ArHi FF! Gravity - Thread 2 - [Completed] - Page 48

The way you make your characters accept reality or not is wonderful. I am still coming to terms with Lavanya's acceptance of what life has thrown her way. She is in love with a man who is in love with her best friend.

She has made a life doing something most people shy away from, helping others in need. I will say something trivial like, she is a nice person or wonderful. She is all woman and only human.

Chapter 27: Age old wisdom

Anjali had taken almost a month to come to terms with Arnav's absence. She was used to not talking to Arnav for few days when he was traveling or busy with work but even with his hectic schedule, they exchanged very brief emails or text messages. It was first time in their lives when they had been separated for this long without as much a short email. But the days had made Anjali to rethink about her decisions and actions which ironically would overrule any sane judgment.

She decided to get Arav back which meant being subjected to way too many gossips, coming clean to her family and friends, accepting lot more flak then she was used to and hoping that everything would fall into place perfectly.

The first step is always the hardest and its success – the most important. She had decided to come clean with her grandmother, the woman who had raised her and her brother after her mother died. She didn't know how to deal with Sheetal just yet but she hoped Khushi and Lavanya would help her out there. She harbored no hard feelings towards these women. Though they had entered her life through her brother, she considered them as their friends as much as he did. Sure she was biased towards Lavanya in comparison to Khushi but that didn't mean she didn't believe in Khushi's counsel.

Naani, as she was called by everyone, had arrived home two weeks after Arnav had left and the first person she met was – Khushi. There was something stuck in her throat when Naani's gaze unflickered over her face. She couldn't recognize the emotion registering on the old woman's face and felt unknown fear gripping her limbs. She clutched the loosened material of her dress tightly as she waited for Naani to speak.

"Naani…I…" She started when prolonged silence started to strangle her. Naani held up her hand making Khushi swallow rest of the words.

"Are you the reason why Arnav is away?" The question was blunt and to the point. Khushi reeled in directness but before she could response, the older woman continued. "What has happened in the past…has happened. We cannot go back and undo it and I have known you for far too long to believe that your reason must have been strong to take such a drastic step. So, tell me Khushi, what was the reason why my grandson decided to go away?"

Khushi took several breaths before she could collect her thoughts and explain to Naani everything she had told Arnav. When she was finished, Naani relaxed her stoic stance and looked several years old suddenly.

"I didn't know Naani…" Khushi said. There were no tears or emotional upheaval with her declaration. It was almost mechanical in the way she recounted her last days before leaving and everything she had found out after that.

"Will you wait for him to come back?" Naani asked looking at him pointedly. "Have you really told him everything?"

"I couldn't. He was so angry after he realized the reason and before I could continue, he took off. He left the city the very next morning in wee hours. He has specifically asked me not to meet him." She swallowed thickly and her tongue felt like sandpaper: coarse and dry. "I don't want to do anything that would prejudice our relationship further."

Naani sighed. "Khushi, you are like my granddaughter. There is a time when you have to be wise enough to overrule someone's decision so that truth is uniform between the two of you. After everything that has happened, you still are at an advantage or disadvantage in knowing the truth whereas Arnav would fall into the same situation as before. If you let this streak of ambiguity continue Arnav would be broken to the point beyond repair. The two of you would be together in a relationship – soulless."

"Should I go and meet him?" Khushi asked hopefully. Naani shook her head.

"Ask Suman to deliver a message with definite context on your behalf. Knowing Arnav, he will contact you when he feels he is ready." Naani said. She walked towards Khushi and sat down next to her. Moments later Khushi hugged the older woman sideways and buried her face in the crook of her neck. The comforting smell of vibhuti, sugar and cardamom comforted her senses.

"You know Arnav more than anyone Khushi but sometimes you tend to forget how strong a boy he is." Naani said patting Khushi's arms. "His strength lies in his silence, thoughts and the weight of his words. You had seven years to sort out, now give him as much time as he wants." Naani said softly.

Khushi sat back dislodging herself from Naani's embrace and wiped her face. She nodded her head in response to Naani's earlier query. "You are right Naani."

"There may be times when you question your sanity and your importance in his life, in those times talk it over with a friend who can understand your fears and offers comfort. Okay?" The wise woman said. Khushi bit her lip and smiled a little.

"Let's talk to Anjali now." She said pulling Khushi up. Naani missed the shadow of panic crossing on Khushi's face and the way her back stiffened. Khushi knew it was going to be a long day.

*****

"While I was a research student, I made a grave mistake." Anjali started. Shyam held her hand in support. "I was in relationship with my professor and…was pregnant. It dawned very late upon me that he wasn't ready to leave his family for me and I went to Shyam for help. We got married in a hurry and he shifted us to his native, Lucknow. I delivered a baby boy few months later. And then blackmailing began." Anjali stopped and looked at Shyam, begging him to continue with her eyes. She avoided Naani's piercing gaze at all cost, fearing she would lose the courage gathered over weeks.

"Sheetal was professor's secretary and Anjali's once good friend. When Anjali delivered the baby we received first blackmail note. It was time when Arnav's business was at its peak and he was getting ready for his wedding. It would have been disastrous and the scandal could've buried us. Sheetal came forward and told us that she would look after the boy for a while till everything calmed down." Shyam explained. "But Arnav's wedding got cancelled and we couldn't bring ourselves to tell him or you the truth again."

"They are two unrelated events Anjali." Naani's voice was hard but she was gentle in the way she caught Anjali's hand. "What are you planning to do now?"

"I want Arav back Naani. We have shelled out so much money in blackmail but I am scared of repercussions."

"But that's inevitable Anjali; society waits like hawk for the people in it to slip and fall. Instead of helping, society becomes unnecessary watchdog spewing conspiracy theories and maligning people in general. So yes, it's going to be hard but is that what you want?" Naani wasn't someone who contemplated on wrongdoings of past. In her view it wasted time in fixing the present and having a better future. Her daughter, Arnav's mother, had taught her as a last lesson before committing suicide.

"I want Arav." The answer was definitive.

"They find out how you can bring him back," Naani's tone was steely.

"But Arnav…"

Naani raised her hand seeing which Anjali stopped.

Naani stood up. "For once, think about what you want. Arnav is a smart and intelligent man and knows how to tackle any problems which come in his way. Don't live your life for the sake of false gratification you derive from others." She said walking away.

"And one more thing," Naani said stopping mid-way. Anjali looked up to see her grandmother staring intently at her.

"Anjali, you are not Arnav's mother. Always remember that."

Truth was strangely poisonous to her ears but she swallowed it along with her tears. But the small spark of hope of living with her son washed away all other thoughts.

Anjali needs her own ending - salvation of sorts and something happy.

There are only few chapters left, so brace yourselves :=)

Few things I have been asked in last few days:

a) I am not rushing story to completion. A story will go as far and as long it has to go but I have no interest in delving into forever kind of scenario. There wont be followup of their lives but a definitive end of a phase and start of new phase.

b) New story will be posted by next week after I finish updating We, the people. I have six chapters of the new story whose summary goes as below:

Arnav is a police officer, intrigued by string of murders which appear out of nowhere in his city and stop before he could delve further. He puts three years into investigation without any success. Frustrated, he gets irritated and angry very easily and gets into altercation with politically connected people and is suspended because of that. Suspension brings him to a small city in southern India where he decides to spend his time at his friend's Ayurvedic resort. One evening while exploring the city, under bright Mysore Palace lights he meets an enigmatic and odd woman - Khushi.

Khushi is a writer who writes thrillers and is successful. She is media shy and there is a certain degree of oddity about her which intrigues Arnav.

They meet and then...the story begins.

Genre: Drama/Romance/Thriller