Chapter 12

                          Back to the drawing board  



The morning was calm and disciplined as should be at Raizada mansion. Payal was much settled in her new home now. She was happily fulfilling her duties as a daughter in law. She served the breakfast  to the family  and everyone went  busy in starting their day on a delicious note.

  
   " Akash bitiwa, hum chahat rahe ki aap widesh ghumane jane se pahale ek bar agar Lakhnow ho ate to accha rahata. Lakhnow ki mitti to apan sabaki maa jaisen  hai. Unaka ashirwaad apko mil jaye to apaka naya jiwan khushiyo se bhar jawega. Our apaka our payal bitiya ka bachpan bhi to wahi pe gujara hai. Aap dono ho ayiye  do din ke liye.."
(Aakash, I wish, It would be nice if you visit Lukhnow  before you go out of India for your honeymoon. Lukhnow's soil is like mother to all of us. You  should seek blessings of it for your happy married life. And you and Payal have spent your childhoods there, didn't you? So why don't you visit there  for two days?) said Nani to Akash suggesting him to visit Lukhnow before he leaves for his honeymoon.

  
 "Of course, Dadi! Even  I would like to show Payal our ancestral home. We shall go. In fact we can leave tomorrow itself if Bhai permits" He spoke throwing an expecting  glance  at Arnav  over  his spectacle edge.
  

Arnav just nodded in agreement sparing two seconds  out of his Business Herald .



  "Can I suggest something?"  Payal asked hesitantly .

  

   " Ha ha..kahe nahi??? Speakiya lo tum middle ma...ghar me aye do din bhi nahi huye our daringz to  dekho khoon bhari tang ki" 
(yes yes, why not? You can of course interfere  in the conversation. It has not been more than two days this girl stepped in here and see her daring )Mamiji  addressed Payal sarcastically being raged at her supposed audacity.



 "Manorama.." Nani chided mamiji and suggested Payal to continue with a soft look.



  "Dadiji, why don't you all join us for this trip?  It can be a great family outing..What say,Di?" Payal suggested.



  "are wa Payalaji, ye suzaw to bada hi accha hai. Waise bhi hum sab kitane dinose saath kahi nahi gaye. Par kahi hum kabab me haddi na ban jaye, kyo Akash?"
 (Ohh, it is a nice idea, Payalji! Actually It has been quite long when we had gone for an outing all together.  But we don't wish to be third wheel between you , what you say Akash?) Anjali fulfilled her duty of being a teasing sister.

  

"Di, don't say that. It would be real fun. It's fixed then we all are going to Lukhnow tomorrow."



 "Cho.."



"Yes Di, I will make all the arrangements for you all at Lukhnow. You stay at Shish Mahal only." Arnav  answered Anjali even before she could ask him to do so.


 "what do you mean 'you all'? Aren't you coming with us?"



 "No di! I have to attend an important client here.You people carry on with your plan"



 "Saale sahab, if you could invite your important client in Lukhnow itself then it would be two birds in one stone" Shyam spoke winking at him in high hopes that  Arnav would understand his hint. But so unfortunately he had forgotten his Sale sahab's limitations to understand  a  clue when it comes to a personal issue.



 "what happened, jijaji? Why are you winking at me?" Arnav asked in an incredulously shocked tone with Shyam's unnatural behavior .

    

           Shyam was caught off-guard as every pair of eyes immediately turned to him at that sentence. Shyam cursed himself under his breath  for being so helpful to his brother-in -law. He rubbed his eye concealing the scandalous situation and said 

"Nothing, I think something has gone in my eye. I am feeling some irritation."

   

     Anajali,the one drenched  in extreme care for  her shyamji, jumped at this. It had been many days now that she could outlet her  care for someone beloved by holding his cheeks . So she did it at the first chance she got.


  "shyamji, are you all right? Do we need to see a doctor? Should I bring eye drops from room? Or let's go. Let me wash your face carefully."



   Shyam suffocated with that  overflowing air of attention said hushing her up,"Nothing has happened Rani sahiba! I am ok. It's gone now. Let's finish the breakfast" 
  
  

Ending the stomach filling session, Arnav headed towards office when Shyam obstructed his path in veranda.



 "what is it jijaji? Is anything you have to speak to me?"



  "Saale sahab,actually I was trying to suggest you that if Khushiji could join the tour tomorrow and you too could make to go with them, It would be another chance  for you to achieve your goal. And if I am correct then you both met first time at Luknow only, didn't you?"



His suggestion lit up Arnav's face instantly. He was surprised  as how he could not think of the same before.

  

"Yeah! You are right. We both met in Shish Mahal first time.  And the  plan you are suggesting can be arranged too. I must say my Di has wisely chosen you , jijaji."



'I don't know about her wise choice, saale sahab. But I must say she wisely decided not to leave our matter in your hands. Otherwise we could have never gotten married' Shyam muttered to himself while smiling at Arnav's compliments.



*****************************


   Next day Raizada and Gupta family left for Lukhnow together in an  enormous  excitement. For everyone, the trip to Lukhnow was kind of travelling back to the lane of  their  old blissful memories. Anjali had successfully managed to emotionally blackmail Guptas to stay at Shish Mahal with them but nonetheless agreed to their request for visiting  their home and meeting  old friends and relatives there.

     

       Khushi was jumping with happiness at the thought of going to Lukhnow. Arnav was disconcert earlier by the failures in his deal but nevertheless was glad now to see his Khushi happy. Shyam could not make it to go with all of  them as he was having a hearing of an important case on that same day. He modestly denied his Saale sahab's suggestion to manage court's judge to postpone the hearing some other day and promised to join them next day without a miss.