CHAPTER 5
The morning rays splayed across Khushi's face defining her features and making her skin glow! Though this site would've appealed to any man , Khushi was feeling irritated.
"Jiji! Switch off the lights!", she mumbled.
When she got no response she bagan mumbling again," Jiji let me sleep....switch off the lights na...Jiji?" Khushi grouped for Payal on the bed and on finding it empty she slowly opened her eyes to look. She shifted her gaze from the bed to the window and saw the light streaming in. She rubbed her eyes and then sat up all of a sudden!
"Hai re devi maiyya! Subah ho gayi? Jiji ne hame utaya kyun nahi??"
She heard her buaji take her name from the kitchen,"Arre oh sanka devi...subah ho gayi..utto!!"
"Ayyi buaji!"
Khushi changed and went to the kitchen to find her buaji busy with some preparations .
"Buaji, what are you doing?"
"Arre titliya..you've woken up?I am going to the temple for shiv rathri pooja. And I'm decorating the thaal for the very same! Payal has gone to the market to get flowers !"
"Shiv rathri! Oh how could I forget? May I also accompany you?"
"Arre kyun nahi!"
"I'll go get ready then."
Just then Payal enters with the flowers. "Khushi? Your awake?"
"Yes jiji and I'm going to get ready for the pooja. What a start in a new town jiji! I'm sure our stay here is going to be first class!", mused Khushi. Little did she know...
"Yes and you should too Payaliya" said buaji."I'm almost done here and then we can leave."
Payal nodded and she and Khushi retired to their room to change.
Meanwhile in the Raizada Mansion,
"Chote ,come fast...we have to leave soon else we'll be stuck in the traffic.. Hurry up!"
"Coming di!"
Arnav shuffles down in his office wear and Anjali immediately chides him,"Chote we are going to the temple. Atleast wear an Indian attire today? "
"Di please. Firstly I'm coming only for your sake and you know I dont believe in all this. So please di!"
"Acha ! alright alright! Aakash , nani, mami, chaliye, lets go."
The Raizadas leave in two vehicles Arnav driving one with Anjali in it and Aakash driving the other with the rest.It was Arnav's idea of takin two cars so that he could drop his sister off at the temple and then escape to his second home...his office! He never found the temple interesting. He couldn't understand how people spent spent so much time and money on stone idols! He was yet to see that the temple was to hold interesting sights for him today!
Khushi and Payal stepped outof their room ,looking like princesses. Khushi was wearing a deep violet sari with a golden blouse. she had two pearl droplets on her ear and her hands were adorned with bangles that matched her saree. Payal on the other hand was dresses in a magenta saree with a green blouse. She was looking equally stunning! Buaji got emotional on seeing her nieces and marked them each with a black dot to protect them from the evil eye!
They set out in a rickshaw towards the temple.
Owing to their fortune and the obvious speed of their cars , the Raizadas reached the temple much before the Guptas.
As soon as anjali got out of the car she turned to Arnav,"Chote, I need you to do something for me."
Anjali Singh Raizada was in all ways Arnav's elder sister and she knew exactly what Arnav was thinking.
"Go to that shop and get me a thall some flowers and some holy thread....fast. The pooja is about to start."
She turned around and walked up the steps before Arnav could react.
Caught at his little escapade Arnav had no choice but to follow his di's orders.
"Ah well! I can leave once I give her the thaal "'he thought....or so he wished!
Arnav was buying the required from a shopkeeper when the Guptas arrived. Arnav had his back to them but as it had happened the night before, Arnav felt a soft breeze and a light humming indicating Khushi's presence.
"Rubbish! She can't be here.". thought Arnav, while right behind him Khushi was arguing with the auto driver about the fare!
"But it doesn't hurt to look right?",thought Arnav again. Khushi had turned but her pallu got stuck in the auto.
"Oh! please... I don't want to see her!",mumbled Arnav. Khushi turned back to the auto and tried to free her pallu, to no avail!
" One peek Arnav...come on!" he thought. He turned just in time to see the wisp of a violet pallu float out of sight!
"Darn it! Arnav my lad..you are losing it!",said Arnav to himself and turned back to the shopkeeper.
The Guptas entered the temple and found themselves a seat right behind the Raizadas...not that they knew!
Khushi kept pulling Payal's leg about how some guy outside had been staring at her,and Payal kept shushing her. When it got unbearable Payal whispered threateningly,"Shh Khushi!"
Khushi pouted.
Her name though hadn't gone unheard by Aakash who was seated right in front of them. He turned back and froze to see Payal. Stunned by her beauty , hr couldn't bring himself to say anything!
Payal had seen him too and his unwavering gaze on her made her blush!
They were in their trance when Khushi saw Aakash.
"AAKASHJI!!!". shouted an excited Khushi.
The entire Raizada clan including every other soul present there heard her and turned around to look.
Khushi bit her tongue and looked apologetically at everyone. Payal gulped while Anjali looked from Khushi to Aakash and back to Khushi!
"Hello hi bye bye! Aakash bitwa... is this your friend?" , asked manorama sneering at the cheap taste of jewelry worn by the sisters.
"Ji woh ma... ",he hushed his tone and told Anjali,"Yehi woh hai!"
Mami leaned in to hear and she misunderstood that this was her son's choice of a bride.
"KYA???" she shouted. Now it was her turn to be under the glare of the devotees!
"Issorry!" ,said mami apologetically.
Anjali understood what Aakash was telling her and turned to the sisters and said,"Namaste Khushi ji, Payalji. I am Anjali. Aakash's cousin sister. "
The girls returned the pleasantry and introduced their bua. once the entire Raizada and Gupta clan finished their 'hi, hellos' (excluding Arnav ofcourse) , the pandit began the pooja.
Arnav was there...right behind the two families. He was rooted to the spot.
Arnav had entered and had heard Khushi scream out Aakash's name. It wasn't hard to make out the voice and when his eyes found what it was looking for, he no longer wanted to take them away....much less blink! There she sat his angel....who for now looked like a goddess! Arnav found it hard to move...or breath...or stop his crazy heart from beating so hard!
Finally he gathered himself and sat down behind Khushi. Bad idea! Her bare back exposed due to her low cut blouse was too tempting! Hell this was a temple ...But he couldn't take his eyes off! The entire pooja passed in a daze!
Khushi on the other hand had a strange feeling someone was watching her. Her back burned , but she was too scared to turn! What if it was.....? "No ! no! Khushi...it can't be", she assured herself.
Once the Guptas finished their aarthi (to Anjali's insistence), Arnav stepped forward and gave his sister the thaal.
She smiled and took it from him and did her aarthi as well.
The Guptas who had moved forward by then didn't see Arnav. But his gaze was fixated upon one soul as she moved about the entire temple , exchanging pleasantries with her bua's friends.
Anjali noticed it and smiled to herself. She had to bring these two together. But for that she had to know what was in Khushi's mind as well!
Buaji moved towards Khushi and said,"Oh sanka devi , hamre liye thoda pani le aao "
"ji buaji ",said Khushi moving towards the well.
Anjali saw her opportunity and sent an unsuspecting Arnav to do the same.
Once at the well Khushi found it real hard to get the bucket out of the well.
"Hai devi maiyya, give me the strength." Her prayer was answered immediately as a strong had enveloped hers and pulled the bucket out!
Khushi turned around and her heart went, Dhak! Dhak! Dhak!Dhak!
Arnav stared back at her his eyes locking her hazel ones!
A crow cawed nearby(:P) breaking their trance!
"Aap?" she said.
"Haan woh pani..." said Arnav still mesmerised by her beauty.
Khushi suddenly remembered the previous night and her tone became mocking,"Will you drink the water from this well?"
"Ya..I" Arnav stopped abruptly. He recognised her tone and his features became hard.
Khushi continued," The great Arnav Singh Raizada is going to drink from this petty well? You shouldn't! Who knows what dangerous creatures live in there?". Her eyes bulged out as she exaggerated.
"What the... Who are you to tell me where I can drink and where I cant?"
"Arre! This well is for us poor people. You wouldn't want to drink from this! "
"Shut up Khushi. I want to and I will drink from this well!", said Arnav a finality in his tone.
Khushi lost her patience at his statement," No you won't!" she said ,angering him more
"Yes ,I will ",said Arnav. He took a glass and poured some water into it and brought it to his lips to drink.
Khushi, not wanting to lose the rattle tried to pry it from his hand but ended up sloshing the water all over his clothes!
"What the....???", yelled Arnav. "You didn't .."
Khushi's eyes almost popped out of her sockets. She hadn't wanted this to happen.But she was too full of self pride to admit!
"Yes I did. Waise bhi, you don't come to the temple wearing such clothes. This is devi maiyyas way of telling you..."
Arnav stepped forward menancingly making Khushi move back scared!
"How dare you! These are designer clothes. And who are you to tell me what to wear and what not?"
Khushi regained her composure and said," Haan Haan! Wear what you want to. Angrez chale gaye Arnav Singh Raizada chod gaye!!" saaid Khushi ,the mocking tone back in he voice.
"What the..."
"Kya what the ? what the? Uske aage bhi tho badiye?" ,said Khushi making Arnav fume.
You could almost see the smoke coming out of his ears!
Khushi smirked triumphantly making Arnav all the more furious.
He grabbed the bucket and doused her with the remaining water!
Khushi screamed . and Arnav took back his signature smirk from her . He looked satisfied!
Behind a tree in the corner ,Anjali hit her forehead with her hand and shook her head .
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