UE part 42

The next week at the Gupta household saw nothing short of a hurricane.

To anyone looking from a distance, Payal would like someone straight out of Haunted Part 2.

This was all courtesy Khushi Kumari Gupta who simply refused to participate in any of the packing and spent most of her time in either biting her lips, or shedding off precious few kilos with her speed walk all over the house, dealing with confusion and panic attacks. Nihaal had suggested changing the name plate outside the house to 'Scary Movie: The Horror begins here' and it had understandably not gone so well with Mrs Gupta who wasn't in a very different state from Payal.

For Khushi,If nothing, it would be plain looking out of the window emptily while the whole house screamed, shouted and panicked.

It could be compared to the scenario of a yoga master sitting in the midst of a stampede, in one of those elusive mudras.

"MAA WILL YOU PLEASE TELL KHUSHI TO ATLEAST PACK HER OWN DOCUMENTS!!"

"KHUSHI PACK YOUR OWN DOCUMENTS!"

"KHUSHI!"

"NIHAAL DO SOMETHING WITH THIS GIRL!"

Nihaal whistled as he entered Khushi's room and slapped her head playfully from behind..

Khushi, who was doing something weird with a rubber band broke out of her trance and looked at him as he sat down heavily beside her..

"Lattu, I have news for you. It might come as a very big surprise to you, but it's true nevertheless.."

Khushi swiftly turned towards him..

"what?"

Nihaal bent and whispered in her ears..

"Darling, New York is not coming to you, you will have to go to New York"

"Bhai!" Khushi gave him a hard push..

"what? You are actually behaving as if sitting in this yoga posture is going to have all your packing done! Last I heard, Pranayama had nothing got to do with packing suitcases"

"I..I am..okay fine..I am getting up"

"Oh please do! At least for fire extinguisher's sake"

"fire extinguisher's sake?" she looked confuse..

"of course! Imagine the poor guy will have to date a walking talking lady monster if Payal continues to freak out as she is freaking out right now"

"Bhai!" Khushi chided him.. "You wait till jiji hears of this"

"KHUSHI DID YOU KEEP THE ROYAL BLUE SHAWL IN THE SECOND BAG TO THE RIGHT OF THE THIRD SUITCASE BENEATH THE SECOND SHELF IN MY ROOM?" Payal screamed from the stairs...

Khushi blinked at Nihaal.. "what??" and he chuckled in response.

The entire week, the house had remained filled with visiting guests, local relatives, friends, ex-colleagues all paying visit to bid adieu. Some of them, despite their good intentions totally freaked Khushi out as they made New York sound more of the Bermuda Triangle to her and her family which simply served to worsen the situation.

But worse of all, it was Arnav who freaked Khushi out. Since the day he left her house, Khushi was more than freaking out at the lack of communication already. Someone needed to tell the girl, it was going to be worse after her departure, but Khushi would refuse to be at peace with it. Except for her rounds to the washroom, her cell phone remained practically glued to her hands but apart from a few times she talked to him on the phone, there was hardly any communication. And it was she who had called those few times.

"When I said THE BLUE FILE I meant the BLUE file you idiot! Now do I have to sit and teach you the damn difference between colors! BLUE! Is this blue?? Have you ever seen the DAMN SKY? BLUE DAMMIT!"

The secretary before him, had certainly gone a very pretty shade of blue..

"y..yes sir..I will..change..change it Sir.." and hurried out of the room..

Arnav ran his hand through his hair and swore, then gained control and called the reception and ordered.. "Tell Aman to just forget the file..I will do it"

His phone buzzed beside him and he groaned..Khushi! Why was this girl making it so damn difficult for him! Why?

1 new message-

Since you must be knowing, how is Andrew Smith? I mean the M.D. Of my company?..I mean..as a person? You must have met him so many times.

He scrunched his features and after some time replied..

good.

Thanks. She replied..

Half an hour later, Arnav Singh Raizada was googling Andrew Smith..Like what? This man had 5 divorces lined up behind him! FIVE! Like what was he? A philanderer? Oh shit..one was an employee? This idiot eyed his employees! Arnav gritted his teeth in seething fury as a faint image appeared in his mind..

And for the first time, adding to the long list of firsts he had been having ever since he met Khushi, Arnav Singh Raizada was busy hunting down personal details of his rivals and brooding over them..

He leaned back on the leather seat and shut his eyes..would he ever stop thinking of her..?? 5 years??

NIGHT, OCTOBER 10^th..

Anjali stood by the poolside, twisting her saree pallu, setting her hair, trying to think of a million things, anything which could put her mind off the fact that Khushi and Nihaal would be leaving tomorrow..

The past few months with Khushi and a few with Nihaal had been the best she could remember in a long time. Happy, carefree, as if everything was finally getting back to normal...these two people taught her to move on in life, even enjoy it..

"Excuse me madam, did I disturb you?"

A voice came from behind and she literally jumped out of her skin..

"NIHAAL!"

"You thought I would run away without irritating you for the last time?" he raised his eyebrows... "you are to be disappointed ma'am"

Anjali laughed.. "Nihaal, have I ever gotten bored in your company? I mean, is it even possible?"

"So you like my company?"

"Of course I love your company!"

"How much?"

"A lot!"

"Enough to last another 5 or 6 decades?" he smiled..

"of cou..what?"

"Come on, we have eaten healthy all our lives!So I am assuming we will reach 80 or 90. So, if we marry-"

"WHAT?"

Nihaal grinned.. "Oh I wanted to do this all my life!"

Saying it, he plucked a rose from Arnav's finely maintained collection, bent on one knee and in the most filmy style possible said-

"Anjali, I love you,will you marry me?"

Anjali staggered back and held the wall for support..

"wh-at?"

"yes?"

"Nihaal cut the joke already okay!"

"yes?"

"Oh My God! You aren't serious! Nihaal you..I..this.."

"yes?"

"What..I..oh God..this.."

"so is that a yes?"

He got up and looked at her..she was blushing profusely while still reeling from the shock, and still couldn't digest his words..

After long, she finally spoke..

"Nihaal, look, you know I have a failed and utterly bitter marriage behind me, and you are..this..you deserve so-"

Nihaal cut her mid-way

"Anjali, look here, smart, good looking, witty, honest-"

"Nihaal please-" Anjali blushed.

"No! Let me continue! Dashing, practical, polite, where else will you get all this in one man? So please stop giving yourself that lame excuse of a failed marriage and all that rubbish, and just look at me, who gets this chance everyday? I am practically irresistible! Admit it!"

Anjali stared incredulously at him.. "you are unbelievable! Unbelievable! You actually-" she laughed.. "Do you even give others a chance to praise you?"

"Oh I waited" he replied.. "for several years, but when I saw no one doing it, I took on the self advertising myself..so, is it a yes?"

"Nihaal, was it necessary to give me such a shock? I..I don't know what to-and you are going to New York tomorrow!"

"Yes I am going back to New York, not dying! I know, New York is full of young, pretty, fair girls and you are acquainted with my way with women and all that, so insecurities apart, what's the problem?"

"I see..of course I would just die of insecurities"

"Di!" Arnav called out and the two turned to look back..

Nihaal adjusted his tie knot as he stood before Arnav, then bowed his head reverently as he spoke..

"Sire, I have been informed that you are the reverent guardian of this lovely lady standing beside me. I would like to humbly apprise you, that the charms of the lady have stirred my solitary soul and given a much needed direction to my meandering life. Sire, I would therefore request your kind consent to our alliance, that I may, as long as breath lasts in this mortal self of mine, give her happiness, which I am sure would still fail to reciprocate the one that she would give to me. Nay, I shall certainly not let you ever be regretful of your consent, so do I, respected Sir, have your permission to hold your beloved sister Anjali Singh Raizada's hand in mine, for today, tomorrow and in the years to come till my death, do us apart?"

Arnav stood shocked and confused beyond wits, no doubt,at the speech just delivered before him..he swiftly looked at his sister just to see that she had her face almost covered with her hands, shaking her head and was a pretty shade of red..

Then he looked at Nihaal who expectantly looked back at him..so his fears had been proved baseless, this man was actually interested in a proper relationship...and then he couldn't help a smile gracing his own face..

Anjali just wanted to just jump inside the pool and dissolve in the water to save herself from the utter embarrassment of being in such an awkward situation..

Arnav cleared his throat and looked at his sister..

"Di? Are you..are you..okay with this?"

"Sir, the lady is overcome with bashfulness, which I must say, simply adds to her charms"

"Nihaal!" Anjali finally looked up.. "chotte...I..Oh God..this is..y..yes"

Arnav looked back at Nihaal and slightly raising his chin, spoke in an arrogant fashion
"you may"

Nihaal grinned and bowed.. "You Sir, are very kind indeed"

" 'kay 'kay jus' finish this" Arnav shook his head slightly and couldn't help a satisfied and relieved smile as he had a light embrace with his sister and Nihaal widened his eyes as Arnav stretched a hand in business like fashion before him..

"congratulations"

"woah! Bro! I am not dealing with your sister! What's with all this?"" and Nihaal had a fist punch with a not-so-sure-about-fist-punch Arnav.

That night Arnav, Anjali and Nihaal had a long and a more serious discussion on how things would work out after Nihaal went. The discussion finally came to an end with Nihaal's declaration that he was seriously considering shifting base to India since quite a long time, and if things would work out he might shift to India though the Khushi consideration had to be there..but he would be most certainly back for an engagement in a few months along with his family..and then they could chalk out marriage plans later..

Anjali and Nihaal stood at the poolside as he gave her a hug..

"Look, on a more serious note,though I love you, though I know I am irresistible, we can be friends after marriage, just like we are now. Just that. You, my dear, need not worry your pretty head about having to be all wifey with me. Take your time, adjust, think about it. Basically it's just my dubious motive of having you by my side 24*7 so that I can enjoy the sadistic pleasure of bugging you"

Anjali smiled as she held his hand back.. "With you Nihaal, I have begun forgetting my past already...thank you"

"woah woah! Halt madam! Anyway, how exactly is your brother doing?"

"Back to being ASR.." Anjali replied..then shook her head in frustration as she said "what are these two doing Nihaal ? Why don't they just say it to each other! Why?!"

Nihaal looked at the distant figure of Arnav in the main hall, visible through the glass and muttered..

"when is 'Two Idiots' releasing?"

"what?" Anjali asked surprised..

"Oh just asking, I already have the main cast ready.."

Nihaal's arrival at home, with the news, was certainly a welcome change in the atmosphere and had Khushi jumping up and down creating and breaking her own high jump records on her single bed which threatened to give away any moment now..screaming in delight and alternately in anger, as this happened just a day before her departure and she couldn't even celebrate it with Anjali properly..

Arnav picked up his phone to see 10 missed calls of Khushi already..

Khushi picked up exactly on the third ring..

"CONGRATULATIONS!!! OMG!!!CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? AND WHERE WERE YOU? I CALLED YOU 10 TIMES! Any way, forget it DI AND BHAI! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! DI AND BHAI!"

Arnav had to separate the phone several inches away from his ears and could still hear her shouting..

"yeah..congratulations" he replied..the hint of a smile on his face..

"Imagine! You will now be my brother's wife's brother and my friend's husband's sister's fiance and my mother's nephew's brother in law! Wow!"

"I am..humbled" Arnav Singh Raizada, owner if AR chain of industries replied in response to his new found designations..

"GOSH! WHO would have thought? My entire family is slowly getting related to your entire family! Jiji and your brother, bhai and your sister, me and y-" she bit her tounge..

"I..I mean..we are engaged aren't we? Even though..it's.."

"are we?" he asked..

"we aren't?" she retorted...

"depends on you" he replied.. "as I told you before"

Khushi remained silent for a while then asked in a soft voice.. "you will come tomorrow..I mean at the airport, right?"

Arnav remained silent for a while before saying "hmm.."

Needless to say, two people never slept a wink on October 9^th 2012.

Morning 4:00 a.m-

Delhi International Airport

This is the final boarding call for passengers booked on flight 3653B to London. Please proceed to gate 3 immediately. Thank you.

Khushi and Nihaal were surrounded by Payal, Mrs Gupta, Anjali and Aakash along with a considerable number of combined staff of RM, sent on specific instructions of Mr Arnav Singh Raizada along with Anjali to look after things as well as Nihaal's personal staff from the company. It was still pitch dark outside and the flight announcements sounded all over the place.

And Arnav, had not yet arrived.

Nihaal was busy checking and working out Khushi's papers, while Khushi was undergoing panic attacks every five minutes. She had already had quite an emotional episode with almost every single one present and along with her, Anjali and the entire Gupta family, though the latter would be seeing her very soon, due to their pending visit to the States for Nihaal's sister's wedding, would put Rudolf the reindeer's red nose to shame. Aakash was trying his best to keep everyone's mood up by cracking occasional jokes..Mrs Gupta was currently at dictating her rule no. 101 to a Khushi, who was murmuring a simple 'hmm' at everything, her eyes lost somewhere else altogether..

"Khushi, promise me, you will NOT slide down banisters no matter what Nihaal says, you will not escape out of the house at 10:00 to buy ice creams and CERTAINLY not from the window. you will certainly not spray Rexona deodrant on the candle flame to see just how inflammable it is, no matter what the distance-"

This momentarily diverted Khushi who looked at her mother and murmured "come on maa! It was 1 whole meter!"

It also diverted Nihaal's attention who looked up from the papers and added "yeah..that was pretty cool!"

"NIHAAL!" Mrs Gupta shouted, horrified..

"Okay okay..Lattu don't you dare spray Rexona on fire again... We will try Axe deodrant"

"SHUT UP or you two aren't going anywhere!" Payal intervened..

Nihaal chuckled and got back to the papers..

But Khushi was lost by now, frantically turning her head in all directions pacing back and forth and mumbling incoherent words..Arnav, had still not arrived.

"He will come" Anjali held her arm and spoke close to her ears.. "He was already up when I started for the airport...in fact I wonder if he even sle..anyway, he will come"

"WHEN?" Khushi finally burst out in frustration "when my flight has landed in New York?!"

Payal held Khushi's arm..

"Khushi, he would be frequently visiting the States I am sure, and perhaps in New Y-"

"TO HELL with New York jiji!" Khushi shouted,then calmed herself as she shut her eyes..."I can't believe he is not coming even for one last time! No Goodbye nothing! Pre boarding announcements will come in hardly any time now!He doesn't give a damn!How can he-"

"Bhai!" Aakash spoke out loud and Khushi swiftly turned her head in the direction Aakash had exclaimed in..

He was there...finally.

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