Khushi had a strangely unsettled, feeling. She felt like she had a lump in her throat - Arnav's desolate and devastated face swam in and out of her mind along with images of Anjali di ...All these days, Khushi had felt like a newborn in a cocoon, isolated from the outside world, an invisible shield guarding her from pain and sorrow. But now, she was beginning to feel that shell cracking. "Mujhe aisa kyon lag raha hai ...Arnav ji ko aise dekh ke mujhe kyon itna takleef ho raha hai... main kyon ro nahi pa rahi hoon...Di kaisi hogi, kya kar rahi hogi...mujhe aise kyon gale mein itna dard hai ...", she wondered. She was feeling guilty that Arnav and Naani had been with her in the ultrasound room and if only they had been with Di, she would not have been taken by the evil Shyam.
*****
"Do you know how much love, how much affection Di showered on me when she thought I was her prospective sister-in-law? She was the first one to accept me...Even before ASR himself. She really believed in me, and helped me so much ...going to the extent of getting chamkeeli to tutor me and make me suitable in naaniji's eyes. I just cannot believe that she has been abducted in this state...Anything could happen. How could God let this happen? Anjali di has kept so many vrats, She has had so much faith in Devi maiyya's power...How could this happen to her...Oh NK, I wish , I wish we could do something to help Anjali di and ASR.", Lavanya cried and bemoaned Anjali's situation to NK as the latter drove them to Shantivan after hearing the news from Akash.
NK was every bit as worried and tried his best to console a distraught Lavanya..though a piece of his brain filed away the information about Lavanya and ASR ..He had not heard the complete details before and was feeling out of sorts thinking of his Lavanya and ASR ..He had started thinking of her as "his".
*****
Karan tested the knots on his waist and gave a thumbs up signal to his 2 team members as they slowly let him rappel down the side of the building going down 4 floors from the roof to one of the window's of Shyam's apartment. Though he had done this umpteen times in his past life, he had not undertaken a hands-on mission recently. However, when his team had started preparing to go down, there was no force on earth that could hold him up there on the roof, passively, when someone else rescued Anjali. She recognized him and would feel safe with him, he calmed his mind ...Even though he knew he was fighting a losing battle with the other side of his mind which said that the real reason was that he wanted to see and feel Anjali himself to make sure she was safe; that she mattered to him more as a person than as another case.
As he went down, he counted the floors, made sure that he was aligned with the window of Shyam's apartment. Thank heavens for night-vision goggles, he thought as he carefully peeped through the window. His heart stopped when he saw a figure lying sideways on the bed...So still and unmoving. He could make out Anjali's golden yellow saree...But the utter stillness scared him. Please God, let her be okay, he prayed fervently. He dug out a screwdriver and unscrewed the screws holding the window frame all the while staring and mentally exhorting Anjali to move, to give some sign of life.
As though she had heard his thoughts, Anjali stirred. He saw her eyes open and search through the darkness. He quickly removed the last screw, jiggled the window frame out as noiselessly as possible and attached it to the joist that his men had sent down. He then quickly climbed in through the window, unbound Anjali and helped her sit up on the bed. Anjali just stared at him as though she were dreaming, touched his cheek gently. After realizing Karan was real and not some figment of her imagination, a dam broke and Anjali threw herself sobbing into Karan's arms ...hugging him as tightly as she could with her belly in between. She wound her fingers through his hair, pulled back, touched his face, cheeks, and then again hugged him. "I knew you would come, knew you would. I have been so scared but trying to keep brave for the baby. How..how did you find me...Oh we have to be careful, Shyam is probably outside..If he comes and sees you, he will hurt you. I cant let anything happen to you..", Anjali's words rushed out in a whispered torrent.
"You are safe now. Nothing will happen. I am here now and will take care of you and the baby. We will deal with Shyam", Karan calmly responded. He was overcome by emotions - relief and happiness at having found her, but also realized he had to keep a cool head now to get her out. Obviously, they had to get out through the apartment's front entrance and he didnt know what lay beyond the closed doors of the bedroom.
"Are you okay, did he hurt you?", he asked.
"No I am okay, just a little achy from having slept in the same position for so long", Anjali responded. Karan slowly helped her up so as to get her circulation going. Anjali gave out a tiny gasp and sat back down...She had felt a sharp squeeze in her abdomen. She had been having a aching back for sometime now and had thought it was because of lying down in the same position.
"What happened?", Karan asked. "Nothing...just a little discomfort", Anjali responded, not wanting to worry Karan or slow him down. She slowly got up again. "What do we do now?", she asked. "You wait here, dont come out under any condition. Let me check what he is doing...", Karan responded. He slowly turned the bedroom knob and darted out silently, with a gun in his hand. He went through the apartment and could find no trace of Shyam. He must have gone out, Karan thought. We need to get out of here quickly.
He went back in and found Anjali sitting down near the closet, her back against the mirrored doors. "Anjali, can you get up? we have to leave quickly, Shyam might return anytime...". Anjali looked up at him through pain, confusion, worry and something akin to embarassment "Karan...my water just broke..the baby is coming and I can feel the pain Karan...Please dont leave me.", she whispered out. Karan turned away ...Anjali fearfully wondered why but soon realized what he was doing. He pulled away the bed-sheets, brought them over to her, covering her in them, saying ..."Hey baby...Listen to me...I know you are eager to come into this world and meet your wonderful mother...But dont scare her okay...hold on till we can get her to a hospital." He then quickly called his team and instructed them that he was opening the apartment door and they could come in as Shyam wasn't around. He instructed them to cover him as he got Anjali out of there. "I can walk if you could just help me up.", Anjali said. She took a few steps with Karan and had almost reached the apartment entrance when a wave of pain hit her and almost had her doubling up. "That does it. you are not allowed to walk now", Karan declared as he swung her up in his arms, sheets and all. With one of his men in the front and the other in the back, the quartet made its way to Treadstone's vehicle that had been brought around to the back of the building. After Karan had loaded Anjali in, he turned around and had his team go back to lie in wait for Shyam in the apartment.
He asked the driver to take them to the nearest hospital. Anjali's head was in his lap and beads of perspiration lined her forehead and underneath her lips as she tried her best to ride out the pain. He slowly brushed the strands of hair stuck to her face and calmed her, telling her everything was going to be okay. He wished he could take on some of her pain...and gave her his hand to squeeze. She looked at him gratefully through the haze of intense pain. "Chotey ..Nani..", Anjali whispered remembering. Karan immediately got his phone out and called Arnav to tell him that Anjali was out safe and that they were now on the way to the nearest hospital. He gave Arnav the name of the hospital.
****
It was almost 9:00pm as Shyam walked back to his apartment complex. "Arre Shyam sahib, aap baahar gaye the? Maine socha aap poora dhin ghar mein hi the...Aapko aapke dost milein? Woh shyam ko aaye the, aur aap ke baare me pooch rahe they", the helpful, paan-chewing watchman asked.
****
All - I am sorry for the long hiatus. Work has kept me very busy...I thank you all for your patience...Here is the next edition...Hope you like it. More of Arshi scenes coming up...we have some way to go :-)
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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