Chapter 12

[MEMBERSONLY]

PART - 12

The next day after breakfast and obviously after making sugar free burfies for Mamiji, Arnav and Khusi went to meet the someone special. Khusi tried various ways to know about this special person, but got no reply from him. Finally Arnav parked his car and both of them got down. Khusi was shocked to see the place where they were.

Khusi (in shock): "Arnavji, this is a mental asylum. What are we doing here?"

Arnav: "We are here to meet her."

Khusi: "Who??"

Arnav (in a broken voice): "My da... daaadii..."

Khusi: "WHAT??"

Arnav: "Yes."

Khusi: "Arnavji, you Dadi is here? Why haven't you told me before? And no one ever spoke about her?"

Arnav: "That's because no one knows about her."

Khusi: "What do you mean by no one knows about her?"

Arnav: "Everyone thinks she is dead... Khusi you need to know certain things before you meet her." He took her to a bench in the secluded corner of the asylum's lawn. Sitting there he continued: "Ours was a very happy family. Mama, Papa, Di, Dadi, me and (he was about to say some other name but gritting his teeth controlled himself)... We used to stay at Sheesh Mahal in Lucknow. I was only 14 that time. It was the wedding day of Di... Everyone was so happy. But suddenly everything changed. I was going upstairs to call my mother, but I heard my parents arguing over something. Mama had allegedly seen Pa...pa with another women and was broken. She couldn't take this betrayal and jumped down from the balcony of sheesh mahal. She killed herself. (Arnav's eyes were full of tears and Khusi was too crying hearing him, but she kept on holding his arms as if giving support to him) ...papa was too guilty, he too killed himself. Mamaji and Chachaji took them to hospital but they didn't survive. In some moments I and Di became orphan. Di's wedding was cancelled. My Dadi was our support. Though her own heart was breaking she stayed strong for us. Nani, mamaji and mami stayed with us for some days before returning back to Delhi. It was our Dadi who was taking care of us. But one morning everything changed. We woke up and found that Cha...chaaji had locked Dadi inside her room. He threw us out from Sheesh Mahal and made us homeless. We could hear Dadi wailing from her room, asking him not to do it, but he never listened. (Wiping off his tears he continued) ...we stayed on the roads that day but finally managed to come to Delhi to Nani. Then I changed my name from Arnav Malick to Arnav Singh Raizada. I struggled hard to become what I am now. Two years ago, when I was returning after attending a meeting from Agra I saw a much known figure on road side. A close look made me realise that she was my Dadi... Her condition was pathetic... She had lost her mental balance... Only thing that she remembered was my name... But she never recognised me... She has my image of as a 14 year old... No matter how hard I tried to make her know that I am Arnav, her Chote, I couldn't do it. She went on saying someone is after my life and trying to kill me, but didn't know who. With lot of difficulty I brought her with me and got her admitted in this mental asylum... Her condition started to get stable nearly after a year. The doctors here somehow made her recognize me. I come to meet her regularly. She gets violent seeing others. But I want you to meet her. I don't know why but my sixth sense she will like seeing you."

Khusi wiped her and arnav's tears and hugging him sideways said: "Arnavji, Let's go and meet Dadiji."

Arnav got up from the bench along with Khusi: "I had talked to her doctor about you meeting her. Yesterday night during dinner he had called to inform that it's okay for her to meet someone else other than me. Now we will first meet the doctor then meet Dadi."

Khusi nodded her head and they went to meet the doctor. After meeting the doctor and knowing about her heath, they went to her ward to see her.

In Dadi's ward:

Arnav and Khusi entered the room to see her looking blankly towards the window. Arnav moved towards her while Khusi preffered to stay away from her for some time. Sensing someone's presence in the room Dadi looked towards the door and seeing the person her face lit up into a big smile.

Dadi: "Chotte... hamare chote."

Arnav went forward and hugged her.

Dadi: "I am very angry. You said you will come soon but you didn't come. I will not talk to you." Said in a childish way and looked away from him. She was behaving all childish since she has begun to recover. Not crying and asking for chocolates but throwing tantrums, getting scared and all.

Arnav: "I am sorry Dadi. Now don't be angry, I am here now." (Still he didn't look at him) "If you don't talk to me then I will also get angry, and Dadi you know it's not good for me to get angry."

Dadi turned towards him and said: "Okay don't be angry now. But why didn't you come soon. You know I was waiting for you." Before Arnav could reply, Dadi saw Khusi standing near the door and held on to Arnav getting scared. "Who is she? What is she doing here? IS she going to put needle into my body? Tell her to go away..." and then she complained "... you know, when you were not there, they put so many needles inside me... see here, here..." She showed him places where she was injected. Khusi had tears seeing the condition of Dadi.

Arnav: "No Dadi, she is not going to put needle in your body. She came with me to meet you." He went to Khusi and holding her hand brought her towards dadi. Sitting beside her, he said: "Dadi, She is Khusi... My ..." but was cut off by dadi: "She is not Khusi. Ye Khusi kese ho sakti hai. Ye to dukhi hai. Ro rahi hai na. Ye Khusi nehi dukhi hai."

Arnav: "Dadi, her name is Khusi."

Dadi: "Oh, toh aap hume Khusi dene aai hain?"

Arnav was about to speak but Khusi kept her hand on his shoulder, stopping him from saying anything.

Khusi: "Dadiji, hum aapki Bahu hain, aapke chote ki patni."

Dadi laughed loudly at Khusi's statement and said: "Look my Chote is not married, why are you telling that you are his wife." Arnav was shocked to see his Dadi laughing so loudly, as she had never laughed so freely in last 2 years. He was so happy. After Dadi's laughed had subsided a bit he said: "Dadi, I married her day-before-yesterday. She is my wife."

Dadi (stubbornly): "NO... No... You are not married. I don't believe it."

Arnav: "No dadi we are married..." but Khusi cut him off and sat very near to Dadi and said: "Hum aapko ache nehi lage na? That is why you don't want to believe that I am your bahu, par aap hume bahot ache lage. I love you a lot Dadiji." saying that she hugged her. Dadi was not used to being hugged by anyone except Arnav, but felt nice when this girl hugged her. She too hugged her back. And said: "Aap hume bure nehi lagte, aap achi hain." Khusi broke the hug and said: "Hum ache isliye hain kyunki hum aapki bahu hain. Aur aap bohat achi hain"

Dadi: "Really. I am good?? No one said me so. But I believe it as you are saying."

Khusi: "So you also believe that I am you bahu? Your Chote's wife?"

Dadi looked at her, as if scrutinising her and finally said: "Okay, I believe you are my bahu and chote's wife."

Khusi hugged her again and this time Arnav came and hugged both of them. And Dadi was too happy. After breaking the hug dadi said: "Aap ko pata hai, aap sach mein Khusi hai. Aap ko dekh kar hume bohat khusi ho rahi hai."

Khusi went on talking to dadi making her laugh out loud many times. Arnav couldn't help but thank Khusi internally for making his dadi laugh so freely. After sometime a nurse came with food and medicine for Dadi and dadi got scared and tried to hide behind Arnav and Khusi.

Dadi: "She is very bad. She will put needle in my body... Asskk... ask...her... to go away. (Seeing her not going) ... you go from here or else my chote will beat you. (Turning towards Arnav) ...you know she brings big big needles and puts that inside my body. She is very bad. You will beat her na? She is very bad."

Khusi asked the nurse to go and taking the food plate sat beside Dadi: "Dadiji, today I will feed you. Look the food is so tasty."

Dadi: "I don't want those foods. It's not tasty."

Khusi: "It's so tasty you know... I tasted it before they gave it to you. Now open your mouth like a good Dadi..." Dadi opened her mouth and Khusi fed the morsel, she kept her busy in her talks till she completed the food. She also gave her medicines. Dadi never realised when she had completed the whole meal and also taken the medicines as she was so lost in the story that Khusi was narrating. Quickly the medicine had its effect and she dozed off. Khusi along with Arnav laid her properly on bed and sat there for sometime looking at her sleeping figure.

After sometime Arnav said:"Let's go Khusi; she is sleeping. She won't allow us to leave if she wakes up." Arnav and Khusi went again to meet the doctor and the doctor was equally surprised to know that she had laughed so much. He informed them that it's a good sign and it has raised the chances of her becoming normal. He asked them to come and meet her once a week from now on rather than once a month that Arnav had been doing.

Inside the car:

Khusi: "Arnavji, why don't you bring Dadiji to stay with us? She will feel better."

Arnav: "She was not in a condition to stay at home before. When she started to improve I wanted to get her home but there are times when she gets very violent. The doctor advised to keep her there for some more days. But I think, now she will recover very soon and stay with us. And also it is not secure for her to stay at RM. I guess she knows something secret and also no one knows that she is alive. 12 years I had known my Dadi to be dead, till I met her. I am waiting her to recover so that I can punish those who are responsible this condition of her." (Arnav drove in silence for some time) "... she liked you a lot. For the first time I saw her laughing so freely. It took me more than 20 months to make her smile but with you she began to laugh in less than 20 minutes. Thank you Khusi. Thank you so much."

Khusi: "You don't have to thank me Arnavji. She is my Dadi too."

Arnav parked the car at road side and taking Khusi's hand in his said: "You know Khusi, when I married you I thought Di will not object as she loves you and would accept you soon. Had Mama been alive she would have been very happy. I was only worried about Dadi. I wanted her to accept you. But seems she liked you more than she likes me. She gets violent when sees strangers but the way she reacted to you was unexpected. She... she... laughed. I just can't express how happy I am."

Khusi: "I know Arnavji. Let's go home now."

Arnav: "Hmm..." he was about to start the car but then suddenly remembered something. "Khusi... remember I told you something."

Khusi: "What?"

Arnav: "That we will be taking our relationship to next level after meeting someone special. Now that you have met her, don't you think we should proceed in our relationship?"

Listening to Arnav, Khusi blushed and her cheeks were like beet root. Arnav placed a kiss on her cheek and asked: "What say Khusi?"

Khusi stammered: "Ji... wooh... ji... I mean... wohh..."

Arnav mentally laughed at her condition but maintaining a straight face said: "Okay, I leave you for today. You are going out with me tomorrow night. Remember that..."

Khusi: "Ji... going... going out... matlab?"

Arnav: "Matlab, we are going out for a night from RM. Only you and me. I don't want anyone disturbing us. In a single day of marriage I have seen how much disturbance they cause. I don't want to take any risk. Also I need to make certain arrangements, so not taking you tonight."

Saying that he started driving but Khusi's heart had started to beat at a rapid rate with thousands of butterflies playing in her stomach.