Baatein kuch unkahee si

Part 9

Khushi shouted: arnavji!

She kept the bag she was carrying on the floor and ran to arnav.

She placed his head on her lap and rubbed his hands and said: arnavji!! Aankhein kholiye..arnavji..kya hua hai aapko..(arnavji...open your eyes...what happened to you...)

Khushi looked around desperately and saw a jug full of water on the table. She sprinkled some water on him and lifted his head up a bit and said while rubbing his cheeks with her hand: arnavji...

Arnav slowly got back his senses and opened his eyes. His vision was hazy but even in that he could see khushi's tensed and worried face. A small smile curved up his lips unknowingly. Khushi was too tensed to notice that. She was relieved to see him opening his eye. She got a new ray hope. She helped him sit up and rubbed his back and said: arnavji..kya hua tha aapkp? aap thik to hai na...(what happened to you...are you ok?)

He slowly nodded his head saying yes. Khushi helped him stand up and made him sit on his chair and made him drink some water. She kept his head in her arms close to her chest. She then looked at the sweat forming on his forehead and quickly wiped them with her dupatta. All this while arnav kept looking at her. She took off his coat and loosened his tie and said while running her hand through his hair: ab kaisa lag raha hai aapko? (how are you feeling now?)

What a silly thing to ask...thought arnav. How would one feel when he was right in the arms of the woman who ruled his heart ever since they met!! He didn't answer, just kept looking. Not getting an answer khushi looked at him and instantly realised what she was doing. She was holding his head against her chest close to her heart. A shiver ran sown their spines. Embarrassed by the whole thing she slowly left his head, arnav also sat up straight slowly. Khushi looked here and there and her eyes fell on the plate with untouched pizza on it. She immediately understood he had not eaten anything. But she didn't have the courage to look at him. Looking at the other direction Khushi said: aapne khana nehi khaya..hariprakashji ne kaha ki aapne subah bhi nashta bhi nehi kiya..(you didn't have your lunch...hariprakash told me you skipped breakfast as well)

Arnav who was looking elsewhere said: woh bohot kaam tha..isliye..(actually had a lot of work that's why)

Before he could finish his sentence he saw khushi holding some food infront of his mouth. He looked at her once and then slowly opened his mouth while khushi fed him.

Khushi muttered while feeding: aap jantey hain na aapko aapne khane ka dawaai ka dhyaan rakhna chahiye ...itni laparwai kaise kar saktey hai aap..pehele bhi aap aise hi behosh huye they yaad hai na aapko. (you know na that you should take care of your food and medicines ..how can you be so careless...remember you fainted once before as well). Arnav recalled when he had fainted in the kitchen once and khushi helped him.

Like an obedient child arnav listened to everything she said and finished the food. Then he got up and said: khushi let's go.

Khushi followed him to the car. Things had suddenly become very awkward between them. They didn't know what to say and what to do. Arnav thought of breaking the silence.

Arnav: khushi... tum yahaan...I mean.. (khushi..how come you are here...)

Khushi: woh di chahti thi ki hum aapke sath khana khaye isiliye unhone kaha ki...(di wanted us to have dinner together so..)

Arnav mocked: di aur unke romantic ideas! (di and her romantic ideas)

Khushi said in one breath: achha hua di ko aisa khayal...agar hum yahaan samaye se nehi aatey to pata nehi kya ho jaata..aapko ehsaas bhi hai ki jab aapko taklif hoti hai to hum...(good that di thought of this..if I hadn't come then God knows what would have happened...do you even realize when I see you in pain i...)

She turned her face and looked at arnav and stopped midway. His lips had curved up in a small smile seeing her concern. Khushi quickly looked away but arnav didn't miss the redness of her cheeks as she blushed.

She fumbled and corrected herself: ha..hamara matlab tha ki...(I meant that...) but she didn't manage to say anything else

Arnav: woh di se kuch keheni ki zarurat nehi hai bekar mein tension lengi..(don't say anything to do..she will get tensed unnecessarily)

Khushi complained: aap khayal nehi rakhtey hai tabhi to fikar karti hai..aap humse waada kijiye ki aap aapni tabiyat ke sath laparwai nehi karenge. She extended her hand and said: kijiye waada..(you don't take care that's why she worries... you promise me that you will not be careless anymore...promise me)

Another blunder for the evening. She shouldn't have said that. She didn't have the right to....

Realising the same Khushi folded her palm and was taking it back when she heard a faint 'promise' from arnav. She was shocked to the core.

Arnav too was embarrassed. He didn't realise that he would end up saying it aloud, loud enough for khushi to hear. He started the car and headed towards shantivan. Silence ruled again, both of them couldn't help but steal glances at each other. Things were suddenly changing between them. Khushi saw the devi maaiya temple on the way and said: rukiye rukiye...(wait wait)

Arnav applied sudden brakes and said: what the... Kya hua?(what the...what happened?)

Khushi: arnavji do minute rukiye hum abhi aatey hai..(I'll be back in two minutes)

Arnav : wha.. Khu..

She got down and ran before arnav could stop and ask her. He saw her climbing up the stairs of the temple as fast as she could. Suddenly he could see glimpses of old khushi. He smiled.

Khushi went and stood infront of the idol and said: aapka lakh lakh shukar rahe devi maaiya jo aapne arnavji ki raksha ki..woh laad governor to aapna khayal rakhne se rahe, aap unka hamesha raksha karna..(thank you for taking care of arnavji...he would never learn to take care of himself...please protect him always)

She then made a baby face and said: aur haan hamarey beech jo jhagra tha..woh ab khatam... Humey maaf kar dena devi maaiya... Yeh lijiye humne kaan bhi pakdi. She held her ears.(and yes the fight that we had is over now...forgive me..see I am, holding my ears)

Then said: achha devi maaiya hum abhi chaltey hai..zyada der ho gayi to hamesha ki tarah beech raastey mein hi chhor ke chaley jayenge woh laad governor..(I am leaving now..if I get late he will leave me in the middle of the road like always and go)

She ran down and sat in the car.

Arnav raised an eyebrow and said: kaha gayi thi? (where did you go?)

Khushi: sulah karne..(to sort things out)

Arnav asked surprised: sulah? Kiske sath? (sort? With whom?)

Khushi: devi maaiya ke sath (with devi maaiya)

Arnav chuckled and said: what!! Unbelievable.

At night, arnav was getting ready to sleep on the recliner, when khushi said: aap bistar pe so jaaiye..aapki tabiyat thik nehi hai..hum wahaan so jayenge..(you sleep on the bed I will sleep there)

Arnav: no khushi...its ok..main so jaunga..(no khushi its ok...I will sleep there)

Khushi: nehi hum kuch sunna nehi chhatey (I don't want to listen to anything) and tried to push him on the bed and in the process lost balance and fell on him. Arnav's thoughts went haywire and khushi's breathing became heavy sensing the close proximity. After a brief moment, khushi broke the eye contact and looked away shyly. She then tried to get up but couldn't as her dupattaa was stuck. Arnav slowly held her by her waist and helped her up.

He asked: thik ho tum? (are you ok?)

Khushi closed her eyes and nodded her head and went and lied down on the recliner. Ever since their marriage this was the first time when she could feel her heart thumping against her chest as she thought of all those that happened in the evening. She clutched her dupatta tightly against her heart and shut her eyes tightly to compose herself. Arnav on the other hand rested his head on his hand and stared at the ceiling. Khushi's concern, her words, her smile, her blushing.. He smiled to himself and looked at khushi sleeping on the recliner and said: thanks khushi.. before sleep took over him.