29. From Care to Cure

1.1K 83 106
                                    

Ishqi called the make-up artist and instructed her to come to Sonu's room directly. Knowing that she had about 15 minutes before they arrive, she headed towards the mandap to see if she could find Ahaan there. She just wanted to see him once before she executed the first part of her Mother India plan.  It wasn't just to keep him away from Sonu's room.  His smiling face motivated her, and she could do anything to bring that untainted priceless smile which will happen only when she helps to heal his deepest wounds. 

Ishqi wandered into the poolside knowing he would be supervising all the arrangements there. While looking around for him, she did not realize when she was dreamily admiring all the decorations, especially the mandap, picturing their own wedding someday.  Him being his new found naughty self even during the rituals and her chiding him with that stern 'wifey look'. She touched the flower decorations carefully and realized she doesn't know the names of these flowers yet again..  "Holi party mei hi 40rs per piece wale phool thay toh ye toh malhotras ki iklauti beti ki shaadi hai..  Kam se kam 100rs per piece toh zaroor honge. Iss hisaab se toh yaahan sirf mandap pe hi......

A tap on her shoulder was interrupting her calculation.  She shrugged and continued with her calculations till Ahaan turned her around and said, "Kya soch rahi ho itne dhyaan se?"

Ishqi smiled and said teasingly,  "Mai toh bas yeh dekh rahi thi ki sister ki shaadi mei aapne amrica se carnation sisters nahi mangwaye?" and she laughed at her own joke which Ahaan had no clue about as he barely remembered anything from his Ishq-High conversation.

Ahaan: Ye Carnation sisters kya hota hai? You mean carnation flowers na? Woh actually Sonu ko ye cosmos,  brassicas  chrysanthemums achche lagte hai..  So maine yahi lagwaye hai...  Lekin tumhe pata hai, holi pe maine tumhare liye ....

Ishqi cut him short and completed his sentence: 40rs per piece wale carnations lagaye thay...  Then mimicking his drunk self,  she said "chachu toh gende ke phool laga rahe thay...  But I ... I got carnations.... tumhare liye"........  

Uss din holi pe high hoke yahi jata rahey thay mujhe.. 

Ahaan: Mujhe toh yaad bhi nahi maine uss din tumse kya kya kaha.. Maine koi line cross toh nahi kar di thi na?  

Ishqi: cross nahi, tick karne lagey thay..  Meri list mein..  Upar se mujhe engagement ring pehna di thi aapne... Isse jyada aur kya hi line cross karenge... Aur agle din, wapas wahi naam 3 banda mean.... arrrgghhh... Jo Ishqi dusro ka dimaag kharab karti hai, uspe AVM Effect hone laga tha..  

Ahaan was amused at Ishqi's dramatized narrative when she adopted a slightly serious tone.

Ishqi: By the way,  Mr. Vadda Dil Vadda Bill Malhotra, ... mere ye carnations ya ...kya naam liya tha aapne... cosmos wagera wagera waley itne high class shaukh toh bilkul nahi hai..  Mere thoughts bhi middle class aur mere shaukh bhi ... 

Mujhe aapke paiso ya aapke naam se nahi, 

aapse lagaav hai, 

aapke pyaar se, 

aapke parivar se.

Ahaan: Pata hai mujhe.. Tab se ab tak itna toh jaan hi gaya hoon tumhe...

Ahaan felt as if her words were stemming from Dadi's taunts, but Ishqi had long forgotten Dadi's curt words. All her focus was now on priming Ahaan for the biggest truth of his life, bit by bit. She continued speaking, because she had something to say, which she wanted him to ponder upon long after this conversation.....

Ishqaan Wala LoveWhere stories live. Discover now