(Thank u, -happilyunknown, my dear daughter Gayu, for this banner! You always do me proud!!!!)
Part 13
Arnav Singh Raizada knocked at his Nani's door early in the morning. She looked up, surprised. He looked haggard, his face drawn, as though he hadn't slept all night. The book of prayers slipped from her hand, and she stood up to walk towards him.
Around 10 o'clock, the Raizadas came in full force to Omkar. As they walked in, they saw Nidhi playing hop, skip, & jump with her friends. She came running towards them, greeting them warmly. She didn't notice the strained smiles directed at her.
"Why are you always late, Uncle? The pooja is over."
"Pooja?", Arnav asked in a voice that even he didn't recognise.
"Haan. Pooja for Baba's birthday."
"Oh!"
"Di is making jalebis in the kitchen. Because that is Baba's favourite sweet.", Nidhi confided happily.
Arnav stretched his lips in a wan smile, and asked her, "Where is Baba?"
"In his room.", pat came the reply.
"Where is his room? Can you take us there?"
"Of course I can. I am a big girl now, Uncle. I know all the rooms here. It was difficult in the beginning because it was a new house, but now I know all the rooms..." Nidhi chattered as she led the silent family to Baba's suite of rooms. Arnav winced at the reminder that he had forced Khushi & the children out of Anand Sadan.
She knocked at the door. "Baba, Di's friends have come to see you. Shall I let them in?"
"Haan."
The Raizadas walked in to Baba's room.
They saw a tall, slim man in his early fifties, sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat. He had overlong curly hair falling to his shoulders, sharp, patrician features, and bright eyes.
He stood up slowly, his eagle eyes on Arnav Singh Raizada.
"Pt. Sasi Sharma?", asked Arnav.
"Yes?"
"I am Arnav Singh Raizada."
Baba nodded.
Arnav introduced his extended family to Baba. Baba greeted them and offered them seats.
A difficult hour later, there was not a dry eye in the room.
Baba asked Arnav, "Why do you want to marry her? Guilt? Regret? An attempt to compensate her for her loss?"
"No. Because I love her."
Baba looked into Arnav's sincere eyes.
"We were planning to come here and ask you for Khushiji's hand today morning.", wept Anjali. "Then we found out..."
Finally, Baba said, "You have to talk to Khushi about the accident and your father's role in it. After that, if she wants to marry you, I will conduct your marriage."
Arnav nodded.
"How will she bear this?", Nani wept.
"Saasumaa, mat royiye. You will phall sick."
Baba smiled sadly. "You don't know my Khushi. She has borne worse."
Khushi was sitting in the prayer hall, stringing marigold flowers for the evening pooja. The wind from the open windows had blown the pallu of her red and gold silk sari off her right shoulder. Her hair was unbound. It fell like a dark, shiny, silky waterfall down her back, lying on the wooden floor behind her. The wind played with the strands of her hair, blowing it away from her beautiful face.
She sang,
Kanganwaa Mora Atahi Amola, elaborating on the lyrics and the raag Kedar.
She looked happy, at peace, content. Beside her was a big basket of marigold flower chains that she had made.
Arnav swallowed hard, a cold shiver spreading throughout his body at the thought of destroying her hard-found peace of mind with his words.
Khushi felt someone's eyes on her, and turned her head to look at Arnav and his family. A smile appeared on her lips. She set aside the flowers and the needle, and forgetting that she was not in Anand Sadan, tried to stand up, her hands searching for the railings Vivek had fabricated for her.
She felt ASR's hands on her shoulders, sliding down her arms covered by yellow cloth, slowly helping her rise from the ground.
"Shukriya...", she managed to say.
The Raizadas watched Arnav helping Khushi stand, her knee-length hair and the golden pallu of her thin red silk sari flying against his face and his lean body in his black formal clothes. Anjali could not control her tears. Nani bit down a sob, and Mami's eyes filled. NK and Akash looked at each other, helpless.
Arnav helped her hobble to a chair. The Raizadas found seats around her. Arnav took a seat opposite to hers.
"We wanted to speak to you about about something, Bitiyaa.", said Nani softly.
"Why are you crying, Naniji?", asked Khushi, worried.
"Eleven years back...", she paused., unable to continue.
"Ji?"
Arnav continued. "The accident that k..killed your parents and left you h..hurt..."
She looked at his pale, worn face with serious eyes.
"It... it was caused by Aravind Mallik. He was driving the car t..that crashed into your t...taxi..."
Khushi nodded, not understanding where he was going with this. She looked astonished as Baba slipped into the seat beside her. Then she looked at Arnav's face, expecting him to finish whatever it was that he wanted to tell her.
"He... He... Aravind Mallik... was... was my f...father."
Arnav looked at her pale and expressionless face.
They sat in silence for a long time, Nani and Anjali sobbing quietly, Mami trying to wipe away the tears falling down her cheeks, Arnav, Akash, and NK silent and moist eyed. Khushi sat still as a statue her face revealing nothing.
"Taarva...", Baba called softly, finally.
She turned to look at him. "I am fine, Baba." She caught his hand in hers, and kissed it.
She looked at a weeping Nani, Anjali, & Mami.
"Please don't cry. You will make yourself sick." Her voice conveyed her anxiety.
"Khushi!", whispered Arnav.
She looked at him.
"My father killed your parents and the taxi driver. And he put you in the hospital." Arnav wanted to be certain that she had understood the entire story.
She nodded.
"He made you an orphan, took your home and family away from you."
"Ji. I understand."
They sat in silence for a long time.
"I am sorry, Khushi.", Arnav said.
"For what?"
"For whatever happened eleven years ago."
"It was an accident. If I lost my parents, you and Anjaliji lost yours too." Her tone was even, her sound quiet.
Arnav couldn't find the words to convey his pain and regret. Her dry eyes, stoic demeanour, and pale face made him want to burn down this world. As Baba and his family watched, Arnav Singh Raizada got up from his seat, walked up to her, kneeled down in front of her, and buried his face in her lap, hugging her legs gently.
"I am sorry, Khushi. I am sorry. I am so so sorry, Khushi...", he wept.
As they watched, a slow, silent tear finally made its way down her cheek, to be followed by many.
A long time later, she placed her hand on his head, and patted it gently.
"It is alright.", she murmured. "It was not your fault."
Thread 2: Part 14:
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/3248201/ss-keeping-khushi-thread-2-part-22-in-th-3
Edited by smitar - 12 years ago
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