SS-Love in Delhi University#3: EPILOGUE-Pg77 - Page 2

"Arnav Ji! Ye kya ho raha hain?" (Arnav Ji! What's happening?) cried Khushi over the phone. Tears refused to stop cascading down her heated cheeks as she slumped down against the wall in the backyard of their modest house. Arnav kept quiet, not knowing ways to reassure his fianc. His mind tried to figure out means to trace the culprit but came up with nothing. "Arnav Ji!" sobbed Khushi with a cracking voice, making Arnav gulp down painful air down his throat.

The bright sunny morning had turned into a nightmare for the Guptas. People from all over their neighbourhood trickled in, asking heartless ruthless questions to the family members regarding what they had read in their morning newspaper. Payal had retreated into her room long back and refused to talk to absolutely anyone, including Khushi. All the vicious jibes made her loathe herself. It was because of her that her family had to face so much. She buried her face in the pillow, wishing she was dead already. This world wasn't fair to everyone.

Khushi was in no mood to take the backseat and stepped forward to fight this battle for her sister. She answered every question with utmost patience innumerable times, clarified it was no rape. She was getting along well until the sharpest of the knives hit their family. "Badi behen baap ke saath aur choti behen bete ke saath?" (Older sister goes with the father and younger sister goes with the son?) chimed the ruthless voice of their neighbour, Meeta Chachi.

That was when Khushi's resolute began falling apart. Her eyes widened in fear as the cold brutal reality hit her. That was how the world was perceiving things. She tried to speak, her mouth moved but no sound came out of it. She blinked a couple of times to check of it real, Yes, the scenes before her remained the same. There stood Meeta Chachi at the door with a gloating smile on her face. "Why was this happening!" her mind screamed.

Shashi Gupta, who till now was patiently dealing with the situation, unlike Garima and Madhumati, now reached his absolute threshold. He saw his fighter of a daughter stand almost defeated as the piercing words hit her like a tornado. He could see her mouth move, trying to retort back but no sound came out of it. It was his duty to step up now, he decided so and did the same.

"Khushi, Andar jao!" (Khushi, go in) he commanded in an authoritative voice. Khushi turned to look at him with fearful eyes as his tone sent shivers down her spine. It was very rare for her father to show his rage and this was one of those moments, she could guess. She turned back towards the lady and immediately tried to put off the fire but was held back when her father called out her name again. "KHUSHI, Andar jao!!" (Khushi, go in) he repeated with even more emphasis on her name this time, reducing Khushi to tears. She quickly stepped back and retreated into the interiors of their.

She could hear the fire flame in the background and tried to get away as quickly as possible. Her payal tinkled as the ran in towards her room, wiping her tears away. "Jiji! Jiji!! Darwaza kholiye! JIJI!!" she screamed and banged on the door but it turned out to be futile. On getting no response, Khushi miserably turned away and made her way to the backyard. She quietly closed the wooden door behind her and slumped down against it.

And that was when she weeped her heart out. Why hadn't her sister told her about it? Why hadn't Arnav Ji told her about it? He knew about it, didn't he? Ofcourse he did! How else did they..? Thousands of questions gushed in her mind and she needed their answers right away. Ignoring the brutal Delhi afternoon summer sun on her face, she wiped her tears away and picked up her cellphone. She speed dialled Arnav's number and waited for him to respond.

As Khushi gushed him with questions, Arnav calmly tried to answer all of it. "Khushi, humne tumhe bataya kyunki tumhare final year exams the! We didn't want to distract you. Payal and I, we both agreed on it" (Khushi, we didn't tell you had your final year exams!) reasoned Arnav, trying to calm his flared up temper because it seemed like Khushi was in no mood to do the same. On hearing the answer from Arnav, Khushi felt stubbed. Jiji didn't want her to know about it?

"Khushi, this is not the time to be mad because we didn't tell you about it and didn't include you in our plan. Your sister needs you more than ever so be there for her like she was for you!" scathed Arnav mercilessly but he knew it was necessary. Khushi was still a child at times and that was the sheer reason why she wasn't told about it. Hurt, Khushi quietened down but deep in her mind she knew he was right. A part of her was angry because she wasn't involved with them. She listened quietly Arnav told her about the time when Payal came to him and helped him out. Arnav knew that Khushi knew only the half baked story which she had read in the paper and decided to fill her up with what actually had happened. As the truth unfurled before her, things started coming back to Khushi. She closed her eyes as the pain her sister had to go through rushed in her blood. She could almost feel the loathe in herself.

She tried to rake her brain, trying to trace her memory back to when it happened. It was such a big thing and she had hidden it from everyone? Why? Of course she knew why. Payal was never the one to voice her problem. Arnav from the other side kept answering all her other queries but it went ignored. She thought hard, turned back the time wheel in her mind trying to figure out when it had all begun. "Khushi! Khushi?" Arnav urged from the other side when he got no response and jerked Khushi back to reality. "Main apse baad mein baat karti hoon" (I'll talk to you later) she said half heartedly and ended the call. Arnav slammed his phone back on the table and walked out his cabin, hoping to get to the root of this evil. He would deal with Khushi later. He had failed to live upto the promise he had made to Payal and he had to make amends as fast as he could.

As Khushi paced up and down the balcony, events replayed in her mind. That was why she had to accompany her Jiji to all her business parties. It wasn't because she would feel lonely. The first truth hit her. And then, slowly things begun to unfold before her eyes. Whatever her eyes had missed, whatever Payal had hidden from her for so long and then finally the night before she left for Kanpur came back to her. The entire story hit her and she slumped back, cursing herself as to why she hadn't seen it much before. She rushed back inside.

"Jiji!!" screamed Khushi and she was about to bang the wooden door of their bedroom when she saw it slowly open. Her eyes widened as she saw a red, flushed Payal with bloodshot eyes opening the door. She looked miserable and pained and Khushi almost flinched at the sight of it. "Jiji! Ap theek hain?" (Jiji, are you Ok?) Khushi murmured, not wanting to know the answer. Payal slowly looked up and Khushi noticed her eyes were bloodshot. She was about to speak up when Payal took her wrist and dragged her inside and closed the door behind them. Payal had to tell her about it.

~

Akash had read the news the first thing in the morning after Arnav had called up him to inform him about the news being leaked. He rushed out of his bedroom, rushed past his flabbergasted mother and picked up the morning newspaper from their tea table. Akash listened to Arnav while he flipped the pages and found the news he was looking for. He was shocked. The article even had a picture of Payal in it.

Disgusted with such a move, he asked "Was it Malik?" but Arnav had no answer to that. "I don't know what to do!" sighed Arnav from the other side as he slumped back on the couch in his penthouse. He rested his head on his free hand and tried to come up with something but availed nothing. Akash in the meanwhile, read the article and his blood boiled at it. Why did this have to happen with Payal?! He cursed. She was the most perfect girl he had come across: brave, intelligent, hard-working, sincere, caring. Why did this happen to her? His insides churned at the idea of Malik doing it.

"We have no proof! He had been arrested last week!" argued Arnav even though a part of him wanted to believe that it was Malik. It would be an easy end to the problem. "We have no proof? We'll get some proofs!" stamped Akash resolutely, taking Arnav by surprise. "You remember Aman from college? Yes, him. His younger brother runs a private detective here in Delhi. Yes, I'm very much in contact with Aman. I'll get in touch with him and get back to you as soon as possible" said Akash in determined tone and ended the call abruptly. Arnav stared at his beeping phone and wondered what was up.

It was six in the morning and no one yet had gotten the whiff of it. Something in Arnav's heart told him that it wasn't Malik. Last time he had met him in prison, he looked too broken and pathetic to do something like this. He was still under the shock of his loss. There was no way he could do it. Defamation had taken much toll on him. He paced around the room, trying to fix the puzzle. Finding no solution, he took off for office. In between, he had the talk with Payal where he informed her that it wasn't Malik in an attempt to calm her down. It was a gutshot but he was will to give it a try.

Within two hours Arnav's phone rang again. On seeing Akash's name flashing, he skipped all the usual courtesy. "Any updates?" asked Arnav shortly. "Yes.." he heard a cold reply from the other side. Arnav's heart skipped at a beat at the tone. He knew something catastrophic was definitely up. "Our guess was wrong. It wasn't Malik. He's secured in prison. Or anyone from the office in fact. But the money transfer to the news agency has been made from Malik's personal account. The one which we didn't take over and only one person, other than Malik has full access to it" Akash informed and was about to continue when Arnav cut in. "Natasha Malik" the culprit was out.

Just as the call ended, Arnav's phone rang again. It was Khushi. He tried to get over the conversation as quickly as possible and once down, he went out to Raizada Mansion. He drove like an insane, cutting across the busy traffic. On Khushi's insistence and her belief in goodness, he had not made any attempt on ruining Natasha's life even though she had made Khushi and his life hell more some years. He wasn't convinced with Khushi but decided to comply with it anyway and for that, he had justified his act by saying that if the head was chopped off, there was no way the limbs could be of any use but he was wrong. He was gravely wrong. Like his father, he had undermined the worth of his enemy.

Arnav was in his maniac spree when his phone rang. He checked his phone and noticed that it wasn't a saved number but it was definitely a number he could recognize. It was Anjali's. He let it pass but the caller was in no mood to let go. His phone refused to cease ringing.

Ultimately giving in, he parked his car and received the call but did not initiate any conversation. "Hello?" came a meek voice but Arnav did not respond. He was fuming with rage as those horrible days Khushi had to face came back to him. "Main Anjali" he heard the voice but still made no attempt to speak and kept listening. Anjali knew what she had to do. "Arnav, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about whatever happened. I had no intention of hurting you and Khushi.." cried Anjali.

"Yet you did" replied Arnav for the first time but coldly. He heard Anjali sniffle as she continued. "I was wrong and my guilt has been gnawing me away since that time. I want to correct it. I can't live this way" Anjali almost cried. "It was my maasi who leaked the information about Khushi's sister" she informed with closed eyes and curled fists. It was a big deal, giving up her maasi, a person who took care of her since the beginning and Arnav knew that.

"You're telling me all this because you're guilty?" asked Arnav. Somewhere in his heart, he knew Anjali was manipulated to do all that she had done. Anjali was a clean slate, a scapegoat, which was tampered well by Natasha. Anjali replied in positive. "Please don't harm maasi. Please" pleaded Anjali, now completely broken down and sobbing like there was no tomorrow. Arnav kept silent.

As Anjali's sobs quietened down, Arnav spoke up. "After what she had done to Khushi and me, I had let her go but this is inexcusable" he said. "I know" she replied quietly and listened intently to whatever Arnav had to say. "I'm just going to take back what is mine. I had let her keep Malik's personal belongings: the house, the money but I'm going to take it back now. I thought that taking revenge from her would be petty but I have no option. They're my mother's property and I'm going to take back what rightfully mine" concluded Arnav.

Anjali gripped the handle of her chair as she shut tight her eyes and tears streamed down her face. She was glad that Arnav listened to her. "Thank you" she murmured and Arnav ended the call. Anjali knew Natasha would be devastated on finding out that her dream-world was snatched away but it was stupid of her to expect that Arnav wouldn't find out about it, Anjali debated in her mind. It seemed like Arnav already knew about it when she confessed to him. Anyway, now that she had a job of her own, she would support her maasi like her maasi had supported her. She knew Natasha was material and this loss would come as blow to her but that was what she deserved. Maybe karma had saved her from a ruthless lawsuit and defamation because she had taken in an orphan eight year old Anjali and brought her up like her own child. Anjali smiled and leaned back on her leather chair. The guilt and pressure was finally gone. Life was going to be better again.

~

Arnav U-turned his car and called up Akash the first thing and informed him about his intentions and the phone call from Anjali. Akash nodded agreed but somehow he wasn't satisfied. Payal's life was still a mess. As the conversation steered towards Payal, Akash's inside churned as he traced pity in Arnav's voice. "She doesn't need our pity, Arnav" Akash cut in, taking Arnav down by surprise. "Pity is the last thing she needs. Had this included just her, she would've fought it off in one go. She's gone down because her family has been dragged into it. It because of us she is a position like and it is us who'll bring her out of it" said Akash heatedly, making Arnav smile a bit.

"You love her?" asked Arnav softly.

"More than she can fathom. She's the strongest and the bravest girl I've ever come across" came a reply.

"Do you think it's reciprocated?" asked Arnav again.

"Yes but she's shy and concerned about the age difference" replied Akash, now flustered about what Arnav was hinting at.

"Then you know what you have to do" replied Arnav Cheshire-ly and cut off the call.

Akash stared at his phone for sometime before his lips curved into a smile as the message decoded in his mind.

~

Payal couldn't believe the conversation just happened. She was sitting up on her bed, the tears now washed away. As the words replayed in her mind, her lips broke into a small smile; the first one in the day.

"Ye nehi ho sakta" Payal had said. (This can't happen)

"Why not?" argued Akash.

"Main apse badi hoon, teen saal!" she insisted but he wasn't letting go. (I'm three years older to you)

"Does it matter? You know that I've fallen in love with you and I know that you love me too. Why else did you hug me back the day Malik got arrested" shot back Akash, leaving her speechless.

"Tell me you don't love me! Tell me all those separate lunch boxes you made for me, hiding from Arnav and Khushi meant nothing. Tell me you don't have my handkerchief I gave when you had cold, safely hidden somewhere in your drawer!" Akash stated in one breath, taking Payal by utmost surprise by his last sentence.

"Apko kaise pata?" she asked bewildered (How do you know?)

"Tell me if I'm wrong!" Akash insisted a little loudly and Payal was on the brink of breaking into tears again.

"Mujhe nehi pata! Mujhe KUCH nehi pata!" (I don't know. I really don't know) Payal broke down and Akash calmed down. She had already gone through so much today. It was wrong for him to lose his calm but he had to sort it. "I'm sorry" he murmured.

"Payal Ji, tell me that you don't love me and I'll walk away without a word" Akash laid his last card.

For almost a minute, all he could hear were sound of sobs but he waited patiently for her answer.

Payal had no more strength to hold on. She was on the ground, broken and shattered and the only person who ever understood her was there to pick her up. There was no reason to hold back yet something in her heart did. She was scared but when he heard him say that he'll walk away, all the time she had spent with him came flooding back. The way he had hugged, the way he had told her that everything was going to be alright. Their stolen moments. The way he encouraged her. The way he made her believe in herself. They way he restored her faith. The times when he read her mind like no one ever did. As all those memories came back, Payal gave up her hold.

"Hum apse bohot pyaar karte hain Akash Ji!" (I love you a lot, Akash Ji) she replied in broken tone and Akash's heart eased at it. He smiled and leaned back on his chair. "Par aap humare saath kyun rehna chahenge! Log kya kahenge? Apke amma-bauji kya kahenge?" she asked, her voice now hoarse from all the crying. (but why would you want to stay with me? What will people say? How will your parents react?)

Seeing Payal's concern for him even at this hour made Akash fall more in love with her, if it was even possible. "Ma ko apke baare mein pata hain. Log kya kahenge, mujhe koi fark nehi padta aur main apke saath rehna chahta hoon kyunki main apse bohot pyaar karta hoon" (My mom  knows about you. I don't care what people has to say about us and I want to stay with you because I love you) he replied calmly, making Payal smile for a bit.

"Toh tai raha. Main aa raha hoon apke ghar sham ko. Apke bauji se apka haath mange" (So it's decided. I'm coming tonight to ask your hand in marriage) stated Akash happily and ended the call. Payal felt like her world had been restored. That was just a part of their conversation which had lasted for more than two hours. Akash had carefully treaded the sensitive ground and finally brought out the Payal which agreed to marry him with all her heart. It was Akash's turn to be pleased with himself today.

~

Chapter 21: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/75337529

Precap: Romance 😆

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Ignore Typos.. Too lazy to proofread

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