Valley of Flowers Chapter 2

KHUSHI sat in the passenger seat of NK’s car, looking out the window, as they crossed the city limits of Delhi. The farmhouse was located on the outskirts, on the Delhi-Jaipur highway.

‘This is one of best times of the year in Delhi, isn’t it?’ NK remarked. It was October and the temperature was pleasant, neither too hot not too cold. The flowering trees were in full bloom and lifted Khushi’s spirits immensely.

‘I am going to have a garden some day.’ Khushi hadn’t realized she had spoken out aloud.

‘We will have to have a gardener then,’ NK laughed. ‘Gardening is something I know nothing about.’

‘I love flowers,’ Khushi continued. ‘Plumaria, Allamanda….,’

‘What?’

‘They are the name of flowering plants Nanheji. I would love to plant all of them. They are simply beautiful. They bring peace to the heart.’

‘You such a sensitive person Khushi,’ NK gave her a sideways look. ‘Don’t worry. Mr Malhotra’s farm house has extensive gardens. You will enjoy it.’

‘That will be wonderful!’ Khushi exclaimed, her face brightening at the prospect.

‘I didn’t know you loved gardens so much,’ NK commented on a note of faint surprise. ‘Did your house have a garden?’

 ‘No, we could never afford to have a garden in our house. Khushi’s heart gave a lurch as images flashed through her mind. ‘A long time ago, I went to a place called Valley of Flowers in Dehradun.’

‘I have heard about this place,’ NK said, ‘So that’s when you started liking flowers so much.’

‘Uh?’ Khushi seemed lost.

Looking at the faraway expression on her face NK said, ‘Khushi, is there something you want to tell me?’

‘What?’ Khushi queried warily.

‘Did someone hurt you in the past?’

‘It doesn’t matter Nanheji.’

‘Khushi, please?’ he persisted.

‘I was just a girl. Very young,’ she shrugged.

‘What happened?’

‘We were from different worlds.’ It felt like a knife was being twisted in her heart.

‘I am sorry for bringing this up.’ He looked at her pale profile, her hands clutching her purse so tight that her knuckles were showing white. But I’ve sensed this all along and I just thought I should ask.’

‘Why should you be sorry?’ She lifted her head, tears swimming in her brilliant hazel eyes. ‘Does this bother you too much?’

‘It bothers me that you have been hurt –scarred. He seems like a cruel person to have affected you so much. Some time I would like you tell me all about it.’

Never, she thought. Never like it was.Her own voice whispering, so painfully young and eager.

I love you I love youArnav had possessed her soul and she had never forgotten; lives that touched briefly, a rapture and a nightmare. Her nights, her dreams filled with malevolent ghosts of the past.

‘Let’s not talk about it,’ she said her mind whirling with images of the past. ‘It was all over a long time ago.’

‘Yet it bothers you so much even now.’ NK pursed his lips in a tight line. ‘Khushi, I hope you are as happy about this marriage as I am.’

‘Khushi, you better accept this proposal, you are not going to get a better boy than Nandakisore.’ Buaji’s shrill voice rang out.

‘But, what’s the hurry Buaji?’

‘What’s the hurry?’ Buaji’s eyes went round as saucers.‘Are you a maharani that people will wait on you? Khushi, you are twenty three already! On top of that you are an actress. Which decent family will take you as their bahu?’

She wanted to tell Buaji that she wasn’t even interested in being taken as a bahu, decent family or not. But she had held her tongue.

Her reticent Amma knew how to push the right buttons. ‘Since the proposal has come from Payal’s mother-in-law’s sister, we have to consider Payal’s position as well. We can’t let her be embarrassed in her sasural.’

‘Absolutely right!’ Buaji agreed. She turned to Khushi. ‘You could have been married five years ago.’ Buaji lamented. ‘The boy from Lucknow ----.’

‘How is it my fault if he was the one who rejected the proposal?’ she reminded her.

‘Like mother like daughter! I am sure he caught an inkling of that mess you ----’

Her Babuji had pushed some books off the side table effectively cutting of Buaji.‘ That is enough jiji. Bitiya,’ he beckoned to her to come to him. When she went up to him he held her hand and looked into her eyes kindly. ‘I want to see you married before anything happens to me.’ With these few feeble words her Babuji had sealed her fate.

‘Khushi?’ NK’s voice brought her out of her reverie.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘You had gone off again to that place in your mind, where you are not going to allow me to follow.’

‘The reason I don’t like to talk about it is I don’t want to spoil our present times. Anyway, you look great. You told me you bought something new for this party.’

NK positively beamed at her. ‘Ria suggested it to me. She said it would make a good impression with her dad.’

Ria Malhotra was Mr Malhotra’s only daughter, just returned from the UK with a degree in PR. She had been working with NK the past couple of months as a trainee.

‘This Ria seems to be taking a lot of interest.’ Khushi observed.

‘She is in PR and she understand these things,’ NK sounded defensive, ‘she knows I am a committed man. Anyway you don’t have to worry about her. She is just very young.’

‘How old is she?’

‘Twenty-two, I think.’

‘I am just a year older than her.’

‘But you are very mature for your age Khushi. Ria is not like that.’

Khushi decided to ask something else that had bothered her. ‘Nanheji, how did you manage to convince the family that we were going to be staying overnight?’

‘Thanks to maasi.’ He quipped. ‘She said she would handle everything.’

Of course. Mamiji loved associating herself with the rich and the famous.

‘By the way,’ he told her then. ‘Mrs Malhotra has invited a group of her friends who are also your fans like herself.’

‘Please don’t use the word ‘fan’.’ Khushi pleaded.

‘Well, I don’t know what other word to use. Anyway the point is, she has requested that you do a small performance for them this evening.’

‘No, no Nanheji I don’t think I can.’

‘Come on Khushi,’ NK persisted. ‘Just do a small piece of something. It should be a cakewalk for you.’

‘Nanheji ---‘ Khushi said on an exasperated sigh.

‘Can’t you even do this much for me, Khushi?’ He said desperately. ‘This is really important.’

‘Alright.’

Soon they entered a private road, bordered on both sides by jasmine creepers that spread their fragrance over a great distance.

‘It smells so good!’ Khushi exclaimed.

‘I am allergic to jasmine,’ NK told her.

‘Sad!’ Khushi muttered under her breath irritated at NK.

She wondered that, given a choice, if she might have been with a guy who neither enjoyed her dance nor the beauty of the glorious flowering trees.

No. She would not. Because she had already made her choice a long time ago, hadn’t she? A choice that was not meant to be but one she couldn’t seem to forget, however much she tried.

‘We are there!’ NK’s voice broke the silence, the pleasure on his face indicating that he was totally unaware of her inner turmoil. ‘Just look at this place. One would have to be really privileged to be invited here.’

‘The Raizada farm house used to be just as beautiful.’ Khushi said before she could stop herself.

‘But Naniji sold that one.’

 ‘Oh?’ She hadn’t known that. She had sensed that the Raizadas’ life style had deteriorated, but she hadn’t realized it had come down to selling off properties.

 ‘I am just curious about this mystery guest the old man has invited. He seemed to be terribly secretive about it. I don’t even know that guy’s name. But I have heard he is tremendously wealthy.’

Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the thick canopy of trees and Khushi looked out over the emerald green sloping lawns.

The first view of the house was entrancing. It was a huge white house with grey stone and brick cladding, arched georgian windows and sloped roof with red clay tiles. The windows had beautifully designed grills with a carved wrought iron motif in the top center.

The garden surrounding it had flowers of different varieties like Ipomoea, Jacqemontia, germaniums, and daisies.

As they stepped inside, they saw a grand living room, being decorate with serial lights, presumably the party venue.  On one wall was a huge mural of Buddha’s face, eyes closed giving the room an aura of peace and tranquillity.

They were received by the maid who showed them to their rooms so they could freshen up until the party began.

Khushi found her room very pretty with itsyellow coloured walls and rosewood furniture. There was a beautiful four poster bed with a cream and pink floral designed bedding, giving it a feminine touch. Khushi opened the French doors and stepped out into the balcony of the room and was thrilled to see that it overlooked a beautiful garden with a water fountain in the middle of it. An involuntary smile touched her lips when she saw a couple of puppies frolicking on the grass.

Khushi heard a knock on her door and saw that that the maid had brought her a cup of tea. NK stepped into the room right after. He commented on how her room was better than his and complained about how they had given him a room at the far end of the house. Soon, she had sent him on his way telling him that she needed to get ready for the evening’s party.

Khushi decided to draw herself a bathto freshen up from the grime and dust of the city. It would also calm her as well. For no good reason, her nerves were on edge, as though she was poised on the brink of danger. If she allowed herself, her nervous state could soon dissolve into real panic. But why?  There was no logical answer for it. She knew she would be expected to perform for the guests, but over the years she had developed considerable composure to cover her ever-present nerves. New people didn’t bother her.

Khushi sat at the antique rose wood dressing table, brushing her long and lustrous hair until it shone.Her eyes were shimmering in the glowing light, pools of hazel against her fair skin. She was contemplating which dress to wear, the peach or the green. NK hadn’t seen her in either, but her heart didn’t leap at the thought of him seeing her in either. She couldn’t help it she sighed, and her hand trembled a little bit.

Once she had seen herself through a lover’s eyes, wanting to be beautiful, desirable, the blood racing through her veins like fire. Was there only one man who could raise her response to a fever pitch? She knew it was true. To have loved so deeply so early – it had ruined her forever.

She sat there clutching her heart, trying to stem its speed as she tried to bring herself back to state of calm. She didn’t want to think about Arnav, yet he seemed very close almost as though he was touching her. She closed her eyes, shivering with remembered rapture. What was it she and Arnav had felt? A feeling so volatile, so passionate, it was crazy, ill-starred.

In the end she decided on the peach. It was a long sleeved, ankle length anarkali kurta with pearl and stone work at the v-shaped neckline and a thin silver border at the hem and all four sides of the dupatta. The kurta was so long that her curidar was almost invisible. This apparel almost looked like a western gown because of its pastel colour and would please NK.

NK was her future – she had to keep telling herself that. It shouldn’t be difficult. She liked him. He would make a good husband and she was going to do everything in her power to make him proud of her and happy. Now as she turned to the long mirror to stare at herself like a stranger, she found a cool girl, in an elegant peach dress. Her hair parted in the centre, fell down to her waist like a dark waterfall. She looked sophisticated, exclusive. She didn’t look like herself at all.

Khushi came down the stairs, looking at the grand decorations of the house. The living room was aglow with the bright overhead chandelier and shimmery drapes hung across the railings and fairy lights around the pillars. As she reached the first wide landing, she closed her eyes briefly. She might look as if she belonged in such a place now; she hadn’t,a long time ago. The odd little orphan with a gift.

When Khushi caught her reflection on the glass, she felt like she was playing a role. Then NK came up to her in his new suit, his handsome face showing his pleasure.He took Khushi’s hand and led her to the hosts. ‘Khushi,let me introduce you to Mr and Mrs Malhotra and their daughter Ria.’

‘Namaste, I am so glad you invited me.’ Khushi put her hands together in greeting.

‘It was our pleasure entirely.’ Mrs Malhotra gushed. ‘There are so many people here who have been waiting to see you my dear. Even Ria’s friends are here.’

‘I don’t know what they see in these hindi TV serials,’ Ria said sullenly.‘No offence, but I only watch American shows.’

Khushi sensed a slight resentment in her attitude and wondered why she would feel like that when they had just met.

Mr Malhotra interposed himself. ‘Before you drag her away, I would like to introduce them to our important guest tonight. He patted on the shoulder of a broad shouldered man who was busy talking to someone. He turned around.

‘This is Arnav Singh Raizada – a very close family friend.’

Arnav.Khushi’s felt that her heart had stopped.She thought she would lose her consciousness any time.

‘Arnav?!’ NK exclaimed. ‘It is such a small world!’

As Arnav and NK shook hands, he explained to the surprised hosts that he was Arnav’s aunt Mrs Manorama Singh Raizada’s nephew. ‘We haven’t seen each other since we were kids though.’ He concluded.

‘And this is Khushi Gupta, NK’s fiancee.’ Mr Malhotra said turning to Arnav.

Arnav Singh Raizada stood looking at Khushi, his brown eyes boring into hers intensely.

‘Not yet,’ NK corrected. ‘We had to postpone the engagement because of my cousin Akash’s accident.’

‘I have been hearing about how perfect you are,’ Arnav told Khushi in his unforgettable husky voice.

Look away from his eyes, she thought, and never, never look into them again.

‘Khushi is the most wonderful dancer and actress,’ Mrs Malhotra said. ‘She is going to give us a small performance later. Some of the guests are here just to meet her. So I will snatch her away from here while you men go and get your drinks. Please excuse us.’

Khushi sank into the sofa, thankful for its support while Mrs Malhotra and Ria introduced their friends to her. Soon Khushi had shaken hands with a whole bunch of older and young women and had even signed a few autographs.

‘Lovely dress, Khushi.’ Khushi looked up to get the second shock of her life. Lavanya Kashyap.

‘Lavanya?’ Khushi stood up and hugged Lavanya.

‘Pammi aunty is my mother’s dearest friend,’ she said, her shoulders around Mrs Malhotra. ‘God Khushi! It’s been a while isn’t it? I can see your efforts have paid off.’ She said looking at the autograph she had just signed.

Khushi remained silent.

‘Is it true that Arnav Singh Raizada will be joining VM?’ asked Mrs Chopra, wife of one of the VM’s director.

‘Vishal is hoping he will be the one who will solve the major crisis we are currently going through.’ Mrs Malhotra answered.

‘I thought NK was one of the top contenders for this position,’ Mrs Choprasurmised.

‘True,’ Mrs Ria concurred. ‘But Vishal thinks he was too nice for the job. I think his positivity worked against him.’

NK would be disappointed thought Khushi. He believed, this crisis was going to be a stepping stone to his promotion.

Ria looked at them all, exasperated. ‘If anyone asked for my personal recommendation, I would give it to NK. For the past few months,dadhas been giving him hopes that he would be the one for the job. I can’t believe he is letting him down like this.’

‘Arnav hasn’t yet accepted,’ Lavanya pitched in. ‘For all you know he may just turn uncle down. He isn’t scared of anyone.’

‘Really?’ Ria’s tone was laced with sarcasm.  ‘I wonder if he has anything going other than those fabulous looks.’

Lavanya interposed.  ‘Though Arnav is just 28 he is no novice in big business. His ability is astounding. He has been running his grandfather’s business and in the last five years he has successfully extended the business in the United States.’

‘I suppose it’s an advantage to be born the grandson of a millionaire.’ Ria quipped.

‘Hardly,’ Mrs Malhotra shook her head, ‘his cousin brother Akash and his uncle have been struggling to keep the business in India afloat.’

Khushi sank back on the sofa speechless, thinking the whole world was collapsing around her ears. No one should be made to suffer so badly twice. Arnav was going to work in the same company as NK? What if NK found out about her and Arnav?

‘You look upset, Khushi,’ Mrs Malhotra said suddenly.

‘No Mrs Malhotra I am fine!’ She made great effort to smile.

A few feet away from her, Arnav stood amongst the group of men, his own thoughts a million miles away from the current conversation.

He was back to India after five long years. His mother had insisted that he complete his MBA internship at AR industries, so he could understand the business first hand. His grandfather had been unwell for the past year and his mother wanted him to take up some responsibility. He wasn’t really interested in doing business in India but had figured it would be a good working experience for him before he got back to the States to start on his own. He would then somehow convince his mom to come and live there with him. It was time for him to take care of her. Unfortunately, his sister Anjali, still unmarried at twenty seven, would probably hinder her from joining him right away. She worked for an NGO for battered women and often travelled to remote villages.

‘Finally Kumbkaran wakes up!’ Anjali came up to her brother, taking in his denims and t-shirt. He had arrived from the States in the wee hours of the morning due to a flight delay. After having slept off his jet lag for most of the day, he had sauntered down in the evening, to see that the house was abuzz with activity.

‘Di, what are you all dressed for?’ Arnav was pleasantly surprised to see his sister dressed in a lehenga choli with dandiya sticks in her hand.

‘It’s Navratri silly,’ she replied with an infectious smile. ‘I am off until Diwali. Mama’s orders.’ The living room was resplendent with fairy lights, gauze curtains and the brightly lit chandelier. As music filled the room, he saw a group of girls dancing the Dandiya raas, the beat of the sticks in tandem to the music.

‘I am hungry and I think --- ‘ He couldn’t complete his sentence as his eyes came to rest on her.

 Khushi.

She wore a light pink and green badhini lehenga, with a green choli and the chunri, a combination of both the colours. The entire costume was embellished with silver sequins, matching the silver jewellery she wore. Her chunri had come loose as she twirled around in abandon. Then she looked directly into his eyes and froze.

His heart stopped for one brief moment before accelerating full speed. What had happened to the frail little girl of thirteen?

His eyes swept over her full rounded breasts enveloped in the short choli, heaving after the strenuous dance, her slender and curvy waist, and the flat planes of her midriff, the delectable navel just above the flare of her hips and legs covered by the long length of her lehenga. The sheen of sweat on her creamy skin made her entire body glow like a pearl and his eyes quickly darted to her face.

At eighteen, she still had the same exquisite face, but her huge almond eyes, partially covered by strands of her silky hair had this look of a doe caught in the headlights and then his eyes flicked down as she unconsciously drew her tongue over her dry lips. Were those lips always that luscious? Lips that had quivered a little as she realized her pallu had come loose and she quickly dashed behind a pillar, obscuring herself from his sight.

F@#$! He raked a hand through his hair thoroughly messing it up.

‘Arnav!’ Anjali had raised her voice bringing him out of his trance, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. ‘You remember Khushi, don’t you?’