Part 31

"Can we go home for now? They all must be waiting for us!" His heart ached. He stopped.  "She cares more about them..!" he thought. But she held his hand and walked with him leaning against his arm. He felt assured.

"I will take her home as early as possible. I will have to take her home...." He told himself. He started planning for their trip to Delhi. He was determined to take her back to Delhi by tomorrow morning. He called up the travel agency. 

“Arnav ji?” Khushi looked at him.  “We are going home, Khushi!” he said with determination.  She squeezed his hand.."Arnav ji..." For the first time she uttered his name. he had goose bumps. He forgot what he was doing. He looked at her longingly. 

"We can arrange for the tickets anytime we want but let us go home." She said. He felt uneasy. He drove off without a word.  She was lost in her thoughts and so was he.

They went home and rang the front door bell. Raj himself came to open the door. He greeted them and brought them in. "Hey... Khushi Buwa... what did you do all day?" Kids asked excitedly. She blushed.. Papaji roared with laughter.
He had a surprise for the couple.....

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Papaji, watched Khushi going out with Arnav. He looked worried. Raj came near and asked "What is it dad? What is bothering you?" 

Papaji looked at him and said I need to make some calls and then we need to talk. He went away in his study dialing a number. Raj stood there puzzled.
Papaji came back after some time. The worry on his face had deepened. Raj looked at him and followed him to his study. Papaji sat there for some time and then said, "I am worried about her." 

"Why daddy? She has found her love and he has come back to take her..." asked Raj.

"He has come back alright.. but he has left a mess behind. He wants to take her there... But.."

"What is it daddy? Is there any problem? Why did you send her with him then?" Asked Raj with a little raised voice.

"This is complex, puttar... He has a past and he has buried it. This has made him introvert and he vents out his frustration and anger on someone else. He has to accept his past. He must learn to accept the reality. He might hurt Khushi again." Papaji was really worried.

"What past? If you knew,  why did we allow him in our house? We should have sent him away." Said raj angrily.

"No, putter, he loves her as much as he loves himself. But he is confused. He came here to take her back as if to claim his lost treasure. Like a child who wants to take back his lost toy. He is not sure about his feelings. He is very possessive. He thinks once he gets her, everything will be alright. But this would create more problems for them, I am sure."

"What past, daddy? What is bothering you?" he asked feeling concerned.
"I think, he himself should unravel the entangled threads of his past. He needs to vent it out. But he should do this before we send Khushi, with him to Delhi. We need a plan..."

"And he has left another mess at his home front... but that is trivial... I can handle it.." Papaji said.
Both of them talked about the plan for a long time. And then looking at each other and smiling, they came out and waited for Khushi to come home.

Arnav and Khushi came home and had dinner with the family. Khushi looked very happy. Arnav was little nervous. He had plans to tell the family that he would be taking Khushi with him next  morning. He did not know how to open the topic. He was not sure about the family members, especially papaji. He knew papaji can stop him going ahead with his plans.

Khushi looked puzzled. Whenever she glanced at papaji, she saw him with a worried face. She did not understand. "I need to talk to him. I will not do anything without his permission. But I want to go with him and I am sure papaji will not say no." She thought to herself.

"umm!... I mean.. I ... I and Khushi were thinking... of going back to Delhi ....!" He opened the topic nervously. Khushi looked at him. He had included her in his decision. She did not deny but her looks made him feel guilty.

Papaji looked at both of them and saw them exchanging looks. He looked at Raj.
Raj said excitedly, "Yes. You will go with Khushi... once the wedding is over..."
Arnav looked confused. "Wedding? Whose wedding?" Khushi asked excitedly. “I didn’t know, some marriage is coming up in the house? She exclaimed looking at Mumiji. Even she looked puzzled. Khushi looked back at papaji and Raj.

"Your wedding, Khushi!  You will go with him after your grand marriage....!" He said dreamily smiling.
"But we are already married...!" Arnav said looking annoyed. "Is this some kind of joke?" he thought.

"Who says so?" Asked papaji looking at him. He felt nervous. He said "I say so "
"Proof?" asked papaji and Raj together. Arnav said "I say so and Khushi...." He looked at Khushi for support. She looked aghast. “What was going on?”

"And?" papaji, asked in a stern voice, looking straight at Arnav. He fumbled for words and then hurriedly said pointing his finger to the black thread around Khushi's neck. "And this black thread. I tied it when we got married."

"And?" Asked papaji, raising his voice... "And the sindoo..... " Arnav looked at Khushi's bare forehead... and stopped gaping at her. He gave her a hollow look. Khushi feeling nervous avoided looking at him and said in a small voice "I left my sindoor at your doorstep on the floor for you.... To remember me.." She had tears in her eyes. "He remembered the droplets of blood read sindoor on the floor of Raizada House." He was  speechless.

"And?" Papaji looked furious... "And who will vouch for your marriage? Asked papaji. 

Arnav looked at papaji in horror. His jaw dropped. His throat went dry and his face contorted. He could not speak. He looked at Khushi, again for support. But she was so shocked that she stared unfocused in thin air. 

"Yes, Mr. Arnav, tell me who will vouch for your marriage?" Roared Papaji, rising from his chair with a jerk and so did ASR. 

His business like mind raced to find a way out. He felt trapped. He had a formidable opponent this time. Winning over this situation looked bleak. He swallowed hard, then coming back to his ASR arrogance, said in a flat voice. "I don't owe any explanation to anyone. When we two are ready, No one else has any right to speak on this matter. I am taking her with me and that's final." He looked at her. She looked back in a shock. He was driving her decisions. He was forcing her to accept his decision. He did not even think of talking to her. He had done this before and she had ended up marrying him. 

"Cool down Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada." Said papaji, bringing himself down to the business level with ASR "Ok. So he is thinking business like. He wants to play this. That's fine. I will do the same. This way I can handle him better" Thought papaji. 

"Look Mr. Arnav singh Raizada, I understand that we cannot do anything if you two are ready. But will it not put you two in more trouble. Instead, if you two get married socially, there will be acceptance to this relation...!" He paused for Arnav's reaction. He did not react. 

And then there was outburst from ASR. He said, "I don't care! I know I married her and that's fine with me..." 

"No. That's not fine with us" Roared Raj for the first time taking part in the conversation. "What harm is there in getting married? It will really be a grand marriage...." He went on. "Or is it that you do not wish to declare your marriage with my sister Khushi and keep it a secret? " He asked furiously. "Then forget it, she is not coming with you." Papaji, looked at Raj satisfyingly. This heat and cold treatment was getting on to Arnav. 

Mummiji looked scared. She looked at Elsa and Khushi. Elsa unable to understand the cause of this heated discussion just gaped at others. "What are they fighting for? And why is he not agreeing for marriage? Or is it that they cannot marry twice with the same person, in the religion? I must ask Raj later" She thought.
They stood there gauging each other, papaji and Raj confronting Arnav Singh Raizada. There was a deadlock. 

"Papaji... " Khushi stepped forward looking at him pleadingly... "Please calm down, papaji..." She requested. 

"Khushi, please stay out of this for now. I will ask your opinion and I will accept your decision. But for now please stay away." He looked stern. She backed away.
"Yes, Mr. Arnav singh Raizada, tell me who will vouch for your marriage? "papaji repeated the question. 

Arnav opened his mouth thinking of Sham. He was there... but then he realized the problem and kept quiet. 

"What is it that you want Mr. Raizada? Don't you want to get married? Do you want to keep it a secret?" asked Mr. Balwindar Singh in a business like negotiation..."He understands this language..." he thought. 

Arnav had no answer. At the same time he never wanted to admit his defeat. He looked at Khushi for support. She was on a totally different level. When papaji asked for the person who could vouch for the marriage, she too thought of Sham. Then, she suddenly remembered that she had not asked anything about anybody in Raizada House. She did not know anything that happened after she left. He had not bothered to tell her anything.  Their meeting after so many months was so overwhelming, that they both forgot the world around. 

"Anjali ji... How is she? When did you tell her about HIM?" Khushi asked. ASR ignored the question pressing his point forth, he said, "That is immaterial". He looked at papaji, and said "I don't believe in all these rituals... I and I don't care..!" 

"Then, why did you marry her in the first place? ... if you call that a marriage..? "Papaji asked him coolly. 

"That was the only solution at that point of time to...." ASR hesitated to continue...
"...to keep HIM away from her a.. and .. to save my sister..." he blurted.
"Then why did you come here for Khushi? Your purpose of saving your sister was already fulfilled when Khushi left you...." Papaji asked. 

"I... I did not want her to leave like that. I wanted to explain ... " ASR blurted... struggling within. 

He did not realize that Khushi was listening to all this. 

She thought... "What was all that happened in the day? I thought it was love... but ... he never .... It was a euphoria of a child getting back his toy. He thought, after marriage... I am his property and he came here to claim it back....." Her eyes filled ... her heart doomed.... She was shattered again by her love.
She came forward, trembling from head to toe, " if he married me because that was the only solution to keep me away from his sister's life....then...papaji, I do not want go back" She sobbed.

ASR had done the damage again. He realized it when Khushi started walking away from him ... he ran after her... and caught her from behind "Khushi....!"
She tried to free herself ... struggling... she said, "Please Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada... you are free. This so called marriage does not exist for YOU...!"
He came forward facing her... still holding her tightly... he looked into her tearful eyes and said in a hoarse voice.. "Khushi... no... Khushi! You are my wife..... Khushi... don't turn your back on me again... I won't be able to sustain....Khushi... let us get married!!!"

Khushi looked at his face in disbelief, wiping her eyes. "He had held her very close.." She realized the presence of others... she broke away. There was an uproar. Raj came forward He pulled Arnav in his embrace..."Congratulations Jijaji! (BIL) ... Now it is my responsibility of this grand marriage!”

Papaji asked the servant to get sweets and this time he stuffed the Roshogulla in Arnav's mouth saying "Congratulations... my dear son-in-law"

Khushi came forward ... looking at Papaji and Raj... she asked in a trembling voice... "Papaji, why do you do all this for me...? I am ... " She sobbed... Papaji came forward, embraced her and said......
"my dear girl, this is not the right time to talk about this. This is the time to talk about your future."

She looked at mummiji, she smiled and said "Yes dear, we will talk about it later..."

The clock struck 11.00 in the night. Arnav said reluctantly, "I think I should leave now..", never wanting to go, to leave Khushi. Khushi looked at him pleading not to go. She wanted him to stay back. She glanced at papaji. Everybody was looking at papaji. He did not react. Arnav understood. He got up to leave, saying , "I plan go back to Delhi tomorrow evening."

Papaji came forward, took his hand in his and said in a soft voice.. "Puttar, I am inviting you to have lunch with us tomorrow.... Raj will come to pick you up. Goodnight my dear boy...!"

Arnav, without looking at anyone left. Khushi, disappointed with papaji's decision, left for her room. Raj looked at papaji questioningly. "It was necessary.. he needs to introspect ..!" said papaji and left. Raj shrugged and went to his room.
Papaji was awake for a long time. Then he remembered something. Opened his cupboard and took out khushi's old cell phone, which he had switched off. He switched it on and went to Khushi's room. "Khushi, you may want this.." he gave the cell phone to her. "Goodnight puttar.." he said. 

She looked at the cell phone in amazement. She slowly closed the room door, came in and sat on her bed, not knowing what to do. 

Arnav was pacing. Sleep was far away from him. He was cursing himself. "Why didn’t  I  ask her? I should have taken her cell number. I am sure she has a new number..." He thought. His cell rang.. A broad smile appeared on his face. After a very long time his cell had flashed "Khushi" . He pressed the cell to his ear and said in a mock fury.."Could you not call me earlier? Why did you make me wait? And why are you calling me now? " Khushi, not understanding his anger said "What do you think I was doing? Papaji gave me this just now and I have called you... If you do not want to talk, fine..." She hung up in fury. He looked at his cell and wondered "She is the same Khushi.... Short tempered.. ". He called her back. "Khushi....!"

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