Part 26

Khushi, on next day of the show when Papaji was watching TV and enjoying the recaps of the show, came and sat next to him. She said in almost a whisper, "Papaji, can we please talk for some time? I am feeling nervous and depressed. Can we go to the lake side?" He looked at her as if trying read her mind. He had never seen her so nervous. He thought for a while and then said "Yes"
"Only two of us?" he looked at her surprised and said "ok" 

She went to pick up her bag and on the way peeped in mammiji's room. Mummiji was sitting in front of her small mandir and she was praying. She had closed her eyes . Khushi did not disturb her and came out. Papaji was ready. 

They went to kaali mandir first. They were sitting on the bench, facing Robindro Lake. Both of them did not speak for a long time. Papaji waited for Khushi to open the topic. He kept glancing at her questioningly. Khushi mustered up the courage and she sat on the ground near his feet. She kept her hands on his laps. He took them in his hands and looked at her.

She looked at him and in a very soft voice said "Papaji, please promise me that you will forgive me for the things I have done....Please?" 

"What is it, Puttar? What have you done to beg forgiveness like this?" 

She looked at him and then slowly took out a photograph and showed it to him. He looked at it for a long time... Khushi could not gauge his expression. His eyes flickered, his mustache quivered.. but in a very stable and clear voice he asked, "What is this?".

She did not say anything, but gazed at him intently. He avoided her gaze. He sat there looking away. His hands shaking a little, "This is family, Papaji," She said in a hoarse voice. Papaji looked at her "Which family?" "Our family, Papaji.." 

Papaji opened his mouth to say something.. but Khushi did not give him the chance. She went on..

"Papaji, look at the photo. Can you see your grand children? " He looked at her with tears welling up. He blurted "No... not possible ... Khushi.... I have lost it... Lost it forever... the damage is irreparable...No... No" He got up to walk away. Khushi stood up and ran after him. "Papaji... please its not over.. its not lost.. papaji.. please" 

"What?" he turned back. She said.. "Papaji... if you are ready... if you allow... your grand children want to meet their grandparents..!" She looked at him pleadingly. Papaji stood there like a statue and then slowly asked "What..?" 

She said "Raj .. " waited for his reaction. ."wa...wants to come to india to meet you..." 

"Please... papaji... please don't say no... please think about mummiji... please...."

He kept on looking at her... "But is he... how is it .... How did you... is it true? Does he really want to meet us? I mean.. will it be possible? Khushi.... Is this some kind of joke..?" he said with his voice rising. 

"Papaji, this is not a joke... its true... wait" She dialed a number "When someone attended the phone she said "Talk to him...." She handed over the cell to papaji. 

He pressed it to his ear.. Someone was calling "...Grandpa?" from the other end.

*** ***
Eight days after the Fashion Show event.. in the morning.. two planes landed on busy Kolkata Airport. One from Delhi and another from New York. One to reunite with the long lost family and other to close in on the hunt... to complete the kill....


Khushi had planned everything. In these eight days she kept on giving instructions to all the servants of the house, She had planned the minute details of the welcome party. She did not even spare papaji from this. She kept on telling him about the plan including what he should wear on that day. She was so engrossed in planning she sometimes forgot the schedule of Mummiji's medicines. But mummiji had happily ignored this. She kept gaping at Khushi running around. Her heart filled with love for Khushi. She admired her for her selfless behavior. Forgetting all her sorrows and heartbroken state, she was working towards uniting this family.

ASR came back to Delhi, frustrated. He was not able to progress in his other mission. He got a feeling that someone had misled him in this on purpose. He could not guess who. He thought of Sham but pushed the though aside. He had warned sham to keep low and also threatened him to finish him off if he does anything to Khushi's family. 

Sham had sensed the danger and had kept quiet. He stayed home with Anjali. He had not left her alone. He feared someone might disclose his reality to her. He kept on pouring venom in her ears about Khushi and her family. Anjali slowly started turning to his side and talking ill about Khushi and Payal. He was safe till Khushi is away. He was winning again. 

Now the only mission left was to hunt down Khushi, ASR thought. The success of the Fashion Show made everybody happy. Now their visits to Kolkata would be reduced and he won't be able to make progress in his second mission, he thought. But he was determined to accomplish it. He vented out his anger by opening Khushi's photos on his laptop and kept talking to the screen angrily.
He had buried himself in the office rarely going home. That day he was particularly in a very bad mood. He had received another snap of Khushi and this time she was shaking hands with a young and tall man having his back to the camera. She looked happy. His blood started boiling. He was burning with rage and jealousy. For the first time he deleted that photo.

Aman came in and said, "Sir, we unpacked all the material we had taken to Kolkata and here is a packet having your name on it." ASR asked him to keep it aside. 

He finished his work and was about to leave for home late in the night. He picked up his laptop bag and saw the packet. He remembered Mr. Balwindar Singh had given him while he was leaving for Delhi after the show. 

He ripped it open... he stood up shaking from head to toe. He immediately called up aman without taking his eyes off the packet and ordered him to book his ticket to Kolkata immediately.....