Part 17

“Khushi…!” Avinash held her in a hug.  “Don’t worry! Go with him.  I will take care of your bauji!” Khushi joined her hands thankfully with tearful eyes.  “Thank you, Avinash!” she had no words to thank him.  He patted on her back and said … “Now go! Your new boss is waiting…!” Khushi looked at Balwindar Singh was was waiting patiently for her to say good bye to everyone.  She hugged her jiji tightly breaking down in tears.  “Jiji, I am sorry! You will have to handle everything here!” Khushi was heartbroken.  Payal too had lost words.  She only held Khushi tightly.  “Don’t worry, Khushi, we are there with Payal!” Dr. Anita said breaking them apart.  Khushi looked at Balwindar Singh and he nodded in approval moving towards the exit.  Khushi followed looking back again and again.  Her life was about to take a giant leap.

Khushi was speechless in the car.  She didn’t know what was happening around.  Everything was like a nightmare for her.  She prayed.. “Let this dream be over soon and let me wake up in my bed near my jiji! Devi Mayya!” she opened her eyes and still found herself in the car with Balwindar Singh.  Her heart bled.  She again closed her eyes never wanting to see the world again.   She was leaving everything behind.  The reality was sinking in.  She recollected the events since last night and shuddered with the pace of the events.  She looked up..

"Uncle, How come you were there when I ran out of Raizada House? Why did you decide to help me? ….Where are we going from here?"

“Humm..!” he just sighed smiling at her keeping his hand on her shoulder.  She looked miserable.  He felt a knot in his stomach.  “Puttar, we will talk about it later!” he said dismissing further  questions.  She kept quiet.  He looked ahead on the road.  

“All businessmen are like this! Not talking what they have in their minds?” she wondered.  She looked out of window.  A white SUV overtook their car and her heart ached.  “Arnav ji..!” her heart cried out for him.  “Why?” she didn’t know.  

“You stalked me!” She looked up at him with a slight doubt.  He nodded.  “Yes puttar! You looked dejected and depressed when we talked… I thought …!” he kept his sentence incomplete.  She shook her head.  “All are same!” she concluded shuddering.  “Where are you taking me?” she asked suspiciously. “To your new job!” was a one liner from him without any elaboration on that.  She kept quiet.  “Don’t worry, you are safe!” he said heavily.  “I know!” she said looking out of the window. 

“The events took unbelieavable turn and I decided to take you to Kolkata!” he said as if justifying his decision.  “You decided?” she asked looking up straight into his eyes and he gaped at her.

“What do you want to do, Puttar? Stay here?” he asked piercingly.  She still was gazing at him.
“No!” she said resolutely.  “I want to go away!” she said swallowing hard with the thought of ASR.  “There is nothing left in here ..!” she said dejected.  He looked away feeling sorry for her. 

She thought, "the person who mattered most has forgotten me..." The car stopped at the hotel. They got down. He said "Beti, we need to pack up!" She looked shocked “Hi ray Devi Mayya! I didn’t bring anything…!”

“Don’t worry puttar, everything will be new from now on!” he smiled.  She too had a faint smile on her face.  

They went inside. He opened his room door. Khushi hesitated for a moment.
“Puttar, come in.  I want to introduce you to my wife!” he said kindly and she walked into the room.  A lady was sitting on the bed. She looked pale and her eyes conveyed kindness and love. "What a couple..!" Khushi thought. She looked around in the room. There was a wheel chair on the other side of the bed. Khushi looked at Uncle.

"Yes, dear... she is my wife..." The couple smiled at each other.   "Yes puttar, you are the one who saved her!”  Khushi gaped at the couple with her mouth falling open and then smile appeared on her face.  “Khushi.... Come my dear!" The lady called Khushi nearer.  Khushi went into her embrace. 

The car stopped at the airport. Khushi stopped in her tracks... said "Plane? I have never travelled in a plane...." She threw amazed look around. He smiled and said "Puttar, you will see and do many things which you have not seen and done before. Be ready!" 

Khushi clutched  the handle of the wheel chair and went behind him. Aunty was talking to her in a soft voice. There was commotion all around. People hurrying and moving in fast pace.. kept bumping on each other. Someone. In hurry tripped over the wheel chair. Her vanity bag fell down. Khushi bent down to pick up the bag. She collected the littered possessions of the bag. She saw a photograph. She looked
Clock struck 12.00 noon .. its time to leave this place... the plane took off. Her heart sank.....!

Once settled, She looked down out of the window in amazement. A smile appeared on her face. She had forgotten everything. She wanted to live this moment. She looked around. Uncle and aunty were looking at her smiling. She felt embarrassed. 

"She is just a kid.. " Aunty thought. "How did she bear all this ordeal in just 24 hours? May be the child in her gave her the strength to look ahead and explore the new horizons". 

Khushi, remembering something asked "Aunty ji , I saw the photograph in your..." 

"Shuuh" She was cut off by Aunty. She said "Khushi, please do not talk about it and open this topic again.." She glanced at Uncle who was staring straight, his posture stiffened. 

Khushi kept quiet, though curious about the photograph.  She repented for not having a good look at the old snap!  "Puttar.. " Aunty spoke trying to change the topic, "You have a very sweet name...Khushi"
Khushi said "When I was a small kid. I asked my mom why did she named me Khushi. She had said .. "so that you will spread Khushi.. joy and happiness wherever you go..." Sadness shadowed her face. She said "Look at me... I made everybody unhappy... wherever I went..."

"I hope you will do exactly as your mom told you... my dear .." thought Uncle. "We need it badly"
It was almost 6 hours since she had left Raizada House. Still no trace of her. With every minute passing Arnav sank deep into ASR's heart.  He kept on reinforcing his vault, securing it more, making it invinceable.  He locked up all moments spent with her in that vault never to open.   He got up determined, dressed himself and came out of the room pushing the curtains back. Broad daylight filled his room.
He came out of the room, with his laptop bag, crossed the hallway .. his feet lingered infront of the mandir in his house.. he glanced at the idol, stared at the flame of diya, closed his eyes. Coming back to his senses he went ahead. He thought "She might have taken shelter in the temple of her devi mayya..." He brushed this thought ... came out and raced his car to the office. He was back! The mighty ASR was back with vengeance, invincible unreachable..! He focused on the straight road ahead focusing on himself, his goals, his business ambitions.  He didn’t want to think about her.  The hazel green eyes in his vault followed him wherever he went.  

“You are nobody, Khushi…! You can’t have an effect on me!” He switched on his car stereo. FM played some Punjabi folk... “Driver and Maid!” the hazel eyes emitting mischief beamed at him.  He winced with his heart jumping with her memory of moments spent with her during their adventure to Nainital when they halted at a dhaba acting husband and wife. He banged on the stereo. He thought "What do I need to do to wipe her off from my life? " 

"Oh! GOD! Please do something...!" He stopped his car abruptly pressing hard on the brakes, at this thought. He sounded like Khushi calling her devi mayya. He was shocked with this. "He? Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada, Praying? He went blank. How could he do this... he never believed in god. He was the one who wrote his destiny with his deeds and hard work, never relying on luck factor!

He was surprised! “Why did I pray? Khushi…!” his heart ached!! Furious with himself he raced away.
He came to his office. He felt an awkward silence. He went straight to his cabin, opened his laptop. The outlook started downloading his mails. 

He looked around waiting for his emails to download. He saw his appointments and the tasks list. He needed to prepare presentation about the upcoming winter fashion show. He called Aman to know the status of the pending works. He shouted at the people around. He needed to set the things right in the office and behave nornal. He looked down from the cabin... saw the empty place where khu...! He stopped. Called Aman, ordered him to fill the vacancy immediately. 

"And .." he yelled at Aman "This time hire a person with some Class.." Aman went off. He stared unfocused for a long time... thinking..."She is safe, she is at her place. She does not want me to know. She wants to hide from me. She must be angry with me...." Arnav was peeping in from his vault’s key hole.......
He turned around. "She is here and she is not bothered to inform me that she is safe. She does not care.. how dare she... not take my phone. I will show her, her place...." He blew his top in rage!  He picked up his car keys...