by Anamika GK
By another month, he involuntarily became familiar with Khushi's Ahuja Ma'am, Smriti Ma'am, Geeta Ma'am and Subroto Sir like he knew his own college professors. Reena, Puja, Alia, Bulbul and Shruti, felt like his classmates as much as they were Khushi's, after hearing about their day-to-day accounts daily. He could without a hitch recount Khushi's Riya di's NGO's motto, goals and services if asked. Khushi also drilled into his brain, her best friend Rishabh Raichand's acadmic qualifications, his talent with guitar and his future career plans. Thanks to her, he now knew the name of each and every household help of Raizada Mansion. Delhi started feeling like a familiar city because of her vivid description of markets, restaurants and other places she frequented. List of her favorite films, songs and foods was however so long that Avish had a problem keeping up in that department. Last but not the least, he started having trouble seeing Karan Chachu, bade papa and buaji as anything less than some blockbuster movie characters, who all had their own special characterizations in Khushi's narration. And she herself was the most intelligent and nicest human being that ever walked on earth, who was a helpless victim to buaji's Bhartiya Sanskaar lectures and discipline. Though Khushi would beg to differ, at this gross exaggeration, it was exactly how it all sounded to Avish. Period.
But Avish had led such a lonely life that once over his initial inhibitions about befriending the girl he had hated for so long, this somehow became a welcome change. A little too much, but welcomed nonetheless. Her uncomplicated and colorful view of the world clashed with his bitter one, but that was what exactly soothed his deeply scarred psyche. A different view of life, for his own was clouded with a gloomy past. He wanted to leave behind the shadows of his lonely childhood, his rebellious adolescence and his betrayed youth, but he did not know how to. Whereas, dealing with grave issues like her limp or her broken marriage came naturally to her. Avish realized that she was successful in simplifying her life partially because of her own nature, but majorly because she had his family and her chachu as her support system, and they never disappointed her. He could not help but envy her for this, but then she was more than ready to lend him her support and her support system, that he could not hold those negative thoughts for long.
But what made him actually stop and pay attention to her was that in between a million mischievous and mundane things that she spoke, she always found right words to say when they were needed. Words of kindness and words of wisdom, comforting reassurances and uncomfortable truths made appearance in her tirades every now and then, leaving him dumbfounded at their aptness and her sensibilities. Her carelessly sensitive chattering always lightened up the atmosphere and the heavy hearts in Raizada Mansion.
And that is how unknown to him, somewhere while speaking too much, Khushi silently made a place in Avish's life.
Chapter 10
Avish watched Buaji emerge from her room, and with her Khushi as well, holding her upper arm in her dainty ones. Buaji went to kitchen, probably to give Prakash brothers instructions and Khushi followed in the same position. He has been watching her, literally glued to buaji since last half an hour that he was home. He dismissed the driver standing in front of him, after relaying him the instruction his dad had asked him to personally come back home and deliver. Buaji came out from the kitchen and Khushi was still clinging to her arm, walking with her, refusing to let go. Avish seriously wondered that how the hell did buaji complete her packing, with her Titaliya hanging on to her like a baby monkey clutching its mother.
After a few minutes, he saw Hariprakash carrying buaji's luggage outside to be put in the car, which was to take her to Vrindavan. Her aged father-in-law was in ICU and her elder brother-in-law had called, asking her to come as soon as possible. His dad had left for Dubai just three days back to supervise one of their latest projects for two weeks, assigning him the responsibility of two females of the house, who in his opinion had more idea how things work here than him. Not that he was a novice anymore, for he had got accustomed to how this house works in last six months that he was here. But he did not take it very seriously when his dad had asked him to 'take care' of buaji and Khushi before leaving as he thought that they must be habitual of managing without him since his work always took him places. But as his luck would have it, just then this peculiar situation had to arise.
Apparently this was the first time when Khushi will not be accompanying buaji to Vrindavan, especially when her bade papa was not here. Due to her short attendance owing to the break she had taken for her wedding, she had to attend college every day, and as a result he was stuck with actually taking care of her now, this being her first time ‘home alone’ situation. While buaji was praising her Nandkishore for his presence, Avish was not very thrilled at the idea of baby-sitting.
“Bitwa, take care of Titaliya”, his chain of thought broke when he heard buaji addressing him.
“Ji, Buaji”, he bobbed his head for there was no other answer to this request.
“Titaliya, you too behave like a good girl. Don't irritate Avish bitwa”, in response to which he saw Khushi giving a weak nod, hugging buaji for dear life from behind, her head resting on her shoulders.
“Now, leave me so I can go”, buaji rubbed her hands on herself lovingly.
Instead of leaving Khushi questioned, “When will you be back?”
“Bitiya, I told you naa that I don't know. It all depends on Pitaji's health. And, why are you so sad? It is not like you are going to be all alone. Avish bitwa is here, right?”, buaji consoled her.
Another weak nod. Khushi seriously wanted to let go of a graduate degree and jump into the car with buaji. She had never stayed without either buaji or bade papa till date, and the prospect she had just realized, was not appealing at all. Why did everything has to happen right now? Bade papa's project, Vrindavan waale dadaji's hospitalization and her short attendance? That's what you get Khushi for refusing to wake up for puja every day, she sobbed in her heart. And what was troubling her the most was that buaji had no qualms in leaving her behind as her 'Avish bitwa' was here. Does she not know that he does not talk until spoken to and works like a robot? And she knew he gets irritated when she talks. And, he mingles with her and buaji for bade papa's sake only, she thought pettishly. And then he is so stern with everyone around, what if someone quits their job because of him? And this made her recall his anger too. What had God gotten her into? Bade papa and buaji are so mistaken if they think that he will take care of her. From what she knows of him, he will order her to take care of herself and will consider his duty done.
“Take care of yourself and call me when you reach”, she said freeing buaji from her embrace with a heavy heart.
It clicked to Avish that he did not even think on that line. He should have said that when he is supposed to be in-charge of buaji's journey. But in his defense, this was his very first time doing all this for family.
“And give dadaji my best wishes. He will get well soon, don't you worry”, she added, as buaji sat in the car.
Shit! Etiquette demands that he should have said that too. He kind of assumed that buaji's father-in-law is very sick and very old and hospitalized so... never mind. “Yeah, don't worry buaji, he will be fine. Call us when you reach”, he too said, looking at buaji from the window.
Buaji nodded and smiled. “Take care of yourself kids. Call me if you have any problem, okay?”, she said, and they both nodded.
As the car started moving, Kalyani prayed to her Nandkishore for her father-in-law's health, her children's well-being and a safe journey. She was glad that this time when bhaiya was not in town and she had to leave for Vrindavan under these circumstances, where her going was imperative and taking Titaliya along was impossible, Nandkishore had solved the problem in the form of Avish Bitwa. She would have been highly skeptical to leave her young girl with so many male servants in the house alone. Either she would have had refused to go or Titaliya's college would have had suffered. But she was thankful that everything worked out fine.
When
Avish and Khushi stood watching the car disappear through the gates, just then Avish's phone rang and he got busy. He was discussing something with the person on the other side and absentmindedly made his way into the house, into his room to his laptop for some details he needed for this discussion. Khushi saw his retreating back and sighed. Suddenly the house started looking very intimidating to her in the fading lights of evening. Without her bade papa and buaji it was no more a home.
Avishji is used to of living on his own but she was not and he will not understand this, she thought with tears brimming on the edge of her beautiful eyes.
By dinner time Khushi had made at least 2-3 calls each to Buaji, bade papa and Karan chachu who all seemed least worried about the fact that she was 'alone' in Delhi. So she too resigned herself to fate, that Avishji will be mostly working leaving her to her own devices and that she'll have to listen to him for he was the older one of the two and supposed to be in-charge right now. Avish's thoughts were not very far behind from hers in this regard. He was thinking as to how to manage her as he wanted to go to Agra for personally resolving a situation that had arisen in his restoration project there. He wanted to ask her that if she would be okay with living alone here or at some friend's place for one night?
With that intent, he looked from his dinner plate, only to find Khushi playing with her food on the other side of dining table.
“Why are you not eating? What happened?” he asked.
So he finally noticed, Khushi thought wryly, looked up and shook her head indicating that nothing happened, and resumed playing with rice in her plate.
“What happened?” he asked again. It really surprised him that a verbal question was answered in a mute nod by her, when generally it’s the opposite, with one nod recharging her batteries to continue with her tirade for another five minutes.
“Khushi. Are you okay? Why are you not eating?”, he asked, a little concerned at no answer, all this time.
He asked if she is okay... and that did it.
*Sniff*
“Khushi are you crying?”, he leaned forward on the table trying to look at her down-turned face.
*Sniff*
*Another Sniff*
“What the hell, Khushi? Are you crying?”, he stood up and went around the table.
*Louder Sniff*
Avish somehow pried his finger under her chin and forced her to look up, and the sight of fat tears rolling out of emerald green orbs and trembling lower lip made him gulp, in helplessness. “Oh Goodness”, he grumbled in his mind, dragged the adjacent chair closer to hers and sat. “Why are you crying Khushi?” he asked as softly as possible, trying to hide his disapproval of this tear-fest.
“I want to go to buaaajiii”, Khushi cried, making him recoil for a second. Avish in his 30 years of life had never been in the vicinity of small kids, let alone crying or wailing ones. “Stop crying first”, he ordered reflexively.
She would not cry when her groom ran away, but she would wail like a toddler if buaji leaves her for a few days. What the hell was dad thinking getting her married? She would have come right back here, sniffling this emotionally blackmailing sniff of hers, he thought massaging his forehead with his fingers.
*Sniff*
This certainly qualifies as baby-sitting; he decided gloomily and asked cautiously. “Okay. Do you want me to arrange for a driver?.”
Khushi looked at him as if he had grown two horns on his head. He was here when the situation was discussed, wasn't he? “I can't go. I have to... attend college”, she hiccupped.
“When you can't go, then what's the use of crying?”, he tried to reason.
“Because I want buaji ... here”, she stubbornly hiccupped some more.
“It is not possible and you know that. Why don't we think practically instead of crying”, Avish patted himself mentally for using 'we', it makes it look like everyone is in it together.
Khushi realized that art of consoling is an alien concept to pragmatic Avishji. A few soothing words would have been nice though, she sniffed yet again. Loudly.
“Okay. What do you want? Tell me”, Avish got a little irritated now. He was putting in a lot of efforts for this conversation as all this does not come easy to him. Only if this girl realizes that.
“Nothing”, she said, in a small voice, and that tugged a cord somewhere in Avish’s heart. He was told that this was her first time without his dad or buaji but her sad voice made him actually realize that she was nervous.
“You're not alone, Khushi. I am here with you”, he tried to console her, putting a sad full stop to Agra plans in his mind.
“I know”, she said in the same small voice.
“Then why are you crying?”, Avish asked, very sure that he had never made this many efforts to strike a conversation in his life. Initiative found a new meaning in his dictionary that day.
“I come back from college around lunch time, and your work hours are very long. It's just that you are always busy and I'll be alone at home”, she decided to stick with the truth, well half of it. The fact that she is still a little intimidated by him did not come out of her mouth.
“When buaji goes out and you stay with dad, that time how do you manage?”
“I go to bade papa's office after college whenever I feel like”, she replied instantly. “And he comes home early too”.
“So you come to my office after college. Problem solved. Bring your laptop, okay?”, Avish was glad to have found an amicable solution.
“But I'll get bored there. I don't have any friends in your office”, Khushi confessed innocently.
“You have ‘friends’ in dad's office?”, he asked shocked.
“Yeah. Many”.
Avish looked at her incredulously for a few seconds. He was definitely not going to ask this chatter-box to befriend people on his floor. What will happen to his staff's productivity if that happens, he shuddered at the mere thought.
“How about we discuss this tomorrow and find a way out so that you don't have to stay alone, and right now you eat your dinner properly?”, he proposed.
“You promise?”, she asked, hopefully, somewhat pleased that her case was at least heard.
He nodded.
“I don't want to be a nuisance, but I don't like to be alone. I have never been left alone in my life”. Now that he had started to concede to her wish, she wanted to share her fears.
“I get that. And I won't leave you alone either”, he assured, as a tender emotion enveloped his unfeeling heart.
“That means you'll come early from office”, she asked stationing her huge eyes on his face.
“We'll talk tomorrow. Eat now”, he needed time to think about this new setup.
Avish sat there, on the same chair, until she finished her dinner. It was for the first time in his life he was feeling responsible for a human life other than himself. Truthfully speaking, the feeling was overwhelming and he was staring at Khushi, just to make himself believe that there is an actual person who is demanding his attention, his time and his concern. Is this how being wanted feels like?
After dinner while going into their rooms, Khushi remembered something and abruptly stopped to turn towards him.
“Avishji, we cannot talk tomorrow. I'll be off to Surajkund Crafts Mela for the whole day. I can go naa?”, she informed and sought a formal permission from the person in-charge.
“Ermm... What is that?”, he inquired.
“A fair. Local handicrafts, food, puppet shows, rides. It's an annual thing”, she informed.
“Is it safe? Does dad know about it? Is he okay with it?' he questioned, actually feeling responsible towards her now.
“Yes and no” she replied. “He knows but he does not want me to go alone because of the crowd and all. He fears that the crowd will topple me”, she pouted.
“Then take a friend along”, he suggested, silently contemplating if he should go with her for her safety.
“I asked. No one wants to come as it is very far, but I h
ave to make a report about regional handicrafts for college submission. I was going to take buaji as Riya di is again out of town”.
“Can't you wait for your friends or buaji to come back?”, he asked.
“By then the fair will end. Then I'll have depend on library books for the report. At the mela I get to talk to real people and I can click original photographs for my report too”, she explained.
“Photographs? Is that place good for clicking photographs?”, Avish asked with a sudden interest. It's been long since he used his camera and photography was his passion.
“Oh Yeah! So many photographers come to capture the glimpse of colorful India there”, Khushi smiled brightly. Her spirits were no more lying in dumps.
“Tomorrow is Sunday, right?”, Avish spoke more to himself, mentally going over what all work he was planning to do tomorrow.
“Yes”, Khushi nodded her head in affirmative, oblivious to what was going in his head.
“How about I accompany you there?”, he finally offered.
“WHAT? You want to come there?” Khushi was taken aback for a moment. He wants to go outing with her. Did she hear it right?
“Yes. Why? Can't I come? Is it invitation only?”, he asked confused.
“No. It is open to all. But it will be noisy and crowded”, she presented that facts, although secretly happy, for she too was a little apprehensive about going to such a crowded place on her own, because of her limp.
“That you don't worry about. So it's final, we are going tomorrow. That way, I won't have to worry about you either”, he declared.
“Okie”, she smiled happily, scolding herself mentally for thinking so worse of him in the evening.
By the time they reached her door, after the conversation they had just had, Khushi was ready to write on a stamp paper that Avishji was a very good friend and what all apprehensions she had about him were all wrong. Also, so happy was she with the turn of events and his co-operation that she instinctively hugged him tight, and smiled a bright “Thank you”, shocking the unsuspecting Avish for a few seconds. If his mind got baffled at this sudden display of affection, a silent unwarranted current hummed throughout his body at the intimate proximity. Somehow managing to pat her head in acknowledgement, he made his way to his room mumbling a good night.