40

"Maa, please... !" the girl was pleading with tears in her eyes. Her mother had turned her back. 

"No!" her mother was stern. "I have to take a decision before your father comes back!" she said seriously.

"But why?" she asked in anguish.
"Because your father is more concerned about his reputation than his own daughter!" her mother said deeply. The girl looked up at her mother with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Now, wipe off your tears and get ready!" her mother ordered going out of the room closing the door behind.


She was on the road running towards the haveli. She jumped on the wicket gate and came into the garden looking up at the top floor window. The window was closed with the curtains drawn. She kept gazing at the window for a long time. Tears welling up her eyes, she turned to move dropping her shoulders. Someone was in front of her.

"I told you not to come here!" said a stern voice. She looked up with tearful eyes. Mali kaka was standing before her. "Beti, go back! Go back to your home! He will not come back!" he said gravely.

"Ca... can you send him a message?" she asked earnestly.
"No!" he shook his head.

"Go back! If someone sees you, they will kill both of us!" he said gravely slightly pushing her.
She held his hand. "Mali kaka, Please.... Please help me!" said the girl sobbing.

"No! I cannot do anything, beti! Please go home!" he said wiping off his eyes.

"Nobody can help you two! Go back to your parents! He is trapped in his world!!" he dragged her towards the wicket gate.

"This.... He loved this! i... I used to feed him .. this!" she held out "Imarati"(variation of jilebees) in her hand.

"I know! I have seen you two eating imarati... but beti, its of no use! Please, go home, be safe!" mali kaka's voice cracked. She put imarti in her mouth inadvertently as if feeding him!
"Go... please go! I am sorry, I can't help! Please go beti, go back to your world!" mali kaka pushed her.

There was commotion on the lane. Some agitation was going on. People were shouting slogans!!

"Go back! Be safe!" shouted mali kaka.

She jumped over the gate. Mali kaka kept gazing at the gate with tearful eyes........



Khushi got up and looked at her sticky palms with sweat!


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


"But why can't I go for once?" he was arguing with the elderly person the taste of imarti still lingering on his tongue. 

"Because, they think you sucked out everything from them! You are a cursed boy!!" said the elderly man.

"This is ridicules! I did not do anything! And I am not a boy now, I am a grown up Man!!" he said angrily.

"That's what you think!" said the elderly person.

"But I have to go back!" said the boy with determination.

"No way!" said the man and went out of the room closing the door behind. They boy banged his head on the wall in frustration. 

"I will finish them off! I will drag them on the road!" he muttered furiously.

"I will go back! I will be with her! I know, I must be there with her!" he floundered. 

There was commotion outside. He looked out of the window. Some agitation was going on. People in white were moving in procession shouting slogans! He turned his back on window in frustration. 

...................

Arnav opened his eyes and heard the commotion. 

He came out of his room to see the entire Raizada Household running after Laxmi! She had something in her mouth and everyone was trying to stop her from running. Khushi was ahead of everyone screaming Laxmi's name! 

Arnav stood there flabbergasted. At last they could trap Laxmi and managed to take the packet out of her mouth. Khushi raised the packet victoriously, panting and grinning at Nani.

"Thank god! At last we could get it from her! It's not torn!" she said surveying the packet.
"What was that?" Arnav took her packet from her hand. It was the packet of poisonous pesticides for his plants.

He looked at everyone annoyed. "Chote, we were cleaning the room and this packet fell down!" said Nani taking the packet from his hand. He shook his head hopelessly.

"Can I get tea now?" he asked looking at Khushi. She grinned at him.

**** *****

Khushi and Papaji were in Nanded. Papaji had asked Khushi to land on Mumbai Airport from Delhi and he came a day earlier from Kolkata. She did. He took her along in a car to Nanaded. The rooms were already booked. Papaji asked Khushi to get ready in ten minutes. She did.

They were in a car moving around in the city. She was amazed to see the Sikh population in the city and the number of Gurudwaras. She looked at papaji. "Yes Puttar this is the next big center for Sikhs after Amritsar. Guru Govindsingh declared himself the last guru here! He breathed his last here!" said papaji joining his hands. She followed him. They went to Huzur Saheb gurudwara. She gaped at the golden dome!

"Khushi I have brought you along with me here, with a purpose! Tomorrow we will be visiting the Sahakaar Spinning Mill and I want you to take a look around! Keep your eyes and ears open and your brain sharpened!" he said putting his hand on her head. She nodded. They came back to the hotel in the evening. She could see the Musli sufi shrines and river Godavari! She felt like she was in some part of Lucknow with the shrines around! A smile appeared on her face at the thought of Lucknow, her town! 


Arnav called her in the night. "You know Arnavji, its like a part of Lucknow, Sufi Shrines everywhere!" she told him excitedly. He smiled. She went on describing him about the city.

"Khushi..! take care!" he said in a concerned voice. She nodded and said "yes!" She missed him. 

"Arnav ji! I miss you!" she had tears in her eyes. "I miss you too, Khushi!" he said in a husky voice.

"Now go to sleep like a good girl! And don't see those weird dreams!" he warned her and then waiting for a second said,
"You didn't carry your diary, right?" he had crossed his fingers hoping she had not carried it with her.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and said "Oh No! Arnavji, I always carry my diary with me!" a smile appeared on her face. He was disappointed. He thought he had the opportunity to find her diary out and read it! 

"I know, why you are asking this, Arnavji! To tear it off! But I won't give you that chance!" she thought to herself.

"Khushi.. good night!" said Arnav in a deep husky voice. He missed her in his room a lot. This was the first time after their marriage; he was alone in their room. He did not know what to do. He had no desire to sleep on the bed without her, alone. He rested on his recliner, thinking about her and her pranks! His eyes gave way and slowly he drifted into sleep on the recliner!! 

-         ….. …..

He was driving his Austin Car! She was sitting next to him! Suddenly she ducked!

"What?" he asked her. "Babuji's shop!" she said pointing her finger. He took a turn on the corner and they were off the road. He parked his car. 

"You have a car!" she exclaimed touching the car in amazement. He gazed at her.
"I have never sat in the car like this!" she said dreamily.

"Forget about the car! Come!" he dragged holding her hand. She went with him.
They were at the river bank, gazing at the flowing water without a word.

"I have to tell you something!" he broke the silence. She looked at him questioningly..
"Stay away from that boy and be safe.." he paused... and said "while I am gone!" he was serious. He avoided looking at her!

"Why? Why are you going?" she repeated her question.
"Don't ask the same question again and again!" he was irritated. He gripped her hand. She looked at him with tearful eyes.

"He always follows me! Tells my mother about you!" she said in a bear whisper.
"What does he tell about me!?" he asked looking at her piercingly.

"Th.. that you are not a good person! Y..you are wicked!" she said stuttering. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, his eyes spitting anger, he looked at her,

"And what do you think about me?" he asked her in a deep calm deadly voice. Expecting that she too would say the same thing!

"You are a nice and gentle boy! " he looked into her eyes deeply. She continued smiling, 

"Thought you keep hurting me with your grip on my hand!" her smile transformed into a grin looking at his fallen face. He immediately released her hand. She caught his hand and said

"But I like to get hurt from you! It is much much better than mother's beatings!" she still was grinning broadly. He locked his fingers in hers looking into her eyes.

"Let us go!" he said getting up. She sat there without moving.
"Let us go!" he said loudly pulling her.

"No!" she said "You go! I will come later!" she was determined.

"Why?" he was puzzled.
"Because, I saw that boy on the road. He has seen us in your car! You go and I will walk up the distance!" she said. 

"Damn it!" he was frustrated. He banged his fist and climbed up to leave.

..................

Arnav woke up with a start! "Khushi.. I know I hurt you a lot!" he said slumbering on the bed face down!!