Part 38

"Khushi...Let us go" Papaji was standing looking at her. She had tears in her eyes. "No use of these tears Khushi... the damage is done." Papaji said gravely.
"Sorry...!" Khushi blurted faintly. "Its ok puttar.. Everything will be alright. Have patience my child.." he said putting his hand around her shoulder, consoling her. He patted her and waited for her to gather herself and then they moved out of the premises to go to her home.
Papaji received a warm welcome in Khushi's house. They chatted happily. He teased Payal and laughed heartily when she blushed. He had dinner with the family. Khushi tried to take part, but, looked lost frequently. She could not believe she had lost it. All happy thoughts were gone. Papaji kept glancing at her in between.
"Khushi.. I plan to go back tomorrow." He told her.
"um? Ok. " Khushi said looking lost.
"Papaji... can i.. I mean..." She started off. "Its ok puttar, you stay back. After all its your sisters marriage...Let me know. Goodnight puttar" He said smiling at her and left.
Arnav came home smoldering within. He could not believe Khushi could do this. He knew he wasted a lot of time and created more complications, but she had no right to make it public and speak up this in public place. She might have done this innocently but even a small child knows what to speak in public. He was furious. He went straight to his room and threw the files on bed. He paced the room restlessly. He did not know what to do. He kept thinking about the events.
He stopped. "I will not think about it now. I have a lot of other things on my plate. I need to concentrate on this venture first. Then the board meeting is coming up tomorrow". He needed to brief the board members about this new venture. This meeting was the mandatory annual general meeting of this unit of his group companies. The agenda was to confirm the office bearers, to discuss upon the budgets and expansion plans, he had already submitted with the Notice of the meeting.
He opened the file which Mr. Balwindar singh gave him. He wanted to read every clause of the terms before going to the advisor and deciding upon signing it. He studied the document, took down the notes in his laptop. He had to give Mr. Balwindar Singh his set of papers. He sent a mail to aman to keep the papers ready. He would hand over those papers to Mr. Balwindar Singh himself. He also planned to invite him to his office for a small talk about his future growth plans. He was amazed by the capabilities of Mr. Balwindar Singh. He had read the papers and the company profile. He had analyzed how he single handedly managed his companies and how professionally he had entrusted his people. He had empowered his employees and had assumed responsibility for their actions. He saw the attrition rate below 3% in the group companies of nearly ten thousand employees. This was unbelievable. Mr. Balwindar Singh was becoming his role model. He had started trusting him. He felt a little belongingness towards Mr. Balwindar Singh.
He wondered, "What did he look into Khushi? Why is he so protective towards her? What is that she had in her that attracts people? " He kept thinking about it. Sure, she has something in her, "Even I cannot stop thinking about her, now even after the afternoon's episode. " he thought. He could not stop himself smiling.
The clock struck 1.30 in the night when he went to bed. He saw a new message on his mobile.
"I am really sorry for what I have done today. Please forgive me." Khushi had texted. He looked at it. His anger subsiding... he wrote back "Its ok". And went to sleep.
The clock struck 1.30 in the night and Khushi was still wide awake. Everybody had sensed something was wrong with her. Payal tried to coax her but Khushi kept quiet refusing to tell anything. She kept thinking about the afternoon episode. She felt guilty for everything that happened. She realized it was her fault and really regretted at that. She knew it was irreparable. She had no intentions to hurt anyone. But her overexcitement and her nature of taking people for granted had put her in trouble.
She had learnt the lesson. She would never do such mistake again. She would never discuss Sham again, with anyone! She was determined to make good the damage done by her. She would never ask him about any of his personal problem and wait for him to try and get out of the situation.
She got up, sent a message to Arnav ji and got his reply back immediately. She dialed a number.
"Yes .." it was picked up from the other end within a couple of rings...
****   *********

Arnav got up in the morning. He got ready skipping the breakfast. Anajli insisted, but he said he would have it in office. He waited for Aakash to join him. But he was nowhere to be seen. He called out for him. Aakash looked reluctant to go with him. He was to go with payal for shopping. He asked Arnav whether he too wanted to join. Declining his offer, saying that he had a lot of work in the office he raced away. He went to office. Aman had prepared the documents. He cursorily looked into the set and asked him to keep them ready in a file. He dialed the number of Mr. Balwindar singh. He was on his way for the meeting with his office staff in Delhi. Mr. Balwinder singh said, he would call him back.
He kept the phone and called out for someone to get his breakfast. He needed the energy to keep himself abreast. He knew, Aakash would turn up only at the meeting. This was the only meeting in the year attended by all Raizada family members. He had made all the arrangements for them.
Khushi was waiting for papaji’s call since morning. She knew he had a meeting and would not call her in the morning. She only wanted to ask him something very important. She began to dial his number inadvertently but held back her urge. She had learnt the lesson for her life. She decided to wait patiently for his call. She knew he would call when he was free. She had thought of calling Arnav ji, but again decided otherwise. He too must be busy in his work. It was not good to disturb him.
Aakash came home and payal was already ready to go out with him for shopping. Both of them insisted that she accompany them. But she declined the offer. “I want to be with amma and babuji” she said. “After a very long time I am with them.”
Both of them went away. She went into babuji’s room. Amma was feeding him breakfast. She took the bowl from her and said “Let me do it amma” Amma went into the Kitchen to prepare for the lunch. Buwaji had gone out somewhere.
“Babuji, I missed you all so much. I know I have landed you in trouble many times. I know I am responsible for all this mess” She said in a bare whisper with tearful eyes. She felt guilty. Babuji shook his head and touched her hand. She looked at him, he too had tears in his eyes. He shook his head in denial trying to communicate that it was not her fault. “Babuji, some people attract trouble, and I am the queen of those people.” She said smiling and sitting straight like a queen. Babuji had a faint smile on his face. She was coming back to her self. But then..
“Babuji, I need to tell you something which I cannot tell anyone. Yesterday, I made a big mistake in a haste. I do not know how am I going to make good the loss. But I promise, I will. Babuji, I need to learn a lot. I cannot live in the dream world forever. I woke up yesterday. Now I want to face the reality.”
Babuji touched her hand and tried to squeeze it. She understood looking at him that he was trying to convey that he wanted her to be in a dream world always. He was shaking his head. “I know babuji, you never want me to face brutal reality. But I promise you I will not stop dreaming. Dreaming is my lifeblood, babuji. But I promise! I will understand the reality.”
“hi parameshri! what are you doing here? Did you not go with Payaliya?” Asked Buwaji coming in.
Coming back to her senses Khushi said smiling “No, buwaji. I knew you all lived peacefully for so long without me and my tantrums! Now its time to payback. Had I gone with jiji! then who would have troubled you?” She asked hugging buwaji and swiftly taking out her spectacles. She put on those and started mimicking buwaji.. “Hy re NandKosor!. This girl will give me heart attack one day!NandKisor!” She said laughing and pinching her buwaji in the rib. Everybody started laughing heartily! They had the moment of their happiness together. Khushi’s spirits lifted and she ran around her buwaji ragging her.
Arnav Singh Raizada received a call from Mr. Balwindar singh requesting him to arrange to send the papers to him at his guest house. He showed his inability to collect them himself. He was going back to Kolkata in the evening he had added.
*** ***
Mr. Balwindar Singh looked at the file sent by Mr. Raizada in the afternoon. He glanced at the details. He appreciated the neatly compiled information highlighting the achievements of the company. Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada had managed the company and was instrumental in its growth. He looked into the financial details, made some mental notes and dialed the number of his adviser. He asked his office assistant to take the file and asked him send it to the adviser once they reach Kolkata.
He needed to get ready for his departure. He remembered about the call yesterday night. He had received the call at 1.30 in the night.
"Yes puttar, tell me what is it?" papaji had asked from the other end.
"papaji, sorry to disturb you at this hour of the night. But I need to talk to you."
"Yes, go ahead my child." Papaji had Said in a kind voice.
"Papaji, can you arrange another ticket for me? I want to come with you....!" She had said resolutely.
"Yes, I can dear, but let us talk about it tomorrow...and now have some sleep my child" papaji had said in fatherly tone.
"Yes, papaji... good night" she had reciprocated smiling. She had gone to bed immediately.
** ***
Papaji called her in the afternoon. He had finished all his work. She asked him about his lunch. He said he already had his working lunch.He talked about the meeting with his staff and briefed her about it. This was his normal practice to talk about the meetings with her.This worked as a ready reckoner for him. He trusted her memory. He had found out whenever he wanted some information readily, and if he had already talked about it with Khushi, she used to remember it with a flash with all the details. He was amazed by her memory.She had a knack of remembering things.
He then said, he would be leaving at 4.00 for Airport. She waited for him to talk. But, then he seemed to wind up his conversation.She asked him "Papaji, I had requested you yesterday night ... could you arrange?"
"Are you sure about it? Do you really want to come?" He asked her. "Yes" she said with determination. There was a silence for a while and then papaji said "Ok. It is arranged. And you need start packing" She looked at the time. It was 2 in the afternoon. She started packing. Amma came into her room and asked her what she was doing. She said "Amma, I need to go back. I have a job. I cannot stay here for long."
"Hy re sanaka devi... what is this? Why do you have to go back. Everything is settled. And how will we manage payaliya's marriage?" she asked looking angry.
"This is for jiji's marriage, biwaji.. I have to go. I have a job, I cannot stay.. you know, I have to earn money..." She said avoiding everybody's gaze. "What is this? I will tell him, your papaji and request him to allow you to stay. Nothing will happen if you do not work for some days..." She started off.
"No buwaji, I cannot do that and you please don't even think of requesting papaji about it. I know lot of work is pending and cannot take favors from him like this every now and then."
Buwaji was disappointed. Khushi went ahead, "Buwaji, and then I have to come for the wedding again. Will it be ok if I stay now and then do not come for the marriage? I cannot keep on taking leaves like this. I have to go"
Amma came forward and said "I think Khushi is right, she should go now so that she can take leave and attend the marriage. We can manage here." She had tears in her eyes.
Khushi took amma's hand in hers and said "Amma, I have to do this. I want to get babuji's shop back, I want to see Buwaji's chiken kaari shop back and running. I want payal jiji's marriage to be a grand one. And for this I need to work. I need to go back."
She went to babuji who was listening all this, and said "Babuji I need your blessings.." she hugged him. She was ready in half an hour. She was waiting for her Jiji to come home. She had called up papaji to inform him that she would be coming to the airport directly and there was no need to send the vehicle.
Aakash dropped payal at the door step and drove away, he had a meeting to attend. Payal came in. She saw the packed bag and asked "What is this? Who is going?" Khushi came forward and said, "Jiji, I have to go back. I have a job and I cannot take leave. I am leaving in an hour or so. I was only waiting for you."
Payal came forward facing Khushi, looking piercingly into her eyes, "Khushi, tell me the truth. What happened yesterday? Why have you taken this sudden decision to go back? Tell me Khushi, what is wrong?" She stood there waiting for her answer.
Khushi took a deep breath. Then looking straight into her jiji's eyes said in a firm voice "Jiji, nothing is wrong. I have to go back and that is a fact. I had not told you because you all wouldn't have enjoyed so much. You all would have kept thinking that I would be going back soon. I never wanted this to happen."
"Khushi, don't lie to me.Tell me what happened."Jiji was determined to get the truth from Khushi.
Khushi said "Jiji, do you want me to make stories and tell you? How will I say anything when there is nothing at all to say? Please Jiji.. Don't try to dig out something. Nothing has happened. I was little nervous with the thought of going back, yesterday that's it... But anyway, I have to go and I am leaving. And now go and make something for me.. I am dying to eat jilebies..."
"Amma and buwaji hurried to the kitchen to prepare special jilebies for her. Jiji, kept looking at her piercingly. But she had made up her mind. "I will call Aakash ji. He will arrange for a car for you." Said payal.
"No need, jiji. I can handle it myself. I have already booked a taxi. Papaji will meet me at the Airport. I will manage and no need to come to the airport to see me off."
"Khushi, you are coming for the wedding. I will let you know the date. And promise me, everyday you will call me." Jiji said with her eyes wet.
"Yes jiji. I promise." Khushi said holding her jiji's hand. She was surprised at her own toughness. She had not started crying which normally she would do. In fact she smiled at this thought.