chapter 2

hushi went to her room and locked the doors, she sat on the recliner and started to cry, silently thinking what should she do to make her arnavji believe that she is not wrong, she started to talk to her devi mayas ideal

Khushi: devi maya, what have u put me through again, what test of life is this, the one who I lo....(realizing what she said) cared for the most is not believing me, how can I live with this (she left out silent sobs while crying out ) what am I going to do, I cannot let those papers reach shyams hands, I have to be very careful, I sense something wrong, he is defiantly up to something but what, I cant let him get away with fooling arnavji, there has to be a way out of this (she wiped her falling tears from her face) devi maya give me strenght to face what is coming ahead, keep me strong enough to fight the battle and make things right, I have to do something about it,

Saying this she walked over to the pool side area and saw laxmi was nibbling on arnavs plants, she quickly pulled laxmi away from the pot that had the papers, then she silently removed the white cloth bag from the mud pot and took it in the room, locking the door... she was about to open the bag when she heard a knock on her door,

Anjili: khushji, open up

Khushi fumbled a bit and kept the bag in her hand and went to open the door, and to her surprise it was shyam along with anjili... on seeing shyam she tried to control her tremble and look straight at anjili not letting shyam have a hint that the papers are in her hand,

Khushi: ya di

Anjili: khushi are u ok, u were little sad in the morning about chotte leaving, is everything fine

Khushi: ya di I am fine (noticing shyam lurking here and there with his eyes to see where the papers are she looked at him and said )jijaji do u wants something

Shyam: (looked hesitant and annoyed at her) ha no, no, I just came to ask u how u are

Anjili : (smiled and rested over his shoulder and said) khushiji why don't u just take some rest today, payal and I can handle the house chores

Khushi: areey no no di, don't worry, I will come with u just give me 5 minites to freshen up and I will come down

Anjili smiled and shyam and she left, khushi locked the door to the room and drew the curtains,

Khushi: these papers need to be hidden from shyam, and I need to hide them in a place where shyam wont reach, clearly in this house shyam has freedom to lurk around and where ever I hide them he will find them, there has to be a place where he wont find them but where.... (she started to apply her brain and started to think of her options, when suddenly it struck her) buaji, I can hide these papers in buaji's house, yes, shyam has no entry in buaji's house after what he did to us, so there is no chance of him breaking in and stealing the papers, only buaji can keep these papers safe I have to hand them to her, she dialed the gupta residence

Khushi: hello buaji..

Buaji: hai re nand kishore.. sanka devi kya baat hai

Khushi: buaji can u and amma come to shantivan today

Buaji: what happened titilya is everything ok

Khushi: buaji I have no time to explain, I need to give u some papers, and I need u to keep them safe

Buaji: what papers

Khushi: buaji I cannot tell u anything right now, please understand the only thing that I can say is that I am giving u a set of papers that need to be kept safely, don't tell amma or babuji anything let this be between us, these papers can not reach in shyams hands

On hearing shyams name, buaji understood there is something wrong

Buaji: khushi tell me the truth, is he troubling u, does arnav babua know

Khushi: buaji, there is a lot of confusion, but please understand when the time comes I will tell u everything right now I need u to come and take these papers from me, I will hide them and give them to u

Buaji agreed to cooperate with khushi and she and garima left to come to shanty vaan

Meanwhile in akash and payal's room akash was talking payal

Akash: payal (he said softly)

Payal looked at him

Akash: I am sorry for shouting at u this morning

Payal: its ok

Akash: its just u shouldn't have given her something bad and stale to eat

Payal: akash I didn't give anything bad to eat, I no that, I told her so much and she refused to listen I took it away from her and she banged her hand on the kitchen draw,

Akash: with her I am sensitive; she is my baby sister,

Payal: akash I understand that, and I am taking care of her, I really do trust me,

Akash: look I am sorry, and I just wanted to tell u take care of her, I love u payal I don't like to scream, at u either

Saying this he hugged her and kissed her fore head, bubbly was looking out of the window seeing them patched up and getting annoyed, at that point of time khushi walked pass by and saw her snooping on them so she went to bubbly and said

Khushi: bubbly what are u doing here

Bubbly: (hesitant) uh nothing, khushi bhabi

Khushi (smiled) come down with me, ever since u have come we hardly got time to spend together

She held bubblys hand and took her down to the hall, she told op to get coffee for bubbly and tea for everyone else, mamji, mammiji, anjili and nani were sitting in the hall, shyam was in his room and they were talking away, while bubbly was sitting and fiddling with her soap project....

Khushi: arre bubbly what are u making

Bubbly: it's a school project made out of soap

Anjili: she has been making it since last week

Mami: hello hi bye bye. Phati sari, u don't know are bubblya she is so creative, always she is doing kaam, not like u

Nani: (looked at her angry) manorma

Mami made a face

Bubbly: khushi bhabi I have made my project with all the soap colors except for red (she looked sad)

Khushi: why is that

Bubbly: I had a red soap that I found outside ur room in the plants

Khushi looked at her confused wondering what she was talking about

Anjili: bubbly can u bring that soap here

Bubbly: anjili di I cant jijaji took it away from me, saying that he would get me glistering soap

Anjili and khushi again looked at each other confused

Mamaji: arre I remembered damaadji had the soap when I met him at the key maker in chandni chauk

Khushi: mamaji, what are u talking about

Mamaji: khushi betiya I met shyam at the key maker I had gone to meet my friend and I met him there, he had a key impression on the soap, when I asked him he said that he was making a key for a cupboard in his office,

Anjili: he also no, (she smiled and brushed the topic off)

Khushi knew shyam was up to something... the door bell rang, op went to open the door and greeted buaji and garima in, everyone was happy and they also sat in the hall payal and akash came down to greet them, anjili told op to make more tea

Buaji: sorry naniji we came without calling its just we missed our girls a lot and we haven't met payaliya for a long time

Nani: no no madhumattiji this is ur house too, and u can meet ur girls wenever u like

Garima: payal how are u

Payal: amma I am fine, how is babuji

Garima: he is fine betiya

Buaji: anka devi why u are sitting so quite come here sit with me

Khushi went over to her and hugged her, and in her ear khushi whispered

Khushi: buaji, I will ask di if we can sit in our room then I will hand u the papers

Buaji: (nodded) betiya I miss u too, and damaadji, where is he, akash betwa is hear but where is arnav babua

Anjili: ji he has gone to London and will be back soon,

Garima: he is a very nice boy, our betiya is blessed to have him as her husband, he took such good care of us when he was staying there

Mami: ha who to dik taha tha, jab wo ghar coming wo sab pe screaming, hello hi bye bye

Garima and buaji looked at each other and nani shushd mami

Khushi: uh nani, is ok if we drink tea in my room because we all four have lots of catching up to do

Nani: offcorse, please go ahead, anjili betiya have op serve them tea up

Buaji and garima thanked nani and then all 4 of them went up to arnav and khushi room,

Payal: amma, I will just get the tea (she left)

Garima: khushi I want to go to the bathroom,

Khushi took her to the bathroom and as soon as she shut the door, khushi removed the bag from the cupboard &slh;

Khushi: buaji, put this in ur hand bag, don't let anyone see it (she handed it to buaji)

Buaji: khushi I don't know whats happening but whatever it is take care of urself

Khushi assured her that she will take care of herself, and buaji promised that the papers will be safe, in the mean time gairma came out and payal brought the tea, all the 4 women chatted and had a hearty laugh, and finally after 2 hours garima and buaji left, payal and khushi got busy serving dinner and once dinner was done they all retired to their rooms, this was the first time after marriage that khushi was sleeping alone in the room, she was missing him so much, as it is she was scared of the dark, she got her clothes out and go redy to change,the night passed by tensed......

Around 4 days passed by like this , and khushi was living a nightmare, on one end she had shyam tormenting her and the other end the thought of arnav not believing her was killing her from within, but still she stayed strong,it was night she went to change into her night clothes, when she came out she saw shyam present in her room,

Khushi: what are u doing her

Shyam: I want the papers

Khushi: u wont get them

Shyam: (screaming) khushiji, ur trying my patience's, tell me where the papers are

Khushi: shyamji, u can scream as much as u want, it isnt going to solve ur purpose, instead everyone will come running here to aak what happened, u aren't going 2 get the papers until arnavji isnt back

Saying this she opened the room door and she showed shyam the way, he left in anger, she shut the door and she leaned against it going down,

Khushi: when will u come back (she shut her eyes remembering him and put her hand on her heart small tears making way falling from her eyes) she was in deep trance wen suddenly she was disturbed with a phone call from an unknown number

Voice: maam can I please speak to arnav singh raizada, I am calling from the London office

Khushi: arnavji, is not here he is in London

Voice: I am sorry mam he isnt, may I know who I am talking to

Khushi: uh yes, I am his wife, and what do u mean he isnt.

Voice: mam, sir was due to come, I sent my driver to pick him from the airport but my driver said that he didn't come only, and I doubled checked with the airplane staff and they said that mr raizada never got onto the plane, so I thought of just calling and asking him what happened,

Khushi: uhhm thank u, he isnt here but wen he comes back I will ask him to call u

Saying this khushi put down the phone, and started to panic

Khushi: omg arnavji isnt in London, then where is he, where could he have gone, omg I hope he is ok, I have to find him, but how , I hope he is safe he is a sugar patient and if he doesn't have his medicines he can faint ,omg, devi maya please let my husband be ok, please give him the strenght, please (she sat next to the ideal and started praying