Part 21 What Plan? (Long update)

I was driving my car towards Indira Nagar with a clouded mind. Rohan's assumption about Khushi's future plan disturbed me like hell. I felt a tug in my heart. I didn't think I could let her go. Not that, I didn't want her to go. I would have sent her if she had told me about her passion. But, she had no reason to share her passion with me. In which hope she would tell me about it? What did I do to get her TRUST? Nothing. I could not even defy my father when he shouted at me for making her cook for me. Then how did she think of getting my help?

My phone beeped with a message tone. Rohan sent me Preeto's address. Without wasting time, I geared my car up towards Preeto's house. I didn't want to delay in this matter.

I rang the calling bell of the home and waited. A girl opened the door. Her facial expression changed. She gulped down seeing me. I understood she knew who I was.

"Preeto?" I asked in a mild tone because I didn't want to make her panic.

She nodded yes with qualms.

"I'm Arnav Singh Raizada... Khushi's husband"

"Jee, I know" she stammered.

"Shall I come inside?"

Preeto gave me a space to enter. I took a seat not waiting for her to ask me to sit. She came and stood, looking at me fearfully. I gestured for her to sit. She sat in front of me hesitatingly. She was looking at me to know why I was there. Somewhat she should have understood I got to know Khushi's regular visit to her house.

"Did Khushi come here today too?" I asked.

She said gulping down.

"Actually, Khushi came to meet me..."

"Let me clear one thing, Preeto. I'm not here to blame you for anything. I'm here for Khushi. I want to make her happy but she doesn't like to open up with me because she doesn't trust me. She was not wrong though. I don't know how to make her trust me. To do that, I want to know about her. I knew nothing about her. She is a riddle to me. I don't know what was there in her life. I knew you knew everything about her more than her brother Akash knows. I would like to give her the life she wants. Please help us. I need your help." I requested her and saw relief in her face.

"I didn't help Khushi for my benefit... being her friend, I just am fulfilling her wishes"

Cutting her,

"What kind of wishes?" I asked softly.

"Actually, you won't believe it if I talk about her passion"

"I will try to believe it. Tell me,"

"Cooking is her passion. She would be happier when she cooks. It gives her an extreme level of happiness"

"What stops her from cooking? If she likes it, she can do it"

"Being a Princess, she could not do it simply. In fact, she was not allowed to do whatever she wished for"

"I didn't get you. Who stops her?"

"Mrs. Mithra Gupta... Her stepmother..."

"But why?"

"Khushi doesn't accept her... she doesn't call her Mom, just like Akash Bhai does. So, she hates Khushi"

"So?"

"So, she snatches every happiness from Khushi. Taking her Princess Title in her favour, she didn't let Khushi do anything as per her wish. She wanted to make Khushi cry. She tried to make Khushi cry but Khushi took an oath not to cry for ANYTHING. She is still maintaining it. She never cries for anything"

Yeah, I saw her being rigid many times.

"Being a Princess, how did Khushi become interested in cooking?"

"It's because of her mother. When we were studying the eighth standard, a competition was held in our school, COOK WITHOUT FIRE. Khushi's mother taught her malai cake making. Khushi won first prize in the competition. She won the competition for the next year too. She liked cooking and her mother taught her cooking. After her mother's demise, she didn't participate in the competition. She was not allowed to... only because she likes cooking. But, she could not stop cooking because becoming a great Chef is her goal. She comes to my home only to cook. Nothing more than that,"

"That's why she wants to go to London to participate in the Heaven's Kitchen program?" I asked, and Preeto was stunned.

"Why do I think she has another plan also? If she had not had another plan, she would have thought of telling us about her London trip but she doesn't. I know you know the reason. what's that? Please tell me, Preeto"

"She not only goes to London for the program. She had no idea of returning back to India"

My fear came true.

"Khushi wants to live a simple life. she hates Royal life. She wants to be a Queen of Cooking more than a Princess. According to her, Royal life is a..."

Cutting her,

"Cage... right?"

Preeto looked at me stunningly without answering. I didn't want her to answer. Her expression was enough for me to understand.

"Why did Mrs. Mithra want me to marry Khushi? Did Khushi say anything regarding it?"

I saw nervousness on Preeto's face.

"No matter how hard the truth would be... please tell me," I asked.

"I already told you... she doesn't want Khushi to be happy," Preeto said in a low tone.

I was taken aback. Did she want me to marry Khushi because she didn't want Khushi to be happy? What did that mean? In which sense Mrs. Mithra thought Khushi would not be happy with me?

"So?" I looked at Preeto Sharply.

"You are so fond of your family"

"So?"

"If you get separated from your family, you would get angry..."

I raised my brows.

"Your anger would turn towards Khushi who is the reason for your separation..."

I gulped down hard. How cunningly Mrs. Mithra trapped me in her web...!

"If you are angry with her, you won't think of giving a chance to your relationship... even though YOU ARE READY she didn't want Khushi to get the BIGGEST happiness of her life... COOKING. That was why she kept a CONDITION that Khushi should not cook after her marriage"

I had all my doubts cleared. From the beginning, Mrs. Mithra moved all the coins only to stop Khushi from getting her happiness. What kind of woman she was? Just because Khushi didn't accept her as her mother, not calling her Mom, would she go to this extent to torture her? Then how would Khushi think of respecting her? In fact, she didn't have to respect such a woman...!

I looked at Preeto firmly.

"Could you do me a favor, Preeto?"

Preeto nodded yes.

"Don't say anything to Khushi about our meeting"

She looked at me hesitatingly.

"Give me a few days' time... please" I requested.

"Do you want me to stop her from coming here?" She asked gulping down.

"No... please don't do that. Just behave normally but please don't say anything to her... this is the chance I have to prove myself"

Preeto SMILED.

"Shall I allow her to cook?"

"You can... but, very soon, she will stop coming here to COOK but only to MEET you" I smiled.

Preeto's smile broadened.

I removed my card and extended it to Preeto.

"Keep it. You can call me if you need any help"

Preeto nodded ok and took the card.

"Thank you for making Khushi happy," I said.

"Thank you for the effort you are putting to mend things between you and Khushi. I'm glad at least you understand her" Preeto said. I saw HOPE in her eyes.

"She is my wife, after all..." I didn't say anything more than that.

I stood up and walked towards the door. I stopped hearing Preeto calling me. I turned towards her.

"Bhai, Dolly is Mrs. Gupta's spy..." she said.

"I already guessed it," I said and Preeto was not surprised. I left Preeto's place.

I drove towards Mini Palace thinking about what to do. Khushi was planning to go to London and she had no idea to returning back to India. She was going to do that without my knowledge. Khushi didn't know about me. She didn't trust me. She didn't have assurance in our relationship. She thought I could not help her. She was not wrong though. I had to build hope in her mind... very very immediately. I knew what should be done.

I reached the Mini Palace. I saw Khushi was getting her pedicure in the living room. She was leaning on the couch, closing her eyes, while soaking her legs in the hot water. Harini was sitting in front of her waiting to massage her legs. I ran my eyes and saw a few servants doing their work.

Without making noise, I came to Harini and gestured for her to leave the place. She stood up, looking at me perplexed. I again gestured for her while rolling up my shirt sleeves.

Harini stepped back and left the place. I took Khushi's leg from the hot water tub and kept it on my thigh. Taking a massage cream, I applied it to her leg. Khushi didn't find the difference in my palms because those were soft... Trust me... those were really soft. But, she found the difference when I started massaging her feet. She opened her eyes and was shocked to see me doing that. She tried to pull her leg from my clutch. But, she could not. How could she do that when I was clutching her leg?

"Arnav, what are you doing?" She asked looking at our surroundings.

"Massaging your leg... You know my Jeejaji always does this to Di" I smiled.

"Arnav, leave my leg. It's embarrassing"

"What's there to embarrassed? Let me do it"

"Someone will do it. You don't have to"

"I'm doing this to get a favor from you..."

Khushi frowned.

"Actually, I'm buttering you..."

"Buttering?" Khushi was confused.

"Yeah, I want you to cook biriyani for me. To get it from you, I'm ready to even hold your legs" I laughed.

I saw a shocking expression on her face. She nodded No hurriedly.

"Won't you do it for your poor husband, Khushi?"

Khushi ran her eyes on the servants restlessly.

That was when I heard,

"Kalyani will cook biriyani for you, Sir"

I looked at the person and it was undoubtedly Dolly.

Khushi tried to take her leg from the clutch.

"Khushi wait..." I said in a strict tone.

Khushi and Dolly looked at me perplexed, hearing my tone. I looked at Dolly.

"What did you say?"

"Kalyani is an expert in cooking biriyani..." her tone was low.

"Who is my wife? Khushi or Kalyani?" I asked gritting my teeth, making not only Dolly but also Khushi speechless.

To be continued...