The Times of India
Pg 1
18/8/2011
Delhi
The Recent Inspection in Delhi’s one
of the most trusted and famous hospital - ‘Blue Cross Hospital’ has shaken the
entire nation with its shocking revelations. It has been revealed that behind
the closed doors of the hospital illegal organ trade was carried out by a group
of senior surgeons. On further investigation, the CBI found that many of the
junior staff were also involved and they were mainly given the duty of looking
for helpless and financially stricken patients!………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….......
xxx
Khushi ran down the stairs as fast as her legs could
carry her. Finally reaching the door of her house she walked in and locked the
door quickly. Breathing heavily she looked around the empty house and found a
note on the center table. Her limbs trembled as she walked towards the table
and picked the note up with still shivering hands which read –
Gone to Ratna’s house. Will be back
in an hour. Lunch on the dining table. Have it in case I’m late.
- Amma
Khushi sighed relieved that her mother wasn’t at home.
Had she seen Khushi in that condition, she would surely get suspicious and
question her and Khushi at the moment wasn’t in the state to answer those
questions.
Khushi kept her palm on her heart and tried to take a few
deep breathes and calm herself down. She slowly walked towards her room,
latched the door and leaned on it closing her eyes. She just stood still for a
couple of minutes and then her back slid down the door as she sat down with a
thud. And all of a sudden, she broke into loud sobs. She sobbed uncontrollably
hiccuping in between with her face in her palms.
xxx
NK was shocked when he saw Khushi sprinting downstairs
from his apartment. He tried to call her but she didn’t listen and ran away as
if someone was following her.
As he walked inside his apartment, he found his cousin,
Arnav Singh Raizada standing a little away from the door looking dazed. Arnav
was looking at his direction but not at him.
NK was utterly confused.
He just saw Khushi running out of his apartment and now
his friend was looking so disoriented .
‘Arnav’ he called, but his friend didn’t reply but just
stood there.
‘Arnav bro’ he called a bit louder and that’s when Arnav
came out of his reveries.
‘Uhh…Huh! NK, you’ve come back’ Arnav said still feeling
a bit befuddled.
‘Erm yeah…’NK said uncertainly. He for some reason felt
as if something had happened here. Something not very good.
‘Arnav’ NK spoke again. ‘I just saw Khushi running out of
the house…I mean…what happened?’
‘Khushi ?’ Arnav asked.
‘Yup Khushi! Shashi Uncle’s daughter…You know na! I’ve told you about her so many
times! In fact remember, when we were in college, once you, Ratna Chachi and Amar Chachu came here to visit us and you met Khushi, though she was
very young back then and….
NK kept on speaking but Arnav had stilled right there.
It was Khushi!
Khushi , yes he still remembers…
Arnav and NK were
chilling in NK’s room, eating popcorn and playing Video Games. They heard the
doorbell ring and then the sound of some commotion in the living room. They
were still busy playing, when the door of the room suddenly burst open a lanky
girl in a yellow top and pink skirt stood there grinning widely at NK.
‘NK Bhai!’ she
squealed happily and much to Arnav’s surprise, NK got up from the couch ,
walked to the girl and hugged her.
The girl too
jumped up and hugged him fiercely.
‘How’s my baby?’
NK smiled ruffling the girl’s hair.
‘Arre! I’m toh
masst!’ khushi grinned.
To say Arnav was
shocked would be an understatement. Arnav had known NK since childhood and he
knew that NK always got uncomfortable with girls…but the way NK behaved with
this girl was certainly shocking.
Arnav saw the
two chatting like long lost buddies and they did not even seem to realize that
another person was actually there in that room.
Arnav got up
from the sofa and cleared his throat to get their attention and that’s when the
two of them looked at him.
The girl looked
straight into his eyes and he was speechless for a moment. He eyes were strikingly
beautiful. Arnav just watched her but then he realized he was staring at the
little girl when he saw her cheeks reddening.
What the hell was he doing?
Arnav tore his
gaze way as he heard NK speak.
‘Hey Bro! This
is Khushi! She’s my mooh-boli Sister. You know like, Sister from another mother!
And Khushi , he’s my cousin , the one I always talk about’ NK chuckled.
Arnav nodded and
looked at Khushi who was trying to hide behind NK.
Khushi was a bit
of a reserved and shy child and so she looked at the tall ‘Bhayyia’ who was now looking at her curiously.
Was she supposed
to say something him? She thought.
‘Ermm…hi I’m
Khushi. Khushi Gupta’ she said timidly and looked up in his eyes again.
Arnav as a young boy was a very haughty and not-so-friendly-with-kids kind of a guy. So he
just nodded without replying and then plopped back on the sofa.
Khushi though
was timid with strangers, but she too had an ego. A Big Fat Ego!
She just
introduced herself to him and he didn’t even reply? Wasn’t he supposed to introduce
himself as well? Huh! Sadoo Bhaiyya.
So what if she was just 11 years old and he was…erm...NK Bhai had said his cousin
is of the same age as him and NK bhai is 18 so…the Sadoo Bhayyia is 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 ! yeah 7 years older than her. But so what??
Khushi fumed inwardly.
Arnav turned towards
NK. ‘Shall we continue with our game NK?’ he asked.
‘Yeah Sure!’ Nk
smiled.
‘Bhai, I also
wanna play! Can I?’ Khushi poked NK.
‘Why not?’ NK
shrugged. ‘Come on!’ Nk said as he held her hand and walked towards the TV.
‘What the hell
NK , how can she play with us? She’s a…girl…and that too a…kid! I’m sure she
doesn’t even know how to play video games.
Khushi stopped
and looked at him with an angry glare. If only looks could kill, Arnav would have
been murdered by an 12 year old kid!
‘Arre Arnav ,
you have no idea how good she is!’ NK spoke as he inserted another cassette in
the video game box.
Arnav rolled his
eyes. Of course NK was lying so that the this little ‘Baby’ doesn’t feel bad
otherwise she would start crying…Arghh ! Baby girls! Arnav cringed.
Though NK had
been busy fitting the cassette, but Khushi had caught that expression on Arnav’s
face and now she was determined to show that Sadoo Bhayyia , what she actually
was.
Khushi then
stood in front of Arnav with her hand on her hips and said – ‘You Bhayyia.’ She
now pointed her finger at him. Arnav raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in
demeanor of the ‘little matchstick looking girl’ and she continued.
‘I, Khushi
Kumari Gupta challenge you to defeat me in a game of duck-hunt!’ Khushi said in
a serious and confident tone, but Arnav who was looking at her incredulously
burst out in fits of laughter.
‘You?’ he said
while laughing continuously, ‘You will beat me in this game? Size dekha hai
apna?'
Arnav was very
very confident.
Duck Hunt was a
game that no one till now had been able to beat him in..so what was this chit
of a girl ?
Arnav kept
laughing but the expression on Khushi’s face didn’t change an inch. In fact she
was now more determined than ever to beat Arnav in the game.
NK , who was now
done , looked at the two in astonishment.
He was about to
say something, but Khushi gestured him to keep quiet and he happily obliged excited
to see this little war. Arnav had no idea what this little bombshell was, NK
grinned inwardly.
Old Video Gaming Console
As the game
started , Arnav smirked at Khushi – ‘Ladies First!’ to which Khushi innocently
replied ‘But I’m not a lady Bhayyia , I’m a kid , so you go first!’
Arnav’s smirked again
– ‘Why? Scared? Bu if I remember you were the one who challenged me you
liliput? Next time, compete with someone of your size’ he laughed arrogantly before
taking the gun in his hand and aiming it at the TV screen.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8…..
Arnav kept on
shooting the birds one after another missing a very few. But the score he made was
fantastic and unbeatable according to him.
He then turned
at Khushi who looked at the score wide-eyed. He smirked.
‘Your turn baby’
he mocked and handed the gun to Khushi.
Khushi closed
her eyes and took a deep breath and then she started her game.
Hit!
Hit!
Hit!
Hit!
Hit!
Duck Hunt
Khushi kept
shooting without missing a single duck and at last when the round ended , she
head a whistle. She turned to see NK smiling widely and then clapping for her.
She turned back
towards the TV screen and beamed proudly seeing the score.
SHE HAD BEATEN
HIM , THAT OVERCONFIDENT SADOO BHAYYIA !
She bent and
placed the gun on the table and then finally looked at Arnav who looked
STUMPED. Now it was her turn to smirk.
Khushi walked
towards him , but he still wasn’t out of the ‘Trauma’ he just went through.
And then Khushi
Kumari Gupta did the unimaginable - She pulled Arnav’s cheeks and spoke – ‘Next
time try playing with someone of your SIZE haan! Maybe you’ll win then!’
Saying that
Khushi walked towards the door of the room.
Bye NK Bhai! See
you! Had a great time here!’ She said before exiting the room with her head
held high.
Arnav couldn’t forget that. For Arnav, who was used too
much used to victory , that incident was a reality check.
As the memory came flooding back in his mind , with that
came a disastrous realization.
That Girl , who he had forcefully kissed and would have
done a lot more if she hadn’t pushed him away, wasn’t a harlot but Khushi.
Fuck !
Fuck !
Fuck !
Fuck !
That is why she looked so…so innocent!
God ! What had he done ? How could he?
As the flashes of the kiss came back in his mind , he
remembered her clothes. She was wearing a normal top and pajama. Hell she didn’t
even look like a Call girl !
How had he not realized that? Shit !
How could he behave so impulsively?
He then remembered the look on her face when she had
pushed him away. The sheen of tears in her eyes. What a horrendous experience
must it have been for her!
He had screwed up big time ! And very badly this time….
But what could he do now ?
He was nothing but a useless person who could only create
problems….for himself , for others!
NK who had stopped talking long back was observing his
cousin. His reaction at the mention of Khushi.
Khushi had come to his apartment he knew and he wasn’t
there at that time , so she must have met Arnav. But what happened between them
? Had they fought for some reason ? But after so many years , they must have
practically been strangers! Why would they fight? But then what was it ?
And at the moment , the only person who could answer
these questions was the person standing there looking lost.
NK walked to Arnav and shook him by his shoulders.
‘Bro , what is it? Tell me what happened? Why did Khushi…’
But before he could have continued , Arnav just brushed
his hands off himself and stormed into his room leaving back a totally clueless
NK behind.
xxx
Khushi had eventually fallen asleep while crying….
But even as she slept , she wept.
‘Jiji ! Please
come back, I want to talk to you. Just to you. Please Jiji come back to me. I
need you. Jiji....Jiji!!’
-_-_-_-
Author's Note - Okay , i know this chapter was quite boring , and might have seemed like a filler chapter but then some of the facts provided in this chapter were necessary for the future of the story.
And also i'm extremely sorry for the delay. Loads of assignments and projects..*sigh*
