Part 18
ASR stood at the foot of the stairs, waiting for the Guptas to arrive. Akash polished his specs and gazed longingly at the open door, eager for a sight of his beloved.
"Akass bitwaa, you are not supposed to attend the mehendi function," nani informed him.
"Nani!" Akash's face was a picture of desolation.
Nani smiled. "But we will let you."
"Nani, you are the best," Akash gushed, hugging her fondly.
Arnav stood by them, his entire focus on the guests entering through the open door.
"The Guptas are here," he said quietly.
As the Raizadas rushed to the door to welcome the Guptas, his eyes sought the slim, colourful figure of the firebrand that was Khushi.
She was missing.
Nani asked the question that was on his lips.
"Where is Khussi bitiya?" nani asked.
"She is not well, Nandkisore," buaji explained.
"She was ready to come here with us, but..." Garima paused.
"She must have eaten too many jalebis yesterday," buaji concluded.
The Raizadas ladies sympathised with an absent Khushi.
"She will miss her jiji's mehendi!" Anjali lamented.
"She promised to come here by Happyji's rickshaw if she felt better," Garima replied.
The wheels of ASR's brain turned as fast as light. It sounded like one of Khushi's flop plans to avoid him. His eyes narrowed. How dare she keep him waiting? How dare she try to avoid him?
ASR walked up the steps to the entrance of buaji's home in Laxmi Nagar on soft feet. Not that it mattered. He could have marched up the steps wearing military boots and she wouldn't have heard. The TV was on loud.
ASR peeked in through the open window.
Khushi was lolling on a chair, her legs hooked over one arm of the chair. She had a jalebi in one hand and the remote in the other. She was laughing out loud, her eyes on the TV screen.
This was the ill Khushi?
ASR clenched his jaw in anger. She had lied to stay at home? She had deliberately misled her family to avoid him?
He leaned forward to have a glimpse of the TV screen.
Tom and Jerry!
This ladki! he fumed. Unbelievable! Really? Tom and Jerry!
He strode to the door and banged on it.
Darling KC's vision:
ASR stood at the foot of the stairs, waiting for the Guptas to arrive. Akash polished his specs and gazed longingly at the open door, eager for a sight of his beloved.
"Akass bitwaa, you are not supposed to attend the mehendi function," nani informed him.
"Nani!" Akash's face was a picture of desolation.
Nani smiled. "But we will let you."
"Nani, you are the best," Akash gushed, hugging her fondly.
Arnav stood by them, his entire focus on the guests entering through the open door.
"The Guptas are here," he said quietly.
As the Raizadas rushed to the door to welcome the Guptas, his eyes sought the slim, colourful figure of the firebrand that was Khushi.
She was missing.
Nani asked the question that was on his lips.
"Where is Khussi bitiya?" nani asked.
"She is not well, Nandkisore," buaji explained.
"She was ready to come here with us, but..." Garima paused.
"She must have eaten too many jalebis yesterday," buaji concluded.
The Raizadas ladies sympathised with an absent Khushi.
"She will miss her jiji's mehendi!" Anjali lamented.
"She promised to come here by Happyji's rickshaw if she felt better," Garima replied.
The wheels of ASR's brain turned as fast as light. It sounded like one of Khushi's flop plans to avoid him. His eyes narrowed. How dare she keep him waiting? How dare she try to avoid him?
ASR walked up the steps to the entrance of buaji's home in Laxmi Nagar on soft feet. Not that it mattered. He could have marched up the steps wearing military boots and she wouldn't have heard. The TV was on loud.
ASR peeked in through the open window.
Khushi was lolling on a chair, her legs hooked over one arm of the chair. She had a jalebi in one hand and the remote in the other. She was laughing out loud, her eyes on the TV screen.
This was the ill Khushi?
ASR clenched his jaw in anger. She had lied to stay at home? She had deliberately misled her family to avoid him?
He leaned forward to have a glimpse of the TV screen.
Tom and Jerry!
This ladki! he fumed. Unbelievable! Really? Tom and Jerry!
He strode to the door and banged on it.
Darling KC's vision:
