Shiva!!
Happy birthday, sweetheart! 🤗
I really, really am grateful to the almighty that he made you enter my life!
You just don't know how much you mean to me.
I know I've already dedicated so many updates to you, that this might seem like its a common thing to you.
But this one is from the bottom of my heart.
I just hope you like it. . . . 😳
Author's note :
- Arnav and Khushi are not married. Instead of the contract marriage thing that Arnav did on the show, my Arnav here, in this FF, simply paid a huge amount of money for her to move away from his family.
- I know most of you might be thinking why I am introducing so many characters. But this is the way I had planned this.
- Any more questions, let me know. . . I shall try to answer them as best as I can. . . 😊
Part 4 :
Arnav reached Shantivan and quietly entered his room. There was no actual need to come home anymore. The reason which made this mansion a home, his Di, had left him too. Just like his parents had. He remembered the incident when Nandini, Shyam's first wife had come in search of her husband. She had been made to believe that Shyam apparently worked for the Raizadas. She had brought a boy with her too, her child, who had a remarkable similarity with Shyam. The same child, who had watched in shock, as Shyam had tried to lie that he did not know either the boy, or his mother. Shyam's son. Arnav remembered how things had started to fall apart. Everything had gone down the hill from then on.
He was about to start working on his laptop. Just to keep his mind from falling into the abyss of loneliness, when there was a knock at his door. He knew it was either Nani or Mami, trying to find out whether he had tracked any information about Di. But he was surprised to find HP at his door. And when he looked questioningly at the house help, HP handed him a cheque. Arnav recognized it as the blank cheque he had signed for Nandini. He had thought of the mess the media would create when they came to know that his brother-in-law had another wife. So he had planned to buy Nandini's silence and hence this cheque. He remembered Nandini laughing a sad laugh at him when he had handed this cheque. Had she left the cheque back by mistake, or had she done it on purpose?
He now understood the reason behind the silent tears the woman had shed when the truth was laid in front of her. She had been genuinely interested to know just about Shyam and was not interested in the money that Arnav had offered. And when she learnt the truth, she had cried, picked herself up and had left with all her dignity. She had left back the cheque! Did she not know that she was leaving a golden egg behind? Her sad laugh again flashed across his mind, and he knew that she had left it back on purpose, and this astounded Arnav to no end. Knowing that people would let go of an opportunity which would make them completely, obscenely rich. And this thought made him remember one more face.
Khushi.
If only she had not taken money from him.
If only she had proved to him, that she was not with him for his money. . . . .
He remembered the grim determination on her face when she had come to ask him about the money, which had slipped for a second when he had flatly refused to pay her anymore money. He would have missed that slip had he not known her so well. But he had also noticed that the Khushi Kumari Gupta, that he once loved, the girl with colorful clothes and pompoms, and her neatly braided hair had ceased to exist. Khushi Kumari Gupta, was now as savvy as a model. Though that simplicity still remained within her. Suddenly, he was too curious to know why she wanted his money. She had spent all the money that he had paid all these months and now she had come to him to ask more?!
He searched a Mr. Ram Bharadwaj's contact on his phone and called him. Ram Bharadwaj was the detective whom Arnav had given the responsibility of finding his Di. And now he would have to find out more about Khushi Kumari Gupta too.
Now he would know why Khushi was in need of so much money. And with that thought, he got back to his work.
*****
Ajay called his uncle, Ram Bharadwaj, to tell him that he would be marrying soon, and his company would be in his hands, where it belonged.
"Well done, my boy!" Ram thundered over the phone, making Ajay to hold his phone away from his ear.
"Thanks, chachu!"
"Who's the lucky girl??!"
"Khushi." Ajay answered, and as he remembered Khushi, the protective feeling towards her came to the forefront. It had always been like this when it came to Khushi. Her angelic beauty, which held an air of sadness to it, had made a special place for herself in his heart. Concern about that sadness, had been the first feeling he had felt for her.
He cared for her.
He loved her.
Not the way you might accuse him of. No. There was no lust here. Not an ounce of it. Ajay broke out of his reverie, as his uncle congratulated him once again. And then Ajay proceeded to tell him that Anjali Singh Raizada was in Goa. When he was done, his uncle told him how Arnav Singh Raizada had wanted to learn about a person named Khushi Kumari Gupta. Ajay jerked his head back in surprise.
Being trained by one of the topmost detective agency, and being the heir to that business, he had used all his sources to test if Khushi's innocence was indeed real. When he had been reassured that Khushi was as innocent as they came, his respect for her had increased a thousand fold! He had known the whole drama that had happened in Khushi's life. Shyam meeting her and falling for her, even though he was married to Anjali, Arnav and Khushi falling in love. Yes. Arnav and Khushi had maintained a very secretive relationship. But Ajay had somehow found out about that too. Khushi was being paid by Arnav each month. What for, he did not know. Yet.
And why Khushi had chose to come to Goa, he still had not figured. "Chachu... I will take care of this... Its time to meet Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada." Ajay said to his uncle, and if Ram recognized a threat lurking behind his suddenly serious nephew's voice, he did not show it. He just told his nephew to be careful, and that Arnav Singh Raizada was not a man to mess around with. Ajay smirked as he listened to this warning. If Arnav Singh Raizada was not a man to mess around with, Ajay Bharadwaj was no less. And it was time this fact came in front of Mr. Raizada.
*****
Arnav considered the man in front of him, and he also understood the way he was being considered by the man too. Ajay Bharadwaj. The heir to Bharadwaj Detectives. "So what did you want to learn about Khushi Kumari Gupta?" Ajay asked, and the ease with which he spoke of Khushi, and the familiarity with Khushi that echoed in his voice, gave a very uncomfortable feeling to Arnav.
Ajay barely stopped his lips from lifting into a grin, which had started when he had seen Arnav squirm in her seat with unease. But Arnav soon recovered and asked in a clipped voice, "Where is she?"
"Goa."
"What is she doing in Goa?"
"She is definitely not moping around because you left her."
Arnav raised an eyebrow at Ajay's reply, and sat back in his chair. Ajay watched as Arnav's face attained this cold glare and a smirk, and he asked, "I am definitely disappointed that she is not pining for me. But please do enlighten me, Mr. Ajay Bharadwaj. What is she doing then??"
Ajay let Arnav's smirk fully spread before he opened his mouth to wipe that smirk right off his face. "She shelters homeless people like your sister." He now sat back and saw understanding dawn on the young businessman's face, and the understanding soon was replaced with a flash of utter hurt, and then the hellish fury, that he was famous for. Arnav banged his palms on the table as he stood up from his chair, pushing the chair to the far end of his cabin. He bent forward, and said in a low, dangerous tone which would have probably had any other man buckling to his knees. But Ajay watched unfazed, as he heard Arnav murmur in a velvety voice, "Whatever you know, Bharadwaj. Out with it. NOW!"
Ajay's hands which had covered his lips until now, motioned towards Arnav's chair and said, "Sit, Raizada." Arnav clenched his jaw, before he pulled his chair back and sat down. Ajay started explaining what he had learnt after he had met Khushi. "I don't know why Khushi came to Goa. I could not find anything about why she chose Goa of all the places." Ajay said, a little disgruntled that he had not been able to put his hands on that information. To know that, he would have to ask Khushi herself, and he was not ready to do that.
Arnav recognized the displeasure in Ajay's voice, when he said he had not found out about Khushi's choice of Goa, and smirked even when his mind was screaming to know about Khushi and his Di. Ajay explained how it was because of Arnav that Khushi and Shyam had met and the rest was history. And as he saw Arnav's eyes display his remorse, gasping for air when he realized how mistaken he had been and how wrongly he had treated Khushi, Ajay felt for the man sitting in front of him.
"After she landed in Goa, her friendship with Sivaranjani started. Shiva took proper care of her for almost a month, before Khushi made up her mind to start House of Hope, - a story which you will have to hear from her. She explains it a lot better than me - It is a home where she shelters anybody and everybody who need help. And that is how your money is being used. A few days ago, your sister landed in Goa too. Again, I don't understand why and how. But Khushi is taking care of Ms. Anjali Singh Raizada. Or should I say Mrs. Anjali Jha?"
Arnav gave him a look, as if to tell him not to push it too far. And Ajay raised his hands as if to wave a white flag of peace. Unknown to both of the strong-headed men, an amicable relationship had developed within minutes that they had met. After the appraising looks that had been passed between the two, that is. "When do you leave to Goa?" Arnav questioned. Ajay looked at his watch and answered, "In about two hours. Why?" "How are you at flying?" Arnav asked, a smirk making way on his face, and he heard Ajay reply with a similar smirk, "It has been quite a while since I flew. But I'm not that rusty, I assure you."
*****
As they flew towards Goa on Arnav's private chopper, Arnav thought of what he had to do. He had done so many mistakes, that he really did not have a mind to remember each of them. He just hoped that Khushi would at least give him one more chance to make it up to her, even though she did not take him back. Of for the f**k's sake! Who was he kidding?! He did want her to take his sorry ass back! He glanced at Ajay, who sat next to him, co-piloting his helicopter. Ajay was a reliable person, no doubt. Was Khushi relying on him, then? "So, in all that you told me, where do you come in?"
Ajay sighed before he explained his tale to Arnav. He was not an introvert like Arnav. He had just thought that Arnav was the entire bad person who he seemed to be, making Khushi face so many problems. But Ajay had realized that it was all one huge misunderstanding. And as he explained that Khushi had agreed to marry him, Arnav accidentally swerved the chopper, making Ajay exclaim, "Woah! Dude! Get a grip!"
"Like hell I am sitting back and letting you can steal her from me." Arnav said, warning Ajay against having any dreams of having a married life with Khushi. "If she does not want to marry me, I'll let her be. But if she does not want you in her life, and if you insist on hurting her, I'll simply have to kill you." They both chuckled at that, even though both of them knew Ajay was serious.
*****
"Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you, dear Shiva!! Happy birthday to you!!" Khushi sang happily with all the other inmates of Hope. It was the eve of Shiva's 26th birthday, and they cut a huge fruit and nut cake that the chef had himself prepared with Mrs. DSouza's help. Khushi had been behaving as if she was high since the past two hours, irritating Aditi to no end. Yes, Aditi was excited about celebrating the birthday too. But Khushi had been practically restless for the whole day!
Shiva was looking slightly overwhelmed, as she grinned and accepted best wishes from everybody, before she hugged her best friends. She cut the cake, and fed a piece to Khushi and then to Aditi, before Khushi and Aditi started a good-natured ribbing about Shiva becoming an auntie now. Anjali stayed at a distance, as she knew Shiva did not actually prefer talking to her, and took in all the celebrations with a warm smile on her face. Shiva had started to run behind Khushi, who being as graceful as a doe, had ran forward when she ran into somebody.
Ajay held her safe, and after making sure she was alright, he turned to his right, where Arnav had emerged, and he saw their eyes connect. He then turned to search for Anjali, whom he would be seeing in person for the first time. He saw her stare at Arnav in shock for a while, before her eyes were filled with this tender look.
Shiva stopped running when she saw Khushi run into Ajay. What shocked her more was Arnav, who stood beside Ajay, looking as if he always belonged here. Aditi came to stand next to Shiva too, and they exchanged a worried look. They both had recognized Arnav from the picture Khushi kept in the drawer of her bedside table.
Khushi shook her head, and looked at Arnav as she took a step back, out of Ajay's arms, shaking her head to check if Arnav was actually there. He was! He indeed was. . . . . . .
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