Chapter 11
Font:
Text Size:
Theme:
[MEMBERSONLY]
hi guys...HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL😃...
and iam back with another update...thank you very much for ur love and comments...love you all... believe me, i hate to write family drama but arnav needed this and more importantly story needed it...i hope u like it...
CHAPTER 10
Arnav held his eyelids closed as Raizada mansion's living room got immersed in unbearable amount of silence. He clenched his fists hard in disgust, making his nails to stab the flesh on his palms. He was not worried because his family came to know about his true colours. Actually he felt little relieved because now he was rid of guilt he had been carrying for past three months by hiding the truth from his family.
But what had hurt him was the way Kushi announced it. He felt desperation, hurt, pain and frustration in her words. And it made him hate himself more for what he did to the girl who loved him; more importantly trusted him. He knew that these words are going to haunt him, every day and night, until he exhales his last breath.
Few minutes ago Kushi had sarcastically said "your grandson and my father had some tiff in between them about which i have no clue. And your grandson thought the best way to beat my father is to destroy his daughters life which appeared little strange to me as my father never loved me."
She gave small ironic laugh before continuing "he dated me for three months and obviously i fell for him. Then he used me before throwing me like a used tissue paper." She stressed last three syllables more looking into his eyes.
"chotey, is it true? What Kushiji said is true?" Anjali was the first one to break the prolonged silence. Arnav took a deep breath before opening his eyes. He was not a man who feared facing the consequences of his actions; after all it was he who did the deed.
"Yes, di." He answered in cold voice as his face took his ruthless mask; his fearless eyes met his elder sisters.
Anjali took a step back, closing her mouth with her palms she whispered "I can't believe this." how can she believe that her younger brother, who didn't left any stone unturned to protect her, can go so low like playing with a girl's life? "How can you do that, chotey?" she asked in stunned disbelief as her eyes welled up.
"Di, i did what i felt right at that time." He replied bluntly making Anjali to scream in response. "Right? From when did playing with a girl's life became a right thing? Look at the poor girl; she lost everything because of you. Have you ever thought that she must have felt the same pain which we felt when we lost our father; when Lavanya lost her father? Will you still classify it is right thing if it happens to pia?"
"di." He cut his sister off in desperation. Pia was his angel. He couldn't even imagine that situation. "So it hurts when it comes to your blood; when it comes to your loved ones? As if kushi's father would have never felt it." Anjali asked him, making him realise for the first time that your deeds will come back to you.
He felt sadistic pleasure when he asked same question to arjun three months back but now he could understand the pain that each letter caused. But realisation was too late as the damage was already done. "Wait, does her father have some connection with chachu? Oh my god!" Anjali clasped her mouth with palm again before running near to her brother.
"What have you done chotey? How can you forget the promise you made me two years back? You promised you will never take revenge on anyone. I was the main victim. But i forgave everyone who messed my life. Why can't you do that? Why do you still keep revenge in your heart?" she cried her heart out.
Anjali's question was simple and so was Arnav's answer. She forgave them easily because she had strong brother to support her but he had none; no one.
No one's life could have been more perfect like arnav's life until he turned 20. He lost his mother when he was just year and half old. But it didn't affect him any ways as he had his sister and grandmother. Though he belonged to middle class family, his father made sure that he never comes across the word called 'suffering'. Things changed a little when his father died. He was 17 then.
But from nowhere his father's friend came to rescue. He even offered marriage proposal for Anjali with his only son. That's where his life took complete U-turn. He was pampered by his brother-in-law, his sister and his father's friend; more importantly he was pampered by money.
He was hero at his college; the cars he used and dress he wore started to become trend. He had life which was a dream to many teen agers. But money didn't affect or influence his character like love did. He was more close to his di and jiju.
His pleasure didn't last long as everything started to crumble just in span of four months. He lost his brother-in-law, his younger sister and prateik uncle; all the people he loved. He didn't cry or break down because his family needed him to be strong. He was pushed to bear responsibilities all of sudden, but he stood strong.
All people who respected him first started to treat him differently because he had no money. That's where he understood importance of money. It was unbearable for him to digest that money did what love couldn't do. His early days after he returned to Delhi were the worst phase of life. He did all jobs he got.
He used to visit Lavanya at hospitals and then come back to home which was smaller than his current house's portico. He will make sure that prem and his sick nani had eaten and slept. After that he will just soothe his sister who will cry in his arms thinking about her fate. He will be strong until Anjali sleeps in belief that he will take care of everything.
But then, fear will engulf him. The fear he got seeing figures on lavanya's hospital bill; the fear he got whenever he see his one and half year old nephew playing happily, unaware of the fact that he had lost his father; the fear that enveloped him seeing his pregnant sister; and most of all the fear he felt inside him when everyone believed that he will make everything alright.
How can he make everything alright? He was just 21 year old boy who had suffered a lot like everyone. Why no one did understand it? Why everyone thought he was strong when he was totally broken and shattered? He was also vulnerable and weak like everyone.
The fear he felt every night slowly turned into anger on the society which was responsible for his condition. He started to believe that this world belonged to only rich and selfish people; and if he wants to survive in this world then he must become one among them.
He fought the world alone for the people who he loved; not even bothering to know whether they loved him back or not. He realised that he couldn't do that if he continued to be a fun loving guy, like the one he used to be.
That's when he became Arnav Singh Raizada; the cold and heartless one, who now stood in front of his sister holding accusation of destroying other people's life when other people in his life did nothing except destroying his life.
Just thinking about his past he felt frustrated and angry. He pulled himself out his past hearing his sister's voice. "You destroyed a girl's life for no mistake of her; that too in the name of love?" Anjali sighed still somewhat in stunned condition. "How heartless you have turned into? You know what chotey, i feel ashamed to say that you are my brother."
Ashamed! Arnav looked at his sister in shock as that word chimed inside his brain. Arnav felt his rage rising with anjali's words because in past seven years he didn't do anything except trying to be a best brother. The hurt that had been buried inside him for seven years added more to his fury.
"Ashamed!" he sighed heavily before looking up at his sister, "and now you feel ashamed to say that i am your brother! But I didn't find you ashamed when i turned into a heartless monster seven years back! Why is it so? Because that time you needed this heartless man for you to survive. Right?" he asked his sister at top of his voice.
They both stared into each other's eyes when it slowly dawned to him, what he had really said in anger. It just came out in frustration when his sister failed to understand him. He never wanted to say and show how much he had done to her; after all he had done everything out of love and not in order to get appreciation. He closed his eyes in realisation before saying "di, iam so..."
But his sister interrupted him. "i am sorry chotey. Sorry because i scolded you like i used to do fifteen years back when you were under my responsibility. Now tables are changed. You are not my responsibility anymore but i am at your mercy. How can i forget what you did to me in last six years and scold you like this? i am sor..."
"Di...di...di...please stop it." He pleaded his eyes getting mist. "No, chotey. What right i have on you to scold? After what all you have done to me, i should be at your feet..."
"Di please. Di." He closed his sister's mouth and cried "you have every right to scold me. I am still your little brother. Scold me, beat me. Please don't talk like this di."
"No chotey, we have to talk. It's my mistake. In a way, i was too dependent on you. Sometimes being too close creates problem. If i had stayed little away from you, then this day wouldn't have happened to us. I could have questioned you holding my head high and like this." She said getting lost in thoughts. He cupped his sister's face.
"You could still ask me question or as i said you can scold me or beat me." He assured her sister who shook her head in reply. "Now i feel guilty of spoiling our beautiful relationship by depending on you too much. Never too late. But i don't want to spoil remains of our relationship. It's time for me to move out of your shadows." Anjali said as tears flowed out of her eyes.
"di. Iam sorry." He tried to pacify her but Anjali replied "don't think i took this decision in anger. As i said I don't want to spoil our relationship anymore. Even if your jiju was alive, i doubt him doing so much to us like you did. You have done lot to me. Words will be never enough to thank you. But it's enough. Please don't make me feel like I owe more debt to you."
"Stop it, di." He screamed before turning to grandmother. "nani, tell di to stop talking like this."
"Anjali bitiya is correct. That day we asked you for the reason behind your marriage but you didn't tell us. Today we asked you why you did this to kushi bitiya and you didn't answer our question this time also. Only reason you think you are unanswerable to anyone is that we are too dependent on you." Arnav was shocked to the core hearing
his nani's words.
"It's not like that nani." He said defensively. "Then tell me what did her father do? What made you to take revenge on this girl?" Arnav turned to the direction nani was pointing.
His gaze met expressionless face of Kushi. His family knew only half of the truth about what aditya did to them while the other half remained buried deep down in his heart.
They have every right to know about it.
But telling Kushi about the truth was the last thing he wanted to do know. Though Kushi knew about her father well, the truth will hurt her more. And now he is not going to do anything that will hurt her. He had already miffed her enough and he didn't want to put whole blame on her late father when he was also wrong.
"nani, what I did to Kushi was wrong and it's completely my fault. I will accept whatever punishment you want to give for that. But please don't ask me why I did that." he said firmly as his voice regained its cold tone. "Fine. Then i will also leave this house along with Anjali as I don't want to live in place where my grandson thinks it is not important to explain me anything." His grandmother retorted.
"No one is leaving this house." He shouted "you cannot do this to me. You all know how much i love you all. You cannot do this to me." His voice became soft with every sentence he uttered as disbelief engulfed him. "Love? You don't even know the meaning of that word, chotey. If there was little love left in your heart, then you would have not even thought of taking revenge or destroying other's life."
Kushi felt prick in her heart hearing nani's words. 'No, she is not cruel like him.' She thought to herself. She may have come here with revenge on her mind but she did nothing to hurt him except to bring his true colours out in front of his family. They had every right to know about Arnav. She didn't do anything wrong or bad. She is neither like her father nor like Arnav.
She didn't do anything wrong but she knew that her mother would never approve of what she was doing. She felt her knees to go weak and then room around her started to spin as she held on to the couch next to her. She saw someone running to her before everything went blank.
Kushi sipped water resting her head on headboard of their bed, her legs stretched along the length of the bed. She gave the glass back to Anjali when Anjali held her hand.
"i am sorry, kushiji. I am sorry that you had to go through so much because of what chotey did." Kushi rolled her eyes to Arnav who was seated on the other side of bed.
Anjali continued "I can understand how you must be feeling to do this. i know how painful it is for you to stay here or even to look at him. But you don't have to do this anymore." Kushi's eyes widened as Anjali cupped her face "you don't have to do this, just for the sake for marriage. What's there in marriage, when there is no love? Of course, your child needs a father but it never means that you have to face this hell every day or every second of your life."
"Do you think your child will be happy to know that you suffered so much? Listen to me, move on to Mumbai. I am sure that you will make better parent. You may even find some else; the one who deserves your love. Chotey doesn't deserve you." Kushi's heart swelled up with warmth that spread from Anjali. She looked at nani when nani interrupted Anjali.
"No Anjali bitiya. Look at her, how weak she is? How can she live in Mumbai alone? Kushi bitiya, you come with us. Though we cannot provide you a luxurious life, we will take good care of you." Nani assured her and Anjali nodded in agreement. Kushi smiled thinking about her life with Anjali, prem and pia. It would be wonderful but she wanted to be at Mumbai; at her home. A home filled with her mother's memory.
Her train of thoughts about future was abruptly stopped when she felt some weight on her left hand which was under the blanket. She rolled her eyes to the spot then to arnav's face. She almost forgot that he was there as her heart got immersed in her future. How can she forget why she came here, that too when her motive was about to be fulfilled? His eyes were filled desperation. She could feel his silent pleas.
Arnav knew that it was coming. He is going to lose everyone. His grandmother is more adamant and nothing can change her when she makes a decision. And so was his sister. To be honest, he was kind of ready for this, from the time Kushi started to spill the beans. But when his sister asked Kushi also to leave, it stabbed his heart more. Just six days have passed since she came here. But his world has turned upside down.
He very well knew that his sister was right. He doesn't deserve Kushi and she deserves better life. That's why he left three months back. He had done it in past; he lived without her. But why does he feel like he couldn't do it now? Involuntarily his hands found hers and when her eyes met his, he gently squeezed her hand conveying his helplessness.
He knew it won't work because he knew Kushi was waiting for this moment and she won't leave the opportunity so easily. But somewhere inside him he had this greediness that wished she won't leave him. Then he noticed a glint in her eyes and a small smile touching corner of her lips. He closed his eyes preparing himself for another heart break as he slowly removed his hand from hers and then hastily stood up and stepped back.
Kushi watched him as he leaned his one side on French windows glass door, his arms folded against his chest, his eyes fixed at the pool outside. She knew that the moment she was waiting has come just in six days. She thought it will take months but she was lucky enough that it happened so soon. She observed Arnav more closely. Though she could see only half of his face, she saw that his eyes had become distant.
"You don't have to think about him or what he will say. You decision is final. He has no right to interfere in your decision after what he had done to you." Kushi shifted her gaze from Arnav to Anjali and then back to Arnav. She is not worrying about him. She is just want to see him once and then she will leave this place after that. She had done so much just to see that one look at his face.
She could feel his eyes becoming more and more distant but he didn't turn. She sighed. May be Anjali was right. It is time for every one of them to move on as everyone has suffered a lot including Arnav. "kushiji." Kushi smiled at Anjali before saying "Mumbai di, i prefer Mumbai because that house is filled with my mother's memories."
She stopped to steal a glance at Arnav who was still in same position. No expression on his face except his eyes which had became more distant. Kushi breathed out heavily closing her eyes and then opened her eyes before saying "but I think I will be fine here." She lowered gaze as three pairs of eyes scrutinized her face.
"But why?" Anjali's voice was lower than a whisper. She smiled warmly at Anjali and said "because i want to stay here."
She didn't say it as she forgave Arnav. No, she still didn't forgive him. And Kushi doubted whether she will be ever able to do that in her life time. How can she forgive what he did to her?
She didn't say it to show him that he is at her mercy.
Nor she said it to show him and the world, how big her heart is.
She didn't say it with any evil intention of hurting him more.
She didn't say it as he pleaded her.
She didn't say it to support him when even his family was against him.
She didn't say it because she still loves him. All her love for him evaporated from her heart three months back.
Then why did she say that she will stay back with him?
She said it simply because it hurts her when he is hurt.
so how was it? first time i expecting equal amount of positive and negative comments...waiting to read every one it...
ps: i want to post next update in new thread...18 pages to go but i have 180 readers...we can finish this thread even without spamming if every one comments...
so pls pls pls comment
love
deeps😃
Your reaction
Nice
Awesome
Loved
LOL
OMG
Cry
114 Comments