#3 ArShi FF: Lost Memories*EPILOGUE*pg67*29/09 - Page 25

A Week passed since Khushi's departure from Shanti Bhavanam. There was no trace of her nor any news from the Private Investigators. They tried all angles but in vain. Arnav grew restless with passing days and started becoming his Ill tempered self much to the liking of the elders.

Day by day seeing his behavior Pratap and Devyani were feeling more restless. Aman called his Dadaji Prakash to call in police forces. Lavanya was the one supporting everything in the home.

For Arnav days went in trying to locate Khushi and nights went humming the piano in her memories.

Lavanya: Aman! Its been a week since Khushi left. What are you doing without locating her?

Aman: Lavanya! We are trying to locate her. The moment she reached Coimbatore Airport, her phone signals stopped showing. After that we did not get any signals from her. Techs are also confused. It was special mobile ASR gifted her with Tracker that functions even when the phone is not switched ON!

Lavanya: Don't sing your RamLeela here! Do something. Bhai is seriously going mad.

Aman: All my fault! He warned me that Daksh will not hesitate to kill Khushi Bhabhi if he gets his hands on her. But I only insisted on letting them meet to get Bhabhi's head cleared. Now..

Lavanya help his cheek in her palm looking into his eyes.

Lavanya: No Aman! You thought only good. Don't even let Bhai know about this thought of yours. He will fire you for real this time and also kick your A..

Aman: La! Tongue! Control.

Lavanya: Then stop thinking non sense and start thinking something useful in finding Khushi.

Aman now with a determination in his steps turned out only to find Arnav standing there with red as fire eyes aimed at him. Aman started sweating worst.

Aman: ASR?

ASR: Do you have any hole in that waste brain of yours?

LAvanya giggled earning Arnav's glare while Aman started shaking.

ASR: Why are you shaking like some transformer struck you?

Aman(mumbling): Worse than that!

ASR: ANSWER ME ALOUD!

Aman: Why ASR?

ASR: Then why were you talking about faults a few minutes back?

Aman: No ASR!

ASR: NO?

Aman: Yes ASR!

ASR: YES?

Aman: I mean..

ASR: First stop this ASR Jhaap! That's in office and for others.

Aman: What?

ASR: Not for family.

Aman: Hain!

ASR: By the way, with that hole brain of yours try tracking the number I give now.

Aman: Whose?

ASR: Akshita Chithi's. I gave her a mobile to keep me secretly informed about the marriage in mumbai. Hope she has it now too!

Aman: Just one small hint.. We can move on from there ASR.. I mean Arnav (he changed noticing his look).

ASR: Yup. Just hope nothing has happened to her or... Khushi meanwhile!

Lavanya: Nothing will happen Bhai. We have got Khushi back after a long time. She cannot be snatched from us this soon.

Pratap(entering): Haan Chote! You were announced to be husband and wife in front of Devi Maiyya. You cannot be just separated. Not by Daksh or anyone.

Devyani: You were born to be together Chote! No one can pull you apart. Not even yourself. Our Pari will be back with us.

Meanwhile Aman made the call to trace the mobile number Arnav gave and came with a frown.

Aman: Chithi's phone's last location has traced to Chennai coastal road.

Arnav too wore a frown for a few seconds before it turned into tensed lines across his forehead.

ASR: The Muttukaadu Island house. Aman! electric fence, and other Electrical equipments installed!

Aman: Oh My!!

ASR: Let's go.

And before anyone can understand what was going on, Arnav and Aman were out.

On the other side, Khushi was standing alone looking ahead at nothing particular through a grilled window. She looked at the setting sun spreading its majestic orange shade over the sky with a longing. If only she stood and listened to Arnav, today she might have been enjoying this sitting in the embrace of his arms. But No! She wanted answers and now her next minute of breathing is a question mark.

Khushi thought of the moment that landed her here.

A week back, a distraught Khushi came to the Coimbatore Airport as her Mama said and was about to look for tickets in Chennai flight when someone in driver Attire came to her asking if she was Khushi Sharma.

Chuckling at how strange her maiden name sounded she nodded her head and let the driver take her bag as he said that he was sent by her Mama. It was all strange, but he did have the voicemail of her Mama asking the driver to bring her to the place mentioned in the text message.

As she was about to get into the car, she got a call from the Mansion. She ignored it and settled herself in. She did feel guilty for not informing Damu and Dadu. But hey, she was shown her way out after taking her properties.

Did she really believe that? No! But why this confusion? It was completely fogged. Yesterday she was all happy and ready to keep her life in Arnav's hands but today she is upset of property papers that she till today did not know they existed.

With more and more thinking, her brain started going blank as a white sheet. She just leaned on the seat with closed eyes and never knew that she passed out. She realized that only when the driver woke her up in front of an individual house that was not so big but was enough.

Khushi slowly went in with the driver carrying the bag behind her. The house was so silent. She did not expect a welcome, but she did not want this eerie silence too.

As she made to the living room, she saw her Mama Daksh sitting in one of the guest sofas there. The moment he heard her approaching steps he turnedaround with a tensed smile.

Daksha: Khushi ma! You came!

Khushi: Of course. And don't tell me you did not know! You had all the arrangements done for the best. Quite and convincing act!

She bit the words as she wanted to clear this fogginess in her head soon. She could not stand the fact of Arnav or anyother in the family being wrong. Though she wanted her Mama to come clean too, something in her said that it was not happening.

Daksha: Khushi ma! You are accusing me without even listening my part. You at least heard them

Khushi: If I were like you said, I would not be here to listen to what you say! So

come to the point already Mama.

Daksha: Yes yes. But sit and relax before that.

With a sugar coated smile that he thought could melt Khushi, he took her to the sofas and made her sit in the single one. Khushi's stiff posture was enough t make him realize that his act isn't taking him anywhere.

Khushi: Well?

Daksha: Khushi Ma.. Did you get that file he had?

Khushi: Yes! But you are not to have it until you give me what I want. So that I can go my way with a clear head.

Daksha: go where?

Khushi: To a place where I won't find people playing mind games with me in the name of relations.

Daksha: But your husband?

Khushi: I thought you owe me answers but these are questions!

She stated with a raised brow making Daksh halt for a moment. But that halt started again with high speed.

Daksha: If there is any problem, you can tell me. I can help you! You are not alone and you are certainly not helpless or pennyless to earn your living. You are a heiress of..

Khushi: Stop that! I am not that.. Not anymore.

Daksha: What do you mean?

There was a dangerous edge in his voice that was completely new to Khushi and made her tremble which she managed well.

Khushi: He got the stamp papers signed by me. So I guess that ends this heiress thing! And you must be happy to see that you are right! He was not the one for me. He was just toying and now that he got what he wanted he walked me out!

All the frustration that pent up inside started pouring out without knowing what her words were causing in Daksha! With each word uttered, the sweet smile vanished from his face and slowly a vile glint started seeping in his eyes.

And before he could strike, a heavy slap landed on one of Khushi's cheeks. Daksha was shell shocked to see the person responsible for this. Khushi was no less. A person who never cared about her, had hit her today! Coming to Daksh, he knew his wife. She was very soft natured to even hurt someone playfully. If not that, she would not be with him today, she would have left him long ago after giving nice punches to re shape his face. So how did this happen today. That too to Khushi?

Khushi: Mami?

Akshita: What Mami? Do you even realize what you have done?

Daksha stood there wondering why was his wife stealing his dialogues!

Khushi: What..

Akshita: I was silent in anything regarding you because, Daksha was taking care of you full time. BUt now I see what he has done. He has made you into a spoil brat! So much spoilt that you have left your husband even before the marriage could complete 3 months. Wah! And that too for what? For signing some papers. Do you realize that by marrying him with or without your sign, anything you own will be his too? That is Indian Law and you made issue out of that?

Khushi: I never had issues about him owning anything that of mine. But why so much games around me? They say that everything was decided when I was 8! Can you imagine? At that age what can anyone understand!

Akshita: You should have asked all these to them than packing your bag and coming here to rant about!

Khushi: Oh please Mami. I am not going to burden you now. 17 years is long enough. But I just wanted some answers from Mama so I came. Then I will go my way.

Akshita: If you are going to talk such non sense, then I won't mind using my hand again. Pesama un purushan veetuku po (silently walk back to your husband).

Khushi: That is none of your business..

Akshita: Khushi..

Their argument went on so deeply that both forgot to notice, Daksha nearing Khushi from behind. And then everything went in a haze. Within few seconds, Khushi was given taken down and her mouth and hands were tied with her own hands. Daksha made her sit on the sofa. With his one look he halted her wrigglings. Next Daksha moved to Akshita.

Daksha: So My wife! You turn out to be a good actress too!

Akshita: What?

Daksha: Do you think I am fool to believe that you don't care about that chit of a girl? Oh come on! I know you that much. But my judgement was clouded all these years because of that one accident making me think that you have genuinely grown detatched to everything around you! YOU MADE FOOL OF ME ALL THESE 17 YEARS!

He yelled the last phrase on her Akshita's face making her flinch.

Akshita: What are you saying?

Daksha: I am saying that I found out your secret locker and guess what kind of treasure got into my hands.

The blood in Akshita's face drained making her look as pale as a ghost!

Daksha: Yes! Bank statements of your secret personal funds that you have used to invest for Khushi's jewels and also my son Aran! Mother sentiment!

Akshita: HE IS MY SON!

Daksha: Not without me! And YES! I found out another folder! In Green color I guess.

Akshita's face more pale if possible. She hid everything well! Then How!?

Daksh: Ahh! Your face is a mirror. And you are smart too. Not the dumb one as you led me on! So you had private investigators gathering information on Raizada's! You have it in you to do all these behind me and fool me all these years. And I believed you! That innocent face of yours! That's why people say not to let your desire to woman overrun your judging. See what happened!

Khushi Sat there listening to everything with wide eyes. So the mami who never cared for her was the one who actually loved her in this house while her Mama who showered her with care turned out to be a RAT!

Suddenly Daksha pulled out a shiny black thing out of his suit jacket. Khushi was stunned to see a sleek black pistol with a silencer fixed.

Daksha: Enough of this melodrama darling! I have made special arrangements for you both. We don't want to miss that. Do we? So Akshita. Don't try smartypants this time. It can cost something more valuable now and my magnum .22 is all ready to go. But you don't want that, do you? So just get into the car. And Khushi, don't have high hopes that your husband will come on white horse with shining armor to save you. The only link between you and him now was your mobile which I have safely. So without wasting my energy follow Akshita into the car.

They did not have much choice. So Khushi followed Akshita into the same car she came. Daksha took the front passenger seat and eyed the driver to move. And soon they were on a road that did not have much vehicles passing. After sometime, Daksha turned to them with his eyes having a vicious glint.

Daksha: Doesn't it feel like some Movie anti climax? But something is missing. What? Yes. You both are still conscious. Which I cannot afford to a place you are being taken. So without struggling much, you yourself smell this chloroform!

saying he pushed two clothes to their nose having them pass out in few minutes. Since then, they were mostly kept in that state and Daksh woke up them only when they needed too. Like for food and other. They travelled mostly. There were few foggy moments when she came out of the drug effect only to find herself travelling. Only the vehicles changed.

Now its been 2 days. She was somewhere in some house in middle of nowhere. The house was surrounded by water and the house has thick high voltage electric fence that could melt metal! And she was also said that beyond the fence, this house was surrounded by LASER shield that will alert his mobile about anything nearing the house. Be it a small fish or a large boat.