Incandescent

Chapter 7

PRESENT TIME

"I can drive you to the mall, if you like," Arnav told Khushi while on phone with her. "You can shop for whatever you want and then I'll drive you back home. Looks like it's going to rain."

Arnav made the suggestion and seeing the silence on the other end of the call, he knew she probably was going to decline.

Khushi couldn't let him come with her. If he knew what she was shopping for, he probably won't like it. And she didn't want him to say anything negative.

She shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea, Arnav ji. The mall is just close by. I'll go by myself."

"Khushi, listen..."

"Arnavji, I'll manage. Trust me."

"At least wait until this wind has lessened a little..."

"I won't be able to go anywhere if I waited for the wind and rain to stop. And this is important. I have to go."

"Why won't you tell me what's so important?"

"I'm hanging up."

Strange, Arnav thought and said, "I'll have Mohan drop you there. That's final. No arguments."

•••

As she entered the shopping mall, Khushi quickly made her way to the supermarket in the basement that sold pooja items. She wanted to buy a few things for karva chauth that was the day after tomorrow. She wanted to buy a new saree and some mehendi too. She smiled to herself. She had kept this vrat along with her mother for as long as she remembered but the rules weren't as strict for unmarried young girls. This time, she wanted it to be special and she would follow all the rules, because she had someone who she wanted to follow the rituals for.

She was done with her work for this week so she'd be able to relax and do her puja. Staying away from food wasn't easy for her and she needed all the energy she could get, she thought. She enjoyed shopping along with the other women, thrilled to see the excited expectations on their faces, an emotion she shared with them. Though she wasn't married like them, in her heart they were similar.

Once she was done with the shopping she proceeded to the checkout. Only when she looked into her bag she realized she had left her wallet in the office. She closed her eyes berating herself for the folly and started looking for money inside her bag. She had a few notes hidden here and there. She removed them all and counted but it was still less. She contemplated leaving everything and coming back to shop again but time was less.

She had to call him now. Frustrated, she took her phone out and dialed his number.

"Arnavji... I need help..."

Before she could say anything more he stood up, "Khushi? What happened? Tum theek ho? Kahan ho tum? What is wrong?"

"Arnav ji... listen to me. I'm fine. I think I left my wallet at the office. I have no money to pay for the things now. Can you... can you please come? And can you get my wallet with you please? I left it in my makeup room I think..."

"Khushi! how can you be so careless! How can I trust you to take care of yourself when you do things like this! And you wanted to go by yourself. Wait right there... I'll be there in ten minutes."

She put down her phone. She knew she was yet to hear the end of it. Lord governor kahinka. She moved away from the queue telling the cashier she'd pay in a few minutes.

"Khushi, isn't it?" She heard a female voice ask from beside her.

She turned to give a startled look at Anjali, Arnav's sister who stood with two other ladies who Khushi knew were his Nani and Mami.