Opposite Poles..Part 108

Part 108

“Jiji, tomorrow I will earn Six hundred rupees for Five KG of Jilebees..!” Khushi said smiling broadly hiding her disappointment. 

“Pagal Khushi! How much will be your profit? You have used all the material from home...!” Payal pointed out and Khushi’s face shadowed with worry.

“How do I calculate, Jiji? How much would I earn?” Khushi asked her Jiji.

“Hmm...!” her Jiji, took her notebook and wrote all the expenses Khushi had incurred! 

“Khushi, Not more than two hundred...! I deducted all your expenses...!” Payal said gravely.

“Hmm, Jiji... and in the market, they sell at 200 and I am giving them at 120... The shop keeper is making more money...!” Khushi frowned.

“Jiji, Uss Rakshas Nay  Kya Kiyaa  Hogaa, Itana Paisaa Kamaanay  Kay  Liye? What he must have done, jiji.. to earn so much?” Khushi lost in her thoughts.  Jiji had no answer.

“May be he too might have started small like us..!” Her jiji was reasonable.

“Humm... so, you think it’s a good start!” Khushi looked at her Jiji.

“I think so..! Let us keep trying, Khushi...Tomorrow you visit few more shops ...!” said Payal to console Khushi.  She knew, it wasn’t a good start at all.  But Khushi looked satisfied with her Jiji’s reasoning.

“Ignorance is bliss..!” Thought Payal gravely. 

“One day, I will also be rich like him... then he won’t taunt me for being poor...!” Khushi said dreamily.

“Khushi.. Don’t compare yourself with him... He is born rich..!” Payal brought her down on earth.

“Humm....!” Khushi kept her notebook in the cupboard.

********  **********  ******

“Huh, Making jilebees...! I am sure... this is not going to work..! One bad delivery... and puff... goes the business for a toss..!” Arnav smirked. 

“You will come to me, begging.. Ms Khushi Kumari Gupta..! You have no other option..!” he turned on his bed to switch off the lights.

“Chote..!” Nani was knocking the  door.  He opened the door and looked at her questioningly.

“I need to talk to you, Chote!” she said with determination.  She knew he will try to avoid.

“Not now, Nani..!” He was frustrated.  “It’s now or never, Chote!” she said stepping inside.  He was left with no option.

“Chote...!” Nani started off.  He looked on.

“How long are you going to keep her hanging..?” Nani asked sternly.

“You were the one to say NO to her..!” Arnav drew his sword.

“I said No to this kind of weird relationship, Chote..! Think about it!” She looked at him in hope.

“Think about it? Nani, you know I don’t believe in marriage..!” he said firmly.

“Don’t go to the extreme, Chote... What happened was not your fathers’ fault...!” she said seriously.

“Not my father’s fault? Is it Nani? He ruined our lives!” he clenched his fists in anger pacing the room.

“Chote, I still believe he was not what you all think about him..!” Nani said getting up.

“You are saying this Nani? After knowing what he did to us?” Arnav stopped trembling in rage.

“Yes Chote... I still believe, he was the victim of a bigger conspiracy...! He loved your mother more than his life..! I know that... They both went against the world to be with each other..!” Nani said seriously.

“What do you know, Nani? I have suffered the ordeal... you came after her death...!” Arnav chocked as the gunshot echoed in his head. 

“No! I can’t,,!” he turned his face to hide his emotions.

“But Chote.. Why?” Nani asked in anguish.  She wanted her grandson to settle down in his life, forgetting his dreaded past.

“Because, it has no meaning... ! What happened to their marriage, Nani?” he yelled.  Nani shuddered.

“This is all worthless! What matters is only money, muscle and mind power! You can get anything you want...! And I have all three..!” he said with a glint.

“But what about peace, Chote? Are you happy? Ask your so called Mind power, Chote!” Nani pinpointed his weak point.  He clenched his fists and looking straight into her eyes said in a firm voice.

“Yes Nani, I am happy the way I am!” Nani shook her head hopelessly. 

“Chote, but what about her?” she asked.  “She knows Nani and if she wants, she can go! I don’t care.. There is no place for this so called Hippocratic word ..Love, in my life.  This is all bullshit! There is no selflessness in this world...!” He said piercingly. 

“Don’t always look at the darker side, Chote.. There are good people in this world!” Nani knew she was losing the battle of words..

“Are there? Really? I found none! I have not seen them Nani... What I have seen and experienced is the darker side of people... I can’t help it Nani..!” He sat on the bed with a thud.  This conversation had opened his long buried wound.. His heart bleeding ... he got up tormented.  Nani looked at her grandson with tearful eyes.  His pain reflected in her heart, she got up to hold him.  He stepped back.

“No Nani! I am fine.” He turned and opened the door.  She understood and went out. He came back and switched off the lights again.   He loved his darkness..! He felt secure! He was safe in his dark world.. Happiness and enjoyment had no place in his world...!

******   ********   *********

“Jiji, Why didn’t you wake me up?” Khushi yelled.

“You need sleep, Khushi..!” Payal said.  “And nothing will go wrong... the Jilebees are ready, packed in container... take them and go!” Payal smiled.  Khushi ran to the bathroom.  She kick started her vehicle and was on the streets.  She frowned at her fate, somehow managed to deliver the container.  She counted the money before accepting. 

“Two hundred i earned...!” she was lost in her thoughts and heard the traffic police whistle frantically.  She looked back slowing down and took a sigh of relief.  It was not for her.  She dodged the oncoming traffic to reach Raizada House in time.  Now a days she ran on the edge of a time bound schedule.  She would spend two hours in Raizada House as before and run back home to help her Jiji and Amma.  In the afternoon take home tuitions and evenings visit various shops to ask for orders for Jilebees and Payal’s hand embroidery work.  She had a very little success so far but had not given up.  She was trying her best...! But somewhere, she was losing it.  She had to try something different, to differentiate her jilebees from others.  She had no idea what she was going to do.  Luckily Buwaji’s steam engine was quiet.  Sham had not visited for quite a few days.  Payal was keeping a tight control over the costs. 

“Di, I am going.  May not come for the lunch.  I have an important meeting ...!” he got up from the chair picking up his coat and leaving  half drunk tea in the cup.  He walked towards his SUV. 

She dodged an oncoming vehicle and shouted at the rash driving, using her legs to stop her scooter in time from colliding.  She took a turn and entered the Raizada compound and to add fuel to her burning fate, she saw his vehicle parked just inside the gates and before she could do anything collided head on. 

“Awaaa... She fell down with a crashing deafening sound and ASR came running.  He saw her on the ground with her vehicle falling on the other side.  He helped her get up.

“Khushi..! Are you ok?” he asked with genuine concern.  She had already got up and was brushing the dust from her dress.  He saw that she was not hurt much, blew his top in rage.

“Can’t you see? Brake  Nahi  Lagaa  Sakti..” He came on to her like a wild animal.  She winced blurting..

“Haan.. brakes are not working since morning..!” she tried to lift the vehicle from the ground.  He gaped in shock.

“Brakes are not working? How did you come, then?” He asked for explanation.  She was busy struggling to lift the heavy scooter.  “Huh... Huh... Th  Th... the brakes are not working,  but my heels are!” she said frowning.

“What?” he didn’t understand.

“I stop the vehicle with my heel power..!” she said pointing at her legs angrily.  She tried to steady the vehicle and in the process lost her balance. She fell upon the vehicle again and he ran forward to pull her up.

“Careful!” he pulled her up and lifted her vehicle.  She surveyed it and clutched her head in dismay. 

“Hey Devi Mayya.. look at my vehicle.. Mud guard is smashed, the headlight is dangling...! Oh God, what am I going to do?” the next moment she was over the edge in rage.

“Why did you park your car here? Its all because of you..!” she accused and he came on to her.  Grabbing her shoulders he yelled.

“This is my property and I can park anywhere, understand?” she was frightened.  He left her and looked at the SUV.

“What the hell! Look at the damage ...!” There was a big dent on the bonnet, the number plate was twisted, head light cover smashed...!

“Do you have any idea, how much damage you caused to my vehicle?” he grabbed her and shook her vigorously.  “Awaaa... Ssss... it hurts!” she struggled holding her right arm and he saw the deep bruises  on her elbow. 

“You are hurt!” he held her arm gently and turned her to see the wound.  She jerked away.

“This is nothing.. look at the damage to my scooter..!” she pointed at the vehicle and clutched her head again.

“Hey Devi Mayya! Aaj  Kaa  Din  Hi  Kharab  Hai! It’s not my day today..!” she picked up her bag from the ground. 

“Whenever you meet me, Mr. Raizada, something goes wrong... always!” she frowned angrily.

“Excuse me! Who is going to make good for this damage?” he pointed at his vehicle and she turned her back.

“Send your car to Happy ji’s garage and i will get it repaired..!” she said throwing her nose in the air. 

“Oh yeah? And who is going to pay for the repairs? You? How much do you earn Ms Gupta?” he asked disdainfully.

“Two h...!” she stopped.  “Two hundred a day?” he asked contemptuously.

“That’s none of your business Mr. Raizada..I will manage!” she turned angrily to face him.  He kept gaping at her furious face.  “Itanaa  Ghamand?” his expressions changed from surprise to hatred.

“Alright... pay for the damages..!” he said following her into the house.

“Aray, Chote? Why are you back?” asked Anjali looking at both of them..

“Umm... huh... forgot something..!” he said looking at Khushi angrily.  Khushi still furious.. sat on the chair and drank the cold tea from the cup, inadvertently.  “Yowk.. she contorted her face spitting, sticking out her tongue..!” 

“Chamakili, you drank ASR’s tea.  He had left it!” Lavanya pointed out.  And Khushi retorted back.

“Yeah.. that’s why it was so bad in taste..!” she said loudly and he took a step forward in rage. “Like him..” she muttered and Anjali burst out in laughter.

“Yeah.. you are right Khushi, tasteless.... like him!” she giggled and others joined her.  Khushi felt embarrassed glancing at his enraged face.

“Shut up!” he said and went to his room.