Chapter 35:

Like brother, like sister

 

Dev and Naintara woke up. They had their first really peaceful night after years.

They cuddled up.

"Dev, yaad hai humari shaadi hui thi tab hum dono ki college thi. Hum log tab se leke aaj tak kabhi honeymoon peh nahin gaye." Dev laughed at his wife's remark though he admitted it was true. They had gotten married quite early, then they had college and Naintara got pregnant. The family disturbance followed and Nisha was born. They never came to actually spend much quality time together.

"Toh kaha jaana hain tumhe?" Dev asked.

"Jaha aap le chalo." Dev thought for a moment. He loved his wife from the bottom of his heart and the reason he loved her so much was because she had been from the day he had met her been extremely supportive. She had never complaint about him not being able to take some time off for her or buy her expensive gifts. Last year he had even forgotten their anniversary but she had just kissed him and said it didn't matter as long as they were together. Now it was time to make up and give her everything she deserved. He even knew where to start.

 

Annie had had a call from home. Her Nani told her about her mother and both shed tears to a point where Arjun disconnected the call and took Annie into his arms. He never interfered into Annie's family matters but he couldn't see her crying either. He asked her what had happened back home and after Annie told him, he just held her tighter and rubbed her back to calm her down.

"Arjun, mujhe ghar jaana hain." Arjun's heart ached. He knew Annie would go back some day but this was too soon.

"Is it really necessary? You just came and only I know how I spend the time without you." Annie released herself and looked confused.

"Toh?"

"What? Doesn't it matter to you that I missed you like hell and can't stay a day without seeing you?"

"Arjun, I am only going for a couple of hours." Now Arjun looked confused. It dawned on Annie what he had thought.

"I was talking about going to Khurana Mansion, not back to London." He was relieved.

"Do you think it is wise? I mean after all these years they may ask about your mother and so. What will you tell them?"

"I have no idea. I might just tell them the truth about what I know. It is not much but they might be able to do something." Annie made a plan to visit Khurana Mansion as soon as possible. But before that she had to go to the mall. Since her childhood she had made the habit of getting her brothers a small gift whenever there was an occasion and because she didn't have time to shop back home, she went now. Arjun, being the gentleman he was, escorted her.

"This place has changed so much" Annie twirled around looking up. Almost all the shops were different from those she had known; the eating facilities were different but to her luck one store was still same. It was on the first floor. Arjun followed Annie, who walked up to the shop as if she owned it.

She looked around and saw something nice. But before she could take it someone else grabbed it.

"Hey you, how dare you. I saw this first."

"Sorry Miss, but I took it first", the young man said smirking. It seemed familiar to Annie but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Look mister, you don't know who I am, I am like a daughter to the owner."

"And I am like his son" came the reply. Annie fumed.

"Listen" she said threatening him with her finger.

"If I tell my older brother he will make sure you are never able to enter this mall again, forget this mall you will be banned from all malls in India."

"My big bro can do the same to you." Again Annie found the 'big bro' bit familiar.

"Who are you?" she asked him curiously.

"Vikrant Singh Khurana" Vicky said proudly.

"Brother to Maan Singh Khurana" Annie's jaw ran danger of hitting the floor.

"Vicky bhai" she jumped at him squeezing him tightly. Vicky who hadn't expected the girl to hug him was taken aback. Arjun who had been waiting outside saw Annie hugging a random guy. He rushed in and forcefully separated both.

"What are you doing Anvesha?" he asked.

"Anvesha?" Vicky asked.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Anvesha Khurana sister to Maan, Dev and Vicky Singh Khurana" she was so excited that she kept jumping up and down tears rolling uncontrollably down her cheeks.

"Annie" Vicky just embraced his sister and held her. 

"I so missed you little princess."

"I missed you too bhai." Both shed tears of joy and Arjun understood the situation.

"Lagta hain ke bachpan ki aadat nahin gayi. Mujhe jo bhi accha lagtata aap mujse pehle leletete" Annie pouted. Vicky laughed and gave her the silver bracelet.

"Haan, mujhe yeh Maan bhai ke liye lena tha lekin tum chaho to lelo." Annie laughed.

"I wanted to get this for him, too." They went to the counter and told the salesman to get it engraved for them, they would come and collect it in a few days. After paying they decided to chat in the nearby caf.

 

"Annie, tum kaha thi itne saal? Jab se maa chali gayi ghar bikhar gaya."

"Pata hain. I read the news about dad's suicide. It had hit mom really badly. She, Nani and I lived in London and even though both tried to be happy I knew they weren't. I had to do something and Arjun helped." Vicky looked at Arjun. He remembered him from earlier times and was amazed to see this change in him. He had often warned Annie to stay away from him but Annie was, just like Maan, incredibly stubborn.

"'Helped' is not the right word here. I risked my neck to get some information on your Maan bhai." Vicky raised his brow.

"Annie made me take up a job at KC so I could spy on him" Vicky looked at both in disbelief. He knew how dangerous that was.

"And do you know what he found out? Maan bhai has a girlfriend." Vicky knew this already thanks to Dadi but yet it was hard to belief. After the Samira incidence Maan had turned cold to emotions. The sight of his father hanging from the outhouse and Maan's changed behaviour had made him move out. He knew that Dev and Naintara went to Canada for her delivery and never came back. He just got a message saying he was uncle now to little Nisha.

"Annie, do you know about Samira Khanna?" Annie shook her head.

Vicky narrated the whole story. There were some points to which he was unsure but he got most of it correct. Annie couldn't belief it. Her Maan bhai had gone through so much pain and she wasn't there to console him.

"Dev bhai kaha hain?"

"Last news I got from him, he and bhabi were in Canada. Wait, you don't know, do you? Dev married Naintara bhabi during his college time and you are proud bua of Nisha, too." Annie was happy hearing this.

"Bhai, I want to meet Maan bhai and Dadi now. Did you meet them?"

"I did go there but Maan bhai is in Ahmadabad for some work and will return soon. I met Dadi though."

"Ok, then lets go meet her."

"I don't think you should go just now" All three turned around. Ferri was sitting at the table behind them, very obviously eavesdropping while flipping through a random magazine as always.

"What are you doing here?" Vicky asked.

"Eavesdropping of course!" Vicky almost fell from his chair by this very honest reply.

She turned around and inspected Annie and Arjun closely. Vicky introduced her and she joined them.

 

"I know you are eager to meet your Dadi but first let me tell you certain points that I found out." She put a folder in front of Annie. It read 'Khurana Mystery'.

"Vicky and I had got to a point where we had to know a little bit more about your mother's sudden decision to move out. Do you know anything about that?" Annie shook her head. She explained how neither her mother, nor her Nani ever told her about the time back in India. Ferri nodded.

"If this is the case then it might be because your mother had a dispute with your father over something. A reason both wanted to keep away from you all hence your mother never told you anything and your father never raised the matter of your mother's leaving." She thought for a minute then flipped to a page which she had recently added. Even Vicky glanced at it as it was unfamiliar to him. It was a brief history on Samira Khanna.