Chapter 6:
They didn't run to each other till few hours were left for Arnav to leave the city. She had found the apartment incredibly safe and only while living there she understood the complexity of the entire arrangements made for the residents of the apartment. Khushi led a professional life which was as organized as possible while Arnav's life revolved around a continuous chaos. They didn't change their lifestyles while sharing an apartment for five days.
She was standing on the threshold of his bedroom with a mug of chamomile tea in her hands and saw him pack. He was one of the very few politicians she knew who didn't have a staff running things for him. The apartment came with cleaning service which, incidentally, also did an electronic sweep for hidden bugs or video cams.
His personal life was much organized than hers and she felt the compulsive need to keep the guest room she was living in, clean. Whenever he was in her apartment he had a tendency to arrange the scattered books on floor or sweep the clothes behind the door or under the bend and put them in laundry basket. She had given up on getting him change his nitpicking habit.
"Do you need something?" She asked unnecessarily. There may not be a staff waiting on his command in his apartment but at his work place, it was whole lot different. The two of them were flying private to the nearest air strip to the flood affected areas and from there, they were on chopper. She had remarked that they should have taken a cheap train and the money saved on fuel be donated. Arnav had given her a strange laugh then.
"I got it covered," he said neatly placing few t-shirts and jeans in a suitcase.
"Arnav, may I ask you something?" She asked.
"Sure," he replied zipping the bag. They walked into the living room at the same time while a mug of tea was waiting for him.
"Why do you have different apartments?" She asked him. "If you wish me not to know, you can say so. I won't bring it up again," she said holding up her hands. He smiled wistfully.
"This apartment is just me. It has nothing to do with what I do or what I represent to the outside world. Look around you Khushi," Arnav said standing up and started to walk around the living room. "Do you see anything here that gives you an indication of my profession?"
She stood up and walked along with him. Though it was her fifth day in the apartment, she hadn't really looked at anything.
"There is some art, first edition books where few are in the language in which they were written and spruce of different cultures," she said summarizing everything she saw in the room.
"What about my bed room?" He asked. She looked startled. "Let's take a look, shall we?" He asked chuckling at her expression. She rolled her eyes and followed him.
"You aren't going to show me kinky stuff are you?" She asked grinning. She heard him laugh softly as he walked in front of her. Once inside, the first thing that hit her was – space. Except for a queen size bed and wardrobe, the room was pretty much bare. "Let's go inside my study," he said opening a door. She mutely followed him.
"Except for cleaning crew, no one has ever come here," he said leading her inside.
"This is beautiful," she exclaimed looking at the warm cherry wood finish and soft lights hung on the wall. Two of the walls held book shelves which ran from floor to ceiling and she was sure that the subject matter varied.
"I am very sure that the painting here isn't supposed to be here," she said almost afraid to touch the painting that was hung on one of the walls. "You do realize that you will be jailed in three different countries if authorities even get a sniff of this." She ranted. Arnav nodded and grinned at her. He didn't tell her how he was now owner of a painting which when sold probably bought a dozen apartments like the one he was in but she understood that legality was forgone in this matter.
"This apartment is an extension of me. It doesn't have room for tourists. You are the first person to actually spend a night here," he said looking at her wide eyed expression about the stuff he had in there.
"Is it okay if I come here when you are not there?" She asked him.
"It's fine Khushi." He responded immediately. "If anything is broken or tarnished or goes missing, am raiding your apartment and your office." He warned her in good humor. She was a collector like him and would be as cautious as he would be. He knew very well that she would understand the effort it took to track and spot something one loved and the pride one felt when they became an owner of that.
"Let's get back. You will have plenty of time to explore my study when I am not around," he said. She nodded and walked along with him to the living room.
"Now I feel like I have to visit your other apartment," she said, grinning.
"I won't take you there," he replied quickly.
"Why don't you?"
"I just don't want to, okay?" He said chuckling. She huffed in silence.
"Did you find out who it is?" She asked him softly after spending several moments in silence. His face turned serious.
"No, I haven't," he replied. "The person used an internet cafe which is in three minute walking distance of your office to post it," he said, voice laced in anger.
"Who is the owner of the private website?"
"The credit card used for the purchase was stolen. There is a police complaint filed by the owner of the card. When the owner noticed that his card was missing, he cancelled the card and filed a complaint. The only transaction made by the card is for the domain purchase. There has been no other activity on that card post that." Arnav explained.
"I am impressed." She said nodding her head and letting the information sink in.
"Are you a lunatic? How can you be impressed with someone or some organization trying to kill us both?" Arnav exclaimed in surprise.
"They are taking a lot of caution to avoid being detected. Even the bread crumbs are spread to mislead us." She said.
"And this thing makes them even more dangerous. Not to mention that they can't afford to get caught," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"Doesn't this threat seem a little personal to you?" He asked. She furrowed her eyebrows but didn't respond. "The attack isn't on the party or on the firm but on you and me. What possibly could one gain from killing you or me?"
"They probably want to send a message." Khushi said. "We are representation or faces if you will, for the party and the firm. So eliminating us would bring a sort of attention towards our employers."
"But there are more famous public faces in both the cases – Dhananjay in mine and your boss in yours." Arnav said frowning. "We are missing something," he added.
"I don't understand one thing," she said. "Why does anyone file a complaint when they lose a credit card?" She asked. Arnav looked at her not understanding where she was going with that. "I have lost credit card and debit cards before. All I do is call the bank and get it cancelled. I never file a complaint. Why would anyone file a police complaint for this?" She asked, confused. He stared at her blankly for a moment.
"Just to ensure that there is a paper trail. A fake yellow brick road and signs at every turn and junction so that we take the path exactly they want us to." He said.
"We are being set up." She said her voice quiet. He nodded.
"I have to go now. Let's talk when I come back." He said.
It was unusual for him to be around someone in his apartment but being with Khushi was strangely good. She was never in his way and her existence though known, was never visible. She stood by the front door when he took step out and stood in corridor. He took a step but stopped and turned around. He pulled her into a hug and held her close. He knew that she was more scared now than she was this week. Truthfully, he was scared too.
"Be safe. Try not to get killed in the time I am gone," he whispered in her ear. She chuckled.
"Try not to drown. Be alert Arnav, you will be out in open," she said clutching his back little tighter than normal.
"I'll see you next week," he said and walked away.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Cricket
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