Chapter 42

Thank you for all the love. Really means a lot.

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Chapter - 42

“NO! Please. Ok, how about you let me talk to Mr.Raizada once? Then I will immediately leave.” she said distressed but the receptionist was already on the phone. “Why can’t you understand? I need to see him. I am not leaving without meeting him. I said, CALL MR. ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA.” she ended up shouting tired, anxious, and frustrated.

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One hand busy holding the file while the other briskly typing into his phone, Aman entered the hotel absentmindedly. He couldn’t help but wonder at his boss's behavior these days. For example, today morning when he went to meet his boss, not to forget a workaholic, ordered him not to do any other task including office work until the previous night’s job was completed. Working under him for all these years Aman never thought he would live to see a day where this work-is-life man would strictly forbid him from doing his company work. Knowing his ASR well, Aman was sure something was bothering him but had no clue as to what. “Is it my illusion or is he looking more humane these days? I hope he is not sick or something” he murmured swiftly walking to the elevator sliding the phone into his pocket when he heard his boss’s name resonate in the air. 

Coming to a momentary stop, he looked around his ears now focused. He could mildly hear voices, 2 ladies arguing. Moving closer to the sound, he thought “That’s strange. Is it a catfight for ASR? Nah! It’s ASR. He is never that kind of a guy. That man literally has zero interest in ladies. To the extent that people wonder if he is gay seeing his repulsion to them.” Brushing that crazy thought aside he heard someone say, “I am not leaving till I see Mr.Raizada, you understand? You can’t force me to. Please understand.” the voice was demanding for a second and pleading the very next. Wondering what the commotion was about and where he heard that voice, he reached the source of the ruckus and said “Excuse me!?” 

Promptly Khushi turned around following the direction of the sound.

“No way. It is really you. Mam, what are you doing here?” Aman asked,  surprised as he noticed her sorry state. Immediately concerned, enquired “Are you ok, mam? I heard you mention ASR’s name earlier. Are you here to meet him?”

“Oh! Thank god.” she sighed, the relief in her voice very much evident. “You are Amanji, right? Please tell this lady that Arnavji knows me. I need to see him right now. Is.. is he ok? Is he hurt?” she said hysterically in one go as tears of relief and pain coursed down her cheeks. 

Completely confused and with no clue as to what was happening, he tried to do his best, sure of two things. One, this lady is important to his boss since in all these years with him, she was the only person he ever saw around ASR and who he cared about, other than his family. And two, even if she is, he can’t just take her to ASR’s room without his permission. Quickly facing the receptionist he introduced himself, asked her to call ASR and inform him that they are waiting in the lobby. He then turned to Khushi and said “Mam, please let us wait there. Sir will be here.” as he guided her to the other corner of the lobby, away from the prying eyes. Privacy is one thing his boss never compromised with.

“Please tell me, is he ok?” she asked, worried.

“He is ok. But ...”

Not letting him finish she asked paranoid “Is he really fine? Can I believe you? You said but. Why did you say ‘but’? You can tell me the truth. I won’t tell anyone. I am not here for any scoop. I...” *Cough Cough..* *Cough Cough..*

“Please sit here and wait. I will get you some water”, he spoke fast seeing her state, and left troubled before she could stop him. 

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Arnav was lying down making failing attempts to rest his exhausted brain when the phone rang. “Good Evening Sir! There is a lady here who wants to meet you. She is waiting in the lobby with your manager Mr.Aman. He asked me to inform you.”

“What the!? A lady? With Aman? Ok.” he answered preoccupied, cutting the call.

Puzzled by the whole situation and contemplating who this lady who accompanied Aman was, he stepped into the elevator with many thoughts bombarding his already overworked mind. Entering the lobby, the receptionist immediately pointed him in the direction where they were waiting. Taking a few strides he could now see the back of a woman sitting in one corner but Aman was nowhere around. Muddled and curious, moving closer he is now able to see that the person is wearing a light color Kurti which looked completely drenched in rain, her hair disheveled and also wet. Her face, fully buried in her hands making it impossible for him to guess who. Grasping the peculiar sight before him, he came to stand still a few feet away from her when he heard a subtle murmur coming from her. “Is she saying something? … Is she praying?” he speculated, dubious. He was used to women playing the damsel in distress to get his attention but this felt different. Even so, he is not the one to let his guard down that easily. Therefore sounding  nonchalance he questioned, “Are you the one waiting for me?” 

Khushi, who was busy chanting “Devi Maiya, keep him safe.” stopped abruptly and snapped her head up the instant his voice reached her ears. 

The moment he saw the first glimpse of her, Arnav gasped and froze. No one ever succeeded in taking him by surprise as she did right now. Not even close by a bit. He was utterly knocked out or spellbound or dumbfounded or flabbergasted or maybe all of the above is the right word. And his brain went dead, blown away by this bombshell, so much so that he didn’t even utter his usual ‘what the’ or ‘unbelievable.

Khushi stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time in a million years. Her emotions taking the form of tears flowing freely, she walked to him animatedly scanning him from head to toe with her gaze, and hugged him tightly leaving him disoriented and doubting if he was hallucinating.

Totally lost wondering if it was really real or if a daydream he stood there like a rock. But, soon the sensation of dampness transferring from her wet clothes along with the warmth he felt from her hug made him realize that she was indeed there, with him, hugging him. Without wasting a second he reflexively hugged her back with the same intensity feeling euphoric. All the stress he carried with him the whole day depleted into thin air that very instant magically. At that moment he figured out why he was never in control around her. It’s not that he can’t or didn’t know how to, he just didn’t even try to. With her, everything is always so organic and natural that he never felt the need to be in control.

Breaking the hug she held him by his shoulders and swallowing the lump in her throat uttered in a whisper, voice filled with relief “You are alright. Thanks to Devi Maiyya! You are alright.” 

Still bemused by her actions, finally finding his voice Arnav questioned “Khushi!? You here!? What are you doing here? That too, at this time? And why are you drenched? Wh..”

Not paying attention to his questions she stared straight at him and questioned, still not completely calm “The accident? You are not hurt anywhere right? You are ok, right?”

Understanding her predicament, he nodded his head in affirmation.

Looking down she breathed a sigh of relief and murmured softly “Thank you! Devi Maiya. I owe you.” And squinting her eyes, she held her temple and staggered a bit before completely losing consciousness. 

Reacting at the speed of light, he managed to stop her fall in the nick of time thanks to his reflexes. Seeing her hanging limp in his hand, he tapped her cheeks gently and called out to her in panic “Khushi! Khushi! Khushi, wake up.” 

By then Aman returned and seeing her in Arnav's hands asked alarmed “ASR, what happened?”

“Aman, Doctor!” he ordered before quickly lifting her into his arms and taking huge strides towards the elevator while Aman followed behind busily talking on the phone.

Reaching his room Arnav carefully lied to her on the bed when Aman promptly said “ASR, the doctor will be here shortly. I have the details you asked for. Will leave them outside. I will be in my room. Let me know if you ....” 

Cutting him off Arnav spoke his eyes fixed on her “Yes. Clothes. She needs new clothes.”

“Got it. Will arrange it. I will take my leave then.” and with that, he walked out. 

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Sitting next to her he caressed her forehead for a second before remembering that her cotton Kurti was completely soaked in water. Grabbing a few towels in a rush he started to pat her hair and body dry when his gaze landed on her feet. Noticing her barefoot covered in bruises, a dreadful feeling engulfed him. “What happened to you Khushi? Why are you here, that too at this time? And why like this, in this state? Are you here to check on me? Were you truly worried about me? But why would you? Your actions are contradicting your words, Khushi. Why did you do this to yourself? What are you thinking?” he whispered troubled and recalled the events that unfolded before the accident.

   ***Flashback***

Arnav stepped out of the elevator with the US documents file in hand when the phone in his pocket buzzed non-stop. Immediately taking it out he saw it was a message from Akash. With much anticipation, he opened the message hoping to find some lead. It read - 

“Bhai, the lady’s name is Madhumati. She takes her regular dialysis treatments in Global hospital. Hope that's enough.”

“Great!” he exclaimed and within a few minutes, he was on a call with the head of Global hospital.

“Hi, Mr.Swaroop. This is Arnav Singh Raizada. How are you?”

“..................”

“I Know. It’s been a long time since we talked. I am good. Hope I am not bothering you.”

“..................”

“Well, the reason I called is I need information on one of your patients. Her name is Madhumati. She is a low-income lady who reached out to me for help with her dialysis treatment. My office lost her contact details so I am unable to contact her. I know she is getting treated there. I think someone else is sponsoring her right now. I don’t remember who. If you can pass me her details that would be great. Her cell number or address will do.” 

“..................................”

“In 15 minutes? That’s great! By the way, I hear you are building a neurology department. Congratulations! Let me know if you need anything.”

“.....................”

“Appreciate your cooperation. Message the details to this number.” and the call went dead.

Improvising on the spot, changing his mind he handed over the files to the driver and asked him to drop them off at the Taj hotel. Then made a quick call to the clients and explained that something important came up due to which he can’t make it. He proposed that they go through the document first and have a discussion with him later. This deal, the name he made, the company he created, nothing seemed important before her. His logical mind warned him this was the wrong choice for this deal but he listened to his soul which said all that mattered and all he needed was only her.

The beep of his phone breaking his chain of thoughts he glanced at the address and quickly marched towards his car hoping this lead would be fruitful.

 ***Flashback End***

The knock on the door knocked him out of his thoughts bringing his attention back to her. Opening the door he gladly let the doctor in.

Examining her, the doctor spoke, “Nothing to worry, Mr.Raizada. Everything seems fine. There is no fever for now but I will give you a prescription in case she runs a fever later. And make sure she gets plenty of rest. She looks a little weak and also pale. Is she anemic?” 

“Not that I know of.”, he replied worriedly. 

“If she is not anemic, then that’s good.”, he said getting his injection ready.

“Are the bruises on her feet….” he tailed off his heart feeling heavy.

“They are not too deep. She will be fine. The injection is precautionary as she was out in the rain with those cuts.” he replied, administering it.

“She is still unconscious?” he asked, agitated.

“It’s due to exhaustion. Looking at her state, I think she was stressed out about something. But she will regain consciousness soon. Like I said, no need to worry.”

Once the doctor left, Arnav sat next to her holding her hand. His eyes fixated on her, Madhumati's words resonated in his ears. “She is a precious child. Always thinking of others.” 

****Flashback****

Reaching Madhumati’s house with the address was an easy task. But what turned out to be difficult for Arnav was to convince her to talk to him about Khushi. She was adamant about not sharing information about her precious Khushi with any stranger. Just when he was on the verge of losing his options and patience as the last resort he mentioned he was Payal’s brother-in-law. On the mention of Payal's name, her demeanor changed almost instantly. Smacking himself mentally for not thinking of it quicker he took his phone and showed the wedding pic with both families while silently thanking his ever meddlesome and enthusiastic Di for sending it to him.

“It had been many years since I last saw her but she still looks the same.”, she said, smiling at it. The picture definitely sealed the deal for her.

Taking it as a positive sign, thinking on his feet he explained that he is there on Payal and her family’s behalf. After that, she was as sweet as sugar with him. Finally starting to talk, she happily spilled everything she knew about Khushi.

“You should have told me earlier that Payal bitiya sent you. Bless her and her parents. It’s good to know they still love Khushi just like they did when she was young. Now, what do you want to know?”

“Ji, everything that happened after her parent’s death. You see Payal is not comfortable asking  Khushi about it.” he tried to reason.

“Ya, right. I understand. And also Khushi bitiya is not the type to tell everyone about her pain. She used to be such a lively and carefree kid. What happened to that little girl is such a tragic thing. She didn’t lose just her parents that day. She lost her whole family. She had no one. No close family. Her whole life turned upside down in an instant. She became an orphan. The sad part is, during that time instead of understanding the plight of a small girl who lost her parents, all anyone ever saw her as was the sole heir of the Gupta corporations. It was either, the rich girl lost her rich parents, who will take care of her now? Or How will this young girl take care of such a huge company? Is this the end of the Gupta empire? The news channels made a scoop out of her life and suffering. It was at that point her maama, Mr.Jha entered her life. With no close family alive her father trusted this man who was a long-lost relative with his property and his most precious possession, his daughter. I don’t think Mr.Gupta gave it enough thought when he made that power of attorney. Maybe like any other, he must have considered it is a mere formality when creating that will without actually gauging the consequence. I mean, he would not have thought even in his wildest dream that something like this would happen. For some reason, I have always felt uneasy about this decision since the day I met that man.” she paused sighing deeply, and continued as Arnav listened to her with the utmost attention.

“At first Mr.Jha was very nice to her. During that time, getting out of the house became a punishment for Khushi. Probing eyes, constantly following her wherever she went without any regard for her feelings. On top, the type of questions that were thrown at her. ‘How are you feeling after losing your parents? Are you supposed to go with them too? Are you scared? Who is there to take care of you? You are the sole heiress of this company, how do you feel? How will  you handle it?’ People can be really selfish and insensitive at times. And that sweet child was dragged to the center of it all. Thanks to this circus, she stopped going to school. At first, it was meant for only a few days but her maama made sure it stayed like that forever. Khushi will never say this but I know. He could have sent her back to school, he had the opportunity but he chose not to under the pretense of her safety. And Khushi, that poor child, the shock of her parent’s death was too much for that tiny soul to handle. She gradually stopped talking altogether and just followed what was told.

It’s not that Mr.Jha was rude to her. He was surprisingly extra sweet to her. Even so, don’t know why, I always felt it was a facade. Sadly I am a nobody, there was not much I could do other than to stay next to her and take care of her. Within the next 2-3 years he changed many old employees not just in the house but also in the company to new ones recruited by him. At that time there were rumors that people loyal to Mr.Gupta were targeted by Mr.Jha, then again there were just rumors. By then Khushi got used to her life between those 4 walls. She looked normal from the outside, however, I could see that the bubbly and naughty girl was no more. 

She was around 15 when she spoke up stating her wish to go out and study like a normal person. But he immediately slammed the idea, brushing it off in the guise of a teenager’s tantrum. In all those years, that was the first time I saw her take a stand for what she wanted. Unfortunately, it was only short-lived as he convinced her that she could go from the next year. The only saving grace that year was her visit to the orphanage after a long time. It was the only time when she was with those kids, did I get to see the glimpse of the lively Khushi I knew when she was with those kids. The very next year I fell ill. First I was diagnosed with cancer, by the time I got rid of that, kidney failure followed and I never managed to go back to her side. And since I had no family Khushi and her maama took care of me. I never thought he had the heart to help someone like me but I was wrong there. Maybe I just resent him for keeping Khushi locked up all those years. I sometimes wonder if I am just being prejudiced and that maybe he is indeed a good man who loves Khushi unlike what I feel.

That girl to this day treats me like family. When she told me she was going to attend college I was very happy that she was finally getting what she wanted. But to me, she didn’t seem very happy. You may think I am being unfair, talking about her uncle like that even after everything he did to help me. Call it a gut feeling but something about him feels wrong to me. Khushi, never says anything wrong about him. In fact, she hardly talks about him or that house or herself. I always have this unpleasant feeling when I see her but I can’t put my finger on it. Now that Payal’s family is here, please ask them to take care of that child.” 

The information which was so hard to find till morning like a water droplet in a dry desert was suddenly pouring down on him like rain in monsoon. Overwhelmed, he took it all in carefully. He could easily understand the unpleasant feeling she was talking about. That was exactly how he felt. Especially when she was with Shyam, something felt amiss. Choosing his words he asked “What about Shyam Jha? Do you know him too?” intending to know anything about him.

“Shyam beta, he looked like a nice kid. I only met him 4 or 5 times that too for a little while. He was in boarding school when I was working there. So, he was not around much. It’s been long since I saw him.” she completed, disappointing Arnav. 

“Thank you! For telling me about Khushi. I know you are not well. I should let you rest now.” Arnav said politely. 

“Oh! No problem. My health has been a bit stable for the past 2 months. I only need to get dialysis done on time.” she said smiling.

“But.. Didn’t you get admitted into a hospital recently because you were serious?” he asked, curious and confused.

“What? me? No... No. I think you have a misunderstanding.” she said matter of factly.

Spontaneously correcting the question, he asked “When did you meet Khushi last?”

“Beginning of last month, I think. Why?” 

“Nothing. Just curious. I need to leave now. Here, this is my number. Feel free to call me if you ever need anything. Thank you, for telling me about her. Take care.” 

Walking out of her house he recollected how Khushi left in a rush on the wedding day on the pretense that this lady was sick. If coming here answered a lot of his questions about her, it also made way for many more new ones in his mind. 

  **Flashback end**

Back to reality, he looked at her earnestly. “What are you hiding, Khushi? I am sure there is something we are all missing? Why did you lie about that lady’s health? Why did you keep quiet when Shyam called you a drunk? Is your uncle good to you? Is he a bad man like Madhumatiki suspects? Is Shyam honestly a nice guy? Is he nice to you? Do you truly love him? Why are you here if you don’t love me? I have so many questions, Khushi. I want answers and you are the only one who can give them to me. I am an impatient man, Khushi. I can’t wait long. So please wake up soon.” he said, worried while lovingly stroking her hair. 

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- Hope

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