Chapter 13

rulama

@rulama

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RECALLING ARNAV

Part 7

Khushi ran the belan over the roti, her hands slowly coming to a halt. She looked at Payal who was stirring sabzi in a pan.

"Jiji?"

"Hhmm?" Payal smiled encouragingly.

"Why did your family cry when they saw me?" Khushi's forehead creased in a frown.

Payal tried to keep her smile going. "Woh kya he Khushi, they could not visit you in the hospital or in the following months. They were very worried about you, always asking about you. So when they saw you, they were so relieved that you were better. That is why they cried," Payal cooked up an explanation, taking comfort from the mental image of herself strangling Akash for putting her in such an awkward situation.

"They were so relieved on seeing me that they started crying? Ajeeb log he! They should be happy and they are crying instead!" Khushi muttered as she used all her energy on the ball of dough.

Payal quickly moved away to set the basket of vegetables in its place.

When she returned reluctantly to Khushi's side, Khushi asked, "Jiji, if they were asking about me, why didn't you let me talk to them on the phone? Why didn't you show me their photos?"

Payal looked helplessly at Khushi's curious face, lost for an answer.

The phone heard Payal's unsaid prayer and rang. Payal ran to attend to it.

Khushi threw the roti she had made on to the tawa. It was not circular in shape. If Buaji saw it, she would have a fit, Khushi thought, trying to hide her smile.

"It looks like Australia, Khushiji," came the comment.

Khushi turned to see Nanheji. She smiled at him.

"Acha? Dekhiye hamari kismat. I wanted to go to the moon and I reached Australia. And if Buaji sees this roti, she will send me to Agra," Khushi laughed.

"Agra?" NK asked, confused. "To the Taj Mahal? They teach you to make round rotis there?"

Khushi laughed till tears poured down her cheeks.

"No, Nanheji. There is a pagalkhana in Agra. Buaji keeps on threatening to send me there," Khushi laughed.

"I see," NK pulled his ear lobe in apology, laughing along with her.

ASR watched the pair forging a new friendship as easily as they had formed their old one, a tender light in his eyes.

Khushi took Nani's dinner to her room.

Mamaji saw her carrying the tray and stopped her.

"Khussi beta, give me the tray. Why do you want to carry the weight and walk up the steps? I will give it to Amma," he said.

"It is not heavy, Mamaji," Khushi smiled.

"Are you sure, beta?"

"Ji."

"You take care of your health, Khussi. Don't argue with the steps any more," Mamaji tried to joke.

"No, Mamaji, I won't," Khushi laughed.

"Naniji, can I come in? I have brought you dinner," Khushi said softly.

"You don't have to ask my permission, Khussi bitiyaa," Nani said, sitting up in bed. Anjali piled pillows behind the elderly lady's head.

Khushi handed over the tray to Anjali.

Nani caught hold of her hand and tugged to make her sit by her on the bed.

"How are you, Naniji?" Khushi asked.

"Much better for having seen you, Khussi Bitiyaa. I was so worried for you."

"Did you visit me when I had the accident, Naniji?" Khushi frowned. "I can't remember."

Naniji looked at Anjali & Mami. She said, "No, Khussi bitiyaa. We didn't visit you. We didn't know. When Buaji called Payaliyaa with the terrible news, she didn't tell us. Payaliyaa didn't want to worry us, you see. She just said that she needed to visit Lucknow. It was after she returned to Delhi that she told us that you had fallen down the steps," Nani sighed. "Had we known you were hospitalised, Khussi bitiyaa, we would have come running to be with you.'

Khushi smiled. "You are so nice, Naniji."

Nani, Mami & Anjali smiled.

"Hum bhi kucho kam nice naahi he," Mami claimed.

All laughed.

"I can't tell you how glad we are to see you again, Khushiji," Anjali said, cupping her sweet cheek in her palm.

"Jiji is so lucky to marry in to such a nice family," Khushi smiled. "A kind Naniji, an amusing Mamiji, a Mamaji who is so loving, a sweet Anjaliji, Nanheji who is so funny, Akash Jiju who is so nice and Arnavji who is so kind and humane."

Nani choked on the morsel that Anjali had fed her.

The Raizadas stared at Khushi, speechless.

A long moment later, Mami coughed up enough courage to ask her, "Khussi bitiyaa, you talked to Arnav bitwaa?"

"Ji," Khushi smiled.

"You... you remember anything about... about Arnav bitwaa?" Mami asked, scared of the answer.

Khushi frowned. "Remember anything about him? Nahi to. Why Mamiji? Is there anything about him that I should remember?"

The Raizadas flushed.

"Naahi bitiyaa, there is nothing," Nani comforted Khushi.

"Hum aisen hi poochat rahi, Hello Hi Bye Bye!" Mami added.

Anjali hugged Khushi. "I hope you remain happy always, Khushiji. As happy as you are now."

Khushi smiled.

"Chotey, what are you going to do?" Anjali was right to be scared.

"Help her remember," Arnav said.

"If she remembers..."

"She won't give me the time of the day. I know," Arnav said, looking out through the window of his room. "But she wants to know her past."

"Chotey!"

"She will remember, Di. Today or tomorrow something will trigger her memory. Slowly but surely, she will know everything that happened. I am just speeding up the process."

"But why?" Anjali had tears in her eyes. "Chotey, Devi Maiyya has given you a second chance. Use it, Chotey!"

Arnav remained silent.

"Chotey..."

He turned to look at her, his face stern and serious.

"You still love her, don't you?" Anjali asked.

"More than my life," came his immediate answer.

"Chotey, then why don't you use this time to make her fall in love with you all over again?" Anjali asked. "You can marry her. We will help you convince the Guptas. If she remembers after the wedding, at least you will have a hold on her."

"No."

"Chotey!" Anjali was exasperated.

"Our relationship was coloured by prejudice, misunderstandings, lies, cruelty, humiliation... and worst of all, force. It began badly... and ended badly. This time I want it to begin well and continue till we die. No more misunderstandings. No more lies. No more prejudice. No more broken promises. No more force. This time Khushi has to come first," Arnav declared.

"Chotey!" Anjali sighed. She had no more arguments lined up.

"I have done her a lot of damage, Di. I will make it up to her for every loss, every cruelty, every humiliation, every broken promise. Only then can we have a life together." He turned his head to look at Anjali, his eyes sad. "We need to deal with Garimaji first."

Anjali nodded.

"We need to deal with our past, Chotey. We tried fighting it. We tried forgetting it. We tried pushing it away in to our nightmares. But it has been following us like a shadow," she whispered.

"We will talk to her after dinner," Arnav said.

Anjali caught hold of his hand, her fingers clasping his in shared pain.