Kaisey Yeh Rishtey - 37

Chapter 37

It was a few days later, that things blew up.

Akash walked into Arnav's office to find him talking on the phone to Vijay Dhawan, his face and tone furious.

"Find them!" he barked into the phone, scowling ferociously at the blameless receiver. "Find them now! Let me know as soon as you have! And ask Mahendra Shah if he can accompany the old lady back here as soon as possible. But you find those two, Vijay! Khushi isn't safe while they're on the loose!"

Arnav slammed down the phone, and ran his hand through his hair distractedly. Only then did he notice that Akash was in the room.

"Yes, Akash, what is it?" he asked, curtly. His tone was dismissive, but Akash was not to be put off this time. He moved further into the room, his face determined.

"Bhai, what is this all about? You have to tell me, bhai. The other day, too, you just put me off. But I need to know, Bhai. I'm here to help you if I can. You don't have to do this alone. What is going on? What is this mystery about Khushi bhabhi? Why is she in danger? Tell me, bhai, please!"

Arnav looked grimly at him, and then seemed to relax infinitesmally.

"You're right, Akash. You need to know, and I need to tell you. Your Khushi bhabhi has literally been held captive for most of her life by a pair of goons. Because I got her away from them, when I married her - unknowingly, I might add - they are now rather annoyed with me, to put it mildly. And they want her back in their clutches, as soon as possible, so that their source of income resumes. It dried up, you see, when she was no longer with them."

Akash gasped, completely speechless.

Arnav smiled, and it was not a nice smile.

"Does she know?" stammered Akash. "Why … how …?"

Arnav shook his head.

"No, she doesn't know this. Any of it. The why's and hows, I am not very clear about myself," Arnav admitted. "It's taken me a long time to get this much clear. And how these people managed this much, what means they used to blackmail her grandparents … I really don't know. But I mean to find out. And to find her real family. But first, Akash, I need to check that she is all right. These men haven't been seen since last night in Nagpur. Just enough time to have got back here, and tried to do some mischief."

He pulled the telephone to him, and called home. Shantitai answered. Khushi had gone to the hospital, she said tersely, in answer to Arnav's rapid fire questions. She had a few patients. She had said she would be back in two hours, but it was almost three. It was not like Khushi to be late. Radhika was waiting for her. Shantitai did not approve.

Arnav terminated the conversation as soon as he could, and dialed Khushi’s cell phone. He stared at the instrument in frustration – Khushi never answered her cell phone while she was with patients in the hospital – it was either on silent, or the number was switched off. Getting more agitated, he fired off a couple of messages to her, and then called the hospital. Yes, Khushi had come to work as usual. Probably, she was still in the department. Wait, they would try and connect her.

A pause.

They were not sure, but she didn't seem to still be there. Was there a message?

"Yes," said Arnav, fiercely. "Tell her that her husband called. I'm coming to pick her up. She should not leave without me. On no account. I don't want her to leave alone. Not even with the driver. She should wait for me. It's very important."

He looked at Akash, his eyes hard and worried.

"They can't find her in the hospital, Akash. I'm going there. You go home. If there are any calls for me, make sure you take them, not anybody else. I'll call you as soon as I can."

"I'm going with you," said Akash, firmly. "I don't want you to be alone. And you can tell me the whole story while we're on the way."

Arnav nodded curtly, his mind far away. He cursed himself inwardly. He should have done more to protect her, he should have worked faster on tracing her family.  This was his fault.  If anything happened to Khushi … he blocked his thoughts.

"I don't understand …" Akash said, forcefully, when they were in the car, speeding towards the hospital, "why bhabhi has to work at all. Why didn't you stop her?"

Arnav looked at him mildly. "Why should I have stopped her?"

Akash gazed at him in exasperation. "Well, for one, there's no need for her to work. You don't need the money. Radhika needs her more at home. If there was such a danger, why …?"

"For one," Arnav said, evenly, "till now, there has been no such problem. I have kept those two under my supervision from the beginning, more so since I realised what was happening. For the second part, yes, she is needed at home by Radhika, but she is also needed by a number of her patients at the hospital. Knowing the work she does, how much it is needed, I couldn't stop her, even if I had wanted to. She has never let it interfere with her care of the house, of dad, you or Radhika. She's a highly educated, qualified girl, and the days are long over when a girl like her stopped working when she got married. For the third ..." Arnav stopped, and swallowed. He had to say it, he thought, had to warn Akash. He owed him that much. And for once, he needed to share his fears … his biggest fear … of Khushi walking out of his life.

"For the third part, if she had stopped working when she married me, she might have found it very difficult to get her job back, or get another job, when our marriage was over. I would have happily provided for her for the rest of her life, but she is too independent to accept that. This was part of her job for her, and she would continue her work when it was over."

Akash was staring at him in complete and utter shock.

"What … are you saying?!!! What marriage will be over?  What job?!!! Bhai, you're not making any sense!"

Arnav looked steadily at the road ahead, and steeled himself to say the next words.

"Khushi is a trained and qualified psychologist and psychotherapist. That is the reason I married her - to help you all - you, dad, and Radhika. It was a job for her, and she was under a lot of personal pressures at the time, so she accepted. Our marriage was to last till such time we both felt that you, dad and Radhika were able to manage without her, maybe a year, maybe two. Then I would divorce her quietly, and leave her free to get on with her life."

Akash looked as though he had been knocked on the head with a rock. A large one.

"No," he whispered. "No, bhai. It can't be. Khushi bhabhi … she can't leave. She can't leave us. She can't leave you!"

He turned to Arnav fiercely.

"She loves you," he said, forcefully, angrily. "How can you let her go? How can you send  her away? She loves you! She loves all of us, but you … you're her life! How can you even think of sending her away?!"

Arnav looked ahead, suddenly feeling hollow inside.

"She doesn't love me," he said, dully, feeling the words sink in, and making himself face them. If she loved him, she would have said yes the other night. But she hadn’t. She still hadn’t. He glanced at Akash briefly. "She doesn't love me, Akash. It's a job for her. A job she does very, very well."

"No!" Akash said, hotly. "I've seen her look at you. So has Shivi. Bhai, you can’t be so blind! Khushi loves you. She loves us all, but most of all, you. Don't send her away. Don't let her go, bhai! Please, don't send her away, please!!!"

“I don't want to send her anywhere," said Arnav, angrily. "But neither do I want to force her to stay against her will. She was in one hopeless situation, I don't want her to be forced into another one. She deserves some happiness in life, after all she's been through."

She deserves more than some happiness, he thought. She deserves the world, and how I wish I could give it to her. How I wish I could be the one to bring a sparkle to her eyes, a blush to her cheeks. How I wish I could gather her in my arms, and hold her tight, protect her against all that the world has thrown at her. How I wish that I could be the one she welcomes into her arms in the day, and into herself, body and soul, at night …

He made himself stop abruptly. The mere thought of holding her, loving her, aroused him unbearably. If only he found her quickly, he promised himself, he would try to woo her, romance her, win her heart, her love. To hell with Aman, and to being noble and giving Khushi more time to get over him. He would make her forget Aman. He couldn’t live without her – and he had to let her know it.

Kaisey Yeh Rishtey - 36

Chapter 36 

Khushi tried to gauge Arnav's mood later that night.

She was still puzzling over his words, and couldn't contain herself any longer. When he came to bed, she was waiting, standing by the window and staring out, a small, slim figure, all in white, her silk dressing gown wrapped tightly around her, her long, dark hair blowing in the soft breeze from the window. He paused for a moment at the door, looking at her, then came inside, closing it softly.

She turned around and looked at him, her gaze direct. Smiling slightly, he walked slowly over to where she stood, and stopped, looking at her, with a quizzical look on his face.

"You …" she began, and then stopped. His gaze did not waver, but he didn't speak.

"You …" she started again, and then gave him an exasperated look. "Arnav, help me here! You know what I'm talking about!"

"You haven't really said anything yet," he answered, maddeningly. "How am I supposed to know what you are getting at?"

"You know!" she said, hotly. "You know exactly what I want to talk to you about! Don't you? Don't you?!"

"Since you haven't said anything yet," he replied, "I should not be able to. But, yes, actually, my dear wife, yes, I think I do know what you are bursting to say. And that, itself, tells me something. Doesn't it tell you something as well?"

She stared at him, stupefied.

"Tell me? Tell you? What on earth are you saying?"

"I thought you were the one wanting to say something," he returned, and she felt like stamping her foot!

"Temper, temper," he said, softly, teasingly, watching her face, as the expressions danced across it, and annoying her still further. She turned and walked away to the window again, and stood looking outside.

Arnav looked at her, knowing what was going through her mind, knowing and yet not wanting to take the conversation further. Because he was scared, he realised – scared of revealing his feelings. It was too soon … much too soon. Or maybe it was fear ... did she still love that fellow, he wondered slowly. He could read her thoughts so clearly most of the time, but this … he didn’t have a clue as to what she felt. Or was he scared to try to read her thoughts … scared that the answer would be something he didn’t want it to be. And that would shatter him.

She had to love him, he thought fiercely. She had to see, to realise that they were made for each other, that their minds and hearts spoke to each other, that they could read each other so well … how could she not see it?

But she gave not a hint, not a shadow of one. When she talked of the future, it was always about leaving. So did she not want to stay after all? Didn't she see what he felt? Did she not feel even slightly the same way? Surely not.

She wasn't averse to his touch, he knew. She had been skittish at the start of their unconventional marriage, shying away from the slightest touch. But that was a thing of the past. Not now, he thought, remembering the fierce embrace on the terrace floor a few hours ago. No, definitely not now. But any more than that  ... that was still a question. 

He would have to wait a little longer, he mused.

And then Khushi spoke, still looking out the window.

"Why did you tell Radhika that?" she said suddenly, taking her courage in both her hands.

"Why did I tell her - what?" he asked mildly, but he tensed. What should he say?

Khushi bit her lip, but then turned around and faced him, although her eyes remained downcast.

"You know. You said that I would never go away from this house. Arnav, why did you say that? Why did you ...? When I go, it will come as more of a shock to her."

"Do you think that she can handle the possibility of your leaving yet?" he asked her evenly. She thought for a moment, then shook her head slowly.

"I'm not sure," she said. Then she looked at him. "But you have to start preparing her, Arnav. If you keep assuring her that I will never leave, then it will be more of a shock if … when … I actually do."

He sighed. Again Khushi only spoke about leaving. As though it was a certainty, an unalterable truth. What was he to say? 

“Khushi … again … why the hurry? Where’s the rush? It’s not been so long after all. Remember, I said, it could be a year, two years … it’s barely been six months! Yes, she’s much better – they’re all better, but this is the kind of thing it takes a while to recover from completely. Let’s take it slowly. We don’t have to start talking about your leaving yet. I’m not in a hurry. Are you?”

Khushi bit her lip and looked away. Yes, she thought, I am in a hurry. It will break my heart to leave here, to leave you and this house, and the longer I stay here, the worse my own heartbreak will be. You helped me to get over Aman – who will help me to get over you?

And she had a sinking feeling she would never get over Arnav. Not ever.

She turned away again and looked unseeingly out the terrace wndow. Her voice was muffled and her words disjointed when she spoke again.

“No … but … My job … if I leave … I have to …”

Arnav looked at her bent head for a long moment. She had said 'if ...'  For the first time. 

Taking a deep breath, he came up to her and took her by the shoulders. Startled, she lifted her gaze to his. 

He looked at her steadily, his eyes unreadable. "And if I say that I meant what I said? That I don't want you to leave - ever?"

Khushi gazed at him, her pulse racing, her heart hammering suddenly. "Arnav, what are you saying?"

He looked at her for a long instant, then released her shoulders and moved away. He turned and gazed through the darkened window, looking out into the distance. There was a long silence, as though he was thinking, deliberating what to say. Then he spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully.

"I'm saying that I meant what I said. I don't think you should leave. Ever. I'm saying that it might be a good idea if we turned this marriage into a real one. That you became my wife and part of this house for real, not as part of a contract or a job."

There was silence. Khushi felt a rush, a torrent of emotion sweep through her, elation, hope, a giddy joy … she put out a hand to steady herself against the window framework. He wants me, she thought dizzily, he wants me to stay … to be his wife … for real …

He looked at her then, and she found it difficult to breathe.

"Look, Khushi," he said, quietly. "When we got married, it was a need for both of us. You wanted to get away from your father and brother, and I needed someone like you to take care of my family. We didn’t know each other at all. Certainly not enough to think about the rest of our lives together.”

He turned and came closer to her. She stood listening, her heart beating so fast and loud, she felt it would deafen her.

"After living with you, and getting to know you," he went on evenly, and then he stopped. It was as though he could not think of what to say. Then he turned and looked at her.

"I found that I could very easily imagine spending the rest of my life with you," he said simply. He went on a little quickly. "I mean, we get along well, we vibe with each other, we seem to have the same thought processes on many things. I want my wife to be my friend, my companion, and I think we are that.”

He looked at her, but she stayed silent, unable to speak, her hands twisting with each other in her lap. He looked at them, and went on slowly.

“Khushi … I’m just saying … this is what I feel. I realize that it may not be the same for you. But we can think about this as an option. If we had an arranged marriage, things would have been similar – people don't know each other very well when they get married, and get to know each other only later."

She listened, still unable to utter a word. But the elation, the joy was fading slowly. He wasn't saying that he loved her, she thought dully. Only that he liked her enough to live with her. Was that enough for her?

He waited, but she stayed silent. He came very close to her then.

"Khushi?" he said, softly, and lifted her chin with a gentle finger to face him. She looked at him, but no words came.

"You don't like the idea," he said, flatly, and made to turn away.

She came to life then, and clutched at his arm.

"No! No! It's not that! Arnav…"

He turned back to her, his expression guarded. "Then what is it? If you want some time to think about it, that's all right with me. I realize I've thrown this at you suddenly. I've been thinking about it for some time, but obviously it's come as a shock to you. You haven't been thinking about this at all. You don't have to say anything right now, Khushi. Think about it. It's an option you can think about."

He was hurt, she thought, and as the realization dawned, so did a sense of wonder and hope. She held his arm.

"If I didn't think about this as an option," she said, softly, her head down, "It's because I never dreamed that this could be something you'd want. That you wouldn't mind being married to an ordinary girl like me, that …you could want … me …"

She stopped, feeling oddly breathless.

He half smiled, then looked at her.

"Look, Khushi. Think about it. You don't have to make any decisions till you're ready to make them. There’s no hurry. Just consider it for a while, think over it with a cool head. After that, if you want to make this marriage a real one…"

She nodded, her heart in her mouth. I don’t want time, she wanted to shout. Yes, my answer is yes. I love you. So much that I don’t even care if you love me or not. Just to live with you, be your wife … to show you, even if I can’t tell you …

She stayed silent.

And when he went to bed, he kept the pillow between them again.

The pillow had disappeared for a while, when Radhika had been a regular visitor to their bed, but recently, as she had stopped coming, it had reappeared, unless, as sometimes happened, Arnav slept on the sofa. Tonight, he would have slept there, but he had a feeling …

He wasn't mistaken. Radhika had been seriously disturbed about Akash's engagement, and she woke them that night, crying as she crawled into bed and cuddling next to Khushi, crying that she didn't want Khushi to leave. Khushi woke up as she usually did, when Radhika came, and for once, so did Arnav. He watched in the dim light as she crooned the sobbing child back to sleep, as Radhka slipped slowly back into peaceful sleep, cocooned by Khushi’s warmth next to her, holding her.

Khushi held the little girl for a long time, her eyes open but unseeing in the dimness of the room. Her sleep had been restless, she couldn’t get Arnav’s words out of her head. They had set off dreams inside her, dreams of being part of this house for ever, of being his wife in real, not as part of an elaborate farce, of loving, laughing, teasing … of Arnav …

Arnav shouting out for his towel, his shirt, his phone in the mornings, Arnav lost in his paperwork in his study, till she had to push him to the dinner table, Arnav reading the newspaper in the mornings in his study while she exasperatedly popped pieces of fruit in his mouth because he was too busy to eat them himself … Arnav lying in bed next to her at night,  propped on one elbow, facing her as they talked, … Arnav holding her as they rolled on the terrace floor, his face so close when he told her to forget about Lavanya, his hands on her arms, the time he had held her and she had felt for the first time, a closeness, a passion …

She turned over restlessly … and looked into his eyes. For a long moment, they stared at each other in the almost-darkness over the head of the sleeping child between them. Then he turned over, and she found it impossible to go back to sleep.

Precap

It was a few days later that things blew up

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year 2017 ... wishing all my readers a very happy new year, and a promise ... I  WILL finish this story before Sanaya's next show starts! So you all better wish for that to happen soon! :) 

Kaisey Yeh Rishtey - 35

Chapter 35

Khushi called the child's name softly, "Radhika? Gudiya?"

There was no answer.

Khushi combed the house from top to bottom, calling all the time. She met Arnav, then Akash, both also searching vainly. Akash was accompanied by a frantic Shivi.

"Why did she react like that, Akash?!" she cried, her cheeks wet with tears. "I thought she liked me! Why was she so upset at our news?"

Akash shook his head, equally baffled, his face troubled, and they moved on into the garden, still calling the little girl's name.

Arnav went up the stairs to the terrace. Khushi went into Radhika's room. She was not there. Khushi moved slowly to her own room, calling Radhika's name all the time. She entered the room, and looked around. Nothing. She called again, "Radhika?"

No answer. She looked around the quiet room. All was still. She turned to leave, then caught a movement out of the corner of her eye, and whirled around.

The door to the terrace stood slightly ajar. The curtain fluttered in the breeze.

Khushi moved towards the door, and stepped out into the terrace.

"Radhika?"

No answer.

"Radhika, beta, where are you?" Khushi's voice held panic, which she struggled to hide, desperate not to alarm the child if she heard her. "Please, Radhika, don't do this! Come back to me, baby! Radhika, my sweetheart, my darling, where are you?"

She saw a slight flicker of movement at the corner of the terrace, and move towards it swiftly. She reached the edge of the terrace, and looked over. Then she gasped in sheer horror, and let out a strangled scream.

"Radhika! Arnav! Arnav!!!"

Radhika's small hand was clutching the foot of the railing. Her scared face looked up at Khushi through the decorative bars, a mixture of relief and panic in her eyes.

"Badi mamma? I'm scared."

Clamping down firmly on her own panic, Khushi spoke as calmly as she could.

"Don't be scared, my darling, I'm here now. How did you get there? Doesn't matter now. Just stand up, and hold my hands. I'll get you over and back with me. Come, my baby, don't worry now …"

After her first scream of panic, Khushi swiftly gathered her cool. Radhika had climbed over the terrace railing, and was clinging to the parapet outside, a narrow ledge that ran all the way around the terrace, a foot or so below the level of the terrace. How she had managed to get there, Khushi didn't know. Without stopping to think, she quickly climbed over the railing to join the little girl on the narrow parapet.

She held tightly to Radhika's hands, but they were moist with sweat, and slipping. Khushi's voice rose slightly, as she fought to control her panic. "Hold tight, baby, please, just hold tight .."

She held the child's hands, and spoke slowly and clearly, fighting to keep her voice calm, clear.

"I'm holding you tight, baby. You won't fall. Just listen and do as I tell you. Come into my arms, yes, that's right."

She worked the little girl slowly into her arms, turned her around, and held her tight. Her voice was clear, loud.

"I'm going to lift you up now, Radhika. I won't let you fall. Hold on to the railing, and climb over it. You won't fall. I'm holding you. Just climb over, and get to the other side, onto the terrace …"

She wanted to get radhika to safety as quickly as she could. Had Arnav heard her? she wondered hazily, and then fought to concentrate on the child. Her hands were shaking as she tried to lift the little girl to the level of the terrace. But her hands were slippery as well, and Radhika nearly fell. She clung to Khushi, as she murmured instructions to her, trying to keep panic out of her voice.

"Arnav!" Khushi called, softly, and then louder, hoping against hope he was nearby. She held the little girl close to her. Radhika clung to her like a limpet, her eyes wet.

"I can't, badi mummy. I can't!" she cried.

"Wait, Radhika. It's all right. I've got you. You won't fall. I can't quite get you over, so we'll wait. Arnav papa will come soon, I'm sure."

The little girl nodded, and clung tight to Khushi. Khushi looked at her closely, the first wave of panic subsiding, and the memory of Radhika's strange reaction to Akash and Shivi's news came flooding back.

"But, Radhika, sweetheart, tell me ... why did you run away? Were you not happy to hear about Akash chacha getting married? Why did you get so upset?"

Radhika gulped a little, and snuggled close. "Promise you won't get mad at me?" she asked in a small voice. Khushi held her tight.

"I can never get mad at you, you know that," she said, softly, gently, and the little girl relaxed.

"I was hiding in the garden the other evening," she said softly. "I heard you telling bade papa that when Akash chacha gets married, you'll go away from here. I don't want him to get married, if you'll go away! Why do you have to go away? I don't want you to go away! You're my badi mummy, you have to stay with me! You don't have a small baby with Godji! Why ….?"

"It's okay, sweetheart, I've got you now," said a clear, calm voice, and Arnav's face appeared over the railing, looking down at both of them anxiously. Khushi looked up at him, and as though he had spoken, she knew what he wanted. Quietly, without words, she held Radhika tight, and turned her around, so that she was facing Arnav. He held the little girl's arms tightly, as Khushi firmed her grip on her waist, and pushed her up. Together, they pushed and pulled the frightened child over the railing into Arnav's arms.

He held the little girl close to him in a tight embrace for a long moment. Then he let her gently down on the floor of the terrace. "All right now?" he asked her and the little girl nodded.

"Badi mummy," was all she said, and Arnav nodded, smiling faintly, as he reached back over the balcony to help Khushi. Then he looked again, his face changing.

"Khushi!"

Khushi had collapsed on the tiny ledge. After the release of tension, the relief of seeing Radhika safe, her hands and legs seemed to have given way. She was trembling uncontrollably, her entire body shivering. One small hand clutched at the railing, and Arnav's hand closed over it urgently, as he tried to control the wild panic that swept through him. For Radhika, he had kept his cool, but if anything happened to Khushi … if she slipped …

"Help me, Khushi! I need your help! You have to get up, and I'll pull you over. Get up, Khushi!"

His words, and the urgency of his voice, penetrated through to Khushi. She looked up at him, her face wet. Tears mixed with rain stained her face. It had started raining again, and the railing was even more slippery.

Slowly, painfully, urged by his voice, she got to her feet, struggling to stay stable on the narrow, slippery belt of concrete, Arnav’s hands steadying her through the bars of the railing. As soon as she was upright, Arnav's arms went around her, hooking under her arms, as, with a strong heave, he half pulled, half-lifted her over the railing. They both landed on the floor of the terrace, locked in each other's arms, rolling over the damp stone.

Khushi clung to him, almost fainting. The tension of being stuck on the narrow ledge, the panic of seeing Radhika there, in danger of falling off, and the tidal wave of relief that had flooded through her on seeing Arnav, seemed to have robbed her of all the bones in her body. Arnav held her tightly, his face against hers, cheek touching cheek, hands roaming her back fiercely, as he strained her to him. For a while … for a while he had thought that she would fall, and he wouldn’t be able to save her … the sheer panic of those moments made him shudder as he held her. Khushi clung back, her hands clenched on his shirt, her face buried in his shoulder.

Finally, Arnav recovered a semblance of calm and loosened his hold on her. Pulling back, he looked at her face, pushing the hair back from her cheek.

"You little idiot," he said, without heat. "You could have fallen and broken your bones. Both of you," he added, looking at Radhika.

Khushi looked at him, her trembling lessening.

"I knew you'd come," she said, simply.

He managed to get to his feet, pulling Khushi with him. Wordlessly, he drew her into his arms again, pulling her close. For what seemed like an eternity, he held Khushi tight, and she clung to him. She didn’t care what he read into her closeness, didn’t care what it might lead to … she needed this, needed him and she was oh, so tired of fighting to hide her feelings. The warmth of his chest under her cheek flooded through her, banishing the ice that had encased it when she saw Radhika on the parapet.

Then Arnav bent down to be level with Radhika's eyes. He looked at the little girl steadily.

"Whatever you may have heard badi mummy and myself saying," he said, softly, but very firmly, "… she is not going away from here. Do you understand that, sweetheart? Sometimes grownups say things, which children don't, or can't understand. But you must remember one thing. Badi mummy is not going away anywhere. This is her home. She is not leaving this house."

Khushi looked at Arnav, dumbfounded. So he had heard what Radhika had said to her, after all. He got up again, slowly, and looked at Khushi.

"You are my wife," he repeated, his eyes holding hers. "You are not leaving this house. No one will ask you to leave here."

She looked at him, wordlessly, and he looked back at her steadily. What was in his eyes? she wondered frantically. Was he saying what he was saying to reassure a frightened child? Or was he trying to tell her, Khushi, something, as well?

She didn't know, and she was too bewildered to figure it out. Slowly, stumbling over the words, she added her own reassurance to Arnav's voice, and they helped the child inside and back to the drawing room, where they called the others, and finally congratulated Akash and Shivi on their news.

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.

Kaisey Yeh Rishtey - 33

Chapter 33

"If I don't leave now, I might never be able to."

Had he heard her? Khushi wondered over the next few days? If Arnav had heard her, he gave no clue, no sign of having heard her. Or worse, no sign of wanting to change her mind about leaving. 

She bit her lip and shook herself mentally. "It's a job, just a job,' she told herself again, and then again more firmly, as though by repeating it to herself, she would be able to accept it better. 'It will get over soon. And if I'm here to do a job, I need to do it to the best of my ability. Arnav isn't in a hurry  for me to leave, but I have to be true to my own conscience. I can't stay here for longer than I need to, just because I want to.' 

A few days later, it was the senior Mr. Raizada's birthday. The previous year, it had been barely a couple of months after the tragedy, and the day had been shrouded in a pall of gloom. Mr. Raizada himself had spent it locked in his room, Shantitai told Khushi sorrowfully, almost unable to bear the first birthday without his beloved wife to celebrate it by his side. And his two sons had been too sunk in their own grief to lift their father's spirits, or even notice the date more than cursorily.

But this year will be different, Khushi told Shantitai, and the older woman agreed. Life had to go on. And a birthday was a good day to start. 

A small celebration, Khushi decided. Just for the family. The first celebration after the triple tragedy, it would be an emotional moment for the family, and she wasn't sure how Mr. Raizada or the two younger men would react. It would be best to keep it completely private. She thought of asking Arnav's opinion, but Shantitai advised against it. Let it be a surprise for both the boys too, she told Khushi. Heaven knows, they need a happy surprise in their lives. 

However Shantitai did agree to enlist Shivi's help, much to Khushi's relief. She wouldn't have wanted to go against the older lady's wishes, and it was good to know that Shantitai had not only noticed Shivi's growing closeness with Akash, but also approved of it.

Shivi was reluctant at first. She was still embarrassed after the scene in the garden, and it took all of Khushi's persuasive powers to change her mind. "Do it for me," Khushi pleaded, and Shivi could not say no.

On Mr. Raizada's birthday, they all wished him in the morning, and the old man accepted their wishes with smiles. Khushi was relieved that he seemed cheerful enough, and that encouraged her to go ahead with her plan for the evening. 

They waited till Arnav and Akash came back from office, then sent Radhika to call her grandfather for tea. She went prancing into his room, filled with pride at being part of the secret even her uncles didn't know about.

When she helped her grandfather wheel himself into the room, all three men, father and sons stared in astonishment. The drawing room had been decorated with flowers and streamers. There was a table in the center of the room, with a cake on it.

Khushi and Shivi went up to Mr. Raizada, and helped Radhika wheel him in up to the table. Khushi lighted the candle on the cake, and Shivi held the knife.

"This is the first day of the rest of your life," said Khushi, softly. "You still have a lot to look forward to. We …" she looked at Shivi, and smiled, "… we all hope that there is still much happiness to come in your life, and the ones who are no longer here, are sharing it from wherever they are, and smiling with you. So you must smile, Papaji. You must smile again."

And he did. Through his tears, the old man held out his hands to his sons, who were as stunned as he was, and held them close. After over a year, the three men shared tears again, but this time, of happiness. The three men held the knife, and cut the cake together ... none of them tried to hide their tears. Then still holding them close, he beckoned the two girls. They bent to him, and he gently placed his hand on Khushi's head in silent blessing. She smiled at him through moist eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly. 

Mr. Raizada looked at his sons.

"Your mother …" the old man began, "… always wanted a daughter. She used to say, that my sons are wonderful, but the love and affection of a daughter, is unimaginable and limitless. So I used to tell her – well, wait a few years and we’ll have not one, but three daughters. And what's more, they'll come to you, and you won't have to give them away, for they'll marry your sons, and belong to this house for always. When Poonam came into this house, I realised that your mother was right, for the love that Poonam gave us, was something beyond our experience. And then we got our Radhika, and that was even more precious, the first daughter of this house in three generations. After the accident …" the firm voice faltered slightly, then went on again, "I thought that while my body survived, my soul had died with her, and I could only wait for death to come to me, and re-unite me with my beloved wife, with Ajay and his Poonam, the daughter she had wanted so much. But I had forgotten, in my pain of losing one son, that I still had two more, that I still had my Radhika, and that I could still look forward to the love of two more daughters."

He held his sons’ hands, one in each of his.

“Arnav,” he began. “You’ve kept me going, you’ve kept all of us going. You’ve fought so hard to bring us out of our sorrow, to remind us that we still have so much to live for. I was so sunk in my grief that I just wanted to give up … but you – you never gave up. You fought with us, for us. And you did the best thing for this house that you could ever have done. You brought …”

He turned to Khushi. "You brought this girl. Khushi, my dearest child, I don’t know what to say to you. You're truly the embodiment of your name. You've brought happiness back into this house, my dear girl. You've brought light, and laughter, and love with you, and I can only pray, that what you have brought to all of us, God give you back a hundred-fold."

Khushi smiled tremulously, her cheeks damp. Arnav looked at her, and she could see the emotion in his face, his eyes as they met hers.

Mr. Raizada turned to Akash and Shivi. "Akash … my youngest … always the baby of this house … you have grown so much. This tragedy took away so much, but it made a man out of you. I can see you standing shoulder to shoulder with your brother now … being his strength, his support, his friend – the way Ajay was. I’m so proud of you. And Shivi, I’ve seen you help Akash, be there for him … you have been much more than a friend to him and it’s my fond hope that this silly fellow …” he smiled fondly at Akash, “sees that soon.”

Shivi looked at him, her face changing, and then at Akash.

Akash stopped smiling. He looked steadily at Shivi, and her eyes fell. Then she looked at him again, and her eyes were clear, bright. She looked at his father.

"I hope, uncle," she said, softly, "that what I have learnt from Khushi, I remember wherever I go. She has taught me a lot. This house, this family ... you've all taught me a lot, about love, about family, about being together, about being there for each other, through good times and bad."

He nodded, smiling. The servants brought the food, and they all ate together. And everybody pretended not to notice when after some time, Akash and Shivi were not in the room any more.

They walked in the garden. The night was bright and clear, with wisps of clouds dotting the dark sky. A soft breeze stirred the leaves, and the rustling sound mixed with the chirping of crickets.

Akash walked down the path. After the look he had given Shivi, he hadn't looked at her again, when she had followed him quietly out of the room into the lawns. He walked, brooding, and she waited. This was her last attempt, she had warned Khushi. She had her pride, she told Khushi. If he didn't want her, she would leave.

He looked at her at last.

"I didn't know Dad was so fond of you," he commented.

"It's mutual," she murmured, staring at the leaves she held in her hand.

He looked at her, then looked away.

"Your sister went away," he said suddenly. "Lavanya went away, when Arnav bhai needed her. I haven't forgiven her for that. Not entirely."

She smiled. "I thought you would have, by now," she commented, and he arched an enquiring brow at her.

"If she hadn't gone away, Khushi would not have come here."

He smiled at that. Then he looked at her again. "Do you resent Khushi bhabhi for that? For being here?"

Shivi shook her head.

"I did at first," she admitted. Then with spirit, she added, "But then, so did you, Akash. But now, I know. Lavanya di would never have fitted in here as well as Khushi bhabhi. She would not have managed you all as well as Khushi bhabhi has. Lavu di's going away seems to have been a blessing in disguise for all of you."

"And for you?" asked Akash, staring intently at Shivi in the dim light. 

"I resented her at first," Shivi repeated. "I already told you that. But one can't feel that way about Khushi for too long, can you? She just creeps into your heart. And she's taught me a lot. How to value and cherish love and family, how both can be together, without one hindering the other, without one handicapping the other. She seems to have been born for this house."

He nodded, looking away over the dimly lit lawns. Then he looked back at her.

"And you, Shivi? What are you born for? Have you found your place yet?"

She moved a little ahead of him, and stared out into the distance.

"I thought I had," she said, quietly. "I still don't know."

She looked back at him, and there was a plea in her eyes. He was watching her very steadily, his gaze unwavering.

"Akash," she said, pleadingly. "Why are you doing this? If you don't want me, let me go. Don't …" she caught her breath, "… don't look at me like that. Let me go."

"I'm not holding you," he said, and she gave a laugh, which broke in the middle. She looked down at her hands. The leaves she had been holding were crushed.

"You are holding me, and you don't even know it," she said, desperately. "If you don't want me, let me go, Akash. I can't take this any more. I love you too much. Please, …"

He was close to her then, almost touching her, but not quite. He brought his hands up to her face, and smoothed back the hair from her forehead. She looked up at him, then made to turn away, blindly. He caught her and held her back.

"When I heard what Lavanya said to Arnav," he said, suddenly, his hands gentle on her arms, his thumbs absently caressing her soft flesh, "… about wanting him to go away with her, after all this had happened, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe her, what she was saying. I couldn't believe that this was the girl I wanted my brother to marry - that I was so mistaken in her. That she could feel the way she did. And I thought, that you, her sister, must feel the same way. That for you, too, family was secondary, and you and what you wanted came first. And I couldn't handle that. Before the accident, Ajay was here, both Arnav bhai and I thought of going to America. He wanted to set up the business there, and I wanted to study. But after the accident, there was no question of either of us going away. I thought Lavanya would understand that, none better than her. She had known Ajay, Poonam, Mummy. She had known them cared for them ... or so she said. But she went away ... and she wanted to take Bhai with her. When I knew how she felt, I made up my mind that you were the same. I decided that you too would want to go away sooner or later. I didn't want to take that chance. And in a way, I was punishing you, for what your sister had done."

His hands cupped her face, their touch gentle.

"But you've made me change my mind, haven't you? Over these last weeks, that's what you've been doing. Showing me that in this way, you're nothing like your sister, that you know what I feel, what I want. And that what I want is - you."

 The last words were barely breathed into her mouth, before his lips touched hers, softly, gently. Her arms went around his neck as she clung to him, and his kiss firmed, hardened, as they clung together for what seemed like an eternity.