[Arhi FF] Silver Lining..link to thread 2 pg 151 - Page 30

 

 

   Images whizzed past him as he stood frozen there, tied by the demons of the mistake he committed. His heart felt heavy. Ignorance was bliss. He never really understood why Arnav acted that way but now as he was hit with the vindication, Vinay understood ignorance was bliss. Until now, he was happily oblivious to all the revulsion and hatred that Arnav threw at him, simply thinking that Arnav was at his lowest, he needed some time to gather himself up. But after coming in terms with the actual scenario, disgust and abhorrence was what he felt for himself. Vinay had no face, no confidence left in him to face the man standing in front of him. He felt extremely insignificant of someone who started everything again from the scratch and made himself invincible.

 

 Shamefacedly he lifted his eyes to meet the furious, righteously angry ones' of Arnav. He flinched at the rage it was mirroring of the fire that was blazing in Arnav's heart. With great difficulty he found his lost voice and whispered, "I am really sorry Arnav..."

 

Arnav was shocked. After all that happened, after all the mishaps this man caused, he still had the nerve, "Sorry?" he asked mocking Vinay.

 

"I never knew it was you Arnav..." Vinay said earnestly, "I had..."

"Of course you never knew..." Arnav said sarcastically, "you ruined everything and you expect me to forgive you just because you apologised?"

"I have made a mistake, I agree..." Vinay pleaded but Arnav cut him through. "That mistake cost lives of others. Do you even realize that?" he thundered.

"You had no idea?" Arnav asked disbelievingly, his voice reaching a higher octane, "You had no idea? How thick can it be? You are supposed to really logical and intelligent. Surely you could see what your one step could cause. Where was that brain of yours which everybody praises so much? Had it gone to take a walk?"

"Arnav," Mahendra admonished but Vinay shushed him, "No papa. I have done something wrong. He has all rights to point a finger at me. I agree Arnav. My anger took the better of me. I know that. Can't I get a second chance? I am sincerely sorry."

"Please..." Arnav held up his hand, "I hate pretences. You can keep your sorry to yourself. I am in no need of it."

"But wasn't it someone else who spoke to me all these?" Vinay said suddenly, remembering a piece of his memoirs, "it wasn't you. I don't even remember seeing you there."

"Yes, it wasn't me who told you that!" Arnav said in a dangerous tone, "it was someone else who now, thanks to you, isn't alive to enjoy that precious life. All because of you! Your one mistake cost everything to all of us. I can never forgive you!"

 

Dead? His one blunder had cost someone their life? This burden was unable to be handled by Vinay. His confident shoulders were not strong enough to carry it on them. They slumped in weakness as he took a step back involuntarily. His senses were numb, frozen in the pain, the intensity of the revelation. He knew he probably never had any chance of redemption. Arnav would never give him that chance.

 

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"Phew! Jaan bachi toh lakho paaye!" Diya muttered dramatically, clutching her heart, as they escaped into the safe zone of their rooms. Just a while back, both the sisters had turned up on the doorstep, clamping their hands over their ears fearing their buaji's angry roar, which apparently was so loud that the windows of their house shattered, unable to bear her wail. But to their sheer luck, their mother and aunt had gone somewhere shopping for all the approaching festivals and hadn't returned yet. Well, are we complaining? Na! Khushi and Diya had thought before running at top speed to their rooms lest their buaji should catch them red handed in their ruffled, tired state.

 

"Haan!" Khushi agreed as she plopped herself on a small easy chair, "I toh thought we were gone...!"

"Someone should put a case on buaji!" Diya said angrily, punching her hand on the mattress, "She is doing child abuse!"

 

Khushi pealed around in laughter, clutching her stomach, while Diya sat there making angry plans of sending her buaji behind bars. There was this standing comedy in Gupta house, no matter how hard you try sending buaji to jail on various pretexts, no prison housed a cell large enough to hold her in.

 

Just then a small beep interrupted the comedy floating around in the air and Khushi, still laughing, managed to get her cell phone out of her jeans pocket.

 

 

"It's from Lavanya," Khushi said. Diya jumped off from the bed and joined her sister, looking over her shoulder to see her text. "So what are the plans?" Khushi asked her sister.

 

"Tell you what!" Diya gushed in excitedly, "Let's go to a movie tomorrow! Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani! It has Ranbir Kapoor in it and he is so bloody hot!"

 

What? Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani? W*F? Khushi thought. Never before she had heard her crazy sister talking about movies, much less Hindi movies and here she was, making plans of going to one just because the male lead had an awesome screen presence, "since when did you go to movies just because the hero looks hot?"

 

"Since the time I started to get bored without you," Diya said solemnly. In an instant, she was embraced by her older sister, who was too lost for words to react to this emotional phrase. Khushi understood what Diya had undergone. In her hurry to escape her annoying aunt and orthodox mother, Khushi had never really thought about the after effects her one step of moving out would have on her younger sister. The relationship Diya shared with Payal never defined that glorious bond of sisters. Payal considered herself too important to pay any attention to her younger sibling. She was busy chasing her career, her modelling and her stupid habits. Diya was extremely close to Khushi and since she took off to America, Diya fell lonely. She didn't have anyone to share her emotions and problems with. Though she knew Khushi was always there for her, just a phone call away, her hyper freakiness she developed to kill her boredom couldn't overshadow the constant pull she felt for her older sister, who was next to her mother in everything. Since then, going to stupid parties, entertaining movies and hanging out with friends who never really understood her was all that was left to her.

 

"I am really sorry, Diyu..." Khushi whispered, "I never really gave a thought about what my decision would bring on you. I was too preoccupied with myself."

"It's okay, Di!" Diya consoled her sister, "You were there for me always. You never made me feel that you were ignoring me. I can understand how difficult it is for you here. I don't have any hard feelings..."

"We are going for that movie tomorrow," Khushi declared. "Lavanya might also like it."

"Di, you don't have to, you know..." Diya said.

 

"After all that I did and after all the boredom you went through  watching crazy movies alone, I think I owe you this much at least," Khushi smiled as she ruffled Diya's hair, "if it brings that smile on your face, it's worth a shot and I don't regret any time spent with you. I am going to have as much fun as you tomorrow in that theatre."

"Are you serious?" Diya asked, her mouth hanging open because Khushi didn't like watching movies at all, "are you ready to come to a rom-com just for me?"

"Yep," Khushi nodded. Diya squealed in excitement, "You are the best Di!!! I love you!"

"Love you too, diyu!" Khushi said as hugged her tightly, leaving all the worries behind. That hug gave the answer as to where Diya belonged. It was in her world. She would do anything to take her there.

 

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"Look, I can understand why you are mad at me," Vinay tried again when Arnav beat him to it, "I am not mad. I am murderous. If I had that chance, I would have killed you for all that you did 15 years back. You just ruined my whole childhood, my dreams, aspirations and my life and you bloody have no right to stand there and convince me otherwise. So don't you dare else I might not even regret punching you on the face."

 

The whole family stood there watching the fight with their mouths hanging open. This was really clash of the titans. Neither of them wanted to back down from proving their point. What happened 15 years ago that Arnav still kept it alive in his mind, throwing spite and revenge at Vinay's way after so much time.

 

"What's happening Vinay?" Mahendra asked. This mystery was killing him and he wanted to know what the matter was that Arnav had made such a big fuss about it.

 

"Woh, papa..." Vinay faltered. Somewhere in his heart he knew this was the time to curtail the truth to his family. Everyone knew what had happened in the Raizada mansion 15 years ago but nobody knew the other story.

 

"Woh papa, do you remember I had acquired a building in Dehradoon and demolished it?" Vinay asked glancing uncomfortably at Arnav who stood there breathing fire or so it looked. He was extremely angry that Vinay chose such an unconventional moment to disclose the truth. For Arnav it was nothing but a cheap trick of getting attention and if possible showing the whole family that he was regretting more than anyone in this world. Whatever Vinay was doing, Arnav hated it.

 

"Do you remember what happened in this house 15 years back?" Vinay asked, his eyes now burning with fierce pride and a great sadness.

 

Mohinder nodded solemnly. He could never forget that day when he had lost his only sister to the terrible fates. If only he had convinced his sister, Kasturi, to stay at his place for one more day then probably she might have still been alive and happy. That night when they, Kasturi and her husband, Rajnath, were headed back to Delhi from Lucknow, they had met with a terrible accident and both of them were burnt alive in their car. Their body was beyond recognition and the only thing that confirmed their identities was a thin gold chain with a heart locket inscribed with letters KR that was found on the victim's body, which now was around their daughter, Anjali's neck. It had been Mahendra who had gifted that chain on their wedding anniversary. He was extremely attached to his sister and this news had rocked him to the core but his suffering was nothing when compared to Anjali's. She had lost a part of her soul which rested in her parents and never was the same fun and frolic girl after their death.

 

 Anjali had lost her senses. She had gone completely numb and never responded to her surroundings. She had confined herself into her room, refusing to talk, to eat and to come out. She had imprisoned herself in a cage of darkness and pain. No matter how hard they tried, the family wasn't able to bring her out of that depression pit. It was because of one person that Anjali had laughed, become normal and happy again, her brother Arnav.

 

"Do you remember who brought back the happiness into this house?" Vinay asked as looked fondly at Arnav who was still resolutely avoiding him. Manorama walked to Arnav and caressing his cheeks, she said, "hamare Arnav bitwa ke wajah se..."

"Yes..." Vinay agreed.

 

"But what has that got to do with some building you demolished?" she asked, confused.

 

"Everything, maa..." Vinay answered, looking down as guilt tore him apart. "Arnav brought back the happiness of this house at the cost of his own life..."

Everyone was stunned into silence. Anjali stood there crying while Lavanya looked around wildly as though someone would shout April fool. Akash was scratching his head out of sheer confusion but it was only Mahendra who understood the entire scene. He looked from Vinay to Arnav before muttering, "That building was?"