New Arshi FF : Merger - Link to Thread # 2 on Page 141

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suri2610

@suri2610

Explorer

+ 5

Posted: 11 years ago

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The Author of this post have chosen to restrict the content of this Post to members only

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Dear All,

I have been a silent reader till now, which I am not really proud of. I am grateful to stumble upon the Teri Meri song of IPK, which in turn introduced me to the IPK serial and then to this forum. The writers of this forum have become an integral part of my life today. InvisibleSmile, Lazyleaves, Anony_mous, Krani, Anupama, Kalyani, Smitaar, Rulama. And so many more. I am so thankful to you all for writing such amazing stories.

P.S: Please don't plagiarise. An author puts his/her soul into these stories. Don't snatch that away. The names of the characters have been borrowed from the serial IPK. And m thankful for the makers of the serial for giving us such an amazing story.

So here I am presenting my story. Hope you like it.

Introduction - See below

Chapter 1 - Page 2

Chapter 2 - Page 4

Chapter 3 - Page 8

Chapter 4 - Page 15

Chapter 5 - Page 20

Chapter 6 - Page 25

Chapter 7 - Page 32

Chapter 8 - Page 38

Chapter 9 - Page 45

Chapter 10 - Page 58

Chapter 11 - Page 64

Chapter 12 - Page 76

Chapter 13 - Page 87

Chapter 14 - Page 98

Chapter 15 - Page 113

Chapter 16 - Page 123

Thread # 2

Introduction:

Only a few people are blessed with a pleasant past where they have nothing to feel weighed down about. But most would have dealt with things beyond their age or comprehension. Would have been totally clueless as to how they need to deal with a situation. And while dealing with the past they nourish the hope of meeting someone who "sees" them for what they are. That someone who would "belong" to them. And to whom they would belong. And both their lives would "merge". I think the best word to describe a Merger would be the word "Sangam". When two rivers merge, we cannot "see" the two individual rivers. They have merged not only for the naked eye, but also in the true sense. One does not dominate the other. Both exist. Both compliment each other. And both thrive. Both embark upon a new journey filled with much more life, force and joy than they used to be when alone.

Two such lives are those of Arnav and Khushi.

At a tender age of 13 years, Arnav lost his parents. Not only were their deaths gory, but were entailed with a despicable exposure of his father's character. His Uncle turned out to be a fortune seeker and threw them out of their house usurping all of their father's wealth. His maternal grandmother and uncle took his sister and him under their wing. But all his life he heard everyone around him asking him to be thankful and grateful for having such a wonderful family who treated them "just like" their own children. While he was grateful and thankful to his grandmother, uncle, aunt and his cousin, he constantly yearned to have things which he could claim that they "belonged" to him. Hell, even his name was not inherited. He had to change from Mallik to Raizada due to his father's shameful acts. He yearned for things which the world would not "dispute" that it belonged to him. For 12 long years he slogged. Every minute and every day. He slogged to get scholarships. He lied at home that he studied with his friends while he did odd jobs to earn money for his education. He depended on his uncle only for his and his sister's food and clothes. When he got selected to Harvard on scholarship, he took loan from his friends' fathers for the ticket and initial expenses and fees. As soon as he went to the US, he worked under a professor and managed to do odd jobs during late nights and weekends and paid up the loans within a year. He continued to earn more money because he wanted to avenge his mother's death and his father's reputation. As he grew, he realized that he was in pursuit of peace. And he would be able to get that when he had "with him" what "belonged to him rightfully". It was now time to give a closure to his past. He wanted to move on, but could not do that without the closure.

Khushi had suffered too. She was 10 years old when one night, her father asked her to accompany him to the lamp post at the end of the road of their house. There, he sat down to reach her height and told her "Beta, you are a big girl now. Take care of your mother and little sister". Khushi wondered why he was saying that. Her little heart swelled with pride hearing her father call her a "big" girl. Saying so, he got up, smiled, patted her lightly on her head and walked away into the darkness. That was the last she saw of her father. She returned home and slept. She did not feel anything odd about that little conversation that she had with her father. In the morning, she woke up to see her worried mother. Her two year old sister was crying for food. Her mother told her that her father had not returned all night. Hours changed to days and to years. Her father did not return. She overheard lot of people speculating about her father. That may be he had committed suicide, may be he went away with another woman, may be he just did not like them and wanted freedom from the family. It killed her to hear these comments. With no income, she and her mother started working as maids in houses to have two square meals a day. A kind Chartered Accountant had taken her under his wing and taught her accounts work. She completed her apprenticeship under him. But after his demise, she had no money to write her exams. Everyday she hoped for a future which was sans all this misery. She wanted peace. She wanted an honorable life. Not worry about money. Not hear cruel words by people about her father. Not see her sister and mother crave for small things in life. It was now 12 years since her father had left them. She decided it was now time to change her destiny. And she had just got the break she had been looking for.

While dealing with the past, they also yearned for that one person who would "belong" to them in the true sense of the word. A person who may not understand them. But who will be "with them" while they deal with life. A person who becomes "the constant" in the ever changing life. Who says, no matter what happens, no matter whether or not I am of help to you, I am here and let us walk through this life together, hand in hand. Whatever be the situation, I will stand by you. I will just be there...for you, with you.

That day two souls burdened with a past and hoping for that one companion gazed at the stars yearning for peace and content.

A/N: Please comment and let me know your thoughts. Will come up with the First Chapter soon.

Edited by suri2610 - 10 years ago

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Frequent Posters

IDatIF

@IDatIF

Navigator

Posted: 11 years ago

A very good start as a first time writer

It's was a really nice prolong ,kept me interested to read all of the prolong

Both have horrible past and are looking for peace

Very interesting start of an ff

Continue soon and thanks for writing on arhi

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Sindhu Ramakrishnan

@Sindhuramakrish

Voyager

Posted: 11 years ago

That was a good start with an intriguing prologue. Good going

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Frozen_Ana

@Frozen_Ana

Explorer

+ 4

Posted: 11 years ago

Lovely start! Continue soon! :)

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suri2610

@suri2610

Explorer

+ 5

Posted: 11 years ago

Thank you so much for the encouraging comments. Will post Chapter 1 in 4 days.

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tanu3579

@tanu3579

Voyager

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

Gr8 start... Luking fwd to it...

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1chilly

@1chilly

Sparkler

Posted: 11 years ago

Interesting prologue.

Would love to read more.

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suri2610

@suri2610

Explorer

+ 5

Posted: 11 years ago

A/N: I was very apprehensive as to how this story would be received. Thankyou all so much for such encouraging comments. Here you go with the first chapter.

******

Chapter 1

Arnav Singh Raizada removed his aviators looking with determination at the worn out name board "MALIK FASHION INDUSTRIES LIMITED". The past ran in front of his eyes like a movie. His mother running away, the gunshot, his sister's screams, his uncle's abandonment, the struggle ridden days. His 12 year old penance needed a CLOSURE. HE needed a CLOSURE OF THE PAST.

At the same time, on the other side of the road, Kushi alighted from a bus. She turned towards the building "MALIK FASHION INDUSTRIES LIMITED". Her eyes held determination too - to BUILD A FUTURE, to OVERCOME the turmoil, to pursue HAPPINESS.

Arnav turned around to pay the taxi standing behind him. His eyes caught the sight of the girl he had met earlier in the day.

<<THAT DAY MORNING>>

It was 3.30 AM. Arnav boarded the taxi at the aiport. He had to go the Company Guest House. Today would be the first day of his job. The guest house was about 50 kms away, the taxi driver told him. Would take about an hour to reach. He just wanted to hit the bed. Not sleeping for 48 hours straight was taking a toll on him.

They reached the area within 1 hour. So, it should take 10 more minutes to locate the guest house. Oh...How much he wanted to sleep. His mind was numb and he was glad that the taxi guy was using his mind to locate the guest house. He was intermittently dozing off, hoping that the driver would wake him when they reached the guest house.

He jerked suddenly from his sleep. The taxi was parked. There was no sight of the driver. He looked at his watch. It was 5 AM. WHAT THE!!? The driver was not able to locate the guest house for 30 odd minutes. He cant be called a localite for sure. He cursed himself for losing control on the situation. It never worked, when he relaxed. Then he saw the driver casually walking back. "What the hell is happening? Why haven't we reached the destination yet??" He barked at the driver. The taxi guy was really upset now. First of all, this guy gives him a non-existant road. And now, has to audacity to shout at him. He wanted to give him a piece of his mind but just then, he saw a fat guy open a milk shop and disappear inside. Two girls were waiting outside. The one slightly elder was waiting outside the shop. The younger one started to play around on the side-walk. The driver signaled her to come near. She came hopping towards him. Arnav was amazed as to how someone can be so chirpy so early in the morning. May be it was his jet-lag which was making him so irritable.

The taxi driver asked her about the address. The girl started giggling. And then started to give the directions. She seemed to use her hands alongside her mouth to explain the address. The taxi driver was baffled at the instructions. He almost did not trust her. She continued "You may think that I am blabbering away. But I know this building very well. That's why I am able to tell you so certainly".

The driver and the passenger were relieved. They thought they can reach the place soon enough.

In the meanwhile the scene behind the girl was not so great. The fat man had returned to the front of the shop. The elder girl was now seen asking, infact pleading for something. The fat man was shouting at her.

Arnav felt disgusted looking at that girl. How I hate people pleading. You need to fix your own fate. Not be weepy about it. The taxi started moving and Arnav felt glad that he didn't have to see these kind of weepy people.

Khushi slowly wiped her tears, not able to figure out how she would get milk and food for the day. She saw her sister talking to a cab driver near the side walk and how she was giggling. Her sister's smile always brought in more determination in her. She made up her mind to fix the first meal of the day. Let's arrange for tea and bread first and then we will worry about the meals for the rest of the day. First in first out...she thought. She decided to wait it out in front of the shop till the Shop owner's heart melted and he would give the milk and bread for tea and breakfast. That would suffice for 3 people, her mother, her sister and herself.

An hour passed. The soft light of day break was spreading. Her sister was still playing at the side walk. And the shop owner was now shouting at her. From the corner of her eye, she saw a taxi come along. The driver got down. Dashed towards her sister, and started shouting at her. She panicked. Who was this guy. What was he doing to her little sister. She ran towards her sister, forgetting the shop keeper. She shouted at the driver for man-handling her sister. The taxi guy was the same one who had come an hour ago. Her sister played a prank by giving him a wrong route. Her sister was giggling away to glory, the driver and the passenger were fuming. And Khushi had her own "breakfast" problems. She thought, "God...One problem at a time please".

She then shouted "Shut up everyone". Everyone - the driver, her sister, the passenger and the shop owner froze. She snatched the address from the Driver. Oh it was the obnoxious 19B road. She turned to the driver and showed him the small galli on the other side of the road. That was 19B. The driver seemed satisfied. But the passenger leaped out of the car saying "How dare you!!?". When she saw that her sister was the target for his anger, she quickly intervened. "Sir, please I am sorry that my sister played a prank on you and that too at this unearthly hour. I apologise on her behalf."

"People like you should not even be given a chance to move around on earth. You have nothing to do for yourselves and waste others' precious time and money. All you do is beg around and live a parasitical life. Do you have any idea how much trouble you are causing" Arnav wanted to continue, his anger reaching the 8^th heaven, if it really existed. The jet lag, the search, his exhaustion, hunger all taking a toll on him. But ... a thin film of water appeared at the brim of the eyes of the girl. Arnav immediately realized he had crossed the line with this girl. It was not her fault. It was her sister's childish prank. He immediately retracted, sat in the car asking the driver to get going. He looked back at the elder girl. The hurt in her eyes was evident. The taxi started to move and Arnav turned his face away.

Khushi saw the cab moving away. The stranger had no right to show her place in the society. Tears were welling in her eyes. How can a stranger make such abusive and lowly comments on her and her sister. What did he know as to what they went through in their life. What does he know what it means to struggle every minute since the age of 10. What did HE know...what did ANYONE know...? And that too for a childish prank! She shook her head, grabbed her sister's hand and walked towards the shop. She decided that she had bigger problems in life to manage than the bitterness spit out by the stranger.

***

It was already 6.30 am, by the time Arnav paid off the taxi and entered his room in the guest house. He crashed on the soft bed. Put the alarm for 7.30. He would be delayed by more than an hour, thanks to those stupid girls. But he would catch up on the work later during the day. He wanted to make an impact on the first day of his office.

As soon as he closed his eyes, the tear ridden eyes of the girl appeared in front of him. Whatever was her status, he should not have shouted at her like that. He remembered his mother's words - "Never give the punishment of the thorns to the Rose". For the first time in his life, Arnav felt the need to apologise. Arnav felt surprised at this feeling. He sat up to clear his mind. Sleep was no where in sight. So he decided to get ready for the office.

***

Khushi in the meanwhile managed to get the milk and bread from the shop owner and walked back home. Got ready first and then made tea. Just when she was serving it, Ramu Kaka walked in to their house. Kaka, was their neighbor. He was like a fatherly figure to Khushi and was to retire in 6 months. He worked in a private company and was trying to put Khushi in his place. Today was going to be her first day at office and he wanted to make sure she is ready in every which way possible.

Khushi quickly split the tea and bread into 4 portions and served everyone at home right now. Kaka had brought some breakfast with him. Khushi saved her share and the leftovers of others for the afternoon, so that her mother and sister can have it. She decided to deal with dinner later in the evening.

Kaka assured Khushi's mother that he would take care of things at office. And they both left after seeking blessings from Devi Maiyya

***

It was 8.00 AM. Khushi and Kaka alighted the bus. And Kaka had told her that the building on the opposite side of the road was the office. Khushi looked at the building vowing to herself that she would put her heart and soul into this job and set right her future. Just then her eyes locked with the stranger she had met earlier in the day. He was looking at her intently. She was half scared that he would walk up to her and start shouting. But he turned around and walked in to the office. She was surprised.

Kaka ushered her to cross the road and get into the building. As they entered, the lift door was about to close, when Kaka rushed ahead to stop it. They just made it in time. Kaka entered the lift first and that's when she saw HIM again. Oh God..not again. Both of them turned away from each other.

He was equally taken aback to see her twice' on the same day. He stepped out of the lift as soon as it opened.

From the corner of his eye, he saw that she and the old man also came out on the same floor. There was no other office on this floor, other than his' office. Was she an employee here...???? He shirked these thoughts as he entered his floor. All set to put his PLAN into actions.

Khushi saw him enter the same office. She asked Kaka "Does that guy in the suit work in this office." Kaka said "No, he doesn't." Relieved and thinking that he must be having some work here, she followed Kaka to start her new job.

A/N: Please share your comments or hit the LIKE BUTTON. Really appreciate you taking time to read this story.

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