Mere Samne Wali Khidki Mein
Mere Saamne Waali Khidki Mein
Ek Chaand Ka Tukra Rehta Hai
Afsos Ye Hai Ke Wo Humse
Kuch Ukhra Ukhra Rehta Hai
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INDEX
Part I...Page 1
Part 2...Page 1
Part 3... Page 3 (NEW!!!)
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PART I : AGE 10 - 11
She moved in the house next to his when she was seven and he was ten years old.
The house next door stood on a slight rise, looming over the entire street with its modern golden walls and wooden planks. It was beautifully symmetrical, two massive, glass wings stretching to each side--- one facing his building and the other opening to the view of a river meandering its way to the edge of the horizon.
When nani had announced that one of their family friends were moving next door, he had expected it to be one of mama’s architect friends or mami’s posh socialite bhabhis. A family posh enough to live in the opulent house.
But the family that stepped out of the sleek black car that pulled up to his driveway was the last people he expected to move into his neighborhood. His mama nearly stumbled with joy a man wearing a simple blue kurta and white pajamas walks out of car. A woman wearing a perfectly pleated sari followed him and a beefy woman
joined them from the other side of the car with a dusky, lanky girl.
“Manohar Singh,” the man immediately enveloped his uncle into a suffocating hug. “Kitne din baar tujhko dekh raha hu!”
“Shashi Gupta,” his mama pats the man in the back. “After a decade, our college dreams are coming true.”
His nani, who had taken up permanent residence in the kitchen, cooking hundreds of dishes since she found out about the move, dashed from the door and embraced the two ladies. “Garima! Madhumati-ji!”
He stepped back awkwardly, looking for Akash who has strayed from the spot next to him to Shashi Uncle’s daughter. Oh why? Why had Di decided to go to college today of all days? He felt painfully out of place.
Sensing his discomfort, his mama wrapped an arm around him. “This is Rat...Ratna’s son, Arnav. And that one over there is Akash, my son.”
Shashi Uncle’s eyes softened ever so slightly. “Kaise ho beta? I used to go to college with your Amma and your mama.”
“You did?” He tried to stop the flurry of emotions that rushed through him at the mention of his mother, but his treacherous eyes betrayed him as tears pooled into them.
“I did. You mother was a very bright student. You must be just like her. You have her eyes,” the wrinkles around his brown orbs became more pronounced as he beamed down at him. He reached behind him and gently nudged the girl towards him.
“I see Akash bitwa has already met my older daughter,” he said, prompting a blush from his cousin’s cheeks. “This is Payal.”
She bowed her head gently. “Namaste.”
“Hi.”
“And this is my younger dau-” he extended his hand behind him, but his eyes widened as he realized he grabbed thin air. “Khushi? Khushi Where are you?...Garima! Garima! Where is Khushi?”
It took him a few seconds to realize that the younger daughter was missing as panic gripped Shashi Uncle’s eyes. Soon, the entire household set out to find the blasted girl. He watched as the beefy lady bent down and looked underneath the car before frantically running back to the house.
“Shashi babua,” she whispered, but her voice echoed the loudest amongst the commotion. “This sanka devi will be the death of you. Ever since she joined your household, she-”
“Enough jiji,” ShashI Uncle chastised in a tone that demanded no argument. “She is here somewhere. She can’t get every far.”
The woman merely grunted irritatedly, her face turning purple as she checked under the table decorating the foyer. “Satyanash kar diya. How embarrassing.”
His nani, who had been silent throughout the entire ordeal, called him. “Chottey, peecho dekho. Maybe she’s in the backyard.”
“Par nani,” he began to protest. He doesn’t even know what the girl looked like!
“Chottey.”
“Fine!” He meandered towards his backyard as slowly as his feet can take him, anger washing over his body as he thought more about the girl. Who was she? What was wrong with her? Didn’t she have any manners? The whirlwind of questions in his mind came to a halt as he spotted a thin, scrawny form slumped in front of his oak tree.
He stomped forward, not caring the way his feet crushed the grass and tulips underneath.
“Are you sanka-devi?” He asked, his breath haggard.
She shook her head in dissent and wiped her snot on the back of her hand.
Oh. “Who are you? What are you doing here? Did you see someone named Khushi around here/”
She stared at him for a moment before pointing to herself, her pigtails and the pom poms that adorned her sleeves dancing furiously in the wind.
“Wait you’re sanka devi….but I just….never mind, your parents are looking for you!”
Her eyes were downcast and she merely shook her head.
“They’re looking for you! Don’t you care?” What was wrong with her?
The silence that greeted him agitated him to his core. He lunged forward, the straps of her baggy overalls slightly falling down and the back of her bottoms hurtling in the mud until she stood up.
“What is wrong with you? Don’t you know how to speak? Idiot! Forget it, you’re probably not Khushi. You don’t even look like them!”
She blinked before wailing on cue, her hazel eyes filling with fat crocodile tears.
“Shut up! Shut up, I-”
“Arnav!” He paused. Fear wrapped its tentacles around him and he stood frozen, peering up minutes later to see his grandmother’s taut, glowering face.
“Nani,” He began to explain.
“Is this how you treat your new neighbors? Are these the manners I’ve taught you?”
“Par Nani-” Couldn’t she understand that he had found Khushi and was only trying to get the damn girl to speak?
“No Arnav,” she silenced him. “I’m disappointed in you. Apologize. Right now.”
“Ledkin.”
“I said right now.”
He clenched his teeth, lowering his head in defeat. “I am sorry.” I hate you.
She didn’t whether she accepted or denied his apology; instead she blinked at him with those large, freaky eyes before bolting away and loudly wailing her sister’s name.
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By age eleven, they are rivals in school and at home.
He let out a frustrated sigh as he watched her snuggle closer to his grandmother, burying her head in his nani’s arms and spewing some nonsense about jalebis. His sister occupied the seat next to her, brushing Khushi’s hair and letting out a soft giggle every so often.
His day had already been going terribly, that blasted Shyam Jha had stolen Akash’s glasses again, but he had cornered the sly little snake in the playground. He was almost about to get his cousin’s glasses back when Mr. Rao, Jha’s personal savior, had come to give him detention. Again.
A flash of annoyance striked through him as he watched Khushi. His life in school was already in shambles and she was here, in his home, to ruin his peace of mind as well. He funneled all his strength into his feet and used it to walk towards the couch and fling his bag in front of it.
“Di. I’m home.”
His sister looked up briefly, the smile from one of Khushi’s earlier jokes still lingering. “How was school Chottey?” She didn’t wait for him to respond.
“I made gol gappas, luchi and aloo ka dam for the first time,” she announced proudly. “And kheer. Hurry up so we can eat together.”
“Gol gappa? Luchi? Aloo ka dum?” He wondered, the words tasting foreign to his tongue.
“Haan,” she nodded back excitedly. “Khushi used to eat them back when she was in Lucknow.”
“Lucknow? I thought Payal’s family lived in Mumbai before.”
His sister’s face darkened, and she shifted uncomfortably in her spot, stealing glances at Nani and Khushi who had visibly stilled. “Khushi and her parents used to live in Lucknow before.”
“Oh.” Why couldn’t she just stay there? Why did she have to come here?
“Alright freshen up Chottey. We’re going to eat something new. These are all of Khushi’s favorite foods.”
He wrinkled his nose in distaste. “It’s okay Di. You eat,” he shot a bitter glance towards the girl hiding behind his nani’s pallu. “I’m going to Sheetal’s.”
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Hey! My name is Kaveri. I've watched IPKKND since the show first aired, and have been reading fan-fictions ever since. I recently decided to write my own story, and thus, opened up a new account to share my writing.
This story is inspired by the song Mere Samne Wali Khidki Mein (hence the title) and is titled accordingly. It will focus on how Arnav and Khushi will fall in love as they progress through their childhood and adulthood together. I'm not a very good writer, and this is just a hobby so please let me know if you have any constructive criticisms. Thank you!
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Health and Fitness
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