48

Arnav woke up in the morning and got dressed up. He looked at still sleeping Khushi. She looked exhausted and pale. He kept his hand on her forehead. She had temperature. 

"Khushi!" he called her in a soft passionate voice. She opened her eyes with great efforts and looked around, not recognizing her room. She looked at him and tried to get up.

He bent over to lift her. She looked at herself and pushed him away.

"No! go out!" she blushed. "I have to dress up!" she said pulling the blanket over her head. Arnav smiled and got up.

"Hurry up!" he said and went out of the room.

*********  *******

Khushi got up with efforts and got ready. She felt weak. She sat on the bed for a while and drifted off to sleep again. Arnav came up with the tea and saw her sleeping. He smiled and kept his hand on her forehead. Her temperature had risen. He went down to get the tablet. 

"Khushi, wake up!" he helped her sit up and gave her milk and tablet. She looked at him.
"Arnav ji.. woh.. court case...!" she said weakly.

"I will talk to the lawyer!" he said placing his hand on her shoulder. 


"See if you can bring her. It is important that she be present in the Court!" said the lawyer. Arnav came to his room. It was eight in the morning. 

"Khushi, you just need to be present!" he said seriously.

"Ok. I will manage! I feel better now!" she brought a fake smile on her face. He felt knot in his stomach.


"They were ready to leave. Anjali said she will accompany her to the Court.

"Aakash, take care of her! She is not well!" Arnav did not want to leave her. Khushi smiled at him and said "Don't worry Arnavji I will manage!" but there was no confidence in her tone. 

They were in the Court Room. Khushi was sitting next to the prosecutor. The proceedings had started and Dasgupta entered the Court Room again. Magistrate Kalindi could not believe her eyes. Second time he was in her Court Room.

"Either she is very rich to pay for his fees, or she is very close to him!" she thought. Dasgupta sat next to Khushi and asked.
"Khooki, are you alright?" she nodded.

She was called in the witness box. The prosecution pleaded for adjournment for her health reasons. Kalindi inadvertently looked at Dasbupta. He shook his head.
The defense raised an objection and begged to continue. Khushi nodded. 

Another set of photographs were shown to her.
"Does this not mean you were all set to get married after your so called forced engagement?
Look at the photographs Mrs. Raizada. You said you never loved him, your intimacy shows that you were eager to get married with Mr. Zaa.

Khushi looked at the defense lawyer calmly and said "I did not know his truth when we got engaged. I had accepted my parent's decision. These photographs indicate two engaged persons having time together" for the first time she elaborated something in the Court leaving her single word answers.

"Oh! Really?" exclaimed the defense lawyer sarcastically. 

"Have you seen your photographs with your wife after your engagement, Mr. Lawyer?" asked Khushi piercingly. A smile appeared on Kalindi's face. She too remembered her photos with her husband. The lawyer looked shocked. He fumbled.

"We are talking about your photographs, Mrs. Raizada!" he snapped back.
"I am talking about my photographs!" she said in a clear voice.

"The photographs are irrelevant! " Declared the Magistrate restraining the lawyer from asking further questions on the photographs.

"Your honour, may I request differing the cross examination after the defense of the accused?" begged the prosecutor. Kalindi again looked at Dasgupta.
Dasgupta nodded and went out!

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

The afternoon session was sensational. Sham the lawyer in the witness box was fumbling on his own statements. 

"Mr. Sham, your lawyer showed a heap of photographs taken of you and Mrs. Raizada. Had you arranged for a special photographer for the same? Who would follow you wherever you go?" asked the prosecutor.

"um.. some were taken by mobile!" he said defending himself.
"Whose mobile?" question,"My mobile" came the answer. 

"You self photographed your snaps?" question
"No.. I mean, my friend took them!" came the answer

"In the night, in the courtyard of the House, in the temple, in the market and in the Kitchen of the House also?" asked the prosecutor.
"um.. I mean.. I clicked some of them!" sham said.

"You clicked your own photos?" asked the prosecutor in surprise. There was a wave of murmur in the Court Room. Sham looked nervous.

"Point to be noted Your Honor, all these things and the detailed photographs indicate that Mr. Sham Zaa had an accomplice to click them and then use them for blackmailing, if the things didn't work his way!" said the prosecutor forcefully.

"Objection your honor! False Accusations!" got up the defense lawyer.
"We will prove the accusations, Your Honor! There is only one photo of the engagement taken by Mrs. Payal! All the other photos were taken by someone else unknown to the family and some are on the mobile of Mr. Zaa!" 

"May I have the permission to produce his mobile memory card which is taken as exhibit no. 67! Here are the prints of the photos from that card!"
"May I request the Court to summon the accomplice in the witness box?" asked the Prosecution.
"Yes! And Court is adjourned till next week!" said Kalindi.

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

Aakash, Khushi and Anjali came out. They saw Arnav waiting outside the Court Compound. Dasgupta was with him.

"Khooki, well done!" he said and turned to Arnav, "Raizada, take care of her!" Arnav nodded.
"Khushi, I will be there for the next date! Don't worry! I will take control if need be!" said Dasgupta placing his hand on her head. 

"Aakash, you go to the office. I will take them home!" said Arnav.
They came home to find Lavanya chatting with Mamiji. 

"ASR! Where were you?" she asked getting up. Arnav did not answer. Frown appeared on Khushi's face.
"Hello Lavanya ji!" she greeted her in a faint voice.
"ASR! I was worried. You did not pick up the phone!" she said.
"I was busy!" he gave a curt answer.

She looked at everyone, "Is everything ok?" she asked.
"Yeah! Khushi, chalo, take some rest!" he turned to Khushi and putting his hand on her shoulder took her upstairs.

"What happened?" asked Lavanya concerned.
"Khushi is not well!" said Anjali. She too was not happy to see Lavanya there.

"Oh! I didn't know that!" Lavanya started moving towards Arnav's room.
"Ms Kasyap, come here! Let her take rest!" said Nani stopping her from going to the room.
"Yes, Naniji!" Lavanya came back. Arnav did not come down for a long time.
"Actually I had some work with ASR!" she said looking up at his room.
"Ms Kasyap, his wife is not well. Let him take care of her. Your work can wait!" said Nani in a stern voice. 

"Ms tiptop, why don't we go to my room! Tip top ke tips leve ki padi!" said mami pulling her.
"umm, Mamiji, some other time. I got to push off!" said Lavanya and left. Nani took a sigh of relief so did Anjali.

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

Back in the room, "What is all this?" Khushi almost lost her balance looking at the room. Arnav glanced at her sheepishly. "Why? Who turned the room upside down?" she asked him shocked.
"um.. Actually I was searching for a file!" he said guiltily. He had turned the room into a mess taking out everything from its place. She looked at the heap of clothes, his files, all the wardrobes were wide open. The things were scattered everywhere. Even the bed spread was taken out.

She could not understand anything and kept gaping at Arnav.

"umm .. I had asked Ram Prakash to clean it up!" he said looking down.
"Ram Prakash! Ram Prakash!" he called out.
"He has gone out!" shouted Nani from below.

Payal went up. "Arnav ji, Khushi! Do you need anything. Ram Prakash is out for Nani's work!" she said knocking the door.

"No, Payal! Its ok. We will manage!" said Arnav without opening the door. Payal went back.
He started gathering the scattered things. She sat on the recliner feeling exhausted. She kept glancing at him. "Why did he do this?" she was puzzled.

****

After Khushi went to the Court Arnav desperately started searching for her diary. He turned the room upside down in vain. He could not find it anywhere. He knew she had not taken it with her. He had already searched her bag when she was in the bathroom. He had searched it everywhere for hours but did not succeed. He got frustrated and called Ram Prakash to clear the mess. 

"Wait! I will help!" she said getting up.

"No! I will do it. You take rest. Let me lay the bed first!" He said taking out a new bedspread. She helped him spread it. He placed the pillows and said "Khushi, come! " She rested her head on the pillow. He pulled the blanket on her. She smiled. He kissed on her forehead and went back to clean the room. Khushi drifted again to sleep.

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

"Arnav ji!" Khushi tried to get up.
"Khushi!" Arnav woke up with a start. He was sweating in full AC, It took some time for him to recognize his own room. He was in a trance. He gained his senses back and
"What is it, Khushi? Are you ok?" he asked her worriedly.

"um... I am hungry!" she said getting up. He looked at the time it was three in the night. He sighed.

"No! wait, I will get something for you!" he said pushing her on the bed again.
He started moving towards the door.

"umm Arnav ji, get two roties, Payaljiji must have made jeera alu, get some sweets, I like rajama chaval, and get some butter milk also....and.. pickles and... " she started off listing her favorite food menu.

"Shut up! Khushi! I will get it! I know your choice!" He looked at her irritably. She looked away sheepishly.
"She is back to normal! Oh God! She drives me crazy! Eating a full course meal at 3 in the night!" he shook his head hopelessly and went down to the kitchen.

He filled her plate and went up. She had slept off again. He shook her to wake her up!
"Khushi, wake up! Have your favorite dinner!" he said sarcastically. She opened her eyes with efforts and sat up.

"Wait!" he said and took her plate to feed her. She looked at him and smiled.
He started feeding her. She closed her eyes shut again and started eating, dozing off in between. Arnav went on feeding her and she kept on eating it half asleep. 

"Finished!" he had to declare finally. She again opened her eyes and looked at the empty plate sleepily.

"Finished? Ok!" she said slumping on the bed again to fall fast asleep.
"Pagal!" he said and tucked her in.