Part 68

It was last week of September. The rains had subsided. Khushi took Mummiji to the temple. Mummiji went home in the car and Khushi moved towards the bus stop. She stood there waiting for the bus. She was dreaming about the wedding day. She had started shopping for her Jiji, in consultation with Elsa and Mummiji. Elsa was so excited, that she accompanied her even in the smallest of the things. Broad smile appeared on Khushi's face. "I will do everything possible for my Jiji!" she muttered.

"Khushiji!" A hand gripped her shoulder. She froze. She turned in a jerk. Sham was standing there behind her clasping her shoulder tightly, with a hedeous smile on his face.

"Y..yo.. You?" Her voice had left her. She felt her head spinning, mouth dry, her heart stopped.
"Yes! Its me! How could you think, you can escape from me, Khushiji?" he asked smirking. "I never let go once I lay my hands on!" He said with gritted teeth.

She looked around. A set of unknown men had surrounded her. She looked for some help desperately.
"I.. I ! You.. How can.. you!" She blurted trying to take a step backward. He had clasped her tightly. She couldn't move. She tried to look around.

"No use Khushiji! You can't escape now!" Said Sham putting his other hand on her shoulder. She knew she had lost it.

She looked down in defeat! "Don't create a scene. No one will come to your rescue. Shut your mouth and come with me. I have my men all over. I can kill you anytime!" threatened Sham. He pushed her forward and started walking with her still clasping her arm. His men moved like a team around them. She started walking helplessly, praying her Devi Mayya, remembering Kaali Maa ....

She lost her balance and bent forward stubbing her toe. She screamed in pain. His clasp loosened. She straitened herself up turning around in half circle, hurled her laptop bag and whacked him straight in the face with all her might; completing the circle to maintain her balance like a kathak dancer. He lost his balance and fell backward clutching his nose. The bus honked applying breaks just in front of her and she boarded the bus hopping on the foot rest holding on to handle bar for dear life.

She saw men running behind the bus and then giving up. She got inside the bus. And prayed her devi mayya, thanking her....

Sham was furious. He sat in the car and followed the bus. Five men could not hunt a single helpless girl. He closely followed the bus. He knew the bus would stop at some place and he would get in. He had started bleeding. This whack and the hit was so forceful it made a deep cut across his nose, tearing his cheek. He almost broke his nose. Blood started dripping down his face, his mouth bled uncontrollably.  He winced with pain and got still more furious.

Khushi, shaking from head to toe called up papaji. 'Papaji" she was struggling for breath. "Puttar, what is it?" asked concerned papaji.

"Papaji, I am in the bus. Somehow escaped from his clutches. I don't know what to do. He is following..!" she went on incoherently.
"What? Puttar! who was that?" papaji got up from his seat in his office sensing danger.
"Papaji.." Khushi was crying. "Papaji, he caught me!" She sobbed. People in the bus turned and looked at her frightened face.

"Khushi keep the phone on! Which bus have you boarded?" Asked papaji, planning for her rescue. "My usual bus that takes me to my computer class in new market near.. near the circle" she said quivering.
He calculated.. "Ok. Puttar, don't get down from the bus. Keep going till it takes you. I know the route and I will arrange something.. I am on my way. Just stay hidden in the bus. Take someone's help to hide yourself. Keep the phone on!" Papaji talked briskly walking towards the parking lot and signaling the security persons to follow him.

He sat in the car with two security persons and raced away.
Khushi looked behind from the rear window to find his car closing in. She looked desperately around. It was her usual bus with the known faces. " ki hoyechhe? What happened?" an elderly person asked. "Someone is following me!" she said looking frightened. People looked around at each other. Then the elderly person said "don't worry! We are there!"

The bus passed the traffic signal in the nick of time leaving the car stopping at the signal. She looked and prayed clasping her palms together. "Papaji.." she clutched her phone again to her ear. "Puttar I am coming.. don't worry! Get down at the circle if you see a black car parked at the stop" papaji said. She felt better. The car behind was closing in.

Sham was not going to give up. He was determined to stop her at any cost. "If she can't be mine, she has no right to live!" He thought revengefully. She was a danger to his very existence. "I will compel her to be mine by hook or crook. "Let me have you in my possession, Khushiji.. only one chance... and you will be mine forever!" He thought hungrily, licking the blood from his lips lustfully. "I will not leave you like that Khushiji! I will have you! I will shut your mouth for good!" He thought clenching his fists.
He had all his focus on the bus in front. They were closing in. "Any moment I will overtake the bus and stop it only to have her" he wiped his lips with his tongue. His face soaked with blood. He wiped it off furiously. He could see the bus slowing down at the bus stop. He asked the driver to take the car nearer and jumped out of the car. He rushed to the back door of the bus with two of his men and boarded the bus. He elbowed his way pushing the crowd aside like a maniac. He looked around for Khushi. He looked hideous, with the blood stains and cut marks. The bus had started again and moving away on the crowded road, honking. He saw the bus overtaking a halted black car. Khushi was nowhere to be seen in the bus. He made his way up to the front searching for her. When he realized she was not there, he got down from that speeding bus with his men and came running back. His other men were still in search for her.

All this drama happened in just 15 minutes. Papaji had called up his person on the bus route to be at the crowded stop, where the bus stopped for longer time. The elderly person in the bus had helped her to get down safely surrounding her with few more passengers from the bus and had made it to the black car parked just adjacent to the bus stop. Khushi escaped narrowly. The car made an en route deep into the crowded area and only after ensuring that it was not chased took Khushi to her home safely. Papaji was waiting anxiously at the gates. She got down and ran towards papaji crying. He embraced her tightly assuring that she was safe and took her in after thanking the driver.

Mummiji was at the front door. Papaji took her in and gave her a glass of water. He ordered the butler to get a glass of hot milk with lot of sugar. Mummiji and papaji did not say anything but hugged her sitting on either side to convey that she was safe now and there was nothing to worry! Elsa came in with the milk and helped her drink it. She sat on the floor keeping her hands on Khushi's knees embracing her around her waist.

Khushi was sobbing! She was shaking from head to toe. She felt little better after some time and felt the warmth of her foster parents. She was safe.

She stared at Elsa sitting on floor and then looked up grinning, with unfocused eyes. She looked little hysterical. Papaji gazed at her worriedly.

She turned to papaji and said breathing heavily, "Papaji, I whacked him! Yes, I did! My blow must have broken his nose!. YES!" She threw her clenched fist in the air. Satisfaction glowed her face! Both her parents gaped at her. Then papaji smiled and Mummiji hugged her tightly and said "My brave girl!.. I love you, I am proud of you!" She kissed on Khushi's forehead.

The butler had laid the table. Khushi refused to have lunch. She had continued with her one time fasting and had grown weaker. She had not yet come out of the morning trauma. She still winced at the thought of her failed abduction experience.

"Papaji, please don't tell anything about this to Arnavji. He will be worried!" She said pleadingly.
"No, Khushi! I have to tell him. This time, I will not yield to your blackmailing tactics! Understand? When and how to tell is my discretion!" He said firmly.

"Now, have lunch with us!" He ordered. "No! papaji, you know. I will have dinner." She said.
"No more blackmailing, Khushi! You are having lunch with us" He spoke like a dictator.
Khushi had continued her fasting and had successfully stopped the couple from telling this fasting tale to Arnav saying "If you really accept me as your daughter, you will not stop me from fasting; else I will know that I am not!"

Papaji gripped her shoulder and brought her to the table. She had no choice than to have lunch with them. "I will not have dinner!" She thought resolutely.

"Now, if you are OK. Khushi puttar, I would like to continue with my work. You are not going anywhere. You are not going out of this House. Understand?" Papaji said firmly.
"Yes papaji!" she winced again.

*** *** ***
Arnav's cell rang early evening. He was in the office busy with the meeting with an important client. He saw papaji's name and picked up the phone wondering.

"Puttar, I need to talk to you. Is it a good time now?" Asked papaji.
"umm! Papaji, I am in a meeting with the client, can I call you back in half an hour?" Arnav asked politely.

"OK" said papaji. Exactly after half an hour, his phone rang.
"Good evening!" Arnav greeted. "Puttar, if you are in the office, come out of the office and sit in your car and call me back. I don't want to take any chances . Arnav obeyed puzzled to the core. He called papaji back. "What is it?" Arnav asked.

"Puttar, HE knows where Khushi is!" Said papaji in grave tone. He did not know how to tell Arnav about Khushi's morning incident.