A/N: M back with chapter 7. I'm sorry for not replying to all of your comments. But really, I'm overwhelmed by the response.
This chapter is for Shalini (Shalini_Shakti) & Harita (anamika1309) for the hard-work and creative effort that they put to come up with the 'SanDhir Shippers' scrapbook!!! Thank u my little angels!
Read & Review as always!!
CHAPTER 7 : Dismal Tidings
"Everyone aspires for happiness in their lives. But what is 'happiness'? Is it anything that encompasses fame, money & glory? Is it something that includes family and your loved ones? Or is it those stolen moments of life that take your breathe away? May be it's time we thought about what 'happiness' really means!!!
- Anuradha
--------
One of the board members sat at his desk at his office, smoking a cigar and gazing at a picture in his hand. A young and handsome boy of 7 or 8 peered out of the photo.
The man sat at his desk for a long time before picking up his cellphone and tying a text.
"The DVD that was recovered from the fourth folder contained 'encrypted formulas'. We need the 'book' to decrypt it. Waiting for further instructions from u."
He read the text once before hitting the send button and sighing. He then turned his focus back to the photo. His eyes softened and he thought ruefully, "He doesn't deserve this. He deserves better."
As his thoughts drifted towards the boy in the picture, his phone buzzed. It was a reply to his text.
"The mansion. Tonight. Time for plan A to be executed."
The man stared at the text for sometime and then got up. He gently tucked the photo in his pocket and muttered a quiet 'I'm sorry', before leaving the room.
But deep down, he knew that no apology in the world would obliterate what he was about to do next.
-----------
Randhir Shekhawat was used to spending sleepless nights. But not because some silly girl decided to spill all her 'deep dark secrets' to him, while under the influence of alcohol.
"Damn it!" he grumbled, "What was I thinking taking her with me? That foolish git."
He had come to the terrace at 3 AM, hoping against hope to clear his mind. But her words kept coming back to him.
"...Those intense looks u send towards me give me adre-na-line r-rush...Toh delhi ke betaaj badshah Shahrukh Khan...Fact is, i love u...I am in love with u..."
" I love Randhir...Randhir Shekhawat...But does Randhir love me?"
Randhir punched the nearby wall hard and winced in pain. His knuckles turned red. For years, girls had drooled over him. But he never cared. He was content in his own space, with his own friends. Why was this girl so hell bent on encroaching his personal space? Why was she giving him sleepless nights? And most importantly, why the hell did he care?
"That's it...Sanyukta Agarwal, welcome to hell...I will make sure that the next time u don't dare to utter any such crap..." he vowed.
----------
"Sanyu...Sanyu...Wake up..." called Kaustuki fervently.
"Mmm...Soney de na..." mumbled a sleepy Sanyukta.
"Sanyu...Tu kal raat ko room ke bahar bench mein so gayi thi...Are u ok? I was so scared...Randhir ne kuch kiya kya? Sanyu wake up please..."
Sanyukta propped open one eye and looked around. The sun was shining bright. Clearly she had slept in.
She sat up with a yawn and said, "Kya bol rahi hain tu? Kya Randhir?"
"Arey Sanyu, freshers' party...U were drunk and Randhir took u...Me & Jiggy tried to follow, but we were stopped by Ishita..."
Sanyukta scratched her head. What was Kaustuki talking about? She felt sleepy and eyes were almost drooping.
"...I love Randhir...Randhir Shekhawat..."
The words came to her mind like a flash and she jerked.
"What? Are u ok?" asked Kaustuki worriedly.
But Sanyukta didn't reply. What was that? Why did those words just come to her mind?
"Kaustuki...where was I yesterday night?" she asked her friend almost in a whisper.
"You were with Randhir...I found u outside the room on the bench, asleep. I brought u in...But u didn't look injured Sanyu...I was really worried what he would do with u..."
And Sanyukta suddenly realized what had happened the night before. It all came back to her like a distant memory.
"Shit Kaustuki...what have i done?" she piped up and her eyes turned moist.
Kaustuki looked alarmed.
"Sanyu...Why are u crying?"
But Sanyukta kept mum while tears now fell freely down her face.
"Sanyukta...Wha-"
"Kaustuki I told him I love him..."
Kaustuki's mouth fell open.
"U WHAT????"
"What have i done? Oh god..." sanyukta was now sobbing and hid her face in her hands.
Kaustuki was at a loss for words. Sanyukta loves Randhir? When did that happen?????
For the next half hour, Kaustuki tried her best to calm down a hysterical Sanyukta. But the latter kept muttering about how she couldn't face Randhir anymore. Finally feeling defeated, Kaustuki told Sanyukta firmly, "Listen Sanyu, sitting & crying isn't the solution. It's ok to fall in love with someone. Doesn't matter if they don't reciprocate...Besides u were drunk. Just go and apologize to him and be done with. Now let's go...We've already missed the first class. Besides we have 'anatomy quiz' today during labs..."
But Sanyukta shook her head. She asked Kaustuki to ahead for the theory classes. She would join directly during lab. And so Kaustuki went ahead without Sanyukta, while the latter covered her face with her pillow and wailed in misery at her folly.
-------------
"So she is skipping classes...Agarwal, good joke...First u get into my psyche and rant utter nonsence and now u avoid facing me...But for how long?" he thought, as he lazily took notes in biochem.
He noticed when Kaustuki entered the room all alone. And so did Ishita.
"Behenji must still be under the effect of alcohol! By the way Randhir, what did u do with her yesterday?" she asked.
Randhir's chain of thoughts were interrupted by her question. He turned to face her and was about to answer when he felt Parth's prying eyes on him.
"I left her outside, in the cold...She had falled asleep..." he said simply.
Ishita snickered, while Parth's face turned grim.
"Hey guys" piped Smriti suddenly, "Randhir is making 'breaking news' as the new 'business' face in the block!! Check this out" she said and passed her phone around.
Ishita immediately grabbed it and saw that Randhir's interview had made it to the front-page of almost every newspaper of the day.
"Wow! This is awesome" said Karan.
But Parth sighed and spoke saying, "Guys, Randhir doesn't need so much attention. We all know the past...What i-"
He couldn't complete before Ishita snarled in a low voice, careful not to catch the professor's attention, "Hold ur tongue Parth. We know the past, we don't need your constant reminder. Randhir is the new director. We will make sure he becomes the best..."
Smriti and Karan joined in the discussion. While the four of them discussed this, Randhir turned his face away. He didn't want to be a part of 'frivolous' talks about what might happen in near future. For them, his parents' death was a tragic murder that he needed to face and get over with. But for him, it was a 'mystery' that he needed to solve. And the foundation was going to be his first step towards solving his parents' murder mystery. He would use the resources, the man-power and everything else that the foundation would provide. He would get to the bottom of this.
------------
The theory classes got over and it was time for the labs. Today was 'quiz' day and everyone was nervous. The lunch break was a time every first year utilized to go through the notes they made in their previous labs. But Randhir already knew these stuff by heart. So he decided to go through his dad's research folders.
He sat all alone in an empty classroom and began reading folder 1.
Meanwhile, Sanyukta finally managed to gather courage and come to college. She decided to apologize to Randhir for her misbehaviour. She searched him out frantically, praying that he would be alone and not with his gang. Miraculously enough, her prayer was answered.
Randhir sat in a classroom, engrossed in reading. Sanyukta halted and debated about her next move. She was a nervous wreck! How do u apologize to someone to whom u have confessed ur long subdued feelings in a drunken state?
But she had to. And so, she gathered up all her bravery and stepped inside the classroom. She approached him quietly and stood near his bench without uttering a word.
Randhir felt someone next to him and looked up from the folder. His pulled a face as soon as he saw it was her.
"Before u say anything...Please...hear me out...Please..." she said, almost with folded hands.
He simply stared back at her and waited. She took his silence as her cue to go on and started to explain in a hurry, "I was drunk...barely in a conscious state...I didn't mean those...i mean i meant it...Not the ...Oh god..." she sighed. This was horrible. She was making a complete fool of herself and a mess of the situation. So instead, she calmed herself and just looked into his eyes and said three words.
"I am sorry."
-----
He could see her eyes become glassy. Tears. She had apologized. But for what? What was she sorry about? The confession? Her feelings? Or that everything she said was a lie and an after-effect of the tequila?
Randhir's mind was plagued with questions to which he had no answers. And he didn't dare ask her, scared that her answers would make him do something he would regret. He was already stressed out because of the all the mess regarding the foundation. He didn't need sanyukta to make his life messier.
He stood up so that he towered over her by a few inches.
"You have some guts to come here and rant after what u did last night" he spoke, giving her the chills.
"I-...I wanted to apolo-"
"DO U THINK I NEED UR APOLOGY?" he bellowed.
Sanyukta cringed.
"You think u can just barge into my personal space, say a few 'philosophical' crap and woe me? Me? Randhir Shekhawat?"
"Randhir, i didn't mea-"
"You think that a shekhawat will fall in love with u? U think u deserve such greatness?"
Sanyukta flushed.
"Get out...OUT...Go, leave before i do something to hurt u physically...And don't u dare mess with me again!"
His face looked inhuman, anger etched in every lining. Sanyukta didn't need a second warning and took to her heels immediately.
Randhir banged the table where he was sitting, grabbed his dad's folder and huffed out. She did it again. She made him lose control...AGAIN!
-----------
-ANATOMY LAB-
The anatomy lab looked like a 'cemetery' at the moment. There was pin-drop silence inside it as the students did their last minute revisions for the 'quiz'.
Just then Ishita and Smriti came over and looked around.
"What's this? Why does it seem like someone has died around here? Look at these morons study...Goddd...How ridiculous are they?" taunted Smriti.
"U guys are studying like it's the end of the world...It's just a class test...Take a chill-pill folks" told Ishita to the room at large.
"Not everyone has ur brains Ishita" replied Vidushi.
"Woh toh hain" Ishita said with a mocking smile, "By the way where is behenji? Aaj theory mein bhi nhi ayi...aur ab lab se bhi missing...Looks like someone hasn't got over her tequila-phase!"
Her comment was met with hoots and cheers from some students.
"Ishita, where is Randhir?" asked Parth, looking up from his book.
Ishita rolled her eyes and replied, "Kya Kashyap, tu bhi in sab duffers ki tarah book leke baitha hain? Aur Randhir? I have no idea where he is...May be preparing for his next interview" she said with a wink!
Just then Randhir entered the lab, his face screwed up. Ishita forwned at his expression. What was up with this guy?
"Hey hero, kya hua? Aise muh latkaye kyun hain?"
But randhir just slammed his book on the table and sat down heaving a sigh.
"Is everything ok RD?" asked Smriti.
"Kya bhai, tu aajkal humse kuch share nhi karta..." piped Karan.
"Karan just shut up, let him be...He's tired I guess.." hissed Ishita.
She then went and sat near Randhir and kept her head on his shoulders.
"Anything related to uncle-aunty?" she asked softly.
But before randhir could reply, the lab door opened and in came Sanyukta, looking exhausted, huge dents bellow her eyes.
Randhir saw her and gritted his teeth. Ishita noticed his face go rigid and looked at Sanyukta again. She understood why randhir seemed stressed.
Sanyukta Agarwal was the reason behind it. It looked like she would have to take matters in her own hand before things got out of control.
"Calm down hero...Since when do u care about others?" she told him quietly.
"I hate her...She's making things worse for me.." he whispered more to himself than to Ishita. But the latter heard what he said and hissed in anger.
Sanyukta meanwhile went and stood next to Kaustuki in utter silence. Randhir's yells still rung in her ears. It hurt to hear him shout at her.
Prof vardhan entered the lab and every student sat upright.
"So, as told earlier, today i will be holding a quiz...Not an ordinary one though...There will 10 questions. U are each to answer those by discussing with your partner. But ultimately u will submit ur answers separately. I want to see which team does the best and which individual stands out...Clear?" declared the prof.
The students nodded in response.
"So go sit with ur partners and get ready.." he said.
Ishita swore.
"U'll be ok right Randhir?" she asked.
He looked at her and smiled before brushing his hand on her head and replying, "Don't worry...I will b more than fine..."
She shivered at his touch and got up and left to sit with her partner.
"Sanyu, can u do this?" asked Kaustuki worriedly. Even Jiggy looked concerned. Kaustuki had filled him in on Sanyukta's 'confession' and he was scared that Randhir would end up hurting Sanyukta.
"What choice do i have?" she mumbled and went and sat next to Randhir, not daring to meet his eyes.
Once everyone had settled down, Prof Vardhan started passing the question paper and said, "U all may begin, U have 30 minutes."
And the test began.
-----
She gathered every ounce of her courage and asked him as politely as she could muster, "Is it ok if we discuss and do? Vardhan sir told us to do that way..."
He didn't respond at first, but then slowly pushed his sheet towards her and started ticking the correct options with a pencil.
Sanyukta was surprised by how easily he yielded and started co-operating. She chanced and glance and him and smiled softly. He was afterall a true Shekhawat at heart - caring and considerate. She started ticking the options that he chose. The questions were very tough and Sanyukta realized that most of them were from S Baron's book.
As she ticked, she suddenly frowned at answer 4 and paused.
"Randhir, i think this one's answer is 'tendon' and not 'ligament'...I read this part yesterday.." she said softly.
Randhir looked up at her and raised his brow, "Are u questioning me sanyukta? The rank 1?"
Sanyukta recoiled, "I was merely discussing...Oh never mind...It must be 'ligament' if u say so..."
Randhir went back to ticking options and within 10 minutes they were done.
"This was really soon...U are a real 'genius'..." said Sanyukta with a smile.
Randhir smirked and replied, "Go ahead, submit your paper. I still have to mark the options with pen...I did it with pencil so that I wouldn't get anything wrong..."
"ok.." she replied, "Thank u..."
And sanyukta went ahead and submitted her sheet. She then took her bag, gave another small smile in Randhir's direction and left.
Randhir then took out his rubber, rubbed off every answer that he had ticked and chose the correct options and circled them with pen. He had successfully tricked Sanyukta into believing that he was helping her.
"This should teach her not to mess with me..." he thought as he submitted his paper.
-----
"So, how was the test sanyukta?" asked Jiggy.
"Randhir was really helpful...He showed me all the answers..."
"Really? That's surprising...I thought he'll be all mad after yesterday's fiasco!" said Kaustuki.
Sanyukta recalled the confrontation she had with him in the classroom where he had bashed her, but chose to keep mum. May be that time she had just caught him in a bad mood!! Instead she asked a question that had been playing in her mind, "Jiggy, what's the answer to question 4? Tendon or ligament?"
"Tendon of course.." replied jiggy confidently, "Why do u ask?"
Sanyukta frowned. This was strange. How could Randhir have made such a silly mistake? Even she knew the answer to that and yet she got carried away by his 'i-am-the-rank 1-talk'.
On an impulse she started discussing the question paper with Jiggy. Every question she answered, jiggy said that she chose the wrong option.
"What? But how?" muttered sanyukta in confusion.
"Sanyukta, didn't u study all this?" asked Jiggy.
She shook her head and replied, "I fell asleep after the party last night...I didn't study a thing...But how come Randhir got everything wrong as well?"
And that's when it hit her...His marking every option with pencil, his agreement to work together...it was all a well fabricated 'trap' and she fell for it like an utter idiot!
"Oh my god!!! This was all his 'revenge'...And I...I believed him..."
Sanyukta Agarwal got up from her seat, her eyes burning in anger, her face viscious.
"Sanyu..." Kaustuki tried to stop her.
"Don't Kaustuki...I am going to show Randhir Shekhawat that he has messed with the wrong girl...This time I won't let him get away with this..."
And sanyukta walked off with a determined look, an air of a girl out on a mission!
-----
"So, how was the test?" Ishita asked him while playing with her hair.
The gang was chilling out in the canteen after the test.
"It was as it should be...Great! Ishi, have u got anything else on 'that'?" he asked, suddenly serious.
Her smile vanished.
"Dad said...woh...umm...he said there wasn't any trace of any research partner in the records..." she concocted a lie.
Randhir looked disappointed. He had been counting on Ishita's parents. He trusted them the most.
"Guess this is deeper than it looks huh?...So someone deceived even the boards members..." he mused.
Ishita looked uncomfortable.
"Hero, u are worrying too much! RD, please have faith...I'm here na? We all are always by ur side..."
Randhir gave her a curt nod and took a sip of his coffee. Suddenly his phone rang. He looked at the caller. It was his uncle. Randhir picked it up.
"Hello uncle, what's up?" he asked.
But the words that came from the other end of the line left Randhir shattered for the second time in his life.
"WHAT?? What are u saying?" he kept repeating.
Ishita, Smriti, Parth & Karan were now looking at him all confused.
"Randhir...What's wrong?" asked Parth.
But Randhir suddenly threw the phone away and kicked his chair.
"Randhir...Stop it.." Smriti flinched and yelled out.
But randhir picked up the cup of coffee and flung it away in rage. It crashed as soon as it hit the floor.
Parth and Karan stood alarmed. They had never seen Randhir go this violent and volatile before.
Ishita was the only one who stepped forward and stopped randhir from destroying anything else.
"Why won't u tell us what happened RD?" she asked shaking him by his shoulders.
He looked at her with haunted eyes and spoke with a blank expression, "Ramu chacha has been found murdered in the house."
-----
Sanyukta strode towards the canteen, her blood boiling. She didn't care if he would surrounded by his 'pack' of upstarts. Today she would teach him a lesson that he would remember lifelong.
As soon as she stepped into the canteen, a coffee cup flew past her and crashed on the floor near to where she now stood. Shocked, she searched for the one who was responsible behind the throw and saw Ishita go up to Randhir and ask him what was wrong.
Sanyukta stepped closer to get a better view. That was when she noticed tears in Randhir's eyes. She heard him say "Ramu chacha has been found murdered in the house."
Sanyukta's breathe hitched. Who was Ramu chacha? Why was he murdered? And what house?
----
"Randhir, please calm down..." reasoned Ishita.
"U FREAKING DO NOT ASK ME TO CALM DOWN, ISHITA MITTAL..." he bellowed.
By now the canteen was packed with students of all years, who were eagerly watching the scenario before them. This afterall concerned the famous 'Shekhawat' heir!
"Ok ok...I won't...but look at u...U are bleeding from ur fingers...Please randhir..." Ishita herself was now close to breaking down.
The news of ramu chacha's death was a huge blow to all 5 friends. Smriti was sobbing at one corner, while Karan was staring expressionlessly. Parth had his face hid behind his palms in an attempt to let the shocking news sink in.
But randhir was beyond his senses. He picked up the glass-jar containing water and was about to hurl it away when a strong hand stopped him.
Professor Vardhan had arrived hearing all the commotion.
He looked at Randhir deeply and said, "U will stop acting like a 10 year old and get into the car awaiting u at the entrance. We shall go to ur house together. Destroying public property won't remit ur loss, Randhir..."
Randhir curled his fists into a ball and gritted his teeth to compose himself. He then turned and walked out not glancing at anyone. Prof Vardhan followed him out.
As they left, Ishita collapsed into a nearby chair and began weeping. Sanyukta stood glued to her spot and watched the entire scene unfold. She now took a tentatively step towards Ishita and patted her shoulder lightly.
Ishita looked up and met Sanyukta's eyes. For the first time, Sanyukta saw before her, a girl of 18 years, who was struck majorly by what just happened and was left scarred.
"Who is Ramu chacha, Ishita?" asked Sanyukta softly.
But instead of the usual haughty response, Ishita merely chocked on the words and responded saying, "He was RD's caretaker since his parents passed away...But he has been murdered...most probably by the people wh-..."
"Ishita.." parth interrupted her, "What are u saying?" he asked giving the girl a stern look.
Ishita snapped out of her 'sappy' state and realized that she was about to spill the real details of Randhir's parents' death to Sanyukta. Thank god for Parth!!!
She got up and turned to look at Sanyukta and said, "If u ever talk about any of this to anyone, I swear i will make ur life a living hell...And remember, Ishita Mittal is a lying, manipulative BITCH...She means what she says!"
Sanyukta was shocked at her sudden change in attitude. Gone was the glimpse of the innocent 18 year old, that she portrayed moments ago, only to be replaced by her snobbish self.
She then walked away towards her car, Smriti and karan following her.
Sanyukta met Parth's gaze and the latter gave her a 'Don't-worry' look and turned to catch up with his friends.
Sanyukta was baffled. Why did Parth stop Ishita from speaking? What was Ishita gonna say? Which people were she talking about? These were questions to which Sanyukta Agarwal had no answer.
Right now she totally forgot about the revenge she was to take from Randhir. All she could think was, "Please God, help him...Don't make him suffer any more..."
----
Randhir Shekhawat stood outside the 'Shekhawat Mansion.'
There was a time the building stood for 'happiness'. But that was a long time ago. He had stopped calling it a 'home' the night his parents died. It had just been a 'house' to him since. But still, it had one person he loved - Ramu Chacha.
With him gone, so was the 'happiness' of the house.
----*----
Love,
#Anu❤️
Edited by federized2210 - 11 years ago
Hindi TV Shows
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Shiv Shakti
Cricket
331