32 Recognition
Part 32 Recognition
Arnav searched for Khushi and found her in the garden. He approached her smilingly and asked,
"Why are you running from me? Do you think I can't catch you?"
"When did I say you can't catch me? After all you are expert in trucking..."
"Thank God at least now you recognised my talent..."
"After returning from the mountain, you look so different and behave oddly. People believe you have some divine power. God will bless those who are polite and kind. Don't make God regret giving you a special power with your haughtiness."
"Oh really?" He smiled.
"Don't feel so superior."
"Khushi, you're the only one who don't appreciated my efforts. Even Madhavi acknowledged me, you know."
"Madhavi? What are you talking about?" Khushi shrank her forehead.
"Yes, she spoke to me nicely and wished me well for my achievement in bringing medicine to Ratna Madam."
"But how does Madhavi know about your mountain visit?"
"What's the big deal? If the whole village knows, why wouldn't she?"
"The whole village? Who said that? No one knows about your mountain visit."
"What do you mean, Khushi?"
"Yes, a villager saw you going to the Siddha Temple and told us you went there. He didn't know you went to the mountain; only Pashupati Anna knew about it, and he informed Uncle Arvind. No one else knows, except for the Pandit at the Siddha Temple because we went there searching for you."
Arnav became thoughtful. If no one knew about his visit to the mountain, how would Madhavi have appreciated him? Who told her?
"Maybe Pashupati or the Siddha Temple Pandit could have told her." Arnav put his point in infront of her.
"No way. She wouldn't talk to anyone. Don't you know? They didn't like her attitude."
"But she didn't show any of that when she talked to me." Arnav said with deep thought.
"Disgusting."
"She must have recognised my abilities," Arnav tried to tease Khushi.
"I'm not talking about your abilities. My question is: how does she know about your mountain visit?" Khushi wasn't ready to drop the matter so quickly. She knew Madhavi wouldn't appreciate anyone wholeheartedly unless there was a reason.
Just then, a palace servant approached them and said,
"Manager sir, Highness is calling for you and Khushi."
"Yeah, coming," Arnav replied.
They entered the palace and saw the Murthy brothers waiting for them with their family. The Siddha doctor, the Pandit from the Siddha Temple, and Pashupati were also present. Arnav glanced at Khushi and then looked at Arvind with confusion.
The people gathered looked at Arnav with disbelief. That was when Arnav noticed his bag was with the Siddha doctor. Pashupati stepped forward, hugged Arnav, and said,
"Thank God you returned safely. You have given us new hope to reach the mountain."
"No, Pashupati, I wouldn't recommend anyone going there."
"Why not? Many want to go."
"There's a major hurdle called the root bridge. It's not easy to cross because many snakes guard it."
"If that's the case, how did you cross the bridge?" questioned Krishnamurthy.
"Yes, I was almost attacked by a snake five feet long. I thought I was done for, but then a man caught the snake and placed it on his body."
Everyone looked at one another in surprise.
"Who is he?" asked Chandramurthi.
"I don't know. I tried to follow him, but he ordered me not to and to move ahead."
"Who helped you collect this medicine? How do you know this is the cure for mental illness? Because you didn't get my guidance. Then how do you know about this medicine?" the Siddha doctor asked.
Arnav was at a loss; he wasn't sure if he could reveal his meeting with Gorakh Siddha. He thought they might mock him and believed they didn't need to know.
"It wasn't me who collected it. A man helped me."
"Another one?" asked Krishnamurthy.
"Yes."
"But that's a place no one can reach. How did those two get there?"
"I asked him the same thing. He said he reached the place the same way I did."
"Is this the same medicine you want to use to cure Ratna?" Arvind asked.
"Yes, Your Highness, this is the medicine," the Siddha doctor said.
Throughout this, Khushi noticed one thing: Madhavi's eyes were only on Arnav. She smiled at him whenever he looked her way. Khushi couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Madhavi was not someone who treated everyone equally; she didn't appreciate Arnav just because he had returned from the mountain with the medicine. She was sure about it.
"What a great achievement! I didn't take the villagers seriously when they spoke of you as someone special, but now I believe it. You have accomplished something no one else ever has," the Siddha Temple Pandit exclaimed excitedly.
Arvind looked at Arnav with delight, then turned to the Siddha doctor.
"Start treating Ratna," he ordered.
"Your Highness, it's not a simple task. It's a lengthy process to prepare the medicine." The Siddha doctor said.
"Okay, then start the preparations," Arvind instructed.
"As you wish, Your Highness," the Siddha doctor replied and left.
The Murthy brothers also left the area, disappointing Arvind. He had expected them to appreciate Arnav for taking such a big risk to cure their sister, but they seemed indifferent. Weren't they supposed to be happy about their sister's recovery?
At that moment, Madhavi approached Arnav and smiled.
"Thank you for your help and congratulations on your achievement. I am so happy about our aunt's recovery. She is a wonderful woman, and we have missed her a lot. Because of you, we are going to have her back. Thank you so much."
Arvind was touched by her words, but Khushi felt it was strange. That was not Madhavi's usual way of interacting with people. She didn't believe Arnav when he mentioned her attitude, but witnessing it firsthand left her doubting. She couldn't reconcile that with her previous experiences.
Arnav simply nodded in response to Madhavi, but after Khushi raised her doubts about her motives, he was unwilling to entertain her. He suspected that Madhavi had ulterior intentions, possibly trying to win Arvind's favor. He didn't want to be used as a stepping stone; after all, it was a property without heirs, and Madhavi might think she could secure her place if Arvind liked her.
Khushi entered Arnav's room, and he smiled at her.
"I hope your anger has disappeared," he said.
"Did you really meet a man with snakes?" she asked, curiosity piqued.
"Khushi, when are you going to start trusting me?" Arnav chuckled.
"Please, tell me, Arnav sir..."
"Yes, I met a man with snakes. Why do you ask about him specifically?"
"It's because there's something unusual about him."
"What do you mean?"
"He must be Pambatti Siddha..."
"You mean one of the eighteen?"
"Yes... snakes move around his body freely. That's why he's called Pambatti Siddha, which means the one who controls snakes."
"Oh..."
"Can you tell me about your experience in the mountain?"
Arnav had no reason to hide the details from Khushi, so he recounted everything until he reached a certain place.
That was when Khushi noticed the silver bowl on the table. She was supposed to take the bowl, but stopped when she saw the Shivalinga being dipped in water. She looked at Arnav with a questioning gaze.
"I got it from Gorakh Siddha..." Arnav said with a smile, leaving her dumbfounded. Khushi stared at him in disbelief.
To be continued...
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