33 The King
Part 33 The King
Khushi noticed the silver bowl on the table. She was supposed to take the bowl but stopped when she saw the shiva linga 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.
"What did you say? I... I didn't hear you..." she stammered.
Arnav smiled. He could tell she had heard him perfectly, so she stammered.
"I said, Gorakh Siddha gave it to me..."
Khushi felt a sensation within her. She held her head.
"Khushi... what's wrong?"
"I... feel something in me..."
"Feeling dizzy?"
"I think I might faint..."
"Wait, I'll call the doctor."
"Shhh... It's not that kind."
"Then what kind?"
"Arnav sir, the truth you just told me is what's causing this dizziness..."
Arnav rolled his eyes and passed the water bottle to her. Khushi accepted it without hesitation, gulping down some water.
She looked at the shiva linga and then back at Arnav.
"Did you really get it from Gorakh Siddha?"
Arnav nodded.
"Did HE meet you?"
"Yeah, I met him..."
"Excuse me... it's not you, but him who met you."
"Both are the same..."
"No... you can't just meet Siddhas whenever you want. They should wish to meet you; only then can you see them."
"It's true." Arnav accepted it.
"What did he say? How did he look? How did you feel when you met him?"
"Khushi, I have met him three times already..."
"What? But you never told me!"
"That's because I didn't know he was Gorakh Siddha when I met him before. Didn't I say I met a mysterious man?"
"Was he the same one?"
Arnav nodded.
"How do you know he is Gorakh Siddha? Usually, Siddhas don't reveal themselves..."
"Mmm... he said the same thing."
"Did he really?"
"Mmm..."
"Okay, continue. What happened after you arrived there?"
Arnav told her how he worshipped the shiva linga, how the wind stopped when the milk touched it, how he encountered the mysterious man there, how he helped him gather the herbs—everything.
Khushi listened in surprise without interrupting him.
"I can't believe this..."
"Neither can I..."
"You are special, having met two Siddhas and received their help. I agree that getting their blessings is not a big deal..."
Arnav was taken aback.
"Isn't it a big deal to get their blessings?"
"No. We can receive their blessings easily if we are pure..."
Arnav rolled his eyes.
"I thought it was simple when you said that. Do you think being pure is an easy task?"
"It's one of the hardest tasks in the world. But we will receive their blessings if we are loyal to ourselves."
"You could have simply said we can't get their blessings." He chuckled.
"No, Arnav sir, they will hear our justified prayers. Our prayers need to be justified..."
"Like how?"
"Our prayers shouldn't harm the lives or happiness of others. Then we will get what we want. If we receive their blessings, we can reach God easily. That's the power of a Guru."
Khushi looked at the shiva linga on the table.
"This must be a sacred one. Please don't keep it visible to everyone. Store it in the cupboard and light a lamp like you did on the mountain."
Arnav sighed, and Khushi shook her head from side to side.
"I don't understand why the great Siddha would give it to someone who doesn't know the basics of devotion..." She sounded weary.
She started cleaning the shelf to store the bowl.
"He might have thought his wife would know what to do..." Arnav countered.
Khushi paused for a moment, then continued. A smile spread across her lips.
"Am I right?"
Taking the Shiva Linga, Khushi placed it in the cupboard and closed the door.
"Isn't it enough for any of us to be devoted?" Arnav asked teasingly.
Khushi was about to respond but paused when she saw Madhavi standing at the doorstep. Noticing Khushi's changed expression, Arnav turned around and frowned at Madhavi. He glanced at her questioningly.
"May I come in?" Madhavi asked politely.
Arnav looked at Khushi, who seemed dumbfounded by Madhavi's politeness.
"What's the matter, madam?" Arnav asked, not granting her permission to enter his room.
"I am so excited to hear about your experience in the mountains..."
"I already told everyone what happened there."
"You told everyone, but not from the beginning to the end..."
"I reached the mountain, collected medicines, and then returned. That's all," Arnav said with disinterest.
"You went to the most dangerous place and came back safely, yet you summed up the entire journey in just two lines? That's all you want to say?"
"What more is there to say, madam? After all, we are your servants..." Arnav replied with a straight face.
Madhavi was taken aback. She knew Arnav knew who he was but chose to act as if nothing had changed. It irritated her. Didn't he realize she was his uncle's daughter? Why was he behaving so strangely?
"I don't see you as a servant, Arnav. Since you began working for the betterment of this palace, you have become one of us. I consider you part of the family..."
"That's nice to hear, but I can't change my mind right away. I need some time to adjust to something completely new..."
"That's not a big deal. Wherever you go, I will accompany you. Then our indifference will fade away effortlessly..."
"I truly appreciate your generosity, but roaming around with my boss would be quite uncomfortable. It could affect my work. Please excuse us..."
Arnav took a step forward and looked at Khushi, who was standing still.
"Khushi, let's go. We have a lot of work to do."
Khushi nodded and followed him. Madhavi stood smirking.
"Let's see how long you can escape from my charms..." she thought, unaware that he had already surrendered to Khushi's charms.
Arnav and Khushi headed to the Kalabhairava temple. The temple was unusually busy due to a festival. Arnav noticed Khushi lost in deep thought, and he understood what was troubling her.
"Tomorrow is the temple festival..." he spoke casually, but Khushi didn't respond.
He lightly tapped her knuckles to catch her attention.
"Haan?" Khushi looked at him.
"Khushi, haven't you come back from the mountains yet?" he teased.
She nodded, smiling awkwardly.
"What are you thinking about?"
Khushi shook her head.
"May I say something?"
Khushi looked at him and continued walking.
"You were taken aback by Madhavi's unexpected kindness, right?"
"I don't understand why she suddenly became so kind..." Khushi said, worried.
"What's there to worry about, Khushi? She said she was excited to hear about my mountain visit. That's all she wanted to know."
"No, Arnav sir. I've seen her arrogance. She is not someone who appreciates others' achievements, no matter how hard they are. It's disgusting and makes me nervous."
"Nervous? What's there to be nervous about?"
"I suspect she has ulterior motives."
"I know what her intentions are," Arnav smirked.
"Do you really?"
Arnav nodded.
"She doesn't like you. She knows how close you and I are. She doesn't want you to be happy, so she tries to irritate you by inserting herself into my life, I suppose."
After explaining the situation to Khushi, she still looked confused.
"What? Why are you confused?"
"If that was the issue, she would have acted right after you became close to me. Why did she take so long?"
Now Arnav became thoughtful. Khushi was right.
"Khushi, forget about her and concentrate on our work. After all, you are going to be a queen..." he said, suppressing a smile.
Khushi glared at him.
"Why are you glaring at me? Didn't the Mystic say you would become the queen? Do you really think his words won't come true?"
"I don't want his words to come true. I don't want to become a queen..."
"Don't say that, Khushi... You might regret saying such things."
"I won't..."
"Okay, but you will be the queen."
"Arnav sir, please don't make me angry, okay? I don't know what I will do."
"What will you do?"
"I said, I don't know..." she replied, making a face.
"Alright, get ready to become a queen."
"Arnav sir, are you still doubting Uncle Arvind?"
"No, my doubts about him are gone..."
"Really? Then why do you keep saying I will be the queen?"
"Won't you become a queen if you marry a king?"
"I'm not going to marry any king... understand?"
"Won't you marry me?"
"Arnav sir, I will marry you, but only if you are a king..."
"Won't you marry me if I become a king?"
"King and you? Good joke..."
"Yes, it feels like a joke to me too, but it's true—your Uncle Arvind is my father," Arnav said, leaving Khushi stunned.
To be continued...
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