153. OS: 7: The Other Woman (Part 13-14)

Section 13

“Khushi,” he gasped when he could find his voice. “I don’t normally..I mean, Khushi, listen to me, Khushi,” he tried to explain but had no idea what and how. How could he prove to her that he didn’t do things like this?

Khushi burst out laughing, anguish tingeing her chuckles.

A knock sounded on the door.

Khushi quickly walked to the shut door and opened it.

Shyam stood there, staring at the unlikely pair in the room.

“Arnav?” he asked uncertainly. “Sharmaji said that you were waiting to see me? Kya hua?”

“I wanted to apologise to Khushi,” Arnav spoke the truth.

“Oh,” Shyam stole a look at Khushi’s closed face.

“He has finished apologising. May I get back to work, Shyamji?” Khushi asked politely.

Shyam nodded and stood back so that she could pass.

Arnav stood watching Khushi walk away from him.

Shyam walked in to the room and came to stand by Arnav.

“I want to marry her,” Arnav told his Jiju.

“Who?” Shyam frowned.

“Khushi,” Arnav said quietly.

Shyam gasped like a landed fish. “Let me sit down,” he said, his hands looking for the closest chair. He sat down jerkily and asked, “What did you say just now?”

“I want to marry Khushi,” Arnav joined him, sitting down on another chair.

“Arnav Singh Raizada, the greatest misogynist and the most vociferous advocate of bachelorhood wants to get married?” Shyam couldn’t believe his ears.

“Yes,” he said.

“Why the change of mind?” Shyam asked.

“I hadn’t met Khushi then,” Arnav admitted.

“You met her yesterday for the first time,” Shyam tried to remind him.

“I know. I remember. One day with her was enough to...” his voice trailed away.

“Chotey,” Shyam said. “Don’t get me wrong. I am delighted you want to marry. I am ecstatic that you want to marry Khushi. She is a gem of a girl and her family is a very sanskaari and loving one. But are you sure about this? Are you doing this out of guilt?” Shyam asked. “You have to live a lifetime with the consequences of this decision,” he warned.

“I know it seems out of character, but,” Arnav paused, looking at his linked fingers. “I am guilty but not stupid enough to marry out of guilt. I don’t know what happened, Jiju. I..I came here to tear Khushi to shreds. Then..then she came in with tea and smiled and talked to me...and...” Arnav shrugged. “I don’t know...I couldn’t remember anything Di had said, couldn’t even remember why I had come here, who I thought she was...Jiju, one look. That was all it took. I lost myself.”

Shyam hid his smile at the sheer helplessness on his usually arrogant saalesaheb’s face.

“Did you apologise to Khushi?” Shyam asked.

Arnav nodded. “She refused to accept it,” he said, frustrated. “But I will make her understand I am sorry, that I will never say ghatiya things again.”

“Did you propose to her?” Shyam asked.

Arnav nodded.

Shyam marvelled at the courage of his saalesaheb.

“What was her reply?” Shyam asked cautiously. Had Khushi slapped him or thrown the table at him? Shyam looked around the room. The furniture was intact. He drew in a deep breath of relief. So things hadn’t degenerated in to the realm of violence...so far.

“She asked me why she should marry an immoral man,” Arnav admitted.

Shyam frowned. “Immoral? You?”

Arnav flushed. “I abused her thoroughly.”

“Knowing you, I am not surprised,” Shyam said wryly. “But why should she consider you immoral just because you accused her of immorality?”

Arnav turned red before Shyam’s astonished eyes. “I..I offered to buy her services,” he choked to a stop.

Shyam stared at him for one moment in acute shock and then burst out laughing, clutching his tummy.

“You believe in doing things thoroughly, don’t you, Saalesaheb?” Shyam asked in between guffaws.

Arnav sighed, angry with himself.

“You pushed her away, as far as she could go away from you. And now you want to marry her? You really expect her to throw in her lot with you, a man who goes around accusing her of things she hasn’t done but can’t prove, a man who offers to buy her charms?” Shyam asked quietly once he could get his breath.

Arnav thought about Shyam’s words for a moment and then said, “Yes.”

“It is going to be a tough road,” Shyam warned him.

Arnav nodded.

“And a long one,” Shyam added.

“I am ready,” Arnav said.

“You will have to woo her, persuade her to give you a chance, show her that you are not the monster she thinks you are," Shyam said.

Arnav nodded. "I will."

"Good luck,” Shyam smiled at him.

Arnav nodded.

Shyam looked at his saalesaheb, amusement and affection in his eyes. From being a non-believer in love, romance and marriage, Arnav was determined to create history by becoming the most romantic youth in India.

Shyam hid a smile.

Section 14

Khushi walked out of the office, pushing her cloth bag further on her shoulder. All the cubicles were empty, the employees having gone home a long time back.

 The security guard saluted her. She smiled at him, the smile vanishing as she passed him.

The sky was cloudy. It was still evening, but later than she normally left. She cursed Arnav Singh Raizada from the bottom of her heart. He and his proposal. She would tell him what he could do with his proposal and his proposition the next time she saw him...if she saw him. Disturbed by his proposal, she had struggled with her work, dropped files, disconnected important calls, connected important calls to the wrong people, dropped a paper weight on her own foot...And she had managed to finish her work one full hour after the others had left.

A gentle wind blew strands of her hair on to her cheek. She lifted her hand and smoothed the silky strands to fall behind her ear. Her dupatta flew in the wind as though it were a parachute and Khushi turned to smile at it.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar figure leaning against a white giant of a car. The sight wiped the smile off her face. She turned to look at him, her eyes wide in horror. She was not dreaming, was she? No, no, she wasn’t. It was Arnav Singh Raizada in full size, complete with his coat and suit, removing his dark glasses to see her better.

"Hey Devi Maiyya, raksha karna," she breathed. She drew in a deep breath for courage as he walked closer to her, her eyes lowered to the polished, hand-made, expensive-looking shoes approaching her.

“Khushi,” he called.

She looked up at his face, careful to wipe off all expression from her face.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Let me take you home,” he offered.

“No, thanks,” Khushi replied. “I am not fool enough to fall for the same trick twice,” she retorted as she began walking away from him.

He matched her steps.

“I am not going to kidnap you,” he assured her.

“Hhmmpppfff!” she made her opinion of his assurance clear.

“I will give you a lift home. I will take you to your Buaji,” he promised.

“I don’t believe you,” Khushi stated.

“Khushi, we can talk. I need to,” he began.

“I don’t want to talk to you. In fact, I don’t want to see you again, Mr. Saale-saheb,” Khushi said.

“Khushi,” he began.

“Don’t call me Khushi. Don’t appear before me. Don’t speak to me. Don’t look at me,” she bit out, her eyes flashing fire.

“Khushi,” he tried to grip her arm.

“And don’t touch me. I am not selling my charms tonight, Mr. Saale-saheb, for you to try them out. I will let you know when I do. Now leave me alone and go home to your sister and her marital woes,” Khushi told him.

“Listen to me, Khushi,” he tried.

“No, no, I won’t. Did you listen to me? Nahi na? Then why should I listen to you?” she asked.

“Khushi, I was wrong,” he said.

“I know. I knew it yesterday. You know it now. That is the only difference. Now, leave me alone and go away. Seeing you is like revisiting a nightmare,” Khushi hissed.

He stood staring at her for a moment, lost for words. Then he parted his lips to call her name, but she did not wait for him.

She flagged down a rickshaw, jumped in to it and went away.

He stood immobile for a moment and then strode to his SUV to follow her home.

Section 15