Lawful Sins - Season 2 - Part 6

BANNER TO COME SOON
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Chapter 6

Shantivan
It was a terrible night. Arnav Singh Raizada got no sleep. That day’s events kept flashing before his eyes. Nani was suspicious seeing Lavanya back home in that condition. Arnav couldn’t hide the fact from his grandmother. Nani cursed herself for not keeping an eye on Lavanya during his absence in past 3 years. She cried helplessly and at the end retired to her room. Arnav tried to make Lavanya eat but she denied. But not today. His sister got to eat and this is why he woke up early than usual and cooked her favorite Cheese Omelet.
He knocked her bedroom door and found it open. Lavanya was sitting on the bed, still weeping over her state. Last evening while returning back to Shantivan, Arnav had told her the reactions of NK and his sister on knowing her condition. It shocked her to know that Nandakishore didn’t take any stand for her. He should have.

“Good morning” Arnav placed the breakfast tray on the bed, just beside Lavanya. “I don’t want to eat anything” she refrained from even looking at him.

“Not even for me?” he asked.

Tears sprung in her eyes and she started crying again. Arnav sat next to her and took her in his embrace.

“This is not going to work La.. You got to be stronger” he patted her back. “My sister is not a cry baby. She is a fighter”

None of his words boosted her spirit. She raised her head and met his eyes.

“I am sorry ASR.. I brought shame to our family. I shouldn’t have done this.. Mumma and Paapa will be so upset on me”

Arnav swallowed the ache formed in his throat.

“You accept your mistake is a good thing to start with” he muttered. “But just accepting it wont make any difference right now. You have to take a stand Lavanya”

She was confused.

“Did you speak to him?” he asked.

She nodded her head in denial.

“Did he even try to call you?”

“I don’t know. My phone is switched off. I didn’t want to talk to anybody. Not even him ASR. He didn’t take a stand for me. How could he… I loved him.. he loves me too yet… yet he couldn’t open his mouth against his sister”

“Sshh” he cupped her face seeing her losing calm. “Such men exists in this world who don’t take stand for their loved ones. They are fools and your NK is one of them”

Lavanya looked down in guilt.

“What should I do ASR? I don’t understand how should I live with all this?”

“Right now all you got to do is eat” he grabbed the plate from the tray. “I made you Cheese Omelet”

She smiled.

“Just like old times” she murmured.

“Yes.. just like old times” he cut a piece of it and fed her.

Once she finished her entire breakfast, he got up to leave.

“Call him” Arnav declared. “If he is ready to accept his responsibility, its fine. I will take things ahead with his sister. But if he denies this, I am going to kick him so hard, he wouldn’t have any more babies in his lifetime”

The possessive brother was back in his tone. Lavanya weakly nodded and picked up her phone to turn it on.

******************

“Malaysia?” Lavanya screamed. “NK you cannot be serious.. I am pregnant. Do you understand what that means?”

Nandakishore was at the airport ready to board his Private Chartered plane.

“La.. calm down. You are hurting our baby”

“Our baby?” she snapped. “You realized it now? What happened to you yesterday in the clinic? ASR told me you didn’t even acknowledge you are equally responsible for my pregnancy before your sister”

“I know.” He sighed. “I should have fought to see you.. stay with you but ASR… he … he raised his hand on my sister La. Do you even realize what I went through? No one has ever done that. I know she shouldn’t have cursed or blamed you but.. it all happened in the spur of the moment. I didn’t understand how to react. I was… was stuck between them”

“That’s not an excuse NK” she cried. “You should have stood by me”

“I will.. I always will.”

“Seriously? This is how you plan to stand by me? Going to Malaysia? What should be more important to you now other than me?”

NK rubbed his temple.

“I am sorry La.. for bringing all this trouble on you alone. But trust me I have talked to Khush.. She is just shocked like we both are. She is not bad. She will agree to our marriage”

“When?”

“Soon. Just give me a week or two. I will come back and we will marry. I will convince Khushi by then. I promise. I am breaking this promise. Please believe me”

Lavanya exhaled harshly.

“I want to believe you NK.. But if you delay more, it’s all over”

She hung up and curled back on bed, weeping.

*******************

Gupta Office

“Cheers” Khushi clinked her Champagne glass with her best friend Ruby Khanna, the CEO of a famous Business News Channel.

“Cheers” Ruby chuckled.

Khushi sipped the drink with a smirk on her face.

“I just love this” Ruby stated. “You know Khushi, whenever you call me at your office, its mostly for work. But I like this. Whats the occasion by the way? Why are we celebrating?”

Khushi leaned back on her chair and drummed her fingers on the armrest.

“You won’t understand Ruby. I have hit a lottery”

“Lottery?” Ruby giggled. “You run a billion-dollar company and still buy lottery tickets?”

“This lottery is not a ticket Ruby.. It’s a jackpot.. Arnav Singh Raizada”

Ruby coughed hard putting the glass on the table.

“ASR? What.. what do you mean?”

Khushi stayed quiet but her mind was already manipulating lot of things inside.

“Okay wait. You lost that Bid to him.. The farm house I mean. Did he give it back to you? Is that what you are talking about?”

“Oh Ruby” Khushi smirked again. “This is much beyond that farm house now”

Ruby smiled.

“Sounds interesting. Will I get a byte for my channel then?”

Khushi nodded.

“Soon. Let me first get enough material for you. Only then I will share it all”

Ruby could sense something big happening. She and Khushi studied in the same school. They were classmates, sat on the same bench, ate together. Whilst Ruby kept changing her crush every year, Khushi never even glanced at the boys despite they queuing behind her with roses and bouquets. Nothing interested Khushi except her own self. She was obsessed with herself. So much, that one word against her from anyone and she would spoil his/her entire life. And until that happened, she wouldn’t sit calm. Looked like ASR had touched her wrong nerve this time and he was soon going to repay.

“Khushi..But be careful. He is ASR.. Not any ordinary man whose life you can twist the way you want”

Khushi didn’t defend.

“That’s the fun, Ruby. You know how much I love challenges and this man…” she grinned. “This man is going to dance on my fingertips”

“Impossible” Ruby sipped some more Champagne.

“Come on Ruby, you know me since we were 5. You think I can’t do this?”

Ruby raised her arms in defeat.

“Okay, if that’s the thing, I would love to sit back and watch”

Khushi once again clinked glasses with Ruby and enjoyed the moment.

******************

AR Group
After attending back to back conferences, Arnav retired to his Cabin. Shyam followed him in with the files. Arnav leaned back on his chair and shut his eyes.

“ASR” Shyam took a seat opposite to his desk. “You don’t seem good today. Any problem?”

Arnav didn’t speak.

“You didn’t even pay attention to what happened in the conference. Something is definitely wrong. Look I know you have met Nandakishore Gupta yesterday. Is this about him?”

Arnav still remained quiet; his eyes tightly shut recalling the moment when Khushi Gupta informed him about Lavanya’s pregnancy.

“I think I understand what you are going through” Shyam added. That undid him. Arnav pushed the files away from his desk and banged his fist on the table.

“You don’t understand anything Shyam. You have no idea what it feels like to know your sister is pregnant and that her boyfriend is not even taking stand for her. You don’t have a clue what its like to give her hope and stay strong despite knowing that the family she wants to be a part of is never going to accept her whole heartedly. You have no idea what I am going through.. Nobody can..”

Shyam jerked back on the chair. He took a minute to absorb the matter and feel the depth of it. Arnav composed himself and strode to the huge glass window of his cabin. He wanted to smoke.. Right now. He desperately fetched for it in his pocket but knew he didn’t carry it these days.. He had left it!! He had left it years ago.

“Damn” he punched the wall.

“ASR. Stop it” Shyam checked Arnav’s fist for bruises.

“I need to smoke” he barked at Shyam and strode to the door to leave the cabin. He wasn’t talking about the normal cigar but the weed smoke and Shyam knew it.

“You sure about it?” Shyam asked but he didn’t care. “You had promised ASR”

That surely made him stop. Yes. He had promised never to touch it again. Never. He fisted his fingers again and was about to punch the glass door but Shyam caught his arm.

“Don’t harm yourself. We all need you.. Lavanya needs you”

Arnav looked away. They needed him? Yes they did. That’s what had kept him composed all these years. He wouldn’t give up on their hopes.

“I am sorry” he exhaled. “I shouldn’t have barked on you.. I lost my control”

“It’s okay”

Arnav strode back to the eight-seater couch in his cabin and sat there with his face hidden in between his palms. Shyam was upset seeing him in this state.

“I don’t know what to do Shyam. Lavanya is pregnant.. Sooner or later people will know. It will be a mess. I don’t care about the world, their accusations but I am worried if she does something to hurt herself. She and Nani are all I have. She is my baby sister. How could I see her like this?”

Shyam sat beside him.

“What about Nandakishore?”

“He has gone to Malaysia. Business problems”

“Business?” Shyam was surprised. “That man has never stepped in his Delhi Office and he went to Malaysia to handle the problems there? Impossible”

“I know” Arnav nodded. “I am sure this is Khushi Gupta’s plan. To send him off while she tackles the problems here.. And I wont let her do that. She cannot play with my sister’s life. I will not let her take control over Lavanya and her baby”

“You are right” Shyam nodded. “But instead of assuming things, why don’t you both sit and talk? Clear it out. Tell her what you want. Listen what she has to say. If she has misunderstood you, it’s the best if you clear out. Only then the tension will solve ASR”

Arnav considered the advice. He cannot sit here and wait for Khushi Gupta to contact him. He had to take that first step and he will.

“Send her a note I am coming to meet her at Gupta Office. I don’t want the woman to be shocked by my arrival” Arnav got up.

“You going now?”

“I don’t want to delay this” Arnav picked his coat and hurried out. “And thank you for suggesting me this. I was nearly blank until I talked to you”

Shyam smiled.

“Anytime ASR. I will always be there for you”

Arnav passed a quick smile to his assistant cum friend and strode out of the cabin.

*****************

Gupta Office

Ruby and Khushi were still enjoying their Champagne when Mrs. Pinto entered the cabin to inform about ASR waiting out to see her. Khushi smirked hard looking at Ruby.

“I told you” she muttered

Ruby’s jaw dropped.

“Mrs. Pinto” Khushi snapped. “How many years have you been working for me?”

Mrs. Pinto fumbled with words to respond.

“5.. 5 years Ma’am”

“And you still don’t know I don’t meet people without prior appointments?”

Mrs. Pinto understood what she meant. Doesn’t matter who wanted to meet her, he cannot until she wanted to. Mrs. Pinto headed out. The moment she came out, Arnav strode to the cabin door thinking he got the permission to go but Mrs. Pinto stopped him.

“Sir, you … you cannot go inside”

“Did you tell her its ME?” he frowned.

“I .. I did. But she wants you to take an appointment first”

Arnav clenched his jaw. This woman was taking advantage of his helplessness.

“And you wont get her appointment until next 3 weeks. She is that busy. Should I mark your schedule for next month?”

One more month would make Lavanya step in her second trimester. Things were slipping from his hand more quickly than he thought it would.

“No. I am going to see her today. And that’s final. What time she leaves for home?”

“Cannot assure you that Sir and neither I can share her today’s schedule with you. I am sorry. You can still wait for her to come out”

Arnav gritted his teeth. Wait!! Yes.. that’s all he could do for now.

To be Continued.


NEXT PART

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Soul laced 

It is mostly said, we realize the value of a person only after we have lost them. But what if we get a chance to rekindle our relationship after crossing the barriers of life and death? Can you change your mindset about a relationship after touching the footsteps of death? What chances you have to fall in love with someone in your afterlife?

Alisha thinks she fell in love with someone in her after life. Is that true? Who is that mystery man? Read this Short Story to find it out.



Excerpt 

“Wow. I am glad that the Creator chose you for me” I admit shamelessly.

He glances at me and then ignores my words. As if he knows I am flirting. Am I flirting? That too with the Soul Transporter? It’s insane, isn’t it? But I like his company, his way of making me understand where I stand, what I lost and what my future will be. I will be sent to Hell for sure. Committing suicide is a crime in the Creator’s eyes. I have misused the life he gave me. I have taken away my life, against his will. I am not going to Heaven for sure.

“I can recommend Heaven if you want” he reads my trail of thoughts again.

“No thank you. I hate recommendations” I giggle. “But seriously, can you do that?

“I can try”

“Why? Why are you going against all your norms for me?"

I desperately want him to reply. Will he?


Also Read: Other Excerpts on Soul Laced

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