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“Khushi Puttar…. Open the door…!” Papaji urged on deaf ears…! 

“Khushi Bitiya…!” Nani knocked on the door sounding little stern.  “Open the door..!” she ordered and they heard some movement inside…!

“Please leave me alone…!” her wet response said it all.  She was crying…! Everyone outside was desperate.  This kind of devastation was not good for her health…!

“Open the door… before I break it open…!” Threatened Raj and she reluctantly opened the door.  Everyone crowded inside.  She turned her back on them.

“I want to go back…!” she said and Nani looked at the packed bag on the bed.  Taking the control, she said calmly.

“Yes, bitiya we all will go back, tomorrow..!”

“No… I am going home… Lucknow..!!” she said and others looked at each other.

“Ok! I will arrange to send you to Lucknow..!” Nani tried to buy some time….

“I booked my ticket to Lucknow..!” Khushi again had acted alone and in a haste.  She had already booked the morning flight to Lucknow..! 

“Ok.  Puttar… Come… I want to talk to you…!” Papaji kept his hand on her shoulder.  She jerked …

“You need to talk to him, Papaji….! The cases are not over yet… Sham ji is not convicted yet… and this .. Your Arnav Puttar … is still with her… his girlfriend who tried to frame me into that criminal conspiracy…. She was the one, Papaji… and He still …. “ She chocked trapping her breath…!

“Khushi…” Mummiji held her hand.  Khushi broke down.

“Why can’t these people understand, Mumiji? He is not always right… He too makes mistakes but…” she sobbed.  

“Come with me…” mummiji drove her out of the family crowd and took her inside and closed the room door.  Time for another heart to heart sermon…! 

***  ****  ****

“He still loves her…” Khushi said burying her face in Mummiji’s laps.  Mummiji allowed her to cry her heart out.  

“Khushi… Don’t be judgmental…” Finally mummiji spoke when Khushi’s sobs subsided.  Khushi looked up hurt. 

“By behaving like this, you are pushing him more towards her…” Mummiji said Khushi dropped her jaw in shock.

“What? I am pushing him? I was the one who confronted him…!” she said in a hurt tone.  She felt alienated… everyone was taking his side… no one had understood her pain… not even her mummiji.  She gave a nod…

“Ok.  You all think I am at fault and he is always right…! Fine..!” She stood up and opened the door.  I am going to my Amma Babuji..! 

The talks had failed….! She was indeed going…! Khudhi opened the door and came out… The crowd outside staggered backwards seeing her furious face…

“Whats going on?” Came Elsa’s voice from behind and everyone turned.  Elsa was busy putting the kids to sleep. When she came out she saw the drama unfolding….! 

“She is out of her mind…!” Raj said waving at Khushi and Khushi exploded…

“Yeah.. Right… I am out of my mind…Right…! So why bother…? Let me do what I want…! You don’t bother…! Why try to persuade a mad person?” she asked with fresh tears gushing out…!

“See?” Raj looked at Elsa proving his point.  Khushi indeed was out of her mind..! 

“But whats the issue?” Elsa, asked unable to comprehend….! 

“Nothing… ! I am going to Lucknow… my home!” Khushi said stressing on the word home.  Only Gomati Nivas was her home…! Elsa glanced at Raj for a fleeting second…!

“Oh! Lucknow…! Wish I could come with you Khushi…!” Elsa said with sad face.  Everyone turned to her shocked.

“What?” Khushi asked.

“Yeah…I wish I could come with you…! You know… You could have been a great guide… giving me a tour of Lucknow…! I wish I could see Sheesh Mahal.. I could visit Badi haveli, visit Sharma House, Visit the Mazar, your banyan tree, the old temple, Gomti ghat trip…” she went on.. and Khushi’s spirits lifted with every place she mentioned…!  

“I wish I could come with you, Khushi…!” Elsa sighed dramatically…

“Yeah… you can…! Who is stopping you…?” Khushi asked aggressively glaring at everyone.  Elsa glanced at Raj and Khushi again exploded…!

“You are coming with me Elsa Bhabi… Let me see who stops you…!” Khushi glared and Raj at the back of the crowd sighed relief.  Atleast Elsa will be there with Khushi….! She won’t go alone. 

……….

“You too are a good nautanki…!” Raj pulled Elsa in a tight hug kissing her furiously.

“Nowtanki?” Elsa asked and in response Raj pulled her on the bed.  

“I mean… we were all worried that she would go alone but you turned the tables smartly…” Raj said between his kisses…!

“Oh!” Elsa responded with equal intensity…! Raj switched off the lights…to have his way …!

****  ****  ****  ***

“Khusi…” her Amma gathered her in a tight embrace.  Khushi again had a bout of frustration and pain.  Her Amma Babuji had listened to her … sympathized with her.. given her support all along her story telling…! Buwaji too seemed to have understood … Elsa quietly sitting by her side, holding her…!

“Now what will you do Khushi?” Buwaji asked finally…

“Umm… I don’t know…!” Khushi looked up teary eyed.

“Nandkishore…! “Buwaji banged her forehead feeling hopeless…! Khushi broke into tears…!

“That’s ok, Khusi… Anyway we were to come to Delhi to take you with us for your delivery.  Pahala bacchha toh maike main hi hota hain naa?” Amma tried to smile.  Babuji gave a weak lopsided smile affirming Amma’s statement.  

“Haan… Nanakishore… now stay with us… !” Buwaji smiled pinching Khushi’s cheek fondly.  Khushi gave her a forced smile…! 

**********   ********  ******

“Ok. Track his location…!Tail him…!” He ordered. 

“He left all his belongings …!” the other person said on phone and Krishnakant frowned….!

“Tail him…!” he said…

“He gave us a slip…Not tracable…!” The other person said and Krishna kant threw the phone…!

***  ****  ****

“RuKo naa.. Sajbian toh lene do…!” Seems was buying vegetables in Jajmau market… “Yahaan ki sabji mandi sabse sasti hain…We get cheap and good fruits and vegetables here…” She said pulling his hand.  He looked away frustrated.  

“Oh! Come on, Seema…Let us go!” He forced her and she straightened herself reluctantly.

“Kya Aap bhi…!” she sulked.

“Come on…” he dragged her…holding the heavy bulging bags in one hand and pulling her by the other.

“Oh..Ho! Wait… I forgot to get..” she turned again.  But he stopped her.  It was a market day and the crowd was overflowing…! They were pulled, pushed, dragged by the crowd trying to hold each others hands.   

“Sorry!” someone had bumped on her and she almost lost the balance.  The man apologized and moved ahead… Seema held Akhilesh’s arm and moved in opposite direction…!

“Wait a minute…That man…?”  she turned again.  Akhilesh lost his patience…!

“Stop it, Seema… That man is gone…!” he pulled her again.  But she was all lost… something … someone…. She had seen him somewhere…!

“I… I think I know…!” she blurted…

“No! you do not know him… you haven’t even seen him…he just collided  with you and went away…” Akhilesh said loudly pulling her out of the crowed market place.  But her eyes kept on searching that unknown … stranger who said Sorry and disappeared….! 

“I somehow feel … I knew… I knew that person…” She said once settled in the bus with the heavy bags …!

“Oh! Come on..! Not now…!” Akhilesh closed his eyes in frustration… but Seema still was in the market banging on that unknown person who said sorry…! His voice kept ringing in her head…!

“Hmm… Ho Ga koi… bhala Insaan…!” she sighed… “He said sorry…! He was sorry…” she again recalled …. 

“Hum bhi sorry…!” she said smiling inwardly…! 

Akhilesh was at the gates early morning and Seema had dashed out without even saying goodbye to her Amma and Babuji…! She had run into his arms crying and sobbing…! He patted her..! 

“Chalo ab… ghar chalatain hain…!” She walked with him to her home… her husband’s home far away from the place … other end of Kanpur…! 

Four years back, she had tried contacting her bhai Sham for his support… but he had refused to recognize her saying he never had any sister…!  She had felt alienated… her father and mother loathed her like she was some kind of filthy pig landing them in trouble…. Her college friend, her senior .. Akhilesh … was a simple, straightforward guy with his head on his shoulders… ! Seema was instroduced to him by their common friend… and irrespective of the notorious reputation of Zaas… Akhilesh kept on meeting her…! When they decided to get married, after her graduation and when he got a development officer’s job in LIC, she had no one to support her…! Her mother would have no time for her as she was always busy with Thakurs… and her father had a long list of affairs to handle… of himself, of Thakurs, and ofcourse of his son Sham…! He threatened her to kill her if she did marry that begger Akhilesh…! But the love for her Akhilesh had surpassed her fear of her family and she had eloped with him…! Her father had never forgiven her husband but had allowed her to meet her mother…! 

“I am lucky to have him in my life…” She always said and her mother used to sigh hopelessly…! Her father, Krishnakant was just not bothered… For him she was of no use as she was a very simple, god fearing girl, who would put him in trouble every time she opened her mouth…. She would blurt out the truth and he would fall flat on face… trying to cover it up…! 

“You know, what? That man…” her voice faltered as she saw him sleeping, keeping his head on her shoulder…

“Humm…That man…Sorry…! “ she smiled again feeling a pull for that unknown man… He seemed familiar… ! “Who was he? “ She didn’t know…!

*****  ***  ****

“Who the hell is this?” Regi dug out his ringing cell…! The unknown number flashed…. ! Regi disconnected…! Regi threw the phone on the seat, frustrated…. Who was calling him since night? He had several missed calls from different unknown numbers….! His cell buzzed again…

“Yes?” he answered irritably.

“Regi…!” echoed the deep husky voice and Regi slammed on the brakes…! Pulling over, he clutched his phone to his ear…!