Khushi
The whole day they had been working like crazy. It was 4 p.m. The function was going to start at 6 p.m. and the decorations were still not completed. She nervously looked at the clock and called Radha and requested her to get the kids changed into thier respective costumes.
Vandana ji had told them that the patron of their orphanage was going to come as the chief guest at their function but she did not tell them his name. She had said that it was to be a surprise. She shook her head and smiled in amusement. Sometimes Vandana ji did behave like the children in the orphanage. She smiled and looked around her with affectionate eyes. Who would not be affected by the innocent children? They had brought back the innocence and happiness in her life which had been snatched away cruely by fate. Khushi Kumari Gupta had started living again.
She went to Vandanaji's office and saw the middle aged lady sitting in her chair with reading glasses perched on her sharp nose, reading some papers. She smiled at the elegant motherly woman and thanked Devi Maiyaa for sending such an angel in her barren, aimless and sad life.
She remembered the day when she had left buaji's house. She had nowhere to go and she was walking aimlessly on the road when she got hit by aspeeding car. The next thing she remembered was waking up in a hospital. Vandanji was sitting beside her and she gave her a reassuring smile. She told her that she was passing by when her accident had happened and had called the ambulance.
When the doctor came in the room and asked her abt her family she lied and said that she was an orphan. She did not even have enough money to pay for the medical bills but Vandanaji came to her rescue. She paid her bills and then took her to Vrindavan with her and gave her the job of a caretaker in Apna ghar. For the first month she stayed with Vandanji.
The poor woman had a one bedroom apartment inside the orphanage but she welcomed Khushi whole heartedly. Khuhsi saw how Vandanji tried to help everyone around her. Vandanaji was an orphan herself and had taken upon herself to take care of other orphans. She had never married and all the kids in the orphanage were like her own children.
When Khuhsi got her first salary she rented a small room near the orphanage as she did not want to take more advantage of Vandnaji's kindness. Her room was at walking distance from Apna Ghar.
Her first salary also reminded her of her duties towards her family. They had taken care of her when she was in need so now she had to take care of them, especialy her babuji.
With resolution she called Preetika from a pay phone. She told her all that had happened. Preetika was shocked and very angry with Arnavji. She asked her about her whereabouts but Khushi refused to tell her. She said that if Preetika didnot know about her whereabouts then she would not feel very guilty about not telling her parents about her. She promised Preetika that she would call her every week and tell her about her wellbeing and in turn Preetika would tell her about her parents.
She also took Preetika's personal account number and told her that she would deposit some money every month in her account and she could give that money to Khushi's parents and tell them that it was the interest on the money Khushi had deposited for them.
Under no circustances Preetika was to investigate about Khuhsi's whereabout and Preetika did not break her friend's trust. However last month when her bauji was suddenly taken ill Preetika had been frantic to contact Khushi but could not do so as she did not have her number. That week when Khushi called and came to know about her father's condition she gave Preetika the landline number of Apna Ghar. However Khushi instructed Preetika to use that number only in emergency and never reveal her identity if someone other than her picked up the phone.
She wanted to meet her famliy or at least tell them that she was alright but she knew from Preetika that Arnavji regularly visited her family and she knew that her simple family will not be able to keep any secret from the cunning ASR.
Preetika had told her that Arnavji was repenting a lot and he seemed miserable but she was not able to bring herself to trust him anymore.
She could understand his reasons for hating her in the begining but she could not understand why he could not trust her even after she had risked her life for him. She had forgiven months of illtreatment and he... he just could not trust her. One word from his sister and he threw her out.
Now she could not...would not trust him.
She was happy again and she was not going back for sure. She thanked Devi Maiyaa for a friend like Preetika.As Khushi was engrossed in her thoughts Vandanaji looked up and smiled at her.
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Edited by kutkut12 - 9 years ago
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