Part 8
“Chotey...” Anjali breathed, her voice thin
with shock.
Arnav was not perturbed at all. As long as he
had Khushi in his hold, as long as he knew who and where she was, nothing else
mattered to him.
Khushi squirmed, trying to free her arm, her
eyes darting between Anjaliji’s shell-shocked countenance & her
rajkumar-who-didn’t-know-he-was-her-raajkumar’s wicked and almost impish eyes.
“Chodiye hamein,” she managed to hiss under
her breath.
“Never,” he whispered in reply, his hold
turning into a caress.
Khushi trembled, his determination
undermining her decision to leave the scene of crime without making waves.
“Anjali bitiyya, did you find Khushi bitiya?”
Nani asked from the entrance. Buaji and Mami were with her.
“Hai Re Nandkisore! Where is that girl?”
Buaji fretted.
“Ek ladki gum hui gawa in our housewaa?” Mami
asked. “Saasumma, kauno bhoot to naaahi he hamre ghar ma?” she asked, hiding
behind Nani.
Nani frowned at Mami and walked into the room
with Buaji.
“Naaaaniiii...”
Anjali bleated.
Nani, Buaji and Mami came to stand by Anjali.
Their eyes widened at the sight of Arnav holding Khushi’s arm in a death grip.
“Hello Hi Bye Bye!” Mami exclaimed. “Am I
dreaming, Saasumma?”
“Chotey?” Nani asked uncertainly. “What is
happening here?”
Buaji stared at the dumb boy and her troublemaker niece in
silence, her hand on her pallu-covered head.
“Chotey?” Anjali asked, her worried eyes on
Buaji’s pale face.
Arnav parted his lips. It was time to explain
to both families what was going on.
“Why are you asking a dumb bitwaa? How can he
answer you, Nandkisore?” Buaji asked. “Sanka Devi, you tell us. What are you
doing here and why is he holding your arm?”
Dumb? Khushi turned to look at Arnav. When
did he become dumb? “Buaji,” Khushi began, not knowing what she could say to
diffuse the situation and make sense of this nightmare.
“Dumbwaa? Kaun dumbwaa?” Mami asked.
“That bitwaa,” Buaji pointed at Arnav. “He is
so healthy and handsome, but poor thing can’t speak,” Buaji sighed. “Only
Nandkisore knows why he has made such a sweet boy goonga.”
All turned to look at Arnav in shock. He
smiled, enjoying the confusion.
“Madhumatiji, you are mistaken,” Nani said.
“Nahi, Devyaniji,” Buaji said. “Nandkisore ki
kasam. Ee bitwaa came to my house in the morning and knocked on the door.”
Khushi almost fell down in shock. She would
have swooned but for his hold on her arm.
Anjali had no such prop. She sat down on the
low table holding Arnav’s laptop.
“Galat fehmi hui gawa! You must be mistaken,
Hello Hi Bye Bye!” Mami began.
“No, Manoramaji, kono galat fehmi naahi. This
bitwaa came to my house in Laxmi Nagar. I opened the door and asked him what he
wanted, Nandkisore. He tried his best to speak, lekin, bechara, could not,”
Buaji explained, her face sorrowful.
“Chotey, you went to Madhumatiji’s house?”
Nani asked, scared of the answer.
“Yes,” Arnav finally got a chance to respond.
“Hein? You can speak?” Buaji exclaimed in joy.
“This is a miracle! Nandkisore ki jai ho!”
“Bhy? That ijj bhat I am asking you, Arnav
bitwaa. Bhy?” Mami asked.
“Yes, Chotey, why?” Anjali asked, her eyes on
Arnav’s hold on Khushi.
“And why are you holding Titliyaa?" Buaji
asked. “Did she do something?” Her eyes widened in horror.
“I went to Buaji’s house to meet Khushi,” he
explained.
Khushi’s eyes flew open in shock. She stared
at him, startled. He had visited her?
“Arnav bitwaa, how do you knows Khussi?” Mami
asked, her painted eyelids fluttering.
“We met in the rain,” Arnav explained
shortly.
“He saved me from falling,” Khushi explained
in a low voice.
Buaji clutched her heart. “So you are the
bitwaa who brought her home in a rickshaw, Nandkisore? Babua, thank you. We
were so worried about her!”
Nani looked at Mami and both of them looked
at Anjali, hope in their eyes. Was Khushi the apsara who could shatter Sant Khadoos
Arnav’s vrat of bachelorhood?
There was a long moment of silence.
“Hamre Arnav bitwaa saved Khussi from falling
in the rain? Then bhy ijj he still keeping her in hijj pakad?” Mami whispered,
nudging Nani meaningfully.
“Chotey,” Anjali said in warning, looking
pointedly at his hold on Khushi. What if Madhumatiji took affront at his
familiarity?
He tightened his grip. “Buaji, Nani, Mami,
Di, I wanted to meet her again and make sure that she was fine, but didn’t know
her name. That is why I was lost for words when Buaji asked me why I had come
to her house,” he explained lightly.
Buaji hit her head. “Hai Re Nandkisore!”
“Khushi came to the garden. We met again and
got talking,” he said. “It must be time for the pooja? Shall we go down?”
All nodded, looking uncertainly at the pair.
“Chalo, Titliyaa,” Buaji called.
Arnav let go of Khushi’s arm with great
reluctance.
Khushi scampered to Buaji’s side and slowly
walked down with the family, her wary eyes and attention on the man following
them. Had he visited Laxmi Nagar just to make sure that she hadn’t contracted
cold after a night in the rain?
“Did you see Dadi?” Akash asked Payal. “She
was sitting by you a moment earlier,” he asked softly, his eyes behind the
specs savouring her flawless complexion and brilliant eyes.
“Ji,” Payal flushed at his marked attention. “They
went upstairs to look for Khushi.”
“Khushi?” Akash frowned. Why was his family
seeking happiness upstairs? And that too when everyone was waiting for the pooja
to begin?
Payal giggled lightly at the expression on his
open face, averting her eyes to avoid giving offence. “My sister. She stained her
sari and...” she paused, biting her lower lip in nervousness. What Khushi was
doing upstairs right now had little to do with ghee stains and dhulai. She
wondered what the ladies had come upon!
“They are here,” Akash said softly, seeing
the ladies come down leading a girl in a red sari. “Bhai is with them!” he
could not help exclaiming.
“Bhai?” Payal asked, curious, lifting her head to see Khushi's hero walking down the steps.
“Arnav Singh Raizada, my bhai,” Akash
informed her.
So this gentleman was Khushi’s raajkumar’s
brother? Payal thought.
The Raizadas and the Guptas sat together for
the pooja that could finally begin now that Jhalli Rani was in their midst.
Khushi sat between Buaji and her Jiji, looking
down at her folded hands as the pooja began.
Arnav and Akash sat behind them.
Anjali looked at Chotey’s relaxed face with
curious eyes. Was her chronic bachelor brother interested in Khushiji? she wondered hopefully.
Nani
nudged her. “Something is happening here, Anjali bitiyya,”
Nani stated softly.
Mami said, “We have to keep our eyes on Arnav
bitwaa, Saasumma. Dekhat he if he ijj phalling ya phell in lub with Khussi.”
The three ladies leaned forward to look at
Arnav’s face.
His eyes were on Khushi’s back and his lips
had a slight smile on them.
Fantabulous update. Was laughing like anything while reading the sentence
ReplyDeleteWas Khushi the apsara who could shatter Sant Khadoos Arnav’s vrat of bachelorhood?
Looking forward to next part.
All Raijjada ladies are waiting for some temptress to come & break ASR's vow of being a bramhachari!
Delete"Naaaaaani", Anjali bleated. Perfect description. Was laughing while reading the update. Probably the first time hamre Arnav bitwaa came down voluntarily for a pooja. Very nice. Am eager to see how the story unfolds.
ReplyDeleteASR is becoming a lamb..ha..ha..
DeleteVery nice surprise for this dark and cold morning :-) thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteCheck out the translation of Yeh raatein I have added to your comment in the last part.
DeleteI did my dear friend. Thanks :-) I am in love with this song these days and I listen to it every single day driving to work or home. I recorded it in my family page in viber as well. My Mom says her daughter is becoming a real indian hahaha and my auntie tried to sing it and recorded her voice in that family page as well. She is so funny and has a great talent to imitate the voices and to sing in a language she doesn't even know it.
DeleteYou should listen to her when she sings aaj musem hai suhana...for me :-)
Ps. I have finally downloaded the whole show with english subtitles or english dubbed version and sent it to Iran a few days ago. My cousins, my mom, and my auntie are waiting impatiently to watch my favorite indian show :-) I tried so hard to find it and to buy it with a high quality but in vain. The only DVD shop owner in Artesia told me that I wouldn't be able to find the show and buy it.
Mojgane, send me the link, pls. I would love to listen to it!
DeleteWe are all mad, my dear. Mad about ArHi. In fact, I think there is a little of Khushi in all of us!
I wish I could. It is on Viber page and it is an audio message that cannot even be sent to other users.
DeleteBut I will find a way to record her voice and send it to you :-)
We are indeed:-) I recently added another victime to the Arshi world. My high school friend who also lives in US and has never seen an Indian movie in her entire life hahahahaha she came to sleep over last week because my husband was on a overseas trip and I was alone. I suggested to watch Khushi ( that's by this name every body around me knows the show :-) she said : " Moji jaannnn! Noooooo! " and I said : "yesssss". After one hour watching Khushi, she was really into it and in love with Khushi. She already loved Arnav and at the beginning announced that Khushi is not that beautiful Moji jaan! But she changed her mind as she kept watching. Yesterday she called me and told me : you see what you did with me? I cannot even study for my exam Hahahahahaha
DeleteShe loves Khushi now and thinks she looks like her hahahaha I mean her attitude:-)
We are countless Smita, aren't we ? :-)
We are like alcoholics trying to get other people drunk!!!!
Delete“Saasumma, kauno bhoot to naaahi he hamre ghar ma?” Nope, no bhoot would ever dare enter Shantivan. The inhabitants of the home are so lethal they will give the bhoot a run for its money...lol. Akhdoo and Khadoos and now dumb in love ASR, Mamiji with her painted face, Di with her pooja thalis and perpetual poojas...and if this wasn't enough to send a bhoot into a tizzy, a Jhalli rani is going to be a part of this family, very soon. I am sure, by now the bhoot would have chanted countless "Hayee-re-Nandkisores!!"
ReplyDeleteBtw, is that a spark I see between the Pari's Rajkumar's brother and Pari's sister ?!? Tells, tells...
Hilarious update, Smi....Yesterday was just one of those crazy days and this update came as uhhh...ummmm... yes... chilled tender coconut water on a sunny and sweaty day. :)
ha..ha.. your nariyalwala at your service!
DeleteToday is a rather warm and humid day, my friend. I shot of chilled nariyal pani is just what I need. :P
DeleteJust saying...... ;-)
Hum he ready, taiyyar!
DeleteThat was a beautiful update. Loved it
ReplyDeleteThank u, thank u!
DeleteWhen khushi started hallucinating that scared me. I was like wow this girl has totally lost the plot.
ReplyDeleteBut the story is growing on me, can't wait to read about the match making done to our favourite couple.
Smita, I am re-reading all these stories and enjoying. So beautifully you have incorporated humor in your stories. This sentence made me laugh so much... “Naaani, Anjali bleated” :-))). Hahaha... just like Naniji’s goat Lakshmiji :-)).
ReplyDelete