Entry No. 1
KMH2-Raaz behind the family feud between Ahluwalias and Singhanias.
He stood there, frozen, watching her walk away. Why should it still affect him, hurt him, after so many years? She had walked out on him years back. The only difference, then she was Amrit Kaur Gill, the daughter of Gurcharan Singh Gill, and now she was Amrit Ahluwalia, the daughter in law of the well esteemed Ahluwalia family. The shadows of days long gone suddenly overwhelming him, the undeafeted king of the underworld, Rudra Pratap Singhania. Yes, he was indeed Rudra Pratap Singhania but no one would recognize him. The outer veneer was stripped and what was exposed underneath was Rudra, just simple Rudra.
Suddenly exhausted Rudra sat down, on the very steps of the temple where years back, he and Amrit used to sit...
Rudra wondered where and when had it all started? Did it start with the family feud that generations of Singhanias and Ahluwalias had cherished. The usual battle over a piece of land. The land that had caused bloodshed. The bitter legacy was passed on to his father Pratap Singhania and Kartar Singh Ahluwalia. Both respectable, honorable and sensible men, understanding the hollowness of the feud but unwilling to break the tradition of hatred. Both married to childhood best friends. Yes, the wives of Pratap and Kartar, Teji and Daljeet. Amazing women, both of them. Beautiful, principled, courageous, salt of the earth. They tried in vain to bring the two families together but the past was not to be put aside.
This should not have affected the future of the next generation. But they say old sins have long shadows.
The past...he never ventured into it now. It was too painful, too harsh. In the twilight he could clearly see his childhood. Happy and carefree. His father was his hero. Pratap Singhania. Rudra was his father's prince, the apple of his eyes. And so when the cruel fates snatched his father away suddenly, young Rudra could not accept the fact. He just could not cope with the grief of loosing his whole world. Only his mother had the courage to pull him together. The strong, principled, indomitable Teji Singhania. Rudra owed everything to his mother. His mother had worked herself to death trying to provide Rudra with all the opportunities of life. Pratap had left them plenty but his partner, Rajinder Mehrotra, had handed them small installments, that too as if he was doing charity or granting them favors. His mother had to literally beg for what was rightfully theirs. But she had kept quiet, swallowing her pride, dignity for Rudra's sake. Today the same mother saw nothing good in her son. Life had played a cruel joke, although today his mother and him did not see eye to eye, his love and respect for her remain unfazed.He knew she hated his life of crime, his sins, his unlawful earnings, his life style, everything but he still honored her. A mutual unsaid understanding existed between mother and son. She ruled the house and family, he ruled the world.
He reverted back to the past. Rudra's shrewd eyes and smarter brains had seen it all. Mehrotra held the purse strings or actually their lives in his dishonest hands. As soon as he could, Rudra joined the family business. He was young, but intelligent. He kept his eyes and ears open but his mouth tightly shut. Soon Rudra realized that Mehrotra was not only dishonest but criminal too. Mehrotra managed to stay out of the clutches of law by hook or crook. His land grabbing and money laundering business was a cesspool of wrong doings. The law was not able to touch him but the society considered him an untouchable. And Rudra, by association was considered no less. But Rudra, kept his mouth shut, coz life and its harshness had taught him a few lessons, and not inviting trouble was one of them.
Rudra chose to be blind, deaf and dumb. Or maybe his attention was somewhere else. Who was he kidding..he was smitten. The first time he saw her, he lost his heart, his life, his soul to her. Amrit. He still remembered every tiny detail...her gorgeous face, her doe like eyes, her shy yet mischievous smile, her hair, black velvet..the outfit she was wearing, the color...every detail entrenched in his memory. And he sensed the attraction was mutual. Their initial attraction, the chase, her reluctance, gradual acceptance and their secret meetings. The best phase of his life. The happiest he had ever been. Their hopes, dreams, aspirations..their love. He would have left the world for her and that is precisely what her father asked him to do. Teji expected it. Gurcharan told the Singhanias, he would prefer to kill his daughter than hand her over to Mehrotra's business partner. Rudra promised Gurcharan to leave Mehrotra and his budding empire of crime and make a fresh start. He was confident of his abilities, of Amrit's love and his mother's blessings. Amrit's unconditional love eventually made Gurcharan agree to Rudra. That was the day Amrit and Rudra were on seventh heaven. These very steps, this very temple, where they had celebrated their love..its victory or so they had thought.
Rudra cringed when he thought of how nave and how foolish he had been. Thinking that Mehrotra would let him walk out of his partnership. Rudra had asked him for his share and Mehrotra had angelically promised him the same, blessing him with a divine smile. All the while plotting in his mind Rudra's downfall. Rudra had no inkling, no clue, no idea why the police turned up at his doorstep to arrest him one fine day. He was told he was a murderer...a killer of none other than Gurcharan Gill!! Teji had begged for a chance ..for a break...she had begged Kartar Singh, the person in charge, for justice..for a chance to be given to Rudra to prove himself innocent. But the pleas of the Singhanias fell on deaf Ahluwalia ears. Kartar Singh was a man of law. He followed the book. He believed in evidences and what he saw pointed in only one directions...Rudra's guilt.
If only Kartar Singh had given him a break, Rudra would have been a different man today. Looking back Rudra always thought that this was the breaking point of his life, the turning point.
And the mockery of justice. Mehrotra tied to prove that Rudra was a merciless killer who wanted the father of his beloved out of his way. But Teji had hired a really smart lawyer who had managed to create a doubt ..pointing out that all evidence was circumstantial. Thus, saving Rudra's life and lessening his sentence.But in reality, Rudra Pratap Singhania received a death sentence. Atleast his faith, his honesty, his love, everything decent in him died. In the eyes of the world he was sent to prison for some years but he never made it out of that court.
The prison. The sadistic bullies. The uncontrolled fury of the wardens. The hardened beasts. He had seen and endured it all. But what killed him was Amrit's betrayal. Her belief that Rudra was indeed a murderer. She never looked back..never. And later he learnt that she had got engaged to none other than Kartar Singh Ahluwalia's son, a lawyer. Love...a big fat joke!! A different Rudra emerged from prison. A ruthless, immoral, lawless man who wanted only power, hungered for only money and believed in only crime. Rudra Pratap Singhania...became a law unto himself. The arch enemy of Kartar Singh Ahluwalia, the guardian of law.
Through the years, a lot had changed. Rudra compromised with Kumud. The woman he married coz she was the only woman he could stand. Rudra knew with Kumud there would be no deep feelings involved from either side. She was as incapable of love as he was. He admired Kumud, her intelligence, her beauty and of course her father's vast wealth. Yes, with time a lot had change. But one thing remained unchanged...his hatred for Kartar Singh Ahluwalia.
Rudra..slowly came back to the present. Arjun and Arohi. He still remembered the day he had adopted Arjun and brought him home. Rudra refused to look into the reasons..refused to look into Arjuns eyes..coz he was afraid. Afraid that he would see the old Rudra in there. Arohi...Amrit's daughter. She had her smile...mischievous, naughty...cheerful smile...and her courage. Arjun, who tried to do exactly what Rudra had tried years back and had failed. Rudra smiled cynically..well the boy had learnt a lesson. Arjun and Arohi ..his nemesis. But he was Rudra...Rudra Pratap Singhania. And with that thought he stood up. Straight and tall, brushing off the cobwebs of the past, he walked to his Mercedes with purposeful strides. And the walls of the ancient temple echoed...
Rudra and Amrit...Arjun and Arohi...history does repeat itself or does it?
***
Entry No. 2
KMH2-RPS's Raaz that would've changed the equation between Arjun and Arohi.
"Aap Rudra Pratap Singhania se milne kyu gaye they?"
Amrits hands stilled on the spoon with which she was stirring the kheer. She had not seen her daughter walk inside the kitchen behind her. Hell' she had not seen her watch her meet Rudra! She dropped the spoon in the vessel as her hands started shivering. Unable to turn around and face her daughter, she spoke to her with her back to her.
"Tumse' tumse kisne kaha ki main Rudra' Rudra se milne gayi thi?"
Amrit took a shot. Maybe Arohi didn't see her but concluded it on the basis of some half baked information? She fervently prayed to God that her guess was right.
Arohi did not like the familiarity with which her mother took her father-in-laws name. "Maine dekha aap dono ko' aur aapki baatein bhi suni'" Arohis calm voice unnerved Amrit all the more. She started twisting her fingers, trying to figure out how to face her daughter with her questions.
Arohi did not wait for her mother to gather the courage and turn around. She walked around the kitchen platform and switched off the gas on which the utensil filled with kheer was perched. Grabbing her mothers nervous hands in her own, Arohi pulled her towards the small breakfast table.
Seating her on a chair, Arohi sat in the adjacent one, still holding her hands, and waiting for her mothers bowed head to turn upwards.
"Maa'" Arohis soft, plea-filled voice made Amrit look up, in to her eyes. Dark, black orbs were anxiously staring at her filled with questions' Questions, the answers for which she had no strength to speak out and subject her daughter to possible trauma. But Amrit knew her daughter too well' she was not going to let this go. She just hoped that Arohi would handle this a lot better than she had been able to'
"Kis ateet ke kitaab ke panne ki baat kar rahe they voh??? Aapki kaunsi purani zindagi hai, jo aap bhul chuki hai? Kya hai aapke aur RPS ke beech aur aapne mujhe pehle kyu nahi bataya???"
Amrit closed her eyes in despair! Tears of helplessness ran down her face. She had tried' God knew she had tried her best to protect her daughter from the harsh truth. And she would have continued to so, had she not come across these clues. Half truth was even worse than the entire ugly one! How will she ever tell her daughter what raaz Rudra was talking about???
Arohi gripped her mothers hands tighter. She did not know what was the secret that was making her so restless, but she knew that it was tormenting enough to make her react this way. Her mother had always been a god-fearing person, the last soul on earth to hurt someone else purposely. And now that she was making her open up a long lost secret, which had the potential of separating her and Arjun, Arohi was sceptical for a moment, whether she really wanted to know the truth or not.
She remembered her father-in-laws words from the conversation she had secretly overheard some days ago.
'Ye Arjun aur Arohi' kabhi ek nahi ho sakte!"
"Jab ateet ke kala baadal unke pyaar ke sooraj ko kha jayega' tab unki zindagi mein koi roshni nahi rahegi'"
Steeling her mind against all odds, Arohi took a deep breath. She had come too far to let this go now. If this was a threat to her and Arjuns relationship, then she would like to know it. Because after their confession last night, nothing' NOTHING in this world can make Arohi move even an inch away from Arjuns life. Such was her faith in herself' in her love' in her Arjun.
"Arohi'" Amrit started, drawing courage from Arohis hands that were holding hers. She looked in her daughters eyes one last time. "Arohi' Arjun' Arjun mera aur Rudra ka beta hai'"
Arohi dropped her mothers hands like hot burning coal.
Singhania Mansion'
Arohi dragged her feet across the main door to enter the living room. Millions of thoughts were crossing her mind at the speed of 200 km/hr. And she felt exactly like the passenger standing on a platform, waiting for the express train to pass. The passenger can only look at the speed at which all the bogies were crossing him, but he could not read the names due to the high speed. Instead the dust blown by it, enters its eyes making them water and lose focus. And right now Arohi needed to focus.
Arjun mera aur Rudra ka beta hai'
When her mother had said this, Arohi had got her first heart attack at the age of 22! The only difference was that the attack was completely emotional and not physical.
In different circumstances, Arohi would have been happy to know that Arjun was not an orphan' that he had a family'
But he was an Ahluwalia??? Shivers of chilling truth ran across her skin.
Arohi remembered the kiss that she and Arjun had shared last night after she had forced him to confess by sticking a gun on her head. It was the most happiest night of her life. To know that Arjun loved her back was the most exhilarating feeling she had felt' but now' She shivered as another wave of chill passed her nerves as she wondered how Arjun will react.
The clinking noise of ice being dropped in an empty glass brought her to her senses. Arohi saw Rudra sit at the bar, making his drink, but his eyes were on Arohi. Her white, pale face told him that her mother has spoken to her and he smiled. He had not expected Amrit to act so soon. Although he wished she would have done it earlier and spared Arjun the trauma of refusing his own father last night!
"Welcome daughter-in-law' Drink?" Rudras strong taunting voice jerked Arohis head up, just in time to see him lift a glass towards her, offering her a drink. She could do with one actually, but she could not lose focus and give him that satisfaction. So she did what she could do to throw him completely off balance.
She smiled.
Rudra raised his eyebrows in surprise. This girl and her strength had always amazed him. He admired her for it, even though it was the same reason that he hated her.
Reaching the bar, Arohi perched herself up on one of the bar stools and placed her hands on the counter. Looking straight at her father-in-law she said, "Mein jaanti hu' Mom ne mujhe sab kuch bataya'" Rudras smile widened. So his guess had been right.
"Hmm' Im sorry ki tumhe itna late pata chala' Lekin koi baat nahi der aaye durust aaye' It was nice having you here as a challenge. We all will miss you! Atleast I will' But I cant guarantee about Kumud' "
Arohi saw the arrogance and confidence flashing from his eyes and his voice. Now she knew where Arjun got his arrogance from!!!
"Aapse kisne kaha ki mein ye ghar chodke jaarahi hu???"
Rudras hand holding the glass, stopped midway towards his lips. His eyebrows formed a deep V on his forehead and he scowled. What was wrong with this girl???
"I thought tumne kaha ki tumhari mom ne tumhe sab kuch bata diya. So now that you know that Arjun is my and Amrits son how can you stay married to him??? Uss naate se toh tum usski'" Rudras voice trailed away in an obvious conclusion, but it was not obvious to the tall, handsome man, who had just descended the stairs and had stumbled on this conversation.
"' Arohi meri kya???" Arjuns confused stare met Arohis scared and Rudras surprised one! He walked towards the bar trying to figure out the fill-in-the-blanks that his wife and dad were playing.
"Arohi meri kya dad? Aur kis naate se'? Ye sab kya horaha hai? What are you both talking about???" Arjuns voice became urgent with every question, something told him he was not going to like this!
"Arjun'" Arohi rushed towards him and placed her hands on his shoulders.
Rudra watched them both with guarded eyes. He knew they both loved each other a lot and would do anything for the others happiness. But if Arjuns one happiness was going to ruin their relationship, will Arohi tell him? Rudra smirked as he realised he was enjoying this far more than he had expected. The love that they both were so proud of and the confidence that this girl was so sure of, was about to crumble to pieces.
"Arjun' Arjun tum anaath nahi ho Arjun' Tumhari ek family hai' ek ghar hai' aur maa-baap bhi hai, jo zinda hai!"
The joy in Arohis voice did not make Arjun happy, instead it worried him. Because that joy was not complete. There was a underlying hesitation which made him search her eyes. But the news was too big for excitement to not creep him.
Arjun smiled and held Arohis hands in his. His breathing increased as he processed her words and tried to digest the information. His eyes teared up and he realised that all his years of feeling orphaned were going to end now, and he will finally belong to someone, someone related to him by blood.
"Meri' meri maa hai? Voh' voh zinda hai? Kaha hai voh? Kaun hai voh??? Tum mili ho usse? Tumhe kisne bataya Arohi???"
Questions started pouring from Arjuns lips rapidly and Arohi blinked back her tears seeing Arjuns almost child-like excitement. She grinned and held his hands tighter. Arjun turned to look at his dad.
"Dad suna aapne' mein anaath nahi hu! Meri bhi ek family hai' parents hain'"
"Jaanta hu!" Rudras short and curt response dimmed Arjuns elation. Confused he looked at Arohi, and he was surprised to see her nervous.
"Kaun hai voh Arohi? Kiska beta hu main???" Arjuns voice was more firm now. Arohi looked up at him.
"Haan Arohi' Batao Arjun ko' Kaun hain usske parents?" Rudra mocked Arohi. She looked at him and doubt crept in her mind. One more look at Arjuns wide, hazel-brown, joyous eyes and Arohi made her decision.
"Tum' Tum Rudra Pratap Singhania aur Amrit Ahluwalia ke bete ho!"
Arjun dropped Arohis hands exactly the same way that Arohi had dropped her moms! His eyes widened in shock. Arohi saw disgust and helplessness creep into his eyes as he started putting 2 and 2 together. Arjun took a step away from his' from her!
"Arjun'" Arohi stepped forward but Arjun stopped her with one look. They both looked at each other, failing to notice the look of satisfaction on Rudras face. Just then Arjun turned to his father.
"Dad' is this'?"
Rudra completed the question in his mind and nodded his head.
Arjun took another step back. He looked at Arohi' and their entire journey, right from their first meeting, replayed in front of his eyes like a powerpoint presentation.
The joy of not being an orphan paled in front of losing the one and only relationship that meant the world to Arjun. If this was the price he had to pay of having a family, then he was better off as an orphan! Tears filled his eyes' Thinking about their intimate moments, he felt sick to the point that he may throw up!!!
Just then Arohi rushed forward and held his hand in hers. Before he could protest, Arohi cut him off.
"Ye poora sach nahi hai' Jaise tum soch rahe ho waisa' waise mat socho!"
Father and son stared at Arohi shocked' but for different reasons.
'What did she mean? If he was ALSO Amrit Ahluwalias son, then wasn't' whatever he thinking the most disgusting and horrible truth of his life??? Arohi could not be his wife anymore. She was related to him by blood' she was his' HE COULD NOT EVEN SAY IT!' Totally freaked out and disgusted with himself, Arjun tugged at his hand to terminate any physical contact with Arohi, but she held on.
"Arjun' I am the one who is an orphan. I was not born in the Ahluwalia family. Amrit Ahluwalia. Is. Not. My. Mom."
Again, Arjun and Rudra stared at her in shock! This was too much shocking information to process in such a short time. Arjun just stared at Arohi' unable to analyse anything anymore.
Arohi lifted Arjuns second hand and holding his hands together, she explained.
"Mom' and your dad were in love. Considering the fact that your father was a gangster, Daddu ne unki shaadi ko permission nahi di. But they had gone far ahead and' and mom was already pregnant with you. When she refused to abort the pregnancy, Daddu agreed to let her deliver the baby, on the condition' that she gives it up for adoption. Mom ke paas koi choice nahi thi as the family honour was at stake. Aur Daddu had done a lot for her, voh unki baat nahi taal saki and you were sent to the orphanage."
'Mein kaise maar deti usse Arohi' apne bachhe ko' apne pyaar ki nishaani ko! Issliye maine bauji ki baat maan li' Maine Arjun ki jaan ke badle apni zindagi ka sauda kiya' Mein jaanti thi ki Sudhir mujhe bohat khush rakhenge, lekin Rudra ke saath mera jo Kal tha usse mujhe puri tarah chodna hoga' aur mera bachha' mera bachha apne maa-baap ke hote huey anaath ashram bhej diya gaya''
Amrit Ahluwalias tormented voice had told her daughter about the truth behind how her son ended up in the orphanage.
Arjun just stared at her. He gave a quick glance to his father and his eyes returned to her. Understanding the silent question, Arohi continued.
"Tumhare dad ko iss baare mein pata nahi tha. He came to know very late about it and that is when he got you from the other orphanage, where you were living, after your foster mom died. Tumhari delivery mein bohat complications aaye thi jiske liye mom was put on heavy medication and treatment' the result of that was that she could not conceive further. Mom dad ki shaadi ke bohat saal tak jab unhe bachha nahi hua, tab she convinced dad and daddu to allow her to adopt you and bring you back. Lekin tab tak tum waha se jaa chuke they and they did not reveal where, as per privacy policy. Isliye unhone mujhe adopt karliya'"
Arjun gulped. He was happy to know that Arohi was still his wife' but sadness crept in his heart on the fact that she was an orphan. He knew the feeling' he had lived it his whole life. Arjun pulled Arohis hands closer to his chest. Arohi smiled at him, kissed his hands and released them. Turning around, she took a step towards her father-in-law.
Rudras drink suddenly seemed too bitter to him. His round eyes had narrowed into slits as he was watching the exchange between these two' love birds!
"Tumhare dad ne tumhe adopt jaroor kiya, lekin issliye nahi kyuki tum unke bete ho' issliye ki tum Amrit ke bete ho' voh Amrit jisne unko aur unke pyaar ko apne Bauji ke usoolon ke liye thukra diya. He purposely raised you as a criminal so that one day he could instigate you to take revenge from Daddu. Haina' Daddyji?"
Arohis voice was strong and firm' but it sounded almost mocking to Rudra.
"Mein Arjun ko batane se issliye nahi darrahi thi kyuki mujhe nahi pata tha mein anaath hu... Balki issliye, ki Arjun ne bachpan se jisko apna Dad samajhke pooja hai, uss insaan ki asliyat jab saamne aayegi tab Arjun ko bohat dukh hoga. Ye jaankar ki usse Dad hi usske sage Dad hai' lekin unhone kabhi usse ek bete ki tarah pyaar nahi kiya! Sirf use kiya'"
Arohi turned to look at Arjun. "Sirf itna hi nahi' When he saw you and me falling in love and not getting a divorce, he tried to blackmail mom that he will tell me that im an orphan if she did not persuade her family to get me back home. Right' Dad?" Arohi looked at Rudra again, who was now fuming with anger as he saw his plans fail one by one.
"Aapne chaal bohat achhi chali thi' Mr Rudra Pratap Singhania' lekin aap bhool gaye aapke saamne kaun khada hai. Mera Ahluwalia khaandaan se khoon ka naa sahi, lekin parvarish ka rishta hai. Aur parvarish kisi bhi khoon ke rishte se badhkar hoti hai. Agar aisa na hota toh Arjun would've been a hardcore criminal by now! You've not only failed him in blood but in upbringing also. Aur jaha tak mujhe bura lagne ka sawaal hai' to im not upset ki mein ek anaath hu. Kyuki mujhe anaath hoke bhi itna pyaar mila hai jitna aap sage baap hoke bhi Arjun ko naa de sakey!!!"
Arjun stared at his father' his real father. He remembered the countless number of times when as a child he had hoped and wished to meet his parents. After Rudra adopted him, Arjun had secretly hoped that Rudra was his real father! Such was the love and admiration he felt for him' but it was wishful thinking and Arjun knew it. Now that his innocent wish as a child had come true, he suddenly did not feel so blessed anymore. Arjuns emotional vulnerability was at its peak right now' he wanted to say a lot to his father but not a single word came out of his mouth. He had never been a man of many words anyway.
But Arjun didn't need to either. Because now, he had Arohi' she was like his guardian angel sent by god. She also spoke enough to make up for his silence. Arjun had the biggest share of lost relationships in his life, but just one Arohi, made up for all of them.
"Aapne jo kiya usse ye pata chalta hai ki aap mom ko kitni achhi tarah jaante hai. She told me that Arjun was her son but she could not come to bring herself to tell me that I'm an adopted child. She is not the type to hurt someone on purpose' unlike you. So in part, your blackmail worked. But unfortunately, you don't know ME so well!!!"
Arohi walked towards Arjun and stood in front of him, facing Rudra, as if shielding her husband from the evil eye of the enemy.
"Jab baat mere aur Arjun ki hai, to mein unme se nahi hu jo give up karey. After mom told me that Arjun is her son, within the next 3 minutes I had her spilling out the entire truth. Because even if God comes and tells me that Arjun does not belong to me then' I will become an atheist!!! I will stop believing in God, aur shayad ye baat bhagwaan ko bhi manzoor nahi'"
Arohi felt Arjun hold her shoulders, indicating her to stop. Now that Arohi thought about it, she realised how much Arjun had the traits of mom. He was over the top emotional, and a totally selfless person when he accepts someone as his own. Whatever Rudra had done to him, Arjun could not forget that he was his real father and he had brought him up as a son. But Arohi was not so nice' especially when Arjun was the one who was wronged.
Stepping out of Arjuns hold, Arohi spoke to her father-in-law. "Bohat achha khel khela aapne Mr Rudra Pratap Singhania. Aur aap shaayad jeet bhi jaate' jaise Arjun ko cheenke usse criminal banane mein aap jeet gaye. But you missed out on one thing' this time you forgot whom you're playing your sick games with! Aaj tak aapko haraane waali aapke saamne nahi thi' Aur Mrs Arohi Arjun Singhania ko haarna aata nahi!"
***
Entry No.3
KMH1-Arohi's Raaz for Denying Arjun's proposal.
"Ye shaadi nahi ho sakti'"
Arohi and Karan looked up as they heard Arjuns calm but firm voice boom across the room. Arohis eyes widened, she looked on as Arjun locked eyes with her and walked towards her, almost lazily' without any hurry' without any fear. She felt Karan stand up from his seat in the mandap, but her feet were too paralysed to gather strength and stand up.
Gone was the scared, clueless, desperate Arjun from sometime ago, who had kidnapped her. Gone were the worry lines on his face' instead his face shone with confidence. Gone were the tears from his eyes' they were replaced by a glint of mockery. It looked like one visit to the jail had transformed Arjun completely as a person. Except, he spoke of the same thing that he had spoken sometime back.
"Ye shaadi nahi ho sakti'"
But the words that were spoken as almost a plea, were now resonating in the hall with a new found confidence.
Sur, Abhay, Antara, Bauji, Purvi, Biji and all the other guests stood rooted on the spot to see this new turn of events. Bauji gritted his teeth on seeing his daughters wedding stopped for the second time. He had nothing against Arjun' not anymore! In fact he felt a bit sorry for him. But hadn't Arohi made herself clear? Then why was this boy wasting his time and energy in running behind something that doesn't belong to him!
Arjun saw Karan stand up with his hands fisted at his side, as if looking for a fight, Arohi sat frozen in her place and Bauji moved out and ahead of the group to stand next to his daughter, next to the mandap. Arjun stopped at the base, removed his shoes and climbed the steps. Everyone looked at him confused, but ready to expect any hysterics that this majnu was capable of.
And they all were totally disappointed because' Arjun' just smiled.
"Hi baby'"
Arohis breath stuck in her chest as she saw Arjun look at her in an almost loving fashion and greet her as if he called her 'baby' everyday. Karan frowned. Arjun was addressing his to-be-bride as' as' a term of endearment! He expected Arohi to protest or tell him to shut up but she looked too tongue tied to utter anything from her mouth. So now it was his duty, her to-be-husband's, to speak up.
"Abb tumhe kya chahiye Arjun?"
Arjun raised his eyebrows and looked at Karan. His eyes widened as if he had not seen Karan there before and had just noticed him. Smiling at him Arjun said,
"Mujhe? Mujhe jo chahiye voh mujhe mil gaya' Infact mujhe jo chahiye voh hamesha mera hi tha. Bas ab usse lene aaya hu'"
Karan and Bauji let out a deep breath. They had been expecting this. Arjun Punjj was clearly not the kind of person who would let things go easily. How did he get out of jail they did not know, but Karan was going to make sure that he never ever comes in front of Arohi again' ever!
"Achha?" Karan looked at him sarcastically. "Meri shaadi mein aisa kya hai jo TUMHARA hai Arjun?" Karans challenging eyes met Arjuns and Arjun just turned his gaze to Arohi, indicating the answer to Karans question.
Anger surged in Karans body. How dare he say that his bride 'belonged' to him??? But Karan refused to let anything ruin the happiest day of his life. He was the one with the upper hand here as Arohi was marrying him. So pulling back all his self confidence, Karan let out a small laugh.
"Lagta hai tumhare dimaag pe kuch asar hogaya hai! Shayad pyaar ka bukhaar'"
"Bukhaar nahi Karan' usse Loveria kehte hai!" Arjun lifted his hands in the air and threw his head back. "Lekin tum nahi samjhoge' usske liye pyaar hona bohar jaruri hota hai! Haina Arohi?"
Arohi jerked back to what was happening as Arjun looked at her and winked. What was he upto now??? Why wouldn't he just give up and let her get married in peace' Taking a deep breath, Arohi got up from her seat, concentrated all her anger on her face and she glared at Arjun.
"What do you want Arjun??? How many times do I have to tell you that I don't love you! I want to marry Karan and im marrying him. Open your eyes and ears wide and accept the truth' I. Don't. Love. You."
Arjun looked at her and then suddenly threw back his head and laughed. Arohis eyes teared up. She had not wanted this. God knows that she could not see Arjun in pain. But she had to do this. And its because of her that finally Arjun had lost his mind! It was all her fault. Now he will have to be admitted in a mental asylum and Arohi will have to visit him there. She did not like hospitals, but for Arjun, she would do this' atleast once a month.
"Its alright Arohi. Don't look at me as if I've lost my mind. I've definitely lost my heart to you, but not my mind yet!" Arjun spoke after his laughter died down.
Arohis face blanked out. She was now getting agitated by the mystery of Arjuns agenda. What did he want! If he was here to stop the wedding then why was he doing timepass? If he was here to yell at her again then why was he calling her baby and winking at her.
She could feel herself reaching the point of frustration, where she might grab Karans hands and forcefully put sindoor in her maang and mangalsultra around her neck, take the saat pheras and get it over with! She looked at Karan to check his reaction, but Arjuns next words shocked her.
"Its ok Arohi. You don't have to do this anymore. Hamara plan pura hone se pehle hi kaamayaab hogaya. Karan ki saari property, including his studio and the business, ab hamare naam pe hai!"
Karans head snapped in Arohis direction and Arohis in Arjuns. Arjun stepped closer to Arohi and took her numb hand in his.
"Abb tumhe ye jhoothi shaadi karne ki koi jarurat nahi hai. Waise bhi ye shaadi illegal hogi, kyuki hamari shaadi toh pehle hi ho chuki hai!!!"
Arjun saw Bauji stumble a bit from the corner of his eye and Purvi led him towards a chair. Arohis mouth opened in shock and Karans temper shot up. He kept staring at Arohi but she was completely frozen and was staring at Arjun.
Arjun turned his head to look at Bauji who was panting hard and drinking water to calm himself down. "Im sorry bauji' Maine bohat battamizi ki na aapse' Lekin voh bhi hamare plan ka hissa tha!"
Arohi finally snapped out of her state and pulled back her hand. "Arjun ye sab kya hai??? Maine kaha na tumse'"
"Haan baby' aur maine suna! Are you too shocked that we won so soon and that's why you wont believe me??? Ek minute'" Arjun turned around. "Vakeel sahib'"
All the guests watched as a man in the traditional black coat and trousers with white shirt, walked inside the hall with a couple of files tucked under his arm. Walking next to that man was Salil Mittal.
The lawyer approached the mandap, opened a file and handed it over to Karan. Salil took the other file and went near bauji.
"Bauji'" Salil called out his father-in-law very carefully. "Ye' Ye Arohi aur Arjun ke shaadi ke papers hain."
Arohi looked over shocked as her fathers astonished face checked the file and looked up at her. Arohi got down from the mandap and went towards him. "Bauji' Bauji ye sach nahi hai. Maine aur Arjun ne shaadi nahi ki hai. Voh jhoot bol raha hai'"
"Kya ye papers bhi jhoot bol rahe hai beta???" Pandit Hariprasad Sharma stuck the file under Arohis nose and she took it. Her eyes went wider when she read the contents. She looked up shocked at her fathers disappointed face, then her jiju and then her' then Arjun!
Arjun gave her a heart warming smile but the next moment he was pulled away.
Karan held Arjuns collar and pulled him forward. "Kaminey' tumhari himmat kaise hui!!! Meri property mera studio' HOW DARE YOU!" The vein on Karans forehead popped out seeing Arjun smile away nonetheless.
Arjun held Karans hands with his and pulled them away from his shirt. "Relax Karan. Waise bhi tum Arohi se shaadi karne waale they. Shaadi ke baad jo tumhara hai voh Arohi ka hai. Aur jo Arohi ka hai voh mera hai. Fark sirf itna hai ki ye sab shaadi ke pehle hogaya. Achha hua na! She doesn't have to do this drama anymore and you yourself told me that you were getting married to Arohi for revenge' because she insulted you. Now how can I let you marry MY WIFE, and that too for revenge??? You should thank me' I saved you from an illegal marriage!"
Arohi had seen Karan angry, but wild with rage was new for her and that was exactly Karans state right now. Arohi rushed to the mandap near Karan.
"Karan tum isski baat mat suno. Ye sab jhooth hai! Ye Arjun ki chaal hai'"
Karan pushed Arjun away and threw the file on Arohi. "Agar ye ARJUN ki chaal hai toh meri saari property tumhare naam kaise hogayi???"
Arohi was totally flustered by now. With shivering hands she opened the file and tried to read the papers pushing away the tears of frustration from her eyes. "Ye' ye papers nakli hai. I'm sure. Tum' tum check karo na'"
"Ma'm' these papers are authentic. Maine khud inhe check kiya hai." The lawyer spoke up, obviously offended at the indication that he had made a mistake.
Arohi looked from Arjuns smiling face to Karans smoldering one. Her head started spinning as she tried to focus on this untoward situation. She threw the file away and went towards Karan. With desperation in her eyes, Arohi searched for an ounce of trust for her in his, but she saw none. And Arohi panicked.
"Karan' mera yakeen karo. Mujhe iss baare mein kuch pata nahi. Ye sab Arjun ki chaal hai' Mein' Mein aisa nahi karsakti tum jaante ho' Karan' mein'"
Karan grabbed Arohis arms and pulled her forward. "You're right Arohi' maine nahi socha tha ki TUM aise karogi'" His grip tightened on her hands and fear crept into Arohis eyes. "Lekin looks like I was wrong. Tumhe meri baat se jyaada apne Arjun pe bharosa tha' isiliye tumne usse sab bata diya haina??? Aur issliye he did this! But you know what I can still do!!!"
Arjun watched the entire exchange silently. He had known that something was wrong. But Arohi wont tell him. He tried crying, begging, forcing, kidnapping, intimidating her, wooing her, and what not' but nothing had worked. He could not believe her impassive eyes when he was pleading with her for his love, a couple of hours ago. Arjun was too hysterical then. But the 70 minutes in jail had given him enough time to think and re-visit all his confrontations with Arohi.
He had almost given up when a thought had struck him. What was there in this world that meant more to Arohi than his love? And there was only one answer' More than Arjuns love in this world, the one thing that meant more to her was' Arjun himself!
Arohi was not doing this under any pressure from her family, no' his Arohi was not that weak. If Bauji would've refused Arohis marriage to Arjun then Arohi wouldn't have gotten married at all' her entire life! And if Bauji was the reason then she would've shown some signs when he had come to get her with the police.
But instead Arjun had seen her fight with herself when all she wanted to do was slap the inspector who slapped her Arjun. Arjun had seen helplessness lurk behind the anger in her eyes when she had told him to stay away from her. The fear was evident in her shocked eyes when Arjun had threatened to kill himself. Arohi was not doing this for herself' this had nothing to do with her' this had to do with HIM!!!
His Arohi' who had promised him that if she was married off to someone else, she will commit suicide' could not marry Karan on her own will!
And in the next 30 minutes Arjun had called up Salil and his lawyer to get him out of jail and help him in the next course of his action. Arjuns eyes focussed to the present, precisely on Karan as he saw Karan push his face closer to Arohi.
"'lekin usse pehle, let me tell you what it is like to mess with Karan' Arohi!"
Before Karan could utter another word, Arohi propelled back, away from Karan as a fist came flying through the air and connected with Karans arrogant jaw! Surprised by the sudden impact, Karan released Arohi and stumbled back, falling on the ground below.
"Dubaara agar Arohi ko haath bhi lagaya' toh jaan se maar dunga!"
Arohis hands flew to her mouth to cover her scream, and she saw Arjun step ahead, with a scowl on his face, shaking his wrist, which had punched Karan a few seconds ago. Karan got up from the floor, wiping the blood off his mouth with his wrist. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a gun, pointing it straight at Arjun.
The entire crowd gasped and the pundit ran away like a mouse with his tail on fire. Salil moved in front of Purvi and Abhay in front of Sur. Baujis eyes widened and Biji almost let out a scream. Arjun smirked as he finally saw the real Karan surface.
"Karlo jitna smile karna hai Arjun. Waise bhi haste huey jaana achhi baat hoti hai." Karan turned to Arohi and his eyes hardened. "Mein apne vaade ka pakka hu Arohi' Maine tumse kaha tha ki agar tumne mujhse shaadi nahi ki, toh mein Arjun ko puri tarah barbaad kar dunga. I will kill him!"
There it was! Arjun let out a breath of satisfaction.
Arohi shivered. She threw a desperate glance in Arjuns direction. Karan had Arjuns heart on the target of his gun.
"Business aur baaki sab dekhne ke liye bohat time hai' but the day you marry him, will be the last day of his life Arohi' KAHA THA NA MAINE!!!"
Karans scream broke all hell loose. And then everything happened in a split second.
Arohi saw Karans finger tighten on the trigger and she ran towards Arjun and pushed him out of the way' Arjun tried to lunge towards Karan but lost his balance because Arohi tackled him' and a gun shot was fired before Karan fell to the ground.
There was dead silence.
Arjun stood up hastily as he looked around trying to make sense of what had happened. He saw Karan lying on the ground with the gun near him. A vase lay near his head and there was a wound on his forehead. Arjun looked back and smiled in relief. Salil had thrown a vase towards Karan, driving him unconscious. But the shot had been fired and he turned to check on Arohi.
Arjun stopped breathing as he noticed Arohi laying still on the floor' face down.
Panic gripped Arjuns heart and he could hear his heartbeats, his knees gave way and he dropped down. Holding Arohis shoulders he turned her slowly around. His hands were shivering with anticipation as her beautiful face slowly came into view. Arjuns lips trembled as he checked on her for a bullet wound and found one on her arm. Cupping her face in his hand, he stared at her closed eyes' words unable to come out of his mouth.
Arjuns face scrunched up in agony. Silent tears ran down his cheeks as he caressed her face with his thumb, asking her to wake up and look at him.
Arohi opened her eyes and winced. The pain of the bullet, that had grazed her arm, was nothing compared to seeing Arjuns sad, helpless and agonised face. She lifted her other hand and wiped away his tears and smiled. Arjuns sunny smile broke through the pain on his face like the first ray of warm sun on a cold grey winter morning.
Arjun looked up at everyone unable to express the joy of having his love back, safe in his arms. Words failed him, but his eyes, his face and his smile' said it all. Arjun looked at Arohi again and he bend down to kiss her forehead. Salil went out to call the police for Karan and ambulance for Arohi.
Arjun looked up at bauji. Shock, pain, remorse, was reflecting on his father-in-laws face. Arjun smiled at him and Bauji smiled back.
"Maine kaha tha na bauji' Arohi sirf mujhse pyaar karti hai. Voh kisi aur ki ho hi nahi sakti' kaha tha na maine! Arohi jhooth bol rahi thi' maine kaha'" Arjuns voice choked with happiness. Bauji smiled at him and nodded his head in acknowledgement.
Arjuns smiled widened. "Ye shaadi, voh sirf' mera business' meri family' meri jaan' mujhe bachane ke liye karrahi thi!!! Sirf mere liye' apni puri zindagi daav pe laga rahi thi' Bauji' Ye pyaar nahi to aur kya hai'??!!"
***
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Edited by shibz - 12 years ago
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