Part 17 (Long update)

Ratna and Anjali stopped laughing, hearing,

"Why Arnavji is not talking to you, Amma?" from Khushi.

That made them stuck.

"If you don't feel comfortable..."

Cutting her,

"There is nothing called discomfort in my life after Chotte stopped talking to me and after Anjali lost her life..." Ratna said painfully.

Anjali gulped down.

"It happened ten years ago. It was our wedding anniversary day. Arvind didn't come home the previous night. I wanted to go to the temple with him on our wedding day. He came only early in the morning in a drunken state. His friend Rajeev brought him home. He said they had a party. I was too upset with Arvind. He did not wake up till the afternoon on our wedding day. When he woke up, I didn't talk to him. it touched his ego"

Khushi widened her eyes.

"Yes, Khushi, Dad was so egotistical that time. He dominated Mom a lot, joining hands with Rajeev uncle." Anjali said.

Khushi looked at Ratna and she nodded yes.

"He said, his friend Rajeev is more important to him than me. I felt hurt hearing such words from him as it was our wedding day. He made me feel useless. I was so furious with Arvind. That's when I got a call from Arnav's school principal. Arnav was studying in the twelfth standard at that time. The principal asked me to come to the school immediately. When I went, he said Arnav gave a love letter to his daughter who was studying in the same class with Arnav."

Khushi looked at Anjali parting her lips.

"But, it was not Chotte. It was some other Arnav who studied in the Science group. As I was already stressed, I lost my thinking ability. I didn't think another Arnav could be there in his school. My anger was raised when the principal criticized my upbringing. I slapped Chotte, losing my patience" Ratna cried closing her face with her palms.

Khushi looked at her shockingly.

"Did you slap Arnavji?" she asked painfully.

Ratna nodded yes.

"I was so stupid who had been dominated emotionally."

"The miserable thing is, Chotte was the one who asked the principal to call Mom," Anjali said hideously.

Khushi raised her brows.

"Chotte was so confident about mom that she will stand for him because he thought Mom understood him well than anyone but Mom disappointed him by slapping him, in front of everyone. That was the first day, we saw Chotte with teary eyes."

"Could not he prove his innocence?" Khushi asked miserably.

"The truth came out the same day itself. Students caught the real Arnav red-handed who wrote the letter and brought him to the principal. After coming from the school, Chotte locked himself in his room and refused to open the door no matter how hard Mom tried. He didn't give heed to her pleads. He stopped talking to her because he felt it was not just disappointment but a betrayal. He TRUSTED mom more than he LOVED her. he could not tolerate when she didn't trust him. He went to London for higher studies and stayed until he completed his master's. He wanted to establish our business in London because he had no idea to come back to India. That's when my wedding got fixed. He came to India to attend my marriage..."

Anjali told her wedding scenario and also about Arnav's outburst.

Khushi felt bad. These people were so good, love each other, and wanted to be with one another. Yet, the situation was against them. She didn't know how to mend things between Arnav and Ratna but she wanted to do that. And adding to it, Anjali's wedding scenario didn't make sense to Khushi. She was lost in deep thought.

AR

All the shareholders of AR gathered in the huge conference hall of AR, waiting for its CEO Arnav Singh Raizada. Shyam, Arvind, and Rajeev were also present there as they had to finalize something very important about their foreign deal. Unusually, Shyam didn't sit beside Rajeev but was sitting opposite him.

Rajeev was so tensed about what would be Arnav's decision about the deal but Shyam didn't seem interested. They wanted to send a talented person to France to deal with the deal. Rajeev wanted Arnav to go to France and Shyam to take over AR's responsibility. He wanted to see his son on the AR's CEO seat. It was his dream. He didn't think Arnav would take charge of AR. He thought he could manipulate Arvind in that matter too. But, after Anjali's wedding, everything turned in reverse. Arnav roamed around them like a furious lion. No one had the guts to go against his wish... especially Arvind. When Arnav came to India to attend Anjali's wedding he had no idea to settle down in India. But after the broken wedding of Anjali, he was not ready to leave India and his sister alone.

Arnav didn't have problems sitting on the CEO chair as he was the heir of its CEO. That was unexpected to Rajeev. He was disappointed for the first time with Arvind's decision of making Arnav AR's CEO. Whatever happened in AR after that was History. AR came under ASR junior's control completely.

Arnav entered the hall like a cyclone, at the exact time, as usual. Aman followed him. Without wasting time, Aman started.

"Well, we are here to finalize something very important. Our company got a very big deal like ever before. We are in the necessary to choose the right person to handle the deal. Here, we go..."

Cutting him,

"One minute, Arnav..." Shyam stood up.

Everyone looked at him. Arnav looked at him sternly.

"I don't want to beat around the bush. Being the CEO, I don't know what you have decided. I want to get it clear, that I would like to handle this project. I hope you have no doubt about my ability. You can check my History Record if you have any doubt"

Arnav stood folding his hands whereas Rajeev was in an extreme level of shock.

"I have no doubt about your ability, Shyam"

"Thanks..."

"Do you know the content of the deal?"

"Without knowing about it, I won't get into anything. The worth of the project is three hundred crores. The time length is two years. The person who is going to handle the project should stay in France during the project."

"If you are fine with all the conditions, please proceed. But, don't forget you can't back off if you are in" Arnav sounded strict.

"I will never back off if I'm in"

"Well, start the training. You have to learn French for a month that's very essential in France"

"Think, I have started"

"That's great. All the best..."

Arnav winded up the meeting. Rajeev was highly frustrated about Shyam's decision of going to France. He wanted to stop him from going to France. He looked at Arvind.

"I need to talk to you, Arvind"

The stance dragged Arnav's attention who just crossed by.

"Tell me, Raju"

"I know everyone from your family is angry with me. I also repent for the mistake even though it was not intentional. I would like to compensate it."

Arvind looked at him curiously whereas Arnav frowned. How could he compensate for it?

"I'm ready to get Anjali married to Shyam"

Arvind was delighted and Arnav was dumbfounded. Arnav knew Rajeev. He won't do anything without benefit. He won't decide anything just like that. What's the reason behind the decision? Why he was ready to get his son married to a widow? He became thoughtful. At the same time, he was happy too. Shyam was not as same as his father. He had manners, unlike his father and sister. Before Anjali's marriage, Shyam had a good bonding with Anjali. After that, everything became upside down. No matter how hard Shyam tried to talk to Anjali, she never attended his call nor did she agree to meet him. Arnav knew it. Arnav became restless because he knew it was not just a matter of Shyam but Rajeev. He will become powerful if Anjali married Shyam. He will try to rule both AR and RM. Arnav could not make any decisions liberally because it will affect Anjali directly or indirectly.

Top of all, Arnav could not let Shyam go to France if he got married to Anjali. Instead, Arnav should go to France. He thought about Khushi. What was he going to do now? What should he do with Khushi? Let it be anything, he was not ready to drop her responsibility to anyone.

RM

Arnav came to RM and strode to his room while asking,

"Hari Prakash, get me coffee..."

Khushi saw him and sensed the difference in him. was not he so cheerful in the morning? Why did he look tensed now? She knew HP was not at home. She rushed to the kitchen and boiled the milk while thinking about something. Preparing coffee, she headed to his room. She knocked on the door.

"Come..." Arnav gulped the word IN seeing Khushi instead of HP. His tension fled away, seeing her.

Khushi extended the cup from the outside. Arnav folded his hands.

"You didn't say IN, Arnavji," she said.

Arnav rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Please come in JI," he said.

Khushi entered with coffee.

"HPji is not at home. He went to the market. That's why I got the coffee" she said hesitatingly.

"Did I ask you the reason for your arrival?" he asked taking the cup from her hand.

"I just..." She turned to leave the room, but she stopped hearing,

"Will you come to France with me?"

Khushi turned towards him jerking. Arnav sipped the coffee, reading her expression.

"I have to go to France for two years for a deal. I can't get a good coffee like this in France. I will get it every day if you are with me. What say?" he asked seriously.

If someone had been in Khushi's place, she would have caught what Arnav was hinting. But she was Khushi. she was bothered about something.

"Are you going to France?" she asked.

Arnav nodded yes and sipped the coffee again. Khushi drowned in deep thought again. Arnav thought she was feeling sad about her future.

"Arnavji... if you want to go to France, I would like to tell you something"

Arnav became curious.

"Tell me"

"Anjali Di is neither a widow nor a married woman"

"Whaaaat?" Arnav was shocked.

"Yes, Arnavji, she didn't complete seven phares with the man who tied mangal sutra on her neck. So, as per Hindu wedding rules, they are not husband and wife. Their wedding is incomplete. If their wedding is incomplete how could she be a widow?" she asked with a cute expression hurriedly.

Arnav stood dumbfounded, looking at her.

To be continued...