130

He waited … Thought of calling her himself…. !!  He must wait…Wait for the call.  He ordered another sugarless coffee for himself… hiding his face behind The Economic Times…! Someone occupied the seat infront.  He silently sipped his coffee reading the newspaper.

“Hello Sir..!” the man said softly and their gazes met.  Recognition appeared in his eyes…

“Akhilesh…” he said sighing.

“Sorry Sir… Seema had called…” Arnav looked excited…!

********   *****  ****

A couple of weeks earlier….

“Akhil…. “ She held his hand and he just looked at her, making his way into the busy Carol bagh market road. 

“I feel so ashamed…” Akhil cut her off.

“Stop… You don’t have to be…! We are together, and that’s enough for me…” he said squeezing her palm.  She smiled faintly.

“And… now finish off your shopping …” he pushed her a bit…! She was off balance and bumped into a man…

“What the…!” the man turned angrily and she froze…

“You… You… Dadaji…!” she blurted and he turned to vanish into the crowd.  But this time she was quick.

“No wait… !” she held his hand.

“Seema…!” Akhilesh pulled her away looking at the person apologetically.  The man turned his gaze to his wrist where the grip had tightened.

“Akhil… He is the one… the portrait man… Dadaji… in Thakur Mansion…” she blurted incoherently… Arnav stopped in his tracks…

“Thakur Mansion?” he blurted and Akhilesh came forward… wrenching her hand from his wrist he said…

“Sorry  Sir… She mistook you as someone else…” He turned to leave…

“No.. wait…” Arnav stopped them…

“How do you know Thakur Mansion?” he asked  Seema came forward excitedly.

“My father works there… And my mother also… I have seen you in that portrait… a big one… They call him Dadaji…” She looked confused…

“But you are so young…” she realized her mistake…! But he spoke solemnly…

“I am his grandson… Arnav Singh…” Her mouth fell open in shock.

“What? Really?” her face brightened up… “The world is so small…” she grinned.  Akhilesh gaped in disbelief…!

“I…I bumped on you in Kanpur Market….” She said smiling broadly… He had turned to Akhilesh.

“I am Arnav Singh..” Akhilesh introduced himself…!

“Join us for lunch….”She invited after what seemed like fifteen minutes… they were standing in a corner and talking to each other.  He weighed the option and agreed…. Akhilesh gaped again in disbelief…  But Seema was all excited. 

“Come… There is a Madras Restaurant here nearby…The sambar is just awesome there…” She declared looking at her husband.  He fumbled…But before he could say no and suggest some decent restaurant, Arnav agreed…! Next two hours… the stories were exchanged and identities were established and then Seema spoke gravely….

“You know what… I am ashamed of my family, sometimes…. I don’t know, may be I am a misfit in that family… but everytime I see my brother and parents…I feel these can’t be my family.. You know? He didn’t even allow me to see my brother in the hospital…” She said on the verge of crying…! Arnav’s eyes narrowed in suspicion ..

“They set hetman on Akhil… Honor Killing… that’s what they said… But thank God… We escaped in a nick of time… ! Then I think my mother convinced my father and they stopped hunting us down.”

“Humm…” Arnav responded sympathetically.

“But you know… I am fortunate to have him as my husband… Otherwise these two would have sold me off to some hooligan…” she shuddered with the thought.  Akhilesh glanced at Arnav. 

“Now you have one more person…!” Arnav said playing his emotional card.  She looked up…

“You feel Dadaji’s portrait saves you.. Now Dadaji’s grandson is with you…!” he smiled kindly and she burst out in tears…! The bond strengthened…. The plan hatched…!

“What are you doing here, in this busy market?” she asked before parting and he smiled faintly… He actually was to meet Aman … But this accidental meeting was more important…! Aman couldn’t meet his ASR sir…

 

******   ********* 

“Seema had called…” Akhilesh said gravely…

“She managed to get those files…” Arnav’s face brightened but looking at Akhilesh’s grim his heart filled with worry…

“Is she ok?” he asked concerned.  Akhilesh nodded….

“She is alright… But she is worried about her brother….No one is allowed to visit him in the hospital… “ Akhilesh continued and Arnav’s eyes flashed…!

“We will find that out soon….” He assured….! Akhilesh looked up…!

“I don’t want her to go that house again… I know they are her family… but…” Arnav kept his and on his..

“I know… Don’t worry.. this will end soon…” he got up.  Akhilesh slipped a note in his hand…!

“Seema’s friend stays near our house…!” Akhil informed.  Arnav glanced at the note and nodded.  He must get hold of the files before its too late…!

“All the best…” Akhil blurted as Arnav strode out of the hotel…!

***********   **********   *********

At the same time, in AR Designs meeting room…

“What have you decided bete?” Mehra asked.  Aakash shook his head nervously…!

“I don’t know, uncle… Bhai is not here… “ he said swallowing hard… Three of the consecutive consignments had hit back with rejection. 

“I do not know what is going on… We must raise money…. “ Aakash said glancing at Mamaji…!

“Sell off some of Arnav’s shares…. You have the power of attorney…” Mehra said and Rattan shifted in his seat excitedly…!”

“What? No…! I will sell my shares and invest money in AR group…!” Mamaji shot up…!

“Dad… you have only 15% stake… Bhai has 55%.... “

“Exactly… selling off his shares mean transfer of control… I can’t allow that…” Mamaji flared up.

“But that will fetch us more money…” Aakash said reasonably…!

“Aakash.. No.. This is Arnav’s company… Don’t do this, behind his back… “ Mamaji urged.  Aakash looked away helplessly…!

“I can buy his share… After all I am his half bold brother….” Rattan said disdainfully…! Aakash got up angrily…!

“Aakash bete… calm down… Let us invite bids…” Aakash sat down thinking…!

“Bidding? Who will bid for this loss making company?” Rattan showed off his knowledge….!

“Let us see…” Mehra closed the meeting…..!

********   *****  *****

In Kolkata….

“Sir…. AR Group is on sale…” Tushar walked in excitedly…! Blawinder just nodded….!

“Keep a watch on the bidding….” He said.

“Are we not bidding…?” Tushar asked astonished…. Balwinder Singh would never miss such an opportunity…!

“No… We are not bidding directly… And call Raghu…” Tushar hurriedly went away…!

“Sir?” Raghu and Tushar were at the door….

“Tushar… Scrape the information from wherever you get it… make a due diligence.. and get me the numbers… We need to talk to Raj this evening…”

“Raghu… You need to go to Chennai…”  Balwinder shot instructions…!

129

 

A car pulled over just infront of her. 

“Where is he?” A man hopped out and came to her.

“God..! He he just went away…” Lavanya said pressing her hand on her chest. 

“Where is your phone?” he asked and She got panic.

“I don’t know… I misplaced it somewhere.” She still was searching for her phone in the car.  The man frowned. 

“Saab wants to meet you now… Come with us…” he opened the car door and pulled out the car keys.  She walked with him to the other car.  A little away from that place, he was sipping a sweet, over-boiled strong tea in the roadside tea stall and transferring the contacts list via blue tooth into his cell…..

He waited for the car to move away and dropped her phone near her parked car…!

“You dropped your cell here… Lavanya…!”  he smirked moving away…

“Damn…!!” His heart ached….Somewhere the Temple bells were ringing…. He straightened himself, hypnotized…

........   ..... 

“Look… We are trying our best for the normal delivery… but in case … I need your signatures on the consent form…” The doctor looked at Payal.  She just nodded..dialing Avinash’s number. 

“Sign the papers, Payal .. I will talk to the Doctor…” Avnash assured her.  She handed the phone to the doctor. 

 .........  ......

The Aarati echoed in his ears.  He joined his hands… “Bless her… Shakti Dena.. Devi Mayya…” He inadvertently mumbled…. And he opened his eyes in shock.  Looking at his own miserable state he stared at the idol… Smile brightened his face….

“Pagal Khushi… Look what you have done to me…” He took Teerth and Prashad from the pandit with devotion…..

“I am taking your place…Pagal…” he couldn’t stop his smile….

 ......  ................

“Push…Push…” The nurse was trying her best to keep her awake… The shooting pains grew in frequency… The doctors seemed to be satisfied… Khushi couldn’t bear the pains….

“Noooo….” She screamed for the last time and everything went pitch black ….

“Khushi…Khushi…” She heard someone calling from a distance… Unable to open her eyes she just shook her head….

“Nandkishore…..!” she heard a sigh and then Buwaji’s voice boomed.

“Aaii Khusiii…. Nandkishore… Aankain Kholo… Tanik Dekho toh Sahi….” Khushi turned her face not wanting to hear anything more….! She heard her Amma….

“Amma… She cried out loudly and her Amma caressed her drained out face…

“Khusii… “ She kissed Khushi’s forehead.  Khushi tried to open her eyes in vain….

*****  ****  *****

He was running against time… He must strike before its too late.  He must make sure … his son is safe… Krishna Kant entered the hospital and was suddenly surrounded by the reporters….! He was taken aback…. He couldn’t face them… Not now atleast…!

“No questions please….” He raised his hand.  Now there was no going back… He must see his son…!  He entered the special ICU…! “Make sure nobody enters this room…” he ordered the security guard….!

“CM’s visit… !” Doctors rushed in and he gaped in disbelief…!

“What? No..!” he blurted in shock.  The patients were rushed in.  There was a country liquor mishap…. Hundred and twenty three were rushed to the hospital… many were in serious condition…!  All the hospitals were overflowing….CM’s visit was inevitable…! He couldn’t stop it…! The reports were lurking…! The CM walked in with officials  and channel reporters with cameramen…!

 ........     ...............

“What’s going on?”  Rattan’s uncle, the senior Thakur marched into the mansion…!

“This  notice…to vacate this house…” Said Rattan’s cousin.

“What? Why?” He took the notice…

Arnav’s Dadi had transferred everything in his name and he had sought a decree of specific relief from the Court. 

“B..But Sham and Rattan were to take care of this…!” He blurted and the bailiff smirked.

“We have fifteen days time to respond…” he said….

 ..........    ..........

“Khushi Puttar…” Papaji’s voice bellowed…

“Shuuu… Quiet…!” The nurse on duty warned.  He looked at her angrily...  Hospital and that piculiar smell always gave him jitters....  Khushi opened her eyes….

“Papaji….” She said faintly but her eyes were searching beyond the family crowd in the hospital room…

“Puttar…" He went to the cradle….

“Shuu… use the sanitizer before touching the baby…” the nurse reprimanded again…

“Yeah.. I know…” he frowned angrily.  Nani walked in…

“Wait..wait..” She said lifting that sweet little white bundle from the cradle….! Papaji couldn’t stop his tears…! “Phrewwwn… He sniffed noisily and the baby shuddered.  Papaji grew panic..

“Sorry…Sorry… Baby…” he said touching the baby…! Nani smiled teasing…

“Look… He is crying… look..look…” Papaji turned his face and said puffing his cheeks

“I am not crying… Its just that… I felt like crying…” Shondeep laughed…!

“Papaji has become softy ice cream….. Baby likes ice cream…” Anjali took the baby from Naniji…

“Oh! Come on… How do you know?” Shondeep asked astonished.

“I know… Even Chote likes ice cream…” She said smugly and Khushi turned her face…

“Its since three days… there was no trace of her Laad Governor…!

128

“Amma… did papaji call?” Khushi asked sitting on the bed with efforts supporting her lower back.

“Easy…Khuahi…” Amma tried to sideline the question.  

“No?” Khushi asked raising her eyebrows and Amma swallowed nervously…

“Humm… Let me call him…” She dug out the phone from under her pillow … 

“Khusiii… Look at the time…” Amma showed her the clock but Khushi went ahead and dislled.

In the dead of the night, Papaji’s  phone range and he got up with a start.

“Khushi..?” he picked up with bated breath.

“Yeah.. Khushi… still alive…” Khushi flared up.  Amma tried to pacify her…

“Khushi puttar…” Papaji too tried to pacify. 

“Don’t call me puttar… I am not your daughter… Goodbye…” She disconnected angrily.

“Khusiii….” Amma tried to… but Khushi raised her hand breathing heavily… A small pain surged in her tummy and then she felt the wetness….A bigger pain twisted her heart….

“Awaaaa….”

“Khusiii…” Amma ran forward to support her calling out of Buwaji….Payal got up with a start…

“Jiji….”Khushi groaned in pain… the pulsating pains twisted her face…. 

“Hai.. Re Nandkishor….She is into labor pains…” Buwaji declared rubbing Khushi’s palms…. Amma dashed to the puja ghar to light the lamp.  The entire house woke up… 

“Go get some sheets… or what you call that …pads…. Keep her bag ready… ” Buwaji was issuing frantic instructions…  Payal dialed Avinash’s number… 

“Take her to the hospital…” he ordered turning to Anita… At 4:30 in the morning Khushi was taken to the maternity home in an ambulance…. Phone bells rang in the homes of all concerned….! 

“What?” Nani stopped dead at the threshold of the pooja ghar. Mamiji was lighting the lamp….

“Hello Hi… please bless her…” Mamiji had joined her hands … Naniji turned her back teary eyed. 

“Be in touch ok… and update…” Aakash was talking to Payal getting ready to go to Lucknow…! 

..........  ........

 

“Chote..?” Anjali turned to Shondeep trembling….

“It’s ok Anjali… Don’t worry… We all will go… Even A’mma Abba are coming… He said pulling her closer.  Everyone had tried to contact ASR without his whereabouts known…. He was far away in South Delhi calling on Lavanya to join him for the business meeting early morning…

..........  .........

 

“Where is her husband?” Doctor asked and Amma and Buwaji looked at each other….

“He..He is not here….” Payal said looking down.

“Ok… Who is going to sign the papers?” he asked flipping the consent papers.

“I will… I am her sister…” Payal said taking the set of papers from the nurse.  On the table Khushi was groaning with pulsating pains…. 

.............  .........

 

“What the…!” ASR stopped the car with screeching brakes…! Sweat sprang on his forehead… A stray puppy narrowly escaped running over by his car.  He pulled over…wiping the sweat.

“Easy.. easy… take a deep breath…. Breathe… breathe…” he said closing his eyes….

 

Khusiii… wake up…” Her Amma was slapping on her cheeks… Khushi had passed out in pain…

“Nooo… Khusiii… Hi re nandkishore…. Khusii… wake up…” Doctors busied themselves in preparing for the worst…. She was losing fluids ….!

 

“Wake up… Damn it..!” he banged on the steering wheel and Lavanya shuddered… 

“ASR… “ Lavanya held his arm.   He shirked away…. Closing his eyes…! 

“It was just a puppy… ASR…!” she said unable to understand his mental struggle… For her the puppy was just a nobody… even if it was run over by his car…

“Awaaaa…Ammmaaa…..” Khushi screamed her lungs out, four hours into labor pains…!  

..................  .........

 

“Stay here…” He ordered hopping out of the car.

“ASR…!” She called out puzzled.  He had already crossed the road…

 

“Regi…”

“What the hell….. ASR… you took my breath away…” Regi yelled from the other side…

“Go to Lucknow…” ASR ordered and Regi gaped speechlessly…

“Regi…” he again called out…

“No… No, ASR… She needs you, not me…” Regi was out of bounds in rage… But ASR had disconnected.  Regi tried to dial in vain… it was some STD booth from Delhi.

 

“ASR… you could have used my phone…” Lavanya said sweetly seeing him return…

“Shut your mouth up, Lavanya… we are being tailed…” he hissed.

“What? Who?” Lavanya looked horrified… 

“Just stay calm… I will handle it…” he said slamming on the accelerator…

“Who do you think is following us?” Lavanya asked innocently.

“Damn that Krishna Kant…” he said and she looked at him in shock.

“You take the wheel….” He said pulling over again and she came around to drive.

“I will get down at the next circle…” he said.

“No… ASR… we can easily give them a slip…” she said confidently speeding over.

“Do as I say, Damn it!” he barked and she shuddered.  

 

“God! Where is my phone…?” She had pulled over after crossing the circle at Haus Khas when he hopped out on the busy road and merged into the crowd.  

“God..! I must contact him….!” Lavanya was panic.  Her phone was missing… She tried to recollect Krishna Kant’s number… 

........  .........

 

“Damn this ASR…!” Regi muttered angrily.. though worried about Khushi. 

“Annie…?” he looked up at her.

“Yeah.. you should go… “ She said smiling faintly, worry taking over…

“God..! Hope she is alright…” He said and she nodded.

“Don’t worry… She will be alright… and call me with a good news…” She said hugging him lightly and turned to pack his bag….