Part 58

"Khushi!" He blurted with shooting pain, turning his face and shutting eyes tightly.

"Arnavji..!" She was sitting on his bed. She touched his shoulder. He could feel her. He could smell her, her touch made him open his eyes in horror. He still saw her. She was very near looking at him with worriedly, tears welling up in her eyes. "Arnavji... yeh kya hua aapko?" She was on the verge of crying.

*** *** ***
Arnav had come back from his Nanded Tour. He had not called Khushi but every time he called up Papaji, he talked about her. Papaji answered all his questions about khushi and her plight after he left her. The guilt was eating him from within.

“Papaji please tell her to let go… I .. I just can’t ….!” Papaji tried to console both of them. Arnav kept on telling papaji to tell her to move on in her life.

“That’s not possible, Puttar! She can’t live without you!” Papaji tried to convince him.

Khushi never asked Papaji about Arnav again. But she had her other spy to give her all the information. Every day at night she used to call Payal to know the progress about her wedding preparations. But half the time she asked about Arnav. Sometimes Payal got fed up with answering the same question umpteen number of times. She had said "Khushi why don't you ask him yourself?"
"No jiji , I will not ask him anything. I will not talk to him!" she had said sulkily.

"Khushi, I don't understand what’s going on between you two! Whenever I meet him he keeps on asking about you.!" Payal said one day sounding frustrated.
"Jiji, promise me! You are not going to tell him anything about me. " Khushi had warned.

** *** ****
Lot of things progressed simultaneously in these three weeks. Arnav had gone ahead and floated a new company called "Del-Ta Liaison Pvt. Ltd. With the catch line "We do anything for you" with funding from Roger. He had issued an offer letter to sham offering him the post of CEO in this new company with a handsome salary plus incentives with share in the profit. Sham seemed to be very happy with this offer and had accepted it too. However he was not ready to leave Anjali alone and insisted that he take her with him wherever he went.

Papaji provided him the crucial information about Sham's activities and advised him on dealing with the issues.
Papaji had asked him to send the file of all the papers concerning his parents; their death certificates, the property papers, all those things which are related to his parents are to be gathered and to be compiled. Arnav was confused but at the same time started gathering all the documents without anybody's knowledge.
Sham turned out to be much smarter than they had thought. He had his paid men everywhere. Arnav could not find out how did sham knew everything about his company affairs. He suspected sabotage within his company. Someone from AR Group was feeding him the crucial information. It had become difficult to catch that person red handed. Arnav did not know whom to trust. His frustration started mounting.

Preparations and planning for Payal and Aakash's wedding were in full swing. The wedding planners were given the contract from Raizada family. Guptas were finding it difficult to cope with the preparations. They all missed Khushi. Payal was pestering Khushi to come as early as possible with Elsa.

Khushi had promised her that she would try her best. Elsa was very excited about this marriage. Khushi had started explaining her all the rituals of the marriage ceremony step by step. Khushi had kept herself so busy that sometimes even Papaji found it difficult to talk to her. She still was sulking on papaji's favorable behavior towards Arnav. She felt he is more inclined towards Arnav. Day by day she was becoming more peevish and touchy. Papaji and mummiji tried to pacify her but she ignored them completely. She avoided talking to papaji.
Papaji had called Arnav to tell him that Khushi is going out of control and Arnav needed to do something. Arnav did not know what to do. He had so many things on his plate that he was unable to cope up with all the pressing matters. He had started messing up with the things even missing out his crucial meetings. He had started shouting at everyone around him.

That day he already was running late for the meeting ....

*** *** **
"What?" Khushi screamed. Payal had called. She gave her the news and Khushi got up with a jerk that night. "Tell me everything, jiji" Khushi had asked her jiji in a worried voice trying to control herself from crying.

"He is ok, Khushi! Nothing to worry about. Take it easy, Khushi. Don't do anything in haste. Khushi, ask papaji first." Her Jiji was trying to pacify her, but Khushi was not ready to listen.
"Jiji, I will call you later" Khushi said hurriedly and hung up. She opened her laptop ...

*** *** ***
"Jiji I am boarding the plane in a short time now. Do something... Take Jijaji's help. Do anything. " Khushi had called her jiji.
*** ***
"Khushi? Is that you?" he asked extending his hand touching her face and running his fingers on her face like a blind man. She held his hand and said "Yes its me!"
Khushi was in his room looking at him with tearful eyes and touching his hand in a sling. He was running late and had fallen down a flight of stairs injuring his arm. There was hairline fracture in his wrist and his hand was hung in a sling.

"Khushi! He could not believe his eyes." She was looking at him like never before. He lost his control and pulled her closer with his good right hand. The whole world had fallen into his arm. He closed his eyes swallowing hard.

"Khushi...!" Arnav was overwhelmed with emotions. He was happy to have her in his arms. Time had stopped for them both.
"Arnavji..." Khushi blurted and Arnav, like waking up from the deep slumber came back to his senses.
He got up with a jerk from the bed, causing his laptop fall on the floor. Ignoring her shocked looks, he pushed her away.
"Khushi...! What do you think you are doing here? What the hell is this? I had asked you not to meet me again. Why did you come here? Go away Khushi...! Just leave!"
"What?" Khushi was unable to take in anything he was saying. She too stood up with a jerk.
"I said, leave! ..Khushi! Just go back to your world!" Pushing her further away and next moment coming on to her aggressively Arnav spoke with gritted teeth. "Go! Just leave! Go back and have a new life, Khushi, with that CE.. " He chocked! He couldn't even take Shondeep's name. "Go back to Kolkata! I never want to see your face.. just GO" His voice trailed off.
"Tell me where your trigger button is, Arnavji! I will smash it out once for all!" Khushi shouted furiously, putting a step ahead towards Arnav.  Now it was Arnav’s turn to get a 440 volt shock. 

"What? Are you Nuts? What the hell!" He yelled losing his control.
"Not hell, Arnavji, Bell!" Khushi was right up against him looking into his eyes with fury.
"The bell rings in your so-called smart head and the next moment you go all berserk. One moment you are normal and the next you are out of this world with your anger!" Khushi said pointing her index finger at him. "Every time, the same scene repeats with same reaction!”  She paused to catch up with her lost breath…” But this time I am not let this happen. I will smash the trigger, You understand?" She pushed him back. He was so shocked; he forgot to react and gaped at her outburst.
"Khushi... " he started off angrily regaining his senses, but was stopped in the middle by Khushi.
"Stop it! I know, all your famous dialogues, Mr. Raizada, I am not a match! I am a small town girl, going after money, a Gold digger, you call it!; I am uneducated, stupid, manner less girl and no way near your status...!” she fumed… “ Please! Don't repeat the record which I have by hearted by now, Arnavji...I know all these things. Tell me something new, this time!" She pushed him back again causing him pain in his shoulder. But Khushi had gone beyond noticing his pain.

"I know you want me to go away. Fine.. I will go away, never to return. You do not want to see my face; I will never show my face to you again. You want me to go away from your life; fine! I will never come back. You want me to  free you from this forced relationship, I have never bound you in this! I will never expect you to be nice with me! I will go and make sure that our roads never cross each other... !" She stopped breathless, tears welling up her eyes. But this time the tears were of fury. She took a deep breath,
"Khushi..!" Arnav spoke coming forward, visibly hurt!
"Let me finish! " She stopped him raising her hand! "Arnavji, I will do whatever you ask me to. I will go from here, from your life, from this world if you want... but please don't push me into the forced relationship with someone else...Please... this is my last request... don't try to push me towards anyone else..." She could not continue... She turned her back.

"Khushi...!" Arnav gripped her shoulder. She freed herself with a wrench causing him groan in pain. He clutched his shoulder pacing backwards. "Khushi!" he said groaningly. She turned.. ! She saw his pain….
"Arnavji! Are you ok?" She came back! "Arnavji...." She touched his hand in the sling, his pain reflecting in her eyes.
"Khushi...I am sorry! !" He said clutching her hand with moist eyes.  She turned to leave…"Please don't do this to me, Khushi! Don't leave me in this hell,alone! Khushi!" He touched his ear looking at Khushi with hope. She was still looking at his injured hand with tears in her eyes.

"Look at me..! khushi" He pleaded. She refused to look up! "I said, look at me!" He ordered. She resolutely looked away. He shook her furiously "Look at me, Khushi!" She reluctantly looked up, sulking. Their eyes met. 

She looked away after a while saying "Don't look at me like that. You know I get nervous with that stare of yours." He smiled and slid his hand around her waist, pulling her closer. She tried to push him away, "Don't touch me! You know, I cannot resist you!" she said in a whisper and he brought his face nearer staring at her. She closed her eyes.. "No! please don't .." but before she could complete her sentence he had shut her up with his lips!

"Khushi! Tell me how did you come?" Arnav asked after a while.
"What?" She was still lost. They were sitting on his bed with him placing his right hand around her shoulder and she resting her head on his chest. 

"Oh! I boarded the plane early morning. Jiji and Jijaji did the rest of the planning. They have taken everyone out for shopping. Aakash ji managed to keep the front door unlocked. I waited outside the compound wall of your house for them to leave and then came to your room like a thief!" she said sulking, "What not I had to do for this silly blue sling of yours!" She looked at his injured hand. He smiled. But then the smile disappeared from his face.

He looked serious. "Khushi, do you have any idea what amount of risk you ran into, simply to see this sling?" He asked her.
"And do you know what amount of pain and anxiety I endured hearing about this sling? Mr. Arnav SLING.. I mean.. Singh Raizada? She asked him staring at him. " He smiled pulling her towards him

Both of them jumped, startled with the knock on the door..!