44

They all came home. Aakash was waiting for his bhai. The others were busy talking to the family members, Aakash signaled Arnav. They went to Arnav's room. 

"Bhai, Shocking news!" started off Aakash. Arnav looked at him questioningly. 

"Bhai, he walked free! Got acquitted in murder case of Rama and her child!" said Aakash. Arnav gave him a hollow, shocked looked. He couldn't believe his ears.

"What? Walked free?" he still was not ready to believe that. The fast track Court had decided the matter in record time of six months. The lower court had acquitted Sham Manohar Zaa from the Murder case of Rama and her child for want of evidence and directed the police to investigate further to trace the real culprit.

"Bhai, yesterday evening someone fired crackers in front of Shantivan for an hour or so! You know why!" said Aakash.

"Who else knows this?" Arnav asked in panic.
"No one!" said Aakash. 

"Aakash, let us keep it like that. Let us not discuss about it. I will find out and may be request for appeal in the High Court!" said Arnav placing his hand on Aakash's shoulder. Aakash nodded. They came out to join the guests. 

The tension and negotiations had taken toll on papaji. He felt weak and exhausted. He was hiding this from everyone.

"Sir, are you ok?" Shondeep whispered leaning towards him.

"Um... feeling little weak!" papaji confessed. Shondeep looked around Arnav and Aakash had vanished. 

"Khushi..!" called out Shondeep. "Get a strong cup of coffee! And make arrangement for his rest!" Said Shondeep. Khushi looked at papaji.

"What? What happened, papaji? Are you ok!?" he asked in panic.
"I am alright Puttar, its just a weakness! I will take rest for some time!" he said getting up with her help and moving towards the guest room.

Arnav came down and did not see papaji. "He is in guestroom!" said Shondeep. Arnav dashed to the room.

"Papaji, are you ok?" he asked concerned.
"Hmm!" he said "Khushi, get me coffee!" he sent her out.
"Puttar... there is something I want to talk to you!" said papaji.
"This Sham...!" he started off.
"Yes, papaji, I know about it! Right now, decided to keep quiet about it!" said Arnav cutting him off.

"Ok! I know they are going to appeal to the High court!" said papaji. "But this is a blow to us!" he was serious.

"Papaji, don't worry about it now! Take rest. And you are staying for the followup medical checkup!" he ordered papaji. Papaji smiled. Khushi walked in with coffee mugs. Everyone else gathered in papaji's room. Khushi took away papaji's mobile and said "No work! Only rest!" 

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

"Hello, Lavanya? Did you hear that? I am free from all the charges!" Lavanya got a call in the evening.

"Yeah?" She was surprised.
"See? I had told you! I am innocent! Now at least you understand my concern!" he said seriously.
"hmm!" she lost in thought.

"Lavanya, you know, soon I will walk away free from other charges also!" he said confidently. Lavanya did not respond. 

"We have to meet, Lavanay! I will give you the plan to win your ASR back. I know, he is yours. He can never be happy with that girl. Soon he will be disillusioned with her. But that shouldnot take too long for him to come back to you! Do you understand what I am saying, Lavanya?" went on Sham. Lavanya kept listening to him.

"Meet me in half an hour!" he asked her to meet and she agreed.
He had a complete plan to trap Arnav and to help Lavanya, to win him back!!

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

The girl was standing before her father looking down, sobbing. Her father never stopped beating her up. The boy who followed her everywhere, was standing in the room folding his hands on his chest and smirking at her plight.

She glanced at him loathing. He still was smirking. "That's why I told you chachaji, don't send her out! She will elope with him!" the boy was adding fuel to her father's anger.
Her father started off with another fresh round of beating. Her mother came to her rescue. She pulled her away from her father and took her inside.

"You have a social status, chachaji, this girl will ruin everything. Take care!" said the boy and went out.

"Why..why does he have to poke his nose in our affairs?" the girl was screaming kicking at the boy in the air.

"Shh! Keep quiet!" her mother pressed her hand on her mouth.

"Keep quiet! Else I will kill you!" yelled her father coming in the room with a stick in his hand. She girl shrunk in fright. Her mother stood like a shield. "Stop it! Or you will really kill her!" she screamed at her husband.

"If I hear anything about her, I will throw her in the well!" he yelled again and went out.
"Why? Why do you do this? How many times I have told you not to meet that boy from Badi Haveli!! Why ?" her mother had tears in her eyes.

She sobbed harder. She did not know, how to tell her mother that he just couldn't stop meeting him. 

"Try to understand! That boy is just playing with you!" her mother was trying to convince her. Her sobs never stopped.

"I can't help! I just can't help!" she said miserably. 

"Then I have no other option!" her mother was enraged now. She went out of the room.
The girl came out. She was staring beyond the fence of her small house at the end of the lane. It had started drizzling and her mother called out from the kitchen. The girl turned and inadvertently looked at the terrace of the Haveli. No one was there. She dropped her shoulders and came back. 

"What is this? Whom are you waiting for?' asked her mother angrily. " This time I am not going to listen to you. This is final You are coming with us tomorrow!!" Said her father. He saw emptiness in her eyes. 

He came forward, grabbed her hand and took her inside to lock up her again. "No! no! please...!" she pleaded screaming! Her father locked her.

"No! father... no please...!" the girl started crying. "Don't open her till tomorrow! We are taking her away!" said her father.

"No...!" she screamed getting up with a start. She sat up in the bed. Arnav had held her hand tightly. She felt secure. "Arnav ji!" she hugged him. He was fast asleep. She was scared!! 

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

They were coming back from the hospital after Papaji's medical checkup. Raj and Shondeep went to get the car. Arnav and Khushi were waiting at the entrance and they saw him. They saw him with two more persons, laughing and walking confidently. Arnav could feel papaji's grip on his wrist. He dug his nails in his palm callusing bleeding. Papaji never left his other wrist. He had held Khushi with his other hand. His grip was so powerful that both Khushi and Arnav could not move.

"Don't move! Don't do anything, which would go against you!" whispered papaji still gripping. HE walked past the trio. Papaji saw the car approaching. He dragged Khushi and Aranv forcefully and pushed them inside the car.

Raj and Shondeep looked puzzled. "Take the car out!" ordered papaji still holding their hands.
Both Arnav and Khushi were fuming with rage, but papaji did not leave them. The car went out of the hospital gates.

"HE was there in the hospital!" said papaji. Shondeep and Raj gaped at Papaji.
"Let us go home!" said papaji.

Khushi suddenly remembered her dream! She shuddered with that thought and a faint sob left her.

"Papaji, he is up to something. He will try to ruin is!" Khushi spoke her fears!
"No, puttar! He can do nothing!" said papaji assuring her. But she couldn't brush away her fears!!

*** ****

"Papaji, you are staying with us for few more days!" declared Khushi.
"No, Puttar, I have to go back!" said papaji.

"No!" Arnav intervened and said "You are staying!"
"Its 28th july tomorrow!" he added glancing at Khushi.

"No!" Khushi said looking aghast. She had forgotten about it. She remembered her last year's catharsis. 

"No.. No! Please... no birthday celebration!" she pleaded to everyone. 

"Ok! Agreed! But we can plan something simple!" Raj said reasonably. Khushi felt better.

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

"We are all going out for a day!" declared Arnav to everyone's surprise, next day morning.
"So get ready within half an hour!" he ordered further!

"Hello hi bye bye! Arnav bituwa ki nazar utaare ke padi! Picknic? Arnav bituwa Aur Picknic? Suraj kahan se uga dekhe ki padi!" mamiji blurted! Arnav ignored her. They all got ready.

It was pouring outside. Monsoon was at its peak. They were at the resort enjoying hot tea and rains. Khushi was still upset. She kept losing her focus. "Tej should have been here!" thought Arnav. He called up Elsa.

"Hello Elsa, where is Tej?" he asked.
"At home!" she answered. She obviously was in the office. Arnav called up home!

"Hey, Tej! Talk to your Khushi buwa!" said Arnav.

"Why uncle? You two fought again?" he asked innocently. Arnav blushed in embarrassment. 

"Hey, buddhu! Yeah! Its her birthday!" Meera prompted Tej from behind.

"Khushi buwa!" Tej screamed. Khushi's spirits lifted.

"Hello mere golu!! How are you?" she accepted his greetings. Arnav was watching her bright face. Smiling, he went away.
……..

"This is how, Raizada's spend a day in a picnic?" asked papaji loudly with a disgruntled face.
"What?" Came in Arnav's reaction.

"I mean, only have tea, lunch, gaze at the rains... that's it?" asked papaji. "No games? No enjoyment?" he asked further. 

"Oh! Come on DAD! Its their style! Don't impose your ideas on them!" said Raj with a mock anger.

"No! but this is not our style! This is chote's style, which we hate! We thoroughly enjoy rain picnic!" said naniji coming forward and taking the charge!

They all freaked out in rains. "DAD, you are not coming in!" warned Raj.
"You are not well!" he said stopping papaji from going into the rains. 

"I am perfectly alright!" roared papaji pushing him outside and drenching himself thoroughly.
They all had a big time splashing water on each other. Khushi still carried some inhibitions.
She saw Shondeep gazing at Anjali. She was looking stunning in that rain. Khushi glanced at Papaji. He too had noticed Shondeep all lost in Anjali's beauty. Khushi was waiting for her papaji's permission. 

They played music to dance on in the rain. Papaji played his old trick. He accidentally slipped and in the process of regaining his balance, pushed Anjali sending her off balance and Shondeep was all alert to hold her from falling.

"Careful!" he whispered in Anjali's ears while holding her tightly. She blushed and tried to move away from him. Khushi was all set to bang on him from behind. Anjali and Shondeep again held on to each other. Shondeep supported her and brought her under the shelter. 

"Are you ok? Anjali?" he asked her in a soft, mild tone! She looked at him. Their eyes locked unable to take their eyes off. "Anjali!" Shondeep could not resist and held her hand. She blushed and looked away.

Papaji and Khushi were standing in front of them looking at the dancing Raizadas, helping Shondeep and Anjali hide from everyone else. 

Papaji could feel Shondeep's love blossoming again in the company of Anjali. He looked at Khushi. She was wiping her eyes off. 

"Time to play hide and seek!" declared papaji.

"What? Are you alright Dad?" Raj was astonished at the childlike behavior of his Dad.
"Yeah! I am perfectly sane!" he said winking at Khushi. He gathered all of them and the game started. Aakash was to take on first. Papaji came to Shondeep, "Shondeep don't miss this opportunity!" papaji winked at him. Khushi could see his face change color.

"No!" he said flushing. "Darpoke!" Khushi frowned.

"What?" he looked angry. "Alright!" he accepted the challenge. 

Aakash had a hard time finding them all. Anjali hid behind the tree and was waiting with bated breath.

"Anjali, not here! Come I will show you a place to hide!" whispered Shondeep in her ears.

Everyone else was oblivious to Papaji's and Khushi's plans. Shondeep took Anjali away in the pouring rain, to hide her from all.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked walking along with him.

"Do you trust me, Anjali?" asked Shondeep.

"Of course!" she said.

"Then come with me!" he held her hand they walked together, locking their fingers in each other!!

"Anjali, I want to take you away!" he said in a husky voice. He could not control his emotions.
"What?" she blurted in a faint voice.

"You heard me, Anjali! I want to take you with me!" he said taking her hand.

"But... i.. i!" she lost her balance. He supported her and said "Anjali, I am ready to wait! But will you give it a thought?" he asked her earnestly looking into her eyes.

She lost in his blue wet eyes and could not control her tears. She cried her heart out on his chest. He consoled her stroking her head and wiping her tears gently. 

"But.. but you know my past!" she said sobbing.

"Yes, I know! And I want to tell you, Anjali that I too have gone through hell with my failed marriage. I want to tell you everything, before you... you accept me!" he said still holding her head close to his chest. They were sitting on the stairs of a secluded stone construction. 

"You both deserve a better life together!" came a whisper from behind startling both of them. Anjali tried to get up in a hurry looking at Papaji. Papaji placed both his hands on their heads and said.

"Anjali and Shondeep, my blessings are with both of you. Decide soon! Don't make us wait for long!" he thumped on their backs and vanished. They both stood like statue holding their hands tightly supporting each other from falling.

Papaji came back. He hugged Khushi and whispered "Mission accomplished!" 

Khushi screamed and started dancing her heart out pulling Arnav into her embrace and kissing on his cheek.

"Khushi?" asked Arnav whispering huskily. "I am happy! Very very happy!" she said revolving around herself, spreading her hands, looking up and taking in the rain! Arnav could not understand her sudden change in mood. But he was happy, that she was happy and lifted her gripping her waist and revolving with her rhythm!!