Arnav felt deranged. How dare she? He walked into his suite ready to blow up. Quickly, he change into his casuals and hit the bed, only to sink into nightmares.
*Khushi was looking into the mirror with her right wrist in front, happily jingling her new bangles-which he, Arnav, had got for her. Suddenly, the mirror cracked, and Khushi screamed in terror.*
"Khushi!" Arnav awoke screaming. " Damn these nightmares," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair.
He grabbed his phone and called. "Hello? Aman? Sorry to disturb you but I am returning on the next plane back to Delhi."
At Shantivan-
Arnav storned into RM. Nani greeted him. "You are early Chhotey."
"Where is Khushi?"
Nani and Anjai giggled, as if they knew why he was asking.
"She went to Buaji's house. Her flight had gotten cancelled so she was about to return, but then her mother called and asked to see her," Anjali replied.
Arnav knew her flight hadn't been cancelled. She hadn't boarded it. "And who told you this?"
"Mohan told us Chhotey! He drove Khushi bitiya to the airport yesterday."
His eyes widened. Mohan? Mohan was not on duty on Mondays. But he nodded, and once up in his room, he called Mohan. He asked him if Mohan had said that in the house, to which he replied he had. When Arnav asked how he knew when he was off-duty, Mohan told him that he was entering RM to talk about the next day's temple trip when Shyam had caught up with him. Shyam bhaiyya had told him that he had met Khushi did at the airport and when he found out her flight was cancelled and she had to got the Gupta House, he had offered to drop. He requested him to pass on this message to the house members as then Shyam was in a hurry.
Arnav felt outraged. How could she sink so low? He cut the phone and punched another number, gearing up to yell at Khushi
Khushi tried not to flinch as she felt his disgusting touch lift her up, but she flinched anyway. She had no idea how long she had been lying in the car.Shyam's nose twitched and he set her down and doped her with more chloroform. When Khushi awoke, she was greeted with blackness and a voice. "I am leaving for sometime. Don't try anything Khushiji or else your dear Di and your suspicious HUSBAND will pay for it." With that he left. She could neither see nor hear anything. She felt around and her hand brushed against some rectangular pieces of glass, which fell and shattered. Deciding that if she broke things, she would get attention, she thrashed around wildly. This time, nothing broke; but a sharp pain fired from her knuckles as she hit wood. Whimpering, she sank to the floor, wiping the warm blood that had started oozing on to her dupatta. Where was she? She sat there, staring into nothingness for hours, until a familiar ringtone greeted her. Her cellphone! It was nearby! She followed the sound and heaved a sigh of relief to find it glowing dimly in the darkness. Shyam must have counted on the darkness for not letting her find it.
She looked at the screen. Arnavji's call. Why was he calling her? Should she even pick it up? No. I must pick it up, she thought, as she realized this might be her last chance to clear her name. Sighing, she picked it up. "Hello?"
"Dekho Khushi, meri baat dhyan se suno. Mujhe yakeen nahi hota ki-" he began.
She cut him off, determined this time. "Nahi Arnavji. Iss baar nahi. AAP hamari baat sunenge."
"What the-! How dare you Khushi-?"
"Haan, hamne dare kiya. Ab hamari baat sunenge?"
Presuming the silence to be permission to speak, she went on, trying not to sob; trying to keep her voice steady, "Arnavji, hum nahi jante aapne kya dekha, kya suna aur ham jaan na bhi nahi chahtey. Per jo aapne dekha aur suna, usse agar aapko takleef hui ho hame maaf keejiye. Hamari taraf se Anjali Di ko bhi sorry bol dena. Unhe hamne jo uss din aapse kaha tha, woh keh dena. Yaad hai? Jiss din aapne humko iss shaadi ka asli kaaran bataaya? Wohi sach hai, aap maane ya na maane. Hum aapko kabhi takleef nahi pahunchaana chahte the aur hum nahi chahte ki hum aapki aakhiri yaadon mein ek gire hue insaan ki tarah rahe. Humse aapki aankhon mein hamare liye itni nafrat aur gussa nahi dekha jaate. Shayad uss gusse ko kam hote hue ham kabhi nahi dekh sakte, per ab aur hamesha uski ummeed karenge."
After some silence, Arnav said very slowly, " Accha? Ye dialogue tumne kitni baar practice ki hai Khushi?"
She sighed. She knew he would react like this; But she had tried. "Jabse aapne hum per shaq kiya, per dar ke maare hamne kuch nahi bola per ab un cheezon ka kya matlab? Iss liye, bol diya."
"Khushi, main iss drame se thak chuka hoon. Ghar ao ABHI. Aur shaq nahi, main JANTA hoon ki tumhare aur Shyam ke beech kuch chal raha hai iss liye mujhe tumhe Payal ke naam per dhamki deke shaadi karni padi!"
"Aur aakhiri baat Arnavji. Hume farq padta tha, padta hai aur humesha padega kyunki hum aapse-".Khushi heard footsteps. Fear gripped her heart. "Woh aa rahe hain. Hum rakhte hain."
"Khushi, call mat kaato. I am not finished-"
"Nahi Arnavji, woh aapko aur Di ko maar dalenge. Humse bardaash nahi hoga..."
"Khushi? KHUSHI?! Kaun Khushi? Khu-"
His voice was gone and just before she cut the phone, Jiji screamed into it "KHUSHI?! KHUSHI? Kya-"
Khushi cut the phone and hid it under behind her, just as Shyam entered, smiling.
Khushi was smiling in her heart too. She had heard Jiji's voice. Jiji would tell Arnav; she knew Jiji would explain everything. Her last attempt had failed but Jiji would take care...
Cricket
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