2020: 1. Heart of a Rose

Starting my new Arnav-Khushi story today, darlings. Watch this space.

Part 1

Nani looked around at her family members at the dinner table. As usual, Chotey was missing in action. She had delayed dinner as late as she could, and as usual, Chotey hadn’t made it home in time.

Her eyes rested on his upturned plate and chair. One more day without dinner. He would return late at night, exhausted, lugging his laptop bag. And if she insisted that he took care of his health, he would blow his fuse.

Her lips pursed.

Anjali glanced at mami, swallowing nervously. Nani was furious about Chotey’s lack of concern for his health. A storm was fast approaching Shantivan, certain to drive out all shanti from it. Anjali raised trembling fingers to her throbbing temple. Caught between the unstoppable force that was nani and the immovable boulder, no, mountain that was Chotey, her life sucked big time.  Was it too late to book a cruise and go around the world a couple of times till the volcano erupting in her house died down?

Mami tried to distract nani.

“Sasumma, Mrs. Mishra was askings aphter you at the kitty party,” she tried.

Nani paid her no mind.

Mami looked at Anjali with apology in her big eyes, accentuated by all the kajal in the world. “Sasumma ijj like that tigerwaa on TV running aphter that gai,” mami whispered in Anjali’s ear. “She can see only that gai, nothing elsewaa.”

Anjali set down her glass of water on the table, her fingers trembling only slightly. All hell was about to break loose. She knew it in her bones.

“I will—I will speak to Chotey,” she offered, her voice soft, pleading.

“No. I will talk to Chotey when he comes home today,” nani declared.

Anjali shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

Mama put down his spoon. The clash of the Titans was about to be staged at their home and he wished he were far away...like a few hundred miles away.

Akash looked nervously at nani. He licked his lip nervously before trying to save his bhai. “He is working, nani.”

“I know. Ussi ka rona he!” Nani was firm in her condemnation. “No food, no rest. He is working like a bullock in the fields when he has already made enough for four generations to eat.” She drew in a deep breath. “This problem has to be solved here and now. This can’t go on.”

Anjali prayed silently but furiously that Shantivan would still be standing at the end of the encounter between nani and Chotey.

                                                   ***

Arnav Singh Raizada leaned his head back on the seat rest, his eyes shut, feeling the weight of every letter of the alphabet in his long name. The business he had started of sheer necessity was eating up all his time and killing him slowly. Diabetes at the young age of 30! Migraine was a friend that visited frequently and outstayed its welcome. Sleep was a luxury and food...well, that was often hit-and-miss. Breakfast meetings and dinners were more about business deals and less about eating.

He felt the car come to a stop but remained in his seat, too tired to move.

Mohan exited the driver’s seat, walked around the car and softly opened the door for him.

“Arnav bhaiyya, we have reached home,” he murmured, his kind eyes tracing the dark circles around the young man’s eyes and the lines of weariness on his drawn face.

Arnav lifted his lashes, his blank eyes falling on the driver. He nodded his thanks as he dragged himself out of the vehicle and made his way to the house.

HP opened the door before he rang the bell. As he entered the house, HP took the bag from him without a word, accepting the nod from the younger man as his thanks.

As he made his way to the stairs, nani called, “Chotey!”

Arnav halted. He shut his eyes for a moment, gathering his composure and his wits. He would need them all to survive this battle.

He turned to see his entire family waiting for him. His eyes swept over an apologetic-looking Akash, a scared di, and a determined nani. Mama and mami looked uneasy.

“Yes?” he asked, his voice sounding rusty.

“Is this the time to come home?” nani asked, her face revealing how resolute she was.

“I had a meeting,” he replied, feeling anger making its way into his head. He had been working, not partying. Nor was he a teenager with a curfew.

“We waited for you at dinner,” nani accused him. “You couldn’t even make it home for a meal?”

Arnav was spared the need to reply as Akash quickly asked, “Bhai, did you have dinner?”

“No,” he replied.

Nani sighed. “Kab tak aisen chalega, Chotey? You are risking your health and you are not giving your family your time,” she stated.

Arnav made to turn away, too tired to fight. Anjali heaved a sigh of relief.

“Suniye, Chotey,” nani insisted. “I have found the solution to your problems.”

Arnav raised one brow at her. Anjali tensed, praying desperately that nani would keep herself from provoking Chotey.

“You need a bride,” nani declared. “I will ask the shaadi broker to visit us tomorrow and we will pick a girl for you. She will make sure that you come home on time and eat well.”

The perfect silence in the room was disturbed only by Anjali’s gasp of disbelief.

Rage unfurled in Arnav’s head at the speed of light. All he could see was red. He hissed, “You arranged a marriage for your daughter, Ratna. How did that go?”

All stared at him, horror in their eyes.

“Weren’t you satisfied with cremating her? Do you want to cremate me too?” he bit out before turning to walk away to his room, his fists clenched, temper written large on his face.

                                                      ***

“Jiji, look at the colour!” Khushi called, draping the coral material over Payal’s body. “It suits you. Shall we stitch a salwar suit for you with it?”

Payal looked at the material longingly. “How much is it, Ramu Kakka?” she asked the shop owner.

Ram Lal pushed the wad of tobacco from his left cheek to the right, ready to be bargained out of his money and said, “500.”

Khushi gasped exaggeratedly. “500? For this piece of cloth? Sachi? Ramu Kakka, this is ghor anyaay. How can you ask 500 for this and that too from us?”

Ram Lal hid his smile at her dramatics.

“I brought something for you, but I am now in two minds about whether to give it to you,” Khushi said with a mock miffed look on her face. “How can you be so cruel to us, being babuji’s best friend?” She took a dabba from her bag and waved it under his nose.

Payal looked away to hide her smile.

“What is it?” the middle-aged man asked, a smile sneaking past his self-control at her antics.

She removed the lid of the dabba and his eyes fell on golden laddoos in the box. The enticing smell of ghee wafted in the air.

Khushi twirled one end of her dupatta, waiting for Ramu Kakka to make up his mind.

“Nautanki rani, take it for 200,” he offered, sitting back with a smile.

Any other girl may have taken that as an insult, but to Khushi, it was a compliment. She beamed at him and offered him the sweets.

Payal paid up and collected the dress material. Then the sisters strolled home munching on ber and channa.

Hoping to update daily till the lockdown in my country ends. Stay safe. 

Loads of love,

Smita

Spoiler Part 2