Dear friends ⭐️ its been a long time since I posted the last chapter. I am very very sorry. I am still tied down with AD😭 But somehow I wrote this chapter today, to reveal the secret that you all have been waiting for!
Just a quick recap of the last chapter for you:
Anjali and Arnav have come to Kolkata to meet Nani and her family to find out why she had disappeared from their lives when their Maa died...Khushi and Payal have also accompanied them...Arnav is bitter towards Nani for abandoning the siblings when Ajit chacha had thrown them out of Sheeshmahal...His life is complicated further when Khushi confesses her love for him after a passionate encounter...He does not believe in love and thinks he cannot reciprocate her feelings especially since he has just found out that his maa did not commit suicide but was murdered by someone...There is more to Nani's side of the story...Read on...😊
Chapter 41
The Secret is Out !
"Khushi!" Arnav called out in a distressed voice as Khushi pushed past him in tears and ran out of the shed towards the house.
Arnav ran a shaky hand through his disfevelled wet hair. He deserved this treatment from her. She had confessed her love to him and all he could do was stare at her incredulously!
Things had moved at a pace beyond his control. For the first time in his life he did not know how to react.
Khushi was an important part of his life and he knew he could not live without her. But when he had asked her to stay with him forever she had thought he was proposing marriage! Did she not know he did not believe in such strange passions...marriage...love...Yet she had just uttered those strange three words! I love you! Dammit! What the hell did that mean in the first place! She knew there was no place for such emotions in his life! What did she expect from him? He could give her nothing in return of such absurd emotions. If anything the news of his maa's murder had left him feeling more hollow and empty than ever before. He shrugged his shoulders and let her run away, increasing her pace as she tried to widen the distance between them.
He followed her in the dark, slowly. He looked unblinkingly at the inky beyond...the storm was over but it had left a feeling of bereftness...
"There they are! Chhotey and Khushi! Nani is waiting for you to continue her story..." Anjali exclaimed as Khushi entered the dimly lit living room, followed by Arnav.
The candles flickered.
"Where were you bitwa? I was afraid you did not want to hear about that fateful night and had gone away for good!" Nani bowed her head and sighed.
"I...I just wanted some fresh air, Nani," Arnav mumbled, glancing at Khushi sideways.
Khushi felt his eyes burning into her but she ignored him and pursed her lips tightly. She hated him! He was a rakshasa(devil)!
No, you love him, her heart protested.
But Devi Maiyya why did you allow me to express my feelings to a man who does not care...fadaq nahi padta!
Khushi blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall loose. This was not the time to wallow in self pity. Nani had something important to say and everyone was waiting to hear her.
"Please do continue Nani..." Khushi approached Nani slowly and sat down next to her. Nani nodded but she noticed the sudden change in Khushi. There was a sadness round her eyes, her face seemed pale, her body seemed stiff and listless.
Nani looked deep into Khushi's eyes questioningly, "Is anything wrong, my child?"
Arnav shuffled on his feet behind them.
Khushi put on a false smile,
" Of course not Naniji. What part of your story did we miss?"
"The fate I suffered at the hands of Ajit chacha after my parents died and my baarat returned..." Anjali answered with a wry smile, "And how we were thrown out of Sheeshmahal..."
"Chhotey was just a boy but he stood by me and fought Ajit chacha when Dadi turned her face away from us..." Anjali said in a choked voice
"Shh...Di!" Arnav took his sister's hand and pressed it tightly.
Khushi stared at Arnav with misty eyes. How could Arnav be so gentle and caring towards his sister be so ruthless towards her.
But her heart went out to Anjali di. She could not imagine the pain she had gone through. She got up and hugged Anjali di.
The tears she had been holding back flowed of their own volition as Anjali hugged her back. Since Anjali hadn't let go of her brother's hand, his hand involuntarily went around Khushi and he touched the tremors raking her body...
"Khushi..." he whispered in a strangled tone.
Khushi felt his touch and presence and jerked away suddenly, an accusing look in her eyes.
Anjali watched this exchange between them in amusement! It was evident to anyone who saw Arnav an Khushi together that something was going on between them but they were resisting the inevitable! So foolish and sweet , she smiled inwardly. She was sure it was that stubborn brother of hers who had hurt Khushi in someway. But she was also sure that at the same time he was hurting too very badly!
Only Devi Maiyya knew how long it would take Chhotey to realize how much the girl cared for him...if only Maa had been here...the thought brought tears to her eyes again
"Di!"Arnav turned his attention to her, "You remember you promised me before coming here that you wouldn't cry..."
"Yes Chhotey, I remember...but sometimes I think, its better to cry out one's feelings rather than keep them cooped inside..."
"That fatal night...among all of us it was you Chhotey who was the worst affected...
While the lifeless bloody body of our parents room made me dizzy, you stood there shell shocked, your eyes glued on maa, refusing to budge..."
She recalled how her brother had cried out Maa's name only once in a heart wrenching despair and then his throat and tears had dried up...his face had become impassive and hard...a mask that he continued to wear even today...
She whispered aloud "I wish i had stayed back with you I the room Chhotey, but i couldn't...nausea overtook me and i felt sick, i hurried down the stairs..."
"And that is when i overheard Nani telling Dadi that maa had been murdered , she did not commit suicide..."
Arnav's face was in the shadow but Khushi thought she saw something glimmer in his eyes. She bit her lower lip nervously.
Manohar mama said in a distressed voice, " When I think of that night I feel a chill down my spine even today. Subhadraji sent us home with Amma after she fell unconscious. The whole night Amma had a disturbed sleep...crying out Ratna's name from time to time...and asking for Anjali Arnav...I kept calling Sheeshmahal but no one answered my phone...Little Aakash too kept on asking me to bring his bhai and Anjalidi to our home. I promised him I would do so the next morning.
Early next morning as I drove my car into the driveway of Sheeshmahal, I was
astonished to see Chhotey leading a sobbing Anjali out of the building."
Anjali said in a hurt voice, "Yes Mamaji, Chacha had just turned us out of our house..."Anjali closed her eyes in pain while Arnav just stared in the distance with pursed lips...
Mamaji stroked Anjali's hair and whispered, "How can I ever forget bitiya...it was the most painful day of my life to see my dead sister's children in such a state...I brought you to my home at once..."
"Yes...it was so healing to be enveloped in Nani's warmth...to be with you, Mamiji, Aakash...that was as close to Maa we could ever be..." Anjali murmured with misty eyes...
"Isn't it Chhotey?" she reached our to her brother.
Arnav did not comment but just pressed his Di's fingers tightly again.
"And I too was so excited to have bhai in my house..." Aakash nodded his head.
Mami strutted, "We were happy to say Hello hi to Arnav bitwa and Anjali bitiya and bye bye to the Ajit and Subhadra Mallik!"
"And Arnav bitwa taught the Malliks a lesson they will never forget! He dropped the Mallik from his name like hot potatoes and adopted Raizada!" Mami grinned.
Anjali's face broke into a sweet smile and she looked at her Chhotey proudly.
"That is so true, he was just a young boy...but fearless!" Nani beamed.
Aakash whistled and punched the air, "Yo Bhai!"
Payal giggled.
Manorama shrieked with laughter, "Hello hi Raizada! Bye bye Mallik!"
Khushi looked at Arnav from under her lashes and could not hide the warmth for him in her eyes.
Arnav shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and smirked.
Nani said,"Ajit even tried to take advantage of this situation by going to court and claiming that by changing his surname to Raizada , Arnav had lost the right to the property his grandfather had left for him."
"But Ajit lost the case! But above all he lost all goodwill in the society as everyone was sympathetic towards the young orphan boy!"Mamaji said thoughtfully.
Nani nodded her head and said in a low voice, "And that is when Subhadra approached me. She apologized to me profusely. She told me that she had become a prisoner of Ajit's whims. She had failed to see Ajit's greed. She realized now that she should not have allowed Ajit to turn Anjali-Arnav out of Sheeshmahal as they had every right to their ancestral mansion. She begged me to hand her grandchildren over to her as they were the last nishani(symbol) of her dead son. And their rightful place was in Sheeshmahal."
Tears welled up in Nani's eyes," I felt sorry for her. She had just lost her eldest son.She was never very expressive in her love towards her grandchildren, but she was their grandmother and she promised me that she would take care good care of Anjali and Arnav...give Arnav the best of education and get Anjali married to a man who deserved her and ensure that Ajit never hurt them again...!"
"I had no reason not to believe her..."
"You were too soft sasuma, Hello hi, bye bye..." Manorama scowled.
Anjali sighed, "No Mami, Dadi's tears melted me too. She pleaded with me again and again to return to Sheeshmahal with Chhotey! And I agreed!"
"Dammit!" Arnav who had been standing quietly with a dark face and clenched fists, roared suddenly, "Why wasn't I told anything about this!"
Nani muttered guiltily, "You were just a boy, Chhotey..."
Anjali walked up to her brother teary-eyed and placing her palm on his cheek, "It was my fault Chhotey. After the police handed over the bodies of our parents and we cremated them..." she said in a hushed voice, "I could not fight any longer. I thought if we return to Sheeshmahal everything will be the same again...". She closed her eyes in pain releasing the trapped tears.
Arnav removed her hand from his face and kissed her palm...
"But Di nothing was the same again...nothing..." Arnav said in a low voice.
"Yes...Chhotey, I know that now..." Anjali sighed deeply. " Ajit chacha must have realized that if we move out of Sheeshmahal for good, we will also take away part of the Mallik wealth with us so he decided to close in on us...force us to stay with him in Sheeshmahal, so that he could keep an eye on the property ..."
"I knew Ajit was greedy..." Nani sighed.
"Then why Nani...why did you leave us at his mercy?" Anjali turned at her, her eyes filled with hurt.
"I had no other choice..." Nani's lips quivered and then she let out the secret they were waiting to hear for so long...
"Ajit kidnapped Aakash and threatened to kill him!" she said tears streaming down her face.
"Hello hi bye bye sasuma!" Manorama shrieked, her face growing pale inspite of the heavy makeup.
Everyone was stunned! Payal stared at Aakash and her eyes grew luminous with fright! What if Ajit had carried out his threat! She would have never met Aakash! The thought shook her!
"What are you saying Maa?" Manohar shouted at his mother. "This can't be true! When did this happen?!"
"When you and Manorama had accompanied Arnav-Anjali to Hardwar to immerse the ashes of their parents in the holy Ganges river...I was alone with Aakash... That day Aakash did not return from school at his usual time. Driver said he could not find Aakash! I was terribly worried and was about to call his school, when Ajit called me from an unknown number and informed me that he had kidnapped Aakash from school and would cut him up into pieces unless I promised to leave town immediately after Manohar and Manorama's return without informing anyone at all!"
"I could not believe my ears! I was horrified! Ajit sounded mad and I was very scared for Aakash's life! I called Subhadra at once!"
She told me that Ajit was behaving crazily after his brother's death and he blamed Ratna and her entire family that is us, for the deaths. He thought that we were also a bad influence on Arnav as he had changed his name from Mallik to Raizada! She insisted that she had no idea to Aakash's whereabouts as Ajit had not told her anything and had threatened to harm her too. She told me I was free to go to the police but she could not guarantee that I would be able to save Aakash's life as Ajit had gone mad!
However, Subhadra said and these were her exact words..."But if you leave town immediately with your family without informing Anjali-Arnav, I promise to look after them well, give them the best of education and upbringing and protect them from Ajit's anger all my life. In return you have to promise never to contact Arnav Anjali ever again, because if you do you will have to sacrifice Aakash's life. Even if the police arrest Ajit, Aakash will be lost to you forever!"
Nani's eyes was bloodshot and she trembled violently and said, "It was the worst day of my life as I had to take a tough decision. There was no other way. I spent a sleepless night, crying out in he dark and begging Devi Maiyya to have mercy on all my grandchildren. When the first rays of the sun pierced me , my eyes were dry and my decision was made. If I wanted the life of all my grandchildren I would have to abandon Arnav Anjali. Aakash was delivered to me in a drugged state and he had no memory of what had happened to him after he left school. I told him he had fallen very sick and he believed me."
"Yes I remember Nani, I was feeling very sick, but had no recollection of being kidnapped...You did all this for me Nani?"...he said in awe.
But Nani carried on, her eyes fixated on Arnav-Anjali
"All these years I kept a tab on you my children from so far off but when I read in the newspapers that Ajit had tried to kill Arnav, I wanted you to know the truth."
"Hello hi bye bye!" Manorama shouted at her mother in law, "So that is why after we returned by the evening train from Hardwar, you insisted that Anjali Arnav be dropped at Sheeshmahal! we pack our bags and leave overnight without leaving a trace! And we thought you were behaving strangely because of Ratna's death! You also made us promise we would never contact Arnav Anjali again! But then after all these years you sent Aakash bitwa to Delhi to fetch them! What if something had happened to my Aakash bitwa, you heartless woman!"
"Manorama! Stop it! Maa protected Aakash at the expense of losing Arnav Anjali all these years. Does that mean nothing to you?"
Nani let out a sob and Khushi saw her swaying. She sprinted forward just in time to prevent her from falling but Khushi could not keep her balance and would have collapsed if a strong pair of arms hadn't enveloped them both.
Aakash pulled up Nani. Payal rushed to help him and together they led Nani to the sofa. Everyone gathered around Nani with concern. Arnav did not realize that he was still holding on to Khushi and she was in his embrace.
His stubble brushed her ear and a familiar tingling feeling swept over her. She opened her eyes slowly and gulped as his brown gaze grazed her face. She saw in them a tumult of emotions...
Her heart knew he was hurting deep inside...he was too scarred to believe in the healing power of love...but she would show him how to love...and heal...Khushi promised herself.
She let her lips touch the crook of his neck and smiled as he shuddered with passion.
"I am feeling faint Arnav...its too crowded here" she whispered into his ear, hoping he would take her to the adjoining room, away from everyone. And he did just that! He scooped her up in his arms effortlessly and briskly walked towards the room. He placed her on the bed and leaned over her with restless eyes, whispering in a voice filled with emotion, "Khushi please be okay...I will not be able to bear if... tum theek ho na?"
"Yes hum theek hain and I will not leave you...don't worry..." she said silencing him by placing her finger on his lips.
He was taken aback when she stroked his lips with gentle fingers, leaving feather touches all over ...his creased forehead, crooked eyebrows, thick lashes, hooded eyes, proud nose, strong jaw, manly stubble...
And then she leaned into him and kissed him softly on his lips, hoping he would feel the overflowing love in her heart for him that wanted to wipe away all his pain and hurt of years... Arnav did not react for half a second and then with a grunt he pulled her to him in a tight crush and hungrily devoured her soft lips in a passionate and grateful kiss, saying all that his lips couldn't utter and his mind couldn't imagine...fadaq padta hai !
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Thank you for reading. Hope you 'Like' the chapter.😃 I would love to read your comments too😃
Love
wiwy
Edited by wiwy - 10 years ago
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