Part 12 Wrong Lyrics?

I was like 'What the hell is this?' I could not believe the girl who showed herself rigid and talked majestically could be so childish and cinematic. I got to know Khushi could EVEN giggle. How sparkling she was when she laughed...! I forgot myself in her giggling sound.

While she was drenched in the rain, she splashed the water through her leg. The water hit my chest. That was when she saw me standing, drenched in rain, looking at her. Her facial expression changed. She became embarrassed as well as nervous. Because her childishness revealed in front of me that she had been covering up from me... might be, from the outer world. I was sure no one would know this side of hers... not even Akash. She stood, feeling awkward not looking at me.

Should say, she looked like a fresh rose with dew drops... all wet. How beautiful my WIFE was...! Of course, she was my wife. Didn't I make a vow to mend things between us? I smiled at her folding my hands. She looked at me from the corner of her eyes. My smile broadened, seeing her cute antic.

Khushi started heading to our room hurriedly. I followed her smilingly. When she came near our room, she slowly peeped down from the corridor. I too looked in that direction and found a girl raising her thumb towards Khushi cheerfully. The girl looked at me and widened her eyes in shock. She didn't expect me to follow Khushi. She left the place fast, gulping down. I didn't see what Khushi gestured to her but I could guess. She must be gestured to the girl to look at me.

Seeing their gesture, something clicked in his mind. I walked to the MAIN Board and checked. As I expected, the FUSE CARRIER of the main board had been pulled out a little. So, the power cut-off was caused by the girl only... on Khushi's order.

I saw the girl coming towards the main board, looking here and there cautiously. I hid behind the wall and watched her. She came to the main box and pushed the fuse carrier in. The power supply changed from the generator current again. She huffed in relief and left the place.

I stood there thinking deeply. It didn't seem a simple and childish thing to me. Drenching in the rain might be a simple thing but the heart that was holding such a desire could not be simple. Having a helping hand in between the Royal schedule followers was not a simple thing at first. Then, Khushi planned to cut the power supply and drenched in the rain. Didn't it seem serious?

I went to our room. Khushi was in her private room. She must be changing. I assumed and went to the washroom to change my wet clothes.

When I came out, Dolly was waiting at the doorstep.

"Khushiiii..." I called.

Khushi peeped from her room with a hair drier in her hand.

"Dolly is here..." I said.

"I'm here for you, sir," she said.

"For me?"

"Yes, your sisters are here to meet you," She said.

My sisters? I came out and looked down.

Anjali Di and Lavanya smiled at me from downstairs.

"Come on" I beckoned.

They came to our room.

"Why are you waiting there? You should have come to my room straight" I asked.

"She (Dolly) asked us to wait... Royal custom..." Di smiled.

"Ok, sit"

They took seats.

Khushi came out and smiled at them. Her hair was left open.

"By the way, what brought you here?" I asked.

"Have you forgotten?" Di pouted.

I frowned. What did I forget? Honestly, I didn't know.

"Bhai, this coming Sunday is Diya and Jiya's birthday," Lavanya said.

Khushi smiled delightfully whereas I faced a hard time because I had forgotten it. I could not let Di know it. She would kill me with her emotional dramas.

"Of course, yes... but, I asked you about the reason for your visit" I managed cleverly.

"Budhdhu Chotte... to invite you only we came here" Di said.

"To invite me?"

"Not you but Khushi" Di smiled at Khushi.

"Sure..." She smiled.

"Don't you want me to come?" I cornered.

"How won't you come? Do you need an invitation?"

"Certainly not..."

"Khushi is a newcomer to our family... so, she should be invited with respect"

"What about next year? Won't you respect her?" I again cornered.

"Di, I think Arnav is fully set to create a rift between us and Khushi" Lavanya teased.

Khushi looked at me and then switched her gaze immediately to Lavanya.

"Don't mistake me for calling his name, Khushi. I used to call his name only. But when his marriage was fixed, Uncle strictly ordered me to call him Bhai. But it's very tough you know" Lavanya said sadly.

"I'm your Bhia. Call me with respect" I teased and Lavanya became sadder.

"Did you invite Payal or not?" I asked.

"Why? She is Diya and Jiya's Maasi after all... so what if she is married, she should be present at the party" Di pouted.

"Then what about the Damad?"

"I talked to him on the phone he readily agreed... he didn't question me as you do"

I rolled my eyes and saw a disturbance in Khushi's face. Was anything wrong? I didn't conclude.

That was when Khushi sneezed. All of us looked at her. She looked at us awkwardly whereas I smiled at her teasingly.

"What happened Khushi? Doesn't this cold weather suit you?"

Khushi looked at me and nodded yes.

"Ok, we are leaving..." Di stood up.

"Have dinner with us" Khushi said.

"That's ok, Khushi..." Di denied.

"We won't let our guests go without making them eat," Khushi said.

"Di, it seems Khushi will order her servants to tie us up with the chairs and feed..." Lavanya teased.

"If needed..." Khushi said with attitude.

I raised my brows.

"Let's go" Khushi also stood up.

We came to the dining. Khushi ordered Janaki to arrange table. I had no idea how the servant would manage to provide food to my sisters who were sudden guests. We waited.

Khushi again sneezed. Dolly came forward and said,

"Your Highness, I will call the doctor," she said.

"No need..." Khushi said and again sneezed.

She avoided looking at me. it didn't mean I should be silent.

"Koi ladki hai, jab woh beegti hai,

Hasne lagti hai, chnak chnak chum chum... (There is a girl whenever she gets wet, she starts laughing)" I sang, changing the original lyrics of the song as Khushi giggled when she was drenched in the rain.

Khushi widened her eyes and looked at me shockingly.

"Arnav, how you could sing the wrong lyrics so confidently?" Lavanya and Di shared hi-fi laughingly.

"Are not the lines correct?" I asked, looking at Khushi, making an innocent face as if I didn't know the lyrics. She averted her gaze from me.

"Koi ladki hai, jub woh hasti hai, Barish hoti hai, is the right lyrics," Di said.

"It's ok, Di. Who is going to put marks on my lyrics?" I said looking at Khushi smiling.

She suffocated to face me.

After having dinner, Di and Lavanya were ready to take our leave. Khushi said something to Di in a low tone and she smiled.

"That's not necessary Khushi"

"It is... that's final," Khushi said clearly cut.

Di sighed and nodded ok. Khushi again whispered something and Di again smiled.

"Ok, bye,"

"What's the matter Di? You and Khushi shared something secretly?" Lavanya asked.

"It's secret," Di said.

"Won't you tell me?" Lavanya pouted.

"Sorry, it's a princess's order" Di laughed.

Khushi's face changed for a few seconds. She tried to rearrange the normal expression on her face.

Di and Lavanya left the Mini Palace. Khushi walked to our room. I looked at my surroundings. The girl who helped Khushi to cut the power was standing a little away. I beckoned her. She looked at her left and right, as if, ME?

"You only..." I said.

She came to me gulping down.

"What's your name?"

"Harini, sir,"

"Harini, bring hot water in a wide bowl to our room"

She huffed in relief and nodded ok. I headed to our room and Harini went to the kitchen.

Within a few minutes, Harini came to our room with a hot water bowl.

"Keep it" I showed my bed.

She kept the bowl on the bed and left. Khushi saw that and looked at me questioningly.

Removing a balm bottle from my cupboard, I mixed a few drops in the hot water.

"Come and do steam inhalation," I said.

"Why?" She asked.

"You may get cold... that's why" I didn't say, it's because you are drenched in the rain.

"I never used to do such things" she hesitated.

"You will feel better if you do it"

"Could you show me, how it should be done?"

I pressed my lips and nodded yes. Taking a thick quilt, I looked at Khushi.

"Come and sit in front of me," I said.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to cover myself with the bowl and will inhale the steam"

"Oh..."

Taking her mobile, she dialed someone. I frowned. Did she call the doctor to get suggestions about steam inhalation? I thought.

She kept the phone on the bed and sat in front of me.

"Careful... the water is hot" I warned in a soft tone.

She nodded ok. I covered us with the quilt and showed how to take steam. She suffocated at first as the hotness hit her nose. After inhaling it three or four times, she became normal.

That was when we heard a knock on the door. We both removed the quilt and looked at the doorstep. Dolly was there. she was embarrassed, seeing us inside the same quilt all sweaty.

"What?" Khushi asked.

"I got a missed call from you, your highness," She said.

Khushi looked at her phone.

"I should have mistakenly dialed," She said.

I looked at her wondering. Didn't she dial someone before getting into the quilt?

Dolly started moving away from our room.

"Let's continue," Khushi said a little loudly.

Dolly turned behind and saw Khushi covering herself again.

To be continued...