Forty days after the accident Khushi finally got her cast sawed off and went home feeling a lot lighter. It took her some time to get used to using both her feet to walk on again, as her left foot had gone numb due to inactivity over the last month. She was still wobbly in her strides the first day thus Anjali suggested she stay in the house the night and move back to the outhouse in the morning, although she made it clear she was happy to have Khushi living in the house. However, Khushi was more then ready to move out as she was tired of Arnav's demanding voice being her morning alarm, not to mention his mood swings, which had decreased towards the end of the month as had his surprise visits that left Khushi unsettled, for he was busy in some new project, from his morning conversations it seemed like he was planning on building a new water plant somewhere in Nainital that would supply water to all the villages in that region along with the town itself. This project had kept him quite busy the last few weeks and had even garnered a trip to the hill-station a few days earlier.
He came back home two days after Khushi's plaster had opened and was shocked to find her room and his study empty of her things. He had gone into his study on the pretense of obtaining something from his drawers, but actually to check on her and see how she was doing, weirdly enough he had missed her and her weird antics the three days he had been away from home, he told himself it was only because he knew her cast was coming off this week that's why she was on his mind and that's why he wanted to know how she was, if her leg was fine it meant she could leave, although he wasn't sure how he felt about her leaving. This answer he got when he entered the study and then her room to find them both empty of not just her but her things too: he didn't like not knowing where she was.
'Di!' He shouted as soon as he was in the hallway, panic stirring inside, where was she? Had she left already? Anjali had mentioned that after her cast opened she would not stop Khushi from leaving if she wanted to, so had she? 'Di!!!' He stressed, where was Anjali, she generally responded straight away to his calls.
'Yes, yes Chotay. What is it? What happened?' She came rushing from the kitchen area.
'I um...' ok how was he supposed to ask her without sounding to territorial, 'I uh, where is Khushi, she...she's messed up my papers, I can't find a really important file that was on my desk.' Yes, that seemed like a good excuse, he would find her whereabouts and not sound like he wanted to know because he was concerned about her.
'No I haven't! I didn't touch any of your papers!' Came Khushi's rebellious voice, from behind Anjali, before she appeared herself, her blue duppata tied diagonally across her body, face slightly flushed and covered in yellow chick-pea batter, that was dripping from her right hand.
The next set of emotions Arnav experienced, were new to him. First, relief, at hearing her voice and then seeing her in front of him, that confirmed she was still here, had not left anywhere. His panic settled down. Then a little guilt at being caught on his lie, for Khushi was right she had not touched any of his papers. And lastly an elated feeling he had long forgotten: amusement. Amusement: which lead to full blown laughter at seeing her state. She looked a complete spectacle, a stray strand of hair pasted to her face, annoyance in her eyes for being accused of messing his papers, while a hint of paranoia shimmered behind it as she reassured herself that she had not touched them. Then irritation in her cheeks as to why he was accusing her, all of which may have been intimidating had her face not been covered with the pale yellow batter.
As he laughed at her sight, a new wave of laughter came upon him seeing her wide-eyed stare, which clearly echoed the shock etched on her face seeing him laugh, a feat she didn't think him capable of. The shock, made her face look even more hilairious and he found himself laughing more freely. Anjali too stared at him, stunned, it having been a long while since she had seen or heard this laughter of his. Chotay?' She asked now intrigued as to what had set him off, when he had been so annoyed moments earlier. But he couldn't answer all he could do was gesticulate towards Khushi's face. Now intrigued herself as to what was making him laugh on her face she set her batter clad hand up to the task to find the culprit, but it wasn't until Anjali turned and smilingly stopped her hand did she realize what was so funny.
'Aah, Khushi, you're getting the pokoda batter all over your face.' She said lovingly, as she held her hand away from her face and pointed to the wet batter on her hand.
'Eeek.' Khushi squealed as she clapped the same hand on to her mouth and then regretted it as she now was not only covered in the uncooked batter but could taste it too.
'You'd better go wash your face before the the chili in the batter gets in to your eyes and starts to sting.' Anjali advised, now unable to hold back the laughter herself. Khushi nodded, as a smile too formed on her lips at the thought of her idiocy. Bua ji was right: where did her mind wonder off to whenever she set to work in the kitchen? She always ended up having more food on herself then in the pot she was cooking in.
----
A week later on finding herself alone at home Khushi ventured out into the garden. It was a Sunday, Anjali and Devyani had gone to the mandir, her leg, although out of the cast, was still healing so she didn't go due to the steps she would have to climb, in case of straining it. Instead she took her cup of tea and went into the garden to enjoy it in the morning air, as she often had done in Lucknow. The sights and neighbours may not be here as they had been back home whom she would have gossiped with but there were some lovely plants to look at in the garden.Whomever groomed the garden had done a brilliant job. When she rounded the corner of the house and came to the front of it, she stopped dead, spilling a bit of tea from her mouth as she did. She had just spotted the gardener, whose work she had been admiring. Arnav. He was crouched near the boundary wall of the house, his back towards her so she could see him while he couldn't. He was digging away making room to plant a new flower that was rooted in the pot next to him.
As she watch he uprooted the plant from the pot and placed it into it's new home. Then swiftly and professionally began covering it up with the soil he had just dug. She watched spellbound. She had never anticipated this side of him. The man who always seemed to be so impatient and cruel with her possessed such patience and care was mind-boggling. What was this man, would she ever figure him out? How could he be so harsh to her, to people around him and yet posses such love for plants? She didn't have anything against the plants and she wasn't asking him to be evil to them, but just wished to know if he could care for them so well then what made him loose his patience with humans. If he had this ability then why not utilize it in all aspects of his life, not just gardening.
As she mulled him over, she saw him get up as he was done with planting the flower. She panicked, oh no should she hide? What if he saw her watching him? What would he think? What should she do...she was rooted to the spot trying to figure out whether she should run, hide or stay there nonchalantly, when she suddenly saw him stagger and collapse onto the ground.
'Oh my God! Arnav ji!' She yelped, as she ran towards him forgetting all the worry about him not seeing her. As she reached him she placed her tea cup on the side, crouched down next to him and placed his head in her hands. 'Arnav ji? Arnav ji, are you ok? What happened? Oh please wake up. Say something...' But he was unconscious. She rubbed his hands but still he didn't respond, what had happened? Had he had a heat stroke? Don't be silly Khushi, it's monsoon season no one has heat strokes right now. So then why had he fainted. 'Arnav ji...' she rubbed his face. It was all sweaty, he must have dehydrated. What should she do? She looked around for something that would help her revive him. But all that she saw was his gardening tool, those would injure him not revive him. Then her eyes landed on her teacup, with half of her un-drunk tea still in there. It wasn't water but was liquid, may be it would have the same effect. With out stopping to further question her move she picked it up and splashed him with the tea.
'What the-?!!!' He jerked up, as the hot tea scalded his face and neck. It worked, although she had not thought about the aftermath of her manoevre. He stared at her and then the tea cup in her hand and put two and two together. 'Are you insane Khushi Kumari Gupta?!! Who revives an unconscious person with a hot cup of tea?!!' He sputtered furiously, although his voice lacked the usual sterness.
'It worked. Didn't it?' She shrugged.
He growled. Then closed his eyes and lay back in her lap without realizing that was what his head was resting on. Awkward as it was she let him, the man didn't seem to look too well and he had taken care of her this past month so the least she could do was let him rest in her lap until he felt his spirits rise. Maybe all that digging had overworked him. Or maybe he was about to faint again that's why he had closed his eyes. She stared intently at him trying to decipher whether he had passed out again or was just resting.
'What the-? Khushi back off.' He clamoured, when he opened his eyes and found her milimetres away from his face.
'Sorry, was just checking if you were still with me or had gone out again.' She said sheepishly as she moved back a little.
He muttered something unintelligble then asked Khushi for the time.
'Hunh?' Why was he asking her the time...may be he wanted to know if he had been out cold for long. 'It's okay you weren't out for long.' She told him.
'Khushi just answer the damn question, what time is it?' He groaned.
'Umm...' she checked her wrist watch, 'it's just past ten-thirty.' She told him and then stared again trying to figure out what knowing the time had anything to do with his fainting spell.
He cursed under his breath. 'I should've had my meds about an hour ago, no wonder...'he muttered to himself, 'Help me up!' He demanded, quite rudely. Peeved though she was by his tone she let it slide and helped him up then assisted him to his room. She sat him down on the bed and then looked around while he looked for his medicines on the bedside table and then in the drawer. This was the first time she had ever entered his room. It was quite big and spacious but sparsely furnished. One huge bed, a wall-sized wardrobe on the right side to his bed, next to which a door led into the bathroom. The front of the bed faced the pool and in between the bed and the window wall, which separated the pool and his room, was a green settee and square table upon which he had his laptop and a few files. Other than this there was one very elegant lamp in the corner of the room behind her and a small dressing table and mirror right next to the door, which had his cologne, comb and cream on it. On the wall behind her, the one with the door to the room, were black and white photographs of very interesting sights, the city at night, sunrise over the mountains and a lampost in the middle of nowhere. She was surveying these when a loud curse from him returned her attention to him once more.
'What? What's wrong?' She asked worried, had she done something?
'Hari Prakash,' He tried to yell but it came out more as a cough.
'He's not home, he went with Di and Nani to the mandir, as Nani wished to give out some clothes and things to the homeless that come there, so she took him to carry the stuff.' Related Khushi.
He cursed again, 'well then you will have to do it. Can you go and find something sweet in the kitchen?' He asked, annoyance rising at having to take favours from her.
'Umm ok.' She left the room, highly confused by the odd request and returned shortly after with a plate of jalebi's she had made a day ago.
He took the plate without a word and munched on one slowly, making a horrible face. This worked Khushi up, she may not be the best cook, but her jalebis were out of the world that much she knew. 'What? What's wrong with the jalebi's? Why don't you like them, everyone loves my jalebis!' She declared defensively.
'There is nothing wrong with your jalebi's,' he said after managing to swallow it, 'I just don't like them, they are sticky and sickly sweet.' He explained.
'Well...then why did you ask for them?' She asked, angry at him for making faces at her absolute favourite dish in the world.
'I didn't ask for jalebi's but rather anything sweet, sugar would have sufficed...but you brought these...whatever, they did the task, as foul tasting as they are.' He replied as he held out the plate to her, to take it.
'Yeah and what task would that be?' She asked haughtily, as she snatched the plate from his outstretched hand.
'The task of regulating my blood-sugar...' he said off-handedly and then added, seeing as she didn't follow, 'I'm diabetic, I didn't have my medicine on time and so my blood-sugar dropped and as I am all out of my medicine I needed to have something sweet to raise it... your jalebi's did that, now in a while once the sweet has done the trick I will be good to go.' He explained as he know rested his back on the back-rest of his bed.
'Wait your diabetic?!! As in you have diabetes?!!' She said in raised voice, as the hand that was holding the plate of jalebis now shot behind her as if to hide them unless he may be tempted to take more, not that he was. 'And you had jalebis?!!' Khushi asked in panic.
He stared at her, he just explained it to her, did she not listen? No, she probably stopped listening after he mentioned the word "diabetic" and then all her brain could think of next was remove every sweet thing from his vicinity, like he would have no self-control. Seriously, how people misunderstood this disease. 'Khushi, just because I am diabetic, it does not mean I cannot have sweets at all, I just have to have them in moderation ok? So don't worry, you didn't kill me by feeding me one jalebi. Ok?' He said slowly, as though explaining something important to a two year old. 'And I have low blood-sugar, the medicines I take raises it so that I am not collapsing every two seconds, now my medicines finished that's why I needed to have something sweet right now. Once I feel the sugar kick in I will go and purchase the medicines ok?'
She nodded but did not say anything. Instead she sat down on the edge of the bed and started munching on the jalebis herself as she thought over what he said. What a weird woman?!! Arnav thought to himself, as he watched her mull over what he had just explained. Then suddenly, she jumped up and started screaming.
'Wait your medicines finished?!!'
'Yes.' Arnav said shocked at her sudden outrage. How many times would he have to repeat his explanation for her to understand it?
'So why don't you have the next batch? These are really important tablets; you cannot be irresponsible like this! What if I wasn't here today, what if something happened to you?!'
'Khushi calm down. I am fine.'
'No you are not. Look at you. You are weak. Your face has paled and your voice has lost it's firmness. You are not at all fine. Really Arnav ji I did not expect this sort of irresponsibility from you, to forget to get your medicines. Where is the prescription, give it to me I will get it right now!' She demanded.
'That's quite alright Khushi I will be fine in about half an hour to an hour and then I will get it myself, the pharmacy is quite far from here, its' not in the one around the corner.' He reasoned in a calm voice. But she wasn't hearing it.
'I said I will get it and that's it! Don't worry about how far it is, just tell me where the prescription is and I will get the medicines!' She thundered. Bewildered at her sudden outburst and not wanting to upset her anymore he pointed her in the direction towards his drawer. She marched towards it, yanked it open and then stopped short, the drawer was filled neatly with quite a few papers, which one was the prescription. Reading her confusion, he fished it out from underneath a wad of paper and handed to her. She grabbed it and stormed out, furious at his lack of concern for himself.
When she returned thirty minutes later, she found him taking out a few of his clothes from his wardrobe, ignoring it she marched right in and placed the medicine on the table, next to his laptop.
'Here. Now when are you supposed to take the next dose?' She asked, a little calmer then before, but with the same anger.
'After lunch...thanks...' he said as an after thought and then unable to stop himself from gloating, he added, 'wow, Khushi I didn't realize you cared so much about me. It's heart-rendering to know it though.' He smirked, he had to admit he did enjoy her attention. Khushi's head snapped up, at his comment. He was back to being his abnoxious self, harassing Khushi in anyway he could. The jalebi must have done its' job.
'I don't.' She blurted out, aghast that he had drawn this conclusion, because of course she didn't,did she? He raised his brow asking her the same question she was asking herself, only telling her that he knew the answer and it wasn't the one she had just given. 'I mean, I was the only one home, if something happened to you then I didn't want it to come on me, besides Di would be distraught if she found out, so I just took the necessary precautions...' He didn't respond, only gave her a look that told her he didn't believe anything she had said. He had witnessed her panic and outburst, they all suggested something more was at play. 'What are you doing?' she asked, now feeling the heat rise in her cheeks under his scrutiny, thus changing the subject. Plus, she was intrigued as to why he was packing his things, for while she had been rambling on about how he didn't matter to her he had pulled out a carry-on and was now folding his shirts neatly inside it.
'I'm packing.' He said, now folding a few trousers neatly.
'I can see that, thank you very much. Why are you packing? Are you going somewhere?' She asked in an impatient tone.
'Yeah.'
'Where?'
'Not that it is any of your concern, but I'll tell you anyway, I'm driving over to Nanital.' He explained, as he debated over which tie to take.
'No your not!'
'Excuse me?' He stood up to face her, after having roled the tie he had chosen and placed it in the bag, while she stared at him like he was cracking a very inappropriate joke.
'You're not going.'
'And why may I ask can I not go?' He folded his arms across his chest waiting for her response, interested in her sudden command.
'Because I said so.' She now placed her hands on her hips and stared at him unbelievingly. If he was seriously thinking of going after what happened this morning then he was crazy, she wouldn't let him.
'And who are you to decide this?'
'I...um...someone more sensible then you.' She stammered out, initially taken aback by his question.
'Really?' He quirked his brow. Her more sensible, which world was she living in? Clearly her own. 'Stop that.' He slapped her hand away as she started taking out his clothes from his bag, but it didn't stop her, she continued to take them out as he put them back in. 'Stop it!' He let out an irritated cry after they had repeated this cycle for the third time.
'No!' She said defiantly and went back to emptying his bag.
'Enough of this Khushi Kumari Gupta, I don't have time for this. I need to get to Nanital by five-thirty for site inspection.'
'You are not going.'
'Yes I am. Give me my shirt back.' He yanked at her hand.
'No. Get someone else to go, you're not well.' Loosing the shirt, she grabbed at the folded trousers.
'I'm bloody fine Khushi Kumari Gupta but you will not be if you keep at this.' He growled.
'No you are not. May be you had brain damage due the fall or the lack of medicine and now cannot remember that you fainted no less than an hour ago.'
'For which I took the necessary precautions. My blood-sugar is fine, I checked before you came I am perfectly fit to go.' He grabbed the pair of pants in her hands threw it into to the case and closed the lid before she could take his things out again. She scowled.
'You are weak. You cannot drive for five hours in this state.' He went rigid at hearing this. Arnav Singh Raizada was not weak.
He closed the gap between them, staring intently into her face. 'Get this in your head. I am fine, I have no weakness. I am perfectly capable of driving up to Nainital and so I will and no one is going to stop me. Understand?'
'But you haven't had your medicines. It's not right you shouldn't risk it-'
'Shush.' He place his finger on her lips, sealing them. Then picked up the medicine box from the table and waved it in front of her, 'my medicines are right here, courtesy of you. Now I have all that I need to go with, so stop irritating me and leave so that I can change and leave myself.'
She stared at him and then at the medicine box, which was still in mid-air, in his hand, that was in the gap between them, without warning she grabbed at it and ran across the room. 'Now you don't and I'm not going to give this back to you, because you are not going. I'm not going to let you risk your life for some stupid site inspection.' She called as she ran around room.
'It's not some stupid site inspection, it's a very important one for which you are delaying me. Stop this stupid game and give me my damn medicines.' He yelled as he chased behind her.
'No. You are not going and that's final.' She stated.
'You can't tell me what to do, you are not my boss, I am yours' remember, and I am telling you to give me my tablets.' He exclaimed as he made to grab at her but missed.
'You're my boss at work, not here.' She reminded cheekily as she jumped on to the bed and crossed to the other side of the room.
'Uh yes I am. This is my house, so I am still your boss!' He shouted.
'And yet you still can't get your meds out of my hand...tsk tsk.' She jibed enjoying making him run around after her.
That did it, she wasn't going to get away with that jibe, if she wanted to play then he would too, and he was going to play dirty. He jumped onto the bed and feigned to go after her, so that she would she would circle around the bed to avoid him. But as soon as she reached the front of the bed he grabbed her pulled her onto the bed, where they both dis-balanced and fell onto it. Surprised at finding herself pressed under him she froze, but he maintained his cool and grabbed at the box in her hand, claiming his prize. With that he was up and off her in one swift motion. It took her a few moments to get over the horror of being on his bed with him. Finally, she managed to get up and adjust herself.
'Now that I have won fair and square,' he said waving the medicine box again, although this time at a safe distance from her, 'can you please leave and so that I can change and leave too. It's already 11: 15, I should have left by now.' Khushi turned on her heel and left, although not quietly, she was muttering furiously under her breath at his stupidity and pigheadedness.
Twenty minutes later Arnav closed the boot of his car and got into his seat. He was just about to put the key into ignition when the back seat door opened and Khushi threw in her own dufflebag.
'What the-?' He exclaimed as she got into the passenger seat next to him. 'What are you doing?'
'Going to Nainital with you.' She stated cooly.
'No you're not.' He said as he turned to face her.
'Yes, if you are going to be such a Laad Governor and not listen to me, then I will go to Nainital with you.'
'Laad What?!!'
'Never mind, just know that that's the only way your car will leave this drive-way for Nainital.'
'Khushi, I don't have the time for this, leave...please.' He added, in hope that the please would make her leave, but it didn't
'Arnav ji, if you are going then so am I. You are not fit to drive about 300km alone, after having fainted this morning.'
'Khushi for the last time I am perfectly fine, I don't need a babysitter!'
'I beg to differ. You most certainly need one, especially considering you are unable to make the right decisions regarding your own health. Now we can continue arguing about this or get on our way to Nainital it's up to you but nothing you're going to say will get me to let you go alone. So the decision is yours, but I would advise you to hurry as the drive up to Nainital is about five hours and it's nearly twelve. The clock is ticking and you need to be at the site by five-thirty, right?' With that she turned and plugged the seat-belt into the buckle and waited for him, arms crossed.
Seething, he too, buckled himself in, turned the key, igniting the car into motion and tore out of the driveway.
He came back home two days after Khushi's plaster had opened and was shocked to find her room and his study empty of her things. He had gone into his study on the pretense of obtaining something from his drawers, but actually to check on her and see how she was doing, weirdly enough he had missed her and her weird antics the three days he had been away from home, he told himself it was only because he knew her cast was coming off this week that's why she was on his mind and that's why he wanted to know how she was, if her leg was fine it meant she could leave, although he wasn't sure how he felt about her leaving. This answer he got when he entered the study and then her room to find them both empty of not just her but her things too: he didn't like not knowing where she was.
'Di!' He shouted as soon as he was in the hallway, panic stirring inside, where was she? Had she left already? Anjali had mentioned that after her cast opened she would not stop Khushi from leaving if she wanted to, so had she? 'Di!!!' He stressed, where was Anjali, she generally responded straight away to his calls.
'Yes, yes Chotay. What is it? What happened?' She came rushing from the kitchen area.
'I um...' ok how was he supposed to ask her without sounding to territorial, 'I uh, where is Khushi, she...she's messed up my papers, I can't find a really important file that was on my desk.' Yes, that seemed like a good excuse, he would find her whereabouts and not sound like he wanted to know because he was concerned about her.
'No I haven't! I didn't touch any of your papers!' Came Khushi's rebellious voice, from behind Anjali, before she appeared herself, her blue duppata tied diagonally across her body, face slightly flushed and covered in yellow chick-pea batter, that was dripping from her right hand.
The next set of emotions Arnav experienced, were new to him. First, relief, at hearing her voice and then seeing her in front of him, that confirmed she was still here, had not left anywhere. His panic settled down. Then a little guilt at being caught on his lie, for Khushi was right she had not touched any of his papers. And lastly an elated feeling he had long forgotten: amusement. Amusement: which lead to full blown laughter at seeing her state. She looked a complete spectacle, a stray strand of hair pasted to her face, annoyance in her eyes for being accused of messing his papers, while a hint of paranoia shimmered behind it as she reassured herself that she had not touched them. Then irritation in her cheeks as to why he was accusing her, all of which may have been intimidating had her face not been covered with the pale yellow batter.
As he laughed at her sight, a new wave of laughter came upon him seeing her wide-eyed stare, which clearly echoed the shock etched on her face seeing him laugh, a feat she didn't think him capable of. The shock, made her face look even more hilairious and he found himself laughing more freely. Anjali too stared at him, stunned, it having been a long while since she had seen or heard this laughter of his. Chotay?' She asked now intrigued as to what had set him off, when he had been so annoyed moments earlier. But he couldn't answer all he could do was gesticulate towards Khushi's face. Now intrigued herself as to what was making him laugh on her face she set her batter clad hand up to the task to find the culprit, but it wasn't until Anjali turned and smilingly stopped her hand did she realize what was so funny.
'Aah, Khushi, you're getting the pokoda batter all over your face.' She said lovingly, as she held her hand away from her face and pointed to the wet batter on her hand.
'Eeek.' Khushi squealed as she clapped the same hand on to her mouth and then regretted it as she now was not only covered in the uncooked batter but could taste it too.
'You'd better go wash your face before the the chili in the batter gets in to your eyes and starts to sting.' Anjali advised, now unable to hold back the laughter herself. Khushi nodded, as a smile too formed on her lips at the thought of her idiocy. Bua ji was right: where did her mind wonder off to whenever she set to work in the kitchen? She always ended up having more food on herself then in the pot she was cooking in.
----
A week later on finding herself alone at home Khushi ventured out into the garden. It was a Sunday, Anjali and Devyani had gone to the mandir, her leg, although out of the cast, was still healing so she didn't go due to the steps she would have to climb, in case of straining it. Instead she took her cup of tea and went into the garden to enjoy it in the morning air, as she often had done in Lucknow. The sights and neighbours may not be here as they had been back home whom she would have gossiped with but there were some lovely plants to look at in the garden.Whomever groomed the garden had done a brilliant job. When she rounded the corner of the house and came to the front of it, she stopped dead, spilling a bit of tea from her mouth as she did. She had just spotted the gardener, whose work she had been admiring. Arnav. He was crouched near the boundary wall of the house, his back towards her so she could see him while he couldn't. He was digging away making room to plant a new flower that was rooted in the pot next to him.
As she watch he uprooted the plant from the pot and placed it into it's new home. Then swiftly and professionally began covering it up with the soil he had just dug. She watched spellbound. She had never anticipated this side of him. The man who always seemed to be so impatient and cruel with her possessed such patience and care was mind-boggling. What was this man, would she ever figure him out? How could he be so harsh to her, to people around him and yet posses such love for plants? She didn't have anything against the plants and she wasn't asking him to be evil to them, but just wished to know if he could care for them so well then what made him loose his patience with humans. If he had this ability then why not utilize it in all aspects of his life, not just gardening.
As she mulled him over, she saw him get up as he was done with planting the flower. She panicked, oh no should she hide? What if he saw her watching him? What would he think? What should she do...she was rooted to the spot trying to figure out whether she should run, hide or stay there nonchalantly, when she suddenly saw him stagger and collapse onto the ground.
'Oh my God! Arnav ji!' She yelped, as she ran towards him forgetting all the worry about him not seeing her. As she reached him she placed her tea cup on the side, crouched down next to him and placed his head in her hands. 'Arnav ji? Arnav ji, are you ok? What happened? Oh please wake up. Say something...' But he was unconscious. She rubbed his hands but still he didn't respond, what had happened? Had he had a heat stroke? Don't be silly Khushi, it's monsoon season no one has heat strokes right now. So then why had he fainted. 'Arnav ji...' she rubbed his face. It was all sweaty, he must have dehydrated. What should she do? She looked around for something that would help her revive him. But all that she saw was his gardening tool, those would injure him not revive him. Then her eyes landed on her teacup, with half of her un-drunk tea still in there. It wasn't water but was liquid, may be it would have the same effect. With out stopping to further question her move she picked it up and splashed him with the tea.
'What the-?!!!' He jerked up, as the hot tea scalded his face and neck. It worked, although she had not thought about the aftermath of her manoevre. He stared at her and then the tea cup in her hand and put two and two together. 'Are you insane Khushi Kumari Gupta?!! Who revives an unconscious person with a hot cup of tea?!!' He sputtered furiously, although his voice lacked the usual sterness.
'It worked. Didn't it?' She shrugged.
He growled. Then closed his eyes and lay back in her lap without realizing that was what his head was resting on. Awkward as it was she let him, the man didn't seem to look too well and he had taken care of her this past month so the least she could do was let him rest in her lap until he felt his spirits rise. Maybe all that digging had overworked him. Or maybe he was about to faint again that's why he had closed his eyes. She stared intently at him trying to decipher whether he had passed out again or was just resting.
'What the-? Khushi back off.' He clamoured, when he opened his eyes and found her milimetres away from his face.
'Sorry, was just checking if you were still with me or had gone out again.' She said sheepishly as she moved back a little.
He muttered something unintelligble then asked Khushi for the time.
'Hunh?' Why was he asking her the time...may be he wanted to know if he had been out cold for long. 'It's okay you weren't out for long.' She told him.
'Khushi just answer the damn question, what time is it?' He groaned.
'Umm...' she checked her wrist watch, 'it's just past ten-thirty.' She told him and then stared again trying to figure out what knowing the time had anything to do with his fainting spell.
He cursed under his breath. 'I should've had my meds about an hour ago, no wonder...'he muttered to himself, 'Help me up!' He demanded, quite rudely. Peeved though she was by his tone she let it slide and helped him up then assisted him to his room. She sat him down on the bed and then looked around while he looked for his medicines on the bedside table and then in the drawer. This was the first time she had ever entered his room. It was quite big and spacious but sparsely furnished. One huge bed, a wall-sized wardrobe on the right side to his bed, next to which a door led into the bathroom. The front of the bed faced the pool and in between the bed and the window wall, which separated the pool and his room, was a green settee and square table upon which he had his laptop and a few files. Other than this there was one very elegant lamp in the corner of the room behind her and a small dressing table and mirror right next to the door, which had his cologne, comb and cream on it. On the wall behind her, the one with the door to the room, were black and white photographs of very interesting sights, the city at night, sunrise over the mountains and a lampost in the middle of nowhere. She was surveying these when a loud curse from him returned her attention to him once more.
'What? What's wrong?' She asked worried, had she done something?
'Hari Prakash,' He tried to yell but it came out more as a cough.
'He's not home, he went with Di and Nani to the mandir, as Nani wished to give out some clothes and things to the homeless that come there, so she took him to carry the stuff.' Related Khushi.
He cursed again, 'well then you will have to do it. Can you go and find something sweet in the kitchen?' He asked, annoyance rising at having to take favours from her.
'Umm ok.' She left the room, highly confused by the odd request and returned shortly after with a plate of jalebi's she had made a day ago.
He took the plate without a word and munched on one slowly, making a horrible face. This worked Khushi up, she may not be the best cook, but her jalebis were out of the world that much she knew. 'What? What's wrong with the jalebi's? Why don't you like them, everyone loves my jalebis!' She declared defensively.
'There is nothing wrong with your jalebi's,' he said after managing to swallow it, 'I just don't like them, they are sticky and sickly sweet.' He explained.
'Well...then why did you ask for them?' She asked, angry at him for making faces at her absolute favourite dish in the world.
'I didn't ask for jalebi's but rather anything sweet, sugar would have sufficed...but you brought these...whatever, they did the task, as foul tasting as they are.' He replied as he held out the plate to her, to take it.
'Yeah and what task would that be?' She asked haughtily, as she snatched the plate from his outstretched hand.
'The task of regulating my blood-sugar...' he said off-handedly and then added, seeing as she didn't follow, 'I'm diabetic, I didn't have my medicine on time and so my blood-sugar dropped and as I am all out of my medicine I needed to have something sweet to raise it... your jalebi's did that, now in a while once the sweet has done the trick I will be good to go.' He explained as he know rested his back on the back-rest of his bed.
'Wait your diabetic?!! As in you have diabetes?!!' She said in raised voice, as the hand that was holding the plate of jalebis now shot behind her as if to hide them unless he may be tempted to take more, not that he was. 'And you had jalebis?!!' Khushi asked in panic.
He stared at her, he just explained it to her, did she not listen? No, she probably stopped listening after he mentioned the word "diabetic" and then all her brain could think of next was remove every sweet thing from his vicinity, like he would have no self-control. Seriously, how people misunderstood this disease. 'Khushi, just because I am diabetic, it does not mean I cannot have sweets at all, I just have to have them in moderation ok? So don't worry, you didn't kill me by feeding me one jalebi. Ok?' He said slowly, as though explaining something important to a two year old. 'And I have low blood-sugar, the medicines I take raises it so that I am not collapsing every two seconds, now my medicines finished that's why I needed to have something sweet right now. Once I feel the sugar kick in I will go and purchase the medicines ok?'
She nodded but did not say anything. Instead she sat down on the edge of the bed and started munching on the jalebis herself as she thought over what he said. What a weird woman?!! Arnav thought to himself, as he watched her mull over what he had just explained. Then suddenly, she jumped up and started screaming.
'Wait your medicines finished?!!'
'Yes.' Arnav said shocked at her sudden outrage. How many times would he have to repeat his explanation for her to understand it?
'So why don't you have the next batch? These are really important tablets; you cannot be irresponsible like this! What if I wasn't here today, what if something happened to you?!'
'Khushi calm down. I am fine.'
'No you are not. Look at you. You are weak. Your face has paled and your voice has lost it's firmness. You are not at all fine. Really Arnav ji I did not expect this sort of irresponsibility from you, to forget to get your medicines. Where is the prescription, give it to me I will get it right now!' She demanded.
'That's quite alright Khushi I will be fine in about half an hour to an hour and then I will get it myself, the pharmacy is quite far from here, its' not in the one around the corner.' He reasoned in a calm voice. But she wasn't hearing it.
'I said I will get it and that's it! Don't worry about how far it is, just tell me where the prescription is and I will get the medicines!' She thundered. Bewildered at her sudden outburst and not wanting to upset her anymore he pointed her in the direction towards his drawer. She marched towards it, yanked it open and then stopped short, the drawer was filled neatly with quite a few papers, which one was the prescription. Reading her confusion, he fished it out from underneath a wad of paper and handed to her. She grabbed it and stormed out, furious at his lack of concern for himself.
When she returned thirty minutes later, she found him taking out a few of his clothes from his wardrobe, ignoring it she marched right in and placed the medicine on the table, next to his laptop.
'Here. Now when are you supposed to take the next dose?' She asked, a little calmer then before, but with the same anger.
'After lunch...thanks...' he said as an after thought and then unable to stop himself from gloating, he added, 'wow, Khushi I didn't realize you cared so much about me. It's heart-rendering to know it though.' He smirked, he had to admit he did enjoy her attention. Khushi's head snapped up, at his comment. He was back to being his abnoxious self, harassing Khushi in anyway he could. The jalebi must have done its' job.
'I don't.' She blurted out, aghast that he had drawn this conclusion, because of course she didn't,did she? He raised his brow asking her the same question she was asking herself, only telling her that he knew the answer and it wasn't the one she had just given. 'I mean, I was the only one home, if something happened to you then I didn't want it to come on me, besides Di would be distraught if she found out, so I just took the necessary precautions...' He didn't respond, only gave her a look that told her he didn't believe anything she had said. He had witnessed her panic and outburst, they all suggested something more was at play. 'What are you doing?' she asked, now feeling the heat rise in her cheeks under his scrutiny, thus changing the subject. Plus, she was intrigued as to why he was packing his things, for while she had been rambling on about how he didn't matter to her he had pulled out a carry-on and was now folding his shirts neatly inside it.
'I'm packing.' He said, now folding a few trousers neatly.
'I can see that, thank you very much. Why are you packing? Are you going somewhere?' She asked in an impatient tone.
'Yeah.'
'Where?'
'Not that it is any of your concern, but I'll tell you anyway, I'm driving over to Nanital.' He explained, as he debated over which tie to take.
'No your not!'
'Excuse me?' He stood up to face her, after having roled the tie he had chosen and placed it in the bag, while she stared at him like he was cracking a very inappropriate joke.
'You're not going.'
'And why may I ask can I not go?' He folded his arms across his chest waiting for her response, interested in her sudden command.
'Because I said so.' She now placed her hands on her hips and stared at him unbelievingly. If he was seriously thinking of going after what happened this morning then he was crazy, she wouldn't let him.
'And who are you to decide this?'
'I...um...someone more sensible then you.' She stammered out, initially taken aback by his question.
'Really?' He quirked his brow. Her more sensible, which world was she living in? Clearly her own. 'Stop that.' He slapped her hand away as she started taking out his clothes from his bag, but it didn't stop her, she continued to take them out as he put them back in. 'Stop it!' He let out an irritated cry after they had repeated this cycle for the third time.
'No!' She said defiantly and went back to emptying his bag.
'Enough of this Khushi Kumari Gupta, I don't have time for this. I need to get to Nanital by five-thirty for site inspection.'
'You are not going.'
'Yes I am. Give me my shirt back.' He yanked at her hand.
'No. Get someone else to go, you're not well.' Loosing the shirt, she grabbed at the folded trousers.
'I'm bloody fine Khushi Kumari Gupta but you will not be if you keep at this.' He growled.
'No you are not. May be you had brain damage due the fall or the lack of medicine and now cannot remember that you fainted no less than an hour ago.'
'For which I took the necessary precautions. My blood-sugar is fine, I checked before you came I am perfectly fit to go.' He grabbed the pair of pants in her hands threw it into to the case and closed the lid before she could take his things out again. She scowled.
'You are weak. You cannot drive for five hours in this state.' He went rigid at hearing this. Arnav Singh Raizada was not weak.
He closed the gap between them, staring intently into her face. 'Get this in your head. I am fine, I have no weakness. I am perfectly capable of driving up to Nainital and so I will and no one is going to stop me. Understand?'
'But you haven't had your medicines. It's not right you shouldn't risk it-'
'Shush.' He place his finger on her lips, sealing them. Then picked up the medicine box from the table and waved it in front of her, 'my medicines are right here, courtesy of you. Now I have all that I need to go with, so stop irritating me and leave so that I can change and leave myself.'
She stared at him and then at the medicine box, which was still in mid-air, in his hand, that was in the gap between them, without warning she grabbed at it and ran across the room. 'Now you don't and I'm not going to give this back to you, because you are not going. I'm not going to let you risk your life for some stupid site inspection.' She called as she ran around room.
'It's not some stupid site inspection, it's a very important one for which you are delaying me. Stop this stupid game and give me my damn medicines.' He yelled as he chased behind her.
'No. You are not going and that's final.' She stated.
'You can't tell me what to do, you are not my boss, I am yours' remember, and I am telling you to give me my tablets.' He exclaimed as he made to grab at her but missed.
'You're my boss at work, not here.' She reminded cheekily as she jumped on to the bed and crossed to the other side of the room.
'Uh yes I am. This is my house, so I am still your boss!' He shouted.
'And yet you still can't get your meds out of my hand...tsk tsk.' She jibed enjoying making him run around after her.
That did it, she wasn't going to get away with that jibe, if she wanted to play then he would too, and he was going to play dirty. He jumped onto the bed and feigned to go after her, so that she would she would circle around the bed to avoid him. But as soon as she reached the front of the bed he grabbed her pulled her onto the bed, where they both dis-balanced and fell onto it. Surprised at finding herself pressed under him she froze, but he maintained his cool and grabbed at the box in her hand, claiming his prize. With that he was up and off her in one swift motion. It took her a few moments to get over the horror of being on his bed with him. Finally, she managed to get up and adjust herself.
'Now that I have won fair and square,' he said waving the medicine box again, although this time at a safe distance from her, 'can you please leave and so that I can change and leave too. It's already 11: 15, I should have left by now.' Khushi turned on her heel and left, although not quietly, she was muttering furiously under her breath at his stupidity and pigheadedness.
Twenty minutes later Arnav closed the boot of his car and got into his seat. He was just about to put the key into ignition when the back seat door opened and Khushi threw in her own dufflebag.
'What the-?' He exclaimed as she got into the passenger seat next to him. 'What are you doing?'
'Going to Nainital with you.' She stated cooly.
'No you're not.' He said as he turned to face her.
'Yes, if you are going to be such a Laad Governor and not listen to me, then I will go to Nainital with you.'
'Laad What?!!'
'Never mind, just know that that's the only way your car will leave this drive-way for Nainital.'
'Khushi, I don't have the time for this, leave...please.' He added, in hope that the please would make her leave, but it didn't
'Arnav ji, if you are going then so am I. You are not fit to drive about 300km alone, after having fainted this morning.'
'Khushi for the last time I am perfectly fine, I don't need a babysitter!'
'I beg to differ. You most certainly need one, especially considering you are unable to make the right decisions regarding your own health. Now we can continue arguing about this or get on our way to Nainital it's up to you but nothing you're going to say will get me to let you go alone. So the decision is yours, but I would advise you to hurry as the drive up to Nainital is about five hours and it's nearly twelve. The clock is ticking and you need to be at the site by five-thirty, right?' With that she turned and plugged the seat-belt into the buckle and waited for him, arms crossed.
Seething, he too, buckled himself in, turned the key, igniting the car into motion and tore out of the driveway.
*****
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