Part 26 Happiness

"I will do anything for your happiness because you mean everything to me," I said meeting her eyes.

Khushi gazed at me unbelievably.

"Are not you really upset with me?" She asked.

I slowly nodded my head from left to right looking at her.

"When I understand your problem, why would I be upset with you?"

She slightly smiled gulping.

"Shall we go?" I asked.

She nodded ok. We walked towards the car. Khushi looked at me often. She smiled when I looked at her.

We reached the Mini Palace. Khushi was right, the servant crew looked at our WET form questioningly but none questioned. They had no guts to question a madman like me, I guessed.

Coming to our room, Khushi closed the door and laughed.

"Dolly's egg-sized eyes became bigger and bigger seeing our wet form," she said laughing.

I chuckled and sneezed.

"Change your dress and wipe your hair, Arnav," she said with concern.

"You too do it" I said.

She nodded okay and went to her room and I went to the washroom.

After changing my clothes, I opened the washroom door lock and was supposed to pull it wide, I stopped hearing Khushi taking Preeto's name. I stopped at the same spot and heard what she spoke with Preeto. After all, I knew what Preeto meant to Khushi.

"Preeto... How are you?" Happiness splashed in Khushi's voice.

"......."

"Yes, I'm so so happy, like never before," She said, elatedly.

"...."

"Guess what?"

"......"

"I met Alan Smith today" she shrieked.

"...."

"Reaallllyyy... I still can't believe it Preeto... You too won't believe if I say what happened today"

"....."

"I taught cooking to Alan, sir..." Khushi screeched.

"....."

"Yes, it's for the Chef of Chef program"

"....."

"Yes, the channel extended an episode as Arnav requested them"

"....."

Khushi's voice softened.

"I really don't know how he understood my interest. He made it possible through his politician friend. Not only that, as he didn't want Alan sir to show his disappointment in me for extending the program, he went to meet him the previous day and consoled him by telling him how big a fan I am to him. So that, Alan sir would be cool with me. Alan sir himself told me about it"

I smiled.

"...."

"He is not only concerned about me Preeto, he is even ready to send me to the Culinary college. He directly told that to Alan sir. He gave me his card too... It all seems a dream..."

"...."

"Yes, he is indeed a gentleman. (I chuckled) Because of him, I got to know what's happiness today. I can't believe how I'm still alive..."

I was shocked and was about to go out, but Khushi said,

"I don't know how my heart is still beating after experiencing all the happiness together"

I felt bad for her. Though she said that happily, I felt the depth.

"You know I was drenched in the rain today. Arnav made me drench"

"...."

"He knows..." Khushi smiled. That made me smile.

"I will come to meet you tomorrow. I have a lot to tell you"

"....."

"Bye," Khushi disconnected the call.

I came out of the washroom casually, as if I didn't hear anything. I saw Khushi wrapping her hair with a towel. She extended the blower to me.

"Get your hair dried," she said.

"Thank you" I took it from her and dried my hair. The hot air of the blower gave warmth to my chilled-up body.

"Don't you dry your hair?" I asked.

"Will do it" she said.

Removing the towel from her hair, she wiped it. I gave the blower back to her. She dried her hair well.

I again sneezed and saw a naughty smile on Khushi's face. I could not understand why until she sang,

*koi ladka hai, jub woh beegta hai, jyaada cheenkta hai, gumad gumad gum gum* (There is a guy whenever he gets wet, he starts sneezing)

She sang with titter while glancing at me with the coroner of her eyes. That was the same song I sang when she sneezed the other day. That amazed me. She looked so happy. She laughed a lot and I felt blessed.

"You don't have to control your laughter," I said folding my hands.

Khushi looked at me and laughed. I was delighted to see her laughing freely. I took it as an award.

More to my surprise, she went out and called Harini. I didn't know what was the reason for her to call Harini.

"Bring hot water in a bowl," she said.

She came inside and again laughed.

"Scene reversal..." She said controlling her laughter.

I rolled my eyes smiling.

Harini came with a hot water bowl. Khushi gestured for her to keep it on the bed. Keeping the bowl on the bed, Harini looked at Khushi. I turned opposite to them pretending like, I didn't see them. I knew they had an understanding. I looked at Harini through the mirror. She asked Khushi 'what happened?' in sign language. Khushi shrugged her shoulders, closing her eyes cheerfully. Harini left the place smiling.

"Arnav..."

"Mm?"

"Let's do inhalation," Khushi said.

I nodded yes and took the balm from my cupboard. I mixed a few drops in the water and sat in front of Khushi, just like the previous time. We covered ourselves with a quilt and inhaled the steam. Khushi did that with a smile, unlike the previous time. I found her so free and happy which made me happy.

How different the experience from the previous time...! Last time she looked so formal and rigid. But, this time, she inhaled the steam and let it out through her mouth.

"Didn't you call Dolly?" I asked teasingly.

Khushi got stuck and nodded no.

"Why?"

"I'm not pretending..." She said seriously.

Now, I got stuck.

"She will pass the message..." I said.

"That's why I don't want her to see us now," She said worriedly and I understood why. Yet, I asked,

"Why?"

"Mrs. Gupta will try to ruin my happiness again. She will start bothering you in many ways"

"How long could you hide it from her? Are you going to be rigid with me in front of the servants?"

"As of now, I don't think about it... I don't want to... Let me enjoy this phase, Arnav"

I said nothing it didn't mean I was fine with what she said. I wanted Mrs. Gupta to know the change that occurred in Khushi's life. Then only she would try to hit me. Then only I would get a chance to hit her back.

We heard a knock on the door. Khushi got down from the bed and rushed to her room. I rolled my eyes.

I opened the door after making the person knock more than three times. I saw someone instead of Dolly.

"Your dinner is ready sir," the woman said.

I folded my hands and looked at the woman. She looked at me awkwardly as she didn't know the meaning of my expression.

"What's your name?"

"Maria..."

"Are you married?" I asked.

She nodded yes.

"Maria, don't you have a common sense? If the husband and wife are together in the room, if they don't open the door after the second knock, what does that mean?" I asked with a sharp gaze.

Maria looked down embarrassed. I saw Dolly hiding behind a pillar on the ground floor.

"Who asked you to knock on the door continuously?"

"I was ordered to pass the message to you, sir"

"So, you knocked on the door nonstop to pass the messages... So, we should have to come for the dinner LEAVING what we are doing half of the way..."

"I'm... I'm sorry sir..."

I came forward and stood looking downstairs.

"Listen all of you" I shouted.

All the servants looked up. Dolly came from behind the pillar and stood as if she did nothing.

"I will eat when I want to... If any of you come to our room and knock on the door when I'm with my wife, I will break your hand. Understand?" I said looking at Dolly.

Maria silently walked down.

"Dolly," I called

She looked at me jerking.

"Yes sir..."

"Bring our dinner to our room. If the door is locked, knock ONLY ONCE and wait" I said with a strict expression.

"Yes sir..."

She went to the kitchen and I got inside the room. Of course, I locked the door. Khushi was looking at me biting her nail. I smiled at her.

"Why are you behaving totally OPPOSITE to who you are?" She asked me seriously.

"Opposite means?"

"Like a JERK..." She said controlling her laughter.

I chuckled.

"I'm getting ready to face the biggest JERK called Mrs. Gupta"

"She would have been confused about your behavior. This is not what she expected from you"

"Why should I give her what she expected from me? Is she my wife?" I chuckled again.

"Will you give anything your wife is expecting?"

"I will give more than what she expects," I said smiling.

She got stuck for a few seconds and nodded yes.

"I have seen it today" she smiled. That made my smile broad.

We heard a knock on the door. Khushi looked at me. I sat on the couch relaxing and gestured for her to sit. She sat next to me chuckling.

"Is it necessary?" She asked.

"What?"

"Having dinner in our room"

I looked at her surprisingly.

"What?"

"You forgot something," I said smilingly.

"What?" She asked shrinking her eyes.

I gestured for her to look at the clock. She looked and widened her eyes. Taking the TV remote hurriedly, she turned it on.

"Relax... You have two minutes" I smiled.

Khushi closed her eyes biting her lip. She would have felt awkward for forgetting her favorite Chef's program... for the first time... in her life...! The reason was, the happiness given by ME...!

To be continued...