Chapter 7

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Hieveryone,

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Chapter 6

Khushi felt restless as shesat waiting at Sagar restaurant at Udupi city. She thought about how Arnav hadconsoled her after she had shared her innermost thoughts with him. It was threedays since he had left for Bangalore, and she realized, much to herconsternation, that she missed him.

"Hi Khushi," the familiar voice brought her outof her reverie.

Khushi looked up at Rishabh's seemingly expressionlessface but she could see the latent anger in his eyes as he sat in the seatopposite hers. He summoned the waiter and ordered two cups of coffee withouteven asking her if she wanted one. He reveled in being the one in control.

"When did you get back from the US?" she askedpolitely, "did you have a good trip?"

"Do you even care?" He asked her, "Iwouldn't have known you were here if Rakesh hadn't told me. You didn't pick upmy calls. You didn't attend Rahul's wedding nor have you called Dee."

He probably had a right to be angry, Khushi thought, sinceshe had not told him or Deepana about her move to Udupi, letting them assumethat she had moved to Chennai instead. Two days ago, she had received a messagefrom Rishabh, on her FB messenger, telling her he knew she was in Udupi. She hadagreed to meet him in Udupi city after he had relentlessly messaged her.

"I will make a trip to Bangalore soon." She saidin a low voice.

"I don't know what has gotten into you --" hestopped when the waiter brought their coffees.

"I told you I needed some time by myself." Shesaid quickly.

"Yes, when you told me that I thought you would begoing to Chennai to spend some time with your mother ---" he paused,"not come to this Godforsaken place to do God knows what."

"I wanted to get away from Bangalore," she said.She had no intention of explaining herself to him. "I found a job herethat's all." she said.

"Do you expect me to believe that?" His tone waslaced with sarcasm.

Khushi decided to be direct. "It's up to you if youwant to believe me or not."

"You have changed!" He leaned back with a lookof disbelief on his face.

"What do you expect after what you told me the otherday?" Khushi asked, "it came as a shock to me you know."

"I told you thinking you will move on not that youwill move here" he goaded her, "what do you think you are going todo? I know you talked to Ramya."

"Wasn't I supposed to talk to her?" shedemanded, "Meeting Ramya was just the same as I met Deepana and you. Iwanted to know about Payal."

"What did she say?" he asked her warily.

She gathered courage. "Did you report to the police whatyou saw at the farewell party?"

Rishabh looked a little taken aback at the suddenquestion. "What?" he asked her as though he hadn't heard her.

"Ramya told me that you discussed in the group thatyou should report that you saw Arnav Singh Raizada arguing with my sister butthen she didn't know if an actual report was filed."

He looked at her his eyes turning dark. "Of course, Idid!"

For some reason his reply didn't seem convincing. "So,after you reported it, the police still ruled it as accidental drowning,"she stated, "why do you still think that he was responsible?"

She could see his temper was rising. "I don'tunderstand why you are asking these questions now."

"Please answer me."

"It's because I don't believe the police did theirinvestigation properly," he told her, "he must have used his father'sinfluence to hush up the case."

Khushi had a feeling that he was being evasive. "Howdo you know?" she demanded.

"Khushi, I am sorry I told you all that. I shouldhave just let it be," He told her. "you have to let this go and comeback to Bangalore come back to me."

"No Rishabh, I am glad you told me," Khushisaid, "I can't come back to Bangalore now."

"I gave you a job when you really needed it!" Helooked askance. "I even gave you that loan."

She had needed the money to pay off her dad's hospitalbills that he had incurred days before his death. After running from pillar topost trying to arrange for a loan, she had asked Rishabh.

"You told me the loan was from office," Khushisaid, "I am paying the EMI for that! I still have time."

"I am sorry Khushi I didn't mean that." Helooked contrite.

Then he changed his tactic. "How can you do this tome?" he asked her in a low voice, "I was at such a bad place when Imet you. You took me out of that. You can't put me back there."

"Rishabh " Khushi felt weary. "whatever Idid was out of friendship and nothing more."

"No Khushi it wasn't just friendship I know, "he insisted, "When I proposed -- you told me it was too soon inhindsight I think I was hasty."

"I am sorry Rishabh," she apologized sincerely, "thereason I met you today was to let you know that I am no longer unsure. I cannotaccept your proposal. Let's just be friends."

"Now, it is you who is being hasty," He stoodup. "You do whatever it is you want to do. I won't bother you. I will waitfor you as long as it takes."

He walked away from her leaving her completely nonplussed.

The next morning, Arnav stepped into the kitchen watching Khushias she stood staring listlessly out of the window. She appeared to be lost inthought. She wore a white sleeveless cotton top on denim capris.

"Penny for your thoughts Ms. Khushi," Arnavspoke in her ear.

Khushi turned around her eyes wide with surprise. "Arnav-- when did you get back?"

"I got in late last night," he said, "Iremembered to take the keys with me this time."

Arnav wore a gray graphic t-shirt on navy track pants. Itlooked like he had visited a salon as his hair and beard had been trimmed alittle. He looked a little tired.

"You should have slept in."

He couldn't miss seeing her looking like a breath of freshair. "I didn't want to miss breakfast," he said, "What are youdoing?"

"I was just trying to break this coconut for chutney,"she showed him the hard substance in her hand.

"What happened to Ratna?" he enquired.

"She hasn't come in yet," she said, "it'salright --I am making dosa today. I don't really need her except I don't knowhow to break this. Ratna always did this for me."

"Give that to me," he took the coconut from her.He walked to the back yard, to the grinding stone and broke the coconut on it, intotwo perfect halves. "It's done." He handed them to her.

Khushi made coffee for Arnav and then began to scrape thecoconut.

"Arnav --- what is going to happen to thecollege?" she asked him.

"When I looked through the accounts that day I foundsome discrepancies," he said, sipping on his coffee, "Mr. Rao has alot of answering to do."

"Can you ask him first about what happened," shesaid tentatively, "He doesn't seem to be that sort of person."

"You know something." He guessed.

"His daughter is in my English class," Khushisaid, "I think her mother is very ill she is on dialysis for herkidneys."

"Hell!" Arnav swore.

Khushi looked at him. "Could you talk to your dad andexplain "

Arnav looked at her, his face a hard mask. "What doyou think is going to happen if I tell my dad?" he retorted, "he willfire him in an instant. Do you think he is where he is today because of his compassion?"

Khushi's face fell.

Arnav walked up to her and took the scraper from her. Hetook a knife and chipped off pieces of the coconut from its shell. As shewatched, he went on to prepare the chutney himself after collecting all thenecessary ingredients and adding them to the blender. After grinding themixture for a few minutes, he transferred it to a bowl and seasoned it withmustard.

"A world class chutney for you." He turnedtoward her with a smirk.

No one could be miffed with a man who looked like that.

A little later, Arnav came back into the kitchen, after givinghis aunt her breakfast. Just then little Kushal came running into the kitchen."Khushi akka, my mother will be late. She had gone to the well to see Manjula.She had been caught by a bhoota!"

"What?" Khushi wasn't sure she had heard it rightas bhoota meant ghost!

"F@#$!" Arnav swore under his breath as herushed outside.

"What's going on?" Khushi asked him as shefollowed him.

"Idiots!" he slipped into his flip flops, "Iwill have to go and get that kid out because none of these people will enterthe well." He walked toward his Enfield.

"Wait -- I want to come with you!" Khushiexclaimed.

"Hurry up then!" he urged her.

As Khushi climbed onto the bike, Arnav said, "Theroads we are going to use are quite bad. So, be prepared for a bumpy ride."

In a few minutes Khushi realized that the route they weretaking was not a road in any sense, was more of a muddy path formed by frequenttreading of passersby, something like the shortcut she took to go to college.The now familiar landscape of the lush greenery against the bright blue sky, wasbreathtaking as usual and the early morning air, unpolluted and fresh.

When they reached their destination, Khushi saw at leasttwenty people, some standing, some sitting, disaster written on their faces, amidwhich, there was one woman was profusely crying with her hand on her head.

Arnav approached the group, and as they moved to give wayto him, Khushi saw a brick enclosure. When she joined Arnav, who was looking into it, she realized that it was a gigantic well in which the water level was atleast at fifty feet depth. There were steps that could take a single person tothe water. A young girl who looked about sixteen waist-deep in the water washolding on to the steps.

Arnav looked at Khushi, "I am going down into thewell to get the girl out."

"Why didn't any of these men get her?" Khushiasked completely baffled by their behavior.

Arnav looked at her gravely. "They think that thewell is haunted," he told her to her greatest disbelief. "They don't usewater from this well I don't know why this girl came here."

Then he took off is t-shirt and handed it to her. Shealready knew from the way his clothes fit his body that he was extremely fit,but now as she looked at him, she realized that was an understatement. Thebroad muscular shoulders, corded arms, chest covered by matt of hair and hisridged abdomen made him look nothing less than -- magnificent.

Arnav climbed down slowly and was finally at the bottom ofthe well.

"What happened?" he asked the frightened girl.

The girl explained that she had come here on a dare by herfriends. "The ghost won't let me go!" she wailed, "she hascaught my leg. I think you shouldn't have come here Anna."

"Are you sure it is a female ghost?" he quippedbefore diving into the water.

Just as he had suspected, her ankle was entangled inunderwater weeds. As he tried to disentangle her foot from them, he realizedthat the vines had clasped her foot in an ironclad grip. They had probably tightenedaround her ankle more and more due to her desperate attempts to escape.

To Khushi immense relief, Arnav emerged from the watersafe and sound. He looked up at her.

"Can you throw me a knife or something sharp?"he shouted, "ask around if anyone has it."

Soon Khushi was given a sickle that one of the farmers hadwith him. She looked down to see Arnav asking to throw it to him. She knew thatwouldn't work, quite sure that she was likely to throw it deeper into the well.She decided to go down with it.

"Khushi don't you dare get down here!" Arnavyelled at her.

"Don't worry!" she replied, "I canmanage."

Gingerly she made her way down and handed the sickle toseething Arnav. "Why don't you listen to me?" he asked her.

She gave him a mischievous smile. "Whathappened?" she enquired, "what do you need the knife for?"

He explained the problem and said, "Now, you goback."

Unable to convince him to let her stay she began herascent and when she had climbed just a couple of steps she slipped on a loosestone and fell backward into the water, the sudden fall forcing her to gulpsome water. But Arnav pulled her out of the water before she could go anydeeper and soon she found herself wrapped up in his arms.

"F@#$!" he swore, "why don't you listen tome? Now instead of one I have two damsels in distress!"

She coughed due to the intake of water. "I am okay!"she exclaimed as she clutched at his shoulder. Then she smiled, "May bethere really is a ghost here or there was no way I could have slipped on my ownlike that."

She was breathing hard. There was water dripping her fromher hair, her face, her neck and water had completely soaked into thin cotton top that stuck her like second skin. This was not the time for him tothink of things that flashed in his mind with a young girl staring at them wideeyed.

He placed her on the step, "Stay right here until Iget back." He said gruffly.

He picked up the sickle and dove into the water. He hookedhis fingers in the weeds and sliced through them meticulously, carefully makingsure not to nick her skin in the process. Soon the girl was free. When heemerged out of the water Khushi was already helping the young girl stand on herfeet.

"I will go ahead with the girl" he told her. "Afteryou slipped I don't want to take the risk of all of us going together." Hepaused. "I will drop her there and come back for you with myt-shirt."

"Why?" she asked him.

He bent his making her heart skip a beat. "They maybe villagers but they are still men," he murmured only for her ear,"I don't want them to gape at your lacy bra."

Khushi looked at herself to see he was right. The outlineof her bra was completely visible through her thin top. Her face going a deepshade of red, she covered herself with her arms.

Soon they were on their way back home, Khushi realized sheneeded a distraction from Arnav muscled back inches away from her face.

"Why do these people in this sort of superstition?"she leaned forward and asked him, "It's ridiculous, don't you think?"

He turned sideways and spoke. "Well, some peoplebelieve in God and some in ghosts."

"How can you joke about this?"

"You saw what happened right? I told them the girlwas caught in weeds," he said, "but they said that the weeds werejust the medium for the spirit. They will also argue that it was why youfell."

"But "

"Khushi, this is sort of the culture aroundhere," he told her, "who are we to come here from outside and tellthem otherwise? Around March every year, there is a ritual called Bhoota Kola to appease spirits. Thevillage people believe that these spirits protect their village from calamityand not doing the ritual will mean incurring their wrath."

"Is that why Ratna told me not to look back if Iheard my name being called from behind me?"

"Yes, why do you think I came looking for you theother night?"

Khushi clutched his shoulder unconsciously. "Youdidn't tell me it was because of a spirit."

Arnav began to laugh. "If I knew this would scare youI would have told you that a long time back."

"I am not afraid of ghosts!" Khushi exclaimed,"Laugh all you like."

She had been so immersed in the conversation, and in a bidto hear him clearly, she had plastered herself to his bareback clutching hisshoulder tight. Anyone who might have seen them might think they were a coupleKhushi thought.

Once they reached home, Khushi quickly got off the bikeand rushed away. "I have to get ready for college."

"I will give you a ride!" he called out afterher.

That evening Khushi finished her chores in the kitchen,and walked up the stairs to rest and freshen up before dinner. Arnav hadn't returnedfrom his site yet. The stairway was dark as the bulb was out, and as the switchto the living room was at the far end she walked across to switch it on, surprisedthat the light still didn't come on. Then she heard her name being whisperedfrom behind her. Khushi.

She froze. Her hands shook and when she felt a breath ather neck she turned around and came face to face with a cloaked figure. Khushirent a piercing scream and was about to break into a run when the cloakedfigure caught her and in the tussle that followed, Khushi ended up falling, andlanded on the figure. When she was about to scream again a hand clasped hermouth.

"Khushi it's me. Arnav." Arnav had switched onthe torch of his mobile phone.

Mrs. Rai had heard the commotion. "What happenedKhushi?" she called out from downstairs.

"It's alright Ma," Arnav replied, "Khushislipped and fell." He looked down at her angry face, mirth written allover him.

"Oh, my God! Is she alright?" she asked withconcern.

"Luckily, something that broke her fall," hetold her, "I will check to see if that object is alright."

"That's good." She said as she hopped back intoher room with her walker.

Khushi shook off Arnav palm. "Are you friggingcrazy?" she asked him, her face contorted in anger.

"It was a joke Khushi!" he exclaimed, laughinguncontrollably, "You said you weren't afraid of ghosts."

She caught his collar in her hands but her anger vanished whenshe saw how the laughter had transformed his face. She stared at him in fascination."You have no idea what I am going to do to you."

"I would like to know," he whispered, his facesuddenly serious as he returned her stare.

As they continued to look at each other for long moments,Khushi licked her dry lips in an unconscious gesture and his eyes moved down.Khushi's heart began to beat like a runaway train and even though she knew sheshould move away from him, she felt like she was entrapped, hypnotized by hissimmering eyes. His arm around her waist tightened a tad more making her aware shewas pressed against him, their legs entangled with each other. Suddenly, theirfaces were just inches apart from each other. Had he moved closer, or had she? Justthen the shrill ring of the phone filled the room.

Khushi raised herself quickly and stood up while Arnav answeredhis call.

"It's Rashmi," he told Khushi, "I amsupposed to meet her."

 "It's almostdinner time."

"I am sorry I didn't tell you earlier," helooked sheepish, "I will be having dinner with Rashmi."

Khushi shrugged nonchalantly. "That's alright, youdon't owe me any explanation." She walked to the door of her room. "Arnav" she said looking back, and then she shook her head, "nevermind."

He looked at her, "I won't go to the bar later Iwill be back home."

Khushi felt an odd emotion tug at her. "I didn't askyou --" She said defensively.

"I wanted to tell you anyway." He walked awaytoward his room.

A little later, Khushi tossed on the bed unable to sleep. Whathad happened in the living room earlier? Had he been about to kiss her or hadshe imagined it? It had to be the latter, because he had just casually walkedaway from her for a dinner date with Rashmi right after.

She walked to the window and looked at the darknessbeyond.

He must have usedhis father's influence to hush up the case...

Rishabh words nagged at the back of her mind, but herheart was saying something else.

It was just a month since he had come into her life butshe couldn't deny any longer that she was extremely attracted to Arnav,something she hadn't felt for anyone else before. But she knew that shecouldn't let this attraction grow any more than it had, that she would have tonip it in the bud. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she thought of her dreamabout Payal. Was this attraction real or was it something that had risen out ofa craving for the forbidden fruit?

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