59

Sham turned after seeing the locked door. He asked his man to have a constant vigil on the surroundings. He took a auto and went away. 

Khushi got down from the train and came out of the station clutching her bag. She took an auto and when she got down, she was standing before a Mandir. She started racking her brain for some kind of clue. Nothing was recognizable. She went into the mandir and prayed. "Hey devi mayya.. please help... please help me find out!" She came out of the Mandir and looked around. The mandir was completely renovated beyond recognition.. There were no traces of the old mandir. She got confused. Absentmindedly, she descended the stairs and froze. There stood the century old banyan tree at the back of the Temple. She shivered in Excitement. She went and sat beneath the Tree hypnotized. The world around her vanished. She was alone there in darkness waiting for someone. A shadow moved and was closing in.

Arnav landed on the airport and took a taxi and reached the five star hotel. He went straight to the Manager's cabin and demanded to talk to the owner disclosing his identity. The manager connected him to Mr. Oberoy over the phone.
Arnav introduced himself and wished to meet him. The meeting was fixed at four in the evening. Arnav booked a room there in Oberoy Hotel. He took out his laptop and opened his bag to look at the things he had brought with him. He kept on reading the old property documents and started making notes. His homework for the upcoming meeting was over. He was confident about the outcome.

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

Sham moved in an auto and got down at restaurant opposite Mandir complex. He needed some time off to formulate his strategy as Khushi was not there where she was expected to be. He looked around for a secluded place in the hotel. He took a window seat and looked beyond the road. He saw the banyan tree. People were moving around. He had his food and came out of the restaurant. He saw a lady sitting beneath. ...! She looked familiar. He moved to have a closer look...!

He moved closer and was shocked to see the resemblance. He needed to take a closer look. He went ahead. A group of tourists came rustling and chirping and engulfed the lady. By the time the group moved towards the ghat of the river, the lady had vanished with the group. Sham felt frustrated. But he had no time to ponder on the issue. He had a pressing issue to hunt down Khushi. He had only a day. He would have to report to Delhi police station. He called up Lavanya to know that ASR did not even pick up her phone. She had lost it. She did not know what Raizadas were doing or where ASR was. 

Sham's resource did not work. He had to go back by the overnight bus travelling to Delhi. He again saw the lady and the striking resemblance of her with Khushi. This time he was letting her go! He ran forward and was obstructed by and surrounded by the beggers begging for alms. The lady had vanished again.

He got frustrated but he had other things on his plate. He dialed a number and asked for an appointment. He smiled when he got one. He hurriedly hired an auto and went to the Government Land Record office. He was to meet his old acquaintance there. He was digging out another set of old skeletons. 

Khushi climbed the steps of Ghat and came back again in the Mandir. Something was missing. Some broken link was bothering her. She rested her back against the pillar of the Mandir and closed her eyes. Pandit ji gave her prashaad. She took it with full devotion and came out of the Mandir. She had to cross the river and go to the other side. She hired an auto and crossed the bridge over the River. She started walking down the street. 

She could hear Quawals singing in the Masjid. She ran forward taking her dupatta over her head and entered the mazar. She did not find anything familiar. She was crestfallen. She came out and went down at the river bank. She was sitting on the last step on the ghat, dipping her feet in the waters and bending over to look into the waters. She froze looking at the reflection of the building in the river waters. 

She looked up to see the facade of huge building towering over the river waters. She gaped at the building on the other side of the river. Its grandeur was visible and was proclaiming its glory. She stood up and gaped at the building. Something clicked. She turned and looked around. A tourist was taking pictures of the building in amazement. She smiled and turned away.
She moved again and in a few minutes time, was standing before a locked house. She kept gazing at it. The house was in a dilapidated condition Anytime it would turn into debris. She kept gaping at the house. A watchman came forward from the gates. She could see all the construction material dumped around. 

"What do you want?" the watchman asked her. "who is the owner of this house?" she asked with hope in her eyes.

"Sharmas are dead long back. Mirza builders have taken over!" said the watchman. She turned with great disappointment. 

She decided to stay back and took an auto. This time again she was standing before the locked house. Her face lit up with excitement. She did not bother about the locked door much and sat on the stairs on the main entrance. Her smile broadened. A person standing across the road dialed Sham's number.

It was almost Four in the evening and Arnav was waiting for Mr. Oberoi. Mr. Oberoi took him to his office. Arnav took out the file and placed it before Mr. Oberoi. He glanced through the documents and looked confused.

"Mr. Raizada, let me call my lawyer to verify this.!" He said looking little tensed up.
"Oh! No Mr. Oberoi. I am not here to undo what is already done by the Maliks. I just want some clarification about these properties. I am planning to convert some of the old monuments into five star hotels exactly like you did!" said Arnav looking straight into Oberoi's eyes.
He had a proposal in mind. When he came out at seven in the evening, he had what he wanted. He went to his room satisfied and excited. He was close, very very close! He closed his eyes.

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

The tall man looked around in the haveli. Nothing had changed. All the servants were same except the old malikaka. The family members were missing. He went to his room and came into the terrace. He looked at the deserted house which was turned into ruins. He smiled. "This is not the one. She is not here!" he spoke to himself and went to the other side of his room to open the window. He had lit the lamps. He gazed across the river. He knew she would be there somewhere. There was no one to give her news to him. He gaped at the other end of the river. He could see twinkling lights over the habitat. He smiled and turned. He took out documents and all his belongings from his bag.

He opened his vault. Took out the file. He placed the files and other things in his vault and locked it. He pulled the lock several times making it sure that its properly locked. He closed his vault. Camouflaged it and closed the cupboard again. 

"It's almost two days since I came here! Where are you?" he called her out desperately. Nothing happened. He grew restless. "Where are you?" he called out looking around everywhere. He descended down the stairs and ran towards the Ghat. As he started descending the Ghat.. the fragrance engulfed him. The silvery water spoke to him. He felt at peace. His face lit up with smile. He took water in his cupped palms.

"I am here!" he whispered.

"I KNOW! IT'S BEEN A LONG WAIT!" The river water whispered back.

He smiled. " Is it time to unite forever?" he asked hopefully, gazing unfocused. 

"YES!" came a response from the breeze. 

"Hmm!" he said and turned to go back. 

He came back and went straight to his room. He pulled out an old silk dupatta from his bag and pulled it over his face taking in the fragrance. He could feel her around. He could feel her coming in the room. He could feel her hand on his heart. "Finally!" he said closing his eyes peacefully forever. 

Arnav opened the door and looked around mesmerized. He knew what to do. 

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

Khushi was inside the house not bothering to open the lock. She knew how to enter. She looked around in search of something. 

"I know, it is somewhere here! I know, I have seen it!" she muttered furiously. She was desperate. She started turning the rooms upside down. She went inside the store room and tried to lit the lamp. She was engulfed with the cool breeze. Closing her eyes she took in the fragrance into her lungs. The world around her vanished.

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

She was at the window, looking beyond the river bank. She saw the silhouette of the Haveli. She kept gazing. She knew he was near. She was waiting but there was no other trace of him. The haveli was still in darkness. 

"Where are you?" she asked in bear whisper. "It's since two days I am waiting for you!" she said sulkily.

"This is not fair! I am waiting!" she pressed her nose to the window glass.
"I AM HERE!" came a whisper through the ajar door. She opened the window with a bang and stuck out her head. She smiled.

"I KNEW, YOU WOULD COME! IS IT TIME?" She asked innocently.
"YES!" came an answer. She turned. She rested her head on the pillow. She closed her eyes. Everything was very calm and peaceful. She smiled....! "Hmmm.....!" Peace at last.

***** ******

Khushi came out running out of the room, breathless and sweating. She did not know what to do... she had to tell this. She had to speak to someone. She had no one to talk to. She ran out of the house jumping on the railing for the backyard. She ran across the road.

Arnav had it with him. He did not know what to do with it. He needed to get clarification. He needed to talk to Khushi! He did not know how!!.

"KHUSHI...!" he called out desperately standing in the middle of the huge terrace on the top of the hotel. 

His phone rang. He picked up the unknown number...

"ARNAV JI...!" Khushi called out.

"Khushi!" he screamed. "Where are you?" he shouted at the top of his voice. He could not believe his luck.