Dr Steve: Pari...they all died in that bomb blast...
Pari just stared at Dr Steve...vigorously trying to hold onto the fringe of her sanity, as the tidal waves of heartbreaking misery gushed her. Her Bhai !...gone...just like that. She didn't even get to meet him due to her prank...just like that? Someone who had been there for you all their lives, just vanishes into... nothing!!! The memories being the only evidence that he ever existed...she simply gazed at an empty corner of the room.
We fight, we talk, we laugh, cry, make new bonds while nurturing the old ones...All this ends into... nothing? ...
Her best friends too... just one bomb blast...and she lost out on the greatest treasures of her life...her Bhai, ...Khushi and Muskaan...
Pari: Steve?
Dr Steve McCoy: Yes Pari?
Pari: Did I...did I get to see him...one.. last... time?...I don't remember...and...what about Muskaan n Khushi..? [She asked calmly, with painstakingly effort]
Steve: Yes Pari, you did get to say your goodbyes...to all... ( For just this once, Steve was glad that Pari could not recall the events of the past two years...all the bodies had been burnt beyond recognition)
Pari gave an empty look to the two people that were present in the room... She was helpless... Two years of her life was hiding from her,... she couldn't remember her brothers last rites... she couldn't even remember if she said any last words...for the time being she had to take people's word for it...if they said she did it...then she has to believe she did...
Her eyes passing from one to the other...until it came to a stop, on Arnav. She recalled all those times she had fought with her Bhai simply because he seemed to place more priority on Arnav's messages than hers...She had been a kid then but non the less, she had been possessed by severe jealousy!!! Jealous that her brother had spent most of his time either talking to Arnav, tutoring him, or talking about him...She remembered the number of times she had sent prank messages to Arnav, telling him that there will be no lessons the following day...she had never met Arnav then...he had just been a name on the screen then...someone she had despised for being closer to her Bhai...
Pari got up from the bed and walked to Arnav, slowly. Looking at him, she said,"I would like to be left alone..." and with that she staggered back to bed, her stiff back held straight, too proud to scream and wail her loss. Her wobbling lips, the only indication of the remorse she was desparately trying to hide.
************
Arnav was astounded when Pari had calmly asked them to leave. He had expected her to scream, shout...or even simply to burst into tears. Her calmness baffled him and it made him feel uneasy. He was so used to seeing his Di cry as soon as something went wrong. Even though he had no idea as to how to handle the tears, but still that was better than no reaction at all!
After a few seconds, Pari heard footsteps fading as the door to her room was opened and then closed once again.
She refused to shed any tears for her beloved Bhai. "No Bhai...I am NOT going to cry...I will not ...cry... ," she said, angrily swiping away those traitorous tears which had managed to sneak past her barrier. "I...Won't Cry...I won't." The more she tried to hold her tears back, the more it seemed to rebel against her barrier.
Arnav: Pari, Tum theek ho?...(he asked, stepping closer to her with each uttered word)
Pari quickly raised her head to find that Arnav had never left the confines of her room. Only the doctor had gone.
Pari: What are YOU doing HERE? I thought I asked to be left ALONE???? [she asked angrily...angry that someone had seen her cry]
Arnav: "Humari Mumma Kaha kartee thi ki jab bhee roney ka mann karey toh jee bhar k ro lena chahee ye...mann halka ho jaata hai" ... [he said in a quiet tone]
Pari got another flashback...of a young woman saying the very same thing to her...and then the memory just blanked out from there...
Arnav started to turn and go away. Seeing Arnav turn, Pari asked,"Jinhe hum sab se zyada pyar kartey hai...woh hum mey chod ke kyun chaley jaatey hai?"
Arnav faced her once again, and after staring at the very depth of her soulful eyes, he said,"Ek baar kisi ne hum sey yeh kaha tha ki...jo hum mey chod k chaley jaatey hai...woh aasmaan mein tareyban jaatey hain...woh humarey saath humesha rahetey hai..."
Pari: Aap iss baat ko maantey hai?
Arnav; Maanta nahee tha...par...ab vishwaas kartaa hoon ki yahee such hai...
Pari: Kyun? Why?
Arnav: Because...I believe in that person...now more than ever...And I love her... Love is the Ultimate truth...
Pari; Love is blind...
Arnav: And because its blind, it sees what people with eyes tend to overlook...only problem is we often refuse to listen to what the heart hints at...and when we make mistakes we say it was the hearts fault...
Saying that Arnav left.
************
Arnav was remembering all the times his heart had hinted at him that Khushi (Pari) loved him and not Shyam...but he had refused that fact...everytime his heart had said to keep an eye on Shyam but when his eyes saw Shyam doting on his Di, he had overlooked what his heart had said...even at holi, his heart had made him confess his true feelings to Pari...and even after what Pari had said then...he had just focused on the terrace seen incident...His heart had always said that Pari was innocent...He was relieved that last night he had listened to his heart and rushed to RM...otherwise...he would have lost Pari forever.
Arnav walked to the rest room and opened the e-mail Aman had sent to him.
<FLASHBACK> [CHAPTER 8]
ASR: 30 minutes Aman...I want all the details in 30 minutes or you can get yourself another job...clear?
Aman: Yes ASR *he gulped*.(Aman thinking: Thats a lot of work for just 30minutes!!!)
<END FLASHBACK>
He had already read that e-mail...but he was still going through it a second time. It was Rahul's bio-data. Everything he had done, all the rich girls he had taken for a ride promising marriage, but had left them penniless when the time came for the knot to be tied. And then Arnav thought back to what all he had done to Pari, and what Shyam had done.
Arnav (angrily): Damn it!!! Non of us are worthy of her...one way or the other we all played with her feelings...but I will NOT let Rahul dangle her along like this...I will keep her away from him and save her from Shyam...And once all this is settled, and sorted...I will return her shares back to her which Dida gave to me...then set her free...she deserves someone better...I have to let her go...but I can't...I want to...but I don't want to...What do I do?
And just then Arnav's heart answered his silly questions...he descided he will let his heart lead the way...for the time being anyway...until then...
************
When Pari saw Arnav leave, she burst into tears. She couldn't hold it in anymore...
Pari: Bhai...<sobs>...I wish you were here...if you were here then I would not be in this problem...<sob>...I don't even remember marrying that Arnav...<sob>...if you were here you would have fixed everything ... <sob> ... I have no one left ...
But as soon as she said "I have no one left" she saw Arnav's face flash across her eyes...her heartbeat accelerated again...but thankfully the heart monitor was not attached to her anymore...to give away her true feelings to that one person who descided to walk into her room just then!!! It was Dida...
************
Dida: Pari beta...[seeing Pari's condition, Dida just hugged Pari and let her vent her sorrow out ...until Pari had calmed down]
Pari:...Dida...I didn't even meet Bhai...I came to India after so many years...and I hadn't seen Bhai for 4 years...and when I did come here...I tried to prank him...<sobs>...I didn't even meet Bhai...I had been so busy building up my empire...I took everything for granted...<sobs>...I thought Bhai will always be there...
Dida:its ok beta...I bet Dev knew you were pranking him...he always tried to make you win... we all miss him...he was taken away from us...thats why...I want you and Arnav to work together to bring justice to both our familes...HE is your husband...and I personally think you both compliment each other...
Pari: But Dida,...I love Rahul...and a marriage which I don't even remember...why should I be confined to something which bears no importance to me...
Dida:PARI!!!...If your brother were here...he would have been so ashamed of you...how could you say that...
Pari:.No Dida...he would have NOT...he would have understood what I meant...and he would have sided with me...
Dida [calms down and tries a different tactic] : Dr Steve said you may regain your memory...there's a 50% chance...<Pari humphs> ...ok,lets come to a compromise then...
Pari: compromise?...what?
Dida: You and Arnav work together to clear his parents name AND find Dev's killer...once all that is done ...and...Dev's unfinished mission is completed...AND by THAT TIME...if you still have no feelings for Arnav then I will help you out of this marriage...DEAL?
Pari: why should I agree to anything?...I can walk out on HIM right now...and get the specialists help to finish Bhai's mission...I don't need HIM!!!...
Dida:...actually you do...you see...the 50% shares of your G&G companies which you had given to me...I have given it to Arnav as a wedding present...and since Payal is married into that family and she told me herself that she will support me in whatever I wish...so that makes 75% shares for Arnav...with your 25% share...you can NOT withdraw or use any of the funds of the company which Arnav does not approve...SO...what will it be?...
Pari [grudgingly]: fine...DEAL...but IF he means nothing to me after the mission is over...then... he will return all my shares to ME...
Dida; sure why not...I will not have it any other way ...[said Dida, quite pleased]...oh and by the way...Dr Steve has given clearance to you and the rest of the family to go home...except Shyam...he will be discharged in a fortnight's time...
Pari saw Dida's smile...and she thought: Arnav Singh Raizada...YOU can NOT make ME fall in love with you...NEVER...we may have physical chemistry...but thats it...I will make you regret the day you married me...I WILL!!!😈
**********************************************************************************************************
I Know...I know...the story is dragging a bit here...but don't worry...as soon as Pari gets well and makes it back to RM...the pace will pick up once again...
Please comment...even if you don't like this episode...just say so...and thank you...thank you...to ALL those lovely people who commented and made me finish writing this chapter...lol...don't worry...the fireworks will start soon...
14