My dears, thank you for
your gracious comments.
Missing my old gang, and
still hoping to catch up with them, here is the next part...
Part 5
"Mrs. Anjali Jha?",
A
disembodied voice asked from behind the blinding light glaring on to her face,
as a microphone was thrust at her, almost hitting her chin.
"How
do you feel? Do you think this event is going to take away all the notoriety
that your much publicized divorce from eminent human rights lawyer Mr. Shyam
Jha brought about?"
Anjali
sat frozen for a monent, even as Khushi drew in a sharp breath, jumping up to
shove the reporter back if necessary, her first instinct as always, to protect
her Di from the big bad world. But as it is said, things had to get worse
before they started getting better. The first reporter's question only a
preview of what was to come, it was a barrage that followed.
" Or
is this an initiative to cash-in on the power of the limelight that is on you
now?"
"How
does your brother feel about you coming out into the open?"
"Has
he expressed concern over your negative influence on AR's stock market
performance?"
"His
wedding was also broiled in one controversy after the other, so isn't this
becoming a trend in your family?"
"What
do you have to say to justify such actions from you and your family?"
Khushi raised
her voice, her heart breaking at the expression on Anjali's face. "Arre, yeh
kya tareeka hai ek function mein pesh aane ka? Aapko zara si bhi tameez hain?
Humein koi comment nahi hain, ab aap log jaayiye warna hum security ko
bulaayenge! Aapko andaaza bhi nahi hain ki hum kya kar sakte hain!"
Seeing Payal
and Dhruv hurrying towards them from the corner of her eye, she stepped back,
satisfied at the panic on the face of the reporter, and the others who were
warily eyeing her. Turning to Anjali, who was sitting unmoving, staring at the
reporter who had thrown all those questions at her, Khushi crouched, "Di,
chaliye, humein waise bhi nikalna chaahiye. Party almost khatam jo ho chuka
hai..."
Tearing her
eyes away and focussing on Khushi, Anjali looked at her blankly. Then slowly,
her face became composed and with a grim smile and a slight pressure of her
fingers on Khushi's arm, she stood up, drawing to her full height, staring
straight at the camera with a slight smile.
"Humari
zindagi mein jo kuch bhi hua, woh humari private, personal maamla hain, lekin
aapke concern ke liye dhanyavad. Aur haan, hum ek nayi shuruath ki hain, kuch
aise logon ke saath milke, jinhon ne apni zindgi mein bahut kuch sahaa hain,
aur overcome kiye hain. Toh agar aap iss function ko unn logon ki zindagi ka ek
naya adhyay
maanein aur suport dein, toh ek humanitarian effort hogi, meharbaani hogi."
One could have
heard a pin drop at that moment, when Anjali stopped speaking and with a serene
smile, turned away from the cameras, walking back to the organizers area,
flanked by a proud Khushi and a teary-eyed Payal.
His fists
relaxing as he surveyed the scene, Dhruv turned to a flustered Mr. Goyal, who
was vehemently asserting that he had given specific instructions to the
security that only reporters were allowed inside, not their camera crew, and
that too with crisp instructions that they weren't to interact with the guests,
only to observe and report.
"I would be
lying if I said Koi baat nahin', Mr. Goyal. This shouldn't have happened. Aur
aap jaante hain ki jab mere donon bhaiyyon ko iska khabar milenge, toh all hell
will break lose. Humari Di toh recover ho rahi hain, dheere dheere aur aisi ek
reminder is cruel. But I know that you had taken every precaution. So please
make sure the security detail is brought to task for this lapse and that this
never happens again."
With that, he
took one final glance around the room, his sharp eyes coming to a halt at one
table, where three of the four occupants were staring at the media versus
security staff ruckus ongoing, while the four one was sitting back at ease, his
gaze unflinchingly fixed on the three women walking away from the hall.
Recognizing
the look on that famous face, the look that sent a spear of fear through many a
wrong-doer, the look that promised the nation that his attention was engaged
and that the matter would be investigated and cross-questioned until a
satisfactory answer to his questions were obtained, Dhruv felt a momentary
spark of panic. But before he could dwell on the matter, his phone rang.
Automatically smiling
at the familiar caller-tune, he answered, "Haan Bhabi? Abhi nikal rahe hain?
Lekin dinner service toh ab bhi chaalu hain naah? Kya Di utna upset hain?
Her voice
softening from the harsh tones that the situation had forced it into, Khushi
held her Di tighter to her side, "Nahi Dhurv, aisi baat nahi hain. Woh theek
hain. Lekin koi shak nahi hain ki yeh scene ab tak aired hua hoga. Aur ab calls
aana shuroo ho jayega. Hum chaahte hain ki tumhare Bhaiyya se hum baat ghar
jaake karein. Aur yahaan sab dekhne ke liye tum, Jiji aur Gautamji hain naah,
toh koi gadbad nahi hogi. Tum buss jaldi aa jao taaki hum aur Di ghar chalein.
Humein tumhare pass function ki kuch details chod ke jaana tha, jo Jiji akele
Mr. Goyal se discuss nahi kar payegi."
Turning away,
sparing one final glance at Raghuveer Singhania, who was now calmly eating the
appetizers as he chatted with others at his table, looking as if he was merely
a guest enjoying the evening, Dhruv walked off, hoping that he had misread that
famous expression. The other option was too scary to think about.
Author's Note:
Another cliffie! Those who have read Hai re Nandkishore would
have recognizd this name... but who is he and what was the "look"?
Next update on
Wednesday...
Also, I am stopping PM...
please follow the index or this story thread...
Edited by Appurs - 8 years ago
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