Tales of Arshi | Before Marriage

3. Smile!

"Itna uchal kyu rahi ho tum?" Arnav asked, narrowing his gaze, acting to be angry at a smiling Khushi who was jumping in happiness at receiving two silver coins on Dhanteras —That he gifted, unknown to her!

(Why are you jumping so much?)

Khushi stops jumping and stood properly adjusting her Dupatta, looking down after peeking at a glaring Arnav.

Lavanya who was excited for her friend steps forwards telling him the reason behind her friend's happiness, "ASR, vo kya hai na, Chamkili ko iss Dhanteras ke din two silver coins mile hai. Detergent packets me!"

(ASR, the thing is, Chamkili got two silvers on Dhanteras. In the detergent packet!)

Anjali nods at him smiling, agreeing with whatever Lavanya had said. While Khushi is lost in her thoughts realizing, "Aajkal vigyapan kitne galat likhte hai. Usme toh likha tha ki aik chandi ka sikka aur yaha do chandi ka sikke mile hai hume."

(These advertisements are how wrong these days. It was written that we get one silver coin but I got two.)

Arnav rolls his eyes in apprehension at her words. Before he could think more, he heard Khushi's words.

"Anjali-ji, hume lagta hai dukandari se koi galti hogai. Hum jaake aik vaapis deke aate hai," Khushi turns to Anjali saying that.

(Anjali-ji, I think the shopkeeper made a mistake. I'll go and return him.)

"Ab ye jayegi kya? Kiase rokhu?" he glances down at the floor.

(Will she go now? How do I stop?)

He doesn't get to think more as he screams in reflex, "Nahi!"

(No!)

His scream formed a confused expression on Khushi's face and Anjali and Lavanya looks at him curiously. He covers his slip with his usual Laadgoverner behavior, "I mean tumhe kya lagta hai? Ki tumhara jab dil chahe tab chtti le sakti ho? Kahi nahi jaaoge tum, varna salary kaat dunga tumhara."

(I mean what do you think? That you will take leaves whenever you want? I'll cut your salary.)

Khushi widened her eyes a little muttering under her breath, "Laad governor!"

Arnav walks away with fake anger on his face which looked real, except that his eyes gave away which were not at all burning in fury. It's just that people didn't get to notice his eyes, except Khushi from whom he walked away leaving her in confusion.

Anjali then consoles Khushi to keep it when she got it and should consider herself lucky to get two coins on Dhanteras to which Khushi shrugs away and smiles, admiring the two silver coins.

But still, there was this determination of returning one coin in the corner of her mind.

And that made her ask Om Prakash about the details of the shop after calming her heartbeats down, which beat like she was running on a marathon as Arnav helped her disentangle from the fairy lights she oh-so-helpfully tangled herself in while decorating the poolside.

"Om Prakash-ji, aapne ye packets kaha se liya?"

(Om Prakash-ji, where did you buy those packets?)

Om Prakash, who was in the kitchen working, replied wondering, "Kyun, Khushi-ji?"

(Why Khushi-ji?)

"Hume jaan na zaruari hai. Boleyi na, Om Prakash ji," she insists. She has to return one silver coin to the shopkeeper.

(I need to know. Tell me, Om Prakash-ji!)