PART-56

‘’Is that what I am?’’Khushi asked curiously.

‘’No,girlfriend is quite staid to describe what you really mean to me,but  its better to goss over romantic details for others.’’ASR breathed against khushi’s cheek.

‘’I’ve to go.’’Khushi sighed pulling away from him.

‘’Where?’’ASR asked,trading his hold on her waist for one hand.

‘’Italian embassy.I need to get some papers regarding the bail of those mariners.’’Khushi explained.

‘’Don’t go!I’ll send Rahul to fetch it.’’ASR whispered giving her a peck  on her cheek.

As much as she wanted to stay,khushi knew Lavanya and other were waiting for her.So,she tried to be artful.

‘’Tempting but no!In fact,I’m shocked  at your disposition A.C.P. Arnav Singh Raizada.Isn’t abdication a punishable crime?’’

ASR rolled his eyes,Khushi can be quite theatrical if she wishes to.

‘’Ok,my little tigeress,you may go.But come back soon.I’ll be waiting.’’

‘’Sure.’’Khushi said and bit her lips.She hated lying to him,but she  was not a fool to think that he would ever approve of the way they were going to take to cure buaji’s annoying obsession to get khushi married to Shyam.

She bade him goodbye and rushed to the Parking lot where Akash and Aman were waiting for her in their SUV.

‘’What took you so long?’’Aman queried,making khushi blush.

‘’That’s not of importance!Let’s make haste.We’ve to reach the place before Lavanya arrives with buaji.’’Akash intervened,saving khushi from answering.Apparently he had a clear idea of the reason of the delay in khushi’s arrival by looking at her red face.

‘’Buaji,this is our family guru,baba ‘Kailash nath’.’’Lavanya gushed,bowing her head as if in obeisance.

‘’Baba ji pranam!’’Buaji folded both her hands.

‘’May the Almighty shower his choicest blessings on you my child.’’The baba raised his hand.

Kailash nath sat on the sofa flanked by his disciple.He wore a long,saffron cloak and several necklaces of ‘Rudraksh’ hung from his neck.His hair was an entanglement of grey and a long ‘tika’ of vermillion adorned his forehead,denoting spirituality.

‘’Baba, please deliver me from my worries.I’ve to nieces,Payal and Khushi  and I’m anxious about their future,especiall that if khushi!She is a S.T.F. officer and spends her entire day running behind all sorts of low lives of the society.I’ve more than often tried to convince her to table her resignation,but she never listens.She is quite jingoistic,you see!But,now I want her to settle down and I know a boy who is perfec t match for her but she doesn’t approve of him.Shyam babua is sucha well-mannered, cultured boy that I’m afraid that if she doesn’t agrees for the alliance soon, he’ll marry someone else!And I don’t want that to happen!I’ve been trying to persuade her lately, but my family,including her is of the opinion that I’m forcing her into this marriage.Babaji,please suggest something so that she agrees fro this.’’Buaji concluded her monologue,looking expectantly at Kailash nath who was sitting with his mouth hanging open.

Suddenly,he felt a jolt and immediately shut his mouth,realising that he everyone was expecting him to utter something.He felt lavanya’s glare and launched into action pronto,quoting the lines that he had been rehearsing for past two days.Somehow his throat was parched.

‘’My child,do not be so worried.I can see that you’ve been dwelling on the matter more than required,when you need not have done so!Prospects such as that of marriage are not in human hands but are that of subject of divinity!The omnipotent Almighty has a plan devised for each of his children and your niece is fulfilling hers.I’m sure that a learned and spiritual lady like yourself must have grown up hearing the maxim that ‘Matched are made in heaven’,then why are you so bothered?God must have made a match for your niece too and it won’t be long before she gets the one who is right for her.Don’t worry too much and don’t force her for marrying the boy you have chosen for her for its not you who’ll spend her entire life with him ,but khushi.So,her choice holds more prominence.One wrong decision can mar her life.So,don’t try to impose your will on her.

                                                                                                                                                                        As for her being S.T.F. officer...well,you should be proud that your niece is serving the nation.Very few have the courage to be selfless enough so as to serve their motherland and countrymen tirelessly without fearing for their safety!Such people are truly noble!So,don’t try to dissuade her.Remember that all our actions are counted in the courts of God and I’m sure you won’t want to suffer in hell for that awaits one if he is the cause of other’s ordeal!’’Kailash nath uttered in his mystical voice.

Buaji flinched at the thought of hell and crunched her eyes,folding her hands.

‘’No,babaji I don’t want hell!I’ll let khushi have the free rein and...’’But buaji never got to complete her sentence as at that moment some new entrants came in.

‘’See,they are here.’’Anjali enthused and came in smiling followed by Mamiji and Naniji.

Lavaya,Kailash Nath and his pupil exchanged a look of deepest horror,their breath constricted in their throats.All hell had broken lose....