Khushi
Mumbai
"Jiji, What are you going to wear?" I asked Jiji while I bit into a laddo and smiled as I suddenly remembered something.
"I'll..." Jiji looked at me as she closed her laptop and raised her brows. "Why are you smiling like an idiot?"
My smile broadened as I heard her, then I pushed a whole laddo into my mouth and offered her the container from my place on the bed. Jiji stood up from the armchair before walking up to the bed and sitting with a thud.
"The day, Jijaji," She shook her head as I said the last word. "Proposed to you, he told me that there are 307 calories in one besan ke laddo." She looked up at me, then down at the half-eating laddo in her hand, then again at me before she burst into a laugh with a hand covering her mouth. "Also that I must not take more than 6 teaspoons of sugar."
"Imagine what he would have said if he had seen you eating 21 laddos at once." Jiji added as she laughed loudly.
I sighed and put down the container on the bed before saying, "He would have fainted for sure. Also, I didn't eat the laddo alone. Manoj was also..."
"Ha, ha. We know!" She stopped with a hand before pushing the remaining laddo into her mouth, then got on her feet and walked inside the washroom.
"Where are you going?" I asked with a laddo in my mouth. "And what will you wear today?"
"Let me wash my hands, then I'll show you." She answered loudly before I heard the water running. Who washes their hand after eating a laddo? I thought for a moment before shrugging and looking inside the container. 5? Just 5 left? I'll have to ask Bua Ji for a restock.
Jiji walked out of the washroom, then went to the cupboard and opened it before taking out something in pastel orange.
"I'll wear this." She informed me as she dropped the saree in front of me, then stood by the bed with her hands on her hips and a small blush on her cheeks. I raised an eyebrow at her as I touched the saree.
"Jijaji gave it to you?" I asked with questioning eyes as I felt my brows tugging in the middle.
Her eyes met mine before her cheeks turned a darker shade of red, and she nodded with a small smile as she looked down at the saree while fiddling with the ring on her ring finger.
"Are you... happy?" I asked as I looked down at her ring, then back at her eyes.
"Yes." She answered before her smile reached her eyes as she talked about Jijaji, like she was talking about a part of herself. Then she suddenly kicked me out of her room to get ready.
I was about to walk to my room with the laddo container in hand when the bell rang. Suraj's already here? My eyes widened as I looked at the clock in the living room and slapped my palm on my forehead. Jiji will kill me if I'm late again. I hurriedly ran to the door and opened it before handing Suraj the container.
"I'll be ready in 10 minutes, I promise. Please handle Jiji, okay?" I said over my shoulder as I hurriedly walked backwards to my room.
"I swear on Devi Maiya, I was hurrying." I said this from my place in the passenger seat in Suraj's car as I looked in the rearview mirror at Jiji, who was sitting directly behind Suraj, working on her laptop. "Jiji, you're looking very, very beautiful!"
"No need to butter me up. Just make sure you don't fall on your face in that saree in the showroom." She said it without looking up. "And especially in front of the clients that you're going to sign today." My heart skipped a beat as she finished, then looked up at me in the rearview mirror, giving me a look.
I'll be fine. Both of us will be. It's just Raizada's. And we're only meeting with them as clients. Nothing else. Also, it's been so many years. I don't even remember how many years have passed since we last met. This is nothing personal... Devi Maiya, Dekh lena.
"Do you want to stay in the car?" I blinked and found Jiji walking up the three steps to the store. I looked around me and found the car empty, then turned to my left and found Suraj standing there with the door open. "Where did you go?"
I shook my head while wetting my lips and getting out of the car.
"Khushi, Are you nervous?" Suraj asked again as we started to walk towards the store.
"No. I'm.. just worried about my saree." I pushed my open hair away from my face and over my shoulder as I carefully ascended the steps.
"You look very, very beautiful, by the way." I halted as soon as I heard Suraj and looked to my left, where he stood and was now looking at me with his eyes shining under the setting sun and a small smile playing on his lips.
I felt my whole face warming up as I looked up at him and tried to stop smiling before saying, "You, too!"
He held my eyes for another second before motioning for me to walk inside first with his hand. And as soon as we entered, all my worries about my saree and AR washed away from my mind as I talked to the guests and clients. I learned from Suraj that if you want to do business, you must know how to talk and convince. And talking is one of my best specialties, other than making Jalebi and irritating Bua Ji.
Almost two hours later, as I was sitting on a chair, I saw Jiji walking towards me, with Desai's right beside her.
"When is the wedding?" It was the first thing that Mrs. Desai, Suraj's Masi Ji, said as she reached me, and I stood up.
"It's not decided yet!" I answered as I grabbed one of the snack trays off a waiter's hand with a smile. "Suraj decided on the menu, didn't he?" I looked at Jiji with furrowed brows, which she answered by nodding, then motioned for me to follow her with a small tilt of her head.
"Excuse me!" Jiji said, interrupting whatever Mrs. Desai was saying, and walked away to the hallway that led to the room, where we were supposed to sign the contract.
"I'll return this." I raised the tray a little before following behind Jiji and handing the tray to one of the waiters along the way.
Devi Maiya, please make sure that everything goes smoothly.
I entered the room and found Jiji sitting on one of the chairs with her phone pressed on her ears. So I quietly walked up to her, sat on the head of the table, and started twirling while looking at the ceiling. Will this meeting go nicely and smoothly?... I don't think so. But if he doesn't come, then maybe it can...
I heard some footsteps at the same time as Jiji slapped on my arm, and I hurriedly stood up from my chair when the door opened and Suraj walked in with Akash Ji and... Arnav Ji following a few steps behind.
I swallowed dryly before I wet my lips, and my eyes met him. He looked shocked for a moment before his whole face turned hard, and he walked up to us with Suraj while staring at me the whole time.
"You have already met her." Suraj stopped right next to me as he pointed to Jiji with a hand. "She is our CFO, Payal Gupta."
Jiji just curtly nodded before Suraj looked at me for a second, and I smiled at him before again looking at the clients.
"And she's the mastermind behind SK's designs, the head of design, and my business partner. Khushi Awasthi." Suraj said proudly. "Also, they are sisters."
"We know." Arnav Ji said quietly as soon as Suraj finished while still looking at me, and I looked away irritatedly. Why did he have to talk to Suraj like that?... Well, if not him, then who will?
"Let's finish this." I said as I myself started to feel irritated and touched Suraj's arm to get his attention before sitting on the chair that was right next to the head of the table.
We quietly finished signing, and thanks to Devi Maiya, clients also cooperated until they didn't at the very last moment.
"When did you start this business?" Arnav Ji asked, generally, when Suraj called for coffee for everyone and tea for me and Jiji.
"Long ago. SK is a family business. We," Suraj pointed out to him and me, "inherited it from our parents."
"I didn't expect to see you, Payal." Akash Ji spoke for the first time as he looked at Jiji, and I also looked at her to give her any support she needed.
"But I did." She answered, then, with a brief look at us, smiled before adding, "I am the CFO; I approved the collaboration project with AR." She is clearly fine on her own.
And silence fell in the room until Suraj, curiously, asked, "Do you know each other?"
"Akash and I were supposed to get married." My eyes slightly widened as Jiji answered, and I looked at her. Has she gone mad? Did the accountant make a mistake on the balance sheets again?
I looked at Suraj for help, but he was looking at Akash Ji with furrowed brows, and Akash Ji was looking at Jiji, who was sipping from her tea calmly. She has literally changed since she passed her accounting degree. In the past, she used to get nervous over everything, but now, she only gets nervous when a balance sheet doesn't match... I really wish Jijaji was here. He could have distracted and calmed Jiji down.
"We should get back to the party." I announced as I checked the time on my phone and stood up without looking at the Raizada's before walking up to Suraj and saying quietly in his ears, "Bring Jiji with you. Jijaji is coming." And I went back to the party after a formal smile and goodbye to the clients.
Payal's Saree
Khushi's Saree
Reason for the Picture:
Because an outfit can make us look confident.
* I literally forgot to add the pictures.