Salaam everyone... How are you all?? I am sorry for updating late, was busy with works...

Firstly, thank you so very much who have voted for Misconceptions in Wonders Writing Contest... Because of you all guys, Misconceptions secured first place in this... So thank you all...

Happy reading...

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Chapter 21: A step towards Tweety.

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'I am exhausted.' Said Arjun plopping down on his chair at the office.

'What?' asked Pawan whose eyes are ready to leave his sockets.

'After last night, I am exhausted. Radhika is one hard worker.'

'You know what you are talking, right, Arjun?' asked Pawan again.

'I know what I am talking, but why are you so shocked?'

'Nothing.' Said Pawan to cover up the matter but Arjun is not the one who leaves the matters that easily when they are brought up.

'Why?' persisted Arjun.

'Well, I thought...' trailed off Pawan.

'Don't tell me what I am thinking is what you thought.'

'That depends on what you are thinking.'

'Oh my god! Pawan! I think we should find you a bride to keep you engaged. Your brain is always wandering in only one place these days.'

'It's not that. The way you said it made me wonder what happened between you both.'

'You know I can't our relationship to next level until I find Tweety.'

'Of course. I had a reasonable doubt yaar. What to do? Leave all that, what happened exactly that made you so exhausted?'

Arjun relayed all the events that happened last night of how Vikas's media house caught fire and Radhika left in the middle of the night to get all the details and telecast them. How he was furious to see she left him without as much as a glance! And how she apologized to him. And also the reason behind her going to the crime spot.

After listening to all this, Pawan understood how much he loves Radhika. He doesn't want to lose like he lost all the important people in his life. He is in constant fear of losing him too, that's why he is staying close to him as much as possible. This made him remember a similar incident with Tweety.

It was the day when the children Arjun, Pawan and Ayushi are gardening and the mothers are sitting in the lawn and observing the banter of the trio. As usual, Ayushi and Pawan are quarreling on some matter and Arjun is acting as a peacemaker with no avail because Ayushi is not the person who takes orders from people even it is her best friend Arjun. She is beating Pawan on his back when he is not putting the plants in the pots properly and Arjun is holding her back so that she could not go near Pawan. When she can't take it anymore, she made her way to the lawn to sit with the mothers. When she was about to make the place, a bullet was fired and it missed Ayushi in an inch. Arjun and Pawan who are the first ones to gather their wits moved to the place to see the bullet didn't harm anyone but it is situated on the far wall of the building. Ayushi is nowhere to be seen. By that time, she is moving out of the property to catch the one who fired the bullet. It is clear that the bullet was fired to harm Arjun's mother. Before she could go out of the property, Arjun ran to her and tried to stop her saying it is not her duty to catch the person; he may be still out there waiting for his prey. When she understood what he is saying, she came back to the ladies and hugged each of them tightly.

Pawan saw the similarities between Ayushi and Radhika now. When Arjun said that he is feeling the same he didn't understand but now he can clearly see that. Coming back to Ayushi, he needs to give his report about the findings to Arjun. He didn't know Arjun is in a position to comprehend what transpired after the incident that destroyed their lives, but he should do this. He cannot leave his friend in dark for a long time. He left him for all these years and he became a man he is now without anyone's help. Only one word can be used for Arjun after the incident that is ruthless. He doesn't want the ruthless Arjun, he wants his and Ayushi's sweet Arjun back. If this means, he has to hurt Arjun, he will do that. He will be hurt more if he doesn't know the whereabouts of Ayushi. He should find her at any cost.

Seeing Pawan in deep thought, Arjun snapped his fingers to bring him out of the reverie. But he is still thinking about something, so he shook him.

'Huh? Did you ask me something?' asked Pawan.

'I was asking about what you were thinking.'

'Arjun, I need you to sit in your chair, while I tell this matter.' Said Pawan heaving a sigh.

'What is it, Pawan?' asked Arjun sitting on his chair.

'I was unable to trace anything about Ayushi or Swetha ma. When our people researched, they were informed that Ayushi and Swetha ma could have been dead in the fire that burnt their building because they didn't see them after that day.'

Arjun exhaled painfully listening to this. No, they cannot just die. They have to be alive. He needs to talk to them about their life, how they fared and looked after themselves after the incident. He has a strong feeling they are not dead. But what is Pawan saying? How can they possibly die? No, it didn't happen. It cannot happen that way. They don't deserve the fate Pawan is explaining to him.

'That cannot happen, Pawan.' Said Arjun in a barely audible whisper.

'I know, Arjun. There is a great possibility that they escaped from the building even before the fire started; left the place and started living under new names because from the findings of police there are no traces of human bones in the building after the fire subsided. I am trying in every possible way to reach them. If they are in India, we will definitely find them.' When Arjun is about to say something, Pawan cut him off saying, 'even if they are not in India, we will find them.' Said Pawan with a determination in his voice. He loves his Swetha ma, and his bubbly sister Ayushi so much to leave them to their own devices. He thought they were dead too but the events that came to light now gave him hope that maybe, just maybe there is a possibility that they lived and they are living in some faraway place so that no one can identify them.

'We need to find them, Pawan. If not for me, we should find them for my ma.' Said Arjun with a small voice that tugged the chords of Pawan's heart.

"Dear God, please help me to lessen the pain of my friend. He doesn't deserve any of this. He has already suffered enough for his lifetime." Prayed Pawan.

'What is the progress of your findings, Pawan?' asked Arjun with the mask of indifference back on his face.

'Our people are searching for them in Rishikesh, which is the hometown of Swetha ma. There is a possibility she had gone there under the dire circumstances. But they didn't find them there. According to some people, Swetha ma got there one night after the incident but vanished in the dark of the next night. They didn't see them from then. I have alerted every one of our friends living in different states. I got a photo of Swetha ma from the old newspapers that I found in a library. Fortunately, that library has become my savior. It is a matter of time we find them, Arjun.' Finished Pawan.

Arjun can only nod his head after taking everything in. They could not find Swetha ma and Ayushi if the library is not in existence. How did their life take such a drastic change? Why should he not be there when all this is happening to his godmother and his best friend? He could have done something to save them if he was present there. But no, he has to leave the place for his future. How selfish he had become that day! He should not have left them when he overheard the conversation that summarized the threat on their families. He should have done something. No, he could not have done anything that time. He was too much of a coward then, that's why he left the place. And now he is suffering for being a coward, selfish person.

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End of the twenty-first chapter. So sorry for the short one, am having semester exams from 3rd of July and should study for that. It will become impossible for me to type anything from here on, this short chapter is the proof for that. I was not in a position to type anything but typed it somehow because of the requests I am getting to update the story soon. Something is better than nothing, right? 

Do let me know your views on the chapter, the past is revealing slowly and the mist on Swetha and Ayushi will be cleared soon, but the darkness that prevailed on Arjun's parents persists.

Before leaving- what do you think about Arjun in the past? Where did you think he left leaving behind his best friends Ayushi and Pawan? What made Radhika hate politicians to such extent that she hated her Arjun too for being a politician? What happened in the past that a fire broke out in Ayushi's house?

Keep guessing.

Until next time, Sayonara.