SS: A turning.update part 16 pg 45 31/5 - Page 4

PART 4

It had been a week since Khushi had left, his Khushi had left. Arnav Singh Raizada was lost and hurt. She was hurt and he did nothing to help her, his ego prevented him from 'interfering' in her life and today, there was no Khushi at all. With her had all the peace from his life, all he thought about was her, at work, at home, while he ate, before he slept and she had become an inevitable part of his dreams. Most of the dreams ended with her moving away while he just stood there and watched, calling after her.

He was moving in circles roaming the streets of Delhi after work, a routine since a week, looking for Khushi. He stopped his car and banged in head against the steering wheel, "Where are you, Khushi?" unaware that his car was parked near the temple that both families visited often – his and Khushi's. Payal had called him for 3 straight days hoping that he would be able to locate her, but her calls started to get more irregular. She had not called him the whole day today to inquire after Khushi, maybe she had lost hope as well. However, he could not give up, he would not give in, and he would find his Khushi.

A soft breeze caressed his face and ruffled his hair and instinctively he heard himself call out to her, "Khushi" in the faintest of voices as he got out of the car. His eyes searched for her and found a pair of cold and hard eyes staring at him, as their eyes met a relief spread over him and he raised his right hand trying to stop her but her eyes said a different story.

The coldness in her eyes reflected the one that he had for so many years. Shocked to see all the happiness and mischief missing from her eyes, he just stood rooted to that spot a hand raised. The moment he taken to compose himself, Khushi had made her escape. He stood transfixed to the spot staring at the place where she had stood for a moment staring at him with aloofness. He got back into the car and reached home.

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A piece of the puzzle was missing. He could not understand the reason for her leaving. The cold look in her eyes haunted him. He liked the care free Khushi, he loved the care free Khushi, but what changed, he thought. Was it something to do with that useless fianc of hers? His was so pre occupied he did not realize La calling him.

"ASR, I need to talk to you."

"What La?" he said frustration etched on his face. He was bored and annoyed with this faade. He could no longer put up with her. Yes, she changed for his family, but, she did it for herself.

"ASR, can we please postpone the engagement till we get any news of Chamkili please" she pleaded with him. Her heart ached but she had to do what she had promised herself.

"Ok La, whatever" and with that he left to tend to his plants. His excuse everytime he wanted to move away from people and their conversations.

The week of Khushi's disappearance, he had forgotten to tend to his plants, engrossed in thoughts about her. The plantlings were withering, he saw and started work o them. Watering and pruning them, his thoughts wandered to Khushi again. She liked the pool side like him. He remembered the time he had cut himself, the Diwali night, the time when he had over watered the plants because he was busy staring at Khushi… All those times flashed in his mind and finally the tear stricken face of Khushi as she collided with him near the pool side. He left his plants, annoyed and sat the poolside, his hands shielding his eyes, trying to block every image of hers. He would look for the fianc then. He had seen her, atleast she was in Delhi, she was safe, that was the consolation he required for the moment, once he knew the so called fianc he would find a way to bring Khushi back.

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La was broken as she rushed out of RM to meet her only friend, Khushi. Khushi was waiting for her; she needed to tell her of the blunder she had committed.

"Laji, i made a very big mistake. I went to the temple today in the evening."

"Its ok, Chamkili, but no one spotted you right?"

"Actually, I think Arnavji saw me there, but I ran away before he could reach me."

No wonder he seemed so upset, La thought.

"Its ok, no problem just don't o out again. I think if he gets a hold of you, he will not leave you again." La smiled, more to herself than to Khushi, reading the double meaning in her words.

"You had gone to the court today right? What did you find?"

"I saw him leaving the court with a Kamalaji. I did not follow them but then I know how she looks and I want to talk to her. It seems like she has a problem with him." She did not like saying Shyam's name, it disgusted her.

"In the archives I saw several cases on which he had worked. Most of them seemed normal but some of them looked wrong to me." She showed the photocopies to La.

Shyam Jha was a criminal lawyer, not the best but yes, he did have some power. He could make people disappear if he wanted to.

"You are right. How is it that key witnesses disappeared in the cases and returned only after the trial was over? Sometimes the witnesses changed their statements after they met with Shyam. I see."

"Kamalaji is trying to hire Shyamji as an advisor for her husbands' pension case." Khushi said, as she handed over the file to La. "I remember him talking on the phone on the terrace with her. He said she was black mailing him. May be she can help us."

"Nice work, Chamkili, I think you could become a detective if you wanted too. Let's start a detective agency 'Shoes'" La said, trying to make Khushi smile.

Khushi's face light up into a smile for a fraction of a second and then her smile disappeared.

"Laji why are you here today? Tomorrow is your engagement right? You should not be here."

"Oh Chamkili, I decided to postpone the engagement till we find a way to through Shyam out of the house."

"You should not have done that. Now Arnavji will be upset with you, he wanted to get engaged so fast." Khushi said, growing even sadder. Upset that because of her, her best friend's happiness was being ruined.

"Don't worry Chamkili. ASR said yes and everyone in the house agreed. Although Akash and Payal are getting engaged tomorrow. You want me to send them a gift from you?"

Khushi had never dreamt that she would not be there for her Jiji's engagement. She had thought so much about it when she had fixed Akash and Jiji up. What she would wear, her jewelery, her teasing Jiji and Jijaji, dancing on their engagement. A lone tear fell from her eye, wanting nothing more than to go home to her Babuji, but she held herself. There would be no marriage if she went back home to dance in.

La stood there, looking at Khushi. She had no words to comfort her today.

"Chamkili, let's start with your first class today."

"Class? What class?"

"English class, Chamkili. Like you used to train me to learn house hold chores, I will teach you English and the regal manners."

Khushi had her inhibitions about it, but she did not voice them and sat with La.

After an hour, Khushi could say La was a good teacher. She had the patience to teach her and the compassion. She had managed to learn something after all. Whenever the Laad Governor would say 'what the', she would like to complete his sentences, she thought. The question that remained was, if she would ever see him again.

His eyes had a pain that she had seen rarely on him before. If she would have been any bit weaker, she would have walked to him that very time to console him and make him smile with her antics.

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La on the other hand was driving back to RM, her thoughts on a word that had never occurred to her before, "Detective." She picked up her phone lying on the dash board. She had not dialed this number since a year, precisely since she started dating ASR. A sleepy and surprised male voice said, "Hello" on the other end of the line.

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