BOUND TO BE

Part 3

Part 3

The elderly lady greeted her, but immediately her face turned confused, bewildered....

After what seemed like ages, Geeta, Anjali's mil, smiled and asked, "Are you by any chance Neelima's daughter?"

Khushi's eye grew wide. After a few seconds, "You knew my mother?" Khushi asked, her eyes had began to glisten.

Geeta replied cheerfully "Of course I know her. How else would I recognise you. She was like a tail to my best friend Garima. She was younger, but she would not leave her sister. We all went to same school, then college, but then I was married off early. Moving all over the country with my husbands job, I lost contact with everyone. How is she? How is Garima?"

The tears which were brimming, now flowed without any fuss. Not wanting to make a scene, Khushi dabbled her eyes and replied, "Aunty, I cant express how happy I am to see you, but she is no longer with us, I live with my maasi."

There was a gasp, before Geeta pressed her hand and comforted her. She was lost for words. Hugging Khushi "You must bring Garima. I want to meet her. Arun has talked so much about you... I never knew ..."

After what seemed like ages, when both had settled to a comforting sadness, Anjali came by to call her MIL, "Maaji, it's time to cut the cake." Seeing them so close, she was pleasantly surprised, "Oh, Khushiji, you both know each other? How wonderful."

Both Geeta and Khushi smiled and made their way for the celebrations.

Even though Anjali was wary of Khushi two weeks ago, she had grown fond of her seeing her genuine love for her son. But with their history of betrayal and tragedy, Anjali always reserved her opinion and took things slowly, unlike her brother, jumping into conclusions.

With the party in full swing, kids games, bouncy castle et al, arranged by a professional party organiser, having nothing to do, Khushi strolled off towards the garden, away from the din. She was in no mood to enjoy the party. She looked at the bright sky, with twinkling stars. With tears flowing down, she smiled, almost laughed. She could imagine how her mum would have trailed behind her now Amma. How often Garima had exclaimed, "This girl looks and acts just like her mum. She attracts trouble wherever she goes. Devi maiyya knows what would have happened you your mum If I were not with her all the time."

Finishing his phone call, Arnav was getting back to the party hall, when he heard her laugh."I knew you were crazy Ms.Gupta, but this..crazy? Or have you managed.." he stopped his tirade of abuse abruptly when Khushi turned her face and he saw her tears even though she was laughing a few moments ago.

She stood looking at him, her mind in trance. She had not registered who it was until she saw his eyes. Similar pain, she saw. He felt uncomfortable, as if he was exposed, but his concerns grew looking at her blank face. His heart cried to see her in such pain.

"Khushi Tum teek ho. (Are you ok)?" he came forward.

She could not take his words again. Khushi stepped behind and ran. She wanted to get away, away from everyone. She ran to the washroom. Stuffing tissues in her mouth, she wailed. And wailed. Wailed for her mum. Wailed her dad. Wailed for her brother or sister who never saw the world. Wailed for all the childhood lost.

After a long time her memories were kindled and she missed her parents badly. What with past fee as weeks, her life had taken various twists and turns around a certain Raizada at its epicentre.

Memories still vivid. Khushi wanted to play with her cousin Payal. She was dropped off at her maasi's house and her parents had gone to hospital for a general appointment and finish some office business. They never returned. End of summer holidays, end of being cuddled by her parents, end of her childhood. Overnight she felt she had grown. Even though she acted childish she knew her boundaries.

"Has Khushi left Di?" Arnav asked his sister. It had been more than half an hour she disappeared and he didn't know why it troubled him to think she was in pain, what if she has left in this dark? He had tried to look for her everywhere...

Anjali looked at her brother puzzled. If Anajli was surprised, she was too clever to show it. Akash's question popped into her head. "Di, poor Khushiji, I don't know how bhai manages to get into trouble, only with her." But again, she couldn't stop thinking, how Akash never left the opportunity to drop Khushi, how he always managed to get Khushi out of trouble, ever since she was working at AR. Oh Anjali dreaded to think what she was thinking.

"Oh is it?" Anjali showed indifference answering him. She didn't have to wait for long, because Khushi, having straightened herself, walked straight up to her "Anjali ji, thanks for inviting me to the party. Its late, I shall make a move."

"I must thank you Khushi ji. You have done a wonderful job in this party. Arun is really enjoying. My MIL wanted to meet you. I didn't know you knew them. Its busy now khushiji, come tomorrow, we can talk... ah you know"

Khushi knew what this talk was. She didn't want to continue working for her. Contract over. She didn't want anything to do with the Raizadas. No more

"Yeah sure Anjali ji, I will say bye to her."

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