Part 19 What happened?

Sitting next to Payal, Khushi was gazing at her. What could say about her condition? Whom she could blame for this?

Khushi looked at NK who was silently looking at her.

"Don't you know anything about what happened to them?" she asked.

"I don't know, Khushi. Trust me. Nannav warned us not to go out for the next three days. But, Akash wanted to meet Payal Bhabi because he didn't want to disappoint her on her birthday. I was the one who helped Akash to meet Payal Bhabi. I'm sorry, Khushi. because of me, they met that day. If I had not helped Akash to go out of the premises, they would not have been in this terrible condition now" NK said feeling sad.

Khushi was silent. She didn't know what to say. Arnav was treating Payal... NK was calling her Payal BHABI... he was regretting sending Akash to meet Payal... Akash was feeling happy to find Payal's sister. Moreover, his mobile's password was PAYASH. How could she get angry with these guys?

That was when NK got a call from Akash's doctor.

"Call from the US," NK said and attended the call.

"Doctor..."

"NK, this is Akash"

"Akash, are you free now?"

"Yes, I'm free now"

"Khushi... I mean, Chutki wants to talk to you."

"Could you make a video call? I would like to see Chutki" Akash said.

"Sure... cut the call. I will make a video call" NK said.

"Yeah..." Akash disconnected the call.

NK made a video call. Akash appeared on screen with an Oxygen tube inserted in his nose. Khushi gulped down seeing him.

"Hi, Akash... talk to Khushi" NK turned the screen towards Khushi.

"Hi, Chutki"

"Hi..." she smiled awkwardly.

"How are you?"

"Fine... you?"

"Good... (He paused) I'm sorry, Chutki, I could not save Payal that day"

"What happened to Jeeji? Why is she in the coma stage now?"

"I called her on her birthday night exactly at 12 o'clock but her phone was engaged. I know it should be you who was talking to her" Akash said.

Khushi was silent. Yes, it was she who called Payal. That was when Payal told about her relationship with ASR.

"I again called Payal. This time, she attended my call"

Flashback...

"Hello, ASRji"

"Happy Birthday Payal..."

"Thank you"

"Was that Chutki who called you before me?" Akash asked.

"Yes... she wished me for my Birthday"

"I thought I could wish you first this year at least, but she won me again"

"That's not a problem"

Akash sensed a disturbance in Payals's voice.

"Why are you sounding low Payal?"

"I would like to meet you"

"Of course, we will meet... but..."

"I told Chutki about our love..." she said hesitatingly.

"Is she upset with you for loving a gangster?"

Payal was silent.

"We will meet at our regular meeting point today evening and talk about it"

"I will be waiting for you"

"Bye"

They disconnected the call.

..........

As per their plan, Akash went to meet Payal in the same LONLY place where they met regularly. As it was late evening, it was getting darker. There was no one except Payal who was waiting for Akash. She smiled seeing him coming towards her.

"Happy Birthday Payal" he extended the wrapped box to her.

"Thank you" she took it from him.

"Open it," Akash said.

Payal opened it and was shocked, to see an iPhone.

"IPhone? No, ASRji..."

"Akash... my name is Akash," Akash said his name for the first time.

"Akash?"

"Yes... I came here to tell you the truth. I don't want to hide it from you anymore"

"What truth?"

"I'm not ASR... but ASR junior"

"Whaaaat? Are not you the gangster?"

"I'm not the gangster but a part of the gang"

"What do you mean?"

"The real ASR is my brother... Arnav Singh Raizada... I'm sorry for hiding my identity from you. For some personal reasons, I was unable to tell you that before. but now, I don't want anything to be personal. I want you to know everything about me. My name is Akash... people call me ASR Junior."

"But why?"

"To confuse our enemies... most of them don't know ASR has a brother..."

Payal sighed in relief.

"You know how tensed I'm?"

"Why?"

"My sister is angry with me for loving a Criminal"

"My brother is not a criminal, Payal. You and your sister will get to know that soon"

"I trust you"

"That's enough for me"

Taking her mobile, Akash removed the SIM card and put it in the new iPhone.

"I thought to send a video to Chutki"

"About me?"

Payal nodded yes.

"Then, do it with my mobile and send it to your number." Akash extended his phone to Payal.

Payal unlocked the phone as she knew the password to his phone. Then she opened the video mode and started capturing a video.

"I'm going to send it to my sister"

"Ok... but, try to console her through a phone call first. Then send it"

"Ok... I will call her later"

Akash saw an ice cream seller crossing the place. He knew Payal likes Butterscotch ice cream very much.

"One minute, Payal..." Akash went to the ice cream seller to buy ice cream for Payal.

Payal felt relaxed. She thought she could console Khushi now. The man she loved was not ASR. As of now, it was more than enough.

Buying ice creams, Akash turned towards Payal. Suddenly the place heated up as a few goons entered the place with heavy logs. Akash was horrified, seeing them. But, as didn't expect, they advanced Payal leaving him behind. That confused him.

"Here, she is..." someone shouted.

Dropping the ice cream, Akash started running toward Payal. Two men tried to stop him.

"Payal come on..." Akash said while running towards her.

The goon threw a big log on Payal. That hit her head badly. She fell down on the ground with oozing blood. Another one hit her again.

"Paaaayyyaaaallll" Akash rushed to her.

The goons rounded up Akash before he reached Payal and started attacking him. Someone hit Akash on his head brutally. He fell down losing consciousness.

Flashback End

Akash completed telling her.

"We saw Akash falling down on the ground. Seeing us, the goons run away. We brought Akash and Payal Bhabi here and started immediate treatment" NK said.

"I really can't understand why the goons targeted Payal leaving me behind," Akash said.

Arnav who was hearing that raised his head thoughtfully.

"They would have thought to attack you emotionally," NK said.

"Our enemies are not such kind NK. They just want to finish us off..." Akash said.

NK nodded yes. Khushi also thought about it.

"I'm sorry, Chutki... because of me, Payal is in this state" Akash apologized.

"Jeeji will be alright... you don't worry about her. If you stress yourself then how would you recover?" Khushi said making herself up.

NK smiled at Akash. Of course, Arnav also felt a sense of relief in his mind.

"Thank you, Chutki. Until I come to India, please take care of my Payal" Akash requested Khushi.

Khushi nodded ok.

"I too have a request..." NK said.

"What?"

"Please, call her Khushi... if you had done that at least once, we would have found her long ago," NK said.

"I really don't know her name. Payal always addressed her Chutki. What can I do then?" Akash said sadly.

NK looked at Khushi who nodded yes.

"Thank God, Payal Bhabi's sister acted as a detective agent. That's why she found Payal Bhabi"

"That means, do you want me to continue my detective job?"

"You already got to know everything... what else is there to hide from you?" NK asked.

Khushi was about to say something, but she stopped as she didn't want them to know what was there in her mind.

"Take care, Chutki"

"You too take care of yourself," Khushi said.

"Sure, bye"

"Bye" Khushi disconnected the call.

NK sighed in relief as Khushi spoke to Akash kindly.

Khushi saw Arnav was in some thought. She came to Arnav. Arnav looked at her plainly.

"Thank you for treating my Jeeji," She said.

"It's my duty..." Arnav said with a soft smile.

She extended her phone to Arnav. He looked at the phone and then her. Without taking it from her, he walked off.

"Shall I keep it?" she asked.

"Keep it," Arnav said while walking.

"Don't trust me... I can use it against you" she said.

Arnav smiled upon hearing that.

"Go ahead..."

"I will capture photos of his place and send them to press"

"No problem" Arnav came out of the corridor.

Khushi rushed to Arnav and blocked his way.

"How could you be so careless? What will happen if the secret about you got leaked?"

"I know how to make it up"

"How?" she raised her brows seriously.

"I will prove you a mentally ill patient with a psychiatrist certificate. Then no one will believe you... simple" Arnav said controlling his smile.

Khushi dropped her jaw and NK laughed.

To be continued...