126

“Jiji…” Khushi hugged her tightly.  Aakash’s figure appeared at the door and Khushi broke apart.  Payal glanced back at her husband.  He looked away guiltily.

“Khushi….” Payal held her hand.

“Aray… Jijaji… Welcome….” Khushi smiled broadly easing out the tension.  Aakash sighed relief.  

“Jiji? What a surprise..! And you look so beautiful… Put on weight.. haan? Whats the news,  Jiji?” Khushi nudged Payal naughtily.  Payal blushed and then pushing a bit away said…

“Khushi, Shaitani band kar… No news… just ..” but before she could say anything else Buwaji interrupted.

“Aii Payaliya… Nandkishore…. Yeh ladakinya… Aray bahar toh aao…” Khushi pushed payal out of the room but didn’t come out herself….! She sat on the bed deep in thoughts.  Aakash… Jijaji… why was he there? Khushi was puzzled, confused…. There must be something very important…! She sighed sadly.

“Everyone is coming to see me… but this Laad governor? “ she fumed.

“But of course… he is with that…. That woman… I mean his girlfriend…! Lavanyaji..” She seethed…! 

“Not bothered about …  “ She stopped as Buwaji yelled her name…!

“Aii Khusi…” She hurriedly got up with severe back pain…!

“Ouch…! Aai Buwaji…” She came out… Aakash was talking to someone on phone and Payal had vanished in the kitchen.  Khushi was irritated…! 

“Jiji…” she yelled. And went into the room again, not wanting to meet anyone…!

********   *****

“Where were you, ASR?” asked Lavanya seeing him at the door.

“Work..!” he said curtly picking up his things from the hall.  Lavanya knew something was wrong.

“What is it ASR?” she wrapped her arm around his neck, kissing him.  He remained unmoved.

“Have an appointment with the lawyer..” he said gravely.  She would never leave him alone…

“I will drop you!” he offered and he gave a nod.

“Coffee?” she asked.

“I had my breakfast…” he said curtly getting ready to go. 

“Give me few minutes ASR…” She hurriedly went into the bedroom to get ready.  He waited impatiently pacing the hall, deep in thoughts…!

******  ******

“Your papers are ready…” Advocate Roy gave him a three page document.  He scanned it flipping the papers and returned.

“Are you sure, you want to do this?” the lawyer asked and ASR swallowed.  Lavanya looked curious, her fingers twitching to grab the document…. 

“She might demand an interim maintenance…” the lawyer showed him the danger….

“She might demand maintenance for the unborn child also…” Mr. Roy went ahead.  ASR refrained from reacting…! Lavanya shifted restlessly.  She wanted to know ASR’s reaction.  What was that document? She extended her hand to get the document from the lawyer.  ASR didn’t object… She read on….

“Oh! Petition for judicial separation…” She blurted … 

“If you file it today… The court will send the notice in eight days to the other side… She has time to file her objection…. She might file for her conjugal rights…” The lawyer said.  Lavanya clutched ASR’s hand.  He sat there motionless for a moment….

“Yes… go ahead and file the petition…. I will be there at 12:00 sharp at the family court…!” ASR got up to go… Lavanya followed…  They drove away wrapping silence….She was trying not to show her happiness and he was worried about ….  

“ASR, don’t worry.. Everything will be alright…! “ Lavanya squeezed his hand.  He looked away…! He had shattered everything he had in his life…!

………….   ……….

“Why are you here?” Khushi asked Payal and she swallowed.

“Khushi… Please… umm… Aakash never wanted this way… he just tried to save the company…” Payal weakly tried to defend her husband.  But Khushi had never blamed him…

“But jiji… I never said he was wrong… In fact he should move on…” Khushi said easing out Payal’s tension…

“But Khushi… “ she was cut off

“No but and no if, jiji… he did the right thing… It was high-time someone needed to knock some sense in that ASR’s head…” Khushi said and Payal gaped at her in disbelief.

“But Khushi… he broke the relationship…” she never wanted to open the inevitable topic…Khushi’s eyes shadowed with anguish…

“I realized… he was never mine… “ Khushi wrapped silence for a long time… and then said…

“Its… its like a dream… a very long and vivid dream… and I woke up… now…. “ She clutched her tummy…

“But the traces of that dream are real…!  So real…. “ she sobbed.. Payal wrapped her in her arms… After a very long time… the sisters were together… supporting each other… feeling each other’s pain, anguish…! 

“Our life itself is a dream… no one wants to  wake up from…” She blurted… Payal tightened her grip…! 

“But I don’t want to live in dream, jiji… I want to wake up to the reality….” Khushi said painfully…

“But I don’t know how… I still feel I am in a dream… and some day I will wake up and find himself beside me….” Khushi sobbed….

“I miss him, jiji… “

“Shuuu… Khushi… “ Payal patted on her back soothing her anguish…

“Khushi… Everything will be alright… we all will be together…” Payal tried to pump in some hope.  Khushi shook her head…! 

“No… Jiji… I can’t live in fantasy… jiji… I must accept the reality… The reality that a girl like me has no right to dream big… no right to dream about my prince charming… no right to hope that the world will be beautiful again… there will be no sorrows, no worries, no hatred, …” Khushi wiped her eyes…

“But the verity is… The world is still brutal, there are worries, sorrows, hatred….I can’t do anything… I can’t help… jiji..I am a nobody… I can’t do anything…” Khushi said emptily…!

“You know… I tried my level best to make this small world around me… beautiful, happy…But unlike my name.. I couldn’t make anyone happy… I ended up hurting everyone… Every single person around me is unhappy… I made them unhappy…” she blamed herself.

“No.. Khushi… Don’t say that… You make all of us happy… you make this world beautiful… Khushi… and with this baby… Imagine… how many people will be happy….” Khushi clutched her tummy in surprise.  Her jiji went ahead…

“I will be the happiest to have my niece on my laps… Amma, Buwaji, Anjali Di, Papaji mummiji, Elsa, Raj…Just imagine Khushi… how happy everyone will be… “ Khushi’s eyes went dreamy… Payal smiled…

“Yeah… and Meera and my Golu… They both will have one more live toy to play their pranks… “ Khushi blurted dreamily and payal sighed relief…. Khushi can’t be let down for long… she would spring back… to her self… happy and joyous…! Amma wiped her eyes from behind the door… Payal made up her mind to stay with Khushi… ! 

“ASR…” Lavanya came out with him from the family court….He clutched his phone to his ear, raising his hand to stop her…

“Yes, Mr. Yadav.. I will be there tomorrow evening…! Yes.. Thank you..!” he said disconnecting…

“ASR..?” Lavanya had a questionmark on her face. She wanted to celebrate his freedom…! He wasn’t free yet… it was only an application for judicial separation… Stil a long way to go to finally break the relationship…But Lavanya was happy.. at least he had taken a step towards his freedom… He was not ready to discuss anything with her.  But he had let her be with him all the time… to the lawyer, to the Court and now he was going somewhere she didn’t know…! 

“ASR… are you planning to go somewhere?” she couldn’t stop herself.  He glared at her for a moment…!

“Yes… need to make some arrangement… “ he was vague enough…!

“I am leaving tomorrow morning…” he declared taking a left turn towards the parking lot.  She followed.

“Where?” she asked and he glared…

“None of your business, Lavanya…” he snapped.  She swallowed… The same ASR was back, arrogant, indifferent, inhuman… ! 

“Ok.  But do you mind coffee with me?” she asked sweetly.  He nodded.  She was happy… She had a chance to bring him back…!

………….   ………

“Let us make this night memorable.. ASR..” Lavanya hugged him passionately…. 

“Arnavji….” Khushi woke up sweating….! 

“What happened?” Payal too got up with a jerk…Khushi looked around…. She was still in her house in Lucknow… the nightlamp spreading a gloomy light burned dimly… Khushi wiped her wet cheeks…

“Nothing Jiji… I woke up to reality….!” She said with resentment and turning the dim night lamp off… pulled the blanket over her head… Payal kept stroking her head for a long time, losing her sleep….! 

125

“Anjali… Arnav had called…” Shondeep said in the night and Anjali got up with a jerk…

“Called…? When? Where is he?” she asked excited…

“Hoo… He is fine and has asked you to take care… And he is in Delhi…” She tried to grab her cell…

“Anjali… No! He is fine… but he doesn’t want to talk to anyone… Please…!” he pleaded…!

“What? I am his sister… his elder sister…” she was hurt.  He had not called her…!

“Yes… He will call you Anjali… Its just .. we need to have patience… “ He said holding her to his heart.  She cried and he kept patting on her back….! 

“Shuuu… Everything will be alright….” He kept assuring her unconvincingly…!

*********  ******

“Khushi…!” Khushi opened her eyes with efforts.  Her amma was at her bed with a bowl of lukewarm oil.

“Come…! Let me rub this on your feet…!” She gently pulled up her dress and started massaging her swollen feet gently.  Khushi felt better.  The heaviness was getting unbearable… She wanted to get it over… 

“How many days, Amma?” she asked losing her patience.  Her Amma smiled…!

“These last few weeks are really difficult… but don’t worry…. !” she consoled grinning.  Khushi sulked…. “These people are enjoying my plight.  But I know what I am going through… This baby is growing day by day and I am getting heavier every minute…!” 

“Aii  Khusi…. Why are you sleeping in the evening…. Come on… get up…!” Buwaji had dashed in…! 

“Aii… Kulfi pighal rahi hain… Come on.. the ice cream is melting…!” Buwaji pulled her up.  For a moment her eyes flashed in excitement. Ice cream was her weak point.  Amma was smiling broadly.  Khushi looked at the Kulfi stick…!

“What?” she looked at the pack and up at his expressionless face.  “Take it!” he thrust the pack in her hand and opened the lid.  It was her favorite Mango Ice cream.  Her eyes flashed but she resisted.  He fed her the ice cream as she clutched her paining swollen elbow….!”

Khushi turned her face, missing him, dropping the melting Kulfi stick…. !”

“What? What happened… Nandkishor?” Buwaji asked bewildered.  Khushi went into her room closing the door behind…! 

*****  *** *****

“What happened, ASR?” Lavanya gaped…! He just froze and after a moment went out without a word…

They were in the restaurant after their presentation.  Lavanya was in a good mood.  The presentation had gone well.  Investors seemed happy… but ASR was upset for some unknown reason…!

“How about Dinner ASR?” Lavanya asked lovingly. He just nodded.  Absentmindedly he was just chewing whatever was served on his plate… Lavanya was on cloud nine… There first ever presentation had gone well…. She was hopeful….! 

“Regi…Where are you?” he asked in a hurry coming out into the lounge…

“Why? At the airport… going back ASR..!” Regi said gravely.  

“Listen… there is a ice cream parlor near the old bridge… go and get a family pack of mango ice cream… Pot ice cream…! …!” he was cryptic…

“But I have a flight to board ASR..” Regi protested…!

“Damn with your flight, Regi… Take the next flight…!” he barked and Regi walked out of the entrance of the Lucknow airport ….!

********  *****  ********

“Aii… Khusi….!” Buwaji was banging on the door.

“What is it, Buwaji? Can’t you see I need rest…!” Khushi yelled irritably.

“Aii… I know, Nandkishor…! But see this… your Regi Sir sent this…!” Buwaji said thickening the suspense….

“What is it?” Khushi opened the door with a disgust on her face and found her Buwaji waiting with the big tumbler of Mango ice cream…!

“Haaa…. Ice Cream…!” Khushi’s mouth fell open secreting saliva…! The mouth watering temptation, made her spirits lift….! 

“Haa… Mango ice cream…! I just love it!” She dug the spoonful in her mouth…

“Thanklu…” her tongue went numb…!

“Nandkishor… look at her…! She wanted mango ice cream… not kulfi… and that too from her Regi Sir..!” Buwaji sulked.

“Regi sir? Where is he?” she asked looking around…!

“He is not here… he sent it through someone…!” Buwaji clarified.

“Regi sir sent it?” she was puzzled…. And then smiling broadly snatched that big tumbler from Buwaji…!

“Yeh sub hamare leye hain…!” she went on eating to her heart’s content…!

“Laad Governor  .. Kahin kay…!” she blurted.

**********  ********

“Suna maine….!” Arnav smiled, sipping his drink.  Lavanya watched happily.  “He is happy with me …” she thought planning for the night.  His phone buzzed.

“Done!” Regi disconnected and dashed through the entrance.  He was already late…. He would miss his flight.  ASR’s face lit up.  

“ASR…! “ Lavanya clutched his hand.  He didn’t withdraw.  She poured another drink for herself… 

“So..! Thank you..!” he said formally opening the car door.  Lavanya gaped…

“Thank you? ASR we are partners…” she said getting upset.

“Partners? We haven’t even started…!” he snapped.

She slammed the accelerator…! He was silent….! 

“ASR I am so happy…!” she looked at him with expectation.  He didn’t respond.  She sulked.

“Wait a minute… Where are you taking me?” he asked looking out of the window.  

“Home…” she said sweetly.

“Home?” he asked.

“Yes ASR… our home… my apartment…!” she said apprehensively.

“Pull over… Lavanya…” he commanded in a deadly voice.

“Why, ASR? We can share the apartment…” she said hopefully.  

“Stop the car, Lavanya..” he said without looking at her, ready to open the door….

“ASR…” hurt in her voice was evident…! Her phone buzzed… She immediately grabbed it before ASR could lay his hands on.

“I will call you later…” she abruptly disconnected.

“It…It was my friend….” She said sheepishly.

“I didn’t ask you any explanation….” He reprimanded.  She turned to him…

“But I want to tell you, ASR.. Tell you everything… share everything with you.. my mistakes… my inhibitions.. my fears… everything… I want to confess ASR..” She said with teary eyes…! His eyes bored a deep hole into her heart.. but the next moment she was on cloud nine again.. when he said Ok!  She turned and raced away with him towards her apartment….! He smirked… his hot and cold treatment managed to confuse her thoroughly…!

“I need some rest in the night… I have to catch a flight early morning…!” he said as she unlocked the apartment door.  “Humm..” she sighed.

“Coffee?” she asked and he nodded absentmindedly. 

She brought in the mugs and he kept it on the table… opening his laptop…!

“Have it first, ASR…!” she suggested…! 

“Can you get me a glass of water?” he asked staring at the laptop screen.  She moved into the kitchen.  He picked up her phone..!

“Ok..! I am staying tonight…I have a overseas call in an hour…” he said relaxing with the empty coffee mug… Her face lit up…! 

“ASR…” she hugged him…! He smiled faintly. 

“Lavanya… I need to prepare for the call…!” he suggested and she got up reluctantly.  She wanted to know more about the call… She wanted all the details…!

“Your cell Lavanya…” he picked up the cell she had left behind.  She came hurriedly and almost snatched the phone.. He smirked turning his face…! 

“ASR?” she was behind the chair again.  He just lifted his head and said “I am fine here, and please do not disturb…” she went to the bedroom and waited for him for a long time trying to keep her eyes open… slowly drifting off to sleep…! She failed to hear the door click… as ASR moved out in the night to his hotel room…! 

124

“Keep a track on him…! I want every detail…!” Krishna Kant ordered a group of six persons. 

“He is in Delhi, now…! Will file his petition soon…! He is hired a lawyer..!” The man said.  Krishna Kant smirked.

“I know… He is playing the same good old tactics..! Distancing himself from the family to safeguard the family…” He smiled wickedly.  

“But he doesn’t know me yet…. I will see to it that he sees his empire burning down to ashes…! He will be all alone staring at the debris…! I will destroy his family…..!” He thought stroking his chin. 

“Uski family to uthaa letain hain…!” Pappu said excitedly and Krishna kant contemplates the option.

“No..! They will trace it back to us…! “ he stopped Pappu.

“Call our man… who is that?” he couldn’t remember the name of the person he had managed to induct into AR group of companies in the administrative department.  

“Karan…!” Pappu helped him with the name.

“Yes… Karan… Phone lagao…!” he ordered…!

*********  *********  ********8

“He thinks he can handle everything alone….!” Khushi blurted with sadness.  Sighing, she dialed Regi’s number.

“Regi sir… can we meet please?” she requested. 

“No.. Not here… Avadh Palace…!” she suggested and he agreed  dropping his bag.  He was about to leave Lucknow…! 

“Regi sir… I know… why he sent you …” she said and he looked up. 

“He has gone back to his old time girlfriend….” She said gravely and he gaped in horror… How could he do this? Leaving a pregnant wife behind….! He clenched his fists in disgust… The ASR he knew would never do that…! 

“He sent you here, only to make sure I am alright…!” she said running her finger on the rim of the glass.  He just gaped.

“Tell him that I am ok and ..” She gulped her hurt. 

“No.. Khushi….!” Regi gripped her hand.  She shook her head sadly.  

“Why do I feel…. He has gone…. Forever… far from me…. He.. he will never return…” Khushi pressed her hand on her mouth to stifle her sob.  Ragi didn’t know how to console her…! 

“You know? In these three months, he didn’t even call me once…!” she felt a stab…!

“Khushi… Stop thinking about it… And listen to me…!” Regi said firmly, making up his mind to tell her the truth that her Arnav ji would never return and she should be strong enough to move on in her life…!

“You know him, Khushi…! He is hurt…. By your words… your accusation…. He had never thought you would say something like that…. He just wanted to reestablish his business relations with Lavanya… “ Regi said and Khushi shook her head in denial.

“No, Regi sir… He … he has gone back to her… He has had enough of me… I am not a match to his class…” she hid her face in her palms.

“Khushi… Stop… This dejection is not good for the baby…. Think about it… move on… Khushi…!” Regi had no words…

“You said he is hurt… what about me? Has he ever assured me about his love? No! I always assumed that he loved me… I could be wrong… He has guarded himself for so long… that he has lost all his emotions…. .! He feels Lavanyaji is a better partner… He feels safe.. not exposed in her company… He keeps himself guarded… And she is fine with it…!” Khushi went on blurting her thoughts…

“And you? What does he feel in your company, Khushi?” Regi poked her to speak up… She wrapped silence for a while sipping her sweet tea….

“May be he feels exposed…. He feels I see him through… I read his mind….” Her eyes flashed as she looked up ..

“But infact… he always manages to read my mind… “ faint smile appeared as she recollected her encounters with him ending up with his “Suna maine..” phrase!.  Regi watched her changing expressions…! 

“Yes.. Khushi… he always read your mind…” he said softly hinting that he understood her love for him.  Khushi smiled…

“Humm… I don’t know… I can’t read his mind….!” She said dropping her shoulders, defeated….! Regi clutched her hand….!

“Khushi… !”

“Its ok. Regi sir… I am ready to face it…. I am strong… Devi mayya hain na… “ she joined her hands praying her Devi Mayya…! Regi crossed and kissed his cross Locket handing around his neck…! 

“God bless you… Khushi!” he kept his hand on her head as he left her at her home…! The last ray of hope that her Arnav ji would return to her was put out with engulfing darkness…! The buzzing phone brought her back ….

“Haan..” she picked up absentmindedly…!

“Khushi….!” Aman’s voice boomed and she stopped…!

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

The stormy emergency board meeting  ended in a heated discussion with Mehra raising doubts about Aakash’s abilities and Mamaji defending Aakash…! Four of the tenders were leaked out to the competitors and they had lost on the contracts…! Someone was hostile, leaking the confidential information of the company.  They were not able to trace out…! Someone who had access to all the information had turned hostile…!

“ASR has the access to all the data, right?” Mehra sowed the seed of doubt.

“He had…! We have deleted his authorization….” Aakash said flaring up.  Mehra was quiet for some time…!

“Who are his loyalists here?” he asked and Aman shuddered.  “What is he trying to imply? Is he going to oust us all?” he looked at Aakash who just gaped in disbelief.  In fact everyone in the office was ASR loyalist…including Aakash.  But the things were different now… ASR was no more involved in the company affairs and the loyalties were expected to change from ASR to Aakash. 

“Aakash… I feel you need someone with you…! You can’t handle everything alone…!” Mehra had made up his mind…! 

“But Babuji… is there with me… he handles marketing…!” Aakash protested.  Mamaji looked up apprehensively.  But Mehra shook his head…!

“You need a dynamic person with you… Like Rattan Singh… He is well connected… You know what I mean….!” Mehra looked at Rattan Singh and he nodded grabbing the opportunity…! 

The downfall of AR designs at the hands to Rattan Singh Thakur had begun….! Aakash and Mamaji gaped helplessly… missing ASR badly….! 

Far Away from AR designs, in South Delhi, with Lavanya assisting him, ASR was busy explaining his business model before a panel of investors, hoping for investment for his construction project …!  

**********   ********  ********

“Aman Sir… Thank you very much… and you know what to do next…!” Khushi said gratefully before disconnecting the phone…

Aakash was deep in trouble so was ASR’s AR group of companies…! The next target would be BRT group in Kolkata….! Papji was chairing the full house emergency board meeting to brief everyone about the crisis…! The simultaneous Income Tax raids on all the offices and residences of the heads of the units including Mr. Balwinder Singh, Shondeep Banerjee, Mr. Raghu ayyer… had shattered the morale of every employee of BTR group.

Khushi, oblivious to this new development and crisis was worried about her jiji and Aakash Jijaji and her Arnav ji’s AR designs…!