HEARTSTRINGS (Completed)

45 Wife

What next? Swamiji...

Arnav saved Swamiji's number on his mobile and called him through his mobile. The call got attended. Arnav waited for the response. He frowned as Swamiji talked in TAMIL.

"Hello, sollunga, yaru pesureenga? (Hello, tell me, who is speaking)"

Arnav was sure it was a south Indian language but he was not sure which language was that. As Swamiji didn't get a response from him,

"Nan Siva Sakthi Ayurveda Clinic doctor dhan pesuren. Ninga yaaru Pesureenga? (I'm the doctor of Siva Sakthi Ayurveda Clinic. Who is there?)"

Arnav again frowned. DOCTOR? Did Khushi get a call from a doctor? That too a South Indian doctor? Why? Did Khushi know the language? How? He disconnected the call. He thought something and again unlocked Khushi's phone. He dialed Swamiji's number through Khushi's phone. Swamiji attended the call.

"Haan, Khushi beta, tell me" Arnav lifted his brows as Swamiji talked in Hindi this time.

Arnav again called Swamiji's number from his phone without cutting the call on Khushi's mobile. Swamiji saw a new number on the second line.

"Hello, Khushi..."

Now, Arnav disconnected the call from Khushi's number and waited. Swamiji attended his call again.

"Yaru pesureenga?" he again talked in Tamil.

"Doctor, I'm calling from Bhopal. I heard about your clinic and treatment. I'm suffering from knee pain for one year..."

Cutting him,

"I think you didn't hear about our clinic properly"

"Means?"

"This is a MIND clinic..."

"Mind clinic means?"

"We treat only MENTALLY DISORDERED patients"

Arnav got stuck.

"Oh... I see..."

"I can suggest you a good clinic for your knee pain"

"That's ok, Doctor... it's good that I called you. My relative's son is an autistic child. Will you treat him too?"

"Why not? Sure"

"But we are living in Bhopal..."

"Can't you bring the kid here?"

"No, Doctor. They are not wealthy people"

"Oh... no problem. I will send you the medicines. Just follow them. But it will be better if you come here with the kid at least once. The improvement would be so faster."

"Is it?"

"Yes"

"Will you treat any mentally disordered patient?"

"We cured many given-up cases"

"Fantastic"

"You can call me anytime. I will do my best to cure the kid"

"But, doctor, how would you guide them through phone?"

"I will ask them to RECORD all my phone calls. So that, they won't have to call me again and again. They can listen to the recording and get cleared"

"Oh... would you insist everyone record your phone calls?"

"Yes"

"oh... thank you, doctor. I will call you back soon"

"Welcome"

Arnav disconnected the call. Somewhat, he understood what would have happened. So, the Swamiji was none other than HIS doctor. His FAMILY would have treated him with the help of Swamiji. Khushi might have taken responsibility for following his instruction. He deleted the call from Khushi's mobile.

He wanted to check the call recording to know the exact issue of his illness. He opened the audio list. That was when he heard a knock on the door.

"Who is that?" Arnav asked.

"Khushi..."

Arnav didn't expect that Khushi came to his room soon to get her mobile back. Without any choice, he locked her phone and kept it under the pillow. He opened the door.

"Did he call you back?" she asked.

"Not yet... do you want your phone now?"

"Oh... actually..." she hesitated.

"Ok, I charged my phone. You can take it" he said removing his phone from the charger even though he wanted to check the call recording of Swamiji.

Khushi stood looking for her phone.

"What, Khushi?" he asked as if he didn't know why she was waiting.

"My phone..."

"Yeah... it's there..." he pointed at the side table.

Khushi looked at the side table and there was no phone.

"Where did I keep it?" Arnav looked here and there in a searching manner pretending.

"I will get it later than..." she was about to leave,

"No no...wait."

He took the pillow from the bed. Khushi saw her mobile on the bed. It had been kept under the pillow.

"Oh... here it is..." he took it in his hand.

"I should have kept it there while waiting for Aman's call."

Khushi extended her hand to take the mobile but he inhaled the pillow deeply looking at Khushi.

"Wah... what a smell...! Does your hair also smell the same...? Of course, this pillow got the smell from your hair only, right?"

Khushi felt like, a crab was running in her stomach as if he was not smelling the pillow but her hair itself.

"My phone..." she stammered.

"Yeah..." he extended his hand and then again pulled it back. As he got slipped by the floor mate. Arnav fell onto the bed, taking Khushi with him. Khushi was lying beneath him.

Arnav became dizzy because his wife was lying underneath him and he was lying on the crook of her neck. It seemed he could no longer hold himself from getting close to her. He raised her head and looked at Khushi who was looking cute, closing her eyes tightly. Khushi slowly opened her eyes and got stuck, seeing Arnav's bewitched eyes on her. It was an awkward state for her. She could not understand why he was looking at her all lost.

"Ar... Arnavji..." She stammered.

Arnav got detached from her halfheartedly and sat on the bed.

"I felt dizzy" he lied.

"Did you take your medicine?" she asked while sitting on the bed.

He nodded yes.

She stood up from the bed.

"Khushi..."

"mmm?"

"Don't tell anyone about it. they will overreact"

"if you don't want me to tell anyone then you should go to the hospital and consult the doctor"

Arnav smiled and nodded ok. Khushi left the room worriedly. Arnav again fell on the bed. There were a lot of thoughts whirling in his mind.

To be continued...