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“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….!