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After examining the site they headed to the nearby office. They have been working late and their was still a lot left to do. They called it a day and decided to get all the paperwork done in next two days then Arnav could go with Saurabh to file all the necessary papers.
They were heading out of the office when Saurabh informed him that he couldn't go with Arnav to file the papers after two days as he was getting married. Arnav was bit surprised at that. He anyways asked Saurabh to join him for dinner where they could further discuss their work. Saurabh was apologetic. His fiancee was in town and he had asked her and her son to be with him for dinner. He however invited Arnav to join them. After initial refusal, Arnav agreed to come.
Arnav had been surprised to know of his pending marriage. Whatever little he knew about Saurabh, he knew that he was a confirmed bachelor. After the death of his wife in a plane crash ten years ago, he had devoted his life in taking care of their daughter who was just an infant when her mother was killed while on a business trip.
Now, sitting in the restaurant, they waited for his fiancee. Arnav''s head jolted up as soon as he heard "Namste Saurabhji". He couldn't believe the vision in front of him. He felt like somene has punched him.
All the introductions went in a daze. She couldn't believe that after hiding from everyone for six years she would come face to face with him just like that. Without any warning. Her world seems to be getting shattered once again. She wanted to hide Sanat. Desperately pulled him towards her, believing that she could hide him in her pallu from those eyes which were prying on her and her son.
She seated herself and her son. All the while she was still confused at the fate. She didn't know what she ordered. After so many years she could still feel the hurt. The pain was still raw.
She inquired Saurabh of his daughter Nupur. She was with his father at home. He had come straight from the work so didn't have time to get them. So, "Mr.Raizada was still the slave driver that he was.", she thought.
Just then, Sanat asked to go to the restroom. Saurabh got up and volunteered to take him to the men's room. Arnav felt a pain in his chest noticing this. He couldn't understand this. It was just a little task of taking a little boy to men's room, after all. Then why did he suddenly feel deprived. Did he even have the right to feel that way?
He was the one who had trashed her so badly, when she had told him about her being pregnant. He could understand her running away from everyone that day. But he couldn't understand how even after loving her so much, could he have said all those things to her.
He still remembered that the morning after making passionate love they had woken up with Khushi running to the bathroom, like she had done for the past few mornings. He could hear her getting sick and had felt sickened himself with worry. Not wanting to show any softer emotions to her, he had lashed out to her when she came out of the bathroom.
" What is up with this throwing up every morning? Don't tell me that you are pregnant"; She had answered in a quite voice, "What if I do tell you that I am pregnant".
A range of emotion had gone through to him. But the one that empowered him most was that of jealousy, anger. Time and time again he had seem Shyam trying to make out with her. All he could remember at that time was Shyam with her and so in rage had said what he regretted till this moment.
" Don't think that you and Shyam could bring a bas***d at my doorstep and expect me to accept it as my own child."
She had paled under his accusation. Tears started brimming in her eyes. With all her dignity she had replied, "No Mr. Raizada. You don't have to worry about giving name to any child of mine." She had walked out of the room and when he returned from the office in the evening, she had walked out of his life. Without any word. Without even a letter to him or anyone else saying anything.
For so many days he has gone mad searching for her. Thinking the worst. He had even roughened up Shyam, thinking he might have something to do with it. But it was just not him who had gone mad with her absence. Even Shyam was distraught. He had thought that Arnav had something to do with her disappearance. The guy was so obsessed that he blurted out in front of everyone about his feelings for Khushi. Not caring for his much pregnant wife or anybody else, he had revealed everything about his being a paying guest and getting engaged to Khushi. How he would have eventually made her agree to marry him if only Arnav had not got into his way. His words sounded delusional. After a while the whole truth had been in front of him with all the Guptas coming out with the whole story.
He had taken care of Shyam the way he should have done months ago when he got to know of his philandering. He got his work as a lawyer examined and after finding many discrepancies and fraud in his work style he was sent for imprisonment.
All this had taken a huge toll on Anjali. She had gone into pre-mature labor. However both she and her child had survived. Keeping his own broken heart aside he had supported her through this ordeal and have tried to build her strength to face life. She now has devoted all of herself to her daughter, who has now become her reason to carry on with her life. She could have done better for herself. But for now this was good.
All this while he never stopped looking for Khushi. Always feeling guilty at what he did to her. Anjali's child reminded him more of what he has missed out on. He hadn't known if she was alive or not. But he had never given up hope of finding her once again.
And now she was sitting in front of him. Turning her face away from him. She was trying to hide their son from him. As if asking him to stay away. Not to hurt the child like he had hurt her.
But how could he stay away. After so many years he just couldn't do that now. She was to get married in two days. This was sure going to be a proper wedding that she always desired. With pandit and pheras. Not just putting of sindoor and mangalsutra. Saurabh was a nice man. A decent guy who would never mistreat her anyway lest alone the way he mistreated her. He would surely keep her happy. But could he just stand back and watch her slip away again. No, he cannot do that. He has to stop her. Or could he? He didn't know. Redemption is hard to seek...
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