Part 33

She stepped in and looked inside the house. The house was beautifully decorated and was filled with beautifully dressed beautiful people. She looked around trying to find a face that she knew, the first person she spotted was Mamaji. So she started walking towards him to ask him where everyone else was but with every step she took she had this feeling that she was being watched. Not only did she feel that she was being watched but she could also feel the intensity with which she was being watched and she instantly knew who was watching her.

 She forced herself to keep her head down and keep walking towards Mamaji but the feeling only got worse a few steps later she could not take it anymore and she looked up and found him exactly where she thought he would be, at the top of the stairs and doing exactly what she thought he would be doing, observing her.

She stopped walking, she stopped thinking, she stopped fidgeting, she stopped blinking and she stopped breathing. The only thing that she was doing was listening to her crazy heart beat “why… Why does he affect me like this?… DM please help” she thought. He looked handsome… that could easily be the understatement of the century… He looked out of this world making her more stunned than she already was. She could not read his eyes, he was too far away but something told her that he was not happy or peaceful and her heart wished she could correct whatever it was that was bothering him.

Just then she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Anjaliji standing there when she asked “Khushiji, what took you so long? Come everybody is waiting for you in the guest room.” Saying that she started leading Khushi towards the stairs and continued to tell Khushi about how beautiful Payal was looking and also started asking her about what she thought of the decorations done for the engagement ceremony. Khushi gave appropriate answers, but she was only thinking about how Anjaliji was taking her to right where he was standing.

When they started climbing the stairs she wished she could just run away from here and go…. Mmm anywhere… but here. She tried to keep her step steady as she knew she was very accident prone and her jittery nerves were not helping either.

Though she was walking and talking with Anjaliji her senses were all tuned to him when they reached the top of the stairs, Anjaliji stopped in front of her brother and said “Chotey, what are you doing? Go downstairs and be a good host, make sure the performers are ready to start the function in the next 15 minutes…” She gave a small pause and suddenly said “Chotey, have you said hello to Khushiji?”

This made Khushi look in his direction as before she was trying hard to look anywhere but at him. He was looking at her and it made her heart flutter and then he said “Hi..” In his husky deep voice which made her toes curl, and she just kept staring at him. Then she realized that she was expected to answer when he raised his right eyebrow and tilted his head slightly, she fumbled and said “Na…Namaste…” Which caused both him and Anjali to raise their eyebrows at her. But his eyes showed no emotion and it scared her.

Anjali cleared her throat and they both looked away, “Go chotey, make sure everything is ready we will be down in 15 minutes” saying that she started walking towards the guest room holding Khushi’s hand in hers.

Khushi kept walking and didn’t dare turn her head around and look at him, as she knew something was wrong… Very wrong.

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The dais for the engagement ceremony was arranged in the back gardens of Shantivan, the function started with all sorts of entertainments arranged by the Raizada's top of the line dancers, top of the line anchors, top of the line choreographers.... everything was top notch. Payal and Aakash were made to sit in the loveseat arranged at the very front at a viewing distance from the dias, nani, anjali, the older guptas and the singhania's were occupying the rest of the front line seats in the sofa sets arranged. The next rows were all left for the guests, Lavanya, NK and Khushi found seats in the second row right behind the couple that were to be betrothed that evening. Lavanya and Khushi had also started their teasing, giggling and pulling leg session making Akash and Payal feel conscious to even breath properly worried that the imps sitting around them will make something of it to tease them further, Anjali who was next to Akash in the front row had whole heartedly joined in the teasing session, with each performance or song on love or dialogue by the anchor about love their teasing grew by leaps and bounds.

Khushi was sooo happy for Payal that she was going to get such a cool sis-in-law, but once or twice she had noticed that Anajli was looking around in search of someone, Lavanya and Khushi looked at each other when the frequency of her looking for someone grew more frequent, Nani noticed it too and laid her hand on Anjali's hand and said "Damadji will be here soon bitiya don't worry..." immediately Khushi and Lavanya went "Awww....Anjaliji..that is so cute... you can't wait to see him.." Anjali turned around worried that she was going to become the object of their teasing session and said "Chup both of you... I was just looking for my chotey.. he arranged all this to the last detail and I don't think he is anywhere to see any of it.." Immediately the whole Raizada clan reacted, Akash got up from his seat and looked around, Nani started looking through the crowd, Mamaji said "He must be receiving the late guests..", Mami said "My Arnav bitua always sacrificing for this family..." and it shocked Khushi...that sentence coming from Mami who rarely praised anyone other than herself had Khushi realize that Arnav was this family's lifeline...it’s strength and it’s weakness.

 

Anjali pulled Aakash back into his seat and said "Sit down now Akash... don't worry I will go find Chotey and bring him..." and started getting up... but Khushi realized that Anjali would find it very hard to walk with care around all the arrangements and the wires that were lying around and before she could stop herself she said "Anjaliji please sit down I will go and find him..." Anjali looked at the concern in her eyes but she wanted Khushi to enjoy the show so she said "It's ok Khushi I will go.." Garima who had heard the whole conversation said "Anjali bitiya, it's ok.. Khushi will go..." Anjali nodded caressed Khushi's cheek with love and said "Thank you..." that was it... the arrangement was fixed.

Khushi took a deep breath and held Lavanya's hand and tried to drag Lavanya with her, but Lavanya held back and when Khushi looked at her with a frown she said "Go Khushi I want to spend time with NK and enjoy the show... go... go find him." Khushi's frown deepened, did Lavanya's sentence have a double entendre in it?? She was not sure but she suddenly realized she was blocking the view for the guests that were seated and quickly moved out of that place and went around looking for him.

She couldn't find him anywhere in the gardens so she started towards the house, and when she reached the living room she saw him sitting there on the sofa set and there were some men standing around him one man was holding some files and he was bending a little and saying something to ASR and ASR was nodding and was highly engrossed in the files in his hands. Khushi was stunned this man was working.. working when his brother was getting engaged in the backyard...and he was the one who arranged everything to perfection, Khushi just kept looking at him..trying to understand this enigma of a man.

ASR looked up as he felt something changing in the air around him, and looked up to see her standing a little away from him. He looked at her for a little longer than necessary and went back to his file and signed where it was required and said "Aman go and enjoy the function and leave these files in my room I will looked at them and sign them by the time I leave... what time is the flight?" Aman nodded and said "Sir, we have to leave by 11:30pm, your flight is at 2:00 in the morning." ASR looked at his watch it was 8:30pm, then he said "Have the car ready at the front at 11:30" Aman nodded ad was ready to leave and turned when he heard his boss say "Aman don't forget to have dinner."

Aman had a small stroke sort of attack, his boss telling him to eat...yes his boss was a concerned employer, he always came to his employees rescue when his employees needed it, he knew the amount of money ASR spent to help education of the kids of his employees, no educational request was ever turned down in RI, he knew the policies like 1year maternity leaves that employees were given, he also knew about the retirement funds that were much more generous than the government standards, but he had never... and he meant NEVER heard his boss voice anything that was not work related to any of his employees. And it shocked him and he stood there staring at ASR until ASR raised his eyebrow and brought Aman back to earth when he growled "Would you like ME to feed YOU Aman?"

Aman nodded his head vigorously in the negative and then scurried away, as he was leaving he turned around and looked at his boss, His boss was highly engrossed in something and Aman followed his line of vision and saw a very beautiful girl standing a little distance away and trying to control her laughter by biting her lower lip. Aman was wondering if this girl could be the cooling effect on his boss, the navratan tail that Sharukh khan swears by that finally worked on his boss. There was hope in his heart may be just may be he would live a little longer.

He looked at her trying to stop her laughter and he sighed, he could not hold his anger against her....that in it self says a whole different story... ASR's anger only gets worse does not dissipate.... may be she didn't mean to judge may be she was just annoyed at Sanaa... He reasoned...May be he could let this go without teaching her a lesson...may be...he sighed, and got up and walked towards her. She came to attention and before she could say anything he said "let's go...". She looked at him and nodded and turned and lead the way and he followed her beautiful, graceful, flowing form...

Now he noticed how beautifully she was wrapped in the white net lehenga..... Wait what.... WHITE....wasn't she supposed to wear something red... "Aman was soooo dead, if he had forgotten to follow his ......mmmm....that looks just delicious....if I could just touch it ...just once...probably if it fell off...may be then he could take it with him on his trip... to keep him company......What the heck am I thinking.."

He was shocked...he was always proud that nothing in his 30 years of his life had aroused a romantic feeling....he was proud of the fact that he didn't have a single romantic bone in his body... But here he was admiring her....her waist chain...a thin silvery thing that clung to her waist, sat on that feminine curve proudly running all round her dainty little kamar, slithering on her silky skin and he just wanted to hold it in his hand, "God he needed to get away from her and get away from her fast!!"

Then she came to a stop and turned and said "Anjaliji is sitting there" and she was pointing to the first row and gave him a half smile and started entering the second row, he noticed she was sitting beside Lavanya and Nk. He just nodded and moved towards his Di, preparing himself for a where were you Chote speech.

Like he expected he was lovingly threatened by his Nani and his Di to not move from his seat till the program was over, he obliged he knew he would miss this just a minuscule in the 8 weeks he was going to be away from them. Just as he was thinking that the next program was announced, it was some songs by one of the top singers in the film industry...Bollywood songs....hmmm... He can space out for sometime now and think about what ideas he was going to pitch to his new client in LosAngeles.

The music for the song started and along with it started a lot commotion around him, Garima aunty's eyes widened in a circle and she looked scared...next he heard a loud "Hai Rae Nandkishore" from buaji and he noticed she held her head in her hand and Shobha aunty had a naughty smile on her lips which she shared with her husband. He also noticed Sashiji had a knowing smile on his lips. ASR was curious and he noticed so was the rest of his family, except of course the latest addition he saw Payal was holding her lips in trying not to giggle.... "What the heck was going on....?"

Buaji turned to the second row, "Nandkishore ki kasam sankadevi agar Tum ne...." Before she could complete her kasam he heard it... A loud mind numbing whistle from behind him followed by one more just to emphasize the first... And the jaws of all the Raizadas dropped and hit the floor...he couldn't believe it did she just.... He had to see it to believe it... So he turned and there she was standing in the row behind him just diagonal to where he was sitting and hugging herself with joy and then her fingers went up to her lips and there came out the whistle again.... And the mighty ASR was floored....who knew for all his class the girl who would awe him was a girl who could whistle her joy to the world.

Then he heard giggling beside him and he moved his eyes away from her to see his sister almost falling off her seat her eyes filled with mirth, laughter and happiness... Just for this he would forgive her...just for seeing his sister so happy, he saw his Nani was in a similar state. Then he saw his mami get out of her seat and throw her usual class maintain act to the wind and blow a loud whistle too...he had never seen his family like this...yes she had seen them happy... But not like this, this was going to be etched in his memory.

He turned back to see her pulling Lavanya out of her seat and they started swinging to the song... That is when it hit him... This was all about the song... So he diverted his attention to the singer who was swaying just like the two beautiful girls swinging to his song... It was going something like this "ooh ho Jane Jaana doonde tuje deewana sapno mein roz aaye aa zindagi mein aana sanam....."

He turned his attention back to her by now she had Molly cuddled a very enthusiastic Mr.Singhania to sway to the tune by placing her hands on his shoulders and guiding him to the correct rhythm, the beat of the song picked up and the dancers were dancing now and she had set the rhythm for the whole family to be swaying to by now and he noticed they were all thoroughly enjoying it..

He just continued to watch her in awe...this girl could topple the balance in his world in a split second and then she would turn around and bring it back to its happiest peak in an even lesser amount of time....she was wonderful....but.....she could be potentially highly dangerous at the same time....

She just hugged herself and then threw the singer or someone or everyone on stage a loud smooching flying kiss...and said loudly "I love you...." And it brought ASR out of his musings and he saw red, did she just say "I love you to that crazily dressed, crazy haired singer?"

Before he could finish his raging thoughts he heard "I love you Salmanji".....now he really saw red...she even knew his NAME!!!... How did they know each other? How long have they known each other? She was saying I love you in front of her family so they were aware of her love... Did they approve...he looked at Sashiji first, he was sitting laid back and enjoying his daughters happines....looks like they approve...God what was going on....ASR did not think it was a good idea to leave the country tonight...he had to fix this issue....NOW

 

....Hope you enjoyed it... the night is till young more ASR-Khushi(not Arnav- khushi...yet) coming your way soon...before he leaves for 8 weeks...