Part 26

Ratna and Khushi were discussing going to the beauty parlor. La came there taking juice for them.

La: Amma, I have a beautician friend. She will come here if we want. We can do anything from home.

Khushi: Really?

Ratna: It seems interesting.

Khushi: Call her here then. We will do facial, pedicure, manicure, and spa everything from home.

La: When do you want me to call her?

Ratna: call her today if she is free. Because tomorrow is Sunday, everyone will be at home.

Khushi: Yes aunty is right. Especially "bitter gourd" will be at home.

Ratna(chuckled): What if he is at home Khushi? Poor him he will be doing his work. He won't disturb you.

Khushi: of course. But he will get disturbed when we use his room.

La(shocked): What? Are you planning to use Arnav Anna's room?

Khushi: What's the big deal?

Ratna(cutting her): Yah... she is right. What's the big deal?

LA: Are you sure Amma?

Ratna: Absolutely. Call the beautician.

La gulped and called the beautician.

La: Hi... (pause) Are you free today? (pause) can you come home? (pause) Everything. (pause) That's great. (pause) Yah sure. We are waiting for you.

She cut the call.

La: Amma, she will be here in an hour. Khushi, today you complete your session. There will be no time for us both to do anything today.

Ratna: Yes, tomorrow we will do our's after she applies Mehendi on your palm.

Khushi: We celebrate Mehendi grandly.

La: But there is no such ritual in Tamil marriage. We apply Mehendi as per our wish.

Khushi: yeah I know.

Ratna: But you can write Chinna's name in your hand. She teased.

Khushi: Am I having any other choice? Amma wants me to write his name. She said pouting.

La: Aham aham... Haan Amma... Khushi is going to write her Allav's name only for Garima aunty.

Ratna chuckled and gave hi-fi to La.

Khushi: Stop teasing.

Ratna: Why will we tease you if you agree with what you feel in real?

Khushi: What I feel? Nothing like what you guys are thinking.

La: Amma, mark my words; She will be the one who will give birth to a baby exactly in the ninth month without delay.

Khushi(dropping her jaw): Shut up.

They saw the beautician entering with a huge bag.

La: Khushi think again, do you want to go to Arnav Anna's room?

Khushi: Yesssss. She said with attitude.

La: What will he do if he saw his room messed?

Khushi: Let him get used to it. She said shrugging her shoulders.

Later

Ratna came to Arnav's room to give juice to the beautician. She had completed a pedicure and manicure for Khushi and she was getting ready for a facial.

Ratna smiled inwardly. She thought something in her mind. Why not she does something interesting? She Dialed Arnav's number.

Arnav: Haan Ma, tell me.

Ratna heard a vehicle's sound.

Ratna: Chinna, where are you?

Arnav: I'm on the way home.

Ratna's face brightened. She thought to do something but unexpectedly fruit fell in her lap. Let it be.

Ratna: Home?

Arnav: Yeah, I want to do some important work from home. so.

Ratna: That's great Chinna, Will you do something for me on your way? (she didn't want him to reach soon)

Arnav: Sure.

Ratna: Go to Popaat Jamal home appliances, I have ordered twenty ceramic bowls and I have already paid. Please bring it.

Arnav: ok Ma.

Ratna finished cooking and went to Arnav's room. There she saw Khushi lying with a Thermo face pack and eye pad. The beautician was packing her things.

Ratna: Are you leaving?

Beautician: Yes aunty. I have to go. Tomorrow I will come earlier.

LA: Haan Amma, she received a call from her mother. Seems like, something is urgent.

Ratna: Ohh. But she finished na?

Beautician: Yes aunty, she can remove the mask after twenty minutes and wash her face. That's all.

Ratna: Ok then. Thank you Da.

Beautician: It's ok aunty.

Ratna: La, will you be here with Khushi? 

She gestured to LA that Arnav is coming.

La (controlling her smile): of course Amma, I will be here with Khushi. I will never leave her. 

She closed her mouth to control her laugh.

Ratna: ok I'm going to continue cooking.

La: Ok Amma.

Ratna left after winking at La. La was glancing at the stairs again and again. She started what she planned when she felt someone climbing the stairs.

La: Khushi, really I'm scared. We should clean the room before Arnav Anna comes.

Khushi: I will take care of him.

La: Will you?

Khushi: What do you think of me? He can do nothing with me. Mind it.

La: My god. I thought you should be scared of him.

Khushi: Why should I? In fact, he should be scared of me. You are going to see that after our marriage. I'm not sure he will come out of the first night room without any damage.

La (while giggling): Khushi time is over. You can remove your mask.

Saying she rushed out of the room. Khushi removed her Thermo face mask and eye pads. She squeezed her eyes before opening them. She saw a blurred image of someone who was standing.

Her eyes became like eggs seeing Arnav with a smirk. What the hell she has said about him? First night? God damn. She wanted to bang her head on the nearby wall. She took a long breath and composed. Arnav was observing her expression.

She lifted her eyelash slowly to see him. He was standing like asking her "what did you say?" His black shirt, loosened silver tie, rolled up sleeves, sparkling eyes, everything looked hot and was creating something in her stomach. Is he always like this or is she noticing it now? She started walking like she didn't get affected. When she crossed him, He blocked her way coming in front of her. She again tried to leave from the left side he again blocked her. They played this game two more times.

Khushi: You are behaving like a child.

Arnav: Don't you know that the child within us will come in front of our loved ones?

He tapped her nose.

Khushi was dumbfounded. This is the same dialogue she uttered once. He is hitting her back by repeating her own words. That means, her words definitely affected him, that's why he didn't forget it?

Arnav: Don't you feel like you are missing something here? He questioned.

Khushi looked at him shockingly. She made up herself.

Khushi(Keeping hands on her hip): Don't think much about yourself ok? I'm not affected by you. I won't miss you at all. understood?

Arnav went inside silently. Khushi's gaze traveled with him. Arnav lifted her chain from the bed which she removed while doing facial. Arnav showed it to her raising his eyebrows folding his lips.

Arnav: I'm talking about this. 

He said controlling his smile. She tried to snatch the chain but Arnav pulled his hand back.

Arnav: I didn't know that you were affected by me and you were missing me until you said that by yourself a few seconds before. (He spilled his killer smile.) Ok, tell me what made you come to my room? Seems like you are in hurry to use my room and... He looked at his bed smirking.

Khushi snatched the chain and rushed out of the room. She came downstairs and kept her hand on her chest to control her heartbeat closing her eyes. When she opened her eyes, Ratna and La were standing in front of her smiling mockingly.

La: Amma, didn't someone talk a lot?

Ratna: Yes a lot...

They laughed.

Khushi: you guys purposely trapped me?

La: But it was damn interesting.

Khushi slammed her feet and went to the garden to wash her face.

Khushi(self-talk): How dare he is talking to me like this? (pause. Biting her nail nervously) why is he talking to me like this? Hey Devi Maiya, give me the strength to face him.

She saw Garima coming to RM.

Garima: Facial over?

Khushi: yes. Why are you coming here now?

Garima: Come. She caught her hand and went inside RM.

Ratna: Garima, Come. Sit here. I will bring you juice.

Garima: No Ratna. I came to ask about Mehandi. You said there is no such ritual in Tamil marriage. I want to perform it as Khushi is our only daughter.

Ratna: Of course Garima. It's not a Tamil ritual doesn't mean we shouldn't perform it. I called the beautician tomorrow. We will do it here.

Khushi: Here? Tomorrow is Sunday. Everyone will be at home. Actually, Men are not allowed in Mehandi.

Ratna: We are not doing it as a ritual Khushi. So no rules and regulations will be followed.

Khushi: It's not a ritual so I don't have to write his name right?

Ratna and La looked at each other while Garima hit her on her shoulder.

Garima: Pagal. What are you saying? According to them, it's not a ritual but for us it is. Understood?

Khushi nodded pouting. So she has to write Arnav's name in her Mehandi.

To be continued.....