That crooked smile of yours

Chapter 3

The scene before them was so absurd that it momentary left Arnav and Aakash baffled. Khushi was standing in front of the couch holding a bunch of saris in her arms while Nk bhai was moving around waving his hands and tapping his feet on the tiles. Arnav and Aakash looked at each other, both confused at the scene before them. They moved towards the duo to ask what they were doing in the middle of the sitting room.

Nk stopped dancing to catch his breath and looked up. whew! this dance master is strict. Not once did she told him to stop but to dance till he drop!

"So how did I do?", he asked Khushi. 

"Do what?", replied a confused Khushi still raising her voice.

"The dance, masterji??" Nk asked disbelief colouring his face.

"The dance? But what does it have to do with saris?" asked an equally confused Khushi.

Arnav and Aakash joined them and heard the end of their conversation. 

"Why are you shouting khushi Ji?" asked Aakash. 

Khushi looked at the new arrivals and gulped. Oh no laad governor is also here.

"Anjali Ji said the sari waala has a hard time hearing so we had to talk loudly", she gestured towards Nk.  

Saris? What saris had to do with dance? NK scratched his head thoughtfully and pointed to khushi. "You are the dance master, right?". Khushi was at loss. She squinted her eyes at him.

"And you're the sari waala right?". They were both pointing fingers at each other. 

"Okay, stop it!" ordered Arnav irritated by the simple misunderstanding. 

He turned to Nk and said, "She is not some dance master. She is khushi. Aakash's fiance's sister." NK and Khushi both lowered their hands embarrassed and avoided looking at Arnav. "And he is not some sari waala. He is our cousin who just arrived today from Sydney. Understand?"

Nk recovered faster than khushi and extended his hand. "Hi, I am Nandakishore, short in Nk."

Khushi gave him her biggest smile forgetting the earlier misunderstanding and shake his hand.  "I am khushi"(khushi means happiness)

"Even i am very happy" said Nk.

Khushi laugh and said, "No no. My name is Khushi." 

"Woah! As in happiness? Cool name." 

"Yours too, Nanheji" said Khushi

"Oh no khushi Ji call me Nk"

She laughed and said, "No Nanheji, this name suits you well. And by the way you should meet my buaji one day. I know she would like you very much." 

As they went on commenting on each other names and sharing laughs, Arnav stood looking at the still connected hands of Khushi and Nk. He stared at Khushi. He had never seen her laugh so happily conversing with another male. Something akin to jealousy rose in his heart. He felt confused and irritated. He looked away. 

Khushi finally noticed the other two persons in the room. She released Nk's hands quickly. Arnav was looking away from them, something like worry stretched on his face. Aakash was smiling at them apparently enjoying the show. 

"You two are perfect for each other. You never stop talking and extra exuberant with a dash of craziness mixed in", he teased them. Arnav snapped his head back to Aakash. Perfect?

"Only you two can handle each other's company",  said Aakash shaking his head. 

Khushi was not known to be quiet to such a comment. She rose up to the challenge. She had become so close to her future Jijaji after the suicide drama that she didn't feel shy to joke around. She still laughed sometimes remembering the fake suicide Aakash had orchestrated to make her Jiji admit that she too loves Aakash Ji very much. What an idea it was too. She smiled. The bonus was that the great ASR was so out of his element that she quite enjoyed herself.