by Anamika GK
“Ok. I shouldn't have said that too”, Avish admitted.
“I don't think this qualifies as an apology”, Khushi narrowed her eyes.
What the!!! Avish knew he was wrong in saying all those things, but he was unaware of the root cause of all the issues revolving around this girl at that time. And maybe somewhere in his heart he was sorry too, but if this slip of a girl insists on putting an apology 'as she likes it' in his mouth and then forcefully extract it out from there, she is so bloody mistaken. This is it! He had decided to talk it out with her and that was done. Trying to be cordial with her can go to hell.
Holding that thought with fisted hands on his either side, Avish marched out of the scene without another word, leaving a very astonished and fuming Khushi in his wake. She couldn't believe the nerve of this arrogant man! First he himself brings up last night and then does not even say sorry. How difficult is it to say sorry? Especially when he is guilty as charged for all the things she is accusing him of. HUH. If bade papa would have not loved him so much, she would have damned him to hell right now. Hmphhh.
Just after a few minutes of his debacle of an encounter with Khushi, when Avish heard a cheerful, “Good Morning bade papa, Good Morning Avishji”, his head snapped in the direction of the voice and he saw a smiling Khushi sitting in front of him on the breakfast table. His eyebrows furrowed considerably in confusion.
“Good Morning, Laddoo”, Sumer replied smilingly. And, after a few moments he insisted “Avish, Laddoo is saying Good Morning beta. Shouldn't you reply?” Sumer was totally expecting Avish to mellow down towards Laddoo now after knowing about her.
Her 'I am going to talk to you in front of bade papa’, came rushing back to Avish's mind. Oh, so that is why Miss-I-want-my-apology-just-the-way-I-like-it is being so civil. Well, two can play that game. “Good Morning, Khushi”, he replied, trying to sound as if he means it from the bottom of his heart. And it did uplift Sumer's mood visibly, making Avish feel bad for all this pretend childish behavior he was resorted to because of his dad’s dear Laddoo.
But before Avish could ponder over that line of thought, Sumer announced that Avish's new car would be delivered in afternoon and Avish and Laddoo will have to share the ride this one morning, making two warring souls jump out of their seats as if electrocuted. While Avish was still thinking of ways to get out of this arrangement, even at the cost of not going to office that day, bade papa's intelligent Laddoo, always laden with brilliant ideas to save the day dug her grave first. She royally declared that Riya di is coming to pick her up and shared ride is not necessary. Avish not only sighed in relief, but also worked peacefully enroute his office in Khushi's car, whereas Khushi first spent at least fifteen minutes on phone, begging Riya di to come pick her up, and then another forty-five minutes listening to the choicest of swear words her di bestowed on beautiful Delhi traffic.
“So much for avoiding Sadu Singh Raizada”, she grumbled as she waved Riya di good bye after being dropped off at the college. Couldn't he be a little nice like her bade papa? Would have it harmed him somehow?
Avish and Khushi both maintained the decorum of civility in front of Sumer and avoided each other like plague otherwise for next two-three weeks. In the meantime, Avish couldn't help but observe that Khushi had this extraordinary ability to talk. Almost super human, in his opinion. She could chat on and on, non-stop, even about randomly random stuff. Other than, the occasional ‘hmmm…’, ‘wow’, ‘really’ or similar one word replies from dad or buaji, she did not need any other encouragement to continue. Initially, Avish thought that she talks this much to grab dad's attention and to irritate him, but later he realized that this was how she was. Chirpy and talkative. At times it felt like she kept a tab on whole of Delhi, just so that she can come back and relay all of it to her bade papa and buaji, who to his astonishment indulged her without a single frown. In fact, they seemed to enjoy it. Avish was now, very sure that buaji called her ‘Titaliya, in the special recognition of her talking talent. Exactly like a butterfly, she flittered from one subject to another with such speed and expertise that she could easily wrap up world news for you in five minutes or less. Unbelievable but true.
On the other hand, Khushi realized that bade papa was not exaggerating. Avishji did have a bad temper. She had already started sympathizing with a faceless man called Aman, on whom Sadu Singhji barked as a rule and routine on phone. She wondered that why is the poor man still around? Is he incompetent which makes Avishji yell at him so much, and he cannot find another job? She could not stop herself from asking bade papa about it and got to know that Aman was a UCLA graduate and very competent. He is sticking around because he's been paid quite handsomely and because he is learning a lot from Avishji. Though she found the learning from an ever steaming boss part hard to digest, she still believed it because it was bade papa who had said so. In the house, Hariprakash, Omprakash, Avishji's driver Rakesh, security guard literally trembled in front of Avishji if he as much as looked sternly at them. Khushi had not yet seen him yell at anyone after her marriage night and she suspected that it was only because of bade papa's warning about his temper, that he was easily getting his way with people by stares and glares only, else who knows. She was super sure that he secretly wanted to turn her into a pile of ashes, by the way he glared at her when she as much even tries to open her mouth to talk. Even a little.
But both had started realizing that it is an absurd thing to try and avoid someone who lives in the same house, is related to same people as you are and to top that, when all the tussle was without a concrete reason. And so unknowingly they were cutting each other some slack and becoming more at ease in each other's presence. Avish had consciously decided to move on from holding a grudge against Khushi for his father's sake, and Khushi was by default unable to hold grudges. And, Avishji had come to her and did say something on the lines of not knowing about her limp and not meaning the things he said that night, didn't he? However, all said and done, no one was ready to wave the white flag first.
Though after a month of their closet war, Khushi had to concede to the fate that she'll have to take the first step in peace making between the two of them, when bade papa shared that it was Avishji's birthday in two days. She cannot stay aloof and cold to someone on a day like their birthday, can she? The idea was outright criminal and even the thought of it sounded outrageous to her lovely ears.
Chapter 8
“Oh God! How many times do I have to repeat that it is sugar free. It'll crumble easily. CAREFULLYYY”, Khushi panicked.
“Shut up, will you? I am doing it carefully”, pat came the reply.
“Oh ya? It looks like by the time all the candles are in, we will have a heap of bread and cream left instead of a cake”, she retorted.
“Laddoo! One more time. Shut up! I am a Cardiac Surgeon for God's sake. I perform operation on living beings. And this is just a cake. Now if you will stop panicking, I can get something actually done here”, Karan fumed while concentrating on pushing in thirty candles one by one on a sugar free chocolate cake, which they intended to take to Avish's room exactly at 12 AM as a surprise.
‘“What happened to the numerical candles? Why did you not get that?” asked Sumer, who was looking at the proceedings on the dining table quite interested.
‘“They don't give ‘that’ effect, bade papa” Khushi explained.
‘“What effect? Of the glowing headache that you are giving me as I skillfully put thirty candles on a single cake?”, Karan butted in, without looking up from the job.
“Chachu, you volunteered. Now just do it quietly”, Khushi ordered.
‘“Hai re, Nandkishore! Is that how you talk to your Chachu? Where are your manners Titaliya?”, buaji exclaimed, glaring from the chair she was sitting in, near Karan.
“Yes, Titatliyaaa... Where are your manners? Say sorry to me. Right now”, Karan grinned, looking up this time.
‘“Chachu, please. And buaji, you too. I am so tensed right now. Only fifteen
minutes are left to midnight. Eleven more candles have to still go in and then we have to light them up as well. And this freaking cake is crumbling like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. I am gonna kill that bakery wala tomorrow first thing in the morning”, Khushi replied, agitated.
“Oooh... A human offering on Avish's birthday! And I thought you guys wanted it to be a low-key affair”, Karan chuckled.
“Chachuuu' Khushi's high pitch reverberated into the dining hall and with that everyone concentrated back on the cake.
Khushi never denied, not even in her dreams, that she was the chosen child of God. While she had all the love in the world, first that of her own parents, and then that of father like bade papa, mother like buaji and her chachu, God took care that she does not become proud or insensitive. Her handicap had always kept her firmly grounded, literally and otherwise. In spite of riches surrounding her, all the pampering and attention she has gotten all her life, her empathy and sensitivity never died. She liked good things in life that her parents and bade papa's money could afford her, but God made sure that she never turned vain. And, she knew better than to complain for it. Yes, there are people like Suraj in this world, who broke her spirit into splinters. But then she found people like Riya di and Rishabh in this same world, who see the real her beyond the handicap. And no matter how much Avishji's arrogance and rudeness irritated her, she knew he too was one such good soul.
He did not say sorry. Hell, he ignores her like a dull wall painting behind bade papa's back all the time. But she could very well see the dignified way he handled the revelation of her limp. She might not be a deep thinker, but she was not shallow either to not understand that. He did not treat her 'special' because of it, and that was pretty much what she wants from all the people in her life. May be not by nature, but by sensibilities he proved that he was her bade papa's son. Though he was still at cold war with her and behaves as if she had offended the life out of him by asking for a proper apology, but not once did he show any pity towards her. In fact he treats her so normally that he does not even try to hide the fact that he is irritated with her when she barges in the study after dinner, when he is there with bade papa, or that bade papa entrusts her with all his medications, or the simple fact that she has a cute nickname and he does not. Just to irritate him some more she had two days back, held a detailed discussion in front of him with bade papa about the value and importance of nicknames. And how it shows the extra love you have for the person whom you bestow a nickname on. Even though he pretended to read a file that time, he looked sufficiently pissed. Hah!!, take that Sadu 'my dad' Singh Raizada, she grinned.
But all said and done, enough of childishness. On the occasion of his birthday, she will extend an olive branch and try to befriend him. But she knew that it will be a tad bit awkward looking at wedding fiasco and their rude verbal spats that followed. Any possibility of appealing to his brotherly instincts died after the grand scene where he was asked to marry her, for it distinctly etched out their relationship in a very different light in everyone's mind. Then his super quiet nature and ubiquitous temper were also a point of concern. She did not know all the history, but the fact that he had been living alone after Sujata aunty's death and had not come back home even once in last ten years that she is here, is hint enough that bade papa and aunty's divorce had left scars on his life. And she did not want to make him more sad, in fact she wanted him to be happy, for bade papa's sake. And that can happen only if she talks to him. More importantly, when she has one more indweller to chatter with in the house, why should she not utilize the opportunity? He is also closer to her age, just a little older. Bade papa and buaji always treat her like a kid, maybe if she befriends him he will treat her as an equal.
“What is happening here dad?”, came a voice from behind, making Khushi and Sumer turn back jumpily and Karan and buaji stand up dumbfounded.
We can't even pull off a simple surprise, Khushi cringed silently, at the untimely appearance of birthday boy in the dining hall, where, would-have-been surprise was still not ready.
While Avish looked skeptically at the three known and one unknown face in the dining hall, four people stared funnily back at him.
“Beta, what are you doing here?”, Sumer gained his composure.
“I forgot a file in the study. On my way there I saw the light on here, so came to switch it off. What is going on?” Avish asked again.
Sumer and Kalyani were so not prepared for this. Karan who was itching to take the situation in his hand kept mum, because he had not yet been introduced to Avish, and it looked weird even to him to provide answer to someone he did not formally know when there were three other people perfectly capable for the job standing in the same room. It left Khushi to salvage the situation, and she handled it to the best of her ability.
“Surpriiiiise!! Happy Birthday Avishji” she squealed.
“It's not time yet, Laddoo”, Karan prompted, in a hush tone from behind.
“In advance”, she added with another squeal, not knowing what else to do.
While Avish mumbled a barely audible Thank You, Karan sniggered quite audibly at his flustered niece, making everyone look towards him.
“Hi... I am Karan. Khushi's Chachu”, Karan said, sobering up from across the dining table and then moved towards Avish. He extended his hand for a shake and when Avish took it he wished him happy birthday with a smile. Avish noticed the man in front of him was around same age as him, a little older maybe. Tall, fair, bespectacled with intelligent eyes. Smiling face runs in the family, he concluded.
By then clock struck 12 and Sumer and Kalyani too moved forward and hugged Avish wishing him Happy Birthday. They pulled a still surprised Avish, who was clad in his black track pants and white hoodie to the dining table, seating him there. After a lot of bickering between Karan and Khushi regarding how each thought that other was ruining the cake, they finally got all thirty candles into it, lighted them and brought the cake in front of Avish to make a wish and bring in his birthday. In hindsight, that was probably the first time, in the glow of his birthday candles from the cake she was holding, that Avish had noticed how beautiful Khushi's smile was.
While Avish cut the cake, everyone sang the birthday song on the top of their lungs, specially Karan and Khushi, making Avish smile involuntarily. He received a set of gold cuff links from his dad as birthday gift, a silver Krishna idol from buaji which he politely accepted, a collectors pen set from Karan, which he refused several times but had to concede under his good-natured insistence and a box of sugar free chocolates & a bouquet from Khushi. Khushi's normal behavior which generally irritated Avish, was surprisingly, not doing any such thing. He was not frowning, not because his dad and her chachu were there as an audience but because he just did not feel like it. From the looks of it, she was organizing everything even after being treated so coldly by him since the past month. So even if she was putting up a show for her bade papa, Avish wanted to participate in the charade genuinely today. How long can he behave kiddish with this kid? He had just turned thirty and was going to behave his age now on.
While they all sat and ate the cake, Karan made the first move to get well acquainted with Avish. Laddoo had told him of his serious and quite nature, so Karan had willingly started the conversation in which Avish sincerely participated much to his delight. Avish was Sumer Uncle's only son. And Sumer Uncle was his and Khushi's only family, only guardian and only well-wisher in this whole world, making Avish important to him automatically. He was anyway planning a trip to Delhi for checking up on Laddoo as he had not seen her since she had left Mumbai after her marriage fiasco. But when she told him about Avish's birthday, he coupled both reasons and planned a hasty one day trip. And right now sitting in Raizada dining hall Karan realized that Avish was an intelligent man, with a very quiet and authoritative demeanor. He talked, but only the amount necessary.
How is he going to survive under the same roof as motor-mouth Laddoo?, Karan wondered for a minute. His fate. What can I d
o?, next minute he shrugged grinning. He was not worried about Khushi even for a moment for he trusted Sumer uncle's unwavering love for her that would not let anyone tell her off under this roof.
Little did he know that Avish had caught onto that detail quite a while ago, and now had made his peace with it as well.
When Avish got up and moved to kitchen for some water, Khushi followed him. It was time for the talk. As he turned with a bottle of water in his hand, Khushi who was standing there smiled.
“Did you like your almost surprise, Avishji?”
“Yes. Thank you”, he replied, quite sure that his dad must be either in the earshot or watching them. But to his surprise, he was busy eating the cake and talking with her chachu.
As if guessing his mind Khushi said, “I am not talking to you for bade papa's benefit. I am just tired of our cold war. How about we bury past bitterness and start afresh? How about we become friends? Would you like to become my friend?”. Her huge emerald eyes were looking at him with what he could only decipher as hope.
Avish really did not know what to say. The kid, as he had termed her, had stumped him with her maturity to initiate peace-making.
“You can at least try. I mean it's your birthday. What better day to make a fresh start?”, she continued a little apprehensively.
