62

"Khushi..!" Arnav entered the room. She was still sleeping. "Khushi, wake up and wear this!" he gave her the clothes. She opened her eyes with great effort and he helped her to sit up. She went and changed into the clothes he had bought for her. She looked at herself in the mirror. The clothes were of her choice. She smiled and came out. Arnav was not there. She was confused and sat on the bed not knowing what to do. 

Arnav walked in with another person. 

"Khushi...Doctor!" he said waving at the person. She looked flabbergasted. He just smiled at her.

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

He had hired a taxi and was surprised to see the same driver who drove them to the hotel yesterday night. "See? I had told you, I have seen this bhaiyya somewhere!" she blabbered. 

"This is the hotel car service, Khushi! I must have hired the same taxi!" he dismissed her doubt.

They were out on the streets, visiting the places she visited a day before. She was talking to him nonstop. He just listened to her. "Chaat!" she screamed in excitement pointing at the roadside chaat stall. He made a face. "Chaat? In the morning? Are you nuts?"
"There is no specific time for eating chaat!" she declared and asked the driver to stop the vehicle.

"Bhaiyyaji, Aap chaat lenge?" she asked the driver. Arnav looked at her in surprise. She was inviting the driver to have chaat with them, which he had never done before.
The driver shook his head "No thank you madam!" 

She smiled at him and got down. Arnav automatically was dragged behind her.
"I told you, I have seen this bhaiyya somewhere!" she was still stuck in that driver.
"Forget it, Khushi!" he said and ordered her favorite paani poori. She had it to her satisfaction and forced Arnav too! 

"Khushi, bass Karo.. we are here to investigate!" he reminded her. She packed a chaat basket to his surprise. "What the...!" he exclaimed. They sat in the car and she handed it over to the driver. Bhayyaji have it. This is really tasty. The driver looked at her in the mirror and accepted the parcel.

Khushi took Arnav to the locked house. He looked at her. "I know how to enter!" she said with a glint and next moment they were inside the house from the backyard, jumping on the fence and through the window. She moved faster and filled a big bag with the belongings and said

"Yes, that's it! Let us go!" Arnav kept gaping at her speed. 

They crossed the river again. The rain had stopped and the water level receded. She took him down the lane. They were nearing the house. He looked around mesmerized. 

"Do you remember?" she asked him softly. He had no answer. He placed his hand on the driver's shoulder signaling him to stop the vehicle. They got down and walked down the lane. He stopped in front of the construction site. 

"This is gone. Some builder is developing the property!" she said hopelessly. He gaped at the place and said, "Let us go, Khushi!" He followed him and they boarded the taxi again.
"I have seen you somewhere!" she again said and the driver turned his face. 

"Now, if you say it once again, I am going to change the taxi!" Arnav yelled at her. The driver had a smile on his face. 

"Ok. I change the question... Bhaiyya ji, kya aap ne hame pehele dekha hai? Have you seen me before?" she asked irritating Arnav more. 

"Khushi, have you lost it? We are going back!" he was irked. 

"Sorry...!" she said grinning at him, biting her tongue. He looked away controlling himself from grabbing her.

"Driver, take us to the hotel!" he made up his mind.

"Why?" she asked him "I said sorry!" she said guiltily.

"We are going back!" he said. The driver took a U turn. They were heading back.
Suddenly the driver changed the route and started taking the car in the interiors of the town. 

"what the..? where are you taking us?" Arnav's rage mounted the peak.
"We are being followed by two vehicles!" said the driver maneuvering his way out. Arnav looked back. Indeed they were followed. 

"Don't worry sir. I will take you to the hotel safely!" said the driver! And Khushi screamed.

"You are the one who dropped me at the Mumbai airport from Nanded! And you had said 'don't worry madam I will take you to the airport safely!!" she looked at Arnav. He was bewildered. 

"What?" he asked her questioningly. 

"Yes!" she said looking at the driver from the mirror. He was expressionless.
"Are you ok?" Arnav kept his palm on her forehead. "You have fever!" he told her and pulled her head on his shoulder. 

"You need rest, Khushi!" he knew she was blabbering. Khushi tried to protest but he held her head tightly and said.

"Shh! Khushi, we are going back! Don't worry!" he looked at the driver. The driver nodded speeding up. Arnav kept glancing backward. The two cars were still following. The driver dialed some number and said
"We are being followed... send another car.." he gave a different location.

"Sir, I have arranged for another car for you. You go to the hotel! I will mislead them!" he sped and was moving in the crowded market! Khushi was scared.

"I know, this is the end.... I know this is our end too!" she started blabbering again holding on to Arnav.

"Shh! Khushi, keep quiet. Nothing will happen! We will be safe!" Arnav consoled her. The driver stopped behind a car and they were transferred to another car. 

"Sir, he will take you to the hotel! Please stay at the hotel. Its not safe out here!" said the driver shaking hands with Arnav. 

"Bhaiyyaji... I mean..!" Khushi again started off. Arnav dragged her along and said "Shut up Khushi!" The driver drove off thinking... "She is such a nice and kind girl. Why does anyone want to kill her? And she is right, I dropped her to the Mumbai airport!" he dialed his boss's number to give him the update.

Arnav was pacing the room. Khushi had dozed off. Fever had made her weak and exhausted. 

"For how long I am going to avoid confrontation. I saw him yesterday. He is turning our life into hell and I, Arnav Singh Raizada, running like a fugitive from the reality. Every time he gets away with everything!" he was frustrated. 

"This is not done! Why am I running away from facing it?" he had made up his mind. He would take Khushi to a safe place and go after him for the final battle.

"Khushi, wake up! We are leaving!" he started packing his bag. There was a knock on the door. The room service boy was at the door. Arnav ordered him to get the bill. He packed everything and woke up Khushi.

"Khushi, we are leaving. We got to go! I have booked our tickets!" he helped her get up.
"Wh... what? But you were to take me to that old Haveli and...!" she could not complete the sentence. He already had called the taxi to take them to the airport. . The storm was brewing inside Arnav Singh Raizada's head! He must get ready for the final strike. This time again, 

Failure was not an option!!