Valley of Flowers Chapter 14

KHUSHI & ARNAV stepped into the mantap together. They looked at each other for countless seconds.

Arnav stood in his jeans and T-shirt,a day old growth of stubble on his cheek, his overgrown hair falling over his forehead and his brown eyes sparkling in spite of the lines of fatigue under it. He never looked better, thought Khushi. Images of her dream flashed before her and she felt like bursting out into peals of laughter. Sometimes dreams really came true and how!

Seeing the twinkle in Khushi’s eyes, Arnav’s heart skipped a beat. She had lost a lot of weight, making her look like her thirteen year old self. But she looked breathtakingly beautiful, much more than when she had first worn this lehenga for the first time five years ago.

Then they heard someone calling out to them. It was the panditji asking them to take their seats. He asked Khushi to sit on Arnav’s right. He created a sacred fire with ghee and wooden sticks, in order to evoke Agni the fire god, which would serve as a witness to the rituals binding them together.

Amidst the blazing fire of the havankund and the chanting of the mantras, Arnav tied the mangalsutra around Khushi’s neck, his hands shaking a little as he fastened the hook. As he picked up a pinch of sindoor between his fingers, and placed it on her forehead, Khushi closed her eyes, the beat of her heart loud in her ears.

She opened her luminous teary eyes to see him looking at her with awe. As they continued to look into each other’s eyes, they heard Anjali whisper to them that it was time for their pheras around the fire. She tied their chunris together.

As the pheras began – the seven rounds around the fire, each symbolizing a vow, Khushi and Arnav pledged their commitment to each other for a lifetime.

‘You were right Nani,’ Anjali gushed as she showered the couple with flower petals during the phera.  ‘Whatever happened here today was nothing less than a divine intervention.’

‘Didn’t I tell you to have faith in Devi Maiyya?’ Naniji smiled with tears of joy in her eyes.

Shyam who was standing next to them couldn't believe that what was going on. Why Khushiji, why did you agree?

The newly married couple took blessings from all the elders present and wishes from the younger ones.

Akash had discreetly explained the situation to the guests and had requested everyone to stay back for the dinner.

Later that night, Arnav told Akash to take everyone go home as Ashu was tired and cranky. He told him that he would come in a little later with Khushi. Half an hour later, Arnav drove Khushi home in his own car while Khushi dozed in the backseat. When they reached the house, he opened the backdoor, gently raised her and picked her up in his arms. Khushi woke up from her slumber and protested but he silenced her pleas and carried her to the front door where Anjali, Akash, Payal and Nani were waiting for them. Manorama and her husband were conspicuous with their absence.

‘Arnav, how did you know the custom of carrying the bride over the threshold?’ Anjali teased her brother holding the pooja thaali in her hand.

‘Well, I don’t know about any custom but this bride is too exhausted.’ He said looking down at her wan face.

‘Put me down.’ She whispered into his ear.

‘No.’

Payal came forward and placed a pot of rice on the threshold. ‘Khushi is supposed to kick this pot of rice Arnavji.’

‘Can’t I just do that for her?’ he said, raising his eyebrows.

As the Raizada family began chuckling, Naniji said, ‘Chotte, there will be a lot of things you will be doing for her in the future. But this is one thing she has to do herself. Put her down for a minute.’

Arnav put Khushi down but Khushi held on to his shirt sleeve. She looked at the house and a chill went up her spine. Was it the spirit of Mrs Raizada she wondered. Then Arnav placed his hand on the small of her back, his warmth seeping into her giving her strength.

Anjali stepped forward a warm smile playing on her lips as she adorned their foreheads with tilak and performed the aarti. Then, Khushi kicked the pot of rice trepidatiously with her right leg. But just as she was going to take a step, Arnav swept her up in his arms again and strode in, carrying her straight up the stairs into his bedroom.

 He walked up to his bed and laid her on it to see Khushi drowsy with sleep. He went into the bathroom. When he stepped out, he saw Anjali come into the room, followed by Naniji. They had brought them some food.

‘I think Khushi hasn’t eaten since morning,’ Anjali said looking at Khushi worriedly. ‘Make sure she eats something before she sleeps.’

‘You too Chotte,’ Naniji stepped forward to touch his cheek. ‘We can talk in the morning.’ They left the room, closing the door behind them.

Arnav woke Khushi so she could eat her dinner. At first Khushi, refused to eat but Arnav browbeat her into acceding.

‘Good.’ Arnav said after she had eaten couple of rotis and some rasedar aloo.

‘What choice did I have?’ she shot back, ‘you always do whatever you want.’ She took a sip of the water he gave her.

‘Not always.’ He said laconically. ‘I had to wait. At least until you lost those braids.’

Khushi’s stomach did a flip when she realized he was talking about ten years ago. ‘Now you don’t have to anymore.’

‘F@#$!’ He swore getting up from the bed. ‘Is this what you think this is all about?’

She looked up at him, ‘Don’t tell me you married me because you wanted to save my honour.’

‘Is that so hard to believe?’

‘It must be too much of a sacrifice for a person who believes that marriage is highly overrated.’ Khushi said her eyes flashing angrily.

‘In spite of that, I came here didn’t I?’

Khushi looked at him her eyebrow twisted with suspicion. ‘Why did you?’

‘To stop you from marrying that moron.’

Khushi’s heart skipped a beat. ‘What?’

‘All this drama could have been avoided if the wedding was on schedule.’

‘But---’

‘I was supposed to go to an off-site meeting near Mount Rainer in Utah. At the airport, I decided to come to Delhi instead,’ he said raking his hair with his hand. ‘My phone was dead and I had left my charger at home. I couldn’t even inform my office. Then my flight got delayed in Europe due to staff strike. Then next morning they me put on a flight to Bangalore. From there I took the next available flight to Delhi. I came to the house in the evening and found out that the wedding was today.’

Khushi’s head was reeling with all the details. She was only interested in one thing. ‘You wanted to stop my wedding. Why?’

‘Why do you think?’ He looked at her with his simmering brown eyes. ‘In Agra I told you not to marry NK. But you wouldn’t listen. You got so upset you burnt your fingers. On the night of the engagement I couldn’t stand by and watch him put a ring on your finger. I might have killed him if I had stayed. That is why I left.

‘I figured that if marriage was the only way to have you in my life, then so be it. I made up my mind to come back and propose marriage.’

‘Oh God!’ Khushi held a hand to her head.

‘What’s your problem now?’ Arnav said looking at her.

‘My problem is you!’ Khushi shouted.

‘What the f@#$?’ His eyes widened in disbelief. ‘The man who claimed he loved you, doesn’t turn up at the wedding. Dammit! I can’t even remember the number of times you defended him – He is a good man…. Don’t hurt him…. He is a thorough gentleman….

‘I saw how your family was panicking when they heard NK was not coming. This marriage was obviously very important to them – if they somehow managed to convince you to say yes. And you say I am the problem!’

‘You didn’t need to save me!’ she shot out in anger. ‘I never wanted to get married in the first place! I only agreed because babuji asked me to---because they had given their word to Mamiji.

‘Two weeks ago I told NK everything.’

‘Come again?’

‘I told NK that you were the man in my past. I also told him about --- Agra. I told him I would understand if he wanted to back out of the wedding. But he refused. He said he believed me and wanted to go ahead with the wedding.’

‘So what happened today?’ Arnav said his tone laced with sarcasm. ‘Did he think it would be a greater punishment to leave you on the wedding day?’

‘So what?’ Khushi shot back angrily. ‘I probably deserved it.’

‘Shut up Khushi!’ Arnav grated. ‘I can’t believe you are still supporting that b@#$%^&!’

‘Why not? Someone called his mother and told her about me. Mothers are highly protective about their sons. They would never let their sons marry the wrong girl.’

Arnav didn’t seem to have heard what she was saying as he asked her suddenly. ‘What were you planning to do if NK had agreed to call off the wedding?’

Khushi was silent for several seconds before she answered, ‘I was going to come to you.’

He went very still.

She continued. ‘Do you think you are the only one who could change his mind about marriage?’

‘Why?’ His voice was low.

‘You said I owed you,’ she said reminding him of their argument in Agra. ‘I figured it was time to make amends. So you see Arnav, you could have had me without the obligation of marriage.’

He walked up to his study table and leaned on it, the muscles on his back bunched up as his entire body quivered with rage. He took a crystal clock in his hand and flung it the floor with all his might, splintering it to smithereens. He strode across the room and yanked open the door. Then he turned back.

‘You told me that I never told you that I loved you.’ He grated, his caramel eyes dark. ‘That was because I didn’t know at the time.’

When Khushi looked up in surprise, he said, ‘On Akash and Payal’s wedding day, after we --- fought I came back home really angry. Mom came up to my room, and asked me if there was something going on between us. She warned me about you-- telling me all you care about is money. I disagreed and we argued. Then she asked me why you mattered to me so much.

‘I told her that I loved you.’

He continued. ‘She hugged me and told me everything would be alright. But everything was not alright. She was the one who turned out to be right finally.’

Arnav stepped out of the room shutting the door with a resounding bang.

Khushi sat numbed by what Arnav had just told her. Her heart began to pound. He had loved her!

Arnav had told his mom? No wonder Sharada Raizada had made the negotiation tougher.

On the morning of Payal’s wedding she went about her work with a skip in her step. She felt euphoric as she hummed her favourite tune. Buaji had sent her to the wedding hall to make sure their guests were served lunch in the afternoon. When she had gone into the kitchen to talk to the cooks, Mrs Raizada had come up to her and asked to speak with her in private. Khushi’s heart had begun to beat with trepidation.

‘How dare you come near my son?’ Sharada Raizada had lashed as soon as they had entered one of the empty rooms and shut the door.

‘Excuse me?’ Khushi had been astounded at the directness of the question.

‘Don’t pretend like you don’t know what I asking you,’ she said her eyes shooting daggers. ‘My mother brought you into this house because she felt sorry for your plight. Is this how you repay her?’

‘What are you saying Auntyji?’

She continued. ‘Is this what your parents have taught you? To trap rich boys? The older sister traps one Raizada boy with her viles and the younger one follows in her footsteps to trap the other one.’

‘Please auntyji!’ Khushi’s eyes welled up with tears. ‘Payal loves Akash and he loves her. She did not trap him.’

‘It is only you then.’

‘No!’

‘What were you both doing at the farm house yesterday night?’

Khushi’s face turned crimson and she began to stutter.‘I …I’

‘Don’t even think of denying it,’ she said with derision. ‘Jayprakash, the caretaker called me this morning regarding a wallet that Akash left there at the party he had with his friends. He also told me two girls were there at the party. One in a lehenga and one in a red saree.’

‘I …. I am sorry auntyjji.’ Khushi apologized tears flowing down her cheeks.

‘My friend Sumi has been warning me since Diwali,’ she said. ‘It was I who ignored all the signs.And the way you danced with Arnav yesterday. It was disgusting.’

Arnav was the one who wanted to dance with her. Didn’t she see him come and practically drag to the stage? Of course a mother would think that it was all her fault, wouldn’t she?

‘I could come talk to your parents about it, but I am not sure they will take any action. Maybe this is what they want.’

‘No no no….’ Khushi was horrified. How had her world turned upside down in less than twelve hours? How could she let herself dream about him when she knew what Mrs Raizada thought of her? “My son would never go for a low-class girl like her….”After New Year she had fallen prey to her own desires and forgotten the reality where she and Arnav belonged in two different worlds. Her amma and babuji would be devastated if Mrs Raizada went up to them and complained.

‘Please don’t talk to them auntyji. I will keep away from Arnav. I promise.’

‘I am pretty sure my son will not be interested in a girl like you, nevertheless I will hold you on to your promise.’Sharada Raizada strode up to the door, opened it and left.

A little later, she had busied herself, serving lunch to the wedding guests along with Buaji who had come up to meet some of the relatives. Arnav had turned up to bring Payal’s wedding lehenga which she would be wearing later in the evening for the wedding. He had also brought some gifts for the Guptas sent over by Mamiji.He had tried to help Khushi in serving the guests but Khushi had completely ignored him and went about her work like he was not there.

Confused by her behaviour, he had walked away to receive a phone call. She had immediately rushed into one of the empty rooms and cried her heart out. Finally, no more tears left, she went into the bathroom and washed her face. She looked into the mirror and found her khol had been rubbed away, her eyes red with all the crying. She would have to go home to fix herself. Just as she was about to step out she heard familiar voices and stepped back in the room. She couldn’t let them see her like this.

‘What’s happening there Arnav?’ Lavanya seemed a little concerned. ‘Why is Buaji creating such a scene?’

‘She apparently did not like the jewellery mamiji sent for her,’ Arnav seemed very angry.

Khushi opened the window a little curious about what had happened.

‘Really?’ Lavanya said her eyebrows raised mockingly. ‘How cheap is that?’

‘Unbelievable.’ Arnav shook his head in the familiar way she knew.

‘Thank your lucky stars she is not your mother-in-law.’ Lavanya teased.

‘Never!’ he said emphatically.

‘Now that Akash has got himself hitched, you are next in line.’

‘Akash is a big fool to be getting married into a low class family like that,’ he said, ‘I am no fool.’

‘But Arnav ---’ Lavanya said a little desperately.

Arnav turned around his eyes simmering when he said. ‘I am just not interested in marriage. Period.’ He walked away, leaving Lavanya staring after him.

A little later, Khushi hurried out but she got called away by Buaji who had wanted her to meet someone.

‘Khushi,’ Arnav came up to her when he saw her talking to a kurta-clad young man who looked a few years older than Khushi. ‘Can I talk to you for a minute?’

‘Can’t you see I am talking to my friend?’ She replied, her tone nonchalant.

‘I need to talk to you now.’ His tone had dropped one level, which meant he was irritated.

‘This is Suraj,’ she said introducing the boy who greeted him with his hands joined together. ‘We used to be childhood friends in Lucknow. We have a lot of catching up to do as we haven’t seen each other in a long time. Could you come back later?’

Arnav walked away from her his whole body quaking with rage. A little later, she managed to disengage herself from Suraj and tried to make her escape from the back door. Just as she passed the stairs, two familiar hands grabbed her and pushed her into the alcove under the stairs.

‘What the hell was all that Khushi?’ he grated as he pushed her against the wall, his hands crushing the delicate flesh of her upper arms.

‘Let me go Arnav!’ she hissed.

‘Who the f@#% is this Suraj?’

‘That’s none of your business.’ She replied, the pain in heart feeling like a knife was stuck in it.

‘Don’t you think you gave me some rights yesterday night?’ The knife was being twisted.

‘No!’ She twisted in his grip and he bent lower even as he grabbed her waist and brought her into him.

‘Maybe this might help.’ He captured her lips in a bruising kiss, his tongue darting in to claim her mouth as his. When she tried to push his chest with her hands, he grabbed them both and pinned them against the wall. As his hardness pressed into her softness, liquid heat pooled in her core, spreading heat through her veins until it reached every nerve ending.When he lifted his mouth from her she stood quietly, her eyes closed, her breasts heaving up and down.

She opened her eyes and looked him straight in the eye, and with all the strength she could muster she said, ‘If you are done, can I go now?’

He let go off her hand suddenly looking at her like she had grown two horns. ‘I should have known not to engage with -- ’

‘A low class girl like me!’ She finished for him when he hesitated. ‘Is that what your mom taught you?’

‘Don’t you dare bring her up!’ He raged. ‘You don’t even know her.’ He walked away from her without a word.

Khushi stood there shivering violently and then she slid down the wall and sat on the floor, tears flowing down her eyes unchecked.

Later that evening, an hour before Akash and Payal’s wedding, Khushi once again stood in front Mrs Sharada Raizada, having been summoned by her urgently.

‘How much do you love dance, Khushi?’ she said, staring at her making her squirm uncomfortably.

‘A …a lot.’ She stuttered surprised at her question.

‘Who do you love more? Your dance or my son?’

Khushi was stunned by the question. She had though this topic was out of the way. She had acted according to her wishes. Why was she bringing this up again? ‘I….I  did what you asked me. I have kept away from him and I assure you ---’

‘You assurance is not good enough,’ she said, ‘You will need to go away from here.’

‘What?’

‘I am willing to sponsor your higher studies in dance.’

‘Thank you but ---’

‘I found this college for you where you will be able to finish your basic degree and then pursue your studies in dance as well.’ She said waving a booklet that looked like a college brochure.

When Khushi continued to stare at her in confusion, she said, ‘It is in Mumbai.’

‘No!’ Khushi said in reflex. ‘I mean no thank you auntyji.’

‘I am not asking you Khushi,’ she said her tone sounding dangerous.

‘I can’t leave my home and go away so far on my own.’

‘Maybe looking at this will help you make your decision.’ She handed Khushi printouts of something that looked like accounts.

When Khushi looked at her blankly she said, ‘These are proof of the fraud your babuji hasbeen doing in our company. He has pilfered money from the company account.’

‘No! My babuji is not like that.’

‘I know that Khushi,’ she said calmly. ‘But it is not easy for a father to get his daughter married into a rich household. Even if my sister-in-law agreed not to ask for dowry, she had asked him to conduct the marriage grandly. Do you know how many guests she invited for this wedding? Almost a thousand! She insisted on this wedding hall. Do you know how much a one day rental costs?’

‘No, no, no…’ Tears streamed down her cheeks. She knew her amma and babuji had been under tremendous stress in the last one month. She had heard muffled discussions late into the night in the past few days. She knew they were struggling to get the money to get all the arrangements done. Had her babuji succumbed and compromised his integrity?

‘If my brother finds this fraud, your father will be going to jail Khushi. Your sister’s wedding will stop right now.’

‘No please no.’

‘I am willing to save your babuji’s life for a price.’ She said calmly. ‘If you go away to Mumbai and never meet Arnav again.’

‘Okay,’ she said even as her heart was splintering into a million pieces.‘ But I don’t need your money.’

‘That is part of the bargain. You will have to take the money as well.’

Khushi understood. She wanted to prove to her son that it was all because of money.

‘As you wish.’

Payal and Akash’s wedding was completely ruined for her. When Payal’s friends had hidden Akash’s slippers and asked for some money in fun, Arnav had taken out a wad of Rs 10,000 grabbed her hand and placed the money on it, his brown eyes shooting daggers at her the whole time.

The next day Mrs Raizada came home with the check. She did not mince any words when she told the Guptas about their daughter’s indiscretions.

‘I am not a fool like my brother. He got his son married below his status.’ She told the Guptas.

‘My son will marry Lavanya Kashyap, a girl from a respectable family worthy of our status.’ She announced proudly. ‘In fact, he has gone on a date with her today.’ She rubbed it in.

Arnav was still angry with her after her behaviour yesterday. She had kept looking at her phone hoping it would ring and she could hear his voice just once. But she knew he was too proud and he would expect her to make the call and explain herself. But she couldn’t do that, could she?

‘And one more thing.’ Mrs Raizada said at the door. ‘You have to promise me you will never tell Arnav about any of this.’

‘I promise.’

Today she understood the reason why Sharada Raizada had upped the ante and resorted to blackmail. Her son had told her that he was in love with the low-class girl she despised. She knew that even if Khushi had stayed away from him, her hot headed son would have come after her. And there was only one way to stop that from happening. She had to make it look like Khushi had betrayed his trust. So after hearing his confession, she had told him that she fully supported his decision, becoming great in his eyes and played a game behind his back. She had probably given him that made up letter a little later to completely seal the deal.

The conversation she had with Anjali during Diwali had given her an insight into their mother’s psyche. The woman had been entrapped in a web of her own insecurities. Caught in that web, Mrs Raizada had unwittingly dragged her own children into it, without a care for their own happiness. Khushi had no more tears left in her eyes as she her eyes began to droop. The past was best buried. Mrs Raizada had kept her side of the bargain about her babuji. And she would keep hers.