45

"Enough now! Go back to your rooms and change your clothes!" ordered Naniji. Everyone reluctantly moved towards their rooms. Khushi saw Anjali and Shondeep coming holding each other's hands. Smile appeared on her face and she held on to her husband. Arnav looked surprised.

"What?" he asked her. "Nothing!" she said blushing. 

Anjali left Shondeep's hand seeing the Raizada clan and went to Nani.

"Anjali beti, go and change now! You are drenched!" said Nani, sending her in the room. Shondeep still preferred to be in the rains.

Aakash's phone rang. He was in the room with payal.

"Oh! I am sorry, I forgot inform. We both are not coming. We are out for picnic" he said.
"um.. Deep Resorts!" he told the location and said "Call me if its urgent!" and disconnected. 

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

"Khushi...!" Arnav never wanted to leave her.

"Arnav ji, I am shivering!" she said trying to break away from him.
"I know, I can feel your shiver!" he said holding her tightly. 

"Let me change!" she pleaded looking at him.
"Let us have hot water shower first!" he said carrying her to the bathroom.

"No!" she buried her face in his chest and pushed him.
"Khushi, why do you shy away from me?" he asked in her ears. She blushed more.

There was a knock on the door. "Hurry up!" shouted naniji.
"Yes, Naniji, coming!" said Khushi breaking away from him.
"There is only one way to hurry up! Taking shower together to save time!" he did not give up!

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

They came out. Everyone was enjoying hot spicy Butta!!(Barbequed Corn). Khushi picked up on and dug her teeth in it. She realized that she was hungry. Arnav was glaring at her. She looked at him sheepishly and offered him one! He flared up his nose taking it from her.

Papaji was busy telling some exciting story of his youth. Raj looked restless. Arnav looked at him questioningly.

"He had told this story umpteen number of times!" Raj looked hopeless.

"Every time he finds out a gullible crowd and starts off, boasting himself!" said Raj looking embarrassed. 

Khushi was listening to papaji's story with interest. "Look at her! She must have heard it atleast fifty times! Still she pretends to have interest!" Arnav smiled. They both soon realized why was she so keen in listening to the story. Slowly she started picking up and speaking up the discrepancies in his story telling interrupting him every now and then.

"But papaji, that day you told you were wearing blue turban, now you said you were wearing white!" she started teasing him.

"Shut up Khushi!" papaji roared angrily. Khushi grinned at everyone. Arnav shook his head. "She is impossible!" he thought and joined the group.

"Hi ASR!" came an enthusiastic call. They all looked in the direction to find Lavanya there.
"How did she know?" thought Khushi. 

"Hi Lavanya!" Arnav greeted her back. He was expressionless.

"Why didn't you all tell me, you were having a fun here?" she asked sulkily.

"It was a family affair, young lady!" said papaji little sternly. He frowned at her appearance. Suddenly Khushi and Anjali became quiet. 

"Come Lavanya!" Nani extended her hospitality. Lavanya walked in. Somehow they all started missing the fun. 

Lunch was served and slowly they came back to their original jovial mood, making fun and pulling each others' legs Papaji had made sure, Lavanya stayed away from Arnav and Shondeep. He could feel Anjali withdrawing herself. Khushi was determined to act normal. Anjali went and sat beside nani when Lavanya held Shondeep's hand and pulled him towards her.

"What is she up to? Trying to lure both the men?" Papaji was puzzled. In any case he would be the loser. He never wanted Shondeep to fall for Lavanya. 

"I have to do something with this girl. She is a spoil sport!" thought papaji. "Biwi was right. She is a danger!" he missed his biwi. 

"So Ms Lavanya, how is your work going?" Papaji put his arm around her shoulder and maneuvered her away from the crowd. Shondeep and Khushi exchanged looks.

"Anjali, can you pass me another butta?" requested Shondeep moving towards Anjali. Anjali smiled. Papaji had a difficult task to keep the trouble away.

It was almost five in the evening and everyone was ready to leave.
"Naniji, I am so happy... you all are behaving normal and enjoying! Otherwise, in this situation of despair... anyone would have collapsed. But you all are enjoying. I am really amazed!" Lavanya opened her dirty mouth to drop the dung bomb. 

Papaji had let her speak for once and she had done the disaster.

"What do you mean, despair, Ms. Kasyap?" asked Naniji looking at her suspiciously.
"Nothing! Its nothing!" Papaji came in hurriedly.

"What nothing, uncle? You know, Jijaji is acquitted. He walked free from the murder charges! They could not prove anything!" She dropped it finally. Silent explosion was seen on everyone's faces. Anjali and Khushi looked ghostly. Naniji looked shocked.

"Hello hi bye bye, Ms tiptop, has he sent you to spoil the show?" Mami was annoyed. Lavanya had managed to spoil the mood. She looked innocent. She did not understand what damage she had done to the family.

"What?" Khushi spoke first. "He is acquitted?" she looked at Arnav. He had no explanation to offer.

Papaji intervened. "Puttar, these are court matters..! these things go on! We can take care of them later! Let us go home now~" Papaji said consoling her.

They all drove back silently.
"Um... ASR, drop me at my place!" requested Lavanya. There was no point in going to Raizada House now. She had done her work. She had to report it to her partner. 

"Bye ASR!" she hugged him before getting down from the car and ignoring everyone else went away. 

"What a shameless girl!" papaji thought so did Raj. 

Shondeep and Arnav took a sigh of relief at her departure. They both were yet to know the damage she did to both of them. 

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

"um.... Shondeep ji, I need some time to think!" Anjali said gravely. It was late in the evening and Khushi had managed to bring them together to the pool side.

Shondeep looked at her in surprise. "Take your own time, Anjali!" he came and held her hand. She somehow withdrew her hand. He immediately took back his hand disappointed. She was not ready to look at him. 

"What is it Anjali? Are you ok?" he asked her looking concerned.

"Ye.. yes!" she said turning to leave. He stood there his eyes following her fading figure.
"I thought she was happy! I thought she would accept my proposal!" he thought in despair. He felt he was losing her. 

"I cannot accept this. Lavanya is much better for him!" thought Anjali, tears rolled down her cheeks without her permission.

Khushi was surprised to look at Anjali's sad face. 

"Di, what happened?" she whispered in her ears.
"Nothing!" she dismissed Khushi. Khushi looked at Shondeep who came in and sat on the sofa seriously. Khushi knew something was wrong with them. She looked at papaji for support.
"Anjali puttar, I need to talk to you!" said papaji. Arnav looked at him in surprise. 

"Come on puttar, let us go out!" he said and took the car keys from Arnav. It was time for Papaji's sermon again.


******* ****

Arnav was puzzled at Papaji's changed attitude towards his Di. Suddenly he found papaji to be very protective towards Anjali. He looked at Khushi and she turned her face. 

"I know, Arnavji must have invited Lavanya ji for the picnic. Why didn't he tell me about it?" she was annoyed. Arnav was oblivious to all these things. He did not know nor bothered to know who invited Lavanya. He was bothered about the way Lavanya disclosed the fact. "She is not like this!" he thought. "What made her do this?" he was puzzled again at her behavior.

"I don't know, who invited Lavanya!" reflected Aakash blurting it out. Arnav looked at Aakash.
"How do I know?" he asked sternly. 

"Oh! Yeah! Aman had called up asking where were we all!" remembered Aakash. 

"Ok! So Aman gave her our location!" Khushi concluded. Her anger subsided a bit. 

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

Papaji and Anjali walked in with prashad in her hand. He gave it to all. She was actually smiling. Shondeep was stealing glances at her stunning beauty. Khushi was happy. They were back to normal, trying to forget the evening episode.

All were having peaceful delicious dinner. Payal and Khushi were happily serving the food and Ram prakash was helping them. Papaji and Naniji were busy talking about old golden days across the table. Men were talking about business as usual. Arnav's phone rang.

"Hi ASR!" Lavanya was at the other end.

"Hi Lavanya!" Arnav reciprocated, getting up from his seat, leaving his dinner half way through. Frown appeared on Papaji's face, this time Raj and Shondeep noticed it so did other family members. Khushi stopped dead. Arnav, inadvertantly went away to talk to her.

"I am sorry ASR! I didn't know that the family members did not know about Jijaji's acquittal!" Lavanya apologized.

"Its ok Lavanya, and he is not Jijaji now!" he corrected her. 

"I am really sorry ASR! I hurt you!" Lavanya started off again.

"Lavanay, if you are finished with your sorry session, I have a dinner to finish!" said ASR under his breath clearly annoyed. 

"Yeah! Sorry! I mean.. good night ASR!" he disconnected the phone.

He came back and stood shocked. His place was cleared and Payal was all set to occupy his place.

"What the..!" he blurted.

"Oh! Sorry, Arnav ji. Khushi told me you are done with your dinner and she cleared your plate!" said Payal sheepishly. Everybody avoided looking at each other. Arnav was clearly embarrassed. 

Khushi came out. He looked at her questioningly. She was expressionless. He felt insulted.
"Where is my plate, Khushi!" he asked with annoyance.

"I cleared it!" came a plane answer.

"What the hell! Could you not see I hand not finished yet? I was on phone, damn it!" he asked her raising his voice, clearly forgetting that there were guests for dinner.

"Chote, phone could wait!" said Nani, sternly.

"So could the dinner!" he snapped back.

"Chote!" Nani pushed her plate.
"Nani, I was just asking her about my dinner plate!" he said in calmed down voice.

"I said I thought you finished and I cleared it off!" said Khushi adamantly. 

"Enough!" he screamed blowing his head off in anger. He forgot everyone else, pushed the chair forcefully and went away. Khushi turned her back and went into the kitchen. There was an awkward silence prevailed. Everyone was in a hurry to finish the dinner. They all went back to their rooms without a word. Khushi and payal cleaned the table with the help of the maid and Ram Prakash.

"Khushi, at least have some milk!" payal pleaded. Khushi shook her head.

"No, Jiji, I am not hungry!" she said sitting on sofa. Payal went to her room. Khushi sat there never wanting to go to her room. Her birthday had started with a happy mood and ended up in a disaster. 

"What would papaji think, about us?" she couldn't imaging the damage Arnav had done to her image. 

"umm... papaji?" she came to guest room. Papaji and Raj were in the room.

"come in puttar!" papaji called her in.

"Um.. I am sorry! I mean... he does not react like this always.... I think he was in a bad mood!" she pleaded Arnav's case looking down guiltily.

"Puttar, its ok. We all fight! Don't worry!" said papaji placing his hand on her head.
"Hey Khushi, take it easy!" said Raj forcing a smile on his face. 

"But Puttar, tell me honestly, you did that on purpose!" asked papaji looking at her piercingly.
"I... I was annoyed with the phone call!" she said guiltily. 

"Hmm!" said papaji thinking hard.

"Now go back to your room and good night!" Papaji dismissed her. She nodded and came out.
She went to her room deciding to patch up with her husband.

He was pacing the room fuming with rage. She pushed open the door and he came on to her like a storm.

"How dare you! You.. you insulted me!" he accused her. She looked at him painfully. He was handling her roughly grabbing her arms with all his might. 

"Ssss... it hurts!" she tried to free herself.
"So does it for me! You did that on purpose!" he hissed at her with gritted teeth.
She looked at him thoroughly hurt. 

"And what you did? Was that love? Yelling at me in presence of guests!" she snapped back. He pushed her backwards in rage causing her bang her head on the door. She winced in pain.

"Khushi...!" he came forward to support her. She pushed him back and said

"I am fine! Don't bother!" she went to bathroom to change and he threw himself on the bed.

"What have I done? Its her birthday and i.. I didn't even got her a gift!" he looked at the time.
She came out and took her side of the bed.

"Khushi, he called out softly. She was deaf. She turned her back on him and switched off the lights.

She sat up suddenly. He turned and looked at her in surprise.

She joined her hands and started praying. He tried to listen to her prayers.

"Hey devi mayya, Raksha karana! Protect us! No dreams... please! Please devi mayya, I have had enough already... Please no dreams! Please save me from those dreams!" she said sobbing with tears welling up his eyes.

Arnav listened to her with moist eyes. "She is going through hell and I am adding to her problems!" he bashed himself.

"Khushi...!" he said softly putting his hand on her gently.
"No! Please!" she removed his hand and turned her back on him. He kept staring at her back not knowing how to patch up with her.

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

He was bashing and punching the boy like a maniac. "How dare you, tell her parents about us!" he was yelling and shouting. 

The boy taking up the beatings was still laughing in hysteria. "You want to beat me up? Do it!" the boy was teasing.

"How dare you! I will kill you!" he was beating him banging his head on the Cast Iron gates of the Haveli.

"Oh no! you will not do that!" the boy who used to follow, said disdainfully.

"You know what? I am going to marry her!" he said taking up the beatings again.
"What?" he was released immediately.

"Yes you heard it right! I am going to marry her! Her parent will have no choice!" said the boy who followed. His face lit up and looked hideous. 

The tall boy stood there in shock and then suddenly charged on to him yelling.
"Before that I will kill you!" he again started bashing.

"Chote Maalik! Stop it! Stop it!" Mali kaka intervened and stood between the two fighters.
"Leave him Chote Maalik! He will die! You cannot afford to kill anyone!" Malikaka tried to pacify the tall boy.

"Please Chote Maalik, leave him, let him go! This is only an empty threat. He cannot do anything!" said malikaka.

"And you, go away from here and don't show your ugly face again!" Malikaka shouted at the boy sending him away.

"Remember, I am going to marry her!" the boy still was not ready to give up!

Mali kaka held the tall boy tightly and said "No Maalik, let him go!" 

****** **

Arnav woke up to find Khushi in his arms. She had held him tightly and was fast asleep.

"Khushi!" he moved his hands on her body feeling and taking in her soft touch. She curled up beside him lifting her face. He took her lips in his and whispered wincing in pain. "Khushi... don't you ever leave me alone!" he shuddered remembering his dream. Khushi wrapped her arms around him and mumbled in her sleep "Arnav ji.. I am scared!" Arnav held her tightly placing his chin on her head.  “I am scared too…. Khushi! Don’t leave me….!”