Valley of Flowers

Chapter 2

'What's the hurry?' Buaji's eyes went round as saucers. 'Are you a maharani that people will wait on you? Khushi, you are twenty three already! On top of that you are an actress. Which decent family will take you as their bahu?'

She wanted to tell Buaji that she wasn't even interested in being taken as a bahu, decent family or not. But she had held her tongue.

Her reticent Amma knew how to push the right buttons. 'Since the proposal has come from Payal's mother-in-law's sister, we have to consider Payal's position as well. We can't let her be embarrassed in her sasural.'

'Absolutely right!' Buaji agreed. She turned to Khushi. 'You could have been married five years ago.' Buaji lamented. 'The boy from Lucknow ----.'

'How is it my fault if he was the one who rejected the proposal?' she reminded her.

'Like mother like daughter! I am sure he caught an inkling of that mess you ----'

Her Babuji had pushed some books off the side table effectively cutting of Buaji.' That is enough jiji. Bitiya,' he beckoned to her to come to him. When she went up to him he held her hand and looked into her eyes kindly. 'I want to see you married before anything happens to me.' With these few feeble words her Babuji had sealed her fate.

'Khushi?' NK's voice brought her out of her reverie.

'I'm sorry.'

'You had gone off again to that place in your mind, where you are not going to allow me to follow.'

'The reason I don't like to talk about it is I don't want to spoil our present times. Anyway, you look great. You told me you bought something new for this party.'

NK positively beamed at her. 'Ria suggested it to me. She said it would make a good impression with her dad.'

Ria Malhotra was Mr Malhotra's only daughter, just returned from the UK with a degree in PR. She had been working with NK the past couple of months as a trainee.

'This Ria seems to be taking a lot of interest.' Khushi observed.

'She is in PR and she understand these things,' NK sounded defensive, 'she knows I am a committed man. Anyway you don't have to worry about her. She is just very young.'

'How old is she?'

'Twenty-two, I think.'

'I am just a year older than her.'

'But you are very mature for your age Khushi. Ria is not like that.'

Khushi decided to ask something else that had bothered her. 'Narenji, how did you manage to convince the family that we were going to be staying overnight?'

'Thanks to maasi.' He quipped. 'She said she would handle everything.'

Of course. Mamiji loved associating herself with the rich and the famous.

'By the way,' he told her then. 'Mrs Malhotra has invited a group of her friends who are also your fans like herself.'

'Please don't use the word 'fan'.' Khushi pleaded.

'Well, I don't know what other word to use. Anyway the point is, she has requested that you do a small performance for them this evening.'

'No, no Narenji I don't think I can.'

'Come on Khushi,' NK persisted. 'Just do a small piece of something. It should be a cakewalk for you.'

'Narenji ---' Khushi said on an exasperated sigh.