Walk the Line: Chapter - 9

It had been four weeks in San Francisco already. The day the Raizada’s were leaving was bright and clear. Arnav had woken up early and decided to go for a swim instead of his usual jog. Coming down to the pool, he saw wet footprints on the deck. Someone had already been in the pool and he knew who it was. They hadn’t spoken in the last few days, but he’d been constantly reminded of her with all the comings and goings of the Gupta house. He swam his usual laps and climbed out of the pool, picked up a towel and started rubbing his head. The imp was pointing upwards and jumping up and down madly. He looked up. She was on their deck a cup of coffee in her hands looking straight at him. In the soft morning light, she appeared more ethereal. He absently toweled his hair dry, she looked down at her cup, took a sip, turned away and went in. But not before a last look over her shoulder.

Arnav came down the stairs to the living room with his laptop bag in one hand. Once more the house was chaotic. He shook his head. ‘Di,’ he called.

‘In the kitchen, Chotey’.

He walked into the kitchen. ‘Di. I have a meeting downtown at 12. I’ll meet you’ll at the airport. My bags are packed in my room. Can you take them to the airport with you?’

‘Chotey! How can you have a meeting today of all days? What if you get held up?’

‘I won’t, di. I’ll be there. Nani, see you later,’ he said to his grandma who had just entered the kitchen.

‘Where is Chotey going in such a hurry?’ she asked Anjali.

‘Meeting, Nani. He has meetings even today!’ she shook her head in exasperation.

Khushi had been head down in work. Lunch hour had come and gone and the emptiness in her stomach was making itself known. She sighed and put down her tablet, and stretched. She stopped. Arnav was standing in front of her. She looked at him in surprise.

‘You? What are you doing here? Aren’t you leaving today?’

The imp smiled. ‘Need a favor, Khushi,’ he said. ‘Drive me to the airport?’

‘How about – please could you drive me to the airport?’ she retorted.

He sighed in impatience. ‘Khushi, I’m getting late. I need a ride.’ He turned away, paused and turned back. ‘Look. If you don’t want to go, fine. I’ll just call a taxi.’ He pulled out his phone.

She sighed. ‘I have to tell Sergio before I can go.’

‘Fine. Make it quick.’ She stared at him open-mouthed. ‘Sergio?’ he prompted.

She quickly made the call, grabbed her bag and keys. On the 101 finally, she turned on the music. Carmina Burana: O Fortuna. The slow buildup of the music to the crescendo crashed around them. The lament – How cruel Fate is! Her eyes stung. He was leaving.

He sat beside her, silent, brooding. There were no words between them. There was barely any traffic on the southbound. All too soon, she drew up at the departures gates.

‘Which airline?’ she said.

‘United.’

‘Oh, I think it’s up ahead,’ she craned her neck.

‘No, I think you left it behind.’

‘Shit!’ she exclaimed.

His brows went up in surprise at the swear word. She found a spot near the drop off, and pulled in. She hit the trunk button. He was still sitting in the car although he’d unbuckled the seat-belt.

‘Ummm.. Khushi?’ he said.

‘Yes?’

‘I ..er.. I know your birthday’s next week. So I got you something,’ he pulled out a rectangular gift wrapped box from his jacket pocket. ‘Open it on your birthday.’

She was stunned. Her eyes flew from the box to his face but she couldn’t read anything in it. He held it out to her again. She took the box and whispered, ‘Thank you!’

They both got out of the car. He got his bag out the back and said, ’thanks for the ride.’ She nodded.

Then he turned around and walked away. She got back in the car, looked at the box, and then tucked it into her handbag.

Inside the airport, Anjali was getting nervous. Chotey had still not shown up. The rest of the family were already checked in, but were waiting with his luggage for him to check in. ‘Akash, please see if you can locate Chotey,’ she told him. ‘I am worried, he’ll miss the flight’.

‘Sure, di. You’ll wait here. I’ll go outside and see if I can spot him.’

He walked out of the doors just in time to see the grey Mustang flash by. So Khushi was dropping bhai off? The car stopped further along. He started walking towards it phone in hand. He saw Arnav getting out of the car, get his bag and start walking towards him. He stopped, waiting for Arnav to catch up.

Arnav stopped in his tracks. He spun around. The car was in gear. His hands clenched. ‘Khushi,’ he whispered and saw the brake lights come on. He started walking back to her. She opened the door and stepped out. He could see the sheen in her eyes. Without stopping, he dropped his bag on the car, grabbed her arms and hauled her close. With his big hands framing her face he swooped in and kissed her. For a second she didn’t respond, then her hands came up to his forearms, before framing his face, imitating his move. Her lips opened under his. Her tears were salty on his tongue. She let him in, allowing herself to taste him. There was a faint hint of coffee in his mouth. Never before had he found the taste of strawberries so sweet. There was a buzzing in his head. Then he realized it was his phone. He broke the kiss. She was looking at him, stunned, wide-eyed. ‘One month,’ he huskily whispered the promise, his thumb wiping the lone tear from her cheek. Then he turned pulling out his phone, and picking up his bag. She stood for a moment, before getting back in the car.

Akash was standing gaping at the scene in front of him. His brother, his impenetrable, nonchalant, I-don’t-believe-in-love-and-marriage-and-all-that-blah bhai, was kissing, no, make that, passionately kissing a girl he’d met a few days ago. That too, on the street, at a busy airport! What the.. ?! He absently hit the dial button and watched as the two broke away. Damn, he thought. I shouldn’t have done that.

‘Hello’.

‘er Bhai, its Akash’.

‘Yeah, Akash.. ah.. where are you?’ Arnav was walking with his head bent.

‘Right in front of you.’

He looked up. Akash was trying hard to suppress a grin. ‘Bhai, what was that?’

‘What?’ masking his discomfiture with irritation.

‘That, you and Khushi’. Arnav glared at him. He started moving towards the door, but Akash stopped him. ‘Bhai – pink is not a good color on you’, this was so much fun! Arnav looked at him like he’d gone mad.

‘Pink?!’

‘Yes, Bhai. Especially pink lipstick,’ and couldn’t hold it back anymore, grinning away madly. Arnav hastily wiped his mouth with his kerchief and looked at the pink stain on it. He tucked it back into his pocket. ‘Be thankful, bhai, that di didn’t see anything. I think she would already be picking out the reception menu.’

‘Akash, so help me God, if you tell di anything…’ he left the threat hanging in the air.

‘No, bhai,’ he solemnly promised. ‘I won’t’ and then spoiled it by smirking at him.

The first class cabin was cool and quiet. People had settled in after the excellent dinner. Arnav tried stretching out his six-foot frame in the seat. He put his hand in his pocket and found the kerchief. The pink stain pouted at him. He closed his eyes. What the hell had he been thinking? The imp knocked at the door. Kissing her like that? Like … Like THAT? He shook his head. Enough. No more thinking about Khushi Kumari Gupta. One month. He wondered what it was going to be like after that.

Back home, Khushi sat on her bed and slowly opened the gift box. Inside nestling on white velvet lining was the same necklace she’d seen in Sausalito! Her eyes widened. A little card lay in the box, two words scratched on it, ‘Happy Birthday!’ How did he know? She touched the necklace with her fingertips, lost in thought. She picked it up and walked over to the mirror, holding it up against her skin. It glowed and sparkled, bringing out the sparkle in her eyes, a smile curving her lips. As she turned around she noticed another little card on the floor. It had obviously been in the box. She picked it up and saw that it was his business card. She turned it over. On the back were two more numbers in his scratchy handwriting, his landline, and his cell. And an email address. She smiled and blushed, almost a deep a red as the ruby.

Walk the Line: Chapter - 8

The wedding was over. The bidaai was done. The bride cried, her mother cried, her aunt cried, her grandma cried, her sisters and friends cried. The groom and his family looked uncomfortably guilty – like they’d got caught stealing something. The men on the bride’s side of the family stood around, shifting on their feet looking perfectly unhappy. And that is how an Indian wedding ends.

Two days later, all was back to calm and normal in the Dutt household. The Raizadas were due to leave at the end of the week. Naniji, Masiji, Anjali, and Mamiji were enjoying a quiet cup of tea, discussing the wedding. Akash and Arnav were in their room working as usual. It was a lazy, hazy day. NK was out somewhere.

‘Anjali,’ Naniji said. ‘You said you had something to tell us.’ Her knowing smile said that she knew what this conversation would bring.

‘Yes, Naniji,’ she smiled prettily, her dimples on full display. Three years older to Arnav, she was slight in build but tall. Her long flowing dark hair framed a face that was so typical of an Indian beauty – large eyes, a full mouth, and a little pert nose. ‘Naniji, I was thinking. It’s time we looked for brides for both Akash and Chotey.’

‘What? Akash? My son?’ Mamiji was looking askance. ‘Why? Why, Anjali?’

She smiled at her aunt, calm and collected as always. ‘Mamiji, don’t you want to get a beautiful bride for your son and a beautiful daughter-in-law for yourself?’

‘Well, yes. But why are we talking about this now and here in America? Are there no good girls in India that we have to talk about it here?’

‘Hear her out, Manno,’ said her sister. ‘Perhaps she has a point.’ She had begun to understand where Anjali was heading with this.

‘Thank you, masiji. Mami – I was thinking that Akash and Payal make a beautiful couple. Perhaps we should think about it..?’ she trailed off watching her aunt’s reactions closely.

‘Payal? That Guptas girl?’

Anjali nodded eagerly. ‘Yes, mami.’

‘Hmmmm… but she is half-angrez. ‘

Uh-oh, thought Anjali. This is not good. Mami will try to find reasons why Payal could not be a Raizada daughter-in-law, since she hadn’t thought of it first. Here it comes. For all her external pliability, Anjali could be as stubborn and manipulative as Arnav. Except no one really noticed it, because she hid it under layers of sugary sweetness. ‘Mami, so what? She’s raised in India, her mother has brought her up with Indian values. She seems like a nice girl, calm, collected, educated and traditional. Think about it.’ And then she played her trump card. ‘Mami, think about this, an American for a bahu,’ knowing her aunt’s propensity for all things phoren, ’AND the family is also well-to-do.’ She dangled the bait. Mami bit.

‘Hmmmm…. What you are saying makes sense, Anjali. Let me talk to your uncle first.’

Ah-ha! Got you, mamiji, she thought. She and Naniji exchanged delighted grins.

‘But what about Chotey?’ God, she thought mami never lets up.

‘Mami – you know how Chotey is. He doesn’t believe in marriage, so even raising the topic is dangerous. I think Chotey will make up his mind in his own time. I just hope it’s soon. But yes, that doesn’t mean that Akash has to sit on the sidelines, does it?’ she brought the topic on point.

‘Yes, yes,’ mami nodded vigorously.

‘Look, we’re going over for dinner tonight at the Gupta’s,’ said masiji. ‘Why don’t we broach the topic then?’

‘But will Akash agree?’ asked a now-worried mami.

‘Don’t worry, Mamiji. I am sure he will do what you say,’ said Anjali, deftly moving the ball into Mami’s court.

‘Of course, of course,’ mami had no doubts that her darling baby would listen to her. She said so. Anjali and Nani suppressed grins. Of course he would, Akash was such a good little boy.

Anjali walked into the room where Akash and Arnav were working. There were files strewn across the beds and Arnav was pacing up and down, having a one-sided conversation with his Bluetooth. ‘Akash,’ she said.

‘Yeah, di?’ he said absently. He was going through something on his laptop.

‘Akash, stop being like Chotey and listen to me,’ she said.

‘Sorry, Di,’ he gave his full attention to his cousin, blinking at her through his horn-rimmed glasses.

‘Your mother has picked a girl for you,’ she said solemnly.

‘What?!’ He jumped.

Arnav went, ‘Keep it down, Akash.’

‘Sorry. What, di? What did you say?’

‘Yes. Your mother has picked a girl for you,’ she was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

‘A girl? What? Why? And here? Besides what about bro? I can’t get married before Arnav bhai does!’ he said.

‘In that case, do you think Payal will wait for you that long?’

‘Who? What?! Payal?! ‘ poor Akash was flustered, embarrassed, and Anjali broke out into peals of laughter. ‘Why would Payal wait? I mean…’ he was at a complete loss for words.

Arnav had also tuned into the conversation by now and was staring at them with what everybody called his ‘What the - !’ expression.

Finally Anjali stopped laughing long enough to give them the news. ‘By the way, your mom is coming to talk to you about this soon. So pretend like you don’t know, okay?’

‘Sure, di,’ Akash couldn’t stop the happy, silly grin on his face. Arnav just shook his head and walked out of the room

That evening, the Dutts and the Raizadas walked over the Gupta’s for dinner. It was a beautiful evening, and it kept getting better. After dinner the elders sat around with drinks or tea. The youngsters headed down into the game room for some pool.

Arnav hadn’t realized how long it had been since he and Khushi had spoken to each other. True, they had met over the wedding and even spoken, if you can call it that. He’d watched from the sidelines, content to keep an eye on her. She didn’t carry around her phone. Aman had also come up blank with Shyam’s whereabouts.

Her phone rang; she picked it up absently and answered it. Across the room, he watched her back straighten with tension, and then she cut off the call. His hands closed into fists. He had no doubt who the other person on the phone was and he was seething inside.

She came across the room and sat down, chatting animatedly with Payal – a little too animatedly, he thought.

‘Payal, Akash, can you both come up here, please?’ It was Mr Gupta. NK, Arnav and Khushi looked at each other, while Payal and Akash went up the stairs. They followed.

What followed was a typical Indian rishta-lekey-aaye-hain scene. Payal and Akash touched their elders’ feet to take their blessings; there were congratulations and hugs and kisses and sweets all around. With only two days remaining of their trip, the Raizadas decided that the formal engagement would happen once the wedding date had been settled.

Walk the Line: Chapter - 7

The day before the sangeet, the young people had decided to go on a day trip to 17-mile drive. There would be three cars and ten people. Arnav had woken up early, completed his jog and was checking through his emails while sipping on his first coffee of the day. He had been looking for this email from Aman. Subject: SMJ. The attachment opened up and he started reading. Ten minutes later, he was sitting staring thoughtfully at his screen. It wasn’t much information. Turning off his laptop he headed out to the deck. His phone lay on the bed.

Akash had been lying on the bed reading the newspaper when he heard Arnav’s phone ring. He looked around, and then picked up the phone. Aman. He answered it.

‘Yes?’ he said.

‘ASR, I just got some news that I think you should have.’

‘Aman, its Akash. ASR has just stepped outside. I can take the message for him.’

‘Er.. No, Akash sir. I’d rather talk to him myself.’

Akash frowned. Being his brother’s right hand man, he was privy to almost any confidential information in the company. Then why was Aman being so cagey with him? What did Arnav have cooking up that he couldn’t tell him? Shrugging, he said, ‘hold on, I’ll get him’. He stepped out on the deck and said, ‘Bro, its Aman. He says he wants to talk to you specifically.’

Arnav frowned and took the phone. ‘Yeah, Aman, talk to me.’

‘Sir, it’s about Shyam Manohar Jha. He’s been missing for the past few days. We’re still trying to find out where he went to, but I thought you should know.’

Arnav’s frown deepened. ‘Thanks, Aman. You did good. Call me when you get an update.’ He paused. ‘And Aman, need I tell you that I want continuous eyes and ears on this. I want everything, and I mean everything.’

‘Yes, sir’, he hung up.

Akash was looking at him. ‘Bro, what was all that about?’

‘Nothing, Akash.’ He paused and said ‘Nothing at all.’

Akash raised his eyebrows at that. He knew how guarded his brother could be, so he wasn’t going to push it. If ASR wanted to tell him about it, he would. With that, he pushed the thought aside and went back to day-dreaming about a lovely young lady in a green saree.

***

They gathered around the Dutt’s driveway debating who should go in which car. Arnav had no hesitation; he knew he couldn’t wait to get the Mustang out on Highway 1, so he headed towards it. Khushi watched him walk over to her and raised her eyebrows inquiringly. ‘I’m driving,’ he stated.

‘No, you’re not. My car, I’m driving,’ Khushi leant back against the driver’s door.

‘Khushi,’ he had no answer to that. It was after all, her car. But he really did want to drive today. He sighed. ‘Look. I know it’s your car. But, just for today, let me drive. Okay?’

She opened her mouth to argue but then she looked up into his eyes. Something was there; she didn’t know what, but she handed over her keys. He walked around and opened the passenger door for her. She was puzzled by his behavior, He wasn’t usually this conciliatory and she had expected an argument. He got in, started it and drove over to the rest of the group who had finally worked out the arrangements and were getting into two cars.

‘NK,’ he called his cousin. ‘We’ll follow you guys and meet up in Monterey near the pier.’

‘Sure, Nannav,’ NK smiled cheerfully although a little puzzled by this driving arrangement.

The cars rolled out, the Mustang at the tail of the convoy. They drove in silence for a while until they reached the 101, then Khushi leaned forward and turned on the music again. This time it was it was country music: Keith Urban – Who wouldn’t wanna be me? The upbeat opening bars, the cool breeze in their hair, the sun on their shoulders, it was a typical Northern California day – and the song embodied it. His lips twitched as he heard the lyrics. 

And the sun is shinin'
This road keeps windin'
Through the prettiest country
From Georgia to Tennessee
And I got the one I love beside me
My troubles behind me
I'm alive and I'm free
Who wouldn't wanna be me

They followed the other cars till they crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. Then he swung the car towards the Presidio. She looked at him in surprise.

‘Where are we going?’ she said.

‘To Monterey,’ was his laconic reply.

‘But, the others, they are going on the 101,’ she was looking nervous by the minute.

‘I know. I thought we could cross over and take Highway 1 all the way down,’ he looked over at her. She was agitated, he thought. He placed his hand on hers briefly, and was surprised when she jerked away.

‘Please, can we get back to the 101?’

‘Relax, Khushi. I know where we are and I know my way around San Francisco. Besides Highway 1 on a day like this, in a car like this is perfect. There’s less traffic and I … I need to clear my head a little.’ His voice was even almost like he was explaining something to a little child. Not that he was given to explanations, but somehow he felt he should.

She looked at him, relaxed, one hand on the wheel, the other on the gear shift, and her nervousness eased a little bit. They hit the Pacific Coast Highway and started leaving the city behind. The big car easily handled the up hills and down hills. The road turned into a two-lane one near Half-moon Bay. They could see the ocean on the right. She calmed down even further. He drove like himself, smoothly with no frantic urge to get somewhere, no road rage, no sudden bursts of speed. Just a man driving along a blacktop that rolled into a backdrop of hills and valleys. Keith Urban crooned in the background – Where the blacktop ends!

About half-an-hour later he pulled into a little scenic overlook. She was looking skittish again, he saw. He opened the door, got out and came to the passenger side and opened the door for her. ‘Come,’ he said. ‘Let’s stretch for a bit.’ He had noticed the thermos in the car and said, ‘is that coffee?’

‘Yes,’ she replied, getting out, not sure what this was leading to. He leaned in and got it. He poured a cup, surprised to see it was black. He raised his eyes to her but she was standing with her back to him. He took in the picture she made, loose hair blowing in the wind, sunglasses, cargo shorts that reached just above her knees, a see-through short sleeved shirt over a tank top, and sandals. Yet she looked elegant as always. He mentally shook his head and turned back to the car. He rummaged around and found another cup, poured some more coffee and handed it to her. They stood there companionably on the edge of a cliff, the ocean in front of them, quiet all around, with just the whooshing of tires as other cars passed by, drinking their coffee. Their eyes met, and exchanged a small smile.

‘Feel better?’ he said. She nodded. How did he know that she’d been feeling very nervous when he’d pulled off the 101?

‘Shall we go?’ he asked. They got back in, and this time, Khushi leaned her head against the rest and enjoyed the drive.

They stopped before the entrance to the 17-mile drive at a small side street. Before he could call NK, his phone rang. ‘Hullo.’

‘Nannav, where are you guys? We’re here already.’

‘Where is here, NK?’

‘At the entrance to 17-mile. We’ve been waiting for a half-hour!’

‘We’re just outside. We’ll be there in two-minutes,’ he hung up.

They found the other cars waiting by the side of the road and drove up to them.

The rest of the day passed in typical tourist fashion. Pictures, oohs, aahs at Seal island and Lone Cypress and all the other stops on the drive. They ate near Pebble Beach watching a game of golf.

Akash and Payal kept wandering off together, so everybody’s attention was focused on them. However, Anjali couldn’t help but notice how her brother seemed to be watching or hovering around Khushi every time she looked at him. Not that he was invading her space. He was just there, in the background, keeping an eye on her. And every time she needed something, he was there to hand it to her. The one time she slipped on some stairs, he caught her hand, breaking her fall. Anjali didn’t miss the look that passed between them. Yet they said nothing to each other. Typical of Chotey, she thought. She smiled and thanked God that for whatever reason Chotey had agreed to come out with them on this trip. Perhaps this time …. she hoped.

He stayed at the back of the crowd, keeping a little aloof as he always did. Hands in pocket he followed them around. But he couldn’t help noticing the change in Khushi. She was finally laughing out loud, and it was a joyous laugh. He knew she wasn’t carrying her phone with her. She’d put it in the glove box. There were no shadows in her eyes. And she even broke into a ridiculous impromptu dance at one point. There was a shining naiveté to her that he hadn’t noticed before. She melded so easily into this group. His eyes behind the sun glasses narrowed a little, and the corner of his mouth turned up. He was enjoying himself. Are you, now? Said the imp. He smiled some more.

Tired, hungry and happy, the group headed back home as the sun sank into the Pacific Ocean. He handed her the keys this time and said, ‘You drive.’

There was silence in the car as they drove, Rondo Venezziano this time, just a whisper in the back ground. After about an hour, Khushi wondered why he was so quiet? She looked over at him, and to her surprise found he had fallen asleep. He sleeps like a baby, she thought. Her mouth curled in a smile as she slowed down a little, keeping to only one lane and going smoothly over the bumps on the road.

They reached home and she pulled into the driveway, engine still running. She looked across at him, still asleep; his head turned towards her, mouth pursed and a little frown on his face. Not fighting the urge anymore she leaned across and slowly pushed back the hair that had flopped onto his brow. No gel today, just baby-soft hair. He opened sleepy eyes and looked straight into hers in the dim glow of the dashboard. Her hand stilled in his hair and then she pulled it back. For a long moment, they just looked at each other and then he blinked. They looked away from each other as he unfastened his seat belt, opened the car door and then looked back at her. ‘Good night,’ he said.

‘Good night,’ she said.

Walk the Line: Chapter - 6

Khushi sat at her desk looking over the final version of her design. It was beautiful. She had no doubt about it. She was putting all of them in her folder when her extension beeped.

‘KKG, can you come to my room, por favor?’ It was Sergio.

She picked up the folder and walked to his cube. He was busy at his desk, but lifted his head at her knock.

‘KKG, have you finished with those designs?’

‘Yes,’ she said, handing over the folder. He looked them over carefully. Each one was scrutinized with several approving hums and haws. She sat there, hands folded waiting on him. He looked at her over his glasses. There was a twinkle in his eye. She silently sighed in relief.

‘These’re good! Very good! You not only have potential, KKG, you have talent perhaps even a touch of genius, and might I add, with me as your mentor you will go far, very far.’ He smiled. She smiled back automatically wondering where this was leading. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. ‘You know this deal that ASR and I are working on?’ She nodded – not that she knew anything about it, but to show that she was following his drift. ‘I think it would be good if you worked with us on it.’ Her eyes popped open. Work with ASR? ‘Yes, I think it would be good exposure for you. And you are after all, Indian. So I think it would help bridge whatever cultural gaps are there…’ he went on and on, completely oblivious to the horrified expression on her face. She focused into the conversation – actually monologue – somewhere around, ‘so next month, we will be going to Delhi.’ He stopped and looked at her expectantly.

‘Delhi?’ she squeaked and then cleared her throat. ‘I mean, Delhi? Why Delhi? Why not Mumbai?’

‘Because the AR offices are located in Delhi. We’ll be there for a month, and travel to the other locations.’

‘Okay,’ she said.

‘I’ll explain the rest to you later.’ She nodded, her face stretched into a grimace that tried to pass as a smile.

That evening as she drove home, she finally allowed herself to think. What would this trip mean to her? She hadn’t picked up a single call marked ‘Unknown’ today. There had been voicemails, and she hadn’t picked up those either. She couldn’t not go to India, but then she couldn’t go to India either. What was she to do? And Arnav Singh Raizada? She didn’t know what to do about him either. Why did she have to DO anything about him anyway? A slow tension headache started to form in her temples.

***

Atlanta had been cooler than he’d expected. Winter was definitely on its way. Arnav sat in the back of the car on the way to the hotel. Thank God he’d decided to get a chauffeur. He’d never have had the patience to deal with the sea of traffic here. Luckily he didn’t have to deal with this every day either. But at least the trip had been as successful as his New York and San Francisco ones had been so far. Now he could enjoy the wedding and his holiday. He looked out the window as the car raced along I-75/85 under the overpasses in the heart of downtown Atlanta. It drew up at the Marriott and the driver got out and opened his door. He strode through the doors, and headed to the scenic elevator in the atrium. He opened the door to his room on the forty-second floor when his phone rang. Sergio. He switched on his Bluetooth. ‘Yeah, Sergio’.

‘Ah, ASR, mi amigo. Como estas?’

‘I’m good,’ having learnt that much Spanish. That reminded him…. He stopped, focusing back on Sergio’s voice.

‘Bueno. Look, I have talked to KKG and she and I will be coming over to Delhi next month.’

His breath stopped for a second. The imp jumped up and down. He caught its collar and shoved it out the door and locked it.

‘Good. That’s good. I’ll make the travel arrangements for you,’ did he just say that? ‘I’ll have Aman send out the itinerary to you before you reach there.’ Much better. Much more professional. He couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. After a few minutes more, he hung up. Tomorrow afternoon he went back to San Francisco. The two-day trip had turned into a three-day one, but he was glad he’d decided to stay the extra day.

He showered, changed, ordered some room service and settled down at his laptop.

Emails. He scrolled through them looking for one particular email from Aman. There it was! He opened it quickly and scanned through it. There was a document attached, the report. He clicked on it to open it. Quickly reading through it, it was pretty much as he expected it to be. Nothing jumped out at him till he got to the last few pages. He sat up and read it through twice. His lips tightened and his nostrils flared as the familiar feeling of anger rose in him. He sat for a while thinking and then clicked Reply.

‘BG check on Shyam Manohar Jha. ASAP (bold, underline, red). Use same parameters. ASR’ – and hit Send.

He was breathing heavily, his brows furrowed. How dared he? How dared this man ….? He, Arnav Singh Raizada was not going to allow this to happen.

***

The flight to San Francisco had been uneventful. He caught up with more emails, replied to some, trashed some and set some by. The limo was waiting for him and he settled himself in, before turning on his laptop once more. After some time, he glanced out of the window. They were crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. The imp squeezed in through the door. He remembered something he’d read in the report and tapped on the driver’s window. ‘I’d like to go to Sausalito first, before I go home,’ he told the driver.

‘As you wish, sir,’ the driver answered.

***

Khushi pulled into her driveway and got out. The head ache from two days ago was back. Sergio was getting on her nerves. And then there were the calls. Sometimes she picked them up and other times heard the voicemails. She had told NK about it, and he too, was worried about the frequency of the calls. They were closer now. The police couldn’t do anything about it. The calls originated in India and there was no hard evidence to suggest immediate danger, so they couldn’t bring the Indian police into it either. The jurisdiction was unclear.

As she entered the house, she saw her father coming down the stairs dressed casually in jeans and a plaid shirt.

‘Hello, sweetheart,’ he said, giving her a hug.

‘Dad,’ she hugged him back. ‘Where are you off to?’

‘Your mum and sis have gone over to the Dutt’s. We’re having dinner with them. Your mother said to tell you to come over, too.’

She sighed. ‘Okay, Dad. I’ll be there in half an hour’. She was so looking forward to a long soak in the bath or a swim. But that wasn’t going to happen now. She showered, changed into a pair of culottes and top, and soft flat moccasins. She pulled her hair back from her face with a grip. A light pink lipstick and she was ready. She let herself out, locked the door, and walked over slowly.

The balmy dusk was settling her nerves down when she spotted the limousine turn into the cul-de-sac. It stopped in front of the Dutt’s and Arnav got out. He turned to her almost as if he knew she was there. He’d probably seen her through the window, she thought. The driver pulled out his bags from the trunk and handed them over. He waited for her to reach him and said, ‘Hi’ and smiled.

She smiled back, ‘Hi!’

They walked towards the door together. She rang the bell.

Anjali opened the door when the bell rang. For a moment she looked at the picture in front of her. The tall, dark man and the fair, petite woman slightly in front of him, her head right next to his jawline. They both smiled at her. Khushi raised her right foot and crossed the threshold. He followed her in. Picture perfect! ‘Chotey!’ she said, hugging him. ‘You’re back! You said two days, and then you made it three?’

‘Di, work, remember?’ he protested, although he hugged her right back.

‘How was it?’

‘It was good, Di. I am looking forward to the next few years. But first,’ he gestured at himself. ‘I need a shower and then we’ll talk, okay?’

Khushi watched the brother-sister exchange and noticed how different he looked during it. His face had lightened and the tiredness which she’d noticed in his face seemed to go away a little. She turned towards the living room where she spotted her parents and sister in conversation with the Raizadas and the Dutts. She started moving towards them and then stopped and looked back over her shoulder. He was half way up the stairs where he too had stopped, and looked straight at her. His hooded eyes held hers for a moment, before he turned away and made his way up.

In the living room, the conversation was animated. The women clustered around one end, while the men at the other. But Akash was looking over at Payal. Khushi came in and caught the look. He had a dreamy expression on his face. She grinned. So… Akash was interested in her sister, was he? She’d missed them from the party on Diwali night, and the last few days, she’d been feeling out of sorts and ….. empty. So she hadn’t been as aware as usual. But today, her senses were alert and she was noticing things. The headache was long since gone. She went and stood next to her sister.

‘Jiji,’ she exclaimed. ‘We haven’t had much chance to talk since you got back! Come sit with me.’ She hauled her sister out of her chair and checked to see what Akash was doing. He was suddenly very interested in the ceiling.

‘Khushi!’ Payal hugged her. ‘When did you get back?’ She rose from her chair and followed Khushi onto the deck. ‘How was your day?’

‘Oh passable, sis, the usual. But there are some big plans for me, so I am excited!’ She smiled brightly. From the corner of her eye, she watched Akash wander out on the deck. ‘I’m so glad you could make it out for the wedding.’

‘I know. But Khushi, you’re still working. When are you taking time off? You look so tired.’

‘From tomorrow, Jiji. I am on vacation for a few days.’ She started coughing suddenly.

‘Khushi, are you okay?’ her sister asked anxiously.

‘It’s nothing, jiji. It’s just a dry throat. I’ll get some water,’ and she rushed inside towards the kitchen, grinning mischievously - straight into Arnav’s arms.

He steadied her and then made the mistake of looking into her eyes and couldn’t look away. They were sparkling bright when he saw them and now took on a dreamy look. She blinked once slowly. He still couldn’t look away. For a moment, time stood still and the rest of the house faded away. The imp went Whoot! Whoot! He blinked.

She was disconcerted for a few seconds, and then stepped away from him. He let her arms go. He’d showered and changed into a dark blue casual shirt and khakis. They looked around, at each other and moved away. He was moving towards the deck, when she said, ‘Arnav?’ She had to stop him from going on the deck. By the looks of it, Akash and her sister seemed to be talking and she didn’t want him to interrupt them.

He looked at her, ‘Hmm?’

‘Would you like something to drink?’

‘Khushi!’ NK’s mother called. ‘Are you going to the kitchen, dear?’

‘Yes, aunty I am.’

‘Then could you please put on a pot of coffee for all of us?’

‘Sure. No problem.’

Arnav turned around and headed back to the living room.

In the kitchen, Khushi ground the beans and set the percolator on. She found a tray and placed the cream and sugar on it. She went to get the cups, but the shelf was just out of her reach. She raised herself on tip-toe trying to get to them, when a long arm snaked around her, and started taking the cups down. Caramel eyes looked into hers. ‘How many do you need?’

‘Um….about 8’, she said. He put the cups on the tray and lifted it up. ‘I’ll get it. Can you get the coffee pot?’ She nodded. He took the tray into the living room. She took a mug down and poured some out before carrying it and the pot to the living room. He set the tray down on the center table, turned and found her standing behind him. She held out the mug to him, ‘black’, she said, ‘for you’.

He took the cup, while the imp did a little jig. So she remembers I like my coffee black. So bloody what? He asked the imp.

Nobody noticed this interchange except Anjali. But she was wise enough to keep her mouth shut. It wasn’t yet time. Besides she’d noticed the absent Akash and Payal as well. Oh no! She thought, this is going to be a very interesting trip. First Chotey and now Akash, too? These boys! Now she would have to talk to Naniji about this, too. Perhaps a double-wedding? She mentally shook her head. That was too far away. For now, she let it be.

Walk the Line: Chapter - 5

Evening fell like a softly drawn veil across the hills. The house had been transformed with fairy lights. A white canopied pavilion had been set up near the pool. The gazebo, deck and pool glittered in the lights, warm and welcoming. Soft music played in the background.

The four young men came down the stairs together in their gorgeous sherwanis – Akash, NK, Arnav and Rahul. They made a handsome quartet and any young lady’s heart would have swooned at that sight. The ladies in the family room looked up at them. All were dressed in gorgeous sarees or lehengas. Brilliant colours dotted the room.

‘Chotey,’ Anjali got up at the sight. ‘You look so good in a sherwani.’

‘Yeah. Thanks, Di,’ he smiled.

‘All of you look so good. And Rahul! Nia is surely a lucky girl,’ she said as Nia walked over. ‘Or maybe not. Rahul is probably the lucky one,’ she noticed that he couldn’t take his eyes off his fiancée.

The doorbell rang and guests started arriving. Every year, everyone on the block was invited to the Dutt’s Diwali party. It had become an annual affair on their street now. Most people arrived with gifts and/or sweets in their hands. Drinks were flowing, music was playing and people were starting to make inroads into the canapés and hors d'oeuvres passed around by smartly suited wait staff. The guests were spilling over onto the deck and the pool area.

Arnav stood in a corner, nursing a glass of orange juice.

The doorbell rang again, and the Guptas arrived. Mr. Gupta was in a conservative kurta-churidar, and his wife was in a pale aqua saree. As they stepped inside, the two daughters stepped in. Payal – it must be her, he assumed, was in a bright green saree with gold embroidery. She wasn’t as tall as Khushi, and the heart-shaped face bore little resemblance to the pixie-like looks of her sister.

She on the other hand, was in a red saree, the color of vermilion. It was almost free of embellishments, except for a glittering crystal brooch on the shoulder holding the pallu to her choli. Her hair was loose, with a matching brooch on the back of her head he saw, when she turned and smiled to greet someone. An elegant understated necklace and matching earrings finished her look. The imp sighed and placed its hand on its heart.

She had been aware of him in the corner of the room, ever since she walked in. He was in a dark colored sherwani, she couldn’t quite make out the color of it. Did he always wear dark colors? He seemed to be looking straight at her with a soul-searching gaze. For a minute she met his gaze, and then she turned away and went to look for Nia. She missed him coming forward and introducing himself to her parents formally.

Two hours later she was thoroughly enjoying herself. The music had gotten faster and the younger folks were getting out there and dancing by the pool. It was a fun night, and the elders weren’t holding them back. She’d even gotten up and danced with NK and Rahul. She missed the small smile on Arnav’s face while she danced. After all that dancing, she was feeling thirsty and decided to go get some water. As she walked towards the kitchen, her phone rang. She lifted it to her ear without checking the number. ‘Happy Diwali, Khushi,’ the voice whispered. She froze. ‘I wanted to wish you earlier but’- she hit the End button. She turned around and started walking fast towards her house. She entered through the kitchen and let it swing close behind her. As she headed into the living area, the kitchen door slammed open. Arnav strode in. His face was stormy, eyes narrowed and lips tight. He followed her into the dimly lit living room and walked right up to her.

‘What the hell is going on, Khushi?’ he growled. For a moment she looked at him and then flung herself onto his chest, sobbing. Her sobs were like tiny mewls, whimpers of a wounded animal. He was stunned for a few seconds. Then his arms came up, gently wrapping her in them. He let her cry for a bit before moving her away. Her hands still rested on his chest. He held her face in his hands, his thumbs gently wiping her tears away. She hiccupped. He looked at her. And then he did the only thing a red-blooded male would do with a gorgeous woman crying in his arms. He leaned in to kiss her. Her eyes fluttered close.

Except, she froze as a familiar voice said, ‘Nannav! What the hell do you think you are doing?’ They jerked back from each other. NK and Jaime stood there both looking angrily at him. Jaime put a protective arm around her. ‘Jaime, take Khushi upstairs!’

Arnav had never seen NK take charge, and yet here he was, doing just that. He spun around, and headed out of the kitchen. NK followed him out, ‘Nannav!.. Nannav!! What the hell was going on?’ He caught up with Arnav and held his arm. ‘Were you kissing her?’ Thankfully, he’d kept his voice low.

ASR being ASR knows that the best way to deflect an incoming is to provide a good offense. ‘What the hell is going on with her, NK?’ he said. ‘I noticed those phone calls. She gets them and then she’s terrified of them. I’ve seen her on at least three occasions now. What is the deal with the calls? And you know something about them.’

NK was diverted. There was no hint of the happy-go-lucky persona on his face. He was deadly serious. ‘Nannav, you don’t want to know. There’s something, yes. But I promised her I’d never tell anyone.’ He sighed. ‘Just leave it, Nannav.’

‘Leave it?’ He didn’t know why he was making such a big deal out of it. But he would sort that out later. ‘Dammit, NK, she’s had four calls that I know of.’ He made a dismissive gesture with his hands and strode away. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he dialed. Aman was going to get an early wake up. Well, that’s what he paid him for.

‘Aman, he said, when the phone was picked up by his EA. ‘I need you to do a background check for me,’ he paused. ‘Khushi Kumari Gupta. Find out everything you can about her. She moved out of India about four years ago, but before that, she lived in Lucknow and Delhi. Get the best investigators on the case. I want the information yesterday.’ Another pause. ’And Aman, I want you to handle this yourself. It’s completely confidential. No one and I mean no one, is to hear of this. All reports must come to me. Is that clear?’ He turned his phone off. He was going to get to the bottom of this. Why? Said the imp. Shut up, he replied.

Khushi went up to her room, while Jaime stood guard below. She washed her face and re-applied her make up. She looked at herself in the mirror and looked into her own eyes. What had come over her? How could she have thrown herself in the arms of a man that she barely knew? What must he think of her? Oh God! She had come across as a weak, clinging female. So what? What did it matter to her what kind of woman he thought she was. She sighed. This was too confusing.

She went downstairs again, and joined the party. Jaime stuck with her through the rest of the night. He had taken away her phone and switched it off. Arnav was nowhere to be seen. She wondered why she should feel so miffed about it. But then she spotted him, out on the deck, chatting with a pretty girl in a blue lehenga. She turned around and headed to the pool. She looked over her shoulder, and his eyes were on her. Then he looked back at the stupid girl hanging on his every word. She turned away and went to find NK.

The party wound down and about 2 in the morning, it was over.

She sat by the window in her dark room, her pale face looking up at the stars. She wasn’t ready to sleep. The evening had left her unsettled. Sighing, she got into bed and curled in.

In his room, Arnav lay staring at the ceiling. Sleep was far away. A pair of grey-green eyes refused to go away. He sat up. No. This would not do. He was getting too drawn to this girl. Perhaps, if he tried to conjure up the other girl who had been speaking to him, those eyes would go away. But he couldn’t even remember the face – just a nameless blob. Shit! What the heck was happening to him? He had to stop. He was Arnav Singh Raizada and he didn’t need a woman in his life. Not now. Not ever. Tomorrow he had to be in Atlanta. The flight was at 10. He sighed. Better get some sleep while he could.

Walk the Line: Chapter - 4

There are many ways to confront a situation that you know is going against you. You can run away from it and hope it goes away or you can stand and face the music. Khushi knew she was going to have to take the latter road soon, very soon. She didn’t have the energy to fight it right now. But soon, from somewhere she knew she would find the strength. Just not now.

Her mother came into the kitchen and saw the two cups. ‘Who was here?’ she asked.

‘ASR,’ she replied. Her mother raised her eyebrows. ‘Relax, mom. He was out jogging and then I invited him for coffee, cause I had some made.’ Her mother nodded. Her daughters were the love of her life. At that moment, her husband walked into the room.

‘Good morning, my beauties,’ he smiled at two of his three favorite women. He waited while Anna, his wife, got him a cup of coffee. ‘So, what’s going on?’ He looked at the empty coffee cup on the island. ‘Who was here?’ he echoed his wife. He hadn’t yet met the Raizada family as he’d been at work for the most part of the week.

‘ASR’, said Anna.

‘Arnav Singh Raizada,’ from Khushi.

‘That’s quite a mouthful,’ he smiled.

‘Yes, Dad, and in the world of business he’s called ASR’.

‘And what does everyone else call him?’ her father was amused at the roll of her eyes.

‘His naniji and jiji call him Chotey,’ she giggled. The tall, dark sardonic man is …. Chotey? Suddenly, her funny bone was tickled. She couldn’t stop giggling. The image was too funny. Not having met Arnav yet, Mr Gupta just smiled at his daughter’s giggle. He loved these moments. They had turned few and far between four years ago. But it warmed his heart to see her losing some of that somberness now. He silently blessed the unseen Arnav for giving her something to smile at.

‘Come on, Khushi,’ her mother said. ‘We are going over to the Dutt’s to help with the Diwali preparations. Payal should be here around noon,’ she addressed her husband. ‘Will you be staying back for her?’

‘I’ll be here,’ he assured her, looking forward to some quiet time with them gone.

Khushi and her mother headed over to NK’s.

The house was in a minor state of pandemonium. Workers rushed back and forth with tables, chairs, lights, wires. The poolside deck was being set up for the main party area. Delivery trucks had blocked the driveway by now. There was a lot going on in the kitchen too. Even though the affair was catered, there’s always food being prepared in an Indian kitchen.

Khushi and her mother made their way to the kitchen, where most of the women had congregated. Nia’s in-laws had also arrived. Quite unconsciously, she looked around, looking for Arnav.

‘Are you looking for someone, bitiya?’ Naniji was standing next to her.

‘No, no, no one, no one at all. I’m just looking around.’

‘Do me a favor, Khushi. Can you please take this out to the boys?’ asked Nia. ‘They’re by the pool. That round glass is for Arnav. It’s sugar-free.’

‘Sure, Nia’, she took the tray of lemonade and munchies out on the deck. As soon as she stepped out, she knew he was there. He was powering through the pool stroke after clean stroke, while NK, Akash and Nia’s fiancé, Rahul, were sitting by the pool side cheering him on. He finished the lap and shook his hair out of his face. Placing his hands on the edge, he easily hoisted himself out of the water. His long lean arms and back muscles rippled with the effort. The dripping black shorts clung to his butt as his powerful thighs propelled him the rest of the way out. She realized she’d been staring at him and moved forward with the tray.

‘Nannav,’ NK said, ‘you set a new record! Too good, Nannav‘.

‘Yeah, Arnav, that was pretty good,’ Rahul exclaimed.

He turned around, towel in hand, as if sensing her presence. Then he moved forward to take the tray from her. His damp fingers curled over hers. The sun was in her eyes as she looked up at him. All she could see was his shadowed face haloed by the sun. ‘This… This one is yours. Sugar-free.’ He nodded his thanks.

‘Hey, Khushi, come and join us,’ Rahul said.

‘Yeah, Khushi, join us,’ said NK – his ever cheerful dimples smiling at her. Akash was smiling at her too.

‘Thanks, guys. But I think I am needed inside,’ she smiled at them. Arnav was extremely interested in his drink, she noticed.

Walk the Line: Chapter - 3

The next day was the day before Diwali and a Saturday. The women of the house had congregated in the family room and were busy with preparations for the festival. Plates of color for Rangoli were arranged on the table. The house had been decorated with flowers and lights, inside and out. Anjali glanced out the window as she spotted Khushi returning from somewhere.

‘Masiji,’ she addressed NK’s mother. ‘This Khushi girl – who is she?’

Masiji smiled. ‘Oh, Khushi is Mrs. Gupta’s daughter. They lived in India till about 4 years ago. Then they moved here. Her father was a businessman – very well off. They are from Lucknow. He met her mother when she was visiting India. They fell in love and got married. They had two children – Khushi and Payal. Payal is the older sister. She lives in Oakland, but she’ll be coming for the wedding too. Mrs Gupta is an American, but she has brought up the children with pukka Indian values. They are both beautiful girls. We all became friends after they moved here... I don’t know exactly what happened, but it was very sudden. Mrs Gupta’s parents live in San Francisco, so this was an easy choice for them. ‘

‘Excuse me for asking, but how come you never considered one of the girls as a possible daughter-in-law?’ said Naniji.

‘Oh, it’s not like that at all. Payal is almost NK’s age, but the age gap between Khushi and him was perfect. They started out as friends too and I had hoped… I don’t know what happened, NK doesn’t tell me, but on their very first Raksha Bandhan, she tied a Rakhi on him. They treat each other as brother and sister, even call each other bro and sis.’ She shook her head. ‘I’ll never figure that one out.’

Outside on the patio Arnav had been working quietly on his laptop. He was focused on the task at hand, but his ears perked up at Naniji’s question. He listened to Masiji’s response. So NK and Khushi were not..the imp started an impromptu jig. He shook his head to shake it out.

NK’s mom was speaking again. ‘I don’t know what it is. NK never talks about it, but he’s extremely protective about her. I know it’s something to do with why they settled in the US. None of the Gupta’s ever talks about it. It’s not like the girls had to be educated here or whatever. They’d already finished that in India’.

If Arnav could have seen inside the room, he would have been shocked to see the look on Anjali’s and Naniji’s face. They were looking at each other with a dawning realization in their eyes. Mamiji and Masiji headed to the kitchen. As soon as they were out of earshot, Anjali rushed over to Naniji and whispered. ‘Naniji, are you thinking what I am thinking?’

Naniji nodded. ‘She is perfect for Chotey,’ she whispered back.

‘Yes, but you know how Chotey is about marriage. He doesn’t believe in it.’

‘I don’t know, Anjali. Perhaps he hasn’t met the right woman yet. The one that will make him want to take the saat pheras and all that it represents.’

Anjali sighed. ‘You’re right, Naniji. We need to approach this cautiously or else he’ll run’.

Naniji nodded. It was going to be a difficult task. But Naniji was after all, his grandma.

Arnav frowned. The conversation inside had suddenly died down. He couldn’t hear anything anymore except some whispering. Strange!

Just then, NK came out. ‘Nannav, you’re still working! We’re supposed to be going out, bro. Come on, let’s go, let’s go. Time is running out, my brother!’

He sighed and closed his laptop.

***

The race tracks were about an hour from San Francisco - crowded, dusty and noisy. For once, Arnav soaked in the atmosphere. He loved cars, loved racing, although his schedule rarely allowed him the pleasure. The smell of grease and hot oil in the air was something he always felt comfortable with. They made their way to the pavilion. NK had their tickets and they made their way to their seats. There was an empty seat next to him. It was unusually hot for a summer day in Northern California. ‘NK, I’m getting some water. I’ll be right back,’ he told NK.

‘Sure, bhai.’

He found the food stalls and bought three bottles of water and headed back. He was totally unaware of the admiring glances the women threw his way. The off-white cotton shirt with rolled up sleeves showing off his forearms, and blue jeans were keeping him cool, while his usual aviators covered his eyes. Back in the stands he found NK and Akash and … Khushi?!

She had occupied the empty seat next to his. He could see her leaning forward, gesturing animatedly at NK, her ponytail whipping in the light breeze. Pale pink sleeveless top and white capris finished her look. He also noticed the guy in the seat next to her had his head turned and was watching her. He moved into the aisle coming to a stop in front of Khushi. She looked up at him, raised her eyebrows as if to say ‘What?’

‘Move over,’ he told her. ‘Sit next to NK. This is my seat’.

She looked at him strangely, but did as she was told. He sat down, and looked at his neighbor with a raised eyebrow. The poor guy turned away in embarrassment. The imp dusted his hands off. Hah!

She had been talking to NK about something or the other. Now she turned to him with a bag of caramel popcorn and offered it to him.

He shook his head. ‘Don’t eat sweets.’ Huh! Probably that’s why he’s so …so….acerbic – wow what a word!! ‘I can’t’. He amended.

‘Can’t?’

‘Yeah. I have to keep my blood sugar under control.’

She was surprised. Diabetes – and at this young age. ‘Oh!’ He smiled at her.

‘Don’t worry. I’m not dying of it. Just have to be careful, you know.’ She nodded.

He looked at the corn dog in her hand. God! She ate the most disgusting things! She was looking at the tracks now, where the cars were starting to make their way to the lineup. A drop of mustard was stuck on her cheek. He reached over and tugged a napkin out of her hand and wiped the drop of mustard away. ‘You had mustard on your face,’ he said. She sat frozen in place, barely breathing. He turned his attention to the cars.

But soon, he found himself watching her every excited gesture and yells! She was jumping up and down cheering the Ford team on. Team Mustang! Of course.

The sudden vibrating against his leg startled him. Khushi’s bag was near his leg, and her phone was ringing. He tapped her shoulder and gestured. She picked it up, glanced at it and then turned it off. He could see her hands start to shake. What was it? More importantly, who was it? He looked into her face. Her head was bowed and there were tears trembling on her lashes. NK was looking at her, too, a question in his eyes, and then he put his arm around her and gave her a hug. He narrowed his eyes. What was going on?

He didn’t watch much of the race after that.

In the parking lot, the men got into NK’s car while Khushi headed towards her own. They’d been following Khushi for a while when Arnav spoke up. ‘NK, who is Jaime?’ NK looked over to him in the passenger seat and said, ‘he’s Khushi’s cousin, her mother’s sister’s son. How do you know him?’

‘Met him last night,’ he replied nonchalantly. So… the imp said, I told you so.

‘Hey. He’s a great guy. We should get together and go out for a beer or something.’

‘Or something’, Akash agreed.

They got off the highway and were headed home. Khushi was just ahead of them by about half a mile. The road wound through a residential area with little roads leading off to the side. Houses stood back from the quiet two-lane road.

A car was coming from the opposite direction and moved into the left lane signaling a left turn. Khushi kept going straight. But the car didn’t stop. It just kept coming at Khushi. The three brothers watched in horror as she suddenly seemed to realize what the other car was doing. They watched in almost slow motion as the brakes came on in the Mustang. Then it spun, drifting away from the other car. Smoke rose from the back tires. The car spun full hundred-eighty degrees and came to a stop a few inches away from the curb, the engine still running.

The other car just kept going.

NK slammed the accelerator while Arnav heard a strangled ‘Khushi’ from his own throat as he held on to the dashboard. They screeched to a stop near the Mustang. Arnav was out and running even before NK had put it in park. He raced to the driver’s door, the blood pounding in his ears. He flung it open and she looked up. Her big eyes seemed to fill her face which was white as a sheet.

‘Khushi?’ he said, not knowing or caring where that tenderness in his voice came from. He held her hands and could feel them trembling in his. He leaned in over her and undid her seatbelt. ‘Khushi, are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere? Please tell me’. NK and Akash hovered over his shoulders. She shook her head, tears in her eyes. He helped her out, and she leaned in to him. She was breathing rapidly, and then said, ‘I think I’m going to be sick’. He helped her to the curb before she threw up. NK ran to get a bottle from his car. He handed it to Arnav who held it while she drank it down. He could feel her still shaking in his arms.

‘NK, You and Akash take her car home. I’ll drive back in yours with her,’ he took charge of the situation as usual. ‘Is there any damage to the car? Did either of you get the license? Who lets idiots like that on the road?’ He was fuming!

Akash had been inspecting the Mustang and shook his head. ‘No, bro. It’s fine.’ There were rubber marks on the street, but that was only to be expected.

Arnav and Khushi walked over to NK’s car with his arm still around her shoulder. She hadn’t cried, just tears pouring silently down her big eyes. He could still feel his heart racing.

NK looked at Akash and then at the two walking to his car. He looked at Akash again and said ,’Shall we go?’

Arnav waited until they’d made the U-turn before following them back home.

It was getting close to sundown when they got home. NK had parked her car in their driveway, and Arnav did the same. He helped Khushi out and then handed the keys to NK. He walked her to the door and rang the bell. A tall forty-plus lady opened the door and Arnav had a vision of Khushi would look like in about 20 years. She looked surprised to see them. Behind them NK was just driving off.

‘Aunty,’ he stopped. There was no point in worrying her. ‘Khushi wasn’t feeling too good, so I ..’ he had barely gotten to the end of the sentence before he felt a tugging on his arm. Khushi’s eyes were closed and she was starting to slide to the ground.

‘Khushi,’ her mother gasped.

He slid an arm under her knee and one under her back and lifted her up. She was so light. The imp just sighed. Her mother stepped back and let him in. He carried her up the stairs to what her mother gestured was her room. It was at the back of the house, looking over the hills and the swimming pool. He laid her gently down on the bed. As he straightened, he felt another tug on his shirt. Her left hand had curled around the collar of his shirt. He gently removed her hand and brought it down.

‘What’s wrong with her?’ Her mother asked. ‘What happened?’ She stroked Khushi’s head.

‘Um… she had a little …um… incident on the way home. She’s fine, ‘ he hurriedly assured her. ‘But she probably needs to rest.’ He looked around awkwardly. ‘Um.. I should go…Please let us know if you need anything, a doctor or something.’

She nodded absently, looking down at her little baby, hardly noticing him letting himself out of the door with one last look over his shoulder at the pale face lying on a white pillow.

***

The stars were out in full force. The hubbub over Khushi’s accident had died down. The boys lay on loungers out by the pool desultorily talking. Anjali and Nia came out to join them.

‘Khushi’s better,’ the latter announced. ‘I just talked to her. She was more worried about the car’. They smiled relieved that all was well now. ‘So Arnav, Akash, we’re planning on a picnic next week. Drive up to Napa Valley . Spend the day tasting wine and some good food.’

‘Sorry, Nia,’ Arnav said. ‘I am leaving the day after Diwali for Atlanta. I’ll be there for about two days, and then I’m coming back for the wedding’.

‘Chotey,’ his sister protested. ‘You’re barely spending any time with us.’

‘Di, I told you before we came that I would be working from here. ‘

‘I know, Chotey, but I can hope, can’t I?’

‘Ya, Di’, he drawled. For a second his glance went up to the second floor of the house next door. The lights were on in most of the rooms….. except hers. He leaned his head back against the lounger and closed his eyes. A picture of her face as he wiped the mustard off it, drifted into his mind. The imp looked at him with one eyebrow raised and a smirk on its face.

***

Diwali dawned crisp and clear. Khushi woke up early as usual. Her near brush with an accident the day before had left her exhausted. But she had woken up with renewed energy. There was clarity to the day that she hadn’t noticed before. She quickly got ready for her morning swim. As she came out on the deck, she noticed a fleck of grey on the hillside. Someone was out and jogging. She frowned. That other day also someone had been out there. Who was it? She debated going down now, but then decided to do it anyway.

She did her usual ten laps and then climbed out of the pool. As she turned around, she saw Arnav jogging around the corner. He stopped and slowly turned to her. Changing his route, he took a swig out of his water bottle and walked over to her, holding her gaze. ‘Hi’, he said.

‘Hi,’ she replied.

‘Are you okay?’ his caramel eyes were searching her face.

She nodded and shivered a little in the cool morning breeze. He leaned down and picked up her robe, held it out to her. She slid her hands in, feeling the light brush of his fingers on her skin, she shivered a little more.

‘You should go in. You’ll catch cold.’

She nodded and started walking away, then turned around. He was still watching her. ‘Would you like some coffee?’ she asked. ‘I put a pot on before….’

He hesitated a moment and then nodded. They entered her house through the kitchen. It was still and quiet. He seated himself at the island, perched on a bar stool and watched as she walked over to the counter. The fragrant smell of coffee filled the kitchen. She got mugs and poured him a cup. ‘Black, please,’ he said.

‘I’ll just get changed and be right down’. He nodded.

Five minutes later, she was down, dressed in a pale pink churidar suit. Her hair was still wet, so she had left it loose. She poured a cup for herself and added some honey to it.

‘I’ve never seen anyone put honey in their coffee,’ he said. She did eat and drink the oddest things.

‘I like the flavor, it’s kind of smoky’, she replied.

‘Khushi’, he stopped. ‘I wanted to ask you something.’ She looked inquiringly at him. ‘What was that phone call about?’ She looked puzzled. ‘The one you got at the races yesterday’. She looked down and then looked up, daggers flashing in her eyes.

‘It’s none of your business’, she said through gritted teeth. His eyes narrowed and now she could see him starting to get angry. Just then her phone rang. The trilling sound broke the tension. She kept looking at him as she picked up the phone and held it to her ear. ‘Hello?’

‘Hello,Khushi,’ the voice whispered. ‘How are you? I miss you so much’. She drew in a sharp breath and turned away from Arnav. Her breathing quickened. ‘Why are you so far away? But don’t worry, I ‘ -she cut that hateful voice off.

Taking a few deep breaths to control herself she turned around. She didn’t know that he had noticed the tension in her body. The way her breathing had changed. The way her hands were shaking. His face was inscrutable when she looked at him. He opened his mouth to say something and then shut it. He looked down and then said, ‘I should be going.’ He opened the kitchen door. ‘Thanks for the coffee’. She nodded, watching him go.

Her mind didn’t linger on him. In fact, she was looking at the number of unknown calls she’d received. Five calls! Her self-control was starting to fall apart. She put her head in her hands and thought – what do I do now? After a few minutes, she went out on the deck and called NK.