Hii all u lovely people...

Thank u so much for such a tremendous response to the 1st chapter... Hope u will continue to shower the same love further too..

Here's the next part which I would like to dedicate to @AryaARshi...

It's her birthday today 🎂🍰

Many many happy returns of the day and wish you a very happy birthday dear sis 🎉🎈🎁🍰🍩🍨🍧🍫🍭🍡🍥

May god bless u with all that u desire & may u have a rocking year ahead with lots of happiness, good health, fun & laughter 💃👯

Love u lotssss 😘 😘

Now enjoy the update 👍👍

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Arnav was working on some of his files sitting on the recliner at the poolside.

He was completely engrossed in his work & suddenly he felt a pair of hands massaging his stiff shoulders.

Working since long his shoulders had stiffened & were aching too.

He felt really good.

Immediately he straightened himself, leaving the file on the table, leaning back properly to the figure standing behind him, his head resting on the flat tummy, closing his eyes he was enjoying the relaxing massage the soft & delicate hands were providing to his aching shoulders.

Feeling good?? She asked massaging his shoulders, going down to his forearms & back to his shoulders.

Too good. He replied with a deep sigh. A satisfactory smile playing on his lips.

You stress too much. In the office & at home as well. You need to relax. You need to have some quality time. You need to have some fun & happiness keeping all the workload behind. She insisted bending down resting her chin on his head, circling her arms around his shoulders, her hair tickling his cheeks from both the sides.

I am having quality time. I am having the best time of my life since you & Arav have come in this house, in my life Sheetal. I am feeling rejuvenated reliving those beautiful moments I have spend with you back in Howard. He replied circling her hands with his around his shoulders, inhaling her fruity shampoo relaxing his senses further more.

Then let's go for a holiday Arnav. Only you & me away from this family, your office, your files & specially that undeserving wife of yours. I want you only for myself Arnav. No third wheel. Then see how I will show you the real meaning of fun & happiness. What say?? She asked expectantly moving her head on his right shoulder, nuzzling his cheek with the tip of her nose.

Hmmm... Sounds good Sheetal. Even I want to spend some lone time with my ex girlfriend who still resides in my heart. Let me instruct Aman to clear my schedule for coming weekend. Lets go to my farmhouse & spend some romantic time together baby. He said caressing her cheek lovingly.

Really. Are you serious?? She asked all excited.

100 percent serious. He replied confirming his plans.

Oh Arnie. I can't wait for the weekend to come. I am dieing to be alone with you. She said enthusiastically tightening her grip around him, rubbing her cheek with his.

Me too baby. He replied with equal enthusiasm, moving his eyes to her face then to her soft lips.

Sheetal too eyed his lips with lust.

Khushi had entered their room with a cup of black coffee for her Arnavji.

But the scene she saw playing infront of her eyes, rooted her to the spot.

She saw all of Sheetal's advances, her Arnavji's responses, heard their conversation, their weekend plan.

Everything fell like acid on her already corroded heart.

She felt her eyes & ears betraying her, making her see & hear all the nonsense which is not possible at all.

Her Arnavji can never betray her.

He loves her & only her.

She is just hallucinating. Nothing of sort is happening.

But the next move of her Arnavji & Sheetal confirmed all these to be true & not her hallucination.

Understanding each other's desire, Arnav & Sheetal's lips moved to get locked with each other.

This was all too much for Khushi to see & endure.

The coffee mug fell from her hands, breaking into pieces, breaking Arnav & Sheetal's moment as well & waking Khushi from the horrible dream she was in, in her sleep.

Khushi sat upright on her bed. Her chest heaving, her hands trembling, her eyes filled with tears.

She was struggling to breath due to the aftereffects of the heartwrenching dream she saw.

She wiped the sweatbeads from her face with her trembling hands.

Scared to the wits she moved her vision towards the empty recliner placed on the poolside & fell at ease.

Gasping huge amount of air, she tried to fill her lungs with much needed oxygen to stabilize her breathing.

Calming down a bit that it was indeed a dream, stretching her hand she fetched Arnav's photo frame from over the side table of the bed.

Caressing his face over the glass frame, she kissed it lovingly, longingly.

Why Arnavji?? Why are you doing this to me?? How can you distant yourself from your Khushi?? How can you hurt your Khushi?? How can you not trust your Khushi?? How can you not feel your Khushi's pain Arnavji?? How Arnavji how??

She complained to Arnav's pic. Her pain & hurt very much palpable in her voice.

Her tears fell on the glass frame.

Wiping her tears with her sleeves from over the frame & her cheeks, she clutched the photo to her heart tight.

Due to her tight grip she felt pain in her finger reminding her of the wound which she had forgotten due to the pain caused by the heart breaking dream.

Her jiji had insisted her to take rest after giving her meds & she had slept due to the effects of the medicine.

She saw the time on the wall clock.

Its 8:30 pm.

Arnavji will be home anytime from his office. I am sure when he will see the bandage on my finger & will know about me having temperature he will not be able to stop himself from showing his care, concern & love towards me. I am sure he will forget all his anger & will become my same old loving & caring Arnavji. Khushi mused to herself.

I will also confide in him forgetting all the hurt & pain. If needed I will ask for his forgiveness too even if I am not at fault. I just want to set all things right as before between us & if my one apology can bridge the gap then be it. I just want my Arnavji back with all his love. That's it. She said to herself & sat eagerly waiting for her Arnavji's arrival, determined to get him back tonight.
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As usual Anjali, mami & nani were busy pampering Arav sitting in the living room.

Anjali was hovering over him as a mother hen.

He was sketching in his sketch book & sitting besides him, Anjali was going all gaga over his drawing skills.

Mami too was putting her useless 2 scents in between, again comparing Arav's sketching skills with of Arnav's, sitting on the opposite sofa, busy filing her nails.

Payal was setting dining table for dinner but her ears were perked up to her mother in law & sister in law's talks, precisely the comparisions they were doing between Arnav & Arav.

Now after hearing her sister's painful agony & understanding her predicament she was berating herself for being a part of her sister's pain.

Now when she is hearing the 2 women of her family comparing Arnav & Arav, its irritating her & burning her insides.

But her sister has been enduring this nonsense since days.

How much pain her heart must have felt??

How she must have heard all the comparisions between her husband & the outsider boy??

How she must have endured the closeness between her husband & his friend who happens to be his ex girlfriend??

How she must have beared her husband giving more importance to his ex & her son then to his own wife??

How much her eyes must have burnt to see all three of them behaving like a real family??

How her sister still kept smiling infront of the family who had sidelined her since the arrival of these so called guests??

How her baby sister must have controlled her emotions which must have been all over the places due to her own family's, her own jiji's, her own husband's emotional & physical negligence towards her & her feelings??

Forget all but being her jiji how she couldn't understand her Khushi's emotional turmoil ??

How she couldn't see her sister's pain which she was hiding since days??

How being her jiji, she too joined this stupid band wagon, leaving her own sister in lonliness & anxiety??

She wanted to kick herself for being such a big fool of a humanbeing.

For not understanding the intricacies & responsibilities of being an elder sister when her younger sister has always fulfilled her duties of being a daughter & a sister, going out of the way always.

The front door flew open & entered Akash bringing Payal back from her guilt trip.

Akash came & sat on the other side of Arav on the sofa acknowledging his mother, dii & dadi with a smile.

Hey champ. Whats up?? He asked Arav, ruffling his hair playfully.

Making sketches Akash uncle. Replied Arav showing him his sketches happily.

Wow. You are a genius. These sketches are just awesome. Just like...

Just like Arnav bitwa's sketches. Manorama interrupted her son. Again comparing Arav with her Arnav bitwa, getting Anjali's & Akash's nod in affirmation to her statement.

Payal came with a glass of water for her husband & couldn't help but roll her eyes in annoyance hearing her mother in law repeating the same record time & again.

Offering the glass to her husband she asked him how was your day Akash?? Tiredness & fatigue clearly visible on his face.

Oh, don't even ask!! Too hectic with meetings lined up back to back. He answered returning back the empty glass to his concerned wife.

Akash, where's Chhote & Sheetalji?? Didn't they come back with you?? Are they still in the office busy?? Its already so late?? Why do they need to work so much?? They could have left something for tomorrow. Why didn't you ask them to come home with you Akash?? Whined Anjali. Complaining Akash like a small child. Her tone filled with concern for her Chhote & her Sheetalji as well.

Relax dii. Calm down & stop worrying. Bhai & Sheetalji are not in the office. He replied pressing his dii's hand.

What?? Then where are they?? This time it was his dadi to question Akash but the other three women present there were equally curious to know the same.

Actually an emergency occured in our Mumbai unit. There was a glitch in latest raw material supply. The dealer had sent a very low quality material & not the one we had ordered. The dealer was not cooperating over the phone. As the raw material is to be used for our new clothing line, bhai himself had to go to deal with the supplier. Akash filled them with the happenings in the office & informing about his bhai & Sheetal's whereabouts.

Payal's eyes widened in shock.

Before anybody else could question she asked her husband. Why did Sheetalji accompany him?? She works in Delhi branch & has nothing to do with Mumbai unit??

As we all know bhai acts impulsively in his anger which can worsen the situation more. Aman is already busy with the fall collection & can't accompany him. So Sheetalji volunteered to accompany bhai to keep his anger in check. Akash filled them with more details.

And Arnavji agreed?? Payal asked back scandalously. Her tone one notch higher gaining stares from the other 3 women.

Initially bhai denied Sheetalji.
But then understanding the seriousness of the situation I forced him to accept Sheetalji's offer & so he did & dii Sheetalji has requested you to take care of Arav till they are back said Akash to his dii.

Akash displayed his foolishness which he did unknowingly & for the first time Payal felt like cursing & slapping her husband for being such a fool.

But then why didn't Arnavji called Khushi & inform her about his visit to Mumbai WITH SHEETALJI?? Payal asked her husband incredulously, stressing on the last two words.

Bhai was about to call but then Sheetalji stopped him stating that once I reach home I would explain everything properly face to face. Why to worry you all unnecessarily over the phone?? I too felt that right so bhai didn't call. They should be reaching Mumbai within 2 hours. They will be staying in our AR apartments. Akash replied looking at his wrist watch.

They could have left tomorrow morning instead of travelling this late?? Payal couldn't digest the fact that her sister's husband is travelling with his ex girlfriend this late & will be staying overnight with her in an apartment.

Actually Payal, the meeting with the raw material supplier is fixed at 8 in the morning. They would have had to leave too early if they had decided to leave tomorrow morning. Its better they left now. They could get proper rest before the hectic meeting. Don't worry bhai will call as soon as they reach to our apartment. Akash informed them, trying to put their worries at rest.

Only if he knew the real reason behind his wife's concern.

It's ok Payalji. Infact its good that Sheetalji accompanied him. She will keep his anger in check. As well as she will take care of his food & meds. Anjali said feeling at ease regarding her Chhote's health.

About Arav, Sheetalji didn't need to request me Akash. I am always available to take care of him. Anjali supplied smiling lovingly towards Arav, displaying her stupidity, garnished with her not so needed smile.

Payal felt like banging this brother sister duo's heads to each other & put some sense in their useless brains.

Payal I am starving. Is the dinner ready?? Akash asked his wife making a puppy, starved face.

Yes. Replied Payal plainly.

Great. I will just freshen up & come. You please serve the dinner till then. Patting his wife's shoulder he moved towards the stairs to go to their room.

Khoon bhari taang, if your inquiry counter is closed then bother to serve us dinner. Manorama taunted her daughter in law making faces.

Yes Payalji. Lets move to the dining table. Even Arav must be hungry. Anjali said pulling Arav along accompanied by mami & nani.

All got seated on their respective chairs for their dinner.

Anjali seating besides Arav served his favourite food in his plate which was specially made on his demand as usual & asked him to start eating.

Payal was serving her mother in law & dadi who were waiting for Akash to join them.

Suddenly noticing Khushi's absence mami mocked Payal.

Khoon bhari taang, where is phati saree?? Has she vanished to Laxminagar??

Yes Payal bitiya, where is Khushi bitiya?? I have not seen her since afternoon. Nani asked polietly.

Thank goodness. Atleast they recognized their elder daughter in law's absence, thought Payal.

Dadiji, Khushi had cut her finger with knife while chopping veggies & also she had mild fever. So I asked her to take rest & I would take care of the dinner preparations. Payal replied with sadness & worry in her eyes for her sister.

What?? When did this happen Payalji & why nobody told me anything?? Anjali asked Payal showing her concern.

Yes Payal bitiya. Why didn't you tell us before?? You didn't even call the doctor. Nani asked with genuine concern.

But mami started having her dinner. Completely unaffected with the news of her elder daughter in law's ill health.

Dadiji you all know na how much Khushi is afraid of doctors & injections. So I myself nursed her wound & gave her pain killer, as well as fever reducing tablet. She just needs rest. She will be fine till tomorrow. I didn't want to worry you all so I didn't inform you. As if you all would care. She said the last line in her mind.

I will go & check on her. Also will call her for dinner nani said Anjali getting up from her chair.

No dii. No need to do that. She is sleeping due to the effects of medicine. I will feed her once she wakes up. You all carry on with your dinner. Anjali sat back on her chair nodding her head to Payal.

By the time Akash too joined them.

Payal served him & when he asked her to join him, she denied stating that she isn't hungry right now & will eat with Khushi later.

How could she eat when her hunger left her stomach, making place for more anxiety for her baby sister's reaction when she will know about Arnav & Sheetal's visit together to Mumbai.

To be continued.....

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Thank you to all those who voted & commented on the previous part.

Your incredible response & encouraging comments compelled me to update sooner then decided.

So the drill remains the same again.

Guys next update is gonna be more heart wrenching.

So vote ⭐ & comment for early update.

Love.
Kavita ❤️