Lawful Sins - Season 2 - Part 48

 

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Chapter 48



No. She was not responsible for Arnav’s mother’s accident. She and NK didn’t even know Viraj was helped by some woman. And that woman was Arnav’s mother. Khushi took her decision to save her brother that day from troubles and she also did her part in sending an ambulance for Viraj. She did everything possible to find Viraj who suddenly went missing and today after knowing Arnav’s mother helped him and got him to the hospital and showing humanity towards a stranger, only made her proud. If only, that fateful accident hadn’t happened on her way back to Shantivan, things would have been different. She might have been alive today and even Arnav would not suffer for three years.


Whilst her sane mind flushed these thoughts, a part of it forced her to think what if NK and Viraj had never fought? What if Viraj hadn’t got injured and what if SHE didn’t advise NK to leave injured Viraj on the spot and flee? Was it really her wrong guidance that forced a passerby, i.e., Arnav’s mother, to intervene? Had NK taken Viraj to hospital that night, Arnav’s mother would have drove back to Shantivan and the accident which she faced might have averted? 

Tears blurred her vision. Was she really at fault? Though unknowingly, was she even responsible 1% for the death of Arnav’s mother? No!! Her parents were simply scaring her. They cannot see her happy. Yes. That’s why they fed her with all these complications. She wiped her tears and stood up.


“Please leave” she yelled.


Garima and Shashi stared at her horrified.

“I said leave” Khushi shouted again. “And if you think feeding this thought in my head will make me vulnerable again then you are wrong. Me or NK are not responsible for Arnav’s mother’s death and I am sure the Raizadas will agree with us when they know this”

“Will they?” Shashi smiled with sarcasm. “I don’t think so”


He pointed Khushi towards the gate where Arnav Singh Raizada was striding towards his car. He looked pale and completely lost. He had just got out from the monitoring room where Akash had set up his technology for tracing her father’s phone to check his connection with Viraj.


“I think he got to know it too from his Spy friend” Garima added.


Khushi felt her body weakening. Did Arnav get to know? Why was he leaving and where to in the middle of their engagement? She saw Aman running behind Arnav and trying to stop him but Arnav shrugged him off and got in his car. In no time, the vehicle accelerated out of the Gupta Mansion with Aman cursing himself for not being able to stop his friend. Khushi ran to Aman.


“Where did he go?” she asked in a broke voice.

“I .. I don’t know. Shit” Aman yelled raking his fingers in hair. “I will follow him”

Aman didn’t wait to explain her anything. He rushed for his car.

“Khush…” NK intervened. He had no idea what was happening here. “What are you doing here? And.. where is ASR?”


Khushi wanted to tell him what happened but she couldn’t. Until she knows the whole situation, she wouldn’t spoil her brother’s mood. So, she quickly composed herself.

“Look after the guests. I will be back” she patted his arm and strode to the monitoring room. Akash and his team had winded up but they were still there. The moment Akash saw Khushi inside, he passed her a weak smile.

“What did you find?” she asked him. “What did you tell Arnav?”

Akash sighed in disappointment.

“Arnav will tell you” he replied. Rage crossed her face.

“No. I want to hear it from you. He appointed you to sort this mess!! You found something and you told him that. I have right to know it too”


Akash asked his team to walk out and then told her about the same clues which she already heard from her parents. Hearing the repeat version of the same past weakened her but she still stood up for herself.


“He thinks I am responsible?”

“It’s too early to judge that. But you can’t snatch the right from him to be upset about it. Upset on the situation… Not you or NK… He has always been vulnerable on his mother’s topic, especially about her death. So far, he considered himself responsible for not being able to save her life that night. And today he got to know how she tried helping a man who was injured by your brother and who fled from that place at your instructions, without taking up the responsibility of saving his life. I am not sure how he is processing all this.. but he is matured enough to understand it was just a coincidence. No one is at fault here”


Khushi clenched her jaw.

“Give him time, he will..”


Khushi gestured him to stop. She didn’t need his advices. All she needed to know was what Arnav Singh Raizada thought about all this?


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


The guests had left and Lavanya, NK and Nani returned back in their Mansion, exhausted. Nani and Lavanya couldn’t stop discussing how exciting this whole event had been but NK had his eyes constantly on Khushi who had suddenly turned gloomy since Arnav left. He tried to ask her but she never gave him the truth. It was too early to share and she still had to figure out what Arnav Singh Raizada was going to do about it?


That night she waited for Arnav to call her back. She thought he would. If he wanted to put a fight, she was ready to defend herself. But he didn’t contact her. That was the longest night of waiting and longing for Khushi Gupta.

The next morning when she came down, all set to leave for work, she heard Lavanya and Nani talking over the breakfast table.


“I called ASR this morning and asked him where he went missing from the party” Lavanya took a bite of the bread toast.

“Did he tell what that urgent matter was?” Nani asked.

“No but he is back to Office now. I am sure it was some business priority”


Khushi took her seat. So, he could speak to his sister but not call her?

“Khushi bitiya, do you know what happened last night?” Nani asked.

“No” Khushi lied. “Where is Kishu?” she changed the subject.

“I am here ready to leave with you for work”

He looked dashing in the three-piece suit like Arnav Singh Raizada wears at work. She didn’t like comparing her brother with Arnav and she admitted both looked equally hot in such business attire. The smile on NK’s face bothered her. When she saw him leaning behind his wife Lavanya and pecking her cheek, whispering a good morning in her ears, Khushi’s pulse leaped. She wanted their bonding with each other to grow forever. Would Nani and Lavanya react the same way if they get to know? Will she have to explain this was just a bad coincidence? Will they think by their hearts of brains?


“Khushi..” Nani shook her. “you are not eating anything bitiya. What’s wrong?”


Khushi wiped the sweat beads from her forehead and stood up.

“I am not very hungry Naniji. I will grab something at work”

“Not fair Khushi” Lavanya teased. “If ASR gets to know you didn’t eat well today, he wouldn’t be happy”


Will he? Khushi faked a smile.

“Well, then don’t tell him that” she replied picking her phone. “I am leaving. Kishu.. I will see you at our afternoon meeting”

“I will be there” he gave her a hug. “You are sure all is good between you and ASR?”


He wasn’t too loud. Nani and Lavanya were busy chatting.

“All’s good” she lied and turned around to leave. The more she stays here, the more queries NK would have and she wasn’t prepared to share it with him yet.


On her way to Office, she dialed Aman Mathur as he was the only one who had followed Arnav last night and would have some update for her. She was desperate to know what exactly was going on? Aman answered the call after a few rings.

“How is he now?”

“He didn’t call you yet?” Aman sounded surprised.

Khushi looked outside the window. If he had called her, even dropped her a message why he left like that, she wouldn’t need to call his friends to get an update on him.

“He is fine Khushi. Last night was difficult for him because the memories of his mother’s death resurfaced. I was with him in Shantivan until this morning. There is nothing to worry”

“Nothing to worry?” she snapped. “he hasn’t called me since he left. I hope he recalls we got engaged last night”

“Relax Khushi” Aman interrupted. “I know this is huge blow to his heart but he knows to handle it the right way”

“Is this the right way Aman? Avoiding his fiancee? Does he know I am aware of it too?”


Aman sighed.

“Akash had called him. He told Arnav that you know it too. So.. yea. He knows”


Khushi clenched her jaw. Her body was on fire. What was he expecting? An apology for that night? Or was he still figuring out how to proceed with this? She disconnected the call. His ignorance was killing her patience. She dialed at Arnav’s office and the receptionist connected her to Arnav’s assistant Shyam Jha.


“Hello Miss Gupta, how can I help you?”

“Why am I routed to you? Where is Arnav?”

“He is in a meeting right now”

“I don’t care.. Put me through him”

“I am sorry Ma’am but its strict instructions from Boss not to intervene in this meeting.”


Khushi hated that response but she knew Shyam was just doing his job.

“Who is this meeting with?”

Shyam silenced but the next second, he gave her the name.

“He is in a meeting with Viraj Singh”


Khushi felt a sick fear in her gut. A horrible insecurity pricked her mind as she analyzed why would Arnav meet Viraj? Will Viraj manage to brainwash him? Was she going to lose the only man who had promised her to bring her out from the dark?


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

One hour Later - Arnav’s Cabin


Viraj Singh had just been escorted out after a grilling of one plus hour and Arnav could finally breathe. He leaned back on his chair to relax his thudding heart. The conversation with Viraj had engulfed him in the same darkness he had once found an exit to. Shrugging those thoughts, he removed his smartphone which he had silenced when the meeting with Viraj began. There were three missed calls from Khushi. She hadn’t called him last night after he left. Now when she might have tried speaking to him, he was busy in sorting the mess between his heart and mind.


Reining in temper, he exhaled in irritation and shut his eyes again. Last night was hell!! Akash’s revelations about his mother’s involvement in Viraj and NK’s fight came as a shock. He never realized both the incidents happened on the same day. It was hard to process the connections between the two and even harder to convince his heart that none of them could do anything about it. This was written and none of them could change it. He had avoided everyone last night, even Aman but his friend cum psychologist still chose not to leave his side and stayed in Shantivan. It was only at early morning when Arnav decided to take the reins of this matter in his hands and give a closure to this chapter of their lives. That’s why he had called Viraj Singh to meet him at his office this morning.


The reason behind doing so was simple. He wanted to meet Viraj and know his version of that fateful night. Akash and his spies were already tracking Viraj’s location. So, Arnav knew where he was and when he called Viraj, that man didn’t hesitate to meet him at AR Group.


“ASR…” Viraj smiled entering his cabin. “Finally, I get to meet you”

Arnav straightened himself and shook his head in agreement. Arnav stood before the huge glass walls of his cabin, looking outside while Viraj narrated how Arnav’s mother became a witness to that fight.


“NK lost control over his anger. He was always a puppet of his sister’s hands. One word against her and he would hurt anybody, just like that, without thinking”


Arnav heard him patiently.

“We got into a physical fight and none of us realized that a car halted at the other side of the road and a woman was taking our pictures. When NK hit a bottle on my head and fled, I was bleeding on that road and that’s when I saw this woman… rushing to me.


Arnav swallowed painfully. His mother was an Angel.

“I will always be in debt of your mother” he added. “She was a nice woman. She saved my life. Who does that these days?”


Arnav was too numb. The last person who saw his mother that night, spent time with her, was this man.. !! Viraj Singh.

“I am an Orphan, you already know that I am sure. I have no idea what a mother’s love is but that night… when she wiped my blood and helped me sit in her car… drove me to the hospital, I realized what I missed”


Arnav could imagine his mother doing all that. She was always like this.. Humble and ready to help. He recalled she had taught them to help people, even to help their enemies in times of need. She would never turn her back on anyone..


“She asked the doctors to treat me, even paid for my bill and then left. I was getting stitches on my head that time. She forgot her phone which I didn’t realize for a long time. I knew Khushi Gupta would hunt me down and she could turn the whole act against me to save her brother. I was afraid. Shashi Gupta had already done favors on me and was the only one who could help me again but I was afraid if Khushi got to know I was keeping an eye on her and NK all that time for Shashi Gupta, she would do anything to throw me out of this city even. So, I fled. Before she could get to me, I fled from that hospital. I am not your enemy ASR” Viraj came forward. “Your mother gave me a new life, I will always pray for you and your family.”

“Why?” Arnav yelled. “Why now? Where the hell were you all these years?”


Viraj was amused by his questions.

“I didn’t know she was your mother. She was always a stranger to me until one day when I saw your family picture on TV when your sister Lavanya got married to NK. What an irony..!! I wanted to warn your mother against the Guptas but that’s when I got to know she is not alive. She died the same night she left from the hospital to get back home. Initially I cursed myself for being responsible for it. If she hadn’t stopped by to help me, she might have been alive. But then I thought… I am not the only one responsible here. The Gupta siblings are the real culprit. NK initiated that fight and his sister asked him to leave me there.. to die”


Arnav swallowed painfully.


“I couldn’t stay quiet. I thought you should know that you got your sister married to the wrong family. But it was too late. When I heard you too are dating Khushi Gupta, I thought of warning you. But you guys had flew to Goa. I decided to reveal this to your grandmother and followed her to the Satsang she was attending that time. But Shashi Gupta stopped me. If I hadn’t been in his debts, I would have not bothered. She is.. she is not the right woman for you… look what happened because of that Gupta siblings? I know what they are capable of.. When they couldn’t spare hurting their own parents, you think they would have spared me? And that psycho Khushi.. she is..”


Arnav turned around and grabbed Viraj’s collar.

“Khushi Gupta is my fiancée” he shot a look filled with anger and loathing. “However and whatever she is.. she is mine” he added. “My mother saved you that night, so I am not going to hurt you Viraj Singh but if you say one more word against Khushi, I won’t mind showing my capabilities in destroying you”


And the hour next to that, Arnav ensured Viraj Singh’s chapter was put to an end. Forever!!


The sharp noise of his cabin door broke Arnav’s flashback and he focused on the woman standing before him. She was here!! Khushi Gupta!!


“Are we still engaged?” she spat in fury.


To be Continued.

NEXT PART 
 

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