58

It was time for Guptas to know about Khushi. Nani called up buwaji and told her everything in brief. Buwaji was devastated. She did not tell her brother Shashi. But kept thinking what to do next. She couldn't digest that Khushi was missing since yesterday. She frantically called Khushi's friends. Nobody had any news of Khushi. 

The hunt was started for Khushi.
"Puttar, we are coming there!" papaji called up Arnav.

"No, papaji, stay there. She might come there!" said Arnav desperately. That was rational, papaji agreed. All of them kept on communicating with each other constantly. Raj and Shondeep decided to come to Delhi and Papaji would stay at Kolkata. 

Dasgupta called. "Balwindar, I am taking over all the matters. Secondly, I strongly feel there is no kidnapping or accident! I can't bear a thought of murder!" Dasgupta chocked. Papaji went out of breath. But brushing aside the thought of her death Dasgupta continued... "Balwindar, I strongly feel she has taken a break!" Dasgupta was sure.

"If that is the case, I would be happy! But then its not her nature! She knows we all will be worried!" Papaji was worried again. Dasgupta had no answer to that. He knew Khushi.
"Dasgupta, I don't know, but I am worried. She has suffered a lot and on top of that, that Lavanya woman had given her a big blow. Arnav told me everything, which you already know. Her car was found in the office parking, that means she had gone to the office. If she had seen Arnav and that woman... she might have misunderstood... and...!" papaji could not continue.. he went out of breath again. 

Dasgupta clenched his fists in frustration. "Why didn't I took over before?" he blamed himself looking at his friend's plight. He too had developed a bond with Khushi! But that was for different reason. Khushi had promised him to do a favour. No one other than these two knew about it. Dasgupta was deep in thoughts. He wanted his Khooki's help but she was missing....
"Balwindar... calm down. We will try our best. We will try everything, to find her out!" Dasgupta assured him. Papaji's mind was thinking something else. "Time to call him again!" he went to his study and called up Ramani.

"Ji Dada?" Ramani answered his call.
"Ramani, Khushi is missing!" Papaji sounded in despair. Ramani listened hard to what papaji was telling.

"Ok, Dada! I will find out! I will find out about the worst cases, murder, accident and suicide!" said Ramani never wanting to utter those words for Khushi. "Dada, I will call you back!" he disconnected. Papaji stood there pondering over those breath snatching words.

***** *****

"Bhai, please don't go!" pleaded the younger sister holding a small kid by hand.
"I said, I am going!" the tall man was determined. "Please!" she held his hand and he withdrew immediately. 

"Please!" said the elderly man.
"No! I did my duty... you are happy! I should be going!" he said.

"Please leave me alone for some time!" he said driving all of them out of his room.
"He took out the mannat key and pocketed it. He took out the other things from his box and neatly hid beneath his jacked. He opened the door and descended the stairs ignoring all the cries. 

He took out his Baby Austin car and drove away from the gates.
He was on the roads, the agitation and processions were intensified. He could see people protesting everywhere. He had a long drive in darkness. He was determined to go back.
"I am coming!" he whispered as if telling this to someone.

"I KNOW!" came a pleasant breeze. He smiled. He was going back to her.
"Will you be there?" he asked again. There was no answer. He grew restless. He looked around in the darkness... "Oh! Please... don't give up! Don't quit!" he was in despair.
He drove aimlessly for a very long time, alone without food! He felt dizzy! He stopped his car with a jerk and ….

Arnav opened his eyes.
"He was going back to her. They are going to unite forever!" he blurted getting up like a hypnotized person.

He came to his room, and played with the keyboard of his laptop, absentmindedly, not knowing what was he typing.
"Khushi, I am coming!" he was typing. He started his hunt again trying to find out the clues.

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

"I know he is coming back. I know he will be there!" she was mumbling in her sleep.
"I know, but its of no use!" said a calm voice and bringing her back to reality.
"Look at the family!" he pleaded. She didn't care!
"I am going!" she said.

"You can't!" came a stern voice of the old lady.
"I have done my duty. I have raised him! I am going now!" the girl was determined.
"No! you just can't leave us like this!" said the man earnestly.

"You got what you wanted. I can't be around!" she said looking at him calmly. He bowed his head to hide his tears. She was all set to go!
"Noooo!" she heard a scream from the old lady and …..

 Khushi got up with a start. She looked around again to find her in a bus. But outside there was twilight. She was reaching the destination. She looked out of the window trying to recognize the place. She couldn't.

She looked around in the bus. Everyone was a stranger. She looked at the lady still sleeping in the next seat. Khushi closed her eyes again. She did not know how many hours she was traveling and where!


***** ********* *****
It was two days since she was missing......

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

Arnav gaped at the screen. He started scrolling down the screen! He froze. Zoomed the image, and got up in shock. "I know this! I have seen this!" He almost shouted. He got up and opened his vault. He took out everything from it muttering like Khushi. "I have seen this. I know, I know where it is! I should go there!" He forgot about Khushi. He worked like a hypnotized person, gathering the required things, papers, clothes and started stuffing into his bag. He got ready in five minutes and came down. Everyone looked at him in shock.

"Nani, I got to go! I have to! .. Nani I will come back only with Khushi!" he promised his nani and without looking at anyone dashed out of the house with his bag and laptop. He knew where to go. He knew he should go there first before even finding out Khushi, before worrying about her. He had more important work than his dear wife. 

Sham was released from the custody after a thorough interrogation. He had a perfect alibi. They could not hold him in custody. He knew Khushi had left Arnav and Raizada House. He knew where she would be. 

"Khushi ji, I know where you can go! I already have arranged a surprise for you. The moment you are spotted in your favorite Kolkata, you will have it!" he smirked curling his lips. He was sure that she would go to Kolkata to her papaji. His men were waiting for her there. But even after two days she did not turn up at Tej Mansion, he grew worried. His brain started racing for alternatives.

"But of course! Where else she can go?" he blurted in excitement and boarded the bus. 

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

Arnav boarded the plane. He wanted to fly there. He knew he would find the clue there. He clutched the mannat key of Khushi.

"Khushi boarded a train to reach where she wanted to!"

"Khushi, I will find you out! Nothing can happen to you! I am your protection.. your key is with me!" he kept reminding himself that his Khushi was fine. She was alright and he would find her out.

Two people at the same time were heading towards the same place in a hope to find Khushi. One, to kill her and another to protect her.

Khushi, was moving aimlessly, far far away. She kept changing the routes and busses aimlessly, not knowing where she was going, getting down at the bus stops, and boarding another bus. She had left herself to destiny to take her wherever she needed to go. It was almost two days since she left Delhi. She boarded a train finally. 

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

The girl was sleeping on the four poster in the same dark room. She couldn't move. Someone was feeding her. "You will be alright soon!" said a soothing voice. She smiled faintly. 

"I won't give up!" she said smiling at the man. He kept his hand on her forehead.
"this is only a fever!" he said.

"Can you open the window?" she requested him. He nodded and opened the window.
She looked at the sky and smiled. "Now I will be alright!" she said trying to get up.
"No! take rest!" she was pushed back. She rested her head on the pillow.

"Please keep this window open always!" she plead
ed. The man agreed. She stretched her hand to pull out something.
"What is it?" the man asked her. "Sandook! My Wooden box!" she said weakly. He got up pulled out the box and gave it to her. She sat up with efforts and kept her hand on the carved box. She smiled. The man asked her "What do you want to put in that?"

"Nothing " she said. He shook his head and left the room. She took out something from her dupatta and hid it in the box. He caressed the box affectionately for a very long time.
"I know, you are coming!" she whispered.

"YES I AM VERY NEAR!" the breeze from the window assured her. Her smile broadened. She locked the sandook again and set it aside. She felt better. The elderly lady appeared at the door holding a small kid.

"You seem to be better!" she said. "Yes, I am!" said the girl. She handed over the carved Sandook to the old lady.

"What do I do with it?" she asked in astonishment. "Keep it!" she said looking satisfied.
"Pagal!" the old lady walked out of the room keeping the box untouched. The girl went upto the window and looked out waiting for someone!! The silhouette of Haveli in darkness from the other side of the river gave her shivers. The silvery flow of the water was optimistic.
A kid came running in the room. She hugged the kid and kissed his forehead.


Khushi opened her eyes and gazed out of the window, mesmerized. The surrounding was unusually familiar. She could recognize the fregrance in the air too.
"I know, I am near!" she whispered. 

"Yeah, soon we will be getting down at the next station!" said her co passenger. She looked around happily. Finally, after two days of travel from places to places she was near her destination. 

"I know, I had seen this.. I know where to go!" she blurted remembering the vivid dream she had had a few minutes before. She forgot everything. She forgot the reason for her plight, she forgot about Lavanya, , that everybody was worried, that her Arnav ji was miserable without her, that her Amma Babuji were in Delhi waiting for her, that her papaji and Mummiji had almost broken down, that she kep a mission incomplete with Dasgupta!

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

"Dada, she is travelling and that sham is after her!" Ramani gave the news. His network was the fastest. 

"My persons last saw her in Kanpur!" Ramani went ahead. "My person missed her on the railway station!" Said Ramani guiltily. 

"But don't worry, Dada! I will find her out and bring her back safe!" assured Ramani.
"How did you know that Sham is after her?" asked Papaji.

"He assigned the work to track her down to my man! Don't worry, my person will not give him any information!" said Ramani to papaji's relief.

Papaji dialed Arnav's number to give him the news. He did not pick up, so he dialed the landline. Naniji picked up.

"Chote, has gone somewhere in a haste. He did not tell us anything!" Naniji was worried and papaji was puzzled. "How can he think of business when his wife is missing?" he was enraged. This was getting beyond his capacity to assimilate. No one knew what was happening around. 

Three crucial people were on the move and others were dumbstruck. 

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