SS: Keeping Khushi (Part 14 Updt on Th 2) - Page 55

both the parts were really amazing Smi,

Finally got answers to some questions, now feeling really really sorry for khushi.

Update soon

Man i love this woman!! ful of substance...

hmmm..i feel she s still hiding something😕but arnav s so into her..its like one soul..he just can t stay away from her😉😊waiting for the next update to be soon😊

D updatte was awesome... looking frwrd to unwrappin of d mysteries...

sasi sharma is khushi's panditji, a mentor of her i guess...& their conversation was fabulously played out..she had an accident..i am sure she is downplaying the incident..it's much more serious than that...looking forward to the next chapter...

Oh khushi was in a accident ? Bt khushi is soo calm n den suddenly she tries to strangle him !!!
I m soo confused !! Reveal the secrets soon :)

(-NishaSobti-, thank u, thank u!)

Part 9

"Chotey, will you take us to the temple today? There is a special pooja today in Devi Maiyya's big temple near the banyan tree.", pestered Anjali.

Arnav muttered into the phone, "Remember what I said about the full & final report from Fingerprints detective agency, Aman. Today is the day they agreed to give it."

"Sir. I will see to it."

"No more excuses from them, Aman."

"Sir."

"Akash & I will be a bit late today."

"Yes, Sir."

(.Mandy., thanx!)

He cut the call to be surrounded by his Nani, Mami, Anjali, NK, & Akash, all ready to carry him off to the temple. He sighed. He had hoped to stop at Omkar on his way to the office, and find out more about the relationship between Khushi and her Baba. But... It looked like he would have to wait till evening.

He waited with ill-concealed impatience as the ladies purchased all the stuff they needed for the pooja, and then followed them up the steps. He prayed with them, and as he turned to leave, saw Khushi and the small gap-toothed girl, the laddoo-lover, standing behind him, praying with closed eyes. He stood still, looking at Khushi, mesmerised not just by her beauty, but also by the peace on her face.

"Chotey, let us go out.", suggested Anjali. But Arnav didn't hear her.

NK said, "He Nannav, mere bhai, walk. People are giving me dhoka (dhakka)."

He continued to look at her. Red sari. The pallu covering her head. Thali in hand. Eyes closed, lost in prayer...

"Khushi!", he whispered.

She opened her eyes to look at him, horrified. In the temple too! How come he appeared before her everywhere, day and night?

"Namaste Uncle!"

"Namaste!", said Arnav.

"Why didn't you come home today morning? You missed the laddoo. I told you last night that today is Akki's birthday."

"Err..."

Khushi stared at him.

His family stared at him more.

"Nani, what is happening here?", asked Anjali.

"Who is she?", asked Akash.

"Nannav is in love?"

"Love?", asked Mami. "He has got himself a good bargainwaa. Ek ke saat ek ekdum phree! One childwaa with one bridewaa phree!"

"Bhai! In love?", asked Akash, cleaning his specs for a better view of the proceedings.

"She is so beautiful, Anjali Bitiyaa!", whispered Nani. "And devout."

"Haan, Nani. They look so good together."

"Haan, haan, Saasuma, Anjali Bitiyaa!", said Mami. "They looks good together. But first find out who that child's phather ijj. If she already has a husband..."

"Shubh shubh bolo, Manorama!", chided Nani.

"Khushi, come with me.", Arnav invited, taking hold of her hand. "I need to talk to you."

Khushi opened her mouth to refuse, when suddenly, a group of people who had been staring at them, joined them.

"Haan, we too wants to talks to you.", said Mami.

"I am Devyani Raizada, Chotey's Nani.", the elderly lady introduced herself to Khushi. Khushi folded her hands in greeting, but asked confused, "Chotey?"

Nani and the others smiled. "Arnav. We call him Chotey at home.", Nani explained with a smile.

NK added, "I call him Nannav. I am his brother."

"I am his Mami. Hijj one and only Mami."

"I am Anjali, his sister."

"I am Akash, Bhai's brother."

"My bitwaa.", added Mami, pointing at Akash.

Khushi nodded and greeted everyone. She introduced the child with her as Nidhi.

"You have only one child? Where ijj your husband? How did you meet hamre Arnav Bitwaa?", Mami shot questions at her.

Before Khushi could answer the bewildering questions, Nidhi asked, "Di, why are Mami's eyes coloured blue?"

With great difficulty, Arnav managed to get rid of his family, and steered Khushi to a stone bench in the temple premises. Anjali had taken Nidhi away to dig for details about the orphanage and Khushi. His entire family was sitting around Nidhi, trying to extract information from her.

Khushi said, "I need to return home now."

"Khushi, five minutes."

"Ji." She craned her neck to see if Nidhi was safe.

"Khushi, why is your surname Gupta and your Baba's surname Sharma?"

Khushi looked at him, astonished at this question. Finally she said, "Because I am not his daughter by birth."

Arnav looked keenly at her.

"I am the first child Baba adopted."

"Why did he adopt you?", Arnav asked in a low voice.

"Because we both needed each other."

Arnav raised an eyebrow, indicating that he wanted her to explain further.

"Why are you so interested in our past?", asked Khushi, genuinely curious to know what was driving him.

"Because I don't like mysteries." His voice was low but sure.

Khushi looked at him, a smile hidden in the depths of her beautiful eyes, and said reasonably, "We are two strangers who met at your studio for a few moments. Nothing more. I don't have to know you and you don't have to know me."

"We do." Arnav was certain about that.

"Why?"

"Had I known you, I would not have insulted your Baba."

Khushi looked at him, first at his face and then at the neck that she had squeezed with her fingers. She gulped.

Arnav hid a smile as her eyes strayed to his neck. He got in first. "I am sorry. I should not have said such things about your Baba."

"I am sorry too. I should not have attacked you.", she said, her face within the red pallu lowered in shame. "It is just that when someone abuses my Baba, I lose control over myself." She sighed.

"You love him very much, don't you?"

"Haan."

It was as if the sun rose on her face. Her eyes twinkled, a wide smile decorated her lips.

"My baba is the best. The greatest musician this country has seen, the best man on earth..." She was cent percent sure of these.

Arnav swallowed the lump in his throat, seeing the love blazing from her face.

"He does not go out much, does he?", asked Arnav casually.

"No.", Khushi's face fell. "He does not like people very much."

"Was he always like this?"

"No." Her eyes filled with tears. "He used to be cheerful, have lots of friends, go for many concerts. But..."

"But?"

She drew a deep breath. "Omkar is Baba's house. His home. He was born there."

Arnav nodded.

"He married slightly late in life. A very, very beautiful lady who sang like a goddess. They were very happy. I have seen the photos." She wiped a tear from her cheek.

Arnav nodded.

"One day, when she was six months pregnant...", Khushi had to pause.

"Haan?"

"Baba had to go for a concert in the evening. He had arranged for a lady to stay with his wife for the hours when he had to go out..." She sniffed.

"The lady said that she would be a bit late. So Baba left before she came. But she didn't come that evening... Baba's wife...she tripped on the stairs..., rolled down the steps, and...and bled to death...The..the baby too... When Baba returned home..."

Khushi cried silently. Arnav closed his eyes, his mind caught in the horrifying picture of what Baba must have seen that evening.

"My Baba lost interest in life." She wiped her tears with the handkerchief that Arnav handed over to her. "He started drinking. He would drink from morning to night. To forget. Soon, he stopped going for concerts. The world forgot him. His friends..his friends left him. My Baba was alone..."

"He used to drink and...and fall on the roadside. Somebody would take him to the h..hospital. They would b..bandage his bruises, and send him off. He..he would drink again, and fall down." She sighed.

"That's how we met."

Arnav frowned at her.

"At the hospital.", she clarified.

"What were you doing in the hospital, Khushi?", he asked, scared of the answer.

Khushi looked at him as though he had lost his marbles. "What does one normally do in a hospital? Get treatment, of course."

"Treatment?" Arnav's voice shook. "Khushi, what was wrong with you?"

Khushi frowned. "I told you yesterday. I had an accident."

"How... how old were you, Khushi?", Arnav whispered, the thought of her alone in a hospital hurting him.

"Ten.", she said.

Part 10: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/3239275/ss-keeping-khushi-part-14-updt-on-th-2?pn=97

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