Thank u all for liking the previous two updates.😳 As said, these two are more about other Khuranas. Hope u like them and yes, plz hit like button and comment:

Chapter 23:

Khurana Siblings

 

Dev came home late today. He had a challenging time to convince the clients about his proposal. He could have dealt with someone else but it was vital to his plan that he got this deal. He knew he was spending too much time on work and was neglecting Naintara and Nisha. He thanked god everyday for giving him such an understanding and supportive wife. All he wished now was that his little daughter, his pride and biggest treasure would get normal again.

He kept his bag and coat on a chair and headed straight for his little princess' room where he knew he would find his two loves.

Naintara was sitting next to her daughter on her bed and caressing her cheeks when she heard Dev enter. He came close and kissed his daughter's forehead before leaving with his wife.

"How was the visit?" Dev asked. Naintara was used to him enquiring about Nisha first and loved him even more for being there for her.

"The same as usual Dev. The therapist said the same thing. All these years no therapy, no medicine, nothing helped her." At this stage she burst into tears. Dev had tears in his eye, too but wiped them away quickly before giving his wife a warm hug. He knew what she went through. She would talk very little and play on her own most of the time. Every attempt to make her happy or get her to make some friends had been futile.

They often tried to ask Nisha why she was sad or why she didn't smile but she would just clutch onto her teddy and look at them. She had been like this from her birth. Naintara's pregnancy was not an easy time for her and Dev had tried a lot to keep his wife out of his family problems, but neither could he make her leave nor could he keep her away. Doctors had said there must have been a time during pregnancy which had negatively affected the child. The tension that Naintara had gone through had showed its effect on her daughter. Both parents felt guilty but consoled each other.

Dev let Naintara sleep, while he was awake and remembering his childhood. He remembered a time in his life when his Maan bhai had been the very same after their Dada's death. And there had been one person who got him out of the sadness. He just had to try it… for his princess daughter.

 

Annie had packed her bag and hid in under her bed. It was night time and she knew her mother would be sleeping. She removed a small diary from behind her other books on the shelf and opened it up. It was completely blank, not even one drop of ink had touched the pages.

 

"Bhai, bhai" Annie screamed. She was younger and wearing a cute dress. Maan and Vicky sprinted down the stairs after hearing their little baby sister scream her lungs out.

"Annie, kya hua, sab theek haina, chot lagi hain kya? Ya kisi ne kuch boldiya? Naam batao mein abhi khabara leta hu" Maan had said holding her narrow shoulders and shaking her. Vicky shook his head at his older brother's behaviour. Even though he was younger than Maan he knew their sister a tad bit better. Whereas Maan always took Annie's scream for a reason to be concerned, he had learned to differentiate between her screams. If she screamed 'bhai' once meant she was angry or annoyed. If she screamed 'bhai' twice it usually meant that she had just met with someone who had something she hadn't and she wanted her brothers to get her that something this very moment. And just as he predicted Annie had said:

"Bhai, Sonali ke paas dekho yeh new spongebob squarepants wali rare edition ki dairy hain, mujhe bhi laake do." Maan, jet again, couldn't believe that his sister had scared him to death for a silly diary.

"Annie, ek diary ke liye itna hungama?" He knew this was a stupid question. HE was a major reason why his only sister was so spoilt. After three sons, Annie was like a breath of fresh air, an angel send from heaven just for them. All three brothers loved to see her giggle in her cot when she was a baby, wearing cute little pink dresses and looking at them with her big eyes. They had fallen in love with her the first time their mother had showed them the latest addition to their family and all three brothers, particularly Maan, had sworn to always keep her happy no matter what.

In situations like these, though, he cursed himself for having sworn such a thing.

"Bhai, yeh bas ek diary nahin hain, this is spongebob squarepants RARE edition we are talking of" Annie had said dramatically.

"But Annie, you don't even use a diary. What is the point of buying one then?" But Maan knew there was no winning with Annie. If nothing than the sad look on her face would melt him and that's just what it did.

"Ok ok, give me some time, I'll make sure it is on your desk by tomorrow morning." Maan had thrown up his hands in defeat. Vicky smiled inwardly at this scene, it was always the same.

 

Annie came back from her thought and when she heard a low voice ask:

"India wapas jarahi ho beti?" Nani was standing behind her, supporting her weak body on her walking stick. Annie was petrified and dropped everything.

"Nani main bas yuhi…" But it was pointless. Her Nani saw through her so easily.

"Mere paas behto." Both sat down on the bed.

"Apne bhai se milne jaarahi ho?"

"Nahin Nani, abhi nahin. Mujhe pehle pata lagana hain ke maa achanak itne saal pehle mujhe aur aap ko lekar yaha kyun aagae. Wo itne dukhi hain aur aap bhi. Mujse aap dono ke udaas chere dekhe nahin jaate." Nani was in tears. She thanked Babaji for giving her such a caring and more over head strong grand daughter.

"Beti, mujhe pata hain ke tumhe hum dono ki chinta lagi hain, lekin tumhari maa ko pata chala to?"

"Nani, aap sambhal lena. Waise, kya aap ko bhi nahin pata ke maa achanak kyun chali aai?" Annie had asked this question more than a million times since her childhood but Nani just kept quiet. Nani knew half the story and what she knew she wished she didn't. As a mother it was hard to bear, a daughter might take more damage. But there was one little ray of hope in the darkness that had spread in Nani's heart, the hope that at least her other daughter did not suffer the misery Sonia was going through.

Nani kissed Annie good night and left. Annie sighed. Her phone vibrated and she picked up the call. The news was so terrific that she felt like dancing and jumping on the bed. She even gave the caller kisses without realising it.

 "Ab dekho Anvesha Khurana kya karti hain. Bachpan se leke aaj tak mere bhaiyo ne aur maa ne meri khushi ke liye kya kuch nahin kiya. Ab meri baari hain unki khushiya lautane ki." She texted her travel agent and asked for a single ticket to India.

 

Vicky was pale after hearing the 'plan'. He wanted to know what had happened but truth came with a big prize. He was about to do everything that was kind of a tabu with his brother. The lady had handed him a paper with instructions as to what to do next. She was calm and reading a magazine. Vicky wondered if there ever was anything she would get excited about. But it was his neck that would be cut if his brother would find out about all this, not hers.

"Look, you do know that Maan bhai is not the normal sort of person, right. He is the kind that will behead you if you just said the wrong thing at the wrong time. And LIING is so out of the question." She closed the magazine and turned to give Vicky her trade mark look. Vicky started sweating. It was too difficult to figure out whom he feared most, his Maan bhai or the woman next to him who was on the verge of causing his heart to fail by merely looking at him.

"I do know about your brother Mr Khurana, but if you wish to further employ my service you should learn to trust me. I have faced many difficult situations and I prefer to handle them the 'Ferri way'."

"And that would be."

"With the head straight through the wall." Vicky looked away. The photographs were in his hand which had been given to him by his female companion. One showed some sort of party where the person was gulping down cocktail. He looked older and more mature than Vicky remembered him. The cocktail worried him though. Even if they had come from a rich family their mother had always insisted in them not even toughing alcohol. She was in many ways a more tradition bound person not at all like their father who was modern in all aspects. She was strict and once unleashed, her anger knew no bounds. One trade which she had very obviously passed onto her first child. Even though she was feared at times, she shed most love on all her children. And they in return had made it their aim to follow all her requests, mostly for her happiness and sometimes because they did not want to end up with an aching backside.

Well something must have happened that Maan bhai, the most obedient of all four children, had forgotten their mother's teachings.

"So Mr Khurana, can I count on you to trust me in this mission? Remember, by trusting me you will undoubtedly get what you what." She held out her hand and Vicky grabbed it. She had a firm grip. Firm grip = strong character Maan bhai had once told him.

"Yes I will trust you. First do call me Vicky. Second it would really be good if I would know your name, oh lady with the killing look. I feel uncomfortable referring to you as such even if it is a correct description" Vicky said, now with more enthusiasm. She smiled and it was for the first time that Vicky (or anyone else for that matter) saw her smile genuinely.

"I'm sure it is going to be a please working with you, Vicky. Call me Ferri."