Upd!SS:Love in Delhi University#2:CHP19:Pg135 - Page 84

Payal had quit her job in Kanpur and had moved back to Delhi on her Bauji's insistence. Shashi and Garima had settled in Delhi as well. Payal, who was looking for a job, was helping Arnav in his scheming as well. Arnav had offered her a position in Analk but she had refused it saying she wanted her workplace to be different from her family life. Akash slapped his forehead and tried to make the best of whatever he could when Payal came to meet Arnav.

Payal was a person who kept her turmoils to herself. Often there would be storms waging inside which no one on the outside could spot. She liked to keep a distance from people. When Akash started to get to know her better, he figured all of this out but never spoke up. He didn't want to scare her off just when things were beginning to thaw between them. Arnav had noticed the changes in Akash and had asked him about it too and when he heard whatever was happening, he was left on the fence and thus decided to keep out of it.

For Payal, Akash was this calming cool river. Even though she didn't want to accept the fact but Akash did have a soothing effect on her with his words but she was too scared to acknowledge it. Malik's deed had left a traumatizing effect on this simple girl from Lucknow. Akash knew he was treading a flimsy ground and had decided to take it slow and give it as much as it required but he would never give up.

Soon Arnav had worked out everything and had almost reached the last part of their plan: breaking the news to Malik. Payal was to stay in the adjoining room when the revelation was to happen between Malik and Arnav and she would have to enter the scene when called upon as a victim of molestation. Before long, Malik's D-day had arrived.

Payal sat in room next to Malik's office. She could hear them arguing over something. What if Arnav lost? No, he wouldn't. Their plan was foolproof. But what if? What if they lost? What would Malik do to her? He had threatened her the last time she had seen him and she knew it wouldn't be tough for a man of that stature to toss her life away with a fingers jerk. Her fingers clutched the hems of her salwaar on her knees. Her eyes shut close; she tried to regain her losing confidence.

Akash, who was accompanying her, saw the changes that were flashing through her. The strong and poised person as she generally was, was faltering today. She was almost vulnerable. Akash saw her fingers twitching at her dress' ends. She was wearing a green and yellow churidaar which Khushi had worn a lot times before. The sisters shared their clothes, announcing how close they were to each other. Her hair was done in a pony like it was usually done and even today, a stray lock of hair had managed to find its way out of the rubber band's grip. It lay limp on her right cheek, obstructing his view of her eyes.

Akash's fingers twitched involuntarily again. He was standing by her chair with his hands in pockets. He saw Payal's face wrench and terror flash through her eyes as Malik's voice boomed over Arnav's for a minute. She wasn't all that strong as she wanted to be. He could see her trying to gather herself up but crumbling down every single time. She had done it a lot too many times and this time, it was getting a little too hard for her retain her mask. She looked up at Akash and smiled a bit but Akash did not reciprocate. Instead, he just pulled up another chair and sat down beside her. Payal leaned back with widened eyes but Akash was in no mood to let it go today. It seemed like confidence was coming to him naturally today. He bold kept his palm on hers as reassurance. Payal quickly tried to pull her hand back but Akash clutched it tight. Payal's breath got hitched. The sunrays entered the conference room from the glass windows behind Payal. It was a bright day and Akash decided to read it as a good omen.

Payal tried to wriggle her hand out but Akash held it in place. "Payal Ji.." he spoke up and his calm voice made her heart flutter. She tried looking away but Akash had already noticed the change in her as he called out her name. Pleased with outcome, he continued on his venture. He lifter her hand and pressed it between his two palms. "Sab theek ho jayga" he whispered. (Everything's going to be okay) Payal's eyes shot wide open at him. It was surprising how he said what she had been to everyone around her all these years. No one had ever returned the favour. No one hugged her and reassured her in times of need like she did to others as they thought Payal was strong enough to do it to herself except the very man before her. Oh! How much she had ached to hear these words.

They heard footsteps and turned to see who it was. The police had arrived, signifying the fact that everything was going as per their plan and it would be soon when Payal would be called in. Malik and Arnav's face-off was on in the next room. Akash wanted to use the most of whatever time he had in hand. He smiled and turned back to face her. "Police bhi aa agay hain" (The police has arrived) with a gentle. Payal nodded shyly and looked away and Akash's eyes fell on her loose hair lock. His fingers crept up and slowly brushed them away, tucking it behind her ears.

Payal kept staring away, trying to relish the feel of his fingers but her brain was tugging her away from it, making her see sense. "I'm older than you" she said quietly. "I know.." he replied softly. He was about to reason out that their age difference of two years didn't matter but was cut short when they heard Arnav scream "Ms. Gupta!" from the other room. Their head jerked towards the door at the same time.

~

Malik tried to keep his wavering confidence under his smug smile. The man before him had made his world tremble. As per what he was informed by his attorney, who was now present in the room along with the police, Arnav Singh Raizada now held 62% of the shares of company, making him the rightful owner. Arnav hadn't spoken at all since their initial greeting but Malik could see the flash of victory on his stern face. He realized his mistake; he had undermined the worth of his own son.

ASR was holding the fiercest ruthlessness in his eyes. They were stone cold and piercing, making shivers run down Malik's spine. He realized what he was up against. Arnav had turned into a man worth envying. Wearing a dark blue shirt and black suit with a matted silver cravat, he looked killing. The workers had exited and it was just them, their attorneys and the police in the cream room now.

Malik's attention was drawn back as Arnav's lawyer cited charges of molestation and attempt of rape against him. Malik could figure out the accusations of molestation against him but attempt to rape had taken him by surprise. His eyes narrowed in question to Arnav and that was when he called out Payal by her last name.

The glass door creaked open and everybody in the room turned to see the new entrants: Payal and Akash. "Ms. Gupta! So we meet again" perked Malik with fake cheer but was snubbed at the wrath he saw in the girl's eyes. His eyes went down and saw that her fingers were twined around the hands of Arnav's friend. What was his name again? Oh yes, Akash. Their mothers were bosom friends, he remembered.

"Captured a rich young man with your fairy charm, now have you?" Malik passed the comment lewdly, as they entered the room hand in hand. Arnav was about to walk up and punch him in the gut but one of the lawyers held him back. Hours passed in battle of words. Malik's attorney was no joke and they had built their defence up pretty strongly but Arnav Singh Raizada had found his way. Malik had tried passing the buck saying the girl tried to lure him in and he almost got away with it until Arnav played his next card; called up the HR department and presented all the complaints that had piled up against him over the years. As the police studied through it, Malik realized that he was held in for good.

The lawyer looked at Malik with resignation. He knew he had put up a good fight but lost in the end. The young man knew his plan well and Malik, the player, for the first time in his couldn't buy himself out of the maze. He looked at the clock on the wall; the match had been on for over four hours now and finally it had come to an end.

"Mr. Abhay Malik, you are under arrest" announced the inspector as the constable walked up with cuffs and locked him in. They were taking him away when he heard Arnav's voice from behind "Make sure the media gets a whiff of this" he said, coldly.

~

Everyone had exited the room except Arnav, Akash and Payal. Payal had just turned down Arnav's offer to ride back home. Arnav, understanding that these two wanted to be left to themselves, walked away, leaving them behind. Once the glass door closed behind him, Payal turned towards Akash.

"Shukriya.. Main ye apke bina kabhi nehi kar paati" (Thank you. I couldn't have done it without you) said Payal, ushering to the time when she spoke up boldly against Malik in everyone's presence, accusing him of all his wrong deeds. They were about to enter the cabin when Arnav had called Payal in when Payal's started feeling jittery. All her beliefs were crumbling down but Akash held his ground. He held Payal in a warm embrace as reassured her that everything was going to be ok. "You've worked for this. You waited for this day for so long. It's your turn. Do it right!" he whispered in her ears. That managed to perk Payal's confidence and from then on there was no looking back. Payal had regained her tigress form and showed Malik what it was to mess with a girl like her.

~

Khushi ran into the office, up the stairs and finally into the boardroom where Arnav, Akash, Payal, NK and Lavanya were seated. She ran across the hall and jumped up to hug Arnav in entirety. She was in the cafeteria with her friend when she saw the TV flashing the news of Malik being overturned by the new business tycoon in town 'Arnav Singh Raizada'. She watched with wide eyes and halted samosa in her hands as Arnav's and Malik's history started to play on tv. It seemed like everyone was up in doing Malik's dirty laundry.

Khushi rushed out at the first go and took the metro to office and now she jumped up and expressed her joy which was bubbling inside her for so long. The others were too used to their public display of affection to comment and titter anymore. They just looked away. Arnav held in her in and smiled at the gesture.

He was missing her for so long and all that he wanted to do was sleep with his head on her lap after such a tiring day. That was how he wanted to celebrate their victory and now that she was back in his arms, he could see his wish materialise. He hugged her in closer and nuzzled softly against her ears. Khushi understood that Arnav was exhausted and wanted to get away from all this. Arnav, even after these years, remained the same. At the end of the day, he just wanted to go back to where he came from. Khushi kissed him gently on the cheeks and broke the hug.

"Mujhe kisine bataya kyun nehi?" (Why didn't anyone tell me about it?) she asked, meeting Arnav's eyes and then turning towards the rest. When no one answered, Arnav cupped her face and made her face him lovingly. "How was your last exam?" he asked, as he tucked her hair behind her ears.

~

The next morning, Gupta House was abuzz with the usual scurry. The ladies in the house were running around, setting themselves for the rest of the day. Khushi quietly stole away from the moment as she picked up the news paper and sat down on the floor with her cup of tea. She was flipping through the pages when she saw an article on Malik's downfall. Pleased with herself, she went on to read it and receive the shock of her life.

Payal, at the same time, got a phone call from Arnav. She was in balcony, putting up the clothes to dry. She received the call and heard what he had to say. The media wasn't supposed to reveal Payal's name but someone had let it out to them. It was all over now. "It wasn't Malik" informed Arnav but Payal stood dumbfounded. Thoughts of Amma, Bauji, Buaji and the society started haunting her in the early morning. Her eyes welled up even though Arnav promised to set it right at the first chance. Her story was out.

She ended the call, cutting Arnav half way in between and turned back. She saw Khushi on the floor with the newspaper before her and shining pearls falling on the piece of paper which held hell's fury for her Jiji and her life.

~

Ignore Typos.. Too lazy to proofread

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