Chapter 29

rima

@rima

'Dad, please call and tell her not say anything about your visit to me and that I will get angry if I come to know. Or she will never let me see the end of this. She looks frail and thin, but she is quite a spit fire

I would have blown all my chances if she comes to know. I can't believe you forgot such an important line Dad!,' Arnav concluded, frustrated that his Dad had left behind a huge loophole.

His father had a hearty laugh at the sight of his fiery son reduced to a jumble of nerves by a chit of a girl.

'Sure. I will call her. But she has brains you know. Or did you think you have fallen in love with a dimwit?' his father chuckled.

'Let her guess. So far as it is not confirmed, I am not worried, 'Arnav said confidently.

''Ok done. I will call her. But you take care son; she may just make mince meat out of you if her doubts are confirmed,' Ajay smiled again looking at his son's dismayed expression.

'Dad, you are freaking me out. I have one sneakier plan up my sleeve if this one does not work. She must never find out I sent you, or I will be forced to use plan number 2,' Arnav said.

'One sneakier plan? And what is that?' the older man asked, quite intrigued by his son's scheming.

'You will know when time comes. But I don't want to use it. I want her to say yes to my proposal. Meanwhile just call her Dad. You should have told her then. I can't believe you got emotional and forgot,' Arnav said, quite surprised his Dad had got emotional.

'It's not every day that I go begging to someone. You must allow me a small lapse,' his father smiled and Arnav smiled back.

She had told Arnav's father she would marry Arnav if he asked her.

But what about her parents and her pledge to them?

Confused she sat with her eyes closed and head bowed in front of the photograph of her parents.

'Don't know what I should do.

It is wrong to punish the living for the dead, I know.

But, Arnav needs me, ma and bauji.

And I can't live without him

Would you forgive me if I make a life with him?' she asked, desperately wishing they would speak just once and clear her confusion.

Desperate to have some sign from her parents, she went to the cupboard where she had all their clothes and other things, which she hadn't thrown away.

As she went through many things, she went through the pieces of jewels her parents had bought for her.

'When you marry, you will make the prettiest bride,' they had beamed.

She went through the bridal wear she had bought when she had been engaged to NK.

'In this color, you will look so radiant,' her mother had gushed.

Finally she picked up her father's diary, desperately wanting a clue to what she should do. She found none. It had records of all the events in the last year of his life right up to the last day.

The diary always made her cry, so she never read it. But today she flipped through the pages, resting on the entry on the last day, when her father had died.

It read

'I am feeling very ill. I am scared I might die before my little angel gets married.

I may not live to see her get married.

I may not be around to see her lead a happy married life with kids.

It was my dream to play with her kids and see her settled in her home.

I hope the marriage happens as planned and all is fine. I hope Nand Kishore is a good husband.

If something goes wrong, I can never rest in peace, if she is alone in this world.

My soul will always be restless thinking I left my little angel behind all alone to face the world.

I won't find peace even with God, if my angel is not happily married with a family.

God. Please let my Khushi betiya have a happy home, a loving husband and beautiful kids.

She should not be alone even for a moment in her life----'

Khushi's eyes blurred with tears as she read the final words of her father. So he was still restless about her? And here she thought she was being loyal to them by not getting married.

She had her answer now. She would marry Arnav if he asked.

She would fulfill her Dad's wish and her Mom's too, perhaps, because she too would feel the same.

Her heart felt lighter knowing they would not feel betrayed. Rather they would rejoice.

Her reverie was interrupted when he phone rang.

'Yes sir. I understand. No sir. I won't tell him you came here. Yes---yes---he will get annoyed you interfered.

Sure sir. Take care,' Khushi said and hung up.

Interesting.

Ajay Singh Raizada had called her to tell her not to tell Arnav about the visit.

The devil! He had sneaked up behind her and tried emotional blackmail!

For a while she was furious.

But gradually, the fury evaporated. She knew he must care deeply to make his father do such a thing-a father he had always kept at an arm's distance. He must have been desperate to try this.

And she was glad to know, there was one more person who loved her Arnav deeply-his father.

This meeting had reassured her of the deep love his father had for him. But she wanted his honest confession. She did not like to be used and she was hoping he would be honest.

But when she looked at the lighter side of things, a smile sneaked up her face as she thought of Arnav.

The devious, sneaky rat!

She wasn't going to let him know he had achieved his aim so easily.

Two can play at a game.

She was going to keep him guessing till he confessed he had schemed------