Chapter 28

Arnav woke up first. Wrapped in the cosy warmth of Khushi's arms and body, he opened his eyes reluctantly. And saw the most beautiful sight of his life"Khushi clutching his collar and resting in a Taekwondo pose on him.

He stared at her, scared to blink for fear that she would vanish as she had vanished many a time in the past five months when he woke up from his dreams.

As he gazed his fill and relished the feel of her in his arms, Khushi woke up. She lifted her head and looked straight in to his alert, waiting eyes with sleepy ones.

"Good morning," Khushi mumbled, smiling.

"Good morning," he replied, waiting for it to strike Khushi that she was sharing his bed and lying on him.

Khushi looked around. The smile vanished as if someone had wiped it off and horror took its place. Her eyes widened to their maximum limits and her mouth fell open in an Awww.

She pushed her torso off him by trying to rest her weight on her arms.

"I am sorry... maaf keejiye... hum pagal he... I am so so sorry... what will Buaji say if she sees me sprawled all over Jiji's Jetji? He Devi Maiyya, raksha karna... why do you push me in to such situations... it is all your fault..." Khushi chanted as she slid off Arnav and fell off the bed on to the ground.

Arnav got off the bed and held out a hand to help her.

Khushi looked at the hand.

The image of Arnavji in a black coat and light blue shirt, his face cold and stern, holding out his hand for her to help her up flashed through her mind.

Khushi gulped. She looked at Arnavji's face.

It was soft, affectionate, amused. A tender and indulgent look filled his eyes.

She took his hand. 'What is the use of quibbling over taking his hand after spending the night crawling all over him, Khushi?' she asked herself.

"I... I couldn't sleep," Khushi said. But that was not his fault, was it?

"I just came to look at you, Arnavji," she added. Was he a picture or a painting in a gallery for her to gaze at? She sighed, disgusted with herself.

"It is OK, Khushi," he said softly, tickled beyond belief.

Khushi sighed heavily making Arnav want to laugh out loud.

"It is not OK. You are kind, Arnavji. That is why you said it is alright. But it is not alright," Khushi explained seriously.

Arnav nodded, trying to keep a straight face.

"Waise I don't go around stealing in to other people's bedrooms and sleeping on them," Khushi made it clear.

Arnav nodded.

"I am not like that... that is, I think I am not like that..." her voice faded away as she tried to figure out her personality and her virtues and vices.

"You are not," Arnav supported her and got a blindingly bright smile for his efforts.

"If you say I am not, then you must be right," Khushi declared. "Because you can remember me, can't you, Arnavji? I may have forgotten myself, but you didn't forget me, did you Arnavji? You know me, don't you Arnavji?"

Arnav swallowed at her plea for recognition.

"Yes, Khushi. I remember you. I will never forget you. I know you. Through and through. Better than I know myself," Arnav said softly.

Khushi smiled, happy.

Aman called.

"They have located Sunehri, Sir. In Gopalganj, about 60km from Lucknow," he said.

Arnav's jaw tightened.

Aman gave him the address. Arnav noted it down in silence.

"Sir, would you like me to come over?" Aman asked.

"No, I will manage. Just take care of the office and keep me in the loop," ASR said.

"Yes, Sir."

Arnav asked, "Khushi, what is this?"

Khushi turned to look at the junk that was her father's milk scooter. She laughed. "This is Babuji's scooter. He used to go every morning on it to buy milk to make sweets."

"Does it run still?" Arnav asked.

"Let me see," Khushi tied her dupatta across her torso and tried to start it.

To their shock, the scooter started with a cough.

Khushi laughed. "It is old, but it still has some life left in it."

Khushi clambered on to it and began to edge it forward, inch by inch. "Come on, run. You are Chetak, Maharana Pratap's horse. Don't give up now. Chalo, chalo..." she exhorted the scooter, not noticing that Arnav had vanished.

He went to get his whte SUV and as Khushi was turning the scooter along a curve, he brought the car to a stop in such a way that Khushi could not help but run in to him.

His car being still and her scooter moving at a very slow pace, she was unharmed. She sat staring at him, the front of her scooter kissing the shining, polished exterior of his luxury vehicle.

He alighted and walked up to her.

"Khushi," he called, placing his hand on her shoulder.

She leaned against him, trembling. "Arnavji..."

"Hhmmm?" He could not say anything more.

"I.. I ..."

Arnav helped her get off the scooter. He held her against him, letting the scooter fall on the ground. He helped her to the cot in the courtyard. Khushi sat there, panting, feeling her head spin.

Arnav sat close to her, giving her his shoulder to rest against. They sat silent for long.

Finally, Khushi said, "Rs.25,000 for a minor scratch on your vehicle?"