The road less traveled......
Shyam could be an
unfitting piece of this puzzled family,had he not been as stubborn as Raizada
sons and daughter.He was intransigent to force Arnav to spill the beans
today.His first attempt was proved futile but he reasoned it as he had taken
the bull by horns unprepared. But now an intricate strategy was churning his
mind to proceed with this commotion.
Shyam tactfully
brought out his every arrow from quiver one by one. First he created a well
aspired emotional environment elaborating dramatically to Arnav how he has
failed to keep his word given to Anjali on their first day of marriage.He
had promised her to be a part of this family and personify a fatherly image to
her Chote .As Arnav is being hesitant to share his inner turmoil
with him now...he had flunked by his performance. Arnav was just trying
to pacify him,when neglecting Arnav's words he brought out his Saale
sahab's limitations regarding relations and personal issues into spotlight
carefully.When his prey almost walked into the traps,he boastingly
underlined self ability of smelling suspicions instantly and further added that
it would be in vain if he tried to deny that something is cooking in his
brain.Final blow was not needed to be much power packed as Shyam had imagined.A
little provocation to surface his insecurities regarding loosing the girl,
goaled his ball into the post.
Arnav could have never been tricked so easily only if his brain had
not relinquished its service from that day. As he was already so desperate to
seal the deal as soon as possible and unable to come with any kind of strategy
regarding this cardinal business, put his weapons down.He acceded Shyam's doubt
admitting that he was trying to convince Khushi on some personal deal
sheepishly. Further he added how Khushi being Khushi acting all crazy and
denying his so favorable deal for her. As he spoke about the attempts much
needed to convince her, Shyam observed, a gawky look on his face. Overjoyed
with his grand success he tried to take this matter in own hands.
"Are Sale sahab, you really don't need
to feel offended at all while wooing her..umm.. I mean while convincing her.
It's like another business tact of yours. Whenever any party seemed
disapproving your terms , you choose to go for blandishment, don't you?
It's similar, you see?"
"
Salle sahab, why don't you highlight her skills?"
"You
mean her smile?.." Arnav was too abrupt to answer at that
for his own liking!
Trying to
suppress his mischievous grin, Shyam answered, "Smiling is not a skill, sale sahab! I was talking about her cooking
skill you know? Khushiji is such a great cook and as it is she is coming here
for lunch. So she must be preparing something too. If you try to admire her
culinary skill in front of the whole family, there is possibility of her
getting impressed. Why don't you try it?"
"Ohh!
It's a nice idea jijai. Just inform me what she is going to prepare today. I
will spread a flower bed out of praises for her." even his own vocal cord was bit uncomfortable with such foreign words
spilling out of them..
Even after two days
of the royal wedding,celebrations had not ceased at Raizada mansion.They were
on full fledge with more rituals after marriage. It was the day of 'Chula
Poojan' ,where Payal was going to prepare lunch for the
family first time as a newlywed daughter-in-law.Of course being an
inevitable part of the family Khushi was invited to the ceremony.
It had taken two long
days and nights for Khushi to gain a bit of control over her enormously beating
heart and kind of dazzled state after that night of rendezvous. It was a
demand of her eyes to see their source of alighting to retain their sheen,which
had made her agree to accept this invite. She had planned to prepare sugar free
'badam kheer' ...yes of course to help Payal while assenting
her to prepare the sugared version of the kheer for remaining family.
The dining
area was filled with chaos of excitedly starving family members
,redolence of the spices and bustle of Payal and Khushi to serve them (amidst
stolen glances from their respective partners). Shyam indicated Arnav to
carry out decided plan with hawking when Arnav served himself with third
bowl of the 'Badam Kheer' disregarding choking Anjali at that
site. He blinked at Shyam and asked innocently,
"Who has
prepared this sugar free badam kheer?" to no one in particular.
"Are,
apani Khushi bitiya banye rahi khaas apake khatir ,Chote (are,it's prepared by khushi
bitiya,exclusively for u chote) " Replied Nani bewildered at the
scene of her Chote feasting over his favorite sweet dish willingly after so
many years.
"It's so authentic,Nani! Khushi it's really so
delicious" he complimented wholeheartedly.
Khushi caught dumbfounded with
her free appraisal in front of the whole family, that too from none other than
Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada who was well known for his niggardly use of these
mouthful words.The pinky blush on her glowing cheeks had just started to turn
into red ,when it immediately transferred to darker shade of engraved
rage with his next statement.
"Khushi, if my employees start
eating food out of your hands; their efficiency will shoot to the highest range
, you know?" He said feeling proud to come up with
such a good evaluating statement.
Khushi plunged poori's plate into HP's
hands and bunked inside to avoid her public display of fury.
Till then Shyam had lost the count of his
face-palm moments.
******************
Arnav was so
confused and a bit irritated at the fact of Khushi being so unreasonable. He
had praised her kheer in front of the whole family. But rather
than expressing her one of the usual expressions...blushing, smiling, amused,
surprised or shocked, of which he was so used to...She was behaving so
indifferent with him as if she was furious. If it was not for the sake of
winning the challenge, he had not had cared for her difficult behavior.(As if
it was possible for him anytime) So taking another chance , he chose to use a
trump card which would never fail against any girl. He cornered Khushi at pool
side alone.
Khushi first was astonished when he..The Arnav Singh Raizada praised her. But
then it triggered her anger when he related her cooking talent as an aid
of increasing his employees' efficiency. ..always It is business for
him. Her hard work, her emotions behind preparing his favorite sweet dish did
not even matter to him beyond profit gain. But as she thought more about it,she
felt pity about the man she was madly in love with. How hard he was trying with
the ways he had never traveled across remotely. How difficult it must
be for him to ally with her expectations. Was she expecting over the board
performance from him? And that thought of her being difficult for him pricked
her heart. So she didn't do much efforts to rescue herself from
coliseum of his two strong arms when she rested her back on one of the poolside
walls and he rested his arms on her either sides blocking her way.
"To tumane
woh kheer isliye banayi kyoki muze pasand hai! (so u prepared that kheer,
just because it's my favorite?)" He stated
rather than putting it as a question.
was Khushi one to admit it so easily? She
could not commit something that will make his challenge so obvious.
"Nahi to..hum kyo banana lage
apake liye kheer?(no..not at all,why would I prepare kheer for
you?)" She questioned him.
"To fir kisake liye banayi thi?
(then for who's sake it was cooked?)"
"Ummm..woh..who." Khushi looked at surrounding plants expecting to get some clue from
them helplessly "Woh kheer ..hu..humane khudake liye
banayi thi.!" ("I had cooked it for myself")
Arnav could not do anything but smirk
looking at her hard attempt to seem nonchalant.
"Accha? (oh
really?)." His husky voice and warm breaths were
driving her crazy.
"Haa..our
nahi to kya..apako nahi pata hume badaam kheer kitani pasand hai. Agar koi hume
subah , shyam bhi khilaye to hum sari ki sari chaat kar jaye.. ("Of
course, or what else for? Don't you know how I love badaam kheer ,even if
someone serves it to me day and night I would gobble it all down)" She blabbered as if that would prove her plain lie.
Arnav squared his
shoulders and took a step back in the process of staring her from head to toe.
Cocking his right brow ,he asked so blatantly ,"To tumane ye laal sari bhi isliye pahani hai kyo ki laal rang tumhe
pasand hai? (So likewise,u must have wore this RED saree jus because u love red
color?)"
It came unexpected to Khushi.
Now attack was the only option left as a best defense and so little tigress
came out of her den ," Kyo? Laal rang pe bas Arnav Singh
Raizada ka naam likha hai kya?Bas aap hi pahan sakate ho.. Koi our nahi pahan
sakata use? (why? Is there any copyright on RED just for Mr.Arnav singh
raizada? Cant anyone wear RED other than you? )"
As soon as she finished,both
simultaneously flinched at the image of Arnav in a crisp RED suit..where
khushi mentally smacked herself for her blabber,while Arnav was point black
petrified at the image.The imagination seemed impossible for Khushi even
in her craziest dream. So being grateful to both of them,she immediately
corrected her sentence..
"Hamara
matlab hai, koi our Lal rang pasand nahi kara sakata kya? Our wese bhi hum jo
marji aye pahane. Aap ko kya farak padata hai? ..(I mean, Can't anyone other
than you like Red colour? ? and whatever,I can wear what I feel like,
what difference it makes to u?)"
Being extremely relieved at the
correction, he said "Muze farak padata hai Khushi
Kumari gupta ..!(It does matter to me Khushi Kumari Gupta!) " With which he took hold of her soft delicate small knuckle in his
comparatively larger palm and went inside the room. He came to a stop when his
full sized mirror displayed a beautiful image which was already etched in his
heart long ago. He stood past her keeping his hands over her shoulders while
Khushi was lost in admiring the 'made for each other couple' mirrored.
"Khushi.." His voice was feather soft only for her ears.
"Hmm?" She replied dazedly.
"Has anyone ever told
you?" He stared in her eyes reflected in
mirror.
"Kya?" She lowered her lashes confining his intent gaze.
"that..."..he paused
"Boliye na.(Tell me na..)" Her heart was drumming its regular musical notes 'Dhak..Dhak..Dhak!'
"That..If you walk on a ramp in such glory of yours ...every model
will be knocked out and world will go gaga over you." He said genuinely.
Duh..! Khushi landed on this unromantic very earth immediately. Here she was
expecting a word like..'Beautiful' as simple as
that to fan her ears..And he ..he was comparing her with that shameless, half
naked models of his. Her anger crossed its usual limit. 'Why not? After all a beautiful model only brings new assignments for
him and that is how he is going to earn profits. Why it would to matter him if
I am not a model and still look beautiful?'
With that thought she
shoved him hard and went out marching leaving behind confused Arnav pondering
over what went wrong this time...who was groaning loudly with his 'What The'
,landing his vocal cord back to its comfort zone..where it felt being home
again.
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