Chapter 7 - Mannat

Mohan Kaka watches Arnav halting on his steps abruptly as he moves his head a bit away and shoves a peacock feathers blundle brought near his face to offer him blessings, he was highly annoyed with the person who dared to do that to him.
Mohan Kaka held him by his arm, helping him to walk away and whisper to him to calm down as it is a common practice in the dargah.
Meanwhile, Khushi finally got a message from Anjali informing her that she would be late, so Khushi didn't need to wait for her to pray inside the dargah. Khushi made a sad face while replying to Anjali's message with 'Okay Di. I'll be waiting for you after I'm done.'
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After praying inside the dargah, Mohan Kaka and Arnav headed towards a tree surrounded by grills with many mannat taalas (wish locks) tied to it through the thread. Mohan Kaka hesitantly showed two locks in his hands, gesturing Arnav to tie his lock, too. Arnav shook his head in no, gesturing him to go ahead and tie his lock.
He watched Mohan Kaka making his wish silently, pissed off by the people wandering around the tree and bumping into him every now and then to reach the tree in order to tie their mannat locks.
Khushi also reached there, struggling to find a space to walk through the crowd surrounding the tree. She finally found an empty spot, glaring at the man dressed in a black suit facing his back to her, who wasn't doing anything, just standing there like a lifeless body acting as an obstacle to the other people who really wanted to make wishes and tie their mannat locks.

Sighing and shaking her head, she held her mannat ka taala close to her heart as she closed her eyes, making her wish, "Khwaja ji aap ko pata hai (you know).. my life was going well with my Bhaiya and Aman. I was happy and surrounded by my dear ones, but then, I started to understand that not everything is as perfect as I had thought, my brother Shyam, he is facing financial difficulties due to which he's struggling to manage our household expenses and on top of it, Aman and his mother wanted to fix our marriage within six months. Bhaiya got worried when Aman and his mother fixed our marriage date, and this was the time he shared with me that he's facing problems in his business. He told me he needed some time, and it was then I decided to look for a job to help him. My friend Anjali helped me a lot in this, and I will always be grateful for her in my life. It's only because of her that I got the job as a personal assistant in AR. But the day I joined AR, my fairytale like life turned upside down because a Rakshas made his entry into my life. He literally threw hot coffee on my fiance's face..."
Arnav, who was hearing her outburst, had a quick flashback playing in his mind of the part where he threw coffee on an employee's face who was mocking him. Oh, so that dumbhead is her fiance. He thought to himself.
"And he is so rude and arrogant. He scolds me a lot for every tiny mistake of mine. Okay, sometimes he's right, and I'm the one who is wrong.. but he's still a Rakshas. Do you know why? Because I found out that he made a deal with his sister when he got to know that I got this job because of Anjali. Yes, unfortunately, my best friend Anjali is that Rakshas sister. And he doesn't want her to be friends with me because I'm a middle-class girl, so he asked her to choose between saving my job or our friendship. Anjali di is a very good, beautiful and selfless soul, she agreed to cut off ties with me so she could save my job because she loves me a lot, she can't bear to see me helpless again. But I'm not that selfish in life that I will choose to save my job and break my precious friendship with Di. Especially after the sacrifice she made for me, I never want to lose a friend like her in my life. This is why today I'm going to hand my resignation letter to that Rakshas and show it to him that he lost the stupid deal of his. He will never be able to break our friendship. And that also means, I'll lose my job and I need to find another one very soon to help Bhaiya. That's why I'm here to make this wish.. I wish to find another good job very soon, I wish my brother's business to run well without any problems and my friendship with Di to remain this strong always!"
After making her wish, she tied her lock with the help of a thread when her phone started ringing. With people walking here and there and bumping into her, while she tried to take the phone out of her purse to pick it up, she didn't realise when her mannat keys slipped out of her hand as she hurriedly tried to find a way out of the crowded place to attend the phone in a quieter place.
Arnav picked up her keys as he walked to her mannat lock and used the keys to unlock it making Mohan Kaka who was watching his every move gasp in shock, as he rushed to Arnav to stop him from doing that, "Ye kya kar rahe ho Arnav beta? You just can't unlock someone else's mannat taala!"
"Aren't we supposed to unlock them when the wish we make is fulfilled?" he asked.
Mohan Kaka nodded his head.
"Toh fir ye hi samjho ki uski mannat puri ho chuki hai (Then understand that her wish has been fulfilled)," he said holding Khushi's mannat lock and key in his hand.
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Khushi rushed to Anjali who reached at the dargah and was calling her when she was locking her mannat lock, she hugged Anjali tightly and emotionally, scolding her, "Never do this again, sunna aapne! Never sacrifice our friendship for such stupid deals. How did you even think I'll be happy working for the person responsible for breaking our friendship in life? I can survive without this job, but not without our friendship in my life. You are very precious to me Di. You're not just my friend, but I see you as my elder sister. Don't ever dare to even think of leaving me again, okay?"
Anjali listened to her scoldings with tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry.. I'm really sorry meri jaan, meri Khushi. I also didn't want to distance myself from you but then I thought.."
"You thought that job is more important to me than you," Khushi broke the hug, cutely glaring at Anjali, who held her ears smiling emotionally at her and whispering sorry again.
Khushi couldn't fake her anger as she melted by Anjali's act, her lips broke into a smile and she was about to pull Anjali into another tight hug when her eyes fell on her boss, ASR standing behind Anjali with his usual expressionless look.
Her eyes filled with anger as she clenched her fist, "You.."

Anjali turned behind to see with whom Khushi was talking suddenly, her eyes widened as she gulped when she her brother standing there. But somehow she managed to calm herself down when she noticed Mohan Kaka standing behind Arnav. If Mohan Kaka is here, then he will manage to control Arnav if things go out of hand.
"So you came following us here too," Khushi walked forward to face Arnav angrily, "It's good that you're here.. because now I won't have to talk with you respectfully as you're not my boss neither I'm your personal assistant here."
Arnav didn't utter a word as he kept gazing intently at her. Khushi furrowed her brows as she continued, "What do you think of yourself ahn? You think you will be able to separate me from Anjali di with your stupid deal.. you think I value that job and money more than my friendship with Di. Then you're very wrong Mr. Whatever (Arnav smirked).. because I will always sacrifice 100 such jobs in a blink of an eye if it represents a threat to my relationships. Samjhe aap? (Understood?). And you won't take Di away from me, because I've decided that I will resign from this job.. that means I want to continue my friendship with Di."
Khushi folded her arms across her chest after announcing her decision proudly. She waited for his reaction, but this man is certainly not a human, but a machine as he still refused to open his mouth or show any expressions on his face. It was only few seconds later that he extended his fist and opened it to reveal her mannat lock and keys.
He raised his brows, glancing at his hand, then at her, "It's yours. Take it."
Khushi's mouth open in "O" shape at this man's audacity, "What do you mean by it's mine? You unlocked my mannat ka taala too. Hadh hoti hai.. aap sach mein ek Rakshas hi hai (there's a limit.. you're really a monster)."
Mohan Kaka shook his head, realising Khushi was misunderstanding Arnav. Now he understood that it was Khushi's mannat lock that Arnav had unlocked before.
Reading Mohan Kaka's expression, Anjali rushed to Khushi, holding her by her arm and shaking her head in 'no' so that Khushi stops blabbering whatever was coming out of her mouth and worsen this situation.
"But Di.. he unlocked my-"
"Shh," Anjali stared at her sternly, gesturing her to keep quiet.
Khushi pouted, she looked back at Arnav glaring at him as she took her belongings from his hand.
"I will cut your salary this month for being late today Miss GUPTA," Arnav said as he left from there, walking to his car.

Khushi frowned confused, "Is he mad or what? Didn't he hear me saying that I'm going to resign from this job?"
Mohan Kaka approached them as he curiously asked to Khushi, "What did you ask for when you were making a wish bitiya?"
"I wished that I find another good job soon, for Bhaiya's business to do good and for my friendship with Di to remain like this always," Khushi replied with a small frown adorned on her forehead, "Now because of that Rakshas.. I'll have to make a wish again."
"It's not needed," Mohan Kaka smiled, "Arnav beta already fulfilled your wish. You can continue with your work in AR, he won't stop Anjali bitiya from meeting you now."
"Kya matlab Kaka? What made him change his mind?" Anjali asked confused.
"That I don't know.. but when he unlocked Khushi bitiya's mannat lock, he said her wish has been fulfilled," Mohan said.
Khushi blinked her eyes, not believing what she heard, "Sacchi? (Really?)"
Mohan Kaka nodded his head in affirmative.
"But," she gulped thinking something, "No no.. still I will submit my resignation letter.. I don't trust this man at all.. Who knows what's cooking in his mind? He might be planning his revenge on me.. I can't take this risk."
"Khushi bitiya.. my Arnav beta is not the monster you think he is.." Mohan said hurt, "It's quite tough to find good job nowadays and your wedding date is nearing, if he's giving you this chance.. then I think you should accept it. But the final decision is upto you only."
"Haan Khushi.. if Mohan Kaka is saying right, then I think you should reconsider your decision now. You don't have much time now to find another job," Anjali said concernedly.
Khushi bit her nails, staring at the mannat lock and key in her hands.
"Accha main chalta hu (I'll get going now).. Arnav beta is waiting for me. Think properly before you take a decision Khushi bitiya," Mohan Kaka said as he hurriedly left from there too.
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While Arnav was driving, Mohan Kaka was thinking how to start the conversation with him regarding the deal he made with Anjali.
Arnav noticed his hesitation, as he glanced at Mohan Kaka and asked, "Do you want to say something?"
Mohan Kaka nodded his head, "It's about what Khushi bitiya was saying in the dargah.. did you really ask Anjali bitiya to choose if she wanted to save Khushi bitiya's job or her friendship with Khushi bitiya?"
Arnav nodded, "Haan."
Mohan Kaka gulped. His Arnav beta has really changed. Maybe Khushi was right in her own way when she called him Rakshas, but he couldn't bring himself to accept this reality. He still looks at Arnav as if he's that 5 year old little and innocent boy who couldn't live without him. And he still believes there's goodness in his Arnav's beta, it's just he didn't have a normal childhood like others kids, that's why he has changed. He's not a Rakshas, he will never be a Rakshas in his eyes.
"Then what made you change your mind beta?" Mohan Kaka asked. There's more to this deal than it looked like.
"This was kind of a test for Miss Gupta and she passed," Arnav replied.
Mohan Kaka looked at him confused, "Test?"
"Hmm.. when Di told me that Miss Gupta got this job on her recommendation and not on her merits. I wanted to know if Miss Gupta is a trustworthy person or not. I wanted to check if she's just using Di to get what she wants done, or if this is indeed a true friendship. By submitting the resignation letter, she would prove it to me that she values their friendship more than money," Arnav explained his plan.
Mohan Kaka smiled relieved, he was recording everything Arnav said and sent it to Anjali's number discreetly.
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Anjali played the recording in front of Khushi. They were shocked to know this was a part of Arnav's plan when they first heard it.
But when Anjali replayed the second time to register it properly, Khushi didn't felt offended that he thought she was using Anjali to get her things done, she just smile faintly as realisation dawned upon her, "Di.."
Anjali shifted her attention from her phone to Khushi questioningly.
"He cares for you.. your brother.. he did this because he cares for you.. he's not interested in me.. he just wanted to make sure you're friends with the right person.. he wanted to know if I'm behind your money or I'm a true friend of yours," Khushi said.
Anjali smiled a little, she was still not sure if this is true or not. It's really hard to believe the person who acts like she doesn't exist in their house, actually did this because he cares for her.
Khushi pouted as she suddenly remembered Arnav was the man in black suit standing in front of her, facing his back to her. He was hearing everything she was saying when she was making a wish. She looked at her mannat lock and keys for the umpteenth time, this time with a small smile playing on her lips, "Genie kahike!"

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