Chapter 22

Smita,😊

Here is the interpretation for Part 10.

This update is about being forced into a place or situation from which it is hard to escape, summed up by the word CORNERED.

Hearing Arnav explaining the document to Anjali that was pointing an accusatory finger at him, all his moves and hard work of the past four years under attack, Shyam stood up and like a fox at bay howling at the moon, shouted that all that was being uttered was nothing but rubbish; Arnav was trying to blacken his name and defame his character. He in turn, pointed an accusatory finger at the calm and collected Arnav. The family members turned their head from one to the other, noting Shyam's vehement face and Arnav's stolid expression. Their eyes went wide unable to believe that everything they had believed in for three years was crumbling before them; the world they had created for themselves was tumbling into ruins right before them. In her predicament, Anjali fell back against her chair, feeling her limbs give away. Mr. Singhal who was witnessing Shyam's impassioned plea asked him softly, then, what was the necessity to possess a bottle of chloroform that was found in his car along with a used cloth on the night of the kidnapping? That query put him in a tight spot. But Shyam, a master conniver, looked as though he was spewing venom with his eyes, at the man with long hair locks, for posing impertinent questions. Riled beyond reason Shyam shouted at him asking, who the hell was he to poke his nose? Who was he to interfere in family matters? What was he doing in his house? And who gave him the permission to 'go sniffing' his car and now hound him unnecessarily? Arnav, who was an epitome of calmness said to Shyam, in a soft voice that belied the firmness in it, that Mr. Singhal, was a leading private investigator who was invited by him. Raizada Mansion was not Shyam's house, but it was his, Arnav Singh Raizada's house. And it was he who had given permission to 'go sniffing' as he so succinctly put it; in the car he bought paying his hard-earned money. This assertion landed Shyam in hot water and had to uncomfortably answer a lot of questions in front of the family gathered.

Nani, who was concerned of the impact of this exchange on her pregnant grand daughter looked anxiously at Anjali, and parted her lips to express her astonishment at the path the proceedings seem to treading on. Mami taking one look at the dead-set looks on the faces of Arnav, Akash and NK, caught hold of Nani's hand and patted it, placating her to calm down and keep silent. She, who had realized that there were more to things than they appear, now felt that it had advanced more than what she had thought off and knew for sure, that Shyam had gotten himself into a pickle. As Shyam bellowed, trying to sway the opinion of his wife as the way of getting out of spot saying, that Arnav was lying, he was trying to split them! Anjali whispered, Chotey, not really able to believe either one could be lying. She was tormented as to whom to believe, for she knew her Chotey, whatever be his faults, was a man of integrity, his love for her was unsurpassed, while her husband who doted on her, always soft spoken, whispering sweet nothings into her ear was the father of her unborn angel, her rajkumari. She was torn between the two. Pitting one against the other made Anjali a confused soul. Arnav looked at his Di, with soft eyes that held deep pity and told her that Shyam Manohar Jha married her for her money. He neither loves her, nor does he have it in him to respect their family or value the love and trust they reposed on him over the years. He had been successful in hoodwinking not just her but all of them too.

Anjali listened to his calm and eloquent description of her husband, as he primed her of Shyam's deeds and activities. She was mesmerized by the calm demeanour of Chotey without succumbing into his usual fits of anger. He told her that, Shyam Manohar Jha met Khushi in Lucknow, when he helped her as goons tried to humiliate her on the street, all because of him. Shyam had followed her to Delhi, found out where Buaji lived, approached Buaji and secured from her a room to rent. All the Raizadas' were stunned and gasped. This was news to NK and Akash too, but Payal, who was in the know, looked at the Guptas' and Khushi, scared of the consequences of the disclosures to come. Mami's 007 brains began to work overtime and started to connect the dots. She quickly deciphered the tricky situation for what it meant and stated that he was Madhumatiji's PG then. Its implication made her eyes widen and utter that, then, he was the one that Khussi was engaged to. She turned to look at Anjali and Nani with her heavily made-up eyes widened saucer-like with realization and said that, when they had gone to ask Payaliyaa's hand for Akass Bitwaa, as Madhumatiji had tried to introduce Khushi's betrothed to them, he had gone missing. It was because he was put on the spot as he was the one Khussi was betrothed to! Nani who was really pained to hear the revelation whimpered, Manorama, Anjali Bitiyaa! Her heart went out to her Bitiyaa who had found some happiness after a long time, who had thought that she had found gold, only to be told that it was nothing but fools' gold. Anjali looked at Shyam and at Arnav, shell shocked. Shyam, now up a tree, who till that day was ever smiling had shed his mask was seen shouting, that Arnav was lying through his teeth, and tried to reason out with his Rani Sahiba asking, whether he would do something like the one he was being accused off? He tried to appeal to her through the soft spot that Anjali had for him.

Arnav disregarding Shyam's wail, corroborated his Mami's findings saying, that she had hit a bull's eye and Shyam's objective was to snare Khushi. He had told Buaji the sorry tale of he being an orphan with no relatives to talk about, and had endeared to them by helping them, going out of his way to please them, and acting like a part of their family. When Babuji fell ill, he had utilized the chance to propose marriage to Khushi through Buaji, while Khushi had no idea that the Shyam married to Di, was the Shyam who was hankering to get engaged to her. This revelation made NK grit his teeth, Akash clench his fists. By the time the day was done, he vowed to level a facer to the cheap trickster with bigamous tendencies. Anjali who could not believe that the very foundation of her Paradise was being shaken asked her Chotey, what was he really saying and tried to confirm, whatever he said was true? Saw-toothed by this revelation to the family, Shyam jumped in protesting that, Arnav was lying and he was falsely being accused of such dirty deeds with the sole aim of throwing him out of RM and separating him from his rajkumari! All that he has been accused off was nothing but fictitious, the product of an overactive imagination. Anjali looked at Arnav and Shyam, pulled between the two of them. Buaji, with her eyes clear and full of pity for Anjali asserted that, Arnav Bitwaa was speaking the truth. At that time, they had no idea that he was not a bachelor let alone of the fact that he was her husband. They came to know about it when she had invited Titliyaa to the Satyanarayan pooja that she had arranged. It was then Titliyaa had seen her husband for the first time and realised the truth. Her words, were like a cold douche to Anjali and had her staring in confusion. Garima explained to Anjali that, Khussi had slapped him and thrown the ring at his face. The next day, she had come over to RM to inform her, the truth about Shyam, but seeing her getting hysterical and agitated over the broken mangalsutra she had felt could not add to her panic and unhappiness and had kept silent.

Buaji heaving a deep sigh, hitting her head with her palm and holding it admitted that, they too were at fault for not letting her know the truth, for they had imperiled the lives of so many with their silence. They should have stuck to revealing it come what may. But they were always at loggerheads with the thought of not wanting to rock her boat and destroy her peace and happiness. Her words were given a nodding assent by Babuji with great difficulty, with tears pooled in his eyes. Garima sighing at the foolish thought of theirs, that Shyam had mended his ways told, that it had looked as though he had learnt a lesson and had stopped running after Khussi. They had thought he had repented but he was a slinky customer and had thrown dust in their eyes by his act of a very concerned husband! Arnav continued from there enlightening the rest, that Shyam had continued with his harassment of Khushi putting her in extremis, till they got married. He had found out about him, had seen him for what he was on Akash and Payal's wedding night. He had accused Shyam of cheating on his Di, and Shyam had looked into his eyes and with a swagger had gloated, that he was going to leave his Di for Khushi. The pale faces turned to him and listened silently. Mami's sharp intake of breath sounded loud in the room. Nani and Mami caught hold of Anjali's hands to give her the strength and courage. The family started to get glimpse of the real Shyam Manohar Jha who was endowed with a crooked bent of mind.

Arnav, with a weary sigh told his Di that, he had put up with him for her sake. He had realized that Shyam had to be kept around, at least till the safe delivery of her child. He had come to know him for the immoral scoundrel he is, but did not realize that he was capable of kidnapping Khushi or planning his death after getting his signature on the documents, just to get his grubby hands on money. Anjali looked at Shyam with budding fear and absolute loathing in her eyes, making Shyam jump up in panic and try to persuade her saying that, they were all lying and each one was hell bent on breaking their loving family and he whimpered, his rajkumari... He was at his persuasive best, projecting himself to be as pure and chaste as the falling snow. Khushi who till now had kept her silence went to Anjali and swore softly to her, in the name of her Devi Maiyya that, every word that Arnavji said till then, was the truth and nothing but the truth. It was a bombardment of facts, caught between two fires, and boggled by it, Anjali felt her head spin, for her house had turned out to be a house of cards and the domino effect to be ricocheting off!

Shyam, who was at the end of his tether by being treed, with Arnav, Mr.Singhal, Buaji and now Khushi joining forces against him accused Khushi of lying. Pointing his finger, he scorned at her saying that, she being shameless had been trying to lure him, seduce him since long and when she had not been successful has resorted to lying to take revenge on him just because he had been a faithful husband, a devoted father and one who was a family man first. Mr.Sharma, who was the other stranger present there, asked him softly, had he not contacted the thug, Lallan and asked him to supply with five men and a woman to guard the kidnapped Khushiji. The hoodlums headed by a small-timer named Rocky had held the victim in a dilapidated house in an isolated, godforsaken area in the vicinity of Pahadganj. Giving the details, he told the others that, Khushiji escaped from there, while Rocky and others had chased her. A serrated Shyam coming to know the details of Khushi's escape in brief that was like rubbing salt to the injury, thundered, what rubbish was he spouting? What a cock and bull story it was! It was unbelievably ridiculous! With names like Lallan, Rocky it looked like he had let his imagination run overtime by watching some third-rate Bollywood movie for inspiration! But Mr. Sharma was all smiles and asked, whether he did not know those people? Shyam who was the very picture of affront, innocence under pressure, told that, of course, he had no knowledge of what he was being asked about and who were they? Mr. Sharma in a pleasant tone told, that was something that he had knowledge of and they were just getting to know them. His words had Shyam frown deeply and Mr. Sharma explained that, right now they were the guests of the police. That was a sharp-cornered jolt and a bolt out of blue to Shyam making blood drain out of his face. Mr. Sharma told him that, right now they were singing like a canary. Addressing Shyam as Mr.Jha, he said that, they, the police are in possession of his phone records that was connecting him to have placed quite a few calls to Rocky's and Lallan's phones. The timing and duration logged match with that of killers' stories after their arrest. When the trapped Shyam, began to refute it sputtering like a leaky faucet, that they were lying outrightly, the plain clothes police officer asked him, why should they lie about a man, they do not even know, who does not know them? Their ransom call to ASR's phone too when investigated yielded the same and all pointed towards one and the only one, Shyam Manohar Jha. And above all, policemen have witnessed his meeting with Lallan in the dilapidated house in Pahadganj after they had picked up the kidnappers. Shyam Manohar Jha, the brilliant lawyer who could charm himself out of any situation so far, had fallen hook, line and sinker into the trap master-minded by Arnav Singh Raizada. Now up a stump, he was clearly at a loss and was in a deep hole. With that, Shyam knew that he was being cornered and the end of his stay at RM was just around the corner before being apprehended by the enforcement officer.

Unable to bear, either the accusations hurled back and forth or the pain it brought to her, Anjali shut her eyes and closed her ears with her palms, her face wound like a ball in pain. Mami and Nani supported her on either side and held her up. Arnav looked at his Di, his heart weeping bitterly for her, for having to make her face such a tricky situation. Arnav looked once at Nani and Mami, and then addressing his Di told her in a soft and soothing voice that, when she met Shyam at a temple, fell in love with him, and told them that she wanted to marry him, none of them had objected or raised it as an issue about the fact that he was a penniless lawyer, an orphan with no known relations. All nodded in agreement. He continued and stated, that was because they wanted her happiness and seeing Shyam through her eyes as a noble being and a man of integrity and character, they had accepted him. He had taken her for a ride along with them too. As Anjali, run to earth, wept and uttered a heart wrenching cry, Chotey... It was a cry that was a means to reach out to him. It was a cry that was a plea to set things right as he always did. It was a cry that told him that his sister needed him now more than ever. But Arnav knew, that in order to help her he had to make her accept the bitter truth, for at times, one needed to be cruel to be kind and he could not afford to handle her with kid gloves right at that moment. So he gave out his opinion that was clear-cut, that was as clear as a crystal, leaving no room to think otherwise, that he was sorry to tell that the bland, bitter and unvarnished truth was, Shyam Manohar Jha was an immoral felon as well as a filcher, an avaricious man with a rapacious appetite on the prowl. And such a person had no place there anymore. His opinion given out so openly had jeopardized any chances of Shyam recovering the lost ground.

Shyam Manohar Jha, who was now blinded by anger, in desperation, spewed out his hatred just like fire from a dragon saying, is that so Arnav Singh Raizada! He does not have the right to stay there? Well, who was he to declare so? His hatred and his anger that had always been simmering and masked under the cover of care and concern, told Arnav openly, that he had been extremely voluble and dramatic in his insults but who was he really? He was the immoral son of an amoral father! After all, when he was the progeny of such a rotten fruit what else could be expected? Turning to the Raizadas' and Guptas' gathered there, with his arms akimbo, he asked them, do they have any idea of what their blue-eyed boy, Chotey had done? And what kind of girl their Khussi Bitiyaa was?

When all eyes were glued to Shyam wanting to know what drama he would unfold next, Arnav gently touched Khushi's knee with his, indicating her to be calm for the next few minutes, for they would turn the corner, pass the crisis together and intact. Shyam lifted his office bag that he had left on the floor and placed it on his lap. As soon as he touched it, a frown appeared on his face. He wondered how it was open. The zip had been torn away, leaving the bag gaping. He put his hand in to his bag to pull out the contract marriage document, but in a zigzag, his fingers touched only his journal, and could find no papers. It was devoid of not only the contract marriage document, but also the legal papers he had stored in his bag. All his papers had gone missing. In utter desperation, when he upturned the bag, the contents fell on to the low table in front of him. It consisted of just his diary, his pen, his keys, but the papers had gone awol. Was it Devi Maiyya who had bestowed her Benevolent eyes on her daughter, Khushi...? Meh be...!😉

That is why it is titled CORNERED.

"Things are never as they seem. A person. A Mark. A statement. They are always deeper than we perceive, like walking in the ocean and suddenly dipping under the surface because the bottom has disappeared beneath your feet. The water appears shallow until you are suddenly flailing around beneath the surface, desperately searching for stable ground once again"

~ Kelseyleigh Reber

That's it from me. Hope you enjoy it.

rulama2013-09-28 22:45:34