Chapter 5
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The run up to marriage was pretty much the same distant, any conversation went through Aman or Buaji. Although anyone at the wedding could spot that Arnav Singh Raizada had had certainly selected his bride, from the way he held her hand spoke to her through out the cermomy his eyes lingered around her,even now as Arnav and Khushi stood outside Raizada house after all marriage rituals were complete he was as attentive yet gentleman enough to know Khushi wished to speak via Aman stood next to her on some matters.
This one in particular.
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“Aman”
“Hmm”
“I’ve lost Laxmiji she whispered as she entered the house, right foot first.” Yes this was her grah pravesh.
“Oh” said Aman at the thought of a little goat running around rooms in Raizada house.
“Don’t worry I’ll find her”
He says confidently hoping it was going to be as easy as it sounded.
...
Kya main khushi bitya se baat kar sakti hoon,? (Can I borrow your wife for 2 mins) Asks Nani as she looks on at her grandson who had just entered the house with his bride.
His eyes a soft sort of smile, he nods knowing Khushi is in safe hands.
Khushi is under her gunghat walks ahead with Nani.
Arnav watches Khushi as she walks away and up the staircase towards nanis room.
“The goats a goner” says Aman by his friends side using a phrase one could apply to ASR at this moment in time who is in thought.
...
Away in nanis room does a very wise pair of eyes peak under Khushis ghunghat at first and then smile. “Don’t worry
Mujhe tume kuch samjhana nahin hai, I know your bua will have given you many dos and don’t s already.
All I want to say is I know Arnav has chosen you more than you have him and he knows so too, just let your heart be open to falling in love..
Meine Arnav ko dekha hai his certainly is”
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Elsewhere Arnav is about to.. put a glass of whiskey to his lips when he remembers one of the things on Khushis list was avoiding alcohol, with that thought he puts the glass down just as Amans wife Riya walks past in search of her husband.
“Aman ko dekha”?
He’s looking for Laxmi
Riya raises a eyebrow to which Arnav explains that Laxmi is the goat. They both smile.
“Can I ask you something?” He says holding what looks like uncertainty in his eyes. Something which was rare for a man like Arnav Singh Raizada.
“If you were Khushi what would you be expecting of your wedding night, I mean a simple village girl picked out by someone like me.”
It’s all down hill from here Mr Raizada smiles riya as she steps closer to help Arnav work out his predicament.
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Some time later and Laxmiji is spotted happily padding in the swimming pool, Aman has to role his sleeves up, sacrifice his suit and take dive.
It was all worth it however when Aman returned laxmiji to Khushi.
Khushi hasn’t even realised when she walked into the poolside and subsequently into her husbands room.
She was just happy to laxmiji.
Thanking Aman who had to leave hastily for his wife would be waiting for him Khushi spends a couple of mins drying Laxmiji and telling her off.
Something which Arnav sees as he enters the room through the glass divide to the poolside. His eyes for the way his bride and how beautiful she looked from what he could see of her but then also for how quirky come innocent she was to have a friend in animal.
When Khushi realised that they were no longer alone, having caught Arnav just having sat down at the recliner, loosening the fastenings of his high collar suit she knew it was her cue to make her self seen.
“Naniji bohot atchi hai aap aaj raat unke paas rehna” she whispers to Laxmi who seems to understand what she’s told been told , lingering just enough by her lap before scurrying away.
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Loosening the fastenings of the coat of his high collar blazer Arnav feels a sensation at his shoes.
When he looks down he sees Khushi helping him out of his shoes, she herself was under her red luckily veil opaque enough for her face to be seen.
He said something she didn’t quite understand.
“Hamari English itni atchi nahin hai” (my English isn’t so good)
His eyes eased into what only can be described has cotton wooliness
“Koi baat nahin” (doesn’t matter)
“Tum meri aanke pad sakti ho, woh kaafi hai” (You read my eyes well that’s more than enough)
He said looking at her big beautiful eyes looking up at him under her heavy gunghat.
It was time to unburden her of it, Khushi felt herself being revealed looked up just a little at him to see his eyes watching her very closely.
Her heart was beating more times than she could take count of waiting for what was next.
All those wife’s tales she’d heard about marriage and a wedding night coming together in her mind.
.. simple pause to her thoughts was bought by a ringing of a phone.
Arnavs eyes crunched a little at the person disturbing him on his wedding night. “Excuse me” he said before getting up and walking out into the poolside to take the call.
The great thing about this moment was that Arnav had a chance to catch Khushi looking at him from afar, she was curious, nervous but curious. Looking at him with hope, intrigue, worry of whether he’d return to her after that call, those eyes had changed several times he noticed in a space of a few mins.
When his conversation was over he stepped back into the room and saw Khushi jump to her feet.
From what he could see she was waiting for instruction.
When he was close enough little things were in sight, her fidgeting hands, darting eyes,
“Okay?” His eyes furrowed when he was concerned.
She nodded a yes
But something told him she was telling him what he wanted to hear rather than what was true
He put his hands over her shaky ones and felt her cold.
He then stirred the back of his palm up the length of her arm, then brushed it across her cheek lightly for a second.
Just like her fingertips her body was also cold.
Not because of the temperature he suspected more due to whatever was going on in her mind. Nerves were the obvious thing.
“Come with me” he said and she did
“Sit down” he said when they reached the bed.
He walked to a side and she watched him flick a switch which dimmed the lights in the room.
“Make yourself comfortable,”
He said whilst he walked around the other side of the bed and unhooked the fastenings of his blazer.
“Your nervous .. samaj sakta hoon but honesty is one of the reasons I married you.
If you’re not okay you can tell me”
“Ham theekh hai” she said
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow
She unpicked the pins out of her hair put her veil to aside left the rest of the jewellery on.
She watched him fold the sleeves of his shirt and sit back against the headboard and stretch his legs out.
She moved quietly into a part comfortable cocoon on her side of the bed.
He turned to her .. watch her jittery eyes and again feeling her skin with the back of his palm she was still cold..
He decided to pull her close so she could rest on him.. put his arm over her.
Khushi woke up first the next morning, early in fact early enough to know that the world would be sleeping for another couple of hours.
When she looked towards him she saw a man who had a successful, powerful, lean look about him. Why a man like him would want to marry a girl like him she knew not.
Feeling her bridal wear shift as she moved it made khushi realised that
He was supposed to make ravishingly love to her, show her what she’d signed up for, play the dominating husband (that’s what she’d heard from other women). Yet here she was looking at him in the early hours of the morning and not a hair of hers out of place or a fastening of her bridal wear out of tact. What would she tell others old women in particular were the worst they’d know.
She felt more herself now but soon as she realised that he was awake looking like he might have heard her Khushi wondered if she could have said some of those things aloud.?? Or where they truly just in her mind.
He raised one of his eyebrows, staring at her with his deep eyes.
...
Next chapter
Arnav who is in conversation with Aman later that morning watches Khushi walk down the stairs upon encountering them she sweeps her saari over her head. Whilst Aman smiles, Arnav is pleasantly overwhelmed by his new bride for a moment.
Sorry it’s taken time been scratching my head about this one for a bit but I’ve accepted it now as the chapter..
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