8. OS 21. An Unwilling Passion (Part 12)

Part 12

Arnav was not asleep, but lying in an antique armchair, his legs raised and head laid back, contemplating the misery of the universe, especially his and Khushi’s universes.

It drizzled outside, the rain in keeping with his more sombre than usual mood.

There was a series of insistent bangs on the front door.

He sat up, frowning. Who was it at this time of the night? He got up and padded towards the door.

The bangs sounded again, much louder this time.

He threw open the door to see Khushi standing on his front step, soaking wet.

“K..Khushi?” he asked, shocked.

She stumbled towards him and caught hold of his arm. She stammered, “Ar..Arnavji..please..please come with me...please...babuji...babuji...he fell...aspatal jaana he...Arnavji...gaadi...”

“Yes, yes,” Arnavji murmured, his shocked eyes on her face wet with tears and rain. “I will get the car.”

He freed himself from her hold and ran to get the car keys. Locking the house with urgent fingers, he drove to the entrance of Gomti Sadan.

Exiting from the car, he ran with Khushi towards her house, leaping over the puddles, his mind clear of all thoughts of revenge and retribution.

He entered the courtyard and Khushi silently pointed him towards a room.

He entered it in a rush to see Sasi Gupta slumped on the floor. Garima, Payal and buaji were calling out to him in teary voices and trying to lift him, but his dead weight was too much for them.

Arnav lifted him in his arms, his worried eyes scanning Sasi’s pale face. He carried the middle-aged man to the car and soon he was driving to the nearest hospital, Khushi pointing out the way to him.

                                                              ***

Stroke.

The shock of Payal’s wedding being cancelled at the last minute had been too much for Sasi Gupta.

Arnav turned away from the doctor and slowly walked away to stand at a distance from the Gupta family surrounding the doctor.

What had happened today at the Guptas was only a fraction of what had happened in his house years ago. What if his nani had collapsed at the news that her only daughter had shot herself? He swallowed hard. He quickly took the phone out of his pocket and called his nani.

It was dawn and the elderly lady had woken up early to light a ghee lamp at the feet of Devi Maiyya as was her practice.

“Chotey?” she enquired. “Kaa hua? Aap hamein iss wakat kaahe phone kar rahe ho?”

“Are you...are you fine, nani?” he asked.

Nani frowned. “Hum theek thaak he. What can be wrong with me?” she asked frowning.

“Nani,” he paused.

“Kaa he, Chotey?”

“I just wanted to say that...that I am grateful to you for looking after us,” he said softly.

Nani was shocked out of her skull.

“And..and for staying strong when our lives fell apart.” He swallowed a boulder lodged in his throat. “But for you...”

There was a long silence as nani tried to regain her composure. “Chotey, when are you returning?” nani asked.

Arnav stretched his neck and rubbed his nape. He was tired and fed up of the whole revenge plan that had backfired royally. “Soon,” he replied. He spotted Garima walking towards him and quickly finished the call with nani and turned to face Garima with an expressionless face.

“Bitwaa, I want to thank you,” she said tearfully. “Doctorsaheb was saying that had you not brought us here so soon....” She couldn’t continue.

Arnav said nothing. This was not the place or the time. He made to turn away.

“Bitwaa, you are a stranger to us, lekin you helped us at the most critical time. Pata nahi aap se kaa rishta he hamara that you appeared like the almighty when we needed you the most,” Garima continued.

Something gave within Arnav.

He turned to look at her tear-stained face and said in a sibilant hiss, “I may be a stranger to you, but I know someone who is not.”

Garima blinked heavy eyes.

“Arvind Mallik. I am his son,” Arnav said quietly, his stare menacing enough to chill Garima’s blood.

There was a moment of perfect silence as Garima stared at him open-mouthed.

“Today’s tragedies in your life are not my doing, but I promise you that just as you were instrumental in my mother’s suicide and my father’s death, I will destroy your family and drag your family’s name through the mud.” Arnav turned and walked away.

Garima stood there, petrified.

Khushi came to her and asked, “Arnavji chale gaye? I wanted to thank him. But for him....”

Garima stumbled.

Khushi took hold of her and led her to sit on a bench.

Arnav walked towards the entrance of the hospital. A weight was off his mind. Now it was a direct battle between Garima and Arnav Singh Raizada. He drew in a deep breath, his spine straightening, his head arched high. A battle he would win for nothing else was acceptable to him.

“Sir,” the lady at the reception called.

He turned reluctantly.

“Sir, Mr. Sasi Gupta has been admitted in the ICU. Here’s the bill,” she held out a sheet of paper to the man who had accompanied the patient.

Arnav opened his mouth impatiently to deny any association with the cursed family, but the image of Khushi’s tired face and tear-filled eyes flashed through his head. She may not have money with her, he thought. He looked out at the rain falling on the tiles in the portico. Rushing home in the dark, battling rain to get money from home would be very difficult for Khushi. He frowned. Did she have money at home?

He took the bill from the receptionist and looked at it. The private hospital had charged a sizeable amount. His lips tightened. Regardless of how much he hated Garima, he couldn’t let Khushi take on more stress.

“I will pay for a month,” he declared.

The receptionist gaped at him.

“If Sasi Gupta is discharged before one month, return the remainder of the money to the family,” he ordered.

The lady nodded, her head bobbing like a buoy riding the sea.

Arnav dealt with the money issues and then walked out of the hospital, glad that the smell of phenyl was gone finally.

He entered his car and sat back for a moment. He hoped Khushi was fine.

                                                              ***