Part 101

Sham left for Chandigrah alone. Anjali was worried and tensed up. Arnav tried to be with her. But the office pressure compelled him to go to the office.

There was a call from Aman. He had scheduled interviews for the vacant posts. Arnav reluctantly agreed. Aakash and Arnav went to the office.

"Aakash, tomorrow morning Lavanya is coming. I will send the driver!" said Arnav at the lunch break. They had decided not to go home for lunch. They had nothing to worry about since sham was not at home.

"Ok Bhai!" said Aakash.

*** *** ***

"Puttar I need to go to airport! Raj is coming!" said papaji in the morning.
"Papaji, can i come with you?" asked Khushi. Papaji thought for a while and then said,
"Puttar, you are not supposed to go out!"

"But papaji, you are there with me! and that scoundrel is in Chandigrah today!" she said pleadingly.
"Um. Ok!" said papaji and she jumped with joy. She was going out of the house after a very long time.


*** *** ***
Papaji and Khushi went to the airport to receive Raj. While coming back Khushi requested Papaji to go to Shondeep's house to invite them for the wedding. Papaji reluctantly agreed and he invited Shondeep's parents personally. They agreed. Khushi was happy.

"Khushi, what are you up to?" asked papaji suspiciously.

"Nothing papaji! Just wanted to meet them and invite them. Both of them have been so kind to me!" she said avoiding papaji's stare.

"Khushi, I have told you before. Don't take me for a ride. I know, what are you up to! Stop this matrimonial business, Khushi!" Papaji told her sternly. She nodded.

"Yes, papaji! I know! I am not doing anything of that sort. I just want Shondeep sir to be there for the wedding!" she said smiling sweetly. Papaji shook his head hopelessly.

"Dad, if you have finished your important discussion with Khushi, then can we talk?" asked Raj sulkily.

"Oh! Yes! My son! Don't pay attention to this crazy girl!" said papaji laughing.
"Dad, it was you who paid attention, not me!" said Raj. Khushi laughed contemptuously. Raj joined her. Papaji felt embarrassed.

They came home to face the inquiry about why they were late. Papaji repeated the story. Mummiji and Elsa laughed.
"Dad, on a serious note, I want to know the progress here about my new venture Del-Ta liaison!" Raj was serious.
"Oh! Yes, of course! We will talk about it later!" said papaji.

They all got busy talking to Raj and showing him the shopping they did and the wedding plans. Khushi felt happy and forgot all the sulkiness she had a couple of days back about the news paper episode.

The entire house came alive on Raj's arrival. The house now looked like a wedding house and there was excitement all over the place. Raj had made all of them run around with changing the plans drastically.

"Dad, we have to discuss this arrangement with Arnav! I will call him now!" said Raj and Khushi missed to sync her hand and mouth splashing the soup all over her cheek. Raj looked at her startled.
"Khushi, still few more days! don't lose it! Bring your heart back!" He said laughing. she blushed.
He called up Arnav. He was still in the office.

"Hey BIL, counting the days? and what are you doing in the office, you should be home dreaming!" he teased Arnav. Arnav's face changed color flushing. He did not answer.

"Ok. BIL I am changing the plan ...." Raj narrated his plan and Arnav Agreed. His heart was thumping against his chest. The countdown was killing him.

"Ok, Arnav, Khushi is here! Do you want to talk to her?" asked Raj looking at khushi. She got up and leaned forward to take the phone from Raj. It was snatched away in the mid air by papaji.

"Oh! No, no Puttar, She can't talk to him. It’s against the rules!" said papaji loudly getting even with her sulkiness for past couple of days.
"Arnav Puttar, you can't talk to her. Give me your message, and I will tell her!" he said laughing. Arnav was thoroughly disappointed.

"What the hell! Why can't I talk to her?" he thought and the same was echoed by Raj.
"What is this Dad? Why can't they talk?" Raj was puzzled.
"There is a deep rooted philosophy!" papaji said with mock seriousness.
"Oh No!I know there is no philosophy! He gets sadistic pleasure!" Khushi thought sulkily.

Raj gaped at his Dad and he winked. Raj shook his head laughing.
The wedding planners and Elsa were busy packing the things, labelling them, arranging them and and preparing the check lists for all the events.

"I have invited learned and scholarly pandit jis and shastrys from east, west, north and south regions and a head pandit from Lucknow" papaji declared. "I want the wedding to be performed with its sanctity and its sacredness, with full rituals, charm and incantation!" said papaji seriously. He looked at Raj. Raj understood! Papaji had missed Raj's wedding.. He wanted Raj to experience the wedding rituals, though not himself! Raj had tears in his eyes. He hugged his father and whispered "Sorry!Dad!".

Khushi had brought in Jilebees.  Raj called up Sham late in the evening to discuss business and also told him that he had come to India and will meet sham soon. He did not give his whereabouts. Sham agreed to meet him.

Sham was happy. He received call from his financer, Mr. Roger and would meet him soon to discuss further progress. He had been to Chandighar. The police had not yet finished their interrogation but had to release him as there was no prima facie evidence and they needed to investigate more. The Inspector was sure that there was something fishy about this entire photographs episode and decided to investigate further. Sham knew what was coming, he immediately applied for anticipatory bail. This would keep him safe from police custody.

Sham left Chandighar in the night to come back to Raizada House.

Only EIGHT Days Left!!

It was 23rd day of cold breezy December.

"Dad we have to go and officially invite Arnav's family and Khushi's family" Said Raj.
"Yes puttar, I was thinking about that! and this visit will mean disclosure of our identities. We have to be careful!" said papaji thinking about Sham.

"Yes, I have a plan, but only question is, should there be a single blow or a double blow to that Sham!" said Raj seriously.

"Dad, if we go together he will know our relations and also khushi's relations with us!" This will make him alert, more desperate and he will do something nasty. . We have to be careful about that. Khushi was listening.

"Papaji, can you not send him somewhere away for a month or so? This will eliminate all the problems!" she asked hopefully.

"NO!" both of them said at once. Anger mounting on their faces they looked at each other and then Raj spoke. "No Khushi, I want him to witness all the ceremony and celebrations! He should feel the heat in the furnace, should burn from within! I want to level the scores. He tortured you both and now its our turn!" Raj clenched his fists. Papaji nodded in agreement.

" I will make sure, he witnesses everything helplessly and this is my revange!" He thought.

Khushi could not understand. "Why are they making things complicated?" she mused.

"I think we should ask Arnav about it!" said Raj dialling the number.

"Hey BIL, we have to decide about your BIL." Raj started off directly when Arnav picked up the phone!

" Khushi says its better to send him away during this period to keep the trouble at bay. If you feel the same, I will send him away for some lucrative business deal. What do you say, should I send him?" Raj asked keeping his fingers crossed.

"No!" Arnav fumed. "I want him to watch us getting married!" he said with gritted teeth clenching his fists in rage.

Raj looked victorious. "Yes exactly!" he said looking at papaji with thumps up!

"What?" Khushi blurted. "All these men are same! Inviting trouble!" he thought and went inside.
Mummiji came out slowly with the help of her walker. "I have the list of their invitees for the wedding. There are around sixty people from Delhi both Raizada and Guptas together and around 30 from Lucknow. That means we have to arrange for the transport. If we are going by road, it will take around eight to ten hours from Delhi.

"Bibi, I have arranged for that. Don't worry, everything is done!" said papaji confidently looking at Raj. "Dad, we need to see the security arrangements!" Said Raj and papaji said "Done it already! and have a plan for my beloved Sham!"

The workers had started coming in for decorating the house. The family members were to go to Gurudware and Kaali mandir in the evening. The excitement and tension was mounting. Khushi had lost her sleep thinking about the wedding. She was overwhelmed with the arrangements. She was also apprehensive about Arnav's reactions. The way the flamboyant wedding was arranged, she was skeptical about Arnav. She talked about it with Raj.

"Khushi, don't worry! He cannot say no to anything we say. I know! After all we are his in laws and he should listen to us! I will manage, don't worry!" Raj assured her.

*** **** **

Sham came home that morning looking fresh. Anjali smiled at him. "Raani Saaheba! Don't worry! everything is ok. It was just an inquiry!" he said hugging her. She felt better. She had kept pooja in the morning and was to go to the temple in the evening. This time Aakash stayed home and Arnav went to the office never letting Sham alone in the home with Anjali.

Lavanya came in and the entire house revolved around her excitedly. She enjoyed being one of them and showed interest in everything mami was showing and talking to her. Lavanya was disappointed a bit to see ASR not around. She had expected him to stay home on her arrival. Sham was still sitting there without talking to anyone.

After the pooja they had prasaad and then went to the table for lunch. Arnav had decided to have his lunch in the office. The maid laid the table. Sham came out of his room and sat opposite Aakash staring at him.

"What is it Jijaji? You look upset? Is it because of bhai's wedding?" Aakash paused purposely and everyone gaped at him.

"What do you mean Aakash?" asked anjali surprised. "Why would he be upset?"
"Jijaji don't worry. All the arrangements are done. We don't have to worry about anything!" he said pleasantly smiling at Sham. Sham cast a disgusted look. Aakash smirked. First time in his life he was getting something important to do with his bhai.

Arnav came home early in the evening. Lavanya greeted him by hugging him. "ASR! nice to see you!" she said pleasantly. Arnav smiled. He immediately went to his room for some work and when he came down he was ready to go

"Di I will take you to the mandir" he said looking at Aakash. Sham had gone out. The maid brought in tea for Arnav. He glanced at her. He finished his tea and took his cup to the kitchen to everybody's surprise.
"What is it?" he asked the maid in a bear whisper.
"Sir, he is up to something. He called someone and asked him to wait on the road.!" she said in a worried tone.
Arnav came out dialling the number. "Di get ready. we are going to the mandir" he said.

He went to his room clutching his cell in his hand. "ASR, can I come with you?" asked Lavanya.
"No! Lavanya, you take rest!" Arnav dismissed. She felt hurt. She wanted to spend some time with him. Everything she looked at about the wedding, she felt a knot in her stomach.

""This could have been me! I should have been in her place had ASR loved me!" She thought enviously. Was she regretting at her decision to go back to US? She was not sure. But Khushi's and Arnav's names together made her uneasy.

"Why did I come here? I won't be able to watch them get married!" her heart ached.
Anjali got ready and they both left. They saw a taxi waiting at the gate. Anjali waited for Arnav to open the car door. but he walked up to the gate. she stopped looking surprised.

"Di we are going in a taxi!" he said.
"why?" she asked in surprise. he had no convincing answer.
"I mean.. to avoid... to avoid... um.. Reporters!" he said looking away. She seemed to be convinced.
He asked the taxi driver frequently to change the route. At last they reached the temple only to see Sham waiting there. Arnav was shocked and Anjali pleasantly surprised.

"Aree, how come you are here?" she asked smiling at him.
"Raani Saheba, I was free and thought of accompanying you! Come lets go in! He said putting his arm around her shoulder. Arnav waited at the bottom of the stairs thinking about Sham.

"Thinking about me? Saale saab?" asked Sham from behind. He came forward and stood up to Arnav. Arnav gazed at him. "Still Seven days! saale saab! Don't be so impatient! anything can happen!" he said smirking. Arnav clenched his fists and took a step forward to punch him. Sham gave him a hollow laugh! "No! saale Saab! Don't even think about it!" he said threateningly. Aranv pulled himself back. They both saw Anjali coming out of the temple and looked away from each other. Arnav was burning with rage.

"Saale Saab! I will take her in the car. I want to take her for shopping" said Sham and turning to Anjali said "Raani Saaheba! we have to buy gifts for all! let us go for it!" Anjali was excited and Arnav was panic.

"Chote! you go ahead! I will come with him!" she said happily. Sham smirked.
Arnav looked at them helplessly.  “What do I do now?” he had no answer.....