Dark Night Dawning

Chapter 2

There was loud knocking on the bathroom door. 'Khushiji?'It was Shyam!

Shyam had wanted to talk to Khushi after the incident in the kitchen. Why did she always react like that whenever he went near her? He would have to explain to her that there was nothing to fear. He had looked around to see no one around and entered the bedroom. She didn't seem to be there. Then, he heard an odd yelp coming from the bathroom. It had sounded like Khushi. He would have to find out. He lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

'Khushiji?'

Arnav fisted his palms in anger and made a move toward the door. Khushi caught his arm with her free hand. He looked up at her to see her shaking her head vehemently, telling him not to go. Arnav shook off her hand and yanked open the door.

Shyam took an involuntary step back like someone had punched him in the face. What was he doing here? He was so sure he had heard Khushi. What were they doing together? His face began to twitch.

As Arnav stepped out of the bathroom he saw Shyam looking like he had seen a ghost, with one side of his face twitching badly. Arnav looked at Shyam, his eyes smouldering, his body afire with barely controlled temper. Before he could say anything, he heard another voice.

'What are you doing here?' Anjali had rushed into the room and was addressing Shyam, 'Hariprakash told me that Khushiji had been calling out for me some time back. Apparently, he forgot about it when he came down. I came as soon as I found out '.

'Y....yes....Rani Sahiba.I.....I too heard Khushiji calling out for you' he stammered, 'I thought I should check it out first.'

Arnav's anger rose up a couple of notches at his lie. He was nowhere near the room when Khushi had been calling out. His innocent Di standing a few paces behind him couldn't see his ugly lying face, which was just as well, in her condition.

'Relax, Di,' said Arnav concerned for her, 'Please don't strain yourself for all this. Everything is under control.'

'What are you doing here, Chotey?' Anjali repeated looking at Arnav now, 'Aren't you supposed to be at work?'

'Well, I was,' Arnav explained how he had heard Khushi calling out just as he had come into the room to pick up an important file for which he had come back all the way from work. When he found out she had no water in the shower, he had first checked the valve outside to see it was fine. He had then realized that it might be a blockage in the shower head and had to step in as Khushi was new to all this.

'Hmm.....' said Anjali , 'But I didn't know that it takes 15 minutes to clean the shower head these days' she added tongue in cheek.

'What?' he asked her with a 'You got me' expression on his face, 'Isn't a husband allowed to help his wife without being spied upon by his family members?'

'Not at all, Chotey!' she exclaimed,'You are free to help your wife anywhere and anytime you want. And I am sure your jeejaji agrees with me on this one' she added gleefully.

'I am sure he does Di,' Arnav turned around to stare at Shyam, his tone flippant as he said, 'Just like him, I take my duties as a husband very seriously. And it is my duty to make sure my wife has no problems in her life.'

When Khushi stepped out in her red suit, it was difficult to decipher which was redder -----her suit or her face. She saw all pairs of eyes turned toward her and got even more flustered and began to adjust her dupatta unnecessarily.

'Come, on,' Anjali said pulling on Shyam's arm, 'I think it is time we leave the love birds alone.'

**