Part 10

Dinner buffet was opened and people started filling their plates and eating at the circular tables that had been laid out. Anjali, Dadi and Aakash were sitting together when a familiar face joined them.

“Namaste Auntyji, how are you?” Anajli asked and though Aakash didn’t remember her he followed suit and asked them, as his sister was nudging him under the table.

The lady smiled and replied “I am fine beta, how are you two?” settling down at their table with her companion.

“Namaste Maaji, how are you? I am to Delhi especially for this engagement but I wanted to visit you before I left, I have to talk to you about something important.” The lady said addressing Naniji now, while holding Nani’s hand in hers.

“Namaste Nalini bitiya, I am fine. You know you can come any time to our house. It will be nice to catch up on things with you.” Nani said giving her hand a little squeeze.

“Maaji, this is Mrs.Singhania, her husband is also a well known businessman in Delhi just like Arnav bitua, I am staying at her house from tonight till I leave tomorrow evening to Lucknow.” Nalini introduced her companion, a fine looking lady in a light blue silk saree.

Aakash had guessed by now, why he couldn’t recognize her, she must be one of their old acquaintances from Lucknow. After that Aakash didn’t listen to much of what was being said as he became busy trying to find Payal among the guests. “Payal” such a lovely name, if only he could know more about her. Just as Aakash thought that, 

“KHUSHI BITIYA!!” he heard someone from his table call out loudly, it was Mrs.Singhania.

“KHUSHI BITIYA!!” she called again

Aakash immediately looked in the direction Mrs.Singhania was looking and he saw a flash of fast moving red color come to a dead halt and look tentatively around her.

“KHUSHI BITIYA, here,” Mrs.Singhania was waving her hand.

Khushi spotted them and moved towards the table with a huge smile on her face. When she reached there she bent and hugged Mrs.Singhania really tight,

“Shobha aunty, I haven’t seen you for months, how are you? How is uncle? Is he here?”

Shobha smiled fondly at the girls greeting and hugged her back with love and patted her head.

“We were out of town bitiya, your uncle’s business expansion, we got back last week, will visit tomorrow. Your uncle can’t wait to eat your jelabi’s. How are Shashiji and Garima?” 

“Everyone is fine, aunty, I will have a fresh batch ready tomorrow morning.”

Shobha turned to the others at the table and said “This is Dr.Khushi, her dad and my husband has been friends for the longest time.”

Khushi said her Namastes to everyone and gave an extra big smile to Nani. Nani said “I have met her already.” And then went on to explain what had happened to the others.

Anjali got up and gave a warm hug to Khushi and said a teary thank you. Khushi explained that it was nothing major at all.

“That’s how our Khushi  is, she is the best at everything she does, studies, job, cooking, being naughty, dancing…Khushi, you said you were arranging a charity show on behalf of some organization to fund modern medical equipment, did it go well?” she asked frowning to remember their last conversation from few months ago.

“Aunty that’s why I love you so much, you never forget anything important, the show is this Saturday evening, are you free aunty?” counter enquired Khushi

“I will make myself free Khushi, get me two tickets,” Khushi jumped with joy surprising her new friends but Shobha didn’t react much she was used to Khushi’s antics.

“I have them right here!!” she said with happiness filled in her voice, opening her clutch and pulling out a book that looked like a check book. Pulled out two tickets and handed them to Shobha aunty and said “Aunty I will collect the money later, no need for it now.”

Nani was not going to let this opportunity to meet this wonderful girl again go through her fingers, she spoke up “Bitiya, I would also like to attend this show, I am sure you have done a great job arranging everything.”

“Yes, yes I would like to come too,” Anjali joined in.

Khushi looked very uncomfortable, she didn’t want them to buy the tickets to please her and this was not the place to sell tickets by explaining about what will happen to their money and all. She looked at Shobha aunty for help.

Shobha aunty smiled knowingly and said “Khushi, you are not doing business, it’s for charity you should not feel bad about being aggressive for a charity, if your uncle had known about this earlier, he would have forced all his staff to buy out the show. You know how much he loves to see you dance.”

“Khushi bitiya will dance? Now I will not leave without tickets bitiya.” Nani said

Khushi obliged and pulled out two tickets, Aakash was about to say that he would join too, when

“Khushiji, if you are dancing I am sure all our family would love to come and watch. Please give us 6 tickets.” Anjali said counting out her husband as he will be out of town and determinedly counting her brother in. She had a plan to blackmail him to attend the show. She had a good feeling about this, she wanted strengthen their relations with this girl, what better way to achieve it but by having her whole family for backup.

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Why does he have to attend this, just send this doctor girl some gift and that should be the end of it, thought ASR frustatedly tying the tie around his neck, pulling it a little too hard and almost chocking himself. Di had made proper use of her blackmailing skill on him with words like “don’t you want to thank her for saving our nani!!”, “don’t you understand what she has done for the family?” etc etc. untill he gave in to attend some charity show, he even offered to write a big check in exchange for being left alone, but his Di cleverly miss understood him and took the check and also made him part of the party that was going to attend the stupid show.

It was too late to thrown anymore tantrums now, he pulled out his iphone and checked to see if the charge was 100%, he was going to do work or play angry birds. He was sure nothing will interest him in a cheap charity show.

Boy was he wrong; his life was going to change tonight, for better or for worse... only time will tell...