Khushi tries to make a phone call. Just then Anjali walks over and asks, 'Khushi ji, have you talked to Chhotey?" "No, Di! He is not answering my call," Khushi says. Mami and Nani ji also seem to be waiting. Just then Aakash and Payal walk in as Aakash says to Payal, "Have all the bags been placed in the car?" Then he says to Anjali, "Di, we will leave within the hour!" Mami's face turns mellow a bit. Nani ji says, "Payal bitiya, have all the things been packed properly?" Payal nods in affirmative with a smile. Khushi's face turns mellow. Buaji taps herself on the head as she exclaims, "Haye re Nand Kisore! Hey, Payaliya, have you packed the jar of pickles and the box of sweets?" "Yes, Buaji! Don't you worry!" Payal says with a smile. Anjali says in a subdued voice, "Oh, God! I feel scared! Why does it feel like something ominous is about to happen?" Nani ji looks at Mami with worried eyes. Khushi gulps down and thinks with a scared heart, "Don't say that, Di! I am the one who is the most scared!.. just thinking about what surprise does Arnav ji have in store for us!" Sheetal walks in limping, "Has Arnav come?" Anjali curls her lips and nods in negative. Buaji's eyes go wide! She places her hand on her chin and says, "Haye re Nand Kisore! You are asking about Arnav babua! Are you waiting for him?" The unexpected attack makes Sheetal hesitate, "No, I asked just because!" As everyone looks at each other, Sheetal cannot stop grinning inside her heart, "Just a little while more! Then I will turn your world upside down in a jiffy.. and you all will be left wondering! All of you won't even know what actually happened!"
Just then the door opens and enters Arnav. Sheetal says to herself, "Finally! Arnav is here too!" Khushi's expectant eyes look at Arnav. Arnav takes few steps forward' Aarav runs to him and grabs his hand.. walks in with him. As they walk in Khushi asks worried, "Where were you? I called you so many times!" Arnav looks her into the eye and says, 'I am sorry, Khushi! I was busy' that's why I could not take your call!" Khushi looks not so satisfied' she is still restless.
Arnav's eyes though.. sharp.. just like his face' he has a twinkle in his eye.. something very different that no one has seen in a long time! His gaze turns jus a bit softer as he looks at Sheetal.With a flicker of smile on his face he asks Sheetal, "Sheetal, you want to know who I met with today?" "Who?" Sheetal asks with a smile. "Pranav!' Arnav says with a smile but his eyes .. shrewd.. they twinkle cleverly.. "You remember, you had talked to him?" Sheetal remembers the conversation.. she made up to make Arnav look at her on the night of Karva Chauth... telling him that Pranav had called and that he was still as crazy as earlier and had answered Arnav's question saying that he was in Australia! Sheetal does not lose courage, she says, "Ah.. yes! I did talk!" Khushi nervously rolls her hands over each other. Impatiently Anjali asks, "Chhotey! Now tell me what the surprise is! Can't wait any longer! Tell us what it is!" Arnav looks at her with affectionate eyes and says, "Di, be patient! Will know in a short while!"
Just then open the main door and a tall guy dressed in jeans walks in. Khushi's eyes show a question.. but Sheetal is stunned! Arnav's eyes catch her gaze and follow it to the door' As the guy walks in and joins them, Sheetal says with disbelief, "Pranav?" Arnav's eyes twinkle as he says, "Pretty surprising! Pranav has something different to say!" "Hi, Sheetal! After so many years!" Pranav opens the conversation. "I never called you after college! In fact, I don't even have your phone number!" Khushi looks at Sheetal with eyes full of subtle curiosity.. Sheetal says, 'I was talking about some other Pranav!" "Oh, okay!" Arnav plays along with a smirk. Anjali asks Mami with an eye gesture as to what's going on. Mami shrugs her shoulders.. curls up her lips top demonstrate "Who knows!" Then Arnav gently pushes Arnav towards Khushi as he says, "Khushi, you stay with Aarav!" Arnav walks up to Khushi, Khushi stands him close to her. "Okay, everyone! It's time!" Arnav declares, "I have invited some special guests for today's party!" Everyone's eyes on him.. with curious questions in them,.. "Some of Sheetal's friends!' Arnav says. "My friends?" Sheetal asks puzzled. "Yeah!" says Arnav with big eyes. Then he turns to the door and calls, "Mrs. Sharma!" A lady walks in. Sheetal's eyes go wude.. fears pops up in her eyes. Arnav's sharp gaze does not miss a thing.. he looks at Sheetal with his shrewd eyes. He introduces, "This is Sheetal's land lady!" He turns to her and asks, "How long has Sheetal been living in your place?" "Sheetal has been living in Mumbai for last two years'in my house.. as a paying guest!" Mrs. Sharma reveals, "She left just two months before. She never paid her rent on time ever!" Nani, Mami exchange shocked glances
. Buaji makes a face of "I knew something was wrong! Anjali asks as Arnav's sharp gaze stays on Sheetal, "But, Chhotey, Sheetal ji was living in US, right?" Arnav shakes his head gently and curls his lips, says, "Di, that's what Sheetal says!" His sharp gaze returns to Sheetal as he says, 'But.. just because Sheetal says, it does not come true!" Stunned Khushi just looks at Arnav first and then to Sheetal as her gentle hand stays on Aarav's shoulder.
Shocked everyone looks at Sheetal. Arnav turns towards the door and calls, "Mr. Chopra!" Sheetal's eyes go wide with shock as Mr. Chopra walks in through the main door, "Hi, Mr. Arnav!" "Hi!" Arnav shakes hands with Mr. Chopra and asks, "Do you know her?" "Yes, this is Sheetal Kapoor!... and in fact, we have been looking for her for a long time!" 'Why?" asks Arnav as his eyes twinkle even more brightly. "Because she has three credit cards from our bank.. and she has crossed her credit limit! Neither did she make any payments nor does seem to be her intention to do so! She is a huge credit defaulter for us!" Mami, Nani ji, Anjali, Khushi all watch with shocked eyes. "This all is a lie!" Sheetal denies. "Relax, Sheetal! There are more people!" Arnav says in a clever tone! Then he turns and calls out, "Mr. Sodhi!" another gentleman walks in.. Sheetal's eyes show one more shock! "Yes, Sir!" says Mr. Sodhi as he joins them in the hallway. "Do you know her?" Arnav asks. "Yes! This madam came to me with Aarav just two months before. She wanted me to train her son, Aarav in basket ball!" Stunned NK says, "Sheetal ji, but.. you had said that Aarav knows how to play basket ball!... So, did you lie?... No! Did you lie?" Irked Sheetal says, "Arnav, what does this all mean?" as Aarav and Khushi look on she says, "Do you want to insult me in front of everyone?" In a calm voice Arnav says, "No! I am just telling truth to everyone!... Do you feel insulted?" Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Just the way he said that dialogue was awesooome! This is something beyond gullible Anjali's imagination. She asks, "Sheetal ji, why did you lie? After all, what's the reason for you to do that?" With a confident attitude Arnav says, "Di, everything will be revealed soon!" Now Sheetal gets angry, "Enough is enough!.. not anymore! I can't stay and tolerate your non sense joke anymore!" her anger.. her outburst does not affect Arnav a bit! As every family member watches her with irked eyes, she says, "I am leaving! Come on, Aarav!" She reaches and grabs Aarav by his hand and starts walking! "Aarav!"Khushi's heart jumps to her throat!
As Sheetal heads to the door with Aarav, mami's sharp eyes catch something.. something very important! "Look at this!" Mami's voice stops Sheetal in her track! "Saying bye bye to the sprain and walking with style! Magic of which balm? Hey'?" Everyone looks at Sheetal's feet with shocked eyes. Sheetal decides to walk.. as she takes another step, "Stop!" comes Arnav's ordering voice. The door opens and Arnav calls, "Asha ji!" Sheetal gulps' her eyes turn fearful as the lady walks in. Aarav, however, joyfully runs to the lady and hugs her. She holds him affectionately and asks, "How are you, dear?" "Alright!" says Aarav with a smile. "Who is Asha didi?" Khushi asks Arnav. Before Arnav can answer, Asha ji answers as she holds Aarav close to her wrapped in her arm, "Aarav was the most lovable kid in our group home! He has been with us for six years.. until last two months.. !' all the Raizada family members are shocked at this revelation! "Then' what happened two months back?" Before anyone can say anything, Sheetal starts walking.. "Not so easily, Sheetal!"Arnav says as he walks to stop her in her path' his voice soft yet firm! He stands in front of her and says, "Not done with the surprise yet!" His sharp gaze stops Sheetal. "Sheetal ji adopted Aarav from our orphanage two months ago!" This stuns every single member of the Raizada family except Arnav!
"What? Khushi says shocked.. "Means.. Aarav is not the son of Sheetal ji?" Arnav's pointed gaze stays on Sheetal's face as he says, "No, Khushi! Aarav is not Sheetal's son!" He clenches on his teeth slightly. Everyone is shocked.. stunned! Aarav's voice attracts everyone's attention as he says, "No! She herself told me that she was my mom.. and you are,'" "Shut up, Aarav!" Sheetal cuts him off. ASR's eyes narrow down as he keenly looks at Sheetal's face while she says, "One more word and'" she steals a glance at Arnav' fear filled in her eyes. Arnav looks at Aarav and says in a gentle voice, "What else did she say, Aarav?.. Come on, tell everyone! Don't be afraid!.." He assures Aarav, "I am here!" "She said that she was my mom.. and you.. my dad!" Another shock stuns the members of Raizada family. "She said that you left me at the group home when I was a little baby.. because you did not like me!" As stunned gazes of Raizada family members start changing into angry ones, Arnav's sharp gaze settles on Sheetal's face.. never leaving it as Aarav continues, "She said that I was already like you!..." Arnav's eyes now shift to Aarav as he says, "'if I became completely like you then you would accept me! Love me! You will keep me with you!" Nani ji cannot take it anymore, with disgust she says, "Yuk! Such a huge game plan! But, why?"
"Nani, actually Sheetal had gone bankrupt!" Arnav reveals.. his face bright' his eyes twinkle.. confidence oozes from his voice, "She could not arrange money to pay off the loans! So' Sheetal created a plan' to play off all the loans and to live rest of her life in luxury! According to the plan she selected one of her old rich ex-boyfriend.. that means me! Adopted Aarav' from the group home.. then trained him to behave like me! Then she found out about Khushi' and aimed at her. Because she knew that if Khushi accepted that Aarav was my son then, Khushi would make sure that he gets what his right is!... and Sheetal would get all the money she wants!... She set everything up so that Khushi would want to search if Aarav was my son or not!... every move Sheetal made was calculated. She kept acting as the poor helpless one and Khushi kept hiding everything!... Since the day we met with Sheetal.. everything that has happened after that' everything was planned by Sheetal!"
Khushi recollects the moments around Aarav's kidnapping and her beating up the kidnappers.. how Sheetal met with Arnav and Arnav introduced her as his friend from college' how Aarav passed out and Khushi brought him home.. how Sheetal came running and hugged Aarav.. and then that day how Aarav started gardening in ASR's garden' how Aarav duplicated Arnav's actions at the breakfast table.. how Aarav got diagnosed with diabetes' how she faked the broker not giving keys to the house' and Khushi offering her to stay at Shantivan with Aarav'the basketball match.. making sure that Khushi witnesses her keeping fast and breaking fast in Arnav's name.. Khushi running the DNA test.. and then Sheetal crying in front of Khushi saying that she did not want to lose Aarav'. Sheetal saying that Arnav might want to snatch Aarav away from her' when Arnav tried to say that he would not her bringing in the money talk saying that she does not want his money!...
Arnav says, "Sheetal knew that if Khushi came to know about Aarav then she would sacrifice everything!... even her marriage!" Arnav next reveal shocks everyone, "In fact, this was about to happen. Khushi was about to go away, leaving everything behind!" Then he looks at Sheetal and says, "Your plan was good' but you made a mistake! Graduation night' I was pretending to be drunk so that none of my friends could force me to drink! I remembered everything!.. even then when you told me this story! I did not react because I wanted to find out' why you were doing all this! .. How did you involve Aarav in this!" "But'." Khushi's voice attracts Arnav's attention, "the DNA report?" "Yeah!" says Arnav as his gaze shifts to Sheetal again and a stunned Raizada family watches and listens'"Even I did not understand how the DNA report matched!" Shamelessly Sheetal says obviously very proud, "So, you accept that there something that even you did not understand!... now hiding is not to yield anything! No use!... When I came to know that Khushi had taken a sample of your hair and Aarav's hair'I exchanged your sample of hair with Aarav's!.. so, the report had to be a match!" Disgust for Sheetal fills every eye of the Raizada clan. "It was fine till you exchanged the sample of hair, Sheetal, but you are so sick!" Arnav clenches his teeth..as he continues, "You manipulated Aarav's sugar levels so that it seemed like he was a diabetic like me! Who knew that the girl who sat quietly in the back would turn out to be such a big fraud!" Shamelessly.. fearlessly, Sheetal says, "The one who has so much money can lecture much easily! I did it all for money! And what did I do wrong? Everyone does! I did not murder anyone! You have boundless money' I have nothing! Had I taken some, would have lived a better life!.. and it would not have affected you! .. I made such a great master plan' but only if this little child could have kept quiet!" Barun' awesome job! Such a long streak of dialogues.. I am used to having Sanaya aka Khsuhi do this very often but today.. you did so well.. more in my Author's Note!
Khushi steps forward.. walks up to Sheetal.. .holds her on the shoulder and turns her around.. then slaps her so hard that the atmosphere fills with the sound of the slap! A flicker of smile appears on Arnav's face. Nani ji closes her eyes with relief briefly.
Her face shows that Khushi fulfilled her wish! Stunned Sheetal covers her face with her hand and looks at Khushi as she says, "If one more word comes out of your mouth about Aarav' then no one can be as bad as me! Aren't you ashamed of calling yourself a woman? You tried to break my marriage'. Broke the heart of an innocent child.. and you say that you have not murdered anyone? Using an innocent child this way is no less than committing a murder!... How stupid I must be that I thought I was the reason behind your sorrows!" "No!" interrupts Arnav as he says to Khushi, "People who sacrifice their happiness for others are great' not stupid!.. Sheetal did all of this to you because you are a good human being' and it's not wrong to be good!" Arnav then controls his emotions and says with a sharp face, "Sheetal, one more guest is waiting for you!" All the eyes turn to the main entrance'. Including Sheetal's. Police force walks in through the door.. Inspector declares, "You are under arrest for a case involving fraud!" Sheetal cannot believe it as the inspector orders, "Take her away!" Mami makes a happy gesture'
So nice! Manorama's gestures bring smile to my face under any and all circumstances! All eyes follow them as the police takes Sheetal away.
Arnav Singh Raizada then says to all the visitors,
"Thank You very much for all your cooperation!" They all thank him and leave. As everyone leaves, Aarav looks at Khushi and Arnav' then hr runs and hugs Khushi! Khushi holds him close.. Arnav watches them with moist eyes. Then Khushi cups Aarav's face and says, "Don't be afraid Aarav, everything will be alright!" Asha ji, the lady form the group home says, "Mr. Raizada, many thanks for saving Aarav from such a woman! Now I will have to bring him to the ashram' the group home!.. Come on, dear!" This makes all the hearts sink in the Raizada family.. Nani ji. Anjali.. Mami ji.. Aarav walks up to NK and says, "Bye, dude!" NK cannot generate words as his heart is to heavy.. he shows him his hand for a him five.. Aarav gives him a high five.. .. NK then caresses his face. Payal gets on her knees and hugs Aarav. Aakash says, "When I see you next time, you will be a big boy!.. okay?.. Take care!" Anjali cries as she hugs Aarav. Khushi's welled up eyes are ready to rain tears' Arnav's gaze stays on her face though intermittently he checks on Aarav. Arnav and Khushi watch Aarav as he bends to touch Nani ji's feet and seeks her blessings. Then he goes to Mami, "Bye, Mami ji!" With emotionally heavy voice Mami says, "Dear, I hate bye byes.. I like only hello hi's.." A smile bursts on Aakash and Payal's face. "You see,,,let it be.. You won't understand' All the best! Okay'" Aarav looks at her with vulnerable eyes. Finally Aarav goes and hugs Arnav. Arnav wraps his hands around Aarav. Khushi's eyes well up as she watches Aarav in Arnav's embrace.. looking at him with vulnerable eyes. Then Aarav lets go of Arnav. Walks up to Asha ji and holds her hand.. they start walking towards the door.
"No!" Khushi says loudly with tear filled eyes' Aarav and Asha ji turn around as Khushi says, "Don't take him away!" Arnav's heart goes out to her as he watches tears trickle down her face' Yes, Arnav can never see tears in his beloved Khushi's eyes! Asha ji says, "But he will have to go to the ashram. Aarav is an orphan.. and he probably belongs there!" Arnav's heart feels it.. Khushi says it, "Don't say that!" Khushi rushes to Arnav, holds him by the arm and says to him, "Arnav ji, if Devi Maiyya must have had something on her mind if brought us across Aarav' Can Aarav not stay here with us? Right here?" Nani ji also nods in an agreement with welled up eyes. Mami seems to agree with it. Arnav looks Khushi into the eye and says in a soft voice, "Khushi didn't I tell you that I will always take care of him?" Then he turns to Aarav and says, "Aarav can stay here forever he wants!" This brings a happy smile to Aarav's face. A broad and happy smile spreads across Khushi's lips through the tears' Anjali also smiles happily though tears continue to trickle down her face. Mami ji and Nani ji.. .are no exceptions! Aarav runs and hugs Arnav.. Khushi watches them with affectionate eyes. Nani ji says in a cracked voice as tears trickle down her face, "This child has become ours long back! How can he leave?" Asha ji says, "I value your emotions, Madam! But if you really want to keep him here then you will have to legally adopt him!... Until this happens, he will have to stay in the ashram!"
"Arnav ji.." Khushi looks at Arnav with pleading eyes' "Of course!.." Arnav understands before Khushi even says anything further' he looks at Aarav and says, 'we will adopt Aarav!" Khushi says with a smile and lots of happy tears, 'We will adopt Aarav!" "Really?" Aarav asks. "Yes!" Arnav says' he kneels down as she says, "But that is.. if you want us to be your mom-dad!" Aarav immediately hugs Arnav.. bringing tears of joy to the whole family'
With a heavy heart.. controlling her sobs. Anjali walks up to Khushi'puts a hand on her shoulder' Khushi turns around and looks at Anjali's tear filled eyes'Anjali says, "Probably everyone feels this way.." Aarav lets go of Arnav and looks at Anjali as she says, "' that their brother and sister-in-law are the best' but now'in fact, I don't just love you both.. but have tremendous respect for you! I am really proud of both of you!" Arnav lowers his gaze in humility' Khushi smiles gently' As everyone seems so proud of them, Asha ji says, "I will get the adoption papers ready!... Until then Aarav can stay with you! I will send a letter with temporary permission." She puts her hands together in 'Namaste" and takes their leave as happy smiles brighten all the faces. Arnav pulls Arnav in his hug.. Aarav hugs him tightly. Khushi watches them with happy smile on her face.
Bade Achche Lagte Hain Naya Season
Cricket
32