Chapter 2

Part 2 - Banjaara

Arnav watched her smiling face, making him smile instinctively. He looked at her from the window of his huge glass cabin on the first floor, chatting and laughing with her colleagues. Seeing her happy face lifted a huge burden off his heart. How had she become his sole focus? How had she become such a vital part of his life that her happiness reflected on his own? His heart healed along with hers, binding them together in a very definitive way.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Arnav Singh Raizada was known to be a ruthless businessman. He was one of India's most eligible bachelors, a tycoon feared by the media and a competitor, who did not let his business rivals forget his enmity. He had built a huge fashion empire from scratch. AR Designs had become the topmost fashion house in India, in a mere five years. A complete workaholic, he did not have time for any sort of attachments. His girlfriends who generally did not last for more than a few months, knew that this handsome man would never love them. However, they didn't know the truth... the truth that he couldn't love them.

The word Love', seized to exist for him at the age of twelve. He had grown up seeing his mother being mistreated by his father. The fights and abuse were a regular affair at home. His mother had always tried to keep him away from this domestic mess, and he too had demanded attention for himself, rather than focus on his mother's worries. What was a small child to do, in such circumstances?

His older sister, his Anjali Di and his mother were his entire life. His dad never had time for their family. The two women would pamper him and take care of his every tiny demand. He was their "chote", their lovely little boy, who would grow up to become a handsome young man. But fate had different plans for the Malik family. Arnav Malik... that was his name before that fateful night, when a twelve-year-old boy had watched his mother being murdered.

Arnav's mother had come to know about her husband's affair that night. She had suffered at the hands of the man she loved. She had endured his anger, his taunts and his abuse, only because she had loved him selflessly. But being cheated upon had been the last straw. She could not deal with this situation and for the first time ever, had yelled at him and hit him with her frail hands.

Arnav had silently watched this entire fight, taking place in front of his innocent eyes. His sister had gone off to her tuition classes and he had hidden under a table, sobbing quietly. His father had been hitting his mother, in his drunken state. And to Arnav's horror, he broke the liquor bottle on the table and thrust it in to his mother's stomach. Everything that followed happened so speedily, that the little boy could do nothing about it.

He had run towards his father, hitting him with his tiny fists. His father had kicked him away and stormed out of the house, leaving behind his bleeding mother. By the time Arnav had got some help, it was too late. His mother had succumbed to the physical and emotional injuries. A heartbroken child had cried and wailed for his mother to return back... but life had already played its cruel joke on him.

He hated his father and wanted vengeance from the man. Unfortunately, even that opportunity had been snatched from him by destiny. His father, in his drunken state, had met with an accident and then succumbed to his injuries. In one dreadful night, Arnav and Anjali Malik had become orphans. For his broken, shattered sister, Arnav had grown up in a few weeks. The series of unfortunate events had continued further on, though.

Their uncle had cheated and taken away every single rupee from the children, leaving them standing on the road. At that moment, Arnav had realized that there was no such thing as love' in the world. This society was selfish and cruel. Relationships were meant to be used and broken. Reality was harsh and life was a struggle... Arnav had realized this fact, at a very early age.

The only respite was that Arnav and Anjali had been taken in by their beloved mama-mami and nani. It wasn't long before the children gave up their surname and became Raizadas. They lived in a small, comfortable home, where their mama-mami did not leave any opportunity to shower their love on the duo, healing the scars caused by their parents.

Anjali healed quickly, being the older one and always detached from their parents. Arnav however, remained tormented. The sight of his mother's dead body, would give him nightmares every single night. He immersed himself in studies, aspiring to earn so much money, that he could ruin his greedy uncle. He wanted to take revenge from every evil person on this planet... who reminded him of his father.

As years passed by, Arnav became extremely reclusive and bitter to the world around him. In spite of innumerous efforts from his nani, he remained cold to the outside world. He would do anything for his beloved family, but did not care a damn about anyone else's emotions. His mama funded his business idea and with a lot of hard work and sleepless nights, Arnav Singh Raizada had built a fashion empire, that made a lot of people envious and become a force to be reckoned with.

He had let his uncle live in peace though, only because of his promise to nani. His sister was now happily married to a good man called Sameer. Looking at the happy faces of his family members, gave him temporary respite.  However, he lay on his bed in the nights... alone... lost... scared to close his eyes... because the nightmares would begin any moment. While the rest of the world had moved on, Arnav remained that scared twelve-year-old child, hidden under the table.

Immersed in work day and night, Arnav had never stopped to notice any of his employees. He worked ruthlessly and work was always his priority. Even when he worked alongside the most beautiful ladies in the fashion world, he would have a few romantic encounters and nothing more. Emotions, feelings, relationships meant nothing to him... until she had walked into AR Designs on one spectacular day.

While he had sat across her, asking her questions regarding her work experience and other such mundane stuff, the language her eyes spoke had stunned him. A certain shyness mixed with fear, her eyes flit every second to a different corner in his room. She was scared to look him in the eye... was it because she thought he could read what lay within? He had hired her immediately, considering how desperate she seemed to get this job.

As weeks passed by, he read her eyes every time, they clashed with his. Khushi Shyam Jha, was a receptionist who worked for AR Designs, and he would barely get an opportunity to speak with her. It was only at times, when he had to instruct her to not forward any calls, or she had to convey important messages to him. However, the most unnerving fact was that her eyes reminded him... of his mother.

The same fear, a similar devotion, the same restlessness... it was all there in those hazel orbs. Was he thinking too much about her?? He had spent weeks trying to ignore her, to forget her beautiful face and those bewitching eyes. However, his restraint shattered around him, when he had seen that dark angry bruise over her eyebrow. It was the only thing that scarred her angelic face. That exact moment, he had known what lay behind those eyes.

He had immediately gotten to work and asked his friend, Lavanya, who worked for him, to befriend Khushi. If she had been surprised, she did not show it. Without a word, she had done as he asked and had won a friend in Khushi. As time passed by, he got the required information from La, about the domestic conflicts in Khushi's life. Her already sad face seemed to be getting more and more tormented, with each passing day. This had increased Arnav's agitation and uneasiness equally.

He did not realize what was happening to him, until much later. All he knew, was that this woman was suffering, and if nothing was done immediately... she would be gone... like his mother... He could not sit and let history repeat itself, in front of his eyes. He planned things and made Lavanya execute them. He made Lavanya prepare Khushi, for the inevitable... strengthen her beliefs in herself, become strong enough to move out of a destructive relationship.

Eventually, it happened. Khushi was out of the clutches of that monster and Arnav's business instincts kicked in. The law team at AR had been intimated about this development and the divorce proceedings were put into fast-track mode due to the Raizada pressure. He had made Lavanya take care of Khushi, help her heal and give her the required confidence to deal with this entire situation. Arnav made sure that Shyam and his family, would suffer their worst and finally managed to kick them out of the city, back to where they came from... All these things, without letting her know a thing about his involvement... why did he want to be her silent savior?

-----------------------------------------------------------------

She had been laughing freely these days and it made his heart soar with joy. Arnav looked away, trying to control his haywire heart. For a man, who was known to be unemotional, he had definitely gone beyond what a normal human being felt. The last few months had been emotionally draining, to see her suffer the after-math of a broken relationship. However, he knew it was a phase that would eventually lead to her freedom... from the tangles of a disastrous bond.

Every time he helped her, in each tiny way, he found peace. When she healed a little, along with her, so did he. As if the small child, was finally able to save his mother. He was finding the satisfaction of punishing the sinner by destroying Shyam. How intricate, yet beautiful life was. What went around definitely came around. Unknowingly, he was getting bound to this beautiful, intelligent woman, who was now his personal assistant.

Working closely with her was becoming difficult every minute. He was affected by her every move...  even the small gesture of her tucking the tiny strands of hair, behind her ears. Did she even realize what was running in his shatir dimaag, as the media called it? He doubted, she ever realized his intentions. She had been more than happy with the promotion from a receptionist to his assistant. She respected him, but barely seemed to be affected by his presence. Had her trust in love and relationships, broken along with her marriage? It seemed like it was time to find out...

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Song inspiration: Banjaara

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NFxcNheoLc[/YOUTUBE]

Jise zindagi dhoondh rahi hai, Kya ye woh makaam mera hai
Yahaan chain se bas ruk jaaun, Kyun dil ye mujhe kehta hai
Jazbaat naye se mile hain, Jaane kya asar ye huaa hai
Ik aas mili phir mujhko, Jo qubool kisi ne kiya hai

Kisi shaayar ki ghazal, Jo de rooh ko sukoon ke pal
Koi mujhko yun mila hai, Jaise banjaare ko ghar
Naye mausam ki sehar, Yaa sard mein dopahar
Koi mujhko yun mila hai, Jaise banjare ko ghar

Jaise koi kinaara, Deta ho sahaara
Mujhe wo mila kisi mod par
Koi raat ka taara, Karta ho ujaala
Waise hi roshan kare woh shehar

Dard mere woh bhula hi gayaa, Kuch aisa asar huaa
Jeena mujhe phir se woh sikha raha
Jaise baarish kar de tar, Yaa marham dard par
Koi mujhko yun mila hai, Jaise banjare ko ghar
Naye mausam ki sehar, Yaa sard mein dopahar
Koi mujhko yun mila hai, Jaise banjaare ko ghar

Muskaata yeh chehra, Deta hai jo pehraa
Jaane chhupata kya dil ka samandar
Auron ko toh hardam saaya deta hai
Woh dhoop mein hai khada khud magar
Chot lagi hai usey,
Phir kyun mehsoos mujhe ho raha hai
Dil tu bata de kya hai iraada tera

Main parinda besabar, Tha uda jo darbadar
Koi mujhko yun mila hai, Jaise banjarey ko ghar
Naye mausam ki sehar, Yaa sard mein dopahar
Koi mujhko yun mila hai, Jaise banjarey ko ghar