"Gosh!"
Aakash laughed out loud as he moved out of the theater.. "i
seriously don't remember when I saw a movie outside RM last..i guess
it was back in the university. AWESOME!"
Paayal
giggled.. "oh I hardly have been to the theater all my life. The
few times that I have, it's been due to Khushi dragging me all the way there..but yes, this was fun"
"And
where do we meet next?" Aakash looked teasingly at her..
"it's
my turn, so yes, we meet at the library" Payal smiled back, as he
sighed in disappointment...
"okay,
but after that, if we are thrown out for breaking silence, don't
blame me. Because I will talk to you, since I find those stuff in the
shelves as interesting as the midnight discovery programme-"
"Oh
you mean the one they show at 11:30 on the world's lost tribes?"
she said with her eyes brightly sparkling...
Aakash
looked dazed at her for a moment and then murmured... "scratch out
that example..that expression is no where close to suggesting my
relationship with classics..."
They
strolled out to the car and Aakash spoke in a low tone as he started
the car.. "smart, educated,occasionally fun loving, witty wife..who
wouldn't want that?"
Payal
turned her head to look at him.. "what?"
"the
actress in the film" he added quickly.. "why, what did you
think?" ..
"oh
nothing" she spoke in haste as a blush crept up her cheeks..
Aakash
looked out of the window, and smiled..
She
couldn't remember when she had enjoyed herself so much last as she
had on her date with Nihaal...and he would be back to his home in a
few days..to his family, his life, his work...Nihaal, would
leave...wow! Was that supposed to feel this bad? But she would
remember and cherish each moment she had spent with him, the man who
made her forget all these days she had even had an ugly past, the
man, who just had to be merely present, to make her smile..and who
was completely, totally mad! She laughed..yes, totally crazy! And oh,
how could she forget? His way with women!
Anjali
stood beside the poolside at night smiling, shaking her head
occasionally and blushing at times as the reflection from the
crystal clear water shone on her face...
Lost
deep in thought, it took Arnav two clearings of the throat to snap
his sister out of her reverie..
"Oh
..chotte!"
silence...
"what?"
Arnav
smirked at her, still silent..looking through half opened eyes...he
had been observing his sister since quite a while..
Anjali
blushed scarlet and Arnav's smirk widened..
Flustered,
she hit him hard on the chest..
"You
better remember who's the elder one here!" she huffed..
"what'd
I say?" Arnav asked innocently, keeping as straight a face as
possible... "you are behaving as if I took his name"
Anjali
widened her eyes... "How can you think in that way about me and
Nihaal!"
Caught.
Mission successful Mr Arnav Singh Raizada.
"When
did I say Nihaal?"
silence...
the
cool October breeze blew into their faces..
"What
was her bracelet doing by your pillow by the way?" Anjali turned to
face him, in her usual backfiring fashion,trying to convert her
beetroot color back to normal..
silence..
"nuthn'
di..Khushi just leaves her things here and there. Must have left it
behind. I don' know.."
"When
did I say Khushi chotte?" Anjali smiled innocently " I meant
mami. I saw her bracelet by your bedside" she said referring to the
bracelet which had accidentally slipped from Mrs Raizada's wrist as she
had bent for the air-kiss three days ago..
Arnav
looked into her eyes as mischief danced in hers while she turned to
go, then stopped and looked back...
"However
,no doubt the Khushi story must have been pretty interesting too"
..and saying that, she moved out..
Arnav
combed his hand through his hair.. after all, Raizadas should never
try to mess with Raizadas. Now he would have to hear of this for days
to come. He had wondered when she said that, since he had kept
Khushi's bracelet in his cupboard right after she had left..for
returning purposes..of course...(ahem..of course...)
Nihaal
Gupta..he had met the guy at several business conferences abroad
before and it had always made him wonder, how someone could actually
make real
friends in
the kind of profession they were in...He was another crazy one like
Khushi, but not Khushi. No, Khushi was her unique one piece self. But
it was Di he was scared about..this man, would be back to the states
within days, what if he didn't reciprocate his sister's feelings?What
if again...okay, forget it...later..he'd think of it later...all he
knew at present was, that he could hardly remember when he had seen
his sister as he saw her these days, last. And if Nihaal Gupta was
the reason behind it, he had to give credit to the man..
Colored Ink finished? Now when did that happen? Khushi, almost trying to fit
her head within the printer sighed in exasperation. Now how on Earth
would cement pile come out?
Finally
, the solution which was devised was that, she had to cello tape at
several places, the old googled image of Arnav Singh Raizada, which
had been in continuous use for dart purposes not long ago..(the holes
being, mainly on the head..the '100' target)
But
for some reason, all the holes were now cellotaped and hanging it on
the wall, she stood before the picture..
okay,..Take
one.
"Arnav..i
need to tell you something. I am leaving for...I am
leaving...haha..how are you?"
urgh...
Take
two.
"Arnav
I think I love you"
Oh
yes, and then watch him ROFL! Cut that.
Take
three.
"Arnav.
I am leaving for five years, so we need to breakup. I mean I need to
breakup. I mean we both have to breakup but I am doing it first. I
mean that's because you said I need to do it first. I mean-"
waaaooow
Khushi. That is going to have him completely understand your point.
Urrghh!
Arnav
was thinking of Khushi's craziness when his cell flashed..
Khushi
calling..
"yes?"
"oh..hi
Arnav..um..how are you?"
not
again!
"Khushi!
This is the third time you are asking me the same question. And for
the third time, I am fine! Do I need to send you test reports now?"
"no..ok,
Arnav, I need to tell you something"
"I
am listening"
"I
told you I am leaving for the States right?"
"yeah..what
about it?"
"Arnav
it's for 5-"
beep.
Battery
dead. Shoot! He frowned at his cell..
What
was she talking about anyway? 5? 5 what? She was going for 5 weeks?
No way! Height of un-professional behavior! Next, she would say 5
months! This girl needed knocking in some sense into her..five weeks!
The limit.. he fumed..
After
that incident Khushi didn't call him the next day. His calls were
duly ignored. It had taken a hell lot of self-convincing, fretting
and pondering for Khushi to have made the last call. It would take a
lot more to do it again. Her fear being, not his reaction, but the
lack thereof. What if he just wished her 'happy journey' this time
around too?After three attempts he was mad enough to return the
ignoring treatment.
Nihaal,
due to decreasing pressure at work, as his departure came closer ,
had had an 'outing' with Anjali yet again. He had dropped her back
home, and had been forced to stay over for dinner, and was busy
chatting away on the living room sofa with Anjali when Arnav returned
from work...
He
came and stood behind Nihaal who was seated on the sofa, rolling up
his shirt sleeves as he handed his coat to one of the staff to take
up to his room...
"How's
it going bro?" Nihaal gave him a pleasant smile..
Arnav
nodded in acknowledgement as he pursed his lips and said "cool"
and sat on the sofa beside his sister...
Nihaal
turned to face her.. "ya, so I was saying, that since Lattu is
going to be with me next 5 years at least, it's as well I give her
some training in advanced level stuff during the duration..as it is,
girl's going to have tough time there initially you know, what with
all the-"
Arnav
had stopped listening at '5 years' itself...as his hand froze midway
in the air with the tea cup he had just picked up from the
tray...okay, he must be really needing rest, did he just hear 5 years
or some sort of that rubbish?
" 'Scuse
me?" he cut Nihaal in between, as he looked sharply at the man who
was jovially discussing plans with his sister...
Nihaal
stopped and looked at him, confused...
"yes?"
"i
am sorry but I guess I just heard you say 5 years or sumthn' ?"
Nihaal
nodded and shrugged his shoulders in an 'obviously' gesture, as he
said.. "i did
say that bro! Lattu told you didn't she? She's shifting to the states
with me for 5 years at the least, she'll be staying at her aunt's,
that is my mother's house...we are leaving in 2 weeks, or less,
depends, I myself suggested that she leave a bit early, she's to be
on job after 2 weeks 3 days, and it's not like she's going to adjust there the very first day itself right? So I guess I'll show her around a bit and-"
Anjali
all the while had her gaze fixed sharp on her brother, and she knew
that expression only too well by now...
Arnav
did not so much as blink as he stared straight at Nihaal, taking in
each word, as his face gradually darkened till his look almost
started scaring her...
Nihaal,
on his end too, could sense trouble...and he paused...
Arnav,
whose knuckles had whitened due to the deathly grip with which he was
holding the wooden arm of the sofa , while his other hand held the
cup with such a force, that the crockery makers might as well have
shot an advertisement on the durability of their product then and
there, slowly drew a sharp breath as he got up, placed the cup on the
tray and started walking towards the main door...
"chotte!"
Anjali panicked as she got up in haste.. "w..won't you have dinner?
It's 9! where are you going?"
Arnav,
still not turning back delivered his response..
"you
guys finish with dinner..I've got some important work to do"
"chotte-"
Anjali
was cut in between as the main door shut with such a loud bang that
the tea cup on the table, nearly trembled at the impact...
Moments
later, as they stood next to the door, the loud screech of an SUV
could be heard as the gates to the premises of the Raizada Mansion
were flung open...
As
the sound of the car subsided, Anjali turned to Nihaal..
"why
do I have a sixth sense which says that car just made it's way to
your house?"
Nihaal
sighed as he said.. "if his parting looks are anything to go by,
it's not sixth sense, but common sense..."
he
then ran his hand through his hair as he grumbled.. "oh
Lattu..why??!!"
"Are
you sure she told him about it?" Anjali fiddled with her wrist
watch in anxiety..
"She
positively
told me about having told him is what I know! This shouldn't have
come out to him the way it did Anjali..." he murmured...
Anjali
turned swiftly to him and said..
"Nihaal!
Did you see his face when he left? I know that look! And believe me,
it's nowhere close to goody-goody stuff..i guess we should go behind
him, and just help calm matters, and tell them-"
"NOTHING"
Nihaal interrupted.. "we will say absolutely nothing.
Look, it's high time they just sort things out you know, she is
leaving the country in 2 weeks or even less and they still have no
freaking idea about what they wish to do with their engagement! Angry
or not, crazy or not, they just have to sort it between themselves
..there are lines which siblings should draw at certain points...and
I guess we should leave them alone right now.."
Anjali
slowly nodded..still not very sure..
"That
said" Nihaal turned.. "what are the Raizada's serving to me in
the name of dinner? I DEMAND an octopus.."
"EWW!!
Gross Nihaal shut up!!"
"what?
Octopus is damn tasty you know? Sprinkle some sugar on top and-"
"Nihaal!"
"the
more raw the better-"
"NIHAAL
SHUT UP OR I PUKE!!"
Khushi
was busy with her pasta making when there was a ring on the front
door.
And
within a second, another. Followed by a third.
Khushi
widened her eyes as she placed the ladle on the kitchen rack, and
unfastening her apron, hurried to the door.
"COMING!
COMING!UFF!"
Maa
and jiji were not to return from Nikita's wedding till tomorrow
afternoon, that left bhai, and what on Earth did bhai think he was
doing??
The
rings instantly stopped upon her shouting, which surprised her all the
more. Ideally, bhai would have rung twice or thrice more after her
request...
Dusting
away a hanging pasta from her hair( for when Khushi Kumari Gupta
cooked, the entire kitchen ate, walls, floor, everything) She clicked
the door open ...and froze.
Uh-oh...
Would
shutting the door back be a good idea?
..
Waaoo..humans can possibly look like that?
If
you have been good all your life, will God give you a one time
opportunity to evaporate? Let's try- 1-2-3 evaporate
Khushi!..Evaporate!! Ok, didn't work. So much for being good all your
life...
Melt?
How would melt be? Melt and flow out of the room?
A
tiny mouse scurried past her out of the door.
And
for the first time in her life, Khushi desperately wished she was a
mouse. Black, white, any variety.
But
fortunately or unfortunately, she wasn't.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ufffff....
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting..