Three days had passed since navya and Annie had been attending the office. Anant made it as comfortable as he could make it possible for navya.navya due to her depression and hurt still found it painful to act normal around him. She kept her talk to a minimum because she felt her feeling would show through and she didn't want him to feel that despite so many changes in her life she was still not over him completely. She was too stubborn and hurt to allow Anant to think she had forgiven him.
A future supplier came to meet Annie and navya. Anant began putting his inputs about how everything will run.
"Uh navya if you don't mind can you make notes about what we are agreeing on today for future reference?"
navya got up and took a notepan and pen. She looked back getting a flashback of her role when she was a secretary. She looked back at him in pain with her eyes welling up. He sensed her pain and looked at her shaking his head ever so slightly. *No navya don't make yourself go through that again*
The supplier cleared his throat seeing both in an intense eyelock...navya looked away and sat down to take notes. anant began talking in his no nonsense attitude again to bring the atmosphere into a professional one. Annie left to get some designs from Aman as to what she wanted. The room was silent and to make conversation and ease the situation the supplier asked:
"Uh Mr anant ye aapki secretary toh nahi ya 'kuch aur'?" He pointed at navya . navya looked back shocked at the supplier and then at anant who was gobsmacked.
"Uh wo...no...ye meri...secretary ya kuch aur nahin"
Both looked at each other and then remembered all their 'kuch aur' sessions and what 'kuch aur' was meant to be. navya raised her eyes and looked at Anant and he looked back. A knowing smile spread across their lips..they restrained but it was of no use. They burst out laughing. Both laughed till their stomach began aching.
"Mr bajpai what is it I have said that is funny?" the supplier looked perplexed by not knowing the reason behind their private joke. Annie walked in looking totally surprised by the turn of events.
"Bhai I cannot believe navya Di is laughing so much..I mean she never laughs so much". navya returned back to her senses and went back to normal and Anant started looking guilty that he was the reason why she stopped feeling any happiness.
"I think I better tell Bhai that we need to employ you to make Di smile so much!"
Anant and navya began pretending they were immersed at the task at hand. "Uh sorry Di I have to go soon me and Arjun are going for our outfit fitting today...but you don't worry I'm sure if you ask anant bhai he will drop you off". navya seemed a bit nervous about getting a lift from Anant. Anant nodded. "Don't worry navya ko main drop kardoo ga".
"So I'm loving and leaving you both...so exciting shopping for your wedding!". Saying that she picked up her bag, and left the office. navya half smiled trying to cope with the situation at hand. She began fidgeting and he noticed her predicament. The supplier left after a little while.
navya mobile rang. "Haan Maan...okay put Arhan on the phone".
"I am at the office...yeh your friend's office". She said uncomfortable while Anant looked on.
"Aryan beta don't worry I am coming soon..yes I will bring you lots of ice cream..yeh..okay I will tell anant that you want to see him..okay be good I'm coming...pakka promise". She smiled at her child's cute talk.
She put the phone down. "navya was it Arhan?" she nodded her head. "He wants to see you". Anant smiled and nodded. "Sure". The atmosphere could be cut with a knife and both feeling the tension.
*God help me...let this time pass by quickly*she made a prayer in her head.
"navya if you don't mind can you get me the Singhania file for me from the other room". navya just left relieved she could get away from him for a bit. She went to the filing room and looked for it everywhere. She took a small ladder and reached for the files on the cabinet. As soon as she began tip toeing the ladder began losing balance. She was about to fall that Anant held on to it and she bent towards him into an accidental hug.
After a moment of realisation that they were in each other's arms..Khushi heaving and gulping badly and Arnav trying to control himself but not really succeeding..he held her by the waist..Khushi pulled away. "What are you doing here?"
"Uh I came to tell you that that I found the file"..He looked at her with the old desire he had been suppressing since he found her again. She looked away angrily, reminiscing the pain she was subjected to due to his ego.
He began getting off the ladder and asked for her hand to bring her down. She reluctantly gave it and she came off. After an hour Arnav left the office to drop Khushi home.
**
The journey back home was an uncomfortable one. Anant eventually tried making conversation only to be met with her silent treatment. By now he was use to her behaviour.
"navya you should smile more...you always looked good happy...I know you suffer from depression but you have to think about yourself and Arhan...he needs you...if not for ranbir at least Arhan you should try forgetting the past mistakes I have made in hurting you".
navya grit her teeth and began winding her dupatta in her hand. "If it was only that easy as you say Anant...do you know how a girl feels when she compromises her principles just because she believes the man in her life loves her a lot...only to be met with fraud that he does not love her..How does she feel?...her honour tainted ...how she holds her head high in society...her pain her tears..but you would not know that Mr bajpai".
Anant looked on feeling really guilty. navya I know now...I have lost a lot to understand...but if I tell you now what you meant to me...that I really love you..it's pointless...because if we were meant to be together I would have not done what I did due to my stupid ego trying to prove that I want you!"
"Enough Mr Anant..don't even go there...! Can you bring back my honour, my dying a death everyday...when I needed you how you ditched me...can you bring me happiness? Can you heal my wounds? As far you going through something..well I assure you..you have gone through nothing compared to me...if you hurt your nail that is you going through a lot but you threw a mountain worth of tribulations on top of me".
anant looked on gulping his pain but on purpose did not tell navya that he had lost his most precious family member nimi..he did not want her to forgive him due to sympathy. He remained silent and she did not pursue the matter because her anger was sky high. He stopped the car in front of a ice-cream parlour. navya looked at him questioning him. He without a word got out and went into the parlour bringing 5 tubs of ice cream with different flavours.
He gave them to navya. "In your anger you forgot Arhan, you promised to bring him ice cream". She looked on with eyes welling with tears and touched. The remaining journey was a silent one. As soon as they reached Mansion they saw Arhan waiting on the swing for them.
"Hiii anant...why have you not come to see me for sooo many many days". He pouted his mouth and folded his hand.
"Uh buddy I was busy doing sooo much work" he picked him in his arms.
"Mama you got me so many ice creams?". He clapped his hands. "No Arhan it was your friend". She corrected him not taking any credit.
"Anant how did you know I like Vanilla and chocolate ice-cream...mama told you?" he kissed his cheek.
"Nah man it's my favourite as well..so I thought we can share it together..." Arhan got off and ran inside with one of the tubs. Anant's switched his Bluetooth on.
"Ya Aman"
"Sir our suspicion was right ranbir is having an affair with ritika.."
"What?? he gritted his teeth knowing navya was still around.
"Yeh you better come and see...I will sms the address to you...we will catch them red handed".
"I'm on my way". He looked at navya who was waiting for him to come inside. "You're going? But Arhan will be upset as you promised him.."
"navya say sorry to him from me please?..Something important has come up". navya nodded and he walked off to his car. He looked back with pain and sympathy for navya. She realised and looked back at him. "navya..always remember whatever happens you have got me". navya looked on touched and confused. He quickly got in the car.
**
Anant arrived at another house that was on the outskirts of the town. He met Aman outside the house. "Sir they have walked into this house...we have seen them behaving like they are having affair...I'm sure you will see when you get there".
"Damn ranbir! Aman you stay out let me go and see..he won't even know what's hit him when I'm done with him".
In meaningful strides he walked into the house. He searched for them everywhere. The house was all dark with one light showing in a certain direction. anant followed the light and he saw they both hugging each other..
ritika ran away from ranbir. ranbir stood there painfully watching her leave. He closed his eyes and turned around and noticed Anant looking at him with eyes filled with rage.
"Anant what are you doing here?" He went towards Anant.
Anant walked towards ranbir with clenched fists. "I could ask you the same question? How does it seem ranbir playing with an innocent girl and her emotions like that?"
"What are you talking about anant?" he arched his eyebrow confused.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about ranbir..how dare you treat navya like this?"
He held ranbir by the collars and ranbir looked at him clutching his shirt with surprise and then confusion.
He kept shaking his collar in anger. "You saved navya does not mean you marry her and cheat with her...and with who ritika?..You should be ashamed of yourself...if you hurt my navya in any which way believe me you will regret you were ever born..just remember that!"
"WHAT?! Me married to navya and cheating ritika? What are you talking about"
Anant let go of his collar. "What makes you think I am married to navya?"
"You told me you were performing with your wife at the function...and it was navya performing with you".
ranbir realised the confusion and he chuckled. "Yes I did but because ritika had a tiff with me and was sulking I had to ask navya to perform with me".
Anant did not know whether to feel happy or sad. "So who is navya married to?"
"No one...I saved her and supported her..you see ritika has been through something similar..and ritika and me supported her that's it man..I can't believe you thought we were married!"
Anant began pacing thinking a million things. "What about Arhan? Who's child is he? Yours?"
"No he isn't but he calls me dad since he began talking...and we just let him".
"So who's son is he?" he gulped his breath and felt his heart thumping like he was about to receive a heart attack.
"I think only navya can answer that..and Anant the day you entered our house I knew you were the guy that navya could not get over with...Both of your eyes speak volumes...you really adore each other..me and ritika have been through something similar where I made mistakes...but she forgave me...because I persisted in acquiring her forgiveness of my mistakes...look even though we love each other so much we still have our share of problems that does not mean we break our relationship or give up on each other... my advice is I know you both truly love each other and to not make the same mistake again..get her back in your life..she needs you.."
He put his hand on Anant's shoulder to give him support at what he had just discovered.
The revelations shocked Anant like anything. The news sank in after a little while. He sat down and cupped his face and a few tears fell on his cheek. ranbir I'm sorry I suspected you...after what I done to her I did not want navya to be traumatised with anything".
"No worries...I'm glad it all came out before you killed me!". He chuckled and anant laughed a little as well. Anant drove his car towards the mansion's to talk to navya. He got flashbacks of the first time they made love.
* We made love without any protection ...why did I not think of this before...Arhan is my son...I'm a dad!..navya i don't care I will do everything under the sun to make you forgive me* he remembered their passionate night of love and smiled.
Precap; Anant confronts navya about Arhan.
Kumkum Bhagya
Anupamaa
