Part 18 LIVE Drama

Khushi stood looking at the man in the bed. Arnav was injured. She felt bad for him, yet she felt disturbed. She didn't know why. She wanted to meet Arnav. She wanted to SEE him. Now, he was in front of her, but she didn't know why she was disturbed. Garima gestured for Akash to look at her.

"Hey Devi, Maiya, how cheerfully he roamed in Goa. Why did you make him like this? How eagerly my daughter was waiting to see him! When she saw him, he was not able to talk to her...!" she said, feeling sad.

"Ma'am, this is ICU. Don't talk loudly," A nurse said.

"Let's go out," Akash said.

Khushi came out with Garima and Akash.

That was when Akash got a call. He attended it.

"Hello...'

"....."

"Yes..."

"......"

"Oh, really...? thank you so much"

".........."

"I will get the key from you today. Then we can get our things from the parcel service office."

"...."

"Jee, we are waiting to get them after finding a house."

"....."

"How much is the rent?"

".........."

"Oh..."

"....."

"Of course, it's too much for us but we have no choice. We have to be here for our friend..."

"....."

"Ok, thank you."

Akash disconnected the call.

"Was that a house broker?"

"Yes... a house is available, but its rent is a little too much."

"How much?"

"Twenty-five thousand"

"Whaaaat?"

"We have no choice, Amma. This is Mumbai and, if we stay in the hotel, we should pay thousand five hundred every day. We can't cook in the hotel. We have to eat outside. The expense will be nigh compared to the house rent. So, we have to accept the house. However, I got a job. We will manage." Akash said.

Garima nodded yes but Khushi became thoughtful because Akash was not a guy who would spend money so easily. He would like to save his earnings. Seeing him spending money without calculating, she wondered.

"Let's go" Akash walked.

Khushi silently walked with him.

"We should arrange our house before Arnav shifted to the special ward. After that, we will not have time" Akash said.

Akash shifted to the new house with Garima and Khushi. It was an individual house. Of course, it was small. Garima liked it, but Khushi. She wanted their Goa house so much. Yet, she had no choice. So, she kept silent.

.......

Arnav got his ticket the next day. He came to Mumbai. Aman and NK were waiting for him at the Airport. They hugged him delightedly.

"Though you are in Mumbai with a bitter purpose, we are happy to welcome you."

"I, too, feel a little relieved only because you guys are here", Arnav said.

"Let's go to our flat. We will talk there" Aman took his bag and sat on the bike.

Arnav sat behind NK with another bag. They headed to their flat.

Aman opened the door, and Arnav entered. The flat was not so classy but neat.

"Nice flat," Arnav said.

Arnav sat on the bed.

"Did you get anything about the chemical companies?"

"Yeah... we have the complete list. There are nineteen companies in Mumbai. Only three are in the city, and others are on the outskirts of Mumbai."

Aman extended the list. Taking it from him, Arnav read them. He checked their address and marked the distance.

"ASR, we have the addresses but how do you think we can find Akash?"

Arnav held his head.

"I don't know Aman. I don't know what's there in his mind. Don't know why he left Goa..."

"He is selfish... I can't say anything beyond that," NK said.

"We will find him, ASR" Aman said.

Arnav nodded yes.

"Don't mistake me, ASR. If the girl left Goa with her brother without raising a question, what would you do searching for her? She knew you had a phone. Can't she call you?"

"You know what, Aman... it's been two days since I got to know Guptas shifted to Mumbai. Many thoughts are whirling in my mind. Of course, they make me feel restless, but I can't think of anything wrong with Khushi. She is a nice girl, Aman. She was visually impaired, but I saw her eyes speaking with me. A girl with vision can fake her feelings, but I don't believe what I see in her eyes is fake. She was a genuine and straightforward girl, Aman. She is opposite to Akash. I just helped her with her exams. Do you know how overwhelmed she was? I saw gratefulness in her behaviour. She felt sad about getting separated from me. I can't think she could be wrong."

"That's really surprising... being Akash's sister, how could she be grateful?" NK chuckled.

"Do you have her photo?" Aman asked.

Arnav nodded yes and removed his phone. He showed Khushi's photo to them.

"Is she really Akash's sister?" NK asked.

"Why?"

"She is unimaginably beautiful..."

Aman laughed, but Arnav was not in the mood to laugh.

.......

On the other side, Vinesh was shifted to the special ward. He smiled at Khushi. She, too, smiled at him. he said something to her in SIGN language. Khushi looked at him with confusion.

"He says he can't talk..."

Vinesh nodded yes, pointing at his neckband.

"You no need to talk. Take rest" Khushi said.

Vinesh smiled at her thankfully.

"Does it hurt?"

Vinesh nodded yes and again said something in sign language. Khushi understood he could not talk. She sighed.

That was when they saw a middle-aged couple coming. They came to Vinesh and sat next to him.

"Vinesh..." they touched his head.

Khushi frowned. Vinesh? Vinesh also frowned.

"He is not Vinesh but Arnav," Akash said.

"No, beta... he is Vinesh... Vinesh Chopra. Raizadas are not his REAL parents."

"What do you mean?" Akash asked.

"Yes, beta... we just got to know the truth."

"What truth?"

"A nurse exchanged our child with Raizada's child in the hospital when they were born."

"How do you know? Who told you that?"

"The same nurse... before she died..."

"Why did she exchange the babies?"

"It was not intentional. The babies exchanged when she took them for a bath. She got to know the truth only after we left the hospital. She didn't tell us that then because she didn't want the hospital's name to get ruined."

"How did you get to know the baby is Arnav?"

"The nurse belonged to Goa. My delivery was also held in Goa. It seemed she kept an eye on Arnav. She got to know about Arnav's accident through his sister. She came to Mumbai to meet him. Fortunately, and unexpectedly, she met us here and told us about the exchange of babies."

"Where is the baby that was with you?"

"He died in an accident, just like Arnav's parents."

"Unbelievable..." Akash said.

"It's all fate, beta... after these years, we got our son back," the woman said.

"Vinesh..." The man called him.

"He is Arnav"

"No... he is our son... Vinesh. Only heir of our whole property... he is the sole owner of our property worth rupees five hundred Crore. Our property is in Vinesh's name. From here on, he is Vinesh.

"Five hundred Crore?" Garima dropped her jaw.

Khushi was thunderstruck.

"We can't believe this..." Akash said.

"Arrey... why would we give our properties worth rupees five hundred crore to him if he is not our son?"

"Yeah, you are right... how will you give him five hundred crores if he is not your son?" Garima said.

"We were distraught when our son died but God gave us our biological son back..." His mother said emotionally.

"By the way, may we know who you guys are?" Vinesh's father asked.

Vinesh gestured for them like he was going to marry Khushi. His parents looked at Khushi and smiled.

"How beautiful our daughter-in-law is!"

Khushi plastered a smile.

"Are you fine with this wedding?" Garima asked.

"Of course... We got our son back. It's enough for us. We will not be a hindrance to his happiness," his father, Yogesh Chopra, said.

His mother, Heera Chopra, nodded yes, smiling at Khushi, who looked perplexed.

Everything happened like a LIVE drama. Arnav was not ARNAV. He became Vinesh Chopra. He said his parents were dead, but they were not his parents, and his parents were alive. He was a simple middle-class man then, but now, his economic status changed upside down. She didn't know how to take it.

To be continued...