What will Rahul do now? Will this lead to bitterness between Rahul and Muskan?
Read to find out and don't forget to leave your feedback! Cheers!
Chp. 35 Kunwar Rahul's dilemma
Rahul couldn't believe what he had just heard. For a moment he thought that Anjali was kidding or maybe Ryan and Anjali had teamed up together and played a prank on him. But Anjali's cool demeanor told him that she didn't know anything about him and Muskan. Whereas Ryan's face showed that this was as much news to him as it was to Rahul. He opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss for words.
"What happened? You guys look like you've just seen a ghost," said Anjali.
"Anjali, I,..erm.. I have some important work, could you go with Ryan in place of me?" Rahul asked.
"Um, okay, fine. Just give me five minutes," she replied and disappeared upstairs.
"Rahul, you okay?" Ryan asked.
"Ryan, I don't know what's happening? How can this be possible? I mean, Muskan and Bhaiyya? Muskan hasn't said a word about this to me," Rahul replied flabbergasted.
"Relax dude, I think you should talk to her," Ryan replied.
"Yeah, I will."
*****
Anjali's five minutes turned to fifty while Ryan waited impatiently in the hall. Rahul had disappeared to his room leaving him alone.
"Shall we leave?" Ryan looked up to see Anjali standing before him.
"Oh, so your highness is ready finally huh, good, I thought I'd have to wait for hours before we could leave," He replied with sarcasm.
"Hey, I think I'd told you I'd take five minutes," she replied.
"Right, five, not fifty," he retorted and left ahead while an irate Anjali followed.
"Hey look, if you couldn't wait, you'd have told me before. As it is, I'm not interested in coming with you, it's only because of Rahul Bhaiyya that I'm here," she shot back.
"Same goes here," he replied coldly.
Anjali gave him a disbelieving look and said, "Whatever."
But Ryan now kept his gaze transfixed on the road ahead as he had more important things on his mind than arguing with her.
*****
As the engagement day kept drawing closer, Muskan's excitement kept on mounting. She still hadn't talked with Rahul but she had been busy in shopping for her trousseau. It was late at night that she returned to her palace and was told about the gifts that had come from the royal family. Muskan just glanced at them and decided to check them later. She checked her cell phone which she had forgotten in the palace today. 25 missed calls! She was shocked. She checked the caller and was happily surprised. It was Kunwar Rahul! There was a voice message from him too saying he wanted to meet her as soon as she got the message. She was overjoyed. The chiming of the clock told her it was already late but she didn't care. Leaving a message with her personal servant for her mother, she left. She got into her car and hit the road at top speed.
Ridhima was walking towards BR's room. For the past few days she hadn't met Maan or talked to him. She was wondering what was keeping him away when so far there hadn't been a single day when they hadn't spent time together. She had tried calling him too but he hadn't answered a single call, she wondered why. She knew that Kunwar Armaan's engagement was only a day away and Maan would be busy but he could atleast answer her calls! She sighed and as she looked up, she spotted Maan walking right towards her. She couldn't believe her luck. However, he didn't seem to have noticed her because he just went past her without even giving her a look. "Maan!" she turned and called out.
He turned around and to Ridhima's surprise said, "Oh Ridhima, sorry, I'm in a hurry, catch you later" and walked away without giving her another look. Ridhima could do nothing but gape.
*****
Rahul was pacing up and down in his penthouse apartment desperately waiting for Muskan to arrive. Throughout the evening he had tried to contact her but Muskan didn't answer a single call of his and he didn't know what to make of it. Was Muskan avoiding him? Exasperated, he decided to call her again when he heard the doorbell. He himself went to open the door as there weren't any servants here for privacy reasons. A maid came every morning to clean the apartment and then throughout the day it was deserted.
As soon as he opened the door, a boisterous Muskan flung herself on him. "Missed me?" she asked.
Rahul didn't reply and she released him. She noticed that he was upset and said, "Hmm, our engagement is hardly a day away and someone is upset?"
"Congrats on your engagement sweetheart. Or should I say Bhabhi?" Rahul asked sarcastically.
Muskan was visibly surprised but before she could even say a word Rahul continued, "So you didn't tell me you were getting engaged."
"Kunwar Rahul, what do you mean by I'm getting engaged? WE are getting engaged! And what do you mean by BHABHI?" Muskan asked irately.
"So you mean you don't know what I'm saying? Cool! First you claim to be in love with me, when in Switzerland you spend all your time with me then when you come to India, your alliance is fixed with my brother, my very own brother and when I am told about it and I want to know what this is all about you ignore my calls! What should I make of it Muskan?" Rahul queried.
"Rahul, is this some kind of a joke? Because I still do not get a word you're saying," Muskan asked quietly.
"Aw, look at that school girl innocence!"
"Kunwar Rahul! Why would my alliance be fixed with your brother when I love YOU! I haven't answered your calls is because I was away all day and had forgotten my cell in the palace," Muskan said crying.
Seeing her breakdown, Rahul softened a bit. "Hey... I'm sorry," he apologized sitting down beside her and consoling her. "But Muskan, what is this engagement thing? It has really driven me crazy."
He told her everything and she was flabbergasted.
"How can this be possible?" she asked with a cracked voice. She narrated everything that had happened at the inauguration ceremony right up to the pooja a few days ago while Rahul listened patiently. Finally Rahul realised that Muskan too was unaware of this and that there had been a great misunderstanding.
"Muskan, it is Armaan bhaiyya that your alliance has been fixed with and not me. It's him that you are going to be engaged with," said Rahul.
"No! Kunwar Rahul, this can't be possible! Stop this arrangement. Talk to mom. Talk to Armaan Bhaiyya, tell him this is not possible. I know he'll understand," said Muskan frantically.
Rahul nodded. He remained silent for a moment too long and then said, "You know Muskan, whatever the result, either way I'll lose. If you get engaged to bhaiyya, I lose you and even if we get engaged, I will be the cause of bhaiyya's grief. Muskan, bhaiyya has always given preference to dad's wishes over his. He has never done anything against dad's wishes. I have always admired bhaiyya and wanted to be like him and have tried too, but never succeeded. He lives for others. Every decision of bhaiyya's life has been taken by dad but I never liked it. This decision about his wife at least, I thought would be taken by him. But no, even this decision was taken by dad and yet bhaiyya was so happy. I have seen his joy and happiness and now I am the one who'll be a cause of his grief. How can I do this Muskan? What if he really loves you? God! Why did this have to happen to him?"
"Rahul, I can understand. But are you trying to say that this arrangement is fine with you? That you don't mind this engagement? Because I do!" she said teary eyed.
"Muskan, I am as uncomfortable about this as you. It's just that I don't have the courage to talk to bhaiyya about this," he replied consolingly. But she couldn't control her tears anymore and they ran unchecked down her face.
"Muskan..." He lifted her face, swept the dampness of tears from her lashes with his thumbs. Soft moonlight poured through the wall of glass in his living room, casting its light on Muskan's face. He held her by the shoulders and pulled her close. She laid her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her. Muskan relaxed, her tension released, she felt so much better in his arms, enveloped in his familiar warmth. Despite the critical issue pressing on her mind she felt at peace, she knew that Rahul would take care of it. For a while, Rahul just held her close, silently. He assured her that everything would be fine even though he himself didn't know how. He feared tomorrow. Because tomorrow would mean choosing between his and his brother's happiness. Tomorrow would mean defeat. The apparent victory would be a disguised defeat. He braced himself for tomorrow.
It was past midnight and it would be unwise of Muskan to stay out overnight especially when her engagement was only a day away. Rahul decided to drop her to her palace and deal with his phobias later.
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