It was lunch time and Bharti called up the bank she had gone the morning but she didn't get any clue of where her passbook had gone. She was simply going crazy. Just then Jiya knocked on her door and invited her for lunch. Bharti didn't have the slightest clue that it was already lunch time and declined her offer, giving pending work as an excuse but Jiya didn't hear a thing and brought her along to have lunch with Jiya, Mahi and Armaan. Bharti saw armaan and both of them smiled weakly at each other and faced away, feeling slightly awkward. Bharti took a seat and was lost in her own world, thinking about her savings over her life so far which she had in her account. Bharti clasped her fists together, feeling really worried. Jiya and the rest stopped talking.
Mahi:Bharti what happened??Yuo seem distressed!!
Bharti:guyzz...I can't find my passbook...Subah MU aane se pehle bank gayi thi...To update my passbook and deposit some cash..But I can't find my passbook anywhere now..I've taken out everything from my bag,checked everywhere but I just can't find it anywhere...
Armaan:Did you have a lot of money in your account??
Bharti:About 8 lakhs...
Jiya:That's a lot of money dear..Anything can happen...You've got to find it quick!!
Mahi:Yeah anyone can misuse your account..anytime!!
Bharti:I'm so sorry for bothering you guyzz..carry on with your lunch; I've got no appetite and I think I need some time off on my own...
Jiya:Bharti, don't worry,k??You'll find it soon!!
Bharti:(smiled weakly) Thanks!!(left from there)
Armaan just pushed his plate of noodles away.
Jiya:Kya hua??
Armaan:Bhookh nahin hai..
Mahi:Abhi abhi toh keh rahe the ke tumhe kuch zyaada hi bhookh lage hai...
Armaan:No Mahi..just don't feel like eating...
Jiya and Mahi looked at each other and each one of them pinched one of Armaan's cheek.
Armaan:Ouch!!What's that for??
Mahi:How romantic Armaan...
Jiya:Sadly Bharti's not here to see it..Actually Armaan...
Armaan:OMG!!Could it be Gyaan's doing??He was there when I had gone to give Bharti the contract papers..He told me that Bharti asked him to wait for her..which was really strange..He then left and then I kept the contract papers and left as well..
Jiya:You did what??Contract papers in MU?Inviting trouble, Mr Armaan Sinha??
Armaan:It was for terminating our contract marriage according to what I've said..PAr main muddhe par aao...We've got to get the passbook before anything happens ro Bharti's savings...
Mahi:Haan woh toh hai..We'll have to keep a lookout on Gyaan and Vinita..But I don't get why they are aiming at Bharti..
Jiya:Simple si baat hai Mahi...Actually Bharti had never agreed to their plans or suggestions and rhese two simply want to get their position in MU back..Apparently it's the feeling of inferiority and jealousy that Bharti is doing pretty well in just 1.5 months..Can you believe there's only 2 more weeks for Bharti's internship to end..Time just flies at sonic speed!!
Armaan:Time flies so fast and with time relations too are gradually drifting apart..After 2 weeks I don't even know if I'll ever get to meet Bharti..Anyways let's get to finding Bharti's passbook first,k??
Mahi:Sure Armaan..don't worry!!Hey we don't have much time left...
Jiya:Just hope that her money is untouched..God please help us!!Ok chalo...
Armaan had to go and meet Amarjeet while Jiya and Mahi kept a close watch on Vinita and Gyaan respectively. After a few hours, Vinita and Gyaan had left MU. Both Jiya and Mahi went to check in Gyaan's and Vinita's cabin and searched thoroughly for some evidence. Much to their luck, they found what they needed, and quickly headed to Armaan's cabin.
Armaan:Tum dono??Kuch mila kya??
Jiya:Passbook in Gyaan's cabin and...
Mahi:A xerox copy of Bharti's bank balance on Vinita's fax machine..wonder what that's for..
Armaan:We've quickly got to give this to Bharti..Let's keep the xerox copy for our reference first...
Armaan quickly rushed to Bharti's cabin. Bharti was locking her cabin and heading for home.Just as she turned around, she saw Armaan standing behind her.
Bharti:Hey you haven't left yet??
Armaan:Got to give you something before leaving..Your passbook...
Bharti:Pass..(saw it in Armaan's hand and took it from him promptly) OMG Armaan where did you get it??
Armaan:Actually jiya and Mahi searched for it and they found it in Gyaan's cabin..
Bharti:gyaan??But i didn't even meet him today..
Armaan:(thought to himself) "I so knew it...He definitely had something in his mind"..Anyways bharti just call up the bank and check on your balance yeah??And be careful of Gyaan and Vinita's doings...
Bharti:Heyy Jiya and Mahi..thanks a lot for your help!!
Jiya:Our pleasure yaar...(saw bharti dialling a number)
Bharti had called up the bank and a lady had picked it up and bHarti enquired about her account and the balance. Bharti was pretty shocked and asked the lady to confirm again and bharti hung up.
Mahi:Kya hua Bharti??
Bharti:I've seriously got no idea..How the total balance in my account can be 15 lakhs..When I had checked in the morning it was 8.25 lakhs..Where did that rest of the money come from...
Jiya:Isn't that good news??At least you got almost double of your money..
Bharti:But the rest isn't my moeny and why would anyone like Gyaan give me more moeny??It's something strange...Zaroor kuch ghadbadh hai...You know how I feel??As if it is the calm atmosphere before the arrival of a storm...
Armaan:actually Bharti is right..We've got to get to the bottom of this..Something is definitely going on...
Bharti:Anyways it's quite late already...I'll be going off first..Thank you guyzz for helping me out..
Mahi:Come Bharti, I'll drop you home!!
Bharti:Thanks Mahi..Bye Jiya,bye Armaan!!
Armaan:Bye..Jiya you know something...That xerox copy has something to do with this, I'm pretty sure!!
Jiya:Even I'm thinking about it too..Jo hoga dekha jaayega ok??Don't worry yaar..sab theek hoga!!
Armaan:Come I'll drop you home..
Along the way back home, Mahiw as telling Bharti of how Armaan got so worried for Bharti and he even left his lunch for her and rhe three of them were waiting for Gyaan and Vinita to get out of MU. Bharti was touched by their gesture and thanked them once again. Mahi smiled and told her not to worry, and to go and rest well. Bharti bid goodbye to Mahi and went inside.
Bharti kept her bag inside her wardrobe, taking out her handphone and placing it on the dining table while she went to take a shower. After getting changed, she got out and heard her mobile ringing and sat on the sofa, answering it.
Bharti:Hi Payal...
Payal:Hello...tumhari battery down kyun hai??
Bharti:Bas thodi tired hoon...just got back home from work...
Payal:actually i called to inform of the fact that Bhaskar and I are going on a short trip...
Bharti:Bhaskar's going with you??Kaha??
Payal:Dehradun...Just for a week since he has a conference there...
Bharti:Not bad...That just means more work for shaz,yeah??
Payal:Yeah...but it's no problem for her for she recently had gone for a holiday trip for a week....
Bharti:Interesting..when are you leaving???
Payal:Day after tomorrow..so can I meet you tomorrow??
Bharti:Definitely..during lunch??I'll take a half-day leave tomorrow and we can spend time doing our things togehter, yeah?
Payal:Awesome...so I'll see you at MU tomorrow...Good night!!
Bharti:Nitezz..(hung up)
Bharti switched off the lights in the hall and went to her room and practically threw herself on the bed. She had no idea what was going on in her life. She was tossing around in bed and swirling her finger around a tuft of her hair and thought about the 15 lakhs but she could only scream at herself, "Koi mujhe bachaao!!Please..."
She recollected how Mahi told her about Armaan getting worried about her. Bharti felt like calling Armaan instantly and sat upright on her bed with her knees bent and she looked at her mobile, which showed the pic of her and armaan that a lady took while she went to get Armaan the brown contact lense. She missed him so much; bugging him, cracking jokes at him and their fun-filled moments and conversations. If it were before, she would have told him what she was really going through but now things have changed so much between them. Too much of formalities and no closeness. Bharti wanted to dial Armaan's number but she just switched off her mobile and kept it aside. She thought to herself,
"Armaan you know something...I just wish that nothing had changed between us...Neither the kiss, nor the huge fight...Yaar i miss you..I miss us!!!Very much!!You know, whenever I see you now, I just feel so awkward..I just don't know yaar...You know I hate changes especially big ones..It's damn hard to live with changes and embrace them especially when I've gotten accustomed to us, our friendship!!Kya ho gaya tha yaar..nahin hona chahiye tha!!Nahin hona tha!!!" and continued tossing in bed.
If this was what Bharti was going through, she had simply no idea what an ordeal Armaan was going through. He had just reached home and was about to call for Bharti. Just then he hit his head real hard,"Dude, how many times do I have to keep reminding you that Bharti doesn't live here anymore,all thanks to you and your anger!!". He kept his bag aisde and went to shower. In the shower, Armaan kept the water flowing on his body while he was in the thoughts of Bharti. He felt extremely horrible for Bharti and wondered why sadistic people exist in the world in the first placce. He just hoped that nothing happens to her and prayed that Gyaan's and Vinita's plans don't succeed at all. He felt so disgusted to even know such people.
When he got out of the shower after getting changed, he kept thinking of calling bharti and checking on her but he stopped himself from doing so. He had seen Bharti talking to him so formally, something whhich he had never thought would happen to them. They are friends now but it seemed so formal and much less jovial, somewhat like a forced one. He saw how Bharti was forcing herself to be formal and stopping herself. Both of them had been feeling so awkward. Today he felt really worried for Bharti. He can't be possibly doing this all the time and he ought to control his emotions from now on. He's the root cause of Bharti's tears and he didn't want to cause her any more troubles. By the way, he had chosen to attach himself with Preity on his own will and Bharti too knows this. From now on, Bharti's only his friend and he'll treat her as such and will not let her come close to him.
He decided to write an email to Sudha tomorrow for he felt like talking to his mom and telling her the entire truth, which he had been hiding from her whenever she called him.
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