Valley of Flowers Chapter 3

DINNER was grand affair with variety of dishes ranging from salads, starters, soups, breads, and accompaniments to a wide selection of mouth -watering desserts.It was perfectly prepared, yet it was irrefutably spoiled for Khushi. It was agony standing in the same room as Arnav, trying to behave like a normal guest.

‘I am looking forward to your performance,’ Arnav came up behind her suddenly.

Khushi turned toward him. He looked older, harder --- better than he had ever looked in his life. One thing that hadn’t changed was his eyes – mesmerizing caramel orbs, unforgettable, intense.

‘Do you understand anything about dance Mr Raizada?’ Ria asked him.

‘A little,’ He paused, ‘Thanks to someone very close to me.’

Khushi’s eyes flashed at him. Stop doing this to me.I hate you for coming back into my life like this.

He continued, ‘You see my Nani was a dancer in her younger days.’

They were staring into each other’s eyes, and even now after everything Khushi was devouring those well remembered features, noticing the changes. The brilliant, faintly reckless air was gone. Here was a man who had his life, his thoughts and his feelings better organised than anyone else would know. The almost awesome good looks had hardened into a different mould as faultless as ever but wholly sombre, wholly stern; black-brown hair, lightly tanned skin, hollow planes, brilliant brown eyes, majestic eyebrows, lashes that were thick and long. The look of fresh youth, the vivid smile, tousled hair, the sweetness about the sculptured mouth was gone. Arnav Singh Raizada looked a powerful and dominant man.

‘Of course!’ NK said loudly bringing Khushi out of her trance.

After dinner the men went back to their drinks while the women gathered around to entertain themselves. Lavanya went up to join the men.

‘I don’t know why that girl wants to ruin her marriage by going after Arnav,’ Mrs Malhotra confided to her in an undertone.

‘What do you mean?’ Khushi raised her eyebrows in surprise.

‘Lavanya is married to Karan Singhania the stinking rich business tycoon, but I have heard he has walked out on her – and rumour is, it is because of Arnav.’

‘What?’ Khushi was appalled.

‘Arnav’s mother died in a car accident a year ago. Lavanya’s mother was also in the same car when the car crashed. I think this tragedy might have brought them closer.’

Khushi’s heart began to pound wildly. Sharada Singh Raizada --- the proud, vivacious, vital woman, no more. She remembered the feeling of shock, when Payal had informed her about it.

‘Can’t really blame her for feeling this way about Arnav, though,’ Mrs.Malhotra continued. ‘Lavanya was the girl Arnav’s mother had chosen for him. But that marriage never happened. Nobody knows why. The poor girl probably never got over it.’

Could anyone? Khushi looked across the room to where Lavanya was hanging on to Arnav’s every word. There was no doubt that she was still holding a torch for Arnav. Why hadn’t they married all those years ago? None of it had lost its power to haunt her. All this was too much to take in just now and she felt darkness close in on her. She bent her head for a few seconds.

‘Khushi?’Vaguely Khushi heard that someone was calling her and gradually the feeling passed.

‘Hold on to her or she will collapse on the carpet!’ Ria’s voice was fascinated and impatient.

‘I am sorry.’ Khushi whispered lifting her head.

‘Are you okay?’ Mrs Malhotra said holding her shoulder.

The men came up to them realizing something was wrong.

‘She is feeling a little dizzy.’ Ria explained.

NK moved toward her instantly, torn between concern and the stricken feeling she was about to disappoint his boss.

‘I am fine, really.’ Khushi assured them with a smile.

‘Good,’ Mr Malhotra gave a pleased nod. ‘Arnav here is really geared up to see you perform.’

‘Don’t worry Vishal uncle,’ Khushi looked at him to see his mouth twisted into an arrogant smirk, ‘dedicated artists usually don’t let these small things come in the way, come hell or high water. Miss Gupta seems theextremely dedicated type. I don’t think she will disappoint those who have come a long way only to watch her.’

Khushi knew exactly what he was doing to her. She even knew he was dangerous, more so now than he had ever been in the past. But she wasn’t the helpless little girl she had once been, inexperienced, insecure, beholden to the mighty Raizadas. She stood up gracefully and walked toward the small clearing that would act as the stage.

She sensed him staring at her with those intense disturbing eyes, and his words created a tingle of excitement, something she hadn’t felt in years.

Khushi closed her eyes and composed herself, trying to clear her mind of its pain and bitter disillusionment. He can’t touch me if I close the door on everything except my dance, she thought. It meant everything to me, my sanity, control. She remembered what one of her teachers in Mumbai had told her.

You have been given a gift and since your heart has known suffering your dance will have depth.

You have a pure spiritual quality but you also have passion.

You will give others happiness.

As the music wafted through the room, Khushi’s body began to move to the music with grace and poise that she had practiced over the years.

Ore Piya haye….

Udne laga kyon mann bawla re

Aaya kahan se yeh hosla re

Ore Piya haye…

She had chosen the song Ore Piya, because she knew the guests were more likely to enjoy a contemporary fusion, rather than a pure form of Kathak.

Saazish mein shaamil sara jahaan hai

Har zare zare ki yehi ltiza hai

Ore Piya haye….

Five minutes later, when she had returned to her body, the entire room resounded with applause. Many came up to her to congratulate her on her performance, except for the one person who had once taken her heart and soul. He preferred to keep himself aloof and indifferent, punishing her with his hostile stare.

Later, Khushi sat in the car feeling guilty for making NK drive her back home so late in the night. But there was no way she could have stayed in the same house with Arnav Singh Raizada. His glittering eyes had bored a hole in her back even as NK bundled her into the car. Anintense pain had begun in the region of her heart refusing to go away.

‘I don’t understand why you refused to have a doctor come and examine you if you feel so sick.’ NK sounded a little irritated.

‘I am not very used to allopathic medicines Nanheji and I forgot to get my homeopathy medicines.’ She said in a low voice. ‘I am sorry.’

‘It’s alright. Forget it.’

They travelled in silence for some time and then NK gave vent to his anxieties. ‘How can the old man think about replacing me with Arnav?’ he said uncertainly. ‘No wonder people hate him. He has the reputation of being devious in business. I mean, how does he know Arnav is the right man for the job? Arnav has had the privilege of being born rich, that’s all. He hasn’t even shown any interest to take over his grandfather’s business. I wonder if he even works at all.’ NK was just talking out more to himself that Khushi.

‘I think he started AR in the US,’ she told him.

‘What?’ NK’s voice cracked.

Hey Devi Maiyya! Khushi thought. She would have to think before she opened her mouth again. ‘Someone told me at the party.’

‘I don’t know what I am going to do,’ NK tightened his hold on the steering wheel. ‘I would have to prepare some kind of strategy to secure my position. Maybe I should talk to the other directors. The old man might want to have Arnav on the team, but I am sure Imight have enough support.’

‘Don’t worry Nanheji,’ Khushi tried to sound re-assuring, ‘there is a possibility he might not accept.’

‘Who told you that?’ He said urgently.

‘I think it was Lavanya Kashyap.’

‘Did she?’ He paused. ‘That woman was stuck to him all evening. Of course, there were other women who wanted to do the same.I don’t know what they see in him. He seems hard and unrelenting.’

Khushi remained silent.

Suddenly NK said, ‘Did you know Arnav?’

‘I –‘ Now was the time to tell him the truth. But she didn’t. He was already upset and there was no point in making it worse. ‘I met him during jiji and jeejaji’s wedding.’

‘Right.’NK said recollecting. ‘I couldn’t make it to the wedding as I had exams. Did you have a fight or something?’

‘Why would you ask that?’ she gave a quick little laugh.

‘I kind of got the feeling he doesn’t like you very much. There was an absence of all tolerance in his eyes.’

‘I don’t feel like talking right now Nanheji.’ Khushi held a hand to her head. Hey Devi Maiyya! Why did he have to make it so obvious?

Khushi woke up to the sounds of a baby’s loud wails and sat up with a start. She managed a one-eyed look at the clock and groaned as the clock struck nine. She was really late thanksto a restless night of scary dreams. She didn’t really want to get up and face the day but she had to. She couldn’t just lie in her bed, there was too much on her mind.

As she threw her bedcovers, she began to think. Why had Arnav come here after all this time? Anjali had mentioned that he had no intentions of ever coming back to live in India. One of the reassuring aspects when NK’s proposal had come up.Perhaps this was a temporary job that he had been forced to take up as an obligation to Mr Malhotra? She hoped so. If not, it would be impossible to be married to NK and have Arnav work in the same company. NK held a good position at VM enterprises and she couldn’t expect him to leave everything and go away with her. The only option would be for her to leave. On the other hand, there was also a possibility that Arnav might reject Mr Malhotra’s tempting offer, in which case she would be saved.

Under the shower she eased her headache, then she dressed quickly in a green and yellow suitand hurried toward Payal’s room. She had missed Ashu and needed to hold the little brat in her arms.

What had NK said about him last night? Absence of all tolerance in his eyes. That was exactly what she had thought five years ago when he had come down from the States for his internship.

He made her nervous. Very nervous.Ever since that moment she had found herself staring into those caramel depths on the night of the Dandiya at the Raizada house. The way he had looked at her had totally disarmed her, forcing her take refuge behind that pillar, clutching a hand to her heart, unable to tolerate his piercing gaze anymore.

After that night she hadn’t seen much of for a while as he was busy going to the office, learning the ropes of the business from his mamaji. For some reason, she realized, that bothered her a lot. She had discovered that her heart beat raced a little erratically whenever he was near her or even if she managed to catch a glimpse of him, from Naniji’s room, where she practiced her dance. Naniji’s room had long French windows overlooking the lawns where he often walked to and fro talking on the phone.

She found she could never tire looking at how a lock of his hair fell across his forehead while he unconsciously ran a hand through it, and how it stretched his shirt emphasising the bulge in his biceps at the same time causing the tail of his shirtto carelessly slip out of the waistband of his trousers. She found his dishevelled look intensely adorable. Maybe it was because it made him look vulnerable, allowing her to catch a glimpse of the boy she had seen in Dehradun five years ago.

Now he was a man. A man who was eons away from her in every way possible.His mannerisms, his eating habits, his dressing style and even the way he spoke.

He had the tendency to mix a lot of English, even though he a had a fairly good understanding of hindi. It had taken her a while to get used to his “I am good…. I got it….. You bet” and most of all his “What the ___?”type profanities which he meted out quiet generously, to express anger, irritation, or frustration.

Even the others in the household found it difficult to understand him at times. He refused to adhere to traditional rituals much to the consternation of the elders in the house. When they pressured him he questioned them on the authenticity shutting them up quiet effectively.

He had once said, “A Chinese colleague of mine, Han Zhu,is a happily married woman with two children. She does not have a religion. She would say that all religions preached that one must “be good” and that she didn’t need a religion to tell her that simple fact.”

She had found his words quiet fascinating, just like everything else about him – until she came face to face with his terrible manic temper.

One day after practice Naniji had shown her a cordless phone, a gift from Arnav,and told her that he would fix it for her later. She had offered to do it for her and without thinking for one second, had plugged it into the socket, blowing up the adapter. She had been unaware that electronic gadgets from the US needed a 220v – 110v convertor to function in India.

‘I am sorry, I didn’t know’ she had apologized with tears in her eyes.

‘Of course you didn’t know,’ he had said gritting his teeth. ‘Knowing such things requires something called intelligence. Which you obviously lack. So, people like you should just refrain from touching expensive stuff.’His tone had increased with each sentence, and he advanced toward her pointing his fingers accusingly, forcing her to take refuge behind Naniji.

‘Chotte!’Naniji had finally intervened. ‘Stop yelling at the poor girl. I could have made the same mistake.’

‘But you didn’t.’ He argued.

‘Well, the phone was mine and I would appreciate it if you could just leave this to me!’

Unfortunately she didn’t have Naniji to defend her the next time.

Naniji had given her the job of watering the plants in the rooftop garden and she had unknowingly overwatered the rare orchids that Arnav had brought with him from the States, causing the roots of the plant to rot, in turn causing the decay of the plant.

‘I am sorry I ----’ she had just begun.

‘Didn’t know,’ he finished for her, a barely controlled temper simmering in his eyes. ‘Your “I didn’t know” might just kill me one day. Remind me not be left alone with you when I have one of my fainting spells.’

She hadn’t realized until later that he was referring to his diabetes. She had gone home and cried her heart out.She couldn’t bear the thought of him dying. She had hated herself for her provincial gaucheness.

Khushi switched off the gas stove. She had already added the ground badam paste to the milk and boiled it until the consistency of the milk was just about right. All she had to do was to add the sugar. She stopped to recall something Naniji had said earlier.

‘Khushi!’ Anjali came into the kitchen, looking elegant in a green net saree.

‘Di! What are you doing here?’ Khushi stood up to go and give Anjali a hug.

‘Nani invited us to dinner,’ Anjali said her smile lighting up her face, ‘I just visited Akash. Payal tells me he is doing better every day. And Ashu is becoming a handful, isn’t he?’

‘How would you know? You hardly ever come here Di.’ Khushi complained. Anjali was a clinical psychologist and worked at Ashray, a psychiatric rehabilitation centre.

‘You know the reason for that Khushi.’ Anjali said her mood becoming sombre.

Sharada Singh Raizada had brought her two kids and come to live with her parents’ after her divorce. Though her parents had fully supported her decision, her brother, instigated by his wife, had never approved, driving a wedge in their relationship. They had managed to live in harmony for a few years, but Nanaji’s death had broken down all the defences and mamajihad made it clear that he no longer wanted to be burdened with the responsibility of a divorced sister.Though Naniji had intervened to diffuse the situation, the damage had been done and Anjali’s mom had left the Raizada house to go and live with her younger son in the States.

‘You must have missed her terribly Di.’ Khushi whispered her eyes clouding.

‘I was doing my PHd at the time and didn’t want to leave India. Mamma practically dragged me to the altar before leaving for the States,’ Anjali reminisced.  ‘After that, we saw each other once a year -- ’ Anjali wiped a tear that had trickled down her cheek. ‘-- until last year.’

‘Nani has been insisting I come here to stay with her for a few days.’ Anjali’s tone became wistful. ‘She hasn’t been herself since mamma passed away.’

‘I am so sorry Di,’ Khushi whispered, her heart going to Anjali.

‘What happened five years ago Khushi?’ Anjali said, her pain evident in her voice.‘We were all so happy during Payal and Akash’s wedding.

‘And thensuddenly you left, Nanaji died, I got married and mom left with Arnav. I missed you all terribly.’

Before Khushi could say anything further, Shyam MohaharJha Anjali’s husband stepped into the kitchen.  ‘What are the two beautiful ladies talking about?’

‘We were talking about mamma,’ Anjali answered in a low voice.

Shyam came up to Anjali and draped an arm around her shoulder. ‘Rani Sahiba, you shouldn’t worry about it so much. She is in a better place now. Come on, there is a surprise waiting for you.’

‘Go ahead Di,’ Khushi said, ‘I will join in just a little bit.’

Just as Khushi picked up the sugar to add to the kheer she remembered what Naniji had said. Khushi bitiya, keep some kheer aside before you add sugar.

Surprise?So this was why Naniji had invited Anjali. She should have known. She closed her eyes.Arnav.

When she stepped into the dining hall she found him near the console table. ‘Don’t touch those Arnav,’ Anjali warned Arnav just as he was about to touch the orchid that grew out of beautifully painted ceramic pot. ‘Khushi doesn’t let anyone go near them. They are her babies.’

‘Khushi is a serious nature-lover.’ NK supplied. ‘She has told me all the flowers she wants to plant in our first garden.’

‘When is the happy day?’ Arnav’s face was in the shadow.

‘We are waiting for bhai to get well so we can get engaged.’ NK announced proudly.

Khushi saw the flash in Arnav’s eyes and his fisted hands showing white at the knuckles.‘Nanheji, please take your seat,’ she said in a rush. ‘I made your favourite badamkheer.’

‘No jalebis?’ Arnav said laconically.

‘I don’t think Khushi likes jalebis,’ NK said looking at Khushi, ‘or any other sweet for the matter of fact.’

An audible gasp went round the table, and Khushi went beet red with embarrassment.

‘It’s just since she returned from Mumbai,’ Mamijiinterjected in an indolent tone, ‘Before that, she used to make them at the drop of a hat. She was the one who made sweets for the Raizada functions.’

 ‘So Arnav,’ Mamaji said, ‘What brings you here?’

‘I am here on business.’ Arnav answered tersely.

‘While he is here, I have asked him to look into AR’s issues.’Naniji announced.

Oh No. Khushi began to serve kheer to everyone seated at the table.

‘What?’ Both Mamaji and Mamiji spoke out in unison.

‘Apparently, helping companies in crisis is his expertise.’

Khushi could see NK tense up in apprehension.

‘But Amma, what was the need?’ Mamaji was clearly unhappy with this new development.  ‘We can manage!’

‘Who’s “we”,Mahendra?’ Naniji countered. ‘You took a voluntary retirement a long time ago and Akash has been struggling to keep the company afloat.Now, he is incapacitated due to the accident. If this continues you know very well as I do that we are going to be in dire straits. I had no choice but to call in Arnav for help.’

‘Arnav knows nothing about our business Amma.’Mamaji stated seriously.

‘That is not true,’ Naniji said smoothly. ‘Chotte worked along with you during his internship five years ago, didn’t he?’

‘We have had a few changes since then.’

‘That is where Khushi comes in. She has been assisting Akash from the past six months. She will continue to do that with Chotte and bring him up to speed.’

Hey Devi Maiyya! Khushi froze.

‘But ---’ Mamiji began.

‘No more buts!’ Naniji said firmly, ‘Chotte will be staying with us until this crisis is resolved and that is final.’

Suddenly she felt a jolt sizzle through her body and looked down to see Arnav circling her hand, just as she was about to serve him kheer. The ladle slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor with a loud clang.

‘Planning to kill me Khushi?’ he said audible exclusively for her ears, as she bent to pick it up the ladle.

‘Jumping to conclusions, as always,’ she hit back, her eyes flashing.

‘What happened, Khushiji?’ Shyam’s voice was laced with concern, and all eyes turned toward Khushi.

‘Nothing Shyamji,’ Khushi smiled sweetly, ‘I was just telling Arnavji that the kheer is sugarless and perfectly safe for him to eat.’