Chapter 5
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OS 2: Finding Khushi
Part 5: A Battle of Wills
Arnav ruthlessly cancelled his lunchtime appointment, and walked into her office during her break.
Khushi was tidying her table when she felt a familiar gust of wind ruffle her hair. She looked up, and there he was.
Arnav Singh Raizada...
She stared at him. Six feet of a lean body in dark formal clothes. And his eyes burning into hers. It had been so long...
"Di needs a private secretary.", he did not waste any time. He mentioned an obscenely large amount as salary. "She wants you."
She looked at him. His face looked as though it had been carved out of stone.
"I have a job.", Khushi said finally.
"This will pay better." He was curt.
Khushi nodded. "But I don't want it."
Arnav threw a bundle of notes on her table. "Come with me.", he ordered.
"No.", she said, shocked & hurt eyes on him. "Never."
Arnav stepped forward to take hold of her arm. She drew back.
"Don't touch me, Mr. Raizada. I am not your girl friend, Lavanyaji." Her eyes were cold. "And I am sure Anjaliji can arrange your sagai & wedding without my help."
Arnav lowered his eyes. He gulped.
"Lavanya has returned to London.", he said softly.
Khushi stood, silent, careful to keep her tears at bay.
"Our.. our sagai has been cancelled.", he said.
Khushi stared at him with astonished eyes. Arnav looked away.
Finally, Khushi whispered, "So you made her cry too..."
His eyes flew to hers. "Khushi'."
"She wanted to marry you. And you knew it. You pretended to give her what she wanted, and then took it away from her...", she continued.
"Khushi'' Lavanya and I, we wouldn't suit'"
"How come you didn't think of that when you announced your engagement, Mr. Raizada?" Her tone was cutting.
"Khushi'.", he protested.
"Anyway, all this is not my problem. Your dheela character is your problem.", she stated in an impersonal voice.
"Khushi'", Arnav fumed, his tone warning her to mind her words. But Khushi was beyond all care.
"And your anger. And the foolishness your anger drives you to.", Khushi said.
"Don't talk to me like this!", ordered a glowering Arnav, feeling the pinch.
"Kyon? What will you do if I talk to you like this?", Khushi challenged.
He stepped forward to take her arm and haul her close, his body, mind, head, and heart hungry for her... for her nearness... for her scent... for the softness of her silky skin... for her smile... for the twinkle in her eyes...
Khushi darted behind the table, avoiding him adroitly. She had lots of practice at this.
"You did your best to throw me out of your house & your life. For months. And now, finally, I am out. Then why are you here?", Khushi did not mince words.
Arnav looked at her determined face. She wanted answers. But unfortunately, he did not know the answers. Or he was not willing to find out the answers... or give them to her...
His silence irritated her no end.
She said, "You hate me, don't you? You want me out of your life. You find my low aukat and third-class, middle-class mentality despicable, don't you? One moment, you push me away and the other moment '.."
Her voice died away at the look on his face as they both relived the moments by the pool on Diwali night.
Khushi looked away, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"What do you want, Mr. Raizada?", asked Khushi, finally. "Do you even know what you want?"
Arnav stared at her. He knew what he wanted. Her in his house, among his family. Filling his house with laughter. Although he couldn't say why or how... There was much he wanted to say, but... He had never been one to make speeches. Or declarations. Words always abandoned him in moments of need...
"Chodiye! Kya farak padta he? What does it matter anyway?", Khushi said. "Good bye, Mr. Raizada."
"Come home with me, Khushi.", Arnav ordered.
"No." She was equally adamant.
"You will regret this.", Arnav warned, determined to get her back within his sphere of influence.
Khushi stood still, staring at him. He turned to go.
"One minute, Mr. Raizada.", she said.
Arnav turned around, hopeful that she had seen sense.
Khushi gathered up the bundle of notes and handed it over to him. Her fingers grazed his as she placed the cash in his hands. His breath hitched. He watched the pulse in her throat throb.
They stood looking at each other.
Khushi received a phone call from Shuklaji, the owner of the house Buaji and her family were staying in.
"Ji, Shuklaji. How can I help you?", Khushi asked. How did he get my phone number? And why is he calling me? He should be dealing with Buaji''. These thoughts ran through her head as she listened to him.
"I have sold the house that your Buaji is renting to Amezing Developers.", Shukla dropped his bomb.
"Oh!", murmured Khushi.
"The rent has been hiked to Rs. 20,000.", Shukla continued.
Khushi gasped.
"Your rent is due tomorrow. The owner of Amezing Developers wants you to pay it by 4 in the evening at his office.", Shukla said.
Khushi felt her heart stop.
"Who is the owner?", she asked, her sound weak and feeble.
"You might have heard of him. Arnav Singh Raizada, the tycoon.", Shukla said.
Typhoon, not tycoon. Born to wreak havoc and cause destruction in her life... Her eyes grew wet. Devi Maiyya was playing with her... The more she tried to stay out of his life, the more she was being dragged into it...
Shukla cut the call after giving her the address of the office, warning her once more of the deadline.
"Twenty thousand! Hai Re Nandkisore!", Buaji gasped, her asthma kicking in. She collapsed in the chair.
Khushi ran for her inhaler, Payal ran for a glass of hot water, and Amma tried to make Buaji more comfortable. Babuji watched them with helpless eyes.
After Buaji had started breathing normally, Khushi asked, "What shall we do now?"
"How will we pay such a huge amount every month, Jiji?", Amma asked.
"We can't.", Buaji stated, her head in her hands. "We will either have to shift to a smaller house or return to Lucknow. Delhi is getting too expensive for us, Nandkisore!"
Amma, Khushi, & Payal nodded. Khushi's salary & Buaji's pension wouldn't be enough now that the rent was hiked.
"We will worry about that later.", Buaji said. "First let us get the money to pay the new owner tomorrow."
Amma nodded, left the room, and came back with a bangle in her hand.
"Pawn this at our usual jewellers, Titliyaa, on your way to the office. You can go to the developer's office during the lunch break and give the money.", Buaji said. "Do you want me to come with you?"
Khushi looked at her sick Buaji. "No, Buaji, I will go alone." After all, he was fighting her, not her Buaji!
Khushi looked at Kishorilalji.
"I can give you only 17,000 for this, Khushi."
"But I need twenty, Kishorilalji!", Khushi said, her eyes desperate.
"Do you have something more to pawn?", he asked.
Khushi looked at the clock. 3.30. She had just 30 minutes to meet the deadline. There was no time to go home and get another piece of jewellery.
She looked at her bangles. Glass. Her neck was bare. Her feet'.
She looked at her Amma's payal, her last nishani, her only heirloom... Then she looked at the clock. 3.35...
Khushi quickly took her payal off, and handed them over to Kishorilalji, her heart weeping. She had never been without them after her wearing them at the age of eight.
"Khushi Kumari Gupta...", she told herself. "You have already lost your parents... And now your family will lose the roof over your head. What is a pair of payal compared to that?"
She took the money that Kishorilalji handed over, and raced after a rickshaw. It was drizzling. The fine rain wet her suit as she threw herself on to the seat. "Go fast, Bhaiyya!", she begged the driver. "I have to be there before 4pm."
Arnav sat in his seat in his new office, and looked at the clock. Five to 4...
She wouldn't be able to raise the amount. She would have to come to him to ask for time, and he could make her come home. He heaved a sigh of relief. She would have no choice, and she would finally be back where she belonged...
He leaned back in his chair. Tonight, he would have to talk to Di & convince her of her need for a private secretary...
The phone in his room rang. The receptionist announced the arrival of Khushi Kumari Gupta.
"Send her to my room.", he instructed. He calmed his thundering heart, and waited.
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