Arhi FF: Tangent Worlds. Ch-6.

                                  TANGENT WORLDS                                                                  Chapter-6
                               Some Unrevealing...s

Khushi felt the continuous piercing gaze on her back. She was scared and angry... but she was also alone, hence she decided to work on the scared part, leaving out the anger part for now. She thus decided to move from there, but the gaze though giving her goose-bumps was strangely... warm... and she couldn't stop herself as she turned her head slightly... her eyes for some unknown reason halting on a black suit clad figure some distance from her... He had his back towards her and seemed to be talking to a saree clad figure standing in front of him. Khushi felt a strong urge to know who this woman was, and so forgetting all about her fallen luggage or her very inelegant posture, she craned her neck further to catch a glimpse of the woman who stood secure under the shadow of the tall, black suit clad man. But that was hardly required, for the very next second he bent down and a dark-rough-skinned middle-aged woman, elegantly wrapped in a cheap seeming saree came in view. Well, the adjective cheap was relative actually, for the man with her, who was at the moment touching her feet, looked every bit as expensive as the Rolex of his wrist-watch, Armani of his suit and Prada of his shoes. The staring could have gone on for quite a while, but the woman smiling down at the man, frowned slightly and then her dark eyes locked with her hazel ones. Khushi turned back embarrassed at being caught blatantly peeking and stumbled once again, but getting herself and her things together this time she all but ran towards the exit.

Arnav heard the loud stumbling, hurried ruffling and some supposedly hushed mumbling behind him, and was instantly reminded of the lass in red. He turned back, wanting to catch a glance of what lay behind the fiery red and gold shawl, but all he glimpsed was a black slithering snake erupting from within the all-consuming flames, as the woman ran towards the exit as if chased by the hounds of hell.  He was bewildered at that bizarre need he felt to wrap that black shiny snake around his skin and feel its texture. And that need in him was strong... very strong, really strong, like gravity almost... pulling a stray drop of rain, directing its course, deciding its destiny. Bizarre, isn't it?

"Arnav bhaiya!" the happy chirping voice demanded his attention, as if it was her fundamental right, and he gave it to her because it really was. A rare honest smile graced his lips as he ruffled her curls.
"How was your vacation Palak?" Arnav asked the chirpy kid.
"It was great Arnav Bhaiya, I did so much masti. No no, actually it was also a little boring, you see there were so many people there and I didn't know anyone but they were all very nice and they all knew me. Amma said, they were all our family but they were so many I haven't seen such a big family ever. But the wedding was fun. The bride was so pretty, fair and all dressed up and oh, red is now my favorite color. But the groom wasn't very nice and not at all handsome, not like you or Aakash bhaiya. He was black as coal, poor Kuhu di, she is so pretty... But then I am also black as coal and you know all the kids down there teased me and called me Kali Ma, and most of all that irritating Jagiya..."

"Breathe bitiya breathe, your Arnav bhaiya is not going any where." her mother said smilingly when Palak showed no sign of stopping in the near future.

"Okay bhaiya I'll tell you rest of the story at home." she smiled at Arnav Bhaiya.
"So there is more to it?" Arnav said with a teasing glint in his eyes, something reserved exclusively for his doll and she made a face at it. He gave her an indulgent smile and then led them towards the car park.
_________________________________

"Hmmh, yehi natija hota hai zyada angrezi batiyane ka." muttered the woman in bright magenta saree, as she reentered the front lawn.
"Aree Bahenji, I heard some gossip, but is it true?" a woman in peacock-blue saree asked in a hushed voice.
"Aree what did you expect, where the elder goes, the younger follows, aur kya." the pink saree woman sported the look of the worldly wise.
"Guptaji's elder daughter you mean? But didn't she die in some accident in Delhi, a few months ago?"
"I'll believe she's dead when I see her dead-body. Kaun jaane kahan muh kala kiya hai ki apne parivaar wale bhi sab palra jhad rahe hai. AH! looks can be so deceiving, who could have ever thought that the ever shy and quiet Payaliya would bring shame to her family. And their younger one, hey bhagwaan, she was born a tornado, what better could you expect."
By then their high-pitch-hushed voices had managed to gather a little crowd. Well isn't a bite of juicy gossip better than the juiciest of sausages at such gatherings.
"What are you talking about Bhabhi ji?" enquired a round bellied man in a Bhagalpuri silk kurta.
"Aree wo dulhan bhaag gayi, aur kya." replid the woman in magenta.
"Kya?" several voices echoed all at once. The news spread in a flash and soon there were people assembling in big and small groups, like a pack of wolves gathering around the carcass of the dead, staking their claim on the bits and pieces of its bloodied flesh... feeding and flourishing...cold-blooded... un-caring... unflinching even.

Society in its complete glory!'  Sumeet entered the front-lawn and grimaced as the casual callous bitterness hit him right in his throat, he had an urge to throw-up... without the natural sweetness of his life, without his Khushi, how was he ever going to swallow even a single slice of life. His shoulders slumped, he felt tired, the kind of tired one feels after experiencing every minutest detail of each and every micro second of heart-break... the tiredness one feels from holding on to that last bit of a shredded almost non-existent thread, that you know you should let go of and yet you don't, you can't... the tiredness of knowing and yet pretending to not know... of feigning hope to even yourself. But now was not the time, a lot had to be done, he would rest later, after all somewhere in his heart he knew that this tiredness was going to last through his life.
_______________________________

Khushi stepped out of the station, struggling with her luggage and trying to take out the paper with the exact address of her current accommodation when out of no where she was swarmed with a flood of auto-walas and taxi-walas. She stood there shocked and harried with no idea of how to handle the situation and the fact that these were all strangers and men and some were very strange men didn't help either.

"Madamji auto karlo"
"Kahan jaana hai madam"
"Aree madam taxi karlo."

"Bhaiyaji, South Campus chalenge?" she tried hiding the nerves that were threatening to drown her that very moment.
"Haan haan madamji change na" one of the auto guys answered.
"How much?"  she didn't really know what to expect.
"Bas 450, madamji." even her grossly exaggerated thought process couldn't have imagined that.
"Kya?" she almost let out an involuntary shriek. "Leave it bhaiyaji I'll ask someone else."
And yet a few minutes later she was still standing with auto and taxi-walas surrounding her, asking 400 and 500 bucks for the ride and for someone who could have booked a taxi for the entire day, visiting very nook and corner of Lucknow in barely 300, this was unimaginable and ofcourse unethical.
"Madamji, come with me, I'll drop you there in just 100 rupees." a slightly dark, burly man approached her.
"Hmm!" this was getting weirder with every passing minute. But the taxi driver didn't give her another minute to process things as he just got hold of her luggaege and gave it pull. Khushi was still in two minds, the scale dripping more towards accepting the ride though.

"Tell me you are not THAT stupid!" she heard someone hiss, a force pull at her and losing her stand at the abruptness of it, she lost her footing, which was already quite precarious with that burly man in the process of pulling her luggage from her hand, and fell face forward. She anticipated the fall, the collision with the hard-cold ground, the pain that followed and the public humiliation that more often than not tagged along. But to her utter shock, none came. Well, she did feel something solid underneath her, but it wasn't cold... and what was that sound, that rhythm? After days of restlessness, she felt tired and this rhythm, this almost musical beat was now lulling her to relaxation, pulling her to sleep and covering her with a pleasant, aromatic haze. She felt someone lift that warm haze off of her face; she could feel the rough yet warm touch of something skimming through her facial plane. She felt too lethargic to open her eyes, the haze was too comfortable to let go of. And then out of nowhere she shivered, that slightly roughened touch was somewhere down the slope of her neck, the newness of that intense pleasure robbed her of her breath. The rhythm of her own thudding heart brought her back to reality. Reality had never been so gloriously destructive, Khushi Kumari Gupta had an epiphany then, this was the visual manifestation of sublime... yes that was it... those eyes, those stormy orbs staring right into her soul.
"J..J..Jii?" Khushi blinked her eyes, unable to comprehend the situation, both his accusation and her reaction. But the accuser seemed just as dumbfounded as her. What was he looking at, Khushi wondered and what was that look. The slightly darkened patch of skin around his eyes resembled a bank or maybe a muddy beach shaded under the shadows of his long lashes and the centre of it all, the centre of her universe in this bizarre moment, probably on some parallel timeline, his eyes. Those fathomless oceans of coffee or maybe sepia, ah! the aesthetically pleasing miniscule differences of colors seemed outrageously frustrating to Khushi at the moment. She craned her neck a little, pulling her face further closer to his eyes for a more concentrated inspection, desperately wanting to know the exact color of those murky oceans.
The spell was broken then. The moment she had craned her neck, twisting awkwardly in his tight grasp to get closer to him, looking deeper into his eyes, a slight frown marring the planes of her forehead, as if she was trying to read his eyes... read him and there was nothing scarier for Arnav Singh Raizada than someone trying to figure him out... someone who knew him and as he glimpsed a tiny shred of understanding in her eyes, he was jolted out of the warm, strangely familiar haze that seemed to have enveloped the two of them. He straightened himself, righting her in the process.
She was gawking at him, with no idea of anything whatsoever. And, finally in control of himself, he gave a slight push to this despicable... beautiful... no absolutely despicable... enchantingly beautiful creature in front of him. What the f**k was wrong with him', he mused. She let out a shocked yelp at that abrupt and according to her completely uncalled for push, bewildered at what she had done to deserve the verbal and physical lashing that she was getting now and that too by some strange man, whom she didn't know and who probably didn't know her. But then it struck her...
"Could it be?" she mumbled under her breath.
"Where the hell do you think you are going?" his voice was steely, opaque and so were his eyes, completely devoid of the penetrable depth that she had witnessed just a while ago.
"Hey Devi maiya!" she was sure now, his question had confirmed all her doubts. Ofcourse, how could she not see, he was one of his father's men, and they had found her already? What was she going to do now? She hadn't even started with her search yet and she had already been caught.
"Raksha karna Devi Maiya." She called her guardian deity for help and did the first thing she could think of... Twice in the same day, she ran for her life. Longer legs and quick reflexes, however, gave her pursuer immense advantage over her and twice in the same day Khushi Kumari Gupta was caught before she could actually flee. His tight steely grasp binding her, bruising her and... branding her...
"What the f**k are you trying to do? What was this stunt for?" Arnav was genuinely amazed and excessively annoyed at this strange woman in front of him.
"Dekhiye hum chilayenge." Khushi gave her aggressor a fair warning... though her staggering voice didn't make it sound as threatening as she would have wanted.
"Aacha! Chillao." He said simply, not a single dip or rise in his tone.
"Choriye hamen... D..dekhiye h..um sach mein chilaenge." She warned him again, though the threat seemed as convincing as Harry Potter without Voldermot.
"Chillao." He hissed.
"See, I am telling you right in the beginning, don't try to force me, hum Lucknow nahi Aayenge." She said with some steel in her voice, finally.
"Kya?" Arnav was dumbfounded once again.
"yes, you heard me, you'll not be able to take me back to Lucknow, I will shout and gather everyone around and then they'll all beat you to..."
"What the f**k are you on about? Why would I take you to Lucknow? Hell! Why would I take you anywhere?" both were at a loss of word because of the strangeness of the situation now. Khushi was the first to figure out that there was some miscommunication and that she was safe for now... Probably.
"Then what were you yelling at me for? What do you want from me?" she asked, completely confused now.
"Well, I was just trying to take the measure of your idiocy." He said matter of factly and it was the plainness of his tone that affected her more than what he said.
"Ji!" her eyes were huge as saucers.
"Were you really going to take his cab?" he asked in all seriousness.
"Ji?" she was still unable to comprehend anything. Did she hit her head somewhere recently?' she wondered.
"Are you really so dim-witted as to actually hire his cab?"
"Wha..." but he didn't let her finish.
"Didn't it occur to you as to why would someone offer you their services for less than half of the normal rate?"  he was genuinely intrigued by her apparent naivety now.
"Ji wo..." what was she to say now. Well ofcourse she had acted very foolishly and worst of all she had acted without thinking.
"This is Delhi you know, not More's Utopia." He had said it in a flow but then he wondered if this girl clad in bright salwar-suit and with that lost look on her face would actually get what he was implying. But the recognition in her eyes told him, she did. And to his utter frustration, this bewildered him all the more. She knew about Thomas More but lacked basic commonsense?' he thought astounded.
"Come, I'll drop you to your destination." The absolute surety of his tone brooked no argument and the way he tugged at her hand, pulling her with him left no space for even its possibility.
But, there was only so much that Khushi could take and this strange man had crossed that line long ago. HOW DARE HE!' she heard a roar somewhere inside her and in that moment, neither commonsense nor common-courtesy mattered. Everyone and everything ceased to exist in this parallel universe that had just the two of them and boiling hot rage... loads and loads of it. She'll show him!'
Arnav Singh Raizada was not used to resistance. He ALWAYS got his way. Hence, the magnitude of shock he felt when he felt resistance from her was very new and almost incomprehensible for him.  He frowned and then turned back coming face to face with a fuming woman...
"So, going with this taxi driver who offered me a relatively cheaper rate was dumb but accepting a free ride in some stranger's car is smart and logical?" And Arnav Singh Raizada was dumbfounded.
___________________

 It must have been pink, a shade brighter than the dull one and a shade duller than the bright one, the just right shade. These niches that ran along the walls of the entire room must have been white on the inside, the plainness of the color emitting an almost sublime light when lit with colorful candles. The ceiling seemed to have been some shade of white, off-white maybe, and right from the centre of it, probably from that huge nail a huge chandelier would have hung. And when the sun would submerge into the horizon, retiring to its chamber after a hard day of work, rejuvenating itself for another, then this palatial figure would have come to life. Incandescent lights peeking from the niches, while hundreds of candles in the various crystal shells of that aesthetically humungous chandelier bathing the environment in its warm glow. It must have been warm then...' but suddenly the cold started to creep inside her as the creaking of the bed hinges filtered through her subconscious and she struggled once again, desperate to drown the noise...

Evenings would have been beautiful and mornings lazy... well, that part of their existence survived the rough hands of time. Well, ofcourse things were different now, the huge chandeliers, the harmonium, the tabla, the music, the dance, the colors, the life... they weren't needed anymore. And to think about it, what were they anyway, mere accessories, useless decorations? Who had any time for such useless garnishing anymore... now they got straight to the meat.'

The sound and rhythm of meat-slapping amplified... breaking the chain of her thoughts, breaking through the protective walls her mind attempted to build her every single time... And then the rhythm ceased, instead the pressure on her shoulders increased, making her bite her lips in an failed attempt to suppress the pain... the sound changed to that of continual grunting... and then finally the wetness... around her thighs and even a little of it on her lower-abdomen. That piece of meat invading her body finally withdrew, slumped and satisfied. She just lay there as he got off her and laid by her side for a little while... but time was running short, after all  he had purchased her for two hours only and her boss was pretty strict about timings... now didn't they say that time was everything.' She just laid there as he dressed and before leaving he leered at her naked body once again, and then as if unable to stop himself, squeezed her breasts... she felt the pain and wanted to shout but she knew he owned her for about three more minutes and being a modern day corporate man that he was, a CEO of a relatively newer foundation at that, he knew the worth of every second and every penny. She saw an animal in him and was afraid that he would bite her, but no... all her fears were ill formed, he knew what the ground-rules were, leave no mark behind'... he was human after all.  

She laid there as he finally left, staring into nothingness. But ofcourse that was too good to last...
"Aree Jhunki, madamji has asked you to get ready, your next customer is already waiting in the hall so, don't bother with bathing right now, just cleat up all the mess and use some perfume. But see to it that not a single sign of your previous engagement remains here when the new client enters. But ofcourse, you already know the rules, it's been a few months since you have been employed here." and with a smile she left the room.

Jhunki got up from the bed and then moved towards the small attached bathroom. As she put her hands on her inner thighs, attempting to wash of the wetness, the bitterness, the pain... she knew it was futile. The conspicuous amount of wetness didn't surprise her anymore... after all that was the one thing that all men wanted to give to her... expecting absolutely nothing in return... for she was sure of one thing... none of that wetness was hers... Jhunki's... or Payal Gupta's.

To be continued...

AN: Hey guys! SO how have you all been? I hope you've all been having loads of fun with the approaching winters. Now to the update, so it been many months since I last updated Tangent Worlds, I am well aware of my mistake and apologize for the same. But at some level I wasn't very sure about whether or not I wanted to take this story forward, lack of much response from my readers being the key factor here. But then I got a few mails wherein people requested be to continue with this story and so I decided that even if I have just one reader I'll write for that one reader and of-course for me, because I love writing and this story in particular is very close to my heart. So, the updates would be fairly regular from now on and I do hope that some of you would take some time out and write your thoughts about this story, so as to better help me develop it.
  
PS: Chamkili Update by tonight :)
Lots of love,
Srija

Tangent Worlds. Ch-5, 'Destined Destinations'

                                TANGENT WORLDS

                        Part: 5

                          Destined Destinations

As they entered the Lucknow station, the announcement was being made,

“Yatri kripya dhyan den, Katihaar se Delhi tak jaane wali 230468 Amrapali Express kuch hi samay mein platform sankhya 3 pe aane wali hai. Dhanyawaad.”

“Passengers attention please, train no. 230468, Amrapali Express, from Katihaar with destination to Delhi will be arriving shortly on platform no.3. Thankyou.”

While Khushi was trying to catch her breath, Sumit once again grabbed her hand and together they ran towards the over-bridge, his one hand clutching hers while with the other one he dragged a trolley-bag. And the moment they disappeared from the view, merging with a throng of dissimilar yet similar people, Madhumati entered the station. Halting at the entry she scanned the crowd adjusting her glasses while waiting for her breathing to normalize a bit, but then not finding anything or rather anyone that interested her she made her way towards the enquiry.

“Hai re Nand Kisor! Aye Babua make way for me. How shameless has this new generation become, they have lost all their decency and respect for elders. Aree hato, rasta do Nand Kisor.” and as she reached the counter, pushing people standing in the line she finally asked,

“Aye Nand Kisor, what is the position of the train to Delhi?”

“Kaki, there are two of them now, which one are you asking about?”

“Aye Nand Kisor, tell me about both and make it fast.”

“Ok, Lucknow-Delhi Mail would be departing shortly from platform no.5 and Amrapali Exp. would arrive any moment now on platform 3.”

“Jeete raho Babua!” and with that she made her way towards the over-bridge. 

Madhumati decided to check the Lucknow-Delhi Mail first, for it could leave any moment and then she could go check the other one, while in her heart she prayed her beloved God that she got lucky the first time itself. And it seemed that he was in a good mood, for as she was crossing through the over-bridge, she caught sight of something yellow, and not the mellow, sophisticated version of it but the bright, chamkili shade. ‘Now only Sankadevi would have guts to wear that.’ And thus forgetting about her earlier plan she took sure steps towards where she had seen the vision in yellow. As Khushi turned around, her eyes widened first in shock and then as the image of Buaji standing right in front of her sunk in there was pure terror in those huge, beautiful eyes. And, oh what a vision it was. The first thing that came to her mind was to run away and hide somewhere. And well as was true of her nature she acted on impulse but it seemed like Buaji knew her niece a little too well and so anticipating her move, she gripped her delicate wrist pulling her back as turned to make a run for it, and a bit too roughly at that making her hiss in pain.

“Aaaau Buaji that hurt!” Khushi whined but Madhumati still didn’t let go of her hand. Just then Sumit returned back to the spot carrying two bottles of mineral water, a packet of achari masti lays and a box of sweets in his hands, completely unaware of the older woman’s presence.

“Khushi, they were out of jaleb… Aaaa!” and he too screamed as Buaji’s free hand pulled his ear.

“Buaji what are… Aaaau” and he screamed again as her hand left his ear only to slap the back of his head.

“You idiots, what were you thinking? You were supposed to get married today, in fact you still are. Just come back with me.” her stern face deemed no opposition and so none came, hence she continued,

“Hey Nand Kisor, what would have happened had someone else found about this stupid letter of yours, there are so many guests in the house and all they need is something to gossip about. What am I going to do with you Sankadevi.” and saying that she turned around and tried pulling Khushi along with her but she felt resistance, not the overtly physical one for Khushi knew she stood no chance there, but a more subtle kind of resistance. Though subtle, it was no less sure or strong, and Madhumati could feel it. She turned around facing her dearest niece once again, witnessing her moist eyes and some tear drops threatened her eyes as well.

“Titaliya?” she looked at Khushi questioningly.

“I cannot do it Buaji. I just can’t.” she looked down, desperately trying to withhold the tears that threatened to spill any moment now.

“Bitiya, you do know what this will do to your life. Your name, your position in our society will be maligned forever. And what about our family’s name, your father’s honor?” and saying that she lifted her face, and looking directly into her glistening eyes, she further said,

“Titaliya, it will destroy your chance at having a normal, happy life forever. Are you really ready to give all this up.” she said gently cupping her Titaliya’s cheeks gently.

“There is no family without Jiji, Buaji.” her voice was strong, her tone certain. She continued,

“And about society, well they weren’t there to help her when she needed them, so why should I care now.” both her eyes and voice flared with anger.

“And what about you Titaliya, what about your life, your happiness?” This in fact Madhumati was most worried about.

“Buaji, I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the mirror again, I’ll lose all my self-esteem… If I don’t go now, I’ll be killing my conscience and how will I even take Devi Maiya’s name ever again. I wouldn’t be happy if I lose all that’s me Buaji and seeing me die everyday will kill all those whom I love and who love me. I am selfish Buaji, I have to save Jiji for myself as well, for I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t. I’ll die if I don’t.” her voice broke towards the end, but then her Buaji embraced her imparting all her strength to Khushi.

“You have made your choice Bitiya and let me warn you that it’s not an easy one…” Khushi looked at her Buaji with wide gloomy eyes to which the older woman smiled, and covered her with a red shawl with golden border.

“But it is the right one Titaliya.” and Khushi smiled, sure at last that her family was not lost to her.

“Buaji, the wedding? Babuji? Amma?” Khushi almost chocked, unable to form any coherent sentence.

“Bitiya all choices have their own consequences, good and bad and we have to accept both. And you don’t worry Sumit and I will manage it over here and I hope you weren’t planning on accompanying her to Delhi, because then we might as well have had the wedding…” Buaji trailed off and the until then silent Sumit spoke, trying to save Khushi the embarrassment,

“Arre Buaji, how can your Nand Kisor ever leave you, hmm? In fact truth being told I agreed to marry this Jhalli just because of you, you know.” and he smiled one of his super cheesy smiles, he always kept reserved for Buaji, while she slapped him across his arm gently, according to her at least. just then the train finally entered the platform and they started to hurry.

“Sanka Devi, where are you going to stay, have you thought of all that or did you just get up and leave in your sanak.” she asked while they moved towards S7.

“Buaji, I got enrolled in this All India Literature Seminar and they have residing facilities within the campus, so you don’t have to worry.” but as she saw her Bua giving her unsure glances which were soon turning into angry glares, she soon improvised,

“Oh Sumit told me about it, he planned everything.” Buaji visibly relaxed at it. By then they had already reached Khushi’s seat and while Sumit was settling her luggage, Buaji took out some hefty cash and looking around carefully stuffed it in Khushi’s bag. Well knowing that her Bua had no direct source of income except for her Fufaji’s pension money, which she would miserly spend and diligently save, Khushi was obviously not very happy taking money from her so she tried protesting, not just ceremoniously but actually.

“Buaji, I have money. I have saved so much already and besides Sumit lent me the amount required for enrolment and other official stuff, so I really don’t need it.”

“Sanka Devi, musibat kabhi bata kar nai aati hai, samji, so just quit arguing and take it and if you don’t want to spend it, just take it for safe-keeping. You’ll be all alone there Titaliya, you have no idea how worried sick we’ll all be here, just keep it for my peace of mind. And oh that reminds me, here is my phone and yes let me take out the sim-card from it, that won’t be very safe, but get a new number as soon as you get there and call me… but no that could be dangerous, always call Sumit bitwa and that too from some public number, ok?...” she was so lost in her tirade that she missed the train whistle signaling its departure.

“Buaji, we should get down, the train would be leaving any moment now.” and with that he grasped her hand and led her to the exit, with Khushi following them in the tail and as they were about to get down Khushi couldn’t control herself and engulfed or rather tried to engulf her Buaji’s huge frame in a fierce embrace.

“Arre Titaliya, it’s not like you are leaving forever. Your Jiji awaits you Bitiya and we shall wait for the two of you. Nand Kisor and Devi Maiya are always with you, don’t worry.” she patted her back and gently pried her hands away and then looking in her glistening eyes with her own misty ones she said,

“I never thought I would say this, but your buaji will miss your sanak Sankadevi.” and the train finally moved slightly jerking the two women and Sumit came to their aid, helping the older one down and smiling at the younger one.

“Take care Khushi.”

“Hai re Nand Kisor! How could I forget, Garima gave this to me to give it to Khushi. Aye Khushi!” and she tried running towards the gate but Khushi was no longer there, in a flash Sumit grabbed the little pouch from her hand and made a dash towards the window of Khushi’s seat.

“Khushi, your Amma gave this to you.” he said passing the pouch to her through the window, still jogging to match the train’s momentum.

“Amma?” she sounded confused. But right then Sumit shoved it in her hand. Khushi looked up a little surprised as he held on to her hand, it seemed like he wanted to say something… But he didn’t… and he let go of her hand, standing still looking at her as she sped off with the speeding train. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to shut off the image of him, waiting? She didn’t know. But the truth was she did. She knew that he would have waited for her, would probably still wait for her… like he wanted to wait for her… and yet she couldn’t bring herself to comfort him with just some words… that… that ‘she would come back so hold on, wait for her.’ and she knew he would have been ecstatic, even if he’d have to wait his entire life. And even though she knew she would come back, she didn’t really know if she would ever return back to him. For while their old bond lay in a disarray and at least she couldn’t envision a new one, the one that he wanted.

“Hmm!” a sigh escaped her lips. ‘He really loves me, doesn’t he? But why can’t I find it in myself to love him back.’ Khushi thought to herself as the image of a waiting Sumit flashed back in her mind and she clutched the little pouch in her fist to her heart… as Amrapali Expresses headed towards its destination, Delhi… and took her to her destined destination…
**************************

“Arnav!” Nani yelled yet again as her grandson headed for the door and without giving her a backward glance made his way towards his SUV. On his way out he saw Aakash’s car entering the mansion premises, and he glimpsed a wasted Aakash on the back seat while the driver, Mohan, pulled in the car.

‘What went wrong?’ Arnav wondered and it wasn’t his fault if he couldn’t figure it out for about a year ago things were fine, Aakash was exactly what a 24 year old, MBA student should be like, normal and most importantly happy, well sort of at least. So what changed? he had no answer to that for he was not the most sensitive of men but even when he had tried asking Aakash what the problem was, his younger brother had just brushed him off telling him that’s exactly how rich, young men live. And well didn’t Arnav himself live such a life, although his imbalance was sort of balanced and subtle and not as glaring as Akash’s. The emptiness and pain and vulnerability did exist in his life but he had long since mastered the part of a cold and calculative business tycoon, hiding Arnav behind that immaculately played persona of Arnav Singh Raizada. But Aaksh’s wounds lay uncovered, his vulnerability too obvious and living in the world they did, it could actually destroy him.

Not knowing things related to those close to him frustrated Arnav to no limit and seeing the emptiness in their eyes and yet being unable to do anything about it tortured something inside him, it hurt… his heart? Well he couldn’t be too sure. What had he not done to safeguard his siblings against those nightmares that haunted him every night, to protect them from those tormenting memories which he relived every single day of his life? But it seemed like life finally caught up with them, well with Aakash at least. And that is what made his resolution to protect his sister from all that was dark and ugly and… well real, all the more fierce and concrete. And that could only happen, if she was under his wing, always and hence his search for the perfect husband for her and the perfect ghar-jamai for the Raizadas. Shayam Manohar Jha was actually a good option as he was mature, self-dependent, seemed family oriented and had no objection about any of his clauses. And also that Anjali liked him worked in this guy’s favor. So far he seemed like the perfect match for his barely twenty sister. Although, the background check he had ordered would take some time and so would his final decision. And his contemplation was hindered as his phone rang just that moment.

“Yes Aman.” The lines on his forehead collected in a frown as he heard what his PA had to say.

“I don’t care Aman I told you last week it self that I won’t be available today, you should have taken care while fixing this meeting with Kapoors and Sons co.”

he again listened and literally shouted at the end of it,

“Are you implying that I am lying or that I am careless… answer me dammit.” he then visibly calmed a bit as his PA probably apologized.

“See the meeting is design centric, right? So just consult Meghna, she’ll be able to handle that. And I’ll be there in the evening for the meeting with the Brazilian delegates. Call me if there is some problem. Ok.” and with that he disconnected the call.

The red light signaled him to stop and he did. The traffic was getting worse by the moment and that wasn’t really helping his temperament. He suddenly remembered that Aman was indeed right about him not mentioning about his absence today, but then just because he knew he was wrong, didn’t mean he would accept it. Who was the boss after all? And being the boss he needed to maintain a certain image. He wondered what would happen to his image if his employs knew that a man who traveled by exclusive private jets was right now heading towards Nizamuddin Terminal to receive someone. And Arnav couldn’t help as a smug smile appeared on his face.
**********************************

Entering the station he headed straight towards the enquiry,

“What is the position of Amrapali Express?” his tone uselessly formidable, habit perhaps.

“It is expected to arrive in about an hour.” the man behind the counter seemed least bothered about the fact that a muti-millionare stood in front of his counter and so did the multitude of people behind him who were pushig him to get to the counter. Arnav made his way towards a relatively empty area. He decided to wait in the car for the environment was not much of his liking.

“How many times have I told her that there is absolutely no need to travel by these lousy trains, but no, when has she ever listened to me? And her orders, do not call me, when I am in Lucknow, its family time. Bloody unbelievable! And these bloody trains, never on time. What can you expect when fucking assholes regulate this country.” and busily cursing the Indian Railways and her he made his way towards the exit, only to be stopped in his way as he felt someone pulling at his pants. And he looked down to see two huge dark eyes staring back at him.

“Arre Beta, how many times have I told you, this is bad manner. Comeon now say sorry to uncle.” but the toddler was probably another ASR in making, for she just made a face, slapped her father’s head and made her way towards a woman reading some magazine, her mother perhaps, Arnav thought.

“Sorry Bhaisaab, I don’t know why but she has huge issues with saying sorry.” the man apologized instead.

“It’s okay, I understand.” and funny as it may seem he actually did. The stranger smiled at him and made his way towards his family, perhaps? 

Dropping his plans of leaving for the SUV and sat on a corner bench fascinated by the child. For the next one hour the kid entertained the great ASR without even trying to as he ran all over the place and slapped his father mercilessly, laughed and cried and at times did both at the same time, he sang and danced unaware and unabashed in his innocence. Is it right what they say, ‘ignorance is bliss’, he wondered.

Finally the announcement was made,

“Yatri kripya dhyan den, Katihaar se nikal kar, Lucknow ke raaste Delhi aane wali Amrapali Express platform sankhya 1 par aane wali hai.”

“Passengers please pay attention…

 And as the train finally entered the station premises, Arnav made his way towards S7, yes that was where her reservation was.

“Hell, she wouldn’t even agree on an AC booking” he mumbled again.

The train finally stopped and hoards of passengers started de-boarding the train, pushing anyone and everyone around, not even caring if the great ASR was in their way and this frustrated him to no extent. As another one pushed him he turned around muttering a ‘What the!’ but froze mid-way as her heard someone shriek and then saw a flash of red… half sitting, half laying on her luggage which lay on the ground. A beautiful red shawl with intricate golden design covered her yellow-clad form and dark curtains of her waist length hair curtained her face from him. he sub-consciously craned his neck a bit to get a better view of her face. he saw her trying to get up, but she slipped again, and Arnav took a sub-conscious step towards her, but then stopped in his tracks as his conscious mind took control. And by then even she had managed to stand… her back facing him.

‘Well it wasn’t a practical possibility to save her from that fall.’ he though to himself, what scared him though was that he had wanted to. Wanting to save some stranger, now here was a first for the Raizada.
*************************

Khushi felt the continuous piercing gaze on her back. She was scared and angry… but she was also alone, hence she decided to work on the scared part, leaving out the anger part. She thus decided to move from there, but the gaze though giving her goosebumps was strangely… warm… and she couldn’t stop herself as she turned her head slightly… her eyes for some unknown reason halting on a black suit clad figure some distance from her…

PS: So guys, how was it? I know its a little slow paced, but that's how I planned it. Just be a little patient, wheels of action are set in motion now. Do drop in your comments.

Love,

Srija

Arhi FF: 'Tangent Worlds' ch-4, Wrong-Right Right-Wrong Choices

                           TANGENT WORLDS

                         Part: 4

                 Wrong-Right Right-wrong Choices

‘The fateful day was here at last.’ Garima thought with a wistful sigh. Standing still at the door, her eyes penetrated the darkness looking in the direction where her distraught daughter had disappeared not too long ago.

How many nights Garima, the mother had spent praying her Devi Maiya to never let her daughters face the question that had haunted her existence, since she developed that wretched faculty called brains.

“Amma, isn’t Jiji family?” Khushi’s voice resonated in her mind once again. Though wrapped in a new voice, the question wasn’t exactly new to her, she had lived her entire life… denying it… fighting it… accepting it… all her life… with it. ‘Her daughters had finally inherited her demons, and that was all she had to pass on to them.’ she thought with a wry smile, how very delusional of her to ever think that Khushi and Payal had any chance at escaping it… how very delusional. 

She didn’t know how long she had been standing at the door of her room and finally as a sigh of resignation escaped her lips, she turned back moving towards her bed, her legs felt heavy as she dragged them across the room. But the next moment she halted in her tracks as hauntingly beautiful musical notes cut through the dense air around her. Her feet gave up and she sank at the foot of the bed. She was playing again… after months and Garima didn’t know how to feel about it, relieved or apprehensive… content or miserable… as a whirlwind of long suppressed emotions erupted within her, once again, threatening to engulf everything… and she knew she was… scared.

In a dark corner of that weather beaten and time scarred house was a small room, unoccupied generally, but at the moment Madhumati stood aghast at its door. Khushi’s hair flew wildly around her face crowning her with a majestic dark halo, her hands moved in frenzy on the keys of the piano as she created unbridled passions that promised pure destruction. Thunderous storms brew both in and out. And as the hysterical roars of the wilderness in nature met with the frenzied notes of her piano, the wilderness within her… the earth, the sky and all that lay amidst witnessed in awe the destruction, for old things had to be destroyed, old structures demolished to give way to new ones… yesterdays have to end today, so tomorrow can make way. What that tomorrow will hold… no one knew but her Devi Maiya and she was as mum as always.
***********

Sleep was one of the few things that lay beyond the regime of Arnav Singh Raizada’s dictatorship and tonight it seemed like she had decided to evade him entirely. And so a tall, lean figure could be seen standing near the French windows that opened towards the pool area in Shantivan. As the flashes of lightening speared through the winds at irregular intervals a pair of dark and dangerously stormy eyes could be seen, and through those windows, the storm that raged within.

Arnav felt a sense of camaraderie with the storm, a unique empathy, as if it understood him. He was glad for the thunder, for it was in moments like these that the constant roar inside him was numbed for a while… that he could escape the agonizing screams of his mother even if for a little while. Storms and thunders brought numbness for him… a numbness that gave an impression of forgotten pains and healed wounds… false impressions indeed. But tonight as he stood there,  leaning against the door frame, his face a mask of strange calmness, his eyes closed as slight drizzle caressed his face in an attempt to soothe his pain, faint musical harmony reached his ear. He thought he was dreaming but then he opened his eyes and the melody was still there, the agitated harmony surrounded him. Try as he might but he couldn’t locate its source but neither could he deny its reality, it was surreal as if the winds and the rains brought the harmony along with them… a gift for him. And then realization stuck him. ‘But… but it was so long ago… so long ago that even his memories seemed slightly faded now. How could it be?’ and with that thought madness took over and he ran from his room, down the stairs, out of the main door and towards the out house. His breathing labored, his eyes blood-shot, his form drenched, his heart racing, as he took slow steps towards the out-house. And a little flutter of hope that he had felt inside him after ages died before it could even breathe as he came face to face with the closed door. He let out a sigh of resignation and leaned against the door closing his eyes once again. Not a tear escaped the confines his eyes, his misery had crossed the point where tears could express it… he had traveled long and far with his best-friend and his arch-nemesis, Despair… there was no looking back now. He still didn’t have the courage to open those closed doors for he knew if he ever did, he would lose the comfortable blanket of numbness and this frozenness was the best he could hope for… and so with one last pained look at the closed door he returned back to his room.
************

She found herself on her bed in her room when she woke up, she didn’t know how and when she came here, the last thing she remembered was her mother pleading with her to go along with her father’s decision, his decision to punish Jiji for no fault of hers while the one who ought to be punished enjoyed life and was probably stalking another beautiful soul to tear apart. Khushi Kumari Gupta wouldn’t let it happen, her decision was made and call her rigid, adamant, impractical, impulsive… well call her whatever you want but once the decision was made she followed it through the very end… Khushi Kumari Gupta made her own choices, crystal clear ones at that and saw them through the very end, never even considering a backup or a back out. And so her decision made, she sent a quick text, impatiently waiting for the reply and once it came, she quietly slipped out of the bed and her dupatta around her neck and her foot-wear in her hands, she very stealthily crept out of the house… unaware of a pair of eyes watching her. Well needless to say Khushi was missing from the breakfast table that morning and that sent Sashi’s mind in an overdrive…
*************

 Arnav descended the stairs, his mind still lost in the happenings of last night. ‘Was it a figment of my imagination? Is my brain playing games with me? No it cannot be… but it seemed so real… the strings of music, the Piano. It was as if she was… No he couldn’t let himself fall back in that dark abyss again, No! His family needed him.’ and with his determination renewed and his mask back in place he strode towards the dining table… If only he knew that abyss he was scared of, lay within him, clinging to the numbness and thriving Despair it grew… a little every day.

Nani and Anjali were there and Aakash’s absence was nothing new so Arnav didn’t ask about it and no one bothered to explain… It was just easier to pretend that everything was fine.  They all took their respective seats, Nani at the head of the table and Arnav and Anjali on her either side… and they waited. Arnav hated this, every single day that man would deliberately come late for he knew it would infuriate him but more than that Arnav knew that he just wanted to assert his importance, his position in the family. Arnav looked at their waiting faces once and started with his breakfast, he wouldn’t force them to defy but that didn’t mean that he would obey… Never.

And finally, Aryan Singh Raizada decided to grace those at the table with his presence. He sat at the farther end occupying the seat of the head of the family and smiled at everyone, finally giving his eldest son a look of contempt which was met with a look of pure loathing and so without another word the Raizada family started their breakfast. Finally Aryan broke the silence and with it the faint impression of peace that surrounded them,

“So how is the search going Arnav, for Anjali’s husband… the Raizada ghar-jamai?” The sarcasm and scorn blatant in his voice and for a moment all activity around stopped, but then Arnav menacingly cut the omelet in his plate and resumed eating and the others followed his cue. Aryan was irate, but only for a moment, he was a man rarely deterred.  And hence Aryan continued,

“You could have looked through some of my suggestions. I had some really good ones lined up there. But you wouldn’t even take a look. I am…” he trailed off but again no one replied,

‘You haven’t ever given me a chance to trust you in my entire life and I am not going to start now.’ Arnav thought with a finality that was visible in his visage as he passed him a cold glare and got off his chair.

And as Aryan saw Arnav leaving the dining space, he played his master stroke,

“Anjali, I was wondering if you applied for that All India Seminar happening next month.” and it hit right at the point as Arnav stopped in his tracks, his back to the table he stood still. Aryan smirked in his direction and continued,

“I mean it shouldn’t be a big deal getting in for you, considering AR is its chief sponsor.” He then looked at Anjali’s shocked face and feigned ignorance, “Oh you didn’t know. Didn’t Arnav tell you? I wonder why?” and with a satisfied smile he left the table.

Arnav still stood immobile and Anjali stared at his back, while Nani passed her a sad but reassuring look. Arnav had had his own reasons to hide this from his younger sister. He wanted her to be self-sufficient and not dependent on his position for achieving anything in life, and he also knew that if Anjali asked for anything, he didn’t have it in him to deny it to her.

But it wasn’t a lost opportunity that bothered Anjali… it was the lost trust. ‘Did he really think that I would use his power and influence to get ahead in my life? Doesn’t he trust me? Doesn’t he know me?’ and with that thought she got-up and moved towards her room, attempting to nurse her hurt self respect.

Arnav let out a sigh of dejection, he knew exactly what she was thinking and he would admit for once… and at least to himself that he was wrong…
************

A group of school girls blushed and giggled looking at the tall, fair and handsome light-eyed man sitting on the park bench. What they probably missed though was the figure of the sad, dejected woman sitting by his side.

“Is it selfish of me to be happy to find that my sister is still alive… despite everyone’s pain and suffering, I can’t help but be a little happy that she is still somewhere, waiting for me. Am I a bad person Sumit?” her faint voice was a plea for reassurance and Sumit, her friend would give her just that. He cupped her face and turned her to face him,

“Khushi you love her and you are happy because your love for Payal is beyond and above everything else. Its pure, its unadulterated, its true. Its Khushi’s love after all, it got to be crazy.” and he was relieved to see her faint teary smile.

“Sumit I have to go to Delhi.”

“But how do you know that she is there?”

“I don’t, but I have to start from some where and she was last seen there, I might get some clue from there. I think I’ll leave tonight itself.”

“Khushi, are you crazy! We need to plan this through. If you leave tonight Sashi uncle will use all his sources to get you back, after all you are his last hope for a societal salvation and he wouldn’t give up on that easily.” seeing her worried expression, he caressed her face, soothing her frowns, “Khushi, don’t worry, we’ll be figure out something. Just give me some time, okay? And for now, you just go back and behave normally, okay? I’ll call you tomorrow. Don’t worry I’ll take care of everything.” And then as he looked in her eyes, he knew he wasn’t going to like what came next.

“I am sorry Sumit, but… but I… I can’t marry you.” and Khushi looked deep in the eyes of her best friend and what she saw scared her, ‘there was hurt and pain and was it… was it LOVE?’ she shut her eyes trying to un-see what she had seen. His hands still cupping her cheeks, he was lost in her ethereal beauty and Khushi for the first time felt something different in his touch… in her best-friend’s touch and she was scared to open her eyes… to look into his eyes and see a confirmation of what she had seen earlier… too scared to face it. But then his phone rang, breaking their trance, she straightened and got up and he answered it,

“Ji Sashi uncle, Khushi is with me. Yes, she was about to leave. okay I’ll tell her. Ji.” he cut off the phone and looked at her, her back faced him,

“Khushi, Shahi uncle called…”

“I know. I’ll head back home then and I’ll wait to hear from you again. Bye Sumit.” and with that she moved towards the exit of the park, not daring to turn back even once…

He had smiled then, a charming smile, he couldn’t help his charming smiles but this time it was accompanied by a hollowness in his eyes. He was never delusional enough to believe that she loved him, the way he did and yet it hurt, it hurt bad to see that terrified look in her eyes, terrified of never being able to reciprocate his love, ever. ‘How was she so sure of it?’ he wondered, but then reason and love haven’t really been best buddies, have they?

“I am sorry Sumit, but… but I… I can’t marry you.” he could hear her say and all he wished was she had just added ‘now’ at the end, but alas!
************

Take Care :)

Srija.

 PS: Hey guys, so this was the fourth chapter of Tangent Worlds, okay I know it may seem a little hurried, coz it actually is, so I might do some editing some time in future, but I don't think any major changes would be made, so no worries. Well I hope you guys like it and please do let me know what u thought of it, your criticisms and compliments really inspire me. :)

Arhi FF, Tangent Worlds. Ch-3 Family Honor.

                                TANGENT WORLDS

                      Ch-3, Family Honor

Arnav entered his house located in one of the most posh localities in New Delhi. He decided to head straight to his study, he needed to be focused, this was important.

But first…

“Hari Prakash! HP!”

The poor man came running to his boss,

“Yes, Arnav Bhaiya. Should I get you something?”

“A black-coffee in my study, and make it QUICK.”

And without waiting for an answer Arnav strode towards his study.

Once inside his study, he took off his coat and tie and flung them at the recliner before settling himself on the same, resting his fiercely pounding head against the sturdy but comfortable head-rest and closed his eyes. In about ten minutes time, there was a soft knock at the door and he turned to see his younger sister Anjali hesitantly standing at the door with the coffee tray in her hands.

“Bhai, wo actually… actually I…”

“Oh, come in. But why did you get it, where is HP?”

“Umm, its nothing Bhai, I just didn’t see you all day, so I thought I’d get it myself.” and with that she came in the study and placed the tray with his coffee mug on the table.

“So, how is college going? Anything I missed out on?” Arnav asked, his eyes closely studying his sister.

“Nothing much Bhai, studies are going fine but no rush you see as my exams just got over.” she walked towards the flower-vase in the corner of the room, removing the flowers from the vase and then putting the same ones back in, continuing further,

 “And then I had a little fight with Dadi about joining salsa classes, she was suggesting contemporary, but I really want to learn salsa. Oh, and there is this national seminar thing being organized by my Department…” she took the dust-cloth and started dusting some random files, some that needed it and some that didn’t.

“…and we need to submit a synopsis of our topic in order to get in, and I was thinking its worth a shot, would look really cool on my CV.” she moved to the window, removing the curtains and then closing them the next moment,

“Oh I have just been blabbering, so how was your day, anything new? Hey Bhai I heard you were meeting some Shyam person in the Oberai today, oh my friend was there, she saw you. Anyway, so how did it go?” She stood near the window, her back to his front but he could still see her fidgeting with her dupatta. A devilish smirk graced his lips as he decided to play along.

“Oh, that was just a business deal, nothing that would interest you Anjali.” he said as if to just brush her off and taking the bait she turned around facing him.

“No. Yes. Umm I know Bhai, but the thing is… umm, oh yes, you see the thing is that recently, I have been reconsidering your suggestion, you know about doing MBA rather than Masters in literature. So I thought that keeping track of such meetings would help me. You know it could help me understand people because I know how important it is in the business world.”

‘Hmm so she had the Raizada in her, but he was the Alfa and he would decide what was right for her and when to let her know of his decision concerning her life. After all he would only choose what was best for her.’ Arnav thought to himself, proud of his younger sister’s manipulative skills but prouder of himself for seeing right through it. Finally he said after a small pause,

“Anjali, its past midnight now and you shouldn’t be up so late. Go sleep, we shall discuss your career some other time.”

“But Bhai I…” Anjali tried to prolong the discussion, knowing what Arnav thought of her Shyamji was very important for her.

“Goodnight Anjali.” his tone beckoned finality and his sister of 20 yrs took the hint.

“Goodnight Bhai.” and saying that she moved to the door, her face drawn long in sadness when his voice stopped her,

“Anji you trust me, right?” and it was in moments like these that the carefully constructed mask slipped, giving one a glimpse of the man, the real Arnav, vulnerable in love, scared of getting hurt, not as sure of life as he would like others to believe he was. But to catch that momentarily glimpse one had to know him, and Anjali prided herself on knowing the most of him, the most possible extent anyway and how could she ever deny that man, her brother anything.

“Yes Bhai, always.” she smiled one of her warm smiles for she knew he needed it.

“Goodnight then.” he finally dismissed her with a barely there smile, moving towards his locker, withdrawing a medium size file. Sitting down with his coffee and the file, he glimpsed at the wall clock, 0:45 and he opened the file titled ‘Shyam Manohar Jha’.

                   *************************************************

Khushi was slumped beside the couch in their drawing-room. She still had the phone-receiver in her hand. ‘How long had it been?’ Khushi wondered. ‘Minutes, hours, well it surely couldn’t be days but…’ she looked at the receiver in her hand once again as if to convince herself for the nth time that what had happened had actually happened and was not something her overworked, crazy mind had conjured but… it was just too good to be true. ‘Was that really her? But… but, how could it be her?’  Khushi was struggling with herself, as much as just a glimpse of her old self back, as she thought back to the conversation she had had a while ago. She had picked up the phone to hear the broken sobs of someone… a girl…a woman… HER? But before she could say anything else some other woman had taken the call on the other side and had politely apologized saying that her little daughter liked making prank calls. But Khushi knew that voice, probably better than she knew her own, after all she had grown-up listening bed-time stories from her, seeking her advice when something troubled her, fighting with her when Hrithikji's and Salmanji's movies were coming on the same slot… how could she ever not know that voice, her jiji’s voice.

But just moments later her thought process took a bleaker turn, as the image of her father, pale as dead, crossed her mind. And her mind took her a few months down the memory lane, to another such call that had changed their lives forever. Shashi Gupta stood still as a statue, the phone-receiver glued to his hand when Khushi’s loud “Babuji.” made him stumble backwards and almost fall but Khushi was near enough to reach him in time and break his fall. A very distraught Shashi Gupta had informed his family that the call was from Payal’s hostel and the warden had just informed him that some accident had befallen their Payal, and he was required there urgently. The very concerned father had boarded the very next train to Delhi and that was the last they saw or heard of him for the next two days at the end of which he had returned, grim faced and alone, and had announced to everyone that Payal didn’t survive the accident and that he had stayed back to finish all the funeral rites in Delhi itself. The entire Gupta household went under shock, but the relentless efforts of their neighbors and friends the Kapoors and the Nigams reeled them back to life, everyone but Khushi.

Khushi had a hazy memory of what had followed, some rituals probably, as she recollected something about a grand feast on the twelfth or thirteenth day following her Jiji’s death. Were they celebrating it, her confused mind hopelessly tried to put the pieces together. Relatives, friends and acquaintances had gathered and mourned, initially, which was then followed by incessant gossiping about, why didn’t Sashi bring Payal’s body back and that the entire fiasco reeked of some scandal, finally winding up with some sagacious comments on the drawbacks of sending young girls to dangerous cities like Delhi, all by themselves and that too for studies, what good could one expect of such disastrous decisions. After all even Sita Maiya had to face the consequences of trespassing the Lakshman Rekha, it’s a pity that (wo)men never learnt anything from their past mistakes. Sulekha Bua was trying to explain some such thing to Khushi, or was it Sapna kaki…

She had smiled then… as she was smiling now, one of those empty smiles that you hope to never see, because if you did you know it shall haunt you forever.

“You have become so much more than just my Jiji, Jiji.” Khushi muttered to herself, “You are now, Payal Gupta, the cautionary tale.” and she smiled again. Something about the situation reminded her of the poem she had read a while ago, ‘Goblin Market’*, was it? How befitting it was to their situation, tale of two sisters Laura and Lizzie… Payal and Khushi, though she wondered who the Goblins were in their story? But not now, for now she would revel in the fact that her Jiji was still alive, yes she was sure it was her Jiji on the phone just moments ago… had life offered her a chance to be Lizzie, to save her Jiji, her Laura…Khushi wondered.  Khushi decided to tell her family about the call, about her belief… how happy would Buaji and Amma be… and her Babuji… no their Babuji, he would smile again and for real this time, unlike the plastic smile he had been sporting since past several months.

But just when she was about to knock her parents’ room, not bothering about the hour because for sure it was the happiest one in so long, she heard some faint sounds coming from inside, and as she heard Payal’s name, she halted in her tracks,

“I knew it was a mistake, things would have been so much easier had I not told you the truth. But remember this Garima, nothing, NOTHING has changed. Payal is dead. And the sooner you accept it the better it would be.” Shashi Gupta had roared.

“But how can you expect me to forget about my daughter, how can to tell me to just let it go, when I know now that she is alive. She needs us, Devi Maiya knows in what conditions she is living. Suniye ji* we can atleast inform the police about it, they can help us find her. And once she is found I promise she will never return back to Lucknow, no one will ever know of it. I’ll take her to our forsaken property in Purniya, and everything will be fine. Please just…” her amma was hysteric by now, but Khushi could see a steely resolve in her Babuji’s eyes,

“Do you even realize what a scandal it would cause and with Khushi’s wedding so close? Garimaji this is the last time that I am going to say this, so listen very carefully, Payal is dead for us, we have just one daughter now, Khushi, and I hope you will not ruin her chance at a respectable life because of your stupidity.” and saying this Sashi turned his back to his wife, signaling the end of discussion, while Garima fell on the ground, near her husband’s feet as her knees gave away, resignation etched on her face as silent tears made their way through her face. Buaji came and sat near her, supporting her form as her own eyes stung with unshed tears,

“What do you expect of her Sashi, she is her mother.” Buaji’s tone was accusing.

“And I was her father but after what she did… Jiji its better for her and for our entire family that she pulls her act together, if for nothing else then for her other daughter, Khushi. And she is to get married in two weeks time and this time I’ll let nothing, absolutely nothing ruin it.” and saying that Shashi made his way out of the room when he halted seeing Khushi enter the room.

“No.” Khushi said, her tone as steely as that of her Babuji’s.

“What?” fear and confusion evident in his voice.

“I cannot and I will not marry.”

“Have you lost your mind, what madness has gotten into you. Invitations have been sent out, relatives would start arriving any day now and you… how dare you say or even think such a thing.” anger was evident in his voice.

“So what do expect me to do Babuji, passively submit, get married to whom so ever you have chosen for me and forget that I have a Jiji, who needs me, who would come running by my side when I got into slightest of troubles? I can’t let her go Babuji, I can’t, not after that call… not after knowing that she is still waiting for me… waiting for me to come get her and bring her back home.” Khushi was close to tears now, but determination was still present in it.

“It’s too late to save her now. Oh God I could have saved her, if only I had not given into her demands to let her pursue her studies and had just gotten her married as I had planned earlier… I could have saved her.” something akin to regret in his voice. “But not anymore, I will not let you ruin your life like Payal, do you understand me. You will get married to Sumit two weeks from now and I’ll see that it happens.”

“Babuji but Jiji, she just called… and… and she was crying… she needs me Babuji, she needs us. We… we have to save her… I will save her… like Lizzie… Laura… I have to save her from those Goblins. Jiji… Jjjiji is alive… I have to bring her back. Delhi… I have to go…” Khushi was hysteric as she tried to string words and form a coherent sentence, Her voice broken and violent hiccups interrupting her at regular intervals. And just then she felt a sharp stinging pain on her cheek, and she saw shock on her Amma and Buaji’s face as she held her cheek in her hand. It took a while for her to realize that her father had slapped her, for the first time in her entire life.

“Payal is never coming back, do you understand me, Never. She has lost her honor Khushi, she was raped. She is dead to us, and she needs to remain dead for the sake of our family’s name, for our family honor.” and saying that he moved out of the room.

Khushi was in shock, her Jiji… her Jiji... no… no… NO. Khushi was still fighting with herself when she felt someone jerk her back to life and she saw her Amma’s face streaked with tears.

“Khushi bitiya, everything will be alright, you don’t worry, ok bitiya.”

“But I couldn’t save her… I wasn’t there when she needed me… she had to go through all this all by herself… and my dreams…no my nightmares, she… she was calling me and I… I couldn’t understand, she needs me… I have to save her… I have to go to Delhi… she is still there somewhere, she… she is waiting for me… she called me Amma, she is still waiting for me. I have to save her and I will, I have to go.” and her tirade was broken by another stinging slap, this time it was her Amma.

“Garima!” Buaji was by her side the very next moment.

“Khushi, your Babuji is right. You need to get married, we need to let go of Payaliya… this is for… for family.” and she looked at her younger daughter with teary pleading eyes.

“Amma, isn’t Jiji family?”

 PS: So how did you guys like it, feel free to express your opinions and yes I had warned you before that this is not a 'typical' Arhi romance and I have a lot of sub plots in mind for this story. Still I hope you guys enjoy the ride.

PPS: Here is a song I love, and it is dedicated to Payal and the likes of her who go through all kinds of tortures, while trying to survive in this tyrant patriarchal system. Here is cheers to all of us, survivors :)

Take Care

Srija :) 

---

* ‘Goblin Market’ by Christina Rosetti.

* Listen please.