Part 34 Instinct

Khushi was standing at the bus stop. Arvind took her promise. She could do nothing going against it. But... was that necessary for her to give up? Arnav was her husband. How would she leave her husband for someone? Was not she his wife? Who was Hilma? What right did she have in him? Was she going to see Hilma snatching her rights? Arnav didn't trust her. He said he would prove whether she was Khushali or not. How firmly Arnav stood for his Khushali...! Was she going to lose his love? Tears rolled down from her eyes.

At the same time, Arnav came out of RM searching for Khushi. Why didn't she bid bye to him? How could she leave RM without his knowledge? Why did she leave RM hurriedly? Why did her face carry shock when Hilma came to RM? Why did she become restless? What was she supposed to tell him?

Arnav saw Khushi waiting for a bus at the bus stop. He turned the car towards the bus stop and stopped it in front of Khushi. She looked at him bewildered as she didn't expect him to leave the house when the guests were there. Arnav got out of the car and opened the door for her looking at her. She stood not reacting. He reached her taking a long step.

"I'm here for you and you know that"

"I don't want your lift. I will go by myself. You may go"

"I'm not asking for your suggestion. Come and sit in the car" he ordered.

"You can't order me"

"I can order you...I'm your Boss"

"This is not your office"

"But, you are my PA"

Khushi was silent. Arnav closed the door and locked it with the remote. He came and stood next to her. She looked at him perplexed.

"I can't let you go alone. I will also come with you and will drop you home" he said.

"I will go ARNAVJI," she said which made Arnav frown.

ARNAVJI? The single word made him speechless. What did that mean? Why did she change her calling style all of a sudden?

"Aranvji? When did the arrogant Komodo Dragon get the honor of being called Arnavji?" He asked raising his brows.

Khushi realized her blunder and pretended like looking for a bus.

"Khushi, before I forcefully take you in my car, better you sit in the car"

Khushi looked at him stunned. Arnav clutched her hand and pulled her towards his car.

"Arnavji, leave my hand"

"I will leave if you come with me"

"I will come... leave me"

Arnav left her hand and again opened the door. Khushi sat in the car and put on the seatbelt. Arnav started the car.

"This is how would you leave RM? Don't you feel you bid bye to me?"

"You were not there in the living room"

"But, I was in RM only"

Khushi was silent.

"Why did you come to RM?"

"To meet Lavanya"

"Would you be always prepared to lie?"

"I don't lie"

"You are... You came to meet me... you called me in the morning to know whether I would be at home"

"I just asked that randomly"

"You started lying a lot"

Khushi looked outside.

"By the way, we were talking about something when my father came home... remember?"

"No..."

Arnav looked at her and stopped the car at the side of the road. He looked at her sternly.

"Don't you remember?"

"We were talking about your wife," she said, could not face his sharp gaze.

"What did you want to talk to me about MY WIFE?"

"I got to know that from Nirupama that made me respect you. I came to tell you about it"

"Oh... that's why Mr. Raizada became ARNAVJI?"

"Mmm"

"Sounds nice... by the way, what do you think about Khushali aka Hilma?"

Khushi got stuck.

"I... I don't think anything about her"

"I think you liked her very much"

"Don't you like her?" she asked.

"I will start liking her if she is Khushali"

"Why do you think she is not Khsuhali?"

"My heart says SOMETHING ELSE to me... that thought doesn't let me think she is Khushali"

"What thought?

"Hilma is not Khushali but someone else close to me"

"Who?"

"I too don't know... but I will surely find her out"

"Why don't you trust her?"

"She is not synchronizing with my thoughts"

"You just met her. Then how could you expect her to synchronize with you?"

"It will... that's the bond I shared with Khushali"

"Were you close to her?"

"Yeah... so close... though she was a little girl she was very smart"

"I think that's why Hilma could remember everything" She intentionally said that to know Arnav's answer.

Arnav chuckled.

"Khushali is smart I have no doubt but I doubt she could remember everything."

"Why?"

"She was seven years old at that time. Her parents didn't want her to remember us. So, they would not have spoken to her about us. Then how could she remember us crystal clear? No way..."

"Do you think you can find REAL Khushali?"

"I will..."

"You said, you will prove her Khushali or not... how?" Arnav looked at her smilingly.

"I don't want to break the thrill... you will get to know that soon"

Khushi became restless. What was he going to do? Arnav smiled at her. He strongly believed Khushi was Khushali. At the same time, he was not sure of it because if she was Khushali, she would not have been silent when Hilma came to RM. He was confused. So, he decided to move the card in a different direction.

He stopped the car at the same place where he dropped Khushi last time. Khushi got down from the car.

"Khushi, be ready... to be with your ARNAVJI... bye" he drove the car with a smile.

Khushi stood looking at his car. She didn't know why she called him Arnavji. She was scared that she could keep the promise. She sighed.

Arnav dialed Rohan while driving the car. He attended the call.

"Haan, ASR"

"You said you became Shashi Gupta's jogging friend"

"Yeah..."

"Tomorrow morning, tell him what I say"

"Oh yes..."

Arnav said what Rohan should tell Shashi.

"Ok..." Rohan said.

"Tell me, how he reacts to it"

"Definitely..."

"Don't miss it"

"Not at all..."

"Good" Arnav disconnected the call smirking.

Thanks to Hilma and her family. They gave a clue to Arnav about how Khushali could have behaved with her NEW parents when she got separated from him. there was a hundred percent chance for that to happen with REAL Khushali. She would have done the same. She should have talked about HIM all the time. She would have nagged them to take her to him. they could have changed her NAME too. Maybe... Khushali became Khushi.

If Shashi Gupta showed any shocking expression on his face, Khushi was indeed his Khushali.

When Arnav reached RM, Arvind and Ratna were waiting for him in the living room.

"Chotte, where did you go?" Arvind asked.

"I went to drop Khushi home"

Arvind read Arnav's face.

"Did you drop her?"

"Mmm"

"Did she say anything?" he asked hesitating.

Arnav looked at him frowning. What he was asking about? Khushi was working in his office, they would talk many things. Why did he particularly ask what she told him?

"Mmm"

"What did she say?"

"She said something that made sense"

Arvind was shocked. Did Khushi tell Arnav the truth? He looked at Arnav who was studying his face. There was no anger on Arnav's face. If Khushi had told Arnav the truth, he would have made RM upside down. Arvind composed himself and asked,

"By the way, Chotte, won't you ask about Hilma's family? I thought you would ask about them. You left them all alone here"

"Alone? Who called them here? What's the connection between me and them?"

"Why are you disinterested, Chotte?"

"It's because I don't think she is Khushali"

"But, Chotte..."

"Dad, I warn you... if I find they are fake, the consequence will be worse" Arnav said gritting his teeth.

Arvind left the place and said nothing.

Ratna came close to him and asked,

"Chotte, what made you suspect them?"

Arnav made sure Arvind left. Clutching her hand, he took her to the kitchen.

"Do you believe our astrologer?" he asked.

"Of course, I do. his prediction would never go wrong"

"He said it will be me who find Khushali... that too after a big struggle..."

"Is it?"

"Yeah... this is your husband's set-up. He knew I won't get married... that's why he brought a duplicate Khushali"

"How are you so confident?"

"I feel nothing in my heart when I saw the girl, Mom..."

"Do you believe such instinct?" she asked adoring him.

Arnav remembered his first meeting with Khushi and how he had forgotten himself, seeing her baffled hazels. That time, he felt something in his heart that he never felt in the last fifteen years.

Arnav smiled at Ratna and nodded yes.

To be continued...