Part 11

“will you be able to find me a job?” she asked with hope looking up at him.  He nodded.

“Yes, puttar..!” he said confidently and smile appeared on her saddened face.  “Th... thank you very much! ” she could only utter.  Sardar ji kept his heavy hand on her head and said.

“Do you think, running away from problems will solve your problems?” he asked her little sternly.  She looked up at him straight.

“Do you have any other solution?” she asked him flaring up for the first time.  He could sense a spark in her.  He beamed back.  “May be you are right!” he said coming a step nearer.

“Puttar.. you should go home now! Take this card.  Call me when you decide!” he took a business card from his wallet and gave it to her.  She glanced at it turning it in her hand.  “Thank you sir!” she said bowing gratefully.  He smiled.  “Koi baat nahi puttar! Take your own time!” he said getting up.  She got up too.  She had no desire to go home but it was an order from her new boss.  They both walked away.

“Umm.. Sir?” she was back running.  He looked at her raising his eyebrow and gazed at her through his spectacles.

“Umm... I mean ... I am not adequately educated...!” she knew what she was called in her office.  “A boorish, yokel, illiterate...!” The list went on.  

“There will be adequate training..!” he looked at her piercingly trying to read her mind.  She nodded.  No other detail was required.  She dragged herself home.   He had gone back.

“Isskay piche jao...! follow her everywhere..!” he had ordered his driver taking the steering of the car.  He came back BTR guest house!  

“What am I going to tell at home?” she had no answer.  She knew for sure that Buwaji would never believe her.  Her Amma babuji were helpless... And Payal wouldn’t do anything against buwaji’s wishes.  She was trapped.  The catastrophe broke her down completely.  The feeling of being cornered was so overwhelming that she felt like jumping out of the racing bus.  

She dragged herself home to face her Buwaji again.  Her Buwaji was furious for her being so late.

“Had been to Mandir to pray for babuji, Buwaji... he is very serious!” She could only say with all the energy left in her.  Buwaji gaped.  “What do you mean, serious?” she asked again.

“I mean, babuji’s is shifted to ICU!” Khushi clarified going into the bathroom.  The doorbell rang and Khushi’s heart jumped out.  “Sham ji?” she couldn’t comprehend what she would do if it was Sham at her door.  She avoided opening the door.  It was their regular postman distributing the letters.  Buwaji took her letter from treasury.  Khushi came out relieved and took the letter from Buwaji.

“It is stated that your full family pension will be deposited in your bank account from this month..!” Khushi read out to Buwaji’s relief.  “Haan.. Nandkishore! Sham Babua is really an angel.  He did this work for me! Aii Khushi, Devi Mayya ko Prashad chadha kar aanaa ...!” She said joining her hands and Khushi nodded without further reacting.  

“Why are you so upset? See everything will be alright now! Got a good news..! Nothing will go wrong.. nandkishore!” Buwaji talked excitedly entering the kitchen.  Khushi came out and went into her room closing the door behind.  She was not sure how she would react if she saw Sham again in the house.  She felt like killing him with whatever she had at that time.  

She pulled over the blanket and closed her burning eyes.  She woke up with a start to hear the familiar voice.  Her blood boiled.  She sat up in her bed clenching her fists.  She heard her Buwaji talking to Sham.  He was telling her about Babuji’s health.  Khushi had no desire to confront him.  “I have to decide first, what i am going to do...if no one believes me!” she kept saying to herself.  She knew no one will believe and the only one who did was in the hospital fighting death.  

“If there is a problem, there is a solution!” she felt the heavy hand on her head.  Somehow she felt someone behind her, giving her a helping hand.  Her phone rang and she picked it up.

“Hello jiji, Yeah.  I will bring your dinner.  Don’t worry!” She disconnected going into the kitchen.

“Khushi ji..!” sham was at the kitchen door.  She reheated the dinner Amma had cooked.

“Amma, you stay home! I will go and give jiji her dinner!” Khushi said without bothering about anyone else in the house.

“Ok.I will come with you! I will stay in the hospital in the night!” Sham offered looking at Buwaji.  Buwaji nodded but Khushi dismissed.

“No! Jiji will be in the hospital.  Avinash’s wife will be with her!” she added dismissively.  Sham frowned.  Khushi filled the container and went out on her scooter in that freezing cold in the evening, wrapping herself in woollen.  Sham and Buwaji gaped at her speed.  Amma went into her room without a word and without dinner.  Buwaji served dinner to sham fondly and they both came out in the hall. 

Khushi went to hospital and her jiji had her dinner.  “Khushi, you go home and come with tea in the morning! I will stay here.  Anita bhabhi has a night duty here... So I am little relieved.  She is there to take care of babuji!” Payal had taken charge.  Khushi just nodded without any argument and collected the dinner containers and came out of the hospital.  Her mind was completely blocked incapable of thinking anything.  She somehow reached home and went into her room closing the door again... only to get up when Buwaji shook her vigorously.  

“What is it?” she asked irritably.  “Aray, you slept off without even having your dinner!” Buwaji yelled in midnight.  Khushi looked around and saw Sham at her room door.  She felt filth..! She got up with a jerk. 

“Buwaji I want to go to the temple!” she declared.  Buwaji looked at the time in shock.

“Now? At this hour of night?” she asked coming on to Khushi angrily.  Khushi stood her ground.

“Yes!” she said with determination.  “I want to pray!” she said looking at her Buwaji defiantly.  “And Sham ji is coming with me!” she declared taking Sham for granted.  Sham felt better and he came to her defense.

“Aray, Buwaji, don’t worry! I will take her to the Mandir!” he said smiling at Khushi.  She didn’t bother and went into the bathroom hiding her phone in her hand.  

“I know, he is the last person to believe me! But I have to... I have to do this!” she sat on the small bathing stool in the bathroom fidgeting with her cell phone for a long time, unable to make up her mind.  “But... if he has done this to us! He will go to any extent to cause harm... I have to stop this... with minimum damage! ...!” she said to herself getting up and coming out of the bathroom.

She dialled a number spoke hurriedly and came out of the room, ready to go.  She saw Sham talking over phone.  She went behind.

“Look... If he is not of any use... finish him!” he was hissing in the phone.  “You know how to do this..!” he said clenching his fists.

“I am ready..!” Khushi said loudly and Sham turned in shock.  He hurriedly disconnected the phone.  Khushi looked away ignoring him.  He took his bike and said... “We may not get an auto now!”Khushi nodded considerately. He was happy to ride with her.  She had turned herself in stone....! Going to Mandir was a task for her...!