Chapter 5
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[MEMBERSONLY]
[NOCOPY]
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Part 2: Day 12
Darlings, I wrote a short story for a competition by IndiReads. I have been selected as one of many finalists. The story has been posted on Facebook by the publishers for the readers to vote. They will pick the winner based on the number of votes the stories receive.
If you can make the time, pls read my story. IF YOU LIKE IT (and only if you like it) please vote.
https://www.indireads.com/a-midnight-encounter/
Pls leave ur comments & likes here
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Section 2
If you can make the time, pls read my story. IF YOU LIKE IT (and only if you like it) please vote.
https://www.indireads.com/a-midnight-encounter/
Pls leave ur comments & likes here
https://www.facebook.com/indireadsbooks?hc_location=stream
Section 2
Khushi left the bedroom and went down the steps. There was no one in the hall or the living room. She prayed to Devi Maiyya and went into the kitchen. Hari Prakashji was nowhere to be seen.
Khushi brewed tea for Arnavji and set it on a silver tray. As she was loading the tray, Hari Prakashji came in to the kitchen.
"Khushi Bhabi, you made the tea?" he asked. "I had gone to give tea to Anjaliji." he apologised. "Naniji, Akash Bhaiyya, Payal Bhabi, NK Bhaiyya, & Mamiji are there with her."
Khushi smiled at him. So the coast was clear. She lifted the tray and walked up the steps to Arnavji's bedroom on rapid feet.
Arnavji was talking to Amanji, standing by the pool, his head turned away from her.
Khushi added his pills to the tray, walked to the small table by the pool on silent feet, deposited the tray on the table, and left quietly. Arnav turned around to see the hem of her dupatta floating on the breeze as she left through the bedroom door.
"Khushi..." Damn! He had hoped to spend some time with her. He looked at the tray. Tea and his medicines. Khushi normally handed over the pills to him and made sure that he took them, even when they were at loggerheads. But now... Arnav swallowed.
Khushi went down to the kitchen and began making breakfast with Hari Prakashji's help. When her work was done, she placed the dishes on the dining table.
HP took Anjaliji & Naniji's trays upstairs. Mami, Akash, Payal, & NK came down for the repast. Arnav checked on his Di, and then followed them down to see Khushi waiting at the table, serving Mami & the others.
Arnav sat down. Khushi served him.
"Sit by me, Khushi." Arnav said.
"No, Arnavji, I will have breakfast later." Khushi replied, her face and voice expressionless.
NK, Akash, Mami, & Payal looked uneasily between the husband and wife.
The meal was soon over. Payal, Khushi, & HP cleared the table. Arnav & Akash prepared to leave for the office, Mami & NK sat in the living room, chatting desultorily.
Arnav shrugged into his coat & picked up his bag.
Payal was seeing Akash off. Khushi was nowhere to be seen.
He looked towards the kitchen. Normally Khushi came with him to the door to see him off. But today, she was being very elusive.
Akash left. Payal returned to the kitchen. Khushi was still missing.
"Khushi!" Arnav called.
Khushi came out of the kitchen, and looked at him, waiting to hear what he had to say. Mami & NK looked at both of them like spectators at a tennis match, wondering what was going on.
"I need to talk to you." Arnav said, his face stern.
She needed to talk to him too. She walked up to him.
They moved towards the front door. They stood facing each other near the door, hidden from other eyes.
They were silent. Arnav ran his eyes over Khushi's beautiful but tired face with anxious eyes.
"Khushi..." he said, finally.
She looked at him.
"Khushi, I need to go to the office today. An important meeting... Otherwise I wouldn't have..." Arnav sighed.
Khushi nodded.
"I will be back before noon." he promised. He had only 12 days to woo her. And wasting half a day in his office was not the way to do it.
"I would like to visit Buaji, Amma, & Babuji. I will be back before noon." Khushi said.
Arnav looked at her. How could he refuse her? He had to nod.
"Di..." he said.
"I won't go to Anjaliji's room again. I have learnt my lesson." Khushi said, no trace of tears or hurt on her face.
Arnav's eyes widened. "Di, not Anjaliji." he insisted.
Khushi smiled slightly. It was but a twist of her lips. "She is Di to my Jiji, not me. Jiji's marriage is not a contract one, you see."
Arnav's throat worked hard to swallow. The sense of Khushi slipping away from him inch by inch was very strong.
He placed his bag on the ground, and pulled her into his arms, holding her against his heart, wishing he could wipe away all her memory of every harsh word he had said, every folly he had committed...
"It will get better, Khushi. Di will get better. She will realise that it was not your fault. That it was all Shyam's doing. She will see his real face. Just give her a little time." He dropped a kiss on her hair, breathing in her jasmine fragrance.
Khushi pulled out of his arms with difficulty, fighting herself and him. "But I don't have any time to give her. I will be out of here in 12 days. She can take her own time to come to terms with the misery that is her life. And I will not trouble Anjaliji to forgive me. Once I am out of this house, her forgiveness and her anger will not touch me." She was not angry. She was just being practical.
Arnav stared at her, helpless against such calm stubborness.
"Khushi, I won't let you leave me at the end of 12 days." Arnav hissed.
"I don't need you to 'let' me do anything after 12 days. You will no longer be my husband. And I will no longer be your wife." Khushi stated.
"Khushi!" Arnav warned her, his eyes hurt and showing the beginnings of panic.
"Jiju is waiting for you." she reminded him.
"This conversation is not over." Arnav warned.
"We have 12 more days to fight over this." Khushi admitted. "But whatever you do, whatever you say, I will still be leaving on August 15th."
Arnav looked at her, silent, helpless.
"Bhai?" Akash called from the car. Arnav turned and left.
Khushi went to get her purse. She needed to go to Gupta House. Or Buaji & Amma would come looking for her here. After all, it was her birthday.
Arnav threw the file on the table, loosening his tie. The meeting had gone well, but his heart was sick. His head felt as though a bomb was ticking away in it, threatening to burst at any moment.
He quickly called home.
"Mami...has Khushi returned from Laxmi Nagar?"
"Arnav Bitwaa? No, she has not. Bhy? Jhagadke gayi thi kaa, Hello Hi Bye Bye?" Mami asked.
"No. No." Arnav reassured her. And himself.
"Arnav Bitwaa, bhen you see Khussi, ask her if she has taken Saasummaa's Laxmi with her. Oo kaa he, Saasumma hajj been searching for her goatwaa phor two hours now. Donon Khussi aur Laxmi gaayab hui gawaa!" Mami said. "Donon Laxmi Nagar to naahin gaye? Best phriendz jo thehre!"
Arnav managed to extricate himself from the conversation with great difficulty.
He could call Khushi. His heart beat faster at the thought of hearing her voice. But what could he ask her? He dropped the phone on his table and cupped his nape. His head hurt. He rolled his neck to loosen the muscles.
Maybe he could drop in on the pretext of taking her home. His face cleared. And he could take her home. Even if she tried to delay returning to RM, Buaji & Amma would support him if he insisted that she accompany him home.
He grabbed his car keys, pushed his phone into his pocket, and rushed out, mumbling an excuse to an astonished Akash who had been about to enter his office.
Amma, Buaji, Babuji, & Khushi were all seated at the dining table, sipping tea. Buaji's face was a picture of unhappiness. At regular intervals, she sighed, "Poor Anjali Bitiyaa! Poor Arnav Bitwaa!"
Amma nodded. "She is well rid of that kameena."
"It will take a long time for her to get over that scoundrel." Buaji sighed. " Nandkisore ki kripa he, Payaliyaa and Titliyaa are there to comfort her. They will take care of her well."
Amma and Babuji nodded. With trembling fingers, Babuji held on to his glass of tea, his recovery from the stroke slow but sure.
Khushi looked into her tea cup. Poor Buaji! Poor Amma & Babuji! Their Titliyaa would be back in their house sooner than they knew, back home to plague them. Khushi swallowed a lump of tears choking her. For the past 10 years, she had been getting into one scrape after the other. And her family had been paying the price for adopting her. When would this end?
"How is Arnav Bitwaa?" Buaji asked. Amma looked anxiously at Khushi.
"He is alright." Khushi said, trying to smile.
The doorbell rang. All looked towards the door.
"I will open it." Khushi said. She hoped it was their garrulous neighbour, Vimla Chachi. She would occupy her family, letting Khushi lock herself in her room to think and cry in private. Privacy was in short supply in RM.
She opened the door to stand still, her heart fluttering in shock. Arnav Singh Raizada.
They stood looking at each other.
"Kaun he, Nandkisore?" Buaji asked.
Khushi managed to say, "Your Payaliyaa's Jetji!"
"Arnav Babua? Why are you standing at the door with your arms across the doorway, not letting him come in, Sanka Devi?" Buaji asked in wonder as she and Amma rushed to the door to welcome their Damadji in.
Khushi lowered her arms with great difficulty, and stood watching Amma & Buaji greet her husband with great love, exclaiming over his slight loss of weight after the kidnapping.
They made him show them the rope marks on his hands, and exclaimed over them, cursing the kidnappers who had hurt him so.
Arnav looked at Khushi.
"I told them." she replied. Arnav nodded. What was the use of hiding it from her family.
"Come in, come in, Babua. Sit down." Buaji invited him.
"I was returning from office." Arnav delivered his excuse. "So I thought I will drive Khushi back home." He blinked his eyes. His head was pounding.
Buaji led him by hand to the dining table.
"Parmeswari, make some adrak ki chai for our damadji!" Buaji instructed her. "It will get rid of your headache, Nandkisore!" she told Arnav.
Arnav let Buaji & Amma seat him at the table, and greeted Babuji. He watched Babuji fold his hands in a 'namaste' with wonder in his eyes.
"Khussi's Babuji is much better now." Amma whispered to Arnav, her face revealing her relief. "He can drink tea by himself, Bitwaa. And he can say a few words."
"The physiotherapy is working. And my tel maalish, Nandkisore!" Buaji said.
Arnav was genuinely delighted. He smiled at Babuji. Babuji returned a lopsided smile.
Khushi came to the table with a cup of ginger tea and placed it in front of him. She had to take the chair immediately to his right. There was no other chair available. Khushi sat down.
Arnav sipped the tea, stealing glances at Khushi at intervals. Her face was pale. She was unusually silent.
As Arnav finished his tea, Buaji asked, softly, "How is Anjali Bitiyaa?"
Arnav looked at her in silence.
"Khussi said that you had found out about Shyam." Amma added. "It must have come as a big shock to Anjali Bitiyaa!" she sighed.
"She believed in him, Nandkisore!" Buaji lamented. "Itna parem kiye rahe! Itna viswaas kiye rahe! And he was so unworthy of her!"
Arnav nodded.
"It was all my fault, Arnav Babua." Buaji said, lowering her head. "When he said that he was from Lucknow and wanted a room to stay in... I was a fool, Nandkisore. I believed him. I felt sorry for him. His speech, his Lucknavi manners... I let him stay here." She looked at Arnav. "He said he was an orphan. We had no idea! We never even dreamed that..."
Arnav nodded. He could not pretend not to see the pain and guilt in the eyes of Amma, Buaji, & Babuji.
"He tricked everyone." Arnav admitted.
"He used to travel a lot. Would be absent for days at a time. But we never suspected..." Buaji hit her forehead with her hand. "Hai Re Nandkisore!"
Arnav nodded.
"Then Sasi Babua fell ill. We were so worried, Nandkisore! Two daughters to marry off! And then Shyam asked me if he could marry Titliyaa!" Buaji sighed. "I thought, itna acha ladka he, Nandkisore! And he will stay with us. And he likes Khussi so much. She will be happy..."
Arnav clenched his jaw.
"Titliyaa did not want to marry him, Nandkisore!" Buaji admitted.
"We suggested that she accept the proposal, but she kept on refusing." Amma said.
"I tried to force her, Arnav Babua. I did not let her have a moment's peace. I kept on asking her to agree to the marriage. But Titliyaa kept on refusing him, Nandkisore!" Buaji admitted.
"She finally agreed on Diwali night." Amma said.
Arnav whipped his head up to look at Khushi. She looked away, her bloodless fingers in a tight hold on her lap.
"Tumhe yaad he, Nandkisore? You dropped her here that night..." Buaji reminded Arnav.
Arnav did not need Buaji to remind him of that night. He looked at Khushi's averted and pale face. He had hurt her so much that night, humiliated her no end... The tears in her eyes as he had torn her heart into shreds... It was a miracle that she was still talking to him. He tried to swallow his pain, but could not.
"A few minutes after you left, Shyam came here." Buaji continued.
"Someone had written a gandi comment about Khussi and Shyam staying under one roof on the wall of our house." Amma said softly.
"Sasi Babua had a seizure when he heard about it, Nandkisore! His daughter's name being bandied about! How can any man bear it?" Buaji asked, her eyes filling with tears.
"We were forced to conduct the sagai that night, Arnav Babua. Khussi was forced to accept him. She had no way out." Amma said.
Arnav nodded. Amma dried her wet eyes. Babuji clenched his fists.
Buaji frowned. "I have been staying here for more than 20 years, Nandkisore! I know every man, woman, & child in this locality. And they know me. Who will dare to write such nonsense about my bhateeji on my wall?"
Amma nodded.
"Shyam must have paid someone to do it." Arnav croaked, by now having a fair idea of all the iniquities his sainted Jiju was capable of.
All the others looked at him in wonder. They had never considered that angle.
"To force us to conduct the sagai. To force Khussi to agree to it." Amma breathed.
Arnav nodded. Khushi looked down at her hands, at the finger that had worn Shyam's ring.
"The kameena!" Buaji gasped. Babuji grasped the arms of his wheelchair as if it were Shyam's neck.
There was silence as all the duped people in the room thought about the cheat with violence in their hearts.
Finally, Buaji said, "Bitwaa, we would never have known that he was Anjali Bitiyaa's husband, if she had not invited Titliyaa for the Satyanarayan pooja in your house. Nandkisore ki jai ho! She saw him there, on your terrace."
Arnav remembered Khushi walking into his room like a sleepwalker, dazed, not knowing where she was, a glint of tears in her eyes. She must have been going to the terrace to confront her suspicions. And when she had returned, she had knocked in to him and sobbed as if her heart would break. The betrayal of her family's trust in Shyam, the knowledge that Di was married to that scumbag, the unpalatable truth that Shyam had turned her into 'the other woman' in his marriage must have brought her to her knees... If only he had known then... maybe if she had told him... But would he have believed her? Arnav had no more illusions about ASR.
"She threw his engagement ring at his face and slapped him hard, Nandkisore!" Buaji said with satisfaction. "I only wish I had been there, with my belan! I would have taught him a lesson that he would have never forgotten."
"He came here after the pooja. We threw him out. He threatened that Payaliyaa's wedding would be cancelled again if we told you about his misdeeds." Amma wept.
"But we sent Khussi the next day to your house to tell Anjali Bitiyaa the truth, Nandkisore!" Buaji said. She sighed. "It was then that Anjali Bitiyaa's mangalsutra broke and she became very upset. Titliyaa tried to tell her, but..." Buaji shook her head. "And on Payaliyaa's wedding day, when we found out that Anjali Bitiyaa was pregnant..."
"We thought that he had learnt his lesson, realised how big a sin he had been about to commit, become a better man..." Amma lamented.
"We should have told you all this earlier, Bitwaa." said Buaji. "But how could we destroy the happiness in your family with our words, Nandkisore? And would you have believed us had we told you what kind of a man your Jijaji was?"
Arnav nodded his understanding of the situation.
"Had we told you earlier, he would not have dared to kidnap you..." Amma wept. "If something had happened to you..."
Buaji nodded, her heart heavy.
"I am fine. Your Titliyaa saved me" Arnav smiled slightly.
Amma, Buaji, & Babuji looked at Khushi with appreciation in their moist eyes. Khushi looked down at the table.
"Di will be fine too. It will take some time." Arnav stated. "And she has her baby. She will be fine."
Amma, Babuji, & Buaji nodded.
They sat around the table, talking. Arnav felt at home, basking in the warmth of their love and concern.
Buaji said, "You must stay for lunch, Bitwaa. After all, it is Sanka Devi's birthday today." She bustled off in to the kitchen.
Arnav looked at Khushi with an open mouth.
"Khushi... Khushi... you never said..." he managed to say.
"It is not important." Khushi said.
"Khushi, of course it is important. Happy birthday, Khushi. May you have all the happiness in the world today and every day of your life." His wish was heart-felt.
"Shukriya." Khushi said.
Arnav rubbed his forehead. His head hurt. And worse than that, he hadn't known that it was Khushi's birthday. Damn! He hadn't purchased a gift for her. Double damn!
"Your head is hurting still, Arnav babua? Don't worry. Khussi will do maalish for you." Amma said.
Arnav & Khushi stared at her in shock. No, no... Khushi screamed silently.
"Her hands have magic in them! After all, she is my niece!" Buaji laughed from the kitchen.
Amma handed over a bottle of oil to Khushi. "Rub his forehead as you do for us, Khussi. Babua's headache will vanish."
"Hey Devi Maiyya! If only I could vanish!" Khushi whispered. Arnav smiled at her aside.
"Did you say something, Khussi?" Amma asked.
Khushi shook her head. What was the use of protesting? Her life was doomed! Her family was worried about Arnav babua's headache while her own personal headache was Arnav babua and he was sitting by her waiting for his maalish!
"My maalish, Khushi." Arnav looked hopefully at Khushi, waiting for her to touch him. This was a piece of luck he hadn't expected.
Khushi sat still, looking at the bottle of oil in her hand first and her contract husband next. If only she could fry him in it!
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