Opposite Poles..Part 125

Part 125

Khushi sat there for a long time not knowing what was going on around her.  She had lost track of everything.. time, place, space, people, everything around her.  She didn’t know what kind of feeling was that.  She wanted to run back to her home and hide herself under her blanket.  She wanted to stay away from everyone.  

“Khushi didi!” Ram Prakash lifted the charm and she got up struggling.  

“Anjali didi is calling you!” he said and she hurriedly came out.  Lavanya and ASR were talking to the guests hand in hand.  Khushi stole a glance at the couple and went to Anjali.  

“Aray.. where were you?” Anjali asked holding her hand.  She smiled meekly. 

“Hello hi bye bye.. ! Phati sadi? Where were you?” it was surprising that Mami too had missed her.  She picked up the cold drinks tray and said “Yes Mamiji i will serve the cold drink to your friends!”

“ No need! Khushi bitiya.. You come here!” Nani said sternly keeping aside the tray from her hands.  Khushi went with Nani.  Nani introduced her to the acquaintances.  An elderly lady was observing Khushi for along time.

“Anjali beti, who is this girl?” she asked.  “Aray.. she is our Khushi.  She is from Lucknow!” Anjali provided the information.  The elderly lady surveyed Khushi intently.  Khushi was busy talking to Nani’s friends.  She was running around to help wherever possible, lighting the lamps at the nightfall and smiling pleasantly joining her hands whenever she was introduced to someone.  The elderly lady kept an eye on her following her everywhere. 

“Aray Devayani.. yeh Ladaki Kaun hain? Who is this girl?” she repeated her question to Nani.

“Aray.. yeh! She is our Khushi!” Nani said proudly and called out..”Khushi bitiya..!” 

“Ji Naniji?” Khushi came nearer.  “Meet her! She is my friend.. from Lucknow..!” Nani smiled broadly.

“Haan? I am from Lucknow too!” Khushi smiled pleasantly at the elderly lady.  She took Khushi aside to enquire more.  Khushi answered all her questions without knowing the purpose.  The lady looked satisfied with the results of her interrogation.  

“Devayani.. I want to meet the elders in her family..!” the lady whispered in Nani’s ears. 

“Haan?” Nani raised her eyebrows...  “Hamaray  Nikhil kay liye!” she whispered.

“What?” Nani was shocked.  “Don’t be so shocked... I just want to meet her parents..!” The lady held Nani’s hand.  

“No!” Nani blurted.

“No? Why? Devayani I want a simple, nice, homely girl for our Nikhil...!” The lady went ahead.  Nani gaped at her.

..Someone else clenched his fists standing behind Nani.  Khushi oblivious to this conversation was serving cold drinks at Mami’s instance.  

“Khushi..!” Came a rude, loud call and she winced, so did a few people standing nearby. 

“Ji?” she looked up frightened.  He was in front of her glaring at her angrily.  She didn’t know the reason.  She stood there waiting for his orders.  “ASR! Chalo!” Lavanya pulled him and Khushi took a sigh of relief for a fleeting second.  Next moment she was dragged along.  He had gripped her wrist. 

“Lavanya..!” ASR stopped.  Lavanya looked at Khushi standing close behind.  He turned to face Khushi.  She shuddered in fright.

“Diye Nahi Jalaanay hain? Don’t you want to light the lamps? Or you want to be in this classy crowd? Yaa  Logonki  Najaron  Main  Aanaa  chahati  ho?” he asked her disdainfully and she looked up shocked.  

“Ji?” she asked with quivering lips unable to comprehend the cause of his mood swing. 

“Khushi go..!” Lavanya muttered making an effort to save Khushi from his wrath.  Khushi dashed inside,  away from the crowd.  He turned to the guests.  Khushi busied herself lighting the lamps and decorating the poolside with flower petals.  

“Why was he so upset? What did I do? What’s the problem when someone talks to me?” she wouldn’t know.  “Why does he have to be so angry with me?” she sat on the edge of the pool thinking about his changed mood holding her hand on her tummy, still feeling his fingers there.

***************

“Aray Latika.. she has an elder sister... equally beautiful..!” Nani told the elderly lady. 

“Is it? Give me the number..!” Nani’f friend was eager.  “Have patience.. i will give you later..!” Nani avoided.  “No! I am going on Chaar Dhaam yatra on this Saturday.. !” she said looking around for Khushi.

“Nani..!” came a stern voice and Nani turned.  “Yeah.. Chote, give her Khushi bitiya’s land line number!” Nani said loudly looking at the changing expressions of her Chote and smiling inwardly.  Chote turned abruptly without responding.  Nani gaped at her grandson with twinkling eyes.

“Latika.. don’t worry! I will give you the number!” Nani pacified furious Latika, her friend.  

Khushi looked around at her own decoration satisfyingly.  She gaped at the entire house illuminated and decorated.  The festivity in the air and the bustle of people outside made the house come alive. 

“Kitana sundar hai yeh?” She looked everywhere with dreamy eyes.  “Jaise  ki   hum  Gomti  kay  ghaat  par  diye  chod  rahay  hain! As if I am floating the lamps in the river..!” Her heart filled with happiness.  She touched the pool, cool water with her fingers.  The gentle waves moved the flickering lights in the pool float away.  She smiled broadly.  

“Humm... this is over..!” She got up and looked into his room.  His was the only room in the darkness.  “Darkzada.. Kuch zyadaa  hi Dark  Hai  yeh room Aaj!” she muttered angrily and stepped inside.  “Humm!” she surveyed the room thrusting her hands on her hips in that dim lit night lamp and dashed out.  

“Ram Prakash ji.. woh.. i had given you the candles and lamps..?” she asked.

“Haan didi.. i could lit only one in his room... he was furious, next day!” Ram Prakash said. 

“Ok..! give me those!” she said and took them from RamPrakash.

ASR’s eyes were searching for her in the crowd and she was busy lighting the lamps away from crowd.   

“Come Ms Tiptop. I will introduce you to my friends..!” Mami was all excited to introduce the ultra modern Lavanya Bahu to her friends.  Anjali looked around.  “Aray where is Khushi?” No one knew.  Arnav was lost in the crowd talking to and greeting people.  “Why do I want to hide her from the people?” his heart asked.  His brain had no answer.  Khushi, away from everyone was lighting up his dark.... Room ..!

“Humm... yeh achha hain.  This looks good! She had lit the candles and arranged the flower petals on the table around the lamps covering the lamps with netted shades.  She looked around at the shadow play smiling broadly.  She had pushed the curtains aside and lit the candles all around.  She looked at her creation happily and turned to leave.  The breeze blew off the candles and she ran ahead to close the ajar window.  

“Phir say Diye Jalaanay padenge! Hum.. I have to light the lamps again.. Doesn’t matter.. I will light them again...!” she walked in again and took a candle.

“Pata Nahi yeh Hava... She searched for the source of the breeze in vain.  She started lighting the laps again.   She heard a thud and turned around.   The candle in her hand dropped on the carpet.  She jumped in fright.

“Careful!” he screamed leaping ahead and putting off the candle.  She paced backwards and looked at him.  He was looking at her unblinkingly.  She was trembling.  He took a step ahead mesmerised.  She looked like a flame herself.  The flame reflected in his heart.  The shadows danced in his room.  She didn’t know what to do.  She clutched her pallu nervously and bit her lower lip. He gazed at her face.. she couldn’t bear the glare.

“Woh... I..I..was lightin...!” She couldn’t complete.. his finger moved on her lips silencing her.  She looked up at the flickering flames in his eyes.  He lost himself in her completely.  The world around them vanished.  He moved closing the gap holding her shoulders.. her hands moved on his chest defensively trying to maintain the nonexistent gap.  He pressed his hands on hers removing them from his chest.  She shivered closing her eyes.  He leaned against her hypnotized ...his lips touched.. 

“No!” she turned her face and he came back with a thud releasing her immediately.  She stood there trembling with unknown feeling.  The shadows grew longer in the room.  He turned his back on her ..

“Go!” he said in a husky voice.  She dashed out of the room losing her breath and heart.  He pressed his hand on his heart where her hand had rested.  “Khushi...!” his heart blurted dreamily.  She had lit up his heart...! He understood why he wanted to hide her form the entire world...! He came out of the dancing shadows with new realization... That his room looked beautiful with the candles...!!