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“Kya? Itana saara ho gaya… and no one even bothered to tell me anything??!!” Anjali exploded furiously.  Shondeep gaped in shock.

“Wa… Wait…! I will call him…!” he dialed Arnav’s number…

“No use, Shondeep… He has left everything behind….!” Papaji said hopelessly.

“What?” Anjali turned to him…

“Where is he then?” she asked raising her voice…! Nobody knew anything…!

“And Khushi?” She turned to Mummiji…!

“Lucknow..!” Papaji said with a catch in his throat.  Anjali sat on the chair all drained out…!

Anjali and Shondeep had returned from their honeymoon …! Papaji had narrated them about Arnav and Khushi…! 

“God!! Chote….!” Anjali cried on her husband’s shoulder.  Shondeep kept patting her back.  They could do nothing…! Arnav had disappeared…!!

*********   *********  ******

It hit the headlines on Sunday morning prominently in Kanpur Samachar and other National English news papers that One hundred Acres of land was donated for establishment of a Technical Institute on the outskirts of Kanpur in the Name of Late. Shri Shamsher Singh Thakur…! A front page photograph of Shamsher Singh was the talk of the town in Kanpur…! 

“Hiii Ram… he is the one… he is the one…!” Seema screamed hysterically…! Akhilesh dashed in…!

“He is the one Akhil…. I saw him… The man from the portrait… he came alive…” Seema said excitedly.  Akhilesh held her hand…!

“Stop…! What are you talking about…?” he asked…

“That Man?  That Sorry… Man.. I bumped into…. In the market…I mean… That portrait of Dadaji… I mean…” She went on…!

“Seema…” He pressed her shoulders and made her sit on the chair… she waved the news paper in front of his eyes…!

“See the photo… !” seems said in a high pitch…

“I saw him in the market…! That day! He bumped on me and said sorry….!” She said panting.

“Oh! God! Seema.. stop this…!” This photo is of some Shamsher Singh Thakur… he died long back.  They are starting a technological university in his name..!” Akhilesh clarified.­

“I know… but I saw him in the market… I know… he must have come there to save me from some danger… I know… He always does that… That portrait…. Saved me…!” she went on incoherently.  Akhelesh shook his head hopelessly.  

“Seema… stop it!” he pressed his palm on her mouth.  She still was trying to tell him something…!

“He came alive to save me…!” she kept on blurting the whole day frequently holding the news paper and seeing the photo of Shamsher Singh Thakur…! 

*********   ******  ******

“Aakash… !” Aakash felt a knot in his chest.

“Yeah, Lavanya…!” he said swallowing hard.  

“Can you send his belongings to my apartment in Delhi?” she asked sweetly.  Aakash was in dilemma…

“I mean… “ He started off  weekly and then realizing…

“Whose belongings, Lavanya? Sham’s?” he asked bitterly and he could feel her shock.

“No… no… That chapter is over..! I moved on, Akash…!” Lavanya said sadly.

“I was talking about ASR, Aakash..!” she said apprehensively.

“For that you have to talk to Khushi…!” Aakash said sternly ready to disconnect.

“Oh!” she said disappointed…! 

“How do you know about his belongings, Lavanya…?” he asked curiously.

“Umm… I mean… he had called me….! I mean… he needs his passport…!” she said not wanting to let any more information slip out of her mouth.

“Oh!” Aakash comprehended for a moment.

“I am sorry…. I don’t have it with me.  Please call Khushi…!” he said fingers crossed.  He must talk to Khushi before she did..! 

********   ******

“How could you do this to her?” Regi was furious.  He had flown to Kanpur when Arnav had called him. 

“I didn’t do anything … she did…!” ASR accused her.

“Oh! Come on, ASR! I know you since when!! Your rage can hurt anyone beyond repair…!” Regi said enraged.  ASR didn’t react.  It was indeed his fault. 

“ASR… She is pregnant, Damn it! And you left her all alone…!” Regi was controlling his urge to hit ASR.  

“She is with her family… I am the one who is all alone…!” he said bitterly and Regi exploded….

“Then who asked you to create this drama…?” Regi couldn’t stop himself punching ASR right in his stomach…!!

“Ouchh..! Regi.. Stop it! I called you here for a different reason…!” ASR sounded mournful… Regi listened with bated breath….

“Promise me, you will be with her, when the notice reaches her…!” ASR held out his hand.  Regi forgot to breathe….

“No… ASR…. You can’t do this to her…!” Regi urged with moist eyes…!

“You know, she loves you…!” Regi literally begged…!

“This is not love, Regi… !” ASR said bitterly.

“What is it? ASR? Enlighten me…!” Regi said furiously.  ASR swallowed nervously….

“She …. She doesn’t understand the dynamics of business…!” ASR let out…

“You never let her understand, ASR!” Regi accused.

“And she is carrying… ASR… don’t do this…!” Regi went down on his knees begging…! ASR remained unmoved…! 

“I need to move on….!” ASR said gravely and Regi turned completely dejected…!

“I am not meant for all this, Regi!” ASR said mournfully….

“I am a loner and will be forever…!” ASR moved out turning Regi into a lifeless statue.  

********  ******  *****

“Yeah… ok. Send everything…. Even his clothes…!” Khushi spoke angrily when Aakash called her….!

“And please do it immediately….Aakash Jijaji… that laad… I mean that great businessman must be running out of his wardrobe…. Send all his belongings to her…!” 

“And send mine… here…!” she nailed crucifying their relationship…!

“Its.. all over…!” she cried her heart out in her Amma’s arms…! She had lost everything… Elsa watched with moist eyes… She must take control…. She must bring back Khushi in khushi’s character…! 

“Khushi…!” she signaled Amma and took charge.  Bringing her out of the house she walked with Khushi towards the old bridge…! Setting orange ball reflected in Khushi’s eyes… they strode down the ghat and sat on the last rung…dipping their feet in the orangy flowing water…! The Badi Haveli from the other end loomed over, blocking the setting sun…! Darkness engulfed.  

“We will go to the temple…!” Khushi said wiping her cheeks.  Elsa got up… Khushi began climbing the ghat with efforts… Elsa supported….! 

“You know…? Those dreams…! I.. I thought… they… they defined our relationship….” Khushi stood holding Elsa’s hand to catch up with her breath.  Elsa swallowed hard….

“But…. Those… those were only dreams after all….! Not real… Only fantasy…. My mind was playing games with me…. !” A fresh gush of tears flowed down her cheek.  

“Reality is…. ASR is ASR… not Arnav ji… Not for me… Khushi!  He is for someone else of his match… his status…!” Khushi sat on the stairs…losing her breath…. The silhouette of looming Badi Haveli illuminated with the lamps lit inside ….! 

“Come on….Let’s go!” Elsa shivered in an unknown fear…! This depression was not good for Khushi….and her baby…!

The conch echoed… the bells rang… The Aarti in the old Mandir filled the air…. Elsa dragged Khushi towards the old Mandir…  Her Devi mayya was waiting for her