FF: The Mentor : Chapter 8 : Enemy In Laws : Upd. pg 60 - Page 33

Chapter 7

A Deal with a Pawn

Kapoor house was rustling with joy and laughter. After all the family had cracked a life time deal for their daughter with a billionaire. Their was twinkling in all eyes except Prem Kapoor who could smell the rat. He did not know why but he never had an easy feeling with Raghav be it childhood or now as adults. His brooding eyes , his silence his calm demeanor always made Prem uneasy. It was always like something dark ,something tumultuous was seething inside him.

Prem did not clearly know what happened between his father and his partner Mr. Singhania . But he surely knew one thing , how his father did become President of many Singhania ventures overnight after Mr. Singhania's death, how his family tracked his teenage son Raghav and tried to adopt him and how Raghav ran away . But he only knew hows not whys . Why his father got so much of Sighania share even when his son was all alive and sane. Why Raghav ran away and why was he back again ?

Prem had his detectives working but nothing suspicious came out. Raghav's deals were normal and profit oriented. He never tried to directly sabotage any of the Kapoor deals though in end deals always went to him rather then Kapoors!

He was never surprised by Raghav's soft corner for KalpI ,bai ki beti (maid's daughter) as he named her. Well it seemed so natural for Raghav to help and like Kalpi , why again he did not know ! He had seen the same during childhood . Raghav would silently do things for her and would never take the claim. He never cared about their strange soulmate relationship then neither did he want to care about it now . But strangely he realised he did care. Somewhere inside he liked Kalpi. He liked snubbing her and he liked irritating her . He had felt ting of jealousy when he had seen Raghav going out so directly for Kalpi . Raghav's action were always an indication that Kalpi belonged to him.

Now same Raghav was going to marry his sister Paki . Dumb as he always called her. When you are in love ,you go dumb. But his sister was double dumb. Coz she was weak at heart ,so first dumb ,second she fell in love with cold and conniving Raghav Singhania , which made her double dumb. He jerked his head thinking that now he will have to bear with that shrewd Raghav coz of his dumb sister .

"Hell ' , he shrugged .

'Heaven', came voice from somewhere. Prem looked up to see who reached heaven while he was thinking of forthcoming hell.

And he saw Paki giggling and swirling in some strange dress she called as her engagement dress .

'What kind of dress is it ?', said Prem looking at Paki who looked like big balloon in it.

'Prem , why don't u keep quit when u don't know Design and Fashion ', said Mrs Kapoor striating the creases of the red balloon like dress which she considered latest design by Harsh Luthra. A designer considered to be greatest for his strange design for ladies dresses.

Prem rolled his eyes as he looked as his mother and sister.

'Fine , wear it sis' he said to Paki and then added 'make sure Raghav finds your hands to put the wedding ring '.

His last line made Paki fume but her brother was already gone before she could run behind him.

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Kalpi sat in the park on the wooden bench ,the place she always came when she had something jabbing her be it her examination tensions or deep loneliness caused by her mothers ignorance. This time she had a heart break ,she needed to cry it out .Home was not the place for that and Ganpati ji seemed busy blessing Paki more then her. But tears did not come out instead she felt herself hardened and bitter. The bitterness of being side-lined and ignored . Bitterness of being not able to do anything for herself and family. She worked hard at office but her promotion and salary was all at whims of man called Raghav Singhania. The one whom she took as her mentor fell in love and followed blindly but in returned he taught her some very bitter lessons of life The lessons which emotionally drained her and made her a powerless pawn in a chess game being played between Singhania and Kapoor.

On one hand Preem Kapoors always made sure she never got job in construction firms and somehow she managed to get it at Singhanais . But then she was played out even here. She had worked so hard to get her construction engineers degree. So much had she dreamed to own and design those tall buildings . It was after actually she started working did she realise how dirty this concrete jungle was how much politics mud slinging and even killing it involved. Staying on right side ,being ethical was so difficult. She did not blame Raghav for being manipulative and shrewd ,well he needed to be to survive and be top player in this field. But what she hated were his emotional tactics he used on her ,his those false promises he made. Those claims of being forever with her. Just thinking of those moments and words made her blood boil and her eyes burn with tears She sniffed and brushed her tears off, she was about to stand when he realised a shadow hovering beside her .

'Prem' , she exclaimed and then sighed.

'Why r u here ? Are not u done enough with your bullying ?'

'Bullying !! Humm well yes in office it was , but here in this park full of beautiful flowers , in such fresh air with a beautiful mermaid sitting and crying for her lost prince and bad misfortune , well I would say no ' he smiled. His cynical smile and Kalpi knew he was sure up to something

She decided not to speak and go home . But Prem was adamant. He held her hands and pushed her on bench and sat beside her.

'Dear lady , Right now i am here , to give u a life time deal . A deal that will change your life '

He waited to see the Kalpi's emotion change , from dark sadness to grey suspicion . The color he exactly expected it to be . So he knew she was ready to hear him . Good he continued

So u want to know what is the deal and why will i ever make a deal with u right !!!

Kalpi nodded rolling her eyes seeing a fox like glow on Prem's face.

Continue , she muttered. She went through plethora of emotions and thoughts while she heard Prem Kapoor and took a decision that would surely change her life forever.

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Raghav looked at himself in the mirror wearing the suit tailored for his engagement.

'Perfect ' said Sammy as he clapped .

Raghav skewed his eyes to look at Sammy , he understood the taunt .

'Sammy u should accustom yourself to my ways friend. I have never been so straight and easy . U know that.'

'Yes I know . Just that I feel, its high time u r answered back in your own tricky ways. Specially by the woman u just trampled. '

' You mean Kalpi , Raghav smiled straightening his tie.

Sammy nodded

Raghav I wondered if he really trampled Kalpi but then he replied with ease ' Well may be she will , though I would prefer she won't . Still if I have understood my game till now something really interesting is going to happen. Something I don't want to ,but it may.

'What ?'Sammy exclaimed .

Raghav admired his Omega watch ,he had been gifted by his going to be father in law.

'Don't know Sammy but i feel Sahil and Prem kapoor are surely upto something more then just getting their precious girl engaged to me. But what they are exactly upto i still need to see.' Raghav explained as he hurried to main hall for the engagement ceremony

Sammy was puzzled at the coolness of Raghav even though he knew Kapoors were planning more then what it met the eyes.

He rushed at Raghav's side and stopped him mid way, 'Raghav are u sure , you can deal with these Kapoors . What if they...

Raghav cut him in between and tapped Sammy's soldier

'Don't worry Sammy i will deal with things as they come , nothing worst can happen then what i have faced in past. Lets just get this engagement drama done .'

Raghav smiled and bowed at the guest brushing off the conversations regarding his family and relatives. While Sammy was more worried about the Kapoors other plans.

Sahil kapooor ecstatically announced the engagement of his daughter and rings were exchanged .

Paki glowed in her red designer dress while Mrs Kapoor and Kamla Bai had broad joyous smile. Today Mrs Kapoor had no qualms . She did not hate Kamla Baai's presence. Coz now her daughter Kalpi was no more a competitor to Paki. Now Raghav Sighania would be her son in law for sure and Kamla Bai and her daughter meant nothing to her. She searched for Kalpi . She wanted to see her face. That maid;s daughter was dreaming so high to have rich Raghav Singhania and thought his pity as love . Now maid Kamla and her daughter can rot in any corner of earth she won't care as she smiled at her daughter and to be son in law. At last her daughter got a rich husband exactly as she wanted it for her . He scare that her only daughter may end up falling in love with some lowly chawl waala was over now . Her daughter did choose a billionaire for herself and she was happy about it.

The reporters had their gossip and scoop too after all they were here for it . And Sahil kapoor and Mrs Kapoor was busy filling them. But Sahil Kapoor's kitty of news was not over yet . He had a big surprise too.He came up with another declaration , something that left everybody startled.

Hearing it was enough to make Mrs Kapoor faint and shock Kamal Baai . While Paaki smiled with a broader smile and Raghav just looked on . He saw Kalpi dressed in white anarkaly enetering the hallway. She was calm her posture elegant ,she walked without stumbling in her high heels. For the first time Raghav saw an elegant lady in Kalpi rather then an ambitious girl. She was so in peace with her white dress . Her peach coloured pearl neckless and earrings made her dark skin shine. Raghav was just taken by awe by her new found beauty.The surprise declaration was something too trivial for him .Right now all he wanted was that people to vanish so that he could adore her, hold her and kiss her .

Prem Kapoor confidently held Kalpis hand and bowed to his father while reporters flashed their camera . All desperate to get best picture of Kapoor couple " Prem Kapoor and his fianc Kalpi Jadhav".

The cover story of Page 3 was not a billionaire going to marry a millionaire . It was a millionaire going to marry his own maid's daughter.