Arshi SS :: House Of Cards#2 last Part up on PG96(30/08) - Page 17

emotional update. it was beautifully written..

Awesome chapter...thanks for the PM

loved the update

Part 23

Khushi felt Aarav relax against her shoulder, his breathing even. He was feeling sleepy. Khushi ran her palm on his back, and wandered her eyes in the hall, people had started departing but Arnav ji was nowhere to be seen. Not only Arnav ji, Di and Nani were too nowhere to be seen.

"Mom, I am sleepy." Aarav murmured, irritated by the discomfort.

"I know, Aarav. Don't worry we will be home soon. Everyone will come soon, they are probably escorting the guests." Khushi said and softly patted his back. Her back was paining too, causing her to shift uncomfortably on her chair.

Arnav has just got rid of his clients and sighed in relief. He had not seen his wife once he had left her alone, asking Aarav to look after her. And more than anything, unable to see his wife's dear face has worn him out. He saw Khushi sitting on the same chair he had left and Aarav leaning on her shoulder. He smiled and started walking towards her but was stopped by his Di.

"Chhote, have you seen Nani? I am looking for her from last half hour but she is nowhere to be seen." Anjali said.

"Nani? Where will she go? Last I had seen her talking with my clients' wives. After that I was too busy to see anyone." Arnav replied.

"Uffo... She isn't picking up her phone. Chhote, I think you should leave with Aarav and Khushi, I will see where Nani is. Khushi and Aarav are too tired." Anjali suggested.

"No Di, we will go together." Arnav removed his cell and called Aman.

"Aman, have seen my Nani?" Arnav asked and after few seconds disconnected the call.

"What did he say?" Anjali asked.

"He had seen Nani going upstairs with one old lady." Arnav replied.

"Upstairs? With one old lady?" Anjali asked confused. "Let's see upstairs then" Anjali said.

Arnav nodded, but as his eyes caught Khushi, he stopped.

"Di, wait for a minute. I will be back in no time." Without waiting for any reply, he sprinted towards Khushi.

"Khushi?"

"Arnav ji?" Khushi looked up at him. "Where were you? Where are Di and Nani?"

"I am sorry, Khushi, we will be here soon. If you are feeling tired then you can leave with the driver. "

"No, I will wait for you.." Khushi replied.

Arnav smiled and kissed her nose.

"And I will not make you wait for long" Arnav promised and went away.

"What is Nani doing upstairs? She has knee problem, what was the need to climb the stairs" Arnav mused as he ascended the stairs along with his sister.

Anjali chuckled.

"Quit complaining over everything, Chhote. Sometimes you behave like girls, who enjoy complaining about everything." Anjali quipped.

Arnav glared at her.

"That wasn't funny."

"I know. It was the truth.."

"Di?"

"OK, sorry. Ab chalo, we have to find Nani, ghar nahi jaana hai kya aaj?"

Arnav nodded his head and they walked the long corridor, looking for their grandmother.

Arnav stopped, making his sister stop along with him.

"What happened, Chhote?" Anjali asked confused.

"Voice...It's Nani's voice, Di..." Arnav said as he again heard his Nani yelling at someone.

And this time Anjali heard it too.

"Yes. It's Nani's voice. But...why..why is she yelling...?" Anjali looked at Arnav.

The voice was coming from one of the many rooms in the corridor. Arnav walked near one door and the voices were getting clear. "She is not alone, Di..." Arnav said to his sister and kept his hand on the door knob. "There's someone else too with her.." Arnav continued and pushed the door, little.

Anjali kept her hand on Arnav's shoulder to stop him. But it was too late, and they both stood there, shocked at beholding the furious avatar of their grandmother, a translation they have never witnessed, not even when they have confessed the gravest mistake they have done.

"So what do want me to do?! Forgive you?! Why?! Why should I forgive you? Tell me! Why should I forgive a woman who was responsible for my daughter's death?!! Why?!! " Deviani Raizada yelled, her face all red, red with the rage boiling inside her. Rage at the audacity of the woman standing in front of her, asking for forgiveness. Is there any forgiveness for sin?

"I... I know what I have done is unforgivable ... But I just wanted to confess my sin... In the hope to remove the guilt that is crawling on my soul... Please Deviani ji... I beg forgiveness...I was a helpless mother... helpless in front of my daughter..."

"That's not an excuse ... Being a mother doesn't mean you have to bow down to your children's every wish, every demand... Please leave ... I don't want to hear anything... " Deviani Raizada turned, her back facing Gayatri Bajpai.

"I am sorry for my part, Deviani ji...But...But I was not the only one responsible for your daughter's death... It was your friend who married her son to your daughter, even when she knew that her son loves someone else... I was helpless in front of my daughter... But you will never understand what I went through seeing my daughter killing herself...for her love. ... You will never understand the pain and guilt I went through asking an already married man to marry my daughter, when I already knew it will be nothing like a real marriage... You will never understand the pain of seeing my grandson growing up without the name of his father and love of his mother ... If I may say, I have suffered more than you ... But I am guilty because you lost your daughter...because of my daughter... Believe me Deviani ji, I had tried my best to stop my daughter that night ... But Arvind had not visited her for weeks and she was anxious to meet him ... And I ... I didn't knew that it was your granddaughter's wedding ... I am really sorry ... But that day, not only you, I too lost my daughter... I lost my only daughter ..." Tears freely flowed down her wrinkled cheek. "If ... If you don't want to forgive me ... Than It's ok... But please accept my grandson... He is the innocent one ...he had also suffered for no fault of his ...You have no reason to hate him ... I... I don't know how many more months or years I will live ... But ...But I don't want Agam to be left all alone ... He has no one except me ... Please accept him as your family ... I will be indebted to you ...please... " Gayatri Bajpai joined her hands.

The view before her blurred and soft sobs left her mouth. She felt him stiffened and she kept her hand on his shoulder. They were reliving their past again. The betrayal of their father, their mother, their relations,... the cries, the pain, the agony. The past demons were once again dancing in front of them.

"Chhote?" Anjali drawled the words with great difficulty.

Arnav turned, his eyes blood red, not lifting to look at his sister.

"Chhote..." Anjali tried to keep her palm on his cheek, but he moved back and strode away from there, not paying a heed to his sister's call.

Arnav walked, nothing he heard, nothing he felt. It was like he was again transported to that time. He saw his mother sprinting away and then the gun shot, he saw his parents covered with shroud. He saw his sister, still in the same bridal wear, abandoned. He saw himself looking at everyone, feeling nothing but an unbearable pain in his chest.

Arnav walked, trying to run away from all this memory which has flooded his mind and was destroying everything.

"Arnav ji..."

"Arnav ji!"

"Arnav ji!!"

And Arnav stopped. He turned around to see her. Immediately a peace settled inside his chest. She is there. She is there for him. She is there to fight the demon for him. She is there beside him. Arnav chanted.

"Arnav ji!"

Swallowing hard, he started towards her.

"Arnav ji, were you leaving without me?" Khushi asked, worried.

"No, love. Why will I leave without you?" Arnav asked, not meeting her eyes. He looked down at Aarav who was asleep and was leaning on Khushi. Bending little, he picked Aarav and extended his hand for Khushi.

Khushi kept her hand in his and stood, supporting her back with her other hand.

"Where are Di and Nani?" Khushi asked as they started towards the exit.

"They will come with the driver. We are leaving now" Arnav replied.

"But..."

"I am not in the mood to answer your questions, Khushi." his tone was little rude, a tone she didn't remember when she had heard last. And she felt hot waters sting the back of her eyes. Now-a-days she doesn't needs any reason to cry, but today his tone was a reason enough.

Arnav opened the back door and placed Aarav on the seat, and was about to open the front door for Khushi but stopped seeing her sliding beside Aarav. Not bothering much about that, he sat behind the wheel and drove away his family.

Anjali kept her palm on her grandmother's cheek, consoling her as she cried on her shoulder.

"You will make yourself sick, Nani. Please stop crying..." Anjali said, trying to be strong for her Nani. They were heading home after Agam came searching for his Nanu and took her with him, without looking at her. Agam! Her half brother. What is she suppose to feel about him? She should hate him. But she didn't felt hatred for him. She felt...she felt sympathy ... pity... Gayatri Bajpai was right. She has reason to blame everyone. Her Dadi, her father, Gayatri Bajpai, Madhu Bajpai. She can blame everyone. But how can she blame Agam? What has he got to do with all these? He had also suffered because of his parents ...just like she and Arnav and she dare say... Even more..

"Arnav...Arnav will never accept Agam, Anjali...He will never ... And don't force him to .. He had lived in his past all his life ...but now... now he is moving on with the help of Khushi ... I don't want everything to be ruined ... I know Agam is at no fault ... But please ... Let Arnav decide this... don't force him to do anything ..." Deviani Raizada said.

"I know Nani,but running away from our past will not guarantee a lifelong happiness. He has to face his past, accept his past. We should never live in our past, but we should also not run away from our past, Nani. It's a part of our life and we should simply accept it. Agam is his brother and denying or running away from this truth will bring nothing but pain. It will be better if we all accept this truth, including Arnav..."

Khushi looked sideways at her husband who was walking up the stairs, his one hand holding her carefully and the other holding Aarav in his arms. He had not said a single word all the way to home. Something was bothering him but his demeanor was a clear cue that this is not the right time to interrogate him. And so taking the hint, she kept quiet. And as the stairs ended, she felt him leaving her hand.

"I will take Aarav to his room, you go and change" Arnav didn't looked her way as he said that. "And go to sleep, don't wait for me." Arnav added.

Khushi looked at him as he took Aarav to his room. What happened to him all of a sudden? Who is pregnant here? Khushi contemplated on that seriously. But not musing much on that, she started towards her room.

Arnav laid Aarav on the bed and covered him with the blanket. He sat beside him and rubbed his palm against his face. Agam Bajpai is his half brother? All the particles inside him threatened to scream. His father was not simply cheating on his mother, he was leading a other life. He was married, had a son. All the time his mother waited for her husband, he was with that woman, with his other son. All the time he had waited for his father to return home, to help him, to play with him, he was with his other son. All the time his mother had kept fast for her husband, he was busy with that other woman. All the time he had craved for his father's love and attention, he was busy showering his all love and attention on his other son. And that son is Agam Bajpai. So atlast the mystery Agam Bajpai is solved. His mother had not done enough damage, so now he is here to destroy his little world.

Arnav got up from the bed. Like hell he will allow him to do that. What had his grandmother said? Accept him? Arnav's lips lifted in a mocking smile. Accept a man who is here to destroy his world, accept a man who, at every point, had made his intentions very clear. Accept a man who nurtures feelings for HIS Khushi? Agam Bajpai can live a loner all his life, for all he cares. But he, Arnav Singh Raizada, will never accept Agam Bajpai.

"Arnav?"

Arnav's head jerked towards the door.

"Di?"

"Chhote, I want to talk to you" Anjali was about to enter the room, but Arnav stopped her.

"We can talk down, Di. Aarav is sleeping" Arnav said and walked towards her.

Anjali nodded her head.

"Where is Nani, Di?" Arnav asked as they stood in the living area.

"Nani is in her room, Chhote. " Anjali replied.

"So what is that you want to talk with me?" Arnav asked.

"You know already Chhote,...It's about Agam..."

"I don't wish to talk about him" Arnav's tone held a finality. But of-course when had his Di cared about that?

"We need to, Chhote. We can't ignore this. Agam is..."

"Agam is NOTHING! He is nothing to me!" Arnav's eyes flashed with anger, anger Anjali had rarely witnessed.

"Your screaming will change nothing, Chhote. He is our brother..."

"DON'T! Don't say that, Di!! He is not my brother! For me he is one of the reasons my mother is not with me! And NOTHING ELSE!"

"Chhote, Agam is at no fault..."

"He is at no fault?!! HE IS NOT! HELL! Well and good then! I think then I have nothing to say. This conversation will gain you and me nothing. I am going.."

Anjali limped towards him and stopped him.

"Try to understand , Chhote..."

Arnav jerked her hand away.

"You try to understand, Di!! He and his grandmother are fooling you and you are falling in their trap. He is not our brother. He is not! And you don't know Agam Bajpai. You don't know him, Di..."

"He is the one who saved you. He is the one who brought Aarav back. He is not what you are thinking, Chhote. '

"And he is what you are thinking? See Di, I just don't want you or anyone from MY family to have anything to do with that man. "

"And I am simply asking you to accept him as a part of our family..."

Arnav's eyes flashed with unveiled rage.

"HAVE YOU LOST IT DI?!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! I think seeing orphans and listening to their sad stories had did the thing for you.."

"DO NOT use that tone on me! Do you get me, Arnav?! I very well know what I am doing and why I am doing. Agam has suffered. Just like me, just like you. So I don't get any reason to hate him! And I don't know what grudges you are holding against him. All I am saying is, I don't want any hatred in my family."

"AGAM BAJPAI IS NOT OUR FAMILY!!!"

"HE IS NOW!!" Anjali shot back. "I can't hate a person who has done nothing but had suffered because of my Dadi and my father. I simply can't. And I expect the same from you."

"I am sorry.." Arnav looked at his Di. "I will NOT accept him! You can welcome your newly found brother with open arms, but don't expect me to do the same..." Arnav looked at his Di for few seconds, waiting to hear her refute. But as it didn't came, Arnav turned around to leave the place but stopped dead in his track seeing the person in front of him.

Hope you guys liked it!! Do share your views :)

dat was a shockerrr
seriously did not expect d truth to b out
of course arnie wudnt accept agam bt my heart cums out fr d guy
all d 3 were so unfortunate to have a father lik dat
was that khush who overheard dat?

nice part

Thanks for the pm!!! ..what a twist..what will Arnav do??..poor khushi ..she has no idea y Arnav was upset!!!...waiting to c what happens next... The argument between anjali n Arnav was gud!!! Without she giving in...fab!!!

the truth is out

if khushi asked him to accept agam will aranv accept him or will he hurt khushi too