IPKKND-ARHI-FF - Gypsy- Chapter 42 - Page 70

Aww! The father-daughter relationship between Shashi and Khushi is so beautiful! I have gained a new respect for Shashi after reading this chapter. Truly wonderful dear. Keep it up!

Arnav requires this uncertainty with Khushi, he had done so much damage to her physically & mentally, he should not have it easy to woo her. It is obvious that she is cared for by whoever meets her, maybe because of her innocence & fragility. Her confidence & restoration to her free spirit needs to be back before there can be nay progress with Arnav I guess.

lovely update..its arnavless update..:D..and so beautifully written..its nice to see garima n sashi's part amma n baba to kushi..and they filled the bill without any expectations from her..so nice that there were so many gud ppl around her to help her..so many gifts..hmm the most she got was love n care..so with that she wud try to bring her courage n step out of fear n insecurities..awesome update..looking forward for the next..

When are you updating. When are they finally going to talk. Waiting eagerly

Hello mes enfants. I know I have not given the mid-week update. Am sorry and will try my best to makeup. Forgive me. Had a conference to attend and was busy. Sorry!

Chapter 36

No matter how early Garima woke up and came in Khushi's bedroom, the girl was always wide-awake, courtesy of her gypsy upbringing. This morning Khushi had just stepped out of the shower when Garima entered with the maids behind her carrying a breakfast tray and Khushi's outfit and jewelry for the pooja.

Lying awake in the night with Baba's words ringing in her ears, reassuring her, Khushi had decided to be braver and take each moment as it came. On the other hand, Garima had also decided to be much more cheerful around Khushi. To that end, she had chosen the most talkative maids employed in Shashi's house to accompany her to Khushi's room. With both of them making a greater effort, the atmosphere had to turn more relaxed.

Truth be told, at that moment, leaving Shashi's house that day, the pooja ceremony, the approaching encounter with the Maharaja and all other worries that would normally have besieged Khushi were absent. She was fully determined to master the sari today, no matter what!

Garima checked Khushi's leg bandage, applied cream on her scars and handed Khushi her clothes to put on. Garima had chosen a deep emerald green sari heavily worked in gold and kundan for Khushi to wear for the pooja. She had had the tailor sew the choli slightly long and with full-length sleeves. The future daughter-in-law of the royal family could not very well wear a short or cap-sleeved and skimpy choli to the pooja for her own wedding!

Some time later, dressed in the underskirt and choli, her hair put up in a neat bun at the back of her head with some curls teased to float around her face and her face made-up neatly, especially her eyes, Khushi surveyed the heavy sari that one of the maids held up. But before that came the jewelry.

Garima flipped open the boxes and quickly helped Khushi. The kundan jewelry was truly beautiful and matched the lovely sari she was wearing. Since bangles were out of question because of the long-sleeves, Shashi had given a pair of gold bangles set with green and red stones instead for his daughter. Now came the sari.

"Give me the sari." Garima held out a hand and the maid obliged. But when she turned to Khushi, the girl held her own hand out it.

"Maa, hum khud pahenge."

"Nahi, Anu, we'll get late. Punditji has given the mahurat and we have some rituals at home as well."

"Nahi Maa, hame khud pahen na hai!"

"Anu?"

"Maa." Khushi held a hand out, a stubborn look on her face. But Garima was firm.

"Anu, don't fuss. Let me put it on for now. You can practice later."

"There wont be any time later Maa. What will happen if I cannot wear it in Devgarh?"

"I'm sure there are many maids to help you there."

"But how will I ask them?"

"Uff... this girl is absolutely mad. Theek hai, meri bachchi, I'll talk to Maharani Saheba. She will ensure that a girl is always available to assist you in the mornings."

"Maharani Saheba, nahi Maa. What will she think? She'll think I'm useless!"

"No she won't. Many girls have this problem in the beginning. You are not the first one. She will understand. Now stop making a fuss. We are getting late!"

With poor grace, Khushi acquiesced. Deftly wrapping and making pleats, Garima brought the pallu to cover Khushi's head and pinned it over one shoulder. Once again, Khushi moaned and groaned, complaining as Garima inserted pins in her hair to anchor the pallu.

"Maa, why can't I have loose hair? At least I won't have to pin the pallu then. It feels hot as well!"

"Anu, it will be much easier and relaxing for you if you don't have to worry about the pallu. Now stop fidgeting, will you?"

Thoroughly exasperated as Khushi continued to fuss and pull at her clothes, Garima scolded her again.

"Stop fussing child! Now remember to walk well. If you don't fuss and stumble, you will be just fine. Now let's go. Your Baba mist be waiting for us."

Sure enough Shashi Gupta was waiting for them. Remembering Garima's instructions Khushi walked sedately down the stairs and joined Baba for arti.

Things sped up from there since it was nearly time for them to leave for the mandir. Till then there had been the sari and dressing up to worry about but now, Khushi was reminded with a vengeance that she was leaving this house for good today. From here, it was the mandir and then a week later, Devgarh Palace for her.

She might not have grown up here but this house had become her sanctuary. She had spent the difficult time of her illness and recovery here. It was amongst these walls that she had found security. And it was Baba and Maa who had restored her faith in humanity.

She could feel the sting of tears in her eyes and a hard knot formed in her chest, making it difficult to breathe. But before her tears could spill, Baba was tipping her chin high. As her tear-laden eyes met his somber ones, he shook his head.

"No child. Not anymore. You have shed more tears than any girl should ever have to. Don't cry today or else I'll cry with you. And believe me, he said with a twinkle in his eyes, if I start crying you and your Maa will be hard-pressed to stop me. I am better at crying than any lady anyday!"

Khushi smiled through her tears. Baba could be outrageous at times but she loved him so much. Once he saw her smile, he smiled back at her, saying,

"Now that you have smiled for me, let me reward you."

Intrigued, Khushi looked at him expectantly as he drew out his words, acting pricey!

"Baba!!!"

"Oh all right child. The news I wanted to share with you is that I have decided, that is, your Maa and I have decided to make this little family of ours official. I asked your Maa to marry me and she has said yes."

Out of all the things he could have said, this was perhaps the most unexpected one, Khushi thought dazedly. She looked at her father and then at Garima standing slightly behind him, blushing slightly and then back at her father's proud face again. Maybe not unexpected at all, she thought. Certainly she had seen them together and noticed the attraction between them but she had not expected Baba to act on it. And yet, why ever not, she thought. They deserved some happiness as well. This time she smiled widely at them!

"Really Baba?"

"Yes, really child. Are you happy?"

She nodded vigorously, her eyes reflecting her pleasure at this unexpected yet welcome news.

"When Baba?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, we wanted to marry before you had to go but your Maa said she wanted to stay with you this week in the mandir and she could not do that if she married me. Mother's cannot stay with their daughter's in the mandi. We checked with the Maharani Saheba and she advised us to wait for a few weeks since your Maa has her heart set on staying with you for this week."

At this added bonus of having Maa with her, Khushi practically threw herself in Garima's arms. The older lady quickly caught her, hugging her quickly before straightening her clothes fussily, blinking back her own tears.

Without further ado Shashi led Khushi out of her house to where the flower decorated car stood to take them. Garima helped a smiling and excited Khushi inside while the girl looked from her Baba and Maa, unable to stop smiling.

As distractions went, the news was a masterstroke. It drove Khushi's mind away from her own sadness to her adopted parent's happiness completely. Shashi was glad he had waited for this moment to break the news to Khushi. And for the first time since he had known her, he realized how she looked when she was happy. Her whole face lit up, eyes sparkled and her smile was a mile wide. He realized how completely beautiful the girl really was ...

In Devgarh Palace, a battle was taking place. It was between Anjali and Arnav while an amused Prithvi watched.

Anjali stood with a sherwani in one hand for her brother to wear while Arnav stood with a three-piece suit in his hand. No amount of cajoling was working and both siblings were too stubborn to give in. Mamta and Devyani looked back and forth between brother and sister, finally nudging Prithvi to intervene or else they might remain here for the entire day.

But Prithvi was enjoying himself too much. He had never seen Anjali this animated. At least not in recent years and she was a revelation. Behind the polite faade she always presented lay a myriad of emotions. He watched as she cajoled her brother sweetly. When it didn't work, she became very firm and strict. Then she blackmailed him on the altar of sibling love before outright threatening so stop talking to him. When Anjali became all worked up, her brown eyes sparkled while her lovely face became slightly flushed.

"So this is somewhat how she will look like in the throes of passion," Prithvi thought and then cursed himself for his stupid thoughts. He grimly realized that it might be better if he took his mother-in-law's advice and intervened or heaven alone knew what he might think of next. Normally he kept a very tight rein on his thoughts where his lovely wife was concerned but he was bound to slip up at times. Weddings and all, he consoled himself.

"Um, Rani Saheba, Sale Saheb, may I suggest something?"

The siblings turned to him with identical stubborn expressions on their faces. Uh-uh, he though.

"Maybe Sale Saheb should wear a jodhpuri. That way both of you will have your way. A nice mixture of traditional and western, wouldn't you say?"

"No." Anjali spoke up first while Arnav opened his mouth but stopped at the slightly pleading expression on his mother and Dadi's faces. A jodhpuri? It was not a bad suggestion at that, he thought. After all he objected to the long length and heavy embellishments of sherwani's but jodhpuri's? Actually yes, he realized.

"Yes jijaji. That's a wonderful suggestion. A jodhpuri it is," Arnav decided.

"No way. A Sherwani it is," Anjali piped up but before the siblings could launch in another augument, Prithvi hurried in.

"Rani Saheba, we are getting late. The mahurat will pass."

Even Anjali, a staunch of mandirs, pooja's and mahurats, had to concede although she gave in with ill-grace, making a face at Arnav. To appease her, Arnav quickly gave her a hug,

"Sorry Di. I promise the wedding sherwani will be entirely your choice. I won't protest, not even once."

"Pakka?"

"Pakka Di."

"All right then."

She smiled angelically at him and turned away. Her husband, she fumed. Why did he interfere? And where was the need to call her Rani Saheba?

He had always called her Rani Saheba in the early days of their marriage and she had loved it. Everyone else called her that as well but Prithvi had a very special way of saying it and it had always sounded if he meant it personally. She was the Rani Saheba of his heart maybe. But later on when she realized that he never used her name probably because it was too personal, she had started to resent the title, especially coming from him. But no matter what, when he called her Rani Saheba, she always felt a slight frisson along her nerves. It was the way he said it, she acknowledged, in his deep voice with a slight inflection on Rani!

He followed her out of Arnav's suite and determined to say something, she turned to him,

"I don't like the term Rani Saheba," Anjali announced frostily.

"Indeed! What would you like for me to call you then Rani Saheba?"

"Anything else. My name. Anjali."

"Anjali. Up close and personal are we!" Prithvi couldn't help murmuring. At his lazy words, Anjali blushed slightly. Giving him an angry look, she stiffly preceded him downstairs. A smiling Prithvi followed, even whistling slightly, putting her back up even more...

The bridal party reached the mandir ahead of time and by the time the royal party arrived; Khushi was standing with the pundit while he guided her through a few rituals. Everyone exchanged polite greetings once she was done. Her in-laws greeted her with pleasure and she shyly reciprocated, all the while keeping her eyes away from the Maharaja even though she could feel his eyes on her briefly.

Once the groom's side had finished their rituals, the pundit blessed the heavy silver pooja thali that Anjali, as per ritual, had decorated. Their families assembled behind them in a semi-circle and pundit gave the pooja thali to Khushi and Arnav. Khushi's hands tightened on the thali when she realized that the Maharaja was supposed to hold it as well but there was no time for hesitations because the pundit opened started the pooja. Slowly Arnav took one side of the thali in one hand, taking care to keep his hand well away from hers. He had no wish for to scare her; he doubted the pundit would be happy if she happened to drop the thali!

The pooja took nearly an hour, during which the pundit led then through many rituals together. Each fulfilled their roles with remarkable composure and behind them Garima breathed a sigh of relief when the process was over. She worried over Khushi but apart from looking a bit paler than normal, the girl appeared fine. After pooja came ashirwaad from the pundit and their families but this time, Khushi had a better hold on her emotions and she needed no urging to do the needful. All too soon the prasaad was distributed, dates and rituals for the bride and groom for the coming week confirmed and it was time for the bride to retire to the small cottage.

Maybe since Garima was accompanying her, Khushi's loneliness and grief was tempered. Nevertheless, she clung to her Baba for a long moment. The groom's family moved back to give them some privacy. Khushi remembered her father's words and tried not to cry but some tears from spilled over. From a distance, Arnav watched Khushi and Shashi Gupta. At that moment, he felt very bad for Khushi and extremely guilty as well. Ever since he had come in her life, the poor girl had been mostly crying. At that moment, he wished the wedding was over and done with and Khushi safely ensconced in Devgarh Palace. He was determined to cause her no more grief after this. It was high time she got some happiness. But would she be happy with him? He hoped so. If not outright happy, then at least secure and at peace maybe.

He sighed and wished once more that there were some way he could talk with her. But the presence of the pundit and family was restricting to put it mildly. He watched as her father put her away from himself and wiped her tears before handing her over to her mother. They moved past him to where Anjali waited to escort them to the cottage. It was her right and duty both to see her brother's wife safely in her sanctuary. Behind them a group of women, mostly from Devgarh Palace waited to join the bride for a week.

Anjali and the women moved ahead towards Khushi and her mother as they moved towards them. At that moment, she moved past him, behind her mother, the two groups met and had to stop while there were introductions all around. It must be a lucky day for him for she stopped a few steps away right at his side.

He looked around quickly and took the chance, reaching a hand to hold hers. She stiffened and her breath hitched. For a moment, it looked as if she might struggle or scream and he caught his breath, ready to let go if she did. But she didn't do either. He didn't fool himself that she welcomed his touch. More likely she didn't want to create a scene, he thought. But whatever the case, he thanked providence and took the opportunity. Linking his fingers with hers, he squeezed them gently, softly murmuring her name. If possible she stiffened even more. At a loss what to do, he hesitated before looking around quickly and since no one appeared to be paying any attention, he raised her hand and brushed a light kiss across her knuckles.

This close, he could see as her throat working as she swallowed; with trepidation maybe. She took a deep breath and very gently but firmly tugged her hand, trying to free from his grasp. Arnav resisted, loathe freeing her hand. She tried again while her eyes remained focused on her mother's back. She started tugging on her hand in earnest then. For a moment longer he resisted until he became aware of her very real panic as she took a quick look around. Reluctantly he let go. As soon as her hand was free, she hid it in the folds of her sari, twining the fabric around her fist agitatedly.

He felt guilty then. He knew she was scared and nervous and he had still done something she obviously not ready for. Never mind his own feelings, there was no call to scare her of force her. And it was forcing her, he realized. Once again he had taken something from her without her consent. When would he learn? He swore under his breath softly. He opened his mouth to say something, anything but her mother moved aside to draw Khushi in front of her.

Garima took Khushi's right hand and handed it in Anjali's with great ceremony. Anjali took her future sister-in-law's hand and placing another hand around her shoulder, started walking her down the steps and towards the cottage.

The future royal daughter-in-law was on her way to her sanctuary, leaving everything behind...

Well folks, doesn't that look like a double update??? Hahaha!!!!

R!
Edited.
Yayyy, Shashi and Garima are getting married! They have such a beautiful heart and deserve to be together. The reason with which Garima said she'd marry later touched my heart.
Her and Khushi s' sari scene was very endearing.
Whats up with Prithvi? M really curious about the hidden revelations.

I can see the way you are as you had put it, spacing the lament of Arnav and how! That was brilliantly written. I could feel my heart beating fast in protest against Arnav touching her. Just wanted to snatch her hand away from him. I dont know what he was thinking if he was. Instead of waiting to speak first, he is dropping a kiss :/

Maharaja needs to develop some brain.what's up with prithvi

Thanks for beautiful and long update. When Arnav is going to learn to give her space. Even the comforting gesture can't be forced given the intensity of the damage he caused her. Hoping this wedding bring Anjali closer to Prithvi. Thanks for the Pm.

yes...it was a long update

What on earth was he thinking by kissing her hand😡...poor child is still upset n scared of him...dint he know that...she just got better...now how will be compose herself all week...😕...it was a awesome update😊