Note: Telugu readers, please spare me if you find any mistakes in my Telugu.

Part 5 Khushi in Action

RM

Arnav came home and sat on the couch, keeping his bag aside. His mother and sister were watching the news seriously. It was about an Earthquake. Ratna felt bad about the people who lost their properties in the blink of an eye and expecting someone for a few slices of bread.

"How pity! How lavishing they would have lived... everything turned upside down and waiting for someone to feed them," Arnav's sister Aparna said feeling sad.

"Poor they... don't know which birth karma followed them," Ratna said.

Arnav was taken aback, listening to the theory of BIRTH and KARMA.

"Do you believe in REBIRTH?" he asked Ratna.

"Of course, I do. According to the Hindu religion, everyone has seven births..."

"That's why Mumma keeps fasting on Karwa Chauth to get Dad as her husband for the upcoming births because she is not ready to leave him in peace in the next birth too..." Aparna teased.

Ratna hit her shoulder playfully and said,

"You should feel happy about it. Or else, your father's condition would be so miserable... mind it"

"But, it should be said by Dad, not you, Mom..." she laughed.

"Listen, no matter whether I keep fasting or not, he will be my husband in the upcoming birth too because the husband and wife relationship is interlocked for seven births," Ratna said.

"Poor him..." Aparna pulled her leg.

Arnav was thinking about the girl who claimed him as her previous birth husband.

"What are you thinking, Chotte?" Ratna asked.

"Today, I met a girl"

"Girl?" both of them asked in the same tone.

"I think she is a mental disorder patient"

"Oh..."

"She called me ARJUN. Clutching my hand tight, she said DON'T GO..."

Ratna and Aparna raised their eyebrows.

"She said I'm your wife... we loved each other, we were burnt alive,"

"Burnt alive?" Ratna was shocked.

"Yes, her brother came there and apologized for her behavior. She said her name was Indhu but her brother called her Khushi. I asked him about it. Do you know what she answered?"

"What?"

"She said, Indhu was her previous birth name. I was her husband in that birth"

"Ayyo"

"Then her brother dragged her with him without giving heed to her plead"

"How did she look like?" Aparna asked.

Arnav was stuck. He remembered how she cried.

"Was she looking good?"

"Yes... she looked good... She cried so miserably"

"Did she cry?" Ratna asked.

"Yes, when I say I don't know her, I saw restlessness in her eyes. She cried..."

"Didn't you say anything to her?"

"I said, I'm not Arjun but Arnav"

"Don't fall into their trap, Chotte. I think this is a new way of forgery" Ratna said.

"What if she is really your wife in your previous birth?" Aparna asked.

"Shut up. Don't confuse him"

"Mom, just now you talked about seven births. What if Indhu is Bhai's wife in previous birth?"

"Chotte, don't confuse yourself. Don't listen to this girl"

"Mom... didn't you see OM SHANTI OM movie? Ek Chutki Sindoor..." She said the dialogue of Om Shanti Om movie in the same modulation.

"Shut up, Appu..."

"Mark my word... she will find you for EK CHUTKI SINDOOR" she chuckled.

"Let's see..." Ratna said.

"What if she finds him? Will you get them married?"

Ratna looked at Arnav horrified who was also horrified.

"I think I should not have told about her in front of this girl" Arnav walked to his room.

Ratna hit Aparna again.

"You made him mood off"

"Mom, I just said the possibility"

"What possibility?"

"Rebirth theory may be tough to believe but there are a lot of stories that we can't just ignore"

Arnav went to his room but, not before listening to them. Arnav knew Aparna was not just pulling his leg. She was a Psychology student after all.

GH

Khushi was crying. She could not tolerate the truth that Arjun didn't recognize her. That was a big blow to her. She had no idea about Arjun's whereabouts yet, she was confident that she could find him. She was not ready to think of impossibilities in Arjun's matter. She took her certificates from her suitcase and kept them in a file. She had to get a job in Arjun's company. She was fully set but we could not understand how she was so CONFIDENT. Without call-for, how could she give an interview in any company? We don't know.

Garima was worried as Khushi didn't come out of the room. She refused to have dinner. Akash knocked on the door.

"Khushiiii... Khushi, come and eat" he shouted.

No response.

"Khushiiiii..."

Garima was panicked.

"Khushiiiiiiii.... Hey Devi Maiya, I don't know what to do... Akash, do something. What if she made a drastic decision?" She said panicking.

Akash was also nervous. He banged on the door. After the third bang, Khushi opened the door and looked at him sternly.

They sighed in relief.

"Did you think I would kill myself?" Khushi asked.

Garima and Akash spared a glance.

"I won't die, leaving my Arjun. I can't make him cry. We already lost our lives... we won't do it again" Khushi said sternly.

"We will talk about it later. Come and eat something, first" Garima said.

"I don't want anything" Khushi was supposed to go to her room again, but Garima stopped her by clutching her hand.

"Khushi, please don't skip food... come," Akash said.

"Why should not I skip food?"

"What question is this Khushi? It's essential for life... don't you want to be strong?" Akash asked.

"I will be strong if Arjun is with me... he is essential for my life... just like breath...! How could I live without him, Bhai?" she asked with a different expression. We could not say, she was emotionally occupied. No... she was so clear.

"Khushi, listen to me. we don't even know who he is..."

"Naakku thelusu. Aaina ma Arjun Garu. Endhukku meeru ardham cheskoleru? (I know. He is my Arjun. Why don't you understand?)" She shouted.

Akash closed his eyes helplessly. Though they didn't understand what she said they could see her anger.

"Khushi, try to understand beta. Akash is worried about you because he is not your Arjun now. He is Arnav. He might have been a good guy in the previous birth. But we can't say he would be the same in this birth also. We know nothing about him. He might be a married man... (Khushi widened her eyes in shock) Or, he might have been in love with someone... (Khushi gritted her teeth) We should not spoil his life beta" Garima tried to put the reality in her head.

"Kaaadhu... Ma Arjun Garu nannu lekonda evaruni premincharu (Nooo... my Arjun would not love anyone other than me)" she yelled.

Garima and Akash didn't understand what she said.

"How could we understand if you talk in Telugu?" Garima asked.

"Will you understand if I speak in Hindi?" she asked sarcastically.

Garima felt bad.

"Nooo... you won't understand no matter what language I speak because you guys fixed your mind not to accept what I say... You are fixed not to trust me... You are not ready to give heed... Then how will you understand? You won't understand. Even though if you understand you won't agree because you don't want to..." She shouted panting hard.

She tried to close the door again. Garima stopped her, clutching her hand.

"You didn't even eat anything in the morning. Please have something"

Khushi thought for a while. Yes, she didn't eat anything from the morning. Tomorrow she had to go searching for Arjun. What if she became weak? How could she find Arnav then? She came to the dining and ate filling the plate on her own.

Garima looked at her oddly. A few minutes ago, she argued a lot and now, she was eating silently. What was there in her mind? She was not only worried but also scared.

The next morning

Akash went to his office. He didn't know how to tell the current happenings to Anirudh. He would break down and would also become furious. Akash didn't know what to do. So, he decided not to tell him anything about Arjun as of now. Let Khushi cool down first. He thought. But he didn't know there was no chance for Khushi to cool down until she got her Arjun aka Arnav back.

Garima waited for Akash to leave. She got ready and came to Khushi's room.

"Khushi, I'm going to the temple. Are you coming with me?" Garima asked.

Khushi's eyes sparkled. She nodded no hurriedly. She was happy as she got a chance what she had been waiting for.

"Will you be alone at home?" Garima asked.

Khushi nodded yes.

"Breakfast is on the table. Please come and eat it"

Khushi nodded ok and went to the dining table. She knew Gaima would not leave the house until she ate. She started eating silently, giving Garima relief.

"I will be back soon," Garima said smiling.

Khushi nodded again. Garima left GH. Khushi made sure of it. She got ready hurriedly. Wearing a decent dress, she looked at the mirror and smiled with satisfaction. Taking her file, she left GH. Even though she knew no job could be gotten in the way she was thinking. She wanted to give it a try.

To be continued...