Opposite Poles..Part 44

Part 44

“Humm.. take into account the purpose…!” she repeated ASR’s words as if reminding herself. 

“Ok! This is for entering real estate and development business in Lucknow…!” she spoke to herself. 

“Humm…!” she stroked her chin pretending to be deep in thoughts.  Anjali walked in and stood there gazing at Khushi.  Khushi had stuck out her tongue and was doing something on the laptop.  Anjali couldn’t stop her laughter.  Khushi looked up startled.

“What are you doing, Khushi?” Anjali asked.

“Work!” Khushi said seriously.  “Khushi, you are such a sweet girl!” Anjali cupped her face smiling broadly.  “It’s a delight having you around!” she said .

“You have only one hour to complete the task!” he was rude enough to make Khushi shudder.

“Ye..Yes Sir!” she buried herself in the work. 

“hmm construction… in Lucknow.. City of monuments… keep the structural beauty intact…!” she blabbered while modifying the power point.  She searched images on the net… kept some of the very old architectural monuments as watermark in the background and modified the presentation.

“Ho gaya! Keep the purpose in mind…!” she said grinning.  “Well done, Khushi!” she patter her back, looking at the time.

“Whatever it is, this Monster has taught me to finish the work in time..!” she thought. 

She had a final look at the presentation.  “So this is how we have to prepare the presentation!” she said loudly.  

“This monster is really good at it!” she complemented and waited for ASR to come down and collect the Laptop.  Now she was ready to go to the kitchen.  Smile appeared on her face with the thought of food.

“Khushi Bitiya, can you go and give this to Chote?” asked Nani, holding out a tablet strip and glass of water.  Khushi nodded and got up.  

“Hmm, Khushi be ready to enter the Lion’s den!” she muttered and entered in his room.  His laptop was on but he was nowhere to be seen.  She took a sigh of relief and went inside.  Kept the strip and water glass on the table and turned to leave.   She saw the flashing blue water in the pool and couldn’t stop herself from going there.

“How beautiful!!”  She looked up the noon sun was shining overhead and reflected golden rays in the water.  She couldn’t resist splashing water from the pool.  The surrounding rose with golden rays…!  She smiled forgetting everything.  She took a round trip of the pool looking at her own distorted reflection. 

She heard footsteps.  “Hey Devi Mayya, that Monster …! What do I do now? He has asked me not to come here!” she was panic.  She saw the tree trunk, dashed towards it to hide herself, was pulled back, gave a tug to free herself and…

Two three earthen pots came crashing down from the stand spreading mud everywhere, her pallu stuck in the cactus thorny plant and tore making a big hole, she fell down on the ground banging her head on the tree trunk and bounced backwards, breaking the glass top of the table toppling it on the floor!  She screamed in pain and fright.  Someone lifted her and helped her stand on her feet.

“Sorry!” finally she gathered courage to open her eyes with the torn pallu in her hand.  She knew who it was.  He stood before her with red face in rage.

“How dare you! My sister’s saree….!” He was enraged.  He came on to her grabbing her shoulders.  She winced in fright. 

“woh…. I tripped… fell down…!” she started off weakly.

“To hell with your explanation..!!” he yelled at the top of the voice.

“Chote..?” Anjali entered the arena.   Khushi freed herself from his grip and came running to Anjali.

“woh… Sorry… I fell down!” she held the torn pallu infront of her face.

“Hello hi, bye bye! Phati saari ka phata naseeb!” yelled Mami.  Khushi hid behind Anjali to save herself from the insult party.  Both Arnav and Mami were furious. 

“Its ok, Khushi!.. Chote will gift me another one!” she said broadly smiling at her brother.

“I…I will pay…!” she knew she made a big mistake and, before she would finish her sentence, he yelled..

“You will pay? Will you? Do you even know the cost of this designer saree?” he came on to her.  Anjali stepped in between.

“Stop it Chote!” she held his hand.  Khushi ran out of his reach. 

“Why did you give it to her?” he asked looking at Khushi with hatred.  Khushi stood there trembling in fright.

“Chote, its ok!” Anjali left chote and came back to Khushi.

“Come Khushi, let us go!” she said holding Khushi’s hand. 

“PHATI SADI KA PHATA NASEEB! Hello hi bye bye!” Mami blurted. 

“That’s why I tell everyone, you should not bring this refuse-bin in the house! Hello hi bye bye!” Mami said loudly.

“JAAI KE USE PHEK AAO, Arnav Bitwa!” Mami went away.  Khushi felt miserable.  She came back with Anjali. 

“woh.. Anjali, I will go and clean it up!” She turned back. 

“No Khushi, someone will do it. Don’t worry!” said Anjali smiling at her. 

“Come, I will give you another saree!” she said kindly.   “No!” Khushi shrunk. 

“No! This is ok!” She gathered her pallu wrapped it around her waist and tucked it.  Anjali smiled.

“Umm, Anjali ji.. I am sorry! “ she said miserably.

“I don’t know why! But Devi Mayya plays games with me, always! She always puts me in trouble and enjoys, sitting up there!”  Khushi had tears in her eyes.  She was annoyed with her Devi mayya!  Anjali had a hearty laugh and said. “Forget it Khushi!”

“I want to go home!” she said in anguish.  Anjali felt bad for her.  “Poor girl! “ She thought.  She could make out what kind of torture she must be going through, working with ASR!”

“Khushi, don’t worry!” she tried to assure her.  “Why does he behave like this with this innocent girl?’ she wondered. 

*******  *******

“Laptop?” came a stern question and Khushi again winced.  She bent to pick the laptop up but thought otherwise.  She pointed her finger at it and said.  “Done!” he looked at her angrily.

“Please Sir, You take it!.. I cannot take the risk of lifting it!  What if it falls down from my hands?” she looked up.  His expression softened.  Khushi felt relieved.  She took a sigh of relief holding her hand on her chest.  He couldn’t take his eyes off her face and dropped the laptop on the floor.

She gaped at the laptop in shock and said “I didn’t do anything!” raising her hands.  He bent down and picked it up and left without a word.  

“How dare you drop the laptop, Khushi Kumari Gupta!” she mimicked him sitting on a sofa with a thud.

**********   ******

“Khushi bitiya, AATI REHENAA!”Nani hugged her lightly.  Khushi touched her feet.  She said Namaste to everyone and left with Aakash. 

Curfew was lifted in the afternoon for some time and Aakash decided to drop her  home. 

Arnav was having a closed door meeting with himself.  He didn’t even bother to come down while she was going.  

“No! This is not done! I cannot lose my focus!” Arnav was gazing at the broken earthen pots and the uprooted plants scattered all over the pool side.  

“I am not surmountable…! No one can influence me… not even Khushi!” he stopped at this thought.

“Khushi?” he was shocked with his own thought. 

“Why am I thinking about her?” he wouldn’t know!  “No! I am invincible…!”  he uttered clenching his fists.  “No one can influence Arnav Singh Raizada!” he blurted.

“Ram Prakash..!” he yelled.  “Clean this mess up!” he went out of his room.  

******   ********   *******

“Jiji!” Khushi ran into her embrace. 

“Khushi, thank god, you are safe!” Payal said smiling with tearful eyes.

“Aree, Sanaka Devi, tanik gale to milo!” buwaji pulled her into embrace.  Aakash stood at the door with moist eyes.

“Aap?” payal was surprised.  Khushi looked at both of them.

“Do you know each other?” she asked shocked.  They both nodded.

“Arre Sanaka Devi, he is the one who gave that big order!” buwaji disclosed.  Khushi looked at Aakash with gratitude.

“You are so nice… !” she swallowed hard.  He knew what she wanted to convey.

“He is not that bad..!” he thought.  He knew who she was hinting at.

“Please come, Aakash Sir!” Payal called him in politely. 

“I am not sir!” he said smiling at her.  She blushed.  Khushi had gone inside to prepare tea.

“Arre Sham babua, Tanik Baahar to aao!” called out buwaji.

Sham had already vanished from the scene when he saw Khushi getting down from Aakash’s car! 

“He he not there, buwaji!” Khushi shouted from inside.  “Don’t know where did he go!” blurted buwaji.

“Ok. I take your leave!” said Aakash getting up after having tea.

“Thank you very much…!” Payal was up to the door to see him off.  He looked at her and nodded.

“I didn’t do anything… Bhai saved her!” he said in a softer tone reserved for his payal ji.  

********   ***********

“From where did this Aakash come?” Sham was furious.  All his plans were flopped.  The more he tried to keep the sisters away from Raizadas, more they got entangled with them.

“This is not done! I have to send them back.   I must do something so big….!” he clenched his fists in frustration.  

“If she had been to Raizada House…!” he couldn’t comprehend.  “I must find out!” he turned and walked towards buwaji’s house.  

********   *********  *****

“Garima ji… something is terribly wrong..!” Babuji was lost in thoughts.

“First, that TV footage… then my shop was vandalized, then that person came for help.. these girls had to go to Delhi… Khushi is framed in the theft case… and now has to work with the same person who ruined her life… This house will go from our possession anytime…! This is not a good sign.  We are in deep trouble…!” he blurted his worries.  Garima had no answer.

“Devi mayya is there to protect her!” she kept her faith above everything.  He looked at her.

“Devi Mayya! What is she going to do?” he asked her losing faith. 

“She will! She will definitely save her.  She did once and sent you to her, when she lost her parents…!” she said holding his hand.  He looked down.

“I don’t know!” he sighed.  “Lets call them back…!” she said hopefully.  He looked at her defeated. 

“I cannot do anything, when my children are in distress…!” he was helpless.

“We will call them back!” she repeated.  He shook his head.