Chapter 9

Doctor’s Office:

Mamiji walks to Anjali and calls her: Anjali bitiya.

Anjali pulls away from VJ and wipes her eyes. She turns to Mamiji: Mamiji, this is Vishal Jaiswal. We were in college together back in Lucknow.

Then she turns to VJ: VJ, this is my mamiji.

Vishal gets up and smiles at the colourfully dressed woman. He folds his hand and says: Namaste.

Mamiji beams at him and smiles back: Hello hi bye bye. Pleased to meet you. How come you never came to our home before?

Vishal says: Well, right after university, Anjali left to get married. Soon after, I went to USA to study medicines. By the time I came back, Anjali and her brother already left for Delhi. I stayed in Lucknow for a while practicing medicine and just moved to Delhi.

Mamiji says: Now that we have met again. You should come to our house for dinner.

VJ looks at Anjali. Anjali nods with a smile: Please do.

Vishal nods with a smile: Thank you. I will.

Mamiji takes Vishal’s cell phone no. and gives him their no. Then mamiji and Anjali leave the hospital for home.

Living Room, Shaantivan:

Khushi gasps and pulls away from Arnav. Arnav surprised at the sudden action looks at Khushi’s ashen face. He reaches out to Khushi and calls her name.

Khushi looks at Arnav dazedly and sways as if she is about to faint.

Arnav swiftly moves and picks her up in his arms.

Khushi instinctively grabs his collar like she always did before.

Arnav pauses briefly at the familiar sensation of Khushi’s hand on his collar but concern for Khushi’s health makes him move faster to her room soon after.

Once there, he gently lays her down on the bed and shouts for HP.

HP comes running along with Nani and Payal.

Arnav asks him to get a glass of water.

Nani asks worriedly: What has happened, Chotey?

Arnav replies distractedly never moving his eyes from Khushi’s still pale face: Khushi was about to faint.

Naniji gasps in surprise: Khushi bitiya? Do you think it’s because of…

Khushi swiftly looks at Nani and quickly shakes her head indicating her to not reveal their plans.

But Arnav swiftly turns to Naniji and asks: Do you think it’s because of what?

Naniji stammers: Ummm… Chotey…

Khushi quickly intervenes with her hand on her forehead: Arnavji, I think I need to eat. I forgot to have lunch today.

Arnav turns back to her with concern: What? You skipped lunch? Why?

Khushi replies: Errrmmm… Because I forgot. But don’t worry, I will have some food later. (beams bigger hoping to end the discussion right there)

But unfortunately Arnav doesn’t oblige. He growls: No. You will have food right now.

He turns to see that HP has arrived with a glass of water. He takes the glass and instructs him to bring a plate full of food for Khushi.

HP gapes at Khushi. He thinks to himself: Why Arnav bhaiyaa wants to get Khushi didi food? She just ate enough pooris at lunch to last a normal person for a whole day.

But Khushi nods at him to bring the food, so he runs to kitchen to get her plate.

Khushi turns to Arnav: Arnavji, see HP is getting me food. Now you go okay? I will eat my food and then take rest. (smiles nicely)

Arnav turns to her: No. I won’t leave until you finish your food.

Khushi looks at Naniji and Payal in dismay.

Naniji hurriedly assures Arnav: Chotey, we will make sure Khushi bitiya takes her food. You go and do your work. (Subtly elbows Payal)

Payal also hurriedly assures Arnav: Yes absolutely. We will take care of Khushi. You go and do your work.

Arnav scowls at them: It’s okay. I don’t have any urgent work that needs to be done right now. You guys can leave. I will make sure Khushi eats her food.

Khushi makes a pleading face behind Arnav’s back at Naniji. Naniji tries her brave smile at her.

HP arrives with a plate heaped with food.

Khushi gulps looking at the mountain of food on the plate.

Arnav takes the plate from HP and hands it to Khushi: Start eating.

Khushi gulps and picks a small section of poori with curry, puts it in her mouth and starts chewing very slowly.

Arnav looks at her weirdly. He remembers how Khushi gulps down food when she never even misses a meal and now in spite of missing lunch, she is eating slowly.

He asks sarcastically: Khushi, I said I don’t have work right now. But I didn’t say I don’t have work for the rest of the week. So if you please start eating, we can all go do our work.

Khushi pouts at Arnav and tries to eat again while cursing herself in her head for coming up with the stupidest excuse to land in this position.

Anjali and mami come home. HP opens the door for them. Anjali goes to her room. But mamiji stays back and whispers to HP: How’s the preparation going?

HP replies confusedly: I don’t know, mamiji. Khushi didi is in bed and Arnav bhaiyya is feeding her lunch.

Mamiji gets confused too: Again? How much food can this girl eat? We had lunch together just before we left 30 minutes ago.

Mamiji goes upstairs to Khushi’s room to see Khushi sitting with a mountain of food with a very sad face may be for the first time in her life and Arnav is glaring at her of course for the umpteenth time in his life.

Naniji and Payal are wringing their hands with scared expression.

Mamiji looks at Naniji and nods her head indicating what is going on?

Naniji points at Khushi and makes signal Mamiji to distract Arnav.

Mamiji calls Arnav: Arnav bitwa, I need to talk to you.

Arnav turns to Mamiji: Can’t it wait until Khushi is done eating?

Mamiji looks at Khushi to see she is gesturing wildly grabbing her throat and making choking gestures behind Arnav’s back.

Arnav was about to turn to Khushi when Mamiji stops him: Ummm… No. Arnav bitwa, it’s about Anjali bitiya’s health. I need to tell you what doctor said.

Arnav stands up worriedly: Is everything alright?

Mamiji grabs his hand and pulls him out of the room: Yes, yes. But I have to tell you that she is alright. Come with me.

Then she pulls a confused Arnav out of the room.

Meanwhile, Nani and Payal run to Khushi. Payal grabs a plastic bag from one corner containing decorations, empties them on the floor, grabs her plate, empties the food in it and then gives back the empty plate to Khushi. Naniji pushes the decorations under the bed hurriedly.

Outside the room, Arnav stops Mamiji and asks: What happened to Di?

Mamiji answers with a big smile: She is having a lovely baby in just few months.

Arnav (what the look): What the? I know Di is having a baby in few months.

Mamiji replies: Ah, but did you know that she is having a lovely baby?

Arnav gives her his “unbelievable” expression and goes back into the room ignoring Mamiji’s attempt to stop him and sees Khushi sitting on the bed with a deer-in-the-headlight look. Naniji and Payal were standing by her side with equally startled look.

Arnav strides to Khushi and sees the empty plate in her hand: What the? How did you finish that much food so soon?

Mamiji sighs big in relief.

Khushi gives him a big smile: I was so hungry Arnavji that I ate very fast.

Arnav asks again: But you were eating so slowly when I was sitting right here.

Khushi stammers: Errrmm… That was because I was feeling shy eating in front of you. (Pretends to be shy and bats her eyelashes for good measure)

Arnav is taken aback: What the?

Khushi beams.

Payal and Naniji beams back.

He turns back and looks at Mamiji and she beams back as well.

He shakes his head and mutters: Unbelievable

And he strides out of the room.

Khushi, Payal, Naniji and Mamiji let out a big sigh of relief together.

Naniji asks Khushi: But Khushi bitiya, why did you get sick? What happened to you?

Khushi looks at Naniji worriedly and wonders why she had that vision and what it means. She decides, she will try to find out before she reveals anything to anybody.

Chapter 8

       

Doctor’s Office:

Anjali and Mami were walking out of the doctor’s office when Mami says that she needs to go to the washroom. Anjali tells her that she will wait in the reception area.

Anjali comes to the reception and sits down on one of the couch. She picks up a magazine to idly browse through while waiting for Mami when she hears a voice: Anji? Anjali Singh Raizada?

Anjali looks up to see a tall, handsome guy standing there with doctor’s white coat on.

Anjali’s face brightens up: VJ?

Vishal Jaiswal aka VJ nods his head happily. He walks up to Anjali to notice the baby bump. He pauses for a moment, then exclaims: Whoa… a baby? Anji, you are going to be a mummy? I can’t believe it.

Anjali smiles a sad smile: Yes, I can’t believe it either.

Vishal notices the sad smile and slowly sits down beside her: What is it, Anjali? Is everything all right?

Anjali’s eyes wells up with tears, she hugs VJ and starts crying on his chest.

Vishal’s arms slowly go around her and then he rubs her back in comfort.

Mamiji comes to the reception to see Anjali crying like a baby in the arms of a strange man and the man rubbing her back with tenderness trying to comfort her.

She pauses right there and thinks to herself: Hello hi bye bye. Who is this guy? Manorama Bond gotta investigate.

WARNING: Slightly mature and descriptive content. If you are under 18 or rather skip it, scroll down until you see WARNING ENDS written. You won’t miss anything important except descriptive content.

Living Room, Shaantivan:

Arnav feels the giggles still vibrating in Khushi’s mouth like tickling champagne bubble. The sensation of Khushi’s soft mouth against his floods his senses. His eyes close in pleasure as the happiness that is Khushi runs through his veins infusing every cell of his body with life.

Khushi’s eyes widen at the sudden kiss, but then a fresh mint taste floods her mouth as Arnav’s tongue tangles with her tongue. She feels her body melting in Arnav’s arms with the sensation of the kiss and her eyes slowly close shut as she gives in to the pleasure of the feel of Arnav's mouth against hers.

Arnav cups Khushi's head with one hand and wraps the other around her waist, Khushi's arms instinctively goes around his waist drawing him closer.

Arnav draws her closer in response to absorb her essence within his body and Khushi molds in him like two puzzle pieces finally coming together.

They continue to kiss and explore each other as if they never wanted to let each other go.

WARNING ENDS

They continue to kiss holding each other close. It felt like they are where they belonged. This is home.

Khushi suddenly sees some flashes of images behind her closed lids. Flashes of image of herself looking at a shadowy figure who bent forward to kiss her just like now and her eyes snap open.

Chapter 7

Living Room, Shaantivan

The living room was filled with basket of flowers, decorations and waiting stuff. 

In the centre was Khushi, a notepad in hand, busy jotting down her ideas in it, occasionally consulting with Nani and Payal.

Nani and Payal were nodding their head dutifully, trying to keep up with the whirlwind of energy that is pure Khushi.

Khushi’s cell phone buzzes. She picks it up to see that it was Mamiji whom she earlier had called to inform their plan for baby shower while Anjali was with doctor for her checkup. Mami sent her a text saying that they are on their way.

Khushi jumps up and instructs everyone to hide everything where Anjali can’t see it i.e. storeroom.

HP, OP and JP along with support stuff pick up whatever they can grab their hands on and run with it in a hurry.

Naniji picks up a book and pretends to read.

Payal takes her saree ending and starts wiping the glass table in front of the couch.

Khushi puts the notepad under the couch cushion and sits on it. Then she grabs a pillow from the couch and starts fluffing it with all her might.

The doorbell rings and HP runs to open the door. But it was not Anjali, it was Arnav.

Arnav walks in to see his Nani reading a book upside down without her glasses, Payal wiping the coffee table with her saree ending and Khushi squeezing the life out of the pillow from the couch.

His eyebrow goes up at the bizarre scene and he asks: What’s going on here?

All three freeze at their position and then relaxes seeing Arnav instead of Anjali, then freezes again thinking of all the possible consequences.

Nani tries to giggle: What are you saying Chotey? Don’t you see? I’m reading a book.

Payal stutters: And I’m cleaning.

ASR turns to Khushi next and raises his brow at her.

Khushi recovers from her signature wide-eyed, mouth open in big “O” expression and replies while squeezing the pillow some more: And I’m hugging the pillow… I mean I’m fluffing the pillow. (smiles bigger) Yes, that’s what I was doing.

ASR exasperatedly sighs while pinching his forehead and asks: What are you up to?

Nani gets up quickly and says: I have to take rest now. Old age, you know?

Payal also gets up quickly and says: Dadiji, I will come and massage your legs while you take rest.

Khushi looks at her comrades’ retreating back and stammers: Wh…who me? Nnn… No… I didn’t do anything.

ASR raises his brow but keeps his silence.

Khushi recovers her blunder quickly and quickly gets up with the pillow: I mean, we didn’t do anything. None of us did. Why, we are just working here. (squeezes the pillow some more)

However, the poor designer pillow could not take Khushi’s hugs anymore and bursts in a flurry of feathers and cotton balls which rained all over Arnav and Khushi.

Arnav jumps at the sudden blast: What the?

Khushi looks at Arnav covered in white feathers on his black hair and beard and starts giggling.

Arnav grits his teeth in anger and shouts: Shut up.

Khushi jolts at his voice and sobers up. But the very next moment, seeing ASR covered in white feathers, her eyes start dancing again, laughter pops like bubbles in her tummy and she starts giggling again.

ASR comes closer and growls: I’m warning you again, shut up…

Khushi sobers up at his tone again. But once her laughter gets going, nothing can stop that uncontrollable giggles. But she has smartened up. So she looks away and bites her lips to stop the giggles.

ASR smirks, grabs Khushi, whirls her around and covers her giggling mouth with his.

Chapter 6

Naniji looks at Khushi in happiness, but seeing Khushi’s expression she realizes that Khushi just had a reflex action from lost memory. Her memory isn’t back yet.

Anjali understands the same and says, “Khushiji, wow… I told you about Chotey’s medicine once and you remembered. That’s great.”

Khushi’s confusion clears and she smiles back.

Arnav moves to the table and sits down silently.

Khushi runs back in the kitchen and starts putting dishes on the table: Here’s Pooris and potato curry, here’s suji halwa and here’s Arnavji’s sugar free halwa.

Arnav again gets a jolt and looks up at Khushi who was busy serving the rest of the family as if what she did, didn’t even register in her brain as something unusual.

But Anjali asks: Khushiji, you made sugar free halwa for Chotey?

Khushi stops in her track and stammers: I’m sorry Di. I don’t know why I made sugar free halwa for Arnavji. I will take it back.

Naniji stops Khushi: No Khushi bitiya. Chotey has diabetes. He can’t eat anything with sugar. Anjali bitiya asked that question because you remembered that.

Khushi thinks for a moment and then smiles at Anjali: Di, you must have told me Arnavji’s medical condition when you told me about his medicines.

Anjali gives her a wan smile because she knows they never talked about Arnav’s condition after Khushi lost her memory. That memory came from Khushi’s unexplainable sixth sense when it comes to Arnav.

Arnav, deep in thoughts, finishes his food and takes his medicine. Then he gets up to leave for the office. He decides to stop at doctor’s office to understand why Khushi remembers his habits and medical condition but doesn’t remember their relationship.

After Arnav leaves, Anjali tells Nani that she had a doctor’s appointment today for her prenatal checkup.

Khushi asks excitedly: Can I come too, Di?

Anjali replies with a smile: Khushiji, I’d love for you to come with me. But you should take rest.

Khushi’s face falls. But she brightens up again: Okay Di. May be next time I can go with you.

Anjali smiles: Sure.

Anjali leaves with Mamiji.

As soon as they leave, Khushi runs to Nani and says: Naniji, we should arrange a baby shower for Di.

Nani smiles: That’s a very good idea bitiya. But who will do it?

Khushi chirps excitedly: Jiji and I will arrange everything. You don’t worry at all.

Naniji gets worried: But bitiya, what about your health?

Khushi assures her: I will be fine Naniji. Don’t worry. Besides, I won’t do any streanous work. We have Hari Prakashji for that. I will just give instructions to the workers, that’s all. I just need your permission.

Naniji still worried: But Chotey will get upset if you get sick again.

Khushi wrinkles her brow: He won’t. He won’t know until the day of the party and when he sees how happy Di is, he won’t be able to say anything. So shall we start planning? But it will be a surprise for Di. Okay?

Naniji looks at Payal.

Payal smiles: I’m in. But let me do the work and you just give your ideas okay?

Khushi does a military salute: Yes, ma’m.

Naniji gets excited too: It’s a very good idea. It will make Anjali bitiya very happy. (She lovingly caresses Khushi’s head) Bless you bitiya. You always spread happiness to others.

Khushi smiles back at Naniji.

The doctor’s office:

Arnav asks the doctor: Doctor, Khushi is starting to remember something, but it’s all about me. She remembers that I have diabetes; she remembers I take medicine etc. But she doesn’t remember that we are married and she is my wife.

The doctor replies: Mr. Raizada, our mind is divided into two parts - conscious mind and subconscious mind. Everything we know or remember stays in our subconscious mind and everything we need urgently stays in conscious mind.

For example, if you learned to play piano in childhood and haven’t touched it for years, you might have initial difficulties to remember the notes, scales etc. But as you start playing, your subconscious mind will send the data you had saved long back, back to conscious mind and then you can access it.

However, sometimes a certain trauma blocks our memory to surface from subconscious mind to conscious mind. Hence, we can’t remember things which should be familiar to us. It doesn’t mean that the memory is not there in subconscious mind, but it’s not easily accessible as it’s not surfacing in conscious mind. But when we get exposure to familiar things, people, surroundings; slowly our conscious mind starts to access relevant data from the subconscious mind.

Khushi loved you very much and thus everything about you was ingrained in her memory. She can’t remember her relationship with you, but she can access in her memory, the things that are relevant to you. Which is why, psychiatrists recommend to take amnesia patients to places or things or to people that are familiar to them because all it requires a trigger for memory to start to surface.

Arnav asks: So does it mean that Khushi will remember everything eventually?

The doctor replies: I can’t say that she will remember everything or most of the thing or even how long it will take to remember anything at all. It’s human brain, Mr. Raizada. It doesn’t follow a deadline. It will work at its own pace, at its own time. But I have seen miracle happening. So all we can do is pray at this point and hope for the best.

Arnav thanks the doctor and leaves. He walks through the hospital corridor and thinks: I wonder how long it will take Khushi to remember and once she does, will she able to forgive me?

He stops in front of the small temple in the hospital and looks at the Devi Maiyya idol: I don’t know if you are real. I don’t know if you are even listening to me. But Khushi believes in you. So just grant me one wish for her sake. Please kill me before she remembers everything and starts to hate me.  I can live with her indifference, but I can’t see hate in her eyes which always glowed with love for me.

The lamp in front of the idol flickers restlessly…

Chapter 5

Arnav was shocked. He thought back of the time when he lost his voice due to Khushi’s mosquito coil and Khushi could read his heart before he needed to speak.

The memory of that time might be wiped out from Khushi’s brain, but the connection between their hearts is still there.

He looked at Khushi and softly said, “No, I didn’t call you.”

He finished the thought in his head, “I just called my soul and she answered.”

Khushi looked at him apologetically, “Sorry, I came to poolside through your room. I knocked on the door and no one answered so I thought it was empty.”

Arnav smiles at her, “You can come here anytime. Everything I have is yours.”

Khushi gets surprised, “What?”

Arnav rectifies his slip in a hurry, “I mean, feel free to come here. You are our guest and as such treat my home as yours and be comfortable.”

Khushi smiles, “How nice of you. Thank you. Truly, Jiji is very lucky to have such a family like yours. But don’t worry, I will leave as soon as I’m okay to leave. I asked amma why do I need to stay at Jiji’s in-laws, but she said I will be more comfortable here. But I won’t take advantage of your hospitality.”

Arnav assures, “Stay as long as you want. Payal is now a daughter of this family and as her sister, so are you.”

Khushi smiles, “Okay. I need to go. I’m feeling sleepy.”

Arnav comes closer to her, “Do you need help to go to your room?”

Khushi smiles, “No. I will manage.”

She leaves.

Arnav walks behind her to make sure she reached her room safely and then comes back to his room and lies down on his side of the bed.

He looks at the empty side on the other end and thinks of those times when he used to sleep with Khushi’s hand in his and a tear drop runs down his cheek.

Next morning, Shantivan

Everyone gathers around the table for breakfast. Nani called out HP to serve breakfast when a whirlwind Khushi comes out of the kitchen with trays of food.

Nani asked worriedly, “Khushi bitiya, why did you made so much effort? You are not well, you should have taken rest.”

Khushi chirps, “Naniji, I was getting bored staying in bed. So I thought why don’t I make you all breakfast. Now you may not know it, but I’m a pretty good cook, just ask Jiji.”

Arnav comes down for breakfast when he hears Khushi’s statement. He gets angry seeing her working. He barks, “Khushi, when you were told to stay in bed, why did not you stay there? Why can’t you do what you are told once in your life?”

Khushi’s eyes widen at the sudden change of attitude from sweet guy at last night to angry beast in the morning. Her anger boils in response, “Why should I do what you tell me to do? I do what my heart tells me to do. So what if I got up early and made some breakfast?”

Arnav strides to Khushi and grabs her arms, “As long as you are under my roof, you will do as you are told and take rest. What if you got sick in the kitchen because of heat? What if you fainted?”

Khushi gets angry at the rough grabbing and screams back, “So what? What do you care?”

Arnav screams back, “It matters to me, because I…” He stops before he finishes the sentence. He looks at Khushi’s eyes looking at him in anger and pain and his grip loosens on her arm. He steps back and says, “I’m going to office.”

Nani trying to stop him, “At least have some breakfast.”

Anjali, “Chotey, breakfast is ready. Just have some food before you go.”

But Arnav ignores both of them and starts to leave but stops when he hears Khushi’s shout, “If you don’t have breakfast, how would you take your medicines?”

Arnav whirls back and sees Khushi’s face is wrinkled in confusion trying to understand why she said that and his heart starts beating fast again.