Advaith turned around and saw Shyam coming up the stairs and frowned seeing him stop on his tracks and him going pale.

“Isn’t that ASR’s brother in law?” Advaith asked himself. He frowned when he saw Shyam turning around and hurrying out of the temple premises.

He looked as if he was about to get caught red handed for some heinous crime.

“Arre, where is he?” Bua ji stood next to him and looked around, trying to find someone from the crowd.

“Who are you looking for Bua ji?” Advi asked.

“Shyam babua said he will be back from his trip today. When I said we will be here in the temple, he said he will join us here and together go home” Bua ji said, still looking around.

“Who is Shyam babua?” Advaith asked in confusion.

“Arre Shyam babua. Our paying guest” Bua ji said.

A vague memory of seeing someone walking out of Bua ji’s house struck him. And a niggle of doubt entered his mind at that time.

“What does this Shyam do? I mean his job?” Advaith asked.

“He is a lawyer. And he once asked our sanka devi’s hand in marriage” Bua ji said.

Lawyer..

Shyam..

It couldn’t be the same person, would it?

No. Not at all! Why would Anjali Raizada’s husband ask for Khushi’s hand in marriage?

“What is his full name?” Advaith asked, just so that he can be sure that these two are two different people.

And when he met Shyam at AR, he had a feeling that he had seen the man somewhere before. He was not able to figure out where.

And just a few seconds ago, ASR’s brother in law had ran out of here with a pale face.

All the things connected, gives a different story.

“Shyam Jha” Bua ji said and Advaith was shocked.

Shyam Jha. Shyam Manohar Jha.

“Why do you look so shocked? Have you heard of him? I think he is a very good lawyer. So, there are chances that you must have heard of him” Bua ji said.

Advaith just smiled and walked into the temple with a heavy heart.

If they are the same person, why does Anjali Raizada’s husband want to marry Khushi.

And from what Khushi has told, she has been to ASR’s house several times. If they are the same person, she must already know that.

He couldn’t contain his curiosity. He hurried towards Khushi and held her forearms and pulled her aside. He was too caught up with his confusions that he didn’t notice the boiling volcano standing next to Khushi. He didn’t even feel the lasers being thrown his way.

“What is it, Advi?” Khushi asked, very well aware of the murderous glare coming their way.

A second ago, he was acting like a Romeo. And now he looks like a monster.

He definitely have multiple personality disorder. Like in the tamil movie Anniyan.

He was Remo a while ago and now he is Anniyan. In ASR’s case, there is no Ambi. He will never be that.

“Khushi, have you met Anjali Raizada’s husband before?” Advaith asked and Khushi frowned.

“No..” Khushi said, suddenly realising that despite working for the Raizadas in their home for months, she had never seen Anjali ji’s husband.

“Not even once?” Advi asked.

“No. He is always away on official trips” Khushi said and Advi sucked in a sharp breath.

Some serious game is going on and these people are being fooled. But he cannot come to a conclusion without any proof. First he needs to make sure that his doubts are not baseless.

Advi turned away from Khushi and gulped seeing Arnav looking at him murderously.

He shot a sheepish smile at Arnav and stealthily moved away from Khushi.

Arnav marched towards Khushi with determined steps.

“What was that?” He hissed at her and she shot a dismissive look at him.

“What was what?” She asked, even though she very well knew what he was asking about.

“Who the hell is he to you? How dare he touch you like that?” Arnav asked angrily.

“Mr Raizada, I don’t think it is any of your business,” Khushi said.

“It is my bloody damn business, Khushi. You are mine” Arnav said and Khushi looked around, worried that someone might hear him.

Thankfully, everyone was busy in their own business.

“It is not for you to decide, Mr Raizada. I am not a rag doll which you can pull when you want and push when you don’t. And don’t you ever dare question me like this. Advi is very dear to me and you have no right to question our relation” Khushi said and it was like showing the raging bull a red rag.

“I am being patient, Khushi. Very patient with you. Don’t bring out the ASR in me” Arnav warned and Khushi let out a humorless chuckle.

“What will you do? Lock me away in your Sheesh Mahal? Air video clips and tarnish my image? Push me down from the first floor? Make me stand in heavy rain and lightning? Send me to dilapidating buildings and try to kill me?” Khushi asked and all those incidents flashed through his mind at that moment and he cursed under his breath.

She is never going to forget any damn thing, he thought to himself.

“Arre, sanka devi, where are you? It is time to start the puja. Once the puja is done, eat the sweets and drink water from your taala.” Bua ji called out and Arnav hid behind a pillar, so that Bua ji wouldn’t see him.

It seems there are lots of unmarried girls there, doing the puja today, so Khushi couldn’t move away from where she was standing.

Once puja was done, the pandit looked at the sky and seeing the moon, he instructed all the young girls to break their fast.

Khushi took a jalebi from her taala and opened her mouth. Before the jalebi could reach her mouth, Arnav placed a peda in her mouth, thus breaking her fast for the second time..