Part 36 Simple Human
The next Morning
Arnav came out of his room and saw his parents having tea.
"Come on, Chotte, take a cup," Ratna said.
"Thank you, Mom" Arnav sat with them and took the cup.
"When will your in-laws come here to finalize the date?" Arvind asked.
"Maybe today or tomorrow. Don't worry they willnot come unannounced" he sipped the coffee.
"What do you decide about your wedding? When do you want it to happen?" Arvind asked.
"He will marry Khushi even this minute..." Ratna teased.
"Is there any chance for me to marry her this minute?" Arnav asked, making a serious face.
Arvind controlled himself from throwing up the tea.
"This is too much, Chotte..."
Arnav laughed.
"Shall I call Mr. Gupta and ask their schedule?" Arvind asked.
"Good idea, Dad...! go ahead... they may be hesitant to call us"
"Give me his number"
Arnav said and Arvind typed it in his phone. He called Shashi immediately. Shashi attended the call and said,
"Namaste, sir, what can I do for you?" he asked thinking that the call was from the public.
"I need a wedding certificate immediately, sir," Arvind asked in a serious tone. Arnav and Ratna were chuckled.
"Wedding certificate? It's not our department, sir. You can get it from the register office or court" Shashi said sincerely.
"No, sir... I can get the certificate only if you are ready"
"I think you don't understand. Please go to the Taluk office. They will explain you in detail. I'm in the election department now. Or else, I will help you"
"Shashiji... I'm really impressed. I never have seen such a polite officer in my life"
Shashi was silent because he didn't get it was Arvind.
"I'm Arvind Singh Raizada... I would like to get my son's wedding certificate...I hope you understand now"
"Arvindji... you? I'm sorry, I thought..."
Cutting him,
"It was from the public... right?"
"Jee..."
"I called you to know when will you come to our house to finalize the wedding date"
"We will come today, sir" Shashi said.
"Ok, sir. We will be waiting for you"
"Jee"
They disconnected the call.
"They are coming today" Arvind said.
"Fix the date soon, Dad"
"As soon as possible"
"Ok, I'm leaving" Aranv said.
"Won't you be at home when your in-laws come?"
"Dad, I'm a collector. Don't forget that. I can't be at home for every program. Just fix the wedding and let me know. I will make myself free on the day"
"Don't you think this is too much?"
"Dad, this is how I'm working. Not only me, even Mr. Gupta is not free. I don't know how he is going to manage his schedule" he chuckled.
Arvind sighed.
Arnav went to his room to get ready for the office, whereas the Raizada couple got ready to welcome Guptas.
On the other side, Shashi looked at Garima, disconnecting the call.
"They want us to go to the Camp Office today"
"What are you going to do?"
"What do you want me to do?"
"Damadji doesn't want anything from us. Are you going to follow Damadji's wish?"
"Do we have other choice?"
"Khushi is our only daughter... if we cannot spend money for her wedding then what will we do with our savings?"
Shashi was silent.
"We saved money for her wedding, controlling our expenses..."
Cutting her,
"No problem... as Collector sir said, we will donate it to Revival Foundation," Shashi said.
Garima wondered.
"Do you take his words seriously?"
"Then? What do you think? He is a district collector... that too not a common collector... he has values. How could I defy him?"
"Shashiji, I WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING..."
"What?"
"After Khushi goes from our house, getting married, I will be left alone..."
Shashi nodded yes feeling sad.
"Make yourself busy in something... you won't feel alone"
"That's what I'm also saying. I would like to join Revival Foundation" she said as Khushi wanted her to say.
Shashi was stunned. He never knew Garima had such a wish in her heart because she had never shown interest in social service before.
"I don't want to waste my life, sitting at home uselessly, Shashiji. I would like to be useful to society..."
"What will you do in this age?"
"Age is just a number, Shashiji. Won't I continue my work till sixty years if I'm a working woman? I would have managed my schedule, right?"
Shashi didn't know what to say.
"Nowadays women waste their time in front of the television. I don't want to be one. I would like to set a trend. Who knows a few women may follow me in future"
Shashi didn't know what happened to his wife.
"From when did you start thinking in this way, Garimaji?" he asked not holding himself.
"I'm scared of my loneliness, Shashiji... it was not new to parents like us. Everyone should overcome it but I don't want to do it wearily but usefully"
Shashi smiled.
"Go ahead..."
"Are you sure?" Garima asked unbelievably.
"If you are so confident, why would I restrict you? I can understand your condition. You can do what gives solace to your mind."
"I can't believe you agreed to it readily"
"I'm not such a man who permits his daughter to do things but restricts his wife...! You both are the same to me. Your happiness is my concern"
Garima felt proud of her husband. They heard a clapping sound. They saw Khushi clapping cheerfully. She rushed to Shashi and hugged him.
"You are my FIRST HERO, Babuji...! You gave another valid reason for the role" she said happily.
"What to do, to hold my HERO role, I should have to do such things because it's not easy to compete with the great Collector," Shashi said, making Khushi blush.
"We are going to the Camp office today to finalize the wedding date" Garima said.
Khushi nodded ok.
"I think they wanted to fix the wedding soon. Is it fine?"
"Babuji, fix it as per your comfort"
"What about your comfort?"
"Babuji, I'm going to be here for one and a half years. He wanted me to continue my social service. So, I will come here every day. So, according to me, it will not make a difference"
Shashi nodded smiling.
"Let's go, Garima..."
Garima went to get ready to meet Arnav's parents. Shashi and Garima went to the Camp Office to finalize the wedding date. Khushi also got ready to Payal's house to meet her. Taking her handbag, she came out of her room. She was about to take the lock and key to lock the door, but that was when she got a call from Arnav. She attended the call smiling.
"Hello..."
"Your parents are in Camp Office to fix our wedding date," he said.
"Mmm..."
"What did they decide?"
"About what?"
"Are they ready to fix the date according to my wish?"
"I don't know... Babuji didn't say anything to me"
"Didn't he ask you anything?"
"He did"
"Really? What did he ask you?"
"He asked about my comfort"
"Did you say you are so comfortable with me?"
"I will tell him that IF I will be comfortable after our marriage"
"If you keep running from me then how will you feel comfortable?"
"I'm talking about AFTER WEDDING"
"Oh... will you become comfortable after our wedding?" he asked teasingly.
"It's not in my hand but in your's"
"What do you want me to do?"
"How do I say? After all, you are the great Collector...!"
"Why do I think you are taunting me?"
"Certainly not... I respect you, sir"
"You respect me, it doesn't mean you should call me sir"
"I just..."
"I mean it..."
"Mmm"
"I asked my parents to fix our wedding the next week"
"Mmm"
"Are you ready?"
"I will get ready"
"for?"
"Our wedding"
"I'm not talking about ONLY wedding"
Khushi bit her nail awkwardly.
"I mean, get ready to manage the collector's life schedule," He said controlling his chuckle.
Khushi sighed in relief.
"Why do I think you feel relief?"
"Nothing... is like that" she stammered.
"Actually, I called you to talk about an important thing"
"What?"
"Where do you want to go for Honeymoon?"
Khushi hiccupped.
"Of course, there won't be any disturbance in the Camp Office but I want to be relaxed for a few days"
"I think you are forgetting something," She said in a low tone.
"What?"
"That, you are a collector"
"So?"
"Why are you talking about all this?"
"I think you are forgetting something"
"What?"
"That, I'm also a human..."
Khushi got stuck.
"I too can love... I too can long... and I too have desires"
Khushi became silent.
"I too thought that I should not have any personal wishes but when I met you, I had no choice other than to conflict with my idea. I liked you very much, Khushi... it's not just attraction. You will get to know that after our wedding. It will happen soon. Bye...!" he disconnected the call.
Khushi looked at her phone and smiled. She knew her mind was falling for Arnav hard.
To be continued...