1: Allured

"Uff jiji! How much time will you take? We are getting late for Ritika's anniversary party. She has specially invited you," Ira chided Khushi as she was yet not ready to go to the party. She was making food for her family.

"Jiji! Shilpa shall make the rest you come with me! With great difficulty did Maa allow us to taketakeyou out with us on a party and you..." Esha said as she pulled Khushi out of the kitchen, her place of solace.

" Wait Esha, let me complete this dish then I will surely come with you. Don't you know how much of a perfectionist Ma is about food! I want to be like her, a perfectionist." Khushi said with very determined eyes.

It was almost since puberty that she was taught to be the ideal, the perfect woman in the matriarchal heredity system of the temple, in this male dominated world.

Perfectly poised, not one time was she imperfect. She was trained how to sit, how to eat, how to drink but not how to think. Her mind although suppressed through a great deal of ordeals, couldn't have stopped thinking like the bubbly, merry and smart girl she was.

She went to her room and changed into a beautiful black shimmer saree paired up with a matching blouse. She let her waist length hair down and put on her  shoulder dusters on her ears. She dabbed her little finger into the liquid bindi bottle and made a small red dot on her forehead. She darkened the rim of her eyelids with kajal. Rubbing the lip gloss on her plump lips, she smiled to herself in the mirror.

"Perfect," she murmured to herself, walking away towards the hall.

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

"Where to?" Indrani asked in her deep voice as Khushi informed that she was leaving.

"To Esha's friend's anniversary party ... Ritika's anniversary ...Esha told you the other day..."

"Right, I remember. Ritika? Wasn't it her husband who used to work in the Indian embassy in  the US?"

"He yet does Ma but not in USA, Prateek works in the Indian embassy at UK. He is Mr. Chaudhary's son..."

"Don't forget to talk to Chaudhary ji about the upcoming Shubh muhurat. It would be beneficial for his family."

"That I shall surely ma , allow me to take your leave now.." Khushi said as she very gallantly moved out of the room while Indrani rocked back and forth on her arm chair.

Making her so has proved to be useful indeed...More useful than the girl who used to roam around in the streets with her unabashed tongue.

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

Piano notes echoed around the hall, diverting everyone's attention towards the player. Khushi excused herself from the conversation in which she had indulged Mr. and Mrs. Chaudhary into. They were very happy to know about this upcoming Muhurat when they can offer prayers to god for their upcoming grandchildren on the holy grounds of Prayag.

Being a huge patron of music, Khushi couldn't help falling in love with the magnificently played notes and the sassy beats accompanying it. She tilted her head and moved to the piano's vicinity so as to have a look at the creator of this beautiful music which made her tap her feet.

Arre abhi abhi pyara sa chehra dikha hain

She saw a slightly bearded man with oh! Such a handsome face worth a teenage crush singing in his masculine voice. She felt a small smile form at the tip of her lips.

Jaane kya kahun us pe kya likha hain?

She blushed a bit as she saw that the man was looking at her. Uh oh! Did he catch her checking him out? But then he smiled making her blush even more as their eyes clashed.

Gehra samandar dil dooba jismein

Ghayal hua main us pal se is mein

"Jiji, your orange juice," Ira said, passing her a glass."Wow, this guy is really good. I had heard Ritika saying that Prateek's friend is good at music, but this good? I am feeling like I am in a musician's concert!"

"You are spilling your juice, stupid!" Esha caught Ira's glass on time. "The notes he was previously playing were one of those old guys symphonies right?I am forgetting the old guy's name..."

"Mozart, right?" Ira suggested making Esha nod.

Naina da kya kasoor ve kasoor ve kasoor

Naina da kya kasoor ve kasoor ve kasoor
Ae dil to bata de.....

"What did you say his name is?" Khushi asked, totally in trance of the music.

"Mozart, jiji!" Esha said.

Khushi made a face and scrunched her nose. "That man there, his  name is Mozart?"

"Oh you are asking about him? He is Prateek ji's friend from America. He owns an architectural firm there. He is so hot naaa... You know he gives math lectures at Harward's and you know he is a musician too ...and look how hot he is! Yeh toh full package hai jiji! Shaadi karado isse!" Ira said .

"His name, Ira?"Khushi turned and asked her.

"Oh name! You should have told me first, I ended up telling his whole biography. His name is Arnav...Arnav singh Raizada." Ira said as Esha hit her forehead looking at the foolishness of her sister.

Dil ko hazaaron baandhe the dhaage

par paaji nikla yeh humse aage

Khushi kept staring at Arnav as he got up and moved towards her.

Khushi felt her heart beat go faster ....72...74..75...78...80 ...She felt like her heart would burst as he came even closer and so she closed her eyes, breathing heavily.

hua kya hain? hua kya hain humko?

Ek pal yeh daude , ek pal ye bhaage

Chori ho jaaye , tab naina jaage !

Arnav cast a look towards her and smirked lightly as he forwarded his hand towards Esha. Esha gave a huge chuckle and forwarded her hand to dance with him. Khushi opened her eyes hearing Esha's chuckle.

Hua yeh hai, hua yeh hai, samjho!

Arnav's eyes were yet stuck to khushi as Ira cheered Esha. Meanwhile Khushi smirked at his game and laughed looking away, rolling her eyes.

Dil mil ke milte sanche aur khanche

Jo hain banata upar se jhaanke

She tapped her glass of juice with her fingers encouraging the beat, while all others followed her suit.

Batti hain na hain dhoop na kafur na kafur

Naina da kya kasoor ve kasoor ve kasoor

Naina da kya kasoor ve kasoor ve kasoor

Ae dil to bata de.....

She went towards the couple of the evening to wish them, tapping at Esha as she passed by Arnav's side.

She smirked at him as she left the hall.

It was a nice game.