Dark Night Dawning

Chapter 22

It was Friday night and Khushi sat in the living room checking her e-mails to see if there were any new orders. She needed to get a hang of the website, but in the mean time she realized her work was so much easier when she had started using e-mails from last week. She used Arnav's laptop each night for half an hour while he was on the phone.

'Arnavji, will you be able to manage breakfast on your own tomorrow?' Khushi asked Arnav when he came up to her, 'I have to go to mandir tomorrow and then I am supposed to meet Palak at Hazratganj for her bridal shopping. Her wedding is coming up in less than two weeks.'

'Are you planning to take the scooter?' he asked as he she handed the laptop back to him.

'No Arnavji, this is the Chandrika Devi mandir on Sitapur road. It's about 25 kms from here. I'll take the bus. After the shopping, Surajji will be there to bring us back home.'

'Suraj?' asked Arnav irked, 'Does he usually go shopping with women?' That guy was beginning to get on his nerves with his saintly attitude. In his mind he had already named him Saint Suraj.

Khushi realized Arnav was being sarcastic. 'Palak's dad wanted Surajji to go along with her as she is not very good with money,' she explained patiently,'Surajji knows all the right shops to go to and is very good at bargaining.

'I think I will get up early and make breakfast.' Khushi added as an afterthought.

'That won't be necessary Khushi,' he told her as he began typing on his lap top, 'I'll drive you to the temple and drop you off at the shopping place.'

He was planning to chauffeur her around? 'Don't you have a lot of work?'

'I do, but I need a break. I think a long drive will be good.'

**

As Khushi sat with Arnav in the car, she wondered what had made him offer to drive her to the temple. This was so unlike him. When they reached the ancient temple, he refrained from entering inside, still continuing to wage his war with God. Khushi had hoped that he had changed his mind. Khushi stood in front of Devi Maiyya and thanked her for helping her come out of a major catastrophe. She prayed for strength for the uncertain future. After the aarti, Khushi came out with the prasad in her hand. She saw Arnav talking on the phone. She came up to him and stared at him. Just as Arnav opened his mouth to form the word 'What', Khushi stuffed the prasad in his mouth and ran down the stairs. Arnav swallowed his prasad, a small smile playing on his lips. His wife was back in the sankadevi mode.

After leaving the mandir, Arnav asked Khushi where she would like to go for breakfast. She gave him directions to a place called Royal Café which was located in Hazratganj close to where she was supposed to meet Palak.

'They are very famous for their coffee and sandwiches,' she told him. 'I am sure you have been missing your coffee.'

'That's ok, I'll live,' said Arnav smiling inwardly. So his dear wife was concerned about him. When they reached Hazratganj, Arnav realized how much the place had changed since he had last come here. It was a so crowded that he began to have second thoughts about having breakfast here. But he decided to throw caution to the winds and go with the flow.

Royal café was an old and small place but Khushi had been right about the coffee. Its unique flavour and aroma soon had him ordering another cup. Khushi couldn't believe Arnav was sitting with her in this old café sipping coffee and munching on toast. Her heart began to flutter to see Arnav was enjoying his coffee. Was this all for real?

After breakfast, she told Arnav that she would find her way from there and that he could leave. He surprized her for a second time when he said that he would like to join them for the shopping.