Opposite Poles..Part 126

Part 126

Khushi came out of his room running..! She didn’t know where to go! She didn’t want to go to that crowd... “Devi Mayya!” she dashed to the Mandir in Raizada house.  Her devi mayya was smiling at her.  Khushi sat there looking at the bright, smiling face of her devi mayya. 

“What was that? He... he was so different... ! I... I don’t understand... why am I so drawn towards him.... why... why did he do that? I...I tend to lose my senses in his presence.... and now... he .. he tried to kiss me.... why?” she had no answer. She gazed at Devi mayya.  She touched her lips with her finger.. feeling the brush of his lips before she could turn her face....! She flushed with unknown feeling...! 

“Chamakili... what are you doing here?” Lavanya was standing before her.  She got up struggling.

“No.. I was just... putting oil in the lamps..!” she said looking at the lit lamps around her Devi mayya.

“What are you doing there, Lavanya ji?” she asked back.  “Oh! I came in search of ASR!” she said looking around which brought back  Khushi in this world.  “Chamakili, if he comes here, tell him to meet Nani ji..!” Lavanya said moving out of the scene.

“Chal Khushi, Understood? There is nothing...! Stop dreaming, Khushi! You are here to train Lavanya! Do your job and go home, Khushi... you silly girl..!” she slapped her head.  She looked at her Devi Mayya.  “But then what was that? He.. his closeness...!” she again got lost in confusion.  

“Nothing, Khushi, that was nothing..! It must be nothing for him...!” she convinced herself getting up.  I should be going out there in the crowd.  She turned .. “Aray, what are you doing here?” Anjali asked her surprised.  “Woh... oil in the lamps..!” she gave the safest excuse.  

“Aray.. good! I had come for that only!” she said smiling broadly and went away.  Khushi followed her to the party outside.  

“Juice?” he was standing with a glass of juice for her taking away her breath.  The foundation day flashed before her! “Huh..!” she looked up blankly.  “Juice?” he held it out.  She shook her head looking down.  “No!” she said with her throat going dry..! He still stood there.  She turned away and he held her hand in that crowd.  She shuddered.  He thrust the glass in her hand.  “Have it!” he murmured looking at her reddened face. She hurriedly went away clutching the glass.

“Why is he doing this to me? Beware Khushi..!” she warned herself.  She saw him gazing at her from a distance and turned her face.  “No Khushi...Don’t look at him...!” she said and went to meet Nani.

“Aray, Khushi bitiya, where were you?” Nani asked in a group of her friends.

“Woh  Diye  Jalanay  Thay!” she said weakly.  “Come!” Nani held her hand.  Latika was close behind.  Khushi drank the juice in one gulp quenching her thirst.  Her eyes travelled in his direction to find him still gazing at her.  Her face changed color from pink to red.  “Khushi bitiya? What happened? Why do you look so.... red?” Nani asked raising her eyebrows, smiling at her.  Khushi blushed.   “No!” she turned around to find Latika behind and ASR behind Latika.  She vanished from there in no time.

“Avoid him, Khushi... you are going to end up in a mess...! Beware!” Khushi kept saying to herself. 

“ASR! Why are you looking so lost?” asked Lavanya looking at him  intently and clutching his hand.

“I am lost, Damn it!” he said at once and turned his face.  “What?” she came around to face him.  He was irritated.  “I am thinking about a new project!” he said calmly.  She looked ok with the explanation. 

“Don’t think about it now, ASR! Enjoy the party!” she said throwing her hands in the air in happiness.  

“Don’t think about that ASR, Khushi... enjoy the party!” she commanded herself and merged into the crowd. 

The crowd was thinning.  The party was over.  Khushi came to Nani.. “Umm.. Nani ji, I should be going now!” she said.  

“Wait for some more time, Khushi!” Anjali said holding her hand.  “No! I mean, it will be late!” she said hesitantly.  “Someone will drop you! Don’t worry!” said Anjali.  But Nani had a different idea. 

“Stay with us tonight, Khushi bitiya... Go home tomorrow morning!” Nani said looking at Khushi.

“No! Nani ji.. everybody will be waiting for me at home!” she said.  But Nani didn’t listen.  She asked Ram Prakash to bring the cordless and Anjali dialled the number.

“Hello.. !” she spoke to Buwaji and said... “Done! You are staying with us tonight!” Khushi had no option.  “But Nani ji.. I don’t have...!” she said looking at her saree.  “Don’t worry about that!” Nani dismissed her difficulty.  

“Hello hi bye bye! Bye bye nahi hui kaa?” Mami asked disdainfully when the guests had left and she found Khushi still in the house.  Khushi looked at Nani and Nani said.. “Nahi... she is going to stay tonight?” 

“Why?” asked both Lavanya and Mami.  Nani looked at both of them.  “Because I say so!”   Lavanya came back to her senses..

“Thats great.. Chamakili... we will chat... you stay in my room!” she held Khushi’s hand excitedly.  “No!” said Nani.  “She is staying with me!”  Lavanya puffed her cheeks sulkily.  

“Ok. I will make coffee for everyone!” Khushi said seeing his figure on the stairs from the corner of her eyes.  She vanished in the kitchen.  “ASR! Khushi is staying over..! So cool!” Lavanya was super excited.  He didn’t react but his eyes travelled to kitchen door. 

“Aray sit chote..!” Nani pulled him.  “Khushi bitiya is preparing coffee for us!” Nani said smiling.  He didn’t bother and went back to his room.  Khushi brought in the coffee and his black coffee too.

“Jao .. go and give him..!” Nani said and Khushi winced.  “No!” she sat on the sofa beside Nani with a thud.

“I will go, give him!” Lavanya got up... Khushi felt relieved.  Nani frowned.  Lavanya went up to his room to find him at the poolside.  

“Why did you come?” he took the coffee from her.  “Why? You didn’t like it?” she asked looking at him passionately.  He looked away.  “This looks beautiful!” Lavanya complemented looking around.  He stared at the few still burning floating lights in the pool.  

“You know, ASR? Mami ji and Di were introducing me as the Bahu of this house!.. I mean it sounded little odd, initially... but I loved it!” she wrapped her arms around his.  He jerked away. 

“Why? ASR? You didn’t like it?” she asked looking hurt.  He turned to her.

“Lavanya, I told you before..! Stop dreaming..!” he said sternly.  She was thoroughly hurt.

“Look Lavanya! You were ok with it! Don’t pull me into this... “ he said moving away from her. 

“Why ASR? Don’t you want to give it a name? Don’t you want to make it official?” she asked determined to get the reason.  

“I don’t believe in this lifetime commitment, Lavanya!” he said looking away.

“Why ASR? Do you think i won’t remain committed?” she asked in anguish.

“Will you? Think Lavanya... if tomorrow I lost all my wealth, my possessions... if something happens to me and I become disabled... This.. house, property, this empire.. everything... !” he looked at her intently.  She fell silent.  

“Imagine Lavanya... can you live in a one room house? Sleep on the floor without AC? Can you do that? Can you manage without a car?” he asked proving his point looking at Lavanya’s grave face. 

“But why should we imagine, ASR? I know, you are going to grow richer than this... you are not going to lose anything...I know for sure!” she looked confident.  He gazed at her hopelessly.

“Think over it, Lavanya and come back!” he said turning his back and going out without her.  He came down clutching his coffee mug.  Khushi winced and stopped talking.  He looked at her.. He kept the cold coffee mug on the table.  She looked at it and got up to make him another cup of coffee.  Nani looked at her contented.  He sat on the sofa between his family.  Khushi brought in his coffee and gave it to him.  She looked around.  He had occupied a place beside his sister, between Nani and Anjali.  She looked around for Lavanya.

“Lavanya ji?” she asked surprised.  “Poolside!” came an answer and Nani understood, there was something wrong between these two.  She closed her eyes.  Khushi dashed to pool side. 

“Lavanya ji? What happened?” she asked concerned looking at Lavanya’s face.  She got angry.  “This monster must have said something to her..! Something nasty!” she muttered furiously and held Lavanya’s hand.

“I want to sit here for some time!” Lavanya said gravely sitting on the chair.  Khushi gazed at her.  She sat on the edge of the pool without a word for a long time, giving Lavanya a silent company, conveying her that Khushi was with her always.  A faint sob left Lavanya.  “Khushi..!” she said looking miserable.  Khushi got up.

“Chaliye!” she said firmly and Lavanya walked with her.  When she came back, ASR had gone back to his den.  She frowned.  “He will hurt his own people and go hide in his den!” she muttered.  Lavanya sat on the sofa.  The atmosphere suddenly changed.  Everyone looked at each other seriously.  Khushi had to do something to cheer them up, of course in her clumsy style..! But before she could do that Lavanya got up and said, “I need some sleep!” she went away without a word.  The gathering broke.

“Chaliye, Khushi bitiya.. let us go!” Nani said getting up from sofa with Khushi’s support.  

He was pacing in his room restlessly; Trying hard to recollect his wandering thoughts.  The lamps were  put out.  A couple of candles were still burning with flickering flames.  He looked at his own dreadful shadow and sat on the recliner closing his eyes.  The thoughts he always wanted to keep at bay were rushing to his mind.