Part 56 Maya's house
"I think everything will get over in a month," Arnav said.
"No... In a week," Khushi said in a flow making Arnav stunned.
Khushi looked at him bewildered. Arnav came to the composer.
"That means we should be more careful. Each and every step of ours should be careful. Don't take anything lightly, Khushi. Walk carefully, talk carefully, and eat carefully. We are at a crucial point in our life. You are my strength. So, my enemy will try to remove you from my life. He may mix some black magic powder in your food too..."
Cutting him hurriedly,
"No Arnavji, no black magic will work on me. Even though he tries something on me it will backfire him"
"What if he tries to hurt you physically, just like how he made you fall down? So, be careful" he said worriedly.
"You too be careful, Arnavji..."
"Nothing will happen to me. I touched the edge of death already. As I crossed the dangerous period of my life, I am in the safer zone now. And most probably, as you said, everything will end in a week, I have no doubt the victory will be ours"
Khushi nodded yes confidently.
"Let's head downstairs. I'm hungry"
They came to the dining. Nani saw them coming and she started noticing people's expressions in the dining. Everyone turned towards Arnav and Khushi and widened their eyes.
"Anjali said, you were injured badly last evening. Then, how could you walk so casually?" Shyam questioned, pouring orange juice into a glass.
"Khushi, are you all right?" Anjali asked.
"I am all right, Bhabi"
Arnav pulled a chair for Khushi and made her sit.
"I thought you will be on the bed for at least two days, taking rest," Anjana said.
"She would have been on the bed for more than two days if she is REALLY injured" Arnav smirked.
"REALLY INJURED means?" came from Sudhakar.
"Seeing oil on the stairs, Khushi understood that someone poured it to make her fall down. To make the person happy, she pretended like she was injured. Am I right Khushi?"
Khushi smiled. People around them looked at Khushi like she was a ghost. Was Khushi that sly?
"What do you mean, Nannav? Who wanted her to fall down? Why?" NK asked.
"One among you..." Arnav said not caring about anyone.
"Without proof, you should not blame anyone, Arnav" Sudhakar said.
"If I have proof I won't be just blaming. My action would have been different" Arnav said gritting his teeth.
All of them looked at each other bewildered. They saw Manohar coming to the dining.
"Where's Manorama?" Anjana asked.
"She is sleeping..."
"Sleeping? Still? It's 9 o'clock"
"She just slept Bhabi..."
"Just slept means?" she frowned.
"It means she didn't sleep the whole night"
"But why?"
"She was scared..."
"Scared about?"
"She said, there is a ghost in our room"
"Whaaaat...?" Everyone shouted at the same time.
"She said, the lights automatically switched off in our room. And she saw the bed getting pressed as if someone sitting on it"
"What rubbish?" Anjana said.
"I think she should have had a nightmare," Nani said seriously.
"No Ammaji. In the fear of ghosts, she stayed in the Pooja room all night without sleeping. I too slept in the living room only. I took her to our room only early in the morning. She was sitting covering herself with a quilt. Could not control herself, just now she dozed off, " Manohar started eating hurriedly.
"Eat slowly..." Nani said.
"I have to go back to my room. If she wakes up, she will get scared if I am not there with her"
All of them looked at one another questioningly. Manohar left the dining after having breakfast.
"I just can't believe this... I had been up for many nights... I never felt something like that" Anjana said sarcastically.
Arnav bit his inner lip to control his smile, thinking she might feel it tonight.
"This is just her maze... she will be all right..." said Sudhakar.
That was when they saw Arnav's lawyer Mr. Roy coming. They spared a glance.
"I will just come Mr. Roy please wait," Arnav said.
Mr. Roy nodded ok and sat on the living room couch.
"Hari Prakash, give orange juice to Mr. Roy," Arnav said.
Hari Prakash nodded okay, poured orange juice into a glass, and went to Mr. Roy to give it to him.
Finishing his breakfast, Arnav came to Mr. Roy and sat in front of him.
"Is it ready?"
"Yeah..." Roy forwarded some papers to Arnav.
He read it and then looked at Khushi.
"Khushi, come here" Arnav called her.
Khushi came to them and sat next to Arnav. Though no one looked at them their concentration was only on them.
Signing the papers, Arnav gave them to Khushi.
"Sign it"
Khushi signed the papers. Arnav gave it back to Mr. Roy.
"I will register it today itself," Roy said.
"Thank you, Mr Roy. Send me the documents after registering it"
"Sure ASR" Roy left.
Arnav was about to go to his room with Khushi when the landline rang. Arnav attended the call. The call was from the security of RM.
"Sir, someone is here to meet you"
"Yeah coming..." Arnav disconnected the call and looked that Khushi.
"You go to our room. I'll be back"
Khushi nodded ok and headed to their room. Arnav came out and looked at the entrance. A man was standing there with a box in his hand.
"Who are you? Why are you here to meet me?" Arnav asked.
"Aman sir sent it to you, sir"
Taking his mobile Arnav called Aman.
"Yes ASR?"
"Whom did you send to RM?"
"Is he there?"
"I don't know if he is the same man who you sent here. Call him and get confirmed" Arnav disconnected the call.
The next second, the man got a call on his mobile. He attended it.
"Yes, sir..."
"....."
"One minute, sir"
The man forwarded his phone to Arnav. Taking it, Arnav talked.
"Hello..."
"ASR, it's me, Aman. He is the same man I sent to RM. You asked me for a new phone. He is there to give it to you"
"Okay," Arnav gave the phone back to the man and said,
"Open it"
The man opened the box. Arnav saw a phone in it. Taking it from him,
"Thanks," said Arnav.
The man left RM and Arnav came inside. Closing the door, he went to his room.
In the meanwhile,
"Why did Arnav call Mr. Roy here, Ma?" Sudhakar asked Nani.
"How do I know?" Nani said.
"Why won't you know? You are the one who is with them all the time"
"I am with them. It does not mean he should share everything with me. And, why should I bother with what he is doing? He will do anything only if it is needed" Nani left the place.
They scratched their head not knowing the reason for Mr Roy's visit. But they knew Nani was not going to spill the beans. And they had no guts to ask Arnav about it.
On the other side,
Ratna reached Maya's house. The house looked as same as before but looked like a new house. It should be maintained well. Ratna thought.
When she tried to step inside, she was pushed back. She could not enter the house. She felt a powerful force was stopping her from entering the house. She looked at the main door where a black woolen thread with a TALISMAN (a piece of jewelry taught to be a protection against Evil) hanging at the top of the main door. A framed copper sheet on which something had been written in an unknown language also was nailed on it.
Ratna was shocked. She didn't expect this. Why should Maya protect her house with such things? From which evil she wanted to protect her house? She didn't think anything was right.
She gave a look inside the house through the window. She saw Maya and Akash having breakfast.
Akash looked gloomy.
"What are you thinking?" Maya asked.
"I am thinking about Sheetal. Don't know what will she feel if she gets to know about Arnav's wedding with Khushi"
"Have not you told her about it yet?" Maya asked.
Akash nodded NO.
"She will get upset with you if she gets to know about it" Maya warned.
Taking his phone, Akash dialed Sheetal's number. She attended it.
"Hi, Akash..."
"How are you, Sheetal?"
"How would I be? Sitting at home uselessly" she said wearily.
"Why are you sounding worried?"
"How could I be happy? Arnav is going to marry someone"
"He got married already"
"Whaaat? Come again..." She could not believe it.
"Arnav got married to Khushi yesterday"
"Whaaaat? This is not done"
"He just did"
"Akash, this is not a matter of making fun"
"I'm not making fun"
"But, why? Why did he marry her all of a sudden?"
"Someone tried to kill Arnav it seems..."
Cutting him,
"Who?"
"How do I know?"
"Ok, then?"
"So, he married her without waiting"
"So what if someone tried to kill him? What's the connection between his actions? Sheetal gritted her teeth.
"Please, don't get upset, Sheetal"
"Upset? I'm angry like hell... with Arnav... with Khushi... with me..." She shouted like a maniac.
"Sheetal relax..."
"I can't... I just can't..."
"What could you do, Sheetal?"
"I will do anything to get Arnav... I won't let her be happy with him. I will make him kick her out of his life."
"No, Sheetal, it will never happen. It seems she has some divine power in her"
"Then, she herself will leave Arnav"
"Sheetal, please don't do anything in anger" Akash shouted.
Sheetal disconnected the call. Akash again called her but she didn't attend it. Akash became tense.
"What did she say?"
"She became mad... she shouted like manioc. Don't know what will she do..."
"What will she do?"
"She was already planning to go to RM to meet Khushi before their marriage. I'm scared..."
"If she does anything, we will get into trouble," Maya said.
Ratna didn't understand what trouble they would get into if Sheetal did anything. Nothing seemed right. Ratna felt helpless for not entering her house. It was sure, that something was surely wrong with Maya. She thought.
To be continued...