ArHi OS: Unanswered Questions (part 21 page 88) - Page 36

Since I am updating after a long time and the current MU track in the serial having gone berserk, I think it is best that I gave a really quick recap of what has happened so far in my FF so that the details are not mixed. Remember, in my version the MU hasn't happened at all.

So do let me know what you think.

Also the next part is done too 😉

Recap: The story begins after the ambulance and Bangles' gifting incident. While in the serial they showed Khushi all happy and excited about it trying to get Arnav to tell her why he got the bangles for her, I changed it. In this FF she loses her temper at him asking the reason behind his erratic behavior towards her. Arnav when challenged by her was made to face certain facts in his life, namely the importance he had started giving to Khushi's happiness and the way he felt for her. he realizes that he has some special feelings for her but being unsure he wants to figure out where she actually stands in his scheme of life. He goes to London to try and reach an answer. In London he misses her a lot which makes him realize that it is love that he feels for her but before he can declare that he needs to answer the questions that remain unanswered between them. The answer has a lot to do with his past which he unravels in a long letter, explaining to Khushi why he was the way he was with her. In the end he does declare his love and asks her to tell him also how she feels for him.

Khushi too lays open her heart when he comes back with a very beautiful gesture. However, she too has some secrets to tell, secrets related to Shayam, Anjali's husband. She tells him. And now they are trying to figure out the fastest and the best way to tell Anjali. Khushi agrees to tell her.

Part 16

The Next Morning held an eerie feeling to it, the sky was reddish; the birds, it appeared had taken a day off for their chirp was missing. Silence cloaked everything imperiously, a harbinger to an impending storm. The air was pregnant with barely contained emotions as everyone sat quietly on the breakfast table, going through the mechanics of the ritual, chewing their food thoroughly just the way dentist ordered. Anjali's absence was like a large gaping hole in the middle of the lounge that everyone tiptoed around careful not to utter a single word about it. Om Parakash, who took pride in making music whenever he was in the kitchen by banging things in their place rather than place them, had also picked up on the tune that was to be played.

Arnav's straighter than normal back gave away the apprehension he was trying to suppress. He hadn't seen his Di since last night when he had walked out of her room. He had stood for ten minutes near his bedroom door waiting for her to come with his medicines but she hadn't. Holding back the urge to go and tell her everything, he had changed and come down for breakfast only to find her missing while Shyam Jha sat there with a smug expression on his face. Arnav had looked at him warily, not knowing why he looked so full of himself, wondering what new stunt had he pulled when he saw a sly smile spread across his face as he looked past Arnav at someone behind him.

Cocking up his eyebrows Arnav turned around as he heard Khushi's voice, "Namaste Nani! Namaste Mama ji, Mama ji….." she greeted everyone and just looked into Arnav's eyes and closed hers for a fraction of a second as a reassurance. Calm seeped through Arnav's body at that little gesture.

"Come Khushi bitiya, have some breakfast," Nani didn't forget the etiquettes despite the anxiety that gave her a feeling of restlessness.

Looking around the table Khushi asked for Anjali, "Where is Anjali ji?" she was asking Nani but her gaze was fixed at Arnav remembering the torment he had been going through since last night.

Clearing her throat to keep her emotions at bay Nani replied shortly, "She is in her room, she is not feeling well since yesterday," Nani finished casting a glare at Arnav who was looking straight.

"ohhh, May I go and check her, if you don't mind?" she quickly asked thinking she might be able to persuade Anjali to go with her to the Mall where she had planned to sit and talk in a coffee shop.

At Nani's nod of approval she quickly went upstairs as two pairs of eyes followed her, one with a soft glow of love in them and full of hope that she may help him, while the other pair full of cunning smugness.

And then it finally happened, the storm that everyone had a hunch for, a storm that blew over everyone destroying them, hurting them, and uprooting them. Within minutes it rose to its zenith and when it ended it left behind nothing but stunned silence, utter confusion and disbelief.

It had been a few seconds since Khushi had gone to Anjali's room when they heard a crash of something falling on the floor followed by Anjali's shouts. She was shouting her heart out at Khushi, "Get out of my room right now! You Sl*tty Wh*re!" they heard totally knocked out of their senses at what Anjali was saying. They sat with frozen expressions as Anjali appeared at the head of the stairs leading a confused Khushi by her hand. "Who let her come into my room?" Anjali asked venomously as she let go off her arm roughly shoving her away from her.

While everyone looked openmouthed at the scene, flabbergasted at the utter insanity of the situation in front of them, Manorama found her voice and asked tentatively, "Anjali bitya, What are you saying? This is Khushi ji, why are you so upset at her?"

"Mami I know exactly who she is, she is a two timing girl, rich guy trapper," Anjali said looking as if she had completely lost her reason, while Mami's mouth made a perfect O as she stood shocked.

"Anjali ji!" Khushi said in a shocked yet stern tone, "What do you mean by that?" she demanded hotly as the heads turned in her direction and then back again towards Anjali waiting for her to blast the next bomb.

There was only one person amidst this insanity who looked as if he had something on it, as if he knew something no one else did and though he tried his best to have a shocked countenance like the others but the shoddy narcissist inside him couldn't help but wear an evil smirk.

While, Payal sensed where this might go as she glanced at Shayam who looked as if he couldn't wait for the drama to quickly continue. She started for the stairs when Akaash held her back telling her in a whisper, "Don't go right now!"

"Don't!' Anjali said raising her hand, "Do not act so innocent, drop that good girl faade, I know the evil that lies behind the over the top sweetness of yours!"

"Di!" Arnav finally found his voice and mobility and headed up the stairs to try and tackle the situation, "Stop whatever it is that you are doing!" he said.

"Oh wow, chote, look how he is taking your side Khushi, how elated you must be feeling right now! That's one prize catch you have made!" she sniggered at Khushi. While Mami ji nodded her head in agreement thinking disdainfully, "Finally someone else also picked up on the signals between Phatti Sari and Arnav bitwa!" She opened her mouth to say something but had to close it when her husband gave her a withering glance shutting her up.

"Di!" Arnav shook her as he saw the hurt look on Khushi's face as she tried to hold back the tears of humiliation that had accumulated in her eyes.

"See Nani, how she has him already tied by strings," Anjali continued to shower caustic remarks without actually telling what had made her say all that.

"Stop it Di! Can you just let us know what has happened?" Arnav said in a very cold stern tone.

Turning towards Arnav, Anjali stepped towards him carrying the same wrathful expression that her brother mostly carried and then she spoke in Arnav like harsh tone, "Why don't you tell us what has happened between the two of you, why is it that you didn't transfer money in my joint account on her behest? What has she been saying about my husband?"

"You don't know anything Di, so please don't say anything you will regret later on!" Arnav said warningly.

Folding her arms across her chest she said in a challenging tone, "Oh, so why don't you enlighten us!"

"Fine! If this is what you want," Arnav said with gritted teeth and jaw line set in a very stern line, "Your husband……." he said when he was cut off by Anjali who said, "No wait, let me tell it, since it is my story to tell!"

"Nani, Mamaji and Mamiji, Arnav has finally fallen for Khushi who obviously is intelligent enough to be able to trap Arnav, good looks and hefty accounts! And she didn't stop at that but she filled Arnav's ears with some petty lies making him go against my husband!"

Arnav turned his head sharply towards Shayam, his eyes filled wrath and abhorrence while Shayam just gave a sleazy look highlighting how he had been able to turn the tables.

"Oh I knew this was coming! She was all over him during Akaash's wedding," came Mami's voice who received a glare from her husband while Akaash quickly looked at Payal to check her reaction.

"Shayam Jha what bloody lies have you told my sister?" Arnav asked in a steely voice calling him by his name making public the animosity he had against his Jija.

"No, No Saale Sahib, not lies, don't say that. You taint my character!" Shayam said opening his eyes wide feigning an expression of utter shock.

"Chote enough! You have shown enough rudeness to my husband!" Anjali said.

"Enough everyone! This house is going crazy," Nani's said angrily to everyone and then added softly, "Anjali bitiya please tell us what happened?"

"Shayamji had to meet one of his clients last night, a client who lives near the Guptas. On his way back he saw Arnav going in their house with Khushi. He figured that there was something between the two…" Anjali started her explanation when Nani cut her short saying, "But Anjali bitiya weren't we thinking the same? You were happy about the idea!"

"Yes, I was and I would have still been had she not been a tramp!" Anjali spat out cruelly making Khushi flinch since her words caused her physical pain. Arnav stepped forward wanting to comfort her.

"Di what is your point, make it and end the drama!" Arnav said curtly, he had already decided last night that Di needed to be stronger, he can no longer let her live in the past pitying herself, "Why is it a big deal that I went to see her?" he asked with his signature confidence at whatever he did.

"Yes, there would have been nothing wrong had she not tried to snare my husband also in her trap!" Anjali said sending everyone into shock as they all looked at Khushi who had gone pale and just stared at Arnav. Breaking the eye contact with him, Khushi tuned towards Anjali and opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

The whole atmosphere hung with suspense and a foreboding of something terrible happening. With some effort Khushi managed to whisper, "What? What are you saying?"

"I am saying that before you set your eyes on Arnav, you had already tried to trap Shayam even though he was married! On meeting Arnav who happens to be richer, you changed your prey!" Anjali said one word at a time, each word a dagger through her heart.

"No, No, No! Anjali ji, you have it all wrong, No! Shayam was the one who had lied to us, he didn't tell us he was married, he proposed, he insisted and then……" Khushi was out of breath.

"See Rani Sahiba! How cunningly she is trying to pin everything at me, petty little liar!" Shayam jumped in immediately, "If this was the case, then why didn't she say anything before? Huh!"

"Shayam Jha shut your bloody mouth else I ….." Arnav's threat was cut off by Anjali as she stood before him with a wild look in her eyes.

"Or else what Chote, or else what, you'll throw us out? Don't worry we will move out, my husband I am sure can pretty well support me, I'll be happy with him in a small house as well!" Anjali said hotly making Shayam lose his balance but he kept quiet.

"Anjali ji listen to me, you are all wrong about Khushi," Payal finally found the voice to intervene and looked at Akaash worryingly.

"Bahu! You keep quiet! When you didn't say anything before then really you don't need to say anything now!" Manorama silenced Payal looking at her with loath.

"Anjali ji, I didn't say anything…… we didn't say anything because we were afraid for you, that you will not be able to take it…." Khushi tried to explain.

"Wow! Didn't you ask me to leave Anjali?" Shayam played a risky card, "Didn't you? And don't pretend that you don't remember because it happened only a few days ago… Can you deny it?" Shayam asked.

"I did but only….." Khushi said only to stop when she saw Arnav move swiftly towards Anjali who had fainted. Khushi too ran only to be held back by Nani's hand.

"Khushi I think enough has been said and heard, there is no more that you can do, Please leave now! Payal can always come to meet you all!" Nani said in a decisive tone.

"But Nani, let me explain," Khushi attempted to finish her story but Nani raised her hand signaling she didn't want to hear anything.

"Nani" said a helpless Arnav holding Anjali in his arms, "What are you saying?" he looked at Payal whose face had gone pale while Mamiji had a smug smile on her face.

"Chote, you keep quiet! Khushi you heard what I said," Nani continued sternly

Khushi looked at Arnav before she turned around to leave.

Payal followed her in taking quick steps and stopped her outside the door, "Why did you have to tell now?" she asked with a teary voice, "Why couldn't you tell her before, when we found out? Why now? And if you had to why didn't you tell me first?" Payal started to cry, she was too afraid of what was to happen to her, what fate will now decide for her.

"Jiji, please forgive me, I didn't realize it will all come to this," Khushi said in a broken voice, she could see Arnav taking his Di upstairs in his arms. She had no reason to stay back so she turned and walked away.