Chapter 4

Koeli

@Koeli

~Khushi~

I stood rooted on the floor, flabbergasted about the whole turn of events. He just slid the ring in my finger, his mother's ring, damn it. The weight of the event was too much to bear which made me slump on the floor with a thud. Will he realize what has he done just now? He just got engaged with me and that too a day before my actual engagement with Samrat.

I couldn't make myself to see the ring because I was too overwhelmed to witness it. Closing my eyes I try to recapitulate the event. He was looking into my eyes when he slid the ring against my finger. He couldn't hide possessive demure from me. I opened my eyes to see the ring that he made me wear the diamond that seated in the middle winked at me as if mocking about the whole situation.

I felt anger and rage and wanted to open and throw it away. Who does he think he is? He might be some Arnav Singh Raizada but he is no one to me. Who am I kidding? He is everything to me. Yes, still now he is everything. I got up from the floor and walked towards the bathroom repeatedly trying to open the ring. I rinsed my hand with soapy water so that the ring slid easily but my effort seems futile. It didn't move an inch from its location. Frustrated I stopped trying after a few minutes, my entire finger turning red due to friction. I knew if I try further my finger would come off.

I came and sat dejectedly on the bed and my tears have no bounds. The ring looks beautiful as if made for me. It sat perfectly on my finger despite its tightness. And moreover, my Arnu made me were it. I couldn't stop myself from kissing it. My lips quivered as I touched the icy cold diamond. "Why mumma why, why does he think that I am responsible for you and baba's death? I don't know what have I don't get rejected by the person whom I love the most in this world?

Feeling helpless I cried more. He has no right to give me this ring. And tomorrow I am going to become someone else's after which he will lose all the rights on me. I smiled sadly. Finally, Khushi will be wiped away from your life Arnu. Isn't it this what you wanted since I entered this house? Your win Arnu, you win.

**

~Arnav~

I entered the room in rocket speed trying not to remember what just happened. Suddenly everything was becoming suffocating so I switched on the air conditioner and the fan together. Taking out chilled water from the refrigerator that was inside my room I undid the second button of my shirt. However, nothing seems to work. I took the car keys from the drawer and thought of getting some fresh air.

I met dadi midway. She tried to ask me the reason, seeing my discomfort. But I was in no mood to talk to her reason being I was still mad with her about the ring. Without any reply, I walked towards the exit when the door banged against my head. The impact was so hard that I had to take a few steps back to regain my balance.

It was the decorator who entered the house. I was so freaking angry that instantly I held his collar and pushed him. Poor thing got so scared that he covered his face thinking that I might hit him. 'What has gotten into me that is making me act like a barbarian?' I thought.

I mumbled an apology and was about to leave the house when Dadi stopped me. "Arnav, wait"

She tried to hold my hand but I ignored. "You can't leave like this," she started to fuss.

I held her that that touched the area of impact on my forehead. "Dadi, I am just fine. And I want some time alone. So Please."

"Tu itne bhi bare nahi ho gaye ho ki tum apni Dadi ki baat na mano." (you are not old enough not to listen to your grandmother).

"Oh my god! You are bleeding beta" (son)

"Please dadi, this is just a cut. I request you to permit me to go out or else I will die in suffocation."

"Don't act like a teenager Arnav, I thought you knew it better than if you leave the wound like this there are chances of septic. And moreover, you and Khushi have your engagement tomorrow. You cannot expect me to allow you to go out now before tending the wound."

My irrational mind thought of the sentence 'And moreover, you and Khushi have your engagement tomorrow'

"Why are you looking at me like I have grown horns?" dad said while tending my wound.

"I am not getting engaged to her Dadi"

She took my hand and walked towards the sofa. "Why do you think I was referring both of your engagement? Well, you both are getting engaged on the same day except with different people." She shrugged. "I meant that only."

No matter how much she tried but she couldn't muffle her laughter by calling Khushi.

"Khushi bitiya! Khushi! Kahan reh gai yeh ladki? Lagta hai she is busy pampering herself for the engagement".

"Why are you calling her dadi?" trust me when I say that I didn't like the pampering part a bit.

"Well hamesha woh hi tumhare chot ka khayal karti ai hai na isiliye", she said as the matter of fact.

There she was standing lifelessly on the top of the stairs. "Haan Dadi?" But it was just for the fraction of a second. When her eyes fell on me the panic was evident. She did a good job hiding her concern but failed in my eyes because I know this girl in and out. 'Great job woman,' I thought. We will see how long can you pretend this 'farak nahi padta hai.'

~FLASHBACK~

"Khushi beta! KHUSHI! Jaldi ayo beyta" dadi screamed.

My dadi is too much. Sometimes I felt so embarrassed. Today at the ground I fell down while playing cricket and hurt my knees. It wasn't that bad, I mean the cut. But yeh log ghar ko sar pe utha liya hai. When two women are fussing one should keep their mouth shut. This is what I have learnt in my 16 years.

She saw me and bolted from where she stood. Taking three steps at a time she hopped down the stairs to reach me.

"Nannav! Dadi kya huya nannav ko?" In no time she was helping me to get settled on the sofa.

"Nannav! Kya huya?" her thick tears made me turn my face.

"He fell down on the ground while playing cricket.

No way I wanted dadi to expose this in front of her. It's embarrassing after all.

I politely removed her hand and mumbled a thank you, silently asking her to leave. But then Khushi being the girl she is, she threw herself on me and started crying. She didn't realize she was choking me to death.

"Nannav...why cant...you...take...care of...yourself?" she sobbed.

The next thing she did is try to pull the track pants, which was fixated with the wound. I held her hands to stop but she removed my hand with her free one.

I knew the wound was bad but being 16 years old I tried to be bold but failed when she exposed the wound. I tried to muffle my oomph and was successful in doing so.

The hell break loses when Dadi saw my wound. She started to call doctors while Khushi sprung towards my room after wiping her tears.

"Khushi! Khushi! Where are you going? Careful dear" Dadi screamed behind her.

**

Upon coming back with the first aid kit, she tied her long hair in a loose bun and opened the box. Taking a good amount of cotton she poured some spirit and started cleaning the wound.

I couldn't control the pain anymore. "Ouch!" came out from my mouth the moment the cotton touched the cut. She too hissed sensing my pain as if she was feeling the burn. She immediately started blowing onto my wound and I could only stare at her innocent face. My hand itched to touch her head but my ego stopped me.

She slowly picked up her long lashes and looked at me making a puppy face. Softly she asked, "Is it still burning?"

Seeing her eyes filled with tears that too for me was heart wrenching, "Not anymore."

She gave me a weak smile and completed dressing the wound.

Once the bandage was done she kissed me on my cheeks and mumbled, "take care" and ran towards her room ignoring my protest.

~FLASHBACK ENDS~

"Now, why are you standing there? Go and call Lavnaya quickly." Dadi ordered her.
She immediately looked at me then lowered her gaze and slid her hand inside her pocket to take her phone out. For the first time, I couldn't read her and it unnerved me.

Gritted my teeth I spoke, "Dadi, nothing has happened to me. And stop being so fussy all the time. I am not a kid anymore."

I was about to get up when dadi spoke in a shrilled voice, "Oh my God Arnav bituwa, you are bleeding."

"What's going on?" Dadi and I looked towards the voice in unison. It was Lavanya who was standing near the door.

"Arrey Lavanya bitiya, achha huya tum aagai" (its good that you have come)

"See, what has happened."

"Oh, Arnav! You are like bleeding you know," she made a very uncomfortable face. "You should call a doctor." She gestured Khushi. "How can you guys be so casual?"

Khushi gave a sad smile and was about to leave, "Lavanya, when you don't know anything you should first try to know then comment."

"Nahi Arnav beta, Lavanya sahi kehe rahi hai" (what she is saying is right)

"Nani, mujhe itni bhi chot nahi lagi hai ki mujhe doctor ko bulana pare".

"But then you should at least clean your wound and dress it up," Lavanya said while checking her phone.

"You are right Lavanya, let me get you the first aid box it is better you do the dressing. Probably Khushi's manicured nails might get spoiled that's why she is still standing there and looking at us without doing anything. And after all, you have to take care of him tomorrow onwards isn't it?"

What the hell is wrong with dadi I wondered? She is behaving in a weird manner. Khushi's tears did not go unnoticed by me. She quickly brushed them off so that no one can see it. But aisa kabhi nahi hua hai ki Khushi roye aur mujhe pata na chale. (there has been no instance where her tears gone unnoticed by me.)

"Eww Dadi. I will faint if I see blood. It makes me uneasy. I think Arnav should call a doctor to do all these things. It isn't my cup of tea. And moreover, when he is saying that it is not that critical I think he can handle it himself. Anyway, I came to drop Khushi's engagement outfit. I went to collect mine so thought of dropping hers. "Erm! I have to leave right now love got an appointment in the parlour. Please take care of yourself". She came near and I kissed on my cheeks and left.

I got up from the sofa and went to my room, angry. Dadi tried to call me so many times but I was in no mood to listen. I slammed the door shut after entering my room.

**
A few minutes later

I was resting my head on the headboard of the bed when Dadi entered. Now not again, I thought. "Dadi, please don't disturb me now", keeping my eyes closed.

"Khushi bitiya?", she called her in anger.

I opened my eyes sensing her presence. She was standing near the door keeping her head bowed. I rolled my eyes. Here I was bleeding and there she was counting tiles.

"Khushi bitiya har baar ki tarha aaj bhi tu hi karde iska dressing" (let always even today you do the dressing) I didn't want to look at her to I continued to look outside the window.

"Kya huya? Tu wahan khari kyun hai? Bula rahi hoon na tujhe?" (What happened? I am asking you to come here and you are still standing there?)

And then she spoke. "Dadi, before I enter this room, you need to ask him whether he wants me to tend his wound or not".

Attitude haan? "I told you dadi that I don't want anybody to tend me."

My words were enough to turn her back but dady stopped her, "Khushi, just look at his state. Tu to janti hai issey chahe kitna bhi dard ho yeh kabhi nahi bolega. Aur isse tera hi tending humesha se pasand hai". (you know it very well that no matter how much pain he is having he will never say it to anybody and he prefers your dressing)

She stole a glance towards me "but dadi he used to prefer he might not prefer now right? People changes in due course of time and so does their likings".

"dadi please ask her to leave. I can't bear it anymore" I winced. "And if she is having so much of a problem coming inside my room because once I have asked her not to I have nothing to say. It's her choice what she wants to".

"tum log dono apna cat fight kab band karoge? Waise bhi kal to yeh jaa hi rahi hai to bhagwan ke liye tumlog do din bina jhagra karke thoda ghul milke reh nehe sakte? (when will you both stop fighting? In any case, she will be leaving tomorrow. Cant you guys stay without fighting with each other). Dadi left the room frustrated.

I just gave up at that very moment. "Bohot dard ho raha hai" (its paining a lot). Strangely I didn't know what I meant, the wound or my heart.

~Khushi~

I took my first unsure step inside his room. It was the room, which I loved to spent my time. It was the same bed where I slept on dadi's lap whenever he was unwell. I was the one who took care of him. He always succumbs to my stubborn attitude whenever he was ill. I looked at the cupboard and my eyes teared up thinking how I used to steal his money to have golgappas. The same recliner placed near the poolside where sometimes he fell asleep with his mouth open.
Pushing away my nostalgic thoughts I went towards him. "First Aid Boz?"

"Jahan tum rakhti thi" he replied looking at me trying to gauge my mood.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Everything in his room is kept just like the way I wanted. I opened the drawer and took out the box.
Finally, I looked at him directly in his eyes. He was having a horrible bruise and then I couldn't control anymore. I touched her wound with my finger and he gasped. That's it. All my control was gone.

"Dekh ke nahi chal sakte ho? Why can't you take care of yourself and you say you are a grown up and you can take care of yourself? aise rakkhoge apna khayal? And what kind of people you have got? Can't they see and then get in? "Kitna khoo..'" I chocked seeing the blood still "oon nikal raha hai." (so much blood is coming out).

I took some gauge and cleaned the clotted blood and applied an antiseptic cream. I could make out that he was looking at me all the time without uttering a single word. Strangely he didn't even protest, unlike other times. He must be thinking that how all the time I am the one who felt pain when he was in pain and how he never left an opportunity to give me pain. I was so aware of his intense gaze that the hair at my back stood up. But I ignored it totally.

I put a small bandage on his cleaned wound and declared that it's done.

Taking the box I was about to get up when he held my hand to stop.
"No, it's not done yet."

I frowned. What do you mean? Before I could snatch my hand from his he pulled me so strongly that I fell on his lap.

"Abhi tak pura nahi huya hai," (It is still not completed) he said looking at my lips and I understood his meaning. I craned my neck and kissed lightly on his forehead. Is he kidding me? He wants my kiss after what he has done? "Take Care," I whispered against his skin. He fisted my hair and levelled my face with his. The intensity of his emotions made me gulp my anticipation. I am not naïve to not understand what was coming next. It scared the shit out of me.