"Khushi? Jaldi se tayaar ho, kaam pe jana nahi kya?" Payal asked, waving her hand in front of a blank faced Khushi. [Khushi? Get ready, you have to get to work!]
"Four."
"What four?"
"Four ASRs jiji. In that office."
Payal sighed. Khushi had been repeating these four sentences like a broken tape recorder after her interview yesterday.
"Khushi, I'll finish your jalebis!"
"NAHI!" And shot up like a spring, searching for her beloved jalebis.
Payal placed her hands on her hip. "So this breaks you out of your trance. Now quickly have breakfast or you'll be late on your first day."
Khushi's eyes widened. "Hey Devi Maiya, if I'm late on the first day itself, four ASR's will rain down on me."
Payal chuckled under her breath and tied her dupatta across her torso and set the kadai. Her accounting job was flexible and remote letting Payal a small version of Shashi's sweet shop in Delhi.
The homemade sweet shop was set up by the two sisters as soon as they reached Delhi to help support Buaji's bills. It was mostly Payal's way to get Buaji to stop taunting Khushi, to put a halt to the constant cribing of having to take up Khushi's expenses.
They started small by making prasad for the Hanuman temple in Laxmi Nagar and praises spread in the neighbourhood. Gradually, small orders started pouring in.
My boss is coming home for dinner, can you please send 500g of halwa and 500g of jalebi?
My daughter's baby's naming ceremony is tomorrow, we'll need you to supply sweets for the celebration.
My son in law is coming and I heard he loves sweets. Please send some badam kheer and barfi.
Soon the two sisters were swarmed with orders, working flawlessly together.
The landline shrilled. "Khushi!" Payal called out, immediately grabbing her record book and pen.
Khushi rushed, grabbing the receiver. "Gupta Mithaai, aaj ham aapki ko konsi mithaai chakaye?" She said in her cheerful customer voice, walking around the house, talking to the customer like an old friend. [Gupta Sweets, which sweet can we delight with you today?]
The two sister had a system. Khushi handled the calls, cajoling the callers to buy two or three types of sweets more while Payal ran around the house behind her, noting down the list, quantity, date, time and delivery address.
"Jiji, four boxes of kaju barfi, 250 of cashew halwa and 100g of milk peda."
Payal nodded, scribbling down in her notebook. The excitement of a new order slipped from Khushi's face. "But Jiji how will you handle everything on your own? Your job, the sweets orders and the household chores?"
They had a set routine of handling everything along with Payal's remote job, Khushi's embroidery and household chores. But with Khushi's job at AR, Payal was going to be short a set of hands.
"Haan, ab Sanka Devi ko bohut chinta ho rahi hain apne Jiji ki, haain? Yeh khayal tab kaha gaya jab seer sapate mein nikal ke bahar ki naukri le aaye." [Haan, now Sanka Devi is worried about her elder sister? Where was this concern when you went out touring the city for a job?]
Khushi squeezed her eyes shut, Payal clutching her shoulder. She had been taunting the poor girl since she heard the news of Khushi's job.
Buaji was more angry at her for coming home late rather than being concerned for her well being when the poor girl had stood outside AR in the scorching sun for hours, waiting for her turn.
"Payalia ka fayda utha rahi hain yeh." Garima joined in, not before sparing Payal a withering glare. Garima, being Shashi's second wife, never liked her step daughter but put on a show in front of Shashi and Buaji. [She is taking advantage of Payal.]
Payal was the apple of their eyes after all.
But in some ways, Garima and Shashi were easier to tolerate back in Lucknow. At least they gave them the cold shoulder and left the sisters alone.
Shashi, as usual, was a silent spectator, more interested in the morning newspaper than speaking in defense of his daughters.
Payal ignored them and turned to Khushi. "You don't worry about me. Buaji and Amma are here to help me na." Payal had a mischevious glint in her eyes, planning like a malicious mother-in-law to bother her daughter-in-law.
Buaji seemed eager to help her Payalia while Garima paled. She couldn't refuse Shashi's golden girl.
"You focus on your job and remember, first salary you're treating me to a dhaba lunch."
Khushi broke into a smile, jumping. "Punjab da dhaba! Done jiji, dekhna hum aapka naam roshan karenge." [Punjabi Dhaba, done jiji, you see I'll make you proud!]
"Pagli. Naam roshan karne ke liye pehle din time par office jaana hain." [To make me proud, you have to first reach office on time.]
Khushi's eyes widened comically. "Hey Devi Maiya, jiji hum nikalte hain." [Oh god, Jiji, I'm leaving now.]
"Ruk, tiffin toh leti jaa. Khushi!" Payal ran out till the verandha and leaned over the railing while Khush stood on her toes to grab the box. "Bye jiji!"
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"Kya?!"
ASR smirked, pleased to see that stunned expression on Khushi's face.
"You heard me. For our next fashion show, I need five different sherwanis for my models, tailored to their body build. As well as three bridal lehengas, a couple of unique designs for the bridesmaid collection."
"But the....the measurements..."
"You're the designer. You should take the measurements of all your models."
"Even, the...." Khushi stuttered, Arnav revelling in her discomfort.
"Even the male models." He said with a tone of finality. "Remember, you're the head designer. Anything wrong happens, you're responsible." And dismissed her, Khushi muttering to herself and walking back to her studio.
As much as he loathed to giver her such an important designation, he had to admit, the finesse in her work and the uniqueness of her designs demanded a high posting. Only she was painfully unaware of just how many crores her designs were going to be worth.
Despite his ego, he gave recognition where it was due. And Khushi Kumari Gupta was going to be directly responsible for AR's next showstopper.
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"Hey Devi Maiya, what do I do now?" Khushi muttered to herself in the lift. She was briefed by Anjali on the theme and direction they were going with this particular collection.
Once her prototype designs were ready, she had to report back to Anjali for the jewellery designing to start.
Khushi still couldn't believe it. People were going to specially create jewellery for her clothes
"Excuse me ma'am? Hello?" A man snapped his fingers in front of her. "Are you okay ma'am? You zoned out there?"
Khushi blinked twice. "Aap mujhe ma'am bol rahe hain kya?" [Are you calling me ma'am?]
"Ji. Aap hi head designer hain na?" [Yes, you are the Head Designer, right?]
Khushi felt a surge of pride in her. She was a ma'am. "Haan, haan hum hi hain designer. Par aap mujhe Khushi bula sakte hain." [Yes, yes. I am a designer. But you can call me Khushi.]
"Ji. Khushi ma'am."
Khushi's heart filled with joy. Wah, kitna acha lag raha hain sunne mein, Khushi ma'am. She thought to herself gleefully, like a child with two handfuls of chocolates.
"Ma'am, aap phir se kho gayi. Aapki tabyat toh thik hain na?" [Ma'am, you zoned out again, are you ill?]
"Haan, haan. I was just imagining the designs in my head." Khushi suddenly remembered something. "Aap kaun?" [And you are?]
"I'm one of the models who'll be wearing your designs ma'am."
The colour vanished from Khushi's face. He's the model I'm supposed to measure?
"Okay, so since I'm the head designer and you call me ma'am, that means I'm the boss right?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Ok model-ji. I need a favour. Please measure all the male models. I'll measure the women. You know, time saving?"
"Yes ma'am."
Khushi sighed in relief as the model got to work and she made her way to the female models. They were a set of six drop dead gorgeous girls. From the perfect balayage to the manicured nails. From the designer dresses to the deathly stilettos, they were perfect in every sense.
"Namaste. Ham Khushi, apke designer."
The first girl looked at her with a scoff. "Are you kidding me? This behen-ji is going to be designing my clothes. Gosh, what has AR come to."
Khushi's smile faltered. "Don't worry, Pam-ji. I'll make sure you look wonderful."
Pam pointed her nose in the air. "I always look wonderful darling. Now, shoo and get me a coffee."
"Um...I need to get your measurements and get to designing."
Pam arched her perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Are you refusing me?"
"Nahi, hamara woh matlab nahi tha!" [No that's not what I meant.]
"How dare you!"
Khushi didn't know what to say as Pam fumed, riling up the other girls to storm out. Hey Devi Maiya, in bacho ke beech mein hame phasa diya. [Oh god, how am I stuck between these childish people?]
"That's enough!" A very ASR like but feminine sharp voice cut right through the chaos Pam was stirring. Heels clicked against the pristine marble tiles as the crowd parted to a beautiful young woman.
Lavanya Kashyap. The face of AR.
The one who had effortlessly managed the crowd on the day of the interview.
"You're going to stage a walk out, Pam? Might I remind you, this behen-ji here is the Head Designer for AR's Spring Bridal Collection was chosen by ASR himself." Lavanya crouched down to whisper in Pam's ears. "And remember, your look on the day of the showcase is in her hands. Whether you look like a clown or a model depends on your behaviour. Understood?"
Pam gulped, furiously shaking her head. "Yes ma'am."
"Now line up for your measurements."
Khushi stood the entire time in awe of Lavanya. "Wow."
Lavanya spared her a glance, still not smiling. "What wow?"
"Aap wow. You... are like....wow." Khushi was busy admiring Lavanya's girlboss attitude, momentarily forgetting where she was.
"Hello! Get to work! Measure them quickly." Lavanya briskly walked away, typing at her phone.
"Lavanya-ji! Will you also model my designs?" Khushi shouted out, making Lavanya look over her shoulder and smirk.
"I'm AR's most valuable asset. Of course I'm going to be modelling your designs Ms. Khushi Kumari Gupta."
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"And jiji, you should have seen her, she was soo cool! Like, like how a boss should be."
"Hmhm." Payal hummed, listening to Khushi while the girl sat on the kitchen counter with her dinner, talking her ears off like an excited kid telling their mother what all happened in school.
"Oi, Sanka Devi, kal hamare yahan mehmaan aane wale hain, toh kal kaam par jaane ki kaunu zaroorat naahi." [Oi Sanka Devi, tomorrow, we will be having guests, so don't bother going to work.]
Khushi stiffened, pleading eyes turning to Payal. "Jiji, it's been only a day since I joined. I can't take leave so soon. Especially with so much work."
Payal calmed her down. "I'm there right, we'll think of something. You just try to come home early tomorrow. I'll manage everything at home."
Khushi threw her arms around Payal. "Thank you jiji!"
Payal laughed, tapping her head. "Pagli."
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"Psst, jiji." Khushi crouched behind the kitchen counter.
Payal stood guard, waiting for the adults to be occupied and gestured frantically when the coast was clear, successfully smuggling Khushi out. "Remember, try to come as early as possible."
"Haan jiji, bye!"
"Payalia? Where is this Sanka Devi?"
"Woh buaji, I sent her to the market. We have guests coming over right? So to prepare a lunch."
Buaji thought for a moment. "That's right, good you thought of this. I had completely forgotten Nand Kishore. What would we do without you Payalia?"
Torture Khushi more? Payal thought bitterly but smiled in front of buaji.
"Buaji.....who is this guest coming today?"
"Arrey woh, nothing bitiya, it's Shashi babua's colleague. He's a big lawyer here in Delhi. His name....ah! His name is Shyam Manohar Jha.
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Dun dun dun.......Our fourth villain is going to make an entry next chapter.
Also in this story there is no Lavanya becoming sanskari track. I didn't like it how they reduced her character to becoming a wife and then her just being written out of the show.
Here she will be a strong independent woman who is somewhat of a friend to Khushi. I mean she won't admit it, but we all know she has a soft spot for her Chamkili.
Hope you liked this chapter, I would love to hear you thoughts in the comments. They fuel me to write more and more.