Remembering Us

Effervescence

Khushi put her book down angrily and looked at the boys on the street who had just been playing cricket. A fight had broken out and she saw Barun shove one of the taller boys from the society nearby. He stumbled backwards and almost fell over. Just when she thought she ought to go over and sort it out before it could become any worse, the street was filled with the raucous laughter of the kids. The tall boy grinned sheepishly and straightened up. Soon they were back to talking about teams and who would bat first.

She motioned to Barun with a finger and he came panting to stand before her. He was her favourite and she had nursed a soft corner for him ever since she first tutored him. She smiled at his dusty shorts and wrinkled her nose when she saw he had a cut over his cheek. She moved to inspect the cut but he dodged her hand.

"Di! Stop it! What will the others think? That I'm some baby?"

"Baby? More like a bully. What was that back there?" she asked him with narrowed eyes. 

"He wasn't agreeing to bowl when it was his turn! And he thinks he's Tendulkar. I'm Tendulkar!"

Khushi laughed at his adamant tone and ruffled his hair. He made a face and ran off. Smiling fondly, she picked up her cup of now-cold tea and gave it a small sip. It was disgusting.

She was lost in thoughts of whether she should heat it up or just throw it away when she bumped into Payal almost spilling the tea. Berating herself, she shot her sister an apologetic look and carried the cup to the kitchen emptying its contents down the drain. 

She walked to her room and saw that her Jiji was still unpacking. She made a rueful face and sat on the edge of the bed. Payal had been so excited with the prospect of going on that vacation with their work friends, only for it to fall apart. She couldn't remember the exact reason but it had something to do with Sarita being engaged and her family thinking that it wouldn't do for her to go off on a trip that included boys.

Khushi had decided against going in the first place because of well, her hormones. It frightened her to think that Arnav affected her every little decision. In fact some time away from him would have helped them get out of the crazy 'touchy-feely' phase they were in. But something told her it wasn't just a phase.

"What're you smiling about?" Payal snapped.

"And you're a ray of sunshine," Khushi commented wryly. 

Payal flopped onto the bed and hugged a pillow close, completely ignoring the clothes lying around. 

"Need some help?" Khushi asked gesturing at the scattered things.

"Unpacking, as opposed to packing doesn't really require a lot of thought." Payal's bad mood didn't look like it would improve anytime soon.

"Yes, yes, okay. Jiji, I need your help though. My piece on the Haat's daylight robbery is almost complete. I just need you to give me the amount of duty they levy on local goods for selling them as authentic brands. It's amazing how they rip off so many customers! And it's bad that the handicraftsmen don't get their due. I have to send it to Karan tomorrow and if I don't have it on his desk by tomorrow, then they're not going to run it. So, if you could just, .. Jiji? Were you even listening?" said Khushi giving her sister a light shake. 

"I just, really wanted to go on that trip, you know? And I can't tell Buaji why the trip got cancelled because then she'll start her lecture on how I should be thinking along the same lines as Sarita's family too. And it doesn't help that my younger sister is engaged!"

"Don't worry, it's going to be a really long engagement."

"About that. Are you ever going to tell me how he proposed? Or will it be one of the many unravellable mysteries of life? I still think you're lying. You probably forced him or something. The Great Arnav Singh Raizada. Asking a woman to marry him. Wanting a woman to marry him! It just seems so implausible, sorry!" said Payal between bursts of laughter.

Khushi couldn't help but laugh along with her sister. 

"If you must know, it happened during a fight."

"Now that, I'll believe."

He had made reservations at Bukhara and they were having a very nice meal when Arnav breached the same topic.

"Khushi, I love it that you've accepted I'm not interested in marriage. It's only a contract anyway. And what we have is certainly more than a contract." he said brushing his hand against hers.

The evening had been going perfect up until then and she didn't want to ruin it by letting that affect her. Smile firmly in place, she  said, "Don't worry, Arnav I don't want to get married either." 

She placed her hand upon his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"What?" said Arnav, his jaw clenched. Her reply had punched him in the gut. 

"Like I said, I don't want to marry you."

She smiled a reassuring smile, mistaking his changed expression. She thought she was doing a good job of it.

She had never been more wrong. 

"And why exactly wouldn't you want to marry me?" he asked, his tone icy.

"Because, that's what you want, isn't it? That's what I'm giving you," she replied, clearly stung.

He stood up suddenly.

"We're leaving."

Signalling for the bill he signed it and taking her hand almost pulled her out of the restaurant. She wrenched her arm free when they had reached his car and almost shouted at him. 

"What the hell was that? Arnav! I'm talking to you!"

She couldn't even form coherent sentences, she was that angry. He had his back to her, his hands resting on the bonnet of the car.

"Would being married to me be that bad?"

"Huh? What?"

She stepped closer to him so she could see the side of his face. He still looked straight ahead.

"Arnav?" she cupped his face and turned it towards her.

"Go on then. Why don't you want to marry me?" his voice was hot with anger.

"Are you crazy?" she felt her own voice go higher. "You're the marriage-phobic person! You're the one who's made that clear since day one! What was the first thing you told me when you asked me out? That you hoped my stupid beliefs wouldn't come in the way! Did I ever say anything? No! Because I thought the whole idea of being commited to only one person repulsed you! And I was probably being stupid but I agreed to go out with you anyway because I had already hopelessly fallen for you. In fact I think you had me even before Lavanya was out of the picture. But now I just feel so stupid because I couldn't help but expect more even though you'd made it clear what you wanted!"

He felt his own anger hit the roof.

"Yeah, well probably I don't think like that anymore!" he shouted, his face inches from hers. 

"Well, congratulations! What do you expect me to do about it?" she asked sarcastically not even realising that her hair had come undone.

"Marry me," he said simply.

"Fine! Maybe I will!" she spat out, breathing heavily.

"And then?" asked Payal her eyes eager, all bad mood forgotten.

"You really don't want to know," said Khushi winking.

"Oh? Oh! Ugh! Yeah I'd rather you spare me the details!" Payal said throwing the pillow at her laughing sister.