Arnav Singh Raizada was having an argument with his Nani about Lavanya while Anjali was in tears amidst the argument, worried about where would the argument lead to.

That was until Arnav Singh Raizada was interrupted by a phone call.

He was informed by him that the guest house building could collapse anytime and Arnav was assured when he heard Sinha all the workers were out of it.

That was only until he heard the next words.

"Sir, one more thing! A young girl came here for some work from your office. Workers were saying that. Did you send her, sir?" Sinha asked sitting in the back of the car.

Arnav was instantly having a flash.

"Me tumhara chehra bhi nahi dekhna chahta. Kaam tum aaj office se nahi guest house se karogi!" he gritted his teeth in anger. Khushi's hazel eyes burned with tears, nonetheless, she had to agree with her boss. For the unintentional mistake, she made.

(I don't want to see your face. You will work from the guest house and not from the office today!)

...

"Where's Khushi?" Payal's cries fell into Manorama's ears as she lifted the phone. They were busy in an argument with Devyani about Lavanya Kashyap.

"Who Khushi? Which Khushi? Khushi ho ya Dukhi ho, hai toh appika sieter na. Hum ko kya puchat ho, you vamp! Hello hi bye bye," Manorama with her signature line, in the end, tried to make fun of Khushi, in her broken English.

"Khushi Kumari Gupta, hello hi bye bye!" Manorama twists her mouth in annoyance, disgusted with the name on her lips.

The name Khushi Kumari Gupta stalls Arnav in his place and Sinha's words roam around his head.

He immediately tries to call Khushi. Only the phone rang off but no one answered. He was hell worried and runs out of the home without bothering about his Di's and Nani's screams.

All in his mind is Khushi Kumari Gupta.

...

"How can you be so irresponsible, Dammit!" he screams into the phone. Sinha trembled back with the anger in his boss's voice.

So what if he didn't see the young girl going out? She must have left long ago! Those were Sinha's thoughts.

Arnav jumped into his car and ignited the engine. The Delhi streets have seen the car rushing above its limits, off to the Guest House.

...

"Did you get to know anything?" Madhumathi asked, sitting on the sofa with a hand on her forehead. Her head is aching and the cloth tied around her head didn't help much.

"No," Payal burst into tears thinking of her sister.

Khushi!

...

"Khushi?" Arnav screamed his lungs out looking for Khushi but to no avail.

There was no Khushi.

Except for her Jhola bag and her Nokia mobile, there were no traces of her existence in the Guest House.

Fear. The only emotion he hated other than love. It came back crawling into his chest.

"Khushi?" he shouted looking around.

Where is Khushi?

The thoughts roamed around his head as looked at each and every corner of the building and its surroundings.

There was no Khushi!

Neither her anklets jingled nor her bangles clinked.

With trembling hands and moistened eyes, he took the final chance in looking for her.

Behind the collapsed rocks!

Hoping for the best. He wanted to find her yet not.

What if she's already dead? Behind those huge rocks that fell on the ground, lifeless!

What if he finds her lifeless here?

Raw fear gnawed into his heart, scratching and wounding it.

There was no Khushi!

Relief washed over him yet the relief wasn't enough to throw his fear away.

"Where are you, Khushi?" he mumbled, gulping down the tears that were starting to form on the base of his chocolate brown orbs.

There was no one to answer him.

For, Khushi was still missing.

....

"Where's my Khushi?" Payal screamed into Arnav's face as soon he entered their house, in the hope of finding Khushi there.

"I d..on't kn..know!" For the first time in his life, he had stammered. The ASR had stammered.

"How do you not know? You were responsible for her safety? Aren't you Khushi's employer?" Payal grabs him by the collar, shaking him.

Arnav was furious for a few seconds at the woman handling him.

"Oh. How can I forget you're her employer? You didn't let us forget that ever. Always behind her, giving her tasks that weren't necessary, depriving her of her sleep, torturing her to the core, making her fall from your cabin. You didn't let us forget that ever. You weren't her boss but a Monster! A bloody monster! How can we expect you to keep her safe?"

Her accusations weren't wrong and there was no anger on his face anymore. It was pure regret. Guilt is laughing at him.

"I don't know if she'll be safe anywhere else but with you, she wasn't safe! How many times did I tell her not to work with a Monster?" Payal releases her hold from his collar crying out aloud, now sitting on the floor.

"Pata nahi kiska kala saya pad gayi humari Titliya par," Madhumathi cursed, glaring at the man standing in the hall of her house.

(Don't know whose black shadow fell on our Khushi!)

Madhumathi's words were such an insult to Arnav Singh Raizada's face. He wouldn't ever forget the day.

.....

A day has passed and Khushi Kumari Gupta has disappeared into thin air. As if she was never there.

A police complaint was filed and the missing case was pushed aside two months later when they could no more search for the girl who didn't exist in any corner of Delhi.

Khushi Kumari Gupta had left leaving a soul dying in regret and guilt, without any mercy.

...

One month later,

"Welcome back to our world, Kat!" James' voice boomed in the Yacht. The Yacht was situated on a private island 100 miles away from London. The night lights in the city are far away and the decorations in the Yacht were colorful enough to shine the blue waters on the surface of the island.

"Thanks, Jamie! A great surprise!" Kat smiles hugging James in excitement.

"Babe, even we are part of it. He alone didn't decorate this Yacht with your favorite theme, okay?"

Kat who has released herself from the hug had turned towards the voice smiling.

"I know, baby! Thank you so much for the surprise," she hugged Ziya kissing her on the shoulder.

"Aah. I'm thirsty for a hug too," Arjen's voice fell on both women.

"Aww. Come here!" Kat spreads her arms and Arjen doesn't wait for a second to crash into her arms.

"I missed this!" he mumbles into her hair and before Kat could respond, she was engulfed in a hug by her two other lifelines, Ziya and James.

The four were cherishing the moment after so long. It wasn't like they hadn't met but Kat's presence after so long had hunched their hearts in excitement, happiness, and pure joy.

"Okay, enough of this. Let's cut the cake," Kat releases herself from all of their arms and the four together run towards their favorite strawberry cake.

"Cheers for us — fourever!" They had their wine glasses in hand and had their piece into the glass cheering for their group — fourever. Their friendship started right from the time they were born and no one could ever separate them. Not even their partners!

...

Payal stumbled upon Raizada Family in the temple.

"I'm sorry for whatever happened with Khushi-ji because of our Chotte!" Anjali had stopped Payal from leaving and apologized to her.

They weren't even able to contact the Guptas for over two months now and when coincidentally, they had made Payal Gupta, they had to apologize for the way their Arnav had behaved with Khushi.

"Your apology isn't going to make everything fine! So just shut your mouths and let me get lost. Kyunki aapko get lost kehne ki toh hamari aukat nahi hai na!" Payal glares at some guilty faces and walks away.

(Because we don't have the status to say get lost!)

...

"I'm so sorry, Khushi! I didn't mean to say whatever I said that day," he gulps down the pain looking at the moon's reflection on his pool.

If he was given a chance, he'd go back to the day and make sure he didn't send her to the guest house. He wasn't just guilty of that day, he was guilty of everything he did and the way he did with her from the time he met her.

Only if he could reverse the time and get back to the days he had hurt her.

Alas! It's only possible in his dreams.

....

"I hope you're doing fine, sweetheart!" Kat heard her father's voice.

"Yes, dad! Don't worry. I'm a doctor, remember?" Kat shunned her father's worry.

"Of course, I do, Darling. But a doctor also needs a doctor when the said doctor is a patient, you know?" he teases his princess, and Kat frown in little frustration.

"I'm not a patient anymore, see!" She points to her head like a kid, where she got hit two months ago.

"Haha. No one can win you! Anyway, I have a meeting in India. I'll be back soon!" Adam kisses his only daughter's forehead and walks out patting her cheeks, shaking his head at his daughter's words and chuckling on the way.

"Dad. Don't forget to get me the needed information," she screams running to the door.

"I won't, princess!" Her father's assurance brings a smile to her face and she walks back into her room and sits on her fluffy bed.

Her father was the best man! 

To be continued..,

Let me know what you think of the update. 

What impressions did these characters left on you?

Kat?

James?

Ziya?

Arjen?

Khushi?

Payal?

Raizadas?

Guptas?

Where's Khushi? I guess you can guess! 

Regards,

polymath_land

17/12/2022