28

Papaji was pondering over the information. Dasgupta had called up that night and had given him some vital information. He was scrutinizing the old inheritance papers of Arnav Singh Raizada, with his Thakur linage! All his inherited property was in litigation. When Dasgupta's office traced back the original owner of the property, in most of the title deeds, the landed property belonged to Maliks, from Lucknow! This included Sheesh Mahel too! The properties got transferred somewhere between seventy and eighty years back to Thakurs in Kanpur! 

"Find out about this Malik family!" Dasgupta had suggested. "They might create problems later on! There are no sale deeds!" 

"Balwindar, by the current market rate, these properties will fetch the Thakurs a thousand crore of Rupees! The Malik's seemed to be the princely family!" added Dasgupta. 

Papaji had investigated further the inheritance of the property from Maliks to Thakurs!! There were lot of missing links and mystery . Papaji needed an inside story from someone from Maliks or Thakurs! 

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

"Khushi...! Buwaji had called up. The shop is ready with renovation. The new owner has invited us all for the opening ceremony!" said Payal excitedly. Khushi was more than happy.

"Khushi, you and Arnav ji can go!" said Payal considerately. She knew what Khushi went through and wanted to give her some relief.

"No jiji, you and jijaji should go!" said Khushi resolutely. You have been tied up to home for a long time. Now you should go and meet Amma babuji! Said Khushi dreamily remembering her Lucknow!

Arnav and Aakash came home. Payal and Khushi talked about their plans and it was decided that Payal and Aakash would go for the ceremony. Khushi came to her room humming merrily. Arnav gazed at her. She looked around for her book and then remembering that Arnav tore it off muttered "The nice book I had.. he had to tare it off!" she looked angrily at him.

"What?" he asked her flaring up his nose. "Nothing! You tore my book!" she said angrily. He shrugged and continued working. 

"Don't grumble in your sleep!" Arnav warned her. 

"Don't wake me up, even if I do!" she snapped back. She drew blanket over her head. Arnav sighed.

"Silver locks and keys!?" the girl looked at the pair of locks and keys in amazement. The tall boy nodded. 

"Real Silver?" she asked again with wide eyes.
"Why? You want me to get gold ones?" he asked getting irritated.
"Can you?" she asked with surprise on her face.
"Yes! Do you want me to?" he snatched the locks from her hand and turned to leave.

"No!" she held his hand. "I thought you would get those brass ones which are available here!" she said smiling.
"You are very rich! Haan?" she said patting the boy on his back. He moved away glancing at her angrily. 

"Enough! Tell me what you want to do with this?" he asked her getting irritated.
They were at the back side of the Darga, sitting under the tree. The quawalls were singing with manjiraas accompanying! 

"You know! This place is so cool! See? No one is around!" she said dreamily shaking her legs. He did not answer.
"You know people come here to ask favors for themselves, always!!" she said looking at him.
"I know!" he said looking impatient. "Tell me what to do!" he ordered her.

"Wait.... !" she held his hand. He freed himself with a jerk and said "I am going!"
"No.. wait! Sorry!" she said apologetically.

"You know people ask for favors from God! But I am going to ask favor for you!" she was serious. She looked into his eyes. "And I will ask for you!" said the boy holding her hand.
They looked into the locks and keys on their palms. "Come on... let us go!" he started dragging her over... he left her behind while striding up the stairs!!

"Wait.. wait... I am coming!!" she screamed ...

She got up from her bed with a jerk. "Arnav ji!" she muttered looking at his side. He was fast asleep. She snuggled by his side putting her arm around his waist; The locks and keys still lingering in her mind. "Why do I remember these dreams so vividly?" she wondered. 

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

"Dada..!" Ramani had called up to give his update!
"Ramani... I am giving you vital information! Listen to it carefully and get the information to join the dots!" said Dada sternly.

"Ok! Dada!" said ramani in a small voice.

"Look, I want to know how the property got transferred to Thakurs! One of the Thakur's girl was married to Maliks. She had two elder brothers. Then after some years ... these families turned into enemies... I want to know what happened in between. Look I tried to find out the genealogy. But the links are missing" said Dadai.

"Dada.. I want to tell you that only. That Thakur girl who married to Malik died early giving birth to her son. Her son was adopted by one of the Thakur after some years. Her elder brother who was issueless adopted this child. The younger brother had children. 

"Ok. This makes sense, Ramani! The Malik boy was adopted by Thakurs! Ok. But why did the property got transferred over a period of time? You have to find out!" said papaji.

"Yes, dada! This man seems to have lost his mind. He is serving for brutally killing two people in a fit of rage!" said Ramani. He is that adopted boy's nephew!!" Ramani provided the information. 

"He keeps muttering and screaming if we open the topic of his family. He is an addict!" said Ramani.

"Ramani, go ahead and find out! You have little time left!" said papaji and disconnected.

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

Aakash was waiting in the car to take Khushi and Anjali to the Court. Arnav was on business tour and could not make it. Khushi got ready. Anjali was about to leave. She came to Khushi's room. Khushi was opening her laptop.

"Khushi, we need to leave!" said Anjali.

"I know! Just one minute. I will pass on an important message to Shondeep Sir and close!" she said in a hurry. 

"Hello, Shondeep Sir, I talked to the administrative officer of the Mill. They have scheduled the meeting next month 2nd of May. " She gave the information. Shondeep nodded.

"Shondeep Sir, Di is here!" she said in a whisper.

"Anjali Di! Shondeep Sir! Talk to him and come down!" she said and went out of the room.
"Hello, Anjali!" Shondeep smiled. Anjali reciprocated.

"All the best! Keep your cool! Anjali!" he said with his voice cracking.
"Yes!" she said resolutely. He smiled.

"Anjali, remember, we all are with you!" he said. She nodded.

"Anjali, let me know what happens! And be brave!" he said in a deep voice.
She smiled. He logged off!

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

Anjali's deposition continued. She had done well this time. She tried to tie up all lose ends and make her statements sensible. The lawyer looked satisfied. Sham kept smirking. He was comfortable with the police around. It seemed that he had established rapport with them too by his deceitful fake behavior! Khushi controlled her temper whenever she saw him grinning and sniggering. Sometimes he jeered looking at Anjali with his lawyer. Khushi clenched her fists.
Anjali's deposition concluded. Next week would start with their cross examination. 

"These are the copies of your statement. Keep reading those. Your answers should not deviate from your statements." Said the lawyer. They both nodded. But going through the same trauma and remembering the same events was torturous. They both put off reading those statement documents. 

They went to Mandir while coming home. 

"Hello, Raani Saheba!" came a sly voice. Sham stood there folding his hands on his chest.
"How dare you!" Khushi couldn't control her temper.

"This is a public place, Khushi ji!" said Sham disdainfully curling his lips.
"Di.. let us go!" said Khushi holding her hand.

"Haan Haan.. wait a minute! Raani Saaheba, my things are still in Shantiwan. I will come and collect them!" he said taking a step ahead.

"We will send it through someone!" said Khushi moving away from him. She saw Aakash coming over and said loudly..

"Aakash Jijaji, he wants his luggage back. Ask the police inspector to come and collect it. There might be something important for the cases!" Sham looked furious. He backed off when he saw Aakash coming over. 

Anjali was unable to move. The mask of her brave face had vanished. She again looked miserable. They came home. Anjali was still trembling. Khushi gave her hot milk and said "Di! Talk to Shondeep Sir, you will feel better!" 

"No! Khushi! I am alright. No please don't call!" Anjali pleaded.

Khushi looked at her and said "Ok! Di!" 

Khushi came back to her room. She was upset too. Arnav ji was out of town. Sham had grabbed this opportunity. Khushi had a lot of work to do. But she was not able to do anything. She was fuming pacing up and down the room. She sat on the chair by the pool side.

"Calm down, Khushi... Control!" she told herself. "You have to keep cool! You have to take care of Di also!" she kept reminding herself. 

Something was stirring up in her mind. She felt a surge of pain in her stomach. What was that? She felt dizzy. And then she had to run to the bathroom. Then the bathroom visits never stopped for next few hours. Nani gave her medicine. She had a food poisoning. 

"What did you eat?" kept on asking Nani. Khushi could not recollect what she ate different than other people. "May be that Sham's face made me sick!" she thought to herself disgusted!

"If your diarrhea does not stop, I will have to call the doctor!" declared naniji. 

Khushi was down for next couple of days. Nani compelled her to take rest. Lot of her work was pending. Arnav still had not come back. She did not have her favorite hindi novel with her. These two days were boring. Khushi had to take rest. She was waiting for Arnav to come back.
Khushi was at the table when Aakash entered talking over phone. "Haan, bhai! Sent it! ... Yes Bhai! Yes Lavanya has left. She will reach in couple of hours! Yes .. Bhai... I have sent them with her!" He was talking to his bhai. Khushi looked at him curiously. He had attached a blue tooth to his ear, he had grown stubble, his stride was like his bhai.."Is he following his bhai's footsteps?" Khushi wondered.

"No Way! What will happen to Jiji then?" she blurted.

"What?" Aakash stopped and asked. She bit her tongue and said "Nothing... Jijaji, you carry on!" 

"Yes Bhai... No, Khushi ji is here!..." he went to his room. 

Khushi sat there for a while waiting for Aakash to come out. He did. 

"Aakash jijaji? Where did Lavanya ji go?" she asked with curiosity.

"Oh! She went to Mumbai to help bhai!" he said. "We are sending our designs to one of the shows in Mumbai!" he provided further information. Khushi nodded. She went into the kitchen. Payal was preparing Samosas! 

"Jiji? Samosas?" she picked up one. "No Khushi! You are not well! " said payal slapping on her hand. The samosa flew and landed in the boiling oil again splashing the oil. Khushi screamed. It splashed on her hand.