was blunt he doesn't cheat neither in relationships nor in business he's not his father. Applause to you Smitar.☺

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  47. Replies
    1. Hi Hema, you are in Chennai too, right?... Hope everything is ok with you.
      Regards,

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    2. She is from Kanchipuram district... Neighbouring district of Chennai... Hope you are fine too Hema .. What I have posted above holds good to you too Hema.... Can I suggest something to you?... To stop mosquito breeding... Can you pour a tablespoon of cooking oil into stagnant water? It kills the mosquito larvae and hence stops breeding.... Why I am asking you is because by the time Gov't agencies apply their mind to this. Mosquitoes would have spread... This oil forms a thin layer and suffocates the larvae... Kindly pass this message to others there too... Its a simple bit effective technique.... Take care...

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    3. Thank you Scrap booker, Rulama and kaycee too. She had enquired earlier somewhere. Can't find the post. Thank you all for you concern, means a lot. yes I will pour a Tbsp of cooling oil to prevent mosquito breeding. I live very close to Mahabalipuram and so far my husband and I have had no major problems. Let's hope the worst is over. Just got connectivity for my computer. Thanks once again.

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    4. Hi Hema, glad to know you are safe. Welcome back.
      Love and regards,

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    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    6. Glad to know that you are okay...

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    7. You are OK! That's great news. The carnage in the city is unbelievable.

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    8. Hema, so glad you are safe.

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  48. Khushi is wise beyond her years. Her love and spirit to sacrifice everything for her family is commendable.

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  49. Finally khushi is voicing out her doubts to arnav. This is the only way in which her insecurities can be answered.
    Continue soon

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  50. I loved khushi. .she is intelligent. ..she has started asking directly to her husband that's nice. ..I m waiting what 'll happen when lavanya who is very much interested in offering her condolences to asr 'll come..and what arnav wanna show to khuhsi. .what l liked is that both khushi n arnav are suffering because of his past girl friends and that khushi has to realise...all's going good..thanks for update smitaji...gud luck

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  51. I loved khushi. .she is intelligent. ..she has started asking directly to her husband that's nice. ..I m waiting what 'll happen when lavanya who is very much interested in offering her condolences to asr 'll come..and what arnav wanna show to khuhsi. .what l liked is that both khushi n arnav are suffering because of his past girl friends and that khushi has to realise...all's going good..thanks for update smitaji...gud luck

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  52. Hi Smitens, I'm back. We were lucky. It was a light to moderate rain and that too sporadically. The sun is out finally but only for a short time. Thank you for all your good wishes and prayers.

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    Replies
    1. So so glad you are safe, my dear KC.

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    2. Kaaycee, thank you for reaching out to me. appreciate it. It has been dry here today. Hope the rain tapers off. Saw many rumours on FB regarding more rain. Wish people would stop scaring people.

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    3. Yes! I'm plenty scared already. No more rains please until next year.

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  53. Smitaji, what an update! Lots of muuuuaaahhhs to you. Loved the way Khushi took the bull by the horns. All it takes is a willingness to work out any differences and these two are more than willing. That is the foundation of a successful marriage.

    Loved how she showed her acceptance by arranging the flowers. Subtle but effective.
    An absolutely heartwarming update.

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  54. Rulama ji, thank you for your suggestion re: the mosquitoes. Now that many NGO's are involved in food distribution our core committee is looking into other aspects of relief and rehab. I've already forwarded your suggestion and we'll do it as soon as possible.

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    Replies
    1. KC do it as soon as the rain stops... Flowing water is not a problem... Its the stagnant water... You might be knowing it but still I am repeating it... At the risk of being a pest... Better this prst than the flying one I think.. ;)

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    2. Dear Smitens, as shown by rulamaji in this story n the battle against pesky pests, the simplest solution is always the best. Unfortunately, we have been brainwashed into thinking only complex n convulated methods/ ideas would ever work. Or worse, to disguise simple solutions in hyperbole to impress people. Luckily, we have smitarji to carry the torch for us. Long live Smitens!

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  55. Haven't heard from Priya in a while. What's up?

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    Replies
    1. She is on a holiday to her hometown. Will get back soon.

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    2. Hey KC!!So happy that you and your family are alright.
      Like Smi said, I am on the road or on the wing!!Though not sure if I should call this a 'holiday'. Just a couple of days into it and it already has become more hectic than my normal routine. :-D

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  56. Awesome chapters.........it is better to know the answers from Horse mouth.............

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  57. Glad she talked to him.. Loved the update..

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  58. Misunderstandings almost clear:) when will u update next part???

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  59. Nahi....don't clear the MU soon! That would mean the story is coming to an end soon. Nahiiii

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    Replies
    1. LOL! Kamtokdin, you are so good for me!

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    2. I second that Kamtokdin. I don't want this story to end anytime soon. Don't want to get off this wonderful roller coaster ride.

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    3. The value of story is not the time they last but the intensity with which they are appreciated...
      That's why we have unforgettable moments and unique people gathered here...

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    4. Dekho ji... Deal kar letay hain... This one gets a HEA soon... the next one can have more suspense... Yeh wale Arnav and Khushi bahut cute hain...

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    5. Rulama ji, No matter how long the story lasts we appreciate it with ferocious intensity. Still find it hard to let go (again because of the intensity)

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    6. SB, are you sure you want more suspense?

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    7. nahi... nahi... HEA for this one soon... please... I love this one too much...

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  60. hey all 4 updates are just awesome, read all together as iam out of station ........ ahhh slowly arnav is opening and hope khushi will understand arnav completely one day ...... so sad of khushi ...

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  61. Smita,

    Have been waiting patiently to get to the end of the update and then tell you how absolutely beautiful this story is. Love, love, love it. As I told you on one of my previous posts on one of your stories, stalking your blog obsessively now. Transports me to the good old days of IPKKND when life was a kaleidoscope of colour, fun, romance, drama and passion....thank you for returning the music, the Rabba vey and the truly halcyon days....waiting for the next chapter now!

    Best,

    Anupama

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  62. Smitaji, are you updating today? I forgot that yesterday was Sunday yet you gave us an update.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. May be...just maybe it's... .....tomorrow... Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's question... So.... Dream..dream.. Dream... Dreams transform into thoughts.... And thoughts into actions... ;)

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  63. Please update waiting eagarly :)

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  64. Awesome update... glad khushi asked her questions and cleared her doubts....

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  65. Smitaji, asking for, pleading for, requesting, entreating for an update. Please, pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeee. NK and Preetho ??

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  66. Hum aapke update karne ka intezaar karen ge :)

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  67. Awaiting, expecting, hanging around, lingering, anticipating, biding, looking for, looking forward to, marking time,standing by, sticking around, watching for, filling time, cooling heels, staying up for .................... "the update" What else??
    Smitens, feel free to insert any meaning that I have missed.

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  68. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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