A/N: I am grateful to you all for reading this epilogue , even after the forum has been archived and most of you are not active there anymore.
This update is for Nonasi, whose encyclopedic knowledge of IPK is only rivaled by the random wittiness of her comments.
Please forgive me for the length,I had to try and finish this today,since I am going to have a very busy week ahead.
All flashbacks are in italics.
Hope you all have a very happy new year!
Epilogue-Part 3, Episode-1
The past ...
"A..aap?"
"Haan,M..main. Of course it's me. Who else would it be?
"What are you doing here at this time?"
"I live here, remember?And I was looking for you.Which was a lucky coincidence, considering the heartfelt confession I just heard!"
"What?! How much did you hear?"
"Everything.Not that it was a surprise to me."
"It wasn't?!"
"Of course not.Haven't you learned in all these years that nothing that happens in Shantivan escapes my notice?"
"What?!"
"I knew about it, right from the beginning. And I am guilty of interfering as well. When I learned what you were up to, I made it my priority to help you in any way I could, all the while making sure that you didn't know what I was doing.."
"I can't believe this!"
"I couldn't believe it either. After all, you didn't like it when Nani did the same, all those years ago."
"This was nothing like that! I didn't scheme and plot, and I didn't use someone as my pawn! All I did was help them meet each other often, and I left the rest up to Devi Maiyya!"
"Relax. I know that you were just trying to help. And I couldn't stop myself from helping you. You do know that I'm always there for you, in everything that you do, right? You could have been honest with me."
She moved up to him and laid her hands on his chest.
"I do regret not telling you..but I was going to be completely honest about this, in fact, I had planned to tell you tonight..but I'm sorry.This is the first time in years that I have hidden something from you.."
"Why did you hide the truth in the first place?"
"Because I thought you wouldn't want this for her! All her life, you have groomed her to take over A.R, and I thought you wouldn't appreciate the fact that I was trying to bring another person into her life who might take over her priorities!"
"How could you think of something like that?! If this makes her happy, I would have been the first person to do this for her!"
She sighed.
"I know..and I'm really sorry.."
He saw the glint of tears in her eyes, and his heart melted, just like it always had.
"Come here, you."
He pulled her into his arms, his chin resting on her hair as her arms went around him with a familiarity that came from years of doing the exact same thing.
They remained that way for a moment, only pulling apart when they heard the front door open.
They didn't have time to say a word before she came into view,and when they got a good look at her face, every other thing ceased to matter as they noticed the tear stains on her pale cheeks.
They knew she was out on her date with Viraf Rathore, and the evidence of her distress immediately led them to one conclusion.
Both spoke to her at once, their arms reaching out to her.
"What has happened? Did he do this to you? I'll kill him, I swear I'll..."
"Are you all right? Talk to me!"
She stared at them for a moment, the two people she loved the most.
The two people who were her entire world.
Until now.
And then she went into their outstretched arms, her tears falling faster now.
"Sshh. Stop crying,and tell me what happened!"
"Isn't it obvious? That idiot must have hurt her! I'm going there right now, I'll kill him for this!"
"Stop it! First let her tell us what happened.."
She drew away, looking at both their faces now, one worried, the other furious.
She suddenly felt exhausted.
She couldn't handle lengthy explanations right now.
She just couldn't.
So she turned and fled up the stairs leading to her room.
They watched her run upstairs, and they turned to each other.
"You scared her off with your anger!"
"No, I didn't!"
"Why are you shouting now?"
"I'm not!"
They stopped speaking simultaneously as they heard the slam of a door above them.
Their gazes met as they acknowledged that this wasn't the time for one of their fights.
Understanding flashed between them as they realized what needed to be done.
He placed an arm on her shoulder.
"I think you should go up to her. Find out what's going on.I''ll come up after some time.."
"I think that would be best.."
She turned to leave, but then faced him again.
"I know you are worried..and I am too..but we'll face this and help her together.."
"Just like we always have."
She smiled.
"Yes.. like always.."
And then,
Khushi Raizada turned away from Arnav Singh Raizada, and took the stairs to their daughter's room.
When the knock came, Kashish Raizada knew that it could only be one person.
She rose from her bed, wiping her tears as she did so.
She opened the door and looked at the woman facing her.
As always, it was almost like looking into a mirror.
The same long hair, although the black was starting to show a few strands of silver now.
The same hazel eyes, the same slim figure, even after she had given birth to two children.
And concern writ large on her face, along with a love that was always present.
"Kashish?"
"Mom..come in.."
She turned around and went over to her bed, and waited until her mother sat on it before kneeling at her feet.
She lay her head in her mother's lap, something she hadn't done in a while.
Khushi stroked her daughter's hair gently, waiting for her to open up about whatever it was that had distressed her.
Her patience paid off as Kashish started speaking, finally telling her mother about all that had happened, excluding the details about his private addition to the contract, as well as the intimacies that had happened between them.
When she got to the part about his sudden proposal, she watched her mother's eyes widen in shock.
"He asked you to marry him? Just like that? And what did you say?"
Kashish's thoughts went back to what had happened after that, and all the earlier confusion and anxiety returned full-force.
"I want you to marry me.."
She stood still for a moment, shocked beyond measure.
And then all hell had broken loose.
"WHAT?! Are you out of your mind? Never!"
"Do I have to remind you about the importance of this deal? Your parent's twenty-fifth wedding anniversary is just a week away, and if you want to gift your father with the news of this deal during the celebration, then you have to agree!"
"I'm never going to marry someone like you! Not for anything!"
"Someone like me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You know very well what I mean. You are a well-known playboy, and women have been nothing but an amusement to you!"
"I told you before, you are a fool if you blindly believe all the rumors about me. And may I remind you, you aren't perfect either! I don't even know why I'm wasting my time pursuing an ice-queen!"
"Then don't! Why would you want to marry me, if you think that about me?"
"I don't know, dammit! "
"Whatever the reason, I'm never going to agree. Bhaad mein gaye tum, aur bhaad mein gayi tumhaari yeh deal!"
"One last time, think about what you are doing..there isn't time for you to find another company.."
"I don't care! I was doing this for my father, but I'm sure he wouldn't want this at the price you want for it!"
"Then go! I don't want to ever see you again!"
"Neither do I. Oh, and before I forget.."
She went up to him, picking up a glass of water that was sitting on a side-table.
Before he could react, she had flung the contents in his face.
"I hate you, Viraf Rathore!"
She turned around and walked out, the image of his furious face etched in her mind's eye.
As she reached the door, she heard the crash of something breaking behind her, and whirled to see the pieces of an antique vase scattered at his feet.
She stared, transfixed as he walked over to her, the pieces of porcelain crunching under his feet.
"Hate? You don't know what that word means, sweetheart. Because to know what it means, you need to know what emotions are. And to feel those, you need a heart.."
He reached around her to open the door, and she quickly stepped outside.
But he still had the last word.
"And you don't have one."
He slammed the door in her face.
As she remembered his last words, she knew that he was wrong.
She did have a heart.
What else could explain the pain in her chest when she thought she might never see him again?
And now she couldn't even tell her mother about the deal..
But she could talk to her about her confused emotions..she had always been able to speak to her mother about everything, hadn't she?
"I refused, Mom.."
''Why?"
"Why?! Because it was wrong! It was sudden..and I don't even know him well..and he has this reputation.."
"It sounds to me like you are making up a lot of excuses, Kashish. What are you really afraid of?"
Kashish knew it was of no use.
Her mother had always been able to see her deepest feelings.
She might as well tell her the truth right now.
"I..I'm afraid he might be..like Dad.."
"Like Arnav? Well, they are both suave businessmen, so there might be some similarities.."
"That's not what I'm talking about! I mean..he has this intensity about him..and I'm afraid that if I get involved with him, I'll lose myself completely..I'll lose sight of my priorities, my goals.."
"A.R.That's what you mean, right? I know it's all you have thought about, all your life. Right from when we first discovered that you were a child prodigy..a genius.."
"Mom, You know I don't like to talk about that!"
"But that's part of the reason, isn't it? Since childhood, you have been able to understand the inner workings of your father's company..and he has fostered your ambition, right up until you graduated with an MBA from Harvard at a
ridiculously young age ..and it's all you have ever known. You have dedicated yourself to it, to the exclusion of all else..and now you are afraid that Viraf is going to distract you from your goal. Am I right?"
Stunned at her mother's insight, she could only nod in agreement.
"It doesn't have to be that way, Kashish. You can have both, you know..I did it, didn't I? I have made a beautiful life with your father, and I have two wonderful children, and I've done all this while running India's second biggest restaurant chain, haven't I ?"
"But how? How have you given so much to your career, despite Dad.. and us.."
"Not despite,Kashish. It is because of your Dad that I am who I am today. It was his belief , his confidence in me that helped me reach my goal..He believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself ."
"I don't understand ..how did you find that balance ?"
Khushi realized that she would have tell Kashish the entire story , only then would her daughter find herself free to pursue her own dreams.
And so, for the next half hour, Kashish listened to her mother, enthralled by the tale of what happened when a simple girl from Lucknow crossed paths with the arrogant CEO of a fashion house.
She knew some parts of it of course, but there were many things that were new to her.
And as she heard the complete story, she realized one simple truth.
Her parents were who they were today, only because they had met each other.
And she knew that she wanted that too.
When her mother finished speaking, Kashish voiced the only concern she still had.
"But Mom..even if I'm lucky enough to find that kind of relationship, what about Dad? He placed his trust in me..handing over A.R to me was a huge decision, and I don't want him to regret that.."
"I won't ."
Both women turned abruptly to face Arnav, who had come up to the door while Khushi was speaking .
"Dad?"
He came up to them , sat down beside Khushi, and took his daughter's hand in his.
"I won't ever regret it, Kashish. I have never made a secret of the fact that I wanted you to lead A.R, but somewhere along the way , I think I've failed to let you know that the most important thing to me is your happiness..and I will never let anything stand in the way of that.Not even A.R."
Kashish stared at her father, overwhelmed by myriad emotions.
"But I don't even know if he..And he's known to be a..."
Kashish stopped , embarrassed that she had been about to spill her deepest secret.
Now that she knew what she wanted,and whom she wanted it with, her biggest fear was that he wouldn't want her anymore.
And her feelings were confused too. Did she really want to be with a man who had blackmailed her? Could she forgive him? And what about the fact that he wasn't exactly known for long-term relationships?
And all these muddled thoughts weren't something she could share with her Dad!
As always , her mother read her mind, and raised her hand to caress her cheek lightly .
"It never hurts to try , Kashish. Not when it comes to something this important .And everyone deserves a second chance, don't you think?But there's plenty of time to think about that. For now, how about some jalebis?"
Khushi smiled as she watched her daughter's face transform at the mention of the sweet treat.
The almost childlike enthusiasm reminded her of a simple fact that tended to escape her notice :Even though Kashish was a prodigy,she was still a girl at heart .
Her own heart felt like it would burst with the love she felt for the two people sitting here .
And as always, her thoughts went straight to the one person missing right now.
Their son..
"Are you sure you want to choose this career?"
"Yes,Dad, I'm sure."
Khushi had been proud and reluctant all at once , and had spoken out in a choked voice .
"But is it necessary to go across the world for this ?"
"Mom. I know you will miss me. Just like I will miss you guys. But trust me, in the end , it will be worth it."
As she came back to the present , she realized that her thoughts had made her teary-eyed, and both Arnav and Kashish were staring at her in alarm .
She wiped her eyes hastily, and summoned a weak smile .
"How about those jalebis ,then?"
One week later...
Kashish knew all eyes were on her as she descended the central staircase at Shantivan, dressed in a silver colored designer evening gown , complemented by a string of diamonds around her neck.
Her eyes , however, searched for just one person.
She knew he would be here , he had accepted the invitation to her parent's twenty -fifth anniversary party,hadn't he?
But when she didn't find him immediately , she panicked .
Most of the guests had already arrived , and she knew she should be able to spot him among them
Before she could look around some more, she heard her father's voice.
"Kashish , would you come here please?"
When she turned to find her father, she received a shock when she saw him.
Viraf Rathore.
Standing right beside her father.
Summoning all her courage , she smiled at her father, and walked up to him.
Disappointment at herself for being unable to gift her father with the completed deal on this occasion ruled her mind,and she wondered if there was anything she could have done to make it happen.
But she had tried everything she could think of, hadn't she?
Except for agreeing to his irrational condition, that is.
And she didn't regret that.
Before she could say a word, her father spoke, his words shocking her like nothing else could .
"I think you two know each other ,right ?No need for introductions here! Kashish,thank you for this gift, it's truly the best one I've ever received.I'm proud of you!"
"G..gift ?"
"Yes ! I know you probably wanted to tell me yourself , but young Rathore here just spilled the beans ! This is a milestone for A.R, and you've managed to accomplish something I've wanted for years,and you've done it in such a short time! The overseas expansion of A.R, in collaboration with the prestigious Rathore group , it's the best anniversary gift ever. Wait till I tell your mother !
PS: Please scroll down for the continuation.
And I have replied to some of your comments on the previous page.
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