Chapter 23
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Part 5: Day 9
Section 2
Shyam knocked on the door.
Arnav, standing near the door, looked up at his Mami who was waiting at the top of the stairs, and nodded.
Mami said, "All the besht, Arnav Bitwaa!" silently, her mouth moving without making any sound.
Arnav nodded and proceeded towards the door.
Mami went to Khushi's room to warn her and then to Anjali's room to get her.
Arnav opened the door to see Shyam's smug mug.
His hands itched to teach the money-grubbing freeloader a painful lesson. He clenched his fists to control himself and stood back to let theconceited toad in.
Shyam sauntered in, looking around smugly. The house seemed empty. He frowned and his feet faltered. Had Arnav invited him to an empty house to beat him black and blue? He turned around to make a dash for the door to find Arnav standing like a mountain in his path.
"Sit down. The others will be down in a moment." Arnav said softly, reading the thought in the coward's mind and hating himself for not having seen through the crook earlier, for having called him Jiju and believed in him...
Shyam gulped and moved towards the living room. He sat down in a cushy chair. Arnav stood looking at him, his eyes showering contempt on the lazy trickster, the swindler who made a living fooling his credulous and gullible wife.
Shyam looked towards the stairs and stood up. Anjali was coming down, helped by Payal and Mami. Nani was behind them. Khushi, NK, Akash, & Mamaji were missing.
"Rani Sahiba!" the cheat carolled.
Tears dripped down Anjali's cheeks. Their ploy had worked. Starving herself as suggested by Shyamji had made Chotey agree to invite her husband back. Now she and Shyamji could live here, awaiting the birth of their daughter. And Chotey had promised to talk to Shyamji about paying for the needs of his small family without depending on Chotey for everything.
As she saw Shyamji stride up to her, her heart overflowed with love for him. When they were all under one roof, soon Chotey would realise that the accusations made against her husband were false. Khushiji, Payalji, & NK Bhai would understand that they had been mistaken, and everything would become alright. Life would go back to being the dream it once had been. And she would have the perfect life with her perfect husband, the perfect brother, the perfect Nani & Mami...
She hugged her husband, and wept all over him. Nani, Mami, & Arnav had to clench their jaws to stop themselves from pulling her out of his arms. Shyam finally managed to calm her and led her to the chair next to his.
"Namaste, Naniji, Mamiji." the snake greeted them.
They nodded, trying their best to smile at him. Arnav had told them not to put Shyam on his guard, but to lull him into a false sense of security.
"It is good that you returned, Damadji." Nani made herself say.
Mami, not to be outdone by her Sasumma, added, "Anjali Bitiyaa was crying because she could not see you, Hello Hi Bye Bye!"
"I told Chotey that this could not go on." Nani said.
"Bhat if the baby ijj hurt because Anjali Bitiyya ijj crying?" Mami asked. "How can we let that happen?"
Shyam smiled. So he had Mami & Nani to thank for Arnav's decision to let him back in to RM.
Nani and Mami sat down on a sofa. Payal sat behind them, to the back of the room. Arnav sat on another sofa, leaving the space beside him for Khushi. She slipped in to it, having come down unnoticed during the Shyam-Anjali tearfest.
Shyam looked his fill at Khushi. She looked like a newly bloomed rose in her pink anarkali. Now he could see her everyday. That was another advantage to staying with Rani Sahiba.
Arnav caught his covetous eyes on Khushi, and almost jumped out of his seat to tear Shyam limb from limb.
Khushi gently touched Arnav's arm to remind him of their plan, of the fact that she was with him and not with that scoundrel.
Arnav relaxed. Khushi then sat back, breathing deeply, praying to Devi Maiyya to make everything alright.
Arnav looked at the sick sight of his Di clinging to her husband's arm while he was making sheep's eyes at Khushi.
It was time to begin.
"After I threw you out, Di was very upset. She took to her bed." Arnav said.
Shyam looked anxiously at Anjali. "Rani Sahiba, you should not have endangered the life of our Choti Rajkumari. Hamara kya he? Whether I remain here or elsewhere, you should have taken care of our Rajkumari, Rani Sahiba."
Anjali stared at him, not knowing what to say. She had only wept, not refused food till Shyamji had asked her to starve.
"It is heartening to note your concern for my Di, Ji-Ja-Ji." Arnav said. "It must have been your concern for her and your unborn child that made you steal in to this house at noon, across the terrace, down to my garden, and then to the door of your wife's room a couple of days after I threw you out."
Shyam & Anjali stared at him, slack-jawed. How had he found out?
Nani & Mami pretended to be surprised.
"Damadji came here at noon? To see Anjali Bitiyaa? Then her condition should have improved, Chotey, not deteriorated." Nani remarked, as though to Arnav.
"True, Nani. But it was his need that her condition deteriorate. That is why he asked her to stop taking food." Arnav explained.
"Till noon, Anjali Bitiyaa was having her food on time. But after that she rephused to take even water!" Mami exclaimed.
"How could Di take water? Or food, Mami?" Arnav asked. "Jijaji had asked her to starve, even if it killed their child."
Nani & Mami gasped.
Shyam & Anjali started sweating. Things were not going to plan.
Khushi sat still, as though she were elsewhere. Payal imitated her.
"He had asked her to starve and demand that he be brought back. He knew that I wouldn't be able to see my Di suffer so, and would call him back."
"Oh!" Nani gasped.
"Bhat if something had happened to his Choti Rajkumari?"Mami asked, all concern.
"Jijaji was willing to take the risk." Arnav said simply.
Nani & Mami gasped, as if astounded by Shyam's callousness.
Shyam & Anjali squirmed.
"And Di was willing to go along with him." Arnav said.
All eyes turned towards Anjali, who wished she could get up and run from the accusing eyes trained on her.
"She tried to kill the child while at the hospital. I stopped her in the nick of time. Then she tried to kill the baby by not eating. All out of her love for her husband."
Mami put her hand to her face and rolled her eyes in astonishment. "Such love between a husband and wife?"
"Yes, Mami. A unique, pure love that has defeated even the cold businessman, Arnav Singh Raizada in to letting Jijaji stay with his wife."
Anjali & Shyam breathed easy. Even though Arnav had found out their plan, it had still worked. And Chotey could be trusted to forgive every trespass of his Di.
"So Anjali Bitiyaa, after Romeo-Juliet, Heer-Ranjha, Sohni-Mahiwal, and Sahiban-Mirza, Anjali-Shyam Manohar Jha ka hi number aawat he!" Mami smiled.
Nani smiled at Anjali and Shyam. "It is good that you managed to change Chotey's mind with such a display of love."
Shyam & Anjali smiled at them.
Nani looked at Chotey, and said, "It is good that you are letting them stay together. They should not be made to live apart."
Arnav nodded.
Anjali said, "Thank you, Chotey, for making your Di happy. Just as you promised." She was all smiles as though Chotey had not, a few moment ago, accused her of being a heartless woman who could kill her child.
"Yes, Saale sahab, it is good that you have taken your sister's feelings in to consideration, especially as she is such a delicate condition." Shyam had the gall to say.
But Arnav was beyond being irked. He had Khushi by him, his Nani & Mami matching him word for word, his brothers waiting in the wings... And the belief that his deluded Di would see sense when it was presented before her.
"Yes, my Di's feelings are very important to me." Arnav said mildly.
Anjali sagged in her chair out of relief.
"It must be time for you to rest, Rani Sahiba." Shyam said. "Let me take you to our room." He stood up and bent over Anjali. His plan had worked perfectly, except for being caught sneaking in to the house, but that was alright. As long as he had Anjali under his control, Arnav was helpless. And Nani & Mami were on his side. He had nothing more to worry about. He was safely in.
"It seems you have misunderstood me, Jijaji." Arnav said softly.
All faces, except that of Khushi, turned to him in surprise.
"I said that I will allow you to live together, not that I would allow you to live here with us." Arnav said softly, his words falling like lead in the silence of the room.
Anjali & Shyam gasped. Nani & Mami looked at Arnav, a mild curiosity on their faces.
"Jijaji, I am sure you can take your wife to your own house and look after her in the manner she is accustomed to." Arnav's face was expressionless.
Anjali looked uncertainly at Arnav and then at her husband. Her Shyamji's face was growing red, a sure sign of temper.
"Chotey'" Nani protested mildly.
Arnav explained. "Nani, Di can't stay without Jijaji. Jijaji can't stay without Di." Nani nodded. "If they stay, the problem is that here they will have to stay with me and my wife, Khushi, who accused Jijaji of kidnapping me and trying to kill me for my money."
Nani & Mami nodded.
"Of trying to marry her under false pretences. And they will have to stay with Akash & Payal & NK. Payal and NK had seconded Khushi's claims." Arnav added.
Nani & Mami nodded. Anjali & Shyam looked at Arnav like mice looking at a snake.
"It will not make for a harmonious home life, Nani. We will have to face fights and arguments on a daily basis. It will not be good for Di's choti rajkumari."
Nani & Mami nodded their agreement. Shyam gulped. His house of cards seemed to be in danger of toppling.
"Sach kahat ho, Chotey." Nani said. Mami seconded her opinion.
"I can't leave this house and move away, Nani, because I built it. It is my home. Neighbours will gossip if Khushi and I leave. But Jijaji can always take Di to his home, as he should have done after their marriage." Arnav was the soul of reason.
"Chotey!" Anjali tried to protest.
But Nani & Mami drowned her whine with their agreement.
"Tum bilkul truth kahat ho, Arnav Bitwaa! Mrs. Sinha and her friends have been asking me for three years why Anjali Bitiyaa has not left her maiykka and gone to live with her husband."
"Yes, Chotey. Let the love birds live in their own nest, without us disturbing them." Nani smiled.
In the face of such support for sending them away, Anjali & Shyam could say nothing. Apparently they would have to move out, Shyam thought furiously. Arnav was trying to keep him away from Khushiji. That was the whole plan. Shyam ran his fingers through his hair, his nose twitching. And he was fooling the two witches in to agreeing with him in the belief that they were helping him & Anjali. But what Arnav did not realise was that his obsession with Khushiji was secondary to his need for Arnav's money and his entire property. If they moved out, Anjali would be totally under his control, to be manipulated at will. They could stay in one of the many houses Arnav had given Anjali on her wedding, and get Arnav to foot the bill for their expenses. Or he could make the excuse that the houses had been let out and get Arnav to buy them a new house near RM. Shyam almost rubbed his hands in glee. He could make her ask Arnav for more money and property, which he, the fond brother would agree. Later, once the furore had died down, he could get Anjali to plead with Arnav for their return to RM, citing his frequent absences and her loneliness...
"Chotey..." Anjali tried again.
Shyam butted in. It was better to give in now than to resist, what with the old ladies supporting Arnav.
"You are right, Saale Sahab. We will be better off in our own house." Shyam smiled fondly at Anjali.
Anjali swallowed her words, remembering Chotey's views on making Shyamji more responsible.
"We will move into our house in Ashok Vihar." Shyam declared. He frowned. "But that has been let out. The house in Roseville Estate will do... but that too is let out..."
Anjali nodded.
"You don't have to worry about those two houses, Jijaji. Or any other house I have given Di."
Shyam and the others looked at Arnav, curious.
Yes, yes, this was the point when Arnav would offer to buy a new house for his Di, Shyam rejoiced. He would make sure that it was close to RM so that he could see Khushi often.
Arnav smiled his slow smile, looking directly into Shyam Manohar Jha's expectant and greedy face. It was time for the bomb.
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