Valley of Flowers Chapter 6

NEXT morning, Arnav sat working on his laptop, his thoughts going back to previous night. Lavanya had left early due to a headache. NK has also been called away on an office emergency and Ria had left along with him. Khushi had seemed subdued and silent on the way back home. He came back to the present when he heard a knock on the door. Hariprakash had brought in his breakfast.

Arnav felt a weird sensation like something was missing when he saw Hariprakash putting the tray down on his table. Was it the absence of the subtle tinkle of anklets, or was it the clinking of bangles, the sweet smell of roses? The word coffee hadn’t sounded sweeter from any other lips.Damn!

‘Where is Khushi?’ he asked, his voice a little harsh.

‘She has gone out, Arnavji. But I don’t know where.’

She did mention yesterday she was going to be busy but that small piece was information didn’t seem to be putting him in any ease.

An hour later, he closed his lap top with a bang. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to know where she was. But he didn’t want to call her. He went downstairs and into Nani’s room.

‘Nani, do you know where Khushi is?’ he asked her. ‘I have to ask her something about work.’

‘She is visiting her parents today Chotte,’ Nani replied. ‘She goes there after she receives her salary so she can buy the monthly provision and her father’s medicines. She will probably be back after lunch. Why don’t you give her a call?’

‘Oh, that’s ok I will call her later. There is no hurry.’ He went back upstairs to his room.

So she wasn’t with NK. He didn’t know why that information gave him weird sense of satisfaction.

But that satisfaction didn’t last long. Lunch time had come and gone but there was no sign of her. By evening when Khushi hadn’t returned he had gone back into his Nani’s room.

‘Chotte, good you came by,’ Nani said. ‘I have a favour to ask.’

‘Sure Nani, what is it?’

‘Mohan, our driver just called. He has an emergency at home. He was supposed to pick up Khushi from Nrityadham but he can’t go. Will you be able to pick her up?’

‘Nrityadham?’ He raised his eyebrow in query.

‘She teaches dance there in the weekends.’

An hour later, Arnav stood just inside the Nrityadham class room, watching Khushi. She wore a cream anarkali, suit, with sequined self-embroidered yolkand thin silver border at the hem. One end of her dupatta came down the front like a pallu and the other end was tied up like a sash around her tiny waist. She wore pearl drop earrings and her long dark braid swayed down her back, in tandem with her lissome body, as she twirled round and round.

 A young girl of about thirteen stood looking at her and then repeated the step. Once, the girl had finished Khushi smiled at her and the girl jumped with joy raising her hand up in the air.

In a few minutes the class dispersed and he saw her talk to a man who seemed to be the girl’s father. She seemed to appealing to him about something and failing because the man was repeatedly shaking his head. Finally, the man left, taking his daughter with him as Khushi stood with a disappointed look on her face. He walked up to her.

‘Is everything okay?’ he said.

‘Arnav!’Khushi exclaimed, clutching a hand to her heart. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I am here to pick you up,’ he said, ‘Mohan got called away for an emergency at home.’ He added when he felt she was expecting more.

‘Oh, I will just get my bag then.’

As they stepped out into the courtyard, they found the path that lead to the school from the parking lot, blocked for repairs.

‘There is another way through here.’ Khushi said taking a turn into another path that seemed to lead into a garden.

With the lights fading fast, the garden looked like a paradise of earthly delights, the air rife with fragrance of plumaria and jasmine. Still, nothing could compare to the woman walking beside him. Even in fatigue, her hair loose from all the rigorous dancing, she was absolutely ravishing.

‘You didn’t have to take the trouble of coming here,’ she said softly, ‘I could have taken a rickshaw.’

‘From this remote location?’He looked at her as though she was out of her mind. ‘If you ever get stranded like this you will call me, do you understand?’

When she looked at him like he was out of his mind he decided it was time to change the subject. ‘Who was the man you were talking to back there?’

‘Oh he was the father of one of best students, Piyali. She has the potential to become a great dancer.’ She paused.

‘But?’

‘Her father doesn’t want to send her for further classes. He says he cannot afford it as he has another child – a son who needs his attention more.’

‘What the ---?’

‘Exactly. But I can’t say that to him. I told him I was willing to teach her for free, at least until her exam which she will need to clear to go to the next level. After that she is sure to find a sponsor.’

‘Now you have reached a stage where you can return the favour that someone did for you a long time ago.’ He said quietly.

‘No. I am not doing this as a favour. She has the potential to win. I want to help her win.’

‘So it’s all about winning.’ He said sardonically.

‘The girl deserves a break Arnav!’Khushi’s eyes flashed in defiance.

Once, they had come together in love because the feeling had overwhelmed them into a state of helplessness. It seemed like an eternity. Now their every word rubbed against raw wounds.

‘Mom was killed in a car accident, did you know?’ he said in a voice so clipped it cut her profoundly.

‘I am sorry, Arnav,’ she said her voice clearly exhausted. ‘Payal told me. It must have been terrible for you.’

‘Lavanya was there to share my grief.’

‘Mrs Malhotra just told me about Lavanya’s mom at the party. I didn’t know.’

Arnav continued as if he hadn’t heard her. ‘Both our mother’s had wanted us to marry.’

Khushi’s heart was breaking into a million pieces. She couldn’t imagine Arnav and Lavanya together as man and wife, the way it had been planned from the start. Yet, she and Arnav had been fated to meet, a curse maybe on both of them for daring to love so extravagantly.

‘At least she loved me even when I acted as if she never existed. It wasn’t her fault.’

‘You think it is mine.’

‘Considering you told me you loved me over and over again that night, I suppose I did believe you utterly. Stupid, wasn’t it when stupidity isn’t my style. I don’t know what your plan was, or were under some kind of dark spell?’

‘You hate me now.’ Khushi lifted her head to the glittering sky.

‘I simply want you to feel the unhappiness you caused. I was so angry when I got your awful letter.’

She felt a shock go through her body. ‘I didn’t write any letter!’

‘You are good.’ Arnav said his tone laced with sarcasm.

‘It’s the truth Arnav. How can you be so sure it was mine?’ It was the part of the promise she had made to Mrs Raizada that she would never attempt to communicate with Arnav again. In any case she couldn’t risk it. Her family would have been too vulnerable. Images of her aunt with her eyes swollen from all the crying and her uncle, looking prematurely old, flashed before her eyes.

‘It was in pure, lucknow  style hindi.’

It was too late now to try and vindicate herself with Sharada Raizada gone. Too much tragedy had entered his life, cruel and agonizing. She had somehow concocted that letter, cruel to be kind to her beloved son. Disillusioned about her own past, she had wanted to control her son’s future. She had plainly seen Khushi as a poor adventuress who had no right to fall in love with the prince.

They walked for long moments without talking. It wasn’t going to do any good in any case. Great banks of bougainvillaealined the walk, their brilliant colour muted by the dim lighting. As they walked further the path began to get darker.

‘This path seems too deserted,’ Khushi said quietly.

Arnav glanced down her glimmering profile. ‘I have no intention of taking advantage of you.’

‘You didn’t think that way five years ago.’ It was far from the truth but she said it anyway.

Apparently, he thought so too, because he laughed mirthlessly. ‘No, sweetheart, you were only too willing.’

‘You hold on to your memories too long,’ she said dryly.

‘Don’t you?’

‘No.’

‘If that was true you shouldn’t faint or start shivering whenever I am near you.’ He said in a voice that indeed sent a shiver up her spine. ‘Your eyes are a clear indication of your feelings.

‘You squint your right eye the tiniest bit when you are speak in anger, they grow as big as saucers when you are surprised, they become slits when you are planning something mischievous. But if you close them it only means one thing –’

A little breeze sprangup that lifted the lifted her dupatta, draping it across his chest, spraying spent pink Tabebuia blossoms, on them like confetti.

‘Oh,’ she squealed with joy, shaking her flower-starred head. ‘Where did that come from?’

Arnav put out his hand and lifted away a pink blossom that was nestling in her braid. ‘How much do you want to marry NK?’

‘Very much.’ She stood there, very still, trembling, longing to cry out that it was not only up to her.I want to see you married before anything happens to me.

‘Why should you be happy when I am desolate?’

‘I have been unhappy too, Arnav,’ she reminded him.

‘How is that?’ His face was hard as stone.

She said quietly, ‘I loved you.’

‘Shut up!’ The steely hands came up and pressed down on her shoulders. ‘It was only a game for you.’

‘No.’ she protested.

‘You wanted money. You had to have it to follow a brilliant career.’

‘Of course I needed money,’ she admitted. ‘I had nothing, you know that. It was your family that started it all, anyway. I would never have been anything but for them. Naniji encouraged me.’

‘And how you repaid her!’ Arnav said scathingly.

‘I just left, that’s all.’

‘Not before you collected a whole lot of money – something you wanted most of all. I didn’t matter to you at all, did I?’

‘I could ask you the same thing.’ She said sadly. The day she had left, he had gone out with Lavanya.

‘If you think you can be happy after all this ----’ He spat out in anger.

‘Don’t say that!’ His voice frightened her so much she grasped his arm. ‘I never meant to hurt you. I am not responsible for all your troublesin life.’

‘I know that.’ Arnav glanced down at the hand she had placed on his arm. It had a pearl like lustre against the black cloth of his sleeve.

It took them a few moments to register that footsteps were coming along the path, as Ria’s loud voice rang through the night air.

‘Where is she NK?’

‘Ria, have some patience. There is a possibility that Arnav already picked her up.’

‘Then, what the hell are we doing here?’ Ria said her voice depicting a complete lack of patience.

As Khushi went to side step him, Arnav caught her body to him and half lifted, half dragged her behind the shrubs of bougainvillaea,her heart thudding against her rib cage, his left arm was around her like a steel bar. NK and Ria were coming closer.

‘I didn’t know that Ria. Earlier in the evening, maasiji called me as the driver wasn’t available.’

‘The way everyone is running to pick her up, people would think she was Queen Sheeba!’

‘Ria, I am grateful to you for lending your car while mine is at the service shop,’ NK seemed to be irritated, ‘But you didn’t really have to come.’

They were quite hidden in the deep shadows of the trees, shielded from sight by the height of the shrubs, but Khushi sank back against him feeling guilty and lost. Suddenly, Arnav’s hand came up to wrap his fingers around her thick braid, the back of his fingers caressing the bare skin of her upper back as his fingers trailed down.

‘Don’t. Arnav, don’t!’ Khushi whispered even as she flexed her back, desire leaping out of the welling confusion.

He didn’t listen, his fingers moving back up to trace the ties of her dori. The night was alive, intimate enveloping them, the tumults of a past confronting them again. Khushi found it difficult to breathe, and a lightning jolt went down all the way to the pit of her core as Arnav slid his left hand from her waist to her stomach.

She wanted to cry like a child, but she was helpless as her own treacherous body refused to obey, desperate for his touch. He gathered her hard against him, placing light kisses on collar bone, neck, all the way up to her jaw. ‘What is it that you want Khushi?’ His voice so low it was no more than a warm breath on her cheek, his lips just inches away from hers. Then Ria’s cold voice fell on their ears.

‘If I didn’t come with you who would have told you that you are just wasting your time with her.’

‘Ria, please. Not again. I love her.’

They were almost beside them, hidden by the towering shrubs.

‘I don’t think she loves you.’ Ria’s voice sounded upset and angry. ‘In fact I don’t think she is right for you at all. I mean where is she? Why hasn’t she picked up your calls? I am sure she has gone off with that Arnav Singh Raizada. There is something a bit strange about those two.’

‘In what way?’ NK asked.

‘I am not sure,’ Ria said with a hint of uncertainty. ‘It’s just that, they seem restless around each other.’

‘Oh that’s because Khushi doesn’t really like him.’

‘NK,’ Ria groaned with exasperation, ‘you don’t understand women at all.’

‘I understand you Ria.’ NK said in a patronizing voice.

‘No, you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t be standing here looking for her. You are an idiot.’

NK walked away in anger and Ria followed her high heels clattering on the tiled path.‘Wait NK, I am sorry.’

Gradually their voices faded, and Khushi struggled for release.

‘Well, that was quiet a revelation.’ Arnav said mockingly.

‘So?’

When he saw her reaction, he said, ‘You knew about that? And you are not even a least bit jealous? Interesting.’

She stood shaking in body and mind, suspended between the present and the past. Her whole body burned with tormented desire. It was cruel to be enmeshed with Arnav again, when once she had been the willing captive. She used all her might and stepped away from him, but couldn’t. Her dori was caught with the buttons of his shirt.

‘Khushi,’ he taunted behind her. ‘Let me tie this up for you. You don’t want to run into NK looking like this.’

‘Nanheji trusts me,’ she said defiantly.

‘He is a fool.’ Arnav took the strings of her dori and tied them, his knuckles brushing the smooth skin of her back tantalizingly, sending her into a tizzy.

An hour later, as Khushi and Arnav entered the house they were surprised to see a full house assembled in the dining room. Apart from the entire Raizada family, they saw NK, Ria, Anjali and Shyam.

‘Khushi,I came to Nrityadham to pick you up.’ NK said urgently. ‘I have been trying to call you all evening.’

‘I am sorry Nanheji,’ Khushi apologized. ‘I put my phone on silent and forgot about it. I came with Arnavji.’

 ‘You seem to have got delayed in spite of having left before NK.’ Shyam remarked looking at Arnav. ‘Traffic?’ He queried.

‘We went to Bengali Market to eat golgappas.’ Arnav equivocated smoothly. They had indeed stopped for golgappas on the way. If they assume that the delay was because of that it would be their prerogative.

‘Golgappa?’ NK grimaced.

‘That is one sure shot way to get dysentery.’ Ria let out a snide remark.

‘BTW Arnav,’ NK said,‘I heard you almost broke a man’s hand yesterday at the nightclub. His friend works at VM and he told us that man is thinking of filing charges against you. What happened?’

‘He misbehaved with Khushi,’ Arnav said, his eyes on Khushi.

‘Don’t worry saale saab,’ Shyam piped in. ‘I can take care of that for you.’

‘I am not worried,’ Arnav returned calmly. ‘I am sorry to know I didn’t break his hand.’

Knowing all glances would be on her, Khushi rushed into the kitchen and began to assist Hariprakash, bring the food out to the table.She began to serve everyone.

‘Khushi, you didn’t serve Arnav brinjal curry,’ Ria remarked.

‘That’s because he doesn’t like brinjal,’ Anjali supplied and then looked at Khushi.  ‘Khushi, why don’t you sit down and eat with us?I am sure Hariprakash will serve the elders. We can manage on our own.’

‘Anjali,’ Mamiji’s voice cut in sternly, ‘Khushi is acting in place of Payal who is supposed to be doing this. It is the duty of the bahu to serve the elders of the house. It is okay for you as you are a guest in this house.’

As an awkward silence filled the room Naniji said, ‘If that was the case, Manorama, you should be up serving alongside Khushi. Anjali is right. You should sit down Khushi bitiya.’

‘I am not hungry Naniji,’ she said staring pointedly at Arnav. ‘I will eat with jiji, later.’

Naniji continued, ‘And Anjali is not a guest Manorama. She is the daughter of this house and she is here on my invitation to attend tomorrow’s pooja at Shiv-Gowri mandir. I hope you remember it is being performed for the well-being of your son?’

Mamiji shot an angry look at her husband, but he indicated her to calm down.‘NK, you should also be there,’ she said loudly, ‘We can finalize a date for the engagement.’

Khushi looked away as she sensed Arnav’s caramel eyes boring into hers intensely.

‘I don’t think so,’ Naniji interjected her daughter-in-law. ‘You know we can’t have the engagement until Akash recovers completely.’

‘My sister is insisting,’ Manorama argued.

‘That’s ok maasiji,’ NK intervened, ‘I will talk to mom.’

‘You should come anyway. You and Khushi can take panditji’s blessings. Why don’t you stay back tonight?’ Manorama suggested.

‘I have to drop Ria home maasi. We came in her car as my car is in the service centre. I will get going now. I will see you all at the temple tomorrow.’

Later that night, Arnav spent restless night thinking about his exchange with Khushi in the garden. Why had things gotten so complicated between them when things had started out so beautifully?

Since the incident with the misplaced papers, Khushi had totally avoided talking to him. It had been ingenious of her to have gone to the paper shop to try and retrieve the lost papers, something he should have thought of in the first place. His anger rose up a notch when he thought of her going to this shop all by herself. But he hadn’t asked her to go there, had he? Why should he have to feel bad for her impulsive behaviour? Most people would just let this go. But obviously not Khushi.

 He hit his hand against the wall when he remembered the way he had yelled at her. She had come up to his room to apologize but he had been too stressed about the presentation. His uncle hadn’t made it easy for him at the office. He had just taken it out on her. She always managed to bring out the worst in him. And he was beginning to understand why. He was attracted to her. Immensely. And that was not a good sign. And anger was a best way to curb that feeling.

One thing that had changed after the incident was that Lavanya and Khushi seemed to be hanging out more. One evening,he had just got back from work and had come down for a cup of coffee when he heard them talking in the kitchen.

‘Thanks for teaching me how to make sooji halwa Khushi,’ Lavanaya said. ‘My mom has begun pestering me to learn cooking from you since the day she tasted your snacks.’

‘You are welcome Lavanyaji.’

‘Khushi,’ Lavanaya paused, a hint of hesitation in her voice, ‘I owe you a big one for not ratting me out in front of everyone the other day. I should have listened to you. I have learnt my lesson. I am never cleaning Arnav’s room again.’

‘That’s okay Lavanyaji, you were only trying to help. You didn’t do it on purpose. It happens.’

‘Khushi, there is a sale at the mall. I need a dress for tonight’s dinner. I am taking Arnav to meet some of my friends. Do you think you can manage the pakoras on your own? I will be back in about an hour.’

‘Sure Lavanyaji.’

The moment Lavanya left he had entered the kitchen, intending to talk to her,but the sight he beheld made his mouth go dry. Her dori was open with her braid in the front, giving him a clear view of her delectable back.

‘Lavanyaji, thank God you are still here,’ she said without turning back, ‘do you mind tying me up? My dori seems to have come loose.’

F@#$!  As he moved up behind her,his heart had begun to race, and his had moved of its own volition to pick up one string of her dori, his fingers brushing against the smooth skin. Khushi’s shoulder blade jutted as she flexed suddenly aware of his touch. Then,shecried out in pain and he saw her finger bleeding profusely. She had cut her hand.

Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and put her finger into his mouth to stem the flow of blood.Khushi had scrunched up her eyes as she clutched his arm in a death’s grip, her tremulous lips twisted in pain. She seemed visibly agitated, and his eyes moved down to see her breasts heaving up and down.

‘Arnavji, let go!’ She had opened her big doe eyes.

‘I am sorry.’ He took her finger out of his mouth, but didn’t let go of her hand.

‘Excuse me?’ Khushi said in confusion.

‘I am sorry I hurt you.’

‘Tha…. That’s alright.’ Her eyes softened but were still wary as she looked at the way he had grasped her hand.

‘No, it’s not alright,’ he paused.

When she looked at him, her eyes still reflecting her confusion, he said, ‘Can you make some coffee? I will be back in a minute.’

‘Sure.’ She turned back quickly to make coffee.

When he got back, she was waiting for the decoction to drip in the kettle. She had figured out how to use the coffee maker to prepare the Columbian coffee the way he liked it.

He stood behind her and took her left hand in his. ‘Relax Khushi.’ He said when she jumped up. ‘I just want to put this band-aid on your finger so it doesn’t hurt while you work.’

‘Th…Thanks.’ She stuttered when he was done and began to pour the decoction into a cup.

‘Khushi,’ Sharada Raizadacalled out from the living room, ‘wasn’t Lavanya supposed to be with you making snacks for the evening tea?’

 ‘She just stepped on an important job auntyji,’ Khushi replied back, ‘she will be here soon.’

After his mother went back into the bedroom, he began to tie up her dori even as he bent his head and whispered into her ear, ‘This is what I was talking about. Stop covering for her.’

Seeing Khushi’s agitation rise again, he picked up his coffee cup and left the kitchen as fast as his legs could take him, not wanting test his self-control any further.