Valley of Flowers Chapter 10

KHUSHI looked at the beautiful yellow mustard fields whizz past her as she looked out of the window of her taxi on her way to Agra. The yellow flowers shifting in the wind marked the onset of winter and Khushi pulled the lapels of her jacket a little more snugly. The driver of her taxi Manpreet Singh didn’t seem to think that a heater would be necessary in Delhi winter. He in fact kept his window open a little bit letting the cold air in, chilling Khushi’s nose to the point of freezing.

She had been invited to perform in a dance show being conducted at Kalakriti Sanskritik Natyashala in Agra. It was a big show with other accomplished dancers participating in it.

Right after Diwali, Arnav had gone to the US to take care of his own business leaving her in charge of the office for the past month and a half.

In the middle of all this, Akash had finally recovered. He remembered people’s names and faces without mixing them up.  ‘Hi Khushi,’ he said when she went up to give Payal her breakfast.

Khushi smiled at her brother-in-law unshed tears in her eyes on seeing him playing with his baby. The smile on Payal’s face was priceless.

The doctor had mentioned that he would still be on medication for the headaches and would need to be careful not to over stress himself with anything. He would need physiotherapy to strengthen his muscles that had become stiff due to lack of exercise.

NK, extremely busy with the burden of the new project, had hardly had any time to meet her, which was just as well, as her weekends had become busier taking extra classes for Piyali, preparing her for her impeding exams. Managing both home and office on top of the dance classes in the weekend had become hectic.But she needed exertion. Needed it to forget the soul searing kiss on Diwali night.

She never could quiet forget how she lost herself in Arnav’s arms that night. No one could ever make her feel the way Arnav did. The moment he touched her she turned complaisant, putty in his hands, to be moulded any which way he wanted. How could she feel this way when he only thought the worse of her? That was the problem. She had no control -- emotionally or physically where he was concerned.

Hey Devi Maiyya, why had he come back?She thought of the last words she had spoken tohim.

Unlike you, NK knows how to treat a woman

She had never meant to say those words, but she had just wanted to strike back at him for making her feel weak and helpless.

But now that he was gone, she missed him terribly. Everything reminded her of him – the orchids, the dance class and even little Ashu.

As she sat on Arnav’s chair staring listlessly at his coffee cup, Lavanya barged in.

‘You are doing it again aren’t you?’ she said coming into the office.

‘What?’

‘Getting your hooks into him.’

‘What?’ Khushi realized Lavanya was talking about Arnav.’ No! I am doing no such thing.’

‘The hell you are not!’ Lavanya raised her voice. ‘How could you Khushi? Five years ago. You knew I was supposed to marry him.’

‘Lavanyaji….’ How could she explain to her that it was her over confidence in SharadaRaizada’s hold over her son that caused all the problems?

How would things have been if Lavanya hadn’t misplaced those important documents forcing an interaction between her and Arnav? What might have happened if Lavanya had gone to the Shiv-Gauri mandir the way she was supposed to?Would it have made a difference if Lavanya had genuinely tried to learn the ways of an ideal bahu that Sharada Raizada had visualized instead of substituting Khushifor cooking or drawing a rangoli? There was no point in bringing up old things now. ‘It wasn’t like that.’ She finished in a low voice.

‘Shut up!’ Lavanya spat out spitefully. ‘I saw the way he looked at you while you danced in Akash and Payal’s sangeet!’

So Lavanya didn’t really know anything. She was just speculating from what she had seen at the sangeet. She had choreographed the dance for which Lavanya had rehearsed with Arnav. But on the D-Day she had twisted her ankle and Arnav had pulled Khushi on the stage, knowing very well that she knew all the steps by heart. Not wanting to create a scene, Khushi had complied.

‘In any case I left Delhi. Why didn’t you marry him then?’

‘He told his mom that he was not ready for marriage!

‘It was for the best in a way.’ She said surprising Khushi. ‘His grandfather died and he ended up having to take Sharada aunty along with him. There was no way I could have got along with that Hilter of a woman.’

Khushi wondered what Sharada Raizada would say if she could hear Lavanya, the girl whom she had carefully chosen for her beloved son. A girl who belonged to a sophisticated, high-class family, the daughter of her best friend.

Lavanya went on. ‘And then Karan proposed and I accepted. Karan is a good man. He is a millionaire, good looking, but he doesn’t have Arnav’s charm and style. Everything was fine until I met Arnav again after mama’s accident.Grief brought us closer. We comforted each other.’

Was she saying that she and Arnav were lovers? A deep pain began in Khushi’s heart. ‘Lavanyaji, I ----’

‘Arnav may still not be interested in marriage but I am not going to let that come in my way this time!’ She stormed out.

On the day of the show, NK had apologized for not being able to go with her as he was down with a viral fever. Khushi hadn’t really expected him to come, as he was neither interested in classical dance nor travelling to small towns like Agra. Having grown up in Australia, Khushi knew he liked to stick to his comfort zones – big cities with all its modern amenities.

Once the scenery changed from greenery to concrete buildings Khushi knew they had reached the city limits of Agra – the city of the Taj Mahal. Seeing the city with its modern building, malls, schools, offices Khushi wondered what it would have been like in the time Shahjahan who had thought of this place when he wanted to build a memorial for his wife long after she had died.

For the performance, she wore a peacock blue silk lehnga-choli with a gold buttas all over it. The bright red chunri contrasted beautifully with the lehenga. She wore a long gold chain with a large pendant, huge gold jhumkas, maang teeka and an intricately carved gold chain on her tiny waist. Her long hair was braided and adorned with jewels. She bore in mind what her teacher told her – always look the part.

 She was dancing to the semi classical Kahe Ched Mohe. This was a song that had always disturbed her but it turned out to be a bravura performance and she was modestly pleased with herself.

It was at the exact moment as she bent down to receive a bouquet of roses from someone in the audience that she saw Arnav.What was he doing here?

He was looking very handsome and dashing in a charcoal grey suit and was conspicuous even in a crowd of celebrities. Obviously, he had not meant for her to see him, for he was sitting off to one side, behind a really tall man.

In an instant she was elated, her heart beat beginning within seconds so fast it seemed it wanted to burst free from her body and fly down to where it belonged.Why are you doing this to me Arnav? I have paid for sins I haven’t even committed.  She was feeling a little dizzy but more flowers arrived and that saved her. Mr Mehta, the organizer came to her side.

‘Your dance was a huge success!’ Mr Mehta said happily. ‘The young ones were here just to see you. Their enthusiasm is wonderful.’

A few of her friends and admirers managed to get around backstage to congratulate her, and after the last one was gone, lying in wait was – Arnav.

‘Hi.’ She whispered in trepidation. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘You were magnificent Khushi,’ he said to her huskily. ‘I find your dance unbearably beautiful.’

‘Thank you,’ she said simply, her skin petal pale.

‘Come on, let’s go’

‘Mr Mehta has made arrangements,’ she told him.

He brought his caramel eyes down hers, trying not to dominate but doing it all the same. ‘Tell them it won’t be necessary.’

‘But ---‘

‘This is important.’

‘I will inform Mr Mehta and then change out of this costume.’

When she joined him fifteen minutes later, Arnav was zapped. Her outfit was a complete contrast to what she wore earlier. Shewore a beautiful pinkknit topwith the most intricately self-embroidered, square shaped yolk trimmed with lace, on blue jeans and chocolate brown ankle length boots. As she found Arnav’s eyes perusing her from head to toe, she pulled on a tan wool jacket.

‘These clothes are warmer.’ She said in a lowvoice.

‘Right.’He blinked once and turned around to lead the way. A little later, when they were seated in the car Khushi turned to him. ‘What’s going on Arnav?’

‘The meeting with Aria fashions.’ He stated laconically. ‘Why didn’t you go?’

‘Lavanyaji said she would manage all by herself.’

‘The meeting was a disaster,’ Arnav said, raking his hand through his hair. ‘Lavanya told me that she did not receive the necessary information on it.’

Khushi was appalled. ‘I sent everything to Lavanyaji last week! I even copied you on it.’

‘I know. Looks like Lavanya did not realize that you blind copy me on all e-mails. It is very clear she doesn’t work when I am not around.’

‘But that meeting was very important for AR!’ Khushi was emphatic, ‘Mr Ibrahim Sheik is a very fussy person. He is not likely to give you another appointment.’

‘Why do you think I flew all the way here leaving behind my work?’ Arnav said. ‘Since Mr Sheik is from Agra, I thought it would be a great idea to come here to meet him. I have invited him for a dinner meeting tonight. We will make sure he gives us another appointment.’

‘We?’ Khushi was taken aback.

‘Of course,’ he replied smoothly. ‘The man apparently asked for you at the meeting. Have you met him?’

‘Well, jeejaji invited him home last time,’ she said. ‘He happens to be from Lucknow.’ When the tea and snacks had been served he had specifically asked to see the person who made it and had appreciated her. When he had found out she was from Lucknow he had said he knew it the moment he tasted the jalebis.

‘There you go!’ He hit the steering wheel with his hand. ‘The Lucknow connection. Do I need to say more?’

‘But, I don’t think I will be able to do any convincing Arnav,’ she said nervously.

‘Look who’s talking.’ He said as he swerved into a side lane. He would never let her forget that she was an actress, would he?

 Khushi saw that he had turned onto a smaller road leading into a poorly developed area of Agra. As they kept driving further, she realized they were in old city toward the river Yamuna.

‘Are we going towardTajMahal?’ Khushi asked raising her eye brows in surprise.

‘We might as well ---,’ he said putting the car into a vacant slot of a jam packed ground that was supposed to be the parking lot.  ‘We have time to kill until dinner.’

He helped her onto a golf type vehicle that would take them the distance of half a kilometre to the premises. Once they reached the entrance Khushi stood in the queue for women and saw that the men’s queue was pretty long. Knowing that darkness would set in early in winter, she wondered if they would make it in time. Then suddenly Arnav came up to her, took her hand and lead her to the entrance, where they were let into through a smaller gate.

‘How did you do that?’ She asked him as they began to walk toward the main gateway.

‘Everything has a price Khushi.’

‘What was the need to spend so much money?’She said walking fast to keep pace with him.

‘You can pay 300 Rs to go watch a two hour movie, but when it comes to visiting your national monument you are counting the money?’ He paused.‘I cannot believe the ticket to this place is a paltry twenty rupees. Why can’t the government just charge more and use it to clean up the surrounding area? It’s one of the wonders of the world for God’s sake!’

‘Arnav look!’ Khushi clutched his arm, and pointed to the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal stood white pristine and majestic.A water channel and bronze fountains divided the paved causeway leading to the mausoleum, between a double row of cypress trees. Khushi realized why it was aptly called ‘Dream in Marble.’ It was truly an exquisite piece of lyrical beauty. Enthralled at its timeless beauty she looked up at him. ‘Thank you for bringing me here.’

‘A girl once told me this was the most romantic place on earth.’

Khushi’s eyes change from excitement to wariness as she remembered the words she had said after that ---

When you go to the Taj Mahal with your loved one, you will feel like you are the only two amidst thousands of people around…..

Payal looked beautiful in her teal green saree, sitting in front of the mirror wearing her gold studs. She had the glow of a woman who was waiting for her beloved to come and pick her up for a date on New Year’s eve. Khushi couldn’t believe life could change so much in little more than a month. Last week Payal and Akash were engaged to be married in six weeks! Khushi’s thoughts went back to the drama that preceded this happy event.

On the night of the Diwali she had come down the stairs and slipped into the guest bedroom to check on her appearance. She had managed to get her hair into place but she wondered if people would figure out that her lips were swollen from the scorching kiss Arnav and she had shared on the terrace a few minutes ago. She had nervously stepped into the hall with her shoulder bag when she saw the entire Raizada family assembled in the hall. The guests had left, but her parents’ presence at the house surprised her. In the arguments that ensued she realized that Mamiji had caught Akash and Payal and Akash in an embrace in Akash’s room.

Her parents had been summoned to be informed of their daughters’ indiscretion. Mamiji had made a hue and cry about the whole issue. Finally, Naniji had intervened and silenced Mamiji telling her that the matter would be discussed later after getting to the crux of it. Embarrassed by the incident, her parents had taken both their daughters home and had packed them off to Lucknow with Buaji, in the next available train.

In the time they had spent in Lucknow, Payal and she had grown closer like never before. Having to endure Buaji’s taunts, Payal had leaned on her for support. In her depressed state, Payal had revealed to Khushi that she and Akash had been secretly seeing each and had been friends since they first met in Dehradun. She also told Khushi that Akash wanted to marry her. But his mother would never allow him to marry their accountant’s daughter would she? Payal had already decided that it was the end of the world for her.She cried often saying she missed Akash a lot.

All this wasn’t helping her one bit. She had been trying her best not to think about Arnav. But how could she forget the mind numbing ecstasy she had experienced in his arms? Even thinking about it made her blush as her heart began its erratic dhak dhak. All the encounters they had from Navratri to Diwali, kept playing in her mind. The feelings that Payal described to her seemed akin to what she was experiencing. She knew she cared for Arnav. But was it love?

No Khushi! She admonished herself. A girl like her had no right whatsoever. She remembered Sharada Raizada’s words --- My son will never go for a low-class girl like her.

Then suddenly a month later, Akash had called Payal and told her that everything was going to be okay as his mother had agreed to the alliance. They had been summoned back to Delhi and in the next few days, Payal and Akash were engaged in a small engagement ceremony.

A knock on the door brought Khushi out of her reverie. She ran to open the door to find Akash standing there with a wide grin on his face.‘You fiancée is almost ready jeejaji,’ she said emphatically.

‘I am so lucky to be going out with two beautiful women today,’ he teased.

Khushi leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. ‘Sorry about that jeejaji.’ Buaji had strictly announced that Khushi would have to accompany Payal on the dinner with Akash.

Suddenly, they heard the car horn and Khushi wondered why Mohan was in such a hurry. In the next few minutes she found out why.Arnav was at the wheel! What was he doing here? Wasn’t he supposed to be in US? He wasn’t even there for the engagement.

Her dhak-dhak began and her stomach did a flip-flop as images of the kiss flashed before her. She hoped that heat that had suffused her body did not show up on her face.

‘Please drop me off in Palak’s house,’ she said as Arnav started the ignition.

‘I don’t think so,’ he told her driving out of their lane and taking a right turn.

She looked back at Akash and Payal in panic. Akash said, ‘Khushi, you can’t stay in Palak’s house because she lives two streets away from your house. Someone from your locality could easily see you and inform your family. You will have to come with us. Bhai will keep you company.’

No way! This couldn’t be happening. ‘I could go watch a movie,’ she suggested, ‘there is this new Salman Khan movie –‘

‘No Khushi!’ Payal exclaimed. ‘Going to a cinema hall all alone is not safe.’

And spending time with Laad Governor was? Payal and Akash had not idea about what was safe. Khushi began twisting her dupatta throwing sidelong glance at the silent statue, who was looking ahead and driving like none of this conversation mattered to him, not in the least bit.

‘Where are we going jeejaji?’ she said trying to make small talk.

‘Taj Mahal ---‘Did he say Taj Mahal? She hadn’t been able to hear clearly from the loud blaring horn from the truck behind them. But she didn’t want to ask again as Akash was engrossed in a conversation with Payal and she no intention of disturbing them further.

When they arrived at their destination Khushi realized that the “Taj Mahal” Akash had referred to turned out to be a resort. When she expressed her disappointment as she got off the car, Akash and Payal began to laugh at her as they went ahead.

‘Really?’ Arnav finally broke his silence. ‘You really thought we were going to Taj Mahal?’

Khushi wasn’t deterred however cute his sardonic expression looked.‘Why not?’ she demanded. ‘If I was engaged, and going on a date,that too on New Year’s eve, I would have insisted that my fiancé take me to the “real” Taj Mahal!’ she said in a rush.

‘Khushi, people go on dates so they can be with each other – not to a monument like Taj Mahal where there are thousands of other people.’

‘It is most romantic place on earth!’ she exclaimed emphatically.

‘They say that when you go to the Taj Mahal with your loved one, you will feel like you are the only two amidst thousands of people around.’ She ran ahead not wanting to spend another second alone with him.

They visited the octagonal central chamber, where the cenotaph of the empress MumtazMahal occupied the middle of the marble floor while that of the Emperor Shah Jahan was to one side of it. Khushi was fascinated by the intricate marble and colour mosaic work done on the graves.

They made their way back through the Taj garden, avoiding the hordes of photographers hounding them to pose for pictures, against the backdrop of the Taj. Finally,they beganwalking along a narrow corridor that would lead them to the main gateway and out of the premises. Khushi stood and turned around for one final look. As it was winter, darkness came quickly and in the fading light the Taj Mahal looked enchantingly beautiful.

A group of boys in a hurry to go back rushed past them knocking Khushi hard, but Arnav caught her to himself snaking his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against himself as Khushi clutched his shoulder to steady herself.

‘Ready to take back your words sweetheart?’ He said with a smirk. When her brows creased in confusion he said, ‘Do you still believe in all that romantic mush about Taj Mahal?’

He remembered! ‘You know how naïve I was back then Arnav.’

‘I know.’ Arnav voice was a whisper. She looked up with her luminous eyes compelled by the lilt in his voice and found him staring at her with his deep caramel ones.

Khushi’s breath caught in her throat as the entire world faded away. It was not romantic mush. Whoever said it was right.She would lock this moment away in her heart forever.

‘What are you thinking?’ he asked, his brown eyes totally absorbed in her.

‘The way we used to be, the good times we have hand. You were the only good thing in my life.’

‘I find that hard to believe!’ he said curtly.

‘Why are you here if you keep insisting on not believing anything I say?’

‘You know the answer to that one.’ ‘Uncontrollable impulses. Feeling that survives when everything else has gone. It’s a question of compulsion rather than anything else. We are tied to one another, in an inexplicable way.’

‘As simple as that!’ She sighed deeply, unaware how ethereal she looked in the waning light. The overhead light caught in her pretty stone drops so it glittered like diamonds.

‘You look beautiful,’ Arnav said languidly raking her with his intense brown eyes. ‘And innocent.’

‘I am.’ In fact she was innocent of everything except loving him.

‘Then don’t marry NK.’

Before Khushi could react, they heard the shrill sound of the whistle as the caretaker of the premises came up to them, telling them it was time to leave the premises.