Chapter 9
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[MEMBERSONLY]
[NOCOPY]
SAVING KHUSHI
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Arnav woke up, disoriented. A moment later, he looked down at his chest, and his universe settled in place.
Khushi was wrapped around him, her head on his chest, her face upturned, her arms around him, the fingers of her left hand clutching the neck of his waistcoat, her legs coiled tight around him as though afraid that he would vanish in a puff of smoke while she shut her eyes...
A smile danced on his lips. It didn't matter that they were so far away from home, that they were stuck in a cow-shed, resting among bales of hay, on the run from kidnappers... As long she was in his arms, nothing else mattered. He could fight the world and win if she was with him. Arnav gently smoothed the silky strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek.
Khushi felt warm, wrapped in love, relaxed. The smooth glide of gentle fingers across her cheek added to the feeling of being cherished. She opened her eyes slowly, her lashes fluttering, to see Arnav looking at her with so much love in his eyes that...
She quickly looked away. The cow-shed... the hay... Shyamji... the kidnappers... the kisses... Khushi jumped up from the bed she had made of Arnav's body, and let go of his jacket reluctantly. She sat up, looking down at him, at his lips for a moment, and then away...
"We need to find a place to hide. Somewhere where we are safe. With a roof over our heads..." Arnav said softly.
Khushi nodded. They couldn't sit here, hidden over 2 cows all day and night till the police caught Shyam's accomplices.
They freshened up using the remaining water in the bottle, & feasted on the leftover sandwiches.
Arnav peeped over the bales of straw to make sure that no one was around to watch their escape.
He slid down, not realising that his expensive leather wallet had fallen in to the pit of cow dung, sinking to an ignominious death.
He helped Khushi down, and holding her by the arm, slowly moved away from the cow-shed in to the jungle.
He watched the road for long till a truck heaped with hay came along. Holding Khushi by the arm, he put out his hand and asked for a lift. The truck stopped, and the driver let them get on behind among the stacks of hay.
Both of them lay flat on the hay, looking at the bright sky, the sun blessing them with warm rays and light. The wind caressed their skin and ruffled their hair.
As the truck hurtled away, Arnav looked at Khushi.
"Tum theek ho?" he asked, his voice low with concern.
"Ji." Khushi smiled.
Arnav smiled in response.
"I am going to make a haystack in Shantivan to remember their days." he joked lightly.
Khushi smiled.
His smile fell away slowly. It had been so many days since he had seen the smile on her face. Holi... Yes, she had smiled on Holi. The effect of bhang had made him forget his nafrat. Mohabbat had ruled his head, and hatred had vanished like fog in the presence of sunlight...
They lay silent, looking at the sky. Too many changes were happening in their lives, their future depended on too many unpredictable factors...
Soon, they reached a town. Arnav sat up and looked around. It looked familiar... His eyes widened as he passed the dhaba that he & Khushi had spent a night in on their way to Nainital!
Khushi gasped. "Arnavji! The dhaba!" she smiled, happy at the prospect of meeting old friends.
He smiled at her pleasure and tapped on the wooden board behind the driver's seat, and asked to be let down.
The driver stopped obligingly.
Arnav helped Khushi down, and then went to the driver to offer his thanks.
"Shukriya, Bhaiyya!" Khushi folded her hands in gratitude.
Arnav put his hand in to the pocket of his trousers to pull out his wallet, but the driver refused his offer of money with a smile and drove away with a wave.
Arnav paled.
Khushi looked at him in anxiety. "Kya hua, Arnavji? Are you feeling faint?"
"I lost my purse..." Arnav said.
Khushi gasped.
He looked for it frantically, patting both pockets. "I had it while we were in the cow-shed..." he muttered.
"Maybe it fell off when we got down from the hayloft." Khushi said. "What will we do now?"A frown of worry marred her smooth forehead.
Arnav pursed his lips. "We need to pay for the accommodation and food."
"And clothes..." Khushi whispered. "Both of us look..." They couldn't walk in to the dhaba looking like a pair of refugees.
Arnav nodded, worried. All his money, his cards... the cows must be feasting on them... At least his wallet hadn't fallen where the kidnappers could find it... Once he returned home, he would have to inform the banks...
"Arnavji, I have 200 rupees with me."Khushi broke in to his introspection. "But to take it out, you will have to take me somewhere where there is no one to see us. I... I kept it... under my clothes. And you will have to turn away..." Khushi blushed.
Arnav bit back a smile. He had his phone with him. He could call Aman & ensure he had funds... but this was so much more fun.
Khushi looked down to escape his smile. And then saw the bangles Mami had forced on her.
"Arnavji, is there some place we can sell these bangles?" Khushi asked, her eyes on the jewellery.
Arnav stared at her. She was so inventive, so practical at times... and so goofy at others. She boggled his mind.
"Motilalji brought jewellery to RM yesterday, and Mami selected these for me. If we sell them, we can buy clothes and stay at the dhaba." Khushi explained.
Arnav nodded and looked around. It was better to sell the bangles than contact Aman. The less the number of people who knew their location, the better.
Two shops selling clothes, a kirana store, two restaurants, a temple, a police station, a bank, a newsagents, a jewellers...
Khushi selected a purple suit and fresh underclothes and went to try them on. Arnav quickly picked 2 shirts, one in dark blue and the other in brown. He selected other accessories and looked around. A red sari caught his eyes. He added that and asked the salesgirl to pick the necessary blouse and underskirt. He added a pink suit to Khushi's pile. By then, Khushi appeared in her purple suit and they picked night & casual clothes.
Arnav's phone vibrated.
Khushi watched his face relax as he listened. "Thank you. We will stay put here. I will meet you tomorrow." he said.
He turned to Khushi. "The kidnappers have been arrested. They will now be interrogated, and proof against Shyam collected."
Khushi heaved a sigh of relief. She felt weak at the release of tension.
Arnav called Akash.
"The kidnappers have been caught. The police wants us to lie low for a few more hours. We will most likely be back tomorrow." Arnav said. "What is Shyam up to?"
"Bhai, he asked me where you were. I told him about the ransom call for 5 crores, & that you had gone out to get the money." Akash said.
"Good."
"But he seems very disturbed. NK said that he is walking up and down his room, running his fingers through his hair. NK is watching him from the terrace through a pair of binoculars."
Arnav smiled. "The kidnappers must have informed him that Khushi is missing, that she has run off. And now that the kidnappers have been arrested, they won't be answering his calls. He has no idea of what's happening. How can he not be worried?"
"Bhai, you are both safe?" Akash's voice breathed concern.
"Very safe. Now it is time for Shyam to commit more follies. If he leaves the house, make sure that you don't follow him. Tell NK this. Din it in to his head that he is not to follow Shyam. The police will do it. They expect him to go to the house in which Khushi was kept, to find out what's going on."
"I will take care, Bhai." Akash promised him.
Holding the bags of new clothes, Khushi & Arnav walked in to the dhaba.
The plump hostess almost had a heart attack when she saw them. She hugged Khushi thoroughly, and shouted for her husband.
"Come here, Bittu's father! See who has come to visit us."
The fond husband left the kitchen and peeped out. His eyes widened. "Oh, it is a good day that brings our old lovebirds to us again!" He hugged Arnav. "Bittu's mother, arrange the honeymoon suite for them!"
The couple led Arnav and a blushing Khushi to the honeymoon suite.
"It has been one year since we saw you!" the lady said. "Is your problem with your parents' solved? Have they accepted your marriage?" she asked Khushi, holding her by the arm.
"Ji. Everything is fine now." Khushi smiled.
The hostess leaned forward to whisper in Khushi's ear, "Does your husband look after you well? Is he kind? Responsible? Or does he get angry for small things like he did last year?"
Khushi bit back her laughter, and answered at a pitch that would ensure that Arnavji heard her answer.
"Marriage has changed him a lot, Auntyji. He is very kind. He never gets angry, not even when I tease him. He is very loving, very sweet, like jalebi." Khushi managed to say without cracking up.
Arnav had to fight to keep his smile hidden. The minx!
But more was in store for Khushi. The hostess asked, "Puttar, it has been one year since your marriage. Is there any khush khabri?"
Khushi flushed. Arnav smiled in devilish enjoyment. How would she get out of that one?
She lowered her head, and shook it in the negative.
"Tussi worry na karo." the kind lady consoled her. "We were married for 3 years before our Bittu was born. Now we have four sons. Rab ne chaha tho your lap too will be filled with children in a few years."
Khushi shook her head obediently. Arnav chuckled silently at Khushi's discomfiture.
The sardarji showed them to their room, and left, asking them to call him if they wanted anything.
The lady whispered in Khushi's ear, "You stay in the room and use the time wisely. I will send your food here."
Khushi blushed, and Arnav turned away to hide the smile blooming on his lips.
Khushi said, "Auntyji, he can't take food with a lot of chilly or spices. Can I come to the kitchen and make something for him?"
"You are such a good wife!" the lady pinched her chin. She turned to Arnav. "You are so lucky to get such a loving wife."
"Ji." Arnav smiled.
"Hai Rabba! You are so handsome when you smile! Aisse hi smile kiya kar, puttar. You wife will sit all day in front of you, looking at your face. Aaise aisse life guzar jaayegi and you won't even know." the lady chuckled as she went away.
Arnav and Khushi burst out laughing.
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