The truth and the trust

Chapter 26

Exactly 10 minutes after Akash- Payal's departure for the hospital, Arnav's phone blinked near his bed indicating a caller. He was checking his files in his room sitting on the poolside chair, when Khushi came in with his black coffee which he badly needed at the moment.

As Khushi was closer to his phone, he kindly requested, 'Khushi can you pass my phone?'

Khushi being herself, could not stop herself from passing a taunt towards him.

'Lagtha hai, aaj Laad governor apne bluetooth ko apne kaan me chipkaana bhool gaye' (Looks like, Laad governor forgot to paste his bluetooth to his ear today)

'Suna maine', was an instant response from Arnav from the poolside. (I heard your taunt)

'Haan toh? Maine sach hi toh kaha! Amanji ko inke bina ek din bhi nahi chaltha. Aadha din kya chutti li, phone karne lag gaye', saying this she looked at the phone to curse Aman more only to look at the caller ID, stupefied with fear.
(So? I said the truth! Aman cant go a day without him. Took leave for half a day, and Aman is already calling him)

Arnav was enjoying her ranting like a typical wife. He could see things changing between them. The day before, they had an easy conversation about babies too. While he was rejoicing about their progressing relationship, Khushi's abrupt stop of her mutterings surprised him. He turned to look at her to know what went wrong, only to see a shivering Khushi, afraid of something on the phone. Alarmed, he was next to her in a second to look into the phone. It was the call from the same Private number, the stranger, the well wisher.

Arnav, answered the call without a delay, silently praying not to hear something bad, because whenever they got a call from this number, it always was an alert or the impending danger. But everytime, it was a message. This phone call surely made him worried too.

The moment he answered the call, he was greeted with a panicking voice on the other end.

'Arnav, your car's brakes have been tampered. Please get out and save yourself. I am on the way. Please be safe Arnav.' And the call was cut.

'His car brakes are tampered? What the hell? And why he insisted to get out of the car? I am still at home dammit. And where was he heading to save me?' This was the thought process of Arnav. He could not understand what was it all about!

A clueless Arnav was not what Khushi wished to see. She just shook him by his arm. 'Arnavji, what was it? What happened? Will you tell me? Jiji and Jijaji are safe right? Because they are the ones out of our sight for now.' Khushi had no idea about the call, but she was sure that it was something important and right now only Akash and Payal were out of the house. Her instincts just told her that they might be in trouble.

Listening to Akash and Payal's name, Arnav's brain started working. He got it! Shit!They were the ones in his car. And the well wisher thought he was in it and warned him. He panicked and immediately rushed out to check the availability of the other car in Shantivan, to save Akash and Payal. Meanwhile, he instructed Khushi to call Akash and let him know that the brakes have been tampered, to which Khushi could only gasp.

Composing herself, she too rushed along with Arnav, towards the vehicle, trying to call her Jijaji in between. Blame the network issues, she could not reach him too. Arnav on his way dialled his team of bodyguards and Aman.

Finally, Arnav got into another car and to his surprise, he found Khushi seated next to him trying to secure her with the seatbelt.

'What the?' Was all he could utter seeing her next to him.

'Khushi, why the hell are you here?'

'Why? We have to save Jiji and Jijaji. Jaldi chaliye Arnavji. Kya baatein karke time waste kar rahein hain?', she chided. Make it fast Arnavji. Why are you wasting time here?)