Chapter 6

Tension stretched like a feline inside that flat, ready to eat up its occupants. Arnav was standing on the half terrace, overlooking Arabian sea. His hands folded on his chest, blazer discarded long ago and sleeves rolled up. Khushi was stuck on the spot of the couch from where she had delivered her side of the story half an hour ago. While he was trying to reign in his anger, she was trying to gather courage to go and talk to him. It was getting late and Keshav must be getting worried that why was she not back home. 

'GET BACK INSIDE before I throw you off this building'  he yelled. She scuttled inside in a snap, well aware of his anger and what he was capable of doing when angry. She decided to call her land lady and inform her so that they would relay the message to Keshav. Where is his land-line? She started looking.

Arnav pinched the bridge of his nose. Truthfully speaking, he felt like jumping off the building himself right now. On this planet full of more than a billion people, he had to go and fall in love with this stupid fool. This lovely stupid fool. This innocent stupid fool. This self sacrificing idiot. He was right! There is no God. Else with the amount of prayers and fasts she did, HE would have given her atleast some brains. ELEVEN YEARS. Eleven f**king years apart, for what? For her notion that he would want a child more than her and that too without asking him. Never once did this girl consider asking him what he wanted. He would love to strangle her pretty neck right now, only if he could just resurrect her later!

Just then voices coming from inside grabbed his attention. He turned a little to find Khushi speaking to someone on land-line. The conversation was short. Who is she talking to at this hour? What is so urgent that it could not wait? His brows furrowed. Oh, Keshav, is it? Didn't she say its just the two of them now? She isn't married he knew from her resume at the office and he had made sure she does not get time to socialize much in last four months inside office let alone outside it. But eleven years is a long time. His frown deepened.  Just then Khushi looked up and found him glaring at her. Keshav, she mouthed as a way of explanation. Ofcourse, the creases on his forehead smoothed out and he turned back to gathering his thoughts.

For his sake. Arnav could not help the bitter sigh that escaped his lungs at this thought. Does she know how many times had he pushed himself into life threatening investigative cases because he believed that there is no one who would shed a tear if he vanishes from the face of earth? That more than his safety, a successful life became important to him which he was hell bent on achieving any how? How shrewd he has become in his dealings because he thought that money was the reason she kicked him out of her life? How cold he has become as a person, denying anyone and everyone an entry in his life, preferring to stay alone in his personal hell? How would she know? She conveniently assumed that he would merrily move forward in life. Who makes such faulty plan full of loop-holes and then thrust it on an unsuspecting person altering his life? Ofcourse, Khushi does. He shudders to think that what if he had married in these eleven years and then would have come to know of all this. It would have ruined him beyond repair. What if she would have never turned up in his life and he would have gone living with the misunderstanding which she had so generously crafted between them?. He could feel a headache coming.

It started drizzling a while later. Ah, the monsoons. He liked them immensely right now. They were having a cooling effect on him, atleast physically, else he was sure he would burst a vein or two tonight. But his respite was short-lived. The sweet voice that had haunted him for years floated to his ears 'Come inside. It has started raining. You'll catch cold'. This time he did not argue. Once inside he noticed  she was fidgeting with her hands intertwined into each other. He knew she was dying to say something. How much more does he have to know this girl to prove that he loved her more than anything? Foolish Foolish Khushi. His Khushi.

'Khushi looked up. 'Woh... Keshav is waiting for me. I need to go. Can I please leave?'  she sought permission. Like a well trained employee. Giving his presence in the room its due recognition. Looks like he has more say in her life as a boss than he had as a boyfriend, he wryly thought.

No body spoke for first fifteen minutes of the drive. Khushi was feeling partly scared of his anger and partly guilty for being the cause of his anger.  And Arnav was, well, angry. She was STILL trying to shut him out. After what all she did to him, STILL, he screamed in his mind. Like hell he will let that happen. If she thinks she can alienate him once again, she does not know what type of man has she gotten to fall in love with herself. And show her just THAT, he will.

'Woh... Bauji left us all of a sudden. He did not have a will so Chachaji and his sons made claims on it. I did not know what to do. Our funds were cut off then Keshav needed... ummm... he was young too  I mean, so we could not do anything. So I took up a job'  she informed skipping a few parts.

'That is my building. You can stop the car here'  she replied instead. Thankful or the diversion. She did NOT want to lie to him, not anymore. And that meant she can not say that Keshav was fine. By God's grace she escaped answering altogether. Hope he did not notice that, she prayed.

Khushi cursed her luck. If he see's Keshav then he would know. And in his current mood, he will think of it as another of her hiding the truth or stubbornness or kiddishness or whatever he is thinking of her right now. She was sure that right now he would see her not coming running to him for help the moment she saw him in his office as another feather in her cap of follies. And he would offer to help as well, if she knew anything about him. It was beyond her that how in the name of almighty does she always ends up being the pitiful case in front of him. The one lacking something. Functional reproductive organs at times or money like right now or trust in him as he had yelled an hour back!

Arnav stood at the door which had number 302 written on, but he still looked in Khushi's direction to confirm who nodded nervously. He rang the bell. After what seemed like an eternity to him and not so much to Khushi, and what sounded like somebody beating the floor with a cane, the door creaked open. There stood a boy of 20-21 years of age, floppy black hair, fair complexion, average height and handsome features. But what Arnav noticed, as everyone else generally did when they saw Keshav Nath Gupta for first time, was his missing left limb down below his knee and two crutches under his armpits with whom he balanced himself. Arnav gulped. A blurry thirteen year old memory of two tiny feet peeking out from under the curtain paid him an unexpected visit. He turned to look at Khushi shocked, who lowered her eyes but then looked back up with a genial smile.

Arnav gave him a nervous smile and looked at Khushi again, who took the charge, stepped ahead and like a good host invited him inside again. Now she had nothing to hide. Nor that her brother was missing a limb since last 4 years, neither that they now lived in an apartment which was smaller and shoddier than their servant's quarters in Lucknow. With chipping paint from the walls and sparsely furnished with rickety old wooden chairs and tables. And while they are at it, she planned to let Arnav know that they did not want any kind of help from him. The reason for which she left him still stands and she had no intention of changing her decision.

After inspecting the apartment with his hawk like eyes and boring a few holes into Khushi's rigid self, he sat down and did what he said he would, re-acquaint himself with Keshav. The boy though had negligible memory of his tutor, took an instant liking towards Arnav. Arnav told him how much fun they had while solving math sums and narrated a funny anecdotes of their times together, making him comfortable with himself.

'It okay Keshav'  Arnav replied instead 'Your jiji has a bad habit of hiding things from people'. If Keshav was was confused with this statement, he chose to hide it, and hid it well. And Arnav conveniently chose to overlook that she did not mention his insulting behavior of last four months to her brother as well.

Arnav was a lawyer. He knew how to extract information from unsuspecting people. Thus after an hour in Khushi's apartment, Arnav knew that Keshav was in the same car accident where their father lost his life. His limb had to be amputated for it got mutilated beyond repair. And that he will soon get a prosthetic limb as his jiji is working on the details, for which he was beyond excited, making Arnav smile. The honorable upbringing that they had, Keshav did not mention the reason of their destitute state, but Arnav knew that already from Khushi. It did not take Arnav long to figure his next course of action.

'And Miss Gupta, I shall see you at office tomorrow at 8 sharp' he barked at Khushi, whom he had not bothered to talk even a single word since entering her apartment. She nodded in a resigned fashion. But all said and done, Arnav had not missed the defiance in her posture the whole time, ready to contradict him at first given chance, the chance which he did not give her in the whole hour btw. And wouldn't give her any time soon.

Khushi entered R&R office at 8 am sharp as instructed. The office was obviously empty without a single soul in it this early, specially when there was an office party last night. The only light was coming from her boss's cabin. He is waiting, she gulped. After depositing her stuff onto her desk, she picked up her notepad and pen, just in case, and knocked on his door. 

Arnav has spent a sleepless restless night. And during the impossibly long night, apart from thinking about Khushi, he also recalled a client with a son who had  similar problem and has called the man at 6 in the morning like a wake up call. After getting helpful information about the treatment facility which they had used, he had downloaded everything from the internet first thing after stepping in the office while waiting for Khushi. He wanted to start the process asap.

Khushi did not know what to say. Her job, her house, her brother's treatment, practically her entire life has magically gone into his control over-night. She has signed the papers, and Keshav is only too willing to start his treatment asap and get rid of the crutches. Arnav can definitely fire her, and from the looks of it get her evicted as well. What has she gotten into?

It took her a lot of strength to part ways with him and his under-handed methods right now were not helping her resolve. She is all but a lonely woman, a helpless sister who can use help. And he is sorely tempting her. Infact, blackmailing her into accepting his help. Slyly making his way back into her doomed life. Why is he doing all this? This man has no sense of self preservation. She is trying to make his life easy and he is thwarting all her attempts. She just does not want to be the reason for which he suppresses his long standing dreams or makes compromises in his life. Apparently in the universe where he lives, that is too much to ask for.

Why did she tell him the truth in the first place, she regretted in her mind. And why is he hell bent on ruining his life over her was beyond her. How does she make him understand that it's high time he gets over her. She is nothing exceptional. Specially not after doctor's revelation. But kids, he loves them, can have them and should have them with a nice woman. His OWN babies. And even he does not care about DNA or lineage and wants to adopt, he should do with a woman who is not so broken from inside, laden with responsibilities and is sensible enough in his esteemed opinion to not ruin his life at the drop of a hat. 

Rendered speechless, with no retort available in a miles radius to his this wistful demand she sat there like a statue, while the relief of getting this stubborn woman where he wanted her to be became evident on his face. But he knew, this was just a battle. War was still to be won.

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