Arshi SS : Nourishing Talents - Part 9 updated Pg 23 - Page 10

Nourishing Talents - Part 8

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Arnav's face was a calm mask. Only the clenched fists and the pulse throbbing in his temple showed his anger. Khushi turned around and found Arnav walking towards them. He came and stood beside Khushi and held her hand.

"Aap kya kah rahe teh mami? Main teek se suna nahin." (What were you saying mami? I didn't hear it properly.)

The look on his eyes was contradictory to his words. If his eyes had had the power, he would have burnt down mami to ashes at that moment.

"Hamara matlab hai Arnav bitwaa..." (I mean Arnav...)

"We will discuss this later mami..." Arnav interrupted her hearing Nani's voice in the living room. He didn't want her to be upset with mami again. After the episode with Akash, Nani had stopped talking to mami unless it was absolutely necessary.

Arnav raised a hand to stop mami from speaking any further. He motioned her to sit and he sat himself with Khushi beside him at his customary place in the dining table. The silence between them was awkward till the entire family assembled for breakfast.

Breakfast was unusually a somber affair. The discord between Arnav and mami surrounded the dining table like a thick fog. Nani observed Khushi and Arnav discreetly. The normally smiling face of Khushi looked downcast and Arnav's face was thunderous. Nani could see that his temper was barely leashed.

As everyone adjourned to the drawing room after breakfast, Akash and Payal made to the door to leave for office.

"Akash, Payal, mujhe sabse kuch baat karni hai. Baad mein hum office jayenge." (" Akash, Payal, I need to speak with everyone. Will leave to office later.")

As everyone settled around, Khushi and Payal stood near their husbands' chair.

"Khushi, Payal, both of you please sit."

Seeing the banked temper in his eyes, they both sat down silently.

Khushi worried that Arnav would openly confront Mami for the scene she caused. Payal took her hand and squeezed. Arnav cast a glance around and addressed his Di.

"Di, do you think you can take up the overseeing of the accounts of my new venture like you did before?"

"Kyon chote? You have a great finance team in AR and you have Amanji to oversee all that. Moreover it's been a long time since I did anything of that sort."

"Di, I know all that. But this venture needs a personal touch and I need someone who my new business partner will also trust implicitly. This new venture is not just a business but something that I'm doing to atone my past mistakes."

"Par chotte... I am not sure that I could take on a big venture right now. I need to equip myself according to the current business world. That will take some time."

"That won't be a problem, Di. This is going to start in six months. You will have plenty of time to reacquaint yourself. I will ask my finance head Rahul to help you with whatever you need."

"Then I will do Chotte. I am feeling bored sitting at home all the time."

"I will mail you the details tomorrow. Now Nani, I need to ask you something"

"Poocho Chotte..." (Ask Chotte...) Nani said.

"Do you think your daughters-in-law should do household work only?"

"Nahin." (No)

"Do you have any objection if they work?"

"No chotte... We have many servants for that. Before they came to this house, Hari Prakash managed this all alone. You know very well I encouraged your mami to work even after she got married. If only she had not listened to that idiot's words." A painful expression crossed Nani's face. Mami's eyes looked teary.

"Nani I don't want to hear about him. Let's talk about now and not the past."

"You are right Chotte. They have my blessings in whatever you want them to do."

"Thank you nani. So Khushi, I want you to join that hotel management and cooking class that you were talking about last month. I have already filled the admission form and all that you need to do is sign it. We will do it this evening and you can join the classes next week. After you finish your classes, we will talk about you restarting your dabba business. Payal you will be working full time from today. I have an assignment for you in my mind but I need to see your designs first."

Khushi was speechless. But the way Arnav ordered her to do something without even asking for her opinion irritated her. A dumbstruck Payal just nodded her head.

"Mami I need to talk to you alone. Let's go to your room."

Mami went with him with apprehension written clearly on her face. Arnav closed the door behind them and turned look at her.

"Mami that day when you scolded Khushi for taking food to the orphanage, it was her parents' death anniversary."

Arnav looked at Mami's face and recognized that she had not known this.

"Mujhe maaf kardo Arnav bitwaa. I didn't really know. It was on the same day that so much happened and it is not an excuse to what I did. I will apologize to Khushi."

Arnav looked at the anguish in her eyes and held her shoulders. A sudden understanding dawned in him. She is pushing Khushi and Payal away because of what happened long back. If only he could make her leave behind the past like Khushi had made him do. He realized suddenly that his mami needed his understanding and not anger. He will try Khushi's way to get to mami. He let out a sigh and looked into mami's eyes feeling as if he had failed her somehow. He pushed that thought away and prepared himself to make her see sense.

"Mami it's still him after all these years, isn't it? You do have me, Akash and NK. But it's always him isn't it?"

"Arnav... I know how much you all have done for me but he is still my son and it's not easy to let past be past. Not to a mother."

"You have changed yourself a lot mami; for that bloody idiot who didn't know and care about what he had. But you seem to judge me and Akash to be like him. We are not. And you know it."

"I know Arnav. But I don't want you to suffer like he did."

"We will not mami. We are happy in our life. Payal and Khushi are not like Riya. They may have the same background but there ends the similarities. I hope you understand that. You need to come out of your guilt to see them properly."

"You may be right Arnav. But letting them into business and loaning out your hard earned money is like putting them in temptation's way. Do you think that is right? After all that has happened not only with Riya but also Anjali?"

"Mami, you have done so much for me. You have trusted my decisions in business till now. I want you to trust me on Khushi and Payal. I want you to give them a chance. If you cannot be by their sides at least don't be against them."

Mami was moved to tears. Never had Arnav spoke to this way as if begging her for a chance. She had seen a helpless Arnav mold himself to an angry ASR who bowed down in front of none. But today she could look at the 14 year old boy who had come to her home with a world of sorrows in his eyes. His eyes were pleading her to understand. If this was what her Arnav bitwaa wanted, he would have it. She just nodded her head in acceptance not trusting her voice. Arnav hugged her once before leaving the room.

Manorama knew that she had to let go of her apprehensions about her daughters-in-law at least for the time being. She made the mistake of not being cautious once in her life but letting that past cloud her judgment now seemed idiotic. She will give Payal and Khushi this chance. They have in ways changed her sons' life and this house a happy one. Arnav was now at least able to open up and think before he breathed fire when he was angry. She would not be overly enthusiastic about this but she will not be a thorn in their sides breathing down their necks as she usually did. And of course she should apologize to Khushi. She had tortured the poor girl on the anniversary of her parents' death; not that she did it intentionally. She will apologize to Khushi and give the girls a chance to prove what they had been saying from the moment they met.

Arnav entered his room to find a livid Khushi waiting for him. Oh she was so pretty when she was angry. She never understood that he liked to irritate her just to watch her eyes glow with righteous indignation. Realizing that he has been staring at her like a besotted fool that he was, Arnav shook his head mentally and went to sit beside her.

"Khushi..."

Khushi turned and glared at him.

"What happened? Why are you glaring at me like this?"

"You are asking me what happened? You should know what happened. You very well know that from next academic year, Bubbly and Aarav are going to be back home. You promised me that you will not leave them at that boarding school from next year. And now that jiji is working, they will have no one to look after their needs. Nani and mami cannot take care of their needs like I and jiji do. And I want to be there for them. I cannot join the classes now. It will take up my whole time. Then who will take care of our home?"

"Khushi... listen to me. You have lived so long taking care of everyone. You did your dabba business before to support yourself and your family before. Even though you loved doing it, I am ashamed of the reason you had to do it. Now I want you to do it because you love cooking for others. As far as taking care of Aarav and Bubbly, I am sure mami and nani can manage it. If needed, you can take a break for a day or two. Moreover we have 10 months before they are back home. By that time, you will finish your six month course and start your own business."

"But Arnav ji what about mami?"

"I have taken care of her Khushi. She will not stop you or Payal anymore. Try this out Khushi. If it works, fine. If not you can always look after all of us. Just give yourself this chance to go after your dream."

"Fine I will try but when I start the business, it will be on my terms. Do you accept that?"

"Deal. We will do it your way."

Arnav was happy that she had not said 'if' but 'when'. He is finally getting a chance to atone his mistakes.