Silent Whispers
-CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE-
Collateral Damage
"Who are you?!
You can't come in like this! Stop!!" Jaya shouted.
The Gupta household
was filled with commotion on what was otherwise, a usual Saturday morning.
Shyam was just sipping his morning tea, reminiscing the events of his evening
with Anjali the previous day, when he heard his maid. Worried, he had set down
his cup, when the doors to his study were thrown wide open.
He paled upon
seeing his visitor.
"Bhaiyyaji!"
Jaya called, pushing past the intruder into the room. "He just barged in
without-"
"It's okay,"
Shyam interrupted. "I will take care of it."
Jaya stopped
short, confused to hear his emotionless tone, but she knew better than to
question him in front of a stranger. So, she obediently retraced her steps and
left the room in complete silence.
Grudgingly,
Shyam turned to the intruder. Dressed in sweatpants and a running jacket, he
hadn't changed one bit since the last time they met outside the Supreme Court
of Delhi, on a morning quite like this one.
Shashi Joshi
appeared to be the same old clever and calculative person. And judging by the cold
fury emanating out of him, Shyam knew his father had only grown more shrewd
over the last sixteen years.
"Well," Shyam
said, breaking the icy silence. "How can I help you?"
Shashi glared
at him. "As if you don't know!"
If it wasn't
for his many years of legal practice, Shyam would have very well torn apart the
room at the sight of his father, such was his hate for the man who destroyed
them all; but Shyam knew better than to throw a fit. Shashi Joshi always came
with an agenda, today was no different.
"You are going
to have to be more specific than that," Shyam said, patient.
Shashi reached
into his jacket and pulled out a rolled up newspaper. "Is this specific enough?"
Shyam
hesitantly took the paper. He knew it wasn't good news -his father never came
with one- but at the same time, he didn't understand what could be so bad that
Shashi decided to talk in person.
His questions
were answered as soon as he unrolled the paper.
Staring innocently back from the front page was a picture of his sister,
looking almost unrecognizable in a peach-colored floor length gown. Beside her
stood the ever so famous, Arnav Singh Raizada. Stunned, he quickly read the
accompanying article:
Love and scandal; ASR
never fails to stun the city
Notable business tycoon Arnav Singh
Raizada is known for his extravagance. Whether it be his grand parties or ambitious
deals, the city's most eligible bachelor never does it without a show. The most
recent of these spectacles is his argument with Mr. Rajeev Prakash at the
latter's own party late last night. Onlookers claim Mr. Raizada was furious
when his date for the event was insulted by Mr. Prakash's son. What followed
was a heated exchange of words that finished with Mr. Raizada ending his
partnership with Prakash
& Co. and storming out.
"It was his
girlfriend," said a guest at the party.
"She got into an argument with Gaurav (Mr.
Prakash's son), so naturally Mr. Raizada came to her defense. I guess love
does that to you."
The girlfriend in question is Khushi
Kumari Gupta, a student of Delhi University, currently interning in Mr.
Raizada's widely acclaimed company, AR Designs. It is rumored that
the two began dating in secret after spending many late hours in the office,
working on numerous projects.
"They are very close," said an
unnamed employee of AR Designs. "ASR
always includes Khushi in all of the important projects. He favors her opinion
the most... I guess they have been together for a long time."
It certainly seems so! Mr. Raizada was
seen introducing Ms. Gupta to many top personnel in the party, getting her well
acquainted with his reputable social circle. Many believe the couple has been
waiting for the right moment to announce their relationship; if only things
went as planned.
Our spokesman reported that Mr.
Prakash's son had accused Ms. Gupta of being illegitimate, a statement that did
not sit well with many. Incidentally, Ms. Gupta and her brother, renowned
criminal lawyer Shyam Manohar Gupta, have always avoided speaking about their
family. After being caught in a bad case with Shashi Joshi, owner of Joshi and Sons, many years ago, the siblings became a source of gossip in the city's
elite circles. Even until today, there are many speculations on what exactly
happened between the Guptas and Mr. Joshi. Some even go as far as to claim that
they are related by blood.
Meanwhile, Mr. Raizada, who had always
denied rumors of being in a relationship, is maintaining a stony silence on the
situation. People close... cont'd
on Pg. 3
Shyam stared at
the paper in his hands, completely blank on the sudden turn of events. He knew
most of the details were false; the city's journalists were known to blow
anything and everything out of proportion. However, there were also some
undeniable truths in the article and that
was worrisome.
"Well?" Shashi
snapped. "Care to explain?"
"It's some
misunderstanding," Shyam answered calmly, even though he knew very well it
would in no way calm his father's panic. "Khushi is not dating Arnav Singh
Raziada."
"You think that's why I'm here?! I couldn't care
less what Khushi does with her free time. What I do care about is what she goes around saying to everyone!"
"You think Khushi
told the reporters to publish all this?"
"How else do
they know?! I erased all the evidence there ever was connecting you two to me,
so someone must have told them!"
"Well, that
someone is not my sister," Shyam replied, keeping his voice even. "I trust her
with my eyes closed."
"Oh, so the
problem is you. You are letting her
get out of control with your blind affection!"
Shyam struggled
to stay composed. "What you call blind affection is considered trust by others."
"Trust?! Have
you even read that article? She is supposed to be an working for Arnav Singh Raizada, not fooling around with him!"
Shyam couldn't
believe his ears. He had almost forgotten how irrational Shashi was when it
came to arguments, how harshly he pressed his point; but seeing him standing
there, an expression of outrage on his aging face, Shyam realized how fickle
his father truly was. He could change his allegiance a million times without
regretting it even once.
"Khushi is not dating Arnav Singh Raizada," Shyam
repeated, sternly.
"This is
exactly what I'm talking about it! It was your
responsibility to keep her in check, to keep her from embarrassing us all, but
you didn't. Your blind faith let her become reckless and completely out of
control!"
A new voice
spoke. "No, it didn't. Your neglect
did."
Shyam looked up
to see Khushi, still dressed in her nightclothes, walk angrily into the room.
In some strange way, she reminded him of a younger Garima.
"What?" Shashi barked.
"I'm reckless
not because Bhaiyya trusts me more than his life," Khushi answered, stopping a
few steps from him. "But because you abandoned me when I was just beginning to
understand the meaning of a father."
Shashi was
surprised. "I didn't ab-"
"Yes, you did! You
left me without caring that I was just as much as your daughter as I was my
mother's. You left me without minding that I was a child, who knew nothing but the four walls of this house. You left
me in the care of a twelve year old boy, who didn't know wrong from right any
more than I did!"
Shyam watched
in silence, dumbfounded at the venom bubbling out of his sister. He could only
imagine the anguish tearing her apart. There was no other explanation for her
outburst on the man she spent most of her life idolizing.
"But since you
are here, demanding for explanations, how about I ask you something?" she continued fervently. "What was my fault? Why am
I being punished? You were there
yesterday, you saw what that a*shole was asking me... why am I in the middle of the mess you
made?! Why aren't you being asked those questions in public? Why aren't the
media pestering you and making up spicy headlines?"
"Stop it
Khushi!" Shashi retorted. "Stop the
melodrama! I don't have time-"
"Of course you
don't! You never had time for
anything that was outside what you wanted. But what you conveniently forgot is
that your lack of time for this family means that you have no authority
whatsoever on us!"
"Of course I
have authority. You are my children-"
"Oh yeah? Then
where were you when I was humiliated in front of everyone last night? Where
were you when I was being asked if at least my mother knew who my father was?!"
Shashi didn't
have an answer.
"That's what I
thought! You stood there in utter silence, watching that as*hole mock me for a
crime that I didn't even commit-"
"And whose
fault is that?" Shashi fired unexpectedly. "Did you seriously think that Gaurav
Prakash will sit quiet while you insulted him in his own party? Do you not know
how influential his family is?!"
She glared at
him. "So what, I was supposed to let Gaurav do whatever the hell he wanted to
with me, all because you two-timed my mother and hooked up with a rich woman?!"
"KHUSHI!"
"Watch your tone Mr. Shashi Joshi - you have no
right to yell at me. What were you saying before? That I embarrassed you all? Then
let me tell you, you embarrassed us
more. You are a shame on fatherhood
and by coming here today, you also proved that you are a shame on humankind."
Shashi appeared
livid. "How dare you talk to me like
th-"
"No, how dare you to come in here and yell at Bhaiyya?!
The son who took your
responsibilities without even a flinch, the man who fixed everything you left
behind... You should be grateful.
Grateful that he saved you the guilt of leaving us on the streets, grateful
that despite all the horrible things you have done, he is still letting you
roam free."
He snorted.
"Your brother can't even touch me Khushi, forget putting me jail."
She paused, an
expression of absolute loathing covering her face. "And I expected nothing
better from you. But get one thing straight Mr. Joshi - I'm not going to run,
nor am I going to hide. The next time someone insults my mother, I'm not going to keep quiet."
Shyam watched
his sister storm out of the room, feeling all his restraints break open as she
did. A strange sort of despise was spreading through his veins as an unexplainable
wrath over took his senses.
In spite of all
his efforts to protect, to shield Khushi from the cynical eyes of the society,
she still faced the humiliation he once did. She endured the curse of being
born in this family, despite being the most innocent of all.
All because of
one man. One very selfish man.
"Did you see that?"
Shashi snarled, regaining his voice. "Did you see how uncontrollable-"
"Enough." Shyam's
voice sounded eerily calm after the furious bellows of his sister.
"I don't want
hear another word," he continued in a murderous tone. "I may have been little
when you left, but I wasn't ignorant. I knew exactly what you did with my
mother, how you played with her life and tossed her away as if she was a speck
of dust. I kept quiet then not because I was weak, but because I cared. I cared for her and for my sister, who
was naive enough to believe that you would come back for her."
Shashi was
stunned into silence.
"But now, it's over.
You did the one thing I can never ever accept; you hurt Khushi. You hurt that poor girl who spent most of her life
craving for your attention, for your approval. And as a father, the least you could have done is stand up for her."
Shashi let out
a sigh. "We had a deal Shyam... I support you for the rest of your life, and you
two keep a low profile, avoiding spectacles
like this."
"Support? What
support are you talking about? What have you ever given this family other than
disgrace and pain?"
"You live on my money, don't forget that."
Shyam snorted.
"You mean the monthly cheques you tell your accountant to deposit? Breaking news Mr. Joshi - that doesn't even
buy a week's worth of petrol for Khushi's car."
"Wh-"
"We are not beggars,"
Shyam retorted coldly. "The life I decided to give my sister and mother is not
built on your mercy, it's built on my
hard work. The measly cheques you keep talking about are given off to charity,
hoping that your crimes lessen somewhat."
Again, Shashi
fell quiet, as if he was caught in a deep thought. But Shyam didn't care; he
didn't care that after sixteen long years he finally had his father's attention
because what he wanted now was not his affection, but his absence. So, he only
said:
"You own
nothing here. The moment you decided to drag my mother to court, was the moment
we stopped owing you anything."
Shyam looked up
at that and said in a mellow voice, "I didn't drag you to court Shyam, your
mother did. I warned Garima about the conse-"
"And you expected
her to agree?! You seriously thought she would sit quiet and let another woman
take her husband?"
Shashi averted
his eyes, not having an answer.
"The fact that
my mother decided to fight doesn't show her weakness or stupidity. It shows how
much she loves you and how far she was willing to go to make you stay. But of
course, if you understood that, we wouldn't be having this conversation today."
A silence
settled in the study as the two men stood facing each other, one reproachful
and the other, adrift. The sun brightened outside as the city began to slowly
bustle with activity. It was when Shyam had given up on hearing a response that
his father spoke, in a quiet voice:
"Love is a
tricky word. It sounds beautiful and poetic... but what everyone forgets, is that
love doesn't fill your stomach nor does it put a roof over your head."
Shyam felt odd
to hear that. There was a strange melancholy in Shashi's tone, as if he spoke
from a pain only he knew; it was very unsettling.
"Love didn't
stop my father from dying, love didn't stop my mother from starving us, and
neither did love stop my brother from running off with a tramp."
Shyam was
caught off guard. This was the first time he heard his father mention his life
before his marriage. And never in his wildest dreams did he expect it to be this awful.
"But I don't
expect you to understand that," Shashi finished, gazing into his son's eyes.
Shyam snapped
out of his reverie. "And I don't want to either," he retorted coldly. "Because
whatever your reasons are, they will never
be good enough to justify the damage you caused."
"If that's what
you want to believe. What matters to me is that you keep your end of the bargain.
You and Khushi have to be careful, especially with the media. No one can know
we are related."
Shyam stared
defiantly back. "And if we aren't?"
Shashi took a
deep breath, almost as if he was forcing the words out of him. "There are many
things that are worse than being dragged to court. And I do happen to know
quite of few of them. So watch what you say - I'm just as influential as I was
sixteen years ago."
Shyam curled
his hands into fists, a surge of fury purging his mind. He menacingly took a
step forward, looking directly into the impassive eyes of his father. "Is that
a threat? Are you threatening a criminal
lawyer?"
Shashi didn't
reply.
"It's not me
who has to watch what I say, it's you.
They don't call me the most successful lawyer this city has ever seen for no
reason. The next time you are here without an invitation, you will find yourself behind bars. I'm not
the twelve-year-old boy you left behind Mr. Joshi. I earned my way here and I
happened to learn a thing or two about punishing criminals like you."
Shashi took a
step back, too stunned to reply. When he collected himself, however, he seemed
to quickly realize how powerless he truly was, stranded in study with a
fearless lawyer. So, gritting his teeth, he turned around to leave.
"Oh and the
next time you come," Shyam said. "Take an
appointment."
I added everyone who wanted a PM to my buddy list. 
Comments (123)
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Jai Shri Ram @SoniRita
+ 32
6 months ago
Loved this chapter. Best ever esp with khushi shyam telling sashi off
Jai Shri Ram @SoniRita
+ 32
6 months ago
Shyam he is so brave, loved what all he said to Sashi.v
Jai Shri Ram @SoniRita
+ 32
6 months ago
Khushi should really have slaped Sashi. He is such miserable person
Jai Shri Ram @SoniRita
+ 32
6 months ago
How dare Shashi to come to gupta house n say all that to them. Its Gupta house. U cant storm at der house like that
coderlady @coderlady
+ 8
1 years ago
Shashi thinks he could what he did because he had suffering in his past. If anything, that should have taught him to not do something like this.
Jai Shri Ram @SoniRita
+ 32
1 years ago
Shashi ugh i hate him, the confrontation between shyam, sashi n khushi was too good.
MorallyGrey @WildestDreams
+ 32
1 years ago
Wah wah! SUPERB chapter! One of the best of the FF so far!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Take a bow!
FeistyDewdrop @FeistyDewdrop
+ 2
9 years ago
I missed the note completely! :( I hope your exams went well A! :) Updating coming up today??
-Archi- @-Archi-
+ 8
9 years ago
Thanks for the comment! Shyam accepted the cheques for the sake of Garima. Yes, he hates Shashi and wants nothing to do with him, but he is also bound by him mother's wishes. Garima despite everything, still wanted her children to "know" their father, so she made Shyam still accept the cheques and remain associated with him. Thank you Sindu!
Oliver.Queen @Oliver.Queen
+ 5
9 years ago
I know I am late. Happy belated bday. Hope u get everything u ever want in life. Take care Archi. God bless u.-Sindu
..Arnav..2014-10-16 17:30:50