FF And then she found me PART 41 PG 135*May 30th* - Page 72

"Jiji why are you telling him to be careful? What's going on?" Khushi placed her hand on Payals shoulder, fear gripping her but not wanting to show it.
"Khushi-er." Payal hesitated not realising her younger sister was standing behind her. Even she wasn't sure why she was asking Arnav to be careful but there was something going on, something big, big enough for it to effect Khushi.
"Where is he going? What are you not telling me?" Khushi asked looking at her sister and then to the black Range in the distance. 'He didn't even say bye.'
"It business related you paranoid git!" She teased. "He knows how much you hate it when he discusses business when its 'family time." Payal smiled hoping her little but persistent sister would let it go.
"You're lying."
"Fine I am lying." She said raising her hands in surrender. "There, looks like he is coming here, why don't you ask him yourself." Payal said pointing towards Arnav who was getting back out of the car. 'Maybe he isn't leaving' Khushi hoped.

"Baby you're a fiiireee work, come and let you're colours burst...Wait! Where are you going, the car isn't going to drive itself, wait, can I drive?" Asked an excited Kannan to Arnav who stepped out of his Range.
"No, Just stay here and please don't sing. I have to talk to Khushi." He turned around to see Payal give him one last look of reassurance before she turned to make her way back inside.

Khushi stood on the steps unable to move. Trying to make some sense of what's going on but unable to do so. "What are you two up to?" She asked folding her arms letting him know that she meant business.
"Trust me." He said taking her hand.
"This isn't about trust, you already have that. You have to tell me what has got you soo worked up that you are joining forces with Kannan." She said cupping his face, looking into his eyes with desperation in gaining come clue.
"He is not that bad." He shrugged wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Arnav-." Her frustration being reflected in her tone.
"I'll be back before you know it I just need you to promise me you'll take care of yourself. No matter what." He nudged her with his, resting her forehead against hers. He would whatever he could to protect her, to protect them both.
"Why are you saying that?" Confused at his sudden concern for her well being. Sure telling someone to take care was a normal when saying your goodbyes, but this was not goodbye, he would be back in a few hours and she was not going on some assault course. He had no reason to fret, not unless he was actually expecting something to happen to her. He shook his head refusing to answer the question.
"Promise me."
"I promise...Just hurry back ok?" She whispered accepting that she was not going to get any of her answers. He nodded before placing his lips on hers.
"Just something to get me through this long day." He winked before he left.


***
"Chamkeeli will you stop stressing out! Come on smile it's the day before my wedding!" Lavanya said trying to cheer her friend up. The group had finished lunch and were on their way out to the fleet of cars waiting for them. Khushi gave her a small smile but she could not hide her shaken nerves. "Come on ASR is more than capable of looking after himself. In fact e has left in such a rush I actual feel for the person or persons who have to face his wrath." She linked her arm onto Khushi's continuing to reassure her.
"Di, it's Jijaji, aren't you going to answer?" Payal asked pointing towards the flashing screen in Anjali's, something which she had failed to notice.
"Er-No it's ok I'll call him later." She smiled her usual warm smile.
"Is everything OK Di?" No. Anjali was desperately trying to hold her world together which was threatening to fall apart with a single phone call the night before and a conversation full of lies this morning. She had never objected to Shyam going out or having a boy's night out. She had encouraged it even knowing that her brothers where not exactly the kind of company Shyam was used too. So in the morning when she had asked how his previous night had been and to hear in response that her husband had spent the night preparing for a very hard case and fell asleep at a friend's place, sent alarm bells ringing. Why lie?

"Shyam, Shyam, chaal na yaar, it's almost time! She'salmost here!"

Who was she and why where they in such excitement to see her. The rational part of her brain already knew, which woman, apart from his wife, would a man be excited to see at three in the morning. But she pushed that thought to the deepest darkest corner of her mind where other untouched memories remained. She tried to reason, to find something, anything that would prove her wrong. But there was nothing. All of a sudden, the long trips away, the little savings, the late night at the offices, the unexplained expenses all were leading to one conclusion. But she couldn't jump to conclusions. She couldn't afford to not before speaking to Shyam face to face to find out what's really going on. Until then she would hold it together, because if she didn't then Arnav would need to know why and she couldn't put him through this all over again.


****

"It will only be hours wait maximum, they just have to carry out their routine checks." Arnav said not looking up from his news paper as he sat opposite Kannan in the VIP Lounge.
"Another hour! "Kannan complained sinking further into his seat. "I am literally dying of boredom."
"If only I had known that sooner, I wouldn't wasted my time finding other ways to get rid of you." Arnav muttered loud enough for Kannan to hear.
"f**k off, seriously there's not even an even a play station or an edition of FHM and this is supposed to be the VIP lounge."
"Well I am sorry that I forgot to pack a Nintendo DS, I didn't know I was going to be travelling with a man child."
"I would actually want the Nintendo 3DS."
"Yeah, I would actually want you to shut up but that's not happening so..."
"Charming!" Kannan exclaimed with mock offence. "How come you haven't got one of these yet?" He asked pointing towards the jet on the runaway.
"Oh, I have one on order," Arnav answered peeking up from the top of his paper before returning back to the article he was reading. "I was getting bored of the choppers so I got rid of them." He said in a casual tone.
"You got rid of them...helicopters...'cause you were bored. Of course you did." Kannan responded in astonishment and then reasoned that this was Arnav Singh Raizada after all. "We should tell Tewari to meet up with us. What a nob!" Kannan said expressing his disappointment. "I can' t believe he lost track of Shyam."
"No, not yet. The only people that should know that we are heading to Mumbai is us two, the pilot and the airport officials." Arnav dictated.
"You really don't trust anyone do you." Kannan said shaking his head,
"Nope."
"What's the plan?" He sighed knowing that Arnav was not going to have it any other way than his way,
"He's told us where to find her so we find her." He said as a matter of fact.
"And then?"
"And then we talk to get her to talk. Then we find Tewari and fire him." He said with a sardonic grin.
"That's it?" Kannan asked deflated with the anticlimax of it all. "That's your plan? To talk to her and fire Tewari...and we are flying to Mumbai... In a private jet...on the eve of you best friend's wedding ... for that? When the hell are you going to put an end to all of this? On your grandchild's sixth birthday party!?"
"This is a sensitive family matter." Arnav warned Kannan as he looked up from the paper with a deathly glare.
"You know she is stronger than you think." Kannan advised. He understood Arnav reason to protect but he also saw a strength which he had maybe overseen.
"You are over estimating her ability to take bad news." Arnav diverted his attention back to his newspaper,
"I don't think she would appreciate you saying that."
"And I don't appreciate you coming here into our lives and constantly telling me that you know my sister better than I do. You don't. So back the f**k off." He said through gritted teeth throwing the paper to a side before getting up and walking towards the large back window, looking out onto the run way.
"I don't know her better than you Arnav but the fact is she deserves to know." Kannan shifted in his chair throwing one of his legs over its arm.
"I know that more than anyone. I know that she needs to know the truth but right now what she needs is to be protected, she can't go through all this again." His voice was distance, weighed with grief.
"Again? What do you mean again? She was cheated on before?"
"No not Di, my mother." He answered in a quiet voice. One which Kannan had never heard before. For a moment they were both still, both silent, not quite sure what to say, not quite sure why what was being said, was being said.
"So it's true." Arnav turned to look at Kannan with raised eyebrows . "What? You think you're the only one who keeps tabs on people?"
"No, I shouldn't be surprised." He shook his head turning back towards the window. Of course Kannan had done his homework, but he had to give him credit for not bringing it up, for not using it against him. If there was anything to appreciate about Kannan was that he fought a clean fight. 'A worthy opponent.' He thought.
"No you shouldn't be, her name was Vijiya right?" Kannan asked and then regretted instantly, uncertain if this was the right time or place to be discussing Arnav's past, or if he wanted to discuss it at all.
"Yea,Vijiya Maasi." Arnav remembered the soft spoken young woman who he once regarded as his best friend.
"But, Ajnu must have taken it well considering the way she is now? You seem more shaken with you lack of faith in god or the institution of marriage." Kannan evaluated.
"No she had never felt more betrayed, we were bought up to believe that Vijiya Maasi was the daughter of a family friend who had nowhere else to go...We used to call her our Maasi and she loved us, like we were her own. It was only when we got older when I began to notice things. Things that people would say or that I would see...I would try and explain to Di but she never believed me. She used to worship my father. He was the world to her and he could never do any wrong. She even started to distant herself from me, thinking I was trying to creating some rift, she thought I had some attention seeking complex. Di was dad's favourite and everyone knew it." Arnav stopped to look up at a very absorbed Kannan, realising that he may be supplying the enemy with ammunition. "I'm telling you because I know you care for her and I need you to understand her."
"Do you really trust me enough to talk to me about the unspoken?"
"What choice do I have? Just because I don't say anything doesn't mean I don't know what's going on." Arnav cringed inwards at the thought of his sister and Kannan starring into eyes others eyes. Though he was glad to have someone who would help to mend the heart Shyam's truth would splatter to pieces.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Kannan tried he best to sound indifferent.
"Yeah sure."
"Carry on."
"My father always did whatever made him happy. And for the most part he always wanted to see the people around him happy to. He never had the burden of any responsibilities apart from one which was his marriage to my mother. They were married when they were young children. It was acceptable in those times and the union came as a family tradition. When my mother become of age and it was time for her to move in to her marital home my father refused, claiming his love for another woman...You can imagine the uproar of the family, in the end it came down to my grandfather threatening to disown my father, leaving him penniless."
"So your father had to agree given the lifestyle he was used to." Kannan tried to learn as much as he could about Arjun Singh Raizada. He expected countless similarities between both father and son but was surprised find very few. Arjun was not near enough a smart business man like his son nor did have drive or ambition t be one. He spent his days living the high life whilst being forced, even after fathering two children, to show some inclining of an interest in the family business.
"Exactly. So my mother moved in and so did my father's lover." He said with obvious disgust.
"She moved in? I thought it was just an affair...I didn't know."
"We didn't know. It was something that stayed between my mother and father and the other woman. My father had promised my mother all the joys of marriage apart from monogamy. She had her family honour to uphold and therefore felt she had no choice but to be the sacrificial lamb."
"When you say she moved in... I mean how can Anju not see the truth?"
" She lived with us, in the same house, under the same roof as my mother. Di and I on the other hand where sent to here, to Delhi, on the terms that we would benefit from a better education...After, it all made so much sense, why Mama never allowed Akash to visit us in Lucknow, how we would end up even spending most of our vacations here instead of being at home and why Vijiya Maasi never came to see us. They did whatever they could to protect us from the truth."
"And what about your mother?"
"Where do you think Di gets her rose tint glasses from? We called her Maasi because Maa used to treat her like a sister. It was strange, looking at them you would think they were best of friends. Maa chose only to see the good in people. She couldn't hate my father for what happened , he had told her how it was going to play out before she moved in. She had made her choice. And he had upheld his deal for the most part, he gave her all that she wished for, even children."
"But?"
"But he couldn't love her. I think that's what bound the two women in an unknown rishta, both craved for something they could never have. My mother craved the love of her husband and Vijia Maasi craved to have children." Kannan watched Arnav look out into the midday sun, the heat blazing across the horizon. One thing that stuck out amongst everything that had been said so far was that Arnav was still referring to this other woman as his 'Maasi'. This was Arnav Singh Raizada, a man who would take revenge on a cockroach should it dare to come in the way of one of his family members. How could he still refer to the woman who ruined his mother's marriage as his 'Maasi'? "Anyway, we grew up and it was time to head back home. Di had come of age, naturally she had said yes to the first guy Maa and Dad had chose for her. That's when I began to hear the whispers about my father's extra marital activities. I told Di but shook it off as nonsense. She was in denial. Had been until..."
"Her wedding day." Kannan completed. Remembering the what he had read about the accusations being thrown and the bloodbath being shed on the most important day of any girls life...ruined forever.
"Her world crashed before her eyes. To see what my father was capable of and to see everything unfold the way it did. I didn't just lose my parents that day I lost a part of my sister as well. The one man she loved unconditionally and who doted on her, tarnished the most important day of her life." He closed his eyes tight in a bid to rid the demons that danced and mocked him. Trying to unseen what was seen, trying to undo what he wished he had never done.
"And then Shyam comes riding along on his white f**king horse." Kannan's voice bought him back from the depths.
"She saw a reflection of our father in him. The father she wished she still had. She saw it in his sweet words and welcoming arms and most of all in his lack of discrimination against her lack of well being. He reminds her of happier times. She feels love and protection she felt before her eyes were opened to this cruel world." Arnav fist clenched involuntarily, he would not let his sister make the same mistake as his mother. He would not sit back and let her accept her husband's sins as flaws. He would not lose her the way he lost his mother.
"Oh god. This sucks." Kannan said incredulously as he gwaped with realisation.
"You have real knack of showing empathy."
"No, I mean of course, it's tragic to hear what about what both of you had to witness and at such young age too. But I get why you are not telling her now. She would breakdown to find out that history is repeating it's self. That the man she chose to marry in the image of her father is betraying her in the worst way I wife can be betrayed... just the way her mother was. We can hire the jet for longer right? Let's just dump the bas***d in the Atlantic. She won't have to know a single thing." Kannan suggested in an animated fashion. Though Arnav could tell that he was dead serious about the idea of just killing the scumbag.
"I am going to tell her Kannan." Arnav said decisively. "Yes she will be devastated but she will still have her family. I won't let her live this lie, I just need time."
"You are the most confusing man on earth, you do realise that don't you? f**k sakes, no wonder Mike is in a state half the time... You just told me not to tell her!" Kannan almost shouted clearly beyond being frustrated by the whole situation.
"Not to tell her yet... that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to know the truth...I am not going to let her continue to worship him which she no doubt will even if I do agree to dump him in the Atlantic."
"How much time are we talking about?"
"Give me 6 and half months."
"That's a bit precise don't you think?"
"It's all according to the plan. Don't worry it will start to make sense soon enough...This stays between us by the way."
"Mike wouldn't want to hear it even if I tried to tell her, but you will have to tell her."
"I know, I will." He would have to tell her the whole truth, not half the story that Kannan and the press are aware. The whole truth, half of which was still locked away in Lucknow.

***
The day could not have been any special than it already was. If the Haldi ceremony was full of blessings, tears of joy, emotional almost-farewells and haldi fights then the mendhi ceremony had been full of brazen teasing of the wedding night, but the bride, if truth be told, was far from being shocked at any of the advice the aunties were giving out for free on how to seduce her man.
"Been there done that...But I have to admit some of these old ladies sound like they are rockin' the sheets in the bed." She giggled whilst blowing on her hands. Khushi joined in with the festivities, keeping her mind occupied from nerve shaking thoughts. But she couldn't help herself from stealing glances at the door, praying for him to walk in. "Chamkeeli its all dry now can I wash it off pleassseee?" They were sat amongst the younger crowd of ladies, having their own conversations whilst some were up dancing along to the Hindi songs.
"No! You have to keep it on alll night, the deeper the colour the more Aaman loves you." Khushi said with a sigh at the romantic thought before taking Lavanya's hands and looking at the intercut design for the umpteenth time that evening.
"I know exactly how much he loves me. I don't need this stinky stuff to tell me." She wrinkled her nose in distaste, cursing herself at getting carried away with rituals. "Oh gosh, this is so not going to look right with any of my honeymoon outfits."
"Ahhh Lavanya, don't ever change." Khushi said throwing her arms around her, pulling her in for a hug.
"Ok, only if you promise the same." Lavanya said offering her small finger to Khushi.
"Pinky promise!" Khushi exclaimed as they locked fingers like two school going girls.

"No, us girls are going to stay the night with Lavanya. It's going to be hectic tomorrow and it will be good for her nerves to know that we are around." Anjali had tried her best to avoid all of Shyam's calls. She didn't want to speak to him until he was there with her. She didn't want to give him a chance to spin more unnecessary lies. But he had ended up calling and unsuspecting Payal and had no choice but to take the call.
"Oh, but Rani Saahiba I have arranged a surprise for you at Shaantivan." He said genuinely disappointed that things were not going the way he had planned. 'How the hell am I going to get the cheque signed!?' He thought impatiently.
"I would rather wait until the wedding was over before I go back home, it's only one day." Shyam was silent for a moment surprised at the lack of excitement in his wife's voice. 'Usually the dumb cow is hopping on one leg if a bring home a single rose.'
"Is everything ok? You sound...well not yourself. Have you taken your medication?"
"Oh gosh! I completely forgot." Anjali replied mentally kicking herself. 'Should have just said yes.'
"See, where would you be without me my Queen?"
"Hmm...My bags upstairs, I have to hand the phone back to Payal, I am sure she'll want to phone her husband soon."
"Ok, take care and be sure to charge your phone." Anjali cut the call and passed it back to Payal, slowly getting up to fetch her medication
"Di?" Khushi asked, worried slightly at how quite she had been all day, lost in her world.
"It's ok Khushi I was just going to my medicine from upstairs."
"Di, relax, I'll go and get it." Khushi said standing up and making her way towards the stairs before Anjali could protest.

***

He clenched his fist as the other hand picked up the syringe before piercing the dark skin of his arm, fuelling his insanity and obsession over one woman. "Menaka." He called out for her as he loosened the belt around his upper arm, feeling the liquid poison rush through his veins. He tilted his head back letting it take over him, the memories of the time he last held her in his arms resurfaced and so did his usually controlled temper.
"If that bitch is not coming to me then I will have to go see to that bitch!" He spat out, grabbing the blank cheque from the dashboard and shaking his head in an attempt to clear his vision before he stepped out of his car and made his way to the farm house.

***

The air was filled with an explosion of drum beats making Khushi jump mid stride. "What the-." She took a couple of steps back to look of the landing of the stairs to see that the boys had crashed the party. "Idiots." She grinned to herself, hurrying her steps, not wanting to miss out on the fun and with the hope that Arnav was back from his mysterious trip.

She fumbled around in the dark, unfamiliar room looking for the light switch, the only light pouring in from the doors behind.

He waited in the corner of the room, clutching on to the cheque that would be signed by hook or crook, unafraid of the consequences. He saw a small figure flutter into the room, knowing it wasn't her but unable to see clearly, partly due to the lack of light and partly due to the lack of sound mind.

She walked further into the room giving up on finding the switch and focusing on finding the bag with the medicine. Butterflies running a riot in her stomach at the thought of Arnav waiting for her downstairs, unable to hide the smile that he unknowingly always bought to her lips.

He watched her bend down at the side of the bed sifting through the bags. Her perfectly round derriere in perfect view as the light from the lobby hit the brilliant yellow saree, the silver jewels dancing, illuminating the dark corners.

"Ah,ha!" She exclaimed with joy as she picked out the pink packets of pills nearly jumping with joy.

And then he saw her, the light pouring onto the creamy complexion of her skin, the soft curve of the plump lips, the long lashes that framed those hazel eyes. He moved out of the shadows shutting the doors in a quick snap. The warm glow behind the sheets of frosty glass on the door allowed him to see her jump at the sound of the doors closing. Making him smile at the effect he had on her.

Her scream was caught in her throat, turning to see a dark shadow standing in front of the glass doors which had just been shut. 'Arnav'. She sighed with relief.

"It's been too long love, why d you keep running from me?"

Relief was short lived as the sickening sweet voice violated her ears. A thousand questions flooded her mind. "Shyam?" She choked out.

"Menaka." He said. Moving forward stalking his prey, his hands reached out to catch the warm soft flesh.

I know I haven'thad a chance to reply to comments today... i will and come back sometime later today...seeing as though it's 3 in the morning!

Should I really have to say it... comments? likes? Add for PMs?

Song: Zinda, Har Saans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVvRlt7khcA

Perfect description of what Shyam's presence is doing to Arnav... making him face his demons.

LOL rant over! as you can see, Shhyam is not my most favorite character. But omg arnav's story was so heart wrenching and its only half the truth... i can only imagine what the full truth is. i feel so bad for arnav and anjali. but fantastic update, the twist in the end was deifnietly a shocker. LOVED IT! :)

ARNAV N KANNAN SHOULD TOLD KHUSHI THE TRUTH HOPE SHYAM DOESNT HURT HER

I LOVED ARNAV N KANNAN PART IT WAS TOO FUNNY

CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT UPDATE

THANKS FOR THE PM

Wo the hell is Meneka...

Is it Kushi

Is shy,am thinking Kushi is Menaka

Loved the convo between Arnav and Kanann abt his pasting was really bad...

Loved there nok Jhok in there ...

and damn shyam...he better not do anything to khushi or even anjali for that matter