Chapter 40
[MEMBERSONLY]
Many people think it is weird to see cousins getting married. I know it is weird but it happens. Albeit not all the time. There are some cases where we see consanguineous marriages and many a time, they turn out to be highly successful because of high level of understanding between the two. Vinay and Anjali married each other and never felt odd about it because they treated each other as their best friends and Vinay stood by her during her toughest time and it naturally strengthened their bond, so taking it to the next level wasn't any problem to either of them. And Vinay and Anjali are related maternally, that is from her mother's family and not paternally, so I guess it is not as weird as you think. 😃😃
Spolier alert: New character! I mean not exactly as her name has been mentioned before. But certainly her POV is new... :D I do hope you love her like all of my characters.
PS: New phase of the story and from now, the pace increases. Hope you enjoy the roller coaster ride. Fasten your seat belts 😆😆
Chapter 32
Love is in the air...
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmWL-JxUGZc[/YOUTUBE]
Lavanya sat in her office, trying to figure out what to do. She had
this epic Shakespearean moment with all To go or not to go' coming and dancing
in her mind. She knew she hated anything to do with classics the moment she had
been forced to read Shakespeare classics in her school but never thought one of
the most famous dialogues of Hamlet would actually become her life's dilemma.
Comical much!
What the bloody hell!
She definitely wanted to go because she missed her brother, her best
friends and of course, Chris. But she did not know how she would face him. Confused
completely, she was still scratching her head to think what her next move would
be. She was in two minds because she didn't want to leave Akash alone but she
also wanted to be a part of the fun Arnav Khushi and the gang were having. Now
that Diya was back, Lavanya didn't really worry about Akash being alone. She
could see the joy in Akash's face when Diya had walked in. Something was
definitely cooking... she thought with a smile.
Chris and her shared a complex relationship. They weren't exactly
friends nor they were just plain acquaintances. They were in between and she
had no idea how that had culminated to being love. How could she have thought
that she was in love with Chris whom she didn't know from long nor had
interacted with very much. But she knew this was love because the feeling was
more powerful than what she had felt for Arnav. If she was convinced enough
that she was in love with Arnav, then this definitely was love.
After talking to Akash she had realized that she needed some answers
desperately. And only one person could effectively provide her some.
Arnav...
She had to talk to him and she knew what her decision was. She had
probably made up her mind long back but the fact that she needed to speak to
Arnav had sealed the decision for her. She needed her musketeer to calm her
down...
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Arnav perched on a rock taking photographs while Khushi and the boys
were down, doing their work. They were in the small town of Ratnagiri, the port
city known for its beauty. Since the British time, this quaint little place
attracted people in masses and didn't not fail to awe them with its splendour.
Simple yet very, very beautiful. Arnav remembered the word Khushi had used to
describe this striking place, khoobsurat...
Khoobsurat, it was. Definitely. Arnav hadn't come across another beach
town that was this peaceful. Usually beaches and port cities were littered with
tourists, this wasn't an exception but this town had a certain earthly, unique
appeal to it that distinguished it from
other places. It was serene, laid back and just calm. With Ratnagiri Fort
visible from afar, the place he was currently in was ethereal.
Arnav had no clue why they had come to this place. He wasn't aware of
the head and tail of the work the other two were doing. NK didn't, either, but
he was just too excited, so was running around behind them trying to assist
them in any way and Arnav could clearly see Khushi and Chris appreciated his
help very much. But he wasn't very keen. Mostly because whenever he was down
there, he couldn't stop looking at her and somehow ended up goofing up their
work. Hence, he had chosen to do the work he would enjoy the most without
causing any hindrance to her. She was civil with him nowadays, actually more
than that. Arnav smiled thinking how radically Khushi's behaviour had changed
but the other two had stopped getting more clues and incentives than they had
to. They already had more leverage but both Khushi and Arnav had decided to
keep their stuff to themselves. They were behaving like usual around the other two, staying out of each
other's ways but they were meeting in all odd places, where the other two
finding either of them was highly impossible. Arnav enjoyed those meetings.
The best till date was in Lonavala where both had shared a cup of
coffee in the middle of the night, talking nonsense. The night was chilly yet neither
had complained as they had a steaming mug of coffee, a quilt, music and each
other's company. These secret meetings just made Arnav feel like the happiest
man on earth. There was just so much to learn from Khushi. She was this bundle
of joy, always telling something or the other, always chattering. He never
talked much when he was with her, she always took the lead, talking nonstop,
not making much sense. But logic went out of question when they were together.
The whole night just passed away like a jiffy when he was busy staring at her
while she talked.
The reason they were yet to be caught was Khushi's love for sleep. The
fact that nobody disturbed her once she went to bed was fully utilized to her
advantage. She would pretend to be sleepy and retire to her room, only to come
out from the back entrance and jump onto the ledge to wait for Arnav. After
Arnav chased NK out of his room and lock the door, he would go out to meet
Khushi with snacks and stuff and both would have a completely amazing time,
chatting and hogging. Best time of his life. Two weeks just flew away with each
of them planning for their secret meetings. What fun!
Arnav smiled as he took more photos of the scenery. Their relationship,
if something of that sort existed, Arnav smirked. After furiously making out
with each other, neither of them had done anything more than hug each other but
that was more than they had asked for. It meant the world to them. To just be
together because the awkwardness still lingered between them. Their
relationship had started with a completely off course kiss that had changed the
very perspective of each other and had culminated to a point where it was at
the present with two passionate, bonding kisses. But physical intimacy wasn't
what they craved the most, it was this sense of belonging that they got when
they spent time together. Those moments were just priceless and exquisite. These
small moments of happiness were treasured by them because they knew how
torturous it was to spend time alone. They needed each other, a truth that had
cemented from the first time they had kissed each other. Each of them was the
other's happiness.
He was still smiling when a rock covered with paper came flying and
fell at his feet. He looked up to see Khushi looking at him for an instant
before turning and getting back to work. He smiled as he picked up the rock and
uncovered the paper. It read: stop
smiling like a loon, Chris has binoculars. If you get us caught, I swear I will
dump you into the sea.
Arnav smirked amusedly as he pocketed the paper. Typical Khushi...
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She dabbed at her wounds with cotton swabs, wincing every single time. Her
face was covered with scars; this was a daily occurrence, for her to be abused
by her husband. Every since she had been married to Paul, there was never a day
where she was happy. Sometimes she wondered why was he so insistent on marrying
her. Because the truth was he never loved her.
She wanted to run away, escape but was scared what he would do to their
only daughter. She couldn't take her daughter with her, she was too attached to
her dad and was too little to understand that her mother was being abused by
her obsessive father. Kids shouldn't go through all these. It killed her to see
the confusion in Kiara's eyes every single time she looked at her mother,
wondering why she was so bruised. It killed her to be in a position to pretend
that everything was fine in front of her four year old kid. It just killed her.
Not a day passed without her praying to god to grant her enough
strength to endure this torture but every day her resoluteness just crumbled
bit by bit. It had been four years since she last smiled, it had been five
years since she had been happy. It had been five years...
She desperately wished her father hadn't practically sold her to Paul.
She desperately wished she had guts to take up the path her heart wished to
walk in. She desperately she hadn't been this helpless when he stood there,
pleading her not to go...
Ariadne never wished for anything more than being with NK...
But it was too late...
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"She met him again..." the informer told him about Diya and her visit
to hospital and he kicked an expensive vase to the ground, shattering it into a
million pieces. Why wasn't she just staying quiet. Why was she hell bent on
doing things that he didn't like?
"I thought you were going to kill him..." the informer asked again.
"That was the original plan," he muttered, his voice clipping in rage, "but
that bas***d survived the accident. He is now in hospital and there is a 24
hour security given."
"Well police don't bother you, do they?" there was surprise in his tone.
Of course, police never bothered him. It was the Raizadas who bothered him.
"Police don't... Raizadas do, as a matter of fact. They have a huge
reach. I don't want my plans thwarted before they are put to action." He hated
admitting that he was tied up but there was no other option.
"Those people?" the informer asked, hesitantly. Good he didn't laugh. If
he would have then he would be dead by now. "What will they do?"
"It is not your concern," he muttered coldly, "just keep giving me
updates."
"Okay but I have a suggestion, if you don't mind... I am sorry I am not
trying to be presumptuous or anything. I know you would have thought about
it..."
"Cut the crap and tell me what is it about!" he thundered. He hated
background discussions. Waste of time and unwanted pressure on brain and his
ears.
"I guess you need to try a different approach. Instead of taking Akash out
of the equation, may be you should try to change Diya's perspective."
Gosh! This guy was right. Why hadn't he thought of that? Deliberately harming
Akash was very risky. He was a Raizada after all. But Diya, she was easily reachable. This was
the best way.
"Your brain works sometimes... doesn't it," he spoke sarcastically. Hurting
others was his speciality. His insults always hit the nail and it was that one
person who taught that to him. His arch enemy and the man who he hated the most
in the world. Shashi Gupta.
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Akash was in cloud nine. From few days he couldn't stop grinning and
being hyper all the time; and why not! Diya was back! And she was behaving
normally with him, being the crazy one she always was. He tried to ask Diya why
was she acting so weird but Diya had made him promise that this topic was going
to remain out of reach until she decided it was the time to speak and clear
things. Not that he complained anyway. Because all was well.
Lavanya had finally decided that she was going to join the other four
on their field trip and try to talk to Chris and sort out the differences. Arnav
bhai was supposedly having fun, at least according to NK. Anjali Di and Vinay were
back together and were making some sincere attempts to hide the awkwardness
between them. Diya was all caring again and the best of all, that weird chick,
Payal had stopped coming.
Akash hated objectifying women and naming them babes or chicks. But with
Payal, he didn't know how he could refer her. Calling her a bitch was
appropriate but he didn't want to stoop to that level and hence was putting up
with the idea of Lavanya calling her weird chick. In fact, that term actually
suited her. She was weirdly nauseating to bear.
Why she had stopped coming, Akash didn't know and didn't want to. He was
just glad he wasn't subjected to mental stripping anymore. She gave him creeps
with her over the top make up, weird fake eyelashes and an overbearing
attitude. If Diya and Khushi were on one side, this girl was entirely opposite.
Akash wondered how this happened in such a close family.
As he was contemplating it, the door opened and Diya walked in like a
fresh breeze, smiling widely. His own smile reached his ears as he saw her wave
a bag that smelled deliciously of coffee. He was finally allowed to eat home
food and Diya prepared the best coffee in the world so she would always bring a
flask of coffee and some home food. They were yum.
"Hey..." he smiled as she sat down on the waiting chair and began
plating the food.
"Hi! How are you feeling now?" she asked as she poured him some freshly
prepared filter coffee. Akash loved filter coffee. Ever since he had been to Chennai
and had some there, filter coffee had become his addict. He had to have at least
three cups a day and that gave his mother a headache as everyone in his house
preferred tea. She always grumbled about the double work as Akash had forbidden
the servants to make filter coffee for him. They always managed to ruin the
taste.
"I am good and now I feel much better..." he smiled widely.
"Oh really?" she quirked her eyebrows as she handed him the coffee.
"Yeah..." he took a sip of the heavenly coffee and closed his eyes, "two
reasons."
"Two?" she asked again.
"One, the filter coffee..." he waved his cup, "and second, you!"
Diya blushed furiously and muttered, "second?"
"I told in the reverse order to maintain the surprise," he winked at
her, "you figure it out..."
Akash laughed as Diya covered her face with her palms and turned aside.
She was always the drama queen and that's what he loved about her. Her spontaneity...
PRECAP:
Someone sent me this weird
message.
What is it?
It is a verse of that Darr
song. Jaadu teri nazar...
Why would someone send you
that?
I don't know... what am I supposed to make of it?
I don't know... what am I supposed to make of it?
PS: Bam! How did you like the girl NK loves? Ariadne... I love this name though. Oh by the way, she is French. Where and how NK met her will be revealed in the coming updates and
BAM! Identity of the stalker is almost revealed. Biggest clue given her. Comment and tell if you have figured it out. I guess all of you will have. Even he has a background story :D
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Comments (28)
read the whole story in one go😃😃... hats off...⭐️⭐️ u r an amazing writer👏👏👏WAITING for ur next update...
9 years ago
Update will be posted by today 8 30. Sorry for the delay. Was held up in some important work. Couldnt complete writing the update till today morning, Proofreading now. The update will be up soon :)
9 years ago
today is 21st, Dear...hope we get an update today
9 years ago
It's 21st already!! rizib2014-12-21 05:54:28
9 years ago
Update tomorrow, 20 December radzbharadwaj2014-12-19 10:16:13
9 years ago
just started reading . thank you vks112014-12-16 20:48:25
9 years ago
awesome update...loved akash flirting with diya 😃
9 years ago
Wonderful updateLoved itThanks for the pm
9 years ago
Hi, just done with reading all the chapters , phew!!!Very interesting plotAnd very nicely written Their lives are so mingled with each other, all the characters I'm Really surprised and somewhat sad for you that why so less likes?your story is very interesting and very nicely written But I'm glad that you stil didn't give up on writing So thanx :)
9 years ago
So i was just reading your reply to someone elses comment where you mentioned of Khushi's green eyes ... i could not remember reading that but i am so looking forward to how you bring about this revelation.Updates are getting more interesting !
9 years ago