65

"Oh My God! This means it is reincarnation! Oh, Kaali Maa thank you for making me a part of this!" Dasgupta was all lost and had stood up! He had joined his hands and closed his eyes. "Our Khooki... Oh God! This is incredible! Even I must have been a part of their past life!" he went on to the astonishment of others.

"Oh! Come on Uncle, Don't be stup..!" Raj realized what was he about to say. Papaji too was looked all lost.

"Yes, Das! I believe in reincarnation! These two ... I mean she is my daughter!" said papaji proudly. 

"Oh! I am so glad... I feel I was Mali kaka! I couldn't unite them that time... but now! Oh Waahe Guru! Thank you, Thank you, this was my chance of redemption....!" Papaji had tears in his eyes.

"Oh Come On Dad! Please... don't go ranting on this. There is nothing like reincarnation... DAD .. stop being so stup..!" Raj again stopped in the middle. He shook his head hopelessly.
"DAD, this is only a coincidence!" he tried to convince his dad.

"Hi re NandKishore! Mere Lalla ne iss Sanaka Devi ko Hamare Ghar Bhej diya... Hamase yeh sab karavane keliye!" No one understood what Buwaji was blurting... !

Shondeep was gaping at everyone with his mouth open. " If A'mma and Dad were here, they both would have joined Papaji's party!" he thought shutting his mouth and looking away.
"Oh! Stop this! There is nothing like reincarnation! It is not scientifically proved!" said Raj and Avinash together. 

"This is simple. There was a girl and a boy named Shamsher and Nirmala. They fell in love. They couldn't unite. They got married to different people. They both had a son each named after each other. Shamsher Singh Thakur's son Nirmal Singh. And Nirmala's son Shamsher! They died on the same day. Well, that's a coincidence! That's it! Finished! Their story ended! Everything else is only added masala!" Said Raj raising his voice and the psychologist nodded.
"Exactly!" he said.

"Arnav and Khushi met each other accidently and their love story started. These keys and the wooden boxes are very common, in every household that time. Remember? We too have a wooden box in our house?" Raj asked his mother. She nodded.

"The Keys... they can't even be called heirlooms! These keys are common everywhere in Lucknow!" Said Avinash concurring with Raj.

"See?" Raj continued. "Stop this bullshit every one! There is nothing like mystery and all! I agree with this expert in human psychology!" said Raj placing his hand on his Dad's shoulder.
"Stop relating yourself to this story Dad!" he urged. Both Das and Papaji were not in this world to hear any silly explanation from these so called atheists..! They both were sure about this incredible miracle….!!

"But, this is so hard to believe!" exclaimed Shondeep. 

"I mean .. this is a story of some 60-70 years back. And I mean this is incredible that Arnav and Khushi met and their love blossomed!" he went on. Raj shook his head.

"I mean look at them... They are totally contrasting personalities! In normal life they would have never got together!" Said Papaji still looking lost.

"Oh! Dad! Opposite polls attract!" Raj said hopelessly looking at Papaji and Das uncle's enlightened faces. 

"But look at the story and description of the boy and the girl exactly matches with our Chote and Khushi Bitiya!" Nani too looked lost in the story again. 

"I mean... they met accidently. There was no reason they would have crossed the roads. The girl Nirmala would never have met Shemshar, who then was considered princely!" said Nani.
"Yeah! But then they met and fell in love in their childhood. Their love story ended when they were thirty and twenty two!" said Shondeep the reality dawning on him.

"Khushi and Arnav are of the same age!" he said and everyone looked at each other in shock.
"Is this the end of their love too?" everyone had the same scary question in their mind. They kept gaping at each other. Even Raj looked worried. 

"Khushi? Where is she?" Asked Anjali looking around.
"Khushi.... Arnav.....where are you?" Called out papaji loudly.

"We will not allow their love to end here! We will all help them!" Dasgupta declared with determination.

Papaji went out to find his children. He brought them in again.
"How come they got attracted?" wondered Raj.

"Same as Shamsher and Nirmala got attracted to each other! Opposite poles attract…!" said Mummiji.

"You know, in our philosophy, it is said that the traits and features get carried through in descendents in a family. It is said these traits are prominent in the third generation! The grandchild  carries the same features and traits of grand parents" Said Nani!

"Oh! Yes! This is proven scientifically that the traits are prominent in the third generation!" Said Mummiji to everyone's surprise. 

" Gregor Mendel's Theory of Inheritance! Or the theory of genetics states how characteristics of one generation are derived from earlier generations. It is proved that alternate generations have the same dominant genes hiding the recessive genes!" Mummiji said to the astonishment of the psychologist. He merely nodded.

"Khushi and Arnav must have the same dominating genes as that of Shamsher and Nirmala! Arnav drew from Shamsher and Khushi from Nirmala! That's why their traits are similar They got attracted to each other in the same manner Shamsher and Nirmala got attracted!" she said smiling.

"Stop it Everyone!" Raj almost screamed. Leave it... stop this discussion. I mean... my head is spinning...! I don't want to understand how and why this happened! The fact remains is we have Arnav and Khushi !" said Raj. Everybody nodded. 

"So this needs celebration!" Roared papaji and Anjali played the music....
Khushi couldn't stop herself from dancing. Arnav pulled her back.

"Khushi, No! " he warned.

"Why? What’s wrong with her?" asked papaji suspiciously.

"Nothing... she had high fever!" said Arnav looking at Khushi's flushed face.
"What? Why didn't you tell us?" asked papaji.

"I am alright now!" she said still reddened face.

"No way! We are going to the Doctor!" Declared Raj.
"umm... no need! I already took her to the doctor. Its only fatigue and exhaustion!" said Arnav.

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

Khushi, Arnav, Papaji, Raj and Shondeep were in Dasgupta's office for further planning. Dasgupta had taken over all the cases. He studied the papers brought by Arnav from Shamsher Singh's vault. His will clearly stated that Maliks had no right of ownership. Arnav is the descendent of Shamsher Singh! He inherited all the property. But now Arnav was not interested in any wealth. He was preparing himself for the final battle. 

"I want to finish all this once for all. I want to free everyone from Sham!" he kept saying and Papaji grew worried.

"Puttar, tell me what do you have in your mind!" he asked Arnav. Arnav did not answer.
"We all are with you!" Raj assured. Arnav nodded in acceptance.

"I will not do anything in a haste!" he assured them back.

"Aurnob! Don't worry about the cases. I am going to finish him off!" Assured Dasgupta.
Arnav thanked him. They came out from Dasgupta's office. Papaji looked around. Khushi was missing.
.... ..

"Khooki! What about my work?" Dasgupta had stopped Khushi by placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Uncle, I told you! I am working on it!" she said flashing at him. He looked desperate. She had a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

She went and sat on Dasgupta's huge chair put on his spectacles and puffed her cheeks to look like Dasgupta. He just gaped at her.

"Mr. Dasgupta, don't worry. Do as I say. No explanation! No interpretation! Only Facts! Just answer in "YES, NO, TRUE, FALSE, I REMEMBER AND I DON'T REMEMBER!" She mimicked Dasgupta resting her hands on the arms of the chair and shaking her leg merrily.
..... ..
"Whats this? Is he asking her the fees again?" Papaji was furious! he and others barged into Dasgupta's office and stood there like a statue to see Khushi in Dasgupta's chair and he was standing like a guilty school boy in front of the principal.

"What the...! KHUSHI!" Arnav blurted under his breath. "How could she do this?" He came forward to pull her up from the chair. But Khushi ignoring everyone went on!

"So if you do as I say, nothing will happen to you! Everything will be alright!" she said getting up and placing her hand on Dasgupta's shoulder. Surprisingly he nodded.

"What is this? What's going on?" asked papaji looking at the duo.
"Nothing!" Khushi dismissed.

"What?" Arnav looked at Khushi.

"I know, I know! I had promised that there will be no secrets between us!" Khushi said raising her hand and looking at Arnav's face.

"But this is a secret between I and Das uncle!" she said grinning at her Das uncle!
"What?" Arnav could blurt!

"Yes!" said Dasgupta. "And if you have finished interrogation! Leave my office!" he ordered almost driving out everyone.

Khushi lingered behind and spoke something in Dasgupta's ear! His face lightened up.
"So be ready to do household work!" she said grinning at him. He smiled broadly.
"Once I am finished with your work, I am going to take retirement!" he declared happily.

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

"What was that?" asked Raj driving the car.
"Nothing, Raj Bhaiyya!" Said Khushi, thumping on his shoulder from back seat.

"Its Khushi's Advisory Services!.... My new venture!" she said giggling.

"What?" Arnav gaped at her.