4. OS 21. An Unwilling Passion (Parts 4,5)

Part 4

ASR looked down at the courtyard of Sasi Gupta’s house, the phone held to his ear. From his vantage point, he could see the shed in which Khushi cooked.

A wry twist of his lips displayed his satisfaction when Aman said, “The papers are ready, sir. You own Sasi Gupta’s loan now. Tiwari signed on the dotted line ten minutes back.”

“Good,” he replied. “Contact Sasi Gupta and ask him to repay the loan immediately. His time is up.”

“Yes, sir,” Aman replied. “Our arrangements are all in place now. The boy too is ready.”

ASR tensed.

“The married actor you wanted me to find, sir, for Khushi Kumari Gupta,” Aman explained.

A strange numbness spread over his limbs and something fluttered within his rib cage. ASR drew in a deep breath. This was no time for weakness. He wanted the deed done and over with. The very air of Lucknow was killing something within him. He undid the first button of his shirt to breathe better.

“Sic him on the family,” he ordered. “Immediately.”

“Yes, sir,” Aman responded.

                                                                   ***

The doorbell rang.

ASR frowned, looking up from his laptop. Who had dared to ring the bell of his house?

He strode down and threw open the door to see Sasi Gupta standing on the doorstep.

“Yes?” ASR asked, his eyes stern.

“Arnav Singhji?” Sasi Gupta asked politely.

“Yes,” ASR replied in the least encouraging way he could.

The older man was unfazed. “I am Sasi Gupta, your neighbour.” He nodded at the house next door. “I live there with my family. Khushi told me that she met you today at dawn?”

“Yes,” ASR replied shortly.

Khushi appeared behind her father with a laden tray, her delighted eyes taking in the cute picture her cross-faced neighbour made with his lovely eyes and rumpled hair. He looked more handsome in the light than in the dark.

Sasi took the tray from her and offered it to ASR.

ASR frowned.

Khushi beamed as she said, “Arnavji, leejiye na? I made the poori with my own hands.”

Arnav’s chocolate eyes fell and stayed on her face. Golden sunlight fell on her flawless complexion and her hazel eyes seemed lit from the inside.

ASR had to swallow hard to remind himself of where he was and what he was here to do. He took the tray reluctantly from Sasi who said with a smile, “You have no one to cook for you and the shops will open only at ten. Please have your breakfast. Some one will come to get the tray and utensils later.”

ASR nodded.

Khushi beamed, her busy eyes taking in all of his gorgeousness for future reminiscence.

Sasi said politely, “Don’t hesitate to ask us if you need anything. Sharmayiyega mat, Arnavji. You are in a new place among strangers and it will take you a couple of days to make friends. There will always be some one at home in Gomti Sadan. Just holler for help.”

Khushi seconded this wholeheartedly.

ASR managed to nod.

“We will see you later, Arnavji,” Khushi said with a smile before she left with her father.

‘Not if I see you first,’ ASR thought, his heart filled with hatred and fury.

                                                                  ***

“Sasiji, it is a miracle, I tell you,” Ramlal said, slurping tea. “I was sitting at home and an elderly man walks up to me and asks me if I am Ramlal, the wedding broker. When I said I was, he said that his nephew had seen Khussi bitiya somewhere and that he wanted to marry her.”

Sasi’s mouth fell open.

Garima gasped.

Madhumati exclaimed, “Hai Re Nandkisore! Marry off Khussi when her jiji is unmarried? What will our biradri say?”

Ramlal placed the boy’s photo on the table before him and said, “BA pass he ladka. Sarkari naukri he. Don’t let this boy slip through your hands, Sasiji. Aur Payaliya ka kaa he? I will find a boy for her. A month or so after Khussi’s wedding, we can arrange Payaliya’s. If this rishta is lost, your biradri won’t bring a similar one for Khussi.”

                                                              ***

“Ee kaa ho raha he?” Sasi whispered as he sank into a chair, the receiver still in his hand.

Garima took the receiver from his hold and replaced it. “What happened, Payaliya’s father?” she asked, his pallor scaring her.

“The loan...Tiwariji...,” he gasped.

Madhumati joined them. “Kaa hua, babua?”

“The loan I took from Tiwariji to rebuild our shop after the fire...I have to pay it back now, abhi ke abhi. Nahi to, we will lose Gomti Sadan,” Sasi replied, his voice trembling.

“Hai Re Nandkisore!” buaji exclaimed.

“Now? Such a large sum! Hum kaisen bhar payenge?” Garima asked hopelessly.

Sasi hung his head. “It is my fault,” he admitted. “I should have paid him back last month. I had promised him, signed the contract, lekin...”

“How could you pay him back?” Garima asked despairingly. “It was only when you started repairing the shop that you realised how bad the damage was.”

“Kya hua, amma, babuji?” Khushi asked as she and Payal entered the house with baskets of sweets in their hands.

“The loan your babuji took from Tiwariji...he wants us to pay it back immediately,” Garima said, choked by tears.

Khushi and Payal stood still, blown away by the news.

Madhumati frowned. “Sasi babua, Tiwariji is our friend. He knows how hard times are for us. Can’t you talk to him, Nandkisore? Maybe he will give us more time to return the loan?”

Sasi sighed. “It is not Tiwariji,” he admitted. “A company, AR Designs purchased the loan papers from him. Now I have to pay the company or they will take this house. We will all be on the streets.”

There was a long silence broken only by Garima’s sobs.

“Yeh sab kaa he, Nandkisore?” Madhumati asked in bewilderment.

“Pata nahi, jiji,” Garima sighed, trying to control her tears.

A pale Khushi placed the basket of sweets on the table and said softly, “I am going to the temple.” She left.

                                                                    ***

Part 5

Khushi left the house and walked listlessly towards the temple, her mind whirling. What would babuji do? How could they pay the huge amount?

Caught up in her troubles, she failed to notice the dapper gentleman following her.

‘She is going to the temple?’ he mused. A wry smile twisted his lips. ‘Looking for divine intervention, is she?’ Little did she know that no one could help her or her family from being crushed under the bulldozer that was Arnav Singh Raizada.

As she neared the temple, the elderly man selling flowers called, “Khussi bitiya, won’t you take flowers today?”

She jumped, jolted out of her worrying thoughts. She managed to find a smile. “Nahi, chachaji. Not today.”

“Fought with Devi Maiyya, haven’t you?” he asked with a chuckle.

Khushi smiled with difficulty and walked ahead, followed by ASR.

“Bhaiyya, take flowers?” the elderly man asked.

“No,” he growled.

His voice stopped Khushi’s feet even though her mind was preoccupied with her family’s pecuniary difficulties. Her eyes wide, her heart thumping, she turned around to see her formally-dressed, gorgeous neighbour with the captivating eyes. The sunlight highlighted his strong nose and chiselled jaw, throwing into relief the fascinating curve of his lips.

“Khushi,” he murmured, his eyes holding her gaze.

She nodded.

He walked towards her, his eyes noting the strain on her face and the worry in her eyes.

“What is wrong?” he asked.

She was startled. A moment later, she asked, “Aap ko kaise pata chala that I was worried?”

He shrugged even as his mind raced. She was sharp. He needed to step carefully.

“From your face,” he replied casually.

“I am fine,” she said, brushing aside his token concern. “Aap yahan kya kar rahe ho?”

“What do people normally do in temples?” ASR asked sarcastically.

Khushi smiled, easily admitting the inaneness of her question.

“Chaliye, let’s pray to Devi Maiyya,” she invited him along.

He walked with her into the holy space, witnessing her interactions with the vendors and other devotees. She was apparently a frequent visitor.

Standing before the beautiful idol of Devi Maiyya, he gazed at Khushi as she prayed with her hands folded and eyes shut. A small smile teased the curve of his lips. There was no escape from Arnav Singh Raizada. No one, not even her Devi Maiyya could save the Guptas from retribution. As his eyes traced her fine features, he saw her swallow. The muscles of her throat moved and her eyelids pressed tight together as though she were trying not to cry.

He blinked.

She was so young, so frail, so feeble. Something like regret flitted through his mind. He turned his eyes away from her. The news of a pending loan had broken her spirit and sent her running to Devi Maiyya for succour and support. She was no fit enemy for him, he told himself as a way out of hurting her. Heck, he could break her in seconds. What was the fun in fighting an enemy who was not in his class? Better destroy Sasi Gupta and Garima and then move on, he decided.

“Finished praying?” she asked, her eyes clear and bright.

He looked at her warily. Was she going to weep?

“Shall we leave?” she asked cheerfully.

“Did Devi Maiyya hear your prayer? You seemed to be very focused on asking something from her,” he fished, his eyes ridiculing her belief.

She looked at him for a long moment and then smiled. “Yes, I got my answer,” she murmured.

“So quickly?” he asked, mocking her.

Khushi smiled and replied, “Yes. Devi Maiyya told me to work harder.”

“What the!” he burst out.

Khushi smiled and said her goodbye. “I need to get back home, Arnavji. If you have time, stop at Nathulalji’s shop near the gate and have thandai,” she suggested before walking away on quick feet.

                                                                  ***

“We will have to sell the jewellery, Nandkisore,” buaji declared.

“Yes, jiji,” Garima seconded her.

“Take amma’s gold too, buaji,” Khushi offered.

“And the money we have been saving in the gullak,” Payal added.

“It won’t make the full amount,” Sasi murmured as he studied the calculations he had done. “On the phone, the officer said that the money had to be paid back in full and that we wouldn’t be permitted to do so in installments.”

“Hai Re Nandkisore!” buaji lamented.

“Ab hum kaa karenge?” Garima asked, scared.

“There is only one way out,” Sasi replied, his heart heavy. “I will pledge the shop, lekin iss baar, at the bank. Sureshji, the manager, had offered me a loan when the shop burned down, but I...” He looked at his family, his eyes grave. “We will lose the jewellery and still be left with the bank loan to pay off.”

“We will work hard, babuji,” Khushi said with a smile. “If we take turns at making sweets, we can work day and night and take large orders.”

Sasi nodded with a heavy heart.

                                                                  ***

ASR clenched his jaw when Aman told him that the money had been repaid in full by Sasi Gupta. The deeds of Gomti Sadan had been returned to him.

“How?” he asked.

Aman explained.

ASR understood what Khushi had meant about working harder. Smoke had been coming out of the chimney of the shed all night and day for the last few days.

“Push Gupta for Kh-Khushi’s wedding,” he instructed Aman.

“Yes, sir,” Aman responded.

ASR pushed his phone into his pocket. It was time to pay her a visit, but at night.

                                                                   ***