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New Chapter Announcement
Hello everyone, hope you are all enjoying yourselves so far. Just a quick announcement that Chapter 2: Flashback is set to be uploaded by Dec 13, 2023. See you soon. And until requested otherwise, the chapter upload pacing will be one at a time:)
Chapter 2 | Flashback
At Sheesh Mahal, Lucknow
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Fifteen years ago.....
"Chhote?.........CHHOTE....CHHOTEEEEEEE!" shrieked Arnav's sister Anjali Singh Malik - now Anjali Manohar Jha, her scream echoed across their parent's sleeping chamber.
She stayed rooted at the arched doorway to the room as she spotted her little brother kneeling......in front of their parent's.....bodies.
To the right of the monsterous four poster bed, they laid on top of the other.
Their eyes wide open, staring into nothing. The curtains hung on the bed frame were sprayed with tiny droplets of blood.
She couldn’t think straight. It was hard to believe what she was seeing in front her. Her mind scrambled to find a footing in the madness of this horror that appeared to have ensued in front of her. To find a way to figure out what to make of this scene across the room.
To make sense of it.
Anjali desperately hoped she was dreaming. Otherwise to think of what she was witnessing was real, all that….gore…..and her sweet brother being exposed to its ugliness.
Earlier, when the wedding pheras had finished and her husband was performing the sacred Indian wedding ritual of filling sindoor in her hair partition, she noticed her parents were absent from the mandap. And few moments later, at the end of the wedding nuptials, she had caught her younger brother leaving in a hurry, as if running after someone. And a minute after that, once the wedding was over Anjali too rushed in the direction her brother took off as she and her husband were scheduled to take a half an hour break before they had to change for the reception.
And still dressed in her wedding lehenga she had followed him to their parents' room to reprimand him for his sudden dissappearnace at his own sister’s wedding and to ask him to check where their parents were.
No no no no no, this couldn’t be happening. This isn’t real.
This CAN NOT be happening.
These things don’t happen on a wedding..right? Isn't it supposed to be the happiest day of your life. Not on the day you are supposed to start a new phase with the love of your life.
Arey not everything can be perfect but surely things can't go this much sideways.
Perhaps this is only a figment of my imagination. Must have been triggered by all the stress of this wedding. Shyam was right. I should have rested more.
Yes, that’s it. That’s what it is. It HAS TO BE IT, she fervently thought to herself.
She stood immobile at the entrance; unable to breath or move, for fear of bringing this nightmare she seemed to be stuck in, to reality. Her mind rejected this reality....of what her parents lying askew on the floor with an object - a gun, lying too close to her father’s hand, suggested. That there might be something vile that had preceded - caused their parents’ death.
Hey Devi Mayya, yeh kya dekh rahi hoon she thought, grappling for some sense desperately.
“Rani Saheba”, someone called from far distance.
That jolted her awake, as if a bucket of cold ice water had been dumped on her. A large gush of the long held breath rushed out of her. She breathed heavily, trying to catch breath, as her eyes roamed across the room once again.
With a different perspective. This time, other than despair there was grief and……questions.
What is Chhote doing here?
And what exactly happened here?
What caused her parents….death? A knot formed in her throat at that thought.
Who did or what caused this?
A lot of other thoughts rattled within her. She couldn't decide what to focus on. The frustration made her feel a bit lightheaded yet she slowly pushed herself out of this haze of overwhelm to move forward. She had to pull herself through it. To be there for her littler brother. He was a sweet and kind-hearted boy who was reticent enough already. And definitely not a person with a stomach for violence. She hated the thought of him being exposed to this nastiness.
Anjali shrugged the shock off herself. Took a deep staggering breath centering herself, letting her intuition guide her. She had to stay strong….she had to push through this.....try at least…..at least for her Chhote’s sake if not her own.
Arnav was still kneeling in front of their parents, with his back half towards her - angled so that she could still see how his face was frozen with shock and despair. His entire being immobile and eyes glazed with tears, staring in a distance. He loved his Ma more than anything, perhaps even more than his Di. The trauma he will have to overcome. Anjali couldn't imagine what all this will do to him - scared to imagine what this must be doing to him at the moment.
She finally managed to find her voice and remembered how to move again. Slowly and deliberately she moved towards her little brother.
She couldn't help but think of how much she hated that her brother had to see their parents like this….in this…in this state. He was still 17 for god’s sake! Still a child! She was young herself but at least she had four more formative years on him, at 21 now. And Arnav’s life had barely begun. He had a year of his boarding school left. He was supposed to be leaving for Harvard the year after. Anjali grieved for her brother’s innocence, for his well being, for her parents, for herself, for the dream wedding she was going to have….for their family!
It felt like forever until she finally reached him crossing the chambers.
Carefully, she placed her hand on his shoulder to avoid startling him and slowly lowered herself to the ground behind him.
She didn't know where and how to begin so gently she asked “Chhote?" and lightly cupped his chin as she continued "Kya kar rahe ho tum yahan?”
No answer.
She tried again, turning his face away from their parents and towards her to look at him properly, still cupping his chin.
Pale stricken face with dried tears and empty eyes greeted her.
Worry laced her tone as she asked “Chhote…..tum theek ho na?” that seemed to have pulled him out of his stupor.
He replied “Di?” as if just realizing he has company.
“Di” he said again.
She cupped his face in her hands and assured him that she was there for him. She coaxed him what happened.
“D-Di…."
"W-Woh…."
"B-Baba….."
"M-Ma…."
"F-Fighting” he struggled, his voice quivered with each word from forcing to get them out. As if it was an effort to speak. He was also trying hard to not cry in between. But when Anjali cajoled him that it was okay to cry if that’s what he needed, he sat up straight facing fully towards Anjali, steeled himself and continued in a more steady tone.
“Main…..." he swallowed before continuing "...jab kamre mein aaya, I found Ma and Baba quarreling. She constantly kept saying" he quoted his mother in the same haunted robotic tone "Hum jaanthe the, aapne humare saath dhoka kiya hai, aapne humare saath dhoka kiya hai...”
Anjali’s heartrate sped up at that revelation. She was taken aback to hear her Ma's accusation. She could feel herself drifting away from this conversation as a coping mechanism - not sure anymore if she wants to hear the next part. But she managed to shake herself out of it and encouraged her brother to go on.
Arnav’s breath turned fast now, each intake trembling yet he continued “She was saying - screaming actually…..so loudly Di....it was so scary! But Ma chilla rahi thi ki she knew that Baba got bored of her so he cheated on her with his secretary. Baba looked devastated. He said that it killed him to hear she thinks so low of him. That she doubted his loyalty for her. He insisted that she was being manipulated by Chacha Ji. And that he was filling her head with this false non-sense. She got so angry when he said that. She marched towards the side table with Baba following behind her. So swiftly, she then took out Baba’s gun for self-defense and……....shot him…..just like that….straight in the head…..in the head Di! It happened so fast…..I didn’t think she would follow through her threats. Ma was shocked at first, then filled with grief at what she had done. She pointed the gun towards her own head, right where she shot Baba. I ran to stop her but long before I could reach she had pulled the trigger!” Anjali pulled Arnav into a tight embrace.
It wasn’t until he was held by his Di that Arnav broke down and sobbed. Being out of shock now paved way for grief and bitter regret. “It was my fault Di, it was all my fault. I tried saving them. I tried stopping it. Lekin yeh achanak itni jaldi hogaya. I couldn't do anything” Arnav sobbed. Anjali held him tight while he let it out.
“Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” she consoled, trying to soothe him until his sobs slowed down a little.
Then fiercely held him by his shaking shoulders as she urgently said “Chhote, I need you to listen to me very carefully, whatever you feel and jaise bhi you choose to react. You MUST remember one thing. What happened was not your fault? Baba ke saath.... jo bhi hua....Ma ne joh kiya......woh bas ek bura haadsa tha aur usme tumhari koi ghalati nahin thi. It was NOT your fault. NONE OF THIS was your fault. Jhagda Ma aur Baba ke beech ki baath thi chhote. Unhe aapas mein suljhane nahin aaya toh it was not your fault. Samjhe? Samjhe!???” she asked till he nodded yes.
Cupping his face again, she tried to hammer it in him before his guilt had a chance to creep in again "Bas yeh ek baath yaad rakhna, theek hai. Baaki sab jo hua usme Devi Mayya ki marzi samajh ke bhoolne ki koshish karna, theek hai. Karoge na? Karoge na Chhote?….Apni Di ke liye?” Arnav nodded, too reluctantly for Anjali to be convinced but she decided to take it as him being too tired to say much. She engulfed him back in a tight hug. This time she let herself cry along with him.
Nothing needed to be said. Silence was their comfort as they grieved for their parents together. Anjali’s glance fell on her mother's face, she quickly shut her eyes and hugged her brother even tighter, trying to shake the image off her mind, of the misery etched in her expression.
She hoped that it won't become part of her core memory she will come to remember them by. She wished she would live to see a day out of the shadow of this incident and that she and Chhote manage to reach the other side unscathed or however less scathed was possible after this tragedy. As a family, together, they have had better days some more wholesome than others - both with her Ma and Baba. So she was determined to not let this day tarnish those memories for her.
“Rani Saheba? Chaliye reception ke liye sab wait kar rahe hai neeche hall mein. Hum jaante hain...” called Shyam Jha after catching up to his newly wedded wife he had been following from all corners of Sheesh Mahal before he stopped short in his tracks once he reached his Saas Sasur’s bedroom. He was planning to teasingly complain to them about their daughter’s lack of attention for him now that they are married. But he wasn’t prepared for what he was witnessing.
Blood, bodies, unseeeing stares and A GUN? What is happening???? Shyam wondered frantically.
Anjali was balled over on the floor with her eyes of shut tight.
Was she in pain??
No no no no
He wasn’t sure how to react to what he was seeing, but fear for his Rani Saheba's safety utlimately won over the shock. There was blood on the floor! He prayed hard mentally “Rani Saheba! Yeh Kya hua…Aap yahan kya.....? Yeh kya….Aap theek toh hai na?" he crossed the room in swift long steps and kneeled on the floor to check on Anjali. "Look at me! Look at me! What happened? Kuchh boliye Rani Saheba, please!” his voice wobbled, begging.
Devi Mayya kuchh bhi hojaye meri Rani Saheba ko sahi salaamat rakhna, please! Shyam internally prayed with desperation.
Anjali opened her eyes and wiped tears from her face. She nodded fiercely to assure her husband who looked scared out of his mind and placated him saying “Hum theek hain, don’t worry.” She let out a long staggering breath, took in a deep breath and unwrapped her arms from Arnav.
Shyam released a heavy sigh of relief after hearing that but another worry took its place when he got a look at his Chhote Saale Sahab, he was wheezing uncontrollably.
“Aur Saale Sahab?” he asked.
Anjali shaked her head no, her brow furrowing with worry too as she observed Arnav frantically trying to control his breathing. She rubbed his back trying to soothe him with a shushing sound.
“He is still in shock” she whispered to him growing worry in her tone. "Ma....had another episode of…" she trailed off realising that Arnav was in their presence. So she gave him a look hoping for him to catch her drift. Shyam caught on and knowingly nodded in reply. Glad for his support, she was able to focus on getting Chhote out of her room. He always understood her like that. Always so attuned to her thoughts and feelings that sometimes she feels like no words were needed. They silently agreed that they were going to speak about it later.
Shyam was still scared out of his wits but little of what he could gather urged him that he had to get moving if they were to get a handle of this catastrophic situation.
He may be just a Corporate Attorney but marrying into a Nawaabi khandaan came with an inherent responsibility of its own; he had come to learn that long back. There was a family reputation to uphold. He grew up under the mentorship of Nawaab Sahab who was a reknowned barrister himself and excellent businessman. Malik Sahab and his father were close friends from their law college days. Shyam was 8 when his widower father had passed away. Malik Sahab stepped in and brought him up like his own. Through him, Shyam had first-hand witnessed what it's like and how much it takes to run the Nawaabi household and the Malik Industries. Not that he ever fancied or desired to run it or even take over. If anything he had strived to be able to make a career for himself by the merit of his own capability and not by the handouts of an influential family. Even under Malik Sahab's mentorship, he would only accept his advice and guidance but never favours. Not that anyone ever made him feel like an outsider. Especially Chhote.
Chhote Nawaab as he was known to everyone or Chhote as he was known to his family and friends, had always made him feel like he had an actual younger brother. He couldn't think of anyone being more accepting of him as a family, second to Malik Sahab ofcourse. Sometimes Shyam felt like Chhote looked up to him like he was his role model. He had looked betrayed when Shyam and his Di broke it to him that they were romantically involved after Shyam had proposed to Anjali. Arnav had accused Anjali of stealing his brother. Probably one of the few rare times he was really mad at his sister. But it didn't take too long for him to get over it because then he realized that this will now mean that Shyam will become his Jeeja Ji aka brother-in-law, which he had apparently decided was way better than just muh bola bhai. That's how he reasoned at least while accepting his sister's request for truce on this subject.
The Malik family, due to their their royal lineage and high society connections, had always been the talk of Lucknow. So, incidents of this magnitude don't unfortunately allow you the diginity to mourn without being subjected to nasty speculations and judgement. Knowing what he knows about Rani Saheba's Ma; of her schizophrenic condition, Shyam knew that it would not bode well for the family if the media were to find out about the nature of his parent-in-laws' deaths. So, judging by what Anjali had told him so far, in conjencture with what he knew about this world of high society, influence, wealth and the kind of scrutiny they are subjected to by the general public, Shyam concluded that they had to navigate this situation with extreme care.
His first instinct was to protect Anjali and then Arnav - both by extension and genuine brotherly concern.
Thirty minutes later, his Saale Sahab's panic attack had subsided significantly. The family doctor of the Maliks, who was invited to their wedding, was discretely brought into the family quarters of the Mahal. He prescribed some sedatives and gave stern orders of bed rest after a diligent cross-consultation with a colleague phsyciatrist of his. Arnav was supposed to be under a strictly monitored rest for signs of PTSD for the next 24 hours.
Half an hour later, Anjali had filled Shyam in, about what Arnav narrated to her and shared her own theories regarding Ma. She also shared how she believed her dad was innocent. Anjali was even closer to their dad than Arnav was close to their Ma. Though she will have to admit that she had a momentary lapse of trust when she spotted that gun lying close to her father's hand, she now firmly believed that her father was innocent. If there was anything akin to strength, loyalty and bravery in her, she had gotten it all from her Baba.
Shyam agreed with this opinion, having technically been brought up by Malik Sahab himself. Seeing the way he treated his staff and earned their loyalty and trust was enough to convince him. Not to mention the way his eyes crinkled with subtle adoration at the mention of Padmini Ji in any conversation. The way he would be constantly reaching for her presence in the middle of a party. One had to be blind and a fool to believe the man was capable of cheating on his wife, forget about murdering her.
Soon after they had put Arnav under sedation, they rushed to the guest quarters and cancelled their wedding reception.
They did it citing that Anjali had taken ill due to an allergy she got from peanut butter sandwich she had after wedding. The guests were mostly confused, a little annoyed as well but none fussed too much for the hosts to handle the sitution. The immediate family members of Malik Sahab and Padmini Ji were informed to gather in their hundered seater dining room of Sheesh Mahal's guest quarters.
Anjali, now with Shyam beside her, worked to figure out the next steps for this. Sure, they needed space and time to grieve but given their family's reputation they had to approach this in a calculative manner and pacing.
Shyam had called in for a personal favour from the police - a commissioner who was a friend of Malik Sahab's and discussed the situation with him. He also reached out to the corporate advisory of the Malik industries, to update them on the situation. It was suggested to him to keep the exact nature and events of the incident under wraps as the situation of murder and suicide can hugely impact on the stocks of Malik industries.
The commissioner gave another contact to him, of an elite investigation agency just to rule out any foul play as no one except Arnav was present at the site of incident. Shyam offered to pay off whoever was a potential source of leaking this news with a request to keep Arnav out of this.
Shyam knew the kid all his 17 years of life and given the way he worshipped his parents, he didn't deserve to be dragged into the chaos of this mess on top of the trauma he will have to endure because of the horror he witnessed happened to them. He didn't want the kid's career to be affected by any rumours, especially not when there's still a chance his admit to Harvard might be rescinded upon a word of any hint of his involvement.
So next, without wasting any time he moved to the media and got in touch with the PR team of the Malik Industries, who knew him well enough to trust him like they would Malik Sahab. A statement was released that Nawab Sahab Ahraan Singh Malik and his wife Padmini Singh Malik had died in a medically unpreventable incident. Ahraan Malik had suffered from cardiac arrest and from the distress of this news, his wife suddenly took ill which made worse by her pre-existing sensitive medical condition, took her life in the same night. He kept reiterating in the statement enough times for it to stick that the Malik family is seeking privacy to mourn this inconsolable loss. The deceased's children are seeking to grieve their parents in privacy which they rightfully deserve.
With the help of the team, he had cleverly framed this statement so it leaves no room for any immediate suspicion/judgement or to draw too much curosity to the nature of their deaths, but not before he had made them all sign the NDA papers, ensuring this news didn't unncessarily travelled internally.
All this took him another hour.
Finally, after updating Anjali on the progress so far, together they broke the news to the rest of the Malik and Raizada khandaans - comprising Malik Sahab's younger brother known as Chacha Sahab, his wife, children (2 kids aged 5 and 7 - both girls) and Padmini Ji's Raizada Khandaan - including his Rani Saheba and Saale Sahab's Nani Ji, Mama Ji, Mami Ji and their cousins Akash and NK.
He was supposed to be attending a reception with them now to share, indulge and celeberate their wedding. And yet here they were announcing the harrowing news of his in-laws' passing. The irony wasn't lost on him. An investigation was already ongoing as they were making this announcement to the family.
At first, everyone was only concerned since they thought Anjali was ill. They had surrounded her inquiring about how she was faring with the allergies.As they informed them, the feelings of concern turned to shock to horror then to grief. There was a collective sense of disbelief and grief. Nani Ji was lost for words. Mama Ji was a sobbing inconsolable mess with Mami Ji by his side, trying to console him. Akash only asked for Arnav. Anjali informed them that he was put under sedation on doctor's orders. Nani Ji nodded, telling her that she did right.
A young man in his early twenties, who used to closely work under Malik Sahab, entered the expansive dining hall where the whole family was assembled and whispered into Chacha Sahab's ear. Shyam thought it was odd the way whatever was whispered, made Chacha Sahab sit straight and jittery. Especially after what Anjali told him. His reaction to his brother's death was strange as well. He didn't look too horrified or shocked or sad or even much affected. The only emotion he showed was something resembling to dissaproval on his face when they had shared how Arnav had the misfortune of witnessing his parents' death.
From what he knew about the incident, Padmini Ji's behaviour - though understandable due to her condition - was still uncharacterstic of her. Episodes of psychosis, though a common symptom of Schizophrenia, very rarely lead to violence - not to this degree atleast, from what he had been told. He learned all about it when Anjali had disclosed him when they were dating. It was a major misconception that people have about the mental health condition.
But what if....what really happened was that she was manipulated into believing that her husband was cheating on her, just like Chhote had said Malik Sahab claimed to his wife. Shyam wondered if Padmini Ji had been taking her medicines per usual - or at all, given the intensity of her reaction to Malik Sahab's words. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember a single instance of her previous episodes when she had reacted with any form of a violent impulse let alone a murderous one like tonight's.
What could have really lead to this? Shyam further mulled on this line of thought.
The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that this was turning into a plausible theory. Something lot bigger was into play to warrant this incident. He shared as much with Anjali while his uncle-in-law was occupied on a phone call in the coridoor outside the dining hall.
Anjali had gone quiet for a bit as she processed what her husband suspected. Suddenly she remembered the part where Chhote mentioned, how her Ma had reacted to her Baba's words - Baba said that it was killing him that Ma thought he was cheating on her and then she went to the drawer for the gun to actually kill him. But wait....Anjali stumbled with realization as she remembered that her Baba always stored his gun unloaded, especially for Ma's safety purpose. But Chhote said that she shot Baba the instant the gun was out.
Shyam's suspicions kept rising further after Anjali shared that. If what she had deduced was true then this felt like too much of a co-incidence that Malik Sahab's gun was kept loaded ready for Padmini Ji to use should she feel provoked enough to use it on her husband. And if - as per Shyam's theory - she had stopped taking her medicines....or rather been made to stop from taking her medicines, it makes sense then that she reacted the way she did, triggered by the mere mention of the word kill. It lined up neatly with Malik Sahab's defense too that her wife was being lied to about it by his brother - his own brother, thought Shyam disdainfully, starting to feeling a prick of injustice on his father-like mentor's behalf.
He decided that he needed to talk to Chacha Sahab, right away. At least feel him out on these suspicions indirectly without explicitly implying anything. He planned to do that once the investigation is over.
An hour more passed by, it was close to 2 am. The investigation was finally finished.
No foul play had been detected other than what they already knew had occured: the gun was indeed fired by Padmini Ji, first at her husband and then at herself. Arnav's story checked out there.
The best part however was, two parts of this investigation had turned out to be valuable for Shyam's theory. One was the fact that strong evidence suggested that the gun was indeed kept pre-loaded....and by a different person...who was not Malik Sahab. Nor was it Arnav.
The second part was that upon doing medical tests on Padmini Ji, it was found that she hadn't been on her prescribed medications at the time of the incident and likely had stopped taking them atleast a month ago! Furthermore, the female nurse incharge of her meds was nowhere to be found on this estate.
Shyam immediately rushed to Anjali with these investigation results. She was still sitting with the rest of the family, in the dining hall. Nani ji had her enveloped in a tight hug and was rubbing smooth soothing circles on her back. Shyam was glad to have Nani Ji there looking after his Rani Saheba. Reluctantly, he drew her aside so he could privately confide with her about what he had just learnt.
Anjali was numb at this point. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse. Shyam held her hand and squeezed it in assurance. Slowly with concern and care in his eyes, he moved closer, to hold her face in his hand, cupping her cheek. His other hand snaked her back drawing her closer until they were smushed tight chest to chest. His face showed exhaustion, concern and care.
He murmured in a low rough voice "You know I will be there with you right, Rani Saheba? All the way? We are in this together. Never forget that. I didn't take those saath vachan a few hours ago just to abandon you at the first sign of trouble." He lightly flicked his index finger on her nose as he said that.
His eyes hovered intently on her face speaking their silent language again. Telling her how he meant every word he just said. Then to punctuate his unsaid emotions, he bent down to tenderly kiss her forehead just below the sindoor he put on her.
"I know" she whispered, gazing into his dark eyes. Drawing in the comfort that they offered. She sometimes feels that she can drown in them. The way he always knows what she needs just by looking at her like he was a mind reader. Her mind reader. She sighed finally letting him engulf her into a tight embrace and let herself relax for a moment.
She knew that no matter what happened she had her husband to count on. Her wedding may not have been perfect but at least she had married right. And that's all that mattered to her. This confidence, borne out out of his reassurance somehow gave her the courage to face whatever she might have to possibly endure in the upcoming dreadful days. Come what may, she knew they had each other.
Once Shyam was done discussing with Anjali. He searched the dining room for Chacha Sahab but couldn't find him anywhere. He called his PA to get Sheesh Mahal checked, who later informed him that Chacha Sahab had left for his office apparently, for an urgent work at Malik Industries. Shyam didn't like the way he had to leave so late in the night, especially after his brother's death.
Aise bhi kya jaldi thi, what urgent business could it be? Shyam thought.
Next day, he was summoned to Arnav's room in family quarters. Arnav had woken up and was refusing to stay put in his room. He was pacing back and forth in his room when Anjali and Shyam arrived. He looked way better and a lot more like himself - quiet and composed.
Except Anjali could sense the undertones of the storm brewing underneath in the way he clenched his jaw and the rigidity in his posture. He was angry. Very very angry.
At least that is better than the ghostly demeanor he had on yesterday, Anjali convinced herself.
"I can't believe you made me sleep through it all Di. And-" he turned to Shyam "you too Jeeja Ji? How could you do this to me?" Arnav launched at them.
"Chhote you were having a panic attack, it was what the doctor had suggested" Anjali explained him as gently as she could.
"I know I broke down aapke saamne last night Di, but that doesn't mean I am too weak to handle the situation or take care of myself."
"I can't believe you are saying this Chhote. What does this has to do with me thinking you are weak - which by the way I did not, samjhe? I was only trying to take care of you."
"Well then don't. You can't just force someone into a situation without their consent. Don't you know that as a defence lawyer."
"You were having a mental break down dammit. If you are looking for an apology for acting like anyone would - as per the protocol of helping someone having a panic attack, then you won't find it with me. I only acted in your best interest and you know it Chhote, you know you do!"
Arnav's ears turned red at that. He seemed to be regretting his words. Still, hotly he said "I know you were, okay. Just...please don't put me on anything without my consent."
Anjali was frustrated. His brother was making out what she did like something that was wrongfully enforced upon him. Can't he see that it was what he needed? It was the most practical and approprate thing one could have done in that type of situation.
"Fine, I won't next time, but you are supposed to be under bed rest for the next 16 hours. Doctor has prescribed intermittent breathing exercises that have been explained to Hari Prakash already. Make sure you follow through."
Arnav stared with a stubborn attitude for a few moments.
Then, "Whatever" is all he replied giving in.
Anjali was annoyed, she knew Arnav wasn't so stupid enough to actually believe what he was saying. She hoped so at least. He was just using this pointless argument to channel the anger he was feeling right now. At the helplessness he must be feeling. That's why she didn't take any of this personally. He could burst on her for all she could care but the rest definitely helped get the color back on his face. So she didn't regret it that much.
How was she supposed to take his consent when he was barely conscious of his surroundings or even himself?? It was like rendering first aid - trying to wake up a person who fainted with potentially fatal injury to ask if they would like to be saved. She understood the boundaries of consent but she couldn't see it's relevance in this situation.
In the afternoon, once all the funeral rites were performed, the Maliks and the Raizadas were having lunch in the dining hall of family quarters. This was a relatively smaller dining space but a fifty seater table was set up with food meant for brunch.
Arnav was quieter than usual. He hadn't cried at the funeral too. He made it look like he was too focused on the rituals to get a moment for himself to mourn, Anjali observed. He was not in the mood to eat also apparently. The mattar and aloo ki sabzi was sitting untouched in his plate.
Anjali, who sat on the opposite side of the table, was watching him like a hawk. He was holding his spoon in a death grip. She tried to not make it obvious but still ended getting caught.
His jaw clenched as he took a deep breath as if coming to a decision and began eating - finally. Whatever it is that convinced him, she was grateful for it even though he was glaring at her like she stole something from him.
Sighing silently, she continued eating.
Akash and his cousin from his maternal side(Mami Ji's nephew) - NK tried drawing him in a conversation they were having about college and other stuff. Arnav just nodded along without engaging much on the topic.
Her Mami, who was also observing these exchanges from the other side of the table, silently gestured to Anjali to let it be. She then got up to grab a bowl of Anjali's favourite dish.
"Bitya" Manorama said, serving some more food on her plate, "Tum bhi toh khao na, kahe apne baare mein bhi toh sonchna chahiye, nahin?"
She gave a meaningful look with small smile to Anjali, implicitly reminding her to take care of herself too. "Ji Mami" she replied. Anjali then looked at Arnav to see him nodding in thanks to thier Mami.
Chacha Sahab had still not arrived. This did not sit well with Shyam. Less because the man couldn't even attend the funeral to honour his own brother and more because his gut was telling him that the man was upto something. Just then, as if on cue, he heard the doors to the dining hall opening for someone to enter.
Chacha Sahab.
A murder and suicide. Shyam seems to really care for Anjali and Arnav. They will need his support in coming days.
📢
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Next Chapter Announcement
Hello everyone, sorry for the delay in the upload of the previous chapter. It was a tough one to write given how heavy you have noticed it was. The tone of the next chapter will be same but it would be more of Arnav's perspective. Can't wait to move to a more light hearted tone! Phew!
Anyways, the next chapter is still in the works and since my schedule has gotten a bit busier it's difficult to commit to a particular date to upload this one. But I have a tentative date in mind, which is by Christmas. It may be earlier too so look out just in case:)
Take all the time you need. No rush. We do appreciate the time it takes to churn out the chapters.
Hi,
New Reader Alert!
First of all, I would like to thank you for still keeping the love for our beloved couple alive, all these years later. It's always a pleasure to read Arshi stories where Khushi lives up to her potential.
Would comment more as I continue reading!
Okay...Let me begin by telling you, that I love the spin you have put on the characters. This makes it seem all the more realistic.
We can see Shyam in his lawyer form, where he actually puts his mind to good use. We see glimpses of the rest of the family members.
I am glad, Anjali is not the weak, cry baby here. The way she composed herself for the sake of her family, her brother makes her the elder sibling that we expected her to be.
And Chacha's behavior is truly very suspicious. I wish Arnav and Shyam collate their doubts and collectively tell it to the police.
Coming to Chapter 1. I fell in love with the portrayal of the scene. For Arnav to become such a successful businessman, it would not have made sense for him to keep losing his anger everytime something went wrong. He needs to be calm and collected and open to listen to people and I'm glad he did. Your take on the scenes during and after the fashion show were realistic. The way he turned Khushi's fall into a planned stunt and made her sign an NDA is what a clever businessman would have done to make use of a situation for his benefit.
I am sure he must have added some clauses that would shock Khushi but he is Arnav Singh Raizada after all.
Can't wait to read more of the chapters! Its nice to see the Arshi love still alive.
P.S. I just love all the tropes this story is going to flow on!
Chapter 3 | Fashion Show: Part 1/3
Loud chopping sounds magnified as he opened the door to the helipad custom-built on the terrace of his penthouse apartment in Delhi. He was scheduled to fly to his long awaited fashion show in Lucknow, in his private jet. He opened his phone to give a quick re-check of the itinerary his PA had shared a week ago with him.
The order of the events for the day was already familiar to him. He just needed to ensure everything was still in order and that there were no last minute updates that might have popped up in the schedule.
Any other day, he wouldn't mind such changes dropping in once in a while. He understood that in this fast-paced business of fashion, order and consistency required a proportional amount of flexibility. But today was too important for him to be derailed by any unavoidable urgent tasks. So, his thorough self went through the schedule again.
First, he was supposed to take the chopper to Delhi's IGI Airport where a swanky black Raizada Jet waited to fly him to Lucknow.
Then he would take another chopper from there to the show's location: Shaastri Nivas Out House, Sheesh Mahal, Sheesh Mahal Lane.
The show won't begin until the next day 3 pm but he had to make an early stop at the venue for an urgent personal business.
Ideally, he wouldn't want to be having to run this errand this close to the event. It was a huge deal to for his textile industry and fashion label - Raizada, which was in the middle of an international expansion.
The world had transformed upside down since lock down, the fast pace had somehow turned even faster, the insignificant formalities of the design processes had been dropped, workflows had become more refined and realistically demanding, communication had become more direct and less stingy, the work-spaces had become hybrid, attention span had decreased and online media consumption had increased. During the pandemic, the world had become as close digitally as it had become isolated physically. India was at the cusp of a global change. The country and its businesses had now drawn a level of scrutiny that was never seen before. Not as a widely and unanimously recognized worthy competitor or collaborator.
The time was now.
He had spent the better part of the year carefully networking, working with his PR team, assembling a roster of potential marketeers and influencers, connecting and reconnecting with the owners of his peer brands to collaborate with, hiring agencies to understand his new audiences, preparing a bullet proof strategy for making the launches, gathering intel on the audiences from his prospective global market - beginning from New York, then moving to London, Paris, Los Angeles, Rome, Naples, Monte Carlo, New Jersey, Chicago, Houston, Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Glasgow, Sydney and Melbourne - in that order.
This intensive research had led to the next major step his label would take.
A show that was going to be pivotal in announcing his plans of re-positioning Raizada as a global brand.
Just the way he established its repertoire in the Indian market - with clever strategy and execution.
He strongly believed that the brand was more than ready to scale its success at an international platform. So, naturally, his perfectionist self didn't leave a stone unturned to ensure that everything goes smoothly for this event. Much to his PR team's detriment he had never bothered to indulge in a public image - outside of his work-related activities - let alone worry about public engagement for his.
To indulge in social media relations as a prominent personality for once instead of the usual Raizada campaigns particularly was really out of his comfort zone.
From doing a media purge to running campaigns on social media for the purpose of harnessing sustained favorable media impression was the most weirdest concepts to him.
This strange process was quite a journey and revelation to him, given how little he had cared about his media representation in any shape and form, except if it was directly concerned with the perception of his fashion label or constructive criticism of his designs or negative press that had serious potential to impact his business. Otherwise, he didn't care much about any media speculations or entertainment gossip which he now was belatedly realizing might have been a mistake. The paps seem to have gone through too much trouble to dig information on his personal life. He was both impressed and horrified with their ability to spin regular bullsh*t about popular personalities and make it sell like hot cakes. It's all about content for views these days it seemed. And apparently he has been a subject of way too many deranged speculations judging by the headlines and content that have generated the most strongest impression of him as a prominent personality in India.
Headline
King of Indian Fashion named Man of the Year by GQ magazine
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Headline
ASR spotted working out shirtless. Click to see pics!!
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Headline
Arnav Singh Raizada spotted jogging at these places!
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Headline
ASR's dating history and background
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IG Reel
SPOTTED: ASR leaving filmfare's after party early with Lara Kapoor on his arm
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Headline
Abuzzfeed India: 25 thirst tweets on ASR
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IG Reel
ASR being the most drooled over celebrity on this season of Toffee with Taran
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IG Reel
All the moments on Toffee with Taran where guests were gushing about their crush on ASR
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Headline
King of Indian Fashion set to design wardrobe for Lara Kapoor's next bollywood venture
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Headline
Lara Kapoor says she is excited about hottie ASR designing for her next movie
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IG Reel
Raizada khandaan spotted attending Lara's film release
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IG Reel
Arnav Singh Raizada spotted taking prasad from Nani Devyani Singh Raizada at the Raizada family's frequented temple Kuldevi Mandir
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IG Reel
SPOTTED: ASR hugging his sister Anjali Singh Raizada while leaving the Diwali Party at Raizada Mansion
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Headline
Fashion and hot men: Is ASR too good looking to just be an owner of Raizada fashion label
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IG Reel
Should ASR start modeling? Click on caption to vote
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Headline
Source claims that ASR might be dating his PA
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IG Reel
Raizada family spotted at Kuldevi Mandir
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Headline
15 things you didn't know about Arnav Singh Raizada, India's Most Eligible Bachelor
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Headline
SPOTTED: ASR jogging in Shantivan streets at 4 am
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Headline
What does ASR do in a day?
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Headline
What does ASR eat in a day?
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IG Reel
SPOTTED: Arnav Singh Raizada smooching an unidentified beautiful woman at Delhi's most posh rooftop restaurant
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Headline
What does ASR wear in a day?
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Headline
Top 10 pictures of shirtless ASR working out in his gym
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Headline
Mensvp Mag: Top 10 sexiest billionaires in the world
"F*ck this is too much random, most irrelevant bullsh*t to sift through" he swore in front of his team. He had given up half way through the most viewed headlines as per the report formulated by his PR team.
F*ck this is mortifying, he had thought rubbing his facial stubble, especially after reading a few of those thirst tweets in one article. Did his family read this kind of stuff about him?
F*ck ignorance is indeed a bliss, he thought wishing for the time to come back when he didn't know about any of this.
No wonder curosity killed the cat, he thought rubbing his face in an attempt to center himself from this madness.
However, it was something he couldn't ignore apparently. The reports showed the highest ratings for these kinds of gimmicky click-baity headlines filled with half-truths.
What is with people and their obssession with other people's lives? he grumbled in annoyance wishing there was a way he didn't had to do any of this in the first place. If this is what he was seeing on the news just by googling himself or searching his name on Instagram, he was afraid to see what else would have come up if he dived further. Trying not to shudder at that thought, he focused back on the zoom call meeting he was having with his PR team.
Arnav asked his PA to task Raizada's PR rep to collaborate with a third-party PR firm with specializiation for wider and meaningful insights into the Indian media landscape. He had to get this sorted to have a sustained customer retention.
And for that he needed to be thorough. May be he could forumulate a strategy while dealing with this - for future re-use? Arnav had to admit that whether he liked it or not, if he is to re-caliberate his brand's path to international horizons then he needed to first figure out where he, as an individual or 'celeb personality' - as his staff refers - stood in terms of media impression outside the Raizada realm.
Because though he would be building new bridges with the international expansions, he still wanted to make sure that his current presence in the Indian market is not compromised in that process.
As per the media impressions conveyed to him by his team, he needs to - to say bluntly - clean up his act. Clean up his act forgodsake. He didn't realize him mind his business and living his life on his own terms - however private it may be - would require any cleaning up. Well not clean up exactly, but shaping a persona around this non-sense of a perception.
It baffled him to say the least, how intrusive the paps were regarding his personal life, capitalizing on the views they would get for such clickbait sh*t. On top of which, the Indian public seemed love to eat that sh*t up.
According to the media report drafted by his freshly formed joint PR team, a trend had been observed for celebrities and brands trying to expand their careers/businesses beyond their country. It wasn't necessary right now but it significantly helped long term to protect himself from potentially sabotaging news that might impact his business expansion. The earlier, the better given how volatile is our country's media climate, his PR head informed him.
So, long story short, the concluded solution was that he needed to tie up loose ends where needed and leverage his perceived persona in the media(he couldn't help but roll his eyes every time the term was brought up in a meeting). So, ultimately, Arnav came to accept that if he couldn't control it, might as well leverage it to his benefit.
The only effort he had made regarding his image in the media was to remove all traces of his ancestral lineage and connections to his native birthplace: Lucknow.
He was no longer a Malik since he was17 and he had needed it to stay that way for as long as he could manage.
However, he had been told that with the scale of media coverage his brand required to achieve their business goals, they had to plan for this piece of information as it was bound to come out. Better it come from them than for it to be leaked from an unknown source and lose control of the narrative.
So, he got on a zoom call with the joint PR team to work through strategies of media purging, nudging news coverage, launching online campaigns and re-shaping his media image for preemptive measures to prevent future mishaps and evade the possible risks.....for whenever they find the opportunity to disclose this fact.
Once he stepped onto the rooftop, he switched off his phone as part of the protocol to prepare for the take off. Reaching into his pocket he took out his RayBans and deftly put them on while climbing into his private chopper. He settled in the passenger section at the back, put the headphones on and clicked the seat belt in.
Outside, it was a rather sunny morning today, a huge contrast to his glum mood. He wished he wasn't feeling so restless for the meeting. He wondered if he should have driven the chopper himself. May be having something to do would have kept his nerves at bay and prevented his thoughts from straying too much.
He hated that feeling of.......of.......uncertainty, the helplessness that follows it and the waves of panic it tends to morph into.
No, he reminded himself before his thoughts could go further haywire. He couldn't afford to be distracted today. So taking a deep breath in, he tried to relax the muscles in his shoulder and neck as he let the breath out. Once, the chopper was in the air he took off the headphones and switched on his phone.
He reached for the sleek glove box beside his seat handle and took out his pods. Plugging them into his ears, he played his go-to guided meditation recording for brushing away the uncomfortable feeling that has been breeding since morning. He had ten minutes until they had to board the jet anyways. So, Arnav tried to focus on his breath through out the journey, pausing for awhile as he got on his plane to Lucknow.
It wasn't until he heard someone greeted in a hindustani dialect when he was getting into his car that the weird feeling from the morning came back again.
Arnav went back to his meditation app. He put on an advanced level session for extra measure.
Except this time, when the calm soothing voice said "Close your eyes and settle into yourself with a deep gentle breath", his mind immediately traveled to the day when his entire life changed.
The day he changed.
Scenes from that fateful afternoon kept ruminating. The imagery so vivid, as if it had happened just yesterday.
Suddenly, he was back at the goddamn dining room of his goddamn ancestral home: Sheesh Mahal.
*Flashback to the brunch scene at Sheesh Mahal*
Arnav had just finished the funeral rites for his parents. There were two variations of them. Each to honor their own ancestral cultural beliefs.
He was sitting in their family dining hall, halfheartedly trying to convince himself to eat. His appetite had been long gone before the wedding days. Seeing his parents argue non-stop had taken a toll on him.
He had seen them fight now and then when he was younger but these fights, that weirdly began during his Di's wedding, were something else. He couldn't help but constantly get dragged into their fights. And he would let himself be dragged too. Mostly because he felt a misplaced guilt when they fought and by some unfathomable logic felt responsible to diffuse the tension.
His mom would usually be the one always picking up the bickering. He knew she was a sensitive person so initially Arnav would always take her side. But there were times he would feel bad for his Baba too; poor man was equally frustrated as him that his Ma would rarely be satisfied with a resolution.
He wondered if her hypertension was getting worst because the arguments she would usually have - with due respect - were silly. Arnav had kept this to himself. His Di was already overwhelmed sick with worry about her wedding and all that entailed her professional practice as a Law Advocate. He didn't want to worry her further. So, silently he had endured, secretly trying to put out the constantly re-emerging fires between his parents. Although, he wished he hadn't waited until the wedding ceremony was over before following his parents to their room.
He only endured their drama for so long to make sure things went smoothly for Di's wedding. He was already guilty with the way he reacted to their engagement announcement. The least he thought he could was to ensure smooth sailings for her D-day. That day, at the mandap, the wedding ceremony was almost over when his parents left. So, he thought what's more a few more minutes. But boy oh boy was he wrong.
He had also purposely delayed until the wedding was over because at that point, Arnav had become frustrated with his Ma. He tried extra hard to be patient but day by day it was wearing his patience thin. It seemed like she always had a bone to pick with Baba whenever they were in the same room.
He got so knee deep into their constantly quarrelling sh*t that he had low key started developing a resentment akin to fear to the idea of marriage. Which is....if it - by any long shot - had to develop into this sham of unhappiness and dissatisfaction, then he was better off without it he had figured. Baba claimed that he loved Ma.
Hell, he had grown up hearing stories of Ma and Baba's romance. He had seen it plenty too.
But was that really enough?
Does love really trump all?
What people really don't reveal is, love poisons all.
The poison so cruel and vicious that it lowers your guard with a false sense of security and renders you defenseless, where you are helpless to do nothing as it makes you blind to the reality, compelling you to do things that you don't actually want to do.
Little did he know the intensity of their conflicts will lead to such gruesome....
He wasn't sure what to think of that anymore.
It took everything within him to not loose his sh*t on the dining table and curl up on the floor. It was an effort to sit still and eat his lunch like he hadn't just returned from cremating his mother and burying his father.
Like it didn't take his whole conscious being to concentrate hard on not letting his hand shake and voice quiver while lighting his mother's pyre and reciting mantras.
Like he didn't almost bawl over again when he saw his father's face lying in their family's royal grave. He had to give his shovel to Akash mid-way through the burial process before his legs gave up. Atleast Di wasn't there to witness. That was a small relief he thought. Jeeja Ji was there with him on his side throughout.
Somehow he managed to complete the rituals with whatever dignity he had left since the panic attack episode.
But for the near crippling fear of the same reaction while performing the rituals for her mother, he couldn't make himself see her face one last time on that pile of wood.
Not again after the way he saw her last in her bedroom.
Not after the way she had stared at him as she pointed the gun at herself, finger trembling against the trigger. The fight of shock, devastation and grief in her eyes when she pulled the trigger.
And the empty stare after she pulled the trigger as she slumped on the ground on top of where his father was already lying face-first on the -
Arnav balled his fists hard to snap himself back from that memory to the present. He let the feel of the cool steel of the spoon in his right hand guide his focus back to where he was.
Earlier, he wished he was alone so he could go straight to his room to sit if not mourn in quiet but now he was almost glad for the company of his cousins and the rest of his family. The low hum of chatter around him was helping him stay tethered to the moment and away from the uneasy barrage of his thoughts.
All this, while appearing to keep his composure, had felt like a feat. He looked up to notice his Di quietly observing him jostling his food with spoon. It was the same knowing stare she had been giving him since the funeral rites. Jeeja Ji must have snitched on him. Arnav knew she only wanted to make sure he was alright or if he needed someone to talk to. But it was aggravatingly mortifying to say the least. She thought he was throwing a fit for nothing but if only she could really see how much she was smothering him with this mental health non sense.
It was unbearably stifling. He needed some space to sort out himself!
Unlike, what his Di thought - though she claims otherwise - his one breakdown doesn't make him weak and sensitive to the point of requiring any therapy. He was NOT SO WEAK.
So, he finally began eating out of spite. To show to her and himself that he was capable of taking care of himself and be spared of another lecture about it.
Akash and NK were asking him about his coursework for Harvard and for some tips on applying. He didn't feel like talking but it was easier to keep himself from spiraling while he was occupied with the conversation.
He was still discussing about colleges with Akash when he sensed a slow shift in the room.
The hum of chatter had quieted to a pin drop silence. His attention first went to his Di who was clutching Jeeja Ji's arm tightly and staring at the dining hall entrance. Arnav bent forward to see clearly who it was.
Chacha Ji stood there with a bunch of papers and lot of security. He recognized a few of them as their newly appointed guards, the others were policemen. Arnav had vaguely noticed his absence at his father's funeral, but didn't think much of it as he was preoccupied with the challenging enough tasks. But the way his Di and Jeeja Ji were reacting to his uncle's presence caught his special attention.
Jeeja Ji's face looked shocked and then contorted into silent fury as he looked from Di to Chacha Ji. A whole silent dialogue seemed to be going on between them.
What is going on? Arnav wondered in wary.
Chacha Ji strode in with a determined expression. Everyone was still seated at the table. But Jeeja Ji was the first to inercept him, Di had beelined right after and came to stand beside.
"Chacha Sahab, kahan the aap? Saari reethi rasme toh hogayi" Shyam said.
Di's expression was unreadable as she chimed in "Haan, saari batein ek taraf aur ghar ki baatein ek taraf rakhni chahiye. Hai na?" His Di asked in a tone that Arnav knew too well had meant that she was trying to get information on something. He got the sense that she was being vague on purpose.
"Kya kehna chahthi ho tum?" Chacha Ji got offended. It was funny that defensiveness was his first reaction instead of an apology or some semblance of guilt. It was his own brother. They didn't see eye to eye on most occasions but blood is blood, they were family, weren't they?
His Di's face hardened.
"I thought it's clear lekin aap itne confused lag rahe hain toh khule mein bol hi deti hoon. Aisa kya zaroori kaam aya tha joh aapne Baba aur Ma ki funeral hi miss kardi? Apne sagey bhai ki barsi pe tak apni haaziri nahin de sake?" Anjali inquired with accusation.
What is Di getting at? Arnav tried to figure out. Something had happened. He had never seen Di like this before. She was cryptic at best but never so confronting - not outside the matters of the court at least.
"Tum uski fikr math karo, sab samhalna meri responsibility hi toh hai abse" Chacha Ji patronized.
"Abse?" Jeeja Ji echoed, "Kya matlab hai aapka?"
Chacha Ji took out the papers and waved them condescendingly at his face. "Puchhna batana hogaya toh padhlo ise"
"Humein patha tha" Jeeja Ji said in fury that was borderline wrath, after going through the papers.
"Kya likha hai isme?" Anjali almost snatched them from him and started reading.
"What is going on?" Arnav finally spoke out.
But Anjali didn't seem to hear him as cold fury broke over her face, " Hum sirf ek sawaal karna chahtein aapse" her posture changed, her expression changed to a eerie calm that was scary. Arnav had the better sense to not interrupt her. It was scary when she was like this. He was bracing for a blast to rip out based on her silent ominous stare that was throwing daggers at their uncle but all she asked was -
"Kyun?"
"Kyun ki haq hai mera" Chacha Ji responded immediately, sneering.
"Kaunsa haq?" Anjali shot back maintaining the same tone of calm and cold fury.
"Shayad aapko yaad nahin hai Anjali, kyun ki chhoti thi aap, aapke Baba ke vaaris hum the"
Arnav's eye brows rose at that.
"Vaaris the" Di seemed to be reminding him.
"Zabaan Samhaal ke" Chacha ji warned.
"Bilkul Chacha Ji. Theek usi tarah jaise aapne yeh saazish rachayi hai" replied calmly.
"Tumhe andaaza bhi hai ki tum kya keh rahi ho?" Chacha ji reprimanded condescendingly.
"Uski aap fikr math kijiye Chacha Ji. Andaaza hai aur sabooth bhi" Jeeja Ji said in the same reprimanding tone at the way Anjali was being spoken to.
"Bakwaas math kariye, kis baath ke liye sabooth ki zaroor padhi aapko?"
"Yahi ki aapne jis tarah se apne bhai ka murder kiya hai" Jeeja Ji said with disgust dripping in his voice.
Chacha Ji opened his mouth to reply but Di cut in.
"Jis ke liye you used my mother to play your dirty game" she almost sneered.
"Kya bakwaas kar rahi ho" he said, his expression showing astonishment.
"I wish I was but unfortunately the evidence - evidences suggest otherwise. Dekh toh aise rahein hai aap jaise you didn't exploit my Ma's mental health for your own gain."
"Kya -"
"Unki jazbathon ke saath khel kar, jaise aapne unhe emotionally manipulate nahin kiya" Di continued
"Kuch-"
"Unki dawayion ko rukwakar jaise apne unki health condition ko weaponize nahin kiya" Di added
"Jaise ki aapne unhe Baba ka murder karne ke liye badhava nahin diya" Di added
Arnav was shocked to say the least, so much was happening and so much was being said.
Ma had a health condition? Manipulated? Mental Health? Kya dawaiyan? Arnav was finding it difficult to process the accusations being thrown. It was too shocking to analyze it all.
"Dimakh kharab hogaya hai tum donon ka!!!" Chacha Ji hollered at them.
Di gave a sweet smile that didn't look like anything but lethal, and said "Phir toh aapko koi problem nahin hona chahiye agar hum aapke finger prints lenge for...you know, for proof."
"This is ridiculous! Main samajh sakta hoon ki aap log apne ma baap ke guzarne ke gham mein ho upar se ghar chhodna padh raha ha lekin unki mauth ka zimmedar mujhe kyun thehra rahe ho."
"Shayad aapne theek se suna nahin Chacha Sahab, aapke khilaf sabooth hai humare paas" Shyam pointed out.
"Jhootein ilzam!" Arnav's uncle spat back. "Evidence bol kar kuchh bhi kehdeinge aap log?"
"Theek hai phir, pakki baath karne ke liye humare saath co-operate kar lijiye. Finger prints hi toh dena hai, kaunsa hum se chheeni hui jaaydaath wapas maang rahein hain aapse." Shyam reasoned albeit with an underlying shade.
Arnav couldn't fathom how things could get from bad to tragic to horrific in a matter of twenty four hours. Was it just yesterday morning he was running around helping with wedding arrangements? He felt like he had lived an indistinguishable amount of time in a day.
Chacha Ji's face contorted to rage like he could burst at everyone at a tiny pin prick. But Jeeja Ji got to him before that as he called in the nurse his dad had personally hired take care of his Ma.
Arnav recognised the lady immediately. He should have known something was amiss back then. It was strange to have hired medical help on a daily basis just for hypertension.
"I will do you a double Chacha Sahab.....jaisa aap ke betting aur gambling ke mehfil mein karte hain, evidence report ke saath saath witness bhi haazir hai aapke liye. Ab batayie, aur kya chahiye?"
For the first time, Arnav noticed that his uncle looked a bit off-guard. His demeanor a little unsure of himself.
How was this supposed to do any justice? Arnav wondered.
"Here are the official reports from the investigation I conducted - date aur time bhi hai uspe...kafi detailed hai. Fikr math kijiye." he handed him the papers and gestured the nurse to come forward.
"Haan toh Zulfiqar Ji, kya keh rahi thi aap aapke confession mein?"
"Ji..." she hesitated. "Woh..inhone" she said pointing at Chacha Ji," Humein paise diye the...dedh lakh rupiye...inka kaam karne ke liye. Haan kehte waqt humse ghalati hogayi ki humne nahin poochha kis kaam ke liye yeh humein keh rahe the. Lekin jab tak yeh baath humare khayal mein aaya tab tak humne contract sign kardiya tha ki hum is deal se nahin peechhe nahin hatenge aur kisi ko kuchh nahin kahenge. Inhon ne jab kaha ki patient ki dawayi rukwana hai. Humne rokne ki koshish lekin contract ki wajah se yeh sab karna padha."
"Jhooth!!!" Chacha Ji spat.
"Hum sach keh rahe hain!" the nurse insisted then pulled a copy out of a bag she was holdinng and waved those papers towards Anjali. "Yeh dekhiye humne in kagaz ko unki study se churaya tha, hum tang aagaye the inki contract ki dhamkiyon se. Toh hum in papers ko churakar bhaag gaye taki yeh humare peechhe na aa sake."
"Bas karo yeh drama, main toh pehle tumlogon ko teen din ki due time dene wala tha ghar khaali karne ke liye par aur nahin, abhi ke abhi nikal jao yahan se."
"Badi meherbani aapki!!!" Anjali screamed at him. Her eyes were swollen red now, devestation written all over her face.
"Badi meherbani Chacha Ji ki aapne humein teen din ki mohlath ke layak samjha. Aur maaf kijiye aapki sacchayi samne laane ki beizzati karne ke liye ki kis tarah apne yeh ganda khel khela hai hamare Ma Baba ke jazbaathon ke saath. All this...AND FOR WHAT? Money??? Property????" her voice was raw with hurt.
Arnav's throat felt tight seeing her Di like that. All sibling rivalry aside, he would rather die than to see his sister in this state.
Chacha Ji snorted, apparently not bothering to be subtle anymore.
"Chacha Ji" he echoed, "Chacha Sahab. Aapko patha hai? Kisi ko humara naam bhi nahin patha hai. Humare bade bhai, Nawab Sahab aur sabke liye hum sirf Chacha Sahab ya phir Chhote Sahab, jaise hamari koi pehchaan hi nahin hai unke bina! Jab aapne' he said gesturing to Anjali "Bhai Sahab ki vaaris hone se mana kardiya tab unhon ne humein wapas apna vaaris banane ka vaada kiya tha. Phir humein jab kuchh paison ki zaroorath padhne par, unse madad maangne gaye, tab hamara saath dena toh duur unhone hum se humara haq bhi chhin liya apne chhote bete ko vaaris banakar. Isliye jazbaathon se khelne ki baath toh tum math hi karo" he said bitterly.
"Funny how you mentioned ki sirf kucch paison ki zaroorath thi, because Baba toh bata rahe the ki 50 crore maang rahe the aap unse" Di said.
"Aur nahin toh Rani Saheba, koi mamuli sa karza thode hi tha. Juwa khelne aur betting karne ke karz, humari society mein aise hi kahan saste chukte hain. Aur phir mafia wale aise thodi maaf karenge inka karz."
Everyone gasped. Di looked shocked at that too.
Chacha Ji paled. It was enough to prove that he was guilty as charged.
Di laughed without humour breaking the silence then sobered up quickly to look at their uncle with disgusted determined gaze. She was about to say something but stopping mid-way turned to Jeeja Ji and said " Shyam kya aap police ko phone kar sakte hain, hum bas aur nahin kheechna chahte hain inki 'dukh bhari kahani' ko. Bohot hogaya, aagey ki jitni bhi inki safai hogi hum court mein sun lenge."
Nani and Mami Ji gasped.
"Phir? Aur Phir kya kaheingi aap court mein?"
"Ki aapne Baba ke murder ke liye conspire kiya hai, aur investigation puri karne ke liye co-operate bhi nahin kar rahe hain. Phir yeh sab ke liye witness bhi toh hai. Shayad pura evidence toh nahin lekin enough toh available hai arrest warrant ke liye" Di said reverting back to the ominously calm yet authoritative tone.
"Dhamki kise de rahin hain Anjali, police saath laya hoon mein aur guards bhi hain yahan."
Di was seething. Her expression was still cold but tears were streaming down her face. Jeeja Ji put a hand on her shoulder, to remind her that he was there - the same way he had kept company with Arnav during his Baba's burial. Anjali looked at him again, seeming to silently communicate him something. Her husband nodded.
"Theek hai Chacha Sahab, mubarak ho aapko. Malik industries ke 60% shares aur yeh" Jeeja Ji looked around gesturing the space he was standing in "Sheesh Mahal....aapka hua."
"WHAT" Arnav exclaimed loudly. Everyone else roared, asking Anjali and Shyam to not do this. But his Di, continued her face hardening "Bilkul mubarak ho....lekin ek sharth par"
Chacha Ji didn't reply, waiting for her to continue.
"Ek aur contract sign kijiye, state karte hue ki aap hamare aur Chhote ke kisi bhi asset ko collateral nahin rakh sakte aur ek baar contract sign karlene ke baad, mere aur chhote se aapki aur aapki biwi bacchon se humara koi association nahin hoga. Not on papers and definitely not via any media recognition. Kyun ki...." She gestured to Shyam who handed her another set of papers "...agar aapne kabhi bhi, kisi bhi favour ke liye pareshaan kiya toh phir I am going to stop at nothing to make sure you are behind the bars. By breaking this contract, you would be agreeing to confess your crimes and motive for murder. And furthermore as part of its consequence, you would also have to pay 50 crores in law suit as a consequence for the grave loss and distress you have caused."
Chacha Ji kept staring at her, seeming to really notice her for the first time. Like he had underestimated how ruthless and cunning she could be even though she is a f*cking lawyer. It seems typical of his mysogynistic mindset that Arnav had seen glimpses during of what little time had spent at Sheesh Mahal when he was on vacation from his boarding school.
"Aise hi nahin banaya tha Malik Sahab ne humari Rani Saheba ko unka vaaris" Jeeja Ji said standing tall beside Di with a glimmer of pride in his eyes.
Chacha Ji, the monster that he was, somehow understood how he had no way out of these legal threats but to accept the proposal to sign the contract.
"Manzoor hai" he had grunted out vehemently.
"Good. Ek ghante mein papers aapke paas honge" was the last thing his Di spoke to their uncle before she stalked out of the room.
The rest of the family save for hi Chachi Ji and her daughters had left the room. Just one other person was left besides him. His Nani: Devyani Singh Raizada.
Nani stared at his uncle, if he didn't know any better he would think that she was trying to figure out what to say next but knowing his grandmother, Arnav understood that she was letting him know that she sees him truly for the heartless and selfish b*stard that he was underneath the mask he tried to hide behind and all the lies he tried to spin that day. Chacha Ji - surprisingly to his credit - also understood the depth in her gaze given the way he was squirming under it.
"Hum kuchh nahin kahenge aapse, kyun ki aapko aapke paapon ka phal toh upar wale ki kripa se mil hi jayega. Bas dekhna chahthe the hum, hamari beti aur damaad ke khooni ko...ek akhri baar"
Something in her gaze and tone, gave chills to Arnav.
His Nani's response was the epitome of the saying 'Anger is better than disappointment.'
"Chaliye Chhote" she said still looking at his uncle.
And then they left.
......to be continued in Part 2/3
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