19. OS 20. The Temperamental Tyrant (Part 19)

Part 19

Slowly Khushi said, “So your chacha was the devil.”

“What?” he asked.

“My amma told me that the devil lived in Sheesh Mahal and let me work here only after knowing that your company owned it. The devil was your chacha,” she said.

Arnav dropped a kiss on her forehead.

His phone rang.

It was Aman.

“Sorry, sir,” Aman murmured regretfully. “It is time for the inauguration. The guests are waiting. So is the press. Your family is downstairs, standing near your mother’s portrait.”

“We will be down in a minute,” ASR said.

“Great, sir,” Aman said. But before he could cut the call, ASR said, “Thanks, Aman. We couldn’t have managed this without you.”

Aman smiled.

                                                                 ***

“Khushi, come with me,” Arnav invited.

She stood up, ready to go with him.

“It is time for the inauguration. I want you to light the lamp and break the curse of his house,” he said.

Khushi took a step back.

“Arnavji,” she protested. “This is not right. It is your house, your hotel. You should do it. Your amma will be so happy.”

“I want you to, Khushi,” he insisted. “Come down. The others are waiting.”

“The others?” she asked. Her colour fled. “Your nani is here? Your family is here?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “I want you to take pride of place at this function. It will make them understand how much you mean to me.”

Khushi shook her head. “Arnavji, your nani hates the sight of me. She and your family think that I..I am..I am...”

His face hardened. “They won’t dare to insult you when I am with you,” he comforted her.

Khushi shook her head. “No, Arnavji, please try to understand. Today is such a wonderful day, the day of your victory. You should share it with your family. Hum ghar chalte hein,” she said, picking up her bag.

“The inauguration won’t happen if you aren’t with me,” he insisted.

“Arnavji, aap bhi na? You are like a ziddi bacha,” she complained, pursing her lips.

He smiled, folded his arms and stood waiting.

Khushi sighed. “I will attend the function, but as an employee,” she conceded.

“Fine,” he agreed. “But during the function, you will stand where I can see you. And after it, you will wait for me.”

Khushi sighed. Arnavji was little better than a steamroller. “Theek he,” she muttered.

He smiled.

“Now let me go, Arnavji. I have to change into my uniform,” she said.

He nodded.

She left the room, unable to resist the temptation to sneak one last look at him.

His molten chocolate eyes were trained on her.

She gulped and rushed out.

                                                             ***

Arnav led his family down the stairs to the huge hall where arrangements for the inauguration had been made. His eyes scanned the entire area in 2 seconds flat and stilled only when he caught sight of her standing as away from the scene of the action as possible.

She was standing as far from the spotlight as possible, her back against the wall.

His fond eyes travelled down her body. Her hair was knotted at the back of her head and adorned with jasmine flowers. A golden-coloured sari, gold studs at her ears, a thin gold chain around her neck and two slim gold bangles completed her look. She looked like a lit lamp dispelling all the darkness in his soul.

His lashes fluttered shut as he soaked in the glory of her presence.

“Chotey,” nani called him back from the beautiful world he had been lost in.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Bhai, it is time to light the lamp,” Akash reminded him with a warm smile.

“Nani, light the first wick,” Arnav requested softly, his eyes on Khushi.

Khushi nodded at him, appreciative of his sanskaar. Nani was the eldest in his family and it was only right that she be accorded respect.

Nani smiled and did so, her hand trembling finely. Once it was done, she gazed at Ratna’s portrait and her laughing face. Life had come full circle. She was just grateful that God had kept her alive to see this day when Arnav paid back the Malliks in their own coin.

“Mami,” Arnav invited.

Mami smiled at him even as her eyes filled with tears as memories of past insults from the Raizadas filled her head. The honour Arnav had just afforded her moved her immensely. She lit the next wick.

“Mama,” Arnav requested, his eyes seeking Khushi.

She was smiling at him, genuinely happy that he was displaying good manners and an even temper.

Mama lit the next wick, a glad smile on his lips. His sister’s death was finally avenged.

“Akash?” Arnav called.

Akash threw his arms around his bhai and hugged him tight in the presence of all the employees. Arnav, who would have felt extremely uncomfortable and awkward had this happened a few months back, now put his arms around the broad but lean shoulders of his brother and hugged him right back.

“You are the best, bhai,” he whispered in Arnav’s ear.

ASR smiled, looking at Khushi to enjoy her reaction.

She was laughing, fully aware of how much he was unused to public demonstrations of affection.

His eyes twinkled at her amusement.

Akash lit the next wick.

“Di?” Arnav called.

Anjali and Arnav together lit the last wick. She then hugged him and whispered in his ear, “You have righted all wrongs, Chotey.”

He nodded. Then he looked at Khushi’s face. Her eyes glistened with happy tears and there was a smile on her lips.

He smiled.

                                                                ***

The press conference was done and the invitees were long gone. Guests were lining up at the counter, ready to occupy their rooms.

The hotel was another success, another feather in the cap of ASR, the businessman with the Midas touch.

Arnav faced his family as they relaxed in their suite. It was time.

“I would like to marry Khushi,” he started conversation or monologue the only way he knew, bluntly.

Anjali gasped, looking at nani’s face with trepidation.

Mami covered her open mouth with her hand, her fearful eyes on nani’s face.

Mama looked at Akash who slowly moved to stand by Arnav, silently making his support felt.

Nani did not react at all. She just sat and watched Arnav with quiet eyes.

Arnav matched her stare for stare.

The others held their breath.

Finally nani said, “Are you sure, Chotey?”

“Very,” he said softly, but with conviction.

Nani nodded slowly. “If that’s what you want,” she said, not happy, but resigned to the disgrace. She had nourished and cherished grand hopes for Chotey and his marriage, but apparently he couldn’t see what was due to his birth and position. Her family was cursed and Chotey was bound to regret marrying a gold digger who didn’t give a hoot for him.

“But there is a problem,” Arnav said.

“Her family needs money to conduct the wedding?” nani asked sarcastically.

“No,” he replied with an equally sardonic look. “They may consider me unworthy of their daughter and consider our family the devil’s spawn.”

All gasped.

“Chotey, this is nonsense!” Anjali protested.

“Arnav bitwaa, bhy should they thinks so wrongwaa?” mami asked, perplexed.

“Bhai, what is wrong?” Akash asked, worried that his brother wouldn’t get his heart’s desire.

“Arnav bitwaa, kauno baat he? Do you want us to speak to them?” mama asked.

“You are being ridiculous,” nani said shortly, unwilling to tolerate an insult to her family’s standing.

“No,” Arnav said wearily, sitting down to face nani.

There was total silence for a long moment. Then nani had to ask, “What are you talking about, Chotey? Our family is one of the oldest in Lucknow. We have employed thousands of people and helped more people than you can count. Your nanaji was revered by the people who knew him. And you want us to believe that a penniless middle-class family in Lucknow is going to refuse the proposal of Arnav Singh Raizada, the billionaire scion of the Raizada family? You must be joking.”

“Khushi’s parents died in an accident when she was ten,” Arnav said quietly.

“So?” nani asked.

“Her parents died when a car knocked them down and ran over them,” he said, trying to keep his face expressionless.

“How terrible!” Anjali murmured.

“The car belonged to nanaji,” he stated.

There was a moment of shocked silence. Then nani exploded, “That’s preposterous! How dare you insult your own grandfather just because you want that girl to look better to us?”

Arnav pulled a sheaf of papers from his bag and handed them over to nani.

The family crowded around nani to get a glimpse of the shocking details in the file.

“Dadaji’s car!” Akash exclaimed.

“Papa’s car?” mama asked. “But Papa never drove. Did one of his drivers kill Khussi’s parents?”

“Yes, Chotey,” nani said with relief. “Your nanaji never learned to drive.” A look of bewilderment spread over her face. “But how come your nanaji never knew about this? If he had found out, he would have told me. We would have done what we could to help the girl. Your nanaji wouldn’t have let the driver go scot free. He would have been sent to jail. How come we didn’t know about this?”

“Because the killer wasn’t a driver you had employed,” Arnav answered quietly.

“Kaun tha, bitwaa?” mama asked anxiously.

“Chacha,” Arnav said bluntly.

“Hello Hi Bye Bye!” mami exclaimed.

“That skunk!” Akash burst out.

“An incident of drunken driving. In fact, one among many. He killed them and removed all traces linking him to the case. He bribed police officials. When Khushi’s aunt tried to file a complaint, the policemen turned her away. Justice was denied to Khushi and her family,” Arnav explained. “And he made sure nana didn’t hear of it. No evidence. No proof. No case.”

Tears flowed down nani’s cheeks. There was a long moment of silence as they grappled with the new information and their grief and shame.

“He rendered you and Anjali bitiya homeless and also destroyed that poor child’s life?” Mama could barely hold back his tears. “He is not a man, bitwaa. He is the very devil.”

Mami nodded.

“You are right. That’s the name Khushi’s adoptive family has given him.” Arnav smiled bitterly. “When I approach them and ask for Khushi’s hand in marriage, I will have to tell them that their niece is an orphan because of my chacha.”

“Arnav bitwaa, ab kaa karbe?” mami asked in agitation. “We can’t hides the truth. That man, that wormwaa! He hajj spoiled hamre Arnav bitwaajj liphe again!”

“Bhai, we need to tell Khushiji’s family that he destroyed your and di’s lives too. That it is not your fault, that you were his victim too, that you had nothing to do with his actions even though he was your chacha...” Akash urged earnestly.

Arnav smiled wryly. “Nani found fault with Khushi because of her family background. Why can’t her family find fault with me because of my family background?” he asked bluntly.

Nani couldn’t meet his eyes. She lowered her head to rest her forehead on her hand.