Part 27

Part 27

Khushi had decorated the entire mansion with flowers and illuminated the walls with fairy lights, The outdoor flooring up to the gates were full of colourful Rangolies. She had asked papaji to stay at home and she went to the Airport to receive Raj, Elsa, Meera and Tej. She was waiting at the lounge and heard the announcement of the arrival of the Delhi Plane. People started pouring in. She was with the driver who was holding the placard with Raj's name. She was eager to meet them. And then she saw him... coming out of the clearance area, in his trademark style confident and conquering.... She kept on looking at him mesmerized. Her eyes went hazy... she started trembling, she felt weak. “Arnav ji…!”  her heart cried out.  Arnav ji, her husband Arnav ji was walking away.  “Away?”  “No!”  She could not take her eyes off watching him walking towards her. A gust of wind nullified all the noise around.. bells started ringing in her ears... her eyes unfocused, she stood there like a statue

He came out of the clearance area and started walking out of the airport building. A gust wind made him stop in his pants... he looked around. He had this feeling after a very long time. "She is here.." He thought... he stopped.. looked around but the crowd played villain and he walked away shirking her thought from his mind. SHE SAW HIM GOING AWAY.....

There was an announcement of the arrival of the Plane from New York. She waited there eagerly. And she saw them coming out with the trolley of baggage. Their eyes looking out for her. "Here... here " She shouted. They came near. The Driver ran forward to pick up the luggage. Khushi ran forward to greet them.
She made them wait at the gates of the mansion. She went ahead and brought thali for aarti. She brought them in and in the hallway. Mummiji on her wheel chair and papaji standing behind her were looking nervous, waited eagerly. 

Raj came in... stood at the threshold of the house, looked at his parents... Elsa with the kids lingered behind to allow Raj to go ahead. He looked at his mother unblinkingly and slowly at his father looking nervous and trying to judge his feelings. Papaji could not see any of this as his eyes were filled with tears. Raj, seeing this ran forward and dashed to their feet.

Papaji held him up and hugged him tightly. They had forgotten those ten years. He was their eldest son and he had come back to them. They were not bothered about what had happened in these 10 years.
Someone was pulling papaji's coat... he looked down. His grandchildren were looking up at him. He lifted both of them in a tight hug. Raj sat at his mother's feet burying his face in her laps crying his heart out. Elsa slowly came forward with the looks of apprehension of rejection in her eyes. Mummiji looked at her and called her with open arms. She rested her head on Mummiji’s shoulder.

Khushi had merged herself in the background. And ran to her room. She was crying, she was crying with happiness. She and Elsa together had made it. She had succeeded. She came to her room. And stood in front of her devi mayya. She prayed joining her palms, closing her eyes with tears rolling down her cheeks.  She was happy with her Devi Mayya.  She was praying with full devotion for the first time since she left Delhi.  Her Devi Mayya was with her now!

“Hey Devi Mayya! Raksha karanaa!” she prayed touching her head at her Devi Mayya’s feet.  Devi Mayya was smiling.  She looked up.  “Smiling? That mean you have forgiven me for not praying…!” she was happily smiling.  She kept her head at devi mayya's feet and did not know how long she cried.  The catharsis lifted her spirits.

There was a knock on the door. She looked around, the kids were at the door. Meera called out "Khushi buwa..?" She was surprised. Smile appeared on her face. She called them in with open arms. She saw Raj and Elsa behind them. And then Papaji pushing mummiji's wheel chair came in. They all hugged her. Their family was complete. She was really a part of their family. 

Papaji's phone rang. Someone from his office had called. Papaji was informed that someone was waiting for him at the office. Papaji, looked little worried. But said "Please request him to wait till evening, I am busy with my family today. Do not give away any information. And do not call me again."

The butler came in to invite them for lunch. While going towards the table, she held papaji's hand staying behind all of them. Papaji looked at her surprised. He looked into her eyes, sensing pain.
He stared at her and then "You saw him!" He made the statement. 

She nodded trembling. He held her in his arms and stroked her head. "Don't worry, everything will be alright."

She blurted "Papaji... I .. I wa... wa..nt to mee....t."
"Yes, puttar, you will meet him...Soon!" Said papaji in his firm voice.

Arnav Singh Raizada, waited at Kolkata Fashion House office in Kolkata for Mr. Balwindar Singh to arrive. When he was told that Mr. Balwindar singh will be coming to office only in the evening , he was furious. He was also told not to call on his cell phone as he was with his family today. He thought of going back to his hotel room and come back later in the evening. But he did not want to take any chances.

He was already late for this meeting by eight days, for his fault. He had missed out on the gift pack. He had not opened it for eight days and when he opened it he could not wait for a second.

While going home last night, he had seen the packet, kept on his table by Aman. He had ripped it open. He stood there looking at it, shocked. He could not take his eyes off. It was the gift of the spiral bound photographs with the captions... "Brides of India". He kept on flapping the photographs. There were photos of twelve brides selected from 12 different states of India in the traditional bridal wear of each state. The photos looked stunning... The photography was excellent and on top of that.. all the photos were of Khushi in bridal wear. He could not believe his eyes. He again thought that he had hallucinations. He pinched himself and kept on flipping the photos. She was looking so beautiful and sober and blushing as if she is getting married and the baaraat of the bridegroom is at the gates. His eyes locked on her face, his fingers running on the photographs, as if trying to touch her.. he blurted in a bare whisper "Khushi....!"

He had immediately ordered to book his ticket to Kolkata and dropping the idea of going home, had directly come to the Delhi Airport.

Waiting at KFH office he tried to talk about the model showing them the photographs. But no one was able to give him any information about this model. They kept on saying, this was only a trial photo shoot and the real calendar will be with the top model of this country. They could not tell even the name of this model saying she is not on their assignment. He had no option but to wait for Mr. Balwindar Singh since he remembered that he had handed over the packet to him as a special gift saying this would interest him. He was cursing himself for wasting eight precious days.

As the time passed , he became more and more impatient. His anger rising, he thought of calling Mr. Balwindar Singh on his cell. But his professionalism held him back. He had to wait till evening.
Exactly at 5.30 in the evening, Mr. Balwindar Singh arrived. He apologized to ASR for keeping him waiting. He invited him to his cabin and ordered someone to get some snacks and tea. 

ASR eager to open the topic started off
"Mr. Balwindar Singh, thank you for the honour and gifts. He pulled out the packet from his laptop bag. Held it in his hand, looked at it for some time and then gently put it down on the table in front of Mr. Balwindar Singh. He looked at the packet and looked up in the eyes of ASR questioningly and asked in a controlled voice,

"Mr Arnav Singh Raizada, did you not like my present? I will take it back......" He bent and moved his hand forward to pick it up from the table. Arnav jumped at it and grabbed it before the other could lay his hands on it.

He said, "I would like to know who the model is. I know we have signed an agreement. I have no intentions to pull any of your employees to our company. I want to meet this model."

"May I know why do you want to meet her? And she is not a model. This was a trial shoot and we just made her wear these clothes. She is our employee and unless we know the purpose, we cannot disclose any information. Its against our company policy and ethics. So please tell me why do you want to meet her." Balwindar Singh said in a little stern but polite voice. 

"Why do I want to meet her? ASR thought to himself, "Because I want to settle some old scores with her.."
"In that case, may I know why did you gifted me this so called trial shoot photographs?" ASR retorted.
Balwindar Singh coolly looked at ASR and said "I thought you would like the concept of our next show, showcasing the bridal wear" he paused for a while and said "This is the girl you had on your calendar last year, If I am not mistaken Mr. Raizada..." He went ahead "Then you should be knowing this girl, then why are you asking us?"

... "Then you should be knowing this girl, why are you asking us?"
...
ASR glared at him speechless, then in a defeated voice said "She left me.... I mean our company. I want to know where she is..... I mean .. our company owes her money for the calendar shoot. I ... I am asking her whereabouts to pay her. "

"In that case, you may keep the cheque with our accountant and he will complete the formalities. A person like you, A CEO and Managing Director of a group of companies need not meet the trivial, common Employee of another company.." He looked piercingly at ASR and waited for his reaction.
ASR, burning with fury clenching his fists, his face contorted with rage, got up and retorted, "If you do not wish to give me any information. Then its fine. But I will find out, I will ....!"

He marched out of the cabin. "Mr. Raizada..," Balwindar Singh called from behind. ASR looked back stopping with optimism and hope in his eyes, "You may want to go to Kaali Mandir of Shanti Niketan early morning at seven tomorrow..??" ASR looked puzzled. He opened his mouth angrily to ask "is this a joke?" but before he could do that Mr. Balwindar Singh dismissed him saying "Good bye Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada" smiling with twinkling eyes.

Arnav could not sleep that night. He was confused and angry. He did not succeed in finding out khushi's whereabouts on top of that Mr. Balwindar singh puzzled him by giving weird isuggestion. But he had decided to visit Kaali Mandir.