Deepthimaan started driving and turned the vehicle at the next intersection and Khushi realized he was going back to the bus stop.
“Sir! What...are...you...” she didn‟t get to finish quite as he stopped the vehicle at the bus stop and looked at the two men who were still there.

It started to rain heavily and Khushi gulped hard as he demanded, “Are these two the men you were referring to?”
“I asked you something! Answer me!” He bellowed when she just stared at him. He got down the vehicle and walked to them and Khushi could clearly hear him when he asked, “Kyun bey! Kya kam tha? Mujhey bolo”

(What was it that you wanted from her? Let me know!) The men became aggressive and Khushi panicked.
“Oye! Tujhey kya?”
(What do you have to do with it?) They shouted at him.

“How dare you do that!” Deepthimaan gritted his teeth and one of the men stepped forward and asked, “Kya karega? Phaansi dedegaa humay?”
(What will you do? Will you give us a death sentence?”
“Worse still! I might just leave you in a state that is worse than death” Deepthimaan cautioned them making Khushi get down and say, “Please sir! Leave them.”

“Leave them? Naah!” He said and as one of the men stepped in front punched him hard in his tummy after giving him a tight slap. The other man got incensed and he tried to catch Khushi‟s hand but went still as Deepthimaan glared at him.
He then said, “Sure! Go ahead, but at your own risk! For holding her hand, you are going to never use that hand of yours. Now plan ahead and I promise you that you will never live to execute it.”

The man was taken aback but only for a minute, He pounced on Deepthimaan, but Deepthimaan anticipated his move and ducked and caught him by his arm twisted it and as he howled in pain, kicked hard on his rear. The other one who was frozen was then slapped by him and suddenly Deepthimaan pulled out a gun which Khushi realized was in an under arm holster and pointed at the man on the road and said “I want you both to apologise to her now!”

With the other hand he called a number and said, “Niranjan, aadmi bhej apnay.”
(Send your men Niranjan.) “I will tell you the sections to book them on.”
Khushi gaped as he made the men sit on their knees and apologise to her as a police van pulled up.

She looked out of the half curtained window. She could see the giant Neem tree in the neighbour‟s compound. The leaves swayed to the midafternoon breeze reminding her of her ancestral home. Everything was now just a haze! Nothing else. Even memories were scarred...

There was a sharp rap on the door and she jerked up and out of her thoughts...she was lying on the cot ever since. There was none to help her and she somehow dragged herself to the bathroom and found out that it was very difficult. The rap sounded again and she grew irritated. She left the door unlocked for the small girl from her owners to come in. She was her only connection with the living sane world.

She simply said, “It‟s open...aajao!”
(Come in)
Deepthimaan Singh Rathore stepped in and stood staring at her making her to panic and get up...
“So you do live alone” he said looking around.
She made to get up and he warned her saying, “Don‟t you dare!” “Sir...uh! What are you doing here?” she asked him.
“Checking on my employee” he said.
So she lived there!
He looked around a very small cabin with a small kitchen attached to it. But he was struck by how neatly it was arranged with the paltry things she had. The curtains were handmade and even the single wall hanging was made of wool and stuff, which he realized was again hand made. “So you live here!” It was a statement.
Khushi looked at him and said, “Yes sir.”
“Who is with you?” He asked...
Khushi hesitated and said, “I live alone.”
“I see! But where are you from? I mean... your parents...your people they must be in some place...your ancestral home or something...if they are not in Mumbai?” There he asked her...
“Er...no sir... no one.” Her clipped reply made him realize that the topic was not welcome to be discussed.
Deepthimaan prevailed...the lady was an enigma and he needed to know. “Where are your parents and family Ms. K?”
“Er... they are not there, sir.” She answered vaguely much to his rising irritation... “What do you mean they are not there? You are on bed and there must be someone who could take care of you... look at you...you are hardly able to move even in bed...” he paused and asked, “What is the problem? Have you run away from home or something?”
Khushi flinched and then raised her eyes to meet his, which told him she was mad at him for coming to such a conclusion...
“Did it ever occur to you that they might have passed away? Her soft remark made him jerk to reality from his land of doubts...
“No! Don‟t tell me that...” he paused...
“Yes sir! I am not some culprit or a criminal absconding from the authorities, if that was what you wanted to know. My people are...all gone” she said looking away. There was silence for what seemed like eternity, as Deepthimaan stared at her, digesting what she said.
“None at all?” he probed again, his keen observation power on high alert for any signs from her frozen features.

“Amma Babuji and Bhai... gone...” (Mom, dad, Brother) she said and he detected a strange emotion in the way she said it...was it self-derision but why? ... but whatever it was, it was painful for her...
“So?” he asked softly.

“So...here I am on my own and so many are in Mumbai...why bother?” She said so nonchalantly that it was almost rude.
Deepthimaan simply punched on his mobile and said, “Lado outhouse thayyar karwaao” and turning to her said, “let‟s go!”

(Lado get the outhouse done)
“Where to?” Khushi asked...
“To Mehraana.” He said trying to locate something and failing to find it...
“What? What are you searching for?” She asked...
“Do you have any bag or something to... pack your stuff?” He was still searching as he talked to her.
“No! I don‟t and I won‟t!” She said adamantly.
He stopped in his tracks and turned back sting, “I didn‟t give you a choice Khushi.” “But you can‟t force me Kunwar ji” she said.
He smarted and said, “Watch me...”and turned and located her hand bag, and then a hand baggage that she kept on top of the wooden almirah that the owner had provided her with...
“Suniye... I...” (Listen) she tried to get up as he stalled her and said, “I shall pack... you relax”
“No... ok...” he misunderstood her and walked to her and said... “I understand” and bent and lifted her up into his arms making her squeal saying, “What are you doing sir...” when her long hair which she kept wound high on her head with a clasp came undone covering her face and marring his vision...
Deepthimaan was taken aback by the sudden happening, which made him realise how beautiful the lady in his arms was actually. She was petite, weighed a feather and her hair was dark and long and so silky that his hands itched to touch the silky strands that now covered his face. She smelt of wild roses and some woodsy smell, which put him in a strange stupor...he had had his share of women but this one was an enigma and most importantly he felt a strange pull towards her. She evoked that protective instinct in him which died quite some time ago, when he realized how vile women were, and how they used his chivalry for the furtherance of their personal gains. “Please put me down...” she mumbled... “Pack your stuff Khushi” he barked.
“What for?” She asked him raising her head...which she realized was a mistake.
He was handsome but up close as they said the character of a man showed too through his features. His eyes were blue she realized gasping at the sheer beauty of them. He had long lashes like a lady but it by no means made his features feminine but added that extra oomph to his features making his face very beautiful. It made them look sexy and kind as well.