Valley of Flowers

Chapter 7

NEXT morning, the Raizada family set out for the Shiv-Gowri mandir for the pooja. Sitting in the backseat of Anjali 's car, Arnav furiously typed into his lap top, completely irked with Nani for roping him into going to the temple. She had given him an emotionally charged speech about the pooja being done for the well-being of Akash and would be successful only if all the family members were present. The older she got, the better she was getting at emotional blackmail, he thought to himself.

He was also uncomfortable that he was not driving but had decided against arguing about it. Shyam was at the wheel of the car while Anjali sat in the passenger seat and as the car chauffeured by Mohan left the driveway, he began to wonder what was keeping them when the door on the other side opened.

'Sorry Di, Ashu was being a brat at breakfast.' Khushi entered the car and looked as surprised as him. His heartbeat quickened at the sight -- She looked like sunshine in a saree.

The saree, a dark shade of yellow with red buttas all over it, had an unusual combination of bronze, red and pink in the border and a matching red blouse lined with a thin bronze border. She had braided her long and lustrous dark hair, but a few wayward strands had managed to escape from their confines, curving delicately on her smooth ivory cheeks. She wore red jhumkas and red bangles, but wore only a simple gold chain on her neck, exposing the long column of her creamy throat.

Damn! He had to stop thinking about her like this. But he seemed to be having a hard time since their tryst in the enchanted garden the previous night, where they had snatched a few moments of heart stopping rapture.

She began nervously pulling on her pallu in an oddly unconscious gesture, drawing an onlooker's attention to the very part of her delectable anatomy she was trying to hide. Delectable?

He probably had a masochistic streak in him that made him accept his Nani's speech, knowing that the moron she was going to marry would be standing next to her, taking blessings for their impending nuptials. F@#$!

When they reached the temple, Anjali turned around to Khushi. 'Khushi, why don't you and Arnav get off here and get the thaal ready for the pooja? We will park the car and join you soon.'

Khushi and Arnav went toward the stall and Khushi handed over the plate to the man and asked him to prepare it.

'So all preparations are being done to get you hitched to NK.' He observed sardonically.

'Today we are here for jeejaji, Arnav.' Khushi said quietly, ignoring his sarcasm.

'You do this so well Khushi.'

'What?'

'This switching from Arnav to Arnavji. Is it so easy for you to pretend?'

Her eyes blurred at the insult and she snatched the plate from the man and began to walk angrily toward the temple and in her hurry tripped over a stone protruding from the ground, injuring her toe badly. She sat on the steps of the temple clutching her foot.

'Khushi,' Arnav kneeled down to look at her toe. F@#$! It was all his fault for irking her. 'Are you alright?'

'I will be, in just a minute.' Khushi began to collect everything that had fallen to floor and put them on the plate. 'Oh! The man forgot to give the sindoor!'

Arnav stood up. 'I will go get it. Stay right there.'

When he came back, he saw Khushi sitting with her head on her knee. He knelt down and put his hand on her head. 'Does it hurt a lot?' He asked her his eyebrows creased with concern. 'Do you want to go back home?'