Part 20

Part 20

It was almost evening by the time Khushi Settled in her new house. She felt exhausted. She wanted to go to bed. But she did not know the schedule in the new house. She came to mammiji's room. She was sitting by the window looking out at the setting sun. Khushi went near. She could see the wide expanse of the nearby landscape. Fascinated, she exclaimed.. "What a beautiful scene!" Mummiji looked back and smiled saying "This is the view of "Shantiniketan" of Robindronath Tagore. Khushi allowed her eyes to take the beauty and to fill her heart. Mummiji said "You can visit it tomorrow morning. The Kali temple and the lake is very famous. Khushi could not take her eyes off. But the name Shantiniketan reminded her of Raizada House. Her heart ached. She could see the same pain in mammiji's eyes. She slowly sat down on the floor and put her hands on mammini's laps. Mummiji looked away. Khushi understood. She came out of the room quietly. 

She had sensed some uneasy quiet in the house. There was lack on enthusiasm and some kind of sadness filled in the entire house. She sighed and came out in the sitting area. Papaji had just arrived. He asked her about her shopping. She had picked up a couple of simple dresses which suited her style and some other vanity items. Papaji then went to their room. Khushi sat there not knowing what to do.

Her mind raced backwards. She thought "My life has taken a complete turn in last 24 hours. Where was I and where am I now". She missed her home, all her people and even Raizada house. "I have to look ahead. Looking back will give only pain .. I need to focus on the life ahead" She thought.

She had dinner with the couple. Then papaji showed her the room. It was next to their room. Surprised and feeling awkward, "This room?.. I will stay in servants' quarters..." "No!" said papaji dismissing her suggestion and said "You need to take rest now. From tomorrow onwards your new life starts with a hectic schedule ahead. Now go to sleep." 

She came to her room with striking reality. She was alone. She was not in the cozy environment of her home. Her jiji was not beside her. Tears rolled down. She sat on the bed and looked out the window into the starry night. She gazed at the stars for a very long time. “Arnav ji..!” her heart cried out.  She sat on the bed dejected.  She had never slept alone.  She pulled the blanket over her head to hide her tears. “From whom?” she did not know!

She did not know what the next morning would present itself before her.
It was almost midnight and there was no call from Khushi. Payal became panic. She thought of calling Avinash but looking at the time she decided otherwise. Her cell rang with a message from some unknown number. "Khushi is alright. Do not worry. She will call you tomorrow morning. Goodnight" Payal gave a sigh of relief. But amma had never stopped crying. Payal did not know how to convey this message to her. She came out and said. "Khushi is fine. They have induction training for the short listed candidates and this may require a couple of days. They are not allowed phones." She knew she had a losing argument. Buwaji eyed her suspiciously but then decided to keep quiet.

It was late evening when ASR finished his business. He had no intentions to go home. He had received calls from Raizada house a couple of times. But he avoided receiving them and asked Aman to answer, saying he is very busy. He sat in his chair and stared again at the photograph of Khushi. He did not know how to find her out. How to track her down. He had received an email from an anonymous well-wisher. He tried replying back but the mails bounced back. He was puzzled at the same time panicked. His mind started thinking about the worst. 

"Unless I find out a way to find her out, I am not going home" He sat there gazing into the starry night. He blurted.. "Khushi... where are you? " He looked away. Arnav Singh Raizada did not know how to get her back.

“What? Christ! Are you insane?” yelled Regi from the other end and ASR stood in the middle of his cabin clutching his phone to his ear.  

“How could you do this ASR? You married her?” asked Regi in a ghostly voice.
“Yes” said ASR.  “You didn’t even ask her…!” Regi’s rage had gone overboard.  “Hell with you, ASR! How could you do this?” he yelled not knowing how to take out his anger over the phone.  There was no response.

“What if she killed herself…!” Regi blurted his worst feared thoughts.

“She can’t!” Came a confident answer.  “She can’t die when I am alive!” ASR said gravely.  “ASR!” Regi was speechless.  There was a silence for a while.

“You love her…!” he said.  “Yes!” came an immediate response.  Silence prevailed.

“JejusChrist! ASR! What do I do to you? Kick you, strangle you, kill you?” he again yelled.  “For Christ’s sake, ASR! Go find her out!” yelled Regi feeling doomed.  “I will!” came an answer.
“How?” Regi asked.  “I don’t know!” ASR said pressing his other hand on his chest.
“Hell! ASR! Take a tight slap from me, ASR! You deserve more than that…!” Regi had lost his temper.  ASR still stood in the middle of his cabin, alone in his office with the company of the security guard.
“You will call me only after finding her out and bringing her back into your life!” said Regi totally dejected and disconnected.  ASR still stood in the middle of the room under the ceiling lamp. 

It was almost midnight when the solution struck.
He came home and without having dinner went to sleep without talking or looking at anybody. The atmosphere at the Raizada house was tensed. He threw himself on the bed face down. Sleep was far away from him. 

He thought, "If she does not return by tomorrow then I will have to do this. I will search to the other end of the world till I find her. And I will find her. This will be the best solution.. Why did I not think about it earlier?"
He had a plan in his mind to track her down.