Aman watch dumbfounded as Khushi-ji signed the ridiculous contract. Their legal team was going to quit, he just knew.
"Yeh Arnav bhi na, Aaskash, jaake Anjali ko bulao-- Aakash? AAKASH!" [Arnav and his antics. Aakash call Anjali now-- Aakash?!]
Aakash jerked out of his stupor. "Kya Jija-ji?" [What?]
Aman looked at him with a 'are you serious' face. "Pata bhi hain, yahan kya ho raha hain?" [Do you have any clue what is going on here]
"Haan voh, Khushi-ji ki behen--" [Yeah...Khushi's sister...]
Aman felt the urge to hit his head against a wall. Here AR was on the verge of a potential lawsuit and his younger brother-in-law had dairy milk's tune floating in the background on seeing a pretty girl.
"Payal-ji ko baad mein niharna, pehle iss aag ko kese bhujaye." [Check out Payal later, now help me contain the situation]
"I was not admiring her!"
"Sure." Aman rolled his eyes and escorted the Gupta sisters to the cafeteria, apologising profusely on ASR's behalf.
Aakash mutely followed, standing by as Aman ordered the two girls a cup of coffee and offered Khushi his handkerchief.
Aakash rushed forward to pull out a chair for Payal, smiling awkwardly at her before turning to Khushi-ji. The poor girl had paint splattered all over her clothes.
"Khushi-ji, I am extremely sorry for the way ASR behaved, there is no excuse for this."
"Aman-ji, aap uss Laad Governor ke liye maafi kyun maang rahe hain?" [Aman-ji, why are you apologising for that demon?]
Aman felt the corner of his lips twitch up. "Saahi hain, par ASR toh maafi maangne se rahe." [Well ASR isn't going to apologise by himself, right?]
Khushi stared off at the distance with a determined look on her face. "Aaj nahi toh kal, kabhi toh pal aayega. Meri zindagi ka maksath, ek baar toh uss Laad Governor ke muh se hame 'ek sorry' to sunna hain." [One day or another, that time will come. It is my life goal to hear 'sorry' from that dictator's mouth atleast once.]
Aakash snorted, silently rooting for Khushi-ji. He knows he's supposed to be loyal to his brother but it would be a sight to see the great ASR apologising.
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"Jiji, I'll be fine! I've signed the contract and you've scared that rakshas, he won't try anything like that again."
Payal bit her lip, not convinced. "I saw you fall from a height that could have paralysed you for life Khushi or worse, we would have lost you! I'm not comfortable sending you back there."
"Jiji, ASR is a lot of things but not a murderer, he knew the boxes where to cushion my fall." Khushi explained for the tenth time since last night, nervously glancing at the clock. She didn't want a breach of contract on the very first day.
"But--"
Khushi, at the end of her rope, grabbed a kaju barfi and stuffed it in Payal's mouth.
"Par var kuch nahi. Abhi hame chalte hain, bye!" [Nothing doing, I gotta go now, bye!]
Payal sighed as she watched Khushi get on Happy ji's scooter and zip off to work. Tying her dupatta across her waist, Payal got to work. There was a huge order for a satsaang and she still had to make the prasad.
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Payal got down from the auto, in awe of the mansion in front of her.
"Woah, these people might be richer than half the jewellers in Delhi." And Payal knew few very wealthy jewellers.
As soon as the front door opened--
"Aakashi-ji?!"
Payal stood stumped as ASR's not so aggressive brother opened the door, smiling as though--- as though he expected her.
"Aaaye na Payal-ji. Aapke haath ki bane mithaai ki bohot tareef sunhi hain meine." [Oh Payal, Ive heard a lot of good things about your homemade sweets.]
Payal stood stunned as Aakash took the heavy thaals of sweet from her.
"Arrey, wahan kya khadi hain, aaye na." Aakash smiled warmly. [Why are you standing there? Please come in.]
Payal felt a bit at ease as she stepped in. Anjali and Aman came down to greet her, Payal returning the namaste when she paused, realising something.
This was the Raizada Household. That means---
Just as Payal glanced up the stairs, he walked down, in a pressed suit and polished shoes, eyes trained on his phone and glanced up, freezing when his eyes met Payal's rage filled ones.
Arnav Singh Raizada.
The welcoming atmosphere suddenly turned tense.
ASR glared at Payal, the girl meeting his gaze headstrong. Payal averted her eyes when she felt the sharp whispers rise from the other people gathered for the satsaang.
"Arrey Payal-ji, yahan kaise aana hua?" Aman called out cheerfully, walking down the stairs with Anjali holding his hand. [Payal, what brings you here?]
Aman supported Anjali as the pair made their way to Payal.
"Aman-ji, aap yahan..." Payal's voice trailed out as she glanced back and forth from Anjali to Aman. The couple chuckled as Anjali wrapped her arm around Aman's.
"Haan, yeh sirf AR ke Design Head hi nahi balki hamare pati bhi hain. Aakash aur Ch-Arnav ke jijaji." [Yes, he just isn't the Head of Desing of AR but also my husband. Aakash and Arnav's brother-in-law.]
"Aman Singh Raizada." Aman extended his hand for Payal to shake.
"Oh toh aap hain chauthe Raizada!" Payal had always wondered who the fourth one was. [Oh so you are the fourth Raizada!]
Aman laughed. "Please, we'd love it if you attended the satsaang Nani arranged."
Payal cast a wary look at the fuming volcano of a person huffing and clicking his tongue when she heard some woman mutter under her breath.
"Look at him inviting the halwai as if he owns the place. What kind of a son-in-law takes his wife's name and stay under his brother-in-law's money? Kuch rishte doorse hi shoba dete hain." [Some relations are best kept at an arm's distance.]
Payal frowned as Aman's smile slipped when he heard that. The remaining three Raizada siblings looked like they were ready to pounce on that lady and tear her apart.
Specifically Aakash surprised her the most, contrary to the silent and peacemaker guy Khushi described him as.
Before Arnav could yell and throw them out of the house, a blinding flash came between Arnav and that lady.
"Hello hi bye bye, kaisi ho Kamla?" The woman was decked in a heavy embroided saree, Khushi's design with gaudy jewellery and sunglasses on her head. [Hello hi bye bye, how are you Kamla?]
Who wears sunglasses inside the house? Payal thought to herself. Maybe it was a rich people thing.
"Achi hoon Manorama." The lady matched Manorama's fake and forced smile. [I'm good Manorama.]
"Achi? Hamko toh newswaa aaya tha ki aap ki beti ek ladke ke saath runningwa kiya hain? Aur usse chupane ke liye hi hame sirf reception mein aap hame bulavat hain?" [You know, I heard some interesting news that your daughter eloped with some one. And to cover up you only invited us to the reception?]
The lady lost all colour in her face, stammering out an excuse. Not giving her time to respond, Manorama whirled, pinning a glare on Payal.
"Aur tum, halwai! Kyu ghurath raho ho hamare Arnav Bitwa ko, hello hi bye bye! Samajthi kya ho khud ko?" [And yo! Why are you glaring our Arnav? What do you think of yourself?]
"Nahi Aunty-ji, bas yeh soch rahe thi ki kaise itne bade ghar ke bete mein insaaniyat aur sanskaar ki kami padh gayi?" Payal said, directing the words at Arnav more than at Manorama. [I wasn't glaring at him. Just thinking how can someone hail from such a respectable household yet not have a shred of humanity or values.]
An elderly lady joined Anjali and Aman, smiling softly at Aman. "Manorama?!"
Manorama stiffened and jumped, eyes going wide. "Sasumaa, humara matlab voh naahi tha, ham toh sirf--" [Mother-in-law....I was just...]
The elderly woman raised her hand, making Manorama halt her words with a stern look in her eye, regarding Kamla critically. "Satsaang shuru hone waali hain. Kamla-ji, aane ke liye dhanyavad, agle satsaang mein anth thak rehna zaroor." [The meeting is going to start. Kamla, thank you for coming. But do attend the next meeting until the end.]
She folded her hands namaste, making Kamla leave the premises without outright telling her to leave. "Aman bitwa, zara hamari madad kijiye, hamare ghootno mein bohut dard hovath hain." [Aman, can you please help me out, my knees hurt.]
"Ji Nani." Aman held her hand, carefully guiding her to her chair.
Anjali tore her worried gaze away from her husband and smiled at Payal. "Sorry Payal-ji, you had to see all of this. I'll bring the money for the sweets, but we would love if you joined us."
"Sorry Anjali-ji, but I have a lot of work pending. Some other time maybe."
"Alright, here you go. And thank you so much for making the sweets. Aakash, drop Payal-ji to her house, it's too late for her to travel alone."
"Sure Di." Aakash said, a little too excited. He turned to Payal. "Chale Payal-ji?"
"Ji."
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Arnav paced about his room, flinging his tie and briefcase on his bed. "What does she think of herself?!" Fuming at the way Payal looked at him with her chin up. "How dare she talk like that?!"
"Chotte?" Anjali walked in, placing a tray with his medicines and a glass of water.
"Di? Aman--"
"Nani ke saath hain. Ek baath puche chotte?" [Is with Nani. Can I ask you something Arnav?]
"Boliye Di." Arnav took his medicines, Anjali watched him, crossing her arms. [Yes Di?]
"Agar mujhe kisi ne first floor se neeche phek diya, toh tum kya karoge?" [If someone was to push me off the first floor, what would you do?]
"Jaan se maar dalunga." Arnav replied without hesitation. [Kill them.]
"They you're lucky Payal-ji spared your life, right?" And with that she walked towards her room.
When Aman had told her what had happened, Anjali was half a mind to disown him right then and there. Maybe it was her fault for his inflated ego that went unchecked in childhood.
Reaching Nani's room, the voice inside halted her by the doorway. Her heart ached when she say the light leave her husband's eyes at Kamla's harsh words. He had a heart of gold and didn't deserve to hurt like this.
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Aman sat by Nani's side, handing her medicines. "Nani?"
"Ji Aman Bitwa?"
"Sorry."
"Aap kis bath ki maafi mangath hain bitwa?" [Why are you apologising Aman?]
Aman looked at her guiltily. "Woh meri vajah se, aapko kya kuch nahi....'"[Because of me you have to hear all...]
"Aman bitwa, zara hamari taraf dekhiye." [Aman, look at me please.]
Aman hesitantly looked up.
Nani smiled warmly. "Aap jaise damad milne ke liye na jaane hamare pure parivar ne aisa konse punya ka kaam kiya ho. Ham, aapke saath bohot khush hain. Hame, Manorama aur Manohar ko aap, Chotte aur Aakash mein koi antar nahi dikhayi deta hain. Aap iss ghar ke bete hain. Samjhe?" [To get a son-in-law like you, I don't know what blessings is this family counting. We are very happy with you. We don't differentiate between you and Aakash or Anjali or Arnav. You are the son of this household. Understood?]
Aman nodded with tears of gratefulness in his eyes. Back when Aman was merely an employee in AR, he had always envied the way Arnav and Aakash's family adored and fussed over them, longing for the exact same love. For somebody to keep a hand on his head, to remind him to eat, to spend the festivals with.
Born an orphan, he had no idea what eating dinner with everyone was supposed to feel like.
For someone like Aman who had known only loneliness, the Raizada family welcomed him in as if they knew him all his life.
When he married Anjali and expressed his wish to live in a joint family, he was worried how the Raizada elders would interpret it.
It was a huge gamble on their part. By letting their son-in-law take his wife's name and live in her house-- society was sure to talk. And they did. Kamla was not the first.
But they paid no heed to those baseless gossip and welcomed him into the family with open arms.
Showered him with love, scolded him with the same rights they would scold Anjali, Arnav and Aakash with. Worried about him, welcomed him home, asked him about his day.
In short, Aman felt more loved in the past three years after marrying Anjali than he ever had in his entire life.
Aman with watery eyes, smiled. "Thanks Nani."
Nani playfully hit his head. "Apno se koi thanks bolta hain?" [Who thanks their own family?]
Aman chuckled as Nani placed her hand atop his head. "Goodnight bitwa."
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Hi guys! Sorry for the delay I was caught up with some stuff. I hope you guys like this new chapter.
What would you like to see next? Raksha Bandan or Teej?
I would love to hear from you in the comments.