Loving exploring Anjali's trials and tribulations much too much!
Well, Mr. Singhania is an intriguing person too, as I am fast discovering from how he has
the pace for the story no matter how I try to make him talk, he adamantly refuses to bow
to my commands!
Part 7
"Okay, Mr. Schroeder, we'll meet again tomorrow with these revisions. As
you've obviously been observing, it is only on a few mere technicalities that
the CMMI compliance are raising flags. We'll iron it out and wrap this up in
a couple of days."
"Yes, Mr. Raizada. We are extremely pleased with what we have seen so
far. Your attention to detail is exemplary. We are confident that you'll be
able to make these minor changes fairly soon."
Shaking his outstretched hand, Arnav smiled and motioned for Mr. Schroeder
to precede him to the door. Showing the CMMI experts out and finally
breathing a huge sigh of relief, Arnav turned to collect his briefcase.
Gathering up all the papers, he was just finishing putting them in order and
snapping the clasp shut when Akash walked in.
"Hey, excellent timing! What say we grab something to eat? Can you believe
it, maine working lunch ya no lunch pe bilkul theek_thaak survive kar raha
tha jo Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada ne mera lunch office mein bhejna
shuroo kiya. Aur ab mujhe proper luch karne ki itni aadat ban gayi hai ki
I'm famished!", he grinned, still engrossed with his papers, that he didn't even look up.
Not hearing a prompt teasing reply that Akash was usually ready with, Arnav looked
up, doing a double_take at the expression on his brother's face. Blanching as all sorts
of terrible scenarios rushed through his head, he leapt forward, grabbing his brother's
shoulders, "What is it? Is it Khushi?" And at Akash's slight shake of head, Arnav's palor
deepened, "Di?"
"Bhai, sab log theek hain, magar.."
It was a hushed whisper that came out of Arnav's throat, "Magar what?"
"Bhai, woh, uss function mein somehow kuch mediawale andar ghuss
gaye aur Di se Shyam aur woh incidentke baare mein sawaal poochne
lage..."
Almost swaying on the spot from both relief that everyone was safe, and
fear over what his beloved sister must be going through, Arnav sat down
heavily on the nearest chair. "Akash, is the first flight booked?"
An agonized gaze his only reply, Akash walked to the windows that had
blinds drawn over it during the meeting. Pulling it back, he stood aside,
letting Arnav see the heavy blizzard blwing outside. "I've been on the phone
the past hour, Bhai. Flights saare grounded hain, blizzard ke wajah. Maine
sab raaste try kiya par air space has been closed for two days. News aisa
aa raha hai ki telephone aur broadcasting networks bhi down hone ki
sambhaavna hai."
Raking a hand through his dishevelled hair, he shouted, letting out all the
frustration of the past couple of hours out, "I don't know what to do! Payal
was crying over the phone. It must have been excruciating for Payal to
break down. Aur Di par kya beet rahi hogi...", he gulped, overcome as the
scene he had seen on his phone from the video his mother had forwarded
played over and over in his mind.
Sitting silently, elbows braced on his knees and fingers pushed into his eyelids,
Arnav breathed deep.
"This was a shoe waiting to drop. I had been expecting the media to take
an interest in Shyam's case again, with the attempted murder charge added
to his case file, after what he did to Babuji came to light. I had sent the
press_release and had Aman talk to major news channels and reporters to
cover our angle correctly, trying to hold them off as much as possible. And
seeing how things lay quiet, I had almost believed that we had escaped
under the radar."
Leaning back wearily, his face a mask of pain, Arnav looked at his brother,
"Tumhe kisne bataya? TV pe already news aaya?"
Wiping his face with one hand, Akash held out his phone. Eyes hardening
as he watched the video, and then grimacing as his Di's stoic face flashed
on_screen as she graciously fended of the questions, Arnav was about to
say something when he saw Khushi's outburst. After almost smiling at how
much like him she had sounded as she defended her Di in his absence, he
suddenly jerked upright and hissed, "But now, they'll pull in Khushi too. They
have gotten a taste of how much targetting Di affected her, and they'll turn
to her story. Our first meeting, my kidnap, Shyam's involvement, our remarriage,
everything will get hung up to dry!"
Leaping up, Arnav roared in anger and agony, "God Damn It! It had to happen
now! When I am not with them!"
Barely restraining himself from punching a hole in the wall, he grabbed the
phone Akash held out, and with nary a thought to the time difference, knowing
that no one would have slept back home, he pushed the speed_dial button,
his other hand pulling his tie lose. Not paying any attention to Akash who
cracked open the door to inform the secretary outside their door to not let
anyone or any calls in, he walked to the windows, unseeing eyes staring
out at the gorgeous countryside.
The call was answered without even a ring completed. Hand and heart
clenching at the sobbing voice, Arnav closed his eyes.
"Arnavji..."
Leaning his head against the glass in utter helplessness, he whispered,
"Khushi, please don't cry, you know I can't handle it..."
After a muffled gulp that told him that his wife was struggling to control her
emotions, it was a torrent of agonized words that flowed over the line,
"Arnavji, hume maaf keejiye. Humein pata hi nahi chala ki security ko paar
karke mediawale andar aa chuka tha. Aur woh log Di se poochne laga...",
she went on the detail out all that happened.
It was a surprising reaction that Khushi heard from her husband, "Thank God!"
"Kya?!", she asked, stunned.
"It's okay, Khushi... Actually media ki normal ragging ke hisaab se toh this
was nothing. Thank God you were there to tell them off, and thank God Di
had the presence of mind to give that classy reply that she did." Arnav
smiled faintly, "I don't think it will get blown up as we all feared. It will
settle down, once I get Aman to remind all the channels about our agreement
last year."
Quickly wrapping up the conversation, he asked for the phone to be
passed to Anjali.
"I'm so very proud of you, Di", he smiled as she answered with a very
normal, "Hum theek hain, Chotte..."
Smiling now, Anjali leaned back, signaling that all was well to her worried
Nani and Mami. "Arre baba, hum ASR ki badi behen hai. Yeh maamooli si
media ko handle nahin kar payi toh hum iss naam ka laayak nahi rahenje,
naah..."
Motioning for Khushi to come and sit beside her, she listened to her brother's
loving encouragement. "Your graceful and calm approach was ideal to fend
them off, and once you brought in the role of Annapoorna and Prateeksha,
they won't have the guts to show anything negative. Wonderfully done, Di!"
And so flowed the conversation with the family gradually settling down, with
Payal and Dhruv too back within a couple of hours. After a late dinner,
everyone had just gotten up to retire to their rooms when Dhruv's phone
rang.
Frowning at the lateness of the hour, he glanced at the unfamiliar number
and answered, "Hello?", only to listen to the news that made him
let out an involuntary shout, "Kya?!"
Author's Note:
Muahahah! 😈
Another cliffie!
Next update on Friday, unless I am compelled by your comments to post earlier...😳😃
comment:
p_commentcount