Part 19

Part 19

The plane landed exactly after one hour after departture from Delhi. Khushi was stunned at the commotion all around. Driver brought the car and they boarded. It was an hours journey to their destination. When the car stopped, she got down... and looked at the palacious building in front of her... She gaped. She had not expected such a hugh building. She looked at Uncle. He smiled.

"Are we going in this building? You stay here? Who all stay here?" Khushi asked in amazement.. She was completely stunned.

"Only us!" Said uncle in a sorrowful voice. He glanced at his wife who looked away hiding pain in her eyes.

The middle aged completely bald buttler came running with other servants to pick up the luggage. They all looked at Khushi with curiosity. They came in. She saw a hugh hallway and a very big and tastefully decorated sitting area. She saw and life size potrait .. She looked at it closely. He was a young handsom Sardar  in a business suit and the matching turban. He looked no older than a twenty year boy. She thought him to be the son of uncle. She went closer and shocked and backed away immediately. The potrait had a sandlewood garlend. She understood. She avoided to look at anyone. Uncle sighed. She took aunty ji to her room followed by uncle. 

"Khushi. i have promised you to give you a job. You will require a lot of training and you need to get polished to be inducted in our business. This will require time. So..". he waited... 

Khushi, realizing the problem, looked at him helplessly and asked.."What do i do now. i mean i am ready to work hard.. ready to do anything... but.."
"Wait, wait... let me finish... I have a plan for you. You will stay with us. You will work as her caretaker. From here you will take your training... This will solve all your problems. I will pay you for this duty. So your stay and food problems are solved. plus you can support your family remotely. " Is that ok with you? Uncle asked.

"She looked at him gratefully. There was a ray of hope in her eyes.
"Then Khushi.. From now on you are incharge of "Mummi ji" he winked at Khushi...

"A broad smile brightened up khushi's face. "Yes, papa ji" she winked back.
"Now i need to attend my business. Take care.." He said and went away.
Khushi looked at Mammi ji. and said "Is it ok if i call you..." "Yes puttar.." smiled mammiji with tears in her eyes. 

She called her buttler
“Introduce her to everyone! She is like my daughter and will be my caretaker from now on!"  Mummiji said and Khushi felt authority in her voice.  Buttler looked puzzled but did not ask further. Khushi went away with him to see around.
Mammiji... sighed and closed her eyes..
Khushi sensed a little skeptisism in everybody'
s eyes. She did not react. She was thinking hard. A phone rang. It was uncle ji on the land line. Buttler took the phone and listened to the instructions. he said “Yes” and kept the phone. He called a young girl from the kitchen and asked her to accompany khushi to the nearby mall and instructed her to buy a few dresses of khushi's choice. 

"But…” stuttred khushi. "I don't have money.." Buttler said.. “No need M’am Sir has managed everything."

“M’am? I am not madam, I am Khushi!” she said with a  friendly smile and the buttler smiled too.  “Ok! Khushi!” he said looking at her. 

********  ********

Arnav, came back to his car thinking hard for a slightest clue to find khushi. He thought of going to the police but again thought otherwise.

"What do i tell them... she is not my employee anymore. She is not related..(??), how do I explain them? if i tell them .. she is my wife.. then i may have to give them proof." He thought of going back to payal and asking her to go to the police to file a missing complaint. He was not sure about Payal's reaction. He pushed the thought away.

He came back to his office ... his mails were downloaded. He scanned though important mails. The was a mail.. with the subject.."Khushi Kumari Gupta"
Shocked, he opened the mail... It was a one liner mail with an attachment. It said 

"I know where she is....." and attached was her photo running down the road in distress with the time stamp of this morning...

He got up from his chair...!
He gaped at the photo. He could not believe his eyes. His thinking brain started racing to find some clue... his mind could not take his eyes off the photo. After hours he was seeing the image of Khushi. He looked closely at the photo to know from where the photo was taken. At the background he could see the gates of Raizada House. The photograph was taken from the opposite side of the road, he thought.

Aman came in and gave him the notes of the upcoming meeting withing next 15 minutes. He looked at it. He was in dilemma whether to think about meeting or Khushi. He decided to take on the business first. Went for a meeting.

It was almost evening and Khushi had not returned. Everybody was panic in Khushi's house. They did not know the whereabouts of Sham also. Amma was crying and payal just kept looking at her. She did not know how to handle the situation. She was desperately waiting for Khushi's call. She even had forgotten to give babuji his medicine on time. Buwaji reminded her. Buwaji was yelling at her for the smallest opportunity. Panic spread on her face. She kept saying... "Khushi and sham Babua must be together. He went with khushi.. but then they didn’t return!  at least they should have called..." "But... this mua phonuwa is dead.."

Remembering that Avinash had removed the cable.. Payal went quietely and plugged it again. She repented for not having done before. She thought "Khushi must have tried calling home..." 

The phone rang... buwaji and Payal both came hurrying to pick up the phone and buwaji won. She picked up the phone. Tension mounted on Payal's face. "Buwaji called.. "Hello, hello nandkishore.. is this khushi? " No answer.. she called again "Why are you not talking. She heard the male voice coughing slightly.. It was Sham .. "Sham bitwa.. " she called... A broad smile spread over her face. Payal's expression turned into rage.. She came forward and told buwaji that she wanted to talk to sham... but cutting her off buwaji continued to talk to sham sweetly. She asked him about Khushi, he said he does not know anything about it as he had to rush to Kanpur for some pressing matter pending in the court and may not return for some days. He also said.. "May be Khushi ji is busy with Raizada work. These rich people know how to squeeze people and get their work done. We should not have allowed Khushi to work with them. May be these people will put khushi in trouble. " He waited and then said he will hung up now and call later."
“Finished? Missing you Babua, haan, Buwaji?” payal stood before her Buwaji burning with rage.  Buwaji gaped. 

“Kalejain main thandak pad gai? Are you satisfied now?” asked Payal disdainfully.
“Shut up..!” but Buwaji was cut off by enraged payal. 

“Satisfied? Buwaji? Celebrate now! You and your Babua managed to drive her away from this house… you … you killed her soul… taunting her, scolding her every now and then…. Bad omen…! Well, right, Buwaji…! Bad omen indeed.. So she is gone now… you will be happy…!” Payal was trembling uncontrollably in anger and guilt.  Buwaji gaped.

“NandKishore… what are you saying… where did she go? And Sham Babua..!” Buwaji started off shocked.

“Stop taking his name… your Babua is married and was all set to dupe Khushi!” Screamed Payal frustrated.  Buwaji’s mouth fell open in shock.

“What? Nandkishore..!” again she was cut off.

“Yes he is married to Anjali Raizada …!” Payal yelled at the top of her voice. 
“What?” Buwaji sat on the chair with a thud.

“Yes, your Babua, Sham is already married.  And you? You blamed Khushi for everything… you blamed her for babuji’s illness… you blamed her for being bad omen… but you know? You are the biggest bad omen we have in our life…” Payal screamed crying her heart out.  Amma came running to hold her trembling body.
“No Amma! I am ok.  We are going… I don’t want to stay in this house even for a minute!” she yelled looking at Buwaji with hatred.  Amma tried to hide her sob.
“Payaliya…!” Amma held her hand.  She wrenched it free and came aggressively on Buwaji.

“Are you happy now? Your bad omen has gone away forever.. .. we all managed to kill her… she is dead, Buwaji! Khushi is dead …! You must be very happy.  Celebrate, Buwaji… celebrate her death… distribute sweets…!” she dashed in and got a mithai container.

“Take this… have it! Muh meetha Kijiye, Buwaji!” She stuffed mithai in buwaji’s mouth hysterically.  

“Celebrate….the bad omen is dead!” she broke down.  “Khushi…!” she sobbed hiding her face in her palms.  “What have we done? We are equally responsible for this…!” she threw herself on the floor in despair, completely dejected.  Buwaji gaped dumbstruck.

“Garima, what is she saying…?” Buwaji could only ask.  Amma pulled Payal up and held her hand.  “We have killed an innocent soul by calling her bad omen… !” she said with burning eyes and took payal inside.   Buwaji turned into a statue shocked to the core by the duplicity of her Sham Babua.  Her blood boiled…. “Sham ….! I will not spare you for this….!” She clenched her fists getting up with a jerk.  But her Sham Babua was beyond her reach.

Sham kept the phone with His skimming mind racing for the way out and to know where khushi went.. He was very nervous before calling. Now a smirk appeared on his face. He knew Khushi has not disclosed his secret. He will have a free entry to Khushi's house. He was aware the soft relationship going on between Payal and Aakash. He said "One down... One more to go!" 

He started planning to brain wash Payal and persuade her not to go ahead with Aakash. He smiled at his good luck. He had escaped narrowly every time. He was winning.. he was so lucky .. that he actually was winning. He grinned. 

"Raani Saheba... where are you?" She was in the kitched.. lost in her thoughts. He came in the kitchen put his hand on her shoulder and said in his acquired sorrowful voice. "Raani Saheba... Please, compose yourself. You will have to take care of Saale saheb now. He is very upset. God knows what that Khushi has done to him. .." He waited to see her reaction... waited to see hatred in her eyes for Khushi. Nothing happened... Anjali was so engrossed in her thoughts.. she did not listen to him...

He felt little disappointed. But again came back to his good mood. He knew he was safe... safe... till khushi comes back.... Till.....
He did not know Payal knew the truth.