New ArShi FF: Birds of a Feather Link to Thread 2 on Pg. 1 [20/04/'20] - Page 79

Posted: 4 years ago

JUST CHANCED UPON THIS FF .


GREAT START . LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS STORY .

Posted: 4 years ago

Wonderful update. 

People say love is blind - so true. These looks like one sided love. 

Myra was very selfish person. She never liked Arnav 's family members, probably only wanted his money and luxury. Hopefully Arnav open his eyes now. 

Don't know why I am getting these feelings  that she wasn't pregnant either. 

Looking forward to read more 

Posted: 4 years ago

Hey dear hope u are fine????? 

Posted: 4 years ago

Hi!! Hope you are doing fine. All good? 

Posted: 4 years ago

Been really busy so haven’t been able to comment properly!! But from the looks of it, Myra and Arnav didn’t really have a true understanding of what they really wanted from the other. Arnav seemed more invested in her than her in him. It also seemed like he put her first at times and she put him second. Whatever her goals and aspirations in life, she was still not 100% there for Arnav in his time of need. Seems like she was physically always there for him but never gave him her full attention and this he mistook as her always “being there” and confided in her more than his own family. Can’t wait to see how Khushi and Arnav overcome their first true fight and I’m curious to see who will talk first ^_^


But hope everything Is okay and fine with you!! :)


Waiting for your update whenever you get the chance. 


Bizzy

Posted: 4 years ago

What a beautiful story...read all the chapters... Brilliant writing...loved the way you describe every emotion of khushi and arnav..at start i thought the pace was very fast but after that it was very beautifully described. 

Posted: 4 years ago

Hello!


Sorry I got delayed yet again 😒


Thank you for all of the wonderful comments (sorry I couldn't reply!) and a big welcome to all new readers 🤗


Beware, this chapter is extra long too 😆


________________________________________________________


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 Thirty-One

Time

 

– July 2019 –

 

Arnav woke up groggily to the sound of footsteps stomping across the marble floors. His head spun nauseatingly as he looked around for the source of commotion. 

 

It was the day after his cousin, Dev’s birthday. As per every year, the occasion was celebrated with an ample amount of pomp and flare –much like Dev himself– but unlike every year, the party costed Arnav a completely destroyed apartment (Bhagi and Dev had almost broken the TV in the middle of a wrestling match) in addition to a splitting hangover. 

 

“Myra?” he called, clutching his head.

 

His girlfriend’s displeased face came into view. She was busy packing up her stuff, once again readying herself for travel.  

 

“Going somewhere?” he asked. 

 

“Yes.”

 

Her cutting tone caught his attention, forcing Arnav to kick back the covers and cautiously stumble out of bed. 

 

“Myra,” Arnav said, touching her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

 

She merely zipped up her suitcase in response. 

 

“Can you please say something?” he muttered seriously. “How can I fix this if I don’t even know what’s wrong?”

 

“There is nothing to fix Arnav,” she answered, straightening up; she had finished packing. “It’s Monday today, and I have a job to report to.”

 

“When will you be back?”

 

“I’m going to Bangalore straight after, so I don’t know.”

 

He stared at her incredulously. “B-but you just got back two days ago, how can you leave again today?”

 

“I told you–”

 

“Yeah you are very busy,” he snapped unexpectedly. “You have a lot of work; the world will literally catch on fire if you take the day off.”

 

Myra glared at him. “You have some nerve to tell me that! I left all of my work just to come down and spend time with you, but what did you do? You decided to throw a party for Dev, who you probably saw less than two days ago!”

 

“It was Dev’s birthday Myra–”

 

“So now even Dev is worth more to you than me? Great. I was just leaving anyway.”

 

Arnav let out a frustrated sigh. “You know, this whole sarcastic vibe doesn’t suit you at all. If you have a problem with something, just say it.”

 

She let out a cynical laugh. “Look who’s talking! The man who has been sulking for the past three months–”

 

“I lost my restaurant Myra, do you even realize what that means? Since when have you become so insensitive–”

 

am insensitive?!” She cried in outrage. “Me, who has done nothing but support you patiently since day one, me, who has waited for you to get over these silly fantasies of cooking, me, who has been covering up for you in front of all our friends? You are calling me insensitive?!”

 

Arnav looked shrewdly at her. “That’s not you talking, that’s your family. That’s why you are running off to Bangalore isn’t it?”

 

“Oh please, stop–”

 

“No, you stop it Myra,” Arnav fumed. “I am just so sick and tired of hearing your double-meaning dialogues and your-sometimes-hot-sometimes-cold behaviour! It feels like you have a problem with the mere fact that I am breathing! So you aren’t going anywhere, least of all back to Bangalore, until we clear this once and for all!”

 

And it was all true. 

 

Ever since Arnav was forced to sell his restaurant three months ago, the both of them were getting into arguments too frequently for comfort. It was hard to ignore why. For whatever reason, there was a sudden pressure to get married. Although Myra hadn’t explicitly voiced it, Arnav could feel it every time she was with him. Whether it was urging him to join his father’s business or asking him about his “future plans” or simply boring him to death about her best friend’s honeymoon, Arnav got the hint quite well. 

 

It was weird. And the only reasonable explanation he had for the abrupt change in her behaviour was her parents. It wasn’t exactly a secret how the old mentality went: unmarried daughter equaled to undue stress. And as if to make his suspicions true, Myra without fail got into an argument with him every time she returned from Bangalore in the last few days.   

 

Arnav was completely at a loss on how to deal with this new hurdle. 

 

Didn’t she realize the position he was in? His father’s health was deteriorating, his mother blamed him for it, he failed at securing a job as a chef at every hotel he had tried, and there was no way he could get funds to open another restaurant… with all these situations, how was she expecting him to go down on one knee and propose? Even if her parents werepressurizing her to tie the knot, could she not convince them or at the very least, reassure them? 

 

He wasn’t backing down from his commitment, for crying out loud; he was merely asking for more time.

 

It was all of that frustration along with the alcohol still drumming through his veins, that made Arnav abandon his ignorance to her snide hostility like he had been doing for the last three months. They might as well speak out in the open. 

 

“Why are you getting so angry for something so stupid Arnav?!” Myra asked sharply. “This is not the first I am going to stay with my parents for a few days.”

 

“And yet you always come back a whole new person, fighting about the silliest of things!”

 

Myra’s nostrils flared.  “Oh please, don’t blame them for what you screw up.”

 

“And what exactly did I screw up?” he fired. “Loving you unconditionally?!”

 

“We aren’t in some romance novel for god’s sake! This is life! Have you ever considered, even for a second, how you would appear to my parents?!”

 

“Sounds like everything I do is a screw up according to them isn’t it, Myra?” Arnav retorted angrily. “And the funny thing is, you agree with them!”

 

Myra crossed her arms. “Forget them, can you keep your hand across your heart and say without any guilt whatsoever that you have not been delaying our wedding on purpose?”

 

And there it was; the dreaded marriage topic. Six years with him and she still didn’t understand what she had meant to him?!

 

“I told you a million times! I love you–”

 

“Well sometimes love is not enough!”

 

A lump had formed in his throat. “How can you even say that? All… all these years meant nothing? Everything I have done for you is nothing?”

 

“And what exactly have you done Arnav?” she fumed. “We have been together since college and what have you done for me? Everything has to be running according to how you like it, not once did you bother to find out what I want!”

 

Arnav rolled his hands into fists. He was seriously getting tired of being blamed. “If that’s what you think, then fine, let’s go get married now–”

 

“You see?!” Myra bellowed triumphantly. “THIS is exactly your problem! You never think things through! When the situation starts becoming difficult, because of your incapability, you just jump the gun and make a stupid decision! And unfortunately, I am the one who gets the brunt of it!”

 

He threw his hands in the air. “So what would you like me to do Myra? Forget what my heart says and just listen to whatever you say? Is that what will make you happy?”

 

YES! For once in your life, listen to what other people are saying Arnav! This whole, I-am-going-to-do-whatever-the-hell-I-want-just-because-I-can, is getting very old!”

 

Arnav felt as though someone poured a bucket of ice over his head. 

 

Where was all the venom coming from? True, things had been rough in the last three months, but never had he subjected her to any of his frustrations. Save for last night, every time she had come down to visit him, he had only given her undivided attention. In fact, it was only two days ago that he had arranged for a candle-night dinner on the balcony to welcome her home. So why was she so angry? 

 

“I don’t get it,” Arnav finally said, slumping down on the bed, his voice weak with doubts. 

 

Myra simply stared at him, not looking tired in the slightest. 

 

“On one hand you are upset that I am not marrying you,” he continued solemnly. “And on the other hand, you were perfectly okay moving in with me without an official tag. I have told you over and over again that you are nothing less than my wife and that used to be enough for you. So from where did this sudden accusation come that I’m delaying our marriage? What makes you feel that I am just stringing you along? I have always let you call the shots in this relationship Myra… so how can you say that I have neglected you?”

 

“How conveniently you blamed the entire thing on me–”

 

He held up his hand. “I just want to understand… can’t you at least give me that much? What is it that you want Myra? What will make you happy? Because honestly, I don’t understand why, even after six years of being together, I still need to prove to you how much you mean to me.”

 

Myra clutched her head in exasperation. “I want a family Arnav! How many more ways can I say it to you?! I made it clear since day one that I want to settle down, that I want to have a house and kids and just a normal life – didn’t we talk about that for years?! About that perfect flat we would buy? About that morning cup of coffee we would have together? About driving together for work? How could you forget all that?!”

 

“So where am I denying you that chance Myra?” Arnav asked, standing up. “I haven’t forgotten anything. Our life has just started, we have years to get to those dreams – the flat and the kids will come. All I’m asking for is time–” 

 

“Time for what?” she cut in. “To be a chef? To open another restaurant? To drink yourself to death? What exactly do you want time for?!”

 

Arnav closed his eyes, trying very hard to keep calm. It seemed as if she was determined to pick a fight with him today. 

 

“You have no idea what I am facing at home,” Myra continued angrily. “And you never have bothered to find out either… why would you anyway? You got everything you wanted isn’t it?”

 

So there was indeed pressure from her parents. 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked seriously. “If things at home are so bad, why didn’t you tell me before? In all these six years, I have told you every insignificant detail about me–”

 

“Were you in a position to listen?” she interjected. “You were so busy complaining about your father, going to that cooking school and then running after that restaurant… where did you have time for me?”

 

“But it’s not fair of you expecting me to understand without telling me the whole story!”

 

“What were you expecting Arnav? You knew eventually, one day or another, this marriage thing would come up! Isn’t it common sense that your girlfriend of six years would want a permanent name to the relationship?!”

 

Yes! I knew that, but it’s not something I expected to come up so soon!”

 

“Six years is too soon for you?” she asked, appalled. “How long do you expect me or for that matter, my parents, to wait?”

 

Arnav sighed. Everything boiled down to one thing. “Okay fine then, if that’s what you want, let’s do it. I will come meet your parents–”

 

Myra shook her head. “And when my Dad asks you what you do for a living, what are you going to tell him? That you are confused? That you are still figuring out what you want in life? Do you have any idea how irresponsible you’d look?”

 

“Then we’ll convince them–”

 

“No Arnav, first you’ll have to convince me,” she replied stubbornly. “What is the point in getting married if you can’t even give me a guarantee that you will have an income for the rest of your life? What are we going to eat or where are we going to sleep?”

 

Arnav felt as though he was standing in front of his father all over again. It was one thing to have uncompromising parents, but to have an uncompromising girlfriend? That was more than he could handle. 

 

“At the rate you are going,” Myra continued. “You can’t even afford to get to the registrar’s office for a marriage certificate!”

 

It was too much. 

 

“So that’s what it has come down to then?” he asked icily. “Money? You want me to join my father’s business, be miserable for the rest of my life, all so that you can have a fancy house to live in?!”

 

“The point here is not what I want, it’s about the kind of life both of us want!” she snapped. “Do you think you working at your father’s company is going to earn the bread just for me? It’s for both of us, for our kids!”

 

“So where the hell am I saying that I want to be unemployed for the rest of my life Myra?! It’s only been three months since the restaurant closed, it’s just a matter of time before I get a job elsewhere and then I will be set, we will be set! Don’t you have any trust in me?”

 

Myra rolled her eyes. “You have been trying for three months and yet, you can’t get a single restaurant to hire you – you know why? Because you quit your diploma halfway through without considering anything else and jumped onto this madness of running a restaurant. So really, you are neither here nor there! God knows if you are ever going to get a job as a chef, and even if you do, you won’t nearly be stable enough to handle a family! And the icing on the cake in all of this is, you expect me to wait! You expect me to just tag along on your broke adventures as if I have no self-respect whatsoever, right?”

 

Arnav couldn’t help but be reminded of Lavanya’s words from what felt like another lifetime altogether:

 

And when it’s your turn? When it’s time for you to have big responsibilities, will she understand? Will she have faith in you?

 

Myra continued relentlessly: “Whether you like it or not, the truth is, you are slacking off Arnav, and are conveniently labeling it as ‘following your dreams’! Tell me who in the world actually likes their jobs? But everyone does it anyway, because it’s what pays the bills! I used to think that at least after going through that awful cooking school or even after Raghav jumped ship, you will realize just how lucky you are to have a whole career waiting for you, but no, you are as stubborn as ever! 

 

You are twenty-six years old and you are no closer to figuring out what you want to do with your life than when you were nineteen! It’s been three years since we graduated, more than half of our classmates are well settled into a career and here you are, throwing parties for overgrown children!”

 

Arnav couldn’t speak. Fury and disappointment were equally raging inside his mind, as he finally understood what she wanted

 

“Is that it?” he finally croaked. 

 

She didn’t follow. “What?”

 

“Is that all you had to say? Do you feel better now?”

 

Myra appeared almost murderous.

 

Arnav turned away, unable to see the face he loved so much. He felt as if something had broken inside of him, something that was irreparable. 

 

“I can’t believe I wasted all that time trying to figure out what’ll make you happy,” he continued ironically. “I mean, here I was, thinking you were being cynical of my decisions just to prepare me for the worst and yet all along, you were telling me straight up how worthless I really was to you.”

 

She huffed in answer.

 

“So you’ll only marry me if I take up my father’s company, right?  You don’t care how happy or successful I will be, you just want a good enough bank balance right?”

 

“You can paint me as the villain all you like–” 

 

He didn’t let her finish. “Lavu was absolutely right. I did give you the benefit of doubt all these years… the truth is you are selfish. You never have and you never will think about anyone but yourself.”

 

Myra laughed without humor. “Oh of course, Lavanya is the one to tell you that – and what did she do? Literally dumped every guy in college because they weren’t up to her status and then married Akash, despite knowing he is a good ten years older than her, just because he was rich–”

 

ENOUGH!” Arnav thundered, whipping around to face her. 

 

Never in all these years had he ever raised his voice in front of her. He had accepted everything about her –good and bad– without a single complaint. But it was enough. Dragging his sister into this was crossing the line. 

 

Perhaps she realized she spoke too much, for she stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide in anticipation.

 

“Who the hell are you to comment on my family?!” he roared spitefully, knowing exactly which words could break her, and having them ready. “Take one good look at yourself in the mirror; you are exactly what everyone warned me about – low-class and desperate! 

 

You can hide behind fancy clothes and ambitious dreams all you want Myra, but the truth is you lost your respect the day you thought you could date me for my last name, the minute you wanted my father’s wealth and the second you judged me as a slacker! The truth is, I am tagging along on your broke adventures Myra, not the other way around! You have done no favours for anyone but yourself by sticking along with me for so long!”

 

FINE!!” Myra bellowed, in sheer contempt. “FINE! I AM JUST DONE THIS WITH CRAP. WE. ARE. DONE.” 

 

Then collecting her suitcase in one hand and slamming the door with the other, Myra indignantly walked out of his life that day. Only at that time, Arnav hadn’t realized it was forever. 

 

– One Week Later –

 

Arnav hurriedly ran across the fifth floor of Lilavati Hospital, his heart thudding in panic. He was on his way for an interview at a well-reputed hotel in the city, when he had received a fateful call from his eldest sister, announcing that his father had a stroke in the middle of a board meeting that morning and was admitted in the nearby hospital, his condition very critical. 

 

It was devastating news. 

 

But all Arnav could think about on his way to the hospital was the state of his mother. Just a mere fracture in his leg all those years ago had made her hysterical, there was no guessing what this news would do to her. He was almost scared for what he would find. 

 

Surprisingly, when Arnav finally skidded to a halt in front of the ICU where his father was being operated, he was greeted by pin-drop silence. He anxiously looked around to find his mother frozen beside the door, completely drained of life. Seated beside her was Anjali, tears streaming down her face while his brother-in-law, Shyam, gravely paced the hallway. 

 

“Di,” Arnav finally called, wrenching his eyes from the pale-faced Satya. 

 

Anjali looked up, and instantly enveloped him in a hug. Her fearful eyes told him everything he needed to know; Shankar wasn’t doing too well. 

 

“They are doing the surgery right now,” she whispered. “Removing the blood clot… Given his health and age, they aren’t too hopeful…” 

 

Arnav couldn’t listen.  

 

It had been months since he last visited his parents. Angry with his mother’s relentless nagging regarding his restaurant, he had stopped going home, making up some excuse or the other every time he was invited over. Shankar, of course, had long stopped trying to contact him. Only his two sisters were in touch with him, but fearing his response, they too steered clear of discussions about home.

 

He couldn’t have been more stupid. 

 

In his haste to prove himself, to set himself apart from all the expectations everyone had on him, he had neglected his parents. And today, there was a good chance that he would lose one of them forever.

 

“Lavu?” he asked. 

 

“She is coming,” Anjali answered. “Akash too… he is trying to take the first flight back from Chennai.”

 

Arnav nodded, not really registering his sister’s words. Instead, he turned to his brother-in-law, silently asking the questions burning through him. 

 

“He was in a board-meeting,” Shyam explained, understanding his anguish well. “There have been threats of a takeover for the last couple of days–”

 

“Takeover?”

 

“The economy is going through a bit of a lag right now, so sales are quite low… with the decreased stock prices, it’s easy for someone to buy our shares and became a major stakeholder.”

 

Arnav didn’t follow. “But we hold the majority–”

 

“Yes,” Shyam answered heavily. “But…”

 

“But what?”

 

Shyam cast a weary glance at his mother-in-law before continuing. “Well… there is a company who is desperate to get their hands on us. They even sent Papa a few threatening messages last week.”

 

Arnav felt the floor beneath him slip. “B-but they can’t do that!”

 

“Sure they can,” Shyam replied. “Papa is old, it’s easy for them to assume he can be threatened into their bidding… I tried my best to hold them back legally, but they are quite sneaky. So, we had no choice but to call a board meeting this morning and inform everyone… of course, no one was happy, and we were just discussing possible solutions when suddenly Papa couldn’t speak and collapsed from his chair… I called the ambulance right away and brought him here.”

 

Arnav felt his guilt cut in a little deeper. It should have been him at the board meeting that morning beside Shankar, not his brother-in-law. It should have been him coming up with a solution to the crisis, not his brother-in-law. It should have been him, rushing his father to the hospital, not his brother-in-law. 

 

When his father had needed him the most, he was nowhere to be seen. 

 

Arnav wished he could just go back in time and erase the last three months. He had been so angry with the closure of his restaurant and in the last week with Myra’s departure, that he had failed to protect his own family. Although they were all too nice to say it, the truth was, Arnav was at fault for this turn of events. Perhaps, if he had owned up to his responsibilities, if he had taken more interest in the company from the get-go, then maybe his father’s health wouldn’t have deteriorated to the point of a stroke and maybe, they wouldn’t be facing the threat of a hostile takeover. 

 

His mistakes were inexcusable. 

 

Shyam seemed to understand his turmoil, for he simply patted Arnav’s shoulder and resumed pacing. 

 

Arnav reluctantly turned to his mother. Satya was staring at the wall in front of her, not even a word escaping her lips. It was actually quite scary to see her so calm. 

 

“Maa?” he called timidly, sitting down in the spot Anjali had just vacated. 

 

Satya didn’t respond. 

 

Arnav wrapped his arm around her. “It will be okay Maa…” he murmured, although the reassurance sounded just as empty as he had felt. 

 

“It’s fine Chote,” his mother replied, her tone very dry. “You can go back to your restaurant. Afterall, why should all of this concern you now?”

 

Anjali intervened. “Maa please, this is not the time–”

 

Satya refused to meet any of their eyes. “You are right Anjali. The time to talk is long gone, all we can do now is sit here and wait for the inevitable… but Chote has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be a part of this family, right? So I don’t see why we have to burden him with all this.”

 

Arnav closed his eyes, regret forcing him to buckle on to her shoulders. The only thing he could manage to say was, “I am sorry Maa… I am so so so sorry…”

 

Satya finally turned to face him. He had always been her favourite.

 

“And what will I do with your sorry?” she asked monotonously. “Can it bring back Shankar? How many times did I ask you to come back? Since when did your dreams become bigger than your own father Chote?”

 

“It’s not like that–”

 

“Then what is it like?”

 

He was saved from answering, for just then, the doors to the operation theatre opened to reveal a serious-looking middle-aged doctor. All three of them huddled around him, holding on to their breaths, waiting for the verdict that would change all of their lives forever. 

 

“He’s very fortunate,” the doctor announced grimly. “We managed to remove the clot –lucky it was on the periphery of the brain– without too much damage. He will survive.”

 

Arnav felt relief spread wide through his lungs. 

 

But he is still critical,” the doctor continued. “There might be some paralysis on the left side of his body, if so he will need extensive physiotherapy… With enough care, he should be able to recover eventually.”

 

None of them knew what to say. 

 

“Can we see him Doctor?” Satya asked, the worry still etched in her voice. 

 

“Of course, once we shift him to a room you can see him for as long as you want. But please keep in mind, he won’t be able to talk or move much.”

 

Satya nodded anxiously. 

 

“The surgery was the easy part Mrs. Raizada… the real recovery begins now. What Shankar needs the most is your utmost care and support. All of you will need to help him find his new normal. He will have a hard time accepting the weakness in his limbs… most patients do.”

 

And with that the doctor left them completely alone. 

 

It was Anjali who spoke. “You heard that Maa?” she asked a somber Satya. “Papa is going to be alright.”

 

Satya appeared as though she ready to just collapse. The reality of her husband’s stroke seemed to finally set in. As Anjali helped her back on the bench, Arnav was gently pulled aside by Shyam. 

 

“We should be with Maa,” he told his brother-in-law. 

 

“I know,” Shyam replied unperturbed. “But there are more pressing matters to deal with… you will need to join the company immediately Arnav, preferably before news spreads about Papa– ”

 

Arnav couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “This can wait–”

 

“No, it cannot. If the board comes to know that Papa can no longer hold his position as CEO, they will vote amongst themselves on who should run the company and we can’t let that happen.”

 

“Papa just came out of brain surgery Jeejaji! How can you even talk about all this right now?!”

 

Shyam’s patience reached its end. “Listen to me Arnav – this is serious! I didn’t want Maa to panic, but those threats we have been receiving, they are real and very much plausible! Those people are waiting for an opportunity like this! The minute they know Shankar Singh Raizada is hospitalized, they will walk right through the front door and buy us out! And without Papa, the board will let them do it – in fact, many of them already feel it’s better to sell!”

 

Arnav tried to process all that. “B-but what can I do Jeejaji? I know nothing about this company–”

 

“There is no time for that! You will need to be appointed as the acting CEO on Papa’s behalf, I will somehow manage the papers. We need to get to the company by the end of the day and announce the news ourselves–”

 

Arnav felt as though he was being sucked into a black hole. “No, please listen to me – I don’t know what I’m doing! Do you really think it’s a good idea to put such an inexperienced person in charge? Maybe… maybe you should do it?”

 

“I’m just a lawyer,” Shyam said frankly. “The board will not accept me. Besides, it’s not my place. What we need right now is a united front, and that’s exactly the message everyone will get if you take over, Shankar Singh Raizada’s son…”

 

Arnav bit his lip, unsure. 

 

“I am not requesting you Arnav,” Shyam said, the urgency in his voice unmistakeable. “What do you think Papa is going ask the minute he wakes up? You heard the doctors, do we really need to give him the stress of the company right now? I know you feel inept, but we are out of options here!”

 

Arnav knew there were no excuses left. If he didn’t step up even now, he would never be able to face his parents again. So, he simply nodded his head in understanding, and headed back to his mother, feeling how ultimate destiny was. No matter what you do, all roads lead to the same destination. 

 

– September 2019 –

 

Arnav stared agonizingly at his phone, the clock behind him chiming midnight. He was sitting alone in his office, his eyes too tired to continue working, but his brain whizzing away with thoughts. Two whole months had passed since his girlfriend of six years left him. 

 

It was shocking how vastly his life had changed since her departure. 

 

His father, who was discharged a few weeks ago, was being nursed back to health at home by an army of physiotherapists, led dutifully by his mother. He was slowly, but surely, regaining function of his left limbs, which was nothing less than a miracle. Majority of stroke victims aren’t usually so lucky. 

 

Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ended. While Shankar recovered, Arnav stepped in as the interim CEO of Raizada Industries as per Shyam’s instructions. Although the board of directors accepted this change, albeit with some skepticism, they were far from trusting him. And Arnav knew exactly why. He had to earn their respect, not demand it. 

 

So, he readily threw himself into the company, trying hard to catch up on all of the years he had missed. Funnily enough, it hadn’t even taken a week for him to start feeling the pressures his father and brother-in-law must have felt for months. Their company was in debt, whether due to economic recession or increased competition, no one could really say. 

 

Shankar’s solution to the problem, of course, had been to expand the business, pulling in twenty years’ worth of favours owed to him and using his perfect negotiating skills. The plan might had succeeded, if there weren’t rumours about a third company trying to buy them out. Investors, all of a sudden, became hesitant to sign new deals and the company’s reserve funds began to dry up. 

 

That’s where everything came to a standstill. 

 

In the initial days, Arnav tried in earnest to continue the negotiations his father had started, hoping to somehow arrange for contracts that could keep them afloat. But the problem was, he was still new to the field. Raw and unpolished. So his trials undoubtedly failed, and along with it, the company shares too. The cherry on top, was the threat of a hostile takeover still breathing down their necks. 

 

Unlike what most of the employees had hoped, Arnav wasn’t as talented as his father, he couldn’t pull a miracle out of thin air. His brilliance, unfortunately, was not impressive. And as if to rub salt on his wounds, the new channels began to take lot of interest in the state of Raizada Industries and his capabilities as owner since last week. Whatever little reputation they had left in the market was now quickly being ripped into pieces. 

 

It was a miserable time. And the only thing that got Arnav through his seventeen-hour days, was thoughts of Myra. 

 

Ever since he saw his father fight for his life in Lilavati Hospital, Arnav couldn’t help but feel the transiency of life. He had died a million deaths that day, waiting in front of the operation theatre, guilt-ridden for staying away from his parents for so many months. He had missed so many opportunities to tell his father exactly how important he was to him. 

 

He couldn’t neglect Myra the same way. Whatever their differences were, they weren’t nearly enough to completely erase the six years of companionship he had shared with her. He had learned just how unpredictable life could be, so there was no way, he wanted to let her go for something as silly as his ego. Afterall, she wasn’t wrong. Couldn’t he really give her that stable job and settled life? 

 

It was these thoughts that made Arnav take a deep breath and finally dial her number. He had decided to step up, just like she had asked, and own up to his mistakes with maturity. 

 

The phone simply kept ringing. 

 

Just when had given up hope of speaking to her that night, she –miraculously– answered. 

 

“Hello?”

 

“Myra?” he said timidly. “It’s me… Arnav.”

 

Her voice was cold. “Yes, I know. How can I help you?”

 

Arnav sighed. Where to even begin?! Did she hear of his father’s health or the deteriorating company shares? Did she know that he finally took ownership of his inheritance? How aware was she of his situation? 

 

“I don’t have all day,” she muttered. “Or did you call me by accident?”

 

“No,” he said quickly. “Not by accident… I wanted to talk you actually… Are you in Delhi? Can we meet?”

 

Now?”

 

Arnav’s heart quickened. “Yes… please? It… it won’t take long, I promise.”

 

She snorted. “I don’t think that’s a good idea–”

 

“Please? Just for old-time’s sake? I won’t… I won’t bother you after this. Just this once?”

 

 Myra hesitated, but he could tell that she was also curious to hear what he wanted to talk about. So she relented and asked, “Where are you?” 

 

“I’ll come to you. Are you staying with Ira?”

 

“Yes. I will wait for you outside; please don’t ring the doorbell and wake Ira up. She doesn’t need to know about this.”

 

“Of course,” Arnav said, his heart soaring. “I will be there in twenty minutes.”

 

The phone went dead. 

 

Arnav couldn’t believe his luck. An hour ago, he was debating giving her a ring, and now, he was allowed to go meet her? Perhaps the Gods weren’t so cruel after all.

 

Pocketing his phone and grabbing his steel-coloured blazer, Arnav ran out of his office, his heart feeling elated for the first time in weeks. The company may be failing, his father may never come back to work, but at least he still had the love of his life. There was no way Myra would be able to stay mad at him once she heard his apology. 

 

Less than twenty minutes later, Arnav arrived at Ira’s darkened house to find Myra pacing the front verandah, waiting for him. His heart quickened and all he wanted to do was gather her up in his arms. 

 

But he didn’t. It would be foolish to underestimate her anger. He had been quite harsh the last time they saw eye to eye. 

 

Stopping a few steps from her, he said quietly, “Hey.”

 

Myra stopped in her tracks and gazed at him, her face devoid of any emotions. 

 

“H-how are you?” he asked uncertainly. 

 

She cut to the chase. “What’s so urgent that you wanted to talk to me in the middle of the night Arnav?”

 

“Actually… I have been meaning to talk to you for more than a month now. But with the way things ended the last time we were together… I didn’t have the courage to call you.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“I know that I have said some awful things to you Myra… but trust me, I have been regretting every single word. You were angry and disappointed that day, and instead of handling things maturely, I lashed out on you. I am very, very sorry. I was just… just so fed up of being misunderstood, of not being able to satisfy anyone, that when you complained about the same, I lost it… I don’t like being a disappointment.”

 

Myra crossed her arms. “So that’s why you are here? To ask me to forget everything and start all over again?”

 

Why did her voice seem so off? Her face was still quite blank, as though she was disinterested in his explanations. 

 

“I miss you,” he replied in earnest. “These two months have been the worst two months of my entire life… they say you don’t know the value of something until it’s gone, and that’s exactly what happened. I was taking your patience for granted, and when you walked away that day, it was like… my life stopped too. And then when I saw my father in the hospital, I finally understood. Relationships are what holds us together, they help us get through the worst times of our lives and I can’t believe I lost the most important one in my life because I was too angry to accept you were right.”

 

Myra sighed. “What do you want Arnav?”

 

A line appeared on his forehead. “I want you back Myra… I… I can’t live without you. And I don’t want to either.”

 

“You want me back despite my low-class and desperation?”

 

Arnav froze, mortified. 

 

“It’s been two months, but I haven’t forgotten anything Arnav. You can conveniently say you weren’t thinking, or you didn’t mean it when you said those things, but the truth is, you said them! I gave you six years of my life and that’s how you repay me? My love for you has been turned into a greediness for your money?!”

 

“Myra, I am sorry–”

 

“Well, sorry doesn’t cut it! You humiliated me that day in your apartment, you questioned everything about my integrity and that’s something I am not going to forgive!”

 

Arnav didn’t care anymore. Crossing the invisible line she drew between the both of them, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her towards him, wishing she could see just how much he loved her.

 

You know me Myra!” he whispered hoarsely. “You know exactly how deep my feelings are for you! Do you really think I meant any of those things?! Do you really not see how much I love you?”

 

Myra didn’t flinch. “Let me go. You have no right to touch me!”

 

Arnav felt his heart sink, as he realized that she was dead serious about them being over. She was indeed never going to forgive him, not matter how much he pleaded. 

 

As his grip loosened in defeat, she took a step back, and said scathingly:

 

“It’s funny, now that you no longer have that big fat inheritance to back you up, to boost your false sense of ego, you come running back to me, begging to be taken in. So whose self-respect is really gone? You can hide behind an Armani suit and the façade of eternal love all you want Arnav, but the truth is you are immature, directionless and sometimes, downright selfish.”

 

Arnav’s clutched his hands. “Myra–”

 

“It hurts doesn’t it? Well guess you haven’t been taking a look at the mirror lately. You don’t love me… You need me to make yourself feel good that there is something in your life that is whole and healthy because let’s face it: you destroyed your career, you destroyed your restaurant and now you are destroying your father’s company… what do you even have left?”

 

Pain, deep as an abyss, coursed through Arnav. 

 

“Or maybe now that you are on the verge of bankruptcy, you are planning to run away and hide behind the excuse of a relationship? Well guess what, with your track record, forget me, you aren’t worthy of any girl Arnav Singh Raizada. You were, are and will always be a disappointment.”

 

Arnav knew she was being malicious on purpose. Tit for tat. She had known that he would come running back to her one day or another, asking for forgiveness, and that’s why she bid her time patiently, and executed her punishment with utmost perfection.

 

Perhaps Arnav deserved ever word she threw like a dagger. 

 

But that did not soothe the fire that had ignited inside of him. He had believed for most of his life that he was talented, and that even if business wasn’t his calling, he was good at something else. But hearing her call his whole existence a failure? It made him stop seeing reason. 

 

His face contorting in rage, Arnav turned his back to her and walked away in utter silence. He spent the whole night driving around aimlessly on the empty streets of Delhi, until the sun was glaring down on him at the onset of another day and he was forced to go home for a shower. He had just begun his commute to the office, when he was summoned to the Raizada mansion by his father. He was greeted by the grave faces of his entire family when he arrived. 

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, cautiously approaching his father, who was seated on the sofa, still looking a little frail. 

 

Shankar took a deep breath. “I want you to keep an open mind about this Chote,” he began seriously.

 

“Er… okay? Open mind about what?”

 

“Your mother and I think it’s time you got married.”

 

Silence followed this statement. Arnav looked at Satya, seated calmly beside her husband, wondering if this was some sort of a prank. They called him to discuss marriage prospects?

 

Shankar continued. “The girl comes from a well-reputed family, educated, compassionate and if you ask me, exactly the type of person who can support you. I know it’s sudden, I was quite shocked myself when Alok Raj Gupta dropped by a few days ago with the proposal… but when I thought about it, I don’t see what’s wrong. You are of marriageable age and my health is more than stable… perhaps your wedding is what all of us need right now.”

 

Arnav had only listened to one thing in all of that. “Alok Raj Gupta from Gupta and Sons?”

 

“Yes, the very same one.”

 

Arnav stared wide-eyed at his father, before pointedly looking at his eldest brother-in-law. Shyam’s face revealed nothing, as he sat beside Anjali, listening intently to the conversation. 

 

“Think about it calmly Arnav,” Shankar said gently. “Don’t you think it’s high time you got a companion? I’m well aware of the situation in the company right now and I would feel much better knowing you are going home to someone, rather than to solitude. Merging with the Guptas will give us much more–” 

 

“Merging?”

 

“Well yes,” his father replied, twiddling his thumbs. “Alok proposed, and I quite agree, that it is only appropriate if we merge our company with theirs… after all they would be family. Haven’t we been looking for ways to expand the business for months now?”

 

They had been. But that doesn’t negate the strange fact that the Alok Raj Gupta personally came to them, proposing marriage between the families. Something wasn’t adding up. 

 

Arnav turned away from the expectant faces of his parents and gazed out of the gigantic windows overlooking the well-kept lawns. It was hard to keep Myra’s words, running furiously in his mind since the night before, at bay. 

 

You destroyed your career, you destroyed your restaurant and now you are destroying your father’s company… what do you even have left? With your track record, forget me, you aren’t worthy of any girl Arnav Singh Raizada. You were, are and will always be a disappointment. 

 

The prickling silence was broken, surprisingly, by Anjali. “The answer is no.” 

 

Arnav didn’t turn around. 

 

“This is marriage Papa,” she continued. “Not another business deal. How can you force him to marry someone who he hasn’t even met?!”

 

Shankar kept his voice patient. “I am not forcing anything Anjali. I am merely letting him know what I think is best for him… did I force you to marry Shyam? Or Lavanya to marry Akash? I gave both of you the choice, and I am doing the same with him. Khushi is a nice girl… and I don’t think that just because she can bring us a merger. Chote is more than welcome to meet her, talk to her and then decide.”

 

“So then why the hurry? You just got back home, Arnav is busy with the company – now is not the time for him to think about marriage!”

 

Arnav took a deep breath, his decision made. 

 

Turning back to his family, he looked at Shyam and asked, “Will it help? Will the merger help our shares to come back up?”

 

Shyam nodded. “I don’t see what other option we have at the moment.”

 

Anjali glared at her husband. “That is hardly the point right now! Chote is not ready for marriage–” 

 

“I am,” Arnav interjected. “And my answer is yes.”

 

Anjali gasped, stunned. Even Lavanya gave him a puzzling look from across the room. 

 

Chote,” Anjali said urgently, grabbing his shoulders. “Do you even know what you are saying?! What about My–”

 

“It’s over,” he told her sternly. He had no desire to bring up the topic of his ex-flame in front of everyone. “All of it is over. And frankly, I don’t care. What matters the most to me is the company and if the Guptas can give me that, then fine.”

 

“You clearly aren’t thinking this through!” Anjali exclaimed, shaking her head. “This isn’t a decision you can walk away from Chote–”

 

Arnav snorted. “I am fine Di. Didn’t you always say that Papa knows best? I trust his decision. If marrying Alok Raj Gupta’s daughter is the way out, then so be it.”

 

His sister couldn’t believe it. She turned wordlessly to the rest of the family for support, but none of them came forward. Because everyone knew there was no other solution. 

 

Shyam spoke next, his voice very gentle. “Let it be Anjali… Arnav knows what he is doing. He is not a kid.”

 

Anjali wasn’t convinced. Shaking her head, she angrily left the hall. 

 

Shankar turned wordlessly to his son. “So should I tell Alok Raj Gupta everything is good on our end?”

 

Arnav nodded his head in affirmative. Then avoiding everyone’s eyes, even Lavanya’s who he could tell was itching to speak to him alone, Arnav walked out of the house, back to his car and didn’t stop until he was sitting in his office, surrounded by files he had to review. 

 

If Myra thought that he wasn’t good enough, then fine. He would show her just exactly what he was worth.   


________________________________________________________


Thoughts? 


There is just one more scene left in the flashback before we come back to the present where our angry sherni is waiting 😆 as much as I tried, I just couldn’t finish writing it. So it will have to wait for the next chapter. And yes, Khushi will be back too!


Please like & comment!


Archi


P.S. - FYI the flashback of Arnav-Myra's conversation in Chapter 18, was from this breakup argument... like I said back then, context is everything 🙂

Edited by -Archi- - 4 years ago
Posted: 4 years ago

Thank you for a wonderful update.  Finally we know Arnav's past.  Can't wait to read the next chapter.

Posted: 4 years ago

Loved the update. Myra is so selfish and now right in thinking that she only became Arnav friend because of last name and status. Curious about last chapter of past. Waiting for the next update.



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