Part 26 The Bangles

Ratna glared at Arvind whereas Anjali walked to Arnav's room, after throwing a weird look at him. Ratna was about to go to the kitchen to prepare coffee for Arnav, but she stopped listening to Arvind.

"Please talk to Chotte..." Arvind said.

"I already am doing that"

"I'm not talking about that TALK"

"Then what TALK are you talking about?"

"Please talk to him about Simran"

"He already knew about her..."

"Tell him she is a good girl and you will be happy if she became your Bahu"

"Do you want me to lie?" She teased.

"Ratna please... this is not a matter of making fun"

"Exactly... that's what I'm saying. This is a matter of my son's life. He is not like me. He won't tolerate a senseless moron..." he said mockingly.

"Ratnaaa..."

"I mean Simran..." she said with an attitude.

"Don't my words have respect?"

"When YOU yourself don't have respect, how could your words?" she asked gritting her teeth.

"Oh... what will you do if I leave RM?"

Ratna got stuck for a while and said,

"Go... I have no problem..."

"Do you think I won't?"

"I have stopped thinking about you a long ago when you said your friend is more important to you than me..."

"Oh... are you keeping an old grudge in your mind?"

"OLD? It's still FRESH..."

Ratna walked to the kitchen. She stopped and looked at Arvind.

"I will help you to pack your things if you want to leave RM because you don't even know what you need" She sarcastically said and went.

Arvind stood with an extreme level of shock as his last trump card also didn't work.

In Arnav's room

Anjali came to Arnav's room and saw him throwing his coat and it fell in the corner of the room. He saw Anjali looking at him. He sat on the recliner with annoyance.

"May I come in?" She asked.

Arnav rolled his eyes.

"Di, you too don't irritate me," he said irritatingly.

"I TOO? Who irritated you?"

"Who else? That idiot Simran. I have never seen such a shameless character in my life. No values, no morals, no shame, nothing..." He shouted with frustration.

"What did she say?"

"Just leave it... I don't want to recall her JULIET dialogues"

Anjali wanted to laugh out louder hearing that but she knew that was not time to laugh.

"It seems she annoyed you a lot"

"I was silent only for Shyam," he said observing Anjali.

"Why did you be silent? You don't have to be silent for anyone... you can do anything you want"

"No, Di... I was not silent just because I don't want to do anything against Shyam. Shyam controlled her on my behalf. That's why"

"Is it?"

"Yeah... he seems genuine. Whatever he spoke to me today says who he is"

"Words and actions are different Chotte. When the person brings his words into action, then only we can say he is genuine"

Arnav looked at her contently.

"I'm not ready for any disappointments Chotte. Until Shyam proves himself, I won't grow my expectations"

"Do you think I trust people easily especially when it is about you?"

"Certainly not... you are stricter than me"

"Then what's the problem?"

"As this matter includes Simran and Rajeev uncle, we can't be so easy... we should not be"

"Yeah... you are right. The father and the daughter are unimaginably shameless" Arnav said, shaking his head.

Anjali nodded yes.

"Chotte, do one thing"

"What?"

"Try to prove Simran's love is fake"

Arnav became thoughtful.

"If you proved her love is not true, Dad will not dare open his mouth again."

"But, how could I prove a JULIET's love is fake?" he asked, making a worried face.

Anjali frowned. Arnav burst out laughing seeing her expression. Anjali hit his shoulder pouting and she too laughed.

They stopped, laughing, seeing HP.

"Ammaji is calling you. Banwari Lal's son is here" HP said and left the place.

Anjali looked at Arnav from the corner of her eyes with controlled laughter. Arnav stood casually and went out. Anjali followed him biting her lip.

Arnav saw Ratna selecting a bangle for herself. She wore it in her hand and looked turning her hands.

"Chotte, come... look at my hand... is not it looking good?"

Arnav nodded yes.

"What about this?" she showed him another set.

"Good" he simply said.

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah..."

"Shall I take it?"

"Why not?"

Arnav turned towards Anjali.

"Di, you too take..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah..."

Arnav selected another set and handed it to Lal's son

"Is that for me?" Anjali asked curiously.

Arnav nodded yes. He turned towards Lal's son and gestured to him something. He nodded ok and packed the bangles in a box and handed it to Arnav.

"Send the bills to AR and get it cleared"

"Ok, Sir" Lal's son left RM.

Anjali waited until he went.

"But Chotte, why did you buy for me? I didn't make Badam Halwa..." Anjali said making a sad face.

"So what, Di? Did Mom make it or what?" he said controlling his laughter.

Ratna dropped her jaw whereas Anjali laughed.

"Go, I don't want this" Ratna said.

"Mom, don't overreact... take what you want"

"Do you know how excited I was to get the first-ever gift from you?" Ratna said making face.

"Mom, don't you think this is too much? You know very well why I wanted to give you a bangle. I wanted to gift bangle because I thought it was you who prepared the Badam Halwa. Is not it injustice to abduct something that belongs to someone?" he asked teasingly.

"Then why did you buy the bangle for me?" Anjali asked.

"I don't want you to feel bad when I present the bangle for Khushi," he said.

Ratna and Anjali spared a content glance.

"That's why did you buy for Mom too?"

Arnav nodded yes.

"I don't want..." Ratna said.

"What about you, Di? Will you take it or not?"

"Why? What will you do if I don't want"

"I will give all the three sets to Khushi"

"Three sets? But you bought only two..."

Arnav opened the box and showed them. There were three sets of bangle in it.

"I asked him to pack three sets. I decided to gift a bangle to the person who cooked the halwa. So what if it is Khushi? I don't want to back off. I will just do what I decided..."

"What do you want us to do now?" Anjali asked.

Taking her hand, Arnav inserted the bangles into her hands. He moved towards Ratna. She turned opposite to him with a fit of fake anger.

"Mom, don't behave like a kid..." he pulled her hand and put it in her hands.

Ratna smiled looking at the bangles.

"Thanks to Khushi..." she chuckled.

"You are right, Mom. Because of her, this Kadoos thought of buying bangles for us"

"Yeah... you are right. he never thought of gifting us anything so far"

"Mom, first, learn to cook better. Then, I will surely gift you"

Ratna pouted.

"By the way, Chotte, you made us wear the bangles. What about Khushi? Are you going to insert it in Khushi's hands too?" Anjali asked seriously.

Arnav got stuck.

"I have no problem doing that... let's check"

Anjali and Ratna widened their eyes and looked at each other. Arnav walked to the guestroom casually.

"Mom, will he make her wear?"

"He will do anything..."

"Let's go..."

"Yeah, but don't make noise"

"Ok"

They headed to the guestroom.

Arnav knocked on the door that was already open. Khushi smiled at him and Arnav walked in. She stood up, leaving the work that she was doing on her laptop. Arnav stood in front of her, said nothing. Before Khushi asked him anything,

"Close your eyes," Arnav said.

"Haannn?"

"I said close your eyes"

Khushi nodded ok and closed her eyes. Khushi shrank her face when he took her hand.

"Don't open your eyes, until I say"

She nodded ok. Arnav inserted the bangles into her hands. Though Khushi sensed what he was doing she didn't open her eyes but stayed obeying his order.

"You can open your eyes," Arnav said.

Khushi opened her eyes and widened them, seeing GOLD bangles in her hands.

"Arnavji..."

"I bought bangles for Mom and Di. So, thought to give you too..."

"But, Arnavji..."

Cutting her,

"Badam Halwa was so tasty... thanks for the delicious sweet" He walked towards the door not letting her to speak anything.

"Arnavji, this bangle..."

"Keep it, Khushi..."

"I don't want this, Arnavji..." she rushed to him and removed them.

Arnav looked at her sternly.

"I thought you respect me... that's ok... give it back"

"I didn't mean it..."

"Then what did you mean? You just removed them, Khushi... what does that mean?" he asked wearily.

"This is just too much for me, Arnavji"

"Too much means what? In which means did you say that?"

"I mean I'm not equal to Amma and Di..."

"Oh..."

"I... it's embarrassing Arnavji"

"Why?"

"I just want to be at my limit," she said looking down.

Arnav tightened his jaws, fisting his fingers.

"When did you cross your limit?"

"I never want to..."

"Ok, throw the bangles in the dustbin" he walked out.

Khushi stood with a horrified expression. Ratna and Anjali looked at each other who heard their talks, standing, leaning on the wall.

To be continued...

Note:  The next few updates of CHOSE BY DESTINY are available on INKITT.