Chapter 27

-Archi-

@-Archi-

Hey guys,

First off, THANK YOU for all the well wishes - your support means a lot to me!

Thank you also for all the wonderful comments and a big welcome to all the new readers I added everyone who wanted a PM to my buddy list.

So, without further ado, I present chapter 25:

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 KNOW there is no Arnav, but the next part is all about him - I promise .

This chapter was important for Khushi, for her to fully come out of the imaginary world she built for herself since she was eight, a world where her father was innocent and her mother, at fault. This chapter was also for Shyam, who is finally free of all obligations towards his father.

Please like/comment! I would love to know your opinion on the Gupta's family drama

Archi

P.S. - I don't know when the next chapter will up... I will try to post within a week or two, but as you know, things have been crazy, so I don't make any promises