11 Pacification
Part 11 Pacification
AR
Arnav came to the office with a mind full of Khushi. He sat on his chair.
"Good morning, ASR" Aman came there with Akash who didn't wish Arnav as he had already wished him in the morning when he went to RM.
"Good morning," Arnav said.
"ASR, our clients are coming from Mumbai in a day or two"
"Oh, that's great... remind me about it"
"Sure... why I'm here then?" Aman said.
They saw Sheetal coming with a box. She extended it to Arnav.
"What's this?" Arnav asked without taking it.
"Keer... made by me" she flaunted.
"I don't want," Arnav said.
Sheetal's face hung.
"Feel good, Sheetal. He doesn't have it" Akash said laughing.
"What do you mean?" She was annoyed.
"If he ate it, he would say, 'I don't like it', on your face," Akash said looking at Arnav with a smile.
Sheetal frowned.
"How do you tell that without tasting it?" Sheetal questioned.
"I just witnessed it in the morning," Akash said.
"Say it clearly," Aman said.
"Today morning I went to RM with mom. A girl called Khushi is there in RM. She provided us keer. Honestly speaking, I have never tasted such a delicious keer in my life but, Arnav simply said, 'I don't like it"
Aman and Sheetal looked at him surprisingly. Arnav concentrated on his laptop screen, not giving heed to their talk. That surprised them more.
"She should have tried to show her skill on him..." Sheetal said.
Cutting her,
"It's not a good manner to talk about anyone without knowing about her, Sheetal" Arnav chided.
Sheetal looked down.
"Get back to work, guys..." Arnav said.
All three left his cabin. Sheetal took the keer with her as she knew Arnav won't eat it if he said 'I don't want it'. Arnav leaned on the seat.
RM
Nani was suffocating. She had to talk to Pandit but not in Khushi's presence because she wanted to talk about Ratna's soul and Khushi's feelings about Ratna's soul. She didn't want Khushi to know about it as of now. So, she called him. As the Pandit was busy at the temple, he didn't pick up the call. Nani sighed.
She called Maya and she attended it.
"Hello, Maji"
"Maya, I want to tell you something"
"Yeah, you told me..."
"You know why I went to Lucknow suddenly?"
"Why, Maji?"
"I met a Monk in the temple. he was the one who asked me to visit my Kuldevi temple."
"Is it?"
"Yes, and he said something too... I didn't believe when he said that because it was something I don't want to be true"
"What's that Maji?"
"He said someone belongs to my family is the one who killed Ratna"
"Whaaaat?" she was shocked.
"Yes?"
"This could not be true, Maji. I know each one of them... they are not that kind, Maji"
"I too don't want to believe that..."
"Please don't take it in your head, Maji"
"How can't I?"
"Do one thing... let's go to the temple tomorrow. I will ask the Monk about it"
"You can't..."
"Why?"
"He is no more"
"Who?"
"The Monk..."
'Whaaat?"
"Yes... he said I will understand the very next day why he told me everything all of a sudden"
"Then?"
"He died the next day"
"Hey, Devi Maiya..."
"Yes... Then how won't I believe his words?"
"I can't believe this, Maji"
Nani was about to say something, she got a call from Pandit.
"Maya, I will call you later" Nani disconnected the call hurriedly and attended Pandit's call as she didn't want to miss it.
"Who is this? I saw your missed call in my phone" Pandit asked.
"Panditji, this is Devyani Raizada, from Delhi"
"Oh, Maji, you? How are you, Maji?"
"I don't know if I could say I'm alright, Panditji"
"What happened, Maji?"
"Khushi feels my daughter's soul, Panditji"
"Is it?" he became thoughtful.
"Yes, she feels like someone is right behind her"
"Oh..."
"She is scared of this strange feeling"
"she is so naïve, Maji"
"Yes... I don't know why only she could feel her presence... I'm confused. My daughter loved her son like anything. but, he could not even feel her presence then why only Khushi?"
"I too don't know the reason, Maji. But, I'm sure this is what the Saint would have told you about."
"What do you mean?"
"I think Khushi will solve the mystery"
"But, she fears, Panditji"
"Maji, give me some time... I will call you after analyzing Khushi's horoscope"
"Is her horoscope with you?"
"Yes, her grandfather wanted me to keep it in Pooja before started finding a groom for her. it's still with me. I will go through it"
"Ok, Panditji"
"Maji One more thing"
"Tell me"
"Don't share this matter with anyone"
"Why, Panditji?"
"Didn't the Saint say, your daughter's soul is controlled?"
"Yes..."
"That's why we should not leak out anything regarding. We don't know who is doing that. They will get alert if they got to know the truth. So, they will try to control her soul more severely, it will cause trouble for us... So, please keep everything within us... even Khushi should know it"
"Even Khushi?"
"Yes. I will make her do the Pooja that I told you about"
"Without telling her anything, how could you make her do Pooja, Panditji?"
"I will take care of it, Maji. You just be careful. Don't trust anyone around you... Don't tell anyone about Khushi's feelings, the saint's words, and about the Pooja"
"Ok, Panditji, I won't tell anyone about anything"
"I will check Khushi's horoscope and let you know if anything particular in it"
"Ok, Panditji... Khushi bitiya wanted to talk to you and Siya"
"Ok, Maji, call me when she wants to... we will talk normally"
"Ok, Panditji. Thank you"
"Namaste" the Pandit cut the call.
Nani became thoughtful. Thank God, she didn't say anything about Khushi to Maya. Not that she didn't trust Maya. She just wanted to follow the pandit's words.
At the same time, Maya called Nani. Nani thought for a while and attended it.
"The call got disconnected, Maji"
"Yeah... our neighbor came to invite us to her daughter's birthday" Nani lied.
"Oh... then what happened, Maji?"
"What after that? Nothing. I just decided to go to our Kuldevi temple... that's all" Nani avoided stretching anything about her Lucknow visit.
"Didn't you get anything there, Maji?"
"No, Maya... I'm really fed up..." Nani sounded upset.
"Don't bother Maji... God is great"
Nani sighed.
"I will talk to you later, bitiya"
"Jee Maji"
She disconnected the call. Nani felt bad for lying to Maya. The much Nani knew Maya was a genuine person. She shared everything with her but now, she was not in the condition to say anything to her. Let's see, what the Pandit would say about Khushi. Nani started waiting for Pandit's call.
When Khushi asked her to call the Pandit, Nani pretended like, to dial his number and said it was engaged.
Evening
Arnav, who came home, went directly to the guestroom, searching for Khushi. She was combing Laxmi's fur lovingly. Arnav rolled his eyes seeing that. Khushi sensed someone behind her. She sighed inwardly thinking that it was the same feeling she was getting in RM. So, she didn't look back.
"You said you sense someone's presence when no one is around you... but, you can't sense when someone really standing behind you," Arnav said.
Khushi turned behind jerking. Arnav smiled at her. Khushi was about to smile, but she stayed with a plain expression.
"I sensed you but thought that's the same feeling I'm getting again and again," She said making a face.
"Are you upset?"
She nodded NO.
"Then why are you keeping your face like this?"
"My face... I will keep it as per my wish"
"Maybe... but, seeing your upset face is my EYES..."
"Who asked you to see my face?"
"How can I give this, without seeing your face?"
Arnav extended a box towards her. Khushi looked at the box and then at him.
"Take it... I bought it for you"
"Why did you bring it for me?"
"Should not I bring anything for you?"
"Yesterday, you had a reason... I was a newcomer... so, to welcome me, you bought sweets... but today, there is no reason..."
"I had a reason"
"What reason?"
"I made you upset this morning"
"When?"
"Didn't I say 'I don't like the keer?"
"Haan, so?"
"Are not you upset with me?"
"I was... "
"Are you alright now?"
"Then? Would I be upset for the whole day for a SILLY thing?" she asked controlling her laughter.
Arnav was stunned.
"Won't you get upset for anything?"
"Of course, I do... if the person is close to my heart"
Arnav was again stunned.
"I thought I made you upset"
"You said you don't like the keer... it's your wish to like it or not. Making keer is what I can do... I can't force you to like it"
Arnav spilled a lopsided smile.
"Ok... let it be anything... have it" Taking her hand he kept the box.
Khushi opened the box and saw jalebis in it. in no time, her face brightened.
"Jalebiiiiii..." taking one from the box, she relished it just like, how she relished the previous day.
"I'm sorry..." Arnav said.
Khushi looked at him while munching the jalebi, like, why?
"The keer was so tasty"
"I know"
Arnav chuckled.
"I know why you lie. So, no need to worry" she said.
"How do you know?" Arnav asked.
"I heard you talking with Nani this morning"
Arnav dropped his jaw.
"You got to know, yet, you pretended like being upset?"
"It's because I would like to see Uncle's flushed face" she ran out of the room giggling.
"What the..." Arnav chased her unintentionally.
To be continued...
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