Part 19

“What the!!” Arnav said as the door on the passenger side of his car swung open and in jumped NK on to the passenger seat.

“Nannav mere bhai please.. please… don’t say no…” NK was literally begging

“Say no to what?? NK.” Arnav asked with controlled temper.

“I have to be on a date with Lavanya and there are no cars or drivers left in the house. Di and Maasi have taken one to go shopping for the dhoka ceremony tomorrow. Nani has taken one to some party with her friends(Satsang). I don’t know where Aakash is but he left in his car when I was getting ready. There is only one car left in the house and no driver. I am sure if I drive in Delhi’s traffic either I will kill someone or I will get myself killed…..please Nannav please take me out for my date today…” NK explained breathlessly

“NK I am going out on a date myself…” Arnav explained exasperated

“ooh that’s even better Nannav.. you can go on your date to the same restaurant… it will be perfect..” NK settled in the seat and pulled on the seat belt and looked at Nannav who was looking at him like he was crazy and said

“Come on Nannav.. I don’t want Lavanya to wait for me.”

Arnav sighed giving up and put the car in gear and asked “We will pick up Sanaa on the way. Which restaurant?”

NK answered him as Arnav dialed the restaurants number for a reservation, yes it was an exclusive restaurant and you needed a reservation. But no one would say no to ASR. Just like he thought the manager had gushed over the phone about how it was a privilege to host ASR at their place that evening and assured him that everything will be to his liking. ASR told the manager the time he will be there and then cut the call and dialed Sanaa’s number to tell her about the change in plans and asked her to be ready and in her parking lot in exactly 12 minutes as he was not coming up to her flat today.

“Nannav .. isn’t Sanaa the girl you invited to last year’s Diwali party at home and Nani was very angry with you.” NK asked trying to remember how the girl looked; he just remembered that she wore a very very short inappropriate dress for a Diwali party.

“mmm” was the answer that Nannav gave.

Arnav remembered how disastrous that evening was, Sanaa had invited herself to the party at home. It was too late for Arnav to correct it as by the time he had come downstairs she was already introducing herself to the guests as his Girlfriend. Nani had held it together till the guests left and had thundered on him about his values.

He understood where Nani comes from. He understood she was thinking that there were still girls who respected culture and stuff out there in this world. He hated to bring reality in front of her in her old age. Those times were gone where girls waited patiently to find their life partner and reserve every right over their mind, body and soul for that special someone. Boys were even worse nowadays, at least he was trying to make his relationship with Sanaa work, though he saw no future for it.

Nani thinks Sanaa doesn’t have his best interests at heart, she says that Sanaa will only be there by his side as long as he can support her life style. He knows that Sanaa is a clever woman and that she is putting up with him only because of his wealth and power but isn’t that life? Isn’t that what all couples do? Even if it’s an arranged marriage they look at the boys and the girl’s financial and social status and fix the match. Just because the elders are out of the equation the basics don’t change.

It was simple. Sanaa was putting up with his arrogant personality and his temper because of his wealth and his power. He was putting up with her whining as she was a social butterfly and will grace his business parties with him and act and manage herself in a way that did his business good. The s*x of course was enjoyable. It was that simple.

 Nani wanted him to get married.. she doesn’t understand that the loyalties that hold a marriage together don’t exist anymore. She said that she was even ready to accept Sanaa if she saw love in his eye’s for Sanaa or love in Sanaa’s eyes for him. What Crap!!.. Nani will not accept that there is no such thing called love, it is just an over abused term by the acting world and the hormonal teenage world.

Anyway, he had told Nani that night that he was never getting married and that Sanaa will be his girlfriend till either Sanaa or himself decide to call it quits. Nani had not spoken to him for months after that and it had taken all of Di’s, Jeejaji’s, Mami’s and Aakash’s cajoling techniques to get her to forgive him… temporarily. He knew the topic will come up again and this time it was going to be a war.

He stopped in Sanaa’s parking lot and saw that she was ready and waiting… she understood him so well… what else does he need…..

***********************

NK dashed out of the car as soon as they came to a halt in front of the restaurant causing Sanaa to look at him with raised eye brows. He just shook his head and shrugged as an answer to her unasked question of “What is wrong with him?”

They got out of the car as the valet opened the door for Sanaa and he walked to her side and she put her hand on his arm as he handed the car keys to the valet and took the token from him. The doorman saluted them with extra effort to which Arnav nodded in response and Sanaa ignored as usual.

He and Sanaa were escorted to their table by the manager himself who served them champagne of the best quality which the manager insisted was on the house. ASR nodded and complimented the manager on the new changes in arrangements of the restaurant and then dismissed the manager with another nod. He picked up his champagne glass and was about to look at Sanaa when his eyes caught the most beautiful sight sitting  a little further away from their table and he just stared.

 

Khushi:

 

Sitting there in a dress as bright as the sun and completely lost in some thick book was the girl who created havoc in his mundane existence. The girl from whom ASR wanted to run away from and run towards at the very same time. She looked magnificent in the simple sleeveless yellow anarkali suit. Since the dance program blue had joined his list of favorite colors which was previously just red. Now yellow was making it’s way there.

It was a simple dress with clean cut lines, which outlined her figure to perfection. She had her dupatta on one shoulder and her hair was let loose to fall about her shoulders. He saw and admired her long beautiful hair. He could make out just how silky it was as the restaurant lights were reflecting off of it.

Whenever she moved to turn a page in the book, her hair would disturb her dupatta making it almost fall of her shoulder and she would raise her free hand to adjust the dupatta. Every time she did this his attention was drawn to the length of her arms which were completely exposed to his view as it was a sleeveless dress, her skin looked so soft, he thought if he were to touch her even slightly his rough hands would bruise her. But the idea of him touching her pleased him infinitely.

On one hand she had a thick flat yellow bracelet and on the other she had around a dozen thin red glass bangles, whose clinking he could hear even from this far when she turned the page of her book. It was music to his ears.

He saw that she didn’t seem to be aware of her surroundings and was so engrossed in her book that she didn’t even notice that the waiter had served her a steaming cup of something. Then something more beautiful happened she smiled at the book and tilted her head a little to one side, the lights in the restaurant reflected of something on her nose and there was a sparkle on her nose.

“What is it?” he wanted to find out “Is it a nose ring?” As an answer to his question she moved her head again and there was that sparkle again…”yes it’s a nose ring….it suits her so much…”  his opinion on nose rings changed that very second..

“ASR, shall we order?” he almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Sanaa’s voice cutting through his thoughts. Years of practice of not show casing his emotions came in handy that moment and he just nodded and asked her to order first while he picked up the menu and tried hard to concentrate on what’s written there. When Sanaa was done he ordered the first thing he could read.

**************************

The food hadn’t even come and it was becoming harder and harder for him to concentrate on what Sanaa was saying. He tried not to steal glances at the girl in yellow but it was not in his control any more, his eyes kept moving back to her. She hadn’t even ordered food yet, but was sipping on her beverage every now and then, still completely engrossed in her book.

Just then he saw a little boy of the age of 7-8 who was sitting at the table nearest to her go to her and tap on her shoulder and say something to her. Her expressions changed immediately she laughed and nodded her head in a positive way and said something to the boy. To which the boy went back to his table a beaming smile on his face only to get back to her table with his plate and settle in the chair opposite her.

She closed her book and put it on the table in front of her and talked away to the little boy animatedly and the boy was just as enthusiastically taking part in the conversation. But every few minutes she reminded him about his food by pointing to his plate. He wanted to go there and join them and laugh with them. He wanted to be there beside her holding her hand and enjoying every word she said, just like the boy was doing right now.

“ASR ?? did you hear what I asked?” there was Sanaa’s voice again pulling him away from imagination and bringing him closer to reality.

“What did you say Sanaa?” he asked with a slight frown on his face

“I said look at that girl there how she has no dress sense at all… wearing a cheap Indian suit to such a prestigious restaurant. These restaurants, I tell you, shouldn’t allow people who are not dressed to a particular standard… What do you say ASR?” Sanaa asked

His blood started boiling, he tried to reason with himself “Why are you getting irritated with your girl friend over a girl who you have not even met officially?” but his anger was not coming under check.

He didn’t know what he would have yelled at Sanaa when he heard someone else answer for him.

 “It’s a restaurant in the capital of India, whose employees are all Indian and it serves Indian cuisine. I don’t see anything wrong with a person wearing an Indian outfit to this place.” said the girl in dusky complexion dressed in the latest western wear.

Arnav saw her hand was entwined with NK’s and knew he had just met Lavanya Kashyap. As he stood up to greet Lavanya, he saw Sanaa size Lavanya up. He saw Sanaa taken in Lavanya’s expensive attire and notice Lavanya’s  hand in NK’s hand and Sanaa’s stance changed immediately. He saw Sanaa’s frown at Lavanya’s reply to her previous question turn into a overly sweet smile and Sanaa said “I didn’t mean Indian outfit, I meant her choice of color… look at that color it hurts my eyes. It’s like a piece of the sun is sitting there, how can she wear that color?”

Arnav was ready to blow up but he was caught off guard when he saw the look in Lavanya’s eyes. Lavanya’s glance was cold so cold that an involuntary chill went up Arnav’s spine, it was like Lavanya was throwing iced daggers at Sanaa. Lavanya smiled at Sanaa if that could be called a smile, it was like somebody had held Lavanya’s cheeks and forcefully pulled her lips into a smile.

“It’s her complexion.” Lavanya said simply as if that was the obvious answer

“Excuse me…” Sanaa said confusedly

“You know she can wear that dress and make it look good because of her flawless complexion and texture of her skin, for the likes of which many people waste tons of money and achieve nothing.” She took a pause and continued “And anyway all the men in this restaurant don’t seem to agree with you. If you observe, all of them are glancing at her more often than they are looking at their companions for the evening.” Lavanya finished coolly looking straight into Sanaa’s eyes as if to say “You want to have another round go ahead.”

Arnav saw this exchange with interest; His senses though went into high alert at Lavanya’s last sentence. He looked around the restaurant and saw that Lavanya was right more men were throwing glances at her every few minutes. He had this urge to personally chuck every male out of this restaurant with his own bare hands.

“Nobody is allowed to secretly admire her but him.” He decided

He immediately realized what he was thinking and pondered “Why does she always bring out these extreme impulses in me?”

 He brought back his focus to the present company and saw Lavanya looking at Sanaa with a challenge in her eyes that said “Come on try me”.

She was something this Lavanya… She will be good for NK, he approved. He also made a metal note to not to mess with NK’s better half. He gave Lavanya a genuine smile as she turned to him and took her hand in his and said “Arnav Singh Raizada at your service.”

Her features changed from that of the ice queen she had become for Sanaa to a slightly warmer look and said “Dr.Lavanya Kashyap, nice to meet you ASR. I am a big fan of your fashion house.”

NK butted in just then and said “We wanted to know if you would like to join us for dinner.”

Arnav noticed how Lavanya looked away and felt she wasn’t too interested in the idea of all of them dining together so he said “No we have already ordered and we need to discuss some business too. You guys carry on. NK just give me a ring when you are ready to leave.”

Lavanya and NK had nodded at him and left from their table, Arnav noticed how Lavanya hadn’t even glanced at Sanaa after their initial interaction “She is definitely something…NK’s Lavanya…” he thought

But the very next moment he cursed himself to hell, as he saw Lavanya and NK walk right to her table and she had looked up at them and smiled her thousand watt smile. He saw NK and Lavanya joining her at her table as the waiter came to take their order.

“Ofcourse they were friends weren’t they.. his family had talked nonstop about it and his stupid brain had forgotten that little detail. A little detail which would have taken him close enough to her to know her choice of perfume.” He cursed himself some more

He forced himself to listening to Sanaa as there was nothing else to do, as now NK and Lavanya were blocking his view of her.

Arnav Singh Raizada realized he had just missed the opportunity of a life time.