His Obsession

Part 1: Where is Shashi?

Arnav called Aman.

“Is my ticket ready?”

“ASR... Actually, she is not in Singapore now.” Aman says hesitatingly.

“Whaaat? Was the information we got wrong?”

“No, she came to Singapore yesterday evening only and left today”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me yesterday itself damn it?”

“ASR, we were in the foreign client meeting till mid-might. I turned my phone into voicemail. Just saw the message early in the morning and told you. And now I’ve got to know she left Singapore”

“Why didn’t our man follow her?”

“He didn’t expect her to leave Singapore the same day, ASR”

Arnav disconnected the call, all frustrated.

After a week/ Dubai Airport

Khushi tried his father’s number, but he didn’t answer the call. She sighed. He was always like this. Being a busy businessman, he never attended to her calls when she called him, but he never missed calling her back.

As she expected, he called her. To her surprise, he came on a video call, which he had never done before. Khushi attended the call. She smiled brightly, seeing her father.

“Khushi, where are you now?” Shashi asked.

She showed the board behind her. It indicated that she was in Dubai.

“Are you in Dubai?”

“I’m going to leave Dubai in a few minutes. I’m waiting for my last call. By the way, why are you looking dull? You look so weak…”

“How could I be well if you ignore me?”

“Dad, I never ignored you. understand that”

“But my wish…”

“Dad, please don’t start again. I will disconnect the call then,” She warned.

“How long will you be roaming around the world, ignoring coming to India?”

Khushi was silent.

“Tell me, Khushi. Won’t I wish to see you settling down in your life?”

“Dad, please stop it. I will settle down if I want it”

“Why don’t you think I will make any decision for your betterment only?”

“Beyond my betterment, there is something called my feelings. Try to understand that, respect it”

“Khushi…”

Cutting him off,

“Dad, it’s nearly three months since we spoke. Without thinking about it, you started again… this is why I don’t talk to you and like to meet you. I’m cutting the call”

“Khushi, one minute…”

But Khushi didn’t listen to him. She disconnected the call in frustration. Taking her bag, she was supposed to walk, but stopped hearing,

“Khushiiii”

She looked behind and smiled at Sanjay Malhothra, who was with his wife. He was her father’s friend, and Khushi had once attended his family party.

“Hello, uncle…”

“How are you, Khushi? Where have you guys vanished?”

Khushi was struck by the word “guys.” Of course, she had not been in India for the past two years, but her father was in India. Then, who did he mention as guys?

“Whom are you talking about, Uncle?”

“Of course, you and your father”

“My father?” She frowned.

“Haan, his phone is switched off and no one knows where he is”

“What do you mean, uncle? Isn’t he in touch with you?”

“No way… It’s been two years since I met him, and he hasn’t even thought of talking to me once. I’m highly disappointed with him,” He said, disappointedly.

Khushi looked at him without blinking. What did he mean? Just now, she spoke with her father, and he only talked to her from India. Then why did Sanjay give her a false statement about her father?

“Uncle, are you sure my father is not in India?”

“I’m damn sure. Wait…”

He dialled Shashi’s number and it was switched off.

“Actually, Dad has changed his number”, Khushi said.

“Is it? When?”

“Long ago”

“But, he didn’t give it to anyone… Did he change the number only to give it to you?” he asked, but it made sense.

Khushi provided the number to Sanjay. It was not answered when he dialled the number, no matter how many times he dialled.

“See, he is not answering my call”

“I think he is busy with a meeting or a VC”

“How long? For two years?”

Khushi had no answer.

“Don’t mistake me, beta. It feels fishy. Your father is a busy businessman. His partner, Sudhakar Singh Raizada, does not give a proper answer to anyone. If your father is in India, SSR should have known about him. If it is so, why doesn’t he answer? Or. He doesn’t know? What happened to your father?”

“He just spoke to me… I saw him on a Video call, uncle”

“Is it? I said what I know and what people are talking about your father. If you are confident about your father, I have no problem. I have to go. It’s my last call”

Khushi nodded, plastering a smile. She was restless. Was her father all right? Yes, he looked different when she talked to him. She sat and thought about her father. She hadn’t met her father in the last two years, only to avoid her wedding talks. That was the only reason she avoided visiting India. She had visited almost all the important countries in the world in two years, only to make herself up. Now, it seemed she had no choice other than visiting India, which she never wanted to do. Now she had to do that for her father.

Without a second thought, she cancelled her ticket to Canada and booked a ticket to India. She arranged it through an agent. She spent triple the money, but she didn’t care about it. She boarded the flight on the same day.

India

Khushi landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. She didn’t know if she should go to her house. If her father was not there, who was maintaining their house? However, she decided to go. She didn’t want any other thoughts on that.

Thinking about it, she came out of the airport. She jerked, hearing,

“Khushiiii”

She looked in the direction and saw Anjali running towards her joyfully. In no time, she hugged Khushi delightedly. Khushi was stuck as she didn’t expect Anjali to be there.

“Khushi… how are you? Where have you been these days? Do you know how we searched for you? I’m so happy to see you”

“I came to meet my father.”

“Father? But, where is Shashi uncle? Do you know his whereabouts?”

“He must be at Gupta House”, Khushi said, observing her expression.

“But, he is not there, Khushi. Even Dad didn’t know where he was”

“What do you mean?”

“We thought he was with you…”

“No… he is not with me, and I’m in touch with him. We spoke on the phone…”

“Is it? But we don’t know about him, Khushi. Do one thing. Come to RM to meet my father. He will tell you everything”

“Me and RM? No way… I won’t come to RM”

“Khushi, please don’t be stubborn. Come to RM and meet my father. Then decide what to do. Only we can help you, Khushi. understand that”

Khushi was silent. Anjali was gazing at her to see her decision. Khushi made herself up and nodded. Though she didn’t want to go to RM, she had no choice. She wanted to know about her father. Only Raizadas could help her…especially Sudhakar.

“Please, Khushi, please come”

Khushi nodded. Anjali sighed in relief. Her BROTHER would be happy seeing Khushi at RM. She was glad that she could make her brother happy.

Anjali took Khushi to her car.

“Thank God, I came to send off my friend. That’s why I got a chance to meet you. Otherwise, I would have missed you,” Anjali said, feeling happy.

Khushi was silent. She was nervous about going to RM. She should meet Anjali’s brother now. She was going to meet him after two years. She didn’t know how to face him. Should she talk to him if he talked to her? It was an awkward situation. Because of her father, she was in that position now.

RM

The Raizadas gathered in the dining room for dinner. Anjali brought Khushi to RM. HP opened the door, hearing the calling bell.

“Guys, see who is here”, Anjali said, looking at her brother DHRUV, but Khushi’s eyes were rooted on Anjali’s cousin brother ARNAV, who emotional seeing Khushi after two years.