Who is she?
Part 1 Who is she?
Allahabad
Shashi Gupta was greeting the guests who were present for his daughter’s engagement. His daughter Khushi Gupta was getting engaged to a multimillionaire. He was one of the most famous businessmen in India who belonged to Delhi. He was Khushi’s brother Akash’s friend. They studied at Delhi University together and became best friends. Anirudh Mehta liked Khushi very much when he saw Akash’s family photo. He approached her parents. Anirudh’s parents also liked Khushi, who was beautiful with brains. They agreed to the marriage even though the Guptas were not up to their status because they didn’t want to disappoint their only son.
Anirudh Mehta, the groom entered Gupta Premises with his parents Mr. Sourab Mehta and Mrs. Vishali Mehta all smiling. He bent down to touch Shashi Gupta’s feet but Shashi stopped his going-to-be son-in-law.
“God bless you, beta…”
Shashi looked at Sourab.
“Namaste Mehtaji” Shashi shook hands with Sourab. Garima welcomed them joining her hands and took them in. Anirudh ran his eyes impatiently to see the bride.
“Bride is still in her room…” One of his friends countered which made him smile with a blush.
The main hall was crowded with guests. Elders were chitchatting with each other about how the Mehta family accepted Gupta’s alliance whereas kids were running here and there joyfully not wanting to miss the chance to play with their friends. Yet, everyone was looking at the staircase, expecting the bride.
“Bring Khushi,” Shashi Gupta said.
Garima nodded ok and went upstairs to bring the bride. Within a few minutes, Khushi Gupta descended the stairs with Garima just like an Angel in a pink Lehanga with silver work. All the eyes were on her. Good-hearted people admired her beauty, Girls at the same age as Khushi looked at her with jealous, and young guys ogled at her even though she was going to get engaged to Anirudh.
We don’t know what destiny wanted from Khushi,
A few children who were playing on the stairs stepped on her skirt from behind. Khushi was pulled back and sipped her balance. Her head banged on the parapet and she rolled down the stairs. No one could do anything. All of them looked at her not understanding anything.
Garima ran down the stairs, shouting,
“Khushiiiii…”
When Khushi reached the last step, her pink Lehanga had become RED in color as it had been soaked with her blood. Everyone rushed to her in shock. Shashi tapped her cheek with teary eyes. But there was no movement in Khushi.
“Avinash…” Sourab shouted for his doctor friend who was a Psychiatrist.
He accompanied Sourab from Delhi to Allahabad only to attend his son’s engagement.
Avinash rushed to Khushi and checked her pulse. He looked at Sourab with disappointment. Shashi was horrified by his expression.
“What happened, Doctor? What happened to my daughter?”
Without answering him,
“Pick her up and bring her to the room” Avinash screamed.
Akash lifted her up and rushed to the nearby room. Avinash started doing CPR treatment for Khushi. But there was no use of it. After fifteen minutes, he came out of the room with a hung face. People who waited for him looked at him with expectations. Avinash nodded NO breaking their hope.
“What do you mean?” Shashi shouted.
“She is no more”
“Khushiiiiii….” Garima rushed to the room whereas Shashi sat on the floor with a thud.
“Khushi look at me” Garima tapped her cheek. She shook her shoulders. Khushi’s hand fell on the bed lifelessly.
“Khushi, look at me Beta… forgive me if I had scolded you for any reason. Please don’t go leaving me alone. I will not say anything to you. You can do anything you want. I will give you whatever you want. Come back to me, beta… please, come back” Garima wailed with flowing tears.
Akash and Anirudh stood, looking at her helplessly. Tears rolled down their cheek. They could not believe Khushi was dead.
Garima kept her ear on Khushi’s chest with the belief that she could hear her heartbeat but nope. Garima looked at her miserably
“Khushi… Khushi mera, Bhachi…” she fainted. Akash and Anirudh rushed to her.
They held Garima. Khushi’s body which was in Garima’s hold fell on the bed with a thud that confirmed her demise.
“Took her away from here,” Avinash said.
Akash and Anirudh took Garima from there. Avinash again checked Khushi’s pulse. It was NIL. He came out of the room and looked at Shashi who was staring at the floor blankly.
“Mr. Gupta made up yourself… be strong”
“How could I be strong? She is my child… how happily we fixed her wedding… why would she go leaving us? Is this the age to die?” Shashi cried.
People felt bad for him. A few cried, they could not stand the miserable situation of a father.
“There is no age for death, Mr. Gupta. No one knows when and how our death happens. It’s waiting for us, sitting on our shoulders. When the time comes, it shifts its place from our shoulder to our head, and we die”
Shashi cried, closing his face.
“Please, try to understand, Mr. Gupta. Khushi will not come again. She left this world. We can do nothing other than pray for her soul to rest in peace”
“I thought she would live peacefully… but she rested in peace…” Shashi cried badly.
“Please, don’t cry. If you break down like this, who will console your wife? What will she do?”
“I don’t know how will she come out of the grief… She will definitely get mad. That’s what going to happen. Our daughter is dead… she died on her engagement day… how unlucky we are…!” Shashi said.
It was half an hour… everyone was sitting not understanding what to do. Garima opened her eyes and rushed out of the room. She came to Shashi and cried, hugging him.
“Our child is gone, Shashiji… what I will do without her?” She burst out crying.
“Garimaji, compose yourself. We have no choice but to accept the fate… our Khushi will not come back… understand that”
Garima cried touching her chest.
That was when a mild sound of a song came from the room in which Khushi’s body was lying. Shashi looked at Garima who was also hearing the sound sharpening her ear. They looked at each other thunderstruck because it was Khushi’s voice. Everyone was horrified. It didn’t sound Hindi song… no one knows what language was that. Her voice became a little louder.
*Telusaa Manasaa idhi Entaati Anubandhamoo… Telusaa Manasaa idhi Ye Janma Sambandhamo*
{Do you know, oh, heart? Is this some connection from previous birth?
Do you know, oh, heart, Is this a relationship from any birth?}
“It’s TELUGU language,” someone said.
Shashi and Garima glanced at each other horrified because Khushi didn’t know TELUGU language.
The song came from the room in a mild voice. They stood up and advanced the room slowly. Khushi was singing the song in the same lying position. Her eyes were closed. Only her lips were moving.
*Tharimina Aaru Kaalaalu Edu Lokkalu Cheraleni Odiloo Virahapu Jaadalenaadu Vedi Kannesi Choodaleni Jathaloo Shatha Janmaala Bangaaru Kshanamidhi*
{In the vast expanse of time, in the endless universe yet unexplored, He’s entangled in the strings of separation, unable to find solace in the realms of devotion}
(Thanks SPURTHI for translating these lines for me)
She sang the FAST BEAT song with perfect pronunciation. People looked at her with a kind of fear. How a girl who died a few minutes ago and lay lifelessly for more than half an hour could sing? Didn’t the doctor confirm her death?
Even Garima feared to be near her.
Suddenly, Khushi sat on the bed.
“ARJUN… where are you?” She shouted, looking here and there.
“Khushi…” Garima said.
“I’m Indhu… Indhu Kumari Devi” she said.
Everyone spared a glance fearfully. They didn’t know what was happening. Avinash managed himself and took the lead.
“Ok… but who is Arjun?”
“My husband, Arjun Simha Rayudu,” Said Khushi making everyone shocked.
To be continued…
