Part 94

Arnav Called up Papaji in the night to give him the updates.

"Puttar, Don't worry about her reactions. This is natural. You cannot expect her to change suddenly. She loves her husband and naturally wants to believe him first. But now the seed of doubt is sowed in her mind. It will germinate... It will keep bugging her. She will try to find out more about Sham. Make sure you feed her with right kind of information at the right time." said papaji calmly.

"hmm!" Arnav was not optimistic.
"Puttar, take it from my gray hair.. mark my words puttar. Very soon she will realize his truth! And a word of caution from me! Think about the worst case scenario and back track the alternatives! " Papaji pumped confidence in Arnav. He smiled.

"Ok. puttar, you said, he went on business tour. Puttar, do you have your men tailing him? I had asked you to do so."

"Yes papaji. two men are tailing him. But I am not sure about it He always gives us a slip. He chooses crowded transportation to travel and silps away every time. " Aranv said seriously.

"I know. But then we must keep trying for a clue" said papaji.
"Aranv puttar, take her to the hospital while he is away and take the tests"

"Yes papaji, i have consulted Dr. Avinash too in this matter and he says he will accompany us for the tests and take care if anything goes wrong!" Aranv said.

"Ok! That is good! Avinash will handle the situation!" papaji sounded satisfied.
"Ok Puttar, I have given the photos to my friend in police to investigate and find out! Don't worry!" said papaji.

"Yes Papaji! umm.. I mean... this is an important issue.. I mean.. Khushi.. I mean she needs to know! I was thinking of calling.." Arnav started nervously

"Oh! No! I will inform and  give her the details. You don't worry puttar!" Said papaji smirking and imagining Arnav's disappointed face.

After the Roka at Kolkata, papaji had forbidden both of them from contacting each other. He had told Arnav that Arnav and Khushi would meet and talk only at the time of wedding. Till then there will be a total black out! Arnav and Khushi were furious at papaji's eccentric condition.

Aranv had controlled himself but Khushi  burst out, "But Why?" she retorted screaming. She was upset and was pulling Papaji's hand looking at mummiji for support. Mummiji looked away. Khushi looked at Arnav for support but he was looking at her with the same expression for support! She came around facing Papaji. "Why papaji? Trust us! we will not do anything disgraceful. Why can't we even talk?"

"Because, puttar.." papaji wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said in a calm voice "then you will have a lot to talk when you get married! During your honeymoon" Arnav and Khushi just couldn't digest this weired justification for this restriction. "who cares to talk while on honeymoon!" thought Arnav sulkily. Khushi was clearly upset and went to mummiji.

"Mummiji, at least a phone call? We should not meet. Fine! but phone call?" she looked at mummiji pleadingly. But papaji had not budged. "No way!" he said avoiding to look at their sulking faces.
Then mummiji had said "Ypu can call each other only if there is an urgent matter. Not everyday!" she had found out the via media. Arnav looked happy. but Khushi was still sulking. Papaji looked at his wife angrily and said "This is not fair! You always overrule my decision. Why didn't we have this concession when we were married?" Arnav and Khushi had gaped at papaji. Mummiji laughed.
"Ok. Promise me. you will call each other with my permission! and only call... not Meet, no video chat! Its a matter of only a month! Promise?" asked papaji holding out his hand. Arnav and Khushi promised putting their hands on his. He knew they would obey his orders.

Back in the room, "Why were you so strict on them? They already were separated for so long!" mummiji had asked angrily.

"Because, it is for their future together. Sometimes no communication is the best communication! The anguish of separation will strengthen their love., their heart strings will tune to each other. They will have time for introspection without interference. They will have time to think about each other, of each other's feelings. Their bonding will fasten. There will be no misunderstanding. And above all they will never ever part away from each other after this separation of a month!" Papaji said seriously.

"Look at us! I still shudder and wince with the memory of those two months of separation, before our wedding, my dear wifey!" said Papaji embracing his wife tightly.. She closed her eyes putting her arms around him.

Arnav and Khushi had obeyed papaji's orders refraining from calling each other, though they both did not approve of this decision.

** *** ***

Arnav hung up after the call with papaji, sulking and disappointed. Papaji's restraint was getting on to his nerve. "Why can't I call? I will call her. She has the cell I gave her the other day. No one knows about it! I will call her on that phone." He took out his phone but he could not call her. His heart held him back.

"After all its less than a month! I can wait! The countdown has begun!" he thought throwing himself on the bed.

"Khushi!" he blurted burying his face in the pillow.

*** ***

Papaji gave Khushi the filtered information about the encounter of Arnav and Aakash with Sham. She looked sad.

"Papaji, why should this happen to a person like Anjaliji? She is so nice and pure at heart! Why should she suffer like this? Why can't devi mayya do something for her?"

"Puttar, the suffering makes a person strong. She will come out of this and soon!" said papaji.
"Hmm" it was difficult for Khushi to accept this. She got lost in her thought. Papaji left her there and went into his room.

Khushi could imagine the scenario there. Arnav and Aakash confronting Sham and Sham pushing their tolerance to the other extreme. "Please.. please don't do anything in a fit of rage, Arnav ji! Please!" she prayed. She felt his pain, his helplessness and his love for his sister. She closed her eyes and joined her hands.

"Arnavji!" she blurted throwing herself on the bed, face down!

Arnav took Anjali to the hospital for the test. Avinash had accompanied them. He had a long talk with the doctors. Arnav and Anjali waited outside. Avinash came out and Arnav got up from his seat.
"Arnav, come with me" said Avinash.

They both went into Doctors's cabin. The doctors talk to him at length. Arnav looked very serious. "But how am I going to tell her this?" he asked.

"Where is her husband?" asked the doctor.

"Oh! Her husband is on business tour and he may not be of much help!" said Avinash and Arnav nodded.

"Ok! Then, tell me what you want to do?" asked the doctor.

"I will take care of that, Doctor!" said Avinash. Arnav looked at him with gratitude. They came out.
"What is it?" asked Anjali pressing her hand on her heart.

"Anjali ji. let us go home and I will talk to you" said Avinash. He went aside to call his wife.
"Arnav I have some urgent work in the hospital. We will go to the hospital first and then to your home" said Avinash.

"We will go home and you come later!" said Anjali.
"No, Anjali ji, my wife wants to meet you!" Avinash said looking at Arnav.
"Ok, Di! We will go to the hospital first and then go home" Arnav said. Anjali agreed.

** *** **

In the hospital Anjali was sitting with Avinash's wife, Anita in her cabin. a patient for ultrasound came up. Avinash's wife offered Anjali to accompany her to the room.

"Anjali ji, come with me and see how the test is done. You must have experienced this while taking your test. but I will show you on the screen. Did your doctor show you your baby?" she asked.
"No! Anjali said. "The doctor only said everything is alright.

"Ok! now do you want to see?" asked Avinash's wife.
"Yes!" said Anjali excitedly.
They both went to the lab. Doctor showed Anjali how the test is done and how the foetus is shown on the screen. The expecting mother could hear the heartbeats of the baby and so did the doctor and Anjali.

Anjali looked serious. She had not experienced this during her test. The doctor had not shown on screen nor the heart beats could be heard.

She came out crestfallen. She felt something was seriously wrong with her pregnancy. She looked lost. Avinash and Arnav were waiting for her. Avinash looked at his wife. They went into another room leaving Arnav and Anjali alone. Arnav kept on looking at his Di. He felt hopeless and in despair. The heart beats of the baby were still ringing in her ears and the empty silence filled her heart. She wanted to run away from that place. Avinash came in and said "So let us get going! My wife will also join us. We are taking our vehicle." said Avinash and turning to his wife said "You take Anjali ji with you and i will come with Arnav!" she nodded. They both wanted to talk to Arnav and Anjali separately. She wanted to prepare Anjali for the big blow and bring her out of the trauma.
Avinash wanted Arnav to understand his sister's delicate situation and wanted to tell him to take care and handle the other family members.

** *** ****

Anjali came home and went straight to her room.  Everybody else in the family looked puzzled and worried. Avinash and his wife waited for Arnav to open the talk. But words failed him. He could not talk about anything. Aakash and Payal came forward.

"Bhai? Is everything ok?" asked Aakash. Arnav could not answer.
Payal started towards Anjali's room. Avinash stopped her. "No! Payal, let her rest!" he said gravely.
Nani was the first to sense the seriousness of the situation. She came forward and asked, "Doctor, what is it? Is there something wrong? Did you get the test reports?"

"I need to talk to everyone in the family" said Avinash's wife. Nani looked around and said "Everyone is here!" and then pausing a bit said "Damadji... is not here!" Avinash, Aakash and Arnav exchanged dark looks.

"Its ok. I will talk to him later. But here is a serious matter you need to know!" said Avinash and his wife explained the complicated situation of Anjali to everyone. "So you need to take care and do not talk about her pregnancy at all. Let her realize herself. Do not try to console or sympathize with her! She will break down under the pressure. And if there is anything unusual, please contact me!" she said gravely.

"Hello hi bye bye! Anjali bitiya is going through such a turmoil. And damadji has gone out!" She blurted angrily. "Doctor, I will take care of her!" she said. For the first time Nani felt proud of Manorama. She nodded.

Avinash and his wife went saying good bye! Everyone else waited for Anjali to come out. The door bell rang. It was Sham to everyone's shock. He was to be on business tour for the whole week but had curtailed his trip and returned.

"Damadji! Where were you? Your wife is suffering and you are out on business trip?" asked Mamiji angrily.

Sham looked surprised. "Why? What happened?" he asked anxiously running towards Anjali's room. Arnav ran behind. "Jijaji, she is taking rest, please do not disturb her!" he said authoritatively. Sham stopped and turned, "Saale Saab! She is my wife and I know what is better for her!" he said and went into her room.

Anjali was lying on the bed, her eyes closed. Sham entered "Raani Saheba!!! What happened?" He tried to hug her, but she pushed his hands away gently and said, "I need some rest. I need some time!' She closed her eyes again. Sham came out looking defeated. "Saale Saab, if anything happens to my wife, I will not leave you! This is all because of you!" he blamed Arnav. Arnav glared at him.