2 Connection (Longer update)

Khushi stood horror-struck, looking at her cycle that was lying on the floor miserably. She rushed to it and lifted it. Its front wheel was bent, sporks were broken and the hand bar was crooked. She gritted her teeth furiously.

"Getting angry is a useless thing... just like banging your head on the rock," the same man said.

Khushi looked at him stunningly.

"Don't you ever read about him in the social media and magazines? He was very popular for his arrogance. He won't respect anyone... not even give a damn to his fans. See, what his house looks like... there is not even a name board outside the house. Would a famous music director's house be like this or what? It's because he won't let anyone near him. He hates crowds that's why he won't take part in any cine functions. He is a weird man. No director would like to work with him. Only his friend directors are working with him." the man said, standing at a shop near Arnav's house.

"Haan, beta, don't you read, he hit a singer last month?" the shopkeeper said.

Khushi bit her nail. Yes, she read it but she thought it was fake news.

"Was not it fake news?"

"No... every matter about him would be true only. He is so rude." The man said.

Khushi looked at her cycle gulping down.

"You can't get compensation for your cycle. Throw it away and buy a new cycle"

Stopping an auto, Khushi kept the cycle in it and left the place, all the way thinking about Arnav's rudeness. How could a man be so rude who had the potential to tie people with his pleasant music? No doubt, he was a legend in music but in behavior? Khushi was disappointed. She thought tunes were the reflection of his inner mind but nope. How it was even possible? How did he conflict with his music? How beautiful his tunes were...! What heart-wrenching notes...! How he was so rude? Why? She was scratching her head.

Khushi came to the house, after putting the cycle in the cycle shop to get it repaired. As usual, Shali hugged Khushi. She picked her in her arms.

"Where were you, Khushi?" Anjali asked.

"Went to a computer center to apply for jobs Di"

"Job? What's the necessary?"

"What do you mean, Di? I want to stand for myself. That's why"

"Don't you want to be with me?"

"Di... won't you get me married?" she asked with a fake shock.

Anjali got stuck for a second and chuckled.

"Pagal..."

"Di, get used to my absence. That will be good for both of us" Khushi said.

"What about Shali?"

This time, Khushi got stuck. Composing herself,

"I will take Shali with me"

Anjali dropped her jaw.

"Then what about me?" she asked with shock.

"Mrs. Jha... go to your husband"

Anjali dropped her jaw and Khushi laughed.

"I have an interview tomorrow, Di"

Anjali nodded ok.

Khushi wanted to leave the house as much as possible before Shyam came to India. So, she was in the search of a job.

The next day

Khushi came out of a recording theatre, after giving a voice test. She saw Arnav in the car. He was waiting for the signal to turn GREEN. She rushed to him and knocked on the glass door of his car. Arnav looked at her but didn't lower the window glass. She knocked again a little harshly. Arnav lowered the window, looking at her rigidly.

"Do you know what happened to my cycle? How could you do that? What do you think of yourself?" she asked with changing facial expressions.

The signal changed and Arnav moved the car from the place without minding answering her. Khushi dropped her jaw. She looked here and there and found a stone. Taking it, she threw it in Arnav's car. The backlight of the car was broken by the stone. Arnav stopped the car and looked at her tightening his jaws. Khushi walked away with an attitude without caring about his glare.

Evening

It was Khushi's usual routine to visit the temple every Friday. That Friday is also no different. She came out of the temple after worshiping. She stopped, seeing an old lady struggling to stand. She rushed to her and held her shoulders.

"What happened to you?"

The old lady tried to say something but she fell unconscious.

"Someone, give me water..." Khushi shouted.

Someone gave her water. She sprinkled water on the face. But no use. There was no single movement on her face.

"Please someone call an auto" Khushi shouted.

An auto arrived. Khushi took the old lady into the auto with the help of the public.

"Go to the nearby hospital," she asked the auto driver.

Khushi saw her clutching a mobile phone in her hand tightly. Taking it from her hand, Khushi checked the emergency number. She saw only one contact on the list, CHOTTE.

"Chotte?" Khushi murmured and dialed the number without waiting. It rang but no response. She sighed and kept the mobile in her bag. She thought to give a ring after a while or maybe the person will call her seeing the missed call, she thought.

The auto reached the nearby hospital within ten minutes. The auto driver called the hospital staff to take the old lady inside. Khushi waited there after paying the auto-charge.

Khushi again called the number but no response that time too. After treating the old woman, the doctor came to Khushi.

"She is so weak. As she is a senior woman, it's common to get dizziness. Taking care of her is necessary. Saline is given. Let her be in the observation for a night. You can take her home tomorrow morning"

Khushi nodded ok. She tried CHOTTE's number again and got irritated as he didn't attend the call. Khushi became nervous. The old lady had no one other than Chotte it seemed but he was not attending her call. She didn't know the old lady's house. Then how would she convey the message to her family members? The Doctor wanted the lady to be in the hospital for the whole night. What would she do now? The hospital bill had to be settled. She had not had that much money to pay the bill. She thought for a while.

It was already 8 o'clock. The lady hadn't got consciousness yet. What if Chotte didn't attend her call until the lady got discharged from the hospital? She could not wait for CHOTTE anymore. She had to manage money to settle the bill. She removed a chain from the inner pouch of her bag. Shyam gifted it for her birthday. As she felt loathly to wear the chain, she lied to Anjali that she lost it. Now, she thought to use the chain to settle the hospital bill.

She dialed Anjali's number. Before Khushi said anything,

"Khushi, where are you? It's already eight..."

"I'm at Preeto's place Di. She has a heavy fever. There is no one at her home."

"Where are they?"

"They went to Lucknow to attend a wedding"

"Oh..."

"She is alone Di. I can't come home leaving her here"

"Bring her here, we will take care of her"

"She is so weak to even walk Di..."

"Ohh..."

"I will come home tomorrow morning after her mother comes"

"Mmm... take care. Call me if anything is needed"

"Sure Di. Thank you"

Khushi disconnected the call. She dialed Preeto immediately.

"Don't attend Di's call if she calls you. Inform me right away"

"You can tell her the truth, Khushi"

"No. Di will come to the hospital to be with me. Shalu will not be comfortable here."

Preeto sighed.

"Be careful, Khushi. Call me if any problem"

"Sure"

Disconnecting the call, Khushi came to the nearby pawnshop and gave the chain.

"How much do you want, beta?"

"I would like to sale this chain"

"Sale?"

"Yes, my Naniji is admitted to the hospital. I need money to settle the bill"

"It's ten grams... I can give you forty-five thousand"

Khushi nodded ok. The pawn broker gave her money.

"At least, the chain was used for someone" Khushi murmured.

"Did you say something?" the pawn broker asked.

Khushi nodded No. she came back to the hospital and waited sitting on the chair. She checked the lady's phone again and again. she went to the hospital canteen and had dinner.

"Don't know what that idiot CHOTTE is doing. Poor woman, she saved his number for emergency. Does he know the meaning of emergency? Stupid kahika." She was scolding Chotte while eating.

Khushi went to the old lady's bed and sat next to her. She dozed off as she was sleepy. Khushi felt someone shaking her. She opened her eyes and saw the old woman looking at her.

"How are you feeling now?" Khushi asked.

"Is that you who admitted me to the hospital?"

Khushi nodded yes.

"Sorry for the trouble, bitiya"

"That's all right..."

"Thank you so much, Beta..."

"What to do, your Chotte didn't attend my call"

"Did you try his number?"

Khushi nodded yes.

"He must be busy," she said hesitatingly.

"Ohh..."

"Don't your family members search for you?" the woman asked.

Khushi smiled without answering.

"What's the time now?"

Khushi looked at her watch. It was 5 am.

"5 o'clock"

"You can go home if you want. I will manage"

"No problem... I will drop you home. Or else, someone may have to admit you to the hospital again" Khushi said teasingly.

The woman chuckled.

"Thank you, beta. It's very rare to find people with a helping tendency these days"

"Doctor said you are weak. Why did you come to the temple alone?"

"Yesterday was our driver's wedding anniversary. That's why I gave him off and came to the temple alone"

"Ohh... Do you want to eat something?"

"Coffee...?"

"Sure"

Khushi went to the canteen and got two cups of coffee. She handed it to the lady and sat in front of her.

"I'm Devyani. My grandson is a busy man. He puts his mobile on silent mode when he does his work"

"Then you have to put your driver's number in the emergency list"

Devyani laughed.

"I will do it"

The doctor checked Devyani.

"You can take her home"

"Thank you, Doctor"

Settling the hospital bill, Khushi walked back to Devyani. That's when Devyani's phone rang. Khushi rolled her eyes as it was Chotte's call. She attended the call.

"Nani..."

"Thank God, you remembered your Nani at least now. Can't you attend her call once? Poor she, she thinks you will come in front of her like a SUPER HERO if you got her call"

"Who is speaking? How did you get my Nani's phone?" a rigid voice questioned.

"Before asking all these questions, ask me, how is your Nani"

"What happened to Nani?"

"She fainted. The doctor said she is so weak."

"Which hospital?"

"You don't have to come. She got discharged from the hospital. Go home and take care of her" Khushi disconnected the call.

Khushi brought Nani out of the hospital and started from the hospital, hiring an auto. At the same time, the person called CHOTTE also headed home restlessly.

Devyani directed the auto driver to her house. Khushi was horrified when she got down in front of Arnav's house.

"Whose house is this, Naniji?" she asked nervously.

"This is our house, bitiya"

"Means, Chotte?"

"My grandson"

"Who is your grandson?" She asked to get confirmed.

"He is music director, Arnav Singh Raizada"

Khushi gulped down hard.

To be continued...