AJHS - 3

Part 3

Khushi POV

A new beginning. A new hope. A new day. After making a lot of errors I have finally landed the perfect job for myself. A professional teacher. Sharma Uncle was kind enough to offer me a job in his language school. And I am sure my hard work and efforts will pay off. My students will become fluent in the Hindi language.

This time nothing will go wrong. This is my second chance. You always make a lot of mistakes while climbing the ladder of success. My failures taught me a good number of lessons. This time I will not be the selfless girl who becomes everyone's doormat. Just this once I will give myself the utmost priority.

My vortex of thoughts disappeared when my rickshaw stopped at Sharma Uncles Language School. Plastering a smile on my face I thanked Devi Maiyya and paid the rickshaw driver. I trudged towards the building as nervousness enveloped me. 

I can do this...

I can do this...

I repeated the words like a prayer and entered the building. 

Asking for a little help from the doorman I advanced inside the building. Sharma Uncle had advised me to consult the receptionist who would call a representative assigned to train me. The woman at the front desk gestured me to sit as she was speaking on the phone. Thanking her with a smile I made myself comfortable.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed a man drinking water from a white water cooler placed a few feet away from my chair. My eyes glazed recalling the moment when I was stuck in the storeroom of Arnavjis office. He had offered me a glass of water that day. 

I don't even know why we were arguing with each other at that time. 

I chose my self-respect and resigned from AR Designs. But Arnavji was trying everything to stop me. Why? Was he not the one who gave me weird things to do just to see me give up and leave his workplace? And when I chose my life rather than facing the dangerous situations he put me in...Arnav Raizada's temper rose to a different level? The unanswered questions that revolved around Mr. Raizada irked me.

Blinking my eyes I came back to my reality. What is wrong with me? Why am I remembering him of all the people on such an important day? I sighed at my stupidity. 

Hello there? You must be Ms. Gupta...

I cocked my head to the side to see a tall, muscled man staring at me with a sweet smile on his face. I stood up and reciprocated the gesture. He held out his hand to greet me. I instantly took his hand in my own to give him a firm shake.

Hi. Yes, I am Khushi Gupta.

Good to meet you Khushi. I am Siddarth Shukla. Everyone calls me Sid. Mr. Sharma told me about you this morning. Come I will show you around.

I followed him as he led me to the corridor on the left. I nodded every once in a while as he explained more about the different sections in the institute. Using the lift nearby he took me to the different floors meant for staff rooms, classrooms, and the admin. department. We ended our tour with the cafeteria where he ordered 2 cups of tea for us. Having nothing more to do I sat along with him.

So are you related to Mr. Sharma?

No. We met a few days ago and he offered me a position in this school.

His eyes widened hearing my answer. Why is it so shocking? The man was looking for a Hindi language trainer and we met by chance. What is the big deal?

I am surprised Khushi. Mr. Sharma does not recommend anyone so easily. 

I shrugged feeling uncomfortable by the attention. Seems Mr. Sharma is a celebrity over here. Maybe he works in the management department? Yeah definitely. Why else would Sid feel so astonished by Sharma Uncle's recommendation? Unable to stop my musings I verbalized my thoughts to him.

Is it shocking that he offered me this job?

Yes, Khushi. It is. Mr. Sharma is the founder of this language school. 

Kya?!? Woh yahan ke f..founder hain?

He chuckled at my reaction. I probably resembled a cartoon character to him. Schooling my features I stared back expectingly. Shaking his head with a smile he responded. He seems cute. A kind fellow who is a gentleman to me even though I come from a middle-class background.

Sidharth Shukla made me realize that not everyone who is well settled in life is full of ego. Not every male has a dominating nature. His eyes held a softness. Thank you for making me so comfortable on my first day Sid. I thought.

Uhuh. Exactly my point. You are a magician, Ms. Gupta.

Listening to his praises I burst into giggles. They proved to be contagious as the rest of the people in the cafe stared at the two of us as if we were aliens. Some time passed and eventually Sid and I left the cafeteria.

Arnav POV

After a long hour, we were finally done with the admission process. Dhruv seemed bored and I too felt a little claustrophobic in the crowded room. We stood up from the counter after completing the payment process, when the lady called me back.

Mr. Raizada your nephew has to pass an entrance test. It is just a formality. Nothing difficult.

I nodded as she informed me about the exam room beside the cafeteria downstairs. Taking Dhruv with me I headed towards the lift. He seemed a little better after leaving that room. Just like me. As the door of the lift shut Dhruv Singh Raizada began to chirp. 

Nannav Chachu? Hindi is a beautiful language you see...

He started his tale and I kept nodding in between. According to my family, I am a quiet soul who prefers silence then why does this little guy's chattering soothe me so much? Was I ever close to someone similar? My thoughts halted along with the lift as Dhruv dragged me to the exam room.

Wait don't come inside. I am a big boy. You wait just like other guardians here. 

Fine D. Whatever makes you comfortable.

Waving in my direction he slipped inside the exam room leaving me standing outside the door, awkwardly. I glanced around the area. There were restrooms on one end and a big cafeteria on the other. The smell of food wafted around me making my stomach growl uncomfortably. Hmmm. It won't be a bad idea to snack on something in the meantime.

I strode towards the cafe while feeling the piece of cloth in my pocket. Coming here on a Saturday was a big mistake as the place seemed crowded. With a sigh, I chose to sit at the nearest empty table. I pulled out the jasmine-scented cloth from my coat. I caressed it with my thumb as it calmed my restless self.

I need to find the mystery behind this. No, I need to find the reason behind all those little objects that are enshrined in the cabinet of my room. Taking a deep breath I tried to dislodge the feeling of cluelessness that enveloped me. But everything came to a standstill when that familiar and potent jasmine scent reached my nostrils.

What would you order Sir?

Anything.

I replied in haste to look for that smell but he appeared to be too dumb to take the hint. He was blocking my line of sight. And seemed to be in a mood of his own

Sir, we have a variety of salads, desserts, and drinks...

Black coffee.

Anything to eat with...

I could no longer hear his sentence as a distinct sound reached my ears making me alert all of sudden. Jewelry? Why is that sound so familiar? There was a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. I quickly dismissed the waiter.

Finally, he disappeared and I looked in every direction too eager to hear that jiggling once again. The pain of anticipation made my heartache. I even strained my ears to hear the tinkling sound.

 But nothing seemed out of ordinary to me. The cafeteria continued to buzz just like before. Damn it. My mind is messing with me. Hating the feeling I chose to call up my doctor. His advice might help.

But not before slipping the shiny piece of stole into my coat pocket. I patted the pocket once more to reassure myself. The waiter placed my coffee on the table and left me to my musings. Sipping the hot black tart quickly I dialed my doctor's number.

Lavanya POV

It has been so long, so very long since I had smiled.

I changed myself for him. My appearance. My lifestyle. Even my opinion about marriage. Why? So that somehow I could include him in my forever. We met a few years back in Harvard. At that time he was the only good friend. But when he started AR and chose me to work beside him I began to look at him in a different light.

His professionalism and work ethics amazed me. And he did care for me. He expressed himself differently. However, when he asked me to be his girlfriend without any serious commitments I genuinely appreciated his honesty. Slowly and gradually in the process of trying a live-in and impressing his family somehow somewhere, I fell even more in love with him.

Then finally one night on the occasion of Diwali he proposed marriage. God answered my prayers and ASR bared his heart to me. There were so many things that I wanted clarity on. I wanted to sit with him and have a detailed discussion about our future. I wanted romantic declarations. I desired his time and efforts.

However, my wishes ended up being only wishes. Diwali turned into a nightmare for me. His accident and injuries made me restless. But his Amnesia felt like lava seeping into my fragile heart.

And here I am still sitting beside the pyre, surrounded by the ashes of my dead heart. I met ASR once after his discharge. His eyes held nothing but emptiness in them. A living dead. I was only a stranger to him. An unknown face. And that is what I will remain for him. A nobody. Somebody once told me...

Khud ki qeemat gir jaati hain,

Kisi ko qeemati banane ki chaah mein!

   - Gulzar.

(You lose your value, 

 Wishing to make someone else priceless)

If only I could unveil my heart to someone. No one can understand my pain. No one. No one but her. Yes. Of course. She will. Chamkeeli. My only true friend. 

But for that, I will have to leave London. My haven. I will have to visit Delhi once more. It is the most difficult task to do. But I need to move on. I need this closure. There is no other choice.

Khushi POV

That's all for today Khushi. From tomorrow onwards I will help you plan your lessons. Be here by 9 am.

Sure, Sid. Thank you so much. I will be here at sharp 9.

We parted ways after the last of his instructions and I headed for the door. Thanking Devi Maiyya for such a wonderful job and co-workers I rushed towards the exit. Jeeji will be glad to hear about my day. And Buaji will appreciate my efforts because...

Hello, can I speak to Dr. Goswami, please?

Like a ray of light breaking through dark grey clouds his voice floated towards me, making me halt all of a sudden. I gasped in surprise. He is here. The realization floored me. He is in this very building. Arnav Singh Raizada is behind me. What am I supposed to do? Should I turn around and face him? Should I avoid him? Am I ready to have yet another painful encounter with him? A flood of questions greeted my mind. 

No, I won't let him get to me anymore. I am done with his stupid games. And I am sure by now he must have been engaged to Lavanyaji. This is it. It's high time I face him. Slowly, painstaking I turned around in the direction of the voice.

I could see a man standing a few feet away, with his back facing me. I recognized the charcoal suit instantly. Taking a deep breath I began to move in his direction but then a kid stepped out of the room adjacent to me. Rushing towards the man he called out Chachu.

Arnavji does not have a nephew who addresses him as Chachu. What was I thinking? He cannot be here. Maybe I am imagining things. Maybe, just maybe he is someone else. Shaking my head I turned around and left the premises.

Unknown POV

My men pleaded for mercy. They begged for relief. Hell, the floor turned all bloody by the time I was done with my outburst. I sighed feeling the pleasure that embraced me. However, this is a temporary feeling. This peace won't last for long.

I will feel tranquility only after killing that Raizada. He survived the last accident. God granted him mercy. But this time he won't be so lucky. So what if he is alive? He is suffering from the aftermath of the accident. It is all over the media.

It won't be that difficult to stage another accident in front of the world. This time I won't leave this task to my men. No one can be trusted. This time I will execute everything by myself. Rubbing my hands in glee I smiled dangerously.

Arnav POV

The day passed fairly quickly. Dhruv seemed excited by the idea of learning the Hindi language from tomorrow onwards. While the rest of the Raizadas were elated watching my first outdoor activity. I had to face the Spanish Inquisition after my return. But thankfully they did not prolong their excitement as they were too afraid to overwhelm me.

Sitting on the deckchair by the poolside, surrounded by my plants I tried to make sense of my nightmares. According to my therapist, Dr. Goswami, my brain is trying to protect my body from the trauma of the accident. Also, my nightmares are bits and pieces of my strongest memories. My mind is projecting what my brain is trying to hide.

And my night terrors involve two sets of memories. One of them is the accident. And the other one is of her. The former terrifies me. The fog, the smoke make me fearful. While the latter soothes me. Her voice calms me. And it confuses me. To the point of frustration. 

I continued to stare at the pool water. If only there was a method to know more about my past. There is no logic in asking my family because they won't be truthful to me. They will try to hide things as for them I am extremely fragile right now.

Chaachuuuuu.....

My train of thoughts halted as the chatterbox in my life entered the poolside with a spring in his steps.

My goodness. He is such a goofball. Too charming for his good. A pat on my shoulder made me tilt my head in his direction. He was munching on a bar of chocolate as if it was his last meal.

Sit down and eat slowly kid.

Sirf main hi nai even girls are a fan of sweets Chachu. I know aap diabetic hain but I think you should take girls out on dates and impress them with sweets.

(Like me girls too have a sweet tooth).

Shaking my head at his silly talks I  returned my gaze to the water in the pool. For a minute nothing happened. But then in an instant, a hazy image began to float in the poolwater. Two people sitting on the floor. One of them is almost on the verge of fainting. The other trying to feed the almost sick person.

Why are they sitting like that? It seems to be a vulnerable moment. Everything is so blurry. 

And Chachu kuch girls ko mithaiyan bhi pasand hai you know like barfi, rasgulle, jalebi...

(And Chachu girls are also fond of Indian sweets like barfi, rasgulle, jalebi...)

The angelic voice made an appearance again. But this time it seemed all tender and worried. Panic rose like the blinding sun in her tone. It became apparent that she wanted to help the weak human next to her.

Par aapko to meetha mana hai na...

(But you are diabetic...)

The food particle that the person offered became clearer. The image changed colors becoming more graphic and vivid. An orange-colored jalebi. Round. Juicy. Being fed to someone. And then just like that, the picture vanished in the water as if it was never there. Only Dhruvs voice echoed next to me. Making me awake of the reality.

...so you see Nannav Chachu girls ko impress karna is easy. 

(It's easy to impress girls).

Jalebi...

Yes! They are full of honey-like syrup. Oh, I hear Anji Bua calling me...Goodnite Chachu.

Like a gust of wind he smoothly disappeared from my sight.

I massaged my temple using the pads of my fingers. It was an act to calm myself. What the hell?! I am a diabetic for crying out loud. So why does the word Jalebi triggers weird sensations within me? Why does it feel like someone punched a hole in my heart? What is the meaning of this sudden yearning? Was I ever in love? This supermassive black hole inside me....feels like unrequited love. Who did I fall for exactly?

My former girlfriend Lavanya?

Damn it.

My emotions have gone all haywire. I feel desperate and empty all the time. And now every word or object associated with my past keeps giving me headaches. Ughhh. My thoughts will drive me crazy for sure. It is better that I do some breathing exercises and call it a night. Yeah. That would be a good idea. Giving the pool one last glance I returned to my room. 

I showered and changed mechanically. In a matter of minutes, I found myself in bed following my nightly deep breathing routine.

Anjali POV

I am glad that my brother is slowly moving forward in his life. It is only a matter of time now. Two days ago Dhruv even convinced Chotte to pick and drop him from the language school. Chotte has agreed to do so but only for the first day of class.

However, I am sure that Dhruv Singh Raizada will coax my brother to make this a regular task. I trust my nephew to do so.

This morning I practically blackmailed Chotte to take me to the temple. He outrightly rejected the idea giving the excuse that he will be of no help as he cannot drive. But instead of feeling bad about his circumstances, I chose to wail at the fact that my brother does not consider me his family. It worked like a charm.

And now here we are on the stairs leading to the temple with me feeling delighted and him being all disinterested. But at least he agreed to come along with me.

Oh no. In my musings, I forgot about the thaal that was left behind in the car. Quickly realizing my mistake I asked my brother to get the thaal from the car. Rolling his eyes in my direction he turned around stepping down the stairs two at a time.

Shaking my head at his actions I advanced to the temple. But in my hastiness, I bumped into a woman almost losing my balance. But her palm closed around my arm firmly making me still again.

Sambhaal ke...

(Careful...)

The familiar voice reached my ears and my eyes recognized the face immediately. Khushi Kumari Gupta stood before me with a worried look on her face.

Khushiji aap...

(Khushiji it is you...)

Namaste Anjaliji! Aap theek hain?

(Are you alright?)

Ji hum theek hain. Waah aap yahan? Itne dino ke baad. Diwali ke baad to aap gayab hi hogai Khushiji. Humari yaad nai aai?

(Yes I am fine. Wow, you are here. It has been so long. You disappeared after Diwali night Khushiji. Don't you miss us?)

Nai Anjaliji bas aise hi...

(No it is nothing like that...)

Her expressions oozed anxiousness. Like she was not prepared for this coincidence. Her eyes glanced behind me as if she was panicked about an unexpected arrival. 

Are you alright?

She nodded with a smile that seemed fake. Why is she so nervous? Is she scared that my brother is around and he will again get into an argument with her? Oh my goodness she has no idea about Chotte's accident. She has not been around Shantivan since Diwali. How can I be so stupid? I should have let her know. Better late than never. I thought.

Uh, Khushiji Chotte is...

Uh, Anjaliji. I am in a rush today. I will call you sometime and maybe we could hang out? Ok? Bye.

Khushiji but...

She ran down the stairs like a fleeting firefly. Before I could comprehend what was happening Khushiji disappeared from my sight. I wish she had stayed for a while. Then it would have been easier to reveal everything that has happened in the last month. Maybe now is not the right time. Looking ahead at Devi Maiyyas idol I folded my hands in prayer trying to find the will to stay strong.

Arnav POV

Carefully gripping the thaal in my hands I turned around slowly only to feel someone bang into me. With a loud thud, the thaal fell to the ground. What the?! Before I could look up the bundle of energy brushed past me muttering a quick apology. At the same time, a strong floral smell of jasmine wafted around me. The very familiar scent of jasmine.

I quickly turned around to get a glimpse of the person. A woman dashed ahead and flagged the nearest rickshaw. I could only see her back. Plaited hair and a bright yellow salwar suit with a green dupatta placed over her head.

My eyebrows furrowed and my eyes narrowed at the familiar design. Too shiny. Just like that piece of the stole. This cannot be a coincidence. Sitting in the rickshaw she turned sideways to see me. A stole-covered face greeted me. Only her eyes remained open to me and I became the prisoner of a pair of hostile hazel orbs.

I rushed ahead towards the rickshaw but the eyes widened with shock and the woman cast her gaze away. The rickshaw picked up speed and I was left abandoned. A horrible, bottomless feeling rushed past me, through me as the girl drifted away from my sight.