Part 53 Doubt
Arnav could not sleep that night as he was thinking about NK and the girl Rima. He had no idea who Rima was but he had to find it out. He liked NK very much. He was happy about his love for Anu. He didn't want him to be wrong. He didn't want to miss such a good guy. At the same time, he was not ready to trust him blindly. He wanted to know the secret that NK was hiding from them. He wanted to know who Rima was. What connection did she hold with NK? Why did NK want to meet her? what were they going to speak? He wanted to know.
The next day
Khushi came to Anu's room and looked here and there in a searching manner.
"What are you searching for, Khushi?" Anu asked, seeing her looking here and there.
"I'm searching for the cake jars"
"What are you going to do with the jars?"
"Are not them looking cute? I liked them very much"
"So?"
"I'm planning to use them as storage jars in the kitchen... what say?"
"Good idea... I too liked them very much because those glass jars are beautiful. That's why I dried them after washing them well"
Anu gave them to Khushi.
"Thank you, Anu"
"That's ok... Shall I take one from them?" Anu asked.
Khushi raised her brows surprisingly. Did Anu want to keep it in the remembrance of NK? Didn't she know what did it mean? These kinds of stupid activities were the symptoms of love and the person who falls in love would do such idiotic things.
"It's beautiful..." Anu said hesitating.
"If you like it very much, keep all four jars, Anu," Khushi said.
"No no, Khushi... just one is enough for me"
Khushi nodded ok and left the place with three jars.
She came to their room and saw Arnav getting ready.
"Are you going to the office today?"
"I will go... only if needed..."
"Then why did you get ready so soon?"
"Just to be with others... let's go to the living room," Arnav said as he wanted to watch NK.
Khushi wondered because Arnav never preferred to be with others in the living room.
"I think we will keep NK and Anu together... Anu will be with us if we are in the living room. that's why..." Arnav said, understand Khushi's mind.
"Arnavji, talk to Anu about NK's proposal. I think we should not delay. NK loves her very much. I think we should not make him wait. He is restless, Arnavji"
"I will talk to her about it soon. but I will do it after two days... because I don't think, this is not a matter of forcing. I want NK to get her acceptance. Anu won't deny me if I ask her to marry NK. But, I want her to realize his love and accept the proposal" Arnav said.
Khushi nodded yes.
"You are right... I have full faith in NK that he will get her acceptance soon. Didn't we see how he shouted at her rightfully when she denied him?"
Arnav nodded yes.
"That's what I want him to do. Let's go to the living room"
Arnav walked out, followed by Khushi.
They saw Manorama and NK sitting in the living room with Aman.
"Good morning, ASR" Aman wished him.
"Good morning, Aman. Have you guys had coffee?"
"Yeah... just now, Massi gave us coffee" Aman said.
"Do you want me to prepare for you too?" Manorama asked.
"No, aunty...I will ask Hari Prakash to prepare for us" Arnav said and sat on the couch.
Khushi also took a seat, keeping Baby Aun on her lap who was pulling the hair of the Barbie Doll.
"Hari Prakash..." Arnav called him.
HP rushed to him.
"Jee Arnav baba?"
"Get us coffee... before that, call Anu"
"Jee"
Hari Prakash came to Anu's room.
"Arnav baba wants you to come to the living room, bitiya"
"Jee..." Anu walked out of her room.
HP went to the kitchen to prepare coffee.
Anu came to the living room and smiled at everyone formally.
"Why did you call me, Bhai?"
"Just to have coffee with you"
Anu sat next to Khushi and caressed Baby Anu's back lovingly. Baby Anu extended the Barbie Doll towards Anu and said,
"Auuuu... dha"
"Wow, she calls you Anu," Khushi said wondering.
Arnav and Anu also became joyful.
"Maa... na na, ma... Auuu" Baby Anu said palming her chest, like, I'm Anu.
"This is too much Anu... you are the one who called your Bua as Anu..."
Cutting her,
"She could call her but no one..." Arnav said laughing.
"Yeah... only she can call her Bua with her name but we should not..." Manorama said.
"Don't you think this is too much?" Khushi said making a wired face.
"She is not ready to share her name with me but she calls me because only she has the right to call me by that name... am I right little bug?" Anu asked.
Baby Anu gave the doll to Anu. Its hair looked messy completely.
"do you want me to make its hair?" Anu asked.
"Dha..." Baby Anu said.
"You are the one who gifted her the doll. That's why she wants you to do it" Khushi said.
"Hey, little bug, what have you done to this doll? It looked like a prince but you made it like Annabelle" Anu laughed.
Her laughing form made NK smile. No need to say Arnav was noticing it.
Anu removed the hair band of the Barbie doll. Taking the small comb from the Barbie doll set, Anu combed its hair. And then again she put the band in its hair. She gave it back to baby Anu. Taking it from Anu, Baby Anu grinned like a squirrel, showing her front teeth. That made all of them laugh.
Hari Prakash brought them coffee. After having it, Anu stood up.
"I have to take bath, Bhai"
Arnav nodded ok.
As Arnav didn't expect, NK didn't show interest to go out of RM which confused Arnav. Didn't he say on phone; he would meet the girl today? Then why was he sitting at home? Arnav was confused. NK didn't go anywhere until evening. Yet, Arnav waited patiently.
Evening
Arnav saw NK checking a message. His facial expression changed slightly. He stood up from the couch and walked out, saying nothing to anyone.
Arnav came to Anu's room as Khushi was there.
"Khushi, I have to go to AR. I will come back soon" he said.
Khushi nodded ok. Arnav rushed out. He saw NK going towards the auto stand. He stopped the auto that crossed RM and sat in it. NK also got into an auto. Arnav waited for him to go. He asked the auto driver to follow his auto when NK's auto started. After thirty minutes of chasing, NK got down in front of a park and went inside after cutting the meter. Arnav silently followed him. NK advanced to a girl who was sitting on the cement bench. She stood up, seeing NK. She must be Rima, Arnav supposed.
Luckily, there was a tree behind them. Arnav came to the tree and stood behind it and heard their talks.
"I can't believe Anu is alive," the girl said.
"I too can't believe she is alive and came home back safely"
"I have decided to go abroad," the girl said.
"Are you afraid, Rima?" NK asked.
Arnav got alerted. So, she was Rima.
"Yes, I'm afraid"
"Don't you trust me?"
"I trust you but I don't want you to face problems because of me"
"I won't face problems... even though the problem arrives I know how to tackle them"
"What would be Anu's condition if she got to know about us? I don't think she could tolerate it"
"Anu will never get to know about us... I won't let her know about it... I will be careful"
"No. NK... I don't want to take a risk... by the way, thank you so much for being with me"
"You don't have to thank me because whatever I did is not only for you but also for me... it gave me satisfaction and happiness... For that, I should thank you"
She smiled.
"You can ask me anything if you want"
She nodded ok.
They turned around only to find Arnav standing, staring at them. NK was shocked to the core as he didn't expect Arnav to be there at that time.
To be continued...