Chapter 9: Khushi

                                    

                                          
12th December
                          
*****
                          
Aankhon ki gustakhiyan maaf ho, ek tuk tumhein dekhti hain, [Forgive the impertinence of my eyes, they find you at every glance,]
                          
Jo baat kehna chaahe zubaan, tumse voh yeh kehti hain. [They convey the words my lips want to say to you.]
                          
*****
                          
Khushi enjoyed watching Arnav-ji drive. He had a habit of frowning in concentration as he navigated the highway which she found endearing, and he glanced at her every time they stopped at a traffic light, causing her heart to beat erratically. He'd opted to go without his suit's jacket today, and the rolled up sleeves of his shirt revealed his forearms. She liked the way the muscles there tightened when he changed gears. Her eyes traced those muscles upwards, along his arm and across his shoulder, up to his face in profile.
                          
Smiling, she thought about the note he'd given her last night.
                          
'I'm not sorry for making you fall, because you fell into my arms.'
                          
"What are you looking at?" he interrupted her musings.
                          
Oh Devi Maiyaa. How does he always know?
                          
"Nothing. I'm not looking at anything. Concentrate on the road."
                          
One corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile but he didn't press the subject. Blushing, Khushi concentrated on the music filtering through the speakers and smiled when she realised that one of her selections - a Salman-ji song - was playing.
                          
He didn't make a move to get out after he'd parked the car in his driveway, so Khushi followed his lead. She watched as he looked out his window, pursed his lips and then tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Several moments passed before he turned to her.
                          
"Khushi ..." his voice was soft, "Look all you want. Whenever you want. It's your right."
                          
*****
                          
The lyrics are from 'Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan' (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, 1999). The rough English translation is mine. Video is in the media section :)