Vignettes - 21. A Stitch in time

The gentle rustling of the rain falling on the leaves had a hypnotic effect on the two young souls lying in eachothers' arms. Leaning against the pillows, she cradled her husband close, running her hand through his tousled hair, as he lay with his head almost burrowed into her bare stomach. As he waited for his heaving breaths to slow down from the exertion of having made love to his delectable wife throughly, he entwined his arms even more tightly around her waist.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he turned so that he now lay looking up at his wife. Tugging a long strand of hair and playing with it with his fingers, he said, "Aaj ki function mein toh tum star attraction nikali. Main toh completely impressed hoon, ki tum itna kuch kiya, in such a short time."

Smiling down at her husband, Payal replied, "Arre, iss mein kya hain? Humari dewrani hain, uski sagaayi ka joda humein karne ko mila, yeh hi humare liye khushi ki baat hain."

Grinning at the typical response that was to expected of his gentle wife, Akash reached up to tweek her nose, "Lagta hai ki AR Fashions ko ek deserving rival humare ghar mein hi milegi! Honestly, Payal, your work was breath-taking!"

Leaning down to brush a soft kiss on his head, Payal murmured, "Thank you..."

Smiling happily, Akash continued, "Aur haan... main bhi bahut khush hoon ki NK aur Pooja finally saari problems paar karke yahaan tak pahoonche. Aur Bhai ko dekhke aisa lag raha tha ki unke oopar se koi bahut heavy weight hat gayi ho."

"Haan, humne bhi dekha tha ki Arnavji bahut dinon baad khulke has rahe the. Aur Maaji, Badi Maa aur Bade Papa bhi kitna khush dikh rahe the..."

And thus proceeded the discussion about the function, while the rain progressed into a steady downpour which kept the occupants of the room in bed in their own coccoon.

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A few days later, with both their husbands and dewars away at work, and the elder women having gone on a shopping trip, Payal and Khushi were relaxing with a favourite movie when Payal's phone rang.

"Hello, Payal Bhabi, main Pooja bol rahi hoon... kaisi hai aap?"

Mouthing 'Pooja' at Khushi, Payal smiled, "Hum theek hai, dewraniji, tum kaisi ho? Aur humein achanak yaad kaise kiya?"

Leaning back in her office chair, Pooja laughed, "Yaad toh hamesha rehti hai, Bhabi, par aaj kuch khaas baat hain. Main yahan humare kuch khaas guests ko meri sagaayi ki album dikha rahi thi, aur pata hai, maximum questions kis cheez ke baare mein aaya?"

At the confused pause at the other end, Pooja grinned and continued, "Bhabi, aapke design ke baare mein! Super duper hit ho gayi hai yahan, meri dress. Yahan toh log aapke boutique ke baare mein, rates ke baare mein, aapke appointment availability ke baare mein pooch rahe hain!"

Payal burst out laughing at that and after talking for a few more minutes, kept the phone down and turned to her sister, who was fairly jumping with impatience to know what all the laughter had been about. When Payal explained, she proudly commented, "Aakhir idea kiska tha?!"

Later, at dinner, when Khushi recounted the phone call, ignoring the shushing from Payal, NK too piped up, "Haan, Khushiji, you shoud've seen the crowd of women oohing and aahing over thse photos. to think that main itna handsome lag raha tha aur kisi ne bhi notice tak nahi kiya!"

Suddenly, two voices spoke up, "Payal...", "Payalji..."

Glancing at eachother, Arnav and Anjali smiled and nodded, and at Arnav's shrug, Anjali continued, "Payalji, humein lagta hai ki aapko ek boutique kholne ke baare mein sochna chaahiye!"

Stunned, Payal could only look on, while the whole table erupted in a ruckus of discussions, cross-discussions and suggestions. Catching his wife's panicked look, Akash bellowed, "Ek minute! Pehle Payal ki opinion pooch lein? Not that I don't like the idea."

As all the faces turned as one to her, Payal stuttered, "Par hum, kaise... matlab, boutique, hum?'

"Arre, kaahe burry, Payaliya? Tum aur tumri sister itni achchi saadiyan laayi thi, the first time. Aur iyaan byaah karke aane ke baad bhi humri, Saasuma ki, Anjali itiya ki, so mainy dresses tumne embiraaidry ki hain. Aur ab yeh Pooja ki dress bhi. Toh kuch nayi kaam thodi hain?" Manorama asked, basking in her daughter-in-law's reflected glory, her imagination already flying ahead to her being the model of Payal's boutique.

The discussion started off again, leaving Payal to her contemplation, while Arnav took one long look at her and called for silence. "Payal, if you plan to go ahead with this, you can make use of the AR label, tumhein humare saare suppliers aur distributors ke support milenge and you can even launch it at our next event."

Looking overwhelmed, Payal sat down and after taking a long drink of water, replied, "Dhanyavad, Arnavji, lekin kya hum thoda sochne ke baad aapko jawab dein?"

Catching on finally, everyone went back to eating their dinner and discussing the events of the day, letting Payal do her thinking in peace.

Later, in the safety of their room, Akash found Payal at the window, looking out over the patio, deep in thought. Walking up behind her, he enfolded her in his arms, and leaning his chin on her shoulder, asked, "How a day can turn everything on its head, huh?"

Leaning back against him, Payal blurted out what had been churning inside her head ever since Arnav's offer, "Akash, agar hum Arnavji ko na bola toh kya hoga?"

Turning his wife around so that he could see her face, he asked, "Kya hoga matlab? Tumhara decision hai, Payal, its ok! Aur kis baat par na bolne jaa rahi ho? Boutique ki idea ya baaki jo suggestions aaya, usko?"

Looking up at him, she outlined what she wanted to do, only to have her husband look at her in pride and awe before he hugged her tightly to himself.

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The next day, Payal found Arnav in his study, reading up on on something work-related before breakfast. Knocking and entering at his soft smile, she walked up to him and stood behind a chair, wringing her hands. Putting his papers down and giving her his full attention, Arnav leaned forward, "Itna worry kyun kar rahi ho, Payal? Koi zabardasti thodi hai. I just gave a suggestion, you're welcome to take it or leave it. By the way, please sit down, and tell that husband of yours to stop lurking at the door and come in."

Poking his head around the door, Akash grinned, "Nope. Yeh business discussion hai, Bhai, meri koi role nahi hain. Mujhe bus aapka response dekhna hai." And walking up behind his wife, he leaned against the chair, his stance showing Arnav that Payal had Akash's full support in whatever it was that she wanted to tell him.

Sending a half-smile at his younger brother, Arnav nodded to Payal to go ahead, at which she said, "Arnavji, hum aisi designs ke kaam toh bahut saalon se karte aa rahe hain toh phirse shuroo karne mein koi takleef nahi hain. Lekin hum nahi chaahte ki woh AR Fashions ke neeche aayein. Yeh ek alag si dookaan honi chaahiye aur humari ichcha hai ki iss mein hum Prateeksha ki nivaasiyon ko bhi bhaagidaar hone dein. Yeh boutique koi business nahi, balki ek dharmarth sanagathan hogi. Aisa ho sakta hai toh hum taiyyaar hain."

Having blurted it out in one breath, she sat back, looking up at her Jethji with a light in her eyes that warmed Arnav to the very core. Pride, admiration and love flickering over his face, he sat for a while looking at her before glancing up at his brother, whose expression mirrored his and said, "You're one lucky man, Akash..."

To which his brother's reply was a simple, "I know..."

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And thus kicked off, project "Abhilaasha", soon became a reality with Pooja being called upon to do the inauguration, being the embodiment of resilience that she was. While the residents of Prateeksha looked on in awe, Payal described the journey that she had made from where she was to her current post at AR Hotels, and how it was her idea that had sparked this venture. With her whole family looking on, Payal stepped into the workspace that would end up being one of the biggest CSR initiatives of AR Group.

Pulling his lakdi into a tight hug, NK murmured, "A stitch in time saves lives... waah, Payal Bhabi..."