Part 10
All Eej Bell!
" Adhoori Saans Thi Dhadkan Adhoori Thi Adhooren Hum
Magar Ab Chaand Poora Hain Falak Pe Aur Ab Pooren Hain Ham"
~ Verses from the Movie Fanaa
"The stony barriers between them had vanished as if they were mere walls of sand washed away by the salty ocean waves. Shukar hai Devi mayya! " Khushi thought in relief; as she watched the sand being quickly pulled away beneath her feet, along with the frothy wave that pulled back into the ocean. She giggled at the sudden loss of balance, dug her feet a little more firmly while notching her inner skirt an inch higher and tucking it in at her waist. The storm had abated but the waves were still higher than usual.
She had woken up just a little while back from her content sleep in the coils of Arnavji's arms and had been drawn to the beautiful beach that was suffused in a subdued rosy haze of pre dawn. The stars were still dimly visible in the skies and the eastern sky was glowing faintly casting a beautiful light on the surroundings. Unable to contain herself she had quickly pulled on the first pieces of clothing she could lay her hands on;Arnavji's T-shirt and her inner skirt, and had run out onto the stretch of the sugar-white sands that beckoned to her.
Khushi sighed in quiet joy and walked up a few steps and bent down once again to pick yet another quaint little shell to add to the growing pile that nestled in the niche that formed between her left arm and her body. She gasped when a sneaky little wave threatened to throw her off balance. Lurching forward, but managing to keep her balance, she giggled, even as she clutched her arm closer and bent over to prevent her collection of shells from dropping into the waters.
A familiar voice from behind called out huskily, "Khushi" causing her to crane her neck around to gaze into half amused half aroused topaz eyes and lips that tilted in a lopsided smirk, rendering the handsome face that bore it unbearably sexy.
Arnav had opened bleary eyes early that morning, to find her missing at his side. In a trice the last remnants of sleep vanished and he had rolled off his bed and surveyed the room. Spotting a slender figure in white on the edge of the waters from the patio, he hastily pulled on his track pants that he had discarded just as hastily last night and had strolled out to join her. He had followed her at a careful distance, his footsteps muffled by the wet sands.
Khushi was a delight to watch, especially when she had no idea that she was being observed. With every surprised gasp that escaped her lips when she spotted a pretty shell, to her random soliloquy, to the way her face brightened and her hair waved in the wind, every expression was a memorable snapshot that he filed away in his mind and heart to be taken out and relived in leisure.
At the moment though, he halted, intent on shouting out a warning when he saw the wave that sneaked upon her. But he was late. His warning never left his throat and boy was he glad that it did not! The delightful consequence was staring at him in the face.
His eyes sidled from her surprised expression to her rather fetching derriere that was summoning him like a siren's call and felt his insides coiling in tensed response as he speculated possibilities.
Khushi promptly straightened and turned around the moment she saw the glint in his eyes and the path his glance took. He had blazed a trail of fire by his mere gaze.
"Yeh kya kar rahi ti tum?" he demanded. "Gosh how alluring she looks when her face is flushed in embarrassment!" he added to himself silently.
"K-kya Kkkya kar rahe te, matlab..." she repeated, her mind blanking for an instant. She had been so lost in her own world that she had not been aware of him walking up to her. Her gaze slipped from his face to his bare chest that rippled when he crossed his arms and she gulped hard, mentally chiding herself for the vivid images that emerged in her mind's eye.
"Haan. Wohi to mein pooch raha hoon. Tum itni subah yehan pe kya kar rahi ti?" he repeated in a voice ripe with amusement as he advanced towards her, closing the gap between them.
"W-w-woh hum ye sea shells samet rahe te, dekhiya.." she replied, delighted at the sudden return of her senses.
His gaze dropped to her arm that clutched the shells to her body and promptly slid a tad up to the swells of her heaving bosom underneath his shirt.
Khushi closed her eyes. "Hey Devimayya!" and when she opened them she found him nose to nose with her. The treacherous ocean surged again and knocked her off balance yet again with a playful wave.
In a flash, he clamped his fingers around her arm, straightening her. Khushi gaped and groaned when she saw the shells from her hand drop into the waters. Steadying her self she looked back at him. He was now grinning widely at her, and it nettled her no end.
"A-A-Aap. Aap kyon has rahe hain. Yeh aphi ki galati hai. Aapko humare shells wapas sametke hume lautana padega?"
Arnav chuckled and crossing his arms across his chest he asked sardonically, "Excuse me. Lautana padega?"
"Haan bilkul" Khushi continued, her voice strengthening and eyes narrowing, as she waved her forefinger in his face. "Aap ki wajah se maine inhe gira diya, to hui na aap ki galati."
"K! Lautadoonga, par pahele tum muje mera shirt lauata do" he demanded, his eyes dancing with suggestive mischief and his voice maddeningly provocative.
"Hauh!" gaped Khushi and admonished him with a "Besharam ho aap"
"Really! Why Khushi? I just want my shirt back. That's all. Fair is fair. Come on, now, give it back"
Khushi squealed in mock terror and leaned back, missing his finger tips by a hair's breadth. She scampered up the small mound of sands still sqealing and made a mad dash for the house.
Within minutes, she felt Arnav bearing down on her. Laughing at the absurdity of their situation, she risked looking back over her shoulder just in time to see his arm reach out for her. The next moment she felt his arm coiling around her waist and fell down tumbling with him on the sands.
"Arnavji, koi ajayega" she managed to gasp when his lips left hers to trail down her bare stomach.
"Khushi it's our beach remember? Yehan koi bhi nahin aaskta with out our permission. It's just you, me, the sea and the sky." He said lifting his eyes to hers;the scorching fire in their golden depths lighting up a raging bonfire in the depths of her soul. Khushi shivered and surrendered, as she arched her body and pulled his mouth on to hers. The sky and the seas and her Arnavji it is! She thought before her brain shutdown and her body turned into a quivering mass of jelly under those long lean fingers and soft firm lips.
The frothy waves that washed on to her calves seemed to sizzle and evaporate on mere contact to her fevered brain. And soon, she felt nothing but waves of sensation evoked by her Arnavji's touch, heard nothing but the endearments issuing from his lips, became blind to everything save his glorious face, his chiseled body and those magnificient eyes that were waxing poetry everytime they alighted on her.
The first spearing rays of sun bathed the couple in a golden glow as they returned back to Earth. Arnav tugged at a wayward lock of her hair and whispered - Happy Diwai Khushi as she opened her heavy lids and her sated gaze locked with his smug one, a lazy smile curling her lips.
************
"Diwali Mubarak ho Arnavji", Khushi said once more, turning from the sparkling arrangement of diyas he had helped her set out and the velvety dusk clad sky, to envelope her husband's face in the palm of her hands . "You too, Khushi and a happy New Year." He replied lifting a juicy jalebi to her lips.
"Sirf Naye saal ki nahin balki humare zindagi ki naye hisse ki shuruvat mubarak ho Arnavji," she replied biting off a piece and feeding him the rest.
Arnav let out a quiet sigh of contentment, as he guided his wife to the table set for two for dinner on their patio and chuckled at her delighted squeal when he saw her eye the delicacies that were sent over by their chef at AR resorts. "All was right with his world again!"
************
Meanwhile miles up north in a sprawling traditional farmhouse in kerala, the great hall echoed with laughter and a harmonious mixture of lilting voices of varied dialects which at the moment was punctuated by an extremely appreciative sound emanating from the exceptionally pampered man of the moment in the house.
"MmmHmmm! Kutti maami, rombha nal iruke"("It's very much like a tap". Nal = tap in hindi, rombha = very much in Tamil) said NK struggling to lick up all of the rasam before it flowed off the edges of the plantain leaf, while his left hand tried to simultaneously form an O' with his forefinger and thumb, to indicate how highly he rated the pepper-cumin rasam that Kutti maami had prepared.
"Yenna sonnango Maplai?"("Kya kaha aapne damaadji?"/"What did you say dear son-in-law?") A confused Kuttimaami questioned, pausing in the act of serving her brother, Suppini, who sat next to his Nandu and was struggling hard to not laugh outright at his son-in-law's latest language faux pas.
"Onnum ille Kutti akka. (It's nothing, Kutti. Akka = older sister) He just said that the rasma is extremely delicious." Clarified Iyer uncle with a kind glance for NK, happily demystifying it for the Rathods and the Raizadas as well, who had no clue of what NK had just said regardless of its grammatical accuracy.
"Yes. Yes. Same to same" nodded Nandu, victoriously slurping off the last dregs of the Rasam.
Kutti Mami beamed at Nandu and rewarded him with an additional serving of Badusha(Indian sweet dipped in sugar syrup that resembles the western donought in looks) and shifted her attention to Madhumati "Maami- ongulaku? Aapko rasam kudukava?" ("Maami, how about you? Shall I serve you some Rasam?")
"Hai re Nandkisore! Maami illle, bua hain hum. Maami to aap ho. Par rasma ka swad to ek dum badiya hain Nandkisore. Kudu, kudu maami" ("Hai re Nandkisore! I am not Maami, you are. I am Bua. Rasam is delicious indeed. By all means give me some more.") Responded buaji jovially, setting everyone into rippling laughter.
Emboldened by buaji's example, Anjali, Ajay, Akash, Naani, mamaji and even the fastidious Manorama maami began mouthing several Tamil words, much to Maya's delight. NK, needless to say welcomed it. For once, he was not alone in his language bloopers and it gave him immense satisfaction on the couple of occasions when he stepped in to correct his brethren's lingo.
"Imagine that!" he said with a wink at his wife who was dimpling up with mirth at the entire situation.
Kutti mami was a distant cousin to Subramanian Iyer, Maya's father. More importantly her husband and Suppini as they called Iyer mama, were thick friends and strengthened their existing familial bond. Kutti maami regarded her as her younger brother and doted on him. When Sumitra had passed away leaving behind a wee baby Maya in Iyer mama's arms, it was Kutti maami who had come to his rescue and helped him rear her through her infancy and toddler years.
Her own kids had flown the roost and were well settled abroad. Kausalya A.K.A Kutti maami though, had made a bold decision to stay back on her home soil. Her kids visited often enough that she did not miss out on seeing her grand children grow. Suppini and her husband had in partnership bought the farm house several years back. Kutti maami's husband had long since departed this world, and the bank motgage was paid in full. However, owing to their long association, Suppini and Kutti maami had decided to leave the property undivided and took care of it together. Kutti mami stayed at the farmhouse and managed its affairs capably while Iyer uncle took care of investing the profits to provide for both of them.
She was overjoyed at the prospect of having the sammandhi'(samdhan/groom's family) over for the Thalai Deepavali'(first Diwali for a newly wed couple) for her own Maya and her handsome husband - Nandu. Hadn't she predicted when she had first cradled Maya that she was going to be a very fortunate child and would have Manmadhan' himself as her future husband? (Manmadhan = Madan/Cupid, the Hindu God of Love. Often provided as a metaphor for an extremely handsome man)
She had ensured that no corners were cut when it came to the traditional rituals for the newly weds to follow. The day had started very early indeed with every one being massaged with warm sesame oil prior to their bath, followed by drying and perfuming of their locks in the swirling vapors of Sambrani(Frankincense), gulping down a spoonful of Kutti maami's famous Deepavali Marundhu' (A hot and sweet paste like concoction made of various spices, jiggery, and ghee) on an empty stomach, and a visit to the temple of the presiding deity of the village, bedecked in the finest of silks.
Then of course, she had laid out a feast of several courses of her famous culinary delights, sweets and savories that had finally ended moments back with the finger licking Rasam and creamy curd rice served on tender green plantain leaves in accordance with tradition that Nandu and the rest had polished off with great delight for dinner.
Content that she had tended to her newest family with the very best at her disposal, Kutti maami adjusted her nineyards kanjeevaram saree and settled down in the midst of the assembled elderly club of Naani, bua, mama, maami, Viren chacha, and her Brother suppini. Presently she began narrating the tales of Maya as a child to which Suppini a.k.a. Iyer mama added details from time to time, while deftly folding out tender betel leaves into perfect pans.
They were seated on woven mats on the thinnai (front porch) watching the young couples, Akash-Payal, Maya-NK, Ajay-Anjali, and little Tashi set off fireworks. Buaji and Naaniji exchanged a glance that bared the same thought - Kash Arnav babua aur Kusi bitiya bhi eehan hote? Ee samay ma, Andaman ma, kaison honge?"
The trilling sound of an incoming video call cut through their thoughts at that very second and sent them scampering indoors. A radiant Khushi and Arnav beamed at them on the monitor. "Diwali Mubarak ho, Happy Diwali! Hum kal wapas arahe hain." They declared in delight.
If their faces were any indication, their ruse had been a whopping success. Naani and Buaji smiled through drenched eyes while Payal and Akash secretly hi-fived. "Their ploy had had the desired effect afterall. His Khushi bhabhi's sunshine personality was back, as was the sparkle in her Jethji's eyes."
Naaniji gave Buaji a warm hug and whispered "Ee Diwali sirf ek naye saal ka shuruvat hi naahin balki, chotte aur kusi bitiya ki zindagi ma ek naye panne ki shuruvat hain." Buaji agreed whole heartedly with a vigorous bob-nod of her head.
"Ka baat hai. By this hugging aur Hi-pfives? Hein. Hum kucho missiya rahen hain ka?" questioned Manorama curiously to which a bustling buaji responded with a conspiratorial wink at Naani,
"Kucho naahin maami. Bas aap ke basa me kahe tho - All Eej Bell! Bas aehi baat hai Nand Kisore!" Naani laughed and hugged her daughter-in-law who harrumphed at buaji's response and soothed her ruffled feathers.
Shortly they joined the rest of the family as they turned their attention back to the fire works, intent on ushering in a new year and dispelling the darkness with light, yet again.
********************************************
Part 10
All Eej Bell!
" Adhoori Saans Thi Dhadkan
Adhoori Thi Adhooren Hum
Magar
Ab Chaand Poora Hain Falak Pe Aur Ab Pooren Hain Ham"
~ Verses from the Movie Fanaa
"The stony barriers between them had vanished as if they were mere walls of sand washed away by the salty ocean waves. Shukar hai Devi mayya! " Khushi thought in relief; as she watched the sand being quickly pulled away beneath her feet, along with the frothy wave that pulled back into the ocean. She giggled at the sudden loss of balance, dug her feet a little more firmly while notching her inner skirt an inch higher and tucking it in at her waist. The storm had abated but the waves were still higher than usual.
She had woken up just a little while back from her content sleep in the coils of Arnavji's arms and had been drawn to the beautiful beach that was suffused in a subdued rosy haze of pre dawn. The stars were still dimly visible in the skies and the eastern sky was glowing faintly casting a beautiful light on the surroundings. Unable to contain herself she had quickly pulled on the first pieces of clothing she could lay her hands on;Arnavji's T-shirt and her inner skirt, and had run out onto the stretch of the sugar-white sands that beckoned to her.
Khushi sighed in quiet joy and walked up a few steps and bent down once again to pick yet another quaint little shell to add to the growing pile that nestled in the niche that formed between her left arm and her body. She gasped when a sneaky little wave threatened to throw her off balance. Lurching forward, but managing to keep her balance, she giggled, even as she clutched her arm closer and bent over to prevent her collection of shells from dropping into the waters.
A familiar voice from behind called out huskily, "Khushi" causing her to crane her neck around to gaze into half amused half aroused topaz eyes and lips that tilted in a lopsided smirk, rendering the handsome face that bore it unbearably sexy.
Arnav had opened bleary eyes early that morning, to find her missing at his side. In a trice the last remnants of sleep vanished and he had rolled off his bed and surveyed the room. Spotting a slender figure in white on the edge of the waters from the patio, he hastily pulled on his trackpants that he had discarded just as hastily last night and had strolled out to join her. He had followed her at a careful distance, his footsteps muffled by the wet sands.
Khushi was a delight to watch, especially when she had no idea that she was being observed. With every surprised gasp that escaped her lips when she spotted a pretty shell, to her random soliloquy, to the way her face brightened and her hair waved in the wind, every expression was a memorable snapshot that he filed away in his mind and heart to be taken out and relived in leisure.
At the moment though, he halted, intent on shouting out a warning when he saw the wave that sneaked upon her. But he was late. His warning never left his throat and boy was he glad that it did not! The delightful consequence was staring at him in the face.
His eyes sidled from her surprised expression to her rather fetching derriere that was summoning him like a siren's call and felt his insides coiling in tensed response as he speculated possibilities.
Khushi promptly straightened and turned around the moment she saw the glint in his eyes and the path his glance took. He had blazed a trail of fire by his mere gaze.
"What are you doing?" he demanded. "Gosh how alluring she looks when her face is flushed in embarrassment!" he added to himself silently.
"W-w-wh-what am I doing?" She repeated, her mind blanking for an instant. She had been so lost in her own world that she had not been aware of him walking up to her. Her gaze slipped from his face to his bare chest that rippled when he crossed his arms and she gulped hard, mentally chiding herself for the vivid images that emerged in her mind's eye.
"Yep. Like I said, what are you doing here at this early hour before the sky has even lightened up fully?" he repeated in a voice ripe with amusement as he advanced towards her, closing the gap between them.
"I-I-I was collecting these, these sea shells. See..over here..." she replied, delighted at the sudden return of her senses.
His gaze dropped to her arm that clutched the shells to her body and promptly slid a tad up to the swells of her heaving bosom underneath his shirt.
Khushi closed her eyes. "Dear Lord!" and when she opened them she found him nose to nose with her. The treacherous ocean surged again and knocked her off balance yet again with a playful wave.
In a flash, he clamped his fingers around her arm, straightening her. Khushi gaped and groaned when she saw the shells from her hand drop into the waters. Steadying her self she looked back at him. He was now grinning widely at her, and it nettled her no end.
"Y-Y-You! Why are you laughing? This is your fault. You have to now collect my shells and return them back to me?"
Arnav chuckled and crossing his arms across his chest he asked sardonically, "Excuse me. Have to return them back?"
"Yep. Like I said. You have to." Khushi emphasized her voice strengthening and eyes narrowing, as she waved her forefinger in his face. "It's your fault that I dropped them in the water. Did you get that?"
"K! I'll get them back, but first you have to gimme back my shirt" he demanded, his eyes dancing with suggestive mischief and his voice maddeningly provocative.
"Hauh!" gaped Khushi and admonished him with a "You are as shameless as they come"
"Really! Why Khushi? I just want my shirt back. That's all. Fair is fair. Come on, now, give it back"
Khushi squealed in mock terror and leaned back, missing his finger tips by a hair's breadth. She scampered up the small mound of sands still squealing and made a mad dash for the house.
Within minutes, she felt Arnav bearing down on her. Laughing at the absurdity of their situation, she risked looking back over her shoulder just in time to see his arm reach out for her. The next moment she felt his arm coiling around her waist and fell down tumbling with him on the sands.
"Arnavji, what if some one happens to pass by" she managed to gasp when his lips left hers to trail down her bare stomach.
"Khushi it's our beach remember? No one can just stroll in here without our permission. It's just you, me, the sea and the sky." He said lifting his eyes to hers; the scorching fire in their golden depths lighting a raging bonfire deep within her soul. Khushi shivered and surrendered, as she arched her body and pulled his mouth on to hers. The sky and the seas and her Arnavji it is! She thought before her brain shutdown and her body turned into a quivering mass of jelly under those long lean fingers and soft firm lips.
The frothy waves that washed on to her calves seemed to sizzle and evaporate on mere contact to her fevered brain. And soon, she felt nothing but waves of sensation evoked by her Arnavji's touch, heard nothing but the endearments issuing from his lips, became blind to everything save his glorious face, his chiseled body and those magnificent eyes that were waxing poetry every time they alighted on her.
The first spearing rays of sun bathed the couple in a golden glow as they returned back to Earth. Arnav tugged at a wayward lock of her hair and whispered - Happy Diwali Khushi as she opened her heavy lids and her sated gaze locked with his smug one, a lazy smile curling her lips.
************
"Happy Diwali Arnavji", Khushi said once more, turning from the sparkling arrangement of diyas he had helped her set out and the velvety dusk clad sky, to envelope her husband's face in the palm of her hands. "Happy Diwali to you too, Khushi and a happy New Year." He replied lifting a juicy jalebi to her lips.
"Not just a Happy New Year, but a happy new beginning to a fresh new chapter in our lives Arnavji," she replied biting off a piece and feeding him the rest.
Arnav let out a quiet sigh of contentment, as he guided his wife to the table set for two for dinner on their patio and chuckled at her delighted squeal when he saw her eye the delicacies that were sent over by their chef at AR resorts. "All was right with his world again!"
************
Meanwhile miles up north in a sprawling traditional farmhouse in kerala, the great hall echoed with laughter and a harmonious mixture of lilting voices of varied dialects which at the moment was punctuated by an extremely appreciative sound emanating from the exceptionally pampered man of the moment in the house.
"MmmHmmm! Kutti maami, rombha nal iruke" ("It's very much like a tap". Nal = tap in hindi, rombha = very much in Tamil) said NK struggling to lick up all of the rasam before it flowed off the edges of the plantain leaf, while his left hand tried to simultaneously form an O' with his forefinger and thumb, to indicate how highly he rated the pepper-cumin rasam that Kutti maami had prepared.
"Yenna sonnango Maplai?"("Kya kaha aapne damaadji?"/"What did you say dear son-in-law?") A confused Kuttimaami questioned, pausing in the act of serving her brother, Suppini, who sat next to his Nandu and was struggling hard to not laugh outright at his son-in-law's latest language faux pas.
"Onnum ille Kutti akka. (It's nothing, Kutti. Akka = older sister) He just said that the rasma is extremely delicious." Clarified Iyer uncle with a kind glance for NK, happily demystifying it for the Rathods and the Raizadas as well, who had no clue of what NK had just said regardless of its grammatical accuracy.
"Yes. Yes. Same to same" nodded Nandu, victoriously slurping off the last dregs of the Rasam.
Kutti Mami beamed at Nandu and rewarded him with an additional serving of Badusha(Indian sweet dipped in sugar syrup that resembles the western donought in looks) and shifted her attention to Madhumati "Maami- ongulaku? Aapko rasam kudukava?" ("Maami, how about you? Shall I serve you some Rasam?")
"Hai re Nandkisore! Maami illle, bua hain hum. Maami to aap ho. Par rasma ka swad to ek dum badiya hain Nandkisore. Kudu, kudu maami" ("Hai re Nandkisore! I am not Maami, you are. I am Bua. Rasam is delicious indeed. By all means give me some more.") Responded buaji jovially, setting everyone into rippling laughter.
Emboldened by buaji's example, Anjali, Ajay, Akash, Naani, mamaji and even the fastidious Manorama maami began mouthing several Tamil words, much to Maya's delight. NK, needless to say welcomed it. For once, he was not alone in his language bloopers and it gave him immense satisfaction on the couple of occasions when he stepped in to correct his brethren's lingo.
"Imagine that!" he said with a wink at his wife who was dimpling up with mirth at the entire situation.
Kutti mami was a distant cousin to Subramanian Iyer, Maya's father. More importantly her husband and Suppini as they called Iyer mama, were thick friends and strengthened their existing familial bond. Kutti maami regarded her as her younger brother and doted on him. When Sumitra had passed away leaving behind a wee baby Maya in Iyer mama's arms, it was Kutti maami who had come to his rescue and helped him rear her through her infancy and toddler years.
Her own kids had flown the roost and were well settled abroad. Kausalya A.K.A Kutti maami though, had made a bold decision to stay back on her home soil. Her kids visited often enough that she did not miss out on seeing her grand children grow. Suppini and her husband had in partnership bought the farm house several years back. Kutti maami's husband had long since departed this world, and the bank motgage was paid in full. However, owing to their long association, Suppini and Kutti maami had decided to leave the property undivided and took care of it together. Kutti mami stayed at the farmhouse and managed its affairs capably while Iyer uncle took care of investing the profits to provide for both of them.
She was overjoyed at the prospect of having the sammandhi'(samdhan/groom's family) over for the Thalai Deepavali'(first Diwali for a newly wed couple) for her own Maya and her handsome husband - Nandu. Hadn't she predicted when she had first cradled Maya that she was going to be a very fortunate child and would have Manmadhan' himself as her future husband? (Manmadhan = Madan/Cupid, the Hindu God of Love. Often provided as a metaphor for an extremely handsome man)
She had ensured that no corners were cut when it came to the traditional rituals for the newly weds to follow. The day had started very early indeed with every one being massaged with warm sesame oil prior to their bath, followed by drying and perfuming of their locks in the swirling vapors of Sambrani(Frankincense), gulping down a spoonful of Kutti maami's famous Deepavali Marundhu' (A hot and sweet paste like concoction made of various spices, jiggery and ghee) on an empty stomach, and a visit to the temple of the presiding deity of the village, bedecked in the finest of silks.
Then of course, she had laid out a feast of several courses of her famous culinary delights, sweets and savories that had finally ended moments back with the finger licking Rasam and creamy curd rice served on tender green plantain leaves in accordance with tradition that Nandu and the rest had polished off with great delight for dinner.
Content that she had tended to her newest family with the very best at her disposal, Kutti maami adjusted her nineyards kanjeevaram saree and settled down in the midst of the assembled elderly club of Naani, bua, mama, maami, Viren chacha, and her Brother Suppini. Presently she began narrating the tales of Maya as a child to which Suppini a.k.a. Iyer mama added details from time to time, while deftly folding out tender betel leaves into perfect pans.
They were seated on woven mats on the thinnai (front porch) watching the young couples, Akash-Payal, Maya-NK, Ajay-Anjali, and little Tashi set off fireworks. Buaji and Naaniji exchanged a glance that bared the same thought - 'If only Arnav babua and Kusi bitiya were here with us. Wonder how they are faring in Andaman right now?"
The trilling sound of an incoming video call cut through their thoughts at that very second and sent them scampering indoors. A radiant Khushi and Arnav beamed at them on the monitor. "Happy Diwali to all of you! We will be heading back home tomorrow." They declared in delight.
If their faces were any indication, their ruse had been a whopping success. Naani and Buaji smiled through drenched eyes while Payal and Akash secretly hi-fived. "Their ploy had had the desired effect afterall. His Khushi bhabhi's sunshine personality was back, as was the sparkle in her Jethji's eyes."
Naaniji gave Buaji a warm hug and whispered "This Diwali is not just heralding in a new year but a new chapter in Arnav and Kusi's life." Buaji agreed whole heartedly with a vigorous bob-nod of her head.
"Bhaat is the matter. By this hugging and Hi-pfives? Hein. Bhaat am I missing here?" questioned Manorama curiously to which a bustling buaji responded with a conspiratorial wink at Naani,
"Nothing much maami. To put in your words - All Eej Bell! That's all, Nand Kisore!" Naani laughed and hugged her daughter-in-law who harrumphed at buaji's response and soothed her ruffled feathers.
Shortly they joined the rest of the family as they turned their attention back to the fire works, intent on ushering in a new year and dispelling the darkness with light, yet again.
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