Part 20 About Family
Khushi came back to Payal's room and sat with her making a face. NK smiled at her.
"Arnav Singh Raizada has a big mouth," she said gritting her teeth.
"He is just kidding, yaar..." NK said.
"Doesn't he get anyone other than me to kidding?"
"Who does he have other than you to do kidding?" NK asked without taking a second.
Khushi got stuck.
"I wonder because he is kidding you. I'm not sure he will do that even though he has many people to do that" NK said.
"I didn't get you"
"He has been so serious so far... That was his character. After Akash's accident, he became more serious. You have no idea how tense he was as we could not find Payal Bhabi's sister Chutki. After reaching you only he looks relieved."
Khushi was silent.
"We are bound with some society-oriented responsibility, Khushi. Are not you seeing...? Securities... Guns... Plans... Operations... In between these, how could he get a chance to chill?"
"What about you? Do you get time to chill?" Khushi asked
"Of course, I had... Because of Akash. He is in love... Then, no need to say how he would have been. We share everything but Nannav had not had such a chance. Akash kept his love matter secret from Nannav because Akash knew about his mission. He didn't want Nannav to be tense. More than that, he didn't want any problem to come up in meeting Payal Bhabi. Even though we are in the pressurized phase of life I and Akash were enjoying it secretly"
"What he would have done if he got to know about their love?" Khushi asked.
"He would not have entertained Akash. At the same time, he would not have restricted him too..."
"Means?"
"He would have gotten them married and brought Payal Bhabi here permanently..."
"How could you say that so confidently?"
"Nannav often uttered that whenever he sees Payal Bhabi..."
Khushi sighed. If it had happened, everything would have changed. Akash and Payal would not have been trapped in the attack. They would have been happier and healthier. She too would have gotten clear about Arnav's stand. This was all fate. What else she could name this? But, she didn't know why all of them were in a terrible phase of life.
"Thank you, Khushi... Because of you, Nannav became at ease" NK smiled.
Khushi was embarrassed. She made herself up and said,
"It doesn't mean I will be silently listening to him all the time. Don't blame me if I also do the same with him" she says with fake anger.
"Of course, you can do that. Nannav won't take it seriously" NK smiled.
"How could you say that?"
"He it's kidding you. That means, he is ready to receive the same from you... Right?"
"But he doesn't know Khushi Gupta and her capability"
"He will get to know that..." NK smiled.
"Let's see"
"Khushi, you don't have to be with Payal Bhabi. Doctors will take care of her."
"But..."
Cutting her,
"You can visit her anytime. No issues... But, let her be under the doctor's observation"
"Am I going to stop the doctors from treating her or what?"
"No... Certainly not... She is in a coma. She can be infected easily. It's very hard to maintain yourself sanitized all the time. That's why I'm saying."
"Oh..." Khushi sighed.
"Let's go," NK said.
They came out of Payal's room. Khushi's sight got caught at the behind building's entrance. She wanted to know what the building was about. But she didn't ask NK anything. She wanted to find it out on her own. So, she went back to her room.
On the other hand, Arnav was thinking about the attack. He was analyzing the point Akash highlighted. Why the goons attacked Payal, leaving him behind? Could those people be enemies of Payal and Khushi? Could these girls have problems with anyone? What was their background? He had to know about it and only Khushi could answer him.
Arnav walked to Payal's room. He thought Khushi would be with Payal. As he didn't find her there, he came to her room. He found her room door locked from the inside. He knocked on the door. Khushi opened the door and got stuck, seeing Arnav. She remembered what NK said. This was the time to show who Khushi Gupta was.
She tried to close the door. Arnav stopped her from doing that, palming the door.
"What happened? Why are you closing the door?" Arnav asked.
"Don't you know how the MAD person behaves? If you don't know that, get to know that from here on. This is how..." She again tried to close the door but stopped, listening to Arnav.
"Why are you addressing yourself mad, Khushi?" Arnav asked even though he understood why she said that.
"It's not me but you who addressed me as mad"
"You didn't understand my words properly. I said I will make people believe you are mad... ONLY IF you capture the photos of this place and send them to the press... But, I know you won't do that. That's why I let you use your phone" He said looking at the phone that was in her hand.
"It doesn't mean I will be cool all the time. Be careful... I can become mad anytime" she said with attitude.
"I will take care of it when it happens..."
"What's the matter? Why are you here? To check my mental condition?" She asked sarcastically.
"I can answer only if you let me talk. How could I answer, if you, yourself answer your questions without giving me a chance?"
"Tell me" she folded her hands.
"Won't you let me in?"
Khushi gave him space to enter. Arnav came in and sat on the bed.
"You too can sit," he said.
"That's ok..."
"I just am here to talk to you"
Cutting him,
"About what?"
"About everything"
Khushi frowned.
"Why would you think of talking to me all of a sudden?"
"Just now I got to know who you are. That's what made me think of talking to you"
"You are talking like, you didn't like to talk to me before..."
"It's different..."
"How?"
"You will get to know that. Tell me about your family"
"Family???? Mmm... I and Jeeji..."
Cutting her,
"What about your parents?"
"They died in an accident"
"Accident? When?"
"Two years before"
"Where were you at that time?"
"I was at the beginning of my second year at that time"
"Don't you guys have no one other than your parents?"
"We have some distant relatives. They hardly visit us. We got to know about some of them only at our patent's funeral"
"What did you get to know? Anything particular?"
"Yeah..."
"What was that?"
"My father has a brother"
"Brother?" Arnav frowned.
Khushi nodded yes.
"Didn't you guys know about your father's brother?" he asked wondering.
"We didn't know about them because neither our father told us about him nor did he ever visit our place"
"But, why? Were not they in talking terms?"
"He is not my father's brother but step brother "
"You mean... Your Dada's second wife's son...?"
"Not second wife... He is an illegitimate son of my Dada"
Arnav thought for a while.
"Where is he now?"
"In Lucknow, I suppose"
"Did you ever see him?"
"Yes, he attended our parent's funeral."
"Didn't he talk to you?"
"He did... He said we can ask him for any help"
"Do you have his number?"
"I didn't but Jeeji had"
"What's his name?"
"Rishi Gupta"
"What about his family?"
"He has a wife, a son, and a daughter"
"What are they doing?"
"I don't know about them. They just attended the funeral and left. I could see the hesitation in them to mingle with people freely"
"Didn't you see them after that?"
"I didn't but Jeeji..."
"Where? When?"
"In Mumbai."
"Mumbai?"
"Yes... They came here to attend a wedding..."
"When did they come here?"
"Before two months of Jeeji's attack"
Arnav became thoughtful.
"What happened?"
"Nothing... Give me your Lucknow address"
"Mmm"
"Who knows about Rishi Gupta, other than you and Payal?"
"Bheem uncle knows"
"Who is Bheem?"
"My father's friend"
"Do you have his phone number?"
"Yeah, I have"
"Give it to me"
Khushi told him Bheem's number. Arnav saved it on his mobile... And of course, he memorized it while saving it.
"Your Lucknow address?"
Khushi looked here and there.
"What are you looking for?"
"Paper to write our address"
"Just tell me"
"47/18, Gangodhri street, Veersivaji Nagar, Lucknow"
"Where is Mr. Beem's house?"
"His house is the next street to ours... Shivalik Street"
"Ok"
Arnav stood up.
"Why did you ask about my family?"
Arnav looked at her with a witty smirk. Khushi raised her brows. His answer made her drop her jaws.
"To ask your hand for the marriage"
To be continued...