FF- Love You Eternally - chapter 25 & 26 the final chapter - Page 65

Chapter 18

It was nearly 3'O Clock, in the evening, on Vishals instructions Shayam was working on the third floor. Khushi had not been back by lunch time, and though he had seen Arnav Raizada worried, he had seemed to relax after making a call, Shayam was sure the call had been made to Khushi. He had tried to call Khushi himself but his calls had been left unanswered. This had grated on his nerves and anger was seething under his skin. He wanted to see Khushi, he wanted to talk to her, he had to make her understand the extent of his feeling for her. Lost in his thoughts of how to convince Khushi he heard a voice like a whisper in his head.

Shayams eyes glazed over and he stood up straight. He walked to the tool box picked up a crowbar clutching it with both hands he walked the corridors straight to the east wing to the door with the huge padlock covered in sacred tread. He placed the tool between the heavy wood of the door and the thick latch pulling with all his might. His face contorted with the effort he was yielding. Fury and madness in his eyes Shayam put in more effort throwing his head back, his mouth opened in a silent cry. The latch gave way and fell to the floor after a couple of tugs. The heavy doors swung open.

Shayam his face slack and in a trance, heavy sweat filming his face, he stepped through the doors with unseeing eyes he walked along the quadrangle balcony overlooking a small courtyard below. Potted plants were place at regular intervals, some dried up the mud hard. Some growing in wild tangles, and creeping along the walls and wrought iron railings.

Shayams whole body shuddered and his eyes cleared and he looked around startled and confused, where the hell was he and how the hell had he come here. This placed looked like it had not been touched by human hands for ages, the paint was pealing and discoursed, dust covered every surface, the floors were filthy and cobwebs hung like curtains everywhere. What caught his eye was the state of the paintings on the walls, they looked smeared in a dark rust like substance that he realised was blood.

He walked to a painting on the wall in front of him, it was a painting of two boys, the taller boy was about 13 years and plump, his face set in a sulk, his arms crossed over his puffed out fat chest. The other boy looked about 7 or 8 years he stood straight with his legs slightly apart, his body slim and tall for his age, he had one hand behind his back and the other resting on a large German shepherd dog, its tongue lolling out. Both boys dressed in embodied jodpuri outfits, their heads covered with turbans adorned with a jewelled pin and feather. What struck him was that while the older boys sulky face was visible the younger boys face was covered with the rust like substance. His inner professional wondered if the substance would come off, while another part of him the fat boy didn't like his slim built brother very much.

Feeling a strange sensation of being watch Shayam spun around, but there was nobody in sight. Something was not right he thought suddenly nervous his heard pounding in fear a drop sweat running down his cheek. He turned around looking for the door out, how had he reached this far in he wondered. Spying the open door that led to the outer corridor he walked towards it quickly .

Unknown to Shayam a dark mist intensified coming together in a tight loose form it rolled over and over into itself, moving towards the unsuspecting man. Glee pulsing through it, finally

Sensing something Shayam stopped in his tracks his head slightly turned when something hit him in the back. Withering he fell to the floor as his body convulsed over and over again his mouth opened to scream but no sound coming out, his body trashed on the filthy floor over and over, his eyes rolled back until only the white of his eyes were visible, then with one final contortion his body went still and he lay on the floor unconscious.

Khushi at huddled on the floor, tears coursing down her cheek. Khushali Kusum Kumari Singh diary held tightly to her chest. "Everything Arnav said was true." She said softly to Payal.

Payal sat with her a stunned look on her face. She had read the diary with Khushi, and the young girl barely 17 years with so many dreams, her love for Arnavya and the happy times they spent together, her description of intimate details of love with love of her life. Their dreams of living and growing old together, both younger then Khushi and herself and yet so mature in love. "It all seems so unbelievable, I read it Khushi and also heard what you told me. The way you feel." She sighed heavily. "your feeling are like how Khushali felt for Arnavya, even the names" she shook her head gulping, "unbelievable."

"I still don't know if I have come back as Khushali, can it be possible." Khushi said feeling elated and scared at the same time.

"Honestly. At the moment I feel anything is possible." Payal said firmly putting her arm around Khushi shoulder, and hugged her, "If a young girl like that can feel her love so intensely, I don't see why she would not want to come back to live the life she dreamed of with the man she loves. You read what her father wrote at the end."

Khushi nodded and smiled. She turned the pages of both the diary and the translation to the last two written pages.

I am Thakur Uday Kumar Singh, and this diary belongs to my daughter Khushali Kusum Kumari Singh. My Khushi, my beautiful princess, so full of life and laughter. Every gloomy day brightened with her smile. Everyday for the past week I have been waiting to see her face, to see her twinkling eyes and bright sunshine smile. But now I'm left waiting. I have laid my daughter to rest so that her soul can reach heaven. I cannot console her mother, and I have no will to console myself. For the past week I have cursed the day I brought my family to Kundanpur, I have cursed the day my beautiful daughter met the young man who came bearing fruits from his father's gardens. When my little princess gave her heart away to him I never knew?

The strapping young man, lean and tall, his handsome face radiated character of a prince, so unlike his brother, that crude and offish man whose only accomplishes were how much of his father's money he could spend and how many wh**es he could have. I was right to refuse his proposal for my Khushali. But Arnavya's calm personality and astute and intelligent mind won my affection. He became like a son to me, reminding me of the sons I lost to the revolution.

But this week I cursed him for loving my daughter, I cursed myself for agreeing to give him my daughters hand in marriage. I cursed Zamandir sahabi for bring into this world the evil in the form of Shayamraj. I cursed the day he killed my daughter.

Now I sit her reading my Khushi's words, and I know she is not happy were ever she is if she is without Arnavya. her love and her dreams, she loved him deeply, from within the very depths of her soul, she loved him to give herself to him heart, body and soul. There was no turning back for her whatever the outcome, I know this now as I hear my daughter cry in my dreams, crying out his name, every night I hear her sobbing for her love. .She wanted to be with Arnavya in life and death and beyond. I cry today and I call on every god I have worshiped all my life. To bring her back so she can live her dream with her Arnavya. I'll sacrifice a million lifetime just so she can have live with her love. I pray to every power in the universe to grant me this wish and Khushali and Arnavya life, a life with each other.

I have lost everything, my son's, my daughter, my home. There is no hope if life in living, but for you Khushi I will walk this earth to my last breath laying my head down at the feet of every God and temple everything that is good and blessed to grant my Khushi life with her Arnav.

No one will every write in this book again, for all are gone. Till she comes and finds it. it will rest in the land where she found and lost her eternal love. Till she comes and find it again, and are united forever.

I am Khushali's father, Thakur Uday Kumar Singh, I gave her life and I witnessed her death. And I wish her life.

Khushi ran her hands over the aged yellow pages, the writings smudged by tears of a father 80 years back as he mourned for his daughter and her dreams. She wiped away her own tears that continues to run down her face. laying her head on Payal shoulder she accepted comfort.

"See if you have come back a Khushali, It was her father undying wish. A gift from him to you. So what are you going to do." Payal said quietly.

"Grab with both hands and never let go." Khushi said with a bright smile as she rubbed the back of her hand across her nose sniffing. And Payal produce a kerchief offering it to her. "We have to get back, Its late and Arnav will be worried sick." She stood up quickly, the diary in her hand fell to the floor and something thin slipped out from between the heavy leather cover.

Payal picked up the diary and the square of had paper. She turned it around and gasped.

"What?" Khushi asked. "come on I have to speak with Mr. Gopal, he has to let us borrow this diary and the translation." She quickly picked up the books she needed and turned around to payal who still stood shock still staring at the paper in her hand. "what??"Khushi walked to her side and took the paper from her.

It was a photograph, thick and aged, and had turned yellow with time. But the images on it were clear. The picture taken at what seems to have been a Mela, a cardboard cut-out of an automobile from the twenties stood in the background. And a young couple stood at the front end side by side their arms around each other, their heads tilted towards each other as they smiled as some secret joke. The girl wore the traditional dress of that time, her skirt and choli embroided with mirror work, a duphata cover her head but her hair was loose. The young man stood with his arm around her girls waist, his smiling face proud he wore trousers held up with suspenders that ran over his torso over a white shirt. But it was the faces that held both girls captive. Arnav and Khushi faces smiled back at them from the photograph.