Arshi FF- THE SECRETS OF SHEESHMAHAL (Part 25)
By Unknown - Friday, August 11, 2017
PART- 25
2100+ Words
As though understanding his disarray Anjali
said "Arnav meet Lavanya, Shyam's rakhi-sister. You recall that I've told
to you before that there was this young lady who'd helped Shyam in his crucial
time. Well! She is the one," saying this she pointed towards Lavanya.
"Pleasant to
meet you Miss Lavanya," saying this Arnav extended his hand for a
handshake which was reciprocated by Lavanya with a smile.
“Same here ASR. I hope I can call you that?”
she asked with a smile.
“Of Course you can! After all you’re my
brother-in-law’s sister that means my family too.”
At this Lavanya tilted her head sideways
while folding her hand across her chest and raising her eyebrow a bit she asked
amusedly “Are you for real?”
“What?” asked a confused Arnav not getting as
to what this lady sitting in front of her wants to convey.
“Oh! Don’t mind! Actually from what I’ve
heard I’ve thought you to be a very supercilious person with a presumptuous and
cacophonous nature. So…” she trailed off shrugging her shoulders.
“Hmm! By the way whatever you’ve heard isn’t
wrong either. Just that the version of me which you just elaborated is for
outsiders not for my family. And now you’re one of them,” he said giving a
lopsided smile.
“Wow! Really? Then for sure I’m the lucky
one. After all not every girl gets this treatment from the mighty Raizada,”
saying this she winked making him laugh.
“Well! That’s make for two. First you get the
surprise after realising that he’s not what the world portrays him, at least
not for his family,” Anjali said ruffling the hair of her brother making him
irritated.
“Di! Don’t touch my hair,” he whined like a
small child making Anjali smile while Lavanya giggled at this.
“That’s true Anjali! As never ever in my
wildest dream too, I’ve thought that on my first meet with him I’ll see him
whining like a toddler instead of giving his scary stare to me,” saying this
she winked at her and both the girls hi-fived each other making Arnav frowned.
Furrowing his brows he twisted his mouth in
disapproval and clicking his finger in front of the two ladies who were mocking
him he said “Hello! How can you both just make fun of me? That too when I’m
still standing here in front of you guys?”
“Well! If you’ve a problem my dear brother
than you can go from here. Moreover you need to get freshen-up,” saying this
Anjali shrugged her shoulder as if nothing happened and shared a look with
Lavanya.
“Unbelievable! I’m not saying anything
doesn’t mean that you can say anything you want. I might be at home but don’t
forget that I’m still Arnav Singh Raizada,” irritated with their bickering he
said only to get a bouncer from the other side from none other than his dear
sister Anjali.
“Gracious! Arnav are you trying to scare me?
OMG! I’m so much scared,” she said widening her eyes and putting her hands on
her open mouth after which dramatically she goes near her husband and starts
showing him her imaginary goose bumps she added “Shyam see I’m getting goose
bumps from my brother’s scary threat, what to do now?”
At this Arnav just shook his head in denial
and murmurs “Here she goes again!” and left from there towards his room to
freshen-up.
All this while there was one person who
didn’t say anything till now and was just quietly watching all the drama
enfolding in front of her eyes with a smile gracing her lips.
After that fateful incident I’ve never seen
him smiling so openly ever. Though, he do smile but that never reaches his
heart. It was all just a pretence in front of us so that we think that he has
moved on. But I know that’s not the case. But today after years I’ve seen that
shine back in his eyes thank to this girl who has come in our house like a soft
breeze. Is this god’s sign for me? Subhadra Raizada wonders.
After having a heartfelt dinner with her
granny and making her sleep, Khushi entered her room and sat down on the bed
recalling today’s events. A sweet smile appeared on her pink petals recounting
it, but soon it was marred with confusion.
Why? Why I’m so happy that he did made up for
his mistake. Despite knowing that how much he’d hurt me why did I give into his
demands. Why his talks affect me so much? Why even his name is enough to make
the pit of my inside turn into lurch? What is it? What’s happening with me?
What’s in him that is pulling me towards him even before I’d met him. Huh! But
now this pull seems all the more-strong. Oh god! Where I’m getting myself into?
Was granny right? Am I falling for him?
Suddenly her eyes landed on the photo of her
sister which was placed on the bed-side corner.
A photograph, that was all it took for the
tears to burst Khushi’s dam of restraint. She clutched the solid metal frame tight
in her hand, able to see a reflection of her own face in the thin sheet of
glass that covered it. She looked past her soggy eyes and stared upon the face
of her sister-cum-friend that’d been caught in the moment of perfection.
Why Pal? Why you’d left me alone? I don’t
know what to do? When you’re with me I used to have no worries and now nothing
seems the same? You know it Pal. You know it that after your demise I’d
promised myself that I would never leave granny and that’s the reason I’d
always denied for my marriage. But now with Arnav’s entry I don’t know what to
do anymore. At one moment I feel happy then at the other moment I feel lost and
befuddled. I don’t know what to do Pal? Does all this right? Should I be happy
that I’m falling for someone or should I be sad that I don’t know what the
future beholds for me, for granny? All this just seems a mess to me. A mess
which to me feels endless, she thought moving her fingers over the frame on the
face of her sister.
Holding the photo near her heart she lie down
on the bed crying over her destiny. Destiny which has once snatched her
happiness has now giving it back but with an uncertain future, she thought
closing her eyes.
Here in Raizada Mansion after having their
dinner Arnav was leaving for his room when Anjali stopped him and said “Arnav!
Where are you going? Don’t tell me that you’re going in your room.”
“Sorry to disappoint you di! But I can’t help
you,” he said shrugging off his shoulder.
“Arnav! Lavanya has come today. So you should
join us. After all to her it doesn’t feel that you’re rude to her.”
“Yes my dear! Anjali is right. Come, sit with
us,” added Subhadra Raizada.
“Oh please! You’re saying as if there is
something important you guys will discuss. You and your ladies gossip with no
sense in it. Well! I’ve better work than all this. Moreover she is here for
Shyam jeeju not for me. Right Lavanya?” he asked popping his eye brow.
“Huh! Oh yes! Of Course!” she stuttered.
“Good! See now she too admits it. So let me go,”
saying this he turns to go but then stops and looking towards Lavanya said
“Don’t mind” and left from there without waiting for any response leaving his
sister and granny’s mouth wide open while Shyam was smiling to himself.
Turning towards Lavanya, Anjali said “I
apologise on behalf of my brother for his rude behaviour to you. He isn’t bad.
It is just that he is a bit moody.”
“It’s okay Anjali! You don’t have to!
Moreover, I too have some work so I think I should also leave for my room,” she
said a bit smilingly and stand up for leaving when Anjali holds her hand and
making her look towards her ask “Are you upset over his behaviour? Is it the
reason you’re leaving like this?”
“No Anjali! Please don’t think like this.
There is nothing to be upset over what ASR has said as I can relate to him.
Moreover work comes first. And I really have some important work that’s why I’m
leaving,” she said cupping Anjali’s face.
“You sure?”
“Cent percent,” she assured and then leave
towards her room while Anjali look towards her retreating figure.
“Okay then! Good night granny,” bidding aideu
to her grand-mother Anjali too left toeards her room along with Shyam.
You have the courage to take my child’s rude
behaviour in a positive way dear, and I really like it, thinking this Subhadra
too retire to her room.
Here after entering in her room Lavanya
dialled a number on her phone and when the person from other side responded to
her call she said “I’ve met him today finally, and know what? He has accepted
me as his family.”
----
“Yes! Yes! I’ll do as you say. But you know
what the bargain of this is?”
----
“Hmm! Okay!” saying this she pressed the red
button and look side-way in the mirror.
“I love you! Why is
it so hard for you to understand? Why don’t you accept it?”
“Because it’s not
right. It can never happen.”
“But why?”
“You know it. So
please stop following me like this. It doesn’t suits you,” saying this the girl
left from there while the boy kept looking at her retreating figure with a sad
face yet determined eyes
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“Doesn’t you understand it simply?”
“What? What
happened? Had I done any mistake?”
“Mistake? Huh! It’s
not a mistake but a blunder and now you’ll get punishment for it.”
“No… Please no…
Forgive me! Please…”
“The word ‘Forgiveness’
isn’t in my dictionary,” he said with a wicked smile and catching her right arm
started dragging her hurling abuses towards the petite girl while she pleaded
for mercy.
The loud sound of
slamming the door into the wall startled Khushi out of her abysmal dream. Her
cheeks were wet while her body was bathed in a cold sweat. The sheets around
her were twisted probably because she was thrashing in her sleep. Khushi
trembled while her heart was still ponding against her chest. The remnants of
that dream still clung to her mind, haunting her.
“Khushi! My dear
child! Are you okay?” Devyani asked caressing her sweaty face while sitting
beside her.
Khushi let out a
frightened cry while hugging her nani tightly.
“Today too I saw
something in my sleep granny, something which I’ve never seen before today,”
she said burying her face in the crook of her grandmother’s neck.
“What? What did
you saw?” she asked.
“I don’t know!
There was this girl naani whose face I couldn’t see. It was like I was seeing
blurred images. A man was pleading her to accept his love but she denied and
then... then there was a man who was threatening a girl. I… Knew nothing
naani.”
“Oh my child!
It’s okay! Everything will be okay!” saying this she parted from her and cupping
her face she said “Let it go Khushi! Let it go!”
“Why me naani?
Why me? I have enough in my plate to sort out that now these nightmares too are
haunting me.”
“Shh… Calm down
my child!” Devyani patted her back and look down only to find her elder
grand-daughter Payal’s photo.
“But naani why?
These’re not part of my life still it feels real. I… What should I do?” she
asked frustrated at her life.
“Nothing my dear!
Nothing. Let them pass thinking them as a figment of your imagination.”
“But naani…”
“Shh… No more
thinking about all this. Here have this photo of your sister. By the way I bet
that you’d not wished your Pal good night and that’s the reason she’s not
letting you sleep. Now, wish her good night and then sleep.”
“Naani…”
“Khushi! My
princess believe me!”
Affirming her she
wished her sister good night and lying back on the bed closed her eyes waiting
for sleep to elude her wishing deep in her heart to not see any nightmare
again.
While Devyani
Gupta waited till her grand-daughter fall asleep and once she realised that
she’d gone into deep slumber she lightly peck her forehead.
“My child is
suffering! I’ve to meet guruji again. This time he’d to let me know. Tomorrow
morning the first thing I’ll do is to meet him,” determined she left closing
the door.
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awesome update
ReplyDeleteThanks dearie
DeleteLoved the update. Lavanya with some plan. Khushi and her nightmares. Eager for the next part.
ReplyDeleteThanks dear :)
DeleteLoving the story. Regards lily30 from IF.
ReplyDeleteGlad u r loving it :)
DeleteLovely update...is it on the lines of reincarnation?
ReplyDeleteMay be or may be not ;)
Deletewow brilliant update loved it can't wait for next part thank you........ameena671
ReplyDeleteThank you dear
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