Part 2

1 months ago

manjiri

@m4manju

Khushi stood beside her Anjali di as the engagement ceremony and all rituals progressed one by one. Her di could not have found a better match than Vikrant Jiju. He was not only Khushi's doctor but also a great friend who always understood what she wanted to say or what she needed to do. During the initial few weeks after her accident and subsequent memory loss, when she felt truly lost, Vikrant was there to guide her every step of the way. At times when she used to feel like she was getting lost in a dark abyss trying to remember her past, he was the one who taught her that she had her present and future to cherish. Sometimes, she felt more comfortable talking to him than to her Di or anyone else in her family. Maybe because he was a doctor, or maybe because he had a knack for making his patients feel trust in him and themselves. But Khushi had immense respect and faith in him. And that was why when his family brought proposal for her Di, she was very happy. She had seen how he and Anjali di had become companions during her treatment. While Vikrant was more like an elder brother to khushi, his camaraderie with Anjali spoke of the love that life partners share. Thus, it was Khushi who insisted on her di's marriage to him and make him her official family.

The ceremony was now over, and guests started coming on the stage to congratulate the newly engaged couple. Khushi's eyes had been curiously observing one handsome man, dressed in business casuals, whom she knew as one Arnav Singh Raizada. In the past 3 years, she had met him a handful of times and every time he managed to have her attention. Not that he did anything, or said anything beyond a few polite words but still, something about him made khushi intrigued. Maybe because he was the first one, she saw in that hospital 3 years ago after she regained consciousness. She had felt as if he was someone very close to her or she was special to him. But to her disappointment, he just shared her last name- Singh Raizada, apart from that he didn't have any relationship with her. That was what she was told.

After nearly all guests were done meeting them, Arnav and the lady with him came on the stage. Vikrant jiju met him cordially while Anjali just thanked him for wishes, but khushi was bracing herself to hear from the lady with him. She seemed like a nice person and was undoubtedly beautiful. For some odd reason, Khushi felt threatened with her. It was finally when Arnav introduced her as Kashish, his friend and landlady and Kashish added saying she has "adopted" him as her brother, khushi let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. They then handed over a beautiful rose bouquet to Anjali and Vikrant.

Arnav's eyes then landed on Khushi, and he approached her holding her gaze. "How are you, Khushi?"

Just a simple question. Just 4 words and yet like a magician wielding his magic, he had her hypnotized. Why did he affect her so? He was married. If not Kashish, he still had a wife living somewhere in this world, why was khushi not able to stop herself from feeling attracted to him? It was illicit to even think that.

"We brought this for you." Kashish then said, extending a box to her, "It has jalebis."

Khushi smiled at her accepting the box, "Thank you." she said.

"Why don't you open it and taste one immediately? They are from the famous Indian sweet shop in London. We brought them just before heading to the airport." Kashish excitedly told.

Khushi hesitated for a moment and then looking from Kashish to Arnav and then guiltily looking away, she said, "Actually, I don't like sweets."

Arnav's face fell hearing that and he excused himself to exit from the party hall. He needed to go out. He needed to breathe. He needed some fresh air.

Kashish followed him, feeling puzzled by his behavior.

"Bro, are you ok? What happened?" she asked, keeping her hand on his shoulder.

"She lied."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Khushi lied. Jalebi was her favorite, kashish. She refused to have it because- because I got it. She hates me. And anything to do with me." he said, bumping his fist on the hood of his car.

Kashish sighed. For a man 6-7 years elder to her, he sure behaved like a teen sometimes. "Arnav, first of all, as someone who is claiming to not let her remember you, you sure seem too bothered by her refusal to accept your gift." her words did their work and arnav turned to look at her. She took that chance and added, "And secondly, Jalebi was her favorite. WAS. But you have to remember that she is not the same khushi anymore. After the traumatic, life altering accident she went through, people change, their personalities change, their liking and disliking change."

Arnav gave her a forlorn look.

Kashish held her hands up, "I didn't mean liking in people, FYI."

Arnav didn't say anything but kept looking away, towards the sky, trying to seek guidance from the stars as Khushi had once pointed out to him.

"You should tell her, Arnav." He heard Kashish say after some time, "The way she was looking at us, at me, it is clear that she was not happy to see you with someone else. Even if not me, she still thinks you are married to someone else. Tell her that she is the only woman in your life. You don't want to tell her about her past that is ok, but at least she needs to know you are not with me or Lavanya or anyone else."

Arnav then turned to fully face her, "No Kashish. You are wrong. She doesn't need to know any of this. It will be for her best if she thinks I am married to Lavanya or I am not a man with moral conduct. At least this way, I won't let any feelings start in her heart for me that would lead to her destruction again."

Kashish chuckled. "Don't apply rules from your business world to matters of heart, ASR. Feelings don't start or stop, they get generated, suppressed, reawakened, or altered."

"You don't know anything."

"Oh yeah? I am getting a freaking master's degree in psychology from Oxford! And a prefect GPA! Try telling this to my professors!" she said, offended.

"And I bet they didn't teach you there about a man who heartlessly played with a girl's emotions!" Arnav's voice held a slight edge by then, "I bet, they didn't tell you about how that girl begged him to trust her, trust her that she wasn't involved with his sister's husband and in return he told her that she - that she didn't have a character!" he tightly fisted his hands on his sides, nails digging in the soft skin of his palm, remembering those precise moments when he deliberately hurt her, "or how that girl still came all the way to the airport and held his hand asking him to wait, to listen to her and despite seeing the devastation in her eyes he freed her hold from his like a dirty piece of cloth and left." he said, "He bloody left!" shaking his head trying to dismiss those bitter memories, "or how still she came to save his goddamned life when he was kidnapped and you know what she got in return? In return she lost her own memories."

Kashish didn't say anything. She had heard his regret filled confessions far too many times in the past 3 years.

"So, you will have to stop telling me that they teach you anything about an iota of sufferings a woman goes through when she loves a wrong man, and the man is going through who realized too late that he lost something very exquisite."

Kashish's heart broke for this man in front of her who was drowning in guilt and for that woman who was wronged by him. They both had loved each other, in fact they still did, then why were they not together? Maybe she can do something to help them. Arnav had brought her here to ensure khushi doesn't remember him, right? But he did not mention anything about the present. Maybe she can try to bring them together in their present, without remembering the past!

If only she found someone who could come to her aid.

"ASR?" came a voice from their behind and Kashish turned around to see a young man getting down from his bike, removing his helmet and walking in their direction.

Ok, who was he?

"Aman? What are you doing here?" Arnav asked.

Oh. So, this was "the" omnipresent Aman! Arnav didn't mention he was so young!

"Your cell phone was switched off, so I just wanted to check that you landed here safely."

Arnav just nodded. Even if he was touched by Aman's caring gesture, he was not the one with the words. But kashish's eyes sparkled. This was the man for her. As in, to help her solve the mystery called Arnav-khushi!

--*--

The next morning, Khushi woke up with a smile on her face. She had a rather interesting dream earlier that morning. She saw that she was sitting on a bench in a rose garden. There were many butterflies fluttering around her, trying to locate the most untainted rose, bringing a smile to her face.

And then, suddenly, she felt someone lift her foot and keep it on their thigh. A man was sitting in front of her.

She tried to look at his face, but he was facing down, observing her foot. She frowned in her dream. What was he doing? Then he reached out into the pocket of his pants and took out something.

The touch of cold metal on her ankle made her gasp. It was a beautiful payal (anklet)! Khushi was now very curious to see who it was and kept her hand on his shoulder so she can see his face.

He looked up then and khushi was flabbergasted to see it was Arnav!

As she opened her eyes, she still struggled to understand whether it was a dream or reality. She sat up and even checked her ankles. To her disappointment, they were bare, no payals in them. Sagging against the headrest, she hugged her knees to her chest.

How she wished it was not a dream. It was so beautiful!

But then she remembered his marital status and felt guilty. What was wrong with her? How could she think about a married man like this?

Perhaps she needed to talk to her Vikrant jiju about this. He will surely not judge her. Maybe he will know what to do in her situation.

.

.

Meanwhile, a few miles away from Shantivan, inside the central jail of Delhi, the following conversation was happening.

"Sir, we should inform Raizada family." A visibly shaken sub-inspector said.

His supervisor and the main inspector appointed on that case shot him an angry look,

"And lose all our jobs? You and your team should be ashamed that this happened. So, until you catch him again, not a word goes out. I want Shyam Manohar Jha back behind the bars in next 7 days!"

--*--

A/N - Thanks for all the heartfelt reviews on the pilot chapter. I had first 3 chapters mostly written so they will be updated in quick succession, then it may take time.