Part 16

Aakash and ASR came back to home. Aakash entered the house through the open door. Everybody looked at him in hope. He shook his head hopelessly. He went to his room to get his cell phone. Arnav stood outside gazing at the rising sun. He was blinded by the bright rays. He closed his eyes, slowly walked inside. Anjali came forward , held his hand and soothingly said "Chote... ! .." but could not continue as tears started welling up her eyes looking at her brother's condition.

ASR went to his room and from there stared blankly at the pool. Blue water reflected on his face. His face darkened by the blue tinge. Aakash came in, "Bhai, she has not reached home. Her buwaji took the call. She was very upset and worried. She said Khushi has not returned and her fiance sham is also missing. She was upset that probably both of them went out for a night walk for star gazing and have not yet returned. .."

"What?" blurted ASR. His mind was racing in search of the probable places Khushi can go. "Aakash went ahead and said, " She told me that Khushi's babuji is in the hospital and Payal ji is with him. " I called her up. "She is at the hospital and does not know anything about last night. Khushi is not there either." Arnav felt doomed. Where would she go? He looked at Aakash for support. Aakash said "Bhai, may be she has not reached there yet. I have requested payal and buwaji to inform as soon as Khushi reaches there." A ray of hope brightened Arnav's eyes.

"Bhai, what shall we do? Wait for their call or go in search of Khushi?" , hoping he would choose the later. He waited for a long time for an answer. Unable to get one.. he said. "Fine. We will wait....". He went out. ASR turned his back and continued staring at the pool. In a fit of rage he drew all the curtains tightly blocking any light entering his room.

Uncle told the driver to take the car to the hospital. Khushi's mind racing faster. She had already reached there in her thoughts and was talking to her babuji. The car reached. Without waiting for someone to open the door she jumped out of the car. She had managed to set right her appearance. She had wiped off her face keeping a small circle of sindoor between her eyebrows. Still the traces of the nights ordeal , remained on her beautiful face. She paced forward and stopped. She looked back. Uncle had got down from the car and was standing leaning against it. She looked at him for support. He said "Go ahead my dear girl, I will follow" She ran past the main entrance, her eyes searching for the known faces. She located her jiji waiting outside the room. She ran forward. Payal saw her. She was puzzled to see Khushi at the hospital so early. She said "Khushi did you bring tea for us? Will you be waiting here with babuji? I will go home and will come back soonwith the tiffin and relieve you..."

“No, Jiji...!” Khushi, stopped her, by clutching her hand. Payal froze. She looked at Khushi's devastated face.

She broke."Khushi, what happened? What is this on your face. And by the way why did aakash ji asked me where you were? Were you not at home? What happened, khushi? Tell me...I will have to call Aakash ji ..."
"Jiji, it's a long story, I need to see babuji first. Please .. Please do not call anyone. She ran towards babuji's room. Anger mounting, she thought, “Aakash called up ... not Arnavji!  He did not come for me...he does not care.." She had made up her mind.

She entered her babuji's room. He was awake. She hugged him tightly and for the first time cried her heart out, unable to speak anything. Tears started rolling down from the corner of his eyes, babuji with a great effort managed to lift his hand and put it on her head. She looked up at him. She said.. "Babuji, I am in a mess. Did you want me to marry that sham? Babuji blinked twice. She looked at him in shock. The reality dawned on her. She asked.. "Did you know he was already married?" He blinked yes. "you wanted to tell me that when you had the stroke?" he blinked yes. She said very slowly as if she wanted to take it in first and then tell him. "Babuji, I came to know this last night. He is Anjali ji's husband. She is so innocent, that she does not know anything about her husband. And I married Arnav Singh Raizada, to save his sister's marriage." Babuji had no life in his eyes.  Tears still rolled down from his eyes. His lips moved in an contorted manger oozing out saliva.. !  "Babuji, no one knows it! Please, do not disclose this to anyone. "

"Babuji, I need to go now” She said hurriedly getting up.  There was someone at the bed. She looked up. Uncle was at her side. He gave her assuring look and bent forward. He took babuji's hand in his and introduced.

"I am Balwindar Singh. I am a businessman from Kolkata. And your Khushi, got a job in our company. She may have to join now." He looked at khushi. His looks conveyed kindness. She was thankful as he made her task easy. She looked at babuji, and said in a small voice."He knows everything!" Babuji looked at Uncle, his eyes conveyed concern about his orphaned child. His eyes filled with tears. Balwindar, sensing this, said "I know, and I assure you to take care of her as much as you do." He said, "Do not worry, everything will be alright"

That was the moment where deeds defeated destiny. An orphaned girl got another set of parents, by her deeds.. Balwindar took khushi's hand and said, "Khushi puttar, you wanted to talk to the doctor...go now" He turned to babuji, waited for her to go out and said. "I promise you that she will be my daughter from now on and I will do anything for her. Now I need to take her out of this situation. She needs some time away from this place. I am taking her with me. But I assure you, she will come back and come back with more strength and power." Babuji lifted his hand with great pain but his eyes conveyed happiness for khushi.

Khushi, went out, met payal and told her to accompany her to Avinash. He was entering the hospital for his duty. Khushi could not control herself when she saw him coming. She ran forward. Looking at her face, he understood that she was in trouble. He opened his arms. She fell into his arms. He stroked her head; Waited for her to gather herself. His wife came from behind. Khushi broke away suddenly looking at her. She smiled, and hugged Khushi with the same intensity.

Khushi was relieved. Both of them took the sisters to the lounge nearby. Khushi poured out her heart. Payal was speechless. She blurted, "How could he do this ..?" Avinash, thought for a while, looked at his wife. She smiled and nodded. She took control. She said, "Khushi, what you did was the right thing. Though we feel running away is not a solution, but the situation provids only one solution! Don’t worry. It’s hard for some people to take defeat in its right spirit. The realization would come crashing on them soon. "

Balwindar uncle was standing behind. Avinash shook hands with him as Khushi introduced him. Uncle said. "Its time to go Khushi.. say goodbye.!" He sounded autocratic.

"Are all businessmen like this? They think they are almighty?" she thought. Khushi hugged her sister tightly trying hard to send her tears back. She looked at everyone and said "Please do not tell my whereabouts to anyone... please" I will be in touch. I will take care of myself". She came forward. Avinash's wife embraced her... said "Don't worry my dear! Take care !". Khushi smiled.

She hugged Avinash and said.."Babuji..." Avinash assured to take care and told her not to worry and to concentrate on her new work and wished her best luck.

Khushi hugged her jiji again and whispered in her ear "Jiji, Aakash ji is a nice person. Please don’t  be prejudiced, he will make you very happy.. Please..." Payal looked at Khushi in shock.

She moved forward... looking back.... She had no other alternative... !

Arnav buried himself in darkness for a very long time desperately waiting for a phone call or message from Aakash. None came. He buried his face into his hands. His breath was uneven, his nostrils flared up, he swallowed hard. His was unsuccessful in sending back his tears. “I should have ran after her!  I should have stopped her! Khushi...!” He sat there thinking  Arnav, shuddered even at the thought of it that khushi might do something to herself. He told himself "No! She Can’t! She won’t do this to me! I will bring her here to her house, to Raizada house!"

ASR started deducing logically, "Where will she go? She must have gone home by now. I will give her some time to compose herself and then may be meet her to explain. She will understand as she always does. I will manage."

There was a knock on the door. He got up hopefully.  Lavanya was at the door. She came in....
"ASR..."

"Lavanya ! please leave me alone...!" Arnav cut her off. She stood there staring at him. "Just leave me alone... don't you understand?" he yelled, turning his back on her. She shuddered, then turned.. muttering "You will be alone....if you...!"

Anjali was at the door with breakfast tray. She came in as Lavanya went out of the door. Anjali said "Chote.. please eat something. You need to take your tablets.. please.."

He said "No Di I am fine. In fact I am stronger than ever before"

"But I insist, Chote.. for your Di 's sake..." He took the tray from her and said "I will eat." She came in and made him to sit on his bed. She started feeding him. She said "I will not ask you any questions, chote.. but please take care of yourself.. Khushi.."

"Stop it Di!' He got up. "No one will take this name in my house again!". Anjali looked at him in shock. "But chote... you married her.."

"Yes, I married her", he thought turning his back on his sister, "To marry her was my decision but to to walk out is her choice.. I don't care...I don't give it a damn!" He looked at his cell phone in his hand... He had tried calling khushi's cell almost every minute since she left him. He turned around, Anjali was gone.
The clock struck 12.00 and he heard a drone of airplane flying high in the sky above his house. Inadvertently, he looked up... he did not understand why his heart sank....! "

Lavanya, outside ASR's room looked up in the sky following the drone of the aircraft. She thought of Khushi. She thought "If Khushi was here now she would be so excited.. she would have ran out to follow the airplane.. poor Khushi... see what we have done" tears rolled down..