Arshi FF: Fighting Fate (TVK 2) - COMPLETED - Page 67

With love of his life sitting in the front passenger seat and him behind the wheel of the Audi Q7, Aman wearing the most content smile that had been missing for all these years, looked in the rear view mirror as he watched his friend reading the city of Mumbai after 3 long years.

Anjali interlacing her fingers into Aman's, her mind occupied about her brother and an involuntary smile embraced her serene face in disbelief. I cant believe he is finally here! She squealed mutely, fondly grasping Aman's palm into hers remembering the only statement her brother spoke a day ago...

Pack your bags everyone, we are going to Mumbai!

Many times in the last 24hrs, Anjali goaded Aman to find out the reason behind Arnav's sudden decision to make a trip to Mumbai. Unaware of Arnav's true intentions behind the unanticipated trip, Aman assumed the reasons as the revelation of current crisis in the AR as he spotted Arnav overhearing their conversation with Nani few days ago. And so Aman didnt feel the need to question Arnav assuming his deductions as the only reasons. Inquisitive Anjali didnt dare to ask Arnav directly and so when enquired with Nani, Nani gently chided to pack bags before he changes his decision.

Whatever may be the reason, Anjali among all is the most happiest at the moment, to have her brother and her sweetheart in the same city, and the moment she stepped on the mumbai land, she covertly prayed for her brother's lost happiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I made a decision. Arnav stated firmly leaning his elbows on his knees.

Nani leaned forward curiously, About?

Aman and Di. Its about time they get married. He looked up to meet the pair of eyes changing its colors in happiness.

Did they finally agree? Nani reached for Arnav's hands in utmost curiosity.

He shook his head as he went on, I havent spoke to them yet. It is all my decision.

Nani's face fell instantly turning pale like withered leaf knowing what would be Anjali's response to Arnav's decision. She wont agree.

There is no room for any choices here. Its decided! We all should leave along with Aman in 2 days.

Nani gleed in exhilarated joy. Are you moving to Mumbai for good?

Arnav looked down to his shoes, as if counting the number of knots his laces made and shook his head, Only until marriage!

His voice as nonchalant as it could ever be, Nani tried to look for any signs of his torment that he had been successfully hiding it for years. But she failed terribly as always. Yet being a mother to him for years, She knew how hard it must have been for him to take that decision to return to the land where he weaved so many memories. And so she stated firmly deciding not to put him through more pain, As much as I want Anjali's marriage to happen, I dont want to put you through anymore pain. We dont need to go to Mumbai. We can get them married here.

The marriage will happen the way it is supposed to happen, and where it needs to happen. This is not the place for it for the only obtuse reason that I am here. Its about time you all lead your lives.

Taking her hands away from his, she leaned back disapproving his words. Looking at the shadows of trees through the window, she spoke with her voice feeble and far away, I am already half-dead seeing you this state, please dont kill me more distancing yourself from me.

Arnav sat there in silence and stared at the woman who played more than a mother role in his life, which is exactly why he didnt want the old lady to suffer his problems anymore. Getting up from his chair, he brusquely spoke to set their lives right, I have decided and its final. You will live with Di after her marriage.  

Nani sitting in the back seat beside Arnav, checked him from time to time as he concentrated his eyes out on the Mumbai roads from the moment they got into the car. He neither spoke nor tilted his head in any direction other than affixed to the road. There was too much indifference in his stance, glance, and actions that it started to worry Nani if the trip was a mistake. Unable to control her motherly instincts, she reached out for his palm that laid lifeless on his thighs, and clutched it in her wrinkled one understandingly. Even that didnt shake Arnav out of his thoughts as he glued his neck on the city that offered him so many vivid colors of life in the form of his wife.

Smoothly stopping the car in front of the grand entrance, Aman jerked Arnav calling his name. Anjali looked around to realize that the car is parked in the Taj Mahal Palace lobby. Anjali threw her head back at Aman, scowling Dont tell me you are putting him in hotel.

That was his wish. Aman said with a hint of sadness.

SO? Anjali fumed and before Anjali could protest, Arnav got down and took his bag out from the trunk bidding bye to everyone. Anjali was about to get down to force Arnav to stay with her in the RM, when Nani from behind firmly asked her to let him go.

Anjali with no other option left, sat back in her seat, uttering I cant believe you guys just let him alone like that.

He will be fine Anjali. He needs that time alone. Dont you worry. Aman tried to comfort Anjali but all he earned was a disappointed frown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When destiny forgets to tie some people in blood relations...it corrects its mistake by making them true friends.

One such relation is the friendship between Arnav and Aman. They understand each other without a word being said. They give each other space without being asked for one. When whole world turns against one, the other equally stands beside to take the shot. And at THE moment, that other person who is ready to take the silent shots is none other than Arnav Singh Raizada.

It wasnt easy for a man like him to return to the world that considered him forbidden and abandon. Specially for a man whose self-respect and pride are of paramount importance than anything else.

The moment his feet touched the land of Mumbai, his every core muscle tightened in the anticipation of finding something he lost in the city. Ignoring the paparazzi uncaringly, he meekily followed Aman, very unlike of his character as ASR who once used to live in Mumbai. There is something in the air, he felt weak for a moment struggling to gather himself with the overload of emotions and betrayed past boggling his head and before he could regroup himself, he was led into the car and Aman drove them away escaping the media.

Everything around him turned into deafening silence and then he heard a sudden noise at distant. His head torn into the direction of noise, the sound of tracks becoming louder and louder, as everything else kept turning into pitch dark silence, bringing the memories of her train rides evading him and his flying kisses. His mind didnt stop the brutal torture with that, reminding him the night at marine drive, hustle and bustle of traffic they traveled together to work, the fortunate and ill-fated days they spent together in their penthouse and many more than he could handle at the moment.

Just when he thought he needed to breathe, Aman stopped at the star hotel as per Arnav's demands to the trip. Despite Anjali's possible disapproval, Aman understanding the plight of Arnav booked the suite for him without a question, the presidential suite that is exclusively reserved for AR all year around, the same suite that brought Khushi and Arnav together to the world of people years ago. Aman's unconscious overlook of Arnav's mental anguish!!

As Arnav entered his suite, the bittersweet moments he declared her as his wife to the whole world gushed into his memory with such a force that he helplessly dragged his feet to the spot in the library room, where he gave first shot of their public appearance. A torturous haze of pain enveloped his soul, his heart, and his mind, attacking all of him at the same time. The agony of losing part of him made his loyal heart baffled, throwing his soul into an inexplicable and unmanageable despair while his mind wondered if such pains even existed.

He stood squeezing his eyes as tight as possible in effort to lock the memories away. An angry growl of words escaped his lips helplessly, only to be bothered by the bell boy. A moment interruption made him realize the task at hand, and to put his resolves aside, forcing him to gulp the pain and fix the lives of people who are sacrificing for him without any expectation.

After learning from Aman that Arnav took the first outbound flight available from the Mumbai Airport, not caring for the destination in particular, Anjali put her privileges in action to use the AR Private Jet. Soon after Arnav left Mumbai, Nani collapsed in agony unable to do justice to the kid they picked up from the streets. This broke Anjali even more and she persistently forced Aman to reveal Arnav's whereabouts just for her information, not fully revealing her intentions. The moment she learnt the destination details, she called in private jet, packed handful of clothes and flew the city promising Nani that she will never let him away from them.

Exhausted, tired, and frustrated with the 30hrs of flight, Arnav lugged his feet strolling through the baggage area of San Pedro Airport and found Anjali already waiting for him with smile. Rolling his eyes in frustration and irritation, not wanting to see anyone he knows, he walked in long strides to reach her, to send her away from the country.

What on earth are you doing here?

Welcoming you to the new place. I found apartment, enough for us to live, and also Golf cart to take us through the city..It would be awesome. Anjali swayed a little in glee.

His palms turned into fists and jaw clenched in anger. Anjali get out of the place, I dont have patience and not in mood to see anyone with me. I need to be alone...His voice turned raspy with each moment.

Ofcourse if thats what you want, I will take another apartment. There is one right across your street. A bit too big for me but thats OK. She tried to sound as normal as she could.

Di, Please...He barked and drawled in irritation unable to hold his anger, gulping down the cuss words.

Listen if you are Raizada, I am too! I can get as stubborn as you can. You kick me out, badmouth me, or even ignore me but I am not leaving you to yourself. We all need you. Whether you like it or not, you need to bear us, you have no choice.

Fine! Suit yourself! I dont know you. And our journey ends here. With that Arnav walked away in temper to find all insensitive women ruining his peace.

Months passed and he stubbornly shut her off from his life though he saw her from time to time but he grew worried each day about Nani, whom Anjali left in India only to be with him. Finally as the restaurant that he recently bought shaped up, his mind freed a little bit and started worrying too much about Nani. One fine day a restless call from Aman enquiring about Anjali made Arnav realize the sacrifice the woman is making leaving her career and personal relationships. And so he gave up his resolve for his friend and welcomed Nani & Anjali back into his life. He silently promised Aman in his unsaid words that he will take care of the stubborn ladies until Aman convince them back to return. But the day never came as Aman too thought its better Arnav has someone with him until he gets back to normal but the days turned months, and months to years to Nani's helplessness to see so many lives suffering and Arnav stood where he was with respect to his heart.

A man who mastered to shut his emotions at his own disposal, turned completely stone at once remembering how Aman stood by him every step of the way, with no personal life as such, sacrificing the love of his life for more than a decade. Tipping the bellboy generously, he opened his laptop to hunt for the event managers, and marriage venues.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To give your life is very easy but to suffer for somebody is not easy - HH Younus AllGohar

Its been a week since the aching decision has been made by a defeated wife, and a clueless mother. Its been exactly a week since a word came out of Khushi's mouth, burying herself in the 2 bedroom apartment of Buaji's house in Hyderabad. Nobody knows what she is thinking, how she is coping up including her own mother who had no clue about the suffering of her own daughter. Buaji who played more than a mother in Khushi's life realized the extent her niece no less than her own daughter fell in love the only man of her life, yet she could do nothing to fix.

Carrying the baby on one shoulder, grabbing the milk bottle for the week old baby, Buaji moved towards the living room as her peripheral vision fell on something lying on the floor. She tilted her head suspiciously to find Khushi lying on the floor lifeless almost dead. Hurriedly, she screamed for Payal and Garima who were in the kitchen preparing dinner. Handing over the baby to Payal, Buaji frantically tried to wake Khushi up but there was absolutely no response from her. As a first sign of fear, she checked Khushi's wrists, her pulse, and breathing to make herself sure that the daughter had not taken any stupid decision like ending her life. On the side, Payal holding the baby called for the ambulance and in no time Khushi was rushed to the hospital and was declared as Anemic caused by severe blood loss due to menstrual cycle post child birth. Buaji several mins argued with doctor that her daughter had been taking medications to control but the tests that followed only proved that Khushi had not been on any medication and instead she showed signs of Major Depressive Disorder.

The family after 2 days were discharged with doctor's customary instructions of "always keep her happy and smiling", that served no use in the case of Khushi. Dutifully following the doctor's words, Buaji tried her best to keep Khushi away from everything she disliked. She didnt allow Garima nor the child near Khushi and often found Khushi taking Arnav's name in the sleep.  

Arnav save me, dard ho raha hain, Gentle please, No black&white you cant touch me..were some of the words she repeatedly took in her nightmares and often woke up in the middle of night with loud screams only to stare at the dark ceiling with fear of reliving the video she watched in her nightmares.

Buaji with streaming tears used to sit for hours along her side repeatedly chanting...Meri bachi..Ro mat...Sab teekh hojayega...Sab teekh hojayega...

Sab teekh hojayega...Sapna I am with you...Dont you fear anything...Khushi hugged Sapna trying to uplift her morale...

I am not able to sleep. He keeps coming in my sleep and I am scared if he is going to hurt me again. Sapna mumbled in her sobs...

NO BODY will hurt you anymore...They have to go through me before they harm you. I dont make promises on the fly. Look out there Sapna, look how many women are smiling in freedom. Imagine yourself being there one day. Stop thinking about what happened to you as you cant change anything about it...

May I call you Didi?

Ofcourse...Khushi smiled at her sudden question.

Will I be termed as unfit to be woman if I refuse this child?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cornering the curvy waist behind the wall of office food court, NK greedily peppered kisses along the milky neck clad in haltered blouse.

We will be in trouble..Let me go..The gorgeous female voice mumbled into his ears as he continued his ministrations.

I hate when you wear these..these...these...

Halter top..how many times should I say? The female voice chided gently trying to push him away...

NK smiled coyly, moving his lips to the metal hook that kept the blouse intact on the female's nape.

DONT! The lady in the question stopped NK bunching his formal shirt at his chest.

Yeh gaardi rukti nahi sanam...He flirted hurriedly twisting the thin frame around and pinning her to the wall. Tugging the blouse by the neck with his forefinger, he bent down to kiss the exposed skin when a loud thud of files slammed onto the table...

Both of the them jerked a mile away as a pair of eyes bored into them feigning anger.

Woh..woh Khushi..I mean, something went inside her eyes, I was just trying...

Oh I didnt know she carries her eyes on her back...Khushi folding her hands stared at them sternly...

Ruffling his hair in embarrassment, he softly mumbled Sorry!

This is office for god's sake...Khushi tried to pull their legs scaring them...

Jiji, Sorry, it wont happen again...

Miss. Payal Krishna and Mr. Nand Kishore, you guys need to get married ASAP or I will not hesitate to kill your hormones.

Khushi controlling her chuckle, walked away leaving the couple in embarrassment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

Khushi driving in her cozy Honda City, checked her watch ticking 10PM. To her surprise after many months she found herself leaving home before 12 at night. Kids must have been already in the bed, she thought playing smile on her lips. Stopping the car at the traffic light, she looked over to her right to find the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel standing in its majesty. Every night on her way home, the stop at the signal reminded her the first meet with Arnav in the hotel suite. Moreover, many times NK had told how beautiful the rear side of the hotel is facing the harbour and the Arabian Sea. Checking the time one more time, after contemplating for a brief moment, Khushi took an impromptu decision to sit by the waters not for pleasure but to have some lone time to herself, not willing to go to the sleeping house breaking her usual routine.

As the abandoned and lonely concrete tile floor leading her feet to the pier wall that separated hotel from waters, she stopped in her tracks and removed her high heels feeling the sharp pain in her soles. Carrying them in her hands, she walked over to the 3 feet high wall. Placing her handbag, her boots, on the head of the wall, she pushed herself up on her wrists to sit on the wall facing the waters. She looked around cautiously to find if anyone is there but she could hardly see anyone amidst the harbor lights reflecting in the gentle waves of calm sea.

Silencing her phone, her eyes fell on the couple at distant kissing and her lips curved into smile remembering the sweet behind-the-scenes romance between NK and Payal. Instantly her thoughts took her back to an year ago when she found out that NK is interested in Payal, when he openly asked Khushi if its OK to date her sister. The reason for seeking her permission still unknown to her, but she was sure NK is a simple man without any complex feelings who can keep her sister happy. And thats how their relation started and eventually Khushi gave both of them bigger roles in her life, in the success she had created.

NK continues to identify the battered women to enroll in the La Fierte, and Payal had quit AR soon after Arnav and Khushi separation, eventually joining Khushi to manage the Service department of BW Industries. If needed Khushi could hire many to deal the company at higher level but the name BW meant so much to her life that she couldnt take the risk of abusing it in anyone else hands. And thus Khushi selfishly took the responsibility of bringing in the industries like food processing, power plant, storage tanks as clients into BW, also managing both foundations on daily basis along side.

If there is anything Khushi would gift herself selfishly that would be more number of hours in a day. It is impossible to get hold of her and see her at home before 12 during weekdays but during weekends she tries really hard to be home by 5PM to spend time with family and kids. 4 more days for the weekend, for Sunday to come to spend quality time with her family.

She got so used to not being at home before midnight that,  today she was little apprehensive to meet her house before time, a routine she is scared to break. Truth be told, after spending some time with Sapna earlier in the morning, Khushi was drawn into her hidden distress as the bitter past took over her stable senses. Unable to give words of support to Sapna after what she had asked, she rushed to BW to work, to divert her mind. Apart from witnessing that little cute scene between NK and Payal, her heart grew very unusually restless today and one thing led to another and she ended up sitting in front of the waters absolutely clueless but her mind kept reminding her one question Sapna asked,

Am I termed as unfit to be woman if I refuse this child?

The question she had asked herself innumerable number of times in the past, and the answer that ultimately made her leave the love of her life. Every outsider may think that she is happy, content, today's successful business woman and activist who shed light into many lives, but only she knew how her life is surrounded by halo of darkness and how many deaths she dies every single day, every time she faces a victim, seeing herself in the mirror of their eyes. Every victim she took under her care reminded her misery, the loss of her soul, her sacred skin that was scarred, it reminded her the decisions she took, the sacrifices she made, the man she gave up she never thought she could.

She tried many ways to comfort herself but every way she tried boastly screamed in her ears that there is nothing as soothing and as compelling as his solaced embrace. And she remained restless living in agony from the day she left herself to him till this passing moment she is sitting infront of the waters. The waters no saltier and prickier than the unshed tears she held within herself.

She loved him, loved him more than she could handle which is probably why she feared and walked away scared of losing him in her self-hatred...Her eyes softened, and shone threatening to spill the tears that she had buried once, only to be revealed in front of the man she worships with all her heart. And she knew that day is not going to come in her life, to take her into firm embrace shaking her worries off, to kiss her spilling tears, to brush away her loneliness, because thats the punishment she had given herself to give life to another innocent life, but destiny has its own wicked plans and it is already under works.

Just as if the destiny knocked her out of her thoughts, Khushi looked to her right and saw someone sitting very far in the darkness looking at the waters just she had been. She couldnt see anything clearly but an outline shadow of the posture hidden under the blasting lights of harbour.

There was strange sense of familiarity in the air and she couldnt take her eyes off the sitting stance of the other person for a long time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the longest hours of the evening Arnav sat looking at the ships leaving the harbour, and watched the sun cascading down deeply immersed in his thoughts continuing the ritual of reading the letter imprinted in this mind before calling it a night. And before he knew it, the sky turned dark with no stars to be seen and no people around not that he craved for.

A soft clink of anklets echoed in his ears like the way waters in the San Pedro island reminded the tiny jingles on her feet. Assuming it as one of his mind games, He squeezed his eyes to brush the familiar mellifluous music of her anklets from his mind but it only kept growing. Angered in frustration and interruption to his private thoughts, he looked to his side to find the source of the forbidden chimes, and saw someone jumping onto the wall to sit like him, facing the water. He couldnt see clearly in the darkness but the person seemed to be sitting too dangerously close to the water, as though that person is floating along with the calm waves.

For a brief moment, he felt the person drowning screaming for help, unaware that its the other part of his heart weeping on the other end, and he involuntarily found himself softening and empathizing, watching the person leaning head to rest on the uprooted knees.

The posture too familiar to ignore!!!

He narrowed his eyes perturbed with unknown feelings that grew restless distressing his heart beyond repair. And as if the person had heard his turmoil, tilted head and looked towards him. He could figure out from the outline shadow of the person's head turning towards him, observing him just like he was.

A moment passed neither of them moved nor flinched in the darkness.

Khushi scrunched her face trying to make something sense in the darkness but involuntarily her eyes lowered, shoulders drooped feeling an overpowering strength shaking her insides. She looked away facing the fear of the darkness for the first time in years and the next moment she found herself picking her shoes, bags. Stepping off the wall, she walked away to her car.  

The pain he felt at that moment was too boisterous, stormy and roaring that he couldnt understand and baffled at his own inexplicable restlessness. And the next moment he chided himself for staring at something immaterial to him and watching the other person leave, he too  stepped off the wall and walked away deep into the dark shadows.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~