Payal looked
around the room her mom and Shobha aunty were busy checking if everything they
needed to take with them to the Raizada house were in order and if they had
forgotten anything. She could hear Buaji talking loudly from outside the house
telling their neighbors to come early for the function and telling them how
they were almost ready to leave.
She couldn’t see
or hear her dad but she knew he would be silently running the whole show from
behind, she smiled, she loved her dad, he was the oil that kept her family
running smoothly.
She turned towards
the mirror the green gold lehenga she was wearing was wrapped around her to
perfection, she smiled and thought a benefit of getting married into a family
that owns the top fashion house in the country and also having an over enthusiastic
Sis-in-law. She smiled slightly remembering how Anjali had literally dragged
her to AR Designs so that the engagement dress could be designed just for her
and had pressured the designers to hell because things had to be done at high
speed. But she had to agree Anjaliji had exquisite taste in picking dresses and
models that suit people. If Anjali wanted she could head AR designs with ease,
but she had chosen to become a home maker. Payal remembered she was going to
meet the very loved damaad of the Raizada house today.
Payal's dress imagne Payal's hair though:
Things had moved
very fast after Payal and Aakash had had that lunch exactly five days back. She
remembered their conversation with a smile, she had come directly to the point
she was not the type of person to beat around the bush.
She had looked at
him and said “Aakash, if you marry me you will be marrying my family too. We are
both girls and my parents will need their son-in-laws to become their sons and
support them when they need it. I promise, your family will hold the same value
as my family in my opinion.. but I need you to tell…”
Aakash had cut her
off then and said “Payal when I saw you the first time I fell in love with your
beauty, when I talked with you I fell in love with your personality and your
strength, when I met your family there was no going back for me Payal….I look
up to your dad, I always wished I had a mom like yours caring and loving, loved
your aunt who can handle My mom with ease, don’t get me wrong… I adore my mom..
but you have to agree she is not the most maternal nor is she soft spoken….and
last but not least… I adore your little sister…I love her craziness…ofcourse I
pity the man who will take that responsibility… but she is the sibling I never
got..”
“When are getting
engaged?” Payal cut him off, she had heard enough and seen in his eyes that he
was not kidding.
And after that he
had reached out and held her hand in his gently but firmly giving reassurance
that everything will be fine and she loved taking strength from him, in her
family she was always the strong one it felt good to have someone to lean on.
Then she felt it her life is going to be linked with this man from this second
and he was willing to take on not only but her family too. She loved him just
for that.. she thanked Devi Maiyya for this wonderful blessing.
The engagement was
hurried along as ASR was leaving the country and it was decided that the
engagement was to be held before he left and the marriage date was fixed 8
weeks later when he would return from his trip.
Hmm… her Jethji…a
very complex man…. Payal always found it easy to read people but ASR was a
puzzle to her, It was easy to read good people, it was easy too to read bad
people but it was very hard to read people who were in the grey area in between
the good and the bad…and he was definitely one of them….and he seemed to be
interested in her little sister… Payal hadn’t had enough time to think about
what she felt about that… but after today she will try to pry into Khushi’s
thoughts…
Payal frowned
remembering how Khushi had been very preoccupied since the day they had gone
out to that lunch… she needed to find out what was bothering her… Payal had
already tried a few times but circumstances were not letting the two sisters be
alone.
THUD…
Payal looked up in
the mirror and saw the object of her thoughts walk in banging the door open and
marching straight up to her and hugging her from behind and looking in the
mirror and saying “Jiju is going to flip out of his mind today Jiji.. you look
out of this world !!”
“You look very
beautiful too Khushi..” Payal said cupping her little sister’s cheek in her
palm still looking in the mirror.
“She would look
even more beautiful if she wore the lehenga that the Raizada’s sent for her.”
said Shobha who was now looking at the two sisters with love.
“They sent it with
so much love Khushi you can’t insult them like that” Garima stepped in.
Khushi pouted and
said “The choli is too low cut amma, I won’t be comfortable, I will explain it
to Anjaliji and Naniji when I meet them.”
Payal frowned she
had seen the red lehenga that had been delivered for Khushi, she didn’t think
it was too low cut, but she would never pressure Khushi into doing anything
Khushi didn’t want especially not for wearing a silly dress. Designer dress or
not her little sister always looked mind blowing like she was doing right now
in her white lehenga.
So she looked at
her sister and smiled reassuringly but Payal’s thoughts were racing … WHITE…
something was wrong… Khushi loved color, she didn’t like either white or black…
she said white was joyless and black was downright depressing… Payal frowned…so
was Khushi joyless… she took a deep breath and decided now was not the time but
tomorrow she was taking Khushi out to dinner and finding out what was bothering
her.
*******************************
He felt restless, he
pulled his tie little harder, which turned out to be a little too hard and he
almost choked and started coughing. He hated feeling like this he was he always
felt in control of any situation but now he felt he couldn't even control his
own emotions. Emotions..... My god he couldn't remember the last time he had
felt any emotion other than anger and pride..... Mostly anger...but now since
he had laid eyes on her he has been caught in a whirlpool of emotions...lust,
jealousy, possessiveness, little doses of happiness, little doses of laughter,
explosive anger, helplessness... And that one emotion that he could not name
that particular emotion that made his heart beat increase....just made it go
one DHAK-DHAK faster...that one emotion that made his breath get caught in his
chest...that one emotion that was with him since the time she stepped into his
world.
He didn't give a damn
about anybody's opinion ...but he wouldn't let a chit of a girl judge his
...actions...no way in hell!! He was going to show her her place today... How
dare she?... He was going to show her that he gave a rats ass for her
opinions..he just didn't care. He took a deep breath and said "I will show
her." And as if to make a point to himself he pulled the damn tie a little
bit harder and started coughing again...
When he recovered from
his choking attack he checked his reflection in the mirror to see if he was
dressed to the standard to be the man of the Raizada empire and the host to his
little brothers engagement. He took a deep breath and walked out of the room to
face her... Yes he knew she was here... His racing heart was proof enough for him.
*******************************************
"Payalji, you are
looking beautiful..." Anjali said..."my brother is a lucky
man...beauty with brains.... What else could one ask for?"
"Nazar zaroor
vuthaar lena Payal bitiya ki" Nani said to Garima looking at Payal
lovingly.
Payal just smiled in
reply and looked at the ground... No she was not shy, but yes she was
embarrassed by the overwhelming praise she was receiving. She wished that
Khushi would come quickly and divert the scene...probably by having one of her
world famous accidents...."ooh God Payal you are praying that your sister
have a little tumble because you can not handle a little bit of praise and
attention??"
She
looked up sharply worried at the direction her thoughts were taking and looked
around for Khushi just to make sure some God didn't end up granting her wish.
“Payalji I know
who you are looking for…” said Anjali in a teasing tone and continued “he is in
the mandir in the house taking devi maa’s blessings before the function
starts.. mami is with him…they will be here soon.” And finished her teasing
with a wink.
Payal was red
right now, too embarrassed to be misunderstood but feeling cornered she could
only say “No..I was ….. Khushi….” Anjali and Nani looked around and said “Where
is Khushiji?”
“She is outside
getting the things from the car.” Shaobha said entering with her hands full
with items to present to the Raizada’s and Anjali lead her to the place to put
them.
**********************************
“Khushi Kumari
Gupta… why are you running away from him…why does it matter?? Why do you even
care that he used to be intimate with other girls…what is he to you…nothing
absolutely nothing…so get over it, you have no right to feel anything about
anything in his life…get that into your thick head.. Now go inside and enjoy
your sister’s important day” Khushi was mumbling away to herself and the guests
going in were throwing glances her trying to figure out what she was saying and
to whom.
She took a deep
breath to numb the pain in her heart and to steady that one DHAK DHAK …the one
that meant that HE was close…
