"I didn't see you come in."
Arnav stills for a moment and turns around slowly to see his grandmother standing on the threshold, looking weary. He wonders if it's his presence that makes her weary because not few hours before when he walked in, he could hear her laughing over the phone.
"You were on the phone and I didn't want to intrude," he replies. He unfreezes a little and continues his chore - packing a suitcase.
His grandma hums in response. "Are you traveling somewhere?" She asks the obvious.
"I will be at my apartment for few weeks. It's easier for my lawyers to visit." He states it as a matter of fact.
His grandmother looks confused. "Is this because of Anjali's case?"
"Yes." He replies, his voice short.
"You don't have to leave the house because of that."
Arnav quirks an eyebrow. "You can't possibly be that stupid," he says, leaving all sense of propriety and takes a distant position in this conversation.
His grandma falters. "I..."
"It's a conflict of interest. Dad's will is unclear about division of this property and I have no interest in talking to Anjali or her husband regarding that." He took out an overnight case and started pulling some of his clothing. "Someone will be here tomorrow to pack up the rest."
"Are you not going to live here anymore?"
He notes the tremor in his grandmother's voice but doesn't acknowledge it. "Not at this moment," he says resignedly. The quietness that follows is stifling.
"Maybe I can talk to Anjali." His grandmother whispers. "Maybe then you two will stop fighting."
Arnav gives her a strange look. "I was never fighting with anyone grandma. You and Anjali put me on side opposite to yours and threw accusations at me. I don't know why you are suddenly looking for togetherness bullshit."
His grandmother takes a step back as if she was slapped. "It was wrong of me to do that Arnav. Everything that followed your parents-"
"Would you stop saying the same thing repeatedly?" Arnav interjected harshly. "I am tired of your reasons. I am sick of the way you found a scapegoat to dump your misery and your disappointments. I am f**king done with you people." Arnav displays a rare show of anger that he bottles up immaculately. The emotional roller coaster that started a decade and half ago was slowing down.
His grandmother choked on a sob. "I had lost my son Arnav."
"And I lost my father grandma." He bit out. "You didn't see me blaming you for not interfering when your son was selling illegal firearms to African warlords."
"I didn't know...If I had known Arnav maybe I would have tried to talk your father out of it."
"But you do know now grandma. You know. You know what my parents did was wrong. You know that the deals they have made has cost thousands of people their lives and their families. Their blood is on all our hands. After knowing, after seeing the proof, you refused to accept it. You still believe it's all a sham, don't you?"
"No Arnav, that's not true. I believe you. But...it's my son!" She screams the last part. Arnav flinches at the sheer volume but it doesn't do much to his state of mind.
"Yes. Isn't that unfortunate? I would have to live in a reality, in a world where I will be known as the son of a man who is connected to genocide. This is going to be my legacy. Yes, it is your son. But he is also a man who profited out of killing. I don't know about you grandma, but I don't have it in me to ignore such mentality and surrender to some familial emotion." Arnav said coldly. His grandmother reeled back from him as if he was attacking her physically. Arnav was suddenly exhausted.
"I am done with this family grandma. I honestly don't want anything to do with you people anymore. I cannot deal with the constant blames that's thrown at me. You and Anjali wanted to clear my father's name. Well, good luck with that." Arnav shoved dress shirts into his night bag stronger than necessary.
"Wait, what do you mean?" His grandmother looked slightly terrified.
"Internet is forever grandma. Every dirty thing my parents and the Jhas did are going to come out in public. How do you think people are going to react? How do you think the company will perform? Do you believe the circles you run with are going to welcome you?" He laughed harshly at that. "You have no idea what is going to happen."
With that Arnav didn't bother to pick anything else from his room, already annoyed and angry.
"Suman," he barks on the phone, taking two stairs down at a time. "Get someone to pack up my room. I am moving to my apartment. And book me two tickets to somewhere with snow at the earliest."
He hangs up without waiting for a response. He stops near the threshold when a voice stops him. "Going on a holiday when your life is falling apart? That's dumb."
Shyam and Anjali Jha were standing in the living room along with the Jha patriarch, Shankar. There was a reckless stream of energy thrumming in his veins that made him itch for a verbal battle. Since he was stepping away from the company completely, he had nothing to lose. At least not yet anyway.
He smiles cheerily at the three. "Who knows what's going to happen after Anjali's case go through? I may lose everything so it's best to enjoy when you have the time, no?" He replies.
If Anjali recognizes the subtle insult, she doesn't show. "Anjali will be running the company from now on." Shankar says confidently.
Arnav smiles at his sister. "Congratulations Anjali. I am sure you will be a very good face of the company."
As expected, Anjali takes the bait. "You always tend to forget something little brother. I am and I always be a Raizada first. I am never just a pretty face or a token head, Arnav. If I am taking over the reins, then I run at the best of my capability."
Arnav finds satisfaction in the way Shankar's face crumbles and Shyam's turns disappointed. This is exactly what he was hoping for. "Honestly Anjali. You have no experience and you are a proxy for your husband and his father, everyone can see that. You have seen data, right?"
"What data?" Shyam asked immediately. "What's he talking about Anjali?"
Arnav smiled at his brother-in-law, all teeth and no humor. "What do you think I have been doing for the last fifteen years? Sitting on my ass?"
Shankar splutters and stands next to Anjali in anger. "Beta your brother is at it again. First it was your parents and now it's us."
Anjali turns around and looks at her father in law carefully. "Is it?" She says slowly. Shankar steps back, surprised. "Don't take everything Arnav says as some sort of accusation papa. He is blowing smoke and I think I am smart enough to figure out whatever data his team has provided is manufactured or real."
"What kind of data Anjali?" Shyam asks urgently.
Arnav laughs when the question brings out Anjali's irritation and annoyance on her face. "It's being looked at right now Shyam. Since you and papa have promised that your histories are clean, you don't have to worry about anything." She pauses and peers at her husband closely. "Do you have anything to worry about in this whole business Shyam?"
"I will leave you with your family Anjali." Arnav whistles loudly and walks away from the now bickering couple. He misses the way Shankar looks at him in sheer anger laced with fear of the unknown. Arnav takes out his phone and makes the call as he steps out of his house.
"Hey, it's me. Want to get away from the city for a week or ten years?"
| topics | author | replies | views | reply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| abavi | 247 | 90711 | Mimima | |
| Rizz-ington | 30 | 4500 | PeachyPisces |
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