||Chapter 5||
The bright sun next morning, brought up a conscious, and unharmed Payal. "How were we able to talk to each other, Khushi?" Payal asked her sister, who had laid her head in the protective lap of her sister, and was shedding a few tears of relief. Khushi wiped the tears away using the end of her dupatta in a delicate manner before she told her what Sage Shaastradhaari had told her. Payal grasped this concept and smiled reassuringly. Khushi could still feel the distress in her mind, though was it her own, or was it her sister's, she did not know. They remembered a voice in their heads, "This is the wrong girl!"And with a stern look into each other's eyes, they decided to keep the fact to themselves, and Payal seemed to visibly relax.
Yet, her shoulders remained too stiff, as she put up an act that nothing had happened. But would her mind ever forget that aphotic place where she had been dreaded out of her wits, not knowing whether she would live through that inopportune incident? Only time would say, she thought as she felt a soothing sense filled her mind. 'No!' she thought, wondering how her panic and all other doubts dissolved into nothingness. The only answer would be Akash. Sucking away all the negative feelings she felt. Yes, he had obtained that power from Sage Chaitanya's blessings. The same power which would make him feel all those negative feelings that he sucked, before he could remove it away from his mind, thus disturbing him too.
Her eyes searched for him, craving to see him once, rather than feeling his mind at work. And Arnav seemed to understand her mind, for he called upon his brother. As dutiful as any younger brother could be, Akash came forward immediately and bowed his head in respect to Payal's parents present there and to his brother. Arnav watched as Payal's eyes roved on Akash, taking in his fully grown, lean and toned physique and a faint blush colored her cheek, driving away the pallor which had overtook her when she had woken. After making sure that the love Akash had for Payal was indeed mutual, Arnav took Khushi's hand in his, taking her, Shashi and Garima out of the room, tactfully leaving Payal and Akash alone in her quarters.
Khushi could not take anymore of this secretive behavior from Arnav and questioned him, "Is there anything you want to tell me, My Lord?" Arnav smiled again, and squeezed her hand before he said, "Me and you." Khushi nodded with a confused frown marring her forehead, as Arnav continued, "Akash and Payal." The frown disappeared as her eyebrows rose and an understanding look took over her eyes. She smiled as she imagined how Akash might be helping her sister now. For she knew the love from that one person could be the only cure for any kind of distress. Any kind!
"Stop doing it, Akash! You need not take my sorrow from me." Payal almost ordered. For him to take away her sorrow, her fear and panic was the last thing that she wanted him to feel. And the generally shy Akash proclaimed, "I shall not! God help me, I will take away all your worries, even if it meant the end of me!" Payal started crying at this, and Akash came to her at once, sitting beside her, drawing her into his arms. He tried to take her grief away, for he could never see her cry like this, but he felt none of her grief! "You are crying, yet you are not sad." He stated, trying to understand how that was so. Payal giggled amidst her sobs and replied, "These are the tears of my happiness!" She pulled back slightly from his arms and looked at the endearing expression of confusion he had on his face. "You cry when you are happy too??" He asked again, and she nodded, "Apparently. . ."
"You remove everyone else's grief too. What is so special about you doing it for me?" Payal teased him after a while, and Akash tightened his hold on her and answered her equally teasingly, "Of course it is no different. After all, who are you to me?" Payal moved away, her lips pouted, and her eyes narrowed at him. He laughed too, before he put his hand at her waist and hauled her towards him. "I have never been thankful to have this special ability of mine as much as I did, when I could take your sorrow away, Payal. You should never doubt that." His voice was almost an order by the end of that line - an order to which Payal found herself nodding.
~*~*~*~
Both the families had decided to visit the Bodhi vriksh, under which Sage Chaitanya lived - had lived. Such a loss it was, that it was indescribable. They also met Sage Chaitanya's brother, who ruled Jnaana Kshetra presently, in a very just manner. He had taken over the throne when Sage Chaitanya had renounced his title. And now he greeted and blessed Khushi and Arnav, for his brother had told him that Arnav would take over the kingship from him one day. The melancholic hearts had returned, convinced that they had still felt the great sage's presence there. Who knew, his soul may have stayed back to watch them over.
The Gupta household had arranged a huge banquet, for their son-in-law-to-be had returned, and they found themselves blessing the young couple as many times as they saw them together. The Raizadas, especially, could see the serene demeanour of Arnav and knew that Khushi was the reason behind it, and wanted to hurry the process of their marriage. At the same time, they were all worried about finding suitable grooms to Payal and Anjali.
Arnav chose that moment to speak and he started, "I do not mean any disrespect, but I would like to point out that we do have Akash. Akash, who we all know to be an excellent human being. Payal would be very happy." After the surprised silence, the elders turned to see a blushing and was being mercilessly teased by Khushi and Anjali, and a decision in this regard was immediately made. Payal could only belong to Akash and no one else. The decision made Akash stand tall and proud and even through his silence, anybody could make out his exaltation.
So that left Anjali now. As they rose from their finished lunch, they decided that they would soon find a bridegroom for her too. After all, Anjali was the sweetest of the girls there. The elders left to take a nap and that left the younger ones to take a stroll in the garden which extended into the forest, where there was a creek. Anjali walked ahead of them all, Arnav and Khushi right behind her, and Payal and Akash at the rear end. As they walked further, the path became more uneven and the men held the hands of their respective betrothed.
Anjali had spotted a champa tree, and started to run towards it, when she was about to trip. Khushi saw this and in her own effectual way made the creepers which took the support of a neighboring tree shoot at her and hold both her wrists and waist, thus steadying her. They all saw that even if Khushi had not rescued Anjali, she was in no danger as there was a man standing there, to catch her. Khushi felt a nasty feeling crawling under her skin when her eyes met the stranger's. The leer on his face, which he managed to turn into an amicable smile did not go amiss by her. Anjali was the nearest to him, Khushi noticed and walked further to put herself in between the man and Anjali, her protective instincts at their peak.
A challenging glint lit up the stranger's eyes, before he turned and smiled at Arnav and Akash, who had moved forward and he introduced himself as Shyam Manohar. Arnav and Akash neglected the uneasy feeling and remembered that he had been ready to save Anjali and hence he had to be treated well. They took him to Shantivan, and introduced him to Garima and Shashi Gupta, and Gayatri and Vishnu Singh Raizada. Small talk started and when they asked about Shyam's parentage, he made a sad face and revealed that he was Sage Chaitanya's son. Everybody pitied him at his loss, for his father had died just yesterday.
Shyam had observed how Khushi always stood either next to, or behind Arnav. Such proximity of an unmarried woman with an equally unmarried man was unacceptable in a respectful household. But he was surprised that the families seemed to ignore it without any difficulty. "Pardon me for asking this, but I feel that I should inform you that since your daughter is unmarried, the proximity she maintains with the young Raizada here, would seem objectionable to many." Shashi Gupta and Vishnu Singh Raizada exchanged an oracular smile as Shashi answered, "They are betrothed, Master Shyam and we find it acceptable that they are this close to each other. Arnav here, practically raised my daughter, you see?"
A dark raged look passed in Shyam's eyes, the look which only Khushi noticed before he amiably congratulated them both. "Well, I should take my leave."
~*~*~*~
His plans had failed even before he had started executing them!
How embarrassing. He would not let it be. Of course, he would not let it be!
His beloved father not blessing him with any powers at his birth had been the first of the betrayal he had faced. How could you, father?! You should have given all your powers to me. Was I not your only son?! He took a deep breath and tried to gather some semblance of control. What is done is done. And father beloved has been punished rightfully for it too! He sneered as the image of his father's dead body crossed his mind and he continued thinking about what he could do next.
He had just learned that Khushi had been engaged to Arnav. And that Arnav's power increased ten-fold, hundred-fold when she was near him. A fact that he had not known until now. He also had not known that Arnav, with the help of Khushi, would one day rule Jnaana Kshetra. Damn you to the deepest pit in hell, father! Am I not the prince?! So am I not entitled to be the king?! Betrayal! So many betrayals from you!!! He cursed again. So abducting Khushi was not an option until and unless he had suddenly turned suicidal. No, I won't do that. Something else has to be done. But what?! Oh, spirit of the greatest evils!! Guide me here!!
There was silence as he, again and again, invoked the evil spirits to show him another way. after a while he felt a cutting chill surround him, telling him that the spirits were at his disposal. A vile whisper rung in his ears, 'Marry the girl in Jnaana Kshetra, who was born during the previous blue moon. She will be next to rarest to find and once you marry her, she shall grace upon you the power of healing from the worst of physical ailments, thus rendering you almost invincible. Piercing your heart will be the only way that anybody would be able to kill you. . . . .'
Shyam's smile grew more pronounced by each word that the evil spirits revealed to him, and then he asked in the humblest of voices, "Could you please be accommodating enough to show me who that girl is? Just one glimpse for this loyal devotee of yours?" As soon as he said this out loud, he felt himself dropping unconscious. And when he woke up within the next sixtieth of an hour, he had a crazed smile on his lips, for the spirits had etched the image of a girl with a sweetest smile in his mind.
"Anjali Singh Raizada. . . . Quite a catch. . ."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Again, I know that I am terribly, terribly late. . . . š
I beg your pardon for that too. . . .
Do let me know what you think of the story. . . š³
Edited by -_-harsh42 - 13 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
