Agnisakshi (Under Editing)

18: Not unwanted

18: Wanted

"Khushi! How much more time will you take?" Arnav called out to her from the living room.

"Just a minute, Arnav ji!" Khushi screamed from her bedroom. Lavanya had been straightening Khushi's hair and styling her dress since the past two hours, keeping Arnav outside the room awaiting their presence.

"Lavanya ji! Leave me na! How much more will you try to beautify me?" Khushi laughed.

"Shut up! Pout your lips; let me put some lip gloss on you. Uff! You bite your lips so much!" Lavanya used her lipstick on Khushi artistically.

"Khushi! I have been waiting here for more than an hour. You didn't leave me any snacks to eat either. I am bored!" Arnav slumped on the couch and sighed.

He had turned up early in the morning in casual jeans and T- shirt with a handmade bouquet of freshly cut roses. Arnav had spent the whole night preparing for his date with Khushi. He was going to spend a whole day- all twenty four hours with only and only Khushi. He had planned every single thing, every single moment that he wanted to spend with her tonight.

He wanted to give her a glimpse of the life they shall spend together once they get together for real.

"Your wait is over, ASR. Here, take my Khushi away." Lavanya said dramatically, handing Arnav Khushi's hand. "Jaa Khushi, jee le apni zindagi." ( Go, Khushi, live your life.)

Khushi looked away shyly and giggled.

"By the way where are you taking me, Arnav ji? You didn't tell me anything about this trip." Khushi looked at Arnav inquisitively as he took her bag from her hands.

"Isn't that why I said it is a surprise date, Khushi?" Arnav wiggled his eyebrows.

"Please tell me! This suspense and curiosity will be the death of me!" She said dramatically while he adjusted the dial of the music player in his car.

"What!" He laughed looking at her antics. "Where did you learn to be so dramatic?"

"I have joined a Drama club in my college. You know, we have been working on making a Hindi and a Marathi adaptation of 'Abhigyan Shakuntalam'." Khushi said excitedly.

"I have never heard about that." He said, making Khushi gasp in horror.

"You don't know Shakuntala?" She questioned before muting the music player.

"Hey! That song was nice, why did you turn it off?" He frowned. "I thought you liked Maroon 5."

"I like Maroon 5 but this information is shocking me. You don't know who Shakuntala is!" Khushi gasped.

"So what, Khushi? You can tell me now. We have all the time in this world on this trip." Arnav nudged her shoulder.

"That's a nice idea, if you are interested in hearing a love story." Khushi raised her eyebrow.

"I am all ears. Enlighten me, Khushi Kashyap." Arnav passed his charming smile and switched on the music player again.

"Accha so, Shakuntala's story is one of the oldest love stories described in our mythology. It was adapted as a play by Sri Kalidas. I hope you know him at least!" She winked.

Arnav rolled his eyes and asked her to continue.

"Haan, so I will tell you in short, okay? Shakuntala was the foster daughter of Sage Kanva. She actually was the daughter of Menaka and Vishwamitra, I hope you know them, at least! She fell in love with Raja Dushyant and so did he during his visit to the sage's ashram. They got married secretly before Dushyant had to leave urgently handling some state affairs. After that Shakuntala spent all her days sadly in the Ashram, remembering him."

"This Dushyant guy sounds weird to me. Why didn't he take her with him, if he loved her so much?" Arnav questioned.

"Umm... I think they were waiting for the sage's permission as he was on some trip during the wedding.
You listen to the story na! So, while she was forlorn she didn't pay attention to Sage Durvasa who is known for his short temper. She ignored his presence and didn't respond to his questions when he came to meet her father and so he cursed her. He cursed her that the very person whom she was remembering while ignoring her dharm towards an atithi shall forget about her existence."

"That's really harsh!"

"I know right! However one of her friends heard him saying the curse and begged him to revoke the curse. He said that if she could present to that person something he had gifted her, he shall remember her immediately." Khushi looked at the window and continued blabbering.

"She is telling the summary, huh?" Arnav laughed inwardly as Khushi continued telling the story covering the minutest of details.

"Haan Khushi? I am all ears, continue..." He asked as Khushi stopped speaking. She was looking outside the window towards the mills that they crossed as the car went ahead. Hushed screams echoed through her ears, blazing fire made its appearance as a projection of her memories.

"Arnav ji, I will tell you the story later, okay? My head is aching, do you have some medicines for that?" She held her forehead. Her panic attacks were more controllable now but she hadn't recovered completely yet. She felt like she had never got closure from the past chapters of her life, probably that is why complete mental peace seemed impossible to her.

"Are you fine? Haan, I have some tablets, just a second." Arnav stopped the car and searched for some paracetamol in his bag. Feeling breathless, Khushi stepped out of the car and took in gushes of air. Bile rose in her gut at steady speed and out came the breakfast she had in the morning through her mouth.

"Khushi, are you fine!" Arnav rushed towards her and handed her some water and the tablet.

" Haan... I am fine. That person is selling Ganne ka ras(sugarcane juice), do you mind if I..." Khushi asked Arnav as she recovered, pointing towards a stall nearby.

"Are you sure? That must be very unhealthy... you just vomited." Arnav helped her wash her face with some water- the mineral water bottle that he had carried for the trip.

"My mouth has gone bitter, please..." She said weakly.

He nodded and held her hand as they walked towards the stall and sat on a nearby bench.

"Saab, yeh lo..." The owner of the stall stopped speaking midway as he noticed Khushi clutching onto Arnav's arm. The glasses fell from his hands, splattering drops of the juice on Arnav's shoes.

"What the!" Arnav stood up and made a face.

"Malkin Bai, tumi..." the man gasped and covered his hand with his mouth. "You are alive? Devaa!"(Oh my god!)

Khushi looked up and gulped. This man was from her previous village, he had recognised her.

"What, what are you saying? Khushi, you know this guy?" Arnav asked, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion.

"No, Arnav, I don't!" Khushi rose and said in a panicked voice. "Come, let's go from here. This person has some misunderstanding." She held Arnav's wrist and started walking fast towards the car.

"But Khushi, you wanted..."

"Khusi? Saab, Khushi nahi, her name is Nakoshi." The man said from behind, his eyes squinted in confusion.

"Tujha toka phirla aahe ka? Majha naav Khushi aahe. You don't know me, I am not from here, I am not a Nakoshi!" Khushi scoffed, sparing an angry look at the man before getting inside the car.

Arnav started driving again, his head full of questions and confusions. He decided to keep calm and confront Khushi only when they reach a better place to have a sane conversation.

I am not Nakoshi,
I am not unwanted.
Arnav ji wants me.
He wants me.
He wants me...

Khushi thought to herself before letting sleep consume her exhausted self.

**********