ARHI SS: Trapped Thread 3 Link to New Thread - Page 79

Aaron had called Arnav out of the blue one fine day. Ironically, it was always Arnav who had hounded Aaron for some news of Khushi.

Every day he had met with disappointment. His hopes of finding her had dimmed but the pain hadn't.

Every day he was reminded of her. No. That was a joke. He was reminded of himself only rarely. His thoughts were always about her. Where was she? How was she coping? Did she have money? Was she pregnant?

And the memories---they haunted him. He was plagued by her memories---her smiles, her tears, her laughter ---her love.

With every memory he was stung with guilt. She had given him her all---heart, soul and body. But he had only taken from her---her body, her love and her happiness.

She had put everything at stake to safeguard his happiness and security...her own happiness, safety, integrity and very existence. She had understood that his biggest anguish had been his mother's absence from his life and his terrible childhood. Khushi had gone out of the way to bring his mother back into his life.

Her whole life had been about him. And his life? Yes, there had been plenty of reasons to distrust Khushi. He hadn't known the facts. Everything had been clouded by his preconceived ideas about her and the circumstances of their marriage. But that was no excuse for his bad judgement of human nature. He had not seen Khushi's true love for him. He had insulted her as a woman by questioning her motives behind sleeping with him.

Would she ever forgive him even if he found her? The fear had nagged him from the day she had left. Yet, he hoped she loved him enough to forgive him.

So, when Aaron told him 'Mr ASR, we have traced a girl who looks like your wife. But, before you get ecstatic, I would like to warn you that the girl goes by the name of Ananya Pandey.

Our team followed her for a while. She works in a small company as a tele caller. She stays with an elderly couple in Kolkata.

We asked people if they know about her and how long she has lived in the area. People say she shifted some time back with her parents.

People hardly know them. They say, the family is very quiet and the girl is hardly seen outside, other than the times she goes to work.

She does resemble your wife. But she seems to be a different person.

You can go down to Kolkata and try meeting her. Hope you are able to crack her secret, because we were not able to go beyond this.

All the best ASR. Hope you get your wife back,' Aaron said.

Long after the call was over, Arnav sat transfixed. Was this girl his Khushi? What if she wasn't? Hew could he deal with the disappointment. And If she was Khushi, would she accept him? Would she forgive him? Why hadn't she made any attempt to contact him or her parents if she was not angry with them? The fact that she was living as a stranger could mean she hated all of them, wasn't it?

He was totally confused. But he had to go there and see her---his heart told him the girl was his Khushi.

He had never been to Kplkata before, not even for his busness trips. He felt he was stepping back into a different era with its quaint old world charm.

The bustling streets which combined the ancient trams with the plushest cars, the typical sweet shops and puchka walas and other street side vendors---the city had a strange peace that he couldn't name.

He felt an optimism in his heart---Kolkata would give his Khushi back to him, he was sure.

He hailed a cab and reached the guest house his secretary had booked. The guest house was in the same area where Ananya/Khushi lived.

It had not been difficult to find a guest house in the area, as it was a very prime location. He would have been happier if it had been in the same street. But, beggars couldn't be choosers. He was happy at least it was in the same area.

After settling his luggage, Arnav looked at the time. He was right in time to stalk Khushi while she went to work.

He could hear his heart thundering as he stood in a secluded corner of the street waiting for Khushi to step out.

Sharp at 8.45, he saw a fragile girl emerge from the house, that Aaron had mentioned.

At first he couldn't see her properly. She was wearing hideous clothes. She also had ugly specs that hid her face.

He clothes simply hung on her. Her hair was oily and braided. As she came closer and closer, Arnav's heart plummeted. No this girl looked nowhere like Khushi. Only common thing was the complexion. She was as fair as Khushi.

Even her walk was slightly different. The girl walked with a slight limp. As she came closer and closer, Arnav strained his eyes to see if he could see Khushi in her.

He couldn't deny the resemblance. She had the same honey gold eyes, beneath the ugly specs. She had the same luscious lips.

But where Khushi's eyes sparkled with life, this girl's eyes looked dead. Where Khushi's skin glowed, this girl's looked pale.

The skin was stretched across her lean hollow cheeks.

But Arnav's heart screamed this was Khushi. He did not know why he felt so, though she looked so different.

Resolving his mind, he rapidly walked towards the girl. If she reacted to him or recognized him, he would know this was Khushi.

He approached the girl and called out Khushi---

The steps of the girl faltered only for a second, but she continued to walk. Khushi--- he said and this time, stepped into her line of vision.

In that fleeting second, he held his breath to see recognition in her. A strange expression flickered in her eyes, But she looked at him blankly and said I don't know who you are calling. My name is Ananya.'

Her voice! It was Khushi's.

He knew it. His heart knew it. He had to try it again, Khushi,' he said and reached her hand.

At that moment he knew it was her, because her hand trembled at his touch.

But he was shocked at her next sentence when she said 'I don't know who you are. But if you don't take your hands off me, I will complain about you for attempting to molest me...'

Arnav's hands fell away as he watched her walk away as fast as she could not turning around to look at him even once---