Kaisey Yeh Rishtey - 34

Chapter 34

When Akash and Shivi went back inside to the living room, Radhika was entertaining her grandfather and Khushi with songs from her school. There was no sign of Arnav.

Khushi looked up as the two of them entered. A small smile came to her lips, and her eyes danced merrily. Shivi went to her, and hugged her.

Akash looked at his father, and cleared his throat nervously. His father looked at him in surprise. "What's the matter, Akash?"

"Where's Arnav bhai?"

"He had a phone call," answered Khushi. "Why?"

"I … I have something to say to you all," replied Akash. "I'll call bhai."

Khushi nodded, her eyes twinkling. And when Akash left the room in search of his brother, she looked at Shivi, with a question in her eyes. Shivi nodded slightly, coloring furiously, and Khushi's face broke into a wide smile.

Meanwhile, Akash went in search of Arnav. He heard his voice emanating faintly from the study, and made his way there.

Arnav was on the phone, his face serious. He waved a hand at Akash, gesturing him to wait, and Akash stood impatiently, waiting to give his news. Then he forgot about his news, as he heard his brother's end of the conversation, with growing surprise, followed by shock.

"Right," said Arnav. "So you've got all the papers? The birth certificates - both of them? Shyam’s and Khushi’s? And the names? … OK, that proves it then, I think, pretty comprehensively. Have you managed to trace the payments? Oh, that's great news, Vijay! Where … And the names? Any names? Any leads there?"

He listened for a while, then spoke again, and his voice was grim. "Are you sure? They're both dead? No other relatives? Nobody who can vouch for the fact that she is their grand-daughter?"

He listened again, then spoke softly, "So she is alone, after all. I was hoping against hope … Try, Vijay. Please try again. See if there is anybody else, even remotely related. Check on Mayur Singh and his wife again. Maybe they are not dead. Maybe one or the other survived the accident. Or maybe that was just a ruse. Maybe they just put that news about, to stay incognito. Check it out, Vijay. Try to find them. They'll recognize Khushi, if they see her. She's the splitting image of her mother. Vijay, just try again. Go there yourself, to the old house. Don't rely on any reports. I don't want you to come back till the last hope is gone."
He listened to the other man, then spoke again, urgently. "Wait! Vijay, do one thing. Contact Mahendra Shah, and ask him to go with you. He is their old friend, very close. He can pull strings, ask questions that you can't ask. And he will be happy to go with you when you tell him what you've found out. Yes, call me back when you have any news. Day or night, any time. I want to know at once, as soon as there is any news."

He put down the phone, and turned to face Akash.

"Yes, Akash, what is it?" he asked, but the question was mechanical, uninterested. Akash came further into the room.

"Bhai, what was that all about?" he asked. "What is this about Khushi bhabhi? What is the matter?"

Arnav sighed. "It's a long story, Akash. I'll tell you one day. But don't mention anything to Khushi, not yet. I don't want to get her hopes raised, and then dashed, if we can't find anything. Now, what did you want?"

Akash remembered his news, and smiled slightly. He cleared his throat, nervous again.

"Umm, I …. Er …."

Arnav looked at him in surprise. "What's the matter with you? Cat got your tongue? Anyway, let's get back to the others. They must be wondering where we are."

Akash accompanied his brother into the corridor. Arnav was pre-occupied, lost in his own thoughts, and Akash said no more till they reached the drawing room, where the others still waited.

Then he looked at his brother and his father. His father looked at him impatiently. 

"Well? Akash, what is it? What are you being so secretive about?"

Akash cleared his throat again. 

"I …er… no, not secretive, Dad. I just wanted to tell you that Shivi and I have decided that … er   maybe …. We … might like to ….that is, we want to …"

"Oh, god, Akash!" exclaimed Khushi. "For god's sake, get on with it! Shivi and you …what? Either you've made up, or you've broken up! Which is it?"

Akash looked at her, exasperated. "I'm trying to tell you, aren't I? You have no patience, bhabhi!"

"I have no patience?!" Khushi exclaimed. "When the last few weeks, I'm the one who's ….!"

She stopped precipitately, and clapped her hand over her mouth. Akash and Arnav looked at her. Akash grimly, Arnav with a mix of exasperated amusement.

"I know exactly what …" began Akash.

"We know very well what you've been up to!" said her husband sternly, trying not very successfully to hide his grin. Khushi looked at them both, her expression apologetic, though her eyes danced.

"Well, left to himself, you would have spent the whole of this birth, and half the next …" she began, and then giggled as both looked at her threateningly. "Akash! I only gave you a slight push! You were going in that direction, anyway!"

Akash shook his head at her, and then smiled at a blushing Shivi, kneeling next to their beaming father. Arnav allowed his grin to show through fully.

"Thanks to my busybody wife, your welcome to the family hasn't been exactly conventional, Shivi," he said, "but she's right. Akash was headed this way anyway. He just needed not a push, but a shove in the right direction. Which she was happy to supply. Welcome to the family, Shivi."

Akash looked at his brother and his father, and grinned widely. Shivi blushed even pinker, and hugged Radhika, hiding her face in the little girl's frock. Radhika looked at them all in bewilderment.

"What's happening, chacha? Why are you all scolding badi mamma? Why is chacha being pushed?"

Arnav smiled at the little girl, and picked her up.

"We're not scolding badi mamma, sweetheart. We're just teasing her for being a little naughty. And Akash chacha is going to marry Shivi aunty, so she'll come and live here with us, and be your chachi. Akash chacha was being pushed to do that, and he's finally done it."

Radhika looked at them all, and her face crumpled. "No! No, I don't want chacha to do that!" she screamed out, and pushing against Arnav, she scrambled down from his lap, and ran from the room, leaving everyone in the room completely stupefied.