Yaadein - Part 2

PREVIOUS PART 


Chapter 2



Shantivan

“Dad” Aarav rushed in the living room, calling out for his father. He was back from his school trip.

“Aarav” Anjali Jha rushed out hearing her nephews voice. He ran into her arms and she kissed his forehead. “You little boy, how much we all missed you”

He pecked Anjali’s cheeks and smiled.

“I missed you too Bua. Where is Dad?”

“Dad is here” Arnav Singh Raizada replied from behind. Aarav turned and within seconds he was scooped in his father’s embrace who swayed him off his feet and settled Aarav on his lap.

“How was your trip?” Arnav brushed Aarav’s hair.

“Good” Aarav played with Arnav’s tie. “I had fun. I made new friends dad. And I didn’t skip medicines.”
“That’s like my boy”

Arnav sensed Aarav was thinking something else.

“What happened? You missing your friends?”

“My friend and your friend too” Aarav giggled with a wink.


Arnav had no clue what he meant?

“He must be hungry and sleepy. Look at his eyes” she stated. “I will ask Hari Prakash to prepare his meals. Let him sleep for some time”

“And I will get him showered”

Arnav carried his son in his bedroom.


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

Aarav had school vacations for a month and hence was full time at home, playing and enjoying his time with the family. Arnav took a few days off from work to spend time with his son. But every time there was a knock at the door, Aarav would run to check upon.. as if he was waiting for someone or … something. The bell rang again today and Aarav hurried to the door behind Hari Prakash. It was a courier for Anjali. It was some online shopping she had recently done. Arnav was at the living room, watching Aarav’s sorrowful expressions as he realized the courier was for his Bua and not him. While Anjali took the parcel in her room to check, Arnav pulled Aarav to him, keeping his laptop away.

“Aarav, are you expecting something? Why do you always run to the door when the bell rings?”

“Nothing, Dad” Aarav lied looking away.

Arnav pulled his chin, forcing Aarav to meet his gaze.

“Aarav.. no hiding things from me. We are buddies, aren’t we?”

Aarav nodded but couldn’t tell the truth.

“Aarav..” this time Arnav’s tone wasn’t gentle. He couldn’t bear to see his son so gloomy. If he wanted anything, he would get it for him. He just had to ask.

“I am waiting for a letter…”

“Letter?” Arnav was confused. “From whom?”

Aarav bit his lower lip, unable to reveal the whole truth to his father. He knew what his father’s reaction would be.

“I wrote a letter during my school trip…” he softly informed.

“Whom did you write a letter to?”

“Mom”


The moment Aarav said this word, his eyes teared and soon tears rolled down Aarav’s cheeks. Arnav froze. Slowly, his son narrated how he immersed that letter in the ocean, hoping his mother would pick it from the other end of the world. Arnav was terrified that his son could do all this..

“If she gets my letter, she will reply to me, Dad”

“She wont” Arnav snapped. Aarav shivered seeing the rage in his father’s eyes. Arnav didn’t want to make it more difficult for his son to tolerate, hence controlled his anger and clutched Aarav’s forearms. “I told you she is never coming back. We talked about this, didn’t we?”

“What if she comes back?” he nervously asked.

Arnav swallowed the lump of pain formed in his throat.

“She will never come back. Get that in your head”

Tears burst out from Aarav’s eyes. He couldn’t bear that truth. He shrugged Arnav’s arms and ran into his room.

“Aarav..” Arnav shouted but he didn’t listen. Arnav leaned back on his couch. How on earth was he supposed to make his son understand that she is never going to return in their lives. Never!!

Anjali witnessed their conversation from the stairs and she reached the couch where Arnav was sitting helpless.

“He needs a mother” Anjali explained.

“I don’t want her back in my life, Di”

“I am not talking about her. You cannot spend the rest of your life single, Chotte. I think you should consider remarrying. I have many girls who would still want to marry you despite this being your second marriage”

Arnav rose to his feet.

“I don’t want to marry again. Ever”

He was about to make his way to the room when Anjali interrupted.

“Not even for Aarav? What is his mistake if his mother left him?? He deserves to have both parent. Not just a father. We are not enough for Aarav, chotte. He needs that motherly affection which no one but your legal wife would give him”

She placed her arm over Arnav’s shoulder.

“Please say yes, I will find a perfect match for you this time and you wouldn’t regret marrying again”

Arnav shoved off Anjali’s arm and slipped away without any reply. Anjali sighed in disbelief. Her brother was always like this.. stubborn .. Once he made his mind about something.. he will never change it for anything .. or anyone..


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


2 weeks later

“Aarav… wait here. I will get the balloons. Don’t step out of the car” Arnav warned before getting down the car and headed to the balloon seller. Aarav loved balloons and he wanted to impress his son. It had been 2 weeks now they had the conversation about Aarav’s mother and since then Aarav was not the same. He hardly talked to his father and despite Arnav making his best attempts to play with him, Aarav showed no interest. Arnav even arranged a play date for Aarav with all his friends, at Shantivan, but Aarav was least interested. Nothing charmed him anymore. His little boy was getting into depression and Arnav had to do something about it. So today, he took him out for a drive and when he saw the balloons at the corner of the street, he decided to impress his son with those.

Aarav sat quietly, watching outside the car window when suddenly he saw this known face of the woman crossing the road. A smile lit on his face as he recalled who she is. He unlocked the door and got down.

“Khushi…” he called out.

Arnav was not even half the way to the balloon seller when he heard Aarav’s voice. He turned hastily only to find Aarav crossing the road, waving his arm at someone.

“Aarav.. stop” Arnav shouted running towards his son. Fortunately, Aarav crossed the road without much problems.

“Khushi” Aarav shouted again.

Khushi Gupta kept the shopping bags in the backseat of her car and the moment she heard Aarav’s voice, she couldn’t hold her happiness. Aarav ran straight in her arms.

“Aarav.. Oh my god..” she kissed his cheeks and head and snuggled him closer.

Arnav Singh Raizada who was at the opposite side of the road, froze!! KHUSHI?

“What are you doing here? And .. did you cross this road alone? That’s not done sweetheart.. There are so many vehicles. It is dangerous.. Don’t do it ever”

“I missed you Khushi” he pouted.

“I missed you too baby” she kissed him again on his cheeks and cupped his face.

She was about to ask him more when someone dragged the boy away from her. That’s when she raised her face and saw the man standing between them. Arnav Singh Raizada!! She stared at him.. at the man he had become… He looked dashing in that three-piece suit and his charcoal eyes which grazed her face were enough to awake goosebumps on her skin. He had that no nonsense attitude over his face which made it impossible for her to stop admiring and his eyes… they were full with raw intensity.. Seemed like he wasn’t happy seeing her around..

“Hi…” she mumbled putting a weak smile on her lips.

“What the hell are you doing in this country?”

Khushi straightened.

“I didn’t know you owned this country and I needed permission to travel back here”

“Dad.. She is Khushi… I met her during my school trip” Aarav interjected.

A rock settled in his gut. Aarav met Khushi? What else happened between the two there?

“That’s right” Khushi smiled again, this time looking at the little boy. “We are friends, right Aarav?”

“Right” Aarav was about to give Khushi a hi-5 when Arnav pulled him again.

“We should leave”

And before he could drag his son away, his gaze met Khushi’s again.

“Stay away from my son” he warned and crossed the road, heading back to his car.

Khushi was annoyed at that comment. What the hell was wrong with this man? She know they were like bitter enemies during their college days but.. they were now two matured people who had moved on in life. Can’t they just make peace between them? She got back in her car and asked the driver to take her home.

Arnav hadnt even parked the car yet when he fished for his mobile phone.

“Go inside Aarav” he commanded his son who got down the car and ran inside the house. Arnav dialed the number of Shashi Gupta but seemed like that number didn’t exist anymore. It had been years since he contacted that man personally. He might have changed his number. They saw each other once or twice every year in parties but never attempted to speak to each other. Whatever relationship they had in the past, was over. He dialed Shashi Gupta’s office number and fortunately it got connected.

“Gupta Office, who is calling?” Shashi’s secretary answered.

“Arnav Singh Raizada. I need to talk to Mr Gupta”

“he is busy in a meeting Sir”

“Tell him its me.”

“But Sir”

“TELL HIM” he groaned.

The woman got up and hurried to the conference room. She whispered about this call to Shashi who paused the meeting to take this call. He quickly made his way to his cabin and picked the intercom.

“Shashi Gupta speaking”

“What the hell is she doing here?” Arnav snapped the moment he heard his voice.

“She? Whom are you talking about?”

“Your daughter. What is she doing in India? In Delhi?”

Shashi was confused.

“I think you are mistaken. She is not here. She cannot be here”

“Then you are highly mistaken Mr. Gupta. She is in this city because I met her an hour back. I thought we had a deal. You keep her out of my life and I will never sue your Company. But seems like you are not keeping up with your promises”

Shashi was raged.

“I have kept all my promises so far, ASR. I really have no idea when Khushi returned to India. I will look into this. Give me some time”

With a groan, Arnav hung up and got down the car. He better handles his daughter and sends her back wherever she came from because if he meets her again, he doesn’t even know what he might end up doing to her.


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

Gupta Mansion


Shashi Gupta skipped all his schedules for today and reached home, only to be welcomed by the sweet aroma of cookies from the kitchen. The aroma was so familiar and he missed it all these years.

“Hello Handsome” Khushi came out from the kitchen holding a tray of cookies she freshly baked.

Shashi’s eyes became moist and his fatherly love bloomed as Khushi neared.

“Khushi..” he put the tray away and hugged his daughter.

“I missed you dad”

“I missed you too” he cupped her face. “When… when did you come? And .. Why ? I told you not to come here”

Khushi frowned.

“I wanted to surprise you”

Shashi swallowed realizing the trouble she had caused for everyone by coming back to India, especially to her own self. He regularly visited Khushi twice or thrice every year and she had turned out to be a beautiful woman now. Everything within her had changed. She was no longer the girl she used to be. And he was proud of her.

“I couldn’t meet Tanmay in Melbourne and that’s why I had to come here. He is at his grandparents house and will be staying for a week.”

The thought that Khushi was here to meet the prospective proposal he had for her, cheered Shashi.

“After meeting him, you are going to head back to Auckland. If things go well between you two, your marriage will take place in Australia”

“Marriage is yet a far-off decision, Dad. Let me meet him in person first. And before that.. I want you to taste these delicious cookies and tell me if they are perfect or not”

She fed a cookie to Shashi whose mouth watered for more.

“This is amazing, just like my perfect daughter”

Khushi jumped in joy and kissed her father’s cheeks.

“Great… Let me go have a quick shower and I am going to cook dinner for us”

“You don’t have to stress so much. Ask the chefs, they will cook”

“Dad, I hardly get to stay with you. Don’t snatch this chance from me”

Shashi agreed.

“And by the way” she added. “You know whom I met today while driving back home? That arrogant Arnav Singh Raizada.”

Shashi became nervous. Yes, he knew they met.

“God! He is still the same Dad. How long has it been since we graduated? 8 years? And he still hates me”

Shashi swallowed.

“But anyways.. who cares.? I hate him too. But did you know he is married? And he has a son? Aarav” a smile popped on her lips as she took the child’s name. “He is a sweet boy. I wonder how can an arrogant man like Arnav Singh Raizada have such a wonderful boy. I am sure the boy has gone on his mother”

Shashi felt like stopping Khushi from talking further.

“Do you know where Arnav’s wife is? I mean.. Is she alive ? Have they divorced?”

Her anxiety to know more could affect her immeasurably and hence Shashi had to intervene.

“Khushi.. you have just arrived and you shouldn’t poke your nose in other’s life. Go shower and cook something delicious for us”

“Yup” Khushi agreed rushing upstairs.

Shashi sat on the couch, thinking how soon he can send his daughter back?


To be Continued

NEXT PART 

 

________________________________________________________________________________

Read on Amazon Kindle 

Buy PDF by Card 

Buy PDF by Paypal

All Samaira wanted was some seclusion from her frenzy past when flirty Rehaan invaded it with his charm. As they meet at the Airport to board the flight, sparks fly. Read this short Romantic journey of grumpy Samaira and flirty Rehaan from Boarding to Landing. 

Excerpts

In dark blue denim, white T-Shirt and a black leather jacket, he stood at the opposite counter, sipping his freshly brewed coffee.

“Excuse me?” she snapped. “What did you just say?”

“It’s not waterproof” he came ahead.

She frowned.

“Do we know each other?”

He smirked.

“We are co-passengers”

He showed his boarding pass.

“We are on the same flight” he added.

“So? I don’t need a stranger’s opinions in buying a watch for myself”

“Stranger?” he chuckled. “Are you always so fiery or does air travel makes you so?”