Part 26
Arohi picked up the phone for what felt like the hundredth time, and hung it up. The small note in her hand was heavily creased from being handled so much. The note she'd been staring at for the last 2 hours trying to get herself to make one of the most important phone calls of her life. The note that contained her birth father's name and phone number. "Just do it!" Arohi muttered to herself. Arohi's journalist friend had been able to get the number for her and even though Arjun had wanted to be present when she made the call she had asked if she could do it by herself. Now if only she could get herself to take this next step. Taking a deep breath she dialed the number and held on. The phone rang once, twice and just as Arohi was about to hang up she heard a deep voice say "Hello." Suddenly she'd lost her ability to speak, She heard the person on the other side repeat his "hello" Now Arohi NOW!!! she ordered herself as she whispered "hi." "Hello, who is this?" the man demanded. Arohi cleared her throat and in a louder, more steady voice she said "Hi, my name is Arohi Ahluwalia and I'm a journalist." "Is this Vishal Singh Rathore?" "Yes, speaking." "What's this concerning?" he asked briskly. "I understand that your company is working with a local non profit group to build a school for the underprivileged in a rural village on the border of the city." Arohi said in one breath. "Yes, we are." "It's the village my father was born in and lived in until he left for the city to start are garment business." Vishal volunteered. "Well, I was hoping to set up an interview with you regarding this project." Arohi began. "You should talk to my project manager I can give you his name." Vishal interrupted. "No, no, I think it would be better to speak with you since it's your company." Arohi quickly cut in. "What newspaper did you say you worked for?" Vishal suddenly asked. Arohi bit her lip and answered "I work for the Indian Tribune." "If you have any questions about the article you can contact my editor Mr. Siddarth Mehra." Arohi lied. A few moments of silence ensued and the Vishal replied "Fine I'll give you the number of my assistant and you can contact her to set something up." "Thank you for your time sir." Arohi said quickly jotting done the assistant's number. Hanging up Arohi felt the trembling start. The trembling that she kept at bay as she spoke to her father. Her real father. Squeezing her eyes shut she prayed that this ruse she was using to see her father worked. She wanted to meet him and see what he was like before she finally decided if she was going to tell him that he had another daughter.
"You okay?" Arjun asked as they walked into their hotel room in Bangalore. Arohi was so lost in thought that it took her a few moments to realize Arjun had spoken to her. Shaking her head as if to clear it she gave him a unsteady smile. "I'm fine." she replied. Arjun frowned. "You know you don't have to do this." "You can just forget the whole thing and we can be on the next flight out of here." he added. Arohi shook her head no. "I can do this, I'm fine." she said reassuringly. "I'm just going to change and then we can leave." Arjun grabbed her hand as she walked past him and pulled her to him. "I love you." he said softly, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead. "I love you too." she answered with a smile as she pulled away and walked towards the bathroom And suddenly her eyes were filled with tears. She shut the door behind her and pressed her back against it. She'd come this far. For so many months her life had been just hanging in the balance. She'd put everything on hold, even her own marriage to the man she loved. She prayed that it wasn't all for nothing. But ever since she'd set up the meeting with her birth father she had felt a looming sense of dread. Maybe she should have just left things as is. Meeting him and speaking to him, that would change everything now. What if he was just another Rudra? What if she told him who she was and he denied any association? Why was she always chasing impossible dreams, she wondered to herself. She had Arjun. She had his family, which was her family. Why wasn't that good enough? Why did she crave more?
"I wish I was going in with you." Arjun had repeated irritability as he dropped Arohi off at the entrance of Vishal's office. He had not been very happy with Arohi's decision to meet Vishal by herself or for that matter to meet him on the pretense of an interview. "I still think you should have just told him who you are right up front." "You have nothing to be ashamed of, it's him that should be trying to justify his actions to you." "Him that should be left stumbling and trying to explain himself to you." Arjun had argued. "No, I don't want to do it that way Arjun." Arohi had replied. "I have to do this my way." she said adamantly. So Arjun had dropped her off and told her to call him the moment she left Vishal's office." Now as Arohi got off the elevator, her steps slowed considerably. All around her people were busily doing their work. So his dreams of turning his father's small garment business into a large and successful enterprise had been successful, Arohi thought to herself. Slowly she made her way to the main desk and told the assistant her name. "Sir is expecting you." "Please follow me." the young assistant said coming around her desk and leading Arohi down the hallway. Arohi's stomach was in knots. She felt like she was going to throw up at any moment. She forced herself to continue walking behind the assistant when all she really wanted to do was turn around and run back the way she came. The assistant came to a stop at a door and gave a soft knock before entering. "Sir, Ms Arohi Ahluwalia to see you." Arohi felt her mouth go dry, her feet turn to lead as she stood frozen just outside the door. She heard the words "send her in." but didn't fully comprehend until the assistant gave her an irritated look and repeated "You can go in now." Arohi didn't know how but she managed to walk in and then her breathing seemed to stop as she came face to face with her father for the very first time. Vishal Singh Rathore came from around his desk and held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Vishal" he said gesturing for her to have a seat. Arohi cleared her throat and shook his hand. Her hand trembling as she pulled it back quickly. He stared at her quizzically for a moment and then smiled. "So Miss Ahluwalia what would you like to know." he asked. Arohi pretended to shuffle through her notes as she tried to calm herself down. Her father, her real father was sitting right infront of her, her mind screamed. "I'm doing an article on established businesses helping communities in need and after hearing about the school your organization is building I thought your company would be a good one to include in the article." "But from what I understand this isn't all you've done for this village, let's start with what other works you have done for this community." Arohi began. As she listened to him speak she was able to study him, his face, his mannerisms. That charisma her mom had been talking about shone through in the way he spoke. In his eyes she saw her own eyes. It was so odd to be looking at her own features on a virtual stranger. "Tell me a little about you and your family." Arohi questioned. "I'm widowed, my wife passed away about 5 years ago but I do have two amazing daughters." "One of which is getting married in 3 days." he said with a smile on his face. "Daddy's girls?" Arohi couldn't help but ask. Vishal nodded. "They sure are." "They are my everything and everything I've done and accomplished is because of their mother and them." he said. Arohi fought to keep the bitterness down. "Have you ever lived outside of Bangalore?" she suddenly asked. Vishal shook his head no. "Never." he replied. "What about for schooling?" "Was it done somewhere else?" she questioned. Vishal paused, staring at her for a moment and then shook his head no. "Born and raised here." he replied. Arohi continued to ask questions and with each of his answers she felt anger and bitterness spreading through her. When he talked about his daughters with obvious pride Arohi felt jealousy and pain slice through her like a knife. She knew in the very back of her mind that she was being irrational but too much had happened to her in the last 6 years for her care at the moment about what was rational and what wasn't. "Isn't it true you lived in a small town on the outskirts of Delhi for a few months when you were younger?" Arohi suddenly burst out. Vishal stiffened and stared at Arohi. His eyes boring into her. "Who told you that?" he asked. "Well didn't you?" she replied. Vishal continued to stare at her and then slowly nodded as he looked across the room at something "Yes, for a few months I did." "With my uncle while I was working on my thesis." he said softly. But then his shrewd gaze returned to hers. "You remind me of someone." he said quietly. "Really?" "Who could you know that I would know too?" she asked. Vishal furrowed his brows and frowned. "You didn't answer my question how did you know I lived there?" Ignoring his question she pushed on. "Did you make lots of friends there." "A few." he answered. "Did you keep in touch with any of them?" she asked bitterly. Vishal stared at her and then in a soft but menacing tone asked "Who the hell are you?" "I told you who I am?" "My name is Arohi Ahluwalia." she replied. He leaned forward and said "Why all these questions about where I lived for such a short period of time?" Again Arohi ignored him. "Do you want to know my mom's name too." she continued as if she hadn't heard him. Vishal glared at her. "Her name is Gayatri Ahluwalia, maiden name Malik." "Gayatri Malik!" Arohi said coldly. Vishal's face turned white as he stared at Arohi. Father's name?" she asked with a brittle smile on her lips. "Vishal Singh Rathore!" She stared at him as he seemed to digest the news she'd just given him. His hands clenching the sides of his chair, his eyes showing evident shock over what she'd just told him. She waited for him to refuse and throw her out. She waited for him to yell, so she could yell back. So she could say to him everything she hadn't been able to say to Rudra, or to her mom, or to her sister. So she could blame Vishal Rathore for all the pain she'd suffered because he didn't come back to claim her and her mom.
"Gayatri..." she heard him say softly. His eyes now taking on a far off look. "You're Gayatri's daughter?" he repeated not expecting an answer. "You're mine and Gayatri's daughter." he repeated, his voice suddenly thick with emotion as he stared at her. Arohi glared at him. "I am Gayatri's daughter." she suddenly herself say. Vishal shook his head and then said "You look like her." "I saw it right when you walked in but never in a million years would I have suspected." "I don't look like her, you and I both know who I look like." Arohi said in a brittle voice. Vishal nodded. "You look like her too." "Your smile, it's just like hers." Arohi didn't reply. "I never knew." he finally said. "I never knew about you." he repeated. "Well if you bothered to come back to my mom you would have known but since you abandoned her after telling her you'd come back and marry her how would you expect to know." "Admit it you didn't want to know." "You got what you wanted from my mom and then you were done with her." Arohi said angrily. "No, that was not what happened." "I loved Gayatri." "I came back but she was already married." Vishal replied. "She moved on so quickly, she didn't even wait for me." he said bitterly. "How could she wait!" "Your uncle told her you were marrying someone else that your family found for you and my mom was pregnant, she couldn't wait for someone who didn't look like he was ever coming back." "My grandfather found her someone that was willing to marry her and in return have access to her wealth and her only stipulation was that I came along with the package." Arohi said softly. Vishal shook his head, his voice broke as he stared at her. His daughter, his first born. "I was in a serious accident on my way back to Bangalore and in a hospital for 2 months afterwards." "By the time I recovered and came back to get your mom she was already married." Vishal replied quietly. Surprise registered on Arohi's face. "You came back." "But your uncle said.." Arohi began. "My family wanted me to marry someone else but I'd refused and had left home when I came to get your mom." "But by then she was already someone else's" "I never knew about you orelse I would never have left without you and Gayatri." Vishal replied. Arohi stared at him. Tears rolling down her own face. "You came back for her, for us." she asked brokenly. "Yes, I loved her, I wanted to marry her." "All those days in the hospital after weeks in a coma and then the long recovery the only thing that helped me recover was knowing your mom was waiting for me, but when I came back I found out she hadn't waited." he replied. "She couldn't wait." Arohi replied shaking her head, "She couldn't wait because of me."
Vishal stared at the beautiful young woman infront of him. Tears running down her face, a face so much like his. His blood coursing through her. He couldn't believe he had another daughter, his eldest daughter. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her tightly against him. He had no suspicions that she wasn't his. He's be blind to not see it. He was in shock but at the same time wanted to know everything about her, but he sensed she wasn't ready for that. So he asked instead "How is Gayatri?" "Alive." Arohi replied staring at her hands. "Her husband is not an easy person to live with." Arohi replied. Vishal didn't miss the pain that flashed across Arohi's face. He clenched his fist wanting to lash out at this man that had been the father in his daughter's life. "I just recently found out about you." Arohi said. "My mom told me, and I wanted to meet you." "Know my roots, where I came from." "A small part of me even hoped that you were going to be the father that I've craved all my life." "But ever since I spoke to you on the phone a few days ago I've had this heavy feeling across my chest." "So heavy that sometimes I feel like I can't breathe." "And today when I walked in here I felt almost instant anger." "I regret now making the decision of meeting you." "You have your own life, and I have mine." "I shouldn't have come here." Arohi said standing up. "I realize now after talking to you that it's really too late for the both of us." "And I need to stop looking back at my past all the time and look to my future." "I've put other relationships on hold trying to catch something that I thought I always wanted." "I don't want to do that anymore." "I'm sorry I wasted your time." Arohi said turning towards the door. She felt numb and suddenly so tired. She just wanted to crawl into Arjun's arms, deep into his embrace and sleep, and sleep and wake up a new person. She didn't want to live like this anymore. "Wait, no you can't leave." "I don't want to be your past, I want to be part of your future." she heard Vishal say. But Arohi kept walking. The door closing behind her with a soft click.
Arjun pressed a soft kiss against Arohi's face as he watched her sleep. She'd told him everything that happened and then she'd asked him to just hold her while she slept. There hadn't been any tears but neither did he feel that she was returned to that old Arohi, the one who'd shut everyone and everything out. She seemed stronger, more sure then he'd seen her in a long time. For the first time in a long while he had fallen asleep not worried about Arohi. Not worried about what could happen, what could finally break her so bad that she mentally she wouldn't be able to come back to him. Feeling her stir next to him she slowly opened her eyes and seeing his gaze on her she smiled. "Good morning." she whispered, as he pressed a kiss against her forehead. "Good morning." he replied. Arohi sat up and stretched. A soft smile playing on her lips. "Let's go home." she suddenly said. Arjun raised a brow in surprise." "Are you sure?" he asked. "You don't want to meet your...Vishal one more time?" Arjun asked hesitantly. Arohi shook her head. "I'm good." she said and she meant it. She'd met him once and he seemed like a good man with a life of his own. Just like she had a life of her own, it was too late for them and she was actually fine with that. She really was. It was for the best, she told herself. "No I want to go home." she replied getting out of bed. "I have a wedding to plan and I have a job to try to get back from the Tribune and most importantly, I have a fiance, soon to be husband, to love and take care of." Arohi said smiling. Arjun pulled her back onto the bed. "Love and take care of huh?" "Well why wait, I really need some taking care of right now." he said with a smile as he nuzzled her neck. "Something only Arohi can take care of." he replied in a husky voice as he pulled a giggling Arohi down on to the bed and kissed her neck. The hotel phone ringing had Arjun groaning. "Are you kidding me?!" Arjun said out loud as Arohi pushed at him to get it. The second he got off her she quickly scrambled into the bathroom. "What?" Arjun snapped into the phone. "Is this Arohi Ahluwalia's room?" said a male voice. "Yes," Arjun replied frowning. "Well, is she there?" the person asked. "Who is this?" Arjun asked in return. Clearing his throat the man said "I'm her...It's Vishal Singh Rathore and it's important that I speak to her." Arjun grew quiet a for a moment and then finally said "I don't think she has anything else she wants to say to you." "That's fine, then she can just listen." "I have plenty I want to say to her." "She can't just tell me something like that and walk away!" Vishal said clearly irritated. "And why am I telling you this!" "Who are you by the way?" Vishal asked. Arjun almost smiled. The guy sounded stressed and he should be! "I'm Arjun Singhania, Arohi's fiance." "Arjun Singhania...aren't you that movie star?" Vishal asked. "The one and only." Arjun replied back. "Arohi's busy." he added. "Now listen here young man, I don't care who you are." "I want to speak to my daughter and if it's not here then I will follow her to Mumbai and speak to her there!" Vishal snapped. This time Arjun did smile. "So she gets the stubbornness from you huh?" Arjun said folding his arms across his chest. Vishal ignored him. "Fine, can you be here in an hour." Arjun replied. "Yes!" Vishal replied and quickly hung up.
Arohi showered,and pulled on a pair of blue skinny jeans and a pale yellow cap sleeved peasant top that cinched at the waste. A wide belt sat at her hips and her hair was pulled up into a neat pony tail. Her make up was light and fresh, with a pink lip gloss shimmering on her lips, a light rosy blush on her cheeks and a thin liner and mascara on her eyes. After a long time she felt like her old self. "You escaped me this morning but tonight there's going to be no where for you to go." Arjun growled as he bit down on her ear lobe. Arohi giggled and shoved at his chest. "You better smarten up Mr one track mind." "You're going to have a wife soon and this is not going to work with her!" she teased. Arjun pulled her back into his arms. "Wives are boring, girlfriends are much more fun." he teased back, leaning down to kiss her. A knock on the door had Arjun swearing and Arohi giggling. "We are never staying at this hotel again!" Arjun snapped walking to the door. Arohi laughed and turned away, starting to pack her things when she heard. "Arohi." Quickly swinging back around she came face to face with her father. "Just hear him out." Arjun said. Arohi frowned and then looked at Vishal. "I don't know what else is left to say." she said willing her hands not to shake as she threw the last of her things into her bag. "There's plenty to say!" "You're my daughter and you can't tell me that fact and then just expect me to pretend you don't exist." "You're my flesh and blood for god's sakes!" Vishal snapped. Arohi felt a lump form in her throat. "I can't change what's happened in the past and I can't bring back the years we've lost but now that you've found me,I won't let you go without atleast giving this relationship a chance." he added in a broken voice. "What about your family?" Arohi whispered. "What will they think about your long lost daughter?" Arohi asked. "The only people's opinion that matters to me is my daughters...my three daughters." "I told Riya and Sakshi last night about you." Arohi swung around to look at him. Her eyes wide with disbelief. "Why?" she asked. "Because in order to move forward with this I needed them to know about you." "I didn't want them to find out some other way and they deserve to know they have a sister...an older sister." he said. "Your daughter is getting married in 2 days, why would you drop a bomb like this on them right now?' she asked tearfully. "Because I couldn't risk you leaving today and me not being able to see you again and I didn't want to come to you without everything cleared." he replied. "How did they react?" she asked. "They were shocked, and it's going to take them some time to come to terms with everything." "And they asked about you?" "They had many questions to which I had very little answers." "So in order to get those answers Arohi I'm asking you to let me into your life." "To give me a chance to be your father." he said choking back tears. A sob escaped Arohi's lips and she slowly nodded. "May I give you hug?" she heard him ask. Arohi nodded again and suddenly he was there pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly as she sobbed. "It's going to be okay." she could hear him say and she knew it really was going to be okay.
Okay there's the next part. Please let me know what you thought of it. I'm thinking KI only has another 2 parts left after this one. We'll see how the next update goes. I don't know which one will be next. Will keep you posted.
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