Tewari & Sons, 23, Chandni Chowk

Chapter 1: Bhooli Dastaan

"I don't believe she did not recognise me," Arnav said, probably only for the tenth time that evening, as he settled down on the couch, holding a peculiar looking drink that Payal offered him.

They were at Payal's tastefully done up apartment in Gulmohar Park. Payal divided her time between Paris and Delhi. She worked as an independent designer and occasionally teamed up with Raizada Designs on an assignment that caught her fancy. Over the last few years, Payal and Arnav had considered her teaming up full-time with Raizada Designs, but every time they had decided against it. Both of them felt that couples working together would be counter-productive and it was also likely to impact their personal relationship. Payal was doing very well for herself and while she didn't articulate this aloud, it was wonderful being her own boss. She was going to marry Arnav, but knew that he was not the easiest of people to work with. Arnav too felt that Payal did not share the Raizada design aesthetic and it would not be a very fulfilling professional association.

In January they were to launch a new design line, Kalpavriksha and Payal was helping Raizada Designs. Things were hectic at the moment, with just a little over a month and a half available to them to complete their work. The wedding date had been set for March, so that they would have time after the launch to prepare for it. While they had planned a small and intimate wedding, on last count the guest-list had hundred and twenty people. The list needed pruning, but that was for another day. Today they were going over designs for Kalpavriksha. NK was supposed to join them, but as usual was not around. After their detour to Tewari & Sons, which had left both Arnav and Payal a little weirded out, NK had decided to head to the office to get some paperwork sorted. He was supposed to have come to Payal's house to look up some designs for the new line. Payal had a working studio in her apartment itself. But since NK didn't show up, Arnav and Payal went ahead without him. They had some soup for dinner, Payal still feeling too heavy after the paneer paranthas, lassi and jalebis of Tewari & Sons. Arnav himself had barely eaten after running into Khushi.

**

"I am sorry, but who are you?"

"Didi, aap ka mobile phone baj raha hain, lekar aaon kya?" The little boy, who was probably a shop assistant or Khushi's family interrupted them.

"Nahin, main office hi jaa rah thi," Khushi nodded at Arnav and Payal and disappeared to the corner of the restaurant, where a spiral staircase took her to the office upstairs.

"Wow, this is unreal," Payal had exclaimed, as they walked towards NK who looked liked he had sampled every dish on the menu.

"What is unreal," he asked, as he dived into moong daal cheelas, that was the Special of the Day'.

Payal narrated to NK about running into Khushi and how she refused to recognise them.

"That girl always had a complex about herself. It is sad that she is still not over it after all these years," Payal said as she waded through the menu.

Payal, of course was wrong, Arnav thought. But he didn't voice it, because for one, he didn't want to create a scene, but more importantly because he was still trying to wrap his head around what had transpired a few minutes ago. It was weird that just this morning, when Payal had said that they would be going to Chandni Chowk to pick up some stuff she needed, his first thought was about her - Khushi. Though Chandni Chowk was one of the most densely populated parts of the city, he certainly didn't want to run into her of all people. No, it would be uncomfortable for him and awkward for Khushi. Plus, Payal only had a vague idea of what had happened between him and Khushi, so it would have not been fitting. Yes, he and Payal were getting into a long-term commitment, but they did not feel the urge to share every little thing about their lives with each other. It was not that they intended to keep secrets from the other, but they trusted each other enough to not want to know every thought that came into their heads or details of every incident that happened in each other's lives. He had a comfortable relationship with Payal. They had known each other since they were children, their families knew each other, they worked in the same line, they were so evenly matched that it was almost boring. When three years ago they began dating, the respective families had been thrilled, but not altogether surprised. So when after two years of dating, when Payal and Arnav had announced their impending nuptials, the parental blessings came immediately.