ArShi FF : I AM WITH YOU -Chapter 11 Pg127 & TEASER Pg137 (Feb 4) - Page 66

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CHAPTER 9

Khushi just thought of taking a round of all the rooms before Rani came for cleaning. The doors of all the rooms were locked and the keys were among the bunch of keys she had. The kitchen was next to the drawing room. It had no door. Khushi went to the kitchen. The black granite platform was all brown with dust. She looked around and remembered the old days. How she used to watch her Ma and Dadi prepare her favourite dishes. Khushi looked at the refrigerator. She opened the door to find a couple of bottles containing water. Khushi just wanted to feel all the things she had been closely associated with. She was about to leave the kitchen when she found the wrapper of a biscuit pack lying on the floor. "How did this come here?" she wondered picking it up. She then came out of the kitchen and climbed up the staircase to reach the rooms upstairs. The rooms were locked. Khushi forgot to get the keys with her. She went downstairs. The bunch of keys was in her bag. Khushi was still carrying the biscuit wrapper in her hand. She just dumped it in the side pocket of her bag, took the bunch of keys and climber the stairs skipping the alternate ones. She reached the guest room which was the closest to the staircase. It was Dadi's room earlier, but after she passed away, it became the guest room. Khushi tried the keys one by one till the door was unlocked. Just like other places, there was dust everywhere. Khushi just looked around for a while, she checked whether the lights and fan were working, but they weren't. She checked the cupboards. They were empty. Khushi came out of the room. The next was Shashi and Garima's room. She unlocked the door and was surprised to see a much cleaner room. There was just a thin layer of dust. "How is this room so clean?" wondered Khushi as she stepped in looking around. She opened the cupboards. They too were cleaner compared to the other room. The bed was neatly covered, unlike the other room. Khushi pulled out a drawer and found a pen inside it. She recognised the pen very well. "Papa's pen? How is it here?" she wondered. She took the pen in hand. This was the pen Shashi was searching for a few days before his accident.

"Khushi, have you seen my pen?" he was saying as he searched it. Then Khushi had given him some other pen she had saying, "Leave it, Papa... Use this pen.."

Khushi was surprised seeing the pen in Pune. "How did this pen come here? This was with Papa a few months ago... I remember very well!" Khushi couldn't understand. "Was Papa here in Pune? But he never said anything... He would have told me if he was coming to Pune... He knew how much I would have loved to come here with him... And if not Papa, then who?" Khushi was totally confused now. She then opened her room and that too was as clean as Shashi and Garima's room. Khushi was surprised to see a door of her cupboard slightly open. She hurried towards the cupboard to look inside. But it was empty. She didn't understand what all this was.

*****

Arnav opened his eyes to see that he was in a hospital. There was slight pain in his head and his head was heavy. He saw Amar and Veena next to him. The doctor came to check Arnav.

"I want to go home!" said Arnav suddenly.

The doctor was surprised and so were Amar and Veena. "Mr. Arnav, you need rest. It is better if you stay in the hospital for atleast a couple of days, rather more" replied the doctor.

"It is urgent, doctor... Please" requested Arnav.

The doctor looked at Amar and Veena. They were silent. They had nothing to say. They knew Arnav would not listen. The doctor said, "Okay, fine... But I recommend you to stay here for atleast 18 hours under observation"

Arnav was happy. Calculating everything in his mind, he said, "So, I can leave tomorrow morning by 3-4 am right?"

Arnav was very excited. The doctor nodded reluctantly.

"Hold on, Khushi... Just a few more hours..." he thought.

*****

Khushi was lost in her thoughts. How were these two rooms cleaner? How did Shashi's pen get here? How was the door of Khushi's cupboard open? Then she remembered what the old lady in the neighbourhood had said. Well, I have been here since past 12 years... I always thought that the owner of that bungalow came here frequently... Like every 3-4 months or so... I see light there for a day or two every 3-4 months... I only say what I see! Was she telling the truth? Did someone really come here every 3-4 months? Who? Shashi? All these questions were revolving around Khushi. But why? What was this all about? Khushi then remembered the bottles in the refrigerator. She realised something and ran down to the kitchen taking the pen along with her. She looked at the refrigerator. She had failed to notice a few minutes ago that the refrigerator was working! The switch was on. The bottles contained water. Khushi couldn't believe all this. Someone was actually entering their home! And if it was Shashi, why didn't he ever tell Khushi? Did Garima know about it? And why would Shashi come here every 3-4 months? Khushi's eyes watered in frustration and disbelief. She remembered something. She ran to her bag to get the biscuit wrapper. She was impatiently searching for the date of manufacturing on it. She was shocked to see that pack of biscuits was just 6 months old! She became restless now. Her breathing became rapid. She was just looking around here and there madly, knowing not what to do.

Just then the bell rang. Khushi looked at the clock on the wall. It was 1:30 pm already. "It must be the maid, Rani..." thought Khushi. She suddenly realised something. She looked back at the clock. "The clock too is working... After so many years... Who is it? Who is visiting this place?" Khushi was feeling helpless. So helpless as never before. She was feeling very lonely. She was missing Arnav badly now. "Where are you Arnav? I need you... Please come to me... Please!" The doorbell rang again bringing Khushi out of her thoughts. Khushi checked through the eye-hole and opened the door to find Rani standing there.

*****

Arnav was getting hiccups constantly. He was very restless because of it. Veena gave him water to drink, but the hiccups were not stopping. Amar was rubbing Arnav's back gently. Arnav somewhere felt that Khushi needed him, that she was missing him... And that was the reason for the hiccups... Arnav didn't believe in all these things, but this time, however, he felt a deep connection. He just closed his eyes and said in his mind, "Khushi... Be strong! I will be there soon... Trust me, I am with you!" And the moment he said that, the hiccups stopped. It might have been a mere coincidence, but still, Arnav felt great.

*****

The first thing Khushi asked Rani was, "You are Rani, right? Is Nalini aunty at home right now?" Rani replied that Nalini had left with her mother-in-law when Rani finished her work there. So there was no one at their place now. Khushi cursed her fate. She desperately wanted to meet the old lady. Now she had to wait till they returned. "Do you have any idea when they will return?" she asked Rani. Rani thought for a moment and said, "They had two bags with them... They have given me a holiday for two days... So I guess they will return after two days..." Khushi was very upset knowing this. She had no choice but to wait.

Khushi, with the help of Rani, cleaned the home well. It was evening by the time cleaning was all done. Khushi paid Rani for the work and Rani left.

Khushi was feeling hungry as she had no lunch. She went out to eat. She again tried calling Arnav from the booth but couldn't reach him. Calling Lavanya was out of question as she had strictly told Khushi not to call her. Khushi could do nothing but have patience.

*****

Khushi was tired by the end of the day... More mentally than physically. But she had to stay strong. And more importantly she had to stay alert. She had decided to catch the person who was sending her those letters in Arnav's name. She had decided to stay awake whole night. She had to find out who it was!

Khushi switched off all the lights to show as if she had slept. But she was sitting just inside the main door in the drawing room with a long stick in her hand for defence. She sat there silently, waiting for the shadow to appear in the window as it did last night. Her eyes widened as she saw someone move past the window. He heart rate increased. Very carefully, she opened the main door, but still it made some sound and Khushi heard footsteps moving away from her. She quickly went near the window, as fast as possible, but she lost him yet again. She could see a fresh cigarette butt lying there below the window... It was still burning red. Khushi coughed as the smell entered her breath. "Who is it!! Why don't you come and face me, you coward!!!" she shouted. But it was of no use now.

Khushi got back inside and still sat there awake waiting for the person to return. But that didn't happen. Khushi was feeling really tired and sleepy now. Yet, she tried to stay awake.

*****

Khushi had almost fallen asleep when the creaking sound of the gate made her open her eyes. She checked the time. It was a few minutes to 6 am. She heard some movement outside the door. She became alert. Just as she saw the person approaching the door through the eye-hole, Khushi instantly opened the door and attacked the person with the stick before he could know what was happening. The person was soon lying on the ground as a result of the sudden attack. Khushi pressed him down with her full body weight. She saw he had brought an envelope. So he was the person sending letters to Khushi in the name of Arnav!

Khushi saw his face and recognised him as the same person who had given her the letter in the train. "Who are you!!" she asked pressing him down, "Why are you doing all this?! Tell me!!" she yelled.

Khushi was surprised to know that he was Arnav's elder brother, Akash. Khushi knew Akash since childhood, as he too was in the same school, elder to them by 3 years. But Khushi had not met him after the school days. She didn't have any idea how Akash looked now. Khushi was embarrassed at her act and she apologised to Akash for having attacked him. Akash said it wasn't her mistake and he understood her fear. He told her the reason behind all this.

Arnav had gone to Mumbai to meet Khushi at the railway station and accompany her to Pune. Akash too was with Arnav in Mumbai. But Akash had to wait in Mumbai for some official work. On the way to the railway station, Arnav met with an accident unfortunately. Akash was the first person to reach to Arnav after the accident. Arnav told Akash to support Khushi but not let her know about the accident as he didn't want her to be tensed. So, Akash wrote the letters to Khushi to keep up her hopes and to tell her that Arnav was with her. But Akash could not meet Arnav later, as he had to stay in Pune to look after their business. Akash didn't get an opportunity to tell Arnav about Khushi.

Khushi's eyes watered as she heard all this. "How is Arnav now? Is he alright?" asked she desperately.

"He is better now... And recovering..." replied Akash. "Khushi, you come with me to our home right now... You seem really exhausted and you need rest..."

Khushi wasn't ready initially, but later agreed to go with Akash.

On the way Akash received a call. "Oh you all are home? Great, I will be there in another 20 minutes!" he said and the call ended.

*****

Akash and Khushi reached the "Raizada Mansion". Khushi stared in awe at the huge palace-like structure standing proudly in front of her. Akash took Khushi to a room directly. And as Akash pushed open the door, Khushi's happiness knew no bounds. The person whom Khushi was waiting for was there in front of her! He seemed a little weak, but the smile on his face and the tears in his eyes told her that he too was as happy to see her. "Arnav!!!!" cried Khushi in excitement as she rushed ahead towards him. Arnav was relieved seeing Khushi fine. Both just kept looking into each other's eyes, forgetting the world around.

Finally Khushi was with Arnav... Now she had nothing to fear. She knew Arnav would always be with her.

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