New ArShi FF: Birds of a Feather Link to Thread 2 on Pg. 1 [20/04/'20] - Page 60

Hello hello 🤗

Thank you for all the wonderful comments! I replied as always above (pg 80).

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The content of this story belongs strictly to the author, -Archi-. Any unwarranted use/copy of it is not encouraged and is strictly prohibited.

Chapter 25

Victim

“What do you mean there is no doctor called Raizada here?!”

“I am sorry Ma’am, but-”

“Are you new here?”

Khushi froze as she passed by the hospital’s reception, hearing her youngest sister-in-law badger a thoroughly annoyed nurse. A week had passed since Arnav’s departure to London, and there was still no news of him. By this point, Khushi gave up waiting for a message, telling herself that if something bad had indeed happened, then she would have known about it.

Instead, she resigned herself to studying full-time for her intern exam, which was scheduled for early next week. She was relieved to know that her medical books, at least, had not betrayed her – they still offered her the same peace and acceptance as her college days.

There was, however, the tiny problem of her erratic nanad, who seemed to have stopped by the hospital to pay Khushi a visit.

“Lavanya?” Khushi called, running to the reception desk, hoping that there wasn’t too much damage. “What are you doing here?”

Lavanya turned around. “Thank god you found me! They are telling me you don’t work here!”

The nurse –Sona– was outraged. “But she was asking for Dr. Raizada ma’am and you-”

“That’s fine, thanks Sona,” Khushi interrupted, dragging Lavanya away before things got worse.

“What?” Lavanya asked. “She was clearly incompetent! I’m going to ask Jeejaji to look into this hospital-”

“Please don’t!” Then dropping her voice, Khushi added, “They don’t know that I am married to Arnav.”

Lavanya was confused. “But why? It was all over the news-”

“Yes, yes, but doctors don’t really watch Business Weekly, okay? I go by Dr. Gupta here.”

“Does Arnav embarrass you?”

Khushi didn’t understand why this silly point warranted so much discussion. “No, what embarrasses me is that he is the trustee of this hospital. I don’t want to be seen as the one who got in on a recommendation, okay?”

A line appeared on Lavanya’s forehead. Before she could answer, however, they were joined by a jovial Ved.

“Hey, wanna go get lunch? I am taking a study break,” he said. “Who is this?”

Khushi bit her lip, hoping that Lavanya had enough sense to stay quiet. “Er, she is my friend. And no, I can’t go for lunch. I have to check up on some patients.”

“So you are gonna make your friend wait?” Ved asked with a wink.

“That’s mean Khushi,” Lavanya cut-in, fluttering her eyes. “I am starving. Let’s go have lunch.”

Ved grinned and held out his hand. “Hi, I am Ved.”

“Lavanya,” she answered, shaking it. “So let’s go?”

Khushi had no choice but to follow them to the cafeteria.

“So how long have you known Khushi?” Ved asked casually.

“We went to college together,” Khushi interrupted with a meaningful look to Lavanya.

“Oh wow, so a long time then. Has she always been this grouchy?”

Lavanya grinned. “No, but it could have something to do with the lack of company.”

“What do you mean? She spends all her time here.”

“Exactly,” Lavanya replied. “If she spent more time at home, then maybe she would not be so grouchy.”

Khushi rolled her eyes. “I am right here guys.”

“We know,” Lavanya said.

Ved added, “But we don’t care.”

Fortunately, before they even reached the cafeteria, Ved’s pager went off forcing him to bid them goodbye and depart to the tenth floor. Khushi breathed a sigh of relief.

“So who is he?” Lavanya asked once he was out of sight.

“A friend… what are you doing here?”

“Are you sure he is a doctor? Looks more like a body builder to me.”

Khushi rolled her eyes, having heard most of Ved’s female patients say the same. Of course, they all had also hoped he was single. “Yes, he is a doctor,” she said patiently. “Is everything okay at home?”

“Yeah, yeah everything is fine… I came to see how you were doing.”

Khushi found that odd. “Did Arnav call you?”

“Yeah, he didn’t call you?”

“No,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “So he sent you here to defend him?”

Lavanya, however, was clueless. “Defend him for what? He just called to tell me that he reached safely in London.”

Khushi let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. He was safe. Why did that matter to her so much? “Oh. Never mind then.”

“Did you two have a fight?”

“No.”

It was Lavanya’s turn to roll her eyes. “Yes, that was so convincing.”

“We didn’t fight… we just had an argument.”

“According for every dictionary out there, fight and argument mean the same thing.”

Khushi quietly sat down at a table, refusing to answer.

“So how are you doing?” Lavanya asked, deliberately trying to sound casual “Looks like you haven’t been sleeping well.”

“I am working,” Khushi lied.

“Is that a good thing?”

“Must you psycho-analyze everything I say or do? Can’t we just have a normal conversation that is not about your brother?”

Lavanya smirked. “I said nothing about Arnav.”

“But you will. So don’t.”

“Ved wasn’t lying about the grouchiness.”

Khushi ignored that.

“So can I get some details about the argument? Or will I have to beg Arnav?”

“Is everything you do for Arnav?”

“No.”

“Then why are you so insistent on being friends? Why do you care so much that I had an argument with him?”

Lavanya donned an expression that put puppies to shame. “We can’t be friends without being related?”

“Don’t answer my question with a question.”

“Is that rule number three for our bond?”

“Yes, it is!”

“Okay,” she said, relenting. “The truth is I think you are lonely. You obviously don’t talk to my brother, so I want to be your go-to guide for everything Raizada related.”

Khushi made sure her tone dripped with sarcasm, “How very thoughtful of you.”

“I am serious!”

“So if I ask you something, will you tell me without being biased and without running off to your brother?”

“Of course.”

Khushi gazed at her, wondering if she would abide by her word. But they had gotten too involved in the conversation to back out now. So steeling herself, she asked, “Why did Arnav marry me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t lie-”

“I am not,” Lavanya answered, with a shrug. “I really don’t know why he agreed to marry you.”

“But he agreed right? He had a choice?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Khushi groaned, feeling that her sister-in-law was being more difficult than necessary. She usually understood things at the blink of an eye, so what happened today?

“I mean,” she said, trying to rephrase her question. “He could have said no. He could have turned down the proposal, but he didn’t.”

Lavanya maintained her poker face. “Are you asking me or telling me?”

“You know what, forget it. There is no point talking about this-”

“Maybe because the answers you want are with Arnav, but you don’t want to ask him.”

Khushi glared at her. “I did ask him.”

“And?”

“And he didn’t tell me, so as my friend, I am asking you: did Arnav choose to marry me?”

Lavanya sighed. “I don’t think you are getting the point here.”

“Which is…?”

“Are you asking me if Arnav chose to marry or if Arnav chose to marry you?”

Khushi’s heart sank. “It’s… not the same thing?”

“No.”

It was a few minutes before Khushi regained her voice. She didn’t think she could feel any worse after hearing Arnav’s confession, but she did. “Okay, so which one is it?”

“Arnav chose to marry. You weren’t a part of that equation… not then anyway.”

“And you supported him in that decision? You told him to marry, no matter who the girl was?”

“I told him to marry,” Lavanya said simply. She offered no further explanation.

And that was the breaking point for Khushi. “You know what Lavanya,” she fumed. “I don’t need a go-to person to understand your family! What I need is some honesty about how much all of you are willing to go to cover up the mess your brother has made!”

“Khushi-”

“Lata doesn’t need to give you daily updates of what has been going on, because I will tell you. Arnav and I don’t sleep in the same room. I sleep on the couch because he has made it crystal clear since the day of the wedding that he doesn’t wantme, that I was never his taste. When I finally started to make peace with that, he tells me that he had a choice. You know what that sounds like to me? It sounds like he cared about the money I brought with me, but not actually me. He used me to make sure his company doesn’t go bankrupt. So where does that leave me? I am married to him and I have to stay like that, but I have no rights as his wife. And the one who he wants as his wife can never marry him as long as I am alive! Now tell me how any of that is fair?!”

Lavanya was calm, somehow unrattled by Khushi’s outburst. “You know nothing about my brother,” she said quietly.

Khushi snorted. “I know enough-”

“No, you don’t. Yes, the company shares were at an all-time low, yes you brought a lot of money with you. But the choice to marry you was not Arnav’s.”

Khushi was infuriated. “But-”

“Let me finish! Just for one second, forget about everything you are feeling right now and put yourself in Arnav’s shoes. Imagine what it must have felt like seeing your father almost paralyzed in the hospital, not being able to even get down from the bed to use the bathroom and yet the only thing that he worried about was the company, the company for which he sold your mother’s jewelry to start?

Imagine what it must have felt like, knowing that your father has put you in charge of his life’s hard work, and mind you, it’s the same father you neglected, and walked away from when he needed you the most, but still, he placed his faith in you. How would it feel to know you are letting him down? To know that you are not able to save the company no matter how hard you try, no matter who you ask for help, and to know that your father may as well die from this loss? How would you feel?!”

Khushi was at a loss of words.

“Arnav may technically have “agreed” to get married, but the choice to marry you was not his,” Lavanya finished, her face rigid. “He was drowning, in guilt for not being able to do what everyone expected of him, in pain to see Papa completely bed-ridden and Maa worried sick over it, in frustration for everyone in the world seemed to focus only on him, literally ripping his image to shreds, and most of all, in self-loathing because he is stupid enough to believe all of this was his fault. So in that situation, when he got a lifeboat in the form of your alliance, are you telling me he shouldn’t have taken it?”

“So,” Khushi said, trying to gather her thoughts. “It’s okay to marry me to save the company and then treat me like a second-class citizen, blaming me for ruining his life?”

“No,” Lavanya murmured. “It’s not… I am not refuting anything Arnav did after the wedding. He was wrong, and as a family, we made sure he knew that.”

“And that’s it? You told him he was wrong, and expected both of us to walk off into the sunset together?”

Lavanya glared at her, a slight tinge of anger evident in her eyes. “You know Khushi, it’s very easy picking on other people’s faults. You wanted to know if Arnav had a choice in the marriage, and I told you that he didn’t. What you shouldbe asking me is Arnav interested in this marriage… but I think your pride is getting in the way.”

“How can you even say that?!” Khushi asked, appalled.

“Because you also have made it crystal clear since day one that you didn’t want him.”

Khushi averted her eyes.

“You think I didn’t notice how you used to avoid being in the same room as Arnav? How you would just smile and evade questions about him? How you literally would not speak to him unless one of us made you to? I may not know a lot about you, but I know enough to say you didn’t like him anymore than he liked you.”

“So what was I supposed to do?! Let my family figure out that something was wrong and just pull the plug on this whole merger?”

Lavanya seemed to be at a loss of words. Khushi didn’t even know why she was lashing out at her, when it was clear that these questions should instead be thrown at someone else, a certain someone who was royally ignoring her. Perhaps, she was sick and tired of being oblivious, of not knowing what storm was going to come next and when. Maybe if she learned a little more, she would be better prepared.

Finally, after a very long pause, a desolate smile spread up Lavanya’s lips and she stretched out her hand across the table to pat Khushi’s.

“I understand what you went through Khushi,” she said. “Truly, I do. You were put in an unfair situation, and you made the best of it. And that’s why you will always get my vote if Arnav ever comes complaining. But what I am trying to tell you is, he also has been put in an unfair situation. He didn’t make the best of it, unfortunately, but believe me, he is learning. My brother may be stupid, but he is not cruel. If he didn’t care about you, he wouldn’t have asked all of us to give you space, to not badger you about your job or ask Lata, for that matter, to work extra hours to make sure you always have a hot meal when you come home from the hospital.”

Khushi felt the ache in her heart subside a little.

“I’m sorry if I upset you. I never wanted to speak in between the both of you; your relationship is yours to make or break. I just… I just don’t want you to blame Arnav was wronging you. He is as much a victim here as you are. And maybe…”

“Maybe what?” Khushi pressed, watching her sister-in-law hesitate.

“Maybe it’s time you start considering what you want from this marriage, especially if this is bothering you so much.”

With that Lavanya collected her bag and departed the hospital, leaving Khushi tangled with a new set of doubts.

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Yes, Lavanya (and Anjali) are Arnav's number one supporters 😆 But she means well!

Please like & comment 🤗

Love,

Archi

Interesting loved lav n khushi conversation

The fault may have been on both sides, but more blame does go to Arnav for making Khushi feel totally unwelcome and ignoring her. He is making up for it though so he gets that credit.

Lavu.is a gem of a sister....yes anjali and lavanya are blessings. May be I see a good friendship between lav and kushi blooming in near future

Thanks for regular updates...happy weekend

Fabulous update,Lavanya told her the inner story of her n Arnav’s marriage n why he agreed to marry bcoz at that time it was the right thing for his family’s business but now he is trying to be friends with her so she should appreciate his efforts n give him time to tell her himself abt his past life.

Nice update and loved the conversation between khushi and lavanya and lavanya explaining how Arnav agreed for marriage. But I still feel Arnav should be the one to explain all this and his past to khushi. Lavanya and Anjali are supportive of his brother and appreciate Arnav’s efforts to mend the relationship.

Awesome update , waiting to know why Arnav didn't call her yet

Re: not texting first is a pride issue, but when you’re in a precarious position and have tried your damndest to reach out several times over and only receive callous responses... you start giving up no?

Regarding the update, loved the way a member from the Raizada clan reached out and tried making her see things from his perspective. I like the fact that she has incredibly supportive in-laws and they go out of their way to make sure she’s okay.

Loved the chapter

Read and commented on the blog

Eager for the next one

Khushi is just so confused