Hello, my dears!
Here's the next part... the stage is getting set!
Part 14
While Anjali and her sisters-in-law were meeting the News India team, not very far from
there, a different drama had started playing out…
“Aap iss mauke ki faayda uth sakte ho, waise… jo media attention focus huyi hai Raizada
parivaar par, ussko hataane ke liye woh log kuch bhi karenge.”
“Toh? Isse mujhe kya faayda?”
“Aap apne aapko firse media ke saamne pesh keejiye, innocent aur misunderstood. Aaj
Anjali jo hot topic bankar reh rahi hai, woh interest will increase a hundred-fold once the
news becomes juicier. The Raizadas will become willing for a settlement and may even
agree for a reduced sentence.”
The smirk back in place, as his shrewd brain rapidly went through the possibilities, and
while Arnav’s determination and hatred towards him was a daunting factor, he was very
well aware that his erstwhile Saalesahab would put aside everything to protect his Di.
“Hmm… aap kal aayiye. I’ll be ready.”
******************
The day after the News India team meeting, the family settled down to a relaxed
breakfast, relieved to be back to their normal, crazy routine. Bustling around the kitchen,
getting breakfast ready for their husbands, Khushi and Payal were executing their well-
rehearsed dance, smoothly moving around eachother, while their cooks weaved around
them, getting everyone else’s ready.
Khushi heaved a sigh as she kept the final item, the ever-present toast on her Arnavji’s tray, and tunrned to Payal. “Jiji, Jijaji ka naashta ready ho gaya? Dhruv ke liye aap laga denge, ya hum karein?”
Wiping the edge of the plate, Payal smiled, “Haan, ho gaya. Dhruv ka toh hum kar denge, tum bas ye Khichchdi chak ke batana ki namak theek hai ki nahi.”
After checking and finding it perfect, Khushi started directing the cooks to get started on Mamiji’s current fad of Keto-diet when she noticed that Arnav was yet to make an appearance. Looking at the kitchen clock and realising that it was already a few minutes past his regular breakfast time, she exclaimed, “Arre, ye Arnavji kahan reh gaye? Unke ke aane ke hisaab sse toh hum ghadi set karte hai aur aaj woh khud der kar rahe hai! Jiji, hum bas dekhke aate hai.”
Muttering to herself, she ran upstairs to check on her Laad Governor. “Kya hua hai aaj inko? Kabhi der nahi karte aur aaj namonishaan nahi hai!”
Walking in to their room, expecting him to be searching for a missing file or gadget, she was surprised to see him pacing along the poolside, looking absolutely furious, barking sharp orders into his phone. “I told you, I was expecting this. He would have been looking for a loophole in the story to milk it to his advantage. Abhi ke abhi ek press release prepare karo, and send it for my review. Actually, send it to me and Di.”
Anxious now, Khushi stood silent, waiting for him to finish the call. Arnav cut the call and turned with a sharp curse, almost crushing the phone in his hand, to see Khushi walking up to him. Breathing deep, he willed himself to calm down before he took it out on his unsuspecting wife. Taking a moment to think if he should tell her, he decided to.
Taking his clenched hand in hers, she asked gently, “Kya baat hai, Arnavji? Aap subah subah itna pareshaan kyu ho? Office me kuch problem hai kya?”
Clenching his jaw in anger, he replied, “Nahi, Khushi. As expected, he is back with his plotting and planning. That bas*@#&, Shyam!”
“Kya?!” Khushi exclaimed, “Kya matlab hai, he is back ka?”
Taking a deep breath, realising that he needed to explain it calmly, Arnav turned to take her hands in his, “Mera matlab hai, woh jail me baithe baithe humare parivaar ke khilaaf press release nikaal raha hai. To put focus on his case again, in case it gets him the benefit of doubt. Bola hai ki ye jo fiasco hua tha, usko hum paise aur power se chup kara diya, aur aise hi ek innocent aadmi ko jail bheja hai.”
He watched in satisfaction as his soft, sanki wife turned into her Mrs. ASR avatar in front of his eyes. “Itni himmat! Aap pareshaan mat huyiye, Arnavji! Dikha denge usko ki humare parivaar ki jo meherbaani rahi thi uss par, ki hum chup rahe, woh khatam hone par usspe kya beetne wala hai! Aur Di bhi, jaise apne ASR mode me aa gayi, ussko khatam hi kar degi!”
Holding her close, he laughed softly, a sound that sends chills around a board room, “Khel abhi shuru hone wala hai, Khushi. Shyam samajh nahi paayega ki ussne kya shuru karne ko majboor kiya hume.”
Looking down at his wife, he continued, “I need to do something, but usse pehle hume Di se baat karna hai.”
“Ji, chaliye. Di apne kamre me hi hai.”
After a quick update to Anjali, during which Arnav was delighted to note that her reaction was similar to that of Khushi’s. Taking her hand in his, he said, “Di, mujhe kuch cheezen karna hai, to make sure that he is shut up permanently on this topic. I’ll update you once everything is in place. Aapko bharosa hai na, main jo bhi karoonga aapke liye hi karoonga?”
Shaking her head at the occasional glimpses of vulnerability her Chotte still showed, she smiled softly, cupping that dear face in her hands, “Haan baba, puchne ki baat hai kya? Tum jo bhi karna hai karo. Bas hume batate rehna, taaki agar media ko face karne pade toh humare version same ho.”
Smiling at how her thought process had evolved once she took over Annapoorna, Arnav repied, “Ji, Di, karoonga update regularly.”
************************************
A while later, in a News room, Raghuveer received a message from his PA that Arnav Singh Raizada has requested for a meeting.
“ASR?”, Raghuveer asked, a little surprised, “Okay, give him any slot that I am free today, Tina. Make this one a priority.”
He was extremely curious to know why ASR was getting involved in the proceedings now. He had expected him to come in all guns blazing as soon as he arrived back in India, as Raghuveer knew he had been away when the food poisoning fiasco blew up on national media. He was impressed in spite of the initial scepticism when the matter had been left by the Raizada family to the women running the enterprise to be sorted out, rather than the men rushing to the rescue. He was pondering this when an interview clip being aired on one of the multitude of monitors caught his eye, rather, his ear.
Hearing the word Anjali being mentioned, he asked for the video to be brought up on panel. His mouth tightening as he heard the nonsense spouting out of the mouth of the nincompoop of a lawyer, he was too occupied to think why an attack on Anjali had become personal to him. The famous half-smile in place as he understood why ASR was arriving in the picture, he sat down to hear the whole thing. Raghuveer needed all the information he could get before his meeting with Anjali’s brother.
His PA watching in growing anxiety as her boss’s face became grimmer by the minute as he listened to the briefing by the lawyer, Raghuveer clenched his hand before willing himself to relax. He was, afterall, known for the cold, rational analysis of facts without any posturing, gesturing or dramatics, unlike his competitors. And as far as he knew, ASR would be spewing fire and brimstone at this new attack on his sister, so it fell to him to remain calm and collected as they met to discuss this.
“Tina, get me everything we have on file about Mr. Shyam Jha. I mean everything, his past, especially his past before his association with Raizadas.”
Watching the smile on his face, his PA, who incidentally had long ago covered an interview with ASR, almost felt sorry for the person who was going to face the wrath of these two.
Anupamaa
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