While you can read this OS as a stand-alone, you might enjoy it more if you read
OS: A Gift for Him https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/2903141
first.
If there was one thing that bugged Arnav Singh Raizada more than his wife it was the concept accepting a gift without reciprocation. This had been plaguing him for the last 2 weeks.
It had been 2 weeks since his wife had given him her first gift to him. He smiled softly at the memory of how nervous she had been giving him the shirt, feeling worried that the brand would not be to his liking and then naively explaining her limited funds. Little did she know then that shirt was not just a shirt, she had returned him to some very sweet memories and his humble beginnings. He had to get her something...but what?
"Sir, aap ko kuch chaiye?" Pam enquired, perplexed to see her boss actually smile.
"Haan, I mean no. Kuch nahi. Tum jao." His gruffness returned as he gestured her to leave. Just as Pam reached the door he called out again, "Wait. I have to ask you something."
"Yes sir," she came back and took a seat opposite him as he showed her the chair.
"Tum ladki ho. So I have to buy a gift for a girl. What should I get?" Pam looked up a bit shocked, "Aap ki wife ke liye?"
"Yes."
"Jewellery Sir. All women love jewellery. Diamonds. Rubies." Her eyes lit up although she was more than just a tad incensed that the chit of a gril, Chamkili had landed such a hunky husband. However, jewellery was beyond any of that. Perhaps she could shop with her boss, and who knows he might reward her with a pair of earrings for her troubles. But the look on his face dashed that hope.
Arnav clicked, unimpressed. Khushi was not really into jewellery he noted in his mind. He had never seen her wear any of the heavy sets she had been gifted by various family members over the last 2 months. She only ever wore simple jhumkas, the kangans and a mangalsutra. Besides, she looked much better that way anyway. Simple and pure.
"No, not jewellery."
"OK sir, then how about a saree?" again her enthusiasm was shot down by Arnav's indifference.
"Sir, a dress! Cham' I mean Khushi has never worn a dress. So why not?"
"Madam. A dress?" The momentary fury at his secretary referring to his wife in first-name basis subsided, the idea wasn't bad. He imagined her in a little black dress. She would look sexy. What the f***? He always completed the expletive in his head. How could he be thinking about her like that. Didn't she just ruin his sisters life? The battle continued in his head as he dismissed Pam.
***
It had been 2 days since Pam had given him the idea of a dress and since that day the vision had not left his head. It was a most uncomfortable feeling which popped up at the most awkward of moments.
He walked to the sample room, a size zero would fit his wife just fine. Just as he fuelled his fantasy further and picked a dress he rather liked he caught himself, wasn't he looking for a gift for her? But if she wore the dress, it would be a gift for himself. Besides, why would she wear a dress for him? No, that wouldn't do. His wife was an antique piece. Something as simple as clothing would never do.
Just as he left the store room he bumped into Khushi who was tearing through the place like a tornado and in that very instance that his fury climbed he felt a whirlwind of papers swirl around him.
"What THE?"
"Aap what the nahi! Main what the! Humesha humse takrate rehte hai aap. Ab dekhiye, humari saare arders <orders> girl gaye." She didn't even look at him as she busied herself picking up the papers.
"Yeh aders, tsk I mena Orders hai? kiska?" He couldn't believe he was even talking like the woman.
"Khane ka! Humko ko kaise pata chalega kisko kya chaiye? To humne bahar ek box rakh diya. Sub log apna apna arder likh ker dete hai agle din ke liye."
He shook his head and walked off leaving her to her papers. She had however given him an idea.
**
"Mohan, I need a website designed. By the end of the week."
"Yes Sir. Should I liaise with the AR IT team?"
"No. Not for AR. For KKGSR."
"Sir?"
"A subsidiary of sorts. You'll have to do the logo artwork too. Something simple and pure. Its a lunch tiffin service. Keep it very simple. I want an online menu and a simple ordering system. A want a user management system so that orders can be managed and all users must be registered. Also an admin login so that the menus can be updated and reporting functionality should be available in the admin logon. "
"Yes sir." Mohan scribbled down all his notes and asked several other questions logging all the requirements. As he was leaving, Arnav called out
"Mohan, also everything needs to be iPad compatible."
With that Mohan left. There was a lot of work to be done.
***
"Shuklaji, kal ke liye na hume paanch kilo alu chaiye, aur paneer bhi. Haan, Shuklaji, ek minute aapko menu batlate hai agle 3 din ke liye. Uff woh kagaz...kaha..." Khushi looked around the scattered mess of papers trying to find the master order list.
Arnav walked in to find his wife sitting in the middle of the bed with various chits of papers around her trying looking for something. Her hair was askew, a loose bun held up with a pencil. Her dupatta lay scattered on the floor. She looked up at him and mumbled "Shuklaji, hum aapse baad mein baat karenge" and hung up.
"aap?"
"Haan. Mera ghar hai."
"Nahi, humara matlab, woh aap jaldi agaye na. Nahi to yeh sab hum aapke aane se pehle hi saaf..koi baat nahi abhi saaf kardete hai."
She had been subdued for the last few weeks. Ever since he had accepted worn the shirt she had given, she had tried her best to stay out of his hair. He shook his head dismissively, "haan saaf karlo. Phir tumse kuch baat hai."
Khushi felt her stomach lurch. To say she was scared would be an understatement. Although a part of her was thrilled. He wanted to talk to her. She had craved for that forever. A day when her husband, the man she was so hopelessly in love with, would come home and ask for her company. NO quicker than the thought entered her mind, it left, for her husband was not like any other. When he said "talk" he probably mean scream. She picked up the papers clearing the room and then sat gingerly at the edge of the bed waiting for him to walk out of the bathroom.
He walked out in his trackpants and tee and paused briefly, taking in the nervous beauty that sat at the edge of the bed. "Darne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai. Main tumhe khaa nahi jaunga. Aur waise bhi dimaag khane ka shouk to tumhe hai na?" he went to his bag and took out the signature white box.
"Yeh lo." He handed it to her and she turned the box in her hand.
"Yeh kya hai?" she enquired up at him
"iPad."
"Aap kya?"
"Huh? Nahi main nahi! iPAD!"
"Oh acha to phir thik hai." she said sarcastically, as if saying it louder made everything clearer.
"Khushi!"
"Kya?"
"Baitho."
"Hum baithe hai. Aap khade hai."
He rolled his eyes but had to smile at her wit and sat beside her and took the box from her and opened it and handed the sleek device to her.
"yeh, humare liye?" she asked innocently.
"haan. Tang agaya hoon tumhare harkato se. Mere bedroom ko ek garbage dump banake rakhi ho. Sab jagah sirf papers.
"Per iska hum kya kare?" she was used to his temper so she ignored his brief outburst.
He gave her half a smile and she thought to herself, "muskurane mein bhi khadoosi karta hai laad governor!"
"Kya kaha?"
"ji kuch nahi. Aap kuch dikha raye the na?"
He powered up the device and launched the KKGSR app. Mohan had loaded everything and had given him the iPad ready to be used.
Khushi caught the logo "KKGSR: Deliecious Lunches at your desk"
"yeh, aap..humare.matlab...kya.." she was searching for words, her eyes welling with tears.
He showed her how to log in, and walked her through the admin functionality of how to update menus, view orders and reports.
"Har roz tum report dekh paogi ke order status kya hai. Subka orders is per manage kar paogi. So tumhe ek bhi kagaz ki koi zaroorat nahi hai. SO aaj se mera karma clear honi chaiye. Samjhi tum?" he continued sternly.
She looked up at him and paused for a brief second taking him in with her moist eyes before she launched herself at him, her arms going around his neck and she broke the barrier that held her tears in.
"Khushi? Kya hua?" concern flowed from voice, why was she crying, wasn't she happy?
"Arnavji, pata nahi aap se Thankyou kaise kahu. Yeh tofa humare liye kya maine rakhti hai yeh shayad aap kabhi nahi samjhenge. " she slowly composed herself and moved away.
"Khushi. Yeh tumhare liye tofa nahi hai. Yeh sirf issliye hai ke mera room saaf rahe." He got up and walked off to his sofa and opened his laptop.
Khushi thought of the depth of this gift. She knew, that as much as he denied it, he had bought her this gift as a reciprocation for the earlier gift she had given him. She didn't mind that the reason was borne out of reciprocation. She was touched beyond words at the thought that had gone into it. He had given her something encouraging her venture. A biggest sign of support and solidarity. He had given her something that would enable her to stand on her own two feet and grow. Something that would last beyond the six months that he had given their relationship. Something that would set her up after the six months. A gift that would continue to give.
"Arnavji, aap se ek cheez mangni thi." She walked up and stood by him.
"Kya?"
"Humne abhi tak agle hafte ka menu theek nahi kiya. Hum sirf itna chahte ke bus agle hafte ka menu aap theek kardijiye. Aur humara pehla arder bhi aap hi se mile."
He smiled at her "theek hai." and they both sat down to enter the menu into the app.
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