Chapter 19

Letters and kisses

Dearest Dev,

Isn’t that an alliteration? Never mind! How are you? I hope that you are fine. Isn’t that sounding bookish? What is the benefit of scoring 89 in English when I am not even able to  write a letter to my best friend properly. Damn this education system!

I am writing this letter to you to wish you a very happy 20th  birthday! I am not with you wherever you are but Devi maiyya ki kasam,  in my mind I am with you  wherever you are .

May all your teardrops turn into rains in which we can dance, phir se.

May all the flowers in your garden turn into roses which you can put on my hair, phir se.

May all those sums in your notebooks turn into poems so I can read them forhours and hours tirelessly, phir se.

May your phone’s settings go all haphazard and change it's location to where I am, so that I can come close to you, phir se and forever!

Lots of wishes dipped in sugar free chocolate for you !

Your best friend,

Khushi Devi Upadhyay (Don’t you dare call me Sankadevi).

Arnav held the letter tightly in his hands and closed his eyes. He had found dozens of these poetic letters in Khushi's  cupboards along with their childhood photos.

“I wrote these when I was 17.” Khushi entered the room. "I knew they must be with you! You hid all the photos that day right!” she sat beside him on the floor.

Arnav nodded. " These are beautiful!”

“Shut up! I know you better, you disliked poems and you just don’t understand them!  One mad matrix mind you are!” Khushi smiled while Arnav chuckled.

“I was quite sad that day. My twelfth standard results were out but I had no one to share my happiness with. I was in boarding at Bareilly at that time. Then I remembered it was your birthday too, so I wrote this all down. The same year Maa brought me back here to manage the temple authorities. Then I stopped writing these, I thought truly you were no more. I had no address to send these to!” Khushi said gripping the yellowish almost tarnished paper in her hands. Her eyes had started welling up. “I am so glad I have you back with me, I love you!”she kept her head on his shoulder and drifted asleep.

Arnav remembered what happened earlier that day in the hotel...

*****************

“Who are you ?”

“Any guesses?”Arnav came forward.

“No! You can't be him! The whole city knows that he is dead!” she closed her eyes and turned away.

“Who is dead?” he came further forward.

“Dev kashyap is dead! You can't be him! No one can take his place in this world in my life! No one!" She stared him in his eyes.

“True ! Dev kashyap doesn't exist anymore, Arnav singh raizada does!” he said looking into her eyes, cupping her cheeks with his hands.
" I came back for you, Khushi. Please don’t disappoint me with this rejection. It was very difficult to keep my foot in this city where my parents were...”

“Your parents?” Khushi asked looking up to him.

“They were framed Khushi. They were innocent, I know that!  I  can't let you remain here Khushi! They might not spare you! People are just killing everyone I love! I lost everything, I can't lose you! Khushi, please come with me…” he held her hands solemnly.

Khushi‘s heart had melted the moment she heard that Arnav was only her Dev. No wonder she was helpless against his charms. She easily moulded herself into his arms.

“  You are Dev! I knew it! You must have  been innocent! Ma must have had some misunderstanding. I am sure my  Ma shall understand. Tell her who you are...”

Arnav's eyes widened in tension. What if his plans backfire as Khushi reveal his identity to  Indrani? He had to stop Khushi from doing so. He couldn't get Indrani to recite her crimes as a parrot in front of the crowd if she comes to know his reality.

“By doing so you shall be putting my life in danger! The people of this city still see Dev Kashyap as the son of the crook ex – Mahant.”

“But that’s not true! Your father was innocent as you believe it. And I believe you!”

“I know that! You believe my words, but the world doesn't. Not yet at least! I need to re- establish  my parents’ innocence. And expose the real culprits!”

She kept her hand on his shoulder. He tried hard to keep his tears from flowing but it seemed like the most difficult  task at the moment.

“You know, the truth is the most powerful thing in the world! How much ever might people try to  hide it, it eventually comes out with such force greater than a nuclear bomb!” she smiled to him and he smiled back. This nuclear bomb explanation belonged to him. So was the girl in front of him.

“And why should I fear when my Khushi is here?” he repeated her childhood dialogue.

She gave out a loud giggle at that.

Arnav inched nearer and joined their foreheads. He closed his eyes to absorb the moment. Suddenly, he was shocked when Khushi suddenly joined their lips together. His eyes opened wide only to see Khushi to have closed her eyes completely, clutching the collar of his shirt tightly. In the whole wide world he had never expected his innocent little Khushi to take the first step towards him.

She opened her eyes and gasped. “Do you know how to kiss?”

“Huh?”

“Do you know how to kiss?”

“I won't call myself an expert. I am a normie, I guess. “ he said confused. Why was she asking this?

“Hmm I don’t even know how to kiss! Well, I am happy you are my first kiss!”she said ecstatically. “I have only read and wrote about it
! I find the concept of kissing  itself very exciting! Do you too?”

Arnav gaped at her in awe. What is this girl? She trusted him so easily! She trusted him enough to let her first kiss be with  him. He hadn't kissed many women. He had only been in one night stands till yet. So he had not been kissed very often. Also he felt it was a very emotional concept, not only physical!

He nodded in negative .

“Oh!" Khushi's  face fell .

“But I wouldn’t mind kissing my wife.” he smirked and pulled her close to him.

“But first you need to reply. Wife or not?”

“Of course, Dev!" she blushed .

“Not Dev! I would prefer you call me Arnav!”

“But why? No one is here! Don’t be such a laad governer!”

“I told you right, don’t! It reminds me of my parents and whatever happened with them.” He frowned.

She kissed him again making him smile.
"Okay, Arnav!"

*************

The next morning as soon as Khushi woke up, she got ready to talk to Indrani about Shyam.

She came down the stairs and saw Indrani in the corridor, arranging for Shyam and Khushi’s engagement which was going to happen on this day.

“Ma I wanted to talk to you.” Khushi said hesitatingly.

Manorama was about to taunt her when Indrani stopped her from doing so.

“Say, Khushi! What do you want to tell me?" she said calmly.

“Maa, I can't marry Shayam ji!" she closed her eyes and said fast fearing Indrani’s temper.

“What!” Manorama exclaimed. "Why? What is the problem in him? Or should I ask is there a problem in you? Yes, you! You spent a night with  Raizada ji right?”she taunted Khushi who was staring the ground.

Indrani  glared at  Manorama, ordering  her to stop.

“I need a reason, Khushi.” Indrani said coldly.

“ Ma, when Shyam ji touches me I don’t feel nicem I feel very dirty like if I am lying in a pool of mud. I feel like wiping off his touch from my body and shower a hundred times!" she said disgusted thinking about him.

This was true. Khushi didn’t like how Shyam touched her. She felt like he was the practical of the bad touch explanation given in schools. Whereas Arnav’s touch was the best example of good touch!