Chapter 19
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[MEMBERSONLY]
[NOCOPY]
SAVING KHUSHI
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Part 9
Sunlight filtered in to the bedroom through the curtains, lighting up the dark room. Benevolent rays fell on the discarded clothing on the floor and on the face of Arnav as he lay tangled with his wife under the covers.
He blinked open his eyes, a smile slowly stretching his lips. Khushi... He looked at the girl lying coiled around him.
Khushi had collapsed on his chest, exhausted after a night of loving. Her arms were around him, tight. Her rosy cheek was pressed against his heart, and her rich, silky fall of hair was spread across his chest. Her long limbs were entwined around his, keeping him locked in place. Even in sleep, she was unwilling to let go of him...
Arnav swallowed, feeling his chest contract in an agony of love. What had he done to deserve her? So generous, so giving, so loving... He ran his fingers over her head, fingering her silky strands.
Khushi opened one eye reluctantly. The room... It was not RM. And what was she lying on? She lifted her head to look in to Arnavji's serious eyes.
Images of their wedding and their suhag raat flashed through her mind. She flushed becomingly and averted her eyes from him.
"Khushi..." he murmured, his husky voice raising goosebumps across her fine skin.
Khushi looked at him, with great difficulty.
"I love you." His avowal was heart-felt.
Khushi had to nod. She had no doubts on this. "Hum bhi." she whispered.
"I have never said this to anyone in my entire life, but with you, I want to say it... again and again... shout it to the skies..." His voice was a mere murmur, but Khushi heard every nuance in it.
She smiled.
"I was alone for so long, Khushi... all my life..." Arnav confessed. "I never thought... I never knew... I was waiting for you, but I didn't know I was waiting..."
His pain evaporated her bashfulness.
"You will never be alone again, Arnavji." she promised him, cupping his face in her hands. She lowered her head to shower kisses on his face... his forehead, his cheeks, his nose, his ears, his eyes, his chin...
As she paused, he whispered, "You left out my lips..." He corrected her oversight with gusto.
Arnav called Aman and arranged for a car to meet them at the dhaba. He confirmed their appointment with Mr. Roy, the lawyer, that noon. He talked to the Police Commissioner, the private investigator, NK, & Akash, fine tuning the denouement of the kidnapping drama.
The boy from the studio delivered the wedding photos as Khushi and Arnav were having their breakfast. Khushi brought the photos to the table, saying, "Arnavji, the wedding photos!" with a big smile on her lips.
Arnav pulled her on to his lap with ease. Khushi snuggled close as she flipped open the cover. Both of them looked at the photos, reliving every moment of the ceremony.
"Khushi, you are happy?" Arnav asked, his eyes earnest.
"Very." Khushi confirmed, smiling in to his face.
Arnav pulled her closer, and kissed the tip of her nose.
"I hurt you... that night... I dragged you up the temple steps... and forced you..." Arnav lamented their previous wedding.
Khushi frowned. "When? I don't remember."
Arnav's eyes widened. "Khushi, our marriage... the first one... I blackmailed you..."
Khushi put down the photos and cupped his face with loving hands.
"Arnavji, let go of it." she said.
"Khushi, but..." he protested.
"Why do you want to hug unpleasant memories close to your heart? Let go of them, Arnavji. They belong to the past. Let them remain in the past." she begged.
"But I hurt you, Khushi..." Arnav repented.
"Ji, you did. Arnavji, both of us have lots of unhappy memories, lots of tragedies in our past. If we spend all our lives lamenting over them, we will be wasting the time we have together, to live together, to make a life for ourselves... Do you really want to spoil our present by hanging on to our past?" she asked reasonably.
Arnav shook his head.
"I am not asking you to forget the bad memories, Arnavji. We can never do that. It is impossible. But let us learn from the past and live in the present." Khushi kissed him on his temple, her tender lips lingering lovingly on the furrowed expanse.
"Khushi..." Arnav warned her. "It is going to be terrible once we get back..."
"It has to be done, Arnavji..." she sighed. "We have to throw Shyamji out of Di's and our lives... I am ready."
Arnav looked at the trust in her eyes.
"As long as we are together, I am not afraid, Arnavji. I know you will make everything alright. And I will help you." Khushi said simply.
Arnav nodded, and quickly pressed a lingering kiss on her inviting lips.
The driver took them to Mr. Roy's office where Aman was waiting for them, and then to the Police Commissioner.
Arnav contacted NK & Akash, and met the private detective to finalise their plans.
They then went to Laxmi Nagar, and after being greeted with tears and glad cries, collected the 2 copies of the papers Shyam had given Khushi. Arnav read through it and explained its purpose to Khushi.
She paled. "Had I got your signature on this, he would have killed you..." she whispered in shock.
"Yes." Arnav hugged her close.
Khushi wept all over him. Arnav comforted her and said, "It is time to teach him a lesson. Let's go home."
Khushi dried her face & nodded.
Then taking Amma, Babuji, & Buaji with them, they left for RM.
Shyam sat in the living room, watching the ladies praying and crying. Akash & NK were sitting by him, NK fiddling with his camcorder and Akash working on his laptop.
"Where is Khussi Bitiyaa?" Nani lamented. "Akash, did Chotey call? Have the police found out where she is?"
Shyam looked anxiously at Akash.
Akash sighed. "No, Nani. There is no clue. Bhai will be back now with the ransom money."
"What is happening in our house, Nani? So much pain, so much anguish..." Anjali wept. "Our Khushiji..."
"Somebody ka bad eye lagi he hamre ghar ma..." Mami was definite on the point.
Nani nodded.
Payal wept.
"Don't cry, Payaliyaa. Hamre Arnav Bitwa will phind out bhere your sister is." Mami consoled her daughter-in-law. "She is not a bhindi that any Taam, Dicks, aur Haari can steal from a sabzi mandi. She is an insaan. Hamre Arnav Bitwaa par bharosa rakho!"
Shyam looked away in contempt. The same people who were praising Arnav and Khushi would be badmouthing them soon. The contract marriage papers... that would teach these hags a lesson they wouldn't forget in a hurry! Arnav Singh Raizada! Their blue-eyed boy! He would be revealed as a trickster soon!
The doorbell rang.
HP went to open the door. All eyes looked at the door in expectation.
They heard HP gasp, "Arnav Bhaiyya!"
Before they could rush to the door, Arnav entered the house, Khushi & the Guptas in tow. Two men in plain clothes followed the family.
Shyam stood, gobsmacked, speechless, shocked out of his skull. His missing kidnap victim had turned up at her house, safe & sound with her husband who had gone to make the ransom money!
"Chotey! Khushiji!" Anjali exclaimed and limped towards them. Nani & Mami beat her to it, and hugged Arnav & Khushi repeatedly.
Payal followed, hugging & crying over her sister.
"Bhere were you, Khushi?" Mami asked, tears in her eyes. "Bhat happened to you?"
"Khussi bitiya, are you alright?" Nani held Khushi close to her heart.
Anjali hugged Khushi as tight as she could. "Khushiji, you have no idea how worried we were!"
Arnav stood watching his family shower love on his wife, a small smile on his lips.
NK & Akash smiled at her, but stood by Shyam.
"Madhumatiji, Garimaji..." Nani wept with them. "Thank God Khussi Bitiya is alright!"
"Nandkisore ki jai ho!" Buaji said softly.
Arnav led his wife, the two men, and his family to the living room to sit down. This would take a long time. He introduced the men as Mr. Singhal & Mr. Sharma, his colleagues.
"What happened to you, Khushiji?" NK gave her the opening as planned. "The last we knew, you went to meet Nannav at his office."
Khushi smiled. "I did. But I was kidnapped as I reached his car park."
A loud gasp was the only response to her statement.
Shyam stood up to leave without attracting the notice of the family.
NK caught hold of his arm. "Where are you going, Jijaji?"
"Khushiji has just gotten home. Don't you want to know what happened to her?" Akash appeared confused.
All eyes turned to look at Shyam. Sweating like a horse, he dropped back in to his seat.
Nani looked at Khushi. "Why? Why were you kidnapped?" she asked, tears in her eyes.
Khushi held out a copy of the document. "For this."
Shyam started. What was she holding in her hand? The file... he had destroyed it! So what was in this paper?
Khushi handed over the document to Anjali. Shyam tried to lean forward to make out what it was, but he couldn't.
Anjali read through the first page, a frown furrowing her brow.
"What ijj it, Anjali bitiya?" Mami asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Mami... Mami, it says... that if anything happens to Ch... chotey... our Chotey, then Shyamji will be the owner of AR Designs, this house, the bank balance, and everything that is in Chotey's name..." She looked at Shyam with shocked eyes.
Shyam could feel heat emanating from his ears; his eyes turned red. He felt cornered. How could he get out of this maze?
"Hein?" Mami exclaimed.
"What kind of mazak is this, Anjali bitiyaa? Why should Chotey make a will like this? He is young, and by the kindness of Devi Maiyya, healthy. And even if he does make a will, why should he trouble Damadji with his business? Damadji is not a businessman, only a lawyer. Why should Damadji take on Chotey's responsibility? Hamre Akass Bitwaa and Manohar are there to manage everything..." Nani was thoroughly confused.
Anjali examined the papers thoroughly.
"Nani, Mami, it is not signed." she exclaimed. She looked at Arnav. "Chotey, why did you draft such a document? And why should Khushiji be kidnapped for this?"
"I didn't draft it, Di." Arnav took a deep breath. "Jijaji did."
"What?" Nani was moved in to exclaiming.
Anjali looked confused, and upset.
Mami opened her mouth to make a comment, and then desisted, her sharp eyes resting on Shyam's perspiring face and the determination in Arnav's eyes.
"Knowing that Khushi's knowledge of English is weak, Jijaji gave her this document and asked her to get my signature on it. His plan was to get this signed, and then kill me." Arnav stated.
Mami drew in a breath of shock.
Nani stared at Arnav & Shyam, her lips trembling.
Anjali looked wounded, and stared at her brother and her husband. Her bubble was bursting, her cocoon was no longer safe, reality was intruding in to her dream world with heavy feet...
"But he reckoned without Khushi's attachment towards me. She brought the document to the office to show it to me. Jijaji realised that if I saw it, I would understand him for the greedy crook he was. So he followed Khushi to my office, and using chloroform, made her unconscious. Then he carried her away in his car." Arnav stated softly, each word falling in to the silence like bombs.
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