An Arshi story: Bin Tere A/N | Pg 137 - Page 5

Nani was no fool. She had seen Arnav's growing familiarity with Sheetal, Anjali's growing attachment to Aarav and had also seen Khushi bitiya become quieter. Her grandson was an idiot when it came to relationships, but she would not allow anyone to hurt her Khushi bitiya. God knows, she had suffered enough and sacrificed enough thanks to the Raizada family.

Khushi was clearly not going to say anything to Arnav and her grandson was too thick headed to realize he was ignoring his own wife in the company of his college friend. She had noticed how slowly Khushi had refused to go out to the even the few official dinners that she would accompany Arnav to. She had noticed how Khushi retreated to the kitchen or the puja room in the evenings or chose to sit with Naniji in Nani's room, chatting about Lucknow and asking her millions of questions about Nanaji and Ratna. She knew Arnav was not like his father, and, was too scarred by his mother's death to ever cheat on Khushi bitiya with another woman, but he was a man. 

It never took too much for a man to slip, her late husband used to tell her. Men are weak creatures, suspectible to charm, even the most astute of men can be foolish, he used to say. A woman needs to be firm and protect her right, he used to often scold Ratna who would laugh away his advice, brushing it aside as old-fashioned thinking. And how wrong Ratna had been. Nani didn't quite agree with Nana that the responsibility to keep a marriage alive was only the woman's but after what happened to Ratna, she sort of understood what he was trying to tell Ratna. A woman needs to stand up and fight for herself  and protect her relationships against all threats and here Sheetal was a woman who was very clearly interested in Arnav. While her thick headed grandson had not, her old eyes had not missed the way Sheetal sought to increasingly spend time with Arnav, pushed Aarav to look upon Arnav as a father figure and encouraged Anjali's growing obsession with Aarav. The girl was sharp- it seemed rather than her grandson, Sheetal was the one with the Harvard trained brains!

Anjali! Nani sighed as she looked at her granddaughter busy coaxing Aarav to eat. Nanaji and Ratna had pampered Anjali bitiya, and , Anjali seem to have inherited her father's weaknesses. Her need for outside validation, constant attention and the need to cling to someone had intensified after the terrible episode involving their parents. She had clung to a young Arnav rather than be his support and had been so used to being the focus of his life that Devyani used to worry that she would not be able to accept Chote's wife. But then Shyam had come into her life and Nani had heaved a sigh of relief. Shyam had replaced Chote as the focal point of Anjali's life and for a bit everyone had been happy. Sometimes Nani wondered if it was Anjali's clingy nature and almost obsessive love that drove Shyam elsewhere. It must be difficult to be kept on a pedestal all the time with a wife who was always idolizing you. 

What are you thinking Devyani? Nani chided herself. Shyam was scum and her Anjali bitiya had suffered greatly. Khushi bitiya had been wonderful, drawing Anjali out of her shell, forcing her to go to the orphanage with her, forcing Anajli to step out of the house and away from her countless pujas. And Aarav coming to stay had been wonderful initially. Anjali seem to loose that sense of gloom that surrounded her all the time and was starting to be a lot more cheerful. The only time she had seen Anjali like this was when she had accompanied Khushi and Anjali to the orphanage. Maybe Anajli did need a child around, so Nani had been happy to have Aarav around. But the last week or two, she had started to see the pattern repeat itself Anjali was again attaching herself to Aarav as she had done with Chote and then Shyam. And she was not sure if Anjali would survive a separation this time. She had to nip this attachment now before it became too late. 

And Anjali was not seeing what her old eyes could see Sheetal manipulating Anjali's attachment to Aarav and the fact that where the child is, the mother will stay. And if the mother stayed, the impact on her Chote and Khushi bitiya's life. But she would not allow another Ratna to get sacrificed under her roof. They had chosen Anjali over Khushi bitiya countless times, but this time she would be in Khushi bitiya's corner. Khushi bitiya's fault was her goodness and while she had no doubt that Khushi was made of much stronger stuff than Ratna, she was worried that her self-sacrificing nature would drive her to leave home. And by the time her foolish grandson realized his folly, he would have lost the only thing that made him Arnav again. And she Devyani Raizada, would not allow history to repeat itself again.

Arnav looked at down at his plate shocked at his Nani's strong comment. He was not sure if the comment was directed at him or at Sheetal. He looked at Khushi's face and the forced smile on her face as she got up and sat next to him. Why did his Nani have to point out that the seat next to him belonged to his wife? he wondered regretfully. They were a traditional household in many respects and he knew nani expected some traditions to be followed. As Khushi bent her head to eat quietly, he was taken aback by her silence. It was not just verbal silence, it was her body language she had gone completely silent. 

To his shock he realized this was not the first time.  Now that he thought about it, how did he not notice that she wasn't around him that often now days? How did he miss that she didn't talk much now days? Even at night, it was him who would talk about his day and she would respond in monosyllables. 

When was the last time they both sat down by the poolside gazing at the stars and talked to their parents? When was the last time they made love at leisure and lay entwined, softly talking, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking? When was the last time they sat companionably in their room, he working on his laptop, she watching some silly Hindi soap and constantly complaining about her saut? That was the time of the day he used to look forward to, when they were alone but together. How come he did not register that she was not spending any time with him any more?

"Khushi, can I pass you something? You are hardly eating anything. Are you ok? Arnav asked concerned as he saw her pushing around the food on her plate. 

"I am not hungry Arnavji," Khushi responded refusing to look at him. Irritated he put some alu on her plate, he knew she loved this spicy alu preparation, "Eat. You have hardly been eating anything

"And you noticed?" mumbled Khushi under her breath, "I said I am not hungry Arnavji" as she pushed her plate away as she got up, " I will get the dessert."

"Sit down Khushi. HP will do that. That's why I pay them, not for you to work in the kitchen like a maid" Arnav bit out, irritated with her unwillingness to even look at him.

"Chote! That is no way to talk with your wife." Nani admonished Arnav. Her grandson would never learn to control his temper, which would be the cause of his downfall. She wanted to bang his head against something.

"That's not what I meant Nani, you know it. Why does she feel the need to keep running to the kitchen? Why cant she just sit down and eat with us? HP and OP are there to do the work, why can't?she relax?" Arnav tried explaining.

"Because I don't want to eat right now and doing things for the family is not being a maid Arnavji." Khushi said very softly. "I do it out of love and affection but maybe that is something that you don't understand."