Opposite Poles..Part 42

Part 42

They drove silently.  He focused on the street ahead.  It was dark everywhere.  No Street lights, no illuminated shops, no oncoming vehicles.  She felt they both were sucked in a black hole.  She did not know where he was taking her.  But she didn’t bother.  She kept glancing at his side profile.  He had a frown on his face, a deep furrow on his forehead.  She winced in fright.  Anytime, the volcano would erupt.  She inadvertently wrapped her arms around her chest.  He didn’t care.  He drove on.  

“Where are we going?” she couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“Home!” came a monosyllabic answer.

“Home? … but this is not the road to my home..!” she was utterly shocked.

“My home!” came a curt reply.

“Wa… what?” she couldn’t comprehend.  He didn’t bother to elaborate.  She became restless.  

They came to a huge house.  He stopped the car in the porch.   He looked at her.  She fidgeted.  He opened the car door and hopped out.  She didn’t know what to do.  He didn’t bother to come around and open the door for her.  She was nervous.

“Do you require an invitation to get down?” he asked her in rage.  She opened the door, got down and closed the door.  He didn’t even wait for her to come along and marched ahead climbing the stairs… She could hardly keep up the pace. 

He pushed open the door with a jerk and barged in.  She ran behind and froze looking at the grandeur of the house.  It looked  like an ultra modern house with a huge and long hallway.  She didn’t know what to do.  He was marching ahead, thinking  “At last brought her to safety!”

 She stopped.  A tall woman came out little limping.  She recognized her at once. 

“Anjali ji?” Khushi took a sigh of relief.  Anjali looked shocked to see Khushi with her younger brother. 

“Chote? What happened? You two collided again?”  she couldn’t comprehend.  Few more walked out from the interior of the house.  Khushi gaped at them with her mouth open.  ASR had already started climbing stairs.

“Wait Chote! Who is this girl?” asked an elderly lady sternly.  Khushi looked up at her Sir.  He didn’t bother to answer and continued climbing.

“Aree… Nani, yeh toh Khushi Hai!” answered Anjali excitedly. 

“Why is she with chote?” Nani glanced at her devastated condition.  Khushi tried to hide herself shying. 

“She will stay here for the night!” came a voice from upstairs. 

“Hello hi bye bye, Arnav Bitwa, YEH KOODA KAHA SAY UTHAA KAR LEY AYIHO? HAAIN? “  “From where did you pick up this refuse-bin?” came a shrill question and Khushi looked at Mami, shocked. 

“Manorama..!” came a stern reprimand from Nani.  Anjali came forward.  “Aree, Khushi come!” she welcomed her in.  Khushi walked in with Anjali.  Someone came down from other side and Khushi looked up.

“Aakash Sir?” she got another shock.  Aakash too looked at her shocked. 

“Do you know each other?” asked Anjali in surprise.

“umm… She works in our office..!” he said mildly smiling at Khushi.  Khushi felt better.

“Umm .. Ms Gupta, .. She is my Dadi, grandmother, she is my mom, he is dad and she is my Di..!” he introduced everyone in one sentence.  Khushi hardly had time to greet them properly.  She just joined her hands.  "NAMASTE! Hello!"

There was an awkward silence.  Khushi fidgeted.  “YEH RAKSHAS KAHAN GAYA? Where did this monster vanish?” she wondered. 

“Come!” Anjali took her to the sitting area.  She sat on the edge of the sofa.  The servant brought water.  She drank water like a thirsty person in the desert.  Nani had a faint smile on her face.  She was looking at this fair girl curiously.  It had started raining heavily outside.  Khushi locked her fingers on her laps, kept looking down at the floor.  

“Ram Prakash, INKE LIYE DOODH LEAAIYE!  Get a glass of hot milk for her!” ordered Nani.  Khushi looked up.  Actually she was hungry.  She was not sure about her food arrangement.  She looked around in the house.  The house was huge.  The contour of the ground was kept intact and the house was built on levels.  There were smaller flights of stairs everywhere.  It looked like a maze to her.  She couldn’t gauge the area of the house.  She could only see sets of stairs, passageways, a huge long kitchen, a dining area with an enormous table and chairs around.   Wherever she looked she was startled with the greenery.  She could see the tastefully nourished plants everywhere.  She felt better.  She smiled at Anjali and she returned it with a grin.  

“Ram Prakash, keep the guest room ready for her!” came a rude voice and she looked back.  He was descending the stairs in a sweater and a pair of trousers.  “He looks human, not a complete monster!” she thought gaping at him.  She had to hide her smile with her own thought.  She had finished the milk.  He picked up his glass.

“Go and have some rest!” he ordered her.  “Alone?” she blurted and Anjali burst in laughter.  He looked at her angrily.  She was frightened.  She had never slept alone.  Nani understood.  “NAHI… she will sleep in my room!” she solved Khushi’s problem.  Khushi gave her a broad smile looking relieved.  Nani looked at her fondly. 

“No need Nani!” Arnav tried in vain.  It was already decided.  “Go!” he ordered her.

“Wait, Chote! Let her have dinner with us!” Anjali said with mock anger.  He went ahead and sat on the chair at the table.  Ram Prakash had already started laying the table.  Khushi walked upto the table with the family.  

“Bhai… “ Aakash started off with a question mark on his face.

“Yeah! Aakash, I rescued her!” he said with deep pride.

“Devi Mayya..!” She muttered putting her head down.  He glared at her. 

“Thank god! Was she caught in the riots?” asked Anjali getting scared.  He did not answer. 

“Haan Anjali ji!” Khushi said. 

“How?” she asked in a worried tone. 

“It was an eventful day…! “ Khushi opened her mouth excitedly to narrate her adventure.

“Shut up!” came an order and she shut her mouth only to open to stuff the food in.  Nani kept glancing at their furious faces and glaring at each other. 

They had gathered in the sitting area after dinner.  Khushi was in a much better condition after sumptuous dinner.  Anjali’s phone rang.

“Hello AAP KAHAN HAI? Where are you?” she asked concerned.

“I told you, Raani Saaheba.. I am stuck up.  Don’t worry, I am safe!” came a voice from other side.

“Stay out of trouble..!” she told him with tearful eyes.  “Yes Raani Saheba!”   He disconnected the phone.

“Khushi, tell us what happened? CHOTE TO KEHENE SE RAHE! Chote won't tell us anything...!” asked Anjali ready to listen to an adventurous story of Khushi and her Chote!  Khushi glanced nervously at him.  He got up to go and started climbing the stairs.  Khushi felt relaxed.

“Take only 25% of what she says… she has a habit of exaggerating…!” came a rude voice and she flared up.

“I never exaggerate…! You suppress the facts…!” she retorted back and others got the hint of fireworks…! 

 

********   *********   ******

“Don’t worry, Buwaji! Nothing will happen.  I am here with you!” Sham had prepared the tea and had brought in for Buwaji and Payal.  

“Its good that you suggested us to inform babuji!” Payal was grateful.

“Yeah! They better stay at Lucknow during this period of unrest!” he said thoughtfully.

“NandKishore…! I don’t know what we would have done..! Babua, you came  angelic to our help!” Buwaji said holding sham’s hand.  Sham gave a modest smile.  They all felt relaxed when Khushi called up.  Buwaji could breathe without her inhaler.  When the riots broke out and they got a call from Khushi’s office, she collapsed with her asthma attack.  Payal had a hard time putting her back on the bed.  Sham was inside.  When he came out he ran forward and helped Payal.  He consoled both of them.  Then remembered that Payal’s parents were scheduled to leave Lucknow. 

He reminded Payal and suggested that they postpone their journey.  Payal called up Babuji to narrate the situation.  They had cancelled their Journey. 

All three of them sat speechless worrying about Khushi.  There was no question of going out and searching for her.  Buwaji blabbered relentlessly cursing Khushi for her behavior.   “YES SANAKADEVI, EK DIN MERI JAAN LAI KAR HI CHODEGI… APANE MAA BAAP KO TOH KHAA GAYI.. AB MAIN BACHI HOON, NANDKISHORE…!” “This dame will give me a heart attack one day.  She already have caused her parents death… now I am waiting for the day!” she was all frustrated and worried about Khushi. 

  She started Jaap and prayed her NandKishore.  

Late in the evening, Khushi called to inform that she was with her sir.  No one knew who that sir was.

“Buwaji, you should have given the phone to me! I would have talked to her”  Sham said.  He couldn’t comprehend Khushi’s situation.  He did not know whom was she with.  He was worried about her.  He knew the morning incidence and had made all the arrangements to compel her to stay at home.  The appearance of police at buwaji’s doors would have done everything.  But the riots broke out and there was no question of police intervening in such a trivial matter of a hit and run case.  His plan had fizzled out.

Payal and Buwaji felt safe with Sham.  And Khushi felt better in Raizada House, sleeping in Nani’s room!

*****  ********

“Khushi bitiya, where are you from?” asked Nani while Khushi was getting ready to sleep.

“Lucknow!” she said with pride.

“Aree! Even I am from Lucknow!” Nani exclaimed.  Khushi sat up in the bed with excitement.  And then there was no stopping …! They talked the whole night.  They didn’t even realize when Khushi climbed Nani’s bed and was comfortably resting her head on Nani’s pillow. 

“You know? AAJ PEHELI BAAR CHOTE KISI LADAKI KO GHAR LEY AAYAA HAIN! For the first time chote came with a girl! ” Nani said seriously.

“Kya? LAVANYAJI NAHI AAI, GHAR? What? Lavanya ji didn’t come?” Khushi asked bewildered.  Nani was shocked.   Khushi was all set to create havoc!