26

"Khushi...!" said Arnav in a husky voice, touching her shoulder. The 'attempt to murder' case was put up for hearing following a statement by Sham of pleading not guilty. 

She stood up in witness box of the court and took the oath. Sham was sitting at the other end opposite her. Anjali and others were in visitor's area. Khushi was sweating. She was trembling at the thought of standing before the Magistrate and answering the questions. Arnav was looking at her. She gave him a faint smile, by the time the prosecutor prepared himself to take her deposition.

She gave her details while taking the oath and waited fidgeting. Sham was looking at her unblinkingly making her nervous. The prosecutor started off in a very calm voice. 

"Mrs. Raizada, can you elaborate how you knew Mr. Sham Manohar Zaa?" he asked her. She narrated briefly. The prosecutor kept nodding assuring that she was on right track. The court clerk was taking notes ad verbatim. 

"So you know him since you were in Lucknow!" he wanted to confirm. "Yes!" she said.
"He saved you from the goons!" he asked

"Yes!" she said.

"Ok. Now going ahead, how did you start working with Raizadas?' he asked her. She again narrated trying to be very precise. 

Dasgupta had warned her not to be emotional and not to use any vague superlatives or adjectives. He had advised her to stick to facts only. "Don't give your opinion, don't try to justify anything or use ifs and buts in your narration!" he had told her.

"Ok! So you did not tell the truth to anyone!" he made the statement.

"No! I did! I told Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada!" she said fidgeting.

"Ok! Then what happened?" he asked her kindly. She narrated. 

"And he married you?" he asked her.

"Yes" she said, her eyes searching for Arnav. She got confused and more nervous when she saw Lavanya sitting next to Arnav. Sham had a smirk on his face. 

"So you say, Mr. Sham Manohar Zaa was a witness to all this?" he asked her to confirm.
"Yes!" she said.

"Then you started staying with Mr. Raizada?" he asked her.

"No!.. I.. did not!" She had tears in her eyes recollecting the trauma! Arnav had a knot in his stomach. 

Her deposition went on for a couple of hours. She was offered water which she refused. She kept looking around in between and every time saw Arnav gazing at her. But when she saw Lavanya next to him she stopped glancing at him.

"Why is she here?" thought Khushi and so did Arnav. He went out with Lavanya excusing himself asking for Court's permission. Khushi forgot what was she talking about, as if someone had sucked life out of her, her knees gave way. 

The prosecutor begged for a break of ten minutes which was granted. Arnav had reentered the Court room alone. 

Khushi avoided looking at him. She was frustrated with herself. "Why did I lose my control? Why should I be bothered?" she asked herself. "She was not sure, why was she upset for? For Arnav exiting the Court room or for Lavanya sitting next to him!" she tried to push away the thought and concentrated on what her lawyer was talking about.

Her deposition continued after the break. The prosecutor kept on asking more complex leading questions prompting the answers. Like, "He was administering medicine to your babuji, right?" she used to say "Yes!" 

" Always or sometimes?" he asked. She answered "Sometimes!" 

They came out of the court compound. Khushi was still shivering a bit. Arnav came and held her hand. She moved away. She did not want anyone's sympathy now! She kept on looking down. Her lawyer came out and said "so far so good!" 

"But you left lot of gray areas, Mrs. Raizada.. I am going to try and fill those tomorrow but be careful. Your cross examination will be traumatic for you!" he warned her. She looked away.
Arnav could not understand her. He wanted to be her support and she was avoiding him. "Why is she behaving like this?" he wondered. She did not utter a single word on her return journey. He left them at Shantivan and left for the office. It was already four in the evening.

She went straight to her room. She paced restlessly. That person had turned her world into a living hell. She clenched her fists. "Why didn't Anjali Di kill him?" she thought in frustration. She sat on the bed recollecting the events in past couple of years and her plight. She could not think of one single happy moment in her life. All the insults thrown at her, Sham’s deceitful acts, babuji's attack, she leaving Raizada house that day, everything ran before her like a horror movie. She shut her eyes closed tight not wanting to see anything. She took the blanket over her head.

She saw a young lady in her wedding attire crying. She could feel her pain. The lady was carried in a doli! Khushi had a knot in her throat! She was seeing herself in her dream!
"Khushi...!" Arnav was waking her up with the dinner plate.

"Khaa lo!" he said in a soft voice, helping her sit up in the bed. She looked miserable, so did he. 

"Did you have?" she asked him. He did not answer, but fed her a spoonful of sweet. She did the same to him. He had a faint smile on his face. They ate dinner in their room.

"I will keep this!" he said going out of the room with the empty dinner plate. She washed her hands and again sat back on the bed wrapping her arms around her knees. She heard footsteps. She pulled blanket over her head not wanting to talk to Arnav. 

He came into the room, saw Khushi sleeping again, sighed and started working on his laptop. Khushi went into sound sleep. Somewhere after midnight she felt his warmth. She felt safe and secure. 

***** ****

Her deposition went on for a torturous week. As the days passed she started isolating herself from everyone around. She felt weak and exhausted mentally. All her happiness, her energy had drained out. Arnav did not know how to cheer her up. Papaji tried talking to her but she refused to talk to anyone. Papaji used to call Arnav to know the details. He too was in distress unable to find a way to bring Khushi out of this phase! She avoided everyone. She was acting against her nature. She wanted some time alone.

The defense lawyer had requested for Anjali's deposition before Khushi's cross examination. Anjali had to be ready for her share of mental torture. Khushi was worried about her. Khushi had only one case. But Anjali was facing another one. For the annulment of her marriage with Sham as sham was already married before and the second marriage would be automatically null and void. Sham had denied marrying before and the case needed to be contested. 

Khushi had stopped going to the kitchen sometimes. She missed out on her daily chores. Naniji was very considerate. The family members left her alone. 

"Papaji... " she had called him. He could sense her distress. "Puttar, come over here for some days!" he said kindly.

"No papaji...! " she did not know how to express this but badly wanted to share with her papaji..

Her papaji waited for her to talk.

"I mean... I feel very odd...I don't know what it is...!" she said incoherently. Papaji was very patient.

"Papaji, I feel very sad. I don't know... I ..I... can I talk to Mummiji?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes, Puttar.. Hold on!" he said and went to his biwi.

"Mummiji.... !" Khushi could not continue. Tears started streaming down her cheeks. 

"Mummiji.. I am scared... I get scary dreams!" she said.

"Go to the temple!" Mummiji suggested her. "Go in the morning and evening!" she said. Khushi nodded and said "Ok!" 

Arnav couldn't share Khushi's plight! She had to endure alone. 


**************   *********

"Mannat wali chabi....I .. I Tumhaari chabi hameshaa mere paas hi rahegi!!" Khushi again was blurting in her sleep. Arnav sat up holding his wife.

"Khushi....!" He woke her up. "Are you ok?" he was worried. "Mannat ki chabi.... Kho gai... she continued ...

"Khushi...! Its with you!" he said shaking her. "Haan?" she opened her eyes.

"Meri mannat ki chabi... is with you, Khushi?" he said placing his hands on her shoulders.
"Haan?" she stared blankly. 

He gaped at her. "Khushi... stop reading those books!" he pleaded cupping her face. He pulled her closer and stroking her head said "Khushi.. go to sleep! Everything will be alright!" He held her close to his heart putting out the lights.

********* ********* ********** ********

There was news in the papers that a criminal was caught red handed trying to extort money and was sent on remand to Tihar Jail. Arnav hoped it be Shyam again! 

Khushi started going to the Mandir. Khushi was going into shell. She had almost stopped using her cell phone. She never used to pick up the phone. Arnav was worried. She had stopped talking to him. Her answers were in monosyllables. He tried taking her out for lunch or dinner or even to the temple she would love to go. Somehow she avoided going out with him or any of the family member. She did not stop reading those suspense Hindi novels. She used to get up in the night sweating. Arnav would pacify her and put her to sleep. He talked with papaji. But she refused any of their suggestions. She was all the time in Anjali's room worrying for her. 

"Khushi....!" Called out Arnav. Khushi was at the pool side. She turned back. "Its Tej!" he said holding out his cell phone. A faint smile appeared on Khushi's face. She took the phone!

"Khushi Buwa?" Tej was at the other end. She smiled broadly hearing his voice.

"Taj... mere golu! How are you?" she asked affectionately. 

"Khushi buwa.. you know my new school is so big... but Mom says I will be going next year!" he was morose. "Meera is going though!" he said sulkily. Khushi actually laughed. Arnav gaped at her face. His eyes were moist. After a very long time he heard her laugh. He sighed. Khushi was talking to Tej animatedly. Arnav never wanted the conversation to get over. He went into his room. She came in with the phone. The smile had not yet wiped off from her face. He looked at her. She smiled back and said

"Tej was complaining about you. Why can't you find time to call him?" she asked him angrily.
"I will!" he said nodding and taking the cell from her. Her mood remained happy for the day. Arnav wished Tej called every day. 

****** ********* *********