Unknowingly /On Hold/ Note on Page 1 - Page 11

The family saw with little scary and wide eyes as Khushi jogged down the stairs looking at peace and walked straightaway towards the kitchen.

They also followed Abhay through their bulged out eyes as he again didn't care to take all the stairs down and jumped down over the railing half the way and landed on his two feet on the floor before trailing behind Khushi.

NK too appeared from the backdoor and they had no idea when he went to the backyards though that was the only door to go there from the house if you don't go all the way around from the front main gate.

**

"I think he jumped down from the balcony from Akash's room" Anjali whispered disbelievingly

"Di, that's almost 10 feet above the ground if not more" Akash enlightened her.

"Then he must have used the pipe" Anjali nodded in to herself, thinking of all the possibilities.

"What are they police of thief?" Devyani asked astonished seeing the circus before her.

Shyam sighed shrugging.

"But Di, what happened upstairs? Didn't bhai meet Khushi there and had a talk' he air coated?" Akash asked confused not understanding how come she could be so cool after having a face to face talk with the ASR, though he himself was thinking that this time it wouldn't be same but, he expected some sparks to flow and come to their direction too.

This time all shrugged.

These people were weird and maybe their Chotey didn't want to rattle them. Wise thinking! Devyani smiled fondly.

If only she knew who rattled whom in her Chotey's room?

**

Khushi took the charge to make coffee for themselves for her special addiction to her own handmade coffee, not bothering about they ware in someone else's home.

"So?" she asked stirring the coffee.

"Nothing" NK answered dusting his jacket.

Abhay too shrugged and raised his brows in question to her.

"Nope. No bugs." Khushi sighed handing the coffees to her mates.

They all sipped their coffee in silence.

"Somebody from home or from office" NK suggested.

Khushi only hmmed.

"Do you think someone from the family?" Abhaly questioned frowning.

Khushi eyed the family from the little open kitchen, eying them curiously.

"As much as I would like to strike out the probability yet, we are bound to check on them, because we don't trust anyone." Khushi quirked her eyebrow making her point clear and then turned to NK, "call Shekhar and ask him to hack their accounts and phone bills for any recent transaction, which seems wired, and off course leave Devyaniji out of it."

"We can ask for these things directly. Why the need of taking the trouble of hacking?" Abhay asked.

"Because we don't want to offend the Raizadas, now do we?" She smirked.

Abhay did a salute to her in his way telling her that he got her point.

NK was already in call.

"Ask Ranawat and Dubey to check their schedule for last seven days and if they had followed it accordingly or did something out of it. If they did then I want every detail of What, Why and How?" Khsuhi shoot her next order.

**

Abhay nodded and was about to take his cell out when Khushi's hand grabbed his shoulder. He looked up questioningly when he found her gesturing him through eyes to follow her line of vision and when he did he saw a shadow stealthily moving away from the other wall of the kitchen towards the dining area.

NK had seen it too.

"I want the man behind the shadow. Bring him near the poolside and keep the family out of this."

Abhay nodded and followed the shadow taking his gun out. NK covered him moving behind him with his gun pointed towards the same direction.

Khushi turned and taking her coffee mug strolled towards the poolside, relaxed.

She stopped in her way when she neared the family. Giving a little long side thorough glance she instructed no one in particular, "No one comes to the poolside when we are there." and walked away leaving them confused.

They didn't see the shadow or Abhay and NK following it, hence they sat clueless.

**

"She is acting like she is the master of this house and we are her puppets. In just 2 hours she is ruling us like this. I wonder what will happen in coming days." Anjali pouted offended. She couldn't accept some outsider instructing them about the dos and don'ts and that too in such authoritative tone, when her parents never tried to command her ever.

All the understanding and maturity evaporated in thin air.

Shyam only looked at his wife's annoyed face and sighed heavily. Sometimes his Anju can be worse than a child!

"Why cannot we go to the poolside? I water the plants there this time of the day only and I will do the same today?" Deciding stubbornly she stomped off.

Shyam tried to stop her but she didn't budge this time. He only hoped that there should be any consequences.

Devyani looked worriedly after her granddaughter. Though she too didn't approve the way Khushi talked but she couldn't approve Anjali too.

She had been pampered too much by her parents and her brothers for being the only girl in the family and only sister, which hadn't helped her from acting so adamant and childlike in her age of bearing a child of her own.

Akash was about to go after her when Arnav came there and seeing the troubled faces of his family he just hoped that this wasn't about Khushi again.

And when he heard what had happened he only mused why the two favorite girls of his life were so eager lock horns with each other. He shook his head and walked towards the pool side, unaware of what awaited there for them.

**

Anjali saw NK and Abhay dragging their one of the two gardeners, by his collar to the pool side. She felt beyond angry seeing them misbehaving with one of their trusted help.

She took a few steps hurriedly and saw Khushi perched in one of the recliners relishing her coffee. Her lips thinned in a straight line seeing her relax posture. She strode with the aura of the mistress of the house, which she was, towards her and asked to her back crossing her arms under her bosom, "May I ask what's going here? Why are you troubling the poor fellow?"

Khushi who had seen her immerging figure in the front glass wall, closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation.

Do these siblings ever listen what they are told?

"No you can't" Khushi answered curtly, "and this fellow doesn't look that poor to me so you may leave because we are trying to work here and you might not like what you will see if you stay any longer."

This infuriated Anjali some more, "I am not going anywhere and I want to see what is this so called work of yours which you will accomplish by harassing that poor gardener."

"As you wish" Khushi stated keeping the mug on the table before her. She stood up when she saw Arnav appear on the threshold of the pool area on the glass.

She took a calming breathe before walking towards the man held by Nk and Abhay little afar on the other side of the pool.

**

The man pleading desperately and crying his innocence on the top of his voice. She saw him also join his hands and looking pleadingly to the direction of Anjali and Arnav. She didn't miss the concern in Anjali's eyes for the man and rage for her as her eyes darted between the two of them.

Arnav only looked confused and little worried as he patted his sister's back, comforting her.

Seriously!

She strolled lazily towards them.

**

Abhay and NK stepped back leaving the guy confused, when Khushi reached.

She tilted her head a little to have a full view of the guy.

He looked anything but poor to her. His face was shaved clean and he was fare in complexion. His hair though was messy for all the pulling and pushing but the texture was unmistakably good, not likes the normal men who works in garden long under the hot sun.

His kurta and pajama though looked dirty but not cheap, she noted.

Confusing him some more she took his hands in hers and checked them taking her own sweet time.

**

On the other hand Arnav who had been watching all this seethed red and green, not liking her touching another man so care freely.

What's she trying to prove here?

But he decided to wait keeping Anjali with him, keeping her from interrupting them. He would take matters in his hand when he thinks it's acutely necessary, until then he decided to watch.

Khushi dropped his hands and crouched down and checked his legs making the man shift on his legs uncomfortably.

**

She stood up giving a cluck of disapproval and started conversationally, "Gardening could be your hobby but not your profession. You hands and legs are too clean and in shape for a gardener so tell me honey what are you really?"

The man looked shocked but still tried to convince her stammering, "I... I ...ha ...ve ...st... started a few da ...days ba ...baack only... Maybe that's ...he trailed off seeing her smiling to him but that smile wasn't there in her eyes.

"I believe you." she said taking him by surprised.

The man closed his eyes and sighed in relief but his relief short lived as he heard her say "But then why were you eavesdropping in our conversation?"

His eyes snapped open to see her playing with the water in the pool with her fingers crouching beside it.

"I wa ...wasn't ...I was just passing ...I didn't hear anything ... he stumbled in his words." He was getting a creepy feeling of this calm demeanor of the lady cop before him when he had seen the fire burning in her eyes.

"Really!" She looked thoughtful pouting her lips.

NK smirlked but Abhay looked beyond Khushi as he saw Arnav and Anjali taking steps towards them. He fixed them with one stern look making them stop in their track. Though he jerked his head towards the door asking them to leave but then when they had listened. So he just let it go.

**

"Oh I forgot to ask you your name, how rude of me. I am talking to you for past 10minutes and still I didn't ask your name. So Ravi tell me what's your name?" Khushi asked looking guilty.

"My name is Kishen...I..., he stumbled and paused on his track, he opened and closed his mouth few times like a goldfish, understanding his goof up...

Khushi shook her head leering.

Abhay smirked too, and NK laughed at this guy's foolishness.

The guy looked horrified and ready to run any moment when Abhay grabbed his shoulder, blocking his chance to run.

**

"I said I believed you, I never said I trusted you" whispered Khushi near his ear.

She took his left hand again in hers and made him look the underside of his wrist, where his name was engraved in Gujrati.

"It's not good to lie about your name when you already have it engraved on your body, and for your bad luck and my good I can read Gujrati. So are you going to spit what you know or I need to ask these men behind you to take care of you... she pointed to NK and Abhay who looked more than ready to have some fun with him... I can assure you that they are painfully very good at that?" She raised her brows in question.

The man, Ravi gulped visibly but tried to get him out of the situation once more, "I... I a...I NOOo... he screeched when Khushi turned in a lighting speed and a blow landed on his chin making him stagger back. Nk caught him on time before he could fall back.

At the same time a shriek from the other corner of the not so big pool, had resounded in the area. It was Anjali who had screamed seeing Khushi punching the man, in the process making him bleed. Apaslled she clutched Aranav's hand but he was beyond pacifying her.

For him, he was still reeling from what he saw in Khushi's eyes.

A murderous rage, when she had turned to them after hearing Anjali's scream for a brief moment.

He had never seen such hot red rage in her eyes before, which was even visible from where he stood. And for a moment he thought he doesn't really know her, as he thought before.

**

Khushi took a step or two back and Abhay and NK took their share of fun with the guy.

But when after several punches and kicks when the guys only screamed that he knew nothing and he was innocent also after getting caught lying, to Khushi it looked like the very air of Raizada house had something viral, because all seemed unhealthily stubborn whoever breathed in the air of this mansion.

Khushi sighed and took her gun out.

**

Anjali shook Arnav's hand to do something, fearing that they would kill the guy, but before he could move an inch, the whole area shook with the sound of gunshot and a scream together.

Anjali closed her eyes in fear, that what might she see as an eerie silence descended in the area.

The mans scared eyes searched his body madly to see where the bullet had struck him expecting pain and blood soon.

He found his white kurta little torn on his right side but nothing had struck him... he looked up dumbfounded and her cold eyes met his.

In an eerily cold voice she said, "It wasn't a miss and I promise if you don't open your mouth in next 5 seconds then the next bullet will be delivered in your lung and we won't take the pain to take you to the hospital. The garden of this mansion is vast; we can dump your body in any corner. No one will care." the threat really sounded like a promise to him.

**

The man shuddered picturing the whole thing she said in his mind and he knew better than to die like a dog so he blabbered like a parrot, "I ... I am a ... I pick pocket for living. A man had dropped in my door a month back a... and... had ...asked me...to learn little gardening... so that I ...I could... take this...job... promising me a hefty reward... I did exactly what he told... then I took this job buttering the old gardener and telling him about my poor condition... and then my job was to in... inform the man about ASR's schedule everyday... wha... whatever I can manage hearing the conversations a... around and also if anything special happening he... here in the ma... mansion. That's it. In return I used to get an amount of 10000 for every news."

Khushi put the gun back to its place and asked NK to take him to police headquarter and ask the other necessary question there.

**

As NK took the guy away, Khushi tuned to see the gobsmacked condition of the whole Raizada family who had come after hearing the scream and gunshot and again her eyes burned. She took measured step towards them and halted in two feet distance.

She spoke addressing Shyam but her eyes stayed fix on Anjali, and there was a chill in her voice as she asked, "Mr. Jha you are a lawyer aren't you?"

Shyam nodded little shaken, but Khushi hardly noticed and continued, "So you know that interfering in police's work is an offense and I can take action in such situation if I want,"

Shyam nodded again. Anjali gulped.

Though Arnav looked annoyed but he knew they were at fault and he also knew that the person in front of them was beyond livid and had the power to carry on her threat so he stayed shut wisely.

"Then I would appreciate if you please enlighten you family with the knowledge, because I am not known for my patience very much in my department." And she left in wind's speed.

"Actually she is more known for her ferocity" Abhay added his own two cents before walking away.

Anjali stood peeved and guilty.

Shyam shook his head on the siblings and walked in the house.

Akash helped Nani in, when Arnav dragged Anjali inside with his arm around her shoulder. Silent tears of shame fell from her eyes but she wiped hurriedly before anyone could see.

But could hardly notice as he walked lost in the thoughts of the burning almond eyes.

And people say I am the hot headed here! Huh!

**

Hello guys I don't know if you have liked this part or not, but this is how I have imagined my Khushi here.

In my defense I can say, she is a police officer and she has a little twisted past hence she has become a hard nut to crack.

About Khushi and Anjali's equation, well they are not needed to share a sweet Nanad-bhabi relation in every story... why not make it a little bittersweet? and that's what I am trying to do.

And about other whys, keep reading, you will get your answer.

And last but not the lest, I am not a thriller or mystery fiction writer so please bear with my this excuse of an attempt to this genre...

Thank you