MAIRAs REJECTION 4.9
Bigg Boss 19: Daily Discussion Thread - 4th Sep 2025
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai - 04 Sep 2025 EDT
LIFE IN JAIL 3.9
Abhira & Geetanjali
Akshara’s karma
War 2 Set To Finish As The Lowest YRF Spy Grosser Domestically
Mihir - The d*uchebag
Shilpa Shetty's Bandra Restaurant Shuts Down
My Box Office Predictions for Baaghi 4
Did Trump Just Remove ALL SANCTIONS on India ? (Doubtful news)
Agree or not?
Should Janhvi Kapoor Get Married And Quit Acting
Writers: Mad Dreamers or Silent Sages?
Varun Vs Sonu - who danced better on Bijuriya
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2: EDT # 2
🏆ANUPAMA WINS dance contest !!🏆
Alia recent clicks
Chapter 15: Another Day In Paradise
Tiny droplets of rain glazed the window, giving a hazy vision of the palm tree beyond it. Khushi sat in a couch sniffling, gazing at the rain outside. Tiny droplets of her own tears touched her cheek as she thought about her sister. "Why, why, just why I signed that contract with that man. If I hadn't, I'd be with jiji now, on jiji's 24th, and..." she thought aloud, wiping her eyes with the sari. She looked at the wet patch in the garment and berated herself, it wasn't worth her tears. This was not her home, these people were not the one's who'd ever care for her, give her a damn, as they put it. Her mind drifted to ASR, the man grabbed every opportunity to demean her, every chance to make an offence to her morality. What sort of a man expects a girl like her to wear those immodest garbs he had thrown at her?
She kept on looking out, not noticing a presence near her, not until she noticed a glass of water held for her. She looked up to find the amiable face of Akash Singh Raizada, but refused to acknowledge him as she turned her head again towards the window, without a word. Akash kept the glass on the table in front of her and sat in the couch beside her. "Stars aligned themselves in the most heinous combination possible, the moment I was born," he began, looking up at the ceiling, "The reason my damn luck always dumps me, my forever elusive luck!" he said and then slightly smiled looking at her still about-turned head. "If you are Akash, you feel like that every hour, every single day."
Khushi turned to face him, her eyes suggested resentment, "If you are Khushi, you feel like that every single minute of every single hour, every single day." she said in one breath and turned her head away again, sulking like a ten year old.
"And that's because we make mistakes, and we make mistakes because we work. Believe me, those who never make mistakes are the ones who never do anything."
Khushi turned 180 degrees to face him, "I know I made a mistake, but I didn't do it on purpose. I even apologized, still I got scolded and punished by him." she said looking straight into his eyes.
"ASR doesn't spare me as well." Akash said smiling.
"ASR is a rakshas." Akash was stumped by the crude admission. "And rest of the lot is just annoying. By the way, why are you being nice with me? You can call me Glitters, I don't seem to have a mind to mind."
"And would that change what you are?" said Akash soothingly, "What people say or think about you won't make any difference to the fact that you are quite a stellar Ms Gupta. You are someone who had the guts to stand up to ASR, not because you were disobedient but because you were right. Jeff is one of India's best photographers, even ASR finds it difficult to convince him at times but he was convinced with what you said, you understand what that means?"
Khushi looked at him, trying to smile. "By the way, you surprised me Khushi, you really know how to carry yourself. You were absolutely stunning there." He complimented her.
Her face lit up, "Thanks."
"Water?" he asked pointing at the glass he had kept for her on the table.
"No I'd have jalebi..."
"What?" he asked confused.
"Nothing." she replied as her phone rang.
"Carry on." said Akash getting up and giving her another of his infectious smile.
"Hello Jiji?" said Khushi picking up her phone.
"What jiji, jiji " howled Madhumati from the other side, "what did you say, I'll come home early, we'll give jiji a surprise party, I'll do all the preparations. Now where are you still wandering? Come home straight or I'll bury you in the cake." she said and banged down the receiver.
Khushi sighed, getting up to change back into her salwaar-kameez.
****
A deep frown settled on his face and fingers subconsciously fidgeting with the knot on his tie, Arnav leaned against his table, one hand resting on it. Although his open eyes stared out from the glass windows of his cabin but there was hardly anything he could see. Nothing, nothing came in his vision beyond an unreasonable girl, enswathed in crimson, her flowing hair, her guileless beauty, her unreasonable beauty.
His mind wouldn't want to register Lavanya entering his cabin, his reluctant eyes slowly left the window and moved on to her.
"God ASR, I must say, Glitters was looking so funny but not as bad as I had thought. I don't think I'll be keeping much of her shots maybe two or three." she said grinning.
He did not respond and continued to fidget with the knot of his black tie. Lavanya positioned herself in front of him, "Should I?" she said softly laying her hands on the collars of his coat, she loosened his tie a little and slid her hands behind him circling his neck moving closer to him. Arnav looked intently into her eyes, his permeating gaze disenchanted in what it saw, even as he continued to look for something that he hadn't known to exist before Khushi had fallen into his life. Yet, Lavanya's stark physical proximity with him was unable to stir his heart, unable to make him feel what Khushi could while standing in the opposite corner of a room. Lavanya's smoky eyes coupled with elaborate eye makeup seemed so dull when compared to the radiance in a pair of walnut eyes that had set him on fire a while ago. Just as he was beginning to feel dejected in his hot girlfriend's propinquity, she closed in kissing his lips. A soft knock on the door made him pull back immediately; he turned his head to find Khushi Kumari Gupta standing at the door, her head hung in embarrassment, her gaze fixed on the ground near her feet, legs shaking slightly in nervousness.
Lavanya's head snapped in her direction, the next moment she let out a string of expletives.
Khushi looked up at her, her eyes widening.
ASR strode towards her, "Have you heard of something called etiquette Ms Gupta?" he said fuming.
"S...sir, I..I knocked the door, you didn't seem to..."
"Don't you answer him back Glitters." Lavanya shouted.
You shut up you ASR ki Chamchi. Khushi shot back mentally.
"Why are you here?" snapped ASR.
To watch you make out.
"Sir, I came to ask you, if I could go home, actually I had to..." she began.
"Why?" he said cutting her short, giving her an unhealthy dose of his smugness, "Already tired of the job? Given up your quest for making money?" he jeered.
There he goes.
"Sir I didn't say I want to leave this job", she protested, "I said can I go home now..."
"No, you can't." he said quickly.
Khushi stared at him in shock, "Sir it's half past eight..."
"So?"
"Sir?" she mumbled and flinched back the moment he took another step towards her. He picked up the chord less phone on his table, "Disengage all the security from the parking lot," he ordered over the receiver, "I am sending someone else there." He put down the phone and turned to face her, showcasing the trademark evil smirk, "My clients would be coming over for a conference in a while, go and assist in the parking. You are not allowed to move from there unless the conference is over and all the guests have left. Do you follow?"
Khushi's heart shattered into a million pieces, she stared at him indignantly. For the last eleven and a half hours she had been struggling with his orders, she wanted to go home, wanted to be with her sister, now. Tears filled her eyes, "Sir why are you doing this to me?" she said in a barely audible voice.
"Follow my orders or resign." he said sternly.
I will strangle him someday with my bare hands.
Though she should have by now come to expect something like that from him, still he was never ineffectual in shocking her. Her feet jammed she kept on gawking.
"I know my face is interesting but staring at it won't help your cause." he snapped and with a subtle tilt of head towards the door, "Out."
She hung her head and moved out of his cabin slowly with a sunken heart.
And miles to go before I sleep...
He saw her leave, his frown was back, a conflict brewing in his mind, it felt creepy, was he really feeling bad about what he had just done to her?
****
Years ago...
Two large saucer-like eyes and a little stub of a nose, the child was adorable, everyone said. Her eight year old tiny feet would bring a little earthquake and her parents were having trouble leaving her with the neighbors this evening. But the work was urgent, they had to go. "Khushi listen to me," said her mother, "Babuji and I are going for some work, it will only take a few hours. Be a good girl and promise you will not trouble Sharma aunty."
The child looked stubbornly at her mother, "No. If you leave me, I will trouble aunty." she said folding her arms.
"Khushi," her mother said sternly, "now you are being a bad girl."
"I am a bad girl Amma." the child said crossly.
"And bad girls don't get dolls to play with." her mother said and smiled looking at the child's fallen jaw. There was a loud bang of thunder, the next moment, Khushi screamed and hugged her mother. "Amma don't leave me please", she said sobbing.
"Don't be scared my child." a deep voice said from behind her, she turned to face her father, "Babuji there are monsters in the sky." she said her voice trembling.
"No my child, its electricity up there." her father smiled and hugged her. "There is always a reason behind everything Khushi, it's the weak who get scared. Strong people like you should always reason. Promise me my child that you will never let anything or anyone scare you."
Khushi looked at him with admiration in her eyes, "I promise you babuji that I will not let anyone scare me."
Her parents held her in a deep embrace, it was her secure haven, the safest place on earth. Little did she know then that it was the last time she would be safely tucked in their embrace. They left that stormy night and never came back. Garima mausi took her to her home where she lived with Payal jiji. She began calling Garima mausi Amma and Shashi Mausaji her Babuji, but she wanted her own amma-babuji back.
Days made to months and months turned to years, where sitting on the steps she'd spend the entire evening waiting, in the hope that her parents would return some day with the Barbie doll they had promised her. She'd often sleep on the same steps till Shashi or Garima would come looking for her and lay her in the bed. They would never tell what happened to her parents till she was eleven years old, and overheard a neighbor telling someone that her parents were crushed by a speeding car.
Khushi could not keep the promise she had made to her father, for continuous nights she'd dream of speeding cars and wake up screaming as she'd see one crushing her parents. Garima would rush to her, soothe her, but Khushi would be trembling all over.
****
Present time...
She pressed her back against the wall every time a car zoomed past her. As more and more cars kept coming, she waved her hands, directing them but soon the underground parking was full. It wasn't only the number of vehicles that was large, it was also their sizes, Audis, Jaguars, Mercedes, BMWs, Volkswagens all huge cars and surprisingly only one man getting down from each big car. Outside, dense grey clouds had invaded the sky, there was heavy lightning and thunder. Soon enough it began to rain, a few security guards were deployed with umbrellas to escort the guests to the main office.
She slowly walked out from the underground parking to the open, second level parking, where the expected guests yet to arrive would have to park their vehicles and she'd have to assist.
She shivered as a cold gust of wind and icy rain drops hit her. She had always loved rain but not today. She felt cold, so cold that her legs began to tremble as she got drenched in the heavy rain. She carried no umbrella, those who did, didn't offer her. She was one ignored girl, her drenched cotton clothes sticking to her cold, wet skin, her teeth chattering in the incessant, ruthless rain. As ruthless as the man who had made her stand there. Horns, beeps, zoom sounds took a toll over her. She brought her hands close to her chest, rubbing her palms. "There in the right...right." she called after a car. A luxurious black car. A short old man got down from it. A guard rushed with an umbrella, the man turned to look in Khushi's direction. First one to care to look at her. He walked towards her, "Excuse me, Ms, you are drenched." he said in a sympathetic tone, Khushi smiled at him wanly, hope tugging at her heart, would he ask the guard to get her an umbrella too? The man looked at a distance, "Arnav..." he said beaming. Khushi hadn't seen him coming. He stood a few steps away from them, a uniformed man behind him, unfailingly holding an umbrella steady over his head so that not a single drop could trouble the boss. Akash followed close behind, surprisingly carrying his own umbrella and not making another human carry it for him. His eyes caught Khushi, a look of surprise and then of apology settled over his amiable face.
ASR shot her a brief glance and then walked over to the old man in two long strides. "Hello Mr. Dutta" he said as the two men shook hands. "Arnav, why have you made this poor girl stand here in the rain?" asked Dutta, "God, you really go too rigid at times." he added in almost grandfatherly affection. Arnav's gaze wafted over Khushi, who in turn averted it and stared at the ground. His eyes fell on her quivering legs, he frowned slightly and looked away. "Let's go."
Akash stood there feeling uneasy at the sight of the soaked girl, her skin now white with cold, he took a step towards her, loosening his grip over his umbrella, extending it slightly towards her, Khushi gaped at him, hope lighting up her beautiful eyes. "Akash." ASR's stern voice made him almost jump. He glanced behind him to see his brother's back turned towards them, and glanced back at Khushi, confusion clouding his mind, his grip tightened over the stick handle and with legs that had not known to defy his brother since the time they had learned to walk, he took a step back and turned to follow his brother who was still standing ahead of them, his back turned.
"Take Mr. Dutta to the conference hall." said Arnav flintily, snapping Akash out of his thoughts as they entered indoors. Akash nodded, for the first time in his life he felt like a complete jerk.
****
Left alone in it again, this was a world of human robots, trained to show no feelings. How could she think that there was anybody who cared for her? Helpless tears streamed down her eyes, mixing with the rain hitting her face. She looked up in the sky. At a distance from the rear end of the parking, was a music house. She heard faint sounds of the blaring speakers that played Phil Collin's 'Another Day in Paradise' loud enough for her to catch the lyrics...
She calls out to the man on the street,
sir can you help me?
it's cold and I am nowhere to sleep'
is there someplace you can tell me.
He walks on, doesn't look back
He pretends he can't hear her
starts to whistle as he crosses the street,
He's embarrassed to be there.
Oh, think twice 'cuz it's another day for you and me in paradise,
Oh think twice 'cuz it's another day for you
you and me in paradise.
She calls out to the man on the street,
He can see she's been crying,
she's got blisters on the soles of her feet
she can't walk but she's trying
Oh, think twice 'cuz it's another day for you and me in paradise,
Oh think twice 'cuz it's another day for you
you and me in paradise.
Oh lord, isn't there something we can do
Oh lord, isn't there something you can say
You can tell from the lines on her face
you can see that she's been there
probably been moved on from every place
'cuz she didn't fit in there.
Oh, think twice 'cuz it's another day for you and me in paradise,
Oh think twice 'cuz it's another day for you
you and me in paradise.
"Promise me my child that you will never let anything or anyone scare you." Khushi opened her eyes with a start, she heard the last words of her father echo in her head. Could she deny that she was scared of Arnav Singh Raizada? She kept on staring at the ground, unable to hear the sound of the engine of an approaching car. The bright light made her jerk her head up, blinding head lights hit her eyes, rendering her legs immobile and her heart frozen, so that was how her parents were crushed, was the last thought she had before she surrendered in the face of looming doom.
Two strong arms wrapped themselves around her, sweeping her off her feet as she heard the car zoom past her, her eyes were shut tight, her feet still in air and hands clutching whatever it was that held her. Slowly her feet were brought to ground but the arms were still wrapped around her securely. Khushi didn't dare to open her eyes, her head buried in what felt like a wall, whatever it was. She sobbed loudly against it, all she knew was that she had never felt so safe and so warm, never since her parents died.
Arnav Singh Raizada brought his hands gently to her shoulders, steadying the girl trembling against his chest, his own heart pounding at what could have happened had he been seconds late!
*****
All right. not that unbearable now, is it?
Chapter 16: Cupid Fabric
Arnav's thoughts a while back...
I enter my office tower, leaving her behind. I know what's going in Akash's mind and I know that he will never go against me. I ask him to take Dutta to the conference hall and tell my guard to go away. I need some time alone. It's strange apart from being creepy that I somehow feel the need to go and check on her if she's doing fine, yeah she was pretty much a disaster out there. I walk down the corridor towards the right end, I take the elevator and press minus 1. I hate doing this but when my mind decides to nag me, it does and there I am walking towards the parking lot, the downpour is heavy, I still have shade above my head but a few drops manage to hit me. I stand in a place from where she can't see me, but I very well can.
I can see her looking up at the sky and then staring at the ground. Her clothes are soaked in water and her skin is a ghastly white. She looks so vulnerable yet headstrong. Nay, not headstrong, she is crazy or who else would stand there putting a fight with me. A fight which there's no way she's going to win. She knows well that I won't let her or does she? Man, I could not have imagined that Khushi Kumari Gupta could come this far. I clench my fists, fine if she isn't giving up then I have several ways to make her do so. I feel anger building inside me, why am I standing here? She can take care of herself, I turn to walk away but throw her a last glance, she's still staring at the ground, a speeding car approaches her, it honks, what the hell is this idiot doing, why ain't she moving? On an impulse, I lunge forward, bolting in her direction, the headlights of the car illuminate her golden, the driver applies brake but that can't save her from being hit. I take her into my arms, she's swept off her feet as I pull her away from in front of the vehicle.
She's crying and cold, shivering against me. She clutches at the collars of my suit and I can't understand why I feel the urgency to keep her in my hold like that. I still am to recover from the shock, it beats me, why didn't she move away, couldn't she see the car coming?
^^^
It took her time to come at terms with reality, she had been saved but by whom? She opened her eyes, slowly lifting her head up from his chest, her eyes widening in shock when she saw him. He loosened his grip on her and stared down at her five foot something. Rain water dripping from his long nose and chin. Her eyes sparkled with water falling in them as she stared at him, he couldn't deny, they were the most beautiful pair of eyes he had seen.
She glanced at her shoulder which was still in his hold, and looked back at him, he frowned and let her go off with a jerk taking a long stride backwards at the same time as she pulled away from him, almost pushing his hands. Both of them not ready to accept what just happened. She turned to look away, so did he but couldn't help casting a sidelong glance at her. She brought her hands close to her chest again, still shivering. He couldn't decide whether he was mad at her or his own reaction, he was just mad, "What do you want to prove by standing here like that," he said finally, "that you are a poor helpless girl who needs sympathy or you see it as another opportunity to seek attention." She glared at him and returned her gaze back to the ground, she wouldn't answer him. "At least you could have found a shade to stand under instead of hanging your stupid face here for everyone to see." he said scathingly. Khushi didn't look up. "Look at your attire...", disgusted, he took off his coat and threw it at her, it fell on her hands. "Wear this coat and stop shivering." he rebuked. She held it back for him in an outstretched hand, she wouldn't accept however badly she needed its warmth. "I don't need this. Take it back." she said quietly. His fury mounted, he tightened his jaw, glaring at this mulish girl who had dared to refuse his favor. She had refused Arnav Singh Raizada. He snatched back his coat and stormed away.
****
"Rain, rain, Nandkissore" Madhumati yelled angrily at the clouds, the pink cloth tied around her head as her migraine kicked again. Payal dialed Khushi's number for the twentieth time, worried sick. It was ten and she hadn't come home yet. "The number you have dialed is currently out of reach." said the voice on the phone. Payal slammed the phone down. "Arre Payaliya, did Sanakadevi pick her phone?" asked Madhumati. Payal hung her head. "Haye re Nandkissore..." Madhumati slapped her forehead continuously. "Do you have the office phone?"
"No buaji. I'll definitely take it today." she said cracking her knuckles in nervousness. She jumped at the knock on the door, "Must be Khushi" she said excited but her face fell seeing Shyam. The lawyer entered pulling down his umbrella, "Hasn't Khushi come home yet?" he asked looking at their worried faces.
"Naahi Babua, even her phone isn't reachable. What is this Sanakadevi upto, Nandkissore, when will you stop giving me heart attacks." the old woman grunted.
"Her phone...? Of course," snapped the lawyer, "they put jammers there near the main office during lightning, the mobile network gets anyway disrupted during rains."
"Do you have the landline number of the main office, I am sure they must have a communication system during such weather." said Payal looking expectantly at him.
Shyam hung his hund, "they must have, but I am sorry I don't have the number."
"Babua," said Madhumati all of a sudden, "you know where the office is, let's go and find her there." Shyam gawked at her, a strange expression crossing his face, "B..buaji there? Okay I'll go, you two stay here." he said reluctantly, picking up his umbrella he marched out.
****
11:30 pm, Khushi checked her watch sadly. The conference was over, most of the clients had left, she stared at the fast emptying place as cars rolled by, one after the other. She was not going to reach home before 12, she'd miss her sister's birthday for sure. The metro would have shut down by now, was she going to find a taxi? She looked across the street, was it even a good idea to hail a cab? She had to, she had no other option. The rain had slowed but had not ceased. She had never been out of her house this late at night, Delhi's life was never indolent, there were as many cars on the road as they would be during day time. She felt a hand over her shoulder, startled and frightened at the same time she jumped to look behind who it was and immediately relaxed as she noticed the best guy around here right beside her, sorry written all over his face. "Look I am sorry." said Akash Singh Raizada, holding his umbrella above her head.
"Why? Why are you saying sorry?" she asked.
"Sorry for whatever happened with you today, it shouldn't have happened. Hey, I'll drop you home." he said earnestly.
"Please you don't be sorry and thank you but I can manage. I don't need any help." she said looking away.
"No way Khushi, it's too late and it's still raining, I can't let you go alone. It's not safe." he insisted.
"Okay" she sighed and followed him to his car.
"Mercedes Benz!!!" Khushi cried and covered her mouth avoiding to say something else. She could be really awkward in situations like these. The chauffer got down and held open the door to the passenger's seat for her, while Akash sat in front, in the co-driving seat. She hesitated before climbing, the upholstery was sparkling white, spotless. "Your seat might get dirty." she said. Akash chuckled, "It's okay, its cleaned every day." She had never sat in a car this big, and a seat so comfy, she had only dreamt of sitting in a Mercedes some day. Afraid she might tumble over it, she crouched near to the window.
"Your family must be worried about you." said Akash.
"You bet, they must be mourning by now. Especially jiji, I mean my sister, I am from Lucknow you see, we call elder sister jiji there." she went on nonstop. "And today is her birthday. We thought I'd be home early today and we'd celebrate but see what happened. I thought I'd buy a gift for her during lunch break, but you know they didn't even give me enough time to breathe, forget buying gift. All because of that Laad Governer..."
"Laad Governer? You mean ASR?"
"I am sorry, but he totally deserves this title, that rude, arrogant ogre of a man!" she went on without realizing her terrible faux pas of abusing him in front of his brother, "I can't understand, how can somebody be so...so..."
"Tough." said Akash, "He's tough because at a very young age he was burdened with lot of responsibilities, causing him to become the way he is."
"Look, I don't know all this, all I know is that his behavior is very bad with me. Look at you, you too work in the same office and by God's grace you too own such a big car, you must be very rich but still you are such a gentleman and that ASR, he's a Monster. Triple named monster."
The driver turned pale, he shot Akash such a frightened glance as if even listening to all this being said about the boss would make him visit his grave. Akash nodded at him silently, gesturing that it was all right. "Well, at times it's not possible to judge somebody's character in a few meets. It depends on the circumstances in which people meet, maybe you met him in bad circumstances." he said.
"Why are you defending him so much?" she retorted.
Because he is my brother. Akash wanted to say but refrained as it might upset her more. "See, you may be right but he has been unimaginably bad with me. And right now because him, my jiji's birthday has spoiled." she said crossly.
"Maybe because I know him a little more than you do." he said smiling, "Would you please pass me my bag."
"Sure." she said giving him a black laptop bag from the rear seat. He unzipped the bag and looked at the magenta dopatta which was still lying there. Certain things aren't meant to reach their destination, he thought. Khushi lived in Lakshmi Nagar, the locality where he had first seen that elusive girl. He wasn't sure whether that girl lived there, the world was a big place, there was no way he was going to meet her again. Perhaps this was the end of his little one-sided love story, even if this dopatta would never reach the person it was meant for, it could still light up somebody's face. "How would this be as a birthday present for your sister?" he asked giving it to Khushi.
"Wow, this such a beautiful dopatta, really very lovely!" she exclaimed. "But sir, I can't take this." she said returning it to him.
"Oh please Khushi, its your sister's birthday, would you go empty handed?"
"Okay, but I will pay you for this, how much..."
"I see, so you haven't forgiven me. This is an insufficient compensation for all that you have gone through today from the marketing head of AR Designs."
Khushi laughed and put it in her bag. "Thank you so so much. Here my house is in the next lane. Take right from the signal please." Khushi rolled down her window.
Payal paced in the verandah, the sight of her sister made her heart jump leaps and bounds. "Jiji." Khushi waved before the car could stop, causing Akash to look up for a moment.
Life is full of strange coincidences, our destinies somewhat predefined. We meet people by chance, and we meet them again by the rarer chance. No matter how much we plan, the most important of things, happen to us by fluke.
"She's your sister?" Akash could barely contain the excitement that rushed with his every heartbeat as he saw her waving happily at her younger sister.
"Yeah, she is. Her name is Payal. Why don't you come in, please, we'll cut the cake, we'll have a lot of fun." Khushi chirped. Akash smiled and reached for the door but something stopped him, what was he going to say to her? In his present state of unprecedented glee he was sure about losing a night's sleep and than he remembered Payal's reservations with people owning big cars. "I will, but some other day." he said politely, "but do give her that dopatta, I know she'd love it." he whispered almost to himself.
"Arre Payaliya, take the umbrella bitiya, you'll get wet!!" yelled Madhumati from inside.
"Coming Buaji," she yelled back, "Khushi wait, I'll come." she said running inside to get an umbrella.
"Wish you a very happy birthday." Akash whispered in a barely audible tone and motioned the driver to pull away.
Payal saw the leaving car, "Whom did you come with Khushi?"
"Jiji that was Akash sir, he's really very nice, one of the few people who make my survival possible there."
****
The lawyer roamed in the street, at the heart of his dilemma was a girl whom he wanted to reach but his circumstances waged a threatening finger. A threat of consequences.
He stopped at a pawn shop, camouflaged in his surroundings, unnoticed by the vehicles on the road. Unnoticed by the Mercedes Benz that zoomed past him, something which the lawyer didn't fail to notice. His eyes darted for the number plate, DL - 5000, recognition sounding an alarm in ears, world was a small place, indeed.
Far away from that locality, on the opposite end of the same city, on a very different road, was a very different man, faced with a very different dilemma from the lawyer's. But befuddling is this game of entwined fates, that both their dilemmas concerned the same girl.
Arnav Singh Raizada pressed down the accelerator, driving through the rain on that isolated road. His displeasure aroused from his own thoughts. Frustrated he changed gears, pressed the accelerator further down and then abruptly hit the brake, pressing it down forcefully. He flung open the door, stepping out in the rain and slammed it shut.
The rain drenched his shirt, he ran his fingers through his wet hair, his brain continuously replaying the events of the past two weeks- the events that involved her.
Why? Why...for the first time in my life do I feel that I am doing something wrong, something very wrong? His eyes softened for a moment remembering her face, he slammed his fist into the bonnet of his car, I can't be wrong... He pushed his palms against the canopy of his car, the old conflict of his disarming split characters resurfacing. Swearing, he leaned his muscular frame against the door of the BMW and shut eyes with the back of his head resting against the car top. Cold drops smeared over his face, he felt them wash away the self doubt. A fierce bolt of lightning in the sky made him jerk open his eyes that now reflected equal ferocity. Swords, he mused. Lightening had always awed him, it was wicked and most mortals feared it. Fear was interesting, it debilitated and strengthened one at the same time. He feared being affected and fear turned him feral. He got in his car, hit the ignition and drove away, not a doubt in his mind anymore...
****
Originally posted by: cineraria
Here's a YouTube link to the song. Damn my computer engineering, after wracking my brains with inspecting elements of html embed code jargon, I am still unable to embed the video. Courtesy Google Chrome. 😡
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt2mbGP6vFI[/YOUTUBE]
I had finished till chap 10 When I commente dlast.
When I read further, I could already detect the finer (an much nicer than the show) touches you did.
Reading abt ASR dropping Khushi from his office actually I had goosebumps. You wrote that so well.
I also liked the lift scene. The devil ASR was nowhere in sight in that scene. Just why did he help her when he could have added to her plight. Looks like human inside him was trying to come out for a breath! 😃 Beautifully written.
As I read further I really enjoyed your takes on the famous scenes.
With all the atrocities he pile don the poor girl, you wonder how would they end up being in love?? hardly possible in real life.
But when you have seen Arnav and Khushi played by BS and SI you would wish that and ASR wud be forgiven. (If only redemption track was there!)
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