Part 30

“Darling….!” Raj had pulled Elsa towards him.  She blushed like a newwed.  “Raj..!” she said looking at Papaji’s room shyly.

“Oh! Come on… you!” Raj kissed her furiously losing his control. She smiled and responded passionately.  “Let’s go to our room..!” he said in her lips and she pushed him away.  “No!” she said and Raj sulked.  “Typical Indian Wife…!” he muttered thumping his butt on the chair.  Elsa vanished in her room and Raj sat alone waiting for someone to come out.

"Khushi..!" Blurted Arnav in a hoarse voice, after a very long time, not letting her lose. "hmm?" She asked hiding her face on his chest. He lifted her face and looked at her. She could not bear his glare. She closed her eyes. She could feel his warm breath. 

There was a knock on the door again....
They broke apart looking at the door utterly disappointed. Papaji was at the door. He came in saying "Sorry... my dear girl, but we too want to talk to our Son in law. So please come and be with us for some time."

Arnav, never wanting to go, pulled Khushi's hand, but looking at her face, he reluctantly went with her. All the family members were in the sitting area waiting for them. Arnav looked at them apprehensively. He remembered his encounter with papaji's formidable personality. He was nervous. But mammiji called both of them and embraced them both. She had tears in her eyes. Arnav wondered how Khushi had done magic on them. 

The servant brought sweets. Papaji took the plate from him. Arnav was looking at him amazed. How could such a formidable person be so gentle? "This is Khushi's magic.." He thought. Papaji offered him sweets. Khushi immediately raising her hand said "No, Papaji.. no Sweets for hi..." But he cut her off and grabbed her raised hand pulling it down, took Roshogulla (Bangali Sweet soaked in sugar syrup) with his other hand and stuffed it in his mouth leaving sugar syrup smearing over his lips. He looked at her defiantly.
“Workout Kar lunga…!” he said looking at her shocked face.  She controlled her urge to wipe off the syrup from his lips, looking around at the other family members. She was blushing,,, everybody started laughing. "This is the moment of her life after the ordeal", Papaji thought sighing .

"And now you may want to go back to Kaali Mandir....!" Papaji said smiling in a voice of teasing them. Both looked at him surprised. He looked down at Arnav's feet and pointed with his index finger. Both of them looked at his feet. "No Sheos...." Arnav suddenly remembered he had run barefoot after Khushi..! He looked embarrassed. Khushi avoided everyone’s gaze. Papaji laughed aloude... and said "Now go to Kaali Mandir and.... May be come home by evening for dinner... And take the car...And for the time being use this…", his eyes twinkling with tears of happiness, he showed him the floaters at the door. 

"I have a car..... Arnav stuttered. But ignoring him, papaji threw car keys to Khushi , which she caught in the mid air. She walked out of the house with Arnav holding her hand. It was almost afternoon. Arnav came out of the house with her and looked around. 

He had missed out on many things about the house. The beautiful traces of the Rangoli drawn by Khushi yesterday, to welcome raj, still waited to welcome Arnav. The entire mansion was decorate with flowers were still shining bright. The garden looked greener and pleasant.

Both of them went up to the car. It was Black Mercedes. He stopped and said "Do... (Give!)!"
"What ?" She asked
"Car Keys..!" He said looking at her with "No commonsense!" sort of a look in his eyes.

She looked at his raised open hand and clutching the car keys unlocked the car remotely. She opened the car door from driver's side. He kept gaping at her with dropped jaws. When he sat next to her , she avoided his gaze and raced the car out of the gates elegantly. He kept looking sideways admiring her skills. He felt proud of her. But thought "This is Mercedes... and she is driving this like a ordinary car... slower...! " She sensed his gaze and glancing at him said "Don't look at me like this...!" She was blushing... He leaned towards her wrapping his hand around her shoulder and .... She honked !!! Shuddering, he took his seat, looking at her angrily.

She took him to a shoe mall and they bought shoes for him. They were sure that the shoes must have gone from the mandir by now. They went to Kaali mandir in the afternoon. She parked the car. Both of them got down. She walked with him. This was the first time she was walking with him like this. All the other times they walked... he had dragged her in anger. She glanced at him. He took her hand and locked his fingers with hers. She quivered and tried to take back.... He leaned and with gritted teeth, in a mock fury said "I will kiss you here in front of everyone if you withdraw your hand....!" She blushed... her cheeks growing pink and ears red.

It was cool and peaceful inside. They both prayed. Arnav, for the first time in his life thanked Goddess for returning him his treasure of life. Khushi had tears in her eyes. He looked at her and unable to understand asked "Khushi... why?" She wiped off her tears smiling and said "Let us go".

They got down the stairs of the mandir and there she saw... his shoes lying there intact. "See... Your Shoes..." She screamed. He looked around embarrassed. Khushi joined her hands to pray to devi mayya saying "Thank you devei mayya..." 

"See... she returned your shoes..." She looked at him happily and then looking around in search of something, she said "Wait... " She ran to a nearby shop in the mandir complex and returned with a polythene bag. She put his shoes in that bag and straightened herself looking satisfied. She looked at him happily...and felt embarrassed too looking at him. He was looking at her in surprise .. She again had left him flabbergasted. A girl driving Mercedes was happy about the shoes being not stolen ...
"She is the same... " He thought. "She is the same Khushi Kumari Gupta!!!... and she is mine"
"You are impossible! Khushi!" He said aloud. 

And then slowly he came forward.. held her hands and she felt weak. She looked at him. Locking his eyes with her and taking advantage of her weakness, he... Snatched the car keys from her hand and burst in laughter. "I am driving now...!" He said, smirking..

And then slowly he came forward.. held her hands and she felt weak. She looked at him. Locking his eyes with her and taking advantage of her weakness, he... Snatched the car keys from her hand and burst in laughter. "I am driving now...!" He said.

She asked in a mock anger "But do you know where to go?"

"Be my navigator...!" He teased her, racing the car away in speed. He looked at her knowing she was scared of the speed. But she seemed to be enjoying. He asked.."Are you hungry? Shall we go for lunch?"
She looked at him and asked, "Where are you taking me?" 

"Taj? Oberoi Grand? Hyatt Regency? Where do you want to go?" He asked her staring at her.
"She will select some Dhaba" He thought remembering their first ever dinner date at Paratha Gali.
 His smirk grew into a smile. 

"I think Peerless Inn would be great. I love their restaurant section" She said looking back at him. He gaped. He had never thought she would have visited such high ranking hotels..

She said smiling at him "Take me to a simple hotel where there is good and sumptuous food to eat. I jsut hate to eat at these big hotels." 

He took her to the hotel of his choice. As usual he was very fussy about the food and she just enjoyed eating. He thought "She is the same... Foodie!" 

They drove to her favorite place Robindro Lake.
They sat on the bench under the tree. It was cool and thickly shaded. They both sat facing the lake. The afternoon lake water was reflecting sunlight. The golden reflection of the water on their faces brightened their mood. 

She rested her head on his shoulder and he pulled her closer putting his hand around her shoulder. They sat there speechless... Then Arnav said, "Khushi... you know we were away for how many days...? I kept counting every minute of these days... "

She did not answer. He lifted her face with his fingers and a tear drop rolled down.  She closed her eyes.  “Khu..!” he chocked pulling her into his embrace.   

He kept his head on her lap and pulled her hands around his neck. She started running her fingers in his hair, closing her eyes in satisfaction.  He had got her back in his life! 

The shadows of the trees became longer and longer. The water now looked darker. It was time to go back home, she thought. she held his arm tightly. 

"Khushi, we are going back to Delhi. We are going back to our house...! He declared.
She looked at him and said "we have to go home. Everybody must be waiting for us."

He remembered Papaji, and felt nervous. Somehow, he felt papaji saw him through. Papaji knew who he was inside. He felt papaji was capable of opening all those secret boxes locked deep inside him for all these years. He felt papaji would open these with his golden master key and all his wounds bled him to death. He could not bear that thought. He said, "Khushi, we will go back as early as possible... may be tonight?" He asked her hopefully.

Khushi kept looking at him. "Why is he so desperate to go back?" she thought. She had sensed that he got nervous in front of papaji. She did not know why... but she did not say "yes" to Arnav's proposal. She needed to talk to Papaji.