Part 9

“Yes , yes, yes that’s mee!!”  Aakash’s brain was yelling with joy.

But no matter how much he tried no words were coming out of his mouth. So he did the next best thing he nodded his head.

“Could I speak to you alone for a moment please?” she enquired

Aakash thought he had just died and gone to heaven and the apsara in front of him was granting his wishes for being a good boy on earth. He nodded again as a reply to her question. She smiled at him, gestured with her head asking him to follow her and then turned and started walking away from him. He just followed her as if she had him on a leash.

She led him towards the stairs and stopped and looked around to see that nobody was too close to hear their conversation and said

“Hi, your grandmother is not feeling very well.” When she saw his alarmed look she continued “Nothing to worry about, her BP was a little high and she needed rest. So she is lying down and relaxing. Doctor has checked her and has given her BP medication. She is already feeling much better and I am sure by now the medicine would have kicked in and she should be feeling just fine.” She assured the visibly shaken Aakash in front of her without breaking eye contact so that he feels reassured.

“Your grandmother didn’t want to worry your sister unnecessarily and that’s why I had to tell you this privately. Now if you follow me I will take you to her.” Payal started walking up the stairs.

Aakash felt like in a second he was pulled out of his heaven and chucked into hell. He had to see his Dadi was the only thought in his head as he followed her up the stairs.

When they entered the room he had eyes only for his Dadi, he almost ran to her side, she was sitting up in bed and leaning on the pillows behind her back. When he reached her he held both her hands in his and gushed “Dadi, are you ok? What happened? Shall I call the ambulance? I have to inform bhai. ”

Dadi just smiled at him and said “I am more than fine, Aakash bitua, nothing to worry; I just forgot my medication last night. There is no need to inform your brother he will turn this function into a circus.”

Aakash looked at her more probingly to see if she was just acting to be fine so that he does not get worried. When his heart was reassured that she was indeed feeling ok, he pulled her into a hug and said “Dadi please don’t scare me like that ever again. Forgot your medication did you, let’s see you try and stop Bhai this time from appointing a nurse to be by your side at all times.” and broke away from the hug.

Dadi frowned at his words, Aakash was right when Arnav gets to know about this she will be forced to accept his changes in her life style. She started to mentally prepare herself to face her formidable grandson, she was his Nani and there is no way she will give in without a fight. She looked at her grandson before her who was looking at her as if she was a fragile doll and smiled at him and said “ Aakash bitua, I am perfectly alright now. I was taken care by these wonderful doctors, how will I not be fine?”

It was only then that Aakash became aware of the other people in the room. He looked around to see three women standing at the other side of the bed and looking at him and his Dadi quietly. All three of them were beauties in their own right but his heart beat only for one.

“Thank you so much for taking care of her. I am very grateful.” he said standing up and facing them.

“Me and my family are indebted to you.” he finished conveying his thoughts and then continued after a pause “Does she need to go to the hospital?”

“There is no need Mr.Raizada. She is perfectly fine now, she can even go downstairs now and enjoy the function. But I would suggest you leave early, it will be good for her to get more sleep today. And make sure she doesn’t take her BP medication tonight, we have already given her the dosage for today.” Payal replied

Khushi saw Nani looking at Payal questioningly and she realized what Nani was thinking and grinned broadly and said “Auntyji she is also a doctor .”

Nani burst into laughter at that, and said between laughs “Bitiya, isn’t today my lucky day, first I faint in the arms of a doctor and that too at a place where there is no shortage of doctors.”

Everybody else in the room also grinned, happy to see the old lady laughing. Aakash moved towards the girls and held out his hand to Lavanya as she was the nearest to him and said “Hi, I am Aakash Singh Raizada and that is my Dadi Devyani Singh Raizada.” Lavanya took his hand and replied “Hi, I am Dr.Lavanya Kashyap.” she pointed at Khushi and Payal and  said “This is Dr.Khushi Kumari Gupta and that is Dr.Payal Gupta” she introduced the other two. Both Khushi and Payal held their palms together and said “Namaste.”

Aakash immediately joined his palms and said “Namaste.” Nani who was watching all this said lovingly “Your names are as beautiful as you girls.”

“Khushi and Payal are you related?” she asked

“We are sisters.” they replied in unison.

“Wonderful just wonderful.” Nani expressed her joy.

“Aakash lets go down before your sister starts worrying.” And got up from the bed with Aakash’s help turned to the girls and said “Come lets go down, I am so sorry that you missed the function because of me.”

“Your health is definitely more important than a function Auntyji.” replied Khushi

Dadi smiled and nodded and said “God Bless you, bitiya”

They all came down Dadi with Aakash helping her and the girls behind them. When they reached the end of the stairs, the music started and people started dancing, Khushi literally jumped in joy and ran towards the people who were dancing.

Khushi joined in and started dancing. Lavanya and Payal exchanged a knowing smile and excused themselves form Aakash and Dadi as they had spotted a couple of their acquaintances.

Dadi and Aakash reached Anjali. When Anjali asked them where they were Aakash explained everything and Anjali threw a fit. Dadi calmed her down by assuring her multiple times that she was ok.

Not once during all this did Dadi take her eyes of Khushi for longer than required. There was something in that girl, she was beautiful, yes, but there was something more that had most of the people in the hall looking at and enjoying her dance and smile. Whatever it was Dadi wanted more of it around her. If only she could convince her grandson to marry, she would have got them engaged right her and married them off tomorrow. If only….