AarYa fiction 'Devil's Vengeance' - Chapter - 9, Page - 42 - Page 29

Yash grabbed Vinod by his neck, "How dare you published Vidhi's story in the newspaper after we paid you the amount that you had demanded?"

Yes, news of Vidhi's past was all over the media. From leading newspapers to news channels, everywhere the news of how her mother died of cancer and how her father drowned himself in alcohol and later died due to it, had made headlines.

Just the previous day, Yash and Aman had come to pay Vinod the amount that he had threatened Vidhi with. But still he had gone and published the news. Or at least that's what they thought and assumed and accused Vinod of.

"Have you lost your mind?" Vinod tried to free himself and speak. "That news was my golden goose which could have provided me with lifetime of money. Why would I kill that goose and incur loss?"

Yash thought for a second and realized that a greedy person like Vinod would never jeopardize something that would kill his source of getting money. He let go of him. "If you didn't leak the information then who did?"

Vinod said rubbing his neck, "There were hundreds of guests at the party. I am sure some of them must've been your rivals or enemies who would love to see the image of your family getting tarnished. They must've heard my conversation with Vidhi!"

"Yash he makes sense". Said Aman. "But the question is who could that be? Who could benefit from this?".

As they looked at each other, they realized something. "Mishra...". They said in unison and ran from there.

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As Arpita got down from the plane, she felt a chill. Ever since she had made this decision to come to Ooty in Aarti's place, this was the first time she feared what if something goes wrong? But then her parents had given their permission so she was bit relaxed but she still couldn't shake this nagging feeling from her mind. She waited for the local bus which would take them to Ooty.

Ooty was a mountainous region in Tamil Nadu state, which was in the south of India. The closest airport was in Coimbatore. From there they had to take bus or taxis to reach the venue. As she waited for the bus, she remembered her conversation with Aarti from the previous night.

As Aarti was in a private room and Arpita had to leave for the trip, the whole family decided to spend the night in Aarti's room. They had taken special permission for it. Together they watched a movie. Played games and chatted till Aarti was exhausted and needed to go to sleep. Atul and Aparna had arranged for sleeping bags while Arpita was to sleep on the couch. Before going to sleep, Arpita snuggled into Aarti's bed and wrapped her arm around her waist. When Aarti protested that she shouldn't sleep this close to her, Arpita said she will move in five minutes.

"Arpi, that girl Nishi will also be there in this trip with you. Try to stay as far away from her as is possible for you. That girl is trouble. There is something about her that puts me off".

"Don't worry Aaru! There are going to be more than hundred students from across the country plus teachers, lecturers and artists from all fields. I don't think she can cause any trouble with so many people around. Plus I know how to take care of myself. Don't you worry, I'll be fine".

Though she had assured Aarti at that moment, now she feared if she was right in coming to unknown place amongst unknown people? Yes there was a professor with them, but then that professor was under the impression that she was Aarti. What if she ended up making a huge mistake? But now it was too late as she was already here. So she might as well take one moment at a time. From her yearbook, Aarti had shown her a picture of Nishi and the professor who were going on the trip, which helped Arpita identify them when she reached the airport. Aarti had told her that she didn't had to talk to Nishi as Aarti and Nishi were never friendly with each other. Aarti was sure that the professor would be busy paying attention to Nishi or other girls so he would hardly pay any attention to her. And it turned out that Aarti was right as neither Nishi nor the professor talked much with Arpita.

The venue for the workshop was selected at the base of a famous mountain. It was a tourist resort area which was rented for four days for the workshop. Boys and girls were given rooms on the opposite sides of the resort. In the center was a huge building which consisted of cafeteria, few huge halls for lectures and seminars. One huge hall for social gatherings in the evening. Behind this building, there was an huge empty space which was reserved for a special party on the last night of the workshop. A large tent was set for the party. Temporary restrooms were installed behind the huge tent.

Prateek, who had arrived early with his girlfriend Monica, was sitting in his room, which was to be shared with few other students from different colleges. Prateek was in a foul mood as he was thinking about the events from the previous day, which was the next day from Vidhi's baby shower. He had sensed something was wrong as he had seen Vidhi crying. He had gone to her and had asked what was the matter. She didn't tell him the real reason. All she said was, "What if I lose this family and all of you, because of my past?"

Prateek was confused as what made Vidhi so scared all of a sudden. He thought because of the pregnancy it must be her mood swings. "Bhabhi you won't lose anyone. We all love you. Pankaj Bhaiya's life resides in you. He won't let anything happen to you!" He had tried to assure her.

"You don't understand Prateek". Vidhi had said. "For a girl like me, it's not easy to survive in this world when her past is hanging like a sword on her head. It's always a girl or a woman who gets blamed for anything and everything. It won't take a second for BabuJi to throw me out if my truth is disclosed".

"Yes he is a old school but he can't be that heartless to ask you to leave especially when you are carrying the first grandchild of this family".

"If he doesn't throw me immediately then he will definitely throw me out if I deliver a girl". She had voiced her fear one more time.

"But Bhabhi..."

"Let it be Prateek, you won't understand the plight of a girl who is born or wedded into this family. BabuJi openly encourages you to have flings with girls. You use them for your own pleasure. You claim that you want me to have a daughter but have you ever thought about it that when she grows up, what would happen if she meets a guy like you, who will use her for his pleasure and then dump her, like you dump girls?"

Prateek had no answer to her question. She said, "I know you are a good hearted person but your escapades and flings presents the image of a man who does not respect a woman. The day you learn to respect women, that day you will know what women of this family have been through and what is the future of them in this family".

Now as he was sitting in his room, Vidhi's words were echoing in his mind. There were two women in the world whom he loved the most. One was his mother, Gayatri and the other was Vidhi Bhabhi. He could never imagine his life without them. What if BabuJi really throws her out? Yes Uday had always been disrespectful to women in this family. Does that mean he too was following Uday's path? Was he also becoming disrespectful to women? What if some guy actually use his niece for his pleasure and then break her heart? Would he be able to bear that? He had promised Gayatri that he will concentrate on his studies, was he breaking that promise to his mother, whom he loved the most?

When all these questions became unbearable he stormed out of the room...

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Sanjeev's phone rang. He answered and talked for a minute. "Thank you for everything that you did. You will get your money!"

After he disconnected the call, Urmila asked him who was on the call? He said, "He was one of the insider whom I had sent to attend Vidhi's baby shower as one of the hired waiters. I had asked him to keep an eye on every suspicious activity. That evening he had called and informed me that some man was blackmailing Vidhi. I told him to dig deep and find out what was the secret for which Vidhi was being blackmailed. Yesterday he found out about Vidhi's past. With his help, I then contacted leading newspapers and news channels and leaked the secret information. If I am not wrong then I'm expecting one of the Sindhias to come and confront us!"

"Are you out of your mind?" Urmila got furious. "What if someone reveals that it was you who leaked the information? Those Sindhia brothers will eat you alive".

"Calm down Ma. Nothing of the sort will happen. Nobody knows that it was me who leaked the story. If they dig deep then the man who leaked it to me will be blamed. I am safe. But I sure am waiting for them to come and confront me. The look of defeat on their faces would be like winning a lottery for me".

He didn't had to wait for long as within half an hour, Yash and Aman came storming in. Sanjeev had instructed his security guards to let them in.

"Come in Mr. Sindhia. To what do we owe the honor of your presence in our humble abode?" Asked Sanjeev.

"Mishra...". Yash wanted to strangle him, but had to control himself. "How dare you malign my family's image like this in the public?"

"Oh you must be talking about the news about Vidhi that is all over the media". Said Sanjeev pointing at the newspaper. "As usual I was sure that you'd blame and accuse me of it. As usual you didn't disappoint me". He laughed then asked in a serious tone, "What makes you think I did that?" He was sitting calm and composed.

"No one but you would benefit from tarnishing our image". This time Aman spoke.

"This is where you are wrong. There are many rivals who would love to see your family image ruining like this. But sadly this time it ain't me who did this honor". Sanjeev lied.

"You are lying". Both Yash and Aman spoke at the same time.

"What would I gain from doing so?" Sanjeev's tone was once again very calm and controlled. "Come to think of it, by this news, your grandfathers image will be praised to the sky. People will say that he brought an orphan girl home whose mother died of cancer and her father loved her mother so much that he couldn't survive without her. Your grandfather, Uday, would end up becoming this kindhearted soul who didn't hesitate to bring such a distressed girl and make her a member of his family. Now why would I do something that would only portray Uday Sindhia as munificent and benevolent person?". He looked at them intently for a second, then asked, "What if your own grandfather leaked this information for his own benefits?"

Yash and Aman looked at each other as Sanjeev's words made sense to them. By leaking Vidhi's story would only present a good image of Uday Sindhia. But one thing was sure, Uday would never do that. On the contrary they all knew how would he react if he sees the newspaper or watch the news on TV! If Sanjeev also didn't do it then who did? They both wondered.

"This time you may not be behind this but in future if I find out that you have harmed my family in any way then not even God will protect you from me!" Yash threatened him at which Vikas, who was listening to all this very quietly jumped from his place. "How dare you threaten my father?" He was instantly at Yash's throat. He would have attacked Yash had not Sanjeev intervened.

"Mr. Sindhia I advice you to go an ask your own grandfather if he was behind this and leave us alone. We are not interested in you and your family". With this he dismissed them.

As soon as they left, Vikas turned to his father, "You stopped me in front of them but I won't spare them. I'll teach them a lesson that they will never forget in their whole life. I'll tell my men to beat them black and blue".

Sanjeev grabbed his collar, "You will do no such thing!" He warned Vikas. By now Urmila and Aakash, who were hiding and listening to the whole conversation, had come out.

"But Dad...". Vikas tried to protest.

"You hear me and you hear me good. We don't and we won't indulge in violence". Sanjeev's tone was dead serious.

"But they are our enemies and he just threatened you". Vikas tried to make him understand.

Sanjeev nodded, "Yes they are our enemies and yes he threatened me. But like I said, we don't and we won't physically attack them. If I wanted to do that, I would have done it long back. I too have influence with people who would do it for me for free. But we do not attack them physically. We attack them in such a way that they themselves will become each other's enemies. We attack them in such a way that they won't even know that it was us who attacked them and still they would end up paying a heavy price for it. When we strike we don't make any noise but the impact of our attack will be as dangerous as dropping a bomb on someone".

"Like what your father did today". Urmila explained. "He is the one who leaked the information but he has made them suspect their own grandfather. Even if they don't suspect him, they won't suspect your father cause now they think that this news would only benefit their grandfather. Knowing my dear brother, he won't allow Vidhi to stay in that house. If Vidhi leaves then Pankaj leaves, this will create a rift between them. A rift which won't be mended easily". She had a vicious smile on her face as she imagined the scene at Sindhia Mansion. "And that is how we Avenge them by breaking them and their whole family slowly and gradually".

"Besides we have one more plan that will bring them to their place". Sanjeev also smiled evilly. "Aakash will leave tomorrow and if everything goes as per our plan, Prateek will end up paying a heavy price for insulting you while Atul Dubey will also become their enemy and would willingly work for us".

He then turned to Aakash. "By tomorrow morning all the necessary items will be here. You can leave in the evening. The next day will be their last day. It is when you will execute our plan".

They once again went through the plan and then Aakash messaged Nishi to ask her how were things at her end?

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Nishi saw Aakash's message and replied back that since they had arrived only a short while back, she was assessing the surroundings and keeping close eyes on each and everything around her. She then spotted Prateek coming out of boys side of the dormitory. And then she saw Arpita. Arpita too was busy exploring the surroundings and wasn't aware of Prateek's presence. While Prateek was lost in his own thoughts and had not noticed Arpita. It was about time to bring them face to face.

Nishi went to Prateek and said in a very flirtatious tone, "Hey Handsome, would you like to become my friend?" She placed her hand on his arm.

Prateek was already in a lousy mood. Had Nishi threw herself at him a week back, he might have considered flirting back with her, but he remembered his promise to Gayatri and Vidhi. On top of that Uday had told him to stay away from girls who threw themselves at him. According to Uday, such girls always had an agenda. If nothing else then they wanted to have some fun with guys who were super rich.

As soon as he remembered these things, he withdrew his arm. "I'm sorry I'm not interested. I already have a girlfriend".

She felt insulted as this was the first time a guy was rejecting her. Now she had one more reason to avenge for her insult. She again placed her hand on his arm. "I don't think I'm bad looking. You are handsome, I am beautiful, together we can have some fun". She moved closer as she emphasized the word Fun.

Prateek was losing his patience. He jerked his hand away. "I said I'm not interested. Especially in girls like you".

Though he hadn't pushed her away, Nishi fell on the ground to gather some attention. "Ouch!" She whimpered as if she was hurt.

Arpita saw this. Prateek had his back to her so she could not see the face of the boy. She assumed that the guy had pushed Nishi. She rushed to them as Nishi got up from the ground.

"How dare you push her like this?" She then saw that it was Prateek. "You?" Her anger increased. "Why am I not surprised! Guys like you can never respect a girl".

"Who are you to interfere in my personal matters and judge me?" Then Prateek remembered her from the Market. "You?" His anger also increased. "I should have known that a girl like you would come defending a girl like her". He pointed at Nishi. That's when Arpita remembered what kind of a girl Nishi was and how she had insulted Aarti.

Before she could say anything Prateek insulted her. "Girls like you and her are so pretentious. They fake collide into a guy and then put the entire blame on him all the while acting like an innocent victim".

"I don't know about her, but I am not that kind of a girl. I won't give two hoots to a obnoxious guy like you". Arpita retorted.

Before their fight turned ugly, some fellow students intervened and stopped them. Prateek stomped from there angrily.

Nishi came to Arpita, "Thanks for standing up for me!"

"I didn't know that it was you or else I would have never interfered and ruined my day". She shot Nishi an angry glance, "This was not the first time when you threw yourself on a guy and I'm sure this won't be your last time. Girls like you tarnish the image of all girls. You should be ashamed of yourself for seducing guys in such a manner".

Arpita left from there leaving a fuming Nishi but she was happy as a small part of her mission was accomplished. Prateek and Arpita saw each other and their hatred and disgust for the other had only increased.

She texted Sanjeev. "A small mission has been accomplished...".

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Sanjeev saw Nishi's message and conveyed it to Aakash. Just then his servant came to inform him that Atul Dubey had come to see him. He asked Atul to be sent to his study.

Atul hesitantly entered his study. "I am sorry Sir for coming at your house without informing and without permission. I was on my way home from the hospital when I decided to meet you. Mr. Harish informed me that today you won't be going to the office so I came here". Atul said in one breath.

"That's okay. Have a seat". Sanjeev pointed at the empty chair on the other side of his desk at which he was sitting. "I hope it's about the offer that I had made to you".

"It is partly about that. One of my daughters is in the hospital while the other has gone on a trip. For the first time none of my daughters are with me, so I'm not able to take any decisions". His voice shook a little as he was already missing both his daughters. "They both will be home in three days. I promise I'll give you my decision the very next day. I hope you are fine with it". He hesitated.

Sanjeev studied him for a second then smiled. "Even I have kids so I understand what you are going through. I can wait for couple of more days but I won't wait any longer".

As Atul got up to leave after thanking him, Sanjeev said, "Mr. Dubey since last two years you have been an loyal employee to me. I hope you remain so in the future also".

Though his tone was calm, Atul sensed a hidden threat in it. He nodded and left from there.

Once again Urmila, who had been hiding in one corner, came out. "Sanju are you sure that he is the right person?"

"Till two days back I had my doubts but after what Aakash had planned, now I am confident that we selected the right person. In few days Sindhia's will become Atul's number one enemy and Atul will willingly work for us to destroy them". His voice was filled with confidence and arrogance. "By now fireworks must have started at Sindhia Mansion. Ma I feel like celebrating today".

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When Yash and Aman returned to Sindhia Mansion, they saw all were gathered in the living room except for Uday and Suraj. Till now Uday had not checked the newspapers or watched the news as Suraj, who was aware of the leakage, had kept him busy in the study with international calls.

Yash narrated what had happened at Vinod's place and at Sanjeev's place. "I am sorry Bhaiya, we were not able to find out who leaked the story". He told Pankaj.

"It doesn't matter. I am tired of all this secrecy and living in fear all the time as what would happen. I want to end this matter once and for all". Said an exasperated Pankaj.

Vidhi, Maya and Gayatri panicked. "What do you mean? What are you thinking of doing?" Asked Vidhi.

Pankaj got up and picked up the newspaper and went towards the study. Others tried to stop him but he was adamant. "I'm sorry Vidhi. If we live in this house then I don't want to keep any secrets from anyone. Whatever happens I promise I won't leave your side". He said when Vidhi blocked his way. There was something in his eyes that made Vidhi move to a side and let him go. She quietly followed him.

Pankaj disconnected the call that they were busy with and placed the paper in front of Uday. Suraj was shocked while Uday got angry. "What kind of insolent behavior is this? We were in the middle of an important call..."

"What I have to inform you is more important than any call". He pointed at the newspaper. "Read it".

Uday picked it up and read it. By the time he finished his face had turned red with anger. He threw the paper in one corner. "You knew about this. You lied to me, tricked me into bringing this trash into my home". He screamed.

"Mind your language BabuJi". Pankaj also screamed. "The woman you are talking about is my legally wedded wife and the mother of my children".

"This woman who's father was a drunkard and mother had cancer. Do you want to spend the rest of your life with her?" He looked at Vidhi with disgust. "She will give birth to cancer infested kids".

"Once again mind your language BabuJi, you are talking about my wife and my kid". Pankaj was now shaking with anger.

"I don't want this woman in my house. I don't care about her child either. I don't want any cancer infested people in my house".

"If she leaves then I leave along with her". Pankaj grabbed Vidhi's hand, who was now shaking terribly.

"Then you may also leave". Uday stood firm in his decision. "But let me make you aware of the fact that once you side with her over me and leave this house then you won't be allowed to return back. You will no longer be a part of Sindhia Family and Sindhia Property".

"Thanks for the information. All I want is a peaceful life with my wife and kids. I don't care about your property. Once I settle down I'll come to fetch my parents. If they can't come to live with us permanently then I'll make sure that they visit us regularly". It was as I Pankaj had already planned out everything, cause he knew that one day the truth would come out and Uday would react the same way he was doing now.

"No one is going to go anywhere". Yash intervened. "We are family and we will all stay together under one roof. BabuJi, occasionally we all drink. Yes her father became an alcoholic but then it wasn't her fault. Same way, her mother dying of cancer was not her fault. We all are human and no one can predict our future. Chances are very high that one of us could also become a cancer patient tomorrow or in near future but for that Vidhi won't be responsible. We can't blame her for something that is natural. If someone indeed suffers from cancer then we all will fight it together, as a family. A family who sticks together in all odds will always remain a happy and close knit family. And that is how our family will remain".

"Besides BabuJi this scandal will only improve the image of this family in front of the whole world". Aman dared to speak and then repeated what Sanjeev had said regarding how Uday will gain from the whole scandal.

It took few seconds for Uday to register what Aman had said. He left from there without saying a word. Which meant that Vidhi could stay but he had not forgiven her or Pankaj.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief while Vidhi started crying. Pankaj hugged her and took her to their room. Suraj patted Yash on his back, "Today you saved my family from breaking up". He became emotional.

Yash was still trying to catch his breath. "Dad, till I am alive I won't let this family fall apart. I won't let any harm come to anyone. Sanjeev and his son may not be behind this this time, but I'll have my eyes on them. If they or anyone else tries to harm any member of my family, I'll rip them apart". He then took a deep breath. "Day after tomorrow I have to leave for London. Prateek will be back from his trip. As soon as my internship is over, I'll return home permanently. Prateek and I will make sure that BabuJi doesn't try to harm Vidhi and bhaiya in the future. I will make sure no outsider tries to come between us and try to rip our family apart...". He was thinking how low Mishra's or any other enemy of Sindhia's could stoop to harm them in the worst way.

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It was afternoon time and Aarti needed her sleep and had to rest so Atul and Aparna had returned home. Atul told Aparna about his meeting with Sanjeev.

"Apu, later I did some research as why Sanjeev wants to plot against Sindhias. Their enmity goes long back". He told her about what had happened between both families. "Yes Uday Sindhia was wrong but does it gives Mishra's right to hire someone to work for Sindhias to get inside information?"

"Yes they were robbed of their rights but still to steal their inside information is ethically wrong". Aparna agreed with her husband.

"We trust someone so easily. I would have never imagined Sanjeev Mishra to be a Vengeful type of person had he not asked me for this. I had great respect for him. But after what he asked me to do and the way he is threatening me in subtle tone, I despise that man. I now fear what he would do to me if I go against him? I wish there was a way with which I would save myself and won't have to work for him".

"Why don't you talk to Satyendra and ask him to come here?" Aparna suggested. "I am sure after talking to him and with him by your side, you will get the strength and the courage that you need to make a decision. He is a sensible man. I am sure he will guide you and help you".

Atul called Satyendra who said that they have some function in their college so they won't be able to leave for next couple of days. Satyendra sensed disappointment in Atul's voice. He asked, "Is everything okay my friend?"

Atul sighed, "I can't tell you about it on the phone but I need you right now. I have couple of days to make a life altering decision".

Satyendra thought for a second. "Our function ends day after tomorrow. You know very well there are no airports in Indore. We will have to come by train. We can take the evening train and would reach Pune by next afternoon. Tomorrow Prashant is also returning from his trip. We will bring him also. I think you all need a change and both girls will be happy to see him".

Satyendra immediately booked their train tickets as soon as he disconnected the call. He had sensed tension in Atul's voice and he wanted to be there for his best friend.

Aparna hugged Atul. "Don't worry everything will be all right. They may be powerful but they can't harm us. The worst that could happen is that you'll lose your job. We can always go back to Indore where you can get back your old job or you can always find a new one".

"I hope what you are saying comes true". He hugged her tight as he was looking for solace in her. "After Arpi returns home from her trip and Aarti from hospital, I'll give my resignation and we will move back to Indore. Arpita and Aarti will return home the same day Satyendra will come. Our family will be together after a long time".

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After her encounter with Prateek, Arpita's mood became worst. She called Aarti. "Aaru, I regret coming here!"

Aarti became alert. "Did something happened? Did anyone find out that you are not me, I mean you are not Aarti?"

"No no one found out that I'm not Aarti but am her twin sister Arpita. It's about that arrogant boy whom I had met in the Market the other day". She then told Aarti the whole thing.

"I told you to stay away from Nishi. That girl is nothing but trouble. And this guy sounds no different. Do you know his name?"

"No I don't know his name yet. But that guy is extremely rude and disrespectful".

"Arpi, you try to stay away from both of them, and if you feel any discomfort then return back home. It's not compulsory to stay there till the end. You can make an excuse of your sister being in the hospital, which is true, and can come home". Aarti suggested.

"Imagine me saying that Aarti is in hospital when I'm here as Aarti!" Arpita laughed.

"Arpi!" Aarti scolded her. "Be careful before saying such things. And remember that you are Aarti and not Arpita".

"I promise I'll be careful and I'll try and act as Aarti Dubey!" She disconnected the call. She turned and froze on her spot. Color drained her face as she saw the person standing few feet away from her.

It was Nishi. She looked at her intently, "So my hunch was right. You are not Aarti but her twin sister..."