74

Khushi came back to her room. She was restless. 

"This is not done. Something is wrong! I cannot wait till Arnav ji calls ! I have to verify it myself..!" she thought pacing the room. She came down, took her car keys and raced away without informing anyone. 

She came to the twin lodge and went to reception. "Is there anyone called Mr. Zaa staying in here? I have an appointment with him!" she asked. The receptionist checked and said.
"Yes, he is staying in here but has gone out now. You can wait at the lounge!" 

She looked around. The lodge looked very cheap. "What happened? Why is he staying here?" she wondered lingering at the reception. 

"since how long he is staying here?" she asked casually to one of the receptionist girl. She looked into the register and said 13 days. Khushi nodded sitting on the chair nearby. She started conversation with the girl praising her smartness, her attire and her looks. The girl fell for it and started giving away information readily. 

"He is our regular customer since one year. Keeps staying in here even for a month. Some court cases he has here!" the girl said.

"Yeah, actually, I have a case and I wanted to consult him!" said Khushi smiling.
"Oh! " the girl said. 

"Lot of people must be visiting him!" Khushi blurted.
"No! actually, I think he is a loner! No one visits him. You are the first one!" said the girl.
"And the court cases I talked about are his own cases. That's what I heard him talking over the phone!" the girl continued. 

"Ok. I think I should leave now. I will come tomorrow!" said Khushi.

"But he is checking out tonight! He has asked us to prepare his bill!" said the girl. Khushi did not wait there. She came out. 

"He is leaving tonight! He definitely knows where Arnav ji is! I should find out. I should meet Arnav ji before he reaches him!" She thought. 

"Arnav ji! Please call! Hey Devi Mayya, Raksha Karana!" she prayed joining her hands closing her eyes.

"Waiting for me?" came a sly voice. She turned in a jerk. Sham was standing before her. Her mouth fell open. She gaped at him. Coming back to her senses she looked around to find some excuse. 

"Khushi ji, you look gorgeous!" he complemented her smacking his lips. Khushi looked at him with disgust. 

"But you don't look well, Sham ji! What happened? Got whacked by someone again?" she asked looking at his scar face. She was thinking hard to find out an escape route. 

"Leave it, Khushi ji. Let me see how you look when you get to know the truth and Arnav throws you out of his life!" he said smirking.

"That is not your lookout, sham ji!" she said enraged. 

"Oh yes! That will be my lookout! Once you have nowhere to go, I will be the one to give you helping hand!" he was all set to touch her. She stepped backwards.

"I will end my life, in that case!" she said with a loathing look. He got enraged. 

"What is so special in that ASR Khushi ji? " he asked her coming forward. She stood her grounds. Her eyes spat anger. " A filth like you will never know!" she retorted back.

"Khushi ji! He is definitely going to throw you out, when he knows the truth!" he declared. She was taken aback. What was that truth that he knows and Arnav is about to know? She was confused. She should find out.

"Oh is it? Truth? From you?" she gave him a hallow laugh. He got enraged again.
"Yes the truth! Such a truth that will shatter your life, Khushiji! All your so called family members are going to hate you!" he said disdainfully. She gaped at him. 

"Oh yeah? Let me see what truth you unearth!" she said angrily.

"Do you want to know? Before your husband knows? That will help you prepare yourself for the wrath!" he asked her taking a step ahead. She looked at him challenging him to tell her!
"But wait a minute.. ! he won't be able to tell the truth... because... he has entered the lion's den unarmed... he will not come out alive... Khushi ji.. he is trapped in chakra-vyuha! Abhimanyu will fall, Khushi ji... no one will save him this time!" he gave her a laugh.

"Oh yeah? You think so? Do you think he is stupid enough not to secure his protection? Wait and watch.... He will not only come out alive... but he will come out killing his enemy!" she gave him a disdainful laugh flaring up her nose. He looked taken aback. 

"He has a full protection!" she declared confidently. 

"Ok. So you want to get ousted and kicked out by him!" he came a step ahead very close to her. She did not wince and stood there.

"But he won't get that satisfaction... as I am going to disclose the truth to you Khushi!" he said contemptuously. 

"You know what, he has gone to reopen the case of the death of his father... and there is evidence that your father killed him!" he spat it out. Khushi stood there like a statue. Sham came nearer and whispered in her ears..

"Khushi, go and pack your bags and I will be waiting for you here to embrace you!" he moved away from her. She still stood there not taking in anything. She didn't know for how long she was standing there. She slowly collected herself and came to her car. She had no energy to drive. She sat there hiding her face in her hands. 

"My father? Killed his father?" she couldn't believe. "How does he know? Why didn't Arnav ji told me about it?" she thought.

"He is right. If this is true, I must leave this house. That will be my atonement.. my reparation for what my father did... !" tears rolled down her cheeks. She started the car and headed towards home. She must be out! She must prepare herself for penance.. she should leave the house.

She came home and went to her room. "Arnav ji!"she called out in despair. But her cell did not ring this time. She floundered. 

"I should find out!" she thought dialing Dasgupta's number. "He should know... he must have filed an application!" she thought rightly. 

"Uncle, Khushi!" she called.

"Khooki... how are you?" Dasgupta was in particularly good mood.

"Uncle I wanted to know... I mean... did you file an application ... to reopen his Father's case?" she asked him directly with little hesitation. 

"Oh yes, Khooki... we found a new evidence...! Aurnob's father will get full justice this time.. ! Khooki... you know...!" he was surprised to see his cell going blank. Khushi had cut the phone abruptly. Dasgupta was surprised... he shrugged and resumed his work.

"This means what he was telling is true!" she thought. They found solid evidence this time... that means ...!" she sobbed hard. "That's why Arnav ji did not call me! He must be in despair... His father...!" she could imagine Arnav's plight. 

"I am responsible for my father's deeds...I should take punishment... I should leave this house!" she pulled out her bag. 

"Khushi... take care of everyone in the house while I am away!" she remembered her promise to Arnav...!

"No! I can't leave like this. I should wait till Arnav ji comes back... I should take care of the family. It is my responsibility...!" she thought resolutely...

"Let Arnav ji come home! I will tell everyone the truth and leave this house forever!" she thought wiping off her eyes. 

She got up with determination... "In that case, if I am to leave the house... I will finish him off! If I am to take punishment for my father's deeds, I will might as well get double punishment for killing him myself!" she thought pacing the room.

"Sham Manohar Zaa!! Thank you for telling me the truth...! Count your days!! Count your days, Mr. Zaa!!" she yelled clenching her fists... "Yelgaar Ho!" she declared war against Sham Manohar Zaa!! 

"This time, no loopholes in planning.. Shaatir Dimag, like Arnav ji!! I will have a fool proof plan. I will finish him off first... and then tell everyone the truth about my father!" she said to herself resolutely. Indeed his countdown had begun....!!