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“You know, Elsa bhabhi? Once, with the overflowing Gomti… We sat here…. Reading each others’ dreams, promising each other that we will be together forever…! Eternity…! Soulmates…! These seem to be only words… The emotions are gone…. With him…!” she sat under the lamp post staring in the darkness…! 

“Let us go, Khushi…!” Elsa felt uneasy…! Khushi was in the different world….!

“Love…. This is only a word… a dream…What is love after all…? Its only convenience….!  I love you… so long as I am comfortable with you… I feel secure in your company… ! The moment, I find someone else more comfortable… I just walk out…Saying that love between us is lost somewhere…!” Khushi was pouring her heart out in the old mandir trying to accept what was happening around…! Arnav had not called … Nobody knew where he was… Khushi could only guess he was somewhere in Kanpur with his Dadi..! But there was no confirmed news…! He had asked his belongings to be delivered to Lavanya’s place…! His comfort zone since when!! 

Khushi lost her track… The new life within, kicked hard and she realized… She can’t lose hope… She must be brave… The life within will bring new hope, show her new horizon… provide her a purpose to live… Sighing, Khushi got up with efforts…She can’t abandon her mission… can’t ignore her family… She must take care of three families… Her papaji was already losing hope… Anjali had no clue… Nani was almost bedridden with worry… Aakash struggling to manage the empire…. Her jiji trying to balance… ! Khushi can’t quit…. She was the only pillar…. She must keep her head on her shoulder…. Keep them together…. Work on the possibilities… move on with her life…. Gathering her scattered pieces of broken heart…! 

Once he was her Arnav ji… Now no one! He had abandoned her… with the new life within…. He had left everything behind… relinquishing all his rights on the Raizada house, his business, all his belongings… the flats he owned in south delhi in the name of his family….! He had talked to Aakash a couple of times but not with Khushi….! 

“Not a good sign, Bhabhi…. I am getting this gloomy feeling…premonition?  I don’t know why….but I feel we are going on the same path, his Dadaji and my Dadi went…. Parted during life… united with death….!”

“Khushi… stop thinking about all these things… you need to take care of yourself….You can’t quit like this…!” Elsa said little sternly.

“Yeah…. I can’t quit… For this baby… for the family… for everyone around…. For my amma babuji… my papaji-mummiji, for my jiji….” She said walking with Elsa…!

“Right… You can’t quit… and you can’t let others quit….You understand?” Elsa gripped her hand.  Khushi nodded placing her other hand on her swollen belly.  The life kicked…giving her happiness back…! She kept feeling the kick….smile appeared and she said…

“Yeah… Arnav ji nahi toh kya? Yeh… rakshas hain na mere ander!! “  Elsa smiled feeling relieved.

“I tell you Bhabhi… This one is going to be a step ahead in harassing me…. !” Elsa nodded…!

“But it will be a girl like you!? Elsa never wanted to bring Khushi out of the dreamland.

“God! No! Bhabhi… Not a girl like that monster…!No! Hey devi mayya… Raksha karana…!” Khushi clutched her head dramatically and Elsa burst out laughing….!

“Ok then a boy like ….!”

“No!” Khushi screamed….”Not another ASR, Bhabhi… no! Hey devi mayya…. Double Raksha karana….!” Khushi pressed her hand on her heart… feeling the palpitation…!  

“Chalo, Ghar aa gaya…!” Khushi felt relieved…! 

“Aree Khusiii…. Where were you…?” Buwaji squeaked…! Khushi went inside and her amma followed.

“Khushi… Naniji had called…!” she said gravely and Khushi turned…!

“Ok. I will call her..!” she said wondering why Nani might have called her.  She picked up her cell from the table and surprised to see several missed calls…! 

“Hello… Naniji…!” Khushi went into her room to talk to Naniji, telling her that she was alright and is following her routine and diet per the doctor’s instructions…!

“Don’t worry, Naniji… I will come there soon…!” she promised.  Fidgeting with her cell she thought for a while and dialed.  The phone was answered immediately.

“Hello…” Khushi whispered conspiratorially…. Listening intently she said before disconnecting…!

“And keep it safe and secure… and wait…. And let me know…. And keep a watchful eye… and….!”

“Ho ho… break lagao Khushi…. Bhabhi…!” Aman said laughing but Khushi’s excitement didn’t subside.  She continued…!

“And… send me those details… and not on my official email id… you know where to send it…. And…!”

“Yes… Yes Khushi…. And listen… I won’t be calling you from this number…! Ok? I will let you know the new number…. And be careful… and take care….!” Aman disconnected with Khushi’s spirits lifted.  She hummed merrily…! 

“Ab aayaa oount pahad ke neeche…!” she grinned wickedly…! She was securing her family against all financial losses and trying to calm herself down….

“Where are you, Arnavji…!” She missed him badly… She wanted to share with him … her happiness….But that was not to happen… The happiest night for her turned into a gloomy morning with Regi appearing at the door at the break of the dawn…!

“Regi sir?” she screamed happily… but Regi came in gravely….

“What is it?” she asked pressing a hand on her chest with apprehension….. Regi just shook his head …

“I just came to see you Khushi… when I heard about and ASR…!” he was cut off…

“Don’t talk about him, Regi sir…! Or is it that he has sent you here…? Like he had sent you to that hotel when I and Ranjan sir were to meet…?” she narrowed her eyes … Regi gaped… how did she know?

“No Khushi…!” he said weakly but she flared up…!

“I know… there must be something he wants you to execute…” she was bang on, but Regi shook his head…!

“No.. its not like that…!” he said helplessly.  Amma brought in tea.

“Amma… he likes coffee…!” Khushi said bitterly…! Even Arnavji liked black coffee….!

“So go ahead…!” she snapped.  He swallowed hard… 

“Umm… I mean… he is starting all over again from scratch..” Regi started off…!

“He wants to establish himself elsewhere….” He said after contemplating for a while between silence.  Khushi stared at him intently…! 

“Where? “ she asked apprehensively.  He swallowed…

“France…!” he said losing his energy…! 

“What does he want from me?” she asked with bated breath…

“Nothing…!” he said nervously… but… I mean… he doesn’t want … I mean… umm… that….!” He couldn’t complete…

“Damn it… I can’t do this…!” Regi stood up at once…!

“I can’t do this, Khushi… I am sorry… And tell him that he has lost another friend by this…!” Regi stormed out.  Khushi sat there all lost…! She knew ASR would never come back to India… He had gone forever….from her life…! But why was Regi there? And why did he not tell anything… What was in store for Khushi? 

********  ******

“Dada… a couple of days back he was in Kanpur…But he cannot be traced…now..!” Ramani was trying his level best to track down Arnav Singh Raizada…! 

“Humm…!” Papaji grew restless… he was trying to locate Aranv in vain…!

“Ok! Keep searching for him…!” Papaji disconnected…! 

“Is he trying to distance himself from everyone, to keep us all safe?” Mummiji blurted.

“But we together would have fought effectively… There was not point battling alone with those gients…!” Papaji was angry…! 

“And what about Khushi puttar? He has abandoned his pregnant woman…Why? To keep her safe? Will she be safe in this condition?” Papaji asked hopelessly.  Mummiji had no answer…! 

**********   ********

“Lavanya…!” Arnav had rearranged his baggage in her apartment.

“ASR… stay here…!” she pleaded.  He shook his head…

“I am going…!” he had come there to collect his belongings…!

“ASR… please… for old times sake…?” she held his hand wrapping her other hand around his belly.  ASR looked at her keeping his laptop bag on the table…! Lavanya led him to the bedroom….!