26. OS 18. Too Tempting to Resist (Part 26)

Part 26

Arnav tossed and turned in his bed, caught in the grip of a nightmare.

The boy at the sangeet, the boy at the shaadi...they were all out to take Khushi away from him. Extreme disquiet filled his heart. The sense of loss was acute, drilling holes in his heart. Into this mix came his mama's cry, the gunshots, his di's tears... Khushi walked away from him, turning back to look at him once with reproachful hazel eyes with a hint of tears.

"Khushi!" he called out loud.

He sat up in bed, drenched in sweat.

In the long hours of the night he came to a decision. He had lost too many people in his life, too many opportunities for happiness, too many moments of companionship. A child, he had been helpless to stop the mad whirling of the wheel of destiny or fate or whatever it was that fools called it. He was no longer a child, no longer weak, no longer a passive victim. He could grab his chance of happiness, his Khushi.

He nodded, feeling a weight lift from his chest.

Yes, it was time to marry. And Khushi was perfect. Payal's sister. His family loved the Guptas. Right.

 And companionship was essential. Why should he lose out on companionship? He was Arnav Singh Raizada, a bachelor, rich as Croesus. He could definitely have some companionship in his life

Once the decision was made, Arnav Singh Raizada had no time to waste. He had to put it in action. He looked at the clock. Five in the morning.

Perfect. It was morning. He looked out of the window. Smog made visibility difficult. But 5am was morning. It was.

He freshened up, got into his jogging gear, grabbed his bottle of water and left his house, eager to set his plan in action.

                                                               ***


Arnav ran along deserted streets, his heart thudding more than a jog warranted. Street dogs lifted their heads to see who was disturbing their peaceful slumber, took one look at the mad man, and went right back to sleep. A cow waiting near a temple, ready to be fed, mooed at him.

The blood rushed through his veins. He was taking a very important step in his life today and he was eager to settle things at the earliest, before more nephews came to queer his pitch.

He reached Laxmi Nagar.

The doors of the houses were shut. The street lights shed light on the empty road.

Undeterred, Arnav marched up the steps to buaji's house and banged on the door.

There was perfect silence.

He rang the bell multiple times.

A sleepy buaji opened the door, her hair sticking out in places.

"Kaun he, Nandkisore?" she grumbled, peering in the dark to identify the beast who had pulled her out of a warm bed at an ungodly hour.

"It is me, Arnav," he replied, trying to sound calm even though his heart was galloping.

Buaji's sleep fled. "Arnav bitwa? Hai re Nandkisore! Kaa hua, babua?" buaji asked, petrified. "Payaliya and damadji are fine, aren't they?" She clutched her heart.

Arnav mumbled, "Yes, they..they must be." People were usually fine on their suhaag raat, weren't they? He hadn't met them that morning and so couldn't answer with conviction.

"Your naniji? She is fine?" buaji asked, wondering what had made Payaliya's jetji knock down her door at dawn.

"Yes," Arnav said impatiently. "Buaji, where is Khushi?"

"Hein?" buaji exclaimed. "Khussi?" she asked, her eyes wide. "In her bed. Matlab, she has to be in her bed, Nandkisore." She turned her head to look in the direction of Khushi's bedroom.

Arnav barged into the house.

Buaji stepped back.

"I want to talk to her," Arnav declared.

Buaji eyed him warily. "Sab theek he, Nandkisore?" she asked weakly. Had Khushi gotten into a scrape at the wedding last evening?

"Yes, yes," he answered, before marching to her bedroom and banging on the door.

Buaji stood still, alarmed. Khushi had definitely angered a Raizada last evening and Arnav bitwaa was here to shout at her.

"Khushi," he called.

"Oo kaa he, bitwaa, Parmeswari won't wake up even if a bomb falls on her head," buaji admitted weakly. "Tanik tehro, hum bulaawat he, Nandkisore."

"I will wake her up," he declared, pushing the door open and marching to the bed.

 Buaji followed.

He looked down at the angel in pink, curled up in her blanket, sleeping the sleep of the innocent. Her cheeks were as pink as her dupatta.

He took hold of her shoulder and shook hard. "Khushi," he called.

Khushi opened one bleary eye. Her mouth fell open. Rakshas was in her bedroom?

Her other eye too flew open. She sat up in bed, panting.

"Khussi, Arnav bitwaa wants to talk to you," buaji said, her voice low and worried. "Kaa kiye rahe tum, Nandkisore?"

"Kuch nahi, buaji," she muttered, a wary eye on the Laad Governor.

"Khushi, I want to marry you," he declared.

Both Khushi and buaji clutched their hearts.

"Buaji, my family will visit you today to discuss the details," Arnav informed her.

Buaji sat down heavily on a chair, her hand on her forehead.

"I..I just wanted you to know," Arnav explained. "That's why I came over." He stood looking at Khushi for a long moment. Then he said, "I will see you later."

He turned and walked away.

Buaji ran after him.

At the door, he turned to inform buaji, "Fix the dates of all the rituals, buaji. And the wedding date. I want everything settled at the earliest."

Buaji stared at him. Did Arnav bitwaa love Akass bitwaa so much that his shaadi had turned him mad with grief? She could think of no other reason why a suljhe hue Arnav bitwaa would want to marry Sanka Devi! Poor boy!

He nodded farewell and jogged away, his mission accomplished.

Buaji could only mutter, "Hai Re Nandksore!"