Opposite Poles..Part 135

Part 135

Khushi gaped at him in disbelief.  “How could he? After all that happened..?” She was hurt. 

“How many hours, Mr. Raizada?” she asked.  “What?” he looked at her confused.  “As many as you want, Khushi!” He was ready to accept the condition.

“How many hours passed since  you threw me out of your house in the midnight?” she asked furious.  He gaped at her.  She shook her head.

“Don’t take me for granted, Mr. Raizada!” she said firmly.  He looked away. There was a silence for some time, both being lost in their own thoughts.  “How can he ask me to come back?” she had no answer for his atrocity.  

“What should I do to bring her back?” he was thinking hard with his shatir dimag!

“But Nani is not well! They all want you back!” he said looking at her. She looked at him questioningly.

“Ghar Chalo!” he almost ordered.  She sighed sadly.  

“No!” she said resolutely looking out of the window.  He clutched the steering.

“Kitnay paise Chahiye! Tell me the amount!” He said angrily and Khushi looked at him thoroughly hurt.  He had done it again.

“Money? You think I will do this for money?” she asked him.  He searched into her eyes.

“Nani wants you back!” he said with hope.

“No! She doesn’t want me back... !” Khushi knew the truth.  He gaped at her.  His expressions changed.  “So she doesn’t want to come!” he concluded.

“What are you up to Khushi? Make hey when the sun shines?” He asked her contemptuously.  She glared back.  He flared up in rage.

“Everyone and everything in this world comes with a price tag, Ms Gupta! What is your price?” he asked her challenging her.  She looked at him pitying him.  He gripped her shoulder.

“Don’t you give me that look again!” he spat in anger. 

“Why don’t you appoint me as your official punching bag, Mr. Raizada? It will be  much easier to tolerate your behaviour, your rough handling!” She spat back.  His grip tightened.  She looked away.  He crossed Laxmi nagar and she said,

“Drop me at the next cross!” He looked at her.

“So, you are not coming.!” He glared.  “No!” she was determined.  “Fine!” he said stopping the car.  She got down and he slammed on the accelerator.  She gaped at the tail lights.  “Humm..!” she sighed sadly.  “Why can’t he understand? Money is not everything..!” she dabbed her eyes with her palms.  She started walking back to her home.  “I want to see Nani ji!” she was desperate.

“You will come home Khushi, I will bring you back!” he thought resolutely.

**********   *********

“Khushi, Sunn Naa!” Payal poked lost Khushi.  Khushi looked at her startled.  “Woh Sham ji was asking for you! I told him that Raizadas are coming.. and you know? As you said, he vanished!”  They both gazed at each other.  Then Payal held Khushi’s hand.

“Khushi, you said, Anjali ji’s husband is a lawyer too! What if we request him to get information about Shamji?” Payal looked at Khushi’s gaping mouth.

“Shut your mouth up, Khushi!” Payal shook Khushi’s statue.  Khushi hugged her sister.

“Why didn’t I think about it before?” she was lost.  “Wah! Jiji... Brilliant!” Khushi stuffed poori in Payal’s mouth giggling.  

“Yeah, we will do that.  I will call Anjali ji!” Khushi hurriedly picked up the phone.

“Hello Ram Prakash ji?” Khushi called Raizada house.

“Anjali ji hain?” she asked waiting with bated breath.  “Khushi..! Give it to me.  I will ask!” Payal was after all elder sister.  Khushi handed over the phone.

“Yeah... Ok! I will talk to her later!” Payal said keeping the receiver.  Khushi sulked. 

“Aray, Khushi, she has gone out with her husband..!” Payal said consoling her sister.  “But don’t worry.  We will call her later and find out!” Payal whispered in Khushi’s ear seeing Buwaji approaching.  Khushi vanished from the scene before Buwaji could start firing.  

**********   *********   *********

“Toh woh nahi aaegi! Let us see!” Arnav was pacing the room restlessly.  He needed a plan to bring her back.

“Di!” he came out of the room.  Anjali was in Nani’s room and he stopped outside the door. 

“Yes Chote?” Anjali got up from Nani’s bed.  She came out.  He looked at sleeping Nani and his heart ached.  “If she had come, I would have taken her to Nani!” he clenched his fists.  Helplessness, which he hated the most, was creeping in.  He was desperate.  

“What is it, Chote?” he asked him again and he gaped at her looking lost.  He forgot why he was there.  “Umm.. N..No Nothing..!” he said turning his back.  Anjali looked puzzled.  He moved away.  “Chote?” Anjali followed.  She held his hand.  He looked at his Di.  “She refused to come!” he wanted to tell his Di.   He looked away. Anjali looked confused. 

He felt defeated in bringing her back.  He marched towards his room burning in rage.

“Just once... only once, I want to bring her back to Nani...!” he fumed with hatred.

“This is what you have done, Khushi Kumari Gupta..! Disturbing peace of this house! My house! You will pay for this!” He threw a metal vase on the floor in rage.

“My foot! I don’t care!” he said sitting on the recliner with a thud.  “Khushi Kumari Gupta! You have made my life hell!” he clenched his fists closing his eyes.

********   *******  *****

“Jiji, Nani ji is still not well! Jiji, humain unhey dekhanaa hain! I want to go and see her!” Khushi felt desperate.  She repented for not going with Arnav. Payal gaped at her.  “Khushi!” she was aghast.

“Jiji, this was all because of me!” Khushi felt guilty for Nani’s condition.  Payal looked at her thoughtfully.  “Humm!” she sighed thinking hard.  

“Ok! Khushi, we need to call Anjali ji, right?” she asked with twinkling eyes.  Khushi looked lost. 

“Khushi, tomorrow we will call Anjali ji! Let me talk to her!” Payal said.  Khushi went into the kitchen without a word.  “Rakshas Kahi Kaa! Couldn’t he request to come? I would have gone with him happily..!” “What is your price, Khushi!! Didn’t he have anything else to ask?” she muttered furiously, blaming Arnav for her state of mind.

“This is all because of you, Mr. Monster! You are responsible for all this!” she took out plates for dinner.

**********   **********

Arnav was at the dinner table, missing Nani in her place.  He lost his appetite.  “Chote!” Anjali looked at him gravely.  Sham was smirking.  “Finally unrest in the family!” he was happy.  “If this goes on, I will take over soon!” he looked at Nani’s empty seat longingly.  “Humm!” he blurted.  Arnav looked at him.

“Saale Saab! Don’t worry! Nani ji will be alright soon...!” he said consoling Arnav.

“By the way.. What happened, that night?” he asked faking concern.  Arnav looked away. He would never tell anyone.  Not even his Di!

He left the table to go to his room.  “Chote, have milk and go!” Anjali said getting up.  She prepared milk for Nani and went to her room.  Chote lingered there for a while not knowing what to do and his Jijaji, Sham spoke again.

“Aray, where is Lavanya?”

“Hello hi bye bye.. Ms TipTop has gone to her friend...!” Mami provided the vital information.  Sham looked at Arnav.

“Saale saab, don’t worry! He placed his hand on Arnav’s shoulder.  “Look, I have a solution..!” he said smiling.  Arnav looked at him.

“Give your relationship a name... I mean, marry Lavanya and see, everything will be back to normal!” Arnav looked furious.

“No.. Saale Saab, Don’t be upset! I know, you don’t believe in these things. But everybody in this house do.   So .. why not...!” his voice trailed looking at Arnav’s back.  Arnav clenched his fists in rage and left for his room.

“Thank god! Latika believed us! Khushi bitiya is innocent...! She is ready to go ahead with the talks for Nikhil..! Mann Kaa Bojh  Halkaa Ho  Gaya..!” Nani said with satisfaction.  Anjali looked at her in surprise.  The shadow outside the door vanished.

***********   *********   *********

“Humm.. Don’t worry, Payal! We will do something!” Aakash was on phone talking to Payal. 

“Umm.. but Arnav ji, I mean .. Nani ji...!” Payal didn’t know how much Aakash knew about the incidence.  She didn’t want to tell anything to him.  

“What is it, Payal?” he asked.  “No! I mean, Nani ji said that Khushi should not come..!” she said stuttering.  Aakash fell silent.  Payal waited.

“Payal, don’t worry! I will do something!” he disconnected, climbing the stairs to go to his bhai.

“bhai will help me bring Khushi ji back to Nani!” he murmured opening the door of Arnav’s room!