57

"Arnav ji?" payal was surprised to receive Arnav's call.
"Hello Payal! How are your parents and buwaji?" Arnav asked her softly. 

"Yeah! They are fine! Do you want to talk to them?" She asked him.
"No! I mean.. I will talk to them later. Give it to Khushi, I want to talk to her!" said Arnav now desperate to talk to Khushi.

"Khushi? Where is she?" came a question instead of Khushi.
"What? Khushi is not there? She is not there with you?" he asked getting up in a haste. Everybody else in the hall got up too.

"No!? I tried calling her several times... but then Aakash told me she had an appointment!" Payal was thoroughly puzzled. 

"What? I mean... Khushi...!" he couldn't talk further. Aakash again took the phone.

"Payal, is Khushi ji there?" he asked seriously.
"No, Aakash. She is not here!" Aakash looked at his bhai's hollow face. He understood.

"Payal, come back as soon as possible! And don't tell anything to anyone now. Khushi ji has not yet come home!" he said disconnecting the phone.

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

"Bhai....!" Aakash too was shocked. Anjali came forward.
"Where is she?" she asked holding Aakash's hand.

"Di, she is not there at Guptas!" Aakash told her. Arnav was pacing the length thinking hard.
"Where she could have gone? .... She was not there at her usual places. "Mandir?" he thought aloud. Everybody looked at him.

"Yeah! Possible! She might have gone to the mandir. Di tell me her favorite mandir. I will go!" Aakash said.

"Aakash, you go to the bade mandir. I will go to the banyan wale mandir, Di you take the driver and go to the mandir at chandani chouk!" Arnav frantically gave instruction. 

"Hello hi bye bye... there are thousands of mandirs in Delhi, will you search all of them? She will come back. You don't have to be so panic!" Mami did not approve the idea of visiting mandirs in search of Khushi.

"Shut up Manorama! This is a thing to worry! She is missing Manorama!" Nani said half sternly half worried. Mamiji kept quiet jerking her head back.

"I will call up papaji" said Anjali.
"Di, No! wait!" Arnav stopped her. 

"We will wait for some time and then call papaji. He will be unnecessarily worried" She nodded.
Arnav' phone rang. It was papaji.

"Puttar, where are you? Where is Khushi puttar? I called up Guptas, she is not there!" he said in a worried tone.

"Papaji, I don't know!" Arnav was panic. "She might have gone to the mandir. We are going there." Arnav said and promised him to call immediately.

They checked all her favorite temples in vain. She was nowhere to be found. They all came back with dropped shoulders.

********* **

Papaji was panic too. Mummiji tried to console him that Khushi would be alright. But she herself did not have any confidence that Khushi will be alright. 

"Dad, we should inform police!" said raj getting up and dialing Arnav's number.
"What if she again is abducted?" Raj asked Arnav.

"Yeah! You are right. I should inform police!" he said.
He dialed commissioner's number.

"Yes Mr. Raizada, Mr. Balwindar Singh had called up just now. We will look into it.! " said the commissioner.

"Do you want this to be publicized? Like giving photo in papers or in media?" asked the commissioner.

"No! No! Please try to do it discretely!" Arnav requested.
"Yeah, even Mr. Balwindar Singh wanted it to be discrete!" confirmed the commissioner.
Arnav looked at Aakash helplessly.

"Where is she? If she was kidnapped, someone should have called by now. Its almost seven hours since she left home!" thought Arnav.
"Has Lavanya or Sham done something to her?" he was panic struck. He dialed commissioner's number to tell him about his fears. 

Papaji was restless so was everyone in the mansion in Kolkata. Anjali had called up Shondeep. He went to papaji to be with him. It seemed, papaji could not think of any solution. His mind was blocked. He felt paralyzed. Everyone just kept staring at each other for some way out to find out Khushi.

He dialed Dasgupta's number. It was late in the night but Papaji couldn't help dialing his number.
"What is it, Balwindar?" asked Dasgupta little irritated. He was not happy with Khushi. She was the first person to have missed his appointment and had got away with it. And now Balwindar is troubling him.

"Das...!" papaji called out in despair. Dasguta could feel something was wrong.
"What?" he asked this time not bashing Balwindar for calling Das!

"Das... She is missing!" Balwindar could not say anything more!
"What? Who is missing?" Dasgupta wanted the confirmation.

"Khushi is missing!" said Balwindar and Dasgupta got up from the bed with a jerk.
"That's why she missed my appointment! But where is she? The Court case? The kidnapping? Suicide? Murder? Accident? His mind started racing with possibilities. He needed to rule out and zero down on one. 

"Balwindar, don't panic. I am here in Delhi! I will see what can be done! Keep me updated!" said Dasgupta. Papaji disconnected.

"See, if its kidnapping, there would be some demands. We haven't received any, yet. The other possibility could be...!" Elsa spoke finally. They all looked at her with hope. She might suggest some solution. They listened to her with rapt attention.

"The possibility could be... Khushi may have gone away... somewhere on her own!" Elsa blurted out the possibility.

"But, why? Why would she do that?" asked papaji desperately.

"Look at her problems.. a normal person would have collapsed by now. Khushi is a brave and strong girl, but she too has her own limitations!" Elsa deduced the logic. Everyone gaped at her.
"Do you mean she may have done something to herself?" Papaji asked in an aghast voice.

"No! She wouldn't do that. I know for sure, she will not do that!" Elsa assured everyone.
"What I mean is, maybe she may have gone away somewhere, from everyone else, or may be for some work? Or she might have boarded the plane to come here?" 

"You know her... what her buwaji called "Sanak devi!" Elsa had a faint smile on her face.
"She may have gone on her mission alone. She did that before... she strikes alone...I am sure she is on some mission...!" Elsa concluded her logic.

"But how do we find that out?" papaji asked the basic question. Now that Elsa has opened up the topic, the block in his mind was flushed. His brain started working...

"Wait a minute... if she on her own... she might need money...did she carry money?" he dialed Arnav's number

"Puttar, did she carry money today?" he asked Arnav. Arnav had no idea how much she carried with her. But he knew, normally she did not carry more money, not beyond a few thousands.
"Wait..Wait Dad!" Elsa screamed. Papaji looked at her keeping the phone on.

"Dad, can we keep a tab on her card? We might get some clue!! Like if she withdraws money then she is on her own... and we will get her location .. from where she withdraws money!" Elsa was all excited at her own rational solution. Arnav heard it. He dashed to the landline to inform the helpline of the bank.

"Chote, see her messages, if she has withdrawn money, there may be a message of withdrawal in her mobile!" Arnav looked around. The security guard had delivered the mobile.

He scanned through the messages... 

"Yes... she has withdrawn twenty thousand .... From...Rajiv chouk near Cannaught Place, New Delhi... ! Arnav read the message... at 19:21 hours today." Arnav gave the information to Papaji.
Payal had never stopped crying. She was unable to assimilate anything. 

"She didn't even tell me what happened at the court!" Anjali said loudly.
"Di, Lavanya gave her deposition in favour of Sham!" said Aakash growing worried about Khushi.

Its just an hours drive, she should have come back now!" he said. "Drive?"
"Bhai, car? She has taken a car today. She drove!" Aakash looked at his bhai.

"Car? She is driving? Where is her car? We can locate the car!" Arnav's face brightened up.
He dialed the police station to give this new information about money withdrawal and the car number.

"Khushi, where are you? Damn it!" Arnav blurted in frustration.
"Accident?" Arnav's mind thought the worst, panic struck.

"Aakash, Accident?" he swallowed hard.
"Bahi, I will call Aman and ask him to check...!" he dialed Aman's number.
Two families were wide awake the whole night worrying about and trying hard to find out Khushi.

The third family oblivious to these problems was angry with Khushi that she did not come to meet them!!

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

It was six in the morning and still there was no trace of Khushi. Something was wrong! Very very wrong. Arnav was sitting on the sofa keeping his cup of tea untouched. He did not know what to do. He had considered all the possibilities. 

"What if she did not withdraw the money and was made to withdraw by the kidnapper?" Aakash had asked to Arnav's despair.

"Aakash, if kidnapper wanted money it wouldn't be only 20 thousand! Chote what was her limit of withdrawal?" Anjali dismissed the idea of kidnapping.
"Arnav did not know! But he was sure that it was much more than mere 20 K.!" He kept gazing at the floor.
"Chote, here have tea!" Nani ordered him with a fresh cup of tea. He took it absentmindedly, still thinking hard on the possibilities. No one had slept even for a minute.
"Diary?" Arnav had a flash wave of the possibility.

"Diary.... I might get some clue from her diary!" he thought getting up with a jerk. He ran back to his room to search it around. He turned his room upside down in vain again. "She cannot take the diary along with her. That's impossible!" he thought to himself optimistically. I will have to search the diary. That will give me the clue!" he was sure. That was the only thing which would help him find his Khushi. But he did not know that Khushi had taken the diary with her to give it to him. He kept searching it everywhere not ready to give up!!

Arnav was in his room with his laptop open. He opened his personal folder and stared at the photos of Khushi in Switzerland. His eyes filled with tears... he called out in despair "Khushi...!" 

***** ******

After so many months, she was out in the market. She was maneuvering in the market absentmindedly. She did not even look at the bangle shops. She kept walking, all lost.
"See? Do you like this?" came a voice and she nodded without even looking at what was shown to her. 

"Do you think, this will suit him?" came a question.

"Yes!" she nodded again. Her mind was racing faster. "This is my last chance... I should escape...I should end it." She looked around for an escape route. She was held by her arm by an elderly lady and a man was at her other side. She kept glancing sideways.

She had no idea what was she going to do. The crowd started becoming dense.. the lady had lost her grip... she was free... the man was busy buying something and had his back on her... she ...

She broke into a run... without looking back... she was free... but she felt her legs gave way. .. Her knees wobbling... someone held her from behind...

"Khushi....!" Someone called out in despair. Khushi woke up with a start. Something was moving. She looked around... she was in a moving object. It took her some time to know what was it. She found herself in a bus. She looked around in fright. The lights were off and passengers were snoring. She clutched her bag. She had to wait till the bus stopped.

"Arnav ji!" she whispered in despair. The dozed off Arnav got up with a jerk!!

"This is not done!" he blurted and ran back to his room. He kept glancing at the photographs of Khushi again and again. He opened another folder "dreams" He started reading his dreams carefully from the beginning chronologically. He googled on many words he had mentioned in his dream description. 

He typed 'badi haveli' and got lakhs of results with every small or big place in Uttar Pradesh, Harayana, Rajastan and Bihar having a badi haveli. He had hit deadend. He kept glancing at his dreams. They did not give him any clue.

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

Khushi did not turn up at Kolkata also. Papaji was panic like never before. Raj kept consoling him. Mummiji too had lost all her energy to think rationally. Only Elsa had her head on her shoulders. Shondeep was there throughout calling frantically for some clue. Everyone was trying to utilize all the resources to find her out. No one had any clue. 

Police had started their search and investigation, sending her photos to every police station around. This was a high profile missing case. They had to be very caucious. They had enquired with Lavanya and Sham of course was in custody. He was interrogated by the senior police officer about his activities. 

Late in the evening Lavanya received a call. "Lavanya, did you know? Khushi left Arnav for good. She has left the house and no one knows where she is! It's a good news Lavanya... your coast is clear. Do not let go this chance!" Sham went on happily as his predictions were coming true. He did not receive any response on this good news from the other end.

"Lavanya? Are you there?" he asked waiting for her response.

"Yes, I am here and I heard it!" she said. She was confused. If this news is true, then they must have fought, they were not doing well, there was a rift between them. Then why did ASR react differently? She had seen a volcano erupt named ASR. He would have killed her any time. 

"What is wrong with it? Why can't I try for him again?" her mind hoped but her brain slapped her. "Did you not see ASR's rage? He can never be yours. You have landed yourself in big trouble, Lavanya!" her brain started in right direction but her heart pulled her over to ASR. She clutched her head not knowing what to do and where to go? She decided to wait and watch at the same time resolved that she would never talk to Sham again.

But Sham had achieved what he wanted. "Now I will walk free. I will find her out! I will have my revenge!" he thought curling up his lips in satisfaction.

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

"I think we have to publicize this if we want to find her out!" Said the commissioner. But papaji and Arnav were not ready for this. Somehow Arnav felt that she might return soon and she was safe. His initial panicky had vanished. He kept hoping that she would return soon. He clutched the mannat key in his fist for courage and confidence. The warmth of the key gave him strength.
It was almost twenty four hours since Khushi was missing. ...

Police walked in Raizada house with a news.. Khushi's car was found in parking place of AR Group!!

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