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Papaji nudged her. "What is it? What does he want from you?" he asked in a whisper. 

"Nothing!" she dismissed him throwing her nose in the air and jerking back her head. Papaji frowned and looked away. Shondeep had a smile on his face. Khushi smiled wickedly looking at papaji. 

They were back home. Anjali was waiting for them.
"What happened?" she asked with a little worried tone.

"Nothing much! Khushi was in Dasgupta's chair and was advising him!" said Arnav contemptuously!

"What?" Anjali almost screamed. She thought she heard it wrong.

"Nothing Di! I was just joking, after all that serious discussion with Das Uncle!" Khushi said looking at Arnav angrily. He took a step forward angrily, clenching his fists. Khushi hid behind Anjali.

"So, Mali Kaka, do you have any plans for us tonight? Some dinner, or party or something?" Khushi asked loudly grinning at him.

"KHUSHI!" Arnav screamed in rage.

"What? He only said he was mali kaka!" Khushi was still in that mood. But papaji had become serious. He turned his back on them and went to the guest room to meet Mummiji.

"KHUSHI.. have you lost it?" Arnav grabbed her shoulder. Khushi did not understand. She too looked shocked at Papaji's behavior. 

"No, I am sorry, I didn't mean it..!" she looked at Arnav for help and dashed to the guest room. Arnav followed.

"Papaji I am sorry! i... I... it was just a joke!" she said holding papaji's hand. He withdrew it.
"Yes, you are right! You were cracking a joke! You made fun of me!" he said looking away.
"Sorry! Sorry, papaji!" Khushi was on the verge of crying. Mummiji had a big smile on her face.

"This Mali kaka, wants to be alone for some time, Khushi!" said Mummiji smiling.
"No! I mean.. I am sorry!" Khushi tried to hold papaji's hand but he got up and went to the other side.

Arnav was at the door!

"Are you really sorry for what you have just said?" asked papaji coming back to her.

"Yes!" she touched her earlobes and looked at papaji with tearful eyes.

"Ok! Then tell me, what does Dasgupta want from you!" he asked her.

She stared at him for a while and then said, "Nothing, Mali Kaka! Its between us!" Papaji tried to catch her but she was out of his reach. She dashed to the door only to be grabbed there by Arnav!

"What the..! Khushi,!" he stopped her from running away.
"Now you are one against two!" said papaji smirking.

"Tell us what is it!" he ordered her.

"Its nothing papaji, why are you asking me? Ask your friend!" she escaped from Arnav's grip.
Arnav and Papaji gaped at each other. "By the end of the day, I will find out!" Arnav was determined and so was papaji.

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

Sham and Rattan Singh Thakur were in a hotel having a serious talk.

"Once this case gets reopened, nothing will stop us from separating them from each other. We can prove that Khushi's father killed Nirmal Singh Thakur!" said Sham smacking his lips.

"You are forgetting one thing! Both of them are dead now! Whom are you going to charge?" asked Rattan Singh. Sham stared at him for a while and then said in a deadly voice.

"I don't want to reopen the case. I want to publicize it!" Rattan Singh gaped at him.
"What am I going to get out of this?" he was selfish enough to see his vested interest.

"Oh! You help me in this. I will help you in your DNA case!" assured Sham.
"Done!" they shook hands.

********* ****** *********
"I am going to start with the DNA appeal first and bring Arnav clean and legitimate. Next will be that Sham's turn! Khooki will soon be out clean too! Then I will see other economic offenses and embezzlement cases!" Chalked out Dasgupta. He was with the lawyers from whom he had taken over the cases. They all nodded. One by one they discussed all the matters against Sham.
"Finally, I am going to publicize this!" said Dasgupta to the surprise of other lawyers. Dasgupta was a media shy person, like his friend Balwindar Singh. He never gave interviews after winning the contested cases. This time he was going to publicize before even beginning to appear for the case.

"What?" blurted the prosecutor.

"Yes!" said Dasgupta, "And I want to give away some of the vital points which would help us!" he gave them another shock.

"You all will be present for the press conference!" he gave them the third shock. 

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

"Khushi, I want to finish all this once for all!" said Arnav seriously. She merely nodded. They were in their room after lunch and Arnav was getting ready for the office. He wanted to catch up with the pending work. 

"Hmm!" said Khushi helping him get ready. 

"I feel Dasgupta will be of great help in this!" he said staring at her.

"Yes, Das uncle will help you!" she said smiling.

"You know, he had called up... was asking me about your progress....!" He said gauging her reaction.

"My progress?" she was surprised.
"I don't know!" he shrugged.

"Oh.. maybe about Ka....!" she stopped looking suspicious.

"What? About Ka? what Ka?" he asked her eagerly.
"No! I mean, Case!" she said hurriedly.

"Khushi, tell me!" he grabbed her.
"Ouch! It hurts Arnavji!" she said trying to free herself.

"Do you want me to leave you? Then tell me!" he said tightening his grip.

"I want to tell you something very important than this, Arnav ji! Finish off your work and come back!" she said looking at him intently. His lost his grip. 

She pushed him out of the door !