OUR HEARTBEATS BECOME ONE!

CHAPTER 9

Payal stepped back in shock ! "How?..... How do you know him?"she asked.

"Just answer my question damnit !! Is she with him now?? TELL ME!!!" he screamed!

Payal 's expression changed from shocked to confused. What was he talking about? Did he not know?

She looked at him suspiciously .....and then," What?......WHAT DID YOU TELL HER? WHAT DID YOU ASK HER?" She shook him several times when she got no response. Payal turned hysterical. She began pacing and mumbling incoherently, frustrating and confusing Arnav!

Meanwhile buaji held her head as she exclaimed," Hai re Nandkishore! " She slumped down on the sofa as it hit her as to what might have happened. Arnav turned his attention to her. He decided to sober down a bit in order to get his answers. Swallowing his anger he went to buaji and sat down in front of her and asked her,"Please tell me? "

Buaji looked at his face and somehow decided he had to know....she began reciting the scary and psychotic love story of her sanka devi ....

That fateful day Khushi had come back home shaking! Her face was pale as a ghost and drained of blood. The moment she entered her amma rushed to her to hear her news! But she got a shock looking at her daughters condition! She shook her and demanded answers....praying that nothing bad had befallen her child! Hearing her mother's wails Payal had come rushing out and had stood stock still on seeing Khushi! Her clothes were dirty ,her face pale and her eyes......her eyes had lost their sheen......they were distant.

"Khushi...." She had whispered making Khushi look up for the first time. Recognition dawned and she ran into the safety of her sister's arms. She cried the entire night and stayed in Payal's arms. In between her sobs , she managed to tell them about what had happened! Her amma's eyes showed fear and her sister's showed anger! She snuggled closer to Payal, who comforted her telling her it was alright. That it was possibly some roadside hooligan seeking to harass a lonely girl. She asked Khushi never to go out alone again.....she was to assure that she had company with her always!

Khushi had nodded accepting , and sobbing harder.

She wanted to badly believe her sister's words, but those eyes kept haunting her! She stayed awake the entire night.....

A week after the incident, when things had somewhat settled down, Khushi's friends called home and asked her bauji to send her with them to the fair in their town! Hoping to lighten his child's mood and freshen her mind her bauji agreed, but only after issuing strict orders to her friends to keep her with them throughout!

Entering the fair bought back Khushi's enthusiasm.....her fear forgotten she enjoyed the rides and shows with her friends.

One of her friends, Shaila , had spotted a fortune teller's tent and insisted that they must visit her! The party had entered the tent to see a middle aged woman with horn rimmed spectacles, sitting behind a desk, covered with a red shawl. On her desk sat a crystal ball and her tarot cards. The scene looked like one out of a scary movie and the girl's felt eerie!

They each had their fortunes told , studies, work, and love.....except Khushi, who was shy to discuss these matters in front of her friends! But listening to her friends futures she badly wanted to know her own. This didn't go unnoticed by the woman who had taken instinctive interest in Khushi. So when the rest had finished their queries and were about to leave she asked Khushi to sit back for a few moments. Khushi was indecisive and her friends were bound by buaji's words! They were in a dilemma. Khushi wanted to stay hoping to find out more about her future . The look on her face was a clear message to her friends.

Shaila made the decision and told her that they would wait outside the tent for her.

Khushi smiled thankfully and sat down facing the woman. She began with her career and her well being, all of which seemed to go smoothly . Then she turned her attention to her love life and Khushi was apprehensive! She always wanted to fall in love but never knew how to go about choosing the right person. She didn't know that it was not her , but Faye's choice that came into play in these matters......

The woman began shuffling her cards and lay them down for Khushi to choose her pick. Khushi chose her cards and the woman turned them over. She pondered over them for quite a while, shook her head and gathered the cards and began shuffling them again! She lay them down again and again Khushi chose her pick, which met with the same fate! The woman continued the process for a few more times before letting out an exasperated sigh!

Meanwhile her friends were tired of waiting outside doing nothing. This was taking forever and there were so many things they had yet to do! They decided to while away their time at some of the food stalls nearby while waiting for Khushi. But them being Khushi's friends, got carried away and moved on from one stall to the other tasting the nitty grittiest of each and every delicacy the stalls had to offer! They were soon far away!

A while later Khushi came out of the tent, extremely disturbed. She was contemplating on what the woman had told her and unknowingly walked in the opposite direction, lost in thought!

"My child! I am truly confused! Your path to love......it's dark! It's unknown.....disasters await.....that I can't foresee! But...... It all ends beautifully! It's just that the path.....it's blocked....I am unable to see anything! I am sorry! But you be careful, very careful......" The words boomed in her ears. She walked aimlessly trying to make sense.......

BOOM!!!!

The notice brought Khushi back from her reverie just in time to notice that she was far away from the crowd! She panicked and tried to make her way back , but could not. Tears streamed down her face. The crowd had miraculously thickened and it had grown dark! She was scared, tired and confused. Suddenly she felt an arm around her wrist! She could not see the person but could make out the still oute of his back as he pulled her through the crowd. She was shocked, but gained her composure quickly and began screaming! But her sound was drowned in the Loud noise emanating from the speakers!

She was pulled into a corner illuminated by a single street lamp! Two strong arms pinned her to the wall and two intensely petrifying eyes sized her up under the lamp! They were the same eyes that had haunted her for so long! She was petrified. She tried to scream, but he cut her off by placing his palm over her mouth! She shivered from his touch! Her widened eyes moved from his arms to his eyes...the only visible part of his body .....and back. He took in every movement with his eyes. She read the amusement in them, and a chill ran down her spine.

"Khushi........" He whispered...... Making her retch!

Her friends remembered her and panicked. They ran back to the tent to find it empty. Deciding that she couldn't have gone far, they moved about in opposite directions searching for her, all the while screaming her name!

He leaned in ,and Khushi got a glimpse of his knitted brow and low forehead. She gulped ! He watched the movement. She tried to wriggle , only to be held more firmly by him.

"Khushi! Khushi!....." Came her friends sound! She sighed in relief and tried to shout, which came as a muffled sound.

"Shhhhhhh....." He whispered.

BOOM!!!

There was another explosion, Khushi shut her eyes....and opened them to find that he was gone. She gasped for breath. The fear gripped her, as she staggered out of there as fast as she could and bumped into her friends. She was broken. They were scared ...and ashamed of their carelessness! They took her home.

The eyes came back to haunt her, that day.....as it did on the present day....before she slipped into oblivion............ 

Arnav sat down shocked at the revelation ! He ran a hand through his hair! He was confused and guilty! There were so many answers that he needed . There was so much he had to find out. But first he had to find khushi! And he had to apologize. He was guilty......she was innocent! He stood up frustrated at himself ..he had to find her....but where?

Almost immediately as though reading his mind Payal said, "That's it! The temple. Khushi is upset...the temple!"

She rushed out of the house Arnav looked at buaji ,who nodded her head . He then followed Payal .

The duo reached the crowded premises of Devi Maiyyas temple. Payal rushed in to search for Khushi ,but Arnav stayed back...thinking about how he would face her ,what he would tell her. Frustrated for not coming up with an answer he looked around trying to derive inspiration from his surroundings ! His eyesfell upon something silver on the road. He bent down to retrieve it and immediately recognised it as Khushi's earring!

'This means she was here ' he mused. He looked around trying to find her.

Meanwhile Payal came out dejected......she had not found Khushi .......where was she?

Payal looked dejectedly at Arnav. She had been so sure that she would find Khushi here! Her eyes traveled to Arnav's hand where he was holding Khushi's earring.

"She was here! " she exclaimed.

"But where did she go? " enquired Arnav.

The duo split up and began searching for her in the premises........but to no avail. A bystander who had been keenly observing the two came forward to Arnav and Payal, once their search was over, and when they had visibly not found what they were looking for...or rather who.......he said," Sir? Are you by chance looking for a girl?"

Arnav's head snapped up and Payal's eyes turned hopeful!

"Yes.... A girl.....Khu..... My sister!"

"Hmmm... Fair, thin .... 5feet 6" tall?"

" yes yes!!"

"About 20-21 yrs age?"

"She is 22!"

"Kind,Hazel eyes, long braided hair, wearing a dark blue suit?"

"Exactly..." Began Payal, but a frustrated Arnav cut her off midway and shouted,"What the,..... That is the description Mr.... Where is she? Did you see where she went?"

The man looked defiantly at Arnav and turned back to Payal and resumed questioning her,

"Had a purple cloth bag? Wore silver mochis?"

Though frustrated herself , Payal answered in positive!

But Arnav had had enough. He grabbed the man by his collar and brought his face threateningly close to his. He looked right into his eyes and barked, "Stop this rubbish, and tell us where she is damnit!!"

The man was visibly shaken by Arnav's physique and voice......but it was the anger that did the trick! He felt that Arnav's anger could boil him! He gulped and said," She fainted in front of Maiyya's abode! And...and..."

"And what?"asked Arnav , shaking him!

"Then some man came, claiming to know her. He called her by some name....k...k... Khushi! That's it! Khushi! He called her Khushi , lifted her in his arms and took her away." Said the man in a single breadth.

Man? What man? Arnav was confused. His grip on the man's collar loosened.

The bystander noticed this and immediately stepped back from Arnav, straightening his collar and his pride!

Payal on the other hand was shocked. Her breathing got heavier! No! Surely not! It can't be.......could it? She turned to the bystander and enquired,"Which way did they go?"

Shifting his gaze to Payal, the man simply pointed. In the next second , he stepped back and ran, to save his life.....and what was left of his pride......whatever bit!

Arnav stared at his back...not really seeing. Payal paced up and down twice before turning to Arnav.

"What are you thinking?"

"Who could it be?...."

Payal looked away....not knowing what to tell him .........how to answer his question ! Should she tell him what she thought?

While she was contemplating , Arnav had noticed her reluctance to tell him something.....something vital!

He turned her towards him and asked her,"What? Tell me?"

Payal knew she had been caught! She shifted her gaze around nervously........trying to find a way out...........

20 Kms from there, Khushi opened her eyes slowly. Her head felt heavy . Ofcourse it will, she thought. It has been a while since I had anything to eat! Almost immediately she felt the cold rim of a steel glass touch her lips. Water poured in through her parched throat . Suddenly she had a coughing fit, and she sat up straight trying to bring her breathing back to normal! She felt a hand on her back , thumping her, giving her the much neede relief! A concerned voice asked, "Khushi? Tum theek ho?"

Khushi's head snapped up.....not at the voice, nor at the words, but at the contrast of the voice that used the words! Her doubts were justified when her eyes met with a pair of dark ones! The very eyes she had fainted seeing! The very eyes she didn't want to wake up to see. His eyes..............

Khushi immediately tried to get up, but found that her wrists were bound to the chair she was sitting on, and so were her feet! She struggled against the bonds, managing to push the chair away from him. But almost immediately, she felt his hands snake out and land on hers over the armrest. He dragged her back to him with ease, staring at her all the while. Khushi winced in pain as the wooden corners of the armrest cut into her flesh! She avoided looking at him, and squirmed under his grip.

He locked the chair between his legs and released her arms. Leaning forward, he asked, "Did you miss me Khushi?"

Disgusted, she tried wriggling more. Her braid had come undone and her hair cascaded behind her. A few strands disobediently fell on her face irritating her eyes. She blinked several times to get the away. That's when she felt his fingers against her forehead as he tucked the strands behind her ear. She flinched from his touch and tried moving her face away. This infuriated him ! He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her face close to his, compelling her to look into his eyes!

Meanwhile Arnav looked questioningly at Payal expecting her to spit out the truth!

Payal was almost close to tears. She looked up at Arnav and saw the desperation in his eyes. But she couldn't tell him anything. She didn't know what to tell him! What buaji told him was only part of the truth! Buaji!........ She could get out of this by just telling Shyam's name!

She looked away and said, " You already know!"

Arnav in his desperation, did not notice the reluctance in her voice.

"Shyam." He said........ Anger surged within him, boiling his blood !

He immediately took his phone and began dialling.

"Who are you calling ?" Asked Payal, suddenly worried!

"The police!" He replied curtly, placing the phone near his ear.

Payal snatched the phone from him and cut the call!

"What the...?"

"No! Are you insane? He is very smart! If he finds out.......we will never get Khushi back! We need to think of something else!"

"What? What else?"

Payal didn't know either. But what she knew was that the police were going to be of no help.......in any way!!

Bile rose up her throat as the full view of his face encroached her vision! The jet black hair, the low forehead, the knitted brows, the deep, petrifying eyes, the long nose.....which still had a slight crook at the tip. The thick lips, that gave her a menacing smile!