Part 34

Chote, have your breakfast..!” Ordered Anjali looking at her borther’s face intently.  He avoided her.  Her searching eyes would find out.  He looked away.

“Umm.. I will have it in the office..!” he said weakly and Anjali got up from her chair.

“What is it, Chote? Why are you distancing yourself from us all?” she asked painfully and he had no answer.

“Who is distancing?” came a sweet voice of Sham and she turned her face feeling better that Sham would handle Arnav.

“I am going Di!” Arnav turned to hide his hatred.  “What? Wait! Have breakfast..!” she came a step forward.

“Chote.. Please have your breakfast!” Nani said seriously.  He turned.
“Bhookh Nahi hain Nani..!I am not hungry!” he looked at his nani.  She could sense anguish.  She understood.

“Chote..!” she pleaded and he came back. 
“Umm.. Saale Saab..!” Sham started off slyly.  Arnav stared at nothing.  Nani could see his clenched fists.

“Damad ji… your talk can wait.  First let him have his breakfast..!” Nani successfully stopped further discussion.  Arnav was thankful.  He looked up at Nani but she looked stern.  

“Aray… Have one more…!” Anjali served her husband one more Paratha.
“Umm.. No, Raani Sahebaa… I am not feeling well…” he played his card successfully to gain sympathy.

“What? What happened?” Anjali asked.  She was panic.  He made a face to gain more sympathy.  She got up clutching his arm.  He looked miserably.  Nani and mami looked on.  

“Nothing.. Raani Saheba… its only a head ache and a little fever..Don’t worry!” But anajli had started dialing the Doctor’s humber.

“Stop Rani Saheba.. I am alright.  I have taken medicine… !” he said sweetly.
“No… I can’t …!” Anjali had tears in her eyes.

“Aray Raani Sahebaa.. nothing will happen .. its only a mild fever.. I will not die of this..!” he took out his trump card and Anjali shuddered.

“Please, for god’s sake.. Don’t say that… I will die… I will not sustain…!” she sobbed.

“Please, Sham ji… Shubh boliye…!” Even nani fell into the trap.  Sham glanced at Arnavs’s flexing muscles.

“Raani Saheba… Don’t say that… I cannot live without you… What if you die? I will end my life if you say like that…!” He got emotional.  Arnav was gazing in shock at this drama.  Sham’s eyes met with his and Arnav felt a glint.  He clenched is fists turning his back on this emotional fake drama.  He di had ran into Sham’s arms hugging him without any inhibitions.  Arnav knew how much his di loved her husband.

“How was he going to tell Sham’s truth?” he had no idea.  

“Khushi….!” His heart cried out for the only one he had his own.  His phone rang…
“Hello…!” he went out hurriedly clutching his phone to his ear.

“Khushi…!” His voice soaked with emotions he took a deep breath.
“Arnav ji? What is it?” she could sense his despair.
“No.. Nothing..!” he said in a heavy tone.
“Arnav ji..! I know…” she said in a soaked voice and he slammed his car door hopping in.
“Khushi… I am going to the office… Will talk to you later….!” His voice faded away with the racing car..!

“Humm…!” she wiped off her eyes.  “Have your breakfast in the office…!” she messaged and came out of her room to start her day.

“Why didn’t you come with me, Khushi? This Sham…!” he clutched the steering helplessly.  “I cannot do anything without you…! Come to me, Khushi…!” he chocked.  Sham’s glint flashed before him… Hopelessness creeped in.  He badly needed his Khushi to take on to Sham. 

“Di… When will you realize?” He had no answer to this.  He knew his di would sacrifice herself for Sham.  She would never believe his deceitful acts… She would never believe he was robbing her… would never believe her life was in danger…! Her Chote flaundered for her happiness, for her safety, sacrificing himself…!
“I just want my Di to be happy…! No matter what happens to me, to my empire, to my Khushi…!” his vision blurred.  He missed his Khushi!  Sham was all set to ruin him again…!

When shyam met his Di and kept meeting her frequently, she was very skeptical. But slowly sham managed to open her out and they fell in love with each other. She was so grateful to him for his care  and to love her despite her limping leg. He always said, he was in love with her and not bothered about her limping leg. Slowly he stared going out with her and one day they had declared their marriage. He was a lawyer and had no family. He stayed alone and one day got entry into Raizada House as Anjali's husband. He was always a loving husband. He had never talked about his family saying he was orphan and he could completely understand the pain of losing parents. 

Everyone in the family had accepted him as a family member and he always kept everyone happy. It was hard to believe he would betray his loving wife Anjali. They had got married three years back and they stayed at Sham's rented small house for a a month. Then they found out that the house was inconvenient for her to move around and work alone, they shifted into Raizada house when Arnav had insisted. Sham had a very good law practice and kept moving around entire Uttar Pradesh working for his clients. He frequently visited places like lucknow, kanpur, Saharanpur and Delhi. He had a good business acumen and used to advice Raizada's on business expansions and policies. Everyone believed him blindly including Arnav. Aranv was happy that his sister had married a person she loved and that all her sorrows had vanished when she was with Sham.

When Sham dragged Khushi and told him that it was she who trapped him, he had prima facie believed sham. But when he had looked at Khushi's aghast face, he felt something was wrong. He wanted to believe both of them. He had never even thought that Khushi would do such thing. He knew she would sacrifice her life for others. But he could not even bear the thought that sham would do something like this to trap and try to marry Khushi. There was something amiss somewhere. He wanted to find out. He could think of the only solution to keep them away from each other was to marry her. 

When Khushi left him that early morning the truth came crashing upon him. His earthen pots had crashed down despite his reinforcement cover.  He was vulnerable… Indeed!  But it was too late. He wanted to talk to sham and ask him about the truth but sham made it sure that he was always in the company of Anjali whenever Arnav was around. A couple of times Arnav had talked to him on phone but he always avoided conversation directly.

All these months, since Khushi and Arnav's marriage in the mandir, Sham was very careful. He had rarely left Raizada House and had become more loving towards Anjali. He also had talked about starting a family with her and about their children. He had tried to meet buwaji but she had shown him the door. Payal had revealed the truth about him. He had blackmailed them that he will malign Khushi's Character and reputation, if they talked about him to anyone. He also had threatened to destroy their reputation completely. With babuji bed ridden, the family could not do anything but only to wait for khushi's return.
Arnav reached office. Sham's thought was always there at the back of his mind. He knew Khushi, would not return unless the family members were ready to accept her. This could be possible only when sham's truth was revealed. He was in a catch twenty two situation. He would not be able to reveal sham's truth without Khushi and Khushi would not return unless the truth is revealed. It was a deadlock and Arnav did not know how to break it.
 
"The only person who can break this is Khushi.." He thought. It seemed that solution to each problem he had was Khushi. Every thought started with Khushi and ended with her. He never had thought that he would depend so much on her.
"Have I lost my thinking capability?" he thought, absentmindedly dialing her number in the evening. She took the phone and said she would call him later as she was driving and was with  Papaji. He hung up in frustration. 

He came home and had his dinner alone in his room. He thought of going to naniji and talk to her. He did not know how to confide the truth about sham. She had once refused to take them in when they had lost their parents. But then she had come to their place and took the two orphaned children under her shelter protecting them from this brutal world. She had given them good education and encouraged them in their ventures. He felt grateful.  But then again, he had a row with her a few months back over Khushi and somehow did not feel like confiding the truth. He was not sure about how she would react. 

His phone rang and he knew it was Khushi. He felt relieved. "Khushi...!" he said in a happy tone. 

"Sorry Arnav ji I couldn't talk to you when you had called I was driving and papaji does not like talking on phone when driving.. so" Said Khushi
"Its ok Khushi! Tell me.. is your flight ticket booked? When are you coming?" he asked eagerly

"I ... I do not know... papaji said he will make the arrangements..! " she said in a small voice.
"Is there anything, he lets you do alone? Or it is that you always depend on him? " He asked angrily. He was upset. 

Unable to understand the reason for his outburst, Khushi asked, "What..? why are you so upset. I am staying with this family. I have to ask papaji before I take any decision. You won't understand, coz you don't ask anyone.... But I cannot do that and I know whatever papaji does is for my good... you know he always thinks about me first..." there was no response from the other end...

"Hello, arnavji... Arnavji... are you there?" She asked in a worried tone looking at the screen of the cell to see if its still alive...

"hmm? Hello... Yes of course I am here and listening to you..!" he said so but had lost in his thoughts. He was thinking about how Khushi felt so secure in Papaji's shelter. He missed someone like papaji in his life... He had his family but all the members of his family looked up to him as a head of the family and would depend on him. He did not have anyone who would tell him what to do and take his responsibility. 

He had taken all his decisions on his own, whether right or wrong and faced the consequences alone. He was a protector and never had the luck of being protected. He envied Khushi...

"Hello Arnavji.. What happened? I will ask papaji and tell you the date of our departure from Kolkata... is it OK, if I call you about it tomorrow? Its late now and I don't want to disturb papaji ..." She went on...

"Its ok. Khushi... Tell me once your travel plans are confirmed". he paused and then..

" Khushi, is everything ok? Are you ok? " He asked hesitantly, in fact he wanted to ask "Khushi, do you miss me?" 

"Yes, Arnavji, I am fine.. but I miss Delhi, my family and everyone .." She said this aloud, thinking to herself "I miss you a lot" There was a silence for some time as both of them did not know what to say. And then both of them started simultaneously "we will meet soon.....!" and they laughed. 

"Yes Khushi, we will meet and then I won't let you go anywhere.." thought Arnav
"Yes we will meet and then I will have all the answers for my questions from you...! Please Arnav ji.. Don’t let me go away from you… I want to be with you, always..!", Thought Khushi. Her heart ached. She missed him so much. She felt she would cry if she continued with the conversation. 

"O...Ok Arnav... ji... goodnight" She said in a quivering voice.

"Khushi... are you ok?" Asked Arnav, in husky voice, catching her emotions. She did not answer. But he could hear a faint sob from the other end. He swallowed hard and talked in a soft voice. "Ok. Khushi, good night and take care..." He looked at the screen removing the phone from his ears and inadvertently dabbed his lips on his phone where Khushi's name had flashed a moment before.
He wanted someone very badly to talk to, to consult with, to confide his secret, sham's truth and his feelings. Unfortunately, he had no one!