Chapter 13
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[MEMBERSONLY]
[NOCOPY]
SAVING KHUSHI
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Section 2
"Bitwaa, I am sorry. I can't marry you tomorrow morning. Woh kya he, tomorrow I have to go 15 km away after I finish my duties here to conduct a pooja at a home." the purohit said apologetically.
Arnav & Khushi paled.
The pujari smiled. "If you are ready to marry tonight, I can marry you."
Arnav & Khushi looked at each other in surprise.
"Yes, yes. We are ready." Arnav said.
"Are you over 18?" the priest asked Khushi.
"Yes, I am 21." she said.
"Are you a spinster?" he asked.
"Ji."
The priest asked Arnav, "Are you married to someone else?"
"Of course not."
The purohit smiled. "Then it is OK. Bitwaa, do you have any family members here?"
"No."
"We need witnesses for the marriage." the pujari explained. "Wait till the arti is over. The temple will be crowded then. I will announce your wedding. We will get devotees and the temple staff to sign the register as witnesses."
Arnav & Khushi agreed happily.
"Arrange snacks for the witnesses, & give it to them after the ceremony is over." the purohit suggested.
"Ji."
"Wait for one hour. Then you can both get married."
Arnav & Khushi thanked the purohit. They went to a nearby shop and gave an order for a big basket of jalebi.
They then returned to the dhaba, and changed clothes.
Arnav wore his new brown shirt and black pants. Khushi dressed in the beautiful red sari that Arnavji had bought for her. She plaited her hair neatly to lie down her spine, and came out to join Arnav.
Arnav stared at her, struck by her beauty. The bright red sari with a golden border, the red embellished by golden leaves, the short choli that hugged her figure, her creamy waist that peeped from the fall of her sari across her bosom, her bright, dancing eyes... she looked like a princess. His own, personal princess.
They walked to the temple holding hands, the camera they had borrowed from their host held safely in Arnav's hand.
Shyam walked the length & breadth of his room, fretting. Where was Rocky? Why wasn't he answering his call? Where was Khushi?
Anjali walked in to the room.
"Shyamji! What is wrong? You seem very worried! Are you upset about Khushiji as we all are?" Anjali asked, her eyes moist at the thought of her missing sister-in-law.
"Yes... yes..." Shyam managed to say with composure. "Arnav... where is he?"
"Chotey has gone to arrange the 5 crores the kidnappers asked as ransom. He called me some time back. He is expecting the kidnappers to call today." Anjali confided.
Shyam started sweating profusely. How could he ask Rocky to call Arnav when Rocky himself was missing? How could he take 5 crores from Arnav without showing him Khushi? He panicked.
"Shyamji, the bank manager called. He said that there is very little money in our joint account. So little that we will be fined for not maintaining a minimum balance. He wants you to deposit money immediately." Anjali said.
Shyam gasped. Kidnapping was expensive business. The kidnappers had to be hired. Their food, drinks... the chloroform... the jeep needed petrol to run...
"Shyamji..." Anjali frowned. "A few days back, we had 2 lakhs in the account, didn't we?"
"I will see to it, Rani Sahiba. You needn't worry about such matters, especially not at this time. You focus on Naniji & Mamiji. Payalji must be so unhappy about Khushiji..." he tried to divert her attention.
He succeeded. Anjali went back down to cry and pray along with the other family members.
Shyam panted. He had to do something urgently. Lallan, Rocky's boss would demand payment soon. He had to raise the amount immediately.
There was nothing in his bank account; the joint account was as good as empty. There was only one way out. He had to use the duplicate key for Arnav's locker that he had made, and take some cash from him.
He opened his drawer & took out the duplicate key. Slowly, stealthily, like a thief, he made his way to Arnav's room. He looked around. The women were all sitting at Devi Maiyya's feet, praying. Akash was in his room, busy with office matters. NK, the fool, was nowhere to be seen. He slipped in.
He shut the doors gently. He moved to the locker and pushed the key in. It was a perfect fit. He smiled in appreciation of his own intelligence. It was like taking candy from a kid. Gleefully, he turned the key.
Nothing happened.
The lock failed to open. Shyam looked at the recalcitrant lock with shocked eyes. He tried again and again, frantic, looking towards the door frequently so as to avoid being caught. He pushed the key in more firmly, & tried to turn it. But the lock proved more stubborn than Shyam Manohar Jha.
There was no use hanging around here, Shyam decided. It was time to leave Arnav's room. He tried to pull the key out.
The key refused to budge.
He stared at it in horror!
After pulling & pushing at it for long, sweat running down his face in rivulets, Shyam decided to give up. Furious at his defeat and scared of his inability to raise the necessary cash, he looked around to see if Arnav had left anything expensive around that he could steal & sell.
But there was nothing. The room was as spartan as always.
How dare the Raizadas not give him money? After all, that was the only reason why he was putting up with their Anjali! He looked around the room, his eyes rolling, red, like a mad bull.
Just Arnav's books... Shyam knocked them down. Just his wardrobe of clothes... he pushed it open. In a mad frenzy fuelled by his hatred of Arnav and his need for money, Shyam threw down some of Khushi's suits and Arnav's shirts. Many files were kept in a lower compartment. He pulled them out and ripped the papers out. He took the last file, opened it, pulled the papers out, and raised them to rip them apart.
He paused. Khushi Kumari Gupta? What was her name doing on this document? Shyam lowered his arm to read it.
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