40. Happy Birthday, Khushi


Khushi watched as Anjali said, "You ordered it? For me...", and hugged Arnavji who looked uncomfortable, as though caught doing something naughty.
Khushi smiled to see the brother and sister bonding again.
"You knew that red roses are my favourite flowers?", Anjali asked in wonder, her head resting against her Chotey's shoulder.
Arnav clasped his Di close to him, his hand resting on the back of her neck. He looked at the smiling Khushi, standing there, totally unaware that the flowers had been meant for her, not Di. He said, "Haan, Di. Mein Jaanta Hoon Yeh Kiska Favourite Flower He...", his eyes looking straight into the happy eyes of his Khushi.
Atleast he knew how to please his sister!, thought Khushi. It didn't matter if he couldn't manage a 'Happy Birthday' wish for her. Or buy her a cloth bag that could hold her Devi Maiyya, palak, tamatar, bhindi etc. Atleast Di would be taken care of, always, by Arnavji. And Di had left her room to come downstairs! And she had talked to Arnavji and hugged him! Khushi was thrilled beyond words.
Anjali released Arnav, turning to go up the stairs to her room, the flower arrangement held safely in her hands. Arnav watched Khushi duck behind the kitchen door to spare Di the sight of the other woman in her perfect marriage. He ground his teeth.
Life was unfair. That was old news to a boy who had fought the world for every bit of success he had won, for every moment of financial security and peace his family now enjoyed. He had grown to expect the worst, the need to fight for what he wanted, for his rights. But Khushi! She didn't deserve to listen to the nasty comments of Mami. She shouldn't have to hide and duck from Di's sight in her husband's house. Husband!, Arnav sighed. What a husband! One who didn't know when her birthday was...who scolded her on her birthday...who ordered the wrong present...who hurt her deliberately by bringing in mention of the contract marriage. But how else could he have stopped her from sacrificing any chance they had to lead a life together out of her love for his Di?
He smiled sadly. He had never thought of marriage. Even if he had ever considered marriage, he would have thought of his Di first, of marrying a girl who would grow to like (if she couldn't love) his Di... He had never expected to fall in love with and marry a girl who loved his Di more than she loved herself.
"Nannav! Pssst! Nannav!"
He looked up at NK who was leaning over the banister, dancing on one foot at a time, trying to get his attention. "Come up! Andha he kya? Can't you hear me? Did you get the flowers?"
Arnav walked up to him. "Err, no. We will have to do without them."
"How can you have romance without flowers?", asked NK scandalised. "Nannav, you are budhiya. Yes, budhiya. Not baddhiya. I mean it this time." He sighed. "I will go out and get them from the florists. What kind does Khushiji like? Carnations? Roses? Sunflowers? Tulips?"
"Red roses..." , Khushiji's husband said without any hesitation.
"You are sure, Nannav?", NK asked urgently.
Arnav nodded.
NK ran down the steps.
Arnav said after him, "NK, buy fragrant ones. Buy a sheaf of them, not an arrangement. Buy lots of red roses..."
NK nodded, and raced down the steps.
"Without thorns!", he added.
NK raised his hand in acknowledgement, and ran out of RM.




Everything was ready. Arnav went down to the kitchen, searching for his wife. Khushi was making something that smelt delicious with the green leaves and the tomatoes that she had dumped in his hands at the doorway. Payal was helping her.
"Payal?"
She looked at him, a smile on her lips. "Ji?"
"Can you manage dinner alone? I need to speak to Khushi for a few moments."
"Ji." Payal's smile widened.
Speak to me?, Khushi wondered. Now what? She looked at her palak and then at him standing there, an unusual excitement in his eyes. He must have found something else to scold me about, she thought. Buaji was the right person to manage Arnavji. She was the only person who could scare him with her ladle into having breakfast, into behaving, into eating half and full pooris, ordering a gift... She hid a smile as she walked to him, her mind tantalising her with images of an Arnavji in coat-boot-suit, cowering before a Buaji holding a rolling pin in her hand...

Arnav opened the door to their bedroom. It was dark. He must have drawn the curtains. Yeh Arnavji bhi na!, she sighed. He caught hold of her arm. "Khushi, I am here. Don't be scared."
Khushi looked at him, exasperated. What was wrong with him?
He led her in the darkness towards the switch. "Khushi, switch on the lights...", he whispered.
Khushi extended her arm and switched on the light. A sound. An unexpected spark. She recoiled, the jolt of current causing her to stagger back and sit on the bed.
"Khushi! Khushi!", his voice seemed almost tear-filled. "Tum theek Ho?"
She wanted to throw a chair at him. If possible, the table and the bed too. Add the recliner to the list. She clutched her poor hand, tears dripping down her face.
"Khushi, Khushi!" He sat by her in the dark, hugging her to him, caressing her hair, rubbing her hands, her back, her shoulders...
"NK! NK!", he shouted.
Khushi looked at him, astonished.
"Nannav?", NK's voice seemed unsure, scared. Their plan had left the entire house in darkness, and Mami, Nani, Di, HP, Payal, Akash etc were looking for candles, and more importantly, for the reason behind this sudden blackout.
"Get a candle. Or a torch."
NK saw Payal coming up the stairs with 2 candles, and quickly took one off her, and passed it to Arnav.
Arnav placed it by Khushi, and whispered, "I will be back soon." He, NK, & Akash went to rectify the problem.



When Arnav returned to his room, Khushi was lying curled up in bed, the lone candle keeping her company. He swallowed. All his plans, ever since he had met her, had all gone down the drain. His intention to keep away from her had been washed away in the car park on a rainy night when he had held her in his arms. His decision to send her away from his life, his attempts to keep away from her..., all had failed dismally. His life had become unpredictable, gone out of his control, become colourful with her advent... He sat by her, and caught hold of her arm.
"Khushi, how are you?"
"Hum theek he...", came the small, soft reply.
"I am sorry. Khushi, I just... I just wanted to give you a surprise. Not a shock. For your birthday."
Khushi smiled wanly.
Arnav got up and switched on the lights. This time, nothing untoward happened. The bedroom and the poolside looked magical, with thousands of fairylights lighting up the darkness. It was beautiful, out-of-this-world, like something out of a dream... Khushi sat with her mouth open, taking in the splendour of the sight.
Arnav looked at her captivated face, pleasure seeping into corners of his heart that he hadn't known existed before. Before Khushi. BK. Before the life-changing event of Khushi falling into his arms.
She got off the bed and taking hold of his fingers, brought them close to her heart. Her eyes still on the marvellous sight, she said, "It is so beautiful, Arnavji!"
He stood still, watching her, savouring her touch, her joy in the simple sight making him feel as though he had won the world...
He freed his hand, reluctantly, and turned to pick up the huge bouquet of red roses that NK had bought.




He handed it to her.
Her eyes widened impossibly more.
"You like red roses, don't you?", he asked softly.
"Ji. But how do you know that?"
"I know."
She bent her head to breath in the intoxicating fragrance of the roses, her eyes closed to enjoy the perfume to the fullest...
Arnav looked at her, his eyes tender, a small smile playing on his lips, her happiness setting fire to his own. He hadn't known that joy, khushi, was something tangible, so powerful that it could be felt in every pore of his body, so potent that it made every sorrow look like a weakling in comparison...
He was brought back to his room from his musings at the feel of the crimson bouquet held close to his face so that he could inhale the strong, sweet smell of the flowers. He closed his eyes to enjoy it better, taking a leaf from her book.
He handed over the flowers to her, after taking a single rose from the sheaf.
"I am sorry, Khushi..." He touched her cheek with the rose, and gently ran it down to her chin. "I am sorry for the nonsense I said in anger yesterday. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to hurt you..."
"But..." He stopped her by placing the rose against her lips.
"It was never your fault, Khushi. It was all Shyam's. And mine. For not realising that he was a kameena, that he was cheating Di and all of us. I am sorry, Khushi. For every word I spoke that hurt you. For every cruelty. For deliberately pushing you away, hurting you. For not understanding you. For not believing you..."
Khushi swallowed.
"Don't worry about Di. She will come out of this. She has faced worse. She will face this too, and survive. With our help and support. I... I want you here, Khushi. With us. With me..."
Khushi nodded, the rose tickling her nose and upper lip.
"I will stay. I told you that I will stay...till the contract period is over."
"No... No, Khushi..." He was desperate. "Not till the contract period. I... I want you here forever."
Khushi looked at him, shocked.
"I will never forget your birthday again.", he said in a rush. "I will buy you cloth bags. You can buy as many bunches of green leafy vegetables as you want. As many kilos of tomatoes, bhindi, whatever you want. And put them in your bags."
Khushi smiled, tears in her eyes. "It doesn't matter."
"It matters."
The darkness lit only by bud-like lights, her happiness, her smile, the roses, and his need to say it made him whisper, "Happy Birthday, Khushi!"
She looked at him, happy but shocked.
"I wanted to wish you in Buaji's house. But..."
"It is OK. Dhanyawad." She smiled. "I know you find it dificult to..."
"Khushi, I... I wanted to wish you. I wanted to..."
"I know." She looked down at the rose that he was now holding against her neck, and said, "Arnavji, you didn't have to go to so much trouble. All you had to do was wish me." A tear made its way down her alabaster cheek.
"Khushi, Khushi, don't cry." He pulled her into his arms, the rose crushed between them. "Khushi, happy birthday, Khushi, happy birthday, Khushi..."



(Shruti_P, thanx!)

She placed her finger on his lips, smiling through her tears.
He was loath to lose a chance to persuade her.
"Khushi...", he mumbled through her finger. "Stay with me. Don't go."
"But the contract..."
"Blow the contract. Or if you want we can draft a new one..."
"For 6 months?", she asked, her voice small.
"No, for life. For seven lives.", he said, sure of what he wanted.