The Contract of Hearts: A FF (Continued)
Part XXIX: RAIZADA DETECTIVE AGENCY
The ladies of the house were in secret conference to resolve the puzzle of the baby's father on which their life and happiness depended.
Mami was attacked by a strange doubt, "Anjali bitiya, mard kitne umar tak pitha ban sakath hai?"
Anjali replied, "I read an article in the newspaper about a man who became the world's oldest father at the age of 94."
"Then, us hisaab seh tumhare Mama toh young, fit and fine, perfect father candidate hai!" Mami lamented her woes.
Khushi tells, "If only Sameer was here, he would have given us good advice and counsel!"
Payal says, "But he can't be here forever. He left for Canada while you two were in Singapore. And this is not an issue we can discuss on phone. We've to deal with our problems ourselves."
Khushi replied, "Haan! You're right Jiji!"
Mami pondering about the probable father says, "Arnarv bitwa hosakath hai! Pehle bhi woh Ms. Kashyap ke saath live-in---------aur woh toh in society rules aur regulations ko nahin maanath------aur uske kam ke sisile main ek se badiya ek modelva ke sath kaam."
Khushi retorts saying, "Akaashji is also in the same field. It means he is the father?"
Payal defends her future husband saying, "Not at all possible! He was too shy even to confess his love for me. I was the first one to confess."
Khushi thinks to herself in an undertone, "Same here. Donon bhai ek hi keth ki muli hai. If I had not confessed don't know for how long ASR would have dilly-dallied blurting out those three words.
Payal says, "If we are suspecting Mamaji, Arnavji and Akaashji, going by the same logic, Shyamji could also be the father of the baby."
Only after she had blurted out these words, Payal realized that her big mouth had made a mistake looking at Anjali's disturbed face. She and Buaji were also privy to Shyam's real character along with ASR and Khushi. They had agreed to keep quiet for Anjali's sake because she would be heart-broken if she came to know the truth.
Khushi managed the situation by telling that they should not keep blaming one another because for all they knew the baby might not be any of theirs. She thought aloud, "We've sent the blood samples to the lab for testing, and it will take another two days for the report to come."
Mami said, "Yeh suspense toh bahut hi difficult horaha hai. Tab tak kya karath hum?"
Khushi suggested, "She's a small baby. Usually children are most comfortable with their parents. So the person with whom the baby is happy and comfortable is its father."
There started the close investigation and inspection by the Raizada ladies on all the men of the house. The next morning, Mamaji was reading the newspaper. Suddenly the paper he was reading tore in the middle. The baby was standing on the other side. She was getting irritated at the fact that nobody seemed to be paying her attention. Mamaji took the baby in his arms and said, "Bitiya aap bore horahe ho ka? Hum aapke saath khelenge, khudhenge, nachenge, gayenge. Rona math!"
Mami was extremely pissed with Mamiji, "Jab woh newspaper phade toh aap khush, agar main ek minutwa ke liye interrupt bhi karron toh aap ghussa!"
Mama tried defending himself, "Nahin Manorama aisi baath nahin hai. Hum toh bachchi ko chup kara rahe teh."
Mami left the place angry at her husband saying, "Hello hi nahin, bye bye!"
Arnav was with his plants according to his usual schedule. Suddenly someone started splashing muddy water on him. It was the baby. He took her in his arms and started cuddling her. That day both ASR and the baby watered the plants together. Witnessing this scene of love and affection, Khushi's heart sank.
Akaash was getting ready for the office. He was searching for his tie but could not find it anywhere. He knew he had kept it on the table before going for the shower. When he looked around, he saw that the baby was hiding under the stool of his dressing table along with his tie. He caught hold of the baby and tickled her lovingly while taking the tie from her hand. Payal was greatly astonished to see both her Akaash and the baby getting along very chummily.
Shyam was leaving for his office when he saw that the baby was about to lose balance. He caught hold of her. After witnessing all these scenes of love and affection between the men of that house and the baby, the Raizada ladies and Gupta sisters came to the conclusion that they would find nothing in this way.
That was when Mami had a corking idea. She was watching tele mall shopping program on TV. Usually she ordered all possible cosmetics advertised in this program. But today was different. The anchor was blah blahing, "Kai bar aapko aapki apnon par shak hai aur aap shak clear karrna chahthe ho. Aise logon ke liye yeh tele mall present kartha hai, spy pen. Isko laga dala toh aapki shak jingalala! Miliye Parvatiji seh jinon ne apne husband ke woh ke baren mein aise hi pata lagaya."
Parvatiji spoke, "Mere husband humesha kaam ke bahane seh bahar rehthe the. Mere puchne par bhi teek seh jawab nahin dethethe. Main ne kya kiya------tele mall seh yeh spy pen order kiya. Isme camera bhi hain aur mike. Aap sun aur dekh bhi sakthe hain aapke aapnon ki kartoot."
Mami phoned, "Tele mall, mujhe char spy penwa abhi ke abhi order karna hai. Delivery mujhe sham thak milne chahiye."
Mami explained her plan to the others. They would plant the pens in the rooms of all the men and monitor their movements. Khushi silently told herself she would not do it because she knew that her Arnav was not to blame.
There was just one evening and night to pass before the DNA report would come. The spy pens had yielded no results. Anjali asked Khushi to give Arnav his evening tea. ASR was talking to someone when Khushi entered the room. He hastily cut the phone and scolded her, "Can't you knock before you enter? And are you spying on me?"
Khushi replied, "Nothing like that! I just came to give you your tea." She was extremely perplexed by his behavior but did not argue.
Khushi was on the terrace of Raizada house. She was in deep thought. Tomorrow this entire suspense about the baby would end. She was confident about her Arnav but for some reason her heart was palpitating rapidly. Her eyes unconsciously fell on ASR who was talking with someone at some distance away from the house. The man gave him a file. She thought, "Must be somebody from the office!"
The next day, everyone was sitting around the dining table with the report in front of them. The report had not yet been opened because they thought such things are better done in everyone's presence than alone. The DNA report found that ASR was the baby's father. Khushi shouted, "That's not possible! It's a lie. ASR is not the baby's father. The report is wrong. My heart tells me."
ASR drily replied, "It's the truth. Moreover you know that I had a live-in relationship with La. Even before her I had several girl friends, and you know that also."
Khushi said, "I don't know why you are lying and taking the blame for something in which you have no hand. But please don't tell anything about the baby when Babuji and Ma come tomorrow to talk about Akaashji's and Payal Jiji's marriage. "
The next day, Shashi and Garima were talking to Naniji about what Guruji had said about Akaash's and Payal's marriage. He had suggested a muhurat after twenty days for their marriage. Just then both of them hear a baby crying. They casually ask who it is.
Nani and Anjali Di looked at each other's face in askance when ASR replied, "That's my daughter crying. Somebody left her on our doorstep and the DNA report confirmed that I'm her father." Both Nani and Anjali Di were extremely stumped on how to react to this problem. What would they say to Shashi and Garima?
Finally after some time Shashi spoke up, "Mataji Arnav aur Khushi ki shadi nai hosakthi. Mai woh magni abhi isi waqth todhtha hoon. Mai aise insaan jo shadi seh pehle baap bana, uske havale meri beti nahi dehsaktha. Payal aur Akaash ki shadi hogi ya nahin uska faisla aapke haathon mein chodtha hoon. Mai ek beti ka ghar basane keliye doosri ka babard nahin karsaktha."
Khushi pleaded with her dear Babuji, "I believe Arnav. That report is false. And moreover, even if the baby is his, I'm ready to accept it. This baby is much before he met me. I was not even in his life at that time. Why can't we let bygones be bygones?"
Babuji scolded her, "Pagal math bano bitiya. Tum kal hi Lucknow hamari saath jaarahi ho!"
Khushi started crying, "Naniji, Di, rokkiye Babuji ko! Main Arnav seh door nahin rehsakthi! Arnav bathavo na, main kahi nahin ja rahi hoon!"
Shashi and Garima took Khushi with them dragging her from that place. ASR stood unmoved without reacting to whatever was happening. Anjali Di promised to Khushi in her heart, "Main sachchayi ka patha lagavungi. Main janthi hoon mere Chotey bekassor hai. Main tum donon ko milavungi aur yeh ek behen ka vada hai us rakhi par jo woh apni bhai ke khushi keliye barson seh bandhthi ayi hai!"
(To be continued with Shyam's exposure before the rest of the family and Arhi Jungal Main Mangal)
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Anupamaa
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