Heart wrenching adoration Part-36

The mildness of April soon dissolved into blustery April and as the month slowly inched towards its end, in a mad jumble of Accountancy, Economics, English, Business Studies and I.P., I found myself getting increasingly restless, despite my tight schedule and crazy race between school and coaching.

And strangely enough, the reason for my anxiety was the approaching Summer Vacation, which had everyone in the school all perked up, except me and the cause was indisputably khushi.

How will I stay away from her for one and a half month?!

Over the past month, khushi and mine relationship evolved a lot. We became best of friends, literally becoming the famous sidekicks of the school. She has become my addiction...my obsession. I found every minute that I didn’t spend with her as waste. So, naturally I was the most disturbed on the prospect of living away from her for such a long time. I looked forward to the Summer Vacations with obvious gloom.

I had absolutely no idea how very terrible and drastic this Vacation was going to be!

Just four days prior to the Vacations, as we sat in the cafeteria for breakfast one warm Sunday morning, we got the foreboding of the oncoming storm.

The big plasma T.V. on the wall of cafeteria was tuned on to a news channel NDTV, where an immaculately dressed news reader was reading news with crisp astuteness.

“ The well-known Mafia in the world of smuggling Arms and Ammunition, Zachary Pilaster was granted bail in the famous Greenboroue Arms and Ammunition smuggling scandal and cold- blooded murder of the M.D. of the Company and his wife , by a session court in the U.S.A. Zachary Pilaster was detained after the daughter of the victim, who was also an eye-witness claimed of his involvement in the infamous scandal and murder of her parents. However, Merlyn Miranda, who was convicted for the murder of the M.D. and his wife was detained by the police. The chief Investigation officer My.Carl Baron said that.....” 

“Khushi!” I called, alarmed by the expression on her pale face. She was absolutely white, her lips cold and her hands balled up into fists, tendons rising, yet it wasn’t what shook me so deeply. It was the look of pure, naked fear and mind-numbing loathing on her face that disturbed me.

“Khushi, not here! Let’s go!” Payal whispered, her eyes wide with fright. Until now, I hadn’t noticed Payal, but khushi’s expressions was mirrored on her face and she was shivering.

“Payal what...” Akash began, but Payal had already taken khushi’s hand and had stated walking towards the door of the cafeteria.

Immediately we all were on our feet and followed their suit. I looked and at Akash, Anvesh and Aman, and they looked just as mystified as me.

Payal simply dragged khushi with her, not uttering a word. I followed them, unable to make out the head and tail of the whole thing. 

Just as I decided to ask them directly what was going on, before I went mad, I heard khushi speak.

“Di, he’ll kill me! He’ll kill all of us di! I can’t risk your life for me. Already you, Masaji(Uncle) and Masiji(Aunty)have done so much for me. I can’t live with myself if something happened to you guys. I’ll leave...I’ll” Khushi began hysterically and Payal shushed her comfortingly.

I glanced wide eyed at Akash, Aman and Anvesh and like me they too had not missed the word ‘kill’. 

“Khushi what’s going on in here? Who’ll kill you?”I asked sharply.

“Arnav I’ll appreciate if you guys will leave us alone. There’s something me and khushi need to sort out here and...”Payal began furiously, but I cut her off equally incensed.

“To hell with your privacy Payal! Do you think we are imbeciles as to not to understand something big is going on in here? Do you know you and khushi are looking simply freaked out? How can you expect us to simply leave you alone? You have got to tell us!”I snapped. I knew Payal was always a bit pigheaded, but I didn’t know she was capable of acting so stupid!

“Please don’t fight!”Khushi moaned, tears trickling down her cheeks as she swayed lightly on her feet, looking as if she’ll collapse any moment.

“Khushi!” I said, alarmed and rushed forward to catch her in a one-sided hug, supporting her weight.

“Are you...are you ok? Do you need water, doctor...anything? Just tell me.”I asked wildly , panicking.

“Arnav, I’m just fine! Just get me to sit somewhere!”Khushi gasped, her face pale.

“Of course!” I acceded towing her gently along with me. I took her once again to the place where I had told her about my ghastly past.

I made her sit on the merry-go-round, under the cool shades of a huge birch tree, chafing her cold, clammy hands gently.

“Shh khushi don’t cry! Tell me, what’s wrong?”I asked her softly, kneeling before her and rubbing her tears away.

“Yes, Payal tell us! What was khushi talking about someone killing her and harming you family? Is it true?” Akash asked, his face pale.

“Akash I really don’t think you should know. I mean I don’t know what to tell you!” Payal wailed and I’ve never heard her sound so desperate.

“Well try us!” Anvesh urged, looking very grim, which was a first!

Payal and khushi glanced at each other uncertainly and I could tell they were still torn between whether to tell us or not, but after a lot of reasoning and persuasion, they agreed to spill the beans.

 “You saw that news about the Mafia who was recently released on bail by a court in the U.S.A. in that Arms smuggling scandal.”Payal began resignedly.

“Yes?”I probed,

“When he was arrested he had, threatened the girl who got him convicted-the daughter of the dead M.D. of the company-that he’ll kill her as soon as he came out...to make a clean job!”Payal whispered, her face pale. Beside me khushi shifted in my embrace.

 I had a foreboding of something momentous and drastic. I automatically tightened my grip on khushi, almost knowing the inevitable before Payal told me. It could not have been more obvious!

“So what has got it to do with you guys?” Akash asked befuddled.

“The girl who got him convicted, is nobody but me!” Khushi said in a small voice, her entire frame shivering as she proclaimed of her death sentence.