8 Red Rose
Part 8 Red Rose
Suman came home from the office. He stopped at the doorstep, as a super aroma hit his nose. He came to the kitchen smelling it and saw Khushi thinking something deep, sitting next to the big-size tray in which peanut and jaggery mixture had been spread. She was making PEANUT CANDY. It was getting set in the tray.
Suman tapped her shoulder, making her jerk. Khushi looked at him.
"What are you thinking so deeply?"
Khushi nodded no. Taking a knife, she applied gee in it and started cutting the candies into equal-sized pieces.
"Let me guess... this is for your students, right?"
Khushi nodded yes.
"But, your class has only twenty-five chicks... then why are you making piles of candies? Are you going to distribute it to the whole school?"
"Kids may ask one more... I don't want to disappoint them. That's why"
"Oh... what were you thinking when I come?"
"Have you ever heard about a mother who doesn't want to be called MOM?" she asked.
"Hell no..."
Khushi sighed.
"By the way, who is that MOTHER INDIA?" Suman chuckled.
"Mother India?"
"Then what? If she doesn't want her child to call her mom, she must be called mother India" Suman laughed.
Khushi rolled her eyes.
"Who is the mother India?"
Khushi nodded her head from left to right.
"Won't you tell me?"
"Forget it"
"You want me to forget it but you are thinking about it deeply... what's the matter?"
"Nothing, Sumi... I want aloo Ki paratha today. Will you make it or not?"
"Very good way to divert me... I'm going to make salt-less parathas today"
"But why?"
"For hiding, the truth from me"
Khushi sighed. Suman smiled folding his hands.
"The Mother India is none other than Arnav's wife"
Suman was taken aback.
"You mean, Sheetal Kapoor?"
Khushi nodded yes.
"Is it true?"
"Yes, there was no mother's name on Khushi's identity card"
"Disgusting..."
"Mmm"
"I think Arnav is torturing her. that's why she would not like to get attached to her baby" he said reading her expression.
As he expected, Khushi was shocked.
"Have you gone mad? Does anyone do that? If she has a problem with her husband, it's their problem. They should sort it out within themselves. And for your kind information, people talk rubbish about Sheetal, not Arnav" she said, putting the candies in a box, making an irritating face.
Suman removed a box from his bag and kept it on the table.
"Here, what you wanted. Is it enough?"
Khushi checked the.
"Pouches... Pencils... erasers... Sharpeners... and scales... that's all. Thank you"
"Always..."
Suman went to the room to get fresh. Khushi packed them in a bag securely.
Midnight
Khushi jerked from her sleep as Suman woke her up, shaking her.
"Happy Birthday, Khushi..."
"Thank you, Sumi..." Khushi said in a sleepy tone and again lay on the bed.
Switching the lights off, Suman also slept.
The next morning
Khushi woke up and smiled, seeing a gift being kept on the side table. She unwrapped it and became excited, seeing a beautiful watch in it.
"Thank you, Sumi" She shouted.
"You are welcome" came from the kitchen.
After taking a bath, Khushi came to the dining.
"Happy birthday, Khushi... I just prepared your favorite breakfast. Please adjust, if it is not good"
Khushi started eating.
"Wow, you became an expert in cooking, Sumi"
"Really?"
"Yup..."
That was when Suman's phone rang. His face lit, seeing the caller. Attending the call, Suman extended the phone to Khushi. Khushi talked without even asking whose call it was.
"Happy Birthday, Khushi," the caller said.
"Thank you, Nanne"
"What special my friend prepared for you?"
"butter Naan and butter panner masala"
"Wow..."
"How are you?"
"I'm not fine..."
"why?"
"You guys went far away from me... don't you know, he is the only friend of mine?"
"Excuse me, it's not me but him who got transferred here. So, he is the one who is blameworthy here."
"It's very boring, yaar"
"I know... How is Neya?"
"She is fine... went for the trip with her office mates"
"Oh... then, come to Lucknow"
"I so want to come to Lucknow but I didn't get leave in my office, yaar..."
"Ok, try to come here if you get time. Bring Neya too"
"Sure... if she gets time"
"Ok... will give the phone to your darling"
NK laughed.
"Ok"
Khushi passed the phone to Suman.
"Hi, buddy"
Suman started, talking to NK. Khushi knew they won't end the call soon. she finished eating. Taking her bag,
"I'm leaving, Sumi" Khushi said.
Suman waved his hands glancing at her hand in which the new watch shined.
In the meanwhile,
Arnav was getting ready to school. Baby Khushi came to the dining, getting ready. Arnav came to the dining and sat. Baby Khushi rushed to the calendar and tore the sheet.
"Today is the 10th of August" Baby Khushi said.
Arnav gulped down. He knew what day that was. Today was Khushi's birthday.
"Where is Rahim Chacha?" Arnav asked.
"He is resting as he is not feeling well," Fatima said.
"Oh... did he have medicine?"
"He had"
"I have a meeting today. I will send Khushi with Mohan"
"I will come with him and pick her up," Fatima said.
"Are you sure?"
"Haan... I want to meet Manju. It's been a long we met"
Arnav nodded ok.
Finishing breakfast, Arnav came out with Baby Khushi. he saw a red rose in the rose plant.
"Is not this rose beautiful?" he asked.
"Yes, Daddy... this is so beautiful"
"Roses can be given to our loved ones to let them know we love them" he intentionally said that.
"Really?"
"Yup"
"Why didn't you give it to me?"
Arnav got stuck and took a few seconds to compose himself.
"Because you are a kid. Kids like chocolates and toys more than rose. That's why... you can give it to someone who you love very much"
Baby Khushi's eyes shined.
"Shall I give it to my teacher?"
"Yeah... you can" Arnav smirked.
Plucking the flower, he gave it to Khushi.
"Thank you, Daddy"
Arnav started the car towards the school.
Rishab School
Baby Khushi extended the rose to Khushi with a cute smile. Khushi raised her brows.
"This is for you"
"Me? For what?" Khushi asked.
"Because I love you," she said tilting her head.
"Thank you" Khushi took it from her hand.
She thought Arnav might have told her that it was her birthday but nope. He might have forgotten her birthday. Baby Khushi should have given it to her randomly. Taking a hairpin from her bag, Khushi pinned it close to her ear.
The school bell rang. Children started gathering in the front ground for the assembly. Arnav saw Khushi coming to the assembly with her class children. She was draping a simple cotton saree yet, she looked gorgeous. The rose in her hair made her more beautiful. It looked like the rose was whispering something in her ear. He slightly smiled at her with satisfaction. His LOOK told her that he didn't forget her birthday. After that, she didn't look at him for once.
The Assembly was over. The school dispersed. Khushi started distributing the pouch that contained a pencil, eraser, sharpener, scale, and peanut candy to the children. All the faces lit with happiness.
"Why are you giving this to us, teacher?" A girl asked.
"Today is my birthday..."
Kids looked at each other with excitement.
"So, I thought to make my children happy"
"Happy Birthday teacher"
"Thank you..."
"Won't you give us chocolate?" a boy asked.
"Chocolate is not good for health. I don't want to spoil your health on my birthday. So, I prepared this candy at home, especially for you"
"Wow..."
"You made this?"
Khushi nodded yes.
"For us?"
She again nodded yes.
That was when she saw Arnav entering her class with Shyam and a peon. Khushi looked at them.
"Good morning, Sir" She greeted formally as she had no choice because Shyam was with him.
"Good morning," Arnav said with a smile.
Arnav saw students having peanut candy.
"What is this?" he asked as if he didn't know the reason.
"Today is her birthday. She gifted her all this" Baby Khushi said.
"Oh... happy birthday Madam," Shyam said.
"Thank you, Sir"
"Wish you a very happy birthday, Khushi... ( he paused for a while and said) Madam," Arnav said.
"Thank you, sir," she said looking down.
"This candy is made by her," a girl said.
"Oh... really?" Shyam asked.
Without any choice left, Khushi took the box and extended it to them. Shyam took one from it.
"Actually, kids like chocolates," Shyam said.
"Chocolate is not good for health. That's why she made it for us" a boy said.
"Good idea" Arnav appreciated.
She forwarded the box to Arnav where there were four candies. Taking the box from her hand, Arnav handed it to the peon.
"Keep it in my cabin," he said.
The peon nodded ok and kept it with him.
"Have you forgotten to wear your identity card?" Shyam asked Khushi.
"Identity card? I didn't get it, Sir" Khushi said.
Shyam looked at Arnav, like, haven't you given it yet?
"I haven't checked it yet. I will send it afterward" Arnav said.
Shyam nodded ok and went out.
Khushi frowned. Why did they come here all of a sudden? She saw Baby Khushi gesturing to Arnav to look at the ROSE in Khushi's hair. Arnav smiled and nodded yes. He walked throwing a glance at Khushi. She was bomb shelled. She understood that Arnav was the one who sent her rose through Baby Khushi. After all, he knew how much she liked RED ROSE.
Taking another box, Khushi gave one more candy to the children.
Evening
The bell rang and the parents started picking up their kids. Khushi frowned as someone came to pick up Baby Khushi instead of Arnav.
"Fatima Chachi..." Baby Khushi said.
Fatima smiled at her. Her smile vanished when her sight fell on Khushi. She got stuck. Did not Baby Khushi say about a new teacher? Was that SHE? Fatima gulped down hard.
To be continued...
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: Truyen3h.Co