Here is the next installment of this FF...
I may not be able to post another chapter before the middle of the next week so I tried to make this chapter a little longer.
Hope you like it.
Chapter Nine
Arnav came down after getting ready for office. He saw everybody assembled in the dining table to have breakfast but a gloomy silence encompassed the area save the clanking sounds of the cutleries.
So they are still mourning. Over what he did not have any idea and guess what, he did not want to know as well. Anyways he needed peace of mind and this silence felt like Godsend.
As he bit into his toast he debated that should he tell his family about Khushi's arrival or not. But then as he moved his eyes on each face present there he decided that they did not need to know and he did not want to tell them just yet. Because that would only ensue chaos and he did not need an extra dose of it when he had one going inside his head already.
And it did not seem that his family really bothered beyond their whims and fancies these days except Nani.
He did not have a chance to find out before and then he did not care but after the sudden departure of his sister in law he had started to see things in new light.even though he knew his family wasn't the ideal but he had started to acknowledge the abnormalities in their ways now.
He again looked up from his plate to see Nani sat rigidly on her matriarch chair playing with her food lost in her thoughts. The chair to her right was occupied by his Dadi, a kind of her own and the less he thought about her the better.
Then his eyes fell on his Di. She did not seem to grow up from her role of an adored daughter of the house, protected delicate sister of a brother and off course a foolishly besotted wife. Oh, and adding to her charms, also a clueless mother.
She still cried a river at the drop of a hat. She still dragged him against his wish to give her company for her numerous religious activities even when she knew he did not really fit in those gatherings. She still refused to see facts staring on her face and she still went overboard with smallest of things.
Despite, he still loved and cared for her sister more than anyone on the earth (as he made himself believe so), she might have lost a little bit of respect from his eyes. Though he tried not to accept this consciously.
Arnav always admired the people who were their own person and believed to stand on their own feet not relying on others and his Di was anything but that. Suddenly Khushi's face from last night flashed before his eyes and he squeezed them shut to get rid of it. No, he could not compare his DI to Khushi.
Then his heart asked, 'why? She too had seen trying times. More than his Di could ever imagine. He himself was witnessed to her misery because he himself had caused the most of it in his quest to safeguard his precious Di. Yet, she had emerged stronger and his Di was still where she was five years back, in her own happy bubble where everything was right for her and, scared of the slightest of prick that may burst it.'
This time, his mind could not come back with a plausible answer to defy the heart so it said quite unintelligently and doggedly 'because Di is Di and she has me.'
And, then he heard his heart gave a pitying laugh letting him know precisely how pathetic he sounded.
Unable to take the argument going between his heart and mind he snapped his eyes open and his direct gaze fell on his brother who appeared too lost to even play with the food on his plate.
He remembered the day when he had walked in after seeing Payel safe and encountered his brother in the same hall where the showdown happened. He had seen Akash sitting in the same place staring blankly into the space just like now.
He was about to walk past him when his cousin's voice called him from behind.
"Bhai"
He did not look back for he could not bring himself to look at him.
For a brother whom he thought a good human being with a kind heart he turned out to be another Arvind Malik who may not drove his wife to death, a credit hat was entirely his wife's, but drove her away breaking her heart anyway.
He felt to him like another Shyam who may not be greedy for money or making an unwilling maiden his victim of his lust but he betrayed his wife nonetheless.
He seemed like another Arnav Singh Raizada to him, a thoroughly twisted flawed human being.
And, above all this man let the sister go for whom the other sister sacrificed all that she held dear thus making him feel all the more enraged and guilty.
"I am sorry."
Akash's voice cut into his thought and he flared, "I am not the one you should be saying sorry to and even if you say sorry to her it won't be enough." Saying that he tried to walk away again but again his brother's voice stopped him in his track. He closed his eyes in frustration yet stopped to hear him nevertheless.
"I know. But she has set herself free already and she does not need my sorry. Still, I want to explain. Will you please hear me?"
His plea compelled him to turn and look at Akash. He looked like a clueless lost child and Arnav couldn't help but nod agreeing to hear him. At last, he was the brother he had spent a large part of his life with. Known as a family since his Nani took them in after his parents committed suicide. He had grown up with him like blood brothers. He deserved at least one hearing.
He sat down before Akash and signed him to continue.
"I loved her you know I did," Akash spoke urging Arnav to support him on this one but he did not give any sign of agreement hence he sighed and said what he wanted at least someone to hear and tell him in return that he was not completely at fault.
"But I could never muster enough courage to stand against my mother even when she was wrong. You know my inability to go against my mother for anything. That's why you had to convince her for our marriage and I was happy. Even after your sudden marriage with Khushi when the house was in an uproar we still managed to have some good times of our lives together."
"All was well or so I thought until your kidnapping. But once it was revealed that how Shyam was responsible for the crime and how he had betrayed Guptas by staying in their home and getting engaged to Khushi portraying himself as an orphan bachelor and how they had hidden it from us I was disappointed in Payel, however, Ma was mad. She never left a chance to insult her. She never left a chance to point out what a fool I was to marry her, a middle class gold digger, who in her wish to marry me without any glitch had hidden such a huge thing."
"I knew she was making a mountain out of a molehill. And, her cruel remarks day in and day out breaking Payel bit by bit, harming our relationship in the process still I could not ask her to shut up in plain words like your would have done."
Akash looked up at his brother's stern face, the rage blazing in his eyes, and gulped. It was his need to speak and let out the burden in his chest that forced him to talk again even though, he doubted his decision to talk to his brother of all the people.
"It was so frustrating to get sandwiched between your mother and wife and mostly when you cannot choose a side. I could not take it. It was that point when we started to drift away. Then again things started to settle in the house and you decided to marry Khushi again. I thought now things will get better between us. How wrong I was?" Akash shook his head and this time when his eyes met Arnav's he saw the fire was missing replaced by a haunting look.
Understanding what his brother was thinking he whispered his next set of words, "The blow which came next blew away whatever little was left in between us."
Akash stopped to breathe. Arnav though had forgotten to breathe a long back. The ghost of his past came alive as Akash recalled those days before him and he could not help but live them once again. Shuddering, as the images that started to engulf his whole being.
Unaware of his brother's turmoil Akash continued in soft tone "After the fiasco on the day of your marriage, coupled with her mother's death after a week and later Khsuhi's disappearance pushed Payel to depression. I tried to help her but she refused to take any help from me. Maybe I could have tried harder but then again I was never the strong willed person I should have been. So when she pushed I let myself fall and drown." Akash cleared his throat as he felt his voice choked. Because as much as he recalled and narrated the past he realized with each sentence, each word, the magnanimity of his own cowardice and spineless act. He felt nothing like a man, not at all.
"There was nothing left between us. We were just sharing a room and a bed that's all. We did not even speak a word more than necessary in last five year."
"Still, I did not want to cheat her." He said beseechingly and then his voice dropped and Arnav knew what his brother was going to confess. He detested that he would have to hear this. God, why all men in his house are such two timers and scoundrels?
"I don't know when how I got involved with Sheetal. Being the coward I kept the affair under the wrap and I thought I did a pretty good job until last night. Payel cleared my misunderstanding that I was fooling none. She asked for a divorce I could have agreed then and there saving all of you the drama today, but suddenly I felt scared. She had become a habit and I could not let her go so easily. Again a wrong step on my part."
Akash in no point glorified his foolish acts trying to give logic to them and may be that was why Arnav had the patience to hear him so far. He concluded his monolog saying "I don't expect any understanding from you Bhai by saying all this. I just wanted to tell someone. That's all."
Arnav squeezed his eyes shut and tried to hide the anguish in his heart. He had failed royally securing the relationships once he vowed to protect. His Di lived in illusion. His Mami, Dadi, refused to see sense. His Nani was just passing her days and stayed aloof from the matters of the house as much as she could. And here his brother who turned out to be the black sheep of the house. But he knew he was no one to judge and he told the same to him.
"I wish I could rebuke you for your deeds like I really want to and punch you black and blue for ruining a life. But I know I should be the last person to judge you because I am too responsible for this disaster and I am too guilty of something similar. So I will keep my thoughts to myself and only suggest you that try to grow some spine if not for anyone at least for yourself. Will be better for you in future"
And with that, he left that day not looking back and since then until now he did not talk to his cousin.
He dragged his eyes back to his plate but his appetite was gone hence he left the table as fast as he could and walked out of the house after kissing his niece good bye.
**
Khushi Gupta Smith, 27, also known as Kay among her people is adopted daughter of Liam Smith and Sweta Feona Smith (wife). They adopted her legally about five years back and she joined Mrs. Smith's boutique as her assistant. The couple already has one son born to them, Neil Smith, 33.
[Liam Smith, 58, the owner of a chain of hotels and restaurants, Smithy's spread around the whole of the US. He is planning to expand his business in Asia as well. He is also the chairman of Feline at present.
Sweta Feona Smith, wife of Mr. Smith, the late owner of Feline. She passed away last year at the age of 55 due to cardiac arrest.
Neil Smith, son of Mr and Mrs Smith, CEO of Smithy's and also one of the four MDs of Feline.]
Feline was Mrs. Smith's business which she started after their son Neil too joined Mr. Smith in their hospitality business some 7 years back. As Father and Son traveled a lot for business that was spread all over the States, she started feeling lonely and to overcome the loneliness and boredom she took interest in her old hobby again, that was of stitching and creating intricate designs on clothes. It was running okay until their adopted daughter joined the business. Soon it started to flourish opening its branches in and outside the city.
They started fashion designing also while Mr. Smith backed them with the financial support they needed. In last five years, the company has only grown creating an identity for itself in the West.
After a year or so Mrs. Smith promoted Ms. Smith (Khushi) to the post of General Manager when she turned down the offer of becoming one of the MDs saying she wasn't experienced enough to take the place yet.
After another year she took her place among the MDs.
Last year before her death Mrs. Smith made Ms. Smith the CEO of the company, while the chairmanship remained with Mr. Liam Smith.
Mr. Neil Smith (Marketing), Mrs. Grace Owen (Partner and Cousin of Late Mrs. Smith, looks after the publicity area) and Ms. Kyra John Clair (the head of the Designing and production area).
All MDs are obliged to report Ms. Smith (CEO) and she has the power to take the final decision. She also holds the power of attorney to take decision for the company on behalf of the Chairman. She owns the second largest share in the company after Mr. Liam Smith, 25%.
Being the legally adopted daughter of the Mr. and Mrs. Smith she also owns her fair share in Smithy's though she doesn't participate in the business actively.
Right now Ms. Khushi Gupta Smith is in India, Delhi, for their new project. She plans to open a few branches of Feline in major cities of India, which is Late Mrs Smith and her motherland as well.
"That's all" Arnav exclaimed as he finished reading the typed one-page report on Khushi that Aman's men had brought this morning. "This is you call investigation report! I can find all this detail just searching in Google." He exploded.
First of all seeing Khushi being addressed as Ms. Smith did not sit well with him and then the way she was intricately woven into the life of This Smith family also getting on to his nerves.
How did all this happen? How she reached there in the first place? A girl with nothing disappeared in a night of calamity and then, out of the blue turned back to the same place strong and powerful. How did this change happen?
Not knowing anything only was adding to his agitation. So far in last five years, he had thought maybe she was in a better place hence she did not want to come back or maybe she had gone forever to the point of no return. Yet, He had tried to look for her all over India. Though his searches met no result.
And, he had punished himself whenever he had met a dead end. He had burned in agony. He had cursed himself to hell and back for throwing her into the dark. Never he could forgive himself even a little. There was no consolation for what he had pushed her into.
But never ever had he thought that she could be out of India in a foreign country learning business acumen and growing a business at the same time. And, now she was back and he knew it was not just for business. She had her personal agenda and he needed to know what was it?
While he would not mind if she punished him for his actions in the past in a most brutal way, he would not let her do anything that may harm his family anyway. What he did to her they were nowhere responsible for it. He was her guilty and whatever she had planned for him he would face it, hell, he would welcome it with open arms. But if she had planned to strike his family anyway then she would see his ASR side yet again, as much as it hurts him.
He knew her Feline was nowhere near AR but he also knew she had supports from her adopted family the Smiths. They had the power to challenge AR if needed. So she was a strong competent that way. But still, it would be hard for her to strike his business randomly without a solid plan when he was there to protect AR.
While he had confidence that he can save his company from any blow he was not so sure about the family. Just the news of her comeback can create havoc inside the family. And then the leech may try to stray once again. Oh, he did not even want to think the outcome of it if that ever happened.
Aman's voice cut through the haze of emotions, the effect of his thinking spree, "Sir our people says with little more time they might be able to come with some more information. However, they also told me that looking at the things it also seems that this Khushi Gupta-Smith already knows that we will try to pry information about her so she has her track tightly leaded. Other than the company and her professional information along with a little tit bit into her personal life, she seems completely untouchable."
Arnav did not miss the awe in Aman's voice. His grim face remained taut long after Aman was gone.
Looks like its time that he meets Ms. Khushi Gupta Smith personally.
**
So that was it. Let me know your views on this part.
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