Ch 7~Trust~Both remained in same position for a long time, consoling each other's aching hearts which felt like cut open again after many years.Arnav had been strong enough in front of of Khushi because she needed strength, but he melted down in front of his sister, feeling the same pain as she experienced at the moment."Arnav, you go and sleep now," Anjali told her, moving a comforting hand in his hair and kissing him over his forehead."Are you okay, Di?" Arnav asked, helping her get up from the chair, while she nodded her head positively, "Won't you say anything about Khushi?""We'll talk about this tomorrow," She replied sternly, making him look down confusedly.After helping his sister to her room, Arnav moved into Mish's doom to get some sleep.*As the sun peeped into the room through the french windows and kissed Khushi's eyelids, she slowly opened her eyes, feeling lighter than ever. She dreamed about Mish, still having some visions of the dream. She could never deny the love for children she had in her heart, which made her nostalgic about her own own childhood with her father. The gleeful eyes and never ending laughter, the small races along the beach where her father deliberately slowed down to make her win, had still aroused goose flesh over her body. None of the the two existed now, neither her father nor her happiness.She got up and checked downstairs if Arnav had come and then came back to her room after receiving no news of Arnav. She brushed her teeth, tied her hair up and went to the poolside to water the plants. She loved nature, it gave her a sense of comfort, away from all the chaos and the congestion of her life.The sun was high up, when she heard some footsteps approaching her room.She opened the door after hearing it knock, to reveal a girl in her early thirties dressed in formals."Good morning, Ma'am, I'm Alice. ASR sir had sent me to your apartment to get your things," She spoke in an American accent, smiling sternly at Khushi, before calling some men inside the room.Two men came inside the room with huge boxes, supposedly carrying the stuff she had told to bring from her, no, Shyam's apartment. After thanking Alice and the men politely, Khushi first freshened herself and went out to the kitchen to have something to eat. *Varun had already left for his work, while Anjali and Arnav along with Mish sat at the breakfast table. Anjali had promised Mish to go with her for shopping for her upcoming Sports Day in school, so the excitement sprawled during the whole time. Arnav thought of dropping his sister and niece to the nearby mall and then drop by the farmhouse for sometime, before leaving for AR. "Arnav, you think she is really innocent?" Anjali asked him suddenly, when Mish had gone to Anjali's room to get her purse. "Who?" asked Arnav, unsure if Anjali was talking about Khushi. "That girl, Khushi," Anjali trailed off, breaking the eye contact with her brother and looking everywhere but him. Arnav looked at his sister incredibly, trying hard to comprehend her state of mind at the present moment. "I can't believe this, Di! You seriously think that she is dramatising all this?" Arnav asked bewildered, his orbs widening with each passing second."She may be..""Stop it Di, please! I thought you would understand as we ourselves have suffered --" Arnav's voice trembled and his whole body shuddered with pain of the miserable times they had seen. "Mamu, let's go!" Mish came running back to the dining hall, putting a halt to their conversation, which anticipated to turn things ugly.*There was stark silence in the farmhouse as he entered there. The whole journey from the Raizada Mansion to the mall was awkwardly silent, at least between Anjali and Arnav, though Mish had lightened up the mood to some extent. Arnav was beyond astounded by Anjali's mentality. She had always been unpredictable, he knew, but this time, it was limits. When he had sympathy for Khushi, when he cared for all the worst things she had gone through, why wasn't his blood sister acting the same? What made her feel that Khushi isn't innocent, but is doing all this for the sake of some damn drama?He sighed in despair, ordering the servant to get a cup of black coffee in Khushi's room. He walked into Khushi's room, finding it dark as usual. He stumbled on something big, which seemed like a box and steadied himself with difficulty. "Khushi?" He called out in a slightly raised voice before turning on the lights.She walked towards him from the poolside, carrying something like a photo album in her tired hands. Her eyes, yet again, looked red and puffy, as if she had cried for hours together. "I'm sorry," she muttered under her breath, and moved ahead to keep the boxes on a side, away from the entrance of the room. "Why haven't you arranged all the things in the wardrobe? Do you need some help?" He asked sternly, looking at her hunched shoulders, depicting her exhausted state. "I started, but then I saw this on top," she trailed off uncomfortably, pointing to the photo album in her hand. "What's this?" He asked, moving towards her and she moved back impulsively."Papa.." She whimpered, bowing her head down in melacholy, tears making their way down her already-flushed cheeks. "What?""My Papa.. and I.." She moved backwards till her back hit the glass of the french window as pain in her heart grew, the album clutching on to her bosom like a second skin."Khushi," He covered the distance between her and himself, looking at her curiously, "Show me."She loosened her hold on the album and it fell down on the floor beside her. Arnav bent down and picked it up. "Papa, how am I looking?" She swirled around, holding her new lehenga in her little palms and the small mirrors on it shined beautifully. "My princess!" Her father picked her up in his arms and swirled her around, making her laughter spray over the whole area, and her neighbour uncle clicked the snap.
Without waiting for her reply, he walked out of the room.
Khushi composed herself and wiped her tears. After straightening her hair and keeping the album safely in the wardrobe, she went to wash her face before heading out to the living area.
*
Arnav paced around the area, trying to find a way to talk to Khushi. His mind was under an inevitable pressure as he revived back the words of the police inspector who had called him some time ago.
He bid bye to Mish and Anjali in front of the mall and started his drive to the farmhouse, when his phone rang.
"Mr. Raizada?" a curt voice startled him, as soon as he picked up the call and clipped the bluetooth to his ear.
"Yes?" he answered, sensing some tension on the other side.
"Commissioner Vikram Rao here. I need to have a word with Mrs. Jha regarding Shyam Manohar Jha's case," Arnav stopped the car on a side of the road and listened carefully, his brows scrunching in concern for Khushi.
"She isn't here at the moment. Anything serious, Mr. Rao?" Arnav asked.
"Very serious, Mr. Raizada. We have found some drug samples from Mr. Jha's apartment, which are completely illegal. There are suspects of him being involved in drug trafficking along with his wife, Khushi Jha," the police commissioner spoke in his serious tone and Arnav's eyes widened, more in anger than in shock.
"You think she can be involved in all this?" Arnav kept his voice calm, fisting his finger over the steering wheel.
"We can't say anything right now. She awaits an interrogation," the commissioner's voice turned more stern and Arnav swallowed the lump in his throat.
"Is this necessary?" Arnav trailed off, his voice trembling in an unknown fear.
"Let us do our duty. We aren't asking her to come to the police station as we know what kind of state she is in, but she needs to speak up!" "Alright," Arnav said in a low voice before hanging the call, his mind jotting down all the reasons to think positive.
Khushi was being criticized for the second time in a few hours in front of him, one by the police commissioner and another by his own sister. There were possibilities that they were true, because of some obvious reasons, but his heart refused to believe any practicality. His conscience refused to accept the fact that Khushi could be involved in anything bad. His heart had accepted Khushi, his mind had a sense of possession over her, though he had all reasons to keep it a secret from her.
"Arnavji?" Her heavy voice made her turn back at her, breaking his train of thoughts abruptly.
"Sit," he pointed to the couch, he himself settling on the opposite side.
Khushi took a place on the couch and looked at him with raised eyes, waiting for him to speak.
"Umm," he looked down, confused of how to start, "Shyam.."
Khushi's eyes widened involuntarily, an expression of fear forming on her face.
'She get's scared even by hearing his name, how can she be involved in anything?' He spoke in his mind, looking at her trembling form.
"Was Shyam on drugs?" He asked after taking a deep breath and her eyes turned red and widened more before a lone tear escaped her eye.
Text in reddish color and in italics represent flashback
Time to pick up some pace.
Do like and comment.
-Thanks for reading-
Edited by -SanjanaSobti- - 8 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
708