As they stared into each other's eyes one searching for answers and one lost for one, suddenly something lit up in Khushi's eyes and Arnav saw with growing curiosity and confusion slowly her frown disappeared and her eyes widen as if she just realized something. He heard her sharp intake of breathe before she darted out of her seat and broke into a sprint towards the other part of the lawn where NK and Abhay were seated.
Not able to get any head or tail of her behavior, Arnav too followed her.
"NK, Abhay" Khushi huffed.
Engrossed in their discussion the boys didn't notice Khushi's speeding figure to them. Startled, both their heads jerked up to her direction only to find her breathing rapidly, clutching her stomach, but that wasn't important rather the known look on her face, which said she had cracked a code or something akin to that, made them curious and her next words made them leave their seats at once.
"His target is not Arnav. There is more than what meets the eyes. It's big."
All three pairs of eyes looked at her astound as she made her way to a corner dragging her phone out almost ripping her pocket in the process and soon started talking to someone. Her every move screamed restlessness and agitation as she continued calling people one after the other furiously barking orders and sometime taking information pacing to and fro.
Arnav and NK exchanged look like clueless people, but Abhay seemed thinking.
Khushi came back after fifteen minutes looking intimidating enough for any mere mortal.
"He had it all planned isn't he?"
Two pair of shocked eyes turned to Abhay who just spoke out of the blue where Khushi blink supporting his statement as he continued, "He laid the trap and we walked in willingly. He got us distracted so he could execute whatever he is planning, which is no doubt pretty big, or else he wouldn't have taken so much of pain."
"Will any of you please tell me what's going on?" Arnav was on the tether of his patience.
NK nodded at Arnav and said exasperatedly to his partners "What's with the riddle guys? Be specific please."
Khushi and Abhay's eyes zeroed in his direction like he was a criminal making NK gulp before Abhay rasped "Get the hell out of here. Leave Kishore for safety measure. Even though I have doubts if it is absolutely necessary." Saying so he started walking to the direction of their jeeps looking every bit of the Abhay, Arnv had known so far, not the broken man he had seen a while ago.
NK followed him still confused but didn't dare to open his mouth again.
Khushi turned to look into Arnav's anxious eyes and said softly, "Right now I have to leave but I will be back when we have the dots connected."
Arnav didn't know why but his heart thudded as if sensing an impending doom and without a moment delay he enveloped Khushi in a bear hug and whispered in her hair "Come soon."
Khushi smiled faintly as she returned the hug and letting her emotions rule for the man she loved, at least this once when she prayed desperately in her mind that what she had in her mind wasn't the truth or anywhere near.
***
Arnav hurried down the corridor to reach the office in the corner the constable pointed out for him. Nodding his thanks he didn't take a moment to reach the room.
It had been two days since he had last seen her. After that hug she had left mutely and since then she all but avoided him. Coming to Raizada Mansion was a far thing; he had hardly heard her voice over the phone. Kishore was still there for his security along with 2 more bodyguards, but Khushi, NK and Abhay seemed to vanish from the face of earth. When he had asked Kishore his answer was short and unsatisfying, that they were busy investigating outdoor. That's it.
Today morning also he tried to call her to know what's exactly going on but she didn't pick up and he wasn't sure if it was intentionally or she didn't notice.
But today his dam of patience had broken after when his call rang off unanswered yet again and he couldn't help but call Shashi uncle to know her whereabouts.
When Shashi answered his questions regarding Khushi his voice was suspicious for his extra interest in her information and particularly hers and at that moment Arnav knew that he needed to clear a few things with Shashi, when he himself once had proudly told him that he was in a serious relationship and now asking for his daughter, before he could misunderstood him. Their relation is precious to him like Khushi and his, and being her father and his father figure he thought Shashi deserved to know that the girl was no one else but his daughter.
Arnav knew if Khushi came to know that he had went behind her to talk to her father she would be mad but he had had enough of this hide and seek. And moreover he was ready to do anything to find a little light of hope for his love life, which seemed to him going nowhere at this moment, and if that needed a blunt acceptance of their relation to Shashi Uncle he would do that too.
Uncle had all the freedom to think as he pleased and if he knew him a little also then he wouldn't just throw him out of his office before discussing a single thing. Holding to that single straw he had knocked the door of Shashi's office.
"Come in." came Shashi's soft command.
As Arnav stepped in the look of surprise on his face was clearly visible yet he welcomed him heartily as expected from him.
Seating down on the couches in Shashi's office for his guests, Arnav started not in a mood to beat around the bushes may what come, "Uncle do you remember I told you I met a girl and I am serious about her?"
Taken aback Shashi only nodded though he had a faint idea after the phone call asking for Khushi in the morning from him that they had something in between them, yet he didn't expect him to come and talk to him in first instance. And the question from him actually made him astonished if what he was guessing was right then there was a hell to move for Arnav. He already felt bad for the nice young man before him.
"Well it is Khushi Uncle." And Arnav proved him right.
Leaning forward resting his elbows on his knees Shashi entwined his hands and chuckled lightly but it wasn't really out of humor rather he looked sad.
Arnav asked curiously, "Aren't you surprise uncle?"
Shashi moved his head side to side as he said softly "I guessed your intimacy with her as soon you called her Khushi in phone in the morning, rather than Miss Gupta or Caroline or Cale. Just that I didn't expect her to be the same girl you talked about."
Arnav relaxed sensing that Shashi wasn't angry with him and spoke up "But uncle I didn't know until that day that she is your daughter. Heck! I didn't even know that she is a police officer until the day she came with NK and Abhay in Raizada Mansion in your instruction."
Well that's my daughter Khushi. The pride in his voice was wrapped with sorrow."
Arnav frowned, "What do you mean Uncle?"
"I mean she is like that. But to know more about what I mean I need to ask you, does she shares the same feeling as yours? Or it is one sided." Shashi speculative gaze met Arnav's thoughtful orbs.
"I don't know Uncle. I think she does care for me, she likes me but love? Though what I see in her eyes I would like to decipher it as love but then she is unpredictable, she is like a puzzle to me. So I am not confident." Arnav gave his honest answer depressed a little about the fact that how unsure he sounded and Shashi nodded.
Shashi offered him cup of tea form the flask in his room and taking a cup for himself he walked till the window overlooking the backyard of Police headquarter.
"You are right she is like a puzzle hard to predict but only until you know her wholly." Shashi spoke turning from the window.
Seeing Arnav about to open his mouth slightly affronted by his remark he cleared, "No son I do not doubt your love for her, but you are yet to know her wholly. Her past, her scars, her secrets and then only you can see through her."
Arnav nodded before he spoke inhaling a great amount of air "I want to uncle but she doesn't let me in. Yes I agree she had promised me to tell me about her past but I don't know when she will... and as much as I hate to say this but I doubt if she ever will." Said Arnav defeated, but his face lit up with little hope as he asked him, "Can you help me Uncle?"
Shashi sighed. As much as he would like to help Arnav but he couldn't betray his own daughter by sharing her life without her permission. He looked up and Arnav's hopeful eyes made him drop his eyes on the floor.
After a moment of contemplation he spoke, "You see Arnav though Khsuhi is my daughter but I don't own her life so it is not my right to discuss her life without her consent." Arnav's face fell visibly but then he heard Shashi again, "... but that doesn't mean I can't give you some hints from my part of the story." he winked and Arnav face glowed with the hope back in his eyes.
Shashi smiled as he realized that how serious Arnav was for Khushi and continued, "As you know she is not my biological daughter, I adopter her when she was 14, but not form any orphanage or any family but from Govt. Child Rehab Cell (its imaginary, more kind of Juvenile centre where the child convicted for crimes are kept)
Arnav looked at him shocked and astound.
"To say she had a terrible childhood would be an underestimate, but we made sure to help her overcome her fears and leave as normal as possible for her, but then fate made her face something tragic and heart breaking yet again and that again made her what she is now. She wants to keep everyone away from her, because she thinks she would only bring destruction to her loved ones. Her wounds run too deep Arnav and healing her would be an uphill job. Are you sure you are up for this challenge?" Shashi turned to Arnav looking straight in his eyes expecting an honest answer daring him to lie, to see how strong his feelings were for Khushi.
Arnav stood up as he said, "Uncle I never felt for a girl before like the way I feel for Khushi. All I knew when I started to see her that my heart reacted in a very different way around her. Then slowly I realized that my heart beats louder in her presence and my mind only thinks of her in her absence. I thought about it for long and deep before I concluded that I love her. I loved her so much that it never bothered me her identity, her past anything. She is cop I know now but who knew she could as well have been a criminal. So you see uncle I love her too much to let her go in any condition. I am ready to take any challenge to get her in my life, even if that means fighting her."
Shashi smiled, relived hearing him and said conversationally; "You know Arnav I was thinking if you would like to see her?" he almost laughed at Arnav childlike excitement as he nodded vigorously and informed him lightly "Well she is working here from the office today. I saw her in her office while coming in..." he couldn't complete as Arnav already sprinted out of his room and he chuckled openly at his speedily retreating back.
He silently sent a quick prayer to God before starting his work again, hoping that his daughter would give her life a chance again.
***
Now as Arnav neared the office he heard a loud thud as if someone had thrown a pile of papers or files on the floor and with that he heard unmistakable voice of Khushi which sounded angry and anguished at the same time as she gritted out in low growl "Now you see Abhay... now you see it is all because of me ... because of our closeness... he took the advantage of our closeness ... and used it in his favor... because of me it was easy for him to get to know about Arnav so closely and get us diverted to execute his real plan... I made it easy for him to harm Arnav and his... argh ... Didn't I tell you Abhay that we are cursed ... Didn't I ..." the last part was nothing but a broken whisper.
And Arnav found himself peeking in the room only to see Khushi seated on a chair opposite to a homogeneous table laden with files and papers and when some were thrown on the floor carelessly. Her elbows resting on the table and her head cradled in her hands. He saw Abhay looking at her with worry and pain in his eyes sitting on a chair opposite to her across the table.
His heart tugged as he took in her tortured and broken form who looked nothing of the strong girl he knew so long and he took few steps backward, deciding this wasn't the right time to meet or talk to her. though a whirlwind of question had his mind in wreck and all he felt to reach her and take her in his arms whispering soothing words in her ears.
Sighing he turned on his heels and left the place thinking of ways to get her to meet him alone and spill her things he wanted to know and this time to no holding back
...
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