151. OS: 7: The Other Woman (Part 10-)

Section 10

ASR drove home, the image of Khushi’s blank eyes hurting him, riisng before his eyes to taunt him with their lack of bitterness and malice and anger and spite.

He drove up the driveway and parked before his mansion.

HP opened the door for him before he could knock. He walked in to an empty hall, an uninhabited living room. There was no one to be seen.

Seeing him glance around the house, HP offered, “Naniji and Mamiji are with Anjaliji in her room, Arnav bhaiyya.”

ASR nodded and walked up the steps to his room, his heart heavy, his head pounding.

He shut the door after him and tore the coat, jacket and tie off himself, feeling stifled. He walked in to the bathroom to shower.

Standing under the steady stream of warm water, he felt his throat close with acute regret and self-disgust. What had he done to Khushi? What had he said to her?

More importantly, why had he said all that nonsense to her?

Why had he manhandled her?

Why had he been so furious with her?

Why had he forgotten all the manners his Mama, Nani, Di and Mami had drummed in to his head?

Why had the very thought of Khushi with Shyam hurt like a stab to his heart?

Had it been just concern for his Di and her marriage?

No, it had been more than that. ASR was nothing if not honest. His fury had been powered by his own territorial instincts where Khushi was concerned. He had wanted to pick her up and put her in his pocket and walk away when he had first seen her. He had wanted to make her his, only his. He had wanted to hide her from the eyes of the world and the very thought that her name was linked to Shyam’s had turned the dagger in his heart and made him bleed...

He shut his eyes and leaned forward to rest his forehead against the glass wall of the cubicle. The water beat down on his back, pricking his skin, reminding him that he was alive and could still feel.

He had wanted her to smile at him...and only him. He had wanted her eyes to twinkle only for him. He had wanted to absorb her in to his being and take her with him wherever he went, a part of him....

He swallowed hard. Folly. That was what it was. Love was a mirage. Marriage was a bond that turned in to a noose, killing the bound ones, destroying families... Love didn’t exist. Only infatuation did, he tried to tell himself.

 But her eyes flashed before his mind. Innocent, hurt, tear-filled, astonished, wounded, honest, sad eyes... He hit the shower enclosure with a clenched fist, not even noticing the bruise on his knuckles.

A few minutes later, dressed in casuals, he sat before his laptop staring at a blank screen.

He heard a knock on the door.

HP stood there, a tray in his hands. “Arnav bhaiyya, dinner,” he said in a low voice, scared whether the tray would go flying over his head. Arnav bhaiyya had only two moods: angry and angrier.

“Rakh do,” Arnav said hoarsely.

HP quickly placed the tray on the table and vanished.

Time passed. The food cooled in its dishes as Arnav stared at the screen and thought about Khushi.

“Chotey,” Nani called from the door.

He looked up. Mami was with Nani.

 He stood up.

They joined him.

“Chotey, we must bring damadji back,” Nani said.

Mami nodded. “Arnav bitwaa, Anjali bitiyya ijj crying. Aisen cry karegi to hamra housewaa hi doob jaayega floodwaa mein.”

Arnav said nothing.

“Chotey, are you listening to me?” Nani asked, her eyes anxious.

“I am sorry, Nani. I won’t ask Jiju to return,” Arnav said.

Nani and Mami stared at him.

“You heard everything Jiju said, didn’t you? He will phone Di after the work at his house is over. Di can join him then,” Arnav said.

“Chotey, how can you send Anjali bitiyya away?” Nani asked, frowning, apprehensive.

“Mami came here to live with us after marriage. If Akash marries, won’t you expect his wife to join us here after the wedding? Then how can we fault Jiju for expecting his wife to live in the house he built?” Arnav asked softly.

Nani amd Mami looked at him, speechless.

Then Nani said, “Chotey, Anjali bitiyya...”

“I want Di to be happy, Nani. She loves Jiju and I think Jiju too cares for her. We should let them live their own life, face troubles as a unit, communicate freely without dragging us in to every small issue. It is a miracle that Jiju stayed with us for so long,” Arnav said.

“How can we abandon her, Chotey?” Nani asked, perturbed.

“She will be joining her husband, Nani, in the palatial house he has built for her. We are not throwing her out on the streets,” Arnav said, sitting down, signalling that he would hear no more appeals.

Nani glanced at Mami’s distressed countenance and left the room.

A few minutes later Anjali appeared at Arnav’s door, clinging on to the handle for support.

Arnav stood up and walked to her. “Kya hua, Di?” he asked.

Tears welled in her eyes and poured down her cheeks. “Chotey, your Jiju is angry with me,” she complained.

Arnav sighed. “Not just with you, Di. With me too. And he is entitled to be. We were both very foolish. We have done untold damage in our ignorance and folly.”

“Chotey, talk to him and make everything alright,” Anjali pleaded.

Arnav drew in  a deep breath. “Give him some time, Di. Then call him. I am sure he will talk to you.”

“Chotey, bring your Jiju back. Make everything as perfect as it was before. You will do this for your Di, won’t you?” Anjali pouted.

Arnav slowly took his Di’s arm and led her to sit on the bed. He sat by her and asked her, “Di, didn’t you hear anything that Jiju said this evening?”

Anjali blinked at him.

“I will not interfere in your marriage again, Di. Your marriage is your responsibility, Jiju’s responsibility. I have no right to meddle in it,” Arnav explained.

“Chotey,” Anjali whined.

“Di, I should have asked you to speak to Jiju when you came to me with your doubts. I should have never set out to handle things I was ignorant about,” Arnav tried to explain to her. “Di, if you ever need serious help, if Jiju leaves you or something like that, I will help you. I will look after you. But I will not keep you here after this month. And I will never poke my nose in to things that don’t concern me. You must manage your marriage yourself. I can’t do it any more.”

“Chotey, how can I leave Nani and Mami and you?” Anjali whimpered.

“Di, you are going to move in to a house that is three kilometres away from Shantivan. You are not going to outer space. We will visit you and you can drop in. And you are not going to be alone. You are going to live with your husband,” Arnav explained.

Anjali pouted.

“Di, you were unfair to Jiju and Khushi. I hope he forgives you. I hope someday Khushi will find it in her to excuse you.” Arnav looked down at his linked fingers. “Di, I was brutal to Khushi. A beast. Totally, unbelievably cruel and cutting. I hope she...she...” he ground to a halt.

“I didn’t apologise to her, Chotey,” Anjali frowned. “I should have.”

Arnav nodded. Her eyes...her eyes..the shock in them as he had accused her of selling her body to Shyam for profit...

“Chotey, if something bad happens, Chotey, you will be there, won’t you?” Anjali clutched his arm, her sad eyes on his.

“Yes, Di. You will never be helpless as we were once. You have a family to look out for you,” he reassured her, the images of Buaji and Payal rushing through his mind. “Di, I think you should join Jiju’s office, help him in his work. It will help you understand him better and keep you occupied throughout the day when he is working.”

Section 11

Arnav called Shyam after Anjali had gone to bed.

“Yes, Arnav,” Shyam asked politely.

“I am sorry, Jiju,” Arnav apologised.

Shyam sighed.

“I should not have...I should have asked Di to talk it over with you. I should not have dealt with it like I do business. I should have thought a hundred times before setting out to tackle the issue. I should have found out the facts before...” Arnav shook his head in self-disgust.

“The only positive in this mess is that your sister picked Khushi as the culprit,” Shyam said. “She is a level-headed, sanskaari child who will never speak about this to another soul. She is a happy, cheerful, friendly girl but she keeps her private life private. She does not go around telling her life story to all and sundry. Had it been someone else...if this had leaked out....my profession, my career, my reputation...everything that I had slaved to make would have been washed away.”

Arnav swallowed hard. He knew the damage scandal could do.

“I hope Khushi forgives us, Arnav,” Shyam said. “If her Buaji or sister get to know of this...” he shuddered at the thought.

Arnav closed his eyes in pain.

The next day, he drove to Shyam’s office from his own, unable to concentrate on his work, unable to forget Khushi’s wet eyes. Aman stared at the car as it left the office car park. ASR was leaving the office on a working day for unspecified personal reasons? The boss from hell who worked on Sundays too was skipping work? Aman couldn’t believe his eyes.

Arnav parked near Shyam’s office and walked towards it. He entered the office to be greeted by a smiling Sharmaji.

“Raizadaji, Shyamji is at court,” he said.

“I will wait for him,” ASR moved towards the room set aside for guests.

“Acha,” Sharmaji showed him in and turned to leave.

“Err..I would like a cup of tea,” Arnav said.

“Definitely. I will ask Khushi to make it for you,” Sharmaji left the room.

ASR swallowed hard as he waited for Khushi. Would she agree to serve him tea? Would she come to meet him?

A few minutes later, he heard movement near the door. He got up and moved to the door on quick feet. He pulled open the door for Khushi to carry her tray in and stood staring at the moustache on the face of Ram Lal, the male peon.

“Your tea, Sir,” Ram Lal said.

“Khushi?” Arnav asked softly, his heart fluttering in his chest.

“Khushiji made the tea. She was about to bring it to you when she remembered some work she had left half-done. That is why she asked me to serve it to you,” the simple man explained.

“Acha,” Arnav murmured. He took the tea from Ram Lal. 

“Please inform your Khushiji that I would like to meet her and will not leave this building till I do.”

“Ji,” Ram Lal scurried away.

A few moments later he saw Khushi walk towards him. Dressed in a peach anarkali, she looked like a rose in his garden.

He stood back for her to enter the room and shut the door. He turned to look at her closed face.

Section 12