Opposite Poles..Part 104

Part 104

“What does he think of himself? Laad Governor...!” she questioned and gave the answer herself. 

“No! Mr. Raizada, i will not enter your office again...! I will do anything..but won’t come to you begging..!” she kicked her scooter hard and it roared alive.  She jump started it furiously and raced away with full throttle.  

“How long will you survive, Khushi Kumari Gupta! You will come back to me!” ASR ignited his engine to go to the office post lunch.

“Chalo Khushi... Aaj kaa Kaam Khatam.. Ab Ghar  Jaa Kay  Hisaab  Karanaa Padegaa! Today’s work is over, Khushi! Now go home and write the account of today’s activities..!” Khushi muttered riding on her scooter.  

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“What is it Buwaji? Why are you so upset?” Khushi asked getting suspicious. 

“Have you looked at your father’s condition? What are your plans, Khusii? To see him die every day?”  Buwaji screamed.  

“Shuu, Buwaji... Please.. tell me what happened?” Khushi asked holding her hand.  Payal as usual was standing at a corner and was weeping silently.  

“He couldn’t stop his tears... Sham Babua asked him several times... he just couldn’t express himself..! He just keeps weeping...Khushi... i am warning you for the last time... If you don’t agree, i will have no option...!” Buwaji gave her the ultimatum.  Khushi understood!  She sat there for a while holding her buwaji’s hand and then said.

“Fine, Buwaji... your wish... but what is it that bothers you? I know, my marriage is not the only thing..!” she looked at her buwaji’s drained out face. 

“Khusiii, try and understand!” her Buwaji urged.  Khushi nodded.  “I understand, Buwaji... but tell me what is the other thing that bothers you...!” Khushi knew something was terribly wrong.  Her Buwaji broke into tears...

“Khusii... we will have nowhere to go!  Sham Babua tells me... your fufaaji, uncle, my husband had mortgaged this property, it seems... i didn’t know anything... huh..  If we don’t pay... they will evacuate us... I don’t know..!” she sobbed hard.

“What? How is it possible? Buwaji, the papers are with Babuji... how can Sham ji  see those papers?” she asked in shock.

“I... I.. Don’t know... he .. he... enquired and got the extract from the city survey office....!  He.. he said the ... the  house...huh  ... !” She broke into tears.  Khushi clenched her fists.

“Buwaji.. stop crying... stop it Buwaji..! But why did sham ji have to see the records?” she asked cupping buwaji’s face.

“Umm... I .. I wanted to raise some money on this house, Khushi... He .. offered to help me..!” Buwaji looked at Khushi hopefully.  Khushi looked aghast.

“Khusiii, listen to me... he has promised me to pull us out of this... he has promised me to get the house released... khusiii... marry him and all our problems will be solved..!” she urged.

“Did he say that? “ Khushi asked piercingly.

“No... he never said it... he is so considerate... but Khusii... we should do something for him too... he is doing all these things for us.. Khushi.. NandKishore has sent him for us..! He is such a nice person, Khushi... and he loves you...!” Khushi went into shock.

“What? Did he say that?” she asked again.

“Why does one has to say it? I can make out... he cares for you so much....! Khushi... you will not get a better person than Sham Babua!  Maan  Jao  Khushi...!” Buwaji held her shoulders.. Khushi remembered her dream.. where her laad govener was carrying his bride.  She shuddered.

“Khushi  you have already lost your parents... don’t put your babuji at stake, Khushi... if sham Babua stops helping us, our life will be miserable...!” Buwaji couldn’t stop her tears..! Khushi gaped at her.  The situation was going out of control.  She thought for a while..

“Buwaji, stop crying.. when did i say No? He is really a nice person... Anybody would happily marry him... me too, Buwaji... stop crying..!” Her Buwaji looked up at her in disbelief.  Khushi held her hand tightly and said...

“Yes, Buwaji.. i.. i really will be lucky to get husband like him...!” she said to buwaji’s relief.  Buwaji smiled broadly.

“NandKishore... Titaliya... you do not know, how happy I am!  NandKishore... Payaliya go and light the lamp before Devi Mayya... get some sweets...!” Buwaji bustled in happiness.  Khushi held her hand.

“Buwaji.. i will light the lamp...!” Khushi said with fake enthusiasm.  Buwaji nodded happily. 

Khushi went in and lighted the lamp.  She joined her hands and closed her eyes praying her Devi Mayya...

“Raksha Karana! Please.. please...... please help me...!I know Devi Mayya... I have no other option... Please forgive me! You know everything... Hain  Naa,  Devi Mayya?  I know, you are always there for me...! I leave it to you, Devi Mayya... I know, whatever you will do will be for my good!  I am sure you will guide me!” she looked at the idol with tearful eyes and then wiping off her tears smiled broadly.

“Humm... so this is it.  Buwaji is happy, the house is happy, my devi mayya is happy and Khushi is also happy!” she stuck out her tongue to her devi mayya and ran out to enjoy the sweets.

“Ayii Khusii... come here!” Buwaji pulled her gave her a bear hug.  “Buwaji let me live at least  until my marriage... you will kill me with your hug!” Khushi pushed away her Buwaji with mock anger and Buwaji smiled broadly.  Payal looked at all this drama with gaping mouth.

*********   ********  *******

“Khushi... what was all that drama?” Payal had dragged her in the room and had closed the door securely.

“What Jiji?” asked Khushi.

“Khushi, are you sure about this? Do you really want to marry Sham ji?” Payal asked looking at her piercingly.  Khushi looked away for a fleeting second and said smiling..

“Haan Jiji... Sham ji really is a nice person..!” she clenched her fists behind.  

“Khushi...!” Payal was serious. 

“Haan Jiji.. I know what I am doing Jiji..!” Khushi said looking straight into Payal’s eyes. 

“Tomorrow, I will go out with sham ji and discuss about our marriage..!” Khushi said resolutely.

“But now, I want to go to the Mandir..!” She said getting ready.

“I will come with you!” said payal and Khushi refused.  “No jiji... you be here with babuji.  I will go but before that I will have to make Prashad for Devi Mayya...!” she said entering the kitchen to prepare Halwa.  Payal smiled.

Buwaji was talking over the phone excitedly.  Khushi knew who was she talking to.  Everything was settled.  Peace was restored.  No one knew the storm brewing up in Khushi’s mind.  Her Devi Mayya would know soon.

*********   **********   ********

She was in the Mandir offering Prashad to her Devi Mayya.  She prayed and sat there in the Mantap resting her back on the pillar.  She wanted some time alone.  Away from everyone. 

“Promise me ... you will not sacrifice your happiness...!” she remembered her babuji’s words.  A faint sob left her.

“But Babuji.. how can i be happy when you all are not? I will do anything for my family.  I will even sacrifice my happiness!” she was determined.  She sat there wrapping her arms around he knees.

“Devi Mayya.. I know, Sham ji is a very nice person... but then... why do I feel like running away from him? I don’t know, what it is.. but i always hear my kutteji whenever he is around!” She didn’t know what it was.  She shuddered remembering Sham’s first encounter with her Kuttji.  He had never allowed Sham in her house.  And then she had to come to Delhi and someone killed her Kutteji.  She looked up at Devi Mayya with tears rolling down her cheeks missing her Kutteji.

“Why do you have to call him to you, Devi Mayya? I would have asked him the reason.  My Kutte ji had never done that to any person.  Why was he so angry with Sham ji?” she didn’t have any answer.

“Now you tell me the answer!” she told her Devi Mayya sulkily closing her eyes as if listening to her Devi Mayya.  She again heard her Kutte ji growling and opened her eyes. 

“Again?” she looked around.  Pandit ji was carrying Aarti Thali.  She rummaged in her bag for coins to put in Thali.  And a paper fell from her bag.  She put a coin and bending down picked up the paper.  It was the pharmacy list of the hospital.

“He didn’t know about this pharmacy payment... How come?  When he paid all the bills, how come, he didn’t know about it? There is something fishy, Khushi! You have to find out...!” She thought to herself.

She was in the hospital at the pharmacy counter.  She showed the bill and asked “Can you tell me, who paid for this?” The boy searched in the computer and said.

“it was paid from the RMO’s office!” she had to go to RMO now.

“Sir, I am sorry.. but can you tell me who paid the bill?” she asked RMO’s assistant. 

“Sorry Madam.. we can’t disclose the information!” she hit a dead end. 

She came back home forgetting to collect her final cheque from the office.

*********  **********

“Khushi ji..!” Sham was there at the drop of the hat.

“Where were you?” he asked.  He was waiting for her and as she entered he got up from his seat.  Khushi winced.  The growl in her stomach told her that she was hungry.

“Sham ji...!” She looked down not knowing what to speak.   He came forward.

“I would have come with you to the Mandir!” he said smiling at her.

“I didn’t know you were coming home, sham ji! You told you will be out of station..!” she pointed out.  He was caught on wrong foot.

“Oh! I returned just now!” he had explanation.  “Ok!” she said and turning to Payal said.

“Jiji, bhookh lagi hain!” Buwaji had a broad smile.  “Yeah pet hain yah nalaka? If this your tummy or a pipe..? Buwaji slapped her fondly and she smiled blushing.  

“Pata hain, Jiji? I met that RMO in the Mandir.  I Had met him during babuji’s hospitalization..!” she started off and turning to Sham asked..”What is his name, Sham ji? He is a nice person...! I don’t know his name!” She looked at Sham and he was blank.  He didn’t know who she was talking about.

“You didn’t meet him?” she asked.

“No!” came an answer and Khushi’s doubt confirmed.

“So he didn’t visit RMO’s office.  Then how did he pay the bill?” she was confused.

Payal had laid the table.  Sham sat next to her.  Amma was feeding Babuji and Khushi glanced at Sham.  He looked particularly happy.  

“Umm.. Sham ji, can you take out some time, tomorrow? I mean .. I was thinking..!” she made the move and sham’s heart took a somersault.

“Yeah.. sure.. when?” he asked.

“May be in the morning?” she looked at him smiling and he held her hand in excitement.  She looked down withdrawing her hand.

********  *****  *******

He waited for her in the office.  He knew, she would come to collect the cheque.  She didn’t turn up to his annoyance.  He paced restlessly clenching his fists. He did nothing but waited for her desperately. 

“I know you will come, Khushi Kumari Gupta!” he blurted.  There was no trace of her till late in the evening.  “Damn it!” he banged his fist in frustration.

“Umm Bhai.. I am going!” Aakash was in his cabin.  He nodded. 

“You..?” he asked.  “I will finish some work and come.  I have a meeting now!” ASR said.  Aakash went out.  ASR picked up his car keys.

He was Dhingra’s office for a meeting in Laxmi Nagar.  He parked the car in parking lot and were about to climb upto the elevator.  He turned abruptly looking at the car parked next to his.

“Jijaji?” he was surprised.  “What is he doing here? Di said he is in Chandighar,, I know, he took the car...! What is his car doing here?” he shrugged and entered the elevator.

It took him two hours to close the meeting and he was in the parking lot.  The car next had disappeared.  “So Jijaji was here!” he concluded.  

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