A/n: Warning, warning; longest update till date; I thought of splitting it up into parts but I didn't want to risk losing the continuity so I went ahead and made this one whole chapter. Sorry if I bored anyone!
Chapter 8: Long Lost; Found At last
Khushi observed Shyam's face as they traveled to the temple; he seemed oddly flustered and shaken. Like someone had dropped lightning straight on his head. If he was guilty, it served him right, Khushi thought angrily, thinking of Anjaliji and all that she had done for her husband. She planned to give Shyam a piece of her mind and had almost spoken when she had invited him to accompany her to the temple. She actually hadn't expected him to refuse; it had surprised her a little and given her a little hope. Maybe this was all her imagination; but Arnavji had been so sure…stop it Khushi. What's the need for you to go all trusty and dependent on him right now? All he is bothered about is his sister's life. Why else would he care about who a choti aukatwali like you married? The thought didn't sit well with her, but thankfully, they had reached the temple by then.
"I'll get the Pooja thali, Shyamji. You go ahead," Khushi replied and Shyam nodded unconsciously, walking into the temple. Khushi went to a shop nearby and gave the thali to the shopkeeper and waited, looking around for Arnav. She hadn't been there for more than a minute when she felt his familiar presence at her back and his whisper at her ear.
"Where is he? Did he agree to come? He didn't… he doesn't suspect, does he?" Khushi turned to Arnav with a reassuring smile, nodding her head in a yes, then a no and then a mixture of the two. Arnav raised his eyebrow in question, "Khushi, give me one answer, not a hundred options to choose from."
"You asked me so many questions and I had to try to answer at least a few of them, right?" Khushi replied teasingly; seeing that his expression was turning angry, she placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "Shyamji is inside the temple; I don't know if he suspects anything but…"
Before Khushi could speak anymore, Arnav interrupted, "But what? Has he already spoken to your parents or something? Did they agree?" It was apparent from his face that he had hoped to stop things before they got worse. He couldn't imagine his family being humiliated; and if things had gone any further, Khushi's honor would have been affected too.
"No, no. It's nothing like that. I don't know about my parents but… Shyamji seems very distracted today; as if he has received some big shock. Maybe he knows that we know…" Khushi confessed her doubts; as confrontational as she was, Khushi dreaded this one. It was all fine when it was Arnav she was fighting against but working with him… it just feels weird, nothing else Khushi assured herself.
"There is no chance for that; it must be something else. Let's go now. We can't give him time to escape," Arnav replied, keeping his eyes trained on the stairs; more precisely, avoiding her eyes.
"Arnavji…" he turned to her at her soft voice; it was filled with such concern and understanding that for a moment, Arnav felt the odd need to just lean on her shoulder for support. And just because he felt so, he kept himself strong. "I can comprehend how you are feeling right now; or maybe I don't. But I just…" realizing that she had no words which would express what she wanted to say, she merely looked into his eyes. He nodded and turned away, walking determinedly towards the stairs.
Twice in a single week, I'm setting foot inside a temple. What's happening to me? Arnav thought with distaste as he walked inside the temple and looked around, trying to spot his Jijaji.
XXX
Why Devi Maiyya? Why do you test me like this? Why did it have to be Khushi I chose? Why did she have to be who she is? Was there something wrong with wanting to settle my score? Why are you stopping me from getting the calm? Don't I deserve it after so many years of turmoil? Haven't I earned that one moment of happiness? Please, Devi Maiyya, direct me; show me the way…
Shyam finished his prayers and turned back, wondering where Khushi had disappeared off to. A smile appeared on his face as he thought of her; how wrong he had been, he wondered. No matter, he'd make things right. He'd tell Khushi the truth and she'd surely be delighted. Then… he could always find some other way…
The smile drained out of his face when he saw Khushi; because she wasn't alone. Where did Saale Saab come from? Am I imagining things? But the anger in his brother-in-law's eyes was enough to prove to him that it was no dream.
"Saale saab? How good to see you here! I thought you had gone to London?" he greeted Arnav with a serene smile, trying to hide his confusion. Khushi was coming behind Arnav; maybe she hadn't yet noticed Arnav and he could pull this off, he thought.
"No, I didn't! I wanted to find out the truth about my dear Jijaji and now I have. How dare you? How dare you treat my Di this way? How could you even think of cheating on her? And Khushi? How did you even think of spoiling her life?" Arnav was now near enough to Shyam to catch his shirt but he refrained.
"Saale Saab; calm down. This is a public place and as much as I'd like to fight with you till you calm down, there are a few etiquettes to be maintained here too," he replied in the same deadly calm voice that made Arnav's temper worse.
"You think I care? You think I care about anything other than hurting you until you won't even think about hurting my Di?" Arnav asked, his voice thankfully now a furious whisper.
"So you know everything do you?" Shyam asked, still unfazed. Arnav was about to pounce on Shyam when Khushi wisely intervened, standing between the two.
"Move aside, Khushi; move the hell aside," Arnav told her in a barely controlled voice but Khushi persisted. Before she could speak anything more, Shyam cut her off. "Leave him, Khushi. Let him try to hurt me; he knows pretty well that hurting me will invariably hurt his Di. Let him hurt me," the words struck a chord with Arnav; he knew his Di well enough to know that what Shyam had said was true. If Anjali came to know that Shyam had been hurt, and that he had been the one to hurt him, it would wound Anjali like nothing else.
As Arnav's temper dissipated, Khushi's seemed to burst out. Turning completely to face Shyam, she spat out the words, "Khushi? Khushi? You do no have the right to call me by my name! And you think I care about what happens to you? Don't delude yourself. I merely don't want Arnavji to get into trouble or act hastily. I care not a paise what happens to you!" Shaym turned mute at Khushi's words, his shock profound. He took a step back, as if Khushi had physically punched him.
"Khushi… Khushi… you… you are opposing me, over... over him?" Shyam asked intermittently; seeing Khushi's defiant expression made him snap, finally. "After all he has done to humiliate you? After he has hurt you so much? Do you realize who you are standing up for? He is the one who chased you away from Lucknow; the one who tortured you into leaving your job; the one who has taken every opportunity he got to put you down. And you side with him?"
"Yes, yes I do. So what? I side with him because he is honest; he has never been a two timer. He hated me, then he hated me, there was no half truths there. And he never, never went cheating on his wife behind her back. That is a lot more than I can say for you. Why shouldn't I support him?" Khushi was on a roll by now; she had no idea what she was saying and did not try to make sense of her own words. All she knew was that she was angry; for whom she couldn't say but the culture she had been brought up in, the need for truth and honesty that had been imbibed in her seemed to have broken any hold she had possessed on her temper. And it seemed to have penetrated Shyam; something even Arnav's anger had been incapable of. "How could you do this to Anjaliji?" Khushi finally asked, her voice breaking at the end.
Arnav, who had by now calmed down enough to get back his common sense came forward and said in the stony voice that Khushi had learnt meant that he was planning to go in for the kill. Khushi was tensed, and rightly so because she had seen that Arnav, when in a fit of temper, did things he didn't mean at all. But even she, who had learnt to expect the worst, couldn't have expected what he did next. "Di's life will be secure; I will make sure of it. It is because of Khushi that all this has arisen, isn't it?" Turning to Khushi, Arnav asked in the same tone he had used on Shyam, "Khushi, will you marry me?"
"What?" was all that escaped out of Khushi's lips and before she could say anything further, Shyam's outraged voice stopped them.
"No! This will not happen. Khushi, I will not let you marry him," Shyam replied sternly, a strange sliver of desperation creeping in his voice.
"Who are you to say that, Shyamji?" Khushi asked, shocked. She had expected Shyam to react like this but not this way. Almost as if… as if he had a right to stop her.
"Khushi please, try to understand what I'm saying; you can't marry him. He has hurt you so much, he has caused you so much trouble and defame. It's all because of him that your life has been thrown into a storm. It runs in his blood to destroy families," Shyam was by now beseeching Khushi; but she seemed unmoved.
"Even if he is, it is none of your concern, Shyamji. It is my decision to decide who I will or will not marry," Khushi replied firmly; she did not like the way he spoke of Arnav. As much as most of his words were true, Khushi had forgotten them long back; certainly she hadn't remembered it after he had apologized to her.
Shyam's face changed so drastically from despair to anger that Arnav considered stepping in between the two. He gave Khushi a sarcastic smile and in a voice that was caustic, said, "Oh of course it is. Go, go and marry the one whose father destroyed everything. Go and marry the son of the very man, who demolished our family; who was the reason you are looking at me like a stranger, the only cause for all these words you are throwing at me. Go on, Khushi, go on," by the end Shyam's voice was a little high and Khushi was afraid that he had gone nuts. She had heard that extreme mental trauma could cause a breakdown. Could this be one?
Khushi took a step towards Shyam, hoping to calm him down. Maybe if he was feeling guilty, there could be a way. But Arnav's restraining hand on her shoulder stopped her. "What is this about my father?" Arnav was suspicious; on one hand he was sure Shyam was bluffing and looking for a way out, but something told him, probably his father's influence, that there might be more to this.
Though Arnav had asked the question, Shyam responded to Khushi, "What do you remember of your family? Of your past?" Shyam had by now sunk to the floor, leaning on a pillar to support his head. His eyes were closed, his posture defeated and his entire body screaming out the war raging within him.
Khushi didn't think to avert the question; Arnav knew enough of her childhood and Shyam seemed to know something too. "I don't remember anything; I only know what Amma told me and she learnt about me from the news. My parents died in a car crash when I was eight. Amma found me on the road beside the… beside the scene of the accident; she took me with her. It was the day of her marriage and everyone was against Amma taking me in but Bauji accepted me."
"Were you an only child, Khushi?" Shyam was whispering by now; seemingly on the verge of tears. His head was down so Khushi couldn't discern his expression.
"I told you, Shyamji; I don't know. I don't remember anything," Khushi replied, her attempts at trying to remember the past making her head hurt. She had felt this way during her childhood, but as she grew up she had stopped trying to remember and the pain had dissipated too.
"What did they say about the accident in the news?" Shyam asked persistently, making Khushi lose her temper. She didn't know the point of all these questions and being reminded of her painful past was making her lose her grip. She didn't want to burst into tears again, not in front of people. Strengthening her resolve, she said, "They said that the entire family that was in the car was burnt to ashes. There… " Khushi's voice was choked and Arnav, realizing that she was at the brink of a breakdown, placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Khushi you don't have to do this," he whispered in her ear soothingly and Khushi turned into his arms, hugging him suddenly.
Arnav was taken aback; he hadn't expected her to hug him like that. But he knew how sensitive the topic of her parents was to her and after a moment's hesitation, hugged her back. Khushi's state seemed to worsen as he did and she started sobbing in earnest. It took Arnav all of his strength to get her to calm down. He glared at Shyam, who was the cause for all this pain Khushi was undergoing but he was looking at them with a strange light in his eyes; as if he was a blind man who had just got a vision of the sun.
Before Arnav could think any further about his Jijaji's weird questions and actions, Khushi had collected herself and moved away from his suddenly; the way she always did once she regained her conscious. Averting her eyes from Arnav's questioning ones, she answered Shyam, "They never found anything more than ashes of my family. The car had exploded shortly after Amma had rescued me; my entire family was dead…"
"I did not die in that car crash, Khushi," Shyam was smiling now; Khushi wondered if he was really touched in the head. She had recounted such a tragic incident and he was smiling? Not waiting for Khushi to say anything, Shyam continued, "Your words have just proved the information I received, Khushi. You used to have an elder brother. Khushi Kumari Gupta wasn't your original name."
Khushi, and even Arnav, was now fairly certain that Shyam had had an accident and had hurt his head. His words were becoming steadily incomprehensible and not being able to stand the cryptic words anymore, Arnav snapped at his Jijaji to explain what he was blabbering about.
"I never knew this before, Khushi, but you are my younger sister. Our family was a happy one; happy and content, though we were by no means rich or famous. We were returning from a holiday trip, towards Lucknow when it happened. Babuji was driving and he was a careful driver; doubly so when he drove with his family; with us. It was his" he indicated a finger towards Arnav, "father who had his vehicle out of control. There was nothing Babuji could do; you and I escaped only because I had insisted that we both sit at the back and play. You were thrown right out of the door which blasted apart. I followed you out. In the confusion, his father did not notice us. I was afraid of asking him for help. I thought that he had killed out parents and might do the same with us. He drove away in a hurry quickly, but his face, I could never forget the face of the murderer." Shyam's voice turned into a low growl at the end and he stopped speaking, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Khushi, who had kneeled down to listen to Shyam better, was stumped. She sunk to the floor without even realizing it and Arnav sat beside her, ready to protect her if needed. He wasn't as convinced as Khushi was that Shyam was saying the truth, but his tale reflected his father's character too much for him to not believe it either.
"I went in search of help; I didn't want to leave you on the roadside, Khushi but there was no choice. Half way to a house, I fainted. I remember seeing someone stop by the car and take you, so I knew you were safe, somewhere. The vehicle exploded a few minutes after that and I… I saw them go up in flames, Khushi. Amma and Babuji…" Shyam's eyes were raining tears now but he didn't seem to be bothered about them and continued in a broken voice.
"I fainted after that; when I woke up, I was in the cottage I had been heading for. The lady who lived there was generous, but very poor. She was very old and ill too. She had come out when she had heard the explosion and had carried me to her house putting in a lot of effort. I helped her as much as I could, burying my sorrow in the work that was required to maintain the herbal garden that she had once run. The garden flourished slowly and I became her grandson. I joined school again; life was quiet. But I never forgot him; the one because of whom my family was cruelly plucked away from me. I swore I'd avenge their deaths; that I'd cause him and his family as much pain as he had caused mine. But I never found him until I was a law student and you finished what your father started," Shyam directed his final words to Arnav, confusing him.
"What is this new story you're concocting?" Arnav asked; he could believe what Shyam had said so far; it seemed acceptable and Arnav had begun to see things in Shyam's way before half the story had been narrated. But this accusation made him doubt Shyam once again.
"You don't even remember, do you? You were so drunk on your status and position in the society; why would you remember putting down a lowly middle class guy like me?" Shyam replied with a wry chuckle; not waiting for Arnav's reply, he began speaking again, "My friends and I had gone to the park for a weekend when there was a big commotion. We gathered to see who it was; it was you and your sister. The children of one of the richest man in town. I didn't know you were the son of the one I had been hunting for all these years. You and your sister were discussing something serious under your breaths. Suddenly you laughed out and pointed to me and said, "If you don't marry him, who else will you marry? Someone like him?" The people around you laughed. Everyone turned around to notice me and the looks they gave me… each pair of mocking eyes are imprinted in my mind. No-one thought to stop you because who was I but just another of those wayside people for people like you to trample all over. That minute, I hated you more than I hated your father. At least he outright killed my parents; you, you killed my dignity. Do you know how torturous it is to live knowing that you are a worthless being? Do you know how much it hurts to be a laughing stock? The helpless brunt of ridicule? Do you know how many days I hated looking at myself? I decided, that day, that I'd marry you sister, if only to show you. I asked around and found who you were. An article was published that same week about your father; the minute I saw his picture, I decided that it was a signal I was being sent that the time for my revenge had come. I went to your house; it was lighted up, there were too many people there and no-one noticed me. I learnt later that it was the day of your sister's marriage. I was distraught at failing my mission but things were on my side. The marriage never happened; I heard a gunshot. Deciding that a stranger like me shouldn't stay there any longer, I escaped. I learnt later from the newspaper what had happened; I was then satisfied that your father had received his justice. I almost thought of giving up on you; I didn't know what happened to the two of you after that; but my esteem wouldn't let me rest until I had my revenge. I waited until a few years had passed but when I went back to Sheesh Mahal I learnt that your Uncle had chased you out…"
Arnav spoke, cutting off Shyam, "He didn't want to risk me asking for a share in the business him and my father had been doing. They were carrying on an illegal business behind the one the advertised to the world. My father was a careless, proud and arrogant man. It wasn't just you he pushed aside; his family mattered nothing to him either. No-one did, in fact; only money did. On the day of Di's marriage, he found out that his brother had been cheating him; he was so angry that he went at him with a pistol. Hearing about the problem, my Amma went to stop them. In the struggle, the gun shot her; my father lost his bearings and it was easy for my Uncle to overpower him after that. My Uncle spread it around that my father killed my mother and committed suicide. No groom was willing to marry my sister after such defame had been placed on my family. My Uncle chased us out of Sheesh Mahal. It was the help of my Nani that saved the two of us; she took us to Delhi."
"My grandmother passed away shortly after that; I gave the responsibility of maintaining the herbal farm to one of my friends and moved to Delhi to further my career and I succeeded. That was when I met Anjali; at one of the parties she attended with you. She was… she wasn't at all like I had imagined. By then I had given up any idea of marrying her but then I had to marry her because I really liked her. She seemed to like me too, for some bizarre reason. No-one opposed after Nani agreed; I was afraid you would identify me but you seemed to have forgotten me entirely. It annoyed me even more and I planned to get my revenge after I married Anjali. It was the one thing I failed at in my life," Shyam's fingers fisted, his lack of control over himself disappointing him.
"Not just you, no-one could ever hurt my Di. Not because I defend her, but because she is a good person. She genuinely cares for others and tries to keep those around her happy. She is the best person I've ever known; if nothing else, her integrity will save her," Khushi looked at Arnav as he spoke; she had expected him to fly off the handle when Anjali was mentioned but he was remaining suspiciously calm. It frightened her as much as it surprised her.
"I realized it very late; I knew I couldn't do anything to hurt her. It was too hard; I felt like a hypocrite everytime I said anything harsh to her. It hurt me more than it hurt her; I found out another way to hurt you; financially. I began taking money from Anjali on various pretences; I thought that in the course of time, it might cause discontent between you and her…" Shyam unfolded his next plan and it made Khushi sick. He called himself her brother and did such immoral things? Khushi was disgusted and turned her face away to avoid showing what she was feeling.
Arnav, noticing Khushi's averted face, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Khushi, do you realise now why I sent a detective after him? I learnt all about his financial position; his so called herbal farm houses some of the rarest herbs available in the country. He has been financing his business by taking money from me," Arnav explained in an even tone. Khushi couldn't say whether she was pleased or not; on one hand, she wanted to scream out that it didn't matter. But another part of her was pleased that her one remaining family member wasn't a thief. The insult that had been very frequently thrown in her face; that of being a gold digger, had etched itself in her heart too deeply. It pleased her to know that somehow, her hands were still clean.
"Every rupee I took from you is in Anjali's name in the business; I could return it to you with the profit any minute," Shyam confirmed, easing Khushi's trepidation further.
"How did you find Khushi out?" Arnav returned to the matter at hand and Shyam smiled genuinely for the first time since they had confronted him.
"You were the one who helped me, Saale Saab. The video of the fashion show at Lucknow?" Shyam added when he saw a confused expression on Arnav's face.
"It proved to me that you hadn't changed one bit; that you would tear apart the life of anyone who dared to go against your wishes. That you were still the cruel son of a heartless man; that all the mellowing I had thought I had observed in you was a farce. I went in search of the girl to help her; and thankfully, I was able to save Khushi's honor from those goons," Khushi nodded when Arnav looked at her questioningly.
"I knew I had gained the Guptas' trust; I was boiling inside at the difficulty they were facing because of you. A sister's marriage stopped; a girl seen on TV in a most compromising position and people speculating on the relation between the two and coming up with gossip that was steadily getting outlandish. And you didn't even know the enormity of what you had done; it was so similar to what I had faced before. It made me rethink my decisions. I got her a job in your company as a kind of poetic justice but I hadn't expected you to remember her or pick her out and create more trouble for her the way you did. It built up the vengeance I had tried so hard to bury. I had grown very fond of Khushi and her family; her happiness and navet made me smile; something I thought I had forgotten a while ago. Seeing Khushi hurt that day you sent her to the dilapidated guest house made me lose any sense of what I was doing and I made a plan; a plan that would avenge both Khushi and my plights. But I didn't count on you finding me out or Khushi turning out to be my sister; it was the slap I needed to get down to reality," Shyam confessed in a whisper, his voice tapering out until silence reigned between the three.
"Why should I believe anything you are saying? What is the proof that you are Khushi's brother? You know very well about Khushi's past, what is the assurance that you aren't lying?" Arnav finally broke the silence, voicing a question that had arisen even in Khushi's mind briefly.
"Khushi's parents had lodged a complaint with the police a little while after she was found; just in case someone came to claim her. It elicited no response and over time, they had forgotten about it. That was the clue that helped me; I took the help of one of my friends to trace out who the people were. It took me this long to get the copy of the complaint because it was a record from so long ago. I can give you no proof except that the girl Shashi and Garima Gupta adopted was my sister. The descriptions they had given all match my lost sister's. It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not, Saale Saab; but this is the truth." Shyam explained and even Arnav could see the underlying truth of his words. He turned to look at Khushi, but she didn't seem to notice anything around her.
The enormity of what she had learnt held Khushi spell bound; she still couldn't believe that she had found her family, after so long. But she wasn't ready to accept Shyam as her brother, either. After all that he had thought to do, she didn't think she could ever accept him as her family. The fact that he had wanted to hurt Anjaliji and Arnav struck her hard and the realization that she might have fallen pray to his schemes made her tremble.
Sensing that Khushi wasn't going to reply anytime soon, Arnav spoke, "Di will never know anything about this. As much as I hate to say this, I want her life to be perfect and her definition of a perfect life includes you. Not even a sliver of this will ever reach her ears; if you still want that revenge, you can have it against me. I was the one who humiliated you, not Di. I will not stand by and watch you hurt her. You will vacate Khushi's house as soon as possible and make it very, very clear that you had no interest in marrying her. Is that clear?" His voice going down the danger lane, Arnav finished his words with a threat, standing up abruptly. Khushi stood up with him mechanically and walked out of the temple, leaving Shyam alone.
The two of them walked out of the temple in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Arnav was cursing himself for letting his Di get into such a marriage while Khushi was thanking Devi Maiyya for saving her from such a danger. What next? The question hung uppermost in both of their minds and they were nearing Arnav's car when Khushi regained her bearings and spoke, "I have to get going, Arnavji…"
"You'll go nowhere," Arnav's curt voice stopped her short and she looked at him questioningly. Arnav slapped himself mentally; what had he gone and said? He had been so lost in thoughts that he had said the first thing that had come to his mind. Retracting, he said, "I mean, I can't let you go back alone, Khushi. Today was as much a shock to you as it was to me. I'll… I'll take you back home."
Quickening his steps, Arnav walked to the car and held the front door open for her; Khushi hesitated only a second before she sat in the car, fastening her seat belt. At least he didn't drag you along like a baggage, Khushi she told herself.
Arnav drove fairly fast, but the desperation in his face was replaced by contemplation; Khushi spent most of the ride looking at his face and wondering what he was thinking. But for all her staring, Arnav seemed impervious to it and kept his gaze steadily on the road. Khushi was jolted back to reality when she saw them enter the gates of Shantivan.
"Why are we here? I thought you were taking me home?" Khushi asked, panicked. The way she had stormed in there in the morning looking for Arnav flashed in her mind and she flushed lightly, thinking about what Anjaliji would have thought of her. "I… I can't go in there," she replied in a muffled tone.
"Why? You seemed to have no trouble entering in the past; what happened now?" Arnav was just smirking, though the expression on his face frightened her. She knew what was to come; some cutting comment that would blame her for everything that had happened. Khushi closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable; all she heard was the slam of a door. She opened her eyes slowly; Arnav was already walking towards the steps to the door.
Does he ever change? And here I thought he was actually sensitive Khushi mumbled under her breath as she followed him. She caught up with him at the door, which was opened by a shocked Anjali.
"Chote? Khushiji?" she smiled nonetheless and took them in; Khushi and Arnav looked at each other. There is no way she should come to know the truth the same thought ran through both their minds and reflected in their eyes.
"Chote, I thought you were in London? When did you return? Did Khushiji know you would return today?" Anjali asked question upon question and Arnav waited until she ran out of steam before he said, "Di, would you please give us time to answer? And a little food too, if possible?"
Anjali slapped herself on the forehead, "Oh, of course, Chote. Come, Khushiji; I'll serve dinner for the two of you. Mama, Maami and Nani have already eaten and your Jijaji called just now to tell me that he will not make it today." Anjali walked off to the kitchen, not noticing the frozen statues Arnav and Khushi had become. They looked at each other once again and Arnav, noticing the alarm in Khushi's eyes, shook his head in a no.
"Everything will be fine, don't worry," he whispered under his breath and Khushi nodded, his words reassuring her instantly.
"What are you two whispering about?" Anjali, who had returned from the kitchen asked, a knowing glint in her eye.
"Nothing, Di. Just thinking about how you will take the news," Arnav replied, a serene smile playing on his lips. Khushi was confused now; what was he doing? Hadn't they decided not to say anything to Anjaliji? What new news was he going to invent?
"What news, Chote? Is it good news? First, eat and then tell me how you met Khushiji," Anjali ushered them to the dining table. Arnav seemed to forget about everything else as he ate; Khushi could barely swallow a morsel for fear of what he was going to say.
When they were half way through the meal with Khushi still staring at the plate than eating, Arnav spoke, "I had asked Khushi to meet me today; she didn't know I had left for London. Fortunately, my work was finished quickly and Akash took up the rest so I was able to return early. Khushi spotted me on the road and…"
Before Arnav could say anything further, Khushi cut him short, realizing where this was going, "I just wasn't looking where I was going, Anjaliji…"
"You were standing straight in the path of the vehicle, Khushi. Don't downplay it," Arnav retorted, his previous anxiousness returning now that the storm had passed. He had thousands of things to think about but he hung to the simplest one; which, in one sense, was also the most complex one. He was worried for Khushi's safety; it was an easy enough admission to make, but the reason behind it, not so much.
"I didn't see the traffic lights change; this wouldn't have happened if you had heard me call you," Khushi spoke back, affronted that he was blaming all this on her.
"I was speaking on my Bluetooth; how did you expect me to hear you over all that noise on the road? Why couldn't you just have called me anyway?" Arnav asked, incredulity apparent in his voice.
"I would have, if I had had a phone. You were the one who broke it!" Khushi pointed an accusing finger at Arnav, rightfully indignant.
Before Arnav could argue back, Anjali raised her hands, "Enough, enough. Let's agree that both of you did something wrong and move on, shall we?"
Both Arnav and Khushi spoke at the same time, "It was all his fault," "It was all her fault."
Laughing at their childlike antics, Anjali said, "Alright, alright. What happened after that, Chote?"
"I had to risk my neck to save little Miss. Sincere Citizen here. And she insisted on arguing with me in the middle of the road about how I dare save her," Arnav spoke in a voice that clearly told her how stupid he thought Khushi was and Khushi, incensed, turned to Anjali, "Anjaliji, he gave me an impossible task and when I came to tell him what he had asked for he goes and disappears from the face of the planet. When I finally find him, he tells me I always land him in trouble. Do you think my life's goal is to cause trouble to people?"
"Of course not; how could you say something like that, Chote?" Anjali asked in a mischievous tone; Arnav knew Anjali was upto something but decided to let things play out. Khushi was acting along with him nicely; maybe they could keep up their lies after all.
"It wouldn't have been so bad if there hadn't been a media person on the spot; I had to deal with that, too. Khushi seemed too shaken up; I couldn't let your dear sister-in-law go home in all her state, could I? So I brought her here. I've been nothing but considerate and she sits here, blaming me," Both Anjali's and Khushi's eyes widened in shock, though Khushi's eyes were also trying desperately to tell him to shut up right then.
"Chote? What are you saying? Sister-in-law? You never told me…" Anjali turned to Khushi with an expectant smile on her face and it just occurred to her how Anjali would have taken it to mean. It seemed to strike Arnav at the same time and he replied quickly, "That's the other part of the story, Di. We just now met Jijaji; you know Khushi's parents… you know about them, right? Has Jijaji ever told you about his family?"
"Yes; he used to tell me that he was searching for a sister he lost many years back; I always prayed that his sister should be as good a person as your Jijaji is. What of it now, Chote?" Anjali asked, mighty confused. As surprised as she had been to see Arnav and Khushi turn up at the house late in the night, she had assumed that something major had occurred. Seeing their banter, she had half concluded what it was and Arnav calling Khushi her sister-in-law had confirmed it. But Arnav's questions were confusing her further; unless…
Seeing the light of realization on Anjali's face, Arnav nodded, "Khushi is Jijaji's sister, Di." He confirmed in a soft tone. Anjali turned abruptly to Khushi with a wide smile and said, "Then my prayers have been answered better than I could have expected."
Khushi, who had been throwing imaginary poisoned arrows at Arnav all this time, turned to Anjali and stuttered, "Anjaliji. That is…"
Anjali shook her head, refusing to listen, "No more Anjaliji; I'm your Bhaabi now, aren't I?" Khushi, unable to keep up with the sudden leaps of thoughts both the siblings were making, turned to Arnav with a clear 'Help Me' look on her face. Arnav's roguish smile clearly told her that he had no idea of helping her in any way. Giving him her worst glare, she turned to Anjali with a sheepish smile, "I think so."
The rest of the dinner passed rather peacefully after that; Anjali had quite a lot of questions to ask but Arnav seemed to have explanations for everything, making Khushi suspect that he had planned all this. After a little hesitation, Khushi found that she actually enjoyed the affection Anjali seemed to shower on her. "I always thought there was something more than just acquaintance between us, Khushi. To know that we were this closely related and didn't know! I'm so glad," Anjali hugged her as Khushi finally managed to start for her home.
"Me too, Anjal…" seeing Anjali's chiding expression, she corrected, "Bhaabi."
Arnav, who had offered (read as being forced by Anjali) to drop Khushi home, sounded the horn impatiently. "I should be going; Namste," Khushi hurried to the car and got in quickly, smiling once at Anjali before her form disappeared along with the looming walls of Shantivan.
"What was the need to tell Anjaliji all this?" Khushi asked when they were half way, having finally gathered her courage to speak.
"I thought this would best explain why Jijaji was staying at your house, when Di comes to know of it," Arnav replied promptly.
"There… there could have been some other explanation you could have said but now, you had to go and tell her this?" Khushi asked, bothered by Arnav's unaffectedness. "And the way you said it! Sister-in-law? What was the need to spring the word out like that? Couldn't you have said Shyamji's sister or something? For a second, I thought…"
"You thought?" Arnav asked, finally taking his eyes away from the road. Khushi turned quickly away, unable to meet the twinkle in them. He knew exactly what she had meant, so she had no need to explain any further, she told herself.
After a few minutes, Arnav sighed defeatedly and said, "I thought it would be best that we were the ones who tell her this news. I didn't want to leave it to Jijaji," his fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he turned silent. Khushi had observed that even back at Shantivan, he had hesitated everytime he had said Jijaji; as if he couldn't bring himself to call Shyamji that any longer.
"You don't trust him," It was more a statement than a question but Arnav nodded, "I never trust someone who has betrayed me once."
Khushi turned silent after that admission, her own thoughts swirling in incomprehensible circles. One minute she had a hundred things to ask Arnav and the next she forgot all of them. Deciding that a good night's sleep would help clear her mind, Khushi closed her eyes and placed her head on the headrest.
"Khushi, Khushi," Arnav's low voice woke her up and she looked around frantically, her mind muddled for a minute. Seeing her confusion, Arnav placed a hand on her shoulder to gain her attention. "Your home has come."
Khushi nodded and was about to get out when he called her again, "Khushi, you don't have to worry; I'll take care of anything that comes up, alright?"
Khushi nodded before she walked away; for some reason, she completely trusted his words.
A/n: There, all done; now we can finally get to the good part! Sorry there wasn't much Arhi in this one but the chapter was needed to clear up everything and set the stage! I hope I explained everything up. If there is anything I've omitted to clarify, please point it out and I'll do so. I just want everything to make perfect sense.
Precap:
Khushi could clearly see him calling her, trying to tell her to step out of the house to meet him but she ignored him. She knew what he was going to say and had no wish to hear it. Seeing him turn his attention to his phone, Khushi breathed in relief.
Anjali, who had been speaking on the phone with someone came near Khushi and said, "Khushi, Chote asked me to tell you to meet him outside."
Khushi glared out the window; he just always had to get his way, didn't he?
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