46

Arnav opened his eyes to see Khushi ready to go down.

"Khushi..!" he got up and called her. She turned to face him. He gazed at her. She looked away.
"Khushi, muze gussa mat dilaya karo! Don't make me angry!" he came to her.
She just looked up at him and turned to leave.

"Look, I am sorry!" he said  holding her from behind. She turned in his arms and said "I am sorry too!" he gazed at her passionately hugging her. 

"Now let me go!" she pushed him and got out of the room. He followed her to the kitchen. Nani and Anjali were at the table. They glanced at each other. Anjali got up to get the news papers.

"They patched up!" blurted Nani smiling. Papaji walked in.

"Good morning!" he greeted Nani. Nani smiled pleasantly. Papaji looked up at Arnav's room.
"They both are in the kitchen preparing tea!" said Nani smiling. Papaji grinned at her.

"I knew it!" he said. Nani nodded. 

"Yeah! That reminds me! I need to talk to you!" said papaji leaning forward and in a bear whisper.
"About what?" Nani asked in surprise.

"About some story I heard! You are the eldest one! I want to cross check!" he created enough suspense.

"Ok!" nani said. "When?" she asked. 

"When these kids are not around!" said papaji in a hush. She nodded.

Arnav and Khushi came out with the tray. "Good morning!" Arnav greeted papaji.
"Good morning, puttar! Hope everything is ok!" teased papaji squinting at Khushi. She was furious.

"Papaji!" she yelled.
"Sorry!" papaji surrendered. 

Raj and Shondeep walked in.
"BIL, we are leaving in the evening. Dad too!" declared Raj to Khushi's disappointment.
"But papaji is staying!" she argued.

"No, Puttar, I waited for your birthday!" said papaji gravely.

"Now, I have to go!" he said leaning forward. Khushi turned her face.

"Ok! Before that, I need to talk to you four!" he said looking at them. They all nodded.

"Before that we are visiting the temple!" declared Anjali pleasantly. Shondeep nodded at once. Khushi raised her eyebrows glaring at him. He turned his face in embarrassment. Khushi grinned. She glanced at Arnav. He was busy reading the news papers. She nudged him.
"Temple!" she whispered.

"What?" he asked her confused.
"Di wants to visit the temple!" she clarified.

"So?" he asked her.
"So, we all are going and you are coming too!" said Nani authoritatively.

"Oh! No Nani! I have work at office!" he said trying to avoid.
"It can wait!" said Nani. He nodded hopelessly. Papaji smiled.
"Now come on! Get ready!" ordered Nani. 

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

They all were at the temple. Arnav reluctantly had joined them. The special pooja was over. Khushi had a smile on her face. After a very long time they were all together in the temple and her Arnav was there with her for a change. 

"Prashaad!" she held out her hand. He was lost in thoughts. He came back to his senses. She was gazing at him. Everything went blur. He looked at her.

"Prashaad! Gud! Take it!" her voice had changed so did his gaze. Hypnotized, he held out his hand. She took a bite with her teeth and gave him half.


"Gud?" came a voice from behind and both of them came back on earth with a thud. She looked around scared and he still was holding half laddu in his hand.
Papaji was looking at them with suspicion. "Nothing!" Khushi hushed up hurriedly and Arnav went away.

"What was that? Gud?" Arnav was flabbergasted. He had seen this somewhere, had experienced it. He shook his head and descended the stairs turning his back on everybody engrossed in the dejavu feeling.

"What was that? Gud?" Khushi thought amazed. "Why did I say Gud?" she shook her head to brush away weird thoughts from her mind. She strangely had that dejavu feeling. Everything looked like a dream. She gaped at the back of descending Arnav. 

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

"So it's a legend! Not sure about its truth!" concluded Nani. Papaji was lost in thoughts. What Ramani had narrated, was somewhat matching with what Nani had told. 

There was some mystery associated with Malik Thakur relationship. The cursed adoptive child had an aura of legend associated with him. People stayed away from him, from his rage! He would kill anyone in a fit of rage, they said! No one understood him. His tale remained untold.
Papaji got up in a trance. "Still there are missing links. I have to find out! The story matches, but what about his death? There should be something which would explain his death!" thought papaji. Only the surviving Malik could be of some help. Papaji had to go back to Ramani.
He did not know, his children Arnav and Khushi were facing a different problem which was overwhelming for both of them. Though sailing in the same boat, they could not share it with each other, living in their own dream world unfolding a different story themselves. They were living someone else's life in their dreams! Or was it their own life, their own suppressed, hidden, innate feelings coming out in their dreams as if their own? Their dreams were strangely synchronized, unknown to each other and to others. Were they so in tune that they shared the same dreams? They badly needed help. Papaji for once was oblivious to their problem.

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

Papaji and others went back. Khushi continued with her work. She felt at peace at last. The cases were progressing. The prosecution had appealed in the High Court against the acquittal of Sham Manohar Zaa! He was on bail and was roaming free. Arnav had doubled the security at Shantivan. 

Her dreams became more intensified and turned into nightmare. She no more enjoyed those dreams. She saw only torture and endurance. Every night she prayed her devi mayya, not to give her those dreams. But they continued to haunt her. She kept a detailed record and hid her diary from everybody. She carried her diary with her everywhere. She knew, if Arnav found it, he would definitely tear it off. 

Arnav had filed another case against Rattan Singh Thakur about the tutelage. Arnav and Anjali's DNA matched with Nirmal Singh Thakur's DNA proving that they were children of Nirmal Singh Thakur. Rattan Singh had claimed to be the legitimate child of Nirmal Singh Thakur claiming the entire property. His DNA did not match and further probe proved that he was the eldest child of Nirmal Singh's Cousin, Pratap Singh Thakur. The whole conspiracy was blown off declaring Arnav Singh and Anjali as legitimate children of Nirmal Singh Thakur giving them all the rights of inheritance. 

Entire August was filled with vrat, pooja, raksha bandhan!! Arnav never celebrated his birth day! But Khushi did this time on 21st August. She took him out keeping his phone at home and spent the entire day with him taking care of his mood and pampering him. 

"Arnav ji! Happy birth day!" she wished him in the morning kissing him passionately. He smiled at her. "Khushi, I don't celebrate!" he said seriously.

"I know!" she said. "We are going out!" she declared.
"We?" he asked.
"Two of us!" she blushed. "Where?" he asked.

"Your choice!" she cupped his face looking at him intently. He gazed at her.
"Khushi... take me anywhere with you!" he suddenly became sentimental "Take me away.. . from everything, from everyone!" he whispered. She did. She took him away from everyone!! They came home in the night. Arnav looked happy and contented in her company. She understood all his moods and feelings and pampered him like a child. They spent a memorable night!!

Arnav felt the contrast in the two birth day celebrations! Khushi's was disastrous and his was heavenly. 

"Khushi....!" He snuggled in her arms closing his eyes!!

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

Court summons reached Khushi and Arnav. They had to continue with her cross examination and statements of other witnesses. She again would be going through the same trauma. Arnav was restrained from attending the court. She had to endure alone. This time she was more prepared. Dasgupta uncle gave her tips and she was confident. 

Arnav's cross examination was a brief affair, since he was not present at the crime scene. There were more than Seventy Four depositions in the Court. Most of them were of minimal importance. Khushi's cross examination second time was more humiliating.

"Do you recognize these photos, Mrs. Raizada?" asked the defense lawyer showing her some photos. She flipped and glanced at the photographs. Every photo sucked her energy away. Her knees gave way. Every moment of her with Sham in Gupta House was captured in those photographs. She looked hollow. Sham had managed everything to trap her. She couldn't believe these out of context photos. The lawyer had started dissecting every photo, humiliating her more and painting her as a trapper. 

Her throat went dry, her mouth fell open, she could not speak a single word. The prosecution begged for adjournment. Magistrate Kalindi granted adjournment till next week.

"Khushi ji, how about that?" asked Sham smirking. She looked at him aghast. Aakash came forward to take her away. He placed his hand on her shoulder to support her.

"Haan Haan! Saale saab, be careful! This will go against you!" Said sham smirking. Aakash immediately withdrew his hand. Khushi felt insulted and humiliated. She was fuming with rage.
"How can he be so manipulative?" she thought travelling back home with Aakash. "How could he get those snaps? He must have planned it since beginning!" her head started spinning. "What is these photos are published?" she shuddered with the thought. 

He had photographs of being with her in the kitchen making jilebees placing his hand on her shoulder, the photo of she laughing with him holding his hand, both of them under one umbrella in the drenching rain, he offering her a cup of tea, their names illuminated in heart graffiti, both of them sitting on the couch outside Gupta House! All indicating that she was all set to trap him to marry her. 

She dialed Dasgupta's number. "Uncle... "she narrated everything sobbing all the time in despair!

"Khooki, be prepared, next time it will be worst! He will bring up more intimidating, and obscene photos if I am not mistaken. This is all to break you down! Face it, baby! Let him do and produce whatever evidences. The last blow is ours! Remember! We have a bramhastra! The atom bomb with us! His entire premise will collapse! Understand?" he said it in one breath. It took time for Khushi to assimilate what he said. 

"Khooti, nothing will be published. Balwindar will take care of that. And remember you have no other go than to face it! I know this is torturous!" He waited for a while and then asked her in a concerned tone.

"Khooki, do you want me to come over? I can do that for you!" she was overwhelmed with his gesture.

"No uncle! I will face it. Thank you!" she said gratefully.

"Remember, we all are there with you in this!" he showed his solidarity! She smiled
"Yes, Uncle!" she said brightly. "That's like a good girl!" Dasgupta disconnected.

"Why should I worry, when all these good people are with me?" she thought with determination to fight it out. It was the test of her strength.

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

Arnav was upset and frustrated with himself. He felt helplessness taking over!! 

"Khushi, I am sorry!" he said gravely holding her in his arms in the night. She felt safe and secure.

"Don't worry, Arnavji ! I will face it!" she put up a brave face.

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