Chapter 16
Arnav's realization
"But why did Chottey say that I shouldn't meet chachaji under any circumstances?" frowned Anjali, putting away all the shopping bags in the closet.
"How do I know Ranisaahiba? Saale sahab just told me to pass the information to you," Shyam tried to sound casual. "Why don't you call him and see where he is?"
"I tried his number just now. But I couldn't connect to him. I hope Chhotey is okay," Anjali was terribly worried.
"Don't worry Ranisaahiba! I am sure he is fine." Shyam said cheerfully.
But he thought menancingly, I hope my brother in law is dead !
And Arnav was dead!
But dead from the ache in his heart for Khushi that refused to subside. After chit chatting with the pilot he had finally come to take his seat besides her and found her in deep sleep.
How beautiful she looked smiling in her sleep. Perhaps she was having a happy dream about something...someone.
Arnav's eyebrows furrowed. Hope it was not that idiot Pankaj! No he had ticked him off well! That guy dare not come even in her dreams, smiled Arnav lopsidedly.
He slid down besides her and put her lolling head on his shoulder. Her hair fell on her face and he hesitated only for a second before tucking her thick hair behind her ear. He touched her rosy cheeks with gentle fingers and sighed.
He could have lost her today forever. He couldn't believe that she had risked her life for him. How could he deny any longer that she was special to him. She had always been ever since he had met her as a child. He had been angry with her for leaving when his mother died.
But that was in the past. She was here now. And she made him feel weak in a way he did not want to. With her he had no control over his senses. And perfect control over himself is what he had mastered in all these years. That was the weapon that made him the tough headed businessman he was.
All he needed to do was break away from the shadow of the Mallik hold over him. It would be easier now... now that he knew that his own chacha wanted to kill him to stake claim to all the Mallik fortune and AR industries. He felt anger but no pain. Just relief. He owed nothing to the Malliks now, not anymore, not even to Dadi. He had paid them back enough for bringing up him and his sister, for giving them the best of education, after their parents died, after Nani disappeared.
But no more...
He will put his chacha behind bars, but will not lay any claim to the Mallik property. His grandfather who had left it all to him and his children would understand...
He will form his own company. At last he will live his dream...
With Di at his side.
And Khushi.
He looked at her sleeping peacefully and smiled. Yes, I need her. I will never be able to do all this without her ...
"We are going to land Arnav!" the pilot shouted out to him.
Arnav gave him a thumbs up sign and shook Khushi's shoulders gently.
"Wake up sleepyhead. We are almost there!"
Khushi stirred in her sleep to his voice and suddenly he was gazing into a pair of beautiful clear hazel eyes. He was hypnotized.
Khushi was mesmerized to see the man in her dreams by her side, looking at her with dazed wonder. And suddenly out of the blue she asked him the question she had been dying to ask him all along, "Do I really mean the world to you?"
Arnav was taken by surprise but said coolly, cocking one eyebrow, "What do you think?"
He pulled her up to a standing position and taking her hand in his tugged her towards the door.
He had just helped her to climb down from the helicopter when a figure came running towards them.
It was NK! He hadn't recovered from the shock of Khushi boarding Arnav's hot air balloon when the club office had told him about the danger Arnav and Khushi were in! Ever since he had been on tenterhooks.He was delighted to see Khushi unhurt.
"Khushi thank God you are safe! The club staff informed me about the accident! Main to sunkar gobar ho gaya! (When I heard about the accident, I became cowdung)!
Khushi giggled at NK's Hindi. "Gobar nahi, ghabra, gaya NK! (You didn't become cowdung, you became anxious NK!)"
"I hope you haven't told Buaji and Babuji anything about the accident, " she inquired quickly..
"No, partner! I knew you wouldn't want me to trouble them, so I just told them you would be late." NK ruffled her hair and grinned.
Arnav who was listening to this exchange sourly, felt his body heating up with jealous rage. Khushi was his, only his! He clenched his fist.
"Khushi you must be tired! There is no need to talk now! I will drop you home!" he said roughly, scowling at NK.
"Oh! Its alright! I told Shashi uncle, I will drop her..." NK intervened
Arnav ignored him completely.
He was about to reach out for Khushi's arm.
Suddenly, Lavanya crashed into him and hugged him tightly.
"ASR! My darling ASR! I was so scared when the club people told me your balloon had met with an accident!" she purred.
And then suddenly turning towards Khushi, she spewed venom, "This stupid girl was responsible! You saw didn't you how she threw me out of the basket!"
"I am sorry Lavanyaji, I was only trying to..." Khushi tried to give her side of the story.
"I don't want to listen to any of your lies!" Lavanya made a face at Khushi.
Arnav lashed out,"Lavanya! Listen, she is not to blame in fact she saved me..."
"Oh you are now taking her side are you?" Lavanya said teary eyed..
Arnav let out a sigh. "Its not like that..."
Khushi had had enough. "NK take me home!" she turned to NK.
"Khushi wait..." Arnav looked at her beseechingly.
But Khushi was already walking away from him.
NK looked from Arnav to Khushi and back, shrugged his shoulders and followed Khushi.
Arnav saw the president and other important members of the club approaching him and controlled himself from running after Khushi. The mood she was in she would never listen to him. He would talk to her later. They had a lot to talk about.
"I am sorry ASR! The accident could have been fateful!" the president of the club apologized.
"You should be more careful in the future!" Arnav shook his head gravely, "especially about the staff you employ! The guy with the checklist, he is responsible! Where is he?" Arnav gritted his teeth.
"Pete?" one of the club members said. "He seemed such a good boy. But if he is the culprit, he won't go scott free!" He immediately spoke into his phone asking a junior staff to find out the whereabouts of Pete.
"We will get back to you as soon as we find him, ASR!" he assured Arnav.
"Right!" Arnav pursed his lips.
"Oh and ASR this phone belongs to that brave girl. She dropped it when she took off in the balloon with you," he said handing him Khushi's phone.
Much to Lavanya's displeasure.Arnav pocketed Khushi's phone before taking their leave.
"ASR, I don't like..." Lavanya began as soon as they sat in the car.
"Lavanya, I don't have time for this. I will drop you home." He said with a finality in his voice.
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"Di! Di!" he shouted as soon as he entered RM
Anjali was in the pooja room and came limping out. Tears stung her eyes.
"Chhotey! What happened? I couldn't get through to you! Aman is not answering his phone too! I was having these horrible thoughts. " Anjali touched his rough stubble as if to confirm her dear brother was physically present before her.
"Di! Calm down, " Arnav said answering Anjali. "Did Jijaji give you my message? Did Ajit chacha try to contact you?"
"Yes I got the message Chhotey! But what is going on? Please tell me Chhotey! And are you Okay? I know something has happened to you!" Anjali was hyperventilating.
Arnav hugged her. "I am fine Di but all is not well..."
Suddenly his eyes fell on Shyam who was standing near the stairs and gaping at him with his mouth open and eyes popping out.
"Jijaji!" Arnav exclaimed, "Is anything wrong? You look like you have seen a ghost!"
Shyam could not believe his eyes. Arnav was there standing in front of him and in one piece! Ajit chacha and his cronies were utterly incompetent. He could have thought of a better plan to get rid of Arnav!
"Oh no! Nothing saale sahab! I was just so worried about you! " Shyam recovered quickly.
He asked eagerly, "And what were you saying about all not being well...?" He was sure Arnav did not suspect him but he wanted to be sure.
"Yes Chhotey..." Anjali was worried stiff.
Arnav was contemplating how much to tell his sister in the state she was in, when his phone rang. It was Aman.
Before Anjali could protest he excused himself , "Please Di...I have to take Aman's call. It is very important!"
"Yes Aman!" he connected.
"ASR Sheela has turned hostile. She just told the police I coerced her to take Ajit Mallik's name at your behest !"
"What the!" Arnav growled. "I need evidence against Ajit chacha!"
"Yes I know ASR. But its obvious he has threatened her to keep her mouth shut. And he has also paid her to turn the tables on us!"
Arnav punched the wall furiously. "Then he must have also sent Pete, his man at the sky diving club, into hiding!"
Aman was quiet. Then he said in a frustrated voice, "What do we do now, Sir?"
"Aman, get the helicopter ready for me. I am going to Lucknow to meet that b****** of an uncle now!"
" I will come with you Sir!"
"No, Aman you will not! You will stay here and ensure that no harm comes to Di and..."
"And Sir?"
"Khushi." Arnav disconnected the phone.
"Khushi?" Aman was left staring at his phone.
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Khushi climbed the steps of her home tiredly to see a big lock hanging on the main door of the Gupta household.
She blinked. Was she seeing things? Where was everyone?
She suddenly realized her phone was not with her. Where had she dropped it? She panicked.
"Hey, what happened?" NK's voice sounded behind her.
Khushi turned to him in relief. "NK, no one is home. That is surprising. When you talked to Babuji did he sound worried?"
"Your phone was unreachable, so he was perturbed yes. But then he thought it was because you were up in the balloon. When I told him I would drop you home as soon as you landed, he sounded relieved. He did not mention anything about leaving home."
"Hey Devi Maiyya! Hope everything is okay! NK please try Babuji's phone!"
"Yes, of course!" NK dialled Shashi Gupta's number and handed the phone to Khushi.
The phone kept on ringing. Khushi was in tears, fearing the worst, when Buaji picked up the phone.
"Hullo? Hullo? Kaun hai, Nand Kishore!" ("Hello? Who is it, Nand Kishore!")
"Buaji! Hum hain, Khushi! Aap log kahan hain?" (" Buaji! Its me, Khushi! Where are you all?") Khushi asked in trepidation
"Tum zameen par aa gayi Khusi, ki abhi hawa main hi tair rahi ho?(Khushi have you descended on land or are you still floating around in the air?") Buaji said in a hushed voice.
"Zammen par, Buaji (I am on land, Buaji!)" Khushi said defensively.
"Theek hai, to jaldi se bade haspatal chali aao! Hum phone rakhat hain! (Okay then, come fast to the Big Hospital!)"
And the line got disconnected.
Khushi looked aghast at the phone in her hand...Big hospital?City hospital? Why? Hey Devi Maiyya raksha karo!(DM protect them!)"
She suddenly felt the need of a rock hard chest to lean on, a pair of strong arms hugging her, a masculine smell enveloping her in a safe haven...
Where are you Arnav? Her heart cried.
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Ajit Mallik got off the phone in his room in Sheeshmahal, Lucknow. Yes it was confirmed. Arnav was alive and so was that witch who had saved him. He picked up the bottle of whiskey and drank its content and threw the bottle on the floor, smashing it, the remaining fluid staining the beautiful Tibetan carpet. Suddenly he felt claustrophobic and stumbled out of the room and ascended the stairs. The cool breeze on the terrace hit him and he gulped the air taking deep breaths and trying to calm himself. He would now have to think of his next plan of action.
" My men are useless! I will have to throttle him with my own hands!" he laughed aloud.
"Whom do you want to throttle uncle? Well, here I am! Go ahead, you coward!" Arnav's voice rang out in the dark.
A fear gripped Ajit as Arnav emerged out of the shadows.
Ajit stealthily reached for the revolver in the baggy pocket of his kurta.
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