Tewari & Sons, 23, Chandni Chowk

Chapter 22: Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?

Arnav

Iss Mod Se Jaate Hai

Kuch Sust Kadam Raste

Kuch Tez Kadam Raahein

He turned on the radio as soon as he got into the car. This had become his new thing, a habit that he acquired from Khushi. Inspite of himself he felt a smile rising up his face. Thank God the usual rabble rousers in his life viz. Anjali Di and NK were not around just now, they would not have let him live this down. It was retro hour on radio, so the songs just sounded more poetic, and meaningful.

In Reshami Raahon Men, Ik Raah To Vo Hogi
Tum Tak Jo Pahunchati Ha,i Is Mod Se Jaati Hai

However, he was not on his way to meet Khushi, in fact he was on his way to meet his cousin Aakash, who had sent him a cryptic text last evening saying that they needed to meet because he had uncovered something. Khushi and he were to meet for lunch, and he had to call her to tell that it was off.

"I am sorry, Khushi. Aakash sounded very dramatic, you know how calm he otherwise is. So, I have to meet him. I hope he is okay," Arnav said, he could sense that Khushi had gone a little aloof from her chirpy greeting. Between his multiple jobs, Khushi's multiple jobs, separate and overlapping drama in their lives, it was sometimes tough for them to catch a break. But they had made progress. He had to admit. First the date happened. Actually it was less of a date, and more of a quiet lunch. Neither of them brought up his mother, or her brother, or the New-Ons bunch. He told her a few stories about his dilettante jeeju Arjoon and she told him about Chandni Chowk boys. Yes, they actually talked about her love life, or whatever you could call that. As she regaled him, he was baffled about these boys whom she used to tie Rakhis to had proposals sent to her. Khushi insisted that it was par for the course for brothers to turn into suitors, especially in case of late bloomers like herself.

"Ah, so you bloomed?" he had asked her teasingly.

She had shrugged and said, "By Chandni Chowk standards I was okay, I suppose. Not by South Delhi standards, of course."

As she went back to fiddling with the Chinese food, struggling with the chopsticks, he immediately wanted to kick himself. Khushi was very attractive, in a way that he certainly appreciated now more than before. He was always drawn by her in some ways even in the past, but he had begun to consider her as a good-looking woman only recently. Like today she looked lovely. She had put in effort for the date. Dressed in a simple Salwar Kameez, that was kalamkari printed, tiny drops of earrings in silver and a surprisingly full-bodied pink lipstick. She looked striking in fact. He had wanted to tell her as soon as she walked in, but it seemed so trite and he didn't want to alarm her at the beginning. Was Khushi who seemed so nonchalant, insecure about her looks, he wondered. He should have told her something at least then. But he didn't, and instead in a combination of exasperation and gentleness held her hand, intertwined his fingers in her, guiding her chopstick. Somehow the moment was so intimate then, any conversation had ended.

When he met her this weekend for the movie, he would tell her that she was very beautiful. Maybe she didn't need his validation, but he needed to tell her that. But now, there was his cousin, and he wondered what possibly he could have to say.

Meanwhile the song had ended, and a RJ began chatting about the hot May in Delhi, he turned off the radio.

Aakash

It was so very hot this time of the year in Delhi. Aakash checked the AC setting, which said 16 degrees Celsius. It couldn't get any cooler than that. Vijay Shastri the Admin Head of AR walked into his cabin and in his usual flustered style announced that, "Madam is in office."