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OS Together In This
I looked at Bhuaji, she was worried sick. I was worried too and so was Jiji. I ended the call and turned to look at the other two standing in the house, worried with a questioning look on their face.
"What's wrong Khushi? Don't just stare at our faces, tell us what's wrong!" Bhuaji asked and tears sprung up in my eyes.
"Bhuaji… our shop. It is gone." I sobbed. "Amma said that we couldn't pay off the loan and now…" I gulped and closed my eyes. Why was this happening to us? "The shop is gone. I don't know what we will do."
Bhuaji sat on the sofa with a thud and my eyes shot up to look at her. "What will we do now? I don't get a pension, they don't have money to run the house. How will we survive? And Shyam has not even done anything about the pension…" Bhuaji started to hyperventilate and I ran to get her puff. Handing it to her, I tried calming her down while Jiji got a glass of water for her.
"Bhuaji, I will go get the sarees from the Raizada house today and then… then we'll start the work again. I am sure we will get heaps of orders. Why do you worry so much about everything? I promise we'll fix everything."
"Bhuaji, I think you should go rest. We are here right? You don't need to worry anymore." Jiji smiled at Bhuaji, and took her inside the room. Once assured that she was asleep and resting, she came outside and looked at me, worry clearly visible in her eyes. "Khushi, now what?"
"Jiji, I am going. I'll be back in an hour or so. Okay?"
"You are not going for real are you?"
"Look jiji, if going to his house saves my house, then I will go. We can't stay like this for long. No pension, no income, are you serious?" She looked at me, still unsure. "Jiji, he won't bite me okay? And plus, Naani ji and Anjali ji are there as well. I am sure he won't do anything to me." She finally smiled at me and biding her a goodbye, I stepped out of the house as memories came flooding back. After what happened yesterday, I really had no strength to face him. No now at least.
O0o0O
I rang the doorbell nervously, hoping that he won't open the door. The chances of him being home were very slim of course. After all, it was Monday, he should be in the office. I heard the door open and snapped out of my thoughts. Seeing Anjali Ji on the door, I sighed in relief.
"Khushi! What a surprise! Come in." She smiled at me as we walked in.
"Actually, I came to collect those-" I froze as I saw him standing there, next to Lavanya. Our eyes met and I knew we both were thinking about the same thing. Yesterday. I saw Naani Ji walk towards me and Anjali Ji. I greeted her by touching her feet and she asked me to join them for lunch. I tried to refuse, but they didn't listen. As I walked towards the dining table, I froze yet again, this time to see Shyam Ji standing near the dining table. His face registered nothing but shock, and his eyes showed betrayal. "Shyam Ji!" I whispered to myself, or so I thought.
"Khushi, how do you know my husband?" Anjali Ji asked with a smile and I felt the ground being swept away from underneath my feet. Anjali Ji's husband? "Khushi?" Anjali Ji shook me and I came out of my thoughts.
Smiling weakly at her, I decided to hide the truth for her sake and tell a blunt lie. "He is helping my Bhuaji with her pension problems. And he also happened to save my family from some goons in Lucknow. So… that's how I know him."
I looked at Shyam Ji again and saw him smile at me. Tears sprung up in my eyes as I realized that he had been cheating on his wife all this time, eyeing another girl. She didn't deserve this did she? Not at all. I felt disgusted by him and his look made me want to throw up on his dirty act. I had always been aware of the way he looked at me and what Bhuaji had been thinking of. It was a sick lie, he was a cheater. I looked at Anjali Ji and she smiled at me. She was such an Angel. How could he possibly do that? My head spun and my body swayed. I closed my eyes and darkness took over me.
O0o0O
My eyes opened to a room with grey walls and grey carpets. I had been here before. It was his room. But how did I get here? I stressed my brain and everything came flooding back. I gulped back the tears as Anjali Ji came and sat next to me.
"Are you okay now?" She asked, concerned.
"Ya, I am fine." I smiled a fake smile and sat up. Realization struck me and I realized I was in his room. I had known that fact before, but now it was much clearer. "Anjali Ji, I should go. Jiji must be waiting. And umm, I shouldn't be in his room. He doesn't like people to…" My voice trailed off as I saw him enter the room, closely followed by Lavanya. Had she moved in?
"Don't worry Khushi." Anjali Ji replied to my worried, oblivious of ASR standing a few steps behind her. "Your Jiji will be here in a while. Akash has gone to pick her up. You need to rest, you twisted your ankle. And Arnav was the one who brought you in his room. So don't worry about him getting angry and all. It's all good." I nodded and then looked back at him staring at me, his gaze piercing me and his eyes not leaving mine.
"You feeling any better now?" He asked, his voice rude yet a bit of concern still evident. I nodded in response and smiled a bit, while Lavanya made a face at me. "Di, Lavanya. Can you guys leave me and Khushi alone for a few minutes? I need to talk to her about something really important." Anjali Ji nodded and walked out, while Lavanya stayed. "Lavanya, I need to talk to her. All alone. Leave." Giving me another look, she walked out as well. Turning, he closed the door and locked it. I gulped in fear as he turned around, his eyes set on me. "I am not going to eat you up. I need to talk to you about something really important. So don't get any wrong ideas."
I shifted a bit as he came and sat next to me on the bed, his eyes still boring into mine. I looked away as I felt his gaze burn me and stared at my feet. "Look, don't get me wrong. I have a proper reason why I came here." I found my voice and began, still staring at my feet. "If you want to talk to me about whatever it was, then please don't. I have had enough today. So please…" My voice cracked as tears resurfaced.
"Um… are you okay Khushi? You look a bit disturbed." This time, his voice showed nothing but concern. I looked at him and saw no anger on his face and not being able to hold it in anymore, I broke down in front of him.
"Our shop in Lucknow… it is gone. My Bhuaji here does not get a pension. And when I came here… I saw Shyam Ji… and…" I stopped as I realised what I was about to say. I let the tears flow out. Shyam Ji was just like a good friend and what he did to Anjali Ji was still hard to digest.
"How do you know my Jeeju?" His voice was serious, that tone with determination that he would get it out of me.
"I told you downstairs. He is…"
"I asked how do you know my Jeeju? I want the truth Khushi. You do know that I can see right through you and you cannot lie to me right? Well if you didn't, know that fact now. And the truth, come on, out with it. And stop acting like I am going to hurt you, because I am not. I need to know the truth Khushi."
I knew how much he loved his di and I felt even worse. How could a man do such a thing? I looked at him again and his eyes were almost pleading me to tell the truth. And so I did. Right from how Shyam Ji had saved me, how he had helped me find the job, how he had promised to get Bhuaji's pension issues sorted, how he was living with us, how he looked at me, how Bhuaji loved him and thought about him, and right up to how I found out he was Anjali Ji's husband. I apologised to him for all that had happened.
"What are you apologising for? It wasn't even your fault. And regarding Jeeju, ummm… can I ask you for a favour?"
"Me?"
"No, I am asking the wall. Of course you! Who else is in this room?" I wondered what was the reason behind this sudden change of behaviour in him. I nodded and he continued. "Will you help me in… umm… exposing him?"
I stared at him, wide eyed. Arnav Singh Raizada was asking for my help? For real? Snapping out of my thoughts, I agreed to help him.
"So… we're together in this right?" I smiled and nodded at him. Getting up, he unlocked the door and a few minutes later, Jiji rushed in and bombarded me with questions.
"Jiji! Calm down! I am fine."
"He didn't do anything to you did he?" She whispered to me and he chuckled. I couldn't help but laugh as well.
"No, why would he? After all, we are on a mission. Together in this right?"
While Jiji stared at me perplexed, he smiled. I knew there was a lot of explaining to do, but as of now, this new phase of friendship was the only thing I could think of. And so in response to his smile, I smiled back at him.
O0o0O
So, as a result of sheer boredom, I wrote this OS. I don't like the way it has turned out, but felt like posting it :P Like it or not, let me know through your comments :) They mean a lot :)
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Jyotika
Jyotika
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