Arnav (on phone): Yes Di, I am fine.
Anjali: Are you getting ready for work?
Arnav (in an annoyed tone): Di, today is Sunday. I am at home
Anjali (chuckling): I know that baba. But I don't trust you would take a day off work. That's why I asked...
Arnav (rolling his eyes): How are you all?
Anjali: We are all fine.
Arnav: How is Jiju's work going on?
Anjali: Rohan is doing fine too. Now-a-days he seems to be turning into you... A workaholic...
Arnav smiled at that.
Arnav: How is my princess?
Anjali: Neha is doing well, she is out playing with her friends.
Arnav: This early in the morning?
Anjali: Ha, she has her school friends in the same gated community as we live in. They will be at the park for at least 2-3 hours before she comes back home tired.
Arnav laughed softly.
Anjali: Come over to Banglore Chote, It has been a while since I saw you. Arnav: Sure Di. But then why don't you all plan a trip here to Delhi? It's been a while since I saw Dadi too.
Anjali: Dadi loves it here. She has been roaming around all the south Indian temples with gusto.
Arnav chortled.
Anjali: Waise, Akash is very grateful to you. He had called from Bombay the other day. He said that he is indebted to you for trusting him with ARB. He seems to be working hard.
Arnav: No problem Di. Even though I started it as a sister company to AR, that is for you. Anjali Raizada Bansal (ARB) is your company. And Akash being Jiju's brother, I think it's a good idea if he manages it.
Anjali: Waise, how is Tina doing?
Arnav: Good, I guess.
Anjali (surprised): What do you mean 'I guess'? She lives in the same house as you.
Arnav: That doesn't mean I need to know how and what she does all the time...
Anjali: You are terrible Chote. Are you not treating her well?
Arnav (sighing): Di, please don't exaggerate everything.
Anjali (yelping): I am exaggerating? Really? God I don't know how she is living with you. Pass the phone to her.
Arnav: She has a phone too and I'm aware that you know how to contact her. I am expecting an important call on my phone, so call on her number if you want to enquire about her.
Anjali: Wait till I tell Dadi how you are dealing with her...
Arnav (interrupting her seriously): No Di. Do not breathe a word of this to Dadi, I mean it. Now let me go. Have a good day!
With that Arnav disconnected the phone.
A couple of hours later, Arnav received the call that he had been waiting for anxiously.
Sameer: Hello sir
Arnav: Hi Sameer
Sameer: Sir, I am sorry I was supposed to get back to you by yesterday afternoon. But there were a few things that I found out which I had to be doubly sure about before I presented the entire particulars to you.
Arnav: What is it Sameer?
Sameer: Sir, it would be better to talk in person. I also have some evidences that you need to see. Is this a good time?
Arnav: Yes, Come over to my place right now. I'll be waiting for you.
One hour later in the study at Raizada Mansion:
Arnav and Sameer were sitting in the closed study with some documents and pictures spread out in front of them. Arnav had strictly warned his servants not to disturb him until he stepped out.
Sameer: Sir, you said that Khushi might be using the last name Kulkarni as a cover. Thanks sir, because that helped out a lot.
Arnav: Hmm
Sameer: The thing is... um..
Arnav (crisply): What is it?
Sameer: It's not just for a disguise. She is... um...
Arnav (barked): Out with it Sameer!
Sameer: She is married... to Rajesh Kulkarni... Hence the last name.
Arnav was dumbfounded. "What?"
Sameer: Sir, there is more to it. One year back, Khushi and her husband Rajesh were travelling from Nainital to Rampur when there was a landslide that hit them. Rajesh died on the spot. Khushi was injured severely. There were three other cars involved in the same rockslide.
Sameer (went on): Sir, here are the proofs of the landslide, the date and the time, the cars and their numbers, the people affected in the slide, people who survived and who did not. I am positive that Rajesh did not make it. Here is his death certificate. Khushi had multiple fractures and was in a critical condition for more than a month. None of her family came for her. I don't think they even knew what happened to her.
She was then treated by Dr.Sergal who decided that the medical facility was not capable enough to deal with her type of case. Dr.Sergal's mentor Dr.Vade took over the case.
Arnav (horrified): Type of case?
Sameer (resumed): Ha sir, the medical reports prove that she suffered mentally after the accident. She was diagnosed with PTSD... I mean... Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Something that happens to people who go through severe trauma/ accidents and veterans of wars.
The reports say that she was intensely affected by her husband's death. Even after she healed physically, she had panic attacks for a long time. It took her more than 4 months to get out of this. During this period she was shifted to Dr.Vade's clinic in Nagpur.
(Showing the pictures of the doctors) Sameer continued: Dr. Vanitha Vade and her husband Dr. Deepak Vade run this hospital. We obtained the records of the hospital too. Our men have enquired about the doctors and Khushi; Frankly, as we speak, they are still continuing the same.
The Vades took good care of Khushi. Dr. Vanitha Vade counseled Khushi and brought her out of depression over a long period of time. They coaxed Khushi to rediscover herself slowly.
Khushi recently, precisely a week back, took up a job with Tech Designs, a small company in Bombay. Khushi now lives with Mrs. Batra, Dr. Deepak Vade's cousin, in her house as a paying guest in Bombay.
Our men have concluded that the Vades have no law suits against them. The elderly couple are involved with social service a lot. There is no case of malpractice on them. They are clean.
Sameer (persisted): Khushi just reached Nagpur yesterday to spend the weekend with Vades. The only people she seems to consider family are the Vade couple. Khushi is not in touch with her family in Nainital. There has been no form of communication between Khushi and any of the members of Gupta family in Nainital. We have proofs for that too.
Sameer finished the report and looked at Arnav. For the first time in life, Arnav was incapacitated. He was lost for words. Even though he was furious with Khushi for vanishing, his stomach churned learning what had happened to her.
It was too much information to process. He put his head back on the chair, and rewinded whatever Sameer just told him.
There was a sudden flash of thought: "If Khushi was not in touch with any of her family, how did Payal find out that Khushi is in Bombay? How did Payal know that Khushi's last name was Kulkarni?"
"I need to speak to Payal", he decided.
Arnav had thought of a few reasons for Khushi's disappearance but what he just found out was nowhere close to what he had assumed.
Udne Ki Aasha
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