Part 25

Part 25
Khushi was working on two missions, simultaneously.  Arnav too had two missions to accomplish.. The success of the Show coming up in a big way in summer and close in on Khushi to punish her and pay her back all the suffering she had given him in these days. His blood boiled every time he remembered Khushi and he never stopped remembering her….! Every day passing made him desperate.

Khushi, with the help of Avinash, started her hunt. She kept on asking mummiji more and more about Raj, in absence of papaji. Mummiji told her that they received message about him only 5 times in these 10 years. First one when he landed in US, second when he cut his hair (Abandoned his turban) third when he got married and fourth and fifth on the birth of his two children. His friend informed us about this. He never called. Khushi asked about his friend's name. 

Mummiji told "No use Khushi, his name was Vyomkesh. He too emigrated to US and  I do not know his whereabouts. "
"Khushi had registered on several social networking sites and was trying to find out. But unfortunately, she had a huge list of the persons with same name. She did not know how to pinpoint the right person.
She once asked mummiji, whether she has any photographs of Raj. Mummiji said she had buried them deep in her box. When papaji was on his business tour, they opened it and took out the photographs. She took many of them and then scanned them. She got a particularly nice photo when he graduated. She went to the alumni site of his institute and found out a group passing out the same year.

She posted his graduating photo and requested the group to inform about him. She waited and waited but did not receive any information. She kept on posting the photo. At last she received a mail from his batch mate, stating "He is in San Francisco and has his own business. He is known as Roger in his circle."

She held on to this ray of hope. She now started searching Roger.. but the list was even bigger than his Indian name. She kept on contacting persons on social networking sites with name Roger and posting the photo on their walls.
But one day, lady luck smiled on her. She got a message of an American woman named Elsa stating that its her husband's photo." Khushi was shocked. She posted few more photos of Raj to confirm. She did not know how to tell this to mummiji, that he has married an American girl. This was definitely adding to the odds. She went to mummiji, and told her. Mummiji was crestfallen. She said dejected, "Papaji will never accept this. He is very orthodox. Khushi, no use... nothing will happen. There will be more bitterness between them. I know how furious he was when he heard that Raj has abandoned his turban. This is not going to work .. Khushi..." She seemed to have given up.

Khushi kept on communicating with Elsa. She found her to be very loving. Khushi thought "She is the only one I have to reach Raj." Elsa and Raj were batch mates and got married immediately after their MS. Both of them started working. Elsa had written to her, " We have two children 5 and 3 years old. Elder one is a girl "Meera" and the younger one is a boy "Tej".

Khushi requested her to send the photographs... She obliged. The photos of the children with their parents started pouring in. Their friendship grew. Khushi started sending his childhood photographs to her. She seemed to be keen to know about his parents. 

Every time a new photo arrived by email, Khushi used to run to Mummiji's room with her laptop and they both used to look at the photos. They had hidden their mission from Papaji. From Elsa, Khushi came to know that Raj used to tell a lot about his family but never agreed to take them to India. He said this WAS his family and it didn’t exist for him now. Khushi, sensed that Elsa and the children wanted to come to India and meet but somehow Raj has not melted yet.

She chalked out a plan. She sent some of the Photos of Mummiji on wheel chair sitting near the portrait of Tej. And asked her to show them to Raj. There was no point communicating with Raj directly. They never knew each other. This was a delicate matter and Khushi warned Elsa to be careful and show the photo when he talked about his family again.

Elsa had opened the topic about his family in India and asked him. It took him down the memory lane. He kept on talking about Mummiji and Tej dreamily. Then she slowly said, she had received the photo from her friend in India and the lady looked like his mother. She asked him "Would you like to see the photo?" He nodded looking lost. The iceberg had started melting.

Elsa showed him the photograph. He kept on looking at it and could not control himself. He buried his face on her shoulder. She then slowly told about Khushi. And how they became friends and how Khushi is staying with his parents. Then she had asked him in a soft voice "Do you mind seeing more photographs?" He looked surprised, and asked "Since when this is going on?" She said guiltily "Two months." And looked at him. He didn't react. But downloaded all the photos on his laptop and went away.

Elsa narrated all this to Khushi with excitement and said "Khushi, I think we are going to make it."
She was with Khushi in this mission. This doubled their strength.
To open the topic with Papaji was a TASK. This was a make or break for Khushi. She waited for the opportunity....

During this period she simultaneously worked on the upcoming Fashion Show. She was known as Sir's PA . and was addressed only as PA. Very few people knew her name. She was helping everyone in charge of different departments. She had improved her English skills, though still very simple, her attire was changed. She kept her hair lose, sprawled on her back and flicks on her forehead. Now she managed to communicate with people independently. She looked confident and authoritative. She was learning the traits of this Fashion Business.

There was a marked difference in the styles of these two collaborating companies. She had a brief stint at AR Group and now she is involved in Kolkata Fashion House. Both businesses run on time bound functionality giving utmost importance to time and efficiency. But one kept everyone under stress and another tried to release the stress with congenial atmosphere. She saw drawbacks of both. She was always kept on her toes by papaji and he expected more and more from her. She was realizing the business pressures and tensions. She understood Arnav ji's tensions and irritations.

 The pressure of the summer Show was getting on his nerves. He had become more hotheaded. He was doing well in this mission of the fashion show. But was a failure in his other important mission, to hunt down Khushi. He found the road blocks on every path he took to reach Khushi. Somehow even to his astonishment he had started praying and going to the temple willingly with his sister, his eyes searching for someone in the temple. People around him said "He is mellowed down a bit.."

His detective agency showed inability. He wanted to change but they kept on promising him that they soon will find out. The agency informed him that every month the money was deposited in Gupta's bank account again from different locations and in cash. He was sure that Khushi was sending the money. But he was unable to understand the locations. What was she doing at all these places and how come she is earning so much. His accountant had informed that someone had deposited Rs. 50,000 into his bank account too. He knew Khushi was paying it back for the damages. This made him more frustrated. Every time Khushi's thoughts came to his mind he found himself burning from within. He did not understand why? Was it rage or .." He tried to keep her away from his thoughts but every time he saw Kolkata Fashion House logo he had goose bumps.

He again and again had tried to open the topic of the unique and interesting logo of Kolkata Fashion House and had kept on asking about the concept. Balwindar Singh continued to smile at this and avoided the question. ASR kept on meeting all the team members of both the companies to coordinate and always found out that people from KFH (Kolkata Fashion House) kept talking about Balwindar Singh's PA to be instrumental in the preparatory work. He never knew who. He had never seen the person. He was curious to meet this person.

****************

The show was a grand success and all the invitees acclaimed it. Both the companies had their share of success. They had a grand celebration on their success together. ASR always felt something.. or, someone was missing. He asked Mr. Balwindar Singh about his assistant. He said... "Oh, she is a gem of a person. She joined us recently in the month of January. She is a young girl full of enthusiasm and a little prankster. I tell you, she can do anything... She is my secretary, my spokes person, my driver, electrician, mechanic, my adviser. In fact, she makes the decision and I just announce them. " . With every word he spoke ASR's heart sank deeper and deeper. His eyes kept on searching. But Balwindar Singh thumped his heavy hand on ASR's shoulder and said "Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada, you have signed a non compete agreement with us. You cannot pull our persons for any reasons." He looked at ASR piercingly. ASR felt nervous and did not carry the subject forward.

He thought of talking to his detective agency to ask them to keep an eye on this assistant. He was desperate.

He along with the team went back to Delhi. KFH had honored their team with numerous gifts. Mr. Balwindar singh personally handed over a gift wrapped pack and said "... this may be of your interest "