Nayika Writes

R is for... Raizada 'And you?' Arnav looked up to see the woman looking at him curiously. Instinctively he hid himself partially behind Akash who despite being a year younger was already much taller than him. The woman didn't scare him but her question did. Since that night, he dreaded being asked his identity; his name. Akash moved further in front and spoke for him, 'this is my bhai.' It was a known fact that Akash was painfully shy and only ever spoke when spoken to but the fact that he had now made a surge of pride shoot through Arnav. This was his new identity. He stood straight, shoulders back and chest out. 'Raizada. My name is Arnav Singh Raizada.' 'I didn't realise you had another son, Mahendra.' Arnav stiffened, waiting for his Mamaji to correct the woman but instead he felt a comforting arm land on his shoulder and Mamaji simply smiled.

Q is for... Questions without Answers  'Do you think we did everything all wrong Khushi?' Payal stroked Khushi's back, not expecting a response. 'Maybe we shouldn't have questioned Babuji. Should we have let him mortgage the shop? Should I have married Abhishekji regardless? What do you think Khushi?' Her eyes rested on her parents, her father resting an awkward hand on his wife's head. 'Would Babuji be well do you think? Would he be able to walk and talk and smile and laugh? Would Amma be smiling instead of crying?' Khushi lifted her head slightly and looked at Payal with tearful eyes, 'Jiji, will he come?' *** Set during Khushi and Arnav's second (actual) wedding when he was delayed angsting in the street about his mom.

P is for... Prakash Brothers Ltd 'The only problem is... they keep calling me Hari Prakash!' Shiv Prakash sighed, 'they're very rich people Ram Prakash, they don't have time to remember the names of all their servants.' 'They knew my name,' Om Prakash remarked smugly from his desk in the corner. 'And mine' added Jai Prakash, looking up from where he was watching The Dirty Picture on his iPhone. Ram Prakash glared at them both, 'Om Prakash, didn't you get fired because you had a crush on Khushiji? And you got fired for fainting all the time Jai Prakash. At least I still have my job.'

O is for... Over She could hear the raindrops falling onto the window as she watched the clock finally strike 12. The day was over. It had been over for hours actually and had been an unremarkable day just like the rest. It should have been her wedding day; the happiest day of her life, filled with lights and colours. Instead it had been just another miserable day. She should be in the arms of her new husband right now, enveloped in his love and warmth. Instead, the day had ended and Lavanya was just as alone as she had been when it began.

N is for... Nanheji He didn't particularly hate his given name, but trying to get Australians to pronounce Nand Kishore properly was almost impossible. The much shorter and cooler NK was given to him on the first day of High School by his new friend Sean and he adopted it with ease. Another decade passed before he acquired a new name; his favourite name. Not that he would let anybody but Khushiji call him by that name. When Khushiji called him Nanheji, it made him feel special. As if they shared a joke between them, one he wasn't willing to share with anyone else.

M is for... Mama and Mamiji It took almost 10 years and hundreds of insignificant moments before Arnav finally realised it. Arnav, Akash, Karan and Mamaji were all ready to leave for a week-long conference in Japan. Payal and Anjali whispered goodbyes to their respective husbands politely and demurely. Arnav and Mamaji however, were trying unsuccessfully to extricate themselves from their tearful wives who seemed to think 'week-long actually' meant 'year-long'. In comparison it was one of more mundane coincidences but the defining one. Arnav hugged Khushi tighter and whispered into her ear. 'We have officially turned into Mama and Mamiji.' Aditya who had been eavesdropping intently on his parents' conversation quickly corrected him. 'Papa, Sanjay's 8 years old! You've been a Mama and Mami for 8 years already.' Khushi laughed through her tears, always fearful of being separated from Arnav and extended her arm for A...

L is for... Laad Governer 'Okay it's bedtime; we'll watch the rest tomorrow.' Arnav turned to his four year old daughter to receive his customary goodnight kiss. 'Papa, there's just a little bit left. Please?' 'Baby, you know you have to stick to your bedtime. Now come on, give Papa a kiss and go to sleep.' 'Laad Governer kahike,' Aditi said in a stage whisper before turning her head away from him, folding her arms and pouting in a perfect imitation of her mother. Khushi will be so proud when I tell her, Arnav thought as he fought to control his smile. 'Aditi Singh Raizada! How dare you?' Before she could reply however, Arnav pounced and tickled until Aditi was in tears begging for mercy, a ploy he often used with her mother as well. 'Sorry Papa! Sorry!' She exclaimed in between giggles before throwing her little arms around her father's neck. When Khushi came into the room a while later Ad...

K is for... Kitne Aadmi The? 'I don't know. Maybe 10? 15?' Arnav shifted uncomfortably and moved onto his back to look up at the ceiling. Khushi moved as well so her arms rested on his bare chest and she was looking down at him, 'Arnav! Was it 10 or 15? I need to know. There's Lavanyaji obviously and who else? What about that Lisa woman? Do you remember her? With the fur coat? Am I right? Was she one of them?' 'Khushi please, I don't want to have this conversation. You're just going to be angry at me for no reason. It doesn't matter how many girlfriends I've had. I only have one wife and that's you.' Khushi pouted and moved off Arnav, lying down beside him. 'Fine. If I was you I'd want to know about all of my boyfriends but if that's how you feel...' Arnav rolled back to his side facing her and raised an eyebrow. 'Excuse me? Exactly how many have there been Miss Khushi Kumari Gupta?' ...

J is for... Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai Hypnotised was how he would describe it. His every nerve was attuned to her presence, bewitched by her beauty, enthralled by her eyes. She was a siren bathed in a golden light. Her porcelain skin, blush pink cheeks and trembling lips all called out to him, begging for his touch. She moved and he fell in step beside her unable to bear her creating more distance between them. His hands burned in anticipation and protested at being denied the experience of his eyes which were free to caress and linger at will. --- He brushed away the strands of silk obscuring her captivating eyes and finally he touched perfection. He kept his touch light, afraid of bruising her delicate skin with his rough calloused fingers. All that remained now was for his lips to finally taste the deathly sweetness of hers and he knew he would be hers to command. *** Set during the (first) Diwali episode

I is for... Insane 'Ice! I need Ice!' 'There is no ice! You'll have to settle for this .' Khushi hissed as a slab of cold meat was pressed onto her right hand. 'Arnavji! It's Thursday!' Arnav looked up in confusion. 'What?' 'It's Thursday. We don't eat meat on Thursdays! Naniji will kill me if she sees this.' ' Pagal! You're not eating it!' They sat in silence, Arnav lightly stroking Khushi's other hand until he could no longer control himself and he began to laugh. 'I can't believe you actually punched her! What were you thinking?' 'What was I thinking? What was she thinking? I went to the bathroom for two minutes and I come back to find that... that churail all over you! She'd been eyeing you ever since we got there tonight. She was just waiting for her chance, I know it.' Khushi bristled and removed Arnav's hands from hers, 'and what about you...

H is for... Hello She was in disgrace, she should have been sad and ashamed but Khushi was excited. Of course there was that small part of her that hated being forced out of her own town, hated running away especially when she wasn't at fault. But mostly she felt excitement about the new city, new people, and new food ! As the train pulled into the station, Khushi's eyes took in the wonder of all the people jostling for space on the small platform. She took a deep breath in, held onto the bars, pressed her face against the window and screamed. 'HELLO DELHI!' *** Set during episode 5 when Khushi and Payal arrive in Delhi

Set before the show begins (and before I knew what happened with Arnav and Anjali's parents) G is for... Goodbye Arnav tapped his foot impatiently on the marble tiles, noticing how worn his leather shoes looked after a week of constant wear. His clothes were in a similar state but he had at least managed to buy Di a new outfit for today from his savings.  Di had begged Arnav to go inside with her but he refused, finally using his week-old clothes as an excuse. Mamaji would be arriving to collect them in a few hours and Anjali had wanted to pray in the temple one last time. Arnav had refused to call Naniji as well, unwilling to trust anyone ever again and believing himself more than capable of supporting his sister but in this Anjali had put her foot down. Even standing at the entrance of the Mandir was painful. He could see his Mamma everywhere he looked. She was at the foot of the temple, removing his lace-up shoes for him when he was just four years old. She was at t...

F is for... Fantasy Khushi woke to the strange sensation of little pinpricks all over her body as if she had been caught in a hailstorm. She opened her eyes to see Arnav standing next to the bed; his hands outstretched raining diamonds over her body. She laughed and then sat up, picking a handful of the diamonds into her palms and examining the stones she now recognised as Svarovski Crystals that AR Designs used on some of its creations. As the last stones fell from his hands Arnav sat down beside her on the bed and took her into his arms, picking another handful of crystals up again and letting them fall gently over her chest. 'I've always had this fantasy of showering you with diamonds. These will have to do for now.' Khushi scraped his jaw lightly with her teeth, 'in my dream, I'm always naked when you shower diamonds over me.'

E is for... Ego Arnav paused on his way to his room and scowled. The giggles coming from NK's room were a sure sign that Khushi was visiting again. She claimed to come over to see Payal but it seemed to him at least that she spent more time with NK than anyone else. Arnav began towards his room again when one voice stopped giggling and began singing. It's too big, it's too wide It's too strong, it won't fit It's too much, it's too tough Before the last line had been sung Arnav stormed into the room. 'What the...?' Khushi was stood on the bed her arms held up in the middle of a dance move while NK sat on the sofa looking up at her adoringly. She quickly hurried down from the bed and began smoothing down her dress. 'Khushi what the hell were you just singing?' 'Erm... I...' Khushi looked at NK nervously, hoping he would save her since her mind had gone blank at the sight of Arnav. ' Ego by Beyonce, Na...

D is for... Damn It! 'Damn it!' Arnav dropped the nail and sucked his thumb, trying to ease some of the pain. It was the third time in the last hour he had hurt himself but he refused to accept defeat. Khushi and Di would laugh at him now after the speech he had given about being able to put together a simple crib without any help. He took a deep calming breath and read the instructions once again. It had looked so simple at the beginning but the wood and nails in front of him were nowhere nearer looking like a crib than they had been two hours ago. He would probably still be trying to put it together when Khushi gave birth in a month's time. 'Damn it!' He sighed and shook his head. Useless as they would undoubtedly be, he needed their help. Three heads were better than one right? 'NK! Akash!'

OS: Woh Aayenge Weary and exhausted, Arnav had no energy to argue with Payal and so he simply pushed her aside as gently as he could manage and made his way towards Khushi's room. His heart contracted when he saw her lying on the bed, looking as awful as he felt. He hadn't been home in the two days since their ill-fated wedding day. Garima and Buaji were sitting on either side of her stroking her fevered brow while she muttered to herself. 'Woh aayenge. Woh aayenge.' He rushed forward hurtling onto the bed and gathered her up in his arms, ignoring Garima and Buaji's protests and stroked her hair. 'I'm here Khushi. Look, I came. I'm sorry Khushi. Khushi look at me.' He tilted her chin up and slowly her red and puffy eyes opened. He had been prepared for anger and shock but not the fear that was so clearly evident in her eyes. She struggled in his arms, no longer looking up at him and Arnav reluctantly loosened his grip. She...

C is for... Colour Arnav smiled as he disentangled his black silk shirt from where it had caught onto an embellishment on Khushi's turquoise and pink anarkali . Di had once accused him of having a wardrobe full of black but nothing could be further from the truth now. The large wardrobe was now bursting with colour: reds, greens, yellows, purple and blues sparkled and shimmered in the light shoving and pushing for space against an ever diminishing army of black, navy blue and grey. Khushi had filled his previously grey existence with a riot of colours, making every day more beautiful than the last.

B is for... Bikini 'Arnavji, what is this ?' Khushi held up the offending item between her thumb and forefinger. 'It's a bikini Khushi,' Arnav replied without looking up from his book. 'For the beach.' 'You want me to wear this? In public? Hai Devi Maiyya, I might as well go out in my underwear!' Arnav rolled his eyes; immune to Khushi's dramatics after almost a year of marriage. 'You want me to wear this... thing in front of other people, other men? No, I refuse!' Khushi threw the bikini at Arnav and began to storm out but was caught before she reached the door and spun back into his arms. 'Whoa! Who said anything about other men? Nobody is going to be looking at my wife in her underwear... I mean in a bikini! I booked a private beach, Khushi. Just you... and me.' 'Oh... I see. Well that's... I guess that's... okay then.'

Read the rest of this series over here. Please note I retain sole ownership of all the works of fiction on this blog so please do not reproduce or alter my work and claim it as your own.  

A is for... Automatic 'It's red!' 'Very observant.' 'Can we go for a drive?' 'I was hoping you'd say that.' The engine roared as Arnav accelerated out of the gates and onto the long road that connected their house to the rest of Delhi. Khushi examined the smooth leather interiors carefully for faults in case her usually shrewd husband had been extorted by a cunning salesman. 'Notice anything?' Khushi felt his hand land on her knee, heavy and warm through the fabric and she looked up at him in surprise. 'It's automatic!' 'Very observant,' Arnav replied huskily as he began to caress her thigh.

Read all my other One Shots over here . Please note I retain sole ownership of all the works of fiction on this blog so please do not reproduce or alter my work and claim it as your own.  

Read all previous parts of this FF over here. Please note I retain sole ownership of all these works of fiction on this blog so please do not reproduce or alter my work and claim it as your own.

Read all my other One Shots over here . Please note I retain sole ownership of all the works of fiction on this blog so please do not reproduce or alter my work and claim it as your own.

Read the rest of this series over here. Please note I retain sole ownership of all the works of fiction on this blog so please do not reproduce or alter my work and claim it as your own.  

Read the rest of this series over here. Please note I retain sole ownership of all the works of fiction on this blog so please do not reproduce or alter my work and claim it as your own.

Read the rest of this series over here. Please note I retain sole ownership of all the works of fiction on this blog so please do not reproduce or alter my work and claim it as your own.