Chapter 3
“Make sure you give it to him and no one else won’t you” emphasised Khushis bua pretending she hadn’t spoken to Arnavs grandmother at all about this. Khushi put Arnavs wallet in her bag and headed for the bus, what a inconvenience she thought but at least she’d get to see the city. She looked out of the dusty window of the red rickety bus, throwing channa into her mouth she looked on as the bus took her to unfamiliar territory.
...
Over hour or so later Khushi arrives outside a tall looking building. Crowds of people all rushing into one and other and busy looking buildings like this one is all she had encountered as she got closer to her destination.
In pursuit to return that wallet did Khushi speak to the old security man at the entrance of AR, a busy and disengaged receptionist. Jump into a lift with her eyes closed which she was terrified of and trying to explain to non Hindi speaking employee what she was doing here.
Finally she bumped into Aman.
“Amanji ham yey lotane ayey hai.”
She said digging into her shoulder bag.
Yes ASR said you might return this.
Finding it in her back she pulls it out and smiles.
Aman pulls his hand out to receive it.
At a distance Arnav who is in a board meeting pauses when he sees Khushi through the glass with Aman.
Whether Khushi would keep the promise made to her bua was Khushis ultimate test in the eyes of Arnav.
He watched from a far as Khushi refused to give over his wallet to Aman.
“Nahin hame khud lotana” she said insistently.
“Arnavs in a meeting I’ll hand it over, reassured Aman but Khushi didn’t budge.
Arnav watched Aman walk Khushi towards the entrance of the meeting room, open the door and let her in.
Meeting naturally paused khushi walked in obviously conscious of walking into a meeting full of suited men, she walked to the head of the table and handed over the wallet.
“Aap bhul gayey they” (you left it behind)
She said focused on the task at hand rather than anything.
“Thank you” he said watching her closely to see what more he could understand about her. What he saw was the feeling of good old fashioned common curtesy with a smile.
Their moment only lasted a few mins but similar to the last it captured Arnav.
..
Aman offered to provide Khushi with a Raizada driver to take her home but Khushi refused.
An hour and a half later when Khushi finally got home she dropped her bag and was happy enough to see laxmiji jump into her lap and not so bothered about her buas odd questions.
“Did you return the wallet?”
“Did you see him?”
“What’s his office like?”
Khushi didn’t really understand why her bua had such a vested interest in her trip and only had one word answers that made madumati really put her palm to face.
...
Back AR say behind his desk in his arm chair throws his head in the Air for a moment and shuts his eyes.
What he could see was her smile.
His intentions were clear, he sat up and used the hands free of the phone on his desk to dial.
His Nani picked up on the other end. Sitting back again he spoke with a little added care to his words. He wanted to come across measured rather than random and abrupt.
Nani I’ve been thinking about Khushi, you need a bahu and I think she’s a good fit.
On the other end Nani smiled nice cover up she thought.
Is that so .. ? She said in a funny tone.
Arnav deferred from going there, cut to the chase.
Aap Khushi ke yaha rishta bhej dijyey, I’ll send aman.
Theek hai nani agrees silently extremely excited.
When the call ends Arnav thinks in a silence for a second and then calls for Aman over the dialler.
“Nani is going to take a marriage proposal to Gupta house, Your job is to make sure Khushi isn’t forced into to anything.”
Aman was speechless for a second and then smiled.
...
The next day
As planned Aman accompanied Nani back to the village.
He saw Khushi listen into the conversation between the “adults” so to speak and moved away from beside Nani on the sofa discreetly to go talk to Khushi out in the porch of the little house.
Khushi by then was sat on the wooden swing with laxmiji.
Aman perches beside her,
“What do you think then? any idea if you’ll say yes or no?” He asks her as she sits quietly.
“He’s a good man” adds Aman genuinely.
.. he doesn’t get a response and quite frankly didn’t expect to, not everyone could decide their fate in a instance like Arnav had. About to get up and leave he pauses hearing her.
Sab ladkiya ek na ek din chali jaati hai
“I’ll be sent off somewhere whether I like it or not, all girls in the village are”
Aman felt for her, she was yet to see the modern twist on the world.
“In the case it’s Better to be sent off to a good man then a mean one.” He says in a way that might be relatable.
“How will I know he’s good?” She asks looking up curiously.
“Can’t you tell?” Says Aman.
“Yes but how can I know for sure” she adds making him think.
“You can always make a list of things you want to be sure of.”
..
“She hasn’t said yes yet but here’s her list” Says Aman reading from a bit of paper stood in Arnavs office.
He almost cleared his throat in preparation whilst Arnav sat back in office chair and waited to hear it.
“You’ll let her go home whenever she likes “Hmm” he sounded positive. Arnav thinking this list of musts was going to be quiet easy judging by the first one.
“You’ll let her bring her goat Laxmi Ji”
Aman watched Arnavs eyebrows change shape in surprise and when that had settled he looked confident. “Done”, he said sharply.
“You won’t force her to go drink alcohol or eat meat”
“Yes fine” he said that was easy.
“You won’t shout at her”
“Yep”, he says like it was a conveyabelt only Aman raises an eye at this one knowing this wasn’t the most truthful answer from his friend he shouted at everyone on a bad day. “Okay we”ll come back to that one” he adds.
“You won’t beat her”
“Well of course I won’t”, Arnav gave him a confused look to which Aman took Khushis side “she’s from a village remember and I already reassured her.”
”Movies every month”
“Yeah, she can have her own cinema if she likes”
“Opportunity to work or learn”
“Sure” he says.
The list went on and Arnav went on to Agree ..throw expressive eyes at some things and then thought it best to put a caveat of “yes” on everything even without hearing it.
“Are you sure you don’t want to hear it out?” says Aman.
Arnav too sure in what he wanted didn’t care there wasn’t anything that Khushi could say that would be unreasonable he knew. “I’m sure”
...
That evening late night as Arnav sips coffee at the window ledge he watches his Nani take a call From Khushis grandmother.
Khushi had agreed to the alliance.
Arnav smiled, his life was about to change.
....
Elsewhere Khushi who looked out at the stars on the porch side of Gupta house also knew that there was change was ahead of her.
...
Next chapter:
Khushi saw Aman stood by his black merc outside the mandir like he was waiting for her and he was. He had a message for Khushi.
Edited by jagrutid - 6 years ago
148