Chapter 6
"Yash my son what I want to tell you is just between the two of us. For the moment I don't want Aarti to know."
"What is it Bauji?"
"I am dying."
"No bauji, that can't be. We will get a second opinion. We will get the best doctors money can buy."
"Son, don't you think I have done that. I have cancer. I don't have long to live. And I need you to do something for me. I need you to take over VK. I can't do it anymore. I can see Aarti has changed since marrying you. She has become of a housewife and I know you two are planning to have a baby. I don't want to burden Aarti with this. I will leave half my shares of VK to you and half to Aarti. I trust you not only to keep my company alive but to make it prosper even more for my grandchildren."
"But bauji, how will Aarti feel about this. This is her inheritance."
This is what he wanted, but all of a sudden he felt guilty. He didn't want it. He wanted his father in law to survive. And he knew how devastated Aarti would be if she lost her father. And he would be too. He had grown to love this man. He had shown him a completely different side of fatherhood. He made him want to be a better man.
"You are married to my daughter. The company is for the two of you and my grandchildren, your children. "
"Bauji, please can I speak to your doctors."
"You can but it will make no difference."
"I still want to."
Yash was devastated when he came from seeing the doctors. There was really no hope.
"Bauji, we have to tell her."
"Not yet. She is happy now. She will know soon enough."
"But the shares bauji, it's hers."
"I have decided Yash. Can I trust you to fulfil a dying man's wish"
"Yes"
He went back home. It was so difficult for him to keep the secret. He even kept it from his father. But the announcement was made about his father in law stepping down and him taking over. This discussion was had with his father and Aarti.
She was very happy for him. She had no clue. She trusted him so much.
His father was ecstatic. Half the goal had been reached. He was now convinced that his company would reached the echelon of the engineering world that he had envisaged. Nothing else mattered to him. He didn't even notice that his son was not as ecstatic about the events as he was. He was totally caught up in his own sense of victory over Vheer Khuranna.
Soon after the announcement she told him one night in bed.
"Yash, if pappa trusts you with the company, I will too. Besides we are married. We are one. I want to sign over my share of the company to you too.
"Aarti, it's not necessary. I can run the business, you don't have to sign your shares over to me."
"But I want to."
"Aarti ..."
"I want to, Yash. End of discussion."
"Aarti..." but she knew how to shut him up. She was kissing him and on top of him and riding him into oblivion.
"See, we are one aren't we? Will you do what I want?" she asked afterwards, still keeping him inside her breathing heavily in the aftermath.
"Yes' he said still panting.
And soon she had the papers drawn up and the process started.
The day that the transfer was complete, his father called him into his office just as the office was closing.
As expected he was over the moon. The goal has been reached. He was still torn. He wanted to please his father. That was always his goal wasn't it. Even when his father asked about Arpita, he hadn't thought it was necessary to set him straight. He was still seeing Arpita. They would go out for a bite to eat or a drink but he hadn't been sleeping with her since his marriage. And although she knew since that night when Aarti was in Bhopal that he wouldn't sleep with her, she made sure that he knew she was always available.
He heard a sound just outside the door. He went to investigate. He saw a crumpled up piece of paper lying on the floor. He picked it up and read it. He started running towards the lift. But she was nowhere to be found. Her car was still out front but she was gone. He made his way to his office to get his car keys.
"What is it Yash" his father asked.
"Aarti was here Bauji. She heard. And I found this at the door. She is pregnant."
"Why are you running after her Yash?"
"She is my wife Bauji. She is pregnant. She just heard the most devastating news that she ever could and she ran off. What if something happens to her or the baby? Your grandchild. I will never forgive myself."
"Why are you so worried about her? This was just a business deal."
"Yes, that was how it started. But now ... Now I love her bauji. I love her. I hope I still have a chance to prove it to her after this." he ran out of there again.
He didn't find her that night. But she came home the next day. He could see the hatred and disgust in her eyes for him. It was not the right time for him to tell her of his feelings.
When his father in law took a turn for the worst, she went back to Bhopal to look after him and he followed. She didn't want her father to know what the true nature of his relationship was. So he used those moments when the three of them were together to be close to her. They were always affectionate in front of her father. She couldn't do anything to get away from him. But when they were alone she treated him with absolute disdain.
One day he was alone with his father in law and he asked.
"What is going on between you and Aarti?"
"Nothing Bauji? Why?"
"I am a dying old man, son but my senses are not so dull that I can't see that my children are not happy."
Yash thought about it. It was his chance to come clean. To confess, despite the consequences.
"Bauji, I hurt her. She hates me now and when you hear why you will hate me too."
"Tell me anyway."
He told him the sordid story from the beginning.
"Son. I you have made me very happy."
"Bauji? I don't understand." He was flabbergasted. He thought that he would hate him and demand his company back and he was ready to give it back and walk out of their lives. Even his child's life.
"Yash, I can die peacefully now. The fact that you confessed to me means that you are the man that I always knew you were. A man of integrity. I have not come this far in my life by being stupid. I knew what you had planned. I knew you were trained and raised by SJ Scindiya. I knew what it was that you thought you wanted. But what I also saw was the heart of your mother in you. G3 is a good woman. She has a big heart. She also had a hand in raising you. I saw the look in your eyes when you saw Aarti at the presentation the first time and when she walked into my office. I knew that you needed to work through your feelings and you would realise soon enough that you love her and that she is more important than a company. And as I told you that day. I trust my daughter. I knew she would not love a man with no redeeming qualities. You love her don't you?"
"So much bauji. But I don't think she will ever forgive me."
"She will find her way back to you. Don't give up. And she doesn't need to know about this discussion"
"Thank you Bauji. Thank you for everything. Thank you for giving me your daughter despite knowing my intentions and trusting and giving me the strength to become what you saw in me. I am still a work in progress but I now have a role model in you. You are the father I want to be, the man I want to be. I promise you that I will look after Aarti and our child as good as you would have done."
"I know son, I know." A couple of hours later he passed away in his sleep.
And everything went further downhill after her father died. Then the baby came and she recovered a little. But the death of the baby totally broke her. She walked around in a permanent trance. She didn't do anything for herself. If Vhidhi and his mother didn't see to it that she ate, dressed and got out of bed she would have just stayed there. Mansi and Neelam came for a few days. They tried to talk to her. If anyone could get her out of that state it would probably be them. They ended up crying on either side of her because there was no response. She never even acknowledged their presence. And when she left, when she walked out his life, he still hadn't told her how he felt about her.
His family life had deteriorated. He had distanced himself from his father. His mother was still grieving the loss of her bahu and grandchild.
The headquarters of VK and S engineering was now situated in Dehli. He had taken over from his father as CEO and set the merget in motion. His father did not step down without a fight, but with his shares in VK and SE, he was the majority shareholder and pretty much do as he pleased. He wanted to make change the ethos of the SE to that of VK. He wanted to keep the legacy that his father law had left alive in his life and in the company.
He had continued doing what VK and his father in law had been renowned for, he contributed extensively to various charities. And today he was going to such an event. It was a children's home just outside of Dehli that they were going to start sponsoring. He heard good things about the matron and the workers. He would go there to look around to see what was needed and also to present a cheque. His new assistant had been there a few times and would accompany him again. He would meet the matron and also the principal of the school that the most of the children went to. According to his assistant there was also a co-ordinator. She did all the administration of the home and tutored the children. She also cooked and played with the kids. He seemed quite taken with her.
Some kids playing cricket on the field. There was a woman playing with them. She was fielding and had her back to them. She was wearing t-shirt and track pants and her hair was in a ponytail. There was something familiar about her. They walked towards the field and he saw the young boy hit the ball towards her. She started backtracking straight to him. He tried to give way but she swerved the same way and jumped for the ball. She caught it and was about to fall to the back and he caught her.
She turned around and his heart started beating double time. His head was reeling. He held onto her arms.
"Sorry," she said and moved away from him.
"Aarti" he whispered she looked at him strangely
"Sir, this is Pia, the administrator that I have been telling you about. Pia, this is Yash Scindiya, my boss and head of VK and S engineering.
She extended her hand.
"Pleased to meet you. Thank you so much for your interest in our home. You have no idea how much you contributions will help us,"
He couldn't speak. He just stared at her and she just nervously walked away.
It had to be her, but there was no sign of recognition in her eyes. He wanted to follow her, but the matron and principal was there to meet him too. They spoke and took him on a tour of a the home. But his mind was only on her. He was desperate to know how she ended up here. And why she did not recognise him or was she just pretending.
"Matron, your administrator, how long has she been working here?' he asked when they were sitting alone in her office.
"Just short of a year. She was in a vehicle accident. She wasn't badly hurt but she couldn't remember anything after that. Not even her name. I went to visit the hospital and she was in the children's ward helping the kids and I offered her a job here. She had been invaluable. She must be from a good family. You can see she is very cultured and educated. I pray every day that she finds her way back to her family. Although I am happy to have her here. We have been so blessed by her. She has made the place run so much smoother and she is responsible for us getting so much more sponsorships like yours"
"So remembers nothing about her life before the accident"
"Nothing."
"I see. And no one ever came looking for her?"
"No"
"She has finally settled down now and I think there is something between her and Mr. Dubey"
"The principal?"
"Yes, he has always been smitten with her, but she didn't want to get involved due to the amnesia, but is seems she is slowly warming up to him." she smiled.
Yash could feel the anger and jealousy rise up in him.
"Thank you matron. I will see that Kunal sets up the monthly contributions into your account. I would also like to be more involved personally. You know if you need work done around the home or if you need to couch the kids with cricket or something."
"Thank you sir. That is very kind of you sir. I know a man of your stature must be very busy"
"It's the kind of thing my father in law did. I always wanted to do the same but I have lost track with my busy schedule. But today I have gotten my motivation back. I got my life back,"
"Sir?"
"I will see you again very soon matron" he smiled.
He head indeed gotten his life back. He would be given a 2nd chance. He could start with a clean slate. He could win her all over again. And this time with pure intentions. And if she gets her memory back, then hopefully by then she could forgive him.
"Bauji, finally I can fulfil the promise I made to you the day you died. I couldn't look after her or our baby before. Now I will look after her and hopefully you will have more grandchildren that I can look after." He smiled as he silently spoke to his late father in law.
Edited by B-onesie - 9 years ago