Jhanak FF - Jhanak: The Story of Us

Jhanak: The Story of Us - paulaonohi - Wattpad

Will post individual chapters here as time permits - but that is the link above.

Chapter 2 - Bad Fate

Bose Mansion

"Integrity is saying what you mean and meaning what you say."

Jhanak let the words roll on her tongue before placing the book beside her to write in a diary open on her lap. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, a new habit formed to Appu di's influence, where she read the self-help book that the doctor gave her last night.

It really felt nice, whether it was Dadubhai blessing her or the doctor gifting her the books. Jhanak couldn't remember the last time that someone had been nice to her. Of course, there was Choton, Appu di, Bodo ma, and Bade papa, but there was a limit to their actions in this house. Don't even mention her so-called family. Shristi Maasi and Arshi didi hated her and her guts. Then, there was Sirji but things weren't the same anymore....

"Jhanak! Jhanak!"

At the sound of her name coming from downstairs, Jhanak placed the books on her side and hurried off the bed and out the door. If Bipasha di didn't see her in the next second, she would come up here and things would get worse for her. Jhanak didn't want any more trouble if she could help it.

But it didn't mean that trouble didn't want her.

She had barely left the room where two figures walked in and looked around before resting their gaze on the books on the bed. Rumi and Mimi exchanged glances, the latter bringing out a pair of scissors from her pocket, a malicious light in her eyes.

Her younger twin with glasses chewed her bottom lip.

"Mimi, what if we get in trouble for this?"

"Trouble? You think anyone cares about her?" She asked this and made for the bed, picking up the self-help book Jhanak had been reading just a few minutes ago.

Rumi rolled her eyes. How dumb could her elder sister be?

"I mean dadda! Dadda cares about her!"

Mimi laughed as she set to work, ripping the front cover off the book ridge. It made a vicious sound.

"Dadda doesn't care about her anymore, stupid."

"But he will once he finds out all that we have done..."

"Please stop, Rumi." she waved her hand, bored at her twin's pensive look, "He will never find out. That Jhanak will never open her mouth to tell him. Till now, she didn't tell him that she donated blood or that we took her gifts and sent her out, so what's the fuss?"

"Yeah, I guess so..."

"I don't know whether she is just acting stupid or really stupid. All I know is that I just hate her. I hate her for just spoiling our peace."

Peace of mind. Self. Rumi thought that's what her sister left out of her sentence. No, she knew because the feeling was mutual. As she watched Mimi cut up the pages of the book, the pieces falling like confetti on Jhanak's bed, a wicked sense of satisfaction glinted in the eyes behind sunglasses.

Jhanak, don't blame me. Blame your bad fate.

When that girl had first come here, she had planned to be nice, at least act nicer than the rest. If there was anyone who had perfected hypocrisy aside from her elder brother, Ani, it was her. The rest of the family couldn't hide their thoughts - but she and Ani could.

She had to hide behind glasses and look quiet, however. Ani ran the world like an open playground.

It had been a thing of fascination to Rumi, watching her elder brother as she grew up. Unlike her, who was aware of her pretense, Ani wasn't. He thoroughly believed his lies, boosted by voices who told him that he was too pure, too kind, and innocent for this world. Rumi could see where others couldn't.

It wasn't that Ani was malicious. Rather, it was that he was strategic. Ani had never had to help others in ways that brought trouble to him. If anything, it was always honor and more honor, and Rumi had gone from being intrigued to being amused at her brother's subconscious game of chess.

But it all fell to pieces when Jhanak came in.

Expressions, actions, and words that Ani would have never crossed lines for because he held his name and image so tightly, he did it over and over for this girl. Yes, he maintained that it was because of humanity - but did anyone in this house look stupid? It was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. He was going to hopelessly fall for her - if he already hadn't.

Rumi prayed to God not. She knew everyone whispered that prayer in the moments they thought they were alone. If Ani fell for Jhanak and realized it, no one could imagine what sort of a monster he would be for her.

And Jhanak...Jhanak was an existence that made Rumi both hate and fear. And because she was so observant, she could feel that same mix emanating from almost everyone in this house, including Arshi.

Perhaps, Arshi was the most scared of Jhanak out of them all.

It wasn't enough to have a sob story that made her a walking headline for Pity Street, the girl was beautiful. There was no makeup, no fancy outfit - but she had such expressive eyes on a face so endearing. Furthermore, she was level-headed, strong even in adversity, and reeked of someone aiming for greater. And with that monstrous talent for dance...Rumi could see why everyone had conspired even without talking to nip her in the bud.

There was dadda before. But as Mimi said, there was no dadda now.

Rumi rushed to her sister's side to rip up more pages.

Jhanak, don't blame me. Blame your bad fate.

Chapter 3 - Marketplace

Today was such a good day. It was so good that he didn't refuse when Arshi came into his office and decided today was the day she wanted to go shopping at the mall and he was her designated driver.

Ani tapped the steering wheel, a content smile on his face. He was just counting the hours until he could get home and share the good news with Jhanak.

He wondered what her reaction would be. He wondered if she would look at him with those large eyes of hers and smile and say 'Sir ji, thank you', so he could say 'Jhanak, please don't mention it'. He wondered if she would finally forgive him because she understood his heart for her. He wondered if...

Aniruddh wondered and felt a throbbing feeling in his chest, his cheeks burning a suspicious shade of pink. He clamped it back down into his stomach, literally shaking his head to send out those disgraceful thoughts. He was not such a beast.

However, it was right at that moment that he caught sight of Jhanak walking down the side of the road, a paper bag in her hand. She was wearing burgundy today, the bright color complimenting her thick, brown hair put in a French braid, her face serene and beautiful like it was the first time.

Ani felt a surge of heat pool in the pit of his stomach and even though every danger cell in his body was screaming that his reaction to Jhanak was not right, he ignored them and slowly alighted the car as if drunk before walking towards her. All he wanted to do was talk for sure. They'd talk and he'd even help her carry her bag to the car, so he could take her home after dropping Arshi off.

Surely, Arshi wouldn't have any issues with it - and neither should Jhanak. He was just being helpful, and there was nothing wrong with that. Ani gave a side eye to his conscience that called him a liar and called out the name of the one he wanted to.

"Jhanak! Jhanak, over here!"

He waved from a little ways behind her, a friendly smile on his face. And Jhanak turned to look at him, confused, only for realization to creep in...and for her to walk forward. And fast.

A sudden anger arose in Aniruddh's throat and damning it all, he chased after her and grabbed her hand, spinning her to face him. She wrenched it out of his grasp.

"Sir ji, don't you have any manners?! Don't grab my hand!"

"Oh please, don't ask me about manners, Jhanak. Did you not see me call you?"

"I saw and I decided to walk away. Please," she clasped both hands together, "leave me alone and go your own way."

A muscle worked in Aniruddh's jaw seeing her act like this and before he knew it, he was screaming at her, not minding that people had begun to stare.

"It's not the turn of a maid to tell me what to do." he snapped his fingers, "Jhanak, I have done so much for..."

She didn't allow him finish.

"Yes, sir ji. You have done so many mighty things for me, so please take everything back."

He frowned, uncomfortable at the sound of that as well as the teary lilt of her voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm asking you to please kill me. Just take my miserable life."

"Jhanak! Shut up for me right now!" What the hell was she saying?! Panicked, he wanted to shout at her even more, except that she was now openly shedding tears and that on its own, was doing weird things to him. Aniruddh thought maybe he was too harsh.

"Jhanak, please..."

"No, sir ji. No need for a master to apologize to the maid because everything I do is wrong. Everything I do is thankless." she wiped her tears and laughed bitterly, "Even when I came to the hospital and donated blood for you, no one thanked me - but I didn't mind."

At this point, Aniruddh's mouth was wide open. She didn't know what she had just said, what she had just done. He was looking at her, a mix of turbulent emotions he couldn't even name brewing in his chest. Jhanak...had donated blood for him? He drew a shaky breath and stretched a hand to take hers, wanting to thank her, but she slapped it away.

"Sir ji, how many times did I say to leave me alone?"

"Jhanak..."

"Jhanak nothing! I owe you nothing, nothing!" she cried harder, "Instead you owe me. After all your big promises that my life would change, where has it changed? Where has it changed, except now I am doomed to be a maid forever."

"No, Jhanak! Please don't say that. You deserve to live the best..."

She laughed mockingly. It hurt Aniruddh's ears and pricked his chest, hearing the pain in that laugh.

"Sir ji, you really are a comedian right?" she pointed a finger at him, "This is so rich coming from the man who abandoned me to go party and left me with his family who seized my gifts and trophy."

"What?!"

"What nothing. I was sent packing with what I worked hard for, humiliated. And even when I returned, it was to slaps from Arshi didi. Left and right, as if it was my fault that I was thrown out and her fiance couldn't just keep on partying."

"Jhanak, please. Jhanak, please...forgive me. I-I didn't know..." He was crying now, his hands pressed together, "Jhanak, please..."

"No, sir ji. Don't ask me to forgive you." she shook her head, "Don't ask me to forgive you because I hate you! i hate you and your family because you want to kill me!"

Her words hammered on his heart and Ani squeezed his chest because he could feel it tighten, turning painful at what she was saying. More tears rolled down his cheeks and he didn't even have the energy to chase onlookers. The only one he had, he used it to grab Jhanak's hand to prevent her from leaving.

Ani had never felt this scared. He felt like if he let her go like this, he would never forgive himself. It was as if something precious was going out of him. And what did Aniruddh Bose do in such a situation?

He started to whitewash like hell.

"Jhanak," he muttered her name, breathless, "Jhanak, I-I didn't know what my family had done. If I knew, I would never...never have said all those things to you. I," he thumped his chest, "I don't want to hurt you, no Jhanak." he shook his head, crying hard, "I wanted to save you from Tejas. I-I want you to thrive...you are so good and kind, I don't want to kill you or hurt you ever. Jhanak, please..."

Whether it was his shame or an act, Jhanak didn't know. All she saw was Sir Ji who was the proudest man that she knew, clasping her hands between his and crying so hard in the open. And she wrenched her away. And she ran with the paper bag.

Jhanak ran for her dear life. This situation was all too much for her to handle.

She wasn't able to see people gather around Aniruddh to comfort him or Arshi come out of the store and cradle his face, asking what the matter was, only for him to vigorously remove her hands and get into the car.

Chapter 4 - Confrontation

"Ani! Ani, wait!"

Arshi couldn't understand what was happening. She had come out to meet him crying and from that moment until the ride to his house, he refused to communicate and once, she had caught him staring at her rather angrily.

His mood felt heavy - and she was upset. Why was Ani behaving childish which ended up ruining her plans? He knew how much she hated him acting mysterious.

Now, he had parked in front of his house and left the car with a bang, leaving her alone in there. Arshi thought she had enough patience and decided that he had some explaining to do, so she furiously trailed him into the house.

"Ani, what's the meaning of this attitude?"

"Ask yourself that question!"

His yell shocked both her and everyone else in the house, who was in the living room. Ani would have never dared to yell at Arshi before. He treasured her so much and always listened to what she said. Now, he was shouting at her with looks that could kill.

And Arshi wasn't the only recipient. Even the other Boses felt chilly at the angry looks he gave them. Choton, who was writing something at the dining table, was the first to ask.

"Ani?" he stood up and walked to his favorite nephew, "Is anything the matter?"

"Yes, Choton. There are a lot of matters in this house."

"Then, can you speak to us instead of acting all this drama, Ani? This look doesn't fit you." Shubho called out to his son from the settee. He had left the office to relieve stress, and he wasn't very happy that he came home to meet more. Why was there always drama in this house every day?

If it wasn't that girl, Jhanak, it was his stupid niece, Appu, acting even more stupid.

"Ani, what your father means is that you should talk to us," Tanuja spoke up from beside her husband in an attempt to ease the friction. Seeing her son like this was making her nervous.

But he didn't reply to her. He only shot her a deep look before making for the stairs.

"I'm coming."

"Ani..."

"I said I am coming!"

Aniruddh doubled on the stairs and went straight to one of the rooms he less frequented in this house. It was his sister, Mimi's room. Ever since they had become preteens, his parents had let him know the importance of boundaries even for his sisters, and giving them some space to thrive - and he had respected them for such a profound lesson. Who knew that they couldn't even hold themselves to the same standard for a girl who was in even worse conditions than his sisters would ever be?

He dragged open the door and stormed into the room, eyes scanning the feminine purple decor before coming to rest on her settee top. Aniruddh felt blood rush to his head because in plain sight was a trophy that had the name 'Jhanak Raina' embossed on it, with the 'Jha' part scratched off with something very sharp.

His family had no doubts he would never find out - and so they didn't even bother to cover up their tracks. He rushed to the settee and grabbed the trophy, running his hand over the name, fresh tears falling from his eyes onto the black-plated body. Ani would then press the trophy to his chest, whispering Jhanak's name softly over and over.

"Jhanak...I am sorry...I am so sorry..."

He cried because he knew deep within that he had caused this. He hadn't fulfilled his promise and now, he had completely lost her trust. Ani cried harder at the thought and a wave of resentment directed at his family and Arshi hit his heart.

Why were they so cruel to an orphan who had done nothing? Why?!

"Jhanak, I-I will make it up to you." So you have to forgive me, okay? You have to trust me again.

Ani cried, shaking his head at the thought that Jhanak would run away from him forever like today. He didn't bother to consider that his state wasn't quite right for someone like Jhanak who was his fiancee's cousin, not his, and he didn't ever stop to think that his anger lay more in the fact that Jhanak's mistreatment would lead to her mistrust rather than her actual mistreatment.

To reflect so deeply was too much to ask of Aniruddh Bose. Because how then could he keep ignoring the ugly truth that had become so fixated on Jhanak, that something had to have changed between them on his side?

No, he couldn't. He shouldn't think those things. Aniruddh knew that he shouldn't but the scene of Jhanak running away from him, as well as the unreadable look he saw in her eyes before she turned away, choked him. It hurt him like crazy.

I have to make things right. Jhanak, you have to forgive me. Please.

He straightened up and wiped his tears with the back of his hand, making to leave. That was when his eyes caught sight of some gauze sticking out from under Mimi's bed. He instantly walked to it as if hypnotized because he knew that pattern from anywhere. He was the one who selected the designs for the gift committee.

Anriruddh Bose knelt at the bed level and reached underneath, only for his hand to feel and bring out a white box, its contents still left intact. Jhanak's box.

The hell.

Now, he was done being diplomatic. Ani placed the trophy atop the gauze and hauled the entire thing into his arms, out of the room, and down the stairs. His family and Arshi, who were engrossed in some other conversation, expectantly looked at him, only for their faces to turn pale when they saw what was in his hands.

"D-Dadda..." Mimi tried to speak but he shut it down.

"Shut it for me." Aniruddh dropped the box on the center table with a bang, his gaze going over everyone's. Choton, as well as Appu and her parents, were as shocked as him, and he felt a bit better knowing that Jhanak wasn't totally alone in this house. But when he saw Arshi's face that looked like she was upset he found out, instead of the anger that he'd expected, it was disappointment that rose in his heart. It paled in intensity to the emotions he felt towards his nuclear family.

Aniruddh glossed over this development. Or rather, he wanted to. Not doing so would lead to answers he wasn't ready for.

The only thing he was prepared for right now was to scold the hell out of his family.

He looked at Mimi who was literally shaking.

"You should be ashamed of yourself! As young as you are, this is the nonsense you are applying yourself to do - bullying someone who could as well be your own sister!"

"Please don't compare my daughter to that useless girl! I don't have a child like that!"

"She doesn't want you as her mom either, Ma!" he yelled back at Tanuja, shocking her and everyone else, "She already has a mom who is late and who she still loves so much if my memory serves me right. Her name is Urvashi. She does not need your parentage...it's not like you even try to pretend some humanity..."

"Aniruddh Bose!"

"Baba, please! Don't stop me now. You all," he motioned to them, "have done so much harm due to my silence. You bully, you lie, you even upgrading to stealing now! Amazing! Amazing, Baba! Your respected family has now found a new occupation."

"Ani, please can you stop this?"

"Why should I?" He was responding to the one who asked the question - Arshi, his fiancee.

She walked to his front with tears in her eyes.

"Because it hurts me, Ani. Why do always defend that girl?"

"Oh, so you find what they did right? Is what happened that night right?"

"Are you accusing me of something, Ani? I was with you that night, not with them. All I am asking is that you forgive your family. They were just defending me and went about it wrong."

"Defending you? How?"

"From Jhanak."

Aniruddh looked at her like he couldn't believe his ears. Here, he was trying too hard not to open her chapter, because every time he saw her face, he remembered Jhanak's words about the slap, as well as her complicity in holding back the truth about the blood donation. He was trying to rein in his irritation and listen to her only to hear such a thing. And if he dared to even suspect, the presence of Tejas...

"Ani, I love you." she placed her hands on his shoulders, "Of course, I panic when she comes close to you..."

"Why? Why, Arshi? Jhanak is just a maid, what can she possibly do?"

"Ani..."

"I won't have this discussion with you, but just know that I am very unhappy with you. As for you," he motioned to Mimi, "you are following me upstairs right now to apologize to Jhanak for being such a disgrace."

"What? Mom!"

Tanuja and Shubho looked at their eldest like he was crazy. Their child apologize to a backwater maid? Bipasha voiced out their thoughts.

"For what, Ani? Why should Mimi apologize? She did nothing wrong."

"Well, I didn't expect any better from you either, Memsaheb."

"What's the meaning of that, Ani?!"

"What you heard? I have no respect for thieves, so Mimi, would you come with me now or do I have to drag you upstairs by myself? Follow me right now."

Arshi watched Ani leave her grasp like it was nothing and drag his younger sister by the hand and up the stairs, angrily scolding her and insisting that he wasn't done with her yet. She cried at the perceived humiliation, ignoring everyone's attempts to comfort her.

Ani...he had changed so much. And it was all that bitch's fault.

That girl kept acting innocent, seducing her Ani and dragging him into her trap. Arshi didn't like it one bit. She couldn't stand it or get out of her head the image of Ani shouting at her or his own family for Jhanak.

"Jhanak," she whispered through tears, "you will pay for this. I swear it, I swear."

Synopsis of Jhanak: The Story of Us

Jhanak wants to live a life with respect; she wants to thrive. And she knows that her best shot will be far away from her maternal cousin, Arshi Mukherjee, and her in-laws, the Bose family. Neither wish her well.

But what can a young, aspiring dancer do to the illness of the heart called love? On her tempestuous path to greatness, she crosses paths more than once with Aniruddh Bose, a contradictory man who starts to make her feel all contradictory things, and for the first time, Jhanak doesn't know where her heart is and if it will become her greatest undoing.

Aniruddh Bose had always prided himself on being the best with a high capacity for morals and success. His life was on the best lane, especially with his upcoming nuptials to world-famous dancer, Arshi Mukherjee. But then he meets Jhanak - and he suddenly finds a human so tender and beautiful.

He decides that he has to save her. That way, he doesn't have to love her.

But is he the one that needs saving? Wrecked in between his hallowed walls of self-righteous morals and his reputation as high society's darling, Aniruddh is going to have to decide whether to play savior and ruin everything or let go and let his Jhanak fill him with the sweet redemption that only she can give.

Lovely... Lovely!! please write more!

I loved reading every minute of it!!!!

The dark undertones in Ani’s character made him even more interesting to read, great work there… Jhanak revealing the truth to Ani was handled really well. It was such a treat to be able to read all four chapters in one go. I specially loved the chapter written with the sister’s pov.

You handled the layers to Ani's character so so well!

All the emotions, be it Jhanak's, Arshi's, Ani's or the Bose's everything was so so palpable! You definitely have a way with words.

And this story is soooo intriguing! Great work.

Cant wait to read more!

Chapter 5 - Restitution

The next morning

"Jhanak, I have no face to ask for your forgiveness. I just hope that you will please help me help you just a bit. Please, Jhanak."

Jhanak remembered Aniruddh's words last night even as she traced the edges of the grey HP Laptop on her bed. Imagine her surprise when she woke up to him knocking and asking to be let in, that he had brought Mimi along with him. Jhanak had cried herself to sleep after returning from the market to find her book torn to shreds, and it didn't help that her rodeo with sir ji at the market left her feeling all sorts of wasted.

There was something about his tears that scared her enough to run away. He was one of those people that she was certain she had the ability to ever truly hate. And she hated that cowardly part of herself - the tendency to make up excuses for his bad behavior.

But last night, he had forced Mimi to apologize to her and even more shocking, had knelt to ask her to forgive his family because she was ever so good and ever so filled with kindness. Again, Jhanak was certain about sir ji that scared the shit out of her. Now, she had woken up this morning to Shyam da knocking on her door with a laptop and a new copy of her books that Mimi and Rumi had torn yesterday, as well as a message from Aniruddh that he would please like to talk to her before the whole family this morning. Apparently, he had gone out after to buy them for her, probably as another means of apology.

But all Jhanak could think of was why her? Why was a master wasting so much effort on a servant like her?

Maybe she would never know. Jhanak slowly rose from the bed, the laptop in her arms, her mind made up. She was going to have to return such an expensive gift to Sir ji. It wasn't worth it to give something so nice to her; she didn't want any more problems or humiliation from his family who assumed that all she wanted was to latch onto their precious Aniruddh.

Jhanak was scared and rightly so. But perhaps, what scared her most was that she would get there and Sir ji would agree with them too, that yes, she wasn't worth all the effort either.

**************************************************************

Aniruddh had a bitter smile upon seeing Jhanak descend the stairs with the laptop in hand. A part of him had wished that she had taken it, but the Jhanak he knew was very careful so that it came to this. He didn't know why it affected him so much that she was being cautious of him.

Or did he, Aniruddh asked, looking at his family who had various shades of negative expressions all because they saw what was in Jhanak's hand. They didn't even try to hide it and he thought it was a mighty effort of Bade Papa and Choton that he hadn't gone crooked all the way. Speaking of Choton, he had left to work so early, so that Aniruddh couldn't tell him his plan.

"Haha, Ani! You bought a laptop for Jhanak! Good, Good!" Appu excitedly clapped before leaning in for a hug on the couch. He hugged her, happy to her smile.

"Thank you, Appu di. You think I did excellent?" As he asked, he locked gazes with Jhanak, who was quietly standing beside the couch. He searched for some understanding in her gaze.

"Yes, yes!" She gave up and looked away, huffing under her breath that he dared to look at her with those eyes. Jhanak didn't want to lock a gaze with this man ever again. She trained her sight on the marble floor and stretched out her hands with the laptop in them.

"Sir ji, thank you for your gift. But I don't want it."

"Hey, you girl! How many times have I told you not to act clever? Well, I don't blame you, I blame my son for being so deceived by your drama! Take that laptop and just get away from here!"

Tanuja shot at her from the adjacent armchair and as Shubho wasn't around to boost her words, Bipasha, ever ready stepped up to maintain how this girl had trapped her poor cousin-in-law.

Bipasha clicked her tongue.

"Well, aren't you shameless, Jhanak? After making Mimi cry yesterday, you came to flaunt the laptop in our face. Ani, can you imagine this rubbish?"

"Yes, Ani. This girl is very cunning...." Laal would never get to finish his spiel because Jhanak interrupted him.

"I'm very cunning? I made Mimi cry?" she looked back and forth between the couple,"It was Mimi that made me cry, in case you haven't forgotten. As for the apology and the gifts, I never asked for them. So next time, direct your words to Sir ji, not me please."

She dropped the laptop and turned to leave, stopping only because a hand had held her back. It was Aniruddh to her shock and that of everyone. He had quickly leapt up from his position to hold her back.

The other hand, he used to pick up the laptop.

"Jhanak please, take it. It's not for you, as much as it is for a way to lessen my guilt. I will suffer if you don't take it. And Bodi," he looked at Bipasha, "we were the ones who were wrong, so why do you keep calling her names?"

"Ani..."

"Ma, please." he didn't exclude Tanuja either, "calling her names won't stop the fact that we used our power wrongly. We are the wrong ones. Jhanak," he held out the laptop to her, "please take it. Jhanak...please. My hand is hurting."

Jhanak looked at this man, unshed tears in her eyes. She was feeling the exact same way as when he had bought her an outfit for the prayers some months ago and begged her to take it. She couldn't refuse then and even now. Jhanak found it easier to say no to everyone else in this house, even Appu, even Shristi Maasi and Arshi didi, but not this man.

Why? What was this feeling that eluded her? What made sir ji so different from others? Was it because he saved her from Tejas? Or was it something else...

Perhaps, it was the torment that wracked her, so that as a hand took the laptop from him, a lone tear slid down her face, hitting hard on Ani's heart. He didn't know why watching her cry made him so sad, affected him so much. Aniruddh had almost lifted a hand to wipe that tear just like in Srinagar, but he had enough common sense that some lines weren't to be crossed.

At least not anymore. His present state to Jhanak, at least right now, where he felt like hugging her so much, wasn't right. So, he released her hand and took a step back before clearing his throat.

"Jhanak, please don't cry. What happened to you will never happen again."

Tanuja was having none of it now. She banged a teacup on a side stool.

"Ani, what is the meaning of this? You are caring about a mere maid."

"Ma, please! Enough of all this. You know what," he looked to each face in the room, "if this happens next time, forget Jhanak. I will call the police and create such a scene, Baba will be forced to throw me out!"

"Ani!"

It wasn't Tanuja nor was it Bipasha or Laal or Dadi that shouted at him. It was Arshi who had just come into the house and heard such a thing. She was wearing a pretty yellow dress but Ani was in no mood to appreciate.

"Ani, what did you just say because of Jhanak?! Jhanak, you have come to destroy my life! You have come to ruin me!"

She stormed over to where Jhanak stood and shook her hard. Thankfully, Appu was able to secure the laptop before it fell from a shocked Jhanak's hand.

"Hey, you almost spoilt Jhanak's laptop!"

"Shut up, Appu di!"

"Please don't tell Appu di to shut up, Arshi. This is her house and she has every right to talk. If you are angry, please shout at me, the real target. No need to yell at Jhanak or Appu di."

Arshi felt a chill pervade her heart at Ani's glare and the calm way he said those words to her, regardless that his family members were as shocked as she was too. It frightened her, the way Ani was behaving ever since last night. He refused to pick her calls, so she had to drive here so early.

Arshi began to cry.

"Ani, why are you acting like this to me? Don't you love me anymore, Ani?"

His response came a little too quickly.

"Of course I love you, Arshi. And because I love you, I will scold you when you are wrong."

"Okay, fine! Fine! Appu di, I am sorry for yelling at you! And Jhanak," she turned to her and then back to Ani, "I won't apologize to her because I did nothing wrong! I did nothing wrong!"

Ani nodded.

"Okay, your decision." he locked gazes with her, "But don't be too shocked at what happens next. Jhanak," he turned to pick up a folder from the couch he'd been sitting on, "this is a contract from a small company that saw you at the office event. They want you to be their model."

"Ani, what is the meaning of this?"

"What do you mean, Arshi? Do you...have some problem with Jhanak improving her life?"

"N-Noo..."

"So, there is no problem. Don't worry, its a small company, they don't have the status on the types that search for you."

Arshi looked away, uncomfortable at Ani's strange directness. She felt stripped, exposed, her inner thoughts open to him and everyone else. But he didn't stop there.

"Jhanak," he handed the file to her, "please sign it. The pay is not high, but you will have some money to improve your life. Rent your own place, buy and do the things that you like."

"Sir ji..."

"No, Jhanak. This is the basic thing that you deserve. You have suffered too much and for that, I am sorry." He clasped his hands together and she shook her head.

"Sir ji, thank you. Thank you." She cried and Ani smiled a bit, knowing they were happy tears. He still had more to add on, "And no one should try to blame Jhanak for my actions any longer. Appu di, you must tell me everything that happens, okay?"

"Of course, I will Ani! Especially the actions of the one with a crooked face. Haha!"

"Shut up, Appu di!" Bipasha wanted to hit this girl. But Appu never took it laying down.

"Why would I shut up? Isn't you face crooked?!"

"Appu di!"

"Appu di," Ani would interject now, "don't do this now, okay?"

"Yes, Ani. I listen to you, unlike someone else."

"Thank you, Appu di." he turned to Arshi, "Arshi, I will be coming to your house soon. I need Shristi Aunty to sign a letter as Jhanak's guardian confirming that she left school due to terrible personal reasons. I talked to her principal this morning and..."

"YOU DID WHAT?!" She was losing her mind right now.

"I said I talked to her principal and he said that if I get that, Jhanak can have some sort of oral exam instead on some course concepts. That way, she will still get her degree even though the exam has passed." he smiled at Jhanak who was smiling through tears now, "Yes, Jhanak. Didn't I say that you will complete your education? When you pass the exam, you have to buy Appu di and me a chocolate cake."

Appu chimed in.

"I don't want a chocolate cake, I want ice cream!"

"Yes, Appu di. Jhanak is now a working-class graduate, she has to buy us everything."

Jhanak nodded with all the strength she could muster. After, she wiped her face with both hands.

"Yes, sir ji. I will buy you and Appu Di two cakes and ice cream. Thank you so much."

Aniruddh's heart felt lighter by her smile. He felt like this was how it should have been.

"No, Jhanak." he gently patted her arm regardless of everyone's presence, "Thank you so much."