59 As you sow...
Part 59 As you sow...
Ratna came to the kitchen following Khushi and Sheetal. Khushi removed a few bowels and filled them with Badam Keer.
"Do you like this ring, Khushi?" Sheetal asked.
"Jee... it's beautiful" Khushi said.
"This is Mathura Badam Keer. Very famous. Whenever my father goes to Mathura; he brings this because we like it so much" Sheetal said.
Khushi smiled. Ratna who was standing behind Sheetal smiled at her. Taking a tray, Khushi arranged the bowls in it. She could arrange only eight bowls in the tray. Two bowls were remaining.
"Give me one more tray, I will arrange the remaining bowls in it," Sheetal said.
Taking another tray, Khushi gave it to Sheetal.
"Khushi, listen to me," Ratna said.
Khushi slightly nodded her head, without looking at her.
"Take the tray and go," Ratna said.
Khushi looked at Sheetal.
"I will come, giving this to them..."
"Yeah, you go... I will bring it" Sheetal said.
Taking the tray, Khushi walked out. As Ratna expected, Sheetal removed a small pocket from her pant pocket and added some powder to a bowl. Ratna wanted to beat her black and blue but she didn't want to alert Sheetal. So, she slightly scratched her shoulder and Sheetal turned behind. In the little gap, Ratna interchanged the bowls.
Shrugging her shoulders, Sheetal walked out with the bowls. She saw Khushi serving the keer to everyone. There was still a bowl left in the tray that alerted Sheetal. What if Khushi took it for herself?
"Don't you give that to Lavanya?" Sheetal asked.
Khushi looked at Ratna who gestured for her to go. Khushi nodded yes and went to Lavanya's room. Taking the bowl in which she mixed the powder, Sheetal sat with her parents, unaware of the truth that the bowls changed. She looked at her mother who asked her something through her eyes. Sheetal spilled a victory smile that brought peace to her mother's face.
Ratna smirked, seeing their gestures. She didn't know what Sheetal added to the bowl but whatever it was, Sheetal deserved it. She supposed.
Sheetal saw Khushi coming with the empty tray, after giving the keer to Lavanya.
"You too take it, Khushi" Sheetal said.
Khushi nodded ok and took the last bowl.
"Khushi, sit next to Chotte," Ratna said.
Arnav moved a little making a space for Khushi.
"Khushi, sit here," he said.
Sheetal tried hard not to show the irritation on her face.
Khushi sat next to Arnav and had the keer.
"How is the keer, Khushi?" Sheetal asked.
"So sweet... just like you," Khushi said with a smile.
Sheetal smiled at Arnav who was looking at Khushi.
"I didn't expect you would be so nice, Sheetalji"
"Oh, Khushi, call me Sheetal... just Sheetal. You are Arnav's wife. Arnav is my friend. So are you"
"Thank you, Sheetal." Khushi ate the keer.
Arnav saw Nani's phone on the tea table. An idea clicked in his mind. Taking her phone, he dialed Khushi's California friend Aradhana without anyone's knowledge. After two rings, he disconnected the call and kept it back on the tea table.
As he expected, within a minute, Nani's phone rang. Taking it, Nani checked.
"Aradhana? Who is she?" she attended murmuring.
"Hi, Khushi... this is Rowan. Why did you call me?"
"Khushi bitiya, someone is talking in English, asking for you" she extended the phone to Khushi.
"Who is this?" Khushi asked.
"I'm Rowan. I saw a missed call on my mobile from your number"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Rowan. It would have been sent mistakenly"
"Oh, that's ok. You don't have to be sorry for a silly reason. I'm happy talking to a divine girl. Actually, I wanted to call you in the evening. As I called you now, I will ask you about it"
Khushi rolled her eyes, she knew he would ask something to see her prediction.
"Tell me"
"I'm going to buy a new house in my home tone"
"Oh, that sounds good"
"Really?"
"Yes, go ahead"
"Thank you so much"
"Is Aradhana there?"
"No, I'm at work... I think she will call you if I said about your call"
"I will be waiting for her call. Or, I will call her in the evening. By the way, is not it a night there now?"
"Yes, I'm at work. I'm going to finalize an important deal tomorrow. So, I'm working on it"
"Ok, all the best"
"Thank you, Khushi"
"You are welcome" Khushi disconnected the call and looked at people who were staring at her as if she had done something big.
Arnav was having the keer, controlling his smile.
"What is your educational qualification?" Anjana asked.
"MSc. Math..." Khushi said.
Sheetal coughed badly. Poor her, the keer choked her throat. Khushi passed a glass of water to her. Sheetal denied it.
"It's ok... it's just..." she smiled awkwardly.
She knew Arnav's mockery look was on her. Didn't she taunt Khushi as uneducated? Bloody girl, how fluently she talked in English. Then, how could she be so simple?
"Khushi bitiya, I don't know you could talk English fluently..." Nani wondered.
"She does but only when it necessary... She doesn't flaunt like others. Her simplicity is what makes her great" Arnav said, smiling at Khushi who was embarrassed.
"Wah, Chotte, you got to know everything about Khushi, it seems..." Nani intentionally asked.
"If we are interested in something, we will automatically find out everything about it, Nani"
"So, you are so much interested in your wife... I understood" she smiled.
"Of course, she is my love lady after all" Arnav intentionally irritated Sheetal.
That was when Sheetal's phone rang. Taking it, she attended it as it was Akash's call.
"Hello, Akash"
"Sheetal, where are you? I came to your house to see you"
Sheetal knew why he was there. He should have come to console her for Arnav's wedding.
"I came to RM to meet Arnav's newly wedded wife"
"Whaaaat? Are you in RM?" Akash was shocked.
"Yes, Dad brought Badam Keer from Mathura. We just had it"
"Is it? I'm really really happy, Sheetal. You change your mind"
Sheetal smirked.
"I will talk to you later"
"Ok... bye"
Sheetal disconnected the call.
"Shall we go, Sheetal?" Her father asked.
Sheetal nodded ok. They stood up.
"We are leaving"
"Jee" Nani smiled.
Sheetal's family left the place. Ratna followed them silently. Arnav and Khushi looked at each other as they didn't know why she went with them. She went with them to know Sheetal's residence.
She came back to RM after some time. She came to Arnav's room. Arnav saw her coming.
"Maa, where did you go?"
"Where is Khushi?" she asked not answering his question.
"In Nani's room, I suppose"
"Oh..."
Ratna left the place. She went to Nani's room and found Khushi talking with Nani about Sath Sang.
"Khushiiiii..."
Khushi looked at Ratna.
"Maji, did you come?"
"Yes,"
"Where did you go?"
"I went to Sheetal's residence"
"But why?"
"To know her house"
"Why?"
"Just for my knowledge"
Khushi frowned.
"By the way, what are you doing here?'
"Just, talking to Nani"
"You are my Chotte's wife now. He is sitting in his room all alone. This is not done, Khushi. Go to your room"
Khushi was taken aback because Ratna talked exactly like a mother-in-law. Khushi nodded ok and walked slowly. Ratna clutched her hand.
"Don't mistake me, Khushi. Being his wife, you should understand one thing. Don't make your husband irritated. Ok?"
She nodded ok.
"I'm watching you. What's disturbing you?"
She nodded no.
"Are you still thinking about your village guy who was sticking into his wife to intimate with her?"
Khushi was silent.
"Look, Khushi... there is nothing to be awkward. Husband and wife would be like that. It's a common one. Go and talk to Chotte about your awkwardness instead of running away from him. He will understand. Or, he will make you understand. But, distancing yourself from him is not a good decision"
"Mmm"
Khushi left the place. She came to their room.
"Have you done with your Sath Sang discussion?" Asked Arnav.
"I just..." She stopped.
Arnav smiled at her nicely.
"Actually, I want to talk to you," she said.
"Listening"
"There was a couple in our village"
"Mmm..."
"He tortured her all the time"
"Torture means? Did he hit her?"
She nodded no hurriedly.
"Scold her?"
She nodded no again.
"Then? Did she burn her?"
Khushi gulped down.
"What did he do, Khushi? Did he kill her?"
Khushi bit her nail.
"Then how did he torture her?"
"No... nothing..." she went to the bed and lay down closing her eyes.
TORTURE means, hitting, burning, scolding, etc., etc., But, what she addressed as torture was something. What would Arnav think if he got to know what was disturbing her? She closed her eyes tight as she didn't know how to tell Arnav about it.
She jerked, sensing a soft touch on her upper arm. She turned behind and saw Arnav smiling.
"Do you think the village guy tortured his wife? But what about his wife? Does she think IT as torture?"
Khushi looked at him bewildered. How did Arnav know about it?
"I heard your mother-in-law advising you"
Khushi gulped down cutely.
"It's not torture. She would feel bad if her husband doesn't torture her. That's what relationships are. If you have doubt, call her and ask her about the torture"
Khushi nodded no.
"Not only, your village girl, but all are like that only. My mother, your mother, Nani, Mami, everyone...this is how the world works" He smiled.
Khushi was looking at him forgetting herself. She didn't notice one thing. She was worried about being touched by Arnav when Arnav was away from her but when he was close to her, she didn't feel awkward nor did she feel scared.
"Don't you like me? Mmm?" he asked tucking her hair lovingly.
"I like you," she said dreamingly.
"Will you feel bad if I kiss you?" he asked huskily.
She nodded no.
"Will you stop me if I touch you?"
She again nodded no.
"Then why are you scared?"
"I... don't know"
"You don't have to be scared. Ok?"
"Mmm"
"Are you scared now?"
"No..."
"Shall I kiss you?"
"Mmm"
"Really?" Arnav wondered.
"Mmm..."
He leaned towards her. Khushi slowly closed her eyes. Their lips met. They again shared themselves.
At the same time, Sheetal screamed, clutching her stomach, waking up her sleeping parents, reaping what she sowed.
To be continued...
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