"When there was such intensity in hatred,<br /> then let there be doomsday,<br /> if she were to fulfill her love"....!!!<br />
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Rahul stopped Aru and said, "Aru, forgive me…just this once…please…just once…I won't ask for anything from you again!"
Aru stopped and said, "Forgiveness…from you…even if God comes and tells me to forgive you…I will never forgive you. Because you have committed a blood crime…of my friendship…of my trust… and of my relationships…which I will never forgive…never!"
Aru walked away without looking back. Outside, she got into a car and drove away. Sitting in the car, Aru leaned her head against the back seat and once again found herself in the corridors of the past, where she had experienced the bitterest and most deceitful moments of her life.
(Flashback…from Aru and third-person POV)
After lying about the abortion and Ridhansh believing it, Ridhansh left the hospital. The doctor had given Aru an injection, which caused her eyes to become heavy after some time, and she fell asleep. She was free from all her tension and worries for a while. When Aru woke up again, she didn't understand where she was. After some time, she heard Rahul's voice and saw herself in a new room. After a while, she realized where she was and remembered her father.
Rahul sat beside Aru and said, "Aru, how are you? And how is your health now? Are you okay?"
Aru said, "I'm okay, but papa…papa, how is he?"
Rahul said, "Don't worry, Aru…everything will be okay!"
Aru asked, "Tell me, Rahul…how is papa…is he okay?"
Rahul took a deep breath and said, "I said…everything will be okay…right now, you just focus on your health…actually, uncle's condition is such that…"
Aru asked, "What's wrong with him?"
Rahul took a deep breath and said, "Aru, the result is the same as the doctor said earlier…uncle's mental condition is not okay… and for his treatment, we have to shift him to a mental asylum for some days."
Aru said angrily, "You've gone crazy, Rahul…I will never do this…I will never send my father to an asylum!"
Rahul said sadly, "And do you think I'll be happy doing this? No, Aru…not at all…but right now, we don't have any other option… and for uncle's well-being, we have to shift him there…so that the doctors can treat him properly."
Aru said emotionally, "But Rahul, how will papa stay there…no, Rahul…papa won't be able to stay there… and…"
Rahul held Aru's hand and said, "Don't worry, Aru…everything will be okay…don't worry…but right now, you take care of yourself…because your condition is not okay at all… and you made the right decision."
Aru said, "The person who did everything to me…after that, I don't think I did anything wrong…because of him, my papa's condition is like this today…I will never forgive him…never!"
Rahul said, "I know… and what you did was absolutely right…like that, there's no point in giving birth to a part of a very bad person…who has taken away all our happiness!"
Aru said confused, "But Rahul, I…"
Rahul interrupted Aru and said, "You don't need to explain anything to me…you made the right decision by deciding not to give birth to that monster's child… and he doesn't deserve…neither you nor any happiness!"
Aru nodded and said, "Rahul, but I…"
Before Aru could finish her sentence, Naina entered the room and asked Rahul to meet the doctor. Rahul left, saying he would come back soon.
Aru asked Naina, "Did you tell Rahul the truth…that I didn't abort my child?"
Naina said, "Actually, when Rahul came back…he asked about your condition and the reason for your unconsciousness…I told him that you had decided not to keep the child…but before I could tell him the whole story…the doctor came to talk about uncle… and after that, I didn't get a chance to tell him the truth…however, we will explain it to him later…for now, you focus on your health."
Aru said with sadness and tension, "Naina, I want to meet dad!"
Naina nodded and said, "Okay!"
Naina took Aru to meet Mr. Kapoor, who had his hands tied. Aru panicked and went to the doctor.
Aru asked emotionally, "Doctor, why is my papa tied like an animal?"
The doctor said, "I understand you're worried about your papa…but right now, his mental condition is not okay…which is why he might harm others…like he attacked a nurse earlier…we can't take any risks…so we have to shift him to an asylum soon."
Aru was shocked and started crying. Naina and Rahul consoled her. Despite her reluctance, Aru agreed to send her father to the asylum for his well-being. After some formalities, Mr. Kapoor was taken to the asylum. Aru, Rahul, and Naina visited him and then returned home. Aru was devastated.
The next day, Naina stayed with Aru at her home and informed her parents about it. Naina and Rahul tried to make Aru eat something, and then Naina gave her medicine and put her to sleep. Rahul and Naina were worried about Mr. Kapoor and Aru.
Later, Rahul gave Aru a letter, which contained divorce papers from Ridhansh. Aru was taken aback and felt a pang of sadness.
Rahul said, "Aru, does it still hurt you to part ways with that very bad person?"
Naina intervened and said, "Rahul, please…it's not the right time for this…"
Rahul said, "This is the right time, Naina…because it's better to cut off a wound like a tumor as soon as possible… and what's the point of holding onto this meaningless relationship…(looking at Aru)…if you still have a place in your heart for that very bad person…or if you want to hold onto this meaningless relationship and the chains of the past…then it's your choice…I won't force you… and as for uncle…he has been like a father to me…now I'll take responsibility for him…you don't need to worry!"
Aru called out to Rahul, who came back.
Aru said, "One minute, Rahul!"
Rahul looked at her questioningly. Aru wiped away a tear and signed the divorce papers.
Aru said, "Nothing was ever more important to me than my papa… and never will be!"
Aru went to her room. Naina followed her but had to leave suddenly due to an urgent call. Rahul decided not to talk to Aru for now and went to his room.
The next day, Aru went to Rahul's room to ask about the Spanish doctor. Rahul was not there. She looked around but couldn't find him. She decided to come back later.
As she turned to leave, she noticed a faint light coming from Rahul's slightly open wardrobe. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she approached the wardrobe. Her hand accidentally pressed a button, and the back of the wardrobe opened, revealing a secret room that had been hidden behind it. Aru was shocked and amazed by the discovery.
She stared at the light emanating from the wall behind the wardrobe in confusion. Unintentionally, her hand touched a button, causing the back of the wardrobe to suddenly open. A secret room, hidden behind the wardrobe and unknown to anyone until now, was revealed. Today was the day its existence was discovered. When Arun saw this room, her eyes widened in shock. For a few moments, she stood there, still in shock, gazing at the room.
Finally, Arun emerged from her shock and approached the secret room. However, as she stepped into the room, her shock and amazement multiplied tenfold. She covered her mouth with her palm in disbelief.
The room wasn't very large, but every wall and every particle in the room had Arun's reflection. Everywhere, there were pictures of Arun. These pictures weren't just from today or a few years ago; they included old pictures as well. Some pictures were of moments Arun didn't recall, taken at times and places she couldn't remember. In some, Arun was laughing; in others, she had an angry expression. In some, she was smiling sweetly; in others, she was deep in thought or sleeping peacefully like a child. Several pictures showed her drying her wet hair. Arun's mind seemed numb as she looked at all these pictures.
Then, her gaze fell on a large picture of herself with her hand on her cheek, smiling. Arun remembered that this was a picture from her 18th birthday. Arun was still in shock, staring at these pictures. She didn't understand how to react.
Just then, she heard the sound of someone entering. She turned around with tears in her eyes and a furious glance at Rahul.
"What is all this?" Arun asked Rahul, her voice tinged with anger.
"I'll explain, Arun," Rahul said, licking his dry lips.
"I asked you something, Rahul. What's all this, and why are my pictures here? Why did you hide them?" Arun demanded.
"If you really want to know, I won't hide the truth anymore," Rahul said gravely.
Arun was still reeling from the discovery of the secret room and the numerous pictures of herself. She felt her world crumbling around her. Rahul's actions seemed like a betrayal, and she couldn't fathom why he would do such a thing.
The conversation between Arun and Rahul became increasingly heated. Rahul confessed his love for Arun, which she found repulsive. The tension between them escalated, leading to a physical altercation.
Arun was shocked and disgusted by Rahul's actions and words. She couldn't believe that her friend and brother figure could have such feelings for her. The situation became more complicated as Rahul's obsession with Arun became apparent.
As the argument progressed, Rahul revealed that he had been behind the mysterious messages and actions aimed at separating Arun from her husband, Ridesh Agnihotri. Arun was horrified by his actions.
The chapter ended with Rahul's intentions becoming clear: he wanted to eliminate the obstacle (the child) that stood between him and Arun. Arun was determined to stop him, and the situation seemed to be on the brink of a tragic turn.
Rahul had just touched the injection to Aru's arm when suddenly someone hit him hard on the head. The injection slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground. Aru quickly moved away from him. As Rahul clutched his head with both hands, he saw Naina rushing towards him with a look of concern. However, before she could reach him, he regained his composure and turned to face her with a furious expression.
Rahul, seething with anger: Naina, you! How dare you raise a hand against me!
Naina, her eyes blazing with anger: You snake! You should be grateful I only hit you with my hand; I could have broken your bones. You wretched person! How could you do such a despicable thing? As a friend, how could you even think of doing this?
Rahul, standing up and brushing off his clothes: I have been waiting for this day. Now, I won't let anyone come between Aru and me, no matter what it takes.
As Rahul advanced towards Aru and Naina, Aru caught Naina's arm and pulled her back. Naina looked at Rahul with pure hatred.
Naina, gripping the stick in her hand tightly: Aru, go outside! I'll handle this dog!
Aru: But Naina, you...
Naina, interrupting sharply: Aru, I said go! I'll take care of this!
Rahul, with a sarcastic tone: Oh, really? You think you can stop me? But isn't it strange, Naina, that you're supporting Aru against me, even though we're friends?
Naina, her emotions overflowing: You're not my friend! You're not worthy of the word "friendship." Aru, go! I'll teach this man a lesson today!
Aru didn't argue this time and quickly left the room. As Rahul moved to follow her, Naina struck him with the stick on his leg, causing him to fall to the ground in pain.
Rahul, glaring at Naina: You've lost your mind! You're destroying your friend's life!
Naina: Your relationship with her would destroy her life, not preserve it. And no matter what Mr. Agnihotri did, he loved her with all his heart. You can never replace him.
Just as Naina was about to say more, Rahul slapped her hard, causing her to stumble and hit the dresser. Blood began to trickle from her forehead.
Aru rushed back upstairs, worried about Naina. Rahul sneered at her: Naina is still alive, but for how long, I don't know. If you want to leave your friend to die alone, you're free to go; I won't stop you.
Aru, panic-stricken, rushed past Rahul to Naina's side. But before she could reach her, Rahul caught her and held her captive.
In a desperate bid to free herself, Aru bit Rahul's hand, causing him to drop the injection. The tip broke off in the struggle.
Rahul overpowered Aru and bit her neck. Just as Aru was about to lose consciousness, a powerful punch hit Rahul, sending him crashing to the ground.
The assailant turned out to be Ridu. Aru was shaken but unharmed. Ridu comforted her, and they called the police. Rahul was taken to the hospital, and Aru and Naina received medical treatment.
Later, Aru expressed her feelings of despair to Ridu. Ridu consoled her and promised to talk to Ridhima.
The next day, however, Aru was gone. She had left forever, leaving behind only questions.
The scene shifted to Aru in a car, heading back to her past. She reflected on her journey and sought strength from her faith for the challenges ahead.
The car stopped at a red light. Aru wiped away her tears. She prayed for her daughter's safety and a peaceful life.
The car reached a hotel, and Aru stepped out with renewed confidence, ready to face her past.
Aru stepped out of the car with the same confidence she always had now, and perhaps this was the beginning of a new chapter in her life. On the other side, Karun, who was sleeping peacefully in his hotel room, opened his sleepy eyes when his phone rang, and then he opened his eyes and muttered while searching for his phone. He picked up the phone while lying down.
"Hello? Who is it, brother? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" Karun said in a sleepy voice.
"What are you doing?" Arupriya asked, ignoring Karun's words.
"Like, seriously Aru, you called me to ask me that? Obviously...", Karun said, yawning.
"Shut up and just answer what I asked," Arupriya said, coming out of her room and standing in the corridor.
"I was sleeping because it's midnight, and I wasn't going on a date with Katrina Kaif, so obviously I was sleeping," Karun said in a sleepy voice.
"Open the door!" Arupriya said, ignoring Karun's words.
"Which door do you want me to open? Have you woken me up in the middle of the night with some nonsense?" Karun asked, confused.
"Just shut up and open your room door, of course!" Arupriya said.
"It means you've arrived in Mumbai? But when, how, and suddenly? You didn't tell me, did you? Why didn't you inform me?" Karun asked excitedly.
"By God, Karun, if you irritate me for one more minute and don't open the door, I..." Arupriya threatened.
Before Arupriya could finish her sentence, Karun quickly opened the door and saw Arupriya standing in front of him. He showed his teeth and smiled. Arupriya glared at him for a moment and then walked inside. Karun closed the door and followed her, still smiling.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Mumbai? I would have come to pick you up," Karun said.
"Because I wanted to see how responsible you are behind my back, taking care of things on your own," Arupriya replied, looking at Karun.
"If you had just told me you wanted to surprise me, your tongue wouldn't have hurt," Karun said, making a face.
"It wouldn't have hurt, but I don't lie or give anyone a wrong impression. And I can take care of myself," Arupriya said.
"I know, but if I had come to pick you up, you would have gotten special treatment. You know what? There are lines of girls waiting to sit in a car with Karun Singhania, and girls are willing to die to go on a long drive with me," Karun said, showing off.
"Oh, really? Then those girls should really die," Arupriya said with a sarcastic smile.
"Are you trying to insult me?" Karun asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Of course not, because I'm not trying to insult you at all. In fact, I'm doing just that, and anyway, insult is for those who have some respect, and you..." Arupriya paused and continued, "Never mind!"
"You say it now, but the day will come when you'll want to talk, and I won't let you. That day, you won't be able to show me your Hitler attitude," Karun said, pouting.
"Arun, I'm a good girl, your best friend, and innocent," she quipped."You talk a lot of nonsense, but one thing I say is if I say one more word and you are not comfortable with then I will send you back to Spain on the very first flight today !! "," Arupriya threatened.
Karun remained silent after hearing this, understanding she was not to be messed with."Thanks! Now give me the details!!"
she said sitting on the sofa.
He picked up his laptop and handed it over to her with a forced smile."I know you are strict with all but still thanks!!"
Karun watched in amazement as Arupriya started going through the files."Give it half an hour; I have everything ready; then we will leave for the office!!"
She nodded."The best part about living in a big city like Mumbai is you get various people from all walks; I mean you can look around and get people easily; it’s just a matter of what you want and how you present yourself. So let’s get going!!"
Arupriya replied with a sly smile."Of course I do!!"
Despite talking to Ridansh and taunting Aru, Aru's face remained confident and smiling. Seeing this, Ridansh looked at her in confusion for a moment. Aru took the phone from Ridansh's hand and, with her usual confidence, broke her silence on the call. After some formal pleasantries, Aru began.
Prince: "What happened, Ms. Kapoor? Any problems? Is everything alright with Mr. Agnihotri?"
Aru (in a light mood, but with a sarcastic tone, putting the phone on speaker): "Yes, everything is fine, Prince. Actually, Mr. Agnihotri has a habit of dominating people in everything. Whenever he sees someone else's will prevailing, it becomes unbearable for him." (When Ridansh heard Aru's words, he glared at her sternly and angrily.) "But don't worry, Prince, as we've already discussed, this place is perfect for our project. I promise your project will not be lacking in any way. According to Mr. Agnihotri's office, this place is better for us, and it will be easier and safer for our employees to work overtime. Most importantly, there are very few residential people around, which means there will be no disturbances in our work. Even if something goes wrong during our experiments, there will be no damage."
Prince: "Yes, I trust your business acumen. That's why I already gave you permission."
Aru (looking at Ridansh with a victorious smile): "Thank you, it's all mine. Here, talk to Mr. Agnihotri."
As soon as Ridansh heard Aru, he almost snatched the phone from her hand.
Ridansh (without any emotion): "Hello?"
Prince: "Yes, Mr. Agnihotri. Please don't worry at all. Ms. Kapoor has already explained the entire backup plan to me, and she will explain it to you thoroughly as well. All the plans she has made are excellent for our project and will be beneficial for us in the future. Anyway, it's the people, not the place, that matters. If we are getting more convenience and benefits from this place, I think it's a good decision."
Ridansh (with a displeased expression): "Alright."
Saying this, Ridansh hung up the phone without waiting for Prince to reply. As he was about to leave the cabin, Karan opened the cabin door and came in.
Karan (without looking at Ridansh): "Aru, you're still here? I've been..."
Karan suddenly fell silent upon seeing Ridansh in the cabin. Ridansh's sharp gaze was fixed on Karan, although his expression remained calm. After a few moments, Ridansh averted his gaze from Karan when he heard Aru's voice. But as he was leaving, Aru quickly stopped him.
Aru (in a sarcastic tone): "So, Mr. Agnihotri, will you choose your own cabin, or should I provide it to you by my own will?"
Ridansh (looking at Aru with sharp eyes): "My bad days haven't come to the point where I'd choose my things based on someone insignificant's will. Just stay within your limits!"
Aru (with a triumphant yet sarcastic smile): "I think just a few moments ago you said the same thing, that you make decisions of your own free will, and so on... But just a moment ago, right before your eyes, I not only changed your decision but also forced you to accept it!"
Ridansh (putting his hands in his pockets, in a stern tone): "If you think you can defeat Ridansh Agnihotri with this small victory, then you are mistaken, Ms. Kapoor. Because the dream of victory you see in your eyes is about to shatter very soon. In the end of this game, only Ridansh Agnihotri will win, and eventually, you yourself will admit it."
Aru (with a sarcastic smile): "We'll see."
Ridansh (in a serious tone): "Just keep watching."
Saying this, Ridansh left Aru's cabin. Karan was looking at Aru in surprise. Seeing him, Aru broke her silence.
Aru: "Why are you standing there with your mouth open?"
Karan (coming to the table and sitting on it): "Meaning, you went straight into the lion's mouth as soon as you arrived. Do you even know who this is? When I first met him, I didn't know who he was, but when I came to Mumbai, I found out everything about him. He is Ridansh Agnihotri. Not just in Mumbai, but in business circles in big cities and countries, he has quite a name. No one dares to speak up to him, let alone think about it. But you have directly challenged him. Do you understand? If he becomes our enemy, it will be very bad for our business. And..."
Aru (interrupting Karan): "A person is weak only until they consider themselves weak. But the day a person learns to control their mind, to command it, and understands that they control their mind, not the other way around, they gain confidence in their strength. Then, not even the most powerful person in the world can harm them."
Karan (with a confused expression): "I don't know, half of what you say goes over my head, but I know that whatever you do, you do it after careful consideration. So, don't worry."
Aru: "Now forget all this, and tell me, did you need something?"
Karan: "Yes, actually, all the employees have arrived, so I've asked everyone to gather in the meeting hall in half an hour."
Aru: "Okay, thank you."
Karan (showing his teeth): "You're welcome. By the way, don't you think we should arrange an opening party together?"
Aru (with a stiff smile): "No, I absolutely don't think so right now."
Karan (pouting): "But Aru..."
Aru (glaring at Karan): "Just focus on your work."
Karan (making a face): "As you command, boss."
Aru (with a serious expression): "Now go and check the progress report."
Karan (getting up reluctantly): "Alright, I'm going."
Karan left Aru's cabin reluctantly, and as soon as he stepped out, he accidentally collided with someone coming from the front. They had a strong collision. Karan raised his eyes, but before that, a sharp scream pierced his ears. Karan looked up and saw a beautiful girl standing before him with innocent eyes and a very angry expression on her face. It was none other than Prisha. Karan thought that after colliding, Prisha would apologize like other girls, but Prisha, on the contrary, showered him with her anger.
Prisha (angrily): "Can't you see? Are you blind? Can't you see even in broad daylight?"
Hearing Prisha, Karan's eyebrows also furrowed.
Karan (annoyed): "Oh, hello! If I'm blind, then you can see, right? Perhaps your eyes have mini-cameras fitted. Didn't you see a huge person coming out and getting stuck in my slender waist for no reason? People start looking for excuses to collide when they see a handsome guy!"
Prisha (in a sarcastic tone): "Handsome? And you? It seems not just your eyes, but your mind is completely broken too. And one more thing, I'd rather collide with a truck or a bus coming down the road than with you. Handsome, my foot, idiot!"
Saying this, Prisha walked away. Seeing himself being spoken to like this by a girl for the first time, Karan stared at her leaving in shock for a few moments. Because for the first time, a girl had ridiculed his looks and his charm so openly, insulting him like this. After a few moments, as if he regained consciousness, he started muttering while thinking about Prisha.
Karan (muttering): "She herself is so thin that even a neem tree branch is much thicker than her, and she's pointing fingers at my charm. A witch from a peepal tree!"
Saying this, Karan walked ahead, still muttering. After some time, everyone gathered in the meeting hall. Ridansh arrived last and took his seat. Aru and Ridansh were sitting directly opposite each other, but neither of their eyes were on each other. Both looked as if they didn't know each other at all. Although some of Ridansh's old employees found Aru somewhat familiar upon seeing her, they couldn't quite figure out if it was really Aru. If yes, then why was there so much unfamiliarity between them? Eventually, they dismissed it as an illusion. Because there was a world of difference between the Aru of five years ago and the current Aru in terms of looks, confidence, and attitude, it was impossible to recognize her suddenly.
After a while, the meeting began. Ridansh presented his points to all the employees in a very professional manner and explained how they needed to work on their project. On the electronic board in front, Ridansh was clarifying his points with great professionalism, continuously moving the pen on the board. Finally, when he finished his presentation, he sat back in his seat and asked everyone to ask questions if they had any. But the way Ridansh had clarified everything, even the smallest points, with such professionalism, no one had any questions.
However, after a few moments, Aru broke her silence and moved towards the board. Without saying anything, she placed the pen on a specific point of Ridansh's and turned it in another direction. This kept things the same, but their path changed. When people saw and understood Aru's point, expressions of admiration appeared on everyone's faces. Ridansh also had such an expression for a few moments, although he quickly hid it behind his calm expression. Ridansh not arguing or opposing her on this point was enough for Aru to understand that Ridansh not only found her point correct but perfect.
After a few more such professional discussions, the meeting finally concluded, and everyone started leaving the meeting hall. Ridansh, Karan, Aru, and a couple of employees were still in the meeting hall when suddenly a girl excitedly rushed into the room in a hurry. Seeing her, Aru felt for a moment that she had seen her somewhere, but where? But as the girl went closer to Ridansh and after racking her brain for a while, Aru finally remembered that this was Shanaya, the same Shanaya whom Daksh had introduced as Ridansh's fiancée at the party.
Aru (thinking of Daksh in her mind): "Shanaya is Ridansh's future fiancée, and their engagement is happening very soon."
Thinking of Daksh's words, Aru's expression suddenly became serious. The way Shanaya hugged Ridansh without any hesitation or reservation made Daksh's statement seem one hundred percent true and weighty, and Shanaya's next words further solidified this.
Shanaya (looking at Ridansh in a complaining tone): "How could you do this to me? How could you do this to me? You knew very well that I came to New York to meet you, and I joined that party just to support you. But you left me from there without telling me. Do you know how lonely I felt there, and how angry I was with you? I thought I would fight with you a lot when I came here, (with a sweet smile) but as always, seeing your handsome face, all my anger vanished. I miss you, I missed you so much. And you know what? To meet you, I came straight to your office from the airport, but after going to your office, I found out that your new office is here. (Smiling) So I came straight here running to meet you."
Shanaya's closeness to Ridansh like this, and for a moment it felt true, pricked Aru's heart somewhere. Why or for what, she didn't understand, but yes, she felt something pricking her. However, completely ignoring it, she picked up her file with a neutral expression and started to leave the room. As she was about to step out of the room with the file, she narrowly avoided colliding with Prisha coming from the front. When Prisha saw Aru standing in front of her, for a moment, she forgot everything and excitedly broke her silence.
Prisha (seeing Aru in front of her, excitedly forgetting everything for a moment): "After a long time... I'm seeing you after so many days... How are you..."
Prisha was speaking in her excitement, but as she realized the bitter truth of the day a moment later, her voice suddenly fell silent mid-sentence, and with the realization of this bitter truth, unspoken yet painful moisture welled up in Prisha's eyes.
Prisha kept talking in her excitement. But as a moment later the harsh reality of today hit her mind like a forceful slap, her words suddenly fell silent mid-sentence. And realizing this bitter truth, an unspoken yet painful moisture welled up in Prisha's eyes involuntarily. On the other hand, seeing Prisha, Arru's face also displayed many mixed emotions. Although her relationship with Ridansh had gone through a very bitter phase, and even today it was a bitter part of her past, whatever it was, this relationship had given her a beautiful bond in the form of a younger sister and a friend, Prisha.
Even though distances had now come between Ridansh and Arru's relationship, and their paths had diverged long ago, and along with that, Arru had completely severed all ties with the past and past relationships, yet for Prisha, somewhere in Arru's heart, there was still a soft corner. And what was now surfacing in the form of emotions after seeing Prisha after so many years. Sensing the seriousness of the atmosphere, Arru broke her silence to lighten the mood.
"How are you, Prisha?" Arru asked.
"I am fine. How are you?" Prisha replied with a faint smile.
"I am also perfectly fine," Arru said with a neutral expression.
"Seeing you after such a long time, it felt very good to see you. And I must say that your look and confidence have changed much more than before," Prisha said with a smile. "In short, you have become even more beautiful and lovely than before."
"Same to you," Arru replied with a gentle smile.
There was a time when Prisha and Arru had no shortage of topics to talk about. And today was a time when both wanted to say a lot to each other, but despite that, they had nothing to say to each other. After some formal talk, both fell silent. Just then, Arru's mobile phone started ringing. And Arru, seizing this opportunity, deemed it best to leave and, after saying she would meet Prisha later, exited the meeting hall and headed straight for her cabin. Rahul saw Prisha there and glared at her with sharp eyes before leaving. Prisha too gave him a tough look and turned away. And then Prisha headed straight towards Ridansh. As Arru left, Ridansh pushed Shanaya away.
"What is this? What is all this? And what childishness is this? This is an office, Shanaya, and who are you for me to keep giving all this information about when and where I'm going or coming back from?" Ridansh said sternly. "Wait a moment... you're a friend, so be a friend. I don't like anyone unnecessarily or superfluously interfering in my life. And you know that. So it's better for you, just stay in your limits."
"Okay boss, I'll remember," Shanaya said.
After this, Ridansh also left the meeting hall. And as soon as he left, Shanaya, with both hands on her eyebrows and thumbs sticking out, making a face, began to mutter, teasing him.
"Just stay in your limits... Oh, look who's here, the big grumpy one!" Shanaya said, mimicking Ridansh.
Seeing Shanaya's antics, Prisha also burst into laughter. On the other hand, Arru came into her cabin and picked up Naina's call. On the other end of the call was Aaranshi, and as always, hearing Aaranshi's voice, all of Arru's worldly worries and seriousness vanished in an instant. And hearing Aaranshi's voice filled her heart with deep peace. Although Arru had suffered a lot and lost a lot in the past, Aaranshi was such a gift from God to Arru that had made her forget all her sorrows and everything that the past had snatched from her, and had completely filled that void. And her giggles and every smile had created an atmosphere of peace and happiness in Arru's life.
"Hello... How are you, Mama?" Aaranshi asked excitedly.
"I'm fine, Mama's darling. How are you?" Arru asked with a smile.
"I'm also perfectly fine... fit and fine!" Aaranshi said in her cute and lovely tone.
"That's really good," Arru said. "Wait a moment... How are your studies going on?"
"It's going good. In fact, everything is going good. But I miss you... I miss you so much, Mama!"
"I miss you too, sweetheart. And I will come to meet you very soon," Arru said with slight sadness.
"Mama, can I come to meet you there? If you can't come to meet me here right now?"
"No... no, darling, you can't come here... you can't!" Arru said quickly, thinking of Ridansh.
"But why, Mama? Why can't I come there?"
"Because, darling, the place where Mama is right now is not safe for you. That's why you can't come here. And I promise, Mama will come to meet you very soon."
"Mama, when will we be together?"
"Just a few more days, my darling. As soon as this project is completed, I promise I will work from London forever and will always be with you, with you. Whether anyone else is there or not, your mother will always be with you, in every situation," Arru said with a sad tone, kissing Aaranshi's photo. "Just a few more days."
After a while, Arru got back to her work. She assigned her secretary and manager the responsibility of allocating duties to all employees. And Ridansh also assigned duties to his employees so that everyone could get to their tasks as soon as possible. The whole day passed in this manner amidst work. And in the evening, after office, Arru picked up her laptop and phone from her table and headed towards the elevator. As soon as Arru pressed the button to open the elevator, Ridansh also arrived there. And they both pressed the elevator button together. Seeing Ridansh there, Arru withdrew her hand. And a moment later, two more employees also arrived. Taking a deep breath, Arru also got into the elevator and started it.
After a few minutes, there was absolute silence and stillness among everyone. When the elevator reached the ground floor, Arru quickly stepped out and, without stopping or turning for a moment, proceeded towards the parking area with her full confidence, where Karan was already waiting for her. Seeing Arru, Karan quickly opened the car door, made Arru sit in the car, and then got into the driver's seat himself. Ridansh, standing a short distance away, was quietly watching them without any expression. Although his facial expression was blank as always, his jaw was clenched. As soon as the driver honked, Ridansh snapped out of his thoughts and got into his car. And both their cars started, but on different routes.
The next two to three days passed in setting up work and presentations. And in the past two to three days, both Arru and Ridansh remained completely professional. And seeing their professionalism, no one could guess that there could be so much bitterness between them. Today too, Arru, with full professionalism, was sitting in her cabin discussing some important points with some employees and Prisha when Namya came into Arru's cabin. And seeing Arru, bitter expressions appeared on her face as always. Arru, completely ignoring this, broke her silence in a serious and professional tone.
"I don't think so, Mrs. Aniket, that you need to teach me the manners of knocking before entering someone's cabin," Arru said in a serious and professional tone.
"So now I will have to learn manners from you, who has no class of her own?" Namya said in a bitter tone.
"Just shut your mouth right now," Arru said sternly.
"How dare you talk to me like this?" Namya said angrily.
"Di, just stop it," Prisha said, looking at Namya.
"What, stop it, Prishu? Huh... someone who wasn't even worthy of standing in front of us, today she's competing to be our equal," Namya said bitterly.
"Get out!" Arru said sternly.
"What did you say?" Namya asked in surprise.
"Your tongue is ten yards long, are you deaf that you didn't hear? What did I say? I said get out of here now, or I'll call the guards and have you thrown out by force," Arru said with sharp eyes. "Now just get lost from here, you mindless bimbo!"
"You..." Namya tried to open her mouth in annoyance and said.
"If one more word comes out of your mouth against my honor, I swear... I swear... I will drag your honor and this so-called attitude to its funeral in front of the entire office, so much so that you will think a thousand times before opening your poisonous tongue again in your life. And I really mean it," Arru said, interrupting Namya. "Wait a moment and in a deep tone... Just get lost from here."
Seeing such seriousness in Arru's eyes, Namya couldn't utter another word, no matter how hard she tried. And the next moment, grinding her teeth, she walked out of Arru's cabin. And fuming with anger, she headed straight towards Ridansh's cabin.
Namya saw the seriousness in Aru's eyes, and for some reason, she couldn't utter another word. The next moment, she clenched her teeth and stepped out of Aru's cabin. She stormed towards Ridansh's cabin, her anger boiling over. Ridansh was on a phone call with someone. As soon as he saw Namya enter his cabin, he realized something was amiss and ended the call.
Ridansh: (with a serious expression) "When did you arrive? What's wrong? Why does your face look so downtrodden?"
Namya: (with a gloomy face) "The flight landed just a little while ago. Palak was missing you so much, so we took a few days off from her school and brought her to meet you in Mumbai."
Ridansh: "Where is Palak?"
Namya: "Actually, Palak fell asleep due to the travel. I left her in the mansion, and Anvi is with her. I came to meet you."
Ridansh: "Okay, I'll go meet Palak at home. For now, tell me what happened. What happened?"
Namya: (with a bitter expression) "Brother, I don't understand why she keeps interfering in our lives unnecessarily and tries to belittle us! I feel disrespected."
Ridansh: (with a serious expression) "Namya, stop beating around the bush and tell me clearly what happened and who you're talking about."
Namya: (with a stern expression) "Who else but her? I'm talking about Aru."
Ridansh: (with a blank expression) "What did she say to you? Did she say something?"
Namya: "What did she say? Ask me what she didn't say! She insulted me in front of four people. Prisha was also there. If you don't believe me, you can ask Prisha. I didn't just walk into her cabin; she lectured me on manners and etiquette in front of everyone and told me that if I didn't leave her cabin, she would humiliate me in front of the entire office and that I should stay in my place! (with a hurt expression) Brother, you know I'm possessive about my self-respect, and I won't let it be compromised like this, ever! (after a pause) I came here to meet you and Prisha, but I won't set foot here again!"
Ridansh: (with a serious expression, stopping Prisha) "Stop!!"
Namya stopped in her tracks, turned back, and looked at Ridansh with a sorrowful expression.
Ridansh: "First of all, this office is just as much yours as it is mine. Which means you're equally entitled to be here. So, you don't need anyone's permission, not even mine, to come or stay here. And secondly, relationships that have broken in the past, are over and done with; it's better to leave them broken, or their remnants will cause pain for life!"
Namya: (giving a false explanation) "But brother, we don't want to hold onto these broken relationships. It's she who keeps intentionally coming in our way and testing our patience!"
Ridansh: (putting his hands in his pant pockets) "You go home now; I'll handle this myself!"
Namya: "But brother..."
Ridansh: (with a serious expression) "What did I say, Namya? Go to Palak; I'll resolve this!"
Namya: "Yes, brother."
Namya left the office without delay, heading home. Meanwhile, Aru stepped out of her cabin to get coffee and almost collided with Karn.
Aru: (looking at Karn) "Where's your attention? (looking at the phone in Karn's hand) And sometimes look ahead before walking; you almost collided with me!"
Karn: (smiling) "It would've been good if we collided; I would've gotten to bump into you!"
Aru: (glaring at Karn) "Just shut up, Karn, and be serious!"
Karn: (smiling) "When am I joking? I'm completely serious, aren't I? (Karn held Aru's hand) Whenever I see you, my heart beats to a different rhythm, and I feel like pausing that moment, like in a movie, and just watching you forever!"
Aru: (squinting her eyes) "Karn, don't you get tired of saying these cheesy lines and flirting all day?"
Karn: (smiling) "Can someone get tired of their talent?"
Aru: (folding her arms) "Karn, I'm serious!"
Karn: (holding Aru's shoulders) "Okay, I flirt with other girls, but not with you. I'm serious with you. It's you who doesn't take me seriously; you don't consider someone like me innocent; you should be serious once, and you'll see I won't even look at anyone else; I'll only look at you!"
Aru: (with a tight smile) "Karn, you'll make me hit you!"
Karn: (smiling) "Hit me; it'll be nice to feel your beautiful hands on my cheeks!"
Aru: (with a strange expression) "Your cheesy lines are enough to blow someone's mind; I swear!"
Karn: (smiling) "My words don't blow minds, Aru; they blow hearts. It seems only your heart is made of Ambuja cement; it doesn't get pierced by my words!"
Aru: (sternly) "Go back to work right now!"
Karn: (smiling) "As you wish, my lord!"
Aru: "Go!"
Karn: "Alright, I'm going; bye!"
Aru: (with a tight smile) "Yes, go!"
Karn: (taking a step back) "Shall I go?"
Aru: (looking at Karn with a side-eye) "Karn..."
Karn: (quickly) "Alright, alright; I'm going!!"
As Karn turned left into the corridor, Aru didn't move; she was still standing. Karn suddenly turned back, looked at Aru, and said while showing his teeth.
Karn: "Alright, my love; just tell me one thing: will you go on a Sunday date with me?"
Aru: (with a sarcastic tone) "Yes, let's go straight to Spain, and on the way back, I'll drop you off!"
Karn: (frowning) "Too far; I'm good without a date!"
Karn walked away, and Aru stood still for a few moments, recalling Karn's antics. Her desire for coffee had faded; she turned to go back to her cabin but froze for a moment. Outside Ridansh's cabin, where he had just shifted, she saw him standing; his intense gaze was on her; it was clear he was furious. Aru looked at him once and then ignored him, heading towards her cabin; she touched the doorknob and opened it. At that moment, Ridansh stepped forward and held her wrist.
Aru: (sternly) "What the hell; let go!"
Ridansh: (with a challenging look) "Or what?"
Aru: (with frustration) "I don't want to argue or talk to you; move aside and let go of my hand!"
Ridansh: (with a stern expression) "And do you think everyone here is a fool; they're your servants who'll talk to you according to your mood?"
Aru: (slowly but with irritation) "I don't see why I talk to people; it's not your personal matter. And most importantly, who are you to ask me questions or interfere in my matters? (glaring at Ridansh) Keep distance from me; stay as far as possible. I don't want your shadow near me!"
Ridansh didn't listen to Aru; instead, he held her hand tighter. Despite Aru's protests, he dragged her into his cabin and released her hand.
As Aru turned to leave, Ridansh caught her shoulders and pinned her to the door. He put his hands around her; Aru could feel the warmth.
Ridansh: (with a stern expression) "Your life isn't just about you; it's about your family; I won't tolerate disrespect towards your sister; you won't get any leniency or support from me!"
Aru: (with a stern expression) "Leave me alone; I won't let you interfere in my life; I'm not your responsibility; I don't need your protection; I'm capable of handling myself!"
The confrontation ended with Aru's sharp words.
The next scene involved a heated argument and a kiss between Aru and Ridansh; Aru reacted fiercely after being kissed. The intense scene ended with Aru retaliating against Ridansh.
Aru: (sarcastically) "I think you've got your answer; don't consider my words as a threat; be careful around me; have a good day, Mr. Agnihotri!"
The statement reflected Aru's sharp reaction.
Ridhans listened to Aru's words. Despite wincing in pain, he still shot her a tough look.
Aru (in a sarcastic tone): "The rope burned, but the strength didn't." After a pause, "Whatever it is, remember my words. From now on, without my permission, don't even think of touching me, let alone coming close to me. Otherwise, this was just a trailer. But if you think of doing something like that after today, I'll show you the self-defense I learned, not in a closed cabin, but in front of the whole office!"
Having said that, Aru walked out of Ridhans' cabin. Ridhans remained, watching her go, his face twisted in pain and anger. A long time after Aru left, Ridhans returned to normal.
Ridhans (muttering to himself, thinking about Aru's move): "She's really gone crazy. Who does something like that normally?"
Ridhans was talking to himself. But before he could stand up from his place, Daksh and Aniket walked into his cabin. Seeing Ridhans sitting on the floor, both of them looked at him with confusion. Ridhans, caught off guard, quickly got up from his place. Although he still felt pain, he hid his painful expression behind a blank one. Daksh and Aniket ignored their questioning gazes and sat down in front of him. Aniket spoke up.
Aniket (looking at Ridhans): "At least as a brother or friend, let me ask, how are you? I've come a long way to see you."
Ridhans (expressionless): "Nymaa already told me you're fine, so why ask the same question unnecessarily? And I don't want to waste my energy!"
Aniket (irritated): "By God, you're very stingy with your words, using them like they're currency!"
Ridhans (expressionless): "Thank you!"
Aniket (looking at Ridhans with suspicion): "By the way, what were you doing sitting on the floor?"
Ridhans (pausing, then collecting himself): "I had some work."
Aniket (raising an eyebrow): "Sitting on the floor?"
Ridhans (with irritation): "Yes, I had some work, and sitting on the floor was fine. Do you have a problem with that?"
Aniket (calmly): "No problem, I just wanted to know what you were doing sitting on the floor!"
Ridhans (frustrated): "It was personal work. Why do you need to know? Just stop talking and let me focus on my work!"
Daksh and Aniket exchanged a glance. They had come here lightly, but seeing Ridhans' frustrated expression, they understood that something was off, and they needed to find out. A while later, Daksh got up to leave, and Aniket broke his silence.
Aniket (as Daksh stood up to leave): "Where are you going now?"
Daksh (without stopping or turning back): "To meet my sister!"
Ridhans heard Daksh's words and glanced at him before returning to his laptop. Daksh left. After Daksh left, Aniket turned back to Ridhans.
Aniket (looking at Ridhans): "How long will you two keep giving each other the silent treatment? Why don't you talk properly?"
Ridhans (without looking at Aniket): "And you can give this advice to her too; I'm not the one you should be telling."
Aniket: "I tell her this a thousand times, but you two don't listen to me!"
Ridhans (carelessly): "Then stop wasting your energy!"
Aniket (serious): "I can't, and I won't watch my friends, my two dear friends, have a silent war like this. Is it really that easy for you to end your friendship, to drift apart? Is it really that easy?"
Ridhans (serious): "True friendship can have anger and frustration, but it can never break, and it can never be severed. True friendship stays with you until your last breath, and we both know and believe this. So don't worry about it. Our issue or not, our friendship is still in the same place, and it holds the same importance and always will. And neither of us is going anywhere; we both know that. So don't worry!"
Aniket (smiling): "Hmm."
Meanwhile, Daksh went to Aru's cabin to meet her. When he knocked on Aru's cabin door, Aru gave him permission to enter. Daksh opened the door and went in, seeing Aru working intensely on a file. Daksh broke the silence to get her attention.
Daksh (from the door): "May I come in, ma'am?"
As soon as Aru heard Daksh's voice, she looked up, saw him, and stood up with a big smile, moving towards him. Daksh also moved towards her, and they hugged each other warmly.
Daksh (after a while, separating from Aru): "How are you?"
Aru (smiling): "I'm fine. How are you?"
Daksh (with a warm expression): "I'm great!"
Aru (holding Daksh's hand and leading him to a chair): "Sit down here."
After that, Aru and Daksh talked for a long time. They had not seen each other for so long, and they wanted to make up for the lost time. On the other side, Karun was heading towards the coffee machine to get coffee for himself when he almost collided with Shanaaya coming from the opposite direction.
Karun (remembering Prisha's words): "Watch out, by the way. These days, many girls, after colliding, blame the boys instead of apologizing!"
Shanaaya heard Karun's words and looked at him carefully, but instead of answering or saying anything, she excitedly jumped up. Karun looked at Shanaaya and remembered that he had seen her briefly in the meeting hall that day. She looked familiar, but he hadn't paid much attention then. Now that she was close, he realized that Shanaaya had completed her MBA from the same college as him in London. They were good friends and even had a relationship in their final year of college. However, they lost touch after graduation.
Karun (happily): "What a pleasant surprise, Shanaaya! And when did you come from London to Mumbai?"
Shanaaya (smiling): "I came to Mumbai just a little while ago. But you, tell me, how are you here, and what are you doing in this office?"
Karun: "Well, I work here."
Shanaaya (with happy surprise): "Don't tell me you're joking?"
Karun (smiling): "Not at all. In fact, Mr. Agnihotri and I are partners in this project, and our company is one of the partners!"
Shanaaya (smiling): "Wow, that's great!"
Karun: "Hmm... but how are you here?"
Shanaaya: "Actually, my brother Avinash is getting engaged here in India soon. Ridhans, I mean Mr. Agnihotri, is my dad's business partner and a good friend, so I joined the office just to gain some experience."
Karun (with a playful smile): "Just for business experience?"
Shanaaya (smiling): "You never change, do you?"
Karun (smiling): "Hmm, never!"
Shanaaya: "Okay, well, we'll continue our conversation next time. For now, I have to go; otherwise, your grumpy partner will throw me out of the office for being late!"
Karun (smiling): "Oh, sure! And now that we're in the same office, it's only natural that we meet and talk every day!"
Shanaaya (smiling): "Of course. Okay, bye, see you!"
Karun: "Okay, bye."
A few hours before the office ended, Ridhans left with Aniket and Daksh to go home, where he met Palak. As usual, Palak excitedly hugged him and Ridhans lovingly kissed her forehead and held her close. Today, Palak was very important to Ridhans, and he understood and fulfilled her smallest joys and needs more than Nymaa and Aniket. Although Palak was Nymaa and Aniket's daughter, she was Ridhans' favorite, and perhaps due to Ridhans' affection and love, Palak loved Ridhans more than her parents.
Prisha was also happy to see Nymaa. The whole house's atmosphere became light and cheerful. On the other side, since Karun still had to stay in Mumbai for the project for some time, he rented a small house, part of which had a small tent house where Karun lived, and the other part was where Aru lived. From outside, it looked like one house, but inside, it was divided into two parts, and Aru had chosen it deliberately so that Karun and she could live easily. At around 12:00 at night, Karun's phone rang, and he picked it up while rubbing his eyes.
Karun (answering the phone, yawning): "Hello?"
The other end: "Wish you a very, very happy birthday, Pikachu!"
Karun (with a big smile): "Thank you so much, my sweetheart! Umm."
The other end: "Umm... most welcome... but did you figure out who I am?"
Karun (smiling): "No, I have no idea who this is. You're my darling Aranshi, aren't you?"
Aranshi: "Hmm, I know... mom's plan won't work, and you'll recognize me even with a new number."
Karun: "New number? You think I'm not smart enough to recognize you?"
Aranshi (in her cute baby tone, laughing): "No, now you'll recognize me even after plastic surgery, right? Then how will you recognize me?"
Karun (making things up): "It's not that I have a heart-to-heart connection with you, but even plastic surgery or a new number can't change that. I'll always recognize you."
Aranshi: "Hmm... mom is right; you butter people up so well!"
Karun (laughing): "Your mom would have you walled up if she could; I'm telling you."
Aranshi (laughing): "Now my mom isn't that much of a Hitler!"
Karun (laughing): "Yes, not that much of a Hitler, but a little, right?"
Aranshi: "Yes, just a little!"
Karun: "That's why I love you so much!"
Naina (from behind): "First of all, happy birthday, monkey! And secondly, if your praises for Aranshi are heard by her, you'll have your funeral in Mumbai!"
Karun: "Thanks for the birthday wishes! Anyway, you just shut up, you mouthy devil! Whenever you speak, you only say irrelevant and negative things!"
Naina: "Yes, you're like a big saint born on earth! A huge hypocrite!"
Aranshi laughed at Karun and Naina's funny banters. After chatting for some more time, Karun bid Naina farewell in the middle, ending her call, and then took Aranshi's call.
Karun (with an energetic tone): "Hello Dad! How are you?"
Mr. Singhaniya (with enthusiasm): "Happy birthday, young man! May you live a thousand years, and God give you all the joys of the world!"
Karun (smiling): "Thank you so much, Dad! By the way, how are you?"
Mr. Singhaniya: "Well, I'm fine. How about you, son? What's going on?"
Karun: "Don't worry, Dad. Everything is fine."
Mr. Singhaniya: "Really? Or are you wasting your office work time behind your daily-changing girlfriends again?"
Karun (firmly): "Not at all, Dad! And that Naina, she can't be more Hitler-like; I wouldn't dare waste my time on anything other than office work in her presence!"
Mr. Singhaniya: "Hmm... that much is good. With Aranshi around, I thought half of my tension was over; otherwise, I had given up on you ever improving."
Karun: "It's not like that, Dad. I mean, okay, there were girlfriends, but I never played with anyone's heart. I mean, Dad, it's just that... you know what, it was all just childishness, and nothing else!"
Mr. Singhaniya: "Hmm... I know. And slowly but surely, you're becoming more responsible. That's enough for me."
Karun (thinking for a moment): "Hmm... Dad, I need something from you on my birthday."
Mr. Singhaniya: "Say it, son. Anything for you!"
Karun (after a pause): "Dad, I want to settle down in my life. I want to move forward on my life's journey... Dad, I... I want to get married. And I need your permission for it."
Mr. Singhaniya (excitedly): "What! Of course, I've been wanting this for a long time! So, my permission has always been there. By the way, who is that lucky girl?"
Karun: "Dad, you know her very well."
Mr. Singhaniya: "I know a lot of your friends. So, tell me directly; don't give me riddles. Come on, end the suspense. I'm very curious, so tell me her name quickly?"
Karun (breaking the silence): "Aranshi... I want to marry Aranshi, Dad." Seeing his Dad didn't respond even after a while, "Are you there, Dad?"
Mr. Singhaniya (serious): "Even though you know her past and that she's a separated girl with a daughter... you're asking me for permission!"
Karun: Yes, Dad, I know everything… But everyone has a past, Dad… That doesn't mean… That the person is wrong… And I don't care, Dad… About his past… And I don't want to know… (pausing for a moment)… I only know, Dad… That if I can move forward with someone in my life… Then it's only and only Aru… No one else… (pausing for a moment)… And if not Aru… Then no one, Dad… No one!!!
Mr. C. Singhaniya (in a serious tone): Now, think, if I say I don't approve of this… Then it's either Aru or me… So what's your decision going to be??
Karun: Of course, Dad, you're more important to me… Than anyone in the world… Not even Aru… But as I said… If not Aru, then no one… I won't marry Aru… But I also won't marry anyone else… And you won't force me into it… And that's final… Don't worry, you said it… So I'll stay away from Aru… And never bring it up again… Discussion is over!!!
Mr. Singhaniya: Wait! How can we just end the discussion like that? I was just starting to talk… And who told you to stay away from Aru??
Karun: You just said it, Dad… To stay away from her… Either me or her?
Mr. Singhaniya (in a normal tone): I didn't tell you to do that… I just said, imagine if it were to happen… I didn't say you have to do it!!
Karun (irritated): Dad, I don't understand what you're saying… You just said it… And now you're denying it… What do you want to say??
Mr. Singhaniya: All I'm saying, my dear, is that I want your happiness more than anything… And if your happiness lies with Aru… Then how can I ask you to stay away from her??
Karun (jumping out of bed): Does that mean you have no problem with Aru and my relationship??
Mr. Singhaniya (smiling): No, my boy… I've always liked Aru… Her confidence… Her mind… Her personality… She's the perfect example of beauty with brains!!
Karun (complaintively): But you just said she has a past… And if that's the case… And you like her so much… Then why did you make me suffer??
Mr. Singhaniya (laughing): I was just teasing you… (pausing)… And as for her past… Everyone has one, my boy… Some good, some bad… We don't care about her past… (pausing)… All I want is that her present and future have no shadow of her past… And only you be in her present and future… (pausing)… And yes, most importantly… I want Aru not just as a business partner… But also as your life partner… Because she's the only one who can handle both our business and your life well… And yes, you… You have so much charm… Your personality makes girls fall for you… So now I really want to see… How your charm… Your personality fulfills your desires… And makes Aru your life partner!!!
Karun (excitedly): You've given me the green signal, Dad… Now watch me… How I win Aru over… (pressing his tongue against his teeth)… I mean, persuade her… Just a few more days… And then your wish will come true… (pausing)… You just prepare for the wedding, Dad!!
Mr. Singhaniya (smiling): Sure… But, young man, no need to rush into things!!
Karun (smiling): Don't worry, Dad… Everything will be fine!!
Mr. Singhaniya: I hope so!!
(After talking for a while, Karun hung up the phone… And Karun opened the gallery on his phone… And his eyes and fingers stopped at a picture… Of him with Aaranshi, Naina, and Aru… This was from Aaranshi's last birthday… Where everyone looked extremely happy…)
Karun (while looking at the Aru picture): When I met you, I never thought… That I could ever change for someone… like this… My lifestyle… My way of living… everything completely changed… I tried to become what someone else wants… So that someone likes me… I never thought… That I could give someone this much permission… That they could dominate me… (moving his fingers on Aru's face)… But ever since you came into my life… everything changed… everything… And you know what's best about it… That all these changes… Everything feels so beautiful… All I want… Is to listen to you… And do what you say…
(Flashback… five years ago… from Karun and third-person POV!!!)
Arun was completely broken inside… She had lost trust in everyone… She didn't understand… Who she could trust… And who she shouldn't… Except her dad, Rahul, and Naina… she didn't have a family… And right now, except Naina… She had lost all the relationships she had… Whether it was her relationship with Ridansh… or her broken friendship with Rahul… or her father… Who wasn't in a state to understand anything… Right now, Arun felt completely alone and helpless… She didn't see any way forward…
But she still had to live… For her father's sake… For the sake of her unborn child… She had to pick herself up!!!!
And finally, she gathered courage… From her shattered emotions… From her pain and difficulties… She decided to stand up… For herself… For her dad's sake… And with the help of her dad's reliable manager and people… She left for Spain… Because Karun had told Mr. Kapoor… That the doctor he had talked to was in Spain… Arun had decided everything in one night… Because she knew… That by the next morning… Daksh would surely come… And she knew… That for Daksh's sake… If she stayed… She would never be able to move forward in life… And she didn't want to stay there… She wanted to move on…
She decided to leave… And on her way to the airport… Naina hugged her.
Naina: I'm so sorry I couldn't come with you!!
Aru (separating from Naina): It's okay… You stay here and take care of your uncle and aunt… I'll handle everything… Don't worry!!
Naina (holding Aru's hand): Aru, think once more… How will you handle everything alone??… Are you sure you're okay, Aru???
Aru (taking a deep breath): Don't worry, I'll be fine… (pausing)… You know what, Naina… I've understood… That sooner or later… I have to handle things on my own… I can't keep taking someone's support… And eventually, we have to fend for ourselves… One day, we have to handle things on our own… And I'm not going to let anyone's or any relationship's… pain… break me… or make me cry… I promise… That I will move forward in life… For my child… For myself… For my dad!!
Naina (touching Aru's cheek with love): And I'll pray to God… That you stay firm in your decision… And you always succeed… And I wish… That all my happiness comes to you!!
Aru (hugging Naina): Promise me… That no matter what happens… No matter who leaves me… You won't leave me… Because if you leave… I'll never trust the word 'friendship' again… And I'll never trust it in life…
Naina (hugging Aru tightly): I promise that I'll never leave your side… No matter what happens… I'll never leave you… I promise!!!
Aru (after some time, separating from Naina): Okay, my flight time is coming… I'll go now!!
Naina (nodding): Yes… Just take care of yourself!!
Aru: Yes, and you too!!!
(After this, Aru left for the airport with her dad… And with careful medical staff… Aru took her dad to Spain… When they reached Spain… Aru first met the doctor… Mr. Kapoor had spoken to… And then she decided to get a medical check-up… And she was kept under observation for a few days…)
Aru (in a serious tone to the receptionist): I want to meet Senior Mr. Singhaniya??
Receptionist: Sorry, ma'am, but the sir just returned from London… So he'll be available at the office tomorrow!!
Aru (in a confident and serious tone): I need to talk to him right now… And let me make one thing clear… If I don't get to talk to him… The company will suffer a huge loss!!
Receptionist: Okay, ma'am… (pausing)… Actually, sir said… That no one should disturb him… He's busy!!
Aru (in a serious tone): I don't have all day… To wait for your sir to be free!!
Receptionist (pointing forward): Okay, ma'am… That's his room… You go!!
Receptionist: Okay, ma'am… Waisey… Ma'am… You better wait…
Aru (in a serious tone): Why??
Receptionist (hesitantly): Actually, ma'am… Sir said… That no one should disturb him…
Aru (in a serious tone): So, I have no problem with your sir…
Receptionist (pointing forward): Okay, ma'am… That's the room… You go!!
(Aru walked into Karun's cabin… And she saw Karun kissing some girl…)
Aru (in a sarcastic tone): I was thinking… What the reason could be… But now I believe… There's no surprise… Or big deal… That the company is on the verge of drowning… (pausing)… Actually… Given the condition here… The company should have been shut down by now!!!
Aru (breaking her silence in a sarcastic tone): Before coming here, I was wondering what the reason was, but now I'm convinced that there's no surprise or big deal about why this company is on the verge of collapse. (Pauses for a moment) In fact, given the pathetic condition here, it should have been shut down by now.
Karan's ears caught Aru's voice. Hearing an unknown and new voice, Karan was distracted and moved away from the girl who was actually his secretary.
Karan (replying to Aru without turning): Uff! Whoever has such a beautiful voice must be even more beautiful!
Saying this, Karan turned back. Hearing Aru's sarcastic remark, there were no signs of anger or displeasure on his face. Instead, a charming, mischievous smile played on his lips. Karan was a person with an attractive personality, who was also very handsome and beautiful to look at. But Aru's expression remained unchanged upon seeing him. Her mood, which was quite light before coming here, had soured after seeing Karan's action. In their very first meeting, Aru had formed a strong impression of Karan in her mind and eyes, which was clearly not positive. Aru did not respond to Karan's comment. In his flirtatious nature, Karan tried to talk to Aru again.
Karan (looking at Aru with curiosity): I know that such a beautiful girl is in our office, meaning I can't believe my luck!
Aru (in a sarcastic tone): I'm sure you tried these same pathetic lines here (pointing towards Karan's secretary) a while ago, right? (Pauses for a moment) Well, I have nothing to do with your nonsensical talk or attitude. Your dad sent me here to discuss some business with you. So, it would be better if you stopped your so-called love classes for a while!
Karan (scratching his head and looking at Aru): Oh! Business. Just one second, me amor!
Saying this, Karan turned towards his secretary, with whom he was busy a moment ago and who had scrunched up her nose and mouth after hearing Aru and seeing Karan flirt with her.
Karan (buttering up his secretary): Baby! I have work now, but I promise, I'll catch you later!
Secretary (making a face, looking at Aru): Huh!
Scrunched up her nose and mouth, the secretary left after a while.
(About an hour later!)
Aru was sitting in the meeting room with Mr. Singhania, Karan, and some of his close associates. From Aru's points, Mr. Singhania and his team had already gauged Aru's capabilities.
Mr. Singhania (looking at Aru): So, Miss Kapoor, please explain in detail how you can save our company and, more importantly, why and for what reason you want to help us? Because as a businessman, I know and understand that no one in this field helps others without a reason.
Aru (seriously): Not just in this field, Mr. Singhania, but the rule of the entire world is that people don't care about you without a reason. Well, you've thought correctly. I want to help you only because I need your help in return!
Mr. Singhania (confused): But what kind of help?
Aru (presenting her point with full confidence): See, Mr. Singhania, you also know that your company, in its current position, has only a few months left before it closes down permanently, something you cannot stop even if you want to. (Pauses for a moment) But I can help you completely with this, and you will have the positive results in your hands within the next month!
Mr. Singhania (looking at Aru): And what price will I have to pay in return?
Aru (without any hesitation or fear): In return, you will have to give me 49% of your company's shares, meaning I will own 49% of your company!
Karan (reacting sharply to Aru's statement): Have you had too much to drink this morning! (Seeing his father's gaze on him) I mean, are you out of your mind? How can we just give away 49% of our company just like that? After all, we built this company with so much hard work!
Aru (sarcastically, after hearing Karan): Oh, of course, I had a good look at all your hard work and dedication a while ago, Mr. Karan!
When Karan heard Aru's words, he awkwardly put his palm over his mouth. Mr. Singhania, being aware of Karan's antics, understood Aru's meaning and glared at her angrily. Karan quickly turned his neck in the other direction.
Aru (getting up from her seat): I have said what I had to say. Now you can think leisurely, Mr. Singhania, about what you want to do!
Mr. Singhania (looking at Aru seriously): Even if we agree to your terms, what guarantee is there that you can save our company from sinking?
Aru (with full confidence): I just need one month from you, then you will make your own decision!
Mr. Singhania: Alright then, I'll give you one month, and if you succeed, I'm ready to fulfill your condition!
Aru (without any beating around the bush): But why and how should I trust you?
Mr. Singhania (confused): Meaning?
Aru (stating her point): See, Mr. Singhania, you are a good businessman and have been in this field for a long time. So, you understand and know well that in the business world, no one can be relied upon solely on promises. As for me, I have been cheated by so many people and my fate so much in my life that I have lost faith in the word itself. (Pauses for a moment) Sorry to say, but I can no longer trust anyone based on promises or words, nor does the rule of the business field allow me to build the foundation of my business skills based on just one promise!
Mr. Singhania (looking at Aru): But then this applies to you too, doesn't it? How can we trust your words and give you 49% partnership? What if you take this partnership and fail to keep your promise? We'll be left with nothing but regret, and we'll suffer losses on all fronts!
Aru (with full confidence): Rules are rules, Mr. Singhania. The rule that applies to me also applies to you. (Pauses for a moment, seeing the confusion on Mr. Singhania's face) It's certain that you will draft our partnership papers, only then will I start my work here. But since you also cannot trust me based solely on my words and give me this partnership just like that, we can find a middle ground!
Mr. Singhania (looking at Aru with questioning eyes): What kind of ground?
Aru (seriously): You will draft the papers, and it will be clearly stated in those papers that if I succeed in reviving your sinking company within the one-month period as I promised, then you will give me 49% partnership. And if I fail to do so even by one percent, then there will be no commitment between us. (Seeing Mr. Singhania lost in thought) And yes, one more thing, if you agree to my condition, I will invest all my savings here, which will undoubtedly be beneficial for the company!
Karan (breaking his silence impulsively): How do we know how much your savings are? It's possible you only have ten to twenty thousand rupees and you're calling that your entire savings by investing it in the company!
Aru (looking at Karan with a sidelong glance): Mr. Karan, even though I am new to the business world, I am well aware of its intricacies. (Pauses for a moment in a sarcastic tone) And as for investment, I know very well that I'm not buying chocolates, so I wouldn't talk about ten to twenty thousand rupees. Obviously, I wasn't talking about ten to twenty thousand rupees; I was talking about fifty to sixty lakhs, and I also know that this amount isn't very large in business, but it's all I have to invest right now. (Pauses for a moment, looking at Mr. Singhania) So, I will invest all my savings, which are around fifty to sixty lakhs, in your company, and only then do I want 49% partnership in your company. (Pauses for a moment) Mr. Singhania, I want to present every single point and statement clearly to you. Only agree to this if you understand my words and conditions and if they fit within your scope. Otherwise, no problem, I'll go my way, and you go yours. (Picking up her belongings) Anyway, I have presented all my points and clearly stated my terms and conditions, so inform me of your decision!
Mr. Singhania (without wasting time, seeing Aru leave): I accept your condition!
When Aru heard Mr. Singhania, she gave him a deep look, as if to say, "Think once more if you really want to do this!"
Mr. Singhania (looking at Aru with a serious expression): Yes, I accept your condition, and I'm giving you the next month to prove yourself. And I hope you can prove that confidence, passion, and dedication that I see in your eyes in your business skills too!
Aru (with full confidence): Don't worry, Mr. Singhania, you will not be disappointed at all!
Mr. Singhania (standing up and shaking Aru's hand): Hope so, and welcome to the company, Miss Kapoor!
Aru (shaking hands with Mr. Singhania): Thank you, Mr. Singhania!
Karan (quickly getting up from his chair and extending his hand towards Aru): Welcome to the company, me amor (my love)! (Feeling Mr. Singhania's sharp gaze on him, he quickly changes his words) I mean, Miss Kapoor, welcome to the company, Miss Kapoor!
Aru (glancing at Karan, without extending her hand, with no expression): Thank you. (Pauses for a moment, looking at Mr. Singhania) Alright, Mr. Singhania, I'll join the company from tomorrow. I have some important work today, I'll finish it, and then I'll join the company from tomorrow!
Mr. Singhania (nodding his head): Okay, sure, no problem!
Karan (looking at Aru curiously): You've told us everything about your business skills, but nothing about yourself? (Pauses for a moment) I mean, who are you? And where are you from? You don't seem to be from around here, so?
Aru (looking at Mr. Singhania and Karan with a serious expression): One more thing, Mr. Singhania, I am professionally connected with you here. In professional life, you have the right to ask me any question whatsoever, and I am accountable to you. But whether you consider it my condition or a rule, I absolutely do not want anyone to interfere in my personal life in any way. Who I am, where I come from, what I do, what I don't, is my personal matter, and I don't want anyone to interfere in it. (Looking at Karan with a serious expression) Anyone, meaning anyone!
Karan (not satisfied with Aru's answer): But this is against company rules, as it is an important rule for every employee to provide information about themselves!
Aru (looking at Karan with a stern expression): There are many company rules and regulations, Mr. Karan, that people often overlook. But before tearing apart those rules and turning their cabins into their bedrooms, people don't think twice. So, it would be better if you don't lecture me on those rules, and I don't want to discuss my past or anything about it with anyone. Now, if a rule is broken, let it be broken, I don't care! (Sternly) But it's better if no one digs into my past!
Mr. Singhania (reassuring Aru): Don't worry, we are concerned with your present. We have nothing to do with your past, nor will there ever be any interference from our side in your personal life. Just don't worry!
Aru (with a serious expression): Thank you!
After a while, Aru left with her belongings. Karan was still continuously looking at Aru, squinting his eyes, deep in thought. Seeing him so lost in thought, Mr. Singhania finally interrupted him.
Mr. Singhania (seeing Karan lost in thought): What are you thinking about?
Karan (recalling Aru's words): That there's something different about this girl, Dad. There's something!
Mr. Singhania (glaring at Karan): You'll never change, will you, Karan?
Karan (quickly turning towards Mr. Singhania with a serious expression): No, Dad, I'm not saying it the way you think. (Pauses for a moment) Ah... how do I explain it to you? I mean, she's not like other girls; there's something about her!
Mr. Singhania (nodding): Of course, there's definitely something about her, that's why I agreed to give her 49% partnership. Otherwise, I wouldn't give partnership to just anyone I meet on the street!
Karan (looking at Mr. Singhania): Do you think she can do it?
Mr. Singhania (very seriously): I don't just think so; I am completely convinced that she can do it because the passion, dedication, and confidence I saw in this girl's eyes, I once felt the same within myself, and you know, when a person has the desire to achieve something, then that person can do anything; nothing is impossible for them!
Karan (sighing deeply): Well! Let's see how accurate your guess turns out to be!
Mr. Singhania (nodding his head): Yes, but remember one thing, Karan, this girl can prove to be very important for our business, so refrain from any of your foolish actions and don't do anything that could be detrimental to our business or to us. Understand what I'm saying, right?
Karan (with a bored expression): Yes, Dad, I understand. Don't worry, I won't do anything like that myself. (Pauses for a moment) And anyway, Dad, I don't lack girls, so I'd have to force myself on someone. In fact, girls come after me; I don't go after them!
Mr. Singhania (scolding Karan): That's enough, I'm not interested in hearing your nonsensical discussions. I need focus on work, that's all. (Pauses for a moment) By the way, I'm sure you must have done something before coming to my office today, which is why that girl was repeatedly being sarcastic about you, right?
Karan (quickly interrupting Mr. Singhania): Dad, I have some important work. I'll meet you later. Bye!
Saying this, Karan quickly disappeared.
Mr. Singhania (shaking his head): Nothing can be done with this boy; he'll never change. God gave me a son, and he's completely worthless!
The next day, Aru joined the office and devoted herself wholeheartedly to her work. Days passed by, and with each passing day, Aru's dedication and hard work only increased. And she didn't care what anyone thought or said about her here. She neither paid attention to those people nor mingled with anyone. If it were the old Aru, she would have made many friends by now, but now her motive was just to prove herself to Mr. Singhania within this month, and more importantly, to prove herself in her own eyes. And this was the first and last chance she had to prove herself and prove wrong the world and those who had always underestimated her.
She wanted to show the world that she was not a helpless victim and that she could stand on her own feet, achieve something, without any support, without anyone's company, solely on her own strength. Aru, like Arjuna, could only see her goal, and to achieve it, Aru worked day and night. Meanwhile, Mr. Kapoor had also been shifted to London for better treatment. Since Aru was busy with business at that time, she could not shift to London herself. Mr. Kapoor returned to Spain a day or two after being shifted there. During this time, Aru's opinion of Karan also changed slightly. The impression she had formed of Karan on the first day began to change as she worked with him and got to know him. She understood that while Karan's nature might be flirtatious, he was not bad at heart; he was fun-loving, but definitely not someone who played with people's feelings.
Similarly, Karan's inclination towards Aru also grew day by day. Aru often understood that Karan tried every possible way to flirt with her and never missed an opportunity. But every time, Aru would silence him with her silence or her stern demeanor. In the blink of an eye, a month passed, but through her hard work and dedication, Aru finally proved herself and her efforts, and she kept her promise to Mr. Singhania. Although she hadn't achieved tremendous success in one month, the success the company had achieved in one month due to Aru was more than what it had achieved in the previous six months. And now Mr. Singhania had complete faith in Aru's capabilities and had also given her a 49% partnership in his company.
Even though Aru had become a partner with these people, everyone was still unaware of Aru's past. One day, Aru was working in her cabin as usual. She had been feeling a bit low since morning, feeling dizzy repeatedly, but she kept working without stopping. Somehow, the day passed and evening arrived, but by evening, her condition had worsened further. After office hours, when Karan came to her cabin to see her, he found her resting her head on her desk. Karan found it a bit strange because he had never seen Aru so sluggish in all this time. She was always busy with work, as if she were a robot and not a human.
Karan called out to Aru to get her attention, but there was no response. Karan called her again, but still, there was no response from Aru. Now, sensing something was wrong, Karan quickly went towards Aru. He shook her shoulder and found that Aru had fainted on the desk. Seeing Aru unconscious, lines of worry and tension appeared on Karan's forehead, and without thinking or delaying for a moment, he picked Aru up in his arms, quickly took her to the parking lot, placed her in his car, and rushed to the hospital. After some time, he reached the hospital with Aru, and the doctor began her check-up. After a while, the doctor came out, and Karan anxiously asked her.
Karan (anxiously): Doctor, what happened to Aru? Is she okay?
Doctor (calmly): Yes, there's nothing to worry about specifically. It often happens in this condition. Her blood pressure just dropped; she needs care in this state!
Karan (confused): What do you mean by "this state"?
Doctor: Don't you know? (Pauses for a moment) She's pregnant, isn't she!
Karan (impetuously): What nonsense is this!
Doctor (staring at Karan with strange eyes): What?
Karan (disbelievingly): I mean, are you sure, doctor? (Pauses for a moment) How can this be?
Doctor: Yes, I'm sure. Excuse me!
After this, the doctor left, but for Karan, this news was like a nuclear bomb exploding over his head. He couldn't believe that Aru was pregnant, and not only that, Aru had never let anyone know about it, not even a hint. For some reason, Karan didn't feel good at all hearing this news. He himself didn't understand the real reason behind it. After Aru regained consciousness, the doctor told her to go home. Aru got out of bed and was about to leave when Karan entered the room. Karan's face was serious, a look Aru had never seen on him before. It was the first time he was looking at her with such a serious expression, and somewhere, Aru might have understood the reason for it.
Karan (breaking his silence): You're pregnant, do you know that? (Pauses for a moment, then to himself) Why am I asking such a foolish question? Of course, you would know. (Pauses for a moment) But why did you hide all this?
Aru (with a serious expression): Excuse me, what did I hide? And why would I tell this to you or anyone else, and for what relationship?
Karan (unhappily, after hearing Aru's response): But you...
Karan stopped mid-sentence. He didn't know what to say or how to react. At that moment, he felt a strange feeling, as if something had been snatched away from him in an instant. Karan felt frustrated because he couldn't understand these unfamiliar feelings. On the other hand, Aru could perfectly understand the emotions and unspoken questions behind Karan's silence.
Aru (understanding the questions behind Karan's silence): Although I don't feel it's necessary to tell anyone anything about my life, just for your information... (Pauses for a moment) I am divorced. (Pauses for a moment) And I think now you have the answer to all your questions and doubts. It would be better if you stay away from me as much as possible from now on!
Saying this, Aru walked out of the hospital room. Although Aru no longer felt it necessary to give anyone any explanation, since her child's legitimacy had been questioned once, she absolutely did not want her child's legitimacy to be questioned again, and this was news that couldn't be hidden for long. Sooner or later, everyone would find out. While Karan felt bad hearing the news of Aru's pregnancy, on the other hand, the news of her being divorced lightened the strange feeling in his heart. He was experiencing feelings that he had never experienced before. After leaving the hospital, Karan dropped Aru at her flat and returned to his home.
Slowly, the days passed. Karan also began to change. As time went by, almost everyone knew about Aru's pregnancy and her divorce. Everyone wanted to know about Aru's past, but no one dared to ask her any questions. And meanwhile, in Mumbai...
(Flashback and.......!!)
Karan couldn't help but get lost in memories of the past, and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep, surrounded by sweet dreams of his life. When he woke up, the sun was already shining through the window. He quickly got out of bed and began to look around in a hurry. After a few moments, he spotted his phone on the right side of his pillow and felt a sense of relief. He picked up his phone and started checking it. There were thousands of messages and wishes from people, all trying to make him feel special on his birthday. However, Karan's eyes were searching for just one name - Aru. And it was enough to make him feel sad that he couldn't find Aru's name among the thousands of birthday wishes. Karan threw his phone back onto the bed with a sigh of disappointment.
Karan: (muttering to himself, after a few moments of thought, with irritation) I mean, she acts like Einstein all day, but can she even be bothered to call me to wish me a happy birthday?
Karan: (pausing, then rationalizing) But maybe she thought she'd meet me in person to wish me a happy birthday, since my birthday has just started. (trying to console himself) You're also not thinking of anything, Karan. You shouldn't doubt Aru. I know she'll definitely wish me a happy birthday at the office, and maybe she's still on her way there and waiting for me.
Karan glanced at the clock and quickly got out of bed, hurriedly picking out clothes and rushing to the bathroom to shower. After getting ready, he put on a black suit and grabbed his phone. As he was about to leave, he called Aru.
Aru picked up after two or three rings.
"Where are you, Aru?"
"I'm just about to reach the office. Why?"
"Okay, you're heading to the office?"
"Yes."
"But how could you leave without me?"
"I leave like I do every day. What's new today? I always leave early!"
"Never mind. I'll meet you when I get to the office."
"Okay..."
Karan hung up the phone and thought to himself that maybe Aru had a surprise waiting for him at the office; otherwise, she would have at least wished him a happy birthday.
On the other side, at Ridansh's house, everyone was having breakfast together. After some time, Palak came out of her room and directly went to Ridansh.
"Good morning, Daddy!!"
"Good morning, kiddo. What do you want to eat?"
"I want that brownie!!"
"No, Palak. Something healthy first... (passing Palak a glass of milk) here, drink this milk."
"No, Mommy, I don't like milk. I just want brownie."
"But, Palak..."
"It's okay, Nanya. If she wants to eat brownie, let her eat it. She'll drink milk later."
"Now that Daddy has given permission, I have no right to stop her. By the way, brother, you're the one who's spoiling her."
"Yes, when her mom has spoiled her, I'll spoil her too. Who's the big deal? Maybe one day she'll become like me, and someone will have the strength to tolerate her."
"Very funny!!"
"No, darling. It's not funny. It's the truth."
"Whatever. Eat, madam."
Palak sat on Ridansh's lap, enjoying her brownie, while Ridansh was busy reading emails on his phone.
Once Palak finished her brownie, Ridansh handed her a glass of milk. Palak made a cute face at the sight of the milk.
Ridansh broke the silence.
"You always said you want to be like me."
"Yes, I want to be just like you."
"To be like me, I have a top-secret to share with you."
"Yes, tell me?"
"When I was little, like you, I used to drink milk in the morning and evening."
"What happened after drinking milk, Daddy?"
Ridansh didn't have much experience interacting with children or understanding their behavior. He struggled to find the right words to say. Palak looked up at him curiously.
"And then you became smarter and more intelligent."
"Yes, and also a shopkeeper of crankiness."
Ridansh glanced at Daksh, who was eating quietly, trying not to make eye contact.
The scene shifts to Karan's office, where he is still fuming about Aru forgetting his birthday.
Karan: (to Aru) You're making me sound like I'm celebrating.
Aru: What's wrong with you? Why is your face so down?
"It's my face... it's up to me... you have nothing to do with it."
"I was just asking out of curiosity. Why are you sounding so rude?"
Karan: (impatiently) Then what?
Aru: (still concerned) Did something happen?
Karan: (exasperated) No... nothing happened. Just go and do your work in peace, and let me work in peace too.
Just then, Aru's phone rang. The screen displayed 'My World,' which was none other than Aarthi.
Aru: (answering the call) Hello?
"How are you, my dear?"
"I'm fine, Momma. How are you?"
"I'm fine too. Fit and fine."
"Okay, but is Pikachu also fit and fine?"
"It doesn't seem like it. I don't know why, but it seems like Pikachu's brain has gone bad today."
Aarthi: (laughs) Maybe you did it, Momma.
Aru and Aarthi continued talking. Aru realized why Karan was upset and quickly finished the call.
Aru: (apologetically) I'm sorry.
Karan: (disappointed) Keep your sorry to yourself. This isn't a new thing. For the past four years, you've never missed a chance to forget my birthday.
Aru: (sincere) I'm really sorry, Karan. I know I did it.
Karan: (angrily) You've never wished me a happy birthday on time.
Aru: (calmly) Sorry. And I wish you a very happy birthday. May God give you all the happiness in the world, and may you always be happy.
Karan's anger slowly started to fade.
Karan: (softly) All my happiness is connected to you.
Aru: (curious) Did you forgive me?
Karan: (playfully) No, not like that. This time, you have to pay a penalty.
Aru: (excited) What's the penalty?
Karan: (smiling) You'll find out.
The scene shifts as Karan and Aru leave the office.
As they reached the parking lot, Ridansh's car arrived, and when he saw Karan holding Aru's hand, his jaws clenched involuntarily.
Karan (smiling and holding Aru's hand): So, the thing is…
Karan was still talking to Aru when Ridansh's car entered the office parking lot. And when he saw Karan holding Aru's hand, his jaws clenched involuntarily.
On the other side, Aru was looking at Karan with questioning eyes. What was he talking about with such happiness? After a few moments, Karan broke his silence.
Karan (holding Aru's hand): I was talking to a friend of mine who is a psychiatrist in the UK. And I sent him Uncle's case file. And guess what… (pausing for a moment) He said he can definitely cure Uncle.
Aru heard Karan's words and her eyes sparkled with joy. At this moment, it felt like she had found a straw to cling to, like a drowning person. And she quickly broke her silence, looking at Karan with curious and disbelieving happy emotions.
Aru (looking at Karan): Are you serious, Karan? Can Papa really get better?
Karan (smiling): Yes, I'm completely serious!
Aru heard Karan's words and, with joy, hugged him tightly.
Aru (embracing Karan, emotionally): Thank you... thank you so much, Karan... thank you so much... you've really given me a huge happiness... it's so big that I can't express it in words... thank you so much, Karan... thank you so much!
Karan (patting Aru's back, understanding her emotions): You know what... you don't look good when you're so emotional. And there's no need to thank me... I just did a small favor... for my friend's happiness... so no need for thanks!
Aru (separating from Karan and holding his hand): I had almost lost hope... you rekindled it... and thank you is still a small word... what you've done... its favor...
Karan (jokingly, looking at Aru with mock annoyance): Watch out, or you'll ruin our friendship with these typical words!
Aru (smiling): Okay, sorry... I'll remember it from now on... (pausing for a moment) And one thing, to be honest, you're really a great friend, Karan... very good!
Karan (trying to lighten the mood, showing his teeth): Yes, that's me... but you know what... (placing his elbow on Aru's shoulder) Pandit Ji predicted that I'll be ten times better as a boyfriend and husband than as a friend... so what do you say... would you like to try... because the offer is so high that there's a risk of going out of stock!
Aru (smiling playfully, pushing Karan's elbow off her shoulder): Thanks... but no thanks... I'm happy being single!
Karan (rolling his eyes): That's my bad luck!
Aru (glaring at Karan with mock anger): What did you say?
Karan (quickly breaking his silence): Oh, I was talking about my bad luck, crazy!
Aru smiled at Karan's words. And then both of them walked towards the car, unaware that Great Ridansh Agnihotri's eyes were on them. And when he saw Aru hug Karan, his temper rose to the seventh sky. He clenched his fists tightly. But as Aru and Karan sat in the car and left, Ridansh closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and got out of the car. He went straight to the office building, signed some important papers, and then quickly left for home.
Some time later, he arrived home and went straight to his room. For some reason, the scene of Aru and Karan kept flashing before his eyes. He was trying hard to get this thought out of his mind. For this, he sat back in his laptop and opened his work. But his trick to keep himself busy didn't work this time. And again and again, the scene of Aru hugging Karan appeared before his eyes. Finally, Ridansh closed his laptop in anger and threw it on the bed. And with frustration, he started pacing around the room. Frustrated, he hit the balcony wall with his hand and thought to himself.
Ridansh (taking a deep frustrated breath): Why does it bother me? And why am I thinking about it again and again? His path and mine have separated. He has his own world, and I have mine. Now, what he meets, who he stays with, or what he does, I have nothing to do with it. So why do I keep thinking about it? (taking a deep frustrated breath) Just focus, Ridansh... focus... and I shouldn't let myself be affected like this... no... never!
Ridansh was lost in his thoughts and confusion. Meanwhile, Karan took Aru straight to a party club, where he planned to have fun. And coincidentally, they met Shanaaya and Prisha there, who had come for a common friend's birthday celebration.
Prisha and Karan saw each other and both made faces and ignored each other like they were untouchable due to some disease. The other three people greeted each other and Karan asked Aru to go to the dance floor. But Aru refused. Karan knew Aru wasn't interested in dancing, so he didn't force her.
It was enough for him that Aru had come with him to his happiness. And then Shanaaya happily agreed to go with Karan, and he went to the dance floor with her. Prisha wasn't very interested and had come there only at her friend's insistence. So she stayed with Aru and they sat at the table, talking and watching people dance.
Prisha (looking towards the dance floor with a serious expression): How time changes, isn't it? You don't even realize when something was different yesterday and completely different today... yesterday we had a different special relationship, and today we have to introduce ourselves...
Prisha said this to Aru because earlier, when Shanaaya asked Prisha about her relationship with Aru, Prisha didn't understand what to say. So Aru handled the situation by saying that Prisha and she were college friends and had known each other since then. And after hearing Aru's words, Prisha didn't say anything more. And now, thinking about their past relationship and remembering it, Prisha complained about fate.
Prisha (looking at Aru with a sad and painful smile): Isn't it strange... how fate makes a special relationship alien in an instant?
Aru (shifting her gaze in another direction): Some decisions we don't make, Prisha... which we can't change no matter how hard we try... (pausing for a moment and then changing the subject) And as for our relationship... what difference does it make what the relationship is called and what it's not... the difference only matters that we still have the same feelings and emotions!
Prisha (nodding her head): Yes... (pausing for a moment) If you don't mind, may I ask you something?
Aru (with a beating heart): Yes... ask away?
Prisha (looking at Aru with a serious expression): Brother hasn't told anyone till now what was the reason you and he separated and your relationship...
Aru (interrupting Prisha's words): Let what has passed, pass, Prisha... I don't want to revisit those wounds... which were the deepest and most painful wounds of my life!
After hearing Aru's words, Prisha looked at her seriously, as if trying to read her expressions. Aru felt a bit uncomfortable and, taking a deep breath, broke her silence.
Aru (breaking her silence): Anyway, let's drop these useless things... (pausing for a moment) By the way, I have to say that seeing you doesn't feel like you're the same Prisha from five years ago... you look like a delicate, cute girl...
Prisha (with a faint smile): And how do I look to you now?
Aru (smiling): Now you look completely mature, independent, and sensible... who doesn't need anyone's support!
Prisha (with a pale smile): Situations and times are such teachers who not only teach a person to live with time and situations but also teach them to fight with them... (pausing for a moment and looking at Aru seriously with a pale smile) Anyway, let's not get into these things... let's enjoy the party!
Saying this, Prisha raised her glass of juice and offered it to Aru, and she herself took another glass and started sipping the juice, looking ahead. And Aru also silently started watching the people there. Meanwhile, Karan and Shanaaya were dancing on the dance floor. But Karan's eyes kept looking back at Aru, which Shanaaya also noticed.
Shanaaya (looking at Karan with a mischievous smile): If you like her so much and miss her so much, why don't you bring her to the dance floor?
Karan (looking at Shanaaya and smiling): I would take her... but you see... she doesn't like this noise and all... and anyway, she came with me this far... that's a big deal for me!
Shanaaya (raising her eyebrows): OMG, it means the great Karan Singhania has finally found his special one... with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life, leaving his so-called playboy image... because as far as I remember... the great Karan Singhania never cared about any girl's likes and dislikes... and neither did he care about them... and most importantly, he's craving for a glimpse of someone... considering all these things, she's your someone special... (pausing for a moment) ... am I right, Mr. Karan Singhania?
Karan (with a big smile): That's why I like you so much... because your guesses and words are never wrong... and that's why I'm in awe of your mind!
Shanaaya (with a proud smile): I am... but tell me... have you told her this till now or not?
Karan (scratching his head): What should I say... you know, I've said it a thousand times... but in reality, not once!
Shanaaya (hitting Karan's shoulder playfully): And if this attitude continues, you'll never say it!
Karan (with a confused expression): What do you mean?
Shanaaya (looking in Aru's direction): As far as I think... she's not one of those who pass time... she's one who believes in commitment... and she won't take your playboy image seriously unless you do her serious talk to you... so do it! and do your love story perfectly! Right now!"
Saying this, Shanaaya pulled Karan forward. And after pulling Karan's hand forward, she came forward and started speaking into the mic.
Shanaaya (speaking into the mic, drawing attention to herself): So guys... attention, please... (pausing for a moment) So today my two friends, Ritika and Karan, are celebrating their birthdays... So, I wish them a very, very happy birthday... and now, with this happiness... my charming and handsome friend Karan... who is also a birthday boy today... I request him to sing a few lines here in his beautiful voice... (pausing for a moment) And you know what, guys... in college, this handsome hunk's voice mesmerized thousands of girls... (smiling and looking at Karan) So, what's the big deal... let it happen today once more with the same magic?
Karan heard Shanaaya's words and smiled with happiness. He understood Shanaaya's intention well - she did all this only as a pretext. Actually, she did it all just so Karan could share his feelings with Aru through his song. And understanding her point, Karan silently thanked her, which Shanaaya acknowledged with her blink of eyes. And then, Karan arranged for a guitar. And after a few moments, Karan sat in the middle of the stage, holding a guitar, and everyone present looked at him expectantly. And finally, Karan took a deep breath and started singing, looking at Aru.
Karan (strumming the guitar): Aankhon de cole... ra jaane de... kehna hai jo... keh jaane de... hey... tere khayalon mein... beete ye raatein... dil mera maange... ek hi dua... tu saamne ho aur... karoon main baatein... lamha rahe yu... thahra hua... pehle to kabhi... mujhko na aisa kuch hua... deewani laharon ko... jaise saahil mila aa aa... oh oh oh oh oh... ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga... ek ladkiko dekha to aisa laga... o mere sohniye ve... chhad saari galliyan... naal tere tur chaleya... le chal mujhko duniya se tu door... chori chori jaad tune to kiya... khud ko samhaal na sakeya... chadh gaya saina tera ye fitoor... rang jaani re, marjaani ra... kehna jo thi... keh de wo baat... rang jaani re, marjaani ra... kehna jo thi... keh de wo baat... ho ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga... ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga... ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga!
The moment Karan finished singing, cheers and whistles erupted all around. Aru clapped her hands and smiled happily. Karan saw Aru's smiling face and also smiled. A little later, Karan and Ritika cut their birthday cake and everyone present wished them a happy birthday and fed them cake. After that, Karan brought Aru to the dance floor. Aru refused once more, but Karan said if she wasn't coming for his birthday happiness, then she should come at least for Uncle's recovery happiness. And when Aru saw him so happy, she couldn't say no and went with him to the stage. And finally, after not knowing how many days, she spent her time here, forgetting everything. And a little late... quite late, they bid farewell to Prisha and Shanaaya and left.
Aru (driving and looking at Karan): Thank you... so much, Karan!
Karan (looking at Aru): And for what?
Aru (looking at Karan naturally): For everything... that you're such a great friend of mine... that you always keep your friendship... and also because, after not knowing how many days, I spent time with myself today... so thank you for everything!
Karan (smiling): My pleasure!
Meanwhile, in his room, Ridansh was sitting on his laptop, typing non-stop. When Palk knocked on his door, he signaled her to come in. Palk entered and Ridansh put his arm around her, hugging her close. He asked her what she wanted to eat. And gave Palk his precious phone to play games. A little later, Palk broke her silence.
Palk (looking at Ridansh): Daddy, I'm going back to London tomorrow... my school's vacations are starting!
Ridansh (looking at Palk and kissing her forehead): I know, kiddo... and I'll miss you!
Palk (in a innocent tone): I'll miss you too... (pausing for a moment) If I say something to you, will you do it?
Ridansh (putting aside his laptop and sitting Palk on the table): Yes, say it?
Palk (expressing her point with innocence): All the people in my school are your fans, and they want to meet you... so I told them that I would definitely get them to meet my daddy... and there's a parent-teacher meeting at my school tomorrow... so if you come there, I'll feel good and my promise will also be fulfilled!
Ridansh (moving Palk's hair out of her eyes): If I come, will it make you happy?
Palk (smiling happily): No... but it will make me very, very happy!
Ridansh (smiling and kissing Palk's forehead): Then I will definitely come... I promise!
Palk (jumping up happily): A promise?
Ridansh (nodding his head): A promise... I'll definitely come!
After this, Palk kissed Ridansh's cheeks and went to her room after saying goodnight. The next day, Namya, Aniket, and Palk left for London by morning flight. Till evening, Ridansh also finished all his work in the office and then took a late-night flight to London.
The next day, Namya, Aniket, and Palak left for London on the morning flight. By evening, Ridansh had gone to his office, finished all his work, and then left for London on a late-night flight. When Ridansh arrived at London airport and cleared all formalities, it was ten in the morning. His car was already waiting for him. Ridansh checked the time on his watch. As per Palak's instructions, the parents' meeting was to start in just half an hour. Ridansh told the driver to go directly to Palak's school. The driver nodded, opened the car door for Ridansh, placed his luggage in the car, and drove off.
Ridansh had not yet informed Namya, Aniket, or Palak that he had reached London or was arriving today. He wanted to surprise Palak, so he hadn't announced his arrival.
Meanwhile, Palak thought Ridansh had only made a promise and wouldn't actually come today. Although she felt a little sad thinking this, Namya and Aniket lightened her mood and explained that Ridansh must be busy with some important work. Palak understood this well. After this, Aniket and Namya took Palak to school.
Meanwhile, Aaranshi also had a parents' meeting. She had told Aru, but knew it was unlikely for Aru to come. She didn't insist on Aru coming, nor did she expect Aru to come.
But in the morning, as Aaranshi and Naina were having breakfast, the doorbell rang. When Naina opened the door, seeing Aru standing there, Aaranshi screamed with joy and excitement, jumped off her dining table chair, and hugged Aru. Aru picked her up in her arms and kissed her face. Aaranshi also kissed Aru's face. At this moment, seeing the happiness on Aaranshi's face and in her eyes, Aru felt a sense of peace in her heart. She knew that Aaranshi would be overjoyed with a surprise, and that's exactly what happened.
"I am so happy to see you, Mamma, and I missed you so so much, Mamma," Aaranshi said with happiness and excitement, kissing Aru's cheeks.
"And I missed you too!" Aru said, kissing Aaranshi's forehead.
"Yeah, but not more than me, because I missed you very very very much!" Aaranshi said with her cute little smile.
Just then, Karan entered the house from behind, holding several gift bags and chocolate bags, and looking at Aaranshi, he said,
"Oh! So that's how it is, only Mamma has been missed!"
Aaranshi heard Karan's voice, looked towards him, and her happiness doubled seeing Karan. She joyfully got down from Aru's lap and ran towards Karan. Karan put down the bags he was holding, picked Aaranshi up with a smile, and spun her around. Aaranshi's sweet laughter echoed.
"I missed my Pikachu a lot too!" Aaranshi said, looking at Karan with a happy expression.
"I know darling, that you love your Pikachu so much," Karan said, kissing Aaranshi's cheek, "But you know what darling, this world is jealous of our love, and that's why I am repeatedly stopped from meeting you. And you know darling, even today, a whole conspiracy was hatched to prevent me from coming here, but I have also foiled all conspiracies and arrived!"
Aaranshi giggled.
"If your drama is over, then come inside too, eat something first, then bother people!" Naina said, looking at Karan.
"Not one, but two sworn enemies here!" Karan said, rolling his eyes.
"My two enemies, my foot! We don't give you that much importance to waste our time on enmity with you," Naina said, sticking her tongue out at Karan, "Aru, you come, his quota of bothering people is already full, but food is important for us!"
Naina took Aru's hand and led her to the dining area. Karan made a face as he watched them go.
"I just don't understand one thing, darling, why is this whole sinful world so jealous of a handsome, charming, beautiful, talented boy like me!" Karan said, looking at Aaranshi.
"The world is jealous, but I love my Pikachu a lot, don't I!" Aaranshi said, laughing her sweet laugh.
"Yes, that's true, and that's enough for me," Karan said, smiling and pulling Aaranshi's cheeks, "Let me show you your gifts!"
"Yes, let's go!" Aaranshi said excitedly.
Holding Aaranshi in his arms, Karan picked up all the bags, in which he and Aru had brought gifts for Aaranshi, and then headed towards the dining area with Aaranshi. Karan and Aru had arrived in London early in the morning, and there was still time before Aaranshi's parents' meeting, so they spent some time at home. Aaranshi was delighted to see the gifts brought by Karan and Aru. Among the dresses brought by Aru, Aaranshi chose a white floral short dress, which made her look very cute. Aru braided her hair into two pigtails and clipped butterfly clips. Karan gave her a pink Barbie doll bag, and Naina put on her shoes. Now Aaranshi was ready to go to school. She was extremely happy seeing all the gifts brought by Aru and Karan. She put some chocolates from the chocolates Karan brought into her bag and got ready to leave.
"Who are these chocolates for?" Karan asked, sitting Aaranshi on his lap.
"These chocolates are for my best friend. I will meet her today after many days, and then I will give her these chocolates!" Aaranshi said with great innocence.
"Wow, that's great," Karan said, pulling Aaranshi's cheeks, "You know, you are looking so cute today, darling, that I feel like eating you raw!"
"Then Mom and Aunt will eat you raw in return!" Aaranshi said with her cute little smile.
"No, then they will swallow me alive!" Karan said, laughing.
Aaranshi giggled, and all three of them were happy seeing the smile on her face. After some time, Aru, Naina, and Karan left for Aaranshi's school.
Meanwhile, the road Ridansh was taking to Palak's school was blocked due to a small accident. The driver turned the car onto another route, but there was a delay due to traffic.
"Hurry up a bit!" Ridansh said to the driver, checking the time on his watch.
"Yes, sir!" the driver said, nodding.
At Ridansh's request, the driver took the car on a shortcut. Meanwhile, Aru and Naina went inside the school with Aaranshi, while Karan received a call and waited in the car talking. Aru and Naina met Aaranshi's principal and teacher and started talking to them. The teacher mentioned that Aaranshi is an understanding, intelligent, and lovely child in class and is performing well in everything from her studies to sports. Hearing this, Naina and Aru were happy and felt proud of Aaranshi.
A little later, as they were leaving the room with Aaranshi, the teachers informed them that a small parents-teacher get-together had been organized after the meeting and invited them to join. Aru agreed and left with Aaranshi and Naina. Aaranshi walked holding Aru's finger.
"See, Mamma, my teachers said I am a good girl!" Aaranshi said, looking at Aru.
"Hmm, my Aaranshi is a very good girl, and I am proud of you, my darling!" Aru said, smiling.
"Thank you, Mamma, and I promise I will always make you proud!" Aaranshi said with a sweet smile.
"I love you!" Aru said.
"And I love you too, Mamma, I want to eat ice cream!" Aaranshi said.
"Okay, let's go!" Aru said, smiling.
Aru, Aaranshi, and Naina headed towards a nearby ice cream parlor. As they reached the outside of the ice cream parlor, Aaranshi spotted her best friend and excitedly shook Aru's hand, saying,
"Mamma, see my best friend!"
As soon as Aru looked in the direction Aaranshi pointed, she was surprised. This was the same child whom Ridansh had picked up in his lap on the party day and who was calling Ridansh "Daddy." When Aru saw Palak with Namya and Aniket, she understood that Palak was Aniket and Namya's daughter. Fear crept into Aru's heart that Aaranshi's best friend was the daughter of Aniket and Namya. The fear she had been running from for the past five years was now so close. Naina saw the nervousness on Aru's face. Seeing Aaranshi moving in the same direction, she saw Namya and Aniket at some distance.
As soon as Naina saw them, her face turned pale, but before Aniket and Namya could see them, Naina grabbed Aru's hand and pulled her behind a nearby wall. Both their hearts were beating fast. Aniket had some urgent work, so he left from the school gate. A few moments after Aniket left, Palak saw Aaranshi coming towards her, and she too happily moved towards her, and they hugged each other.
"Didn't I tell you, Mamma, she is my best friend, Aanshi!" Palak said, pointing towards Aaranshi, looking at Namya.
"Hello sweetheart, you are really so cute!" Namya said, smiling and gently touching Aaranshi's cheek.
"Thank you, and you are so beautiful!" Aaranshi said with her cute little smile.
"Oh, so sweet of you," Namya said, bending down and hugging Aaranshi, "Did you come here alone?"
"No, I came with my Mamma and Aunt!" Aaranshi said, shaking her head negatively.
"Then where are your Mamma and Aunt? I wanted to meet them too?" Namya asked, looking around.
"I don't know, they were just here, and now I don't know where they went, maybe they went to the ice cream parlor!" Aaranshi said, looking around with innocent confusion.
"Okay, then I will meet your Mamma some other time, but we are getting late for school, so we'll meet you later, okay?" Namya said.
"Okay, bye!" Aaranshi said, nodding her head innocently.
"Bye!" Namya said, smiling and gently touching Aaranshi's cheek.
Namya and Palak said goodbye to Aaranshi and left. With their departure, Naina and Aru breathed a sigh of relief, but as they were about to leave, a car stopped in front of the ice cream parlor. Naina again pulled Aru's hand. Aru looked at her questioningly, and Naina hit her head with regret.
"Oh God! This was the only thing missing, what is this Dracula doing here?" Naina said, hitting her head.
Aru heard Naina's words, looked at her questioningly for a moment, but when Naina pointed towards the car, Aru's fear increased even more. They felt that Ridansh was in the car. This suspicion was confirmed when Ridansh got out of the car. Aru and Naina pressed themselves against the wall. Ridansh got out of the car and went into the ice cream parlor to get chocolate for Palak. Aru and Naina's eyes did not fall on Ridansh. Aru and Naina's hearts were beating fast. Meanwhile, as the driver stopped the car, Palak was standing to his right, and there was a puddle of dirty rainwater collected in a ditch. As the driver stopped the car, splashes of that dirty water fell on Aaranshi's clothes. Seeing this, Aaranshi looked angrily at her dress and the car for a moment.
Due to her attention on her dress, Aaranshi hadn't noticed Ridansh getting out of the car. A moment later, when she came near the car, Ridansh had already gone into the ice cream parlor. Aaranshi angrily knocked on the driver's window, and the driver rolled down the window. When Aaranshi asked the driver to come out, the driver stepped out. Seeing the anger on Aaranshi's face, the driver didn't understand what was going on, but when he noticed Aaranshi's dress, he understood something. But still, considering Aaranshi a child, he tried to act ignorant, unaware that this child was not just any child, but everyone's grandmother.
"What happened, child? Is there any problem?" the driver asked, pretending to be ignorant.
"Don't try to act ignorant, I understand everything!" Aaranshi said, narrowing her eyes with her cute angry expression.
"Ig...ignorant...why would I be ignorant? Look, child, what are you saying, I don't understand anything. My boss will be here soon, I have to take him. And my boss is very angry, move away from here, or he will get angry at you too!" the driver said, slightly flustered.
"Call your boss then, I also want to see who this Dracula is!" Aaranshi said, glaring at the driver with her cute angry expression.
The driver tried his best to reason with or scare Aaranshi away, but Aaranshi was not going to be convinced so easily. Meanwhile, Aru and Naina saw Aaranshi arguing with Ridansh's driver from a distance, and their fear increased. Just then, Ridansh returned and sat in his car. Due to his attention on the driver, Aaranshi did not pay attention to Ridansh. Ridansh spoke to the driver in a stern voice to drive. The driver heard his voice and started to get into the car, moving Aaranshi aside. Aaranshi stood in front of the car. Seeing her do this, the driver moved towards her and tried to explain, but all his attempts failed. Aaranshi was determined not to move from there.
When the driver didn't get into the car for a few moments, Ridansh looked at his watch and lowered the car window, but he couldn't see anything clearly. Frustrated, Ridansh got out of his car, checking the time on his watch, and took two steps forward. Seeing this, Aru and Naina's hearts leaped into their mouths. Ridansh saw that his driver was arguing with someone. As soon as Ridansh's gaze fell on the other person, he was surprised because the person in front was not an adult but a small girl of four or five years, who was saying something to the driver with full attitude in her baby voice. Ridansh glanced at the child, whom he didn't recognize at all, and then turned his attention to the driver.
"What's the matter? How long will it take you?" Ridansh asked, looking at the driver.
"Sorry sir, but she is a stubborn child, she refuses to move from in front of the car!" the driver said in a subdued tone, with his hands clasped.
"What happened, child? Why are you being stubborn like this?" Ridansh asked, looking at Aaranshi.
"First of all, don't call me a child, I am a 5-year-old mature girl, and as for not moving from here, your driver ruined my favorite dress, see!" Aaranshi said with her baby voice but full-on attitude, pointing her finger towards her dress.
Seeing such a tone, anger, and confidence from such a small child, Ridansh looked at Aaranshi for a moment, and the next moment, seeing Aaranshi's cute angry face, a slight smile involuntarily appeared on Ridansh's lips, a smile that hadn't appeared in a long time. But the next moment, remembering the meeting, Ridansh became serious again.
"Okay, fine, your dress is ruined, I will pay for it!" Ridansh said calmly after a pause.
Ridansh took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out some 2000 rupee notes, extended them towards Aaranshi, and placed them in her palm. Aaranshi glanced at the money, glared at Ridansh for a moment, and then looked back at the notes Ridansh had placed in her palm. As Ridansh turned to leave, Aaranshi stopped him.
"Wait!" Aaranshi said, furrowing her eyebrows.
Ridansh turned and looked at Aaranshi questioningly.
"Wait, stop for 1 minute!" Aaranshi said.
Aaranshi took off her small bag from her shoulders, placed it on the car's bonnet, and took out her geometry box, in which she had saved her pocket money. Aaranshi took all those money, closed her bag, and placing her saved money with Ridansh's money, took Ridansh's right hand and placed the money in his palm. Ridansh saw this and looked at Aaranshi with confusion. But before he could understand anything, the next moment, Ridansh's frustrated shout came out. Aaranshi picked up the mud lying on the ground and threw it at Ridansh's expensive white coat, staining it black with mud spots everywhere.
"What the hell!" Ridansh said in frustration, looking at his coat.
"You ruined my favorite suit, and I ruined yours, so it's even now!" Aaranshi said innocently, shaking her hands.
"Just shut up, your parents didn't teach you manners, how to behave with elders?" Ridansh said angrily, looking at Aaranshi.
"They did teach me, they taught me many manners, but they also taught me to give tit for tat, and if you had simply said sorry to me at first, I would have said it's okay and ended the matter there, but you tried to insult me by showing me your money, so I also showed you my wealth in return, and after that, it was necessary for me to settle my account too, right? Money doesn't grow on trees, every penny must be accounted for, so simple, tit for tat, so now I'm leaving, Mr. Whatever, whoever you are, but for me, you are Mr. Angry Bird, like shoo shoo shoo shoo shoo shoo!" Aaranshi said fearlessly with full attitude, shaking her short hair from her eyes.
After saying this, Aaranshi winked at Ridansh with a mischievous smile, then picked up her juice bottle from the bonnet, drank it, and walked away. Ridansh tried to think for a moment if she was indeed just a five-year-old child, but the next moment, as he became aware of his clothes, his frustration and anger returned to his face. He looked ahead, but Aaranshi was nowhere to be seen.
"God knows whose disaster this was!" Ridansh said, closing his eyes in frustration, thinking about Aaranshi.
Ridansh (closing his eyes for a moment, thinking about Aaranshi while overcoming frustration): God knows... whose calamity this was...!!!!
Ridansh opened his eyes after a moment... and then took a deep breath... and immediately got into the car... and signaled the driver to move from there... The driver immediately moved the car forward... Ridansh removed his coat... and kept it aside on the car seat... He was thankful that his pants did not get any mud spots... otherwise, he would have missed going to Palak's school for the meeting... and would not have fulfilled his promise. Ridansh was wearing a royal blue colored fitting shirt... which made his perfect body and abs look even more attractive and clear... and in which Ridansh looked even more sexy and hot. The driver stopped the car a little further... Ridansh put his expensive specs on his eyes... and came out of the car with his powerful and attractive demeanor... and moved towards the school with great dignity...!!!!
People standing outside the school had their eyes fixed on Ridansh. Whether they were boys or girls... men or women... elderly or children... whoever was present there... all their eyes were fixed on Ridansh. And the reason was Ridansh's powerful attraction... and his attractive personality... which often made him the center of attraction among people... and all eyes would involuntarily stop on him. But Ridansh did not care about any of this. Who was looking at him... or with what eyes they were looking at him... he did not care about any of these things. He only focused on his goal... and today he did the same. He ignored all people's eyes and moved straight into the school.
On the other hand, as soon as Aaranshi had answered Ridansh in his language and moved a little ahead... Aru quickly pulled his hand... and lifted him into her lap... and hugged him tightly to her chest... and quickly hid in her place again. And as soon as Ridansh left from there... Aru came out of her hiding place with Naina... and she asked Naina to call Karun on the phone. And after a few moments, Karun arrived in his car. Aru sat on the back seat of the car, still hugging Aaranshi... Naina sat on the front seat with Karun...!!!!
Arun still had Aaranshi hidden in her chest... and she had wrapped her arms around him so tightly... as if she was afraid that someone would snatch him from her... or take him away from her. At this moment, fear... anxiety... worry... tension... and many such mixed emotions were visible on Arin's face... which were apparently due to the fear of losing Aaranshi alone. For so many years, Arin had been running away from this fear... and today that fear was just a step away from her. Arin did not understand what to do... and how to protect her daughter from the eyes of all these people... and she was getting more and more distressed with every passing moment...!!!!
Karun saw the worried look on Arin's face... and asked her about the reason for her trouble.
"What happened, Aru?"
But Arin did not respond. So Karun asked Naina with a gesture. Naina signaled her to remain calm... and asked her to be silent. Karun also understood the seriousness of the situation and decided to remain silent... and with that, Karun moved the car forward from there. Even after reaching home, Arin kept Aaranshi in her lap... until he fell asleep. Only then did she put him on the bed... and kissed his forehead lovingly.!!!!
Arun (holding Aaranshi's small hand in her hand, in an emotional tone): "I can't lose you... never... if you are separated from me... I will die... I won't be able to live... I won't be able to live without you..." (shaking her head)....."I won't let anyone snatch you from me... no one... I will move very far away from here with you... very far... where their shadow won't even fall on you... I will take you very far... very far!!"
Arun was sharing her feelings with the sleeping Aaranshi... when Naina entered the room. Arin saw Naina... and wiped her wet eyes. Arin covered Aaranshi with a blanket... and then moved towards the balcony with Naina. Both friends sat on the sofa there. After some time, Naina finally broke her silence.
Naina (seeing the lines of worry on Arin's face... and placing her palm on her hand... in a soothing tone): "Just relax, Arin... nothing happened... Aaranshi is still with you... just relax... don't think so much... nothing happened... everything is fine!!"
Arun (with worried emotionality): "Nothing happened, Naina... but a lot could have happened... you saw how close Aaranshi was to those people... and if they had seen us... everything we have hidden for so long... everything would have come out... and everything would have been ruined... and they would have snatched Aaranshi from me... and taken her away from me..." (with fearful anxiety)....."Naina, they will take her away from me... snatch her from me..." (with emotional anxiety)....."I won't be able to live without her, Naina... I won't be able to survive... I will die, Naina...!!"
Naina (hugging Arin tightly): "Just relax, Arin... our Aaranshi is still with us... and no one can snatch her from us... you are her mother... you gave birth to her... and you have nourished her with your blood so far... and no one can separate you from her... no one!!"
Arun (with concern and anxiety): "No, Naina, you don't understand... if Mr. Agnihotri even gets a hint... that Aaranshi is who she is... then he won't take even a moment... to take her away from me... and he will snatch her from me forever... I can't take such a risk......" (thinking that her fear would come true)....."No, I won't let this happen... never... I won't let Aaranshi's admission be in this school anymore... we will make her study in another school... and now we will move away from here to somewhere else...!!"
Naina (looking at Arin with a serious expression): "And what if they reach there too?"
Arun had heard Naina's question, which was 100% logical. Although Arin had changed herself completely in these five years... and now she was not the same emotional Arin... the world saw a tough side of her... but still, Naina and Aaranshi were two people... in front of whom her emotions were completely open... no different from before. What was happening in her mind... what made her happy... what made her worried... perhaps no one understood this better than Naina... and no one understood it. Naina, when she saw the expressions of helplessness and worry on Arin's face together... then she started her conversation again.
Naina (trying to convince Arin): "After all, how long can we keep changing cities... and countries... and how long can we keep running like nomads from one place to another... won't we have to stop somewhere...??"
Arun (stroking her forehead with her fingers, in tension): "So what should I do, Naina... so that this fear also ends... and I can be free from this fear!!"
Naina (looking at Arin with a serious expression): "Make face this fear... because the more you run away and fear from it... the more it will scare you!!"
Arun (looking at Naina with a confused expression): "What do you want to say, Naina... I didn't understand anything??"
Naina (taking a deep breath and looking at Arin seriously): "Don't get me wrong, Arin... but in reality, the life of a truth is very short... and the reality is, Arin... no truth can remain hidden for long!!"
Arun (looking at Naina with a worried expression, concerned): "So are you saying that I should reveal the truth... and make myself the reason for my daughter to be taken away from me...!!!"
Naina (looking at Arin with mixed emotions): "No, I'm not saying that at all... I'm just saying that Arin... we can't deny it... and no matter how much we deny it... but the reality is that Aaranshi is Mr. Agnihotri's own daughter!!"
Arun (clenching her fists, with emotional anger): "No, Aaranshi is only and only my daughter... only mine!!"
Naina (looking ahead and exhaling deeply): "Arin, our denial won't change the truth... and even if we try... we can't change it... and Aaranshi also has the right... to get her father's love... I 'I'm not saying that you have kept any shortcomings in Aaranshi's upbringing... no... you have done more than expected for her... and you are doing it continuously... but for a child, a father's shadow is also necessary... and without any one of these two loves, a child's life is incomplete..."
(a pause)....."Whatever Mr. Agnihotri did... it was all wrong and unfair to you... but I don't know why... sometimes when I see Aaranshi's smiling face... her innocent pranks... I think of Mr. Agnihotri... that he also has a right to see her innocence... her laughter... her giggles...!!"
Arun (turning her face to another side with anger): "But he himself made himself deprived of these joys...!!"
Naina (seeing Arin's point): "I know, Arin, I know everything... and I understand... but I don't know why... but Arin, I often think that what Mr. Agnihotri did in the past... the consequences of those mistakes... it is a bigger punishment that he remains deprived of Aaranshi's truth... I mean, it's not fair that they get punished for it!!"
Arun (standing up with an angry tone): "I am not God, Naina... I am not God... and I am not so great... that I can forgive everything... and go and tell them about Aaranshi's truth... I am not that great..." (recalling the pain of the past)....."What happened, it was all written by fate... and more than fate... it was all written by Mr. Agnihotri... and Mr. Agnihotri himself is responsible for his situation... if he is away from his daughter... deprived of her love... then he himself is responsible... I am not responsible... I am not responsible!!"
Naina (standing up and looking into Arin's eyes): "If that's really the case... then why do I often see guilt in your eyes... that you have separated a father from his daughter... that you have deprived a daughter of her father's love... why do I see this guilt in your eyes... tell me, Arin, why??"
Arun (turning her face to another side): "There is nothing like that!!"
Naina (looking at Arin): "Of course, you can wear a mask of seriousness on your face in front of the world... try to cover your expressions and emotions with your indifference... but in front of me, you are still the same Arin from five years ago... who can't hide anything from me... because your eyes tell that truth... which maybe your tongue will never say...!!"
Arun (cutting Naina's words): "I don't want to talk about this anymore... please!!"
Naina (taking a deep breath after listening to Arin's words): "Okay... I just said what I thought was better... what I feel... otherwise, you are free to take any decisions about your life... and Aaranshi's... I won't force you to make any decision... and one more thing, remember... no matter what the situation is... or what the circumstances are... or whatever your decision is... I was always with you... and I will always be with you until my last breath... I just told you my opinion!!"
Naina left from there... and Arin thought about Naina's words... still looking worried... her eyes were closed tightly... At this moment, many things were swirling in her mind... which she couldn't even think about... and maybe she didn't want to see the answer. And while thinking about all these things... she unknowingly felt some tears rolling down her cheeks. From noon to evening... and from evening to night... but Arin's worries and thoughts still hadn't subsided. Arin was lying with Aaranshi in her arms... but she was far from sleep... and she was trapped in a whirlpool of her own thoughts. She came out of this whirlpool when she heard Aaranshi's voice.
Aaranshi (looking at Arin): "Mama, are you also not sleeping??"
Arun (stroking Aaranshi's head): "No, beta... not sleeping... and you?"
Aaranshi (with innocence): "No... I slept in the afternoon, that's why I'm not sleeping now... but why aren't you sleeping? You didn't sleep in the afternoon either?"
Arun (kissing Aaranshi's head): "Just like that..." (pausing)....."I'll sleep now!!"
Aaranshi (looking at Arin): "Yes..." (remaining silent for a few moments)....."Mama, I want to ask you something??"
Arun (stroking Aaranshi's head): "Yes, ask me, my dear??"
Aaranshi (sitting up with innocent seriousness): "Mama, everyone asks me in school... I also get angry!!"
Arun (looking at Aaranshi): "What do they all ask, beta... and why do you get angry??"
Aaranshi (looking at Arin with innocent seriousness): "The same... that why don't I have a father like everyone else..."
Arun's face suddenly turned pale when she first heard this question from Aaranshi...!!!!
Meanwhile, when Ridhansh reached Palak's school, he saw her and Nymaa both lit up with joy. Palak saw Ridhansh coming in the corridor and ran towards him excitedly, releasing Nymaa's hand. Ridhansh, seeing her approach, opened his arms and welcomed her. Palak jumped into his arms, excited and happy. Ridhansh hugged her and kissed her forehead.
"I knew you'd come," Palak said excitedly. "You never break your promises. I knew you'd come to meet me."
"Most welcome," Ridhansh replied, kissing her small hands.
Nymaa joined them, and Ridhansh hugged her.
"You surprised us, brother," Nymaa said with a smile. "You didn't even tell us you were coming."
"How could I not come?" Ridhansh replied, looking at Palak's smiling face. "I promised Palak I would."
Siddharth, Nymaa, and Palak headed to the parent-teacher meeting. All the teachers couldn't help but stare at Ridhansh. They looked at him with longing eyes, as if he were a beautiful dream.
On the other side, Arru's conversation with Aaranshi left her confused. Aaranshi kept asking about her father, and Arru's face showed fear and anxiety. As Aaranshi walked away, Arru called out her name.
When Arru came to her senses, she realized she was still in her room, and it was all just a dream. Aaranshi was still sitting beside her.
The next moment, Aaranshi asked Arru what was wrong. Arru explained it was just a bad dream.
Ridhansh attended the parent-teacher meeting at Palak's school and then headed to Nymaa and Aniket's mansion. He announced that he had to leave for Mumbai. Nymaa asked him to stay, but Ridhansh had to attend an urgent meeting.
The next day, Arru and Karn left for Mumbai. Upon arrival, Arru learned that Prince was hosting a party, and she had to attend.
At the party, Ridhansh arrived and became the center of attention. He was accompanied by Daksh and Prisha. Arru and Karn also arrived at the party. Arru wore a simple yet stylish black saree.
As Prisha watched Arru, she tried to approach her, but someone stopped her. It was Tanmay, and he had a charming smile on his face. Ridhansh appeared and told Prisha that he had invited Tanmay.
Ridhansh conveyed to Prisha that he couldn't let her continue playing with her life. He needed a positive response from her, and that was final. With that, Ridhansh moved on, leaving Prisha worried and confused.
Ridhans broke into Prisha's conversation, saying sternly, "As much time as you needed... I've given you much more than that... Now I can't let you play with your life anymore..." He paused for a moment and then said, "So, it's better if you make your own decision... And remember, Prishu, this time I only need a positive response from you..."
Ridhans took a step forward. Prisha watched him go, feeling worried and confused. She had no idea how to handle the situation. As Ridhans took a few steps forward, his eyes landed on Aru, who was entering with Karun.
Ridhans's expression changed as he gazed at Aru, and then his eyes landed on Karun and the men surrounding them. He noticed the way they were looking at Aru, and his expression turned stern and angry.
The men couldn't help but stare at Aru, who exuded confidence, boldness, and a deadly expression. Ridhans's anger seemed to be directed at the way they were looking at Aru.
Karun, on the other hand, was thrilled to be walking with Aru. As they passed by, people started whispering to each other, speculating about Aru and Karun's relationship.
Aru ignored them and continued walking. Karun seemed to be on cloud nine, enjoying the attention. Meanwhile, Ridhans moved on, leaving Prisha still standing there, lost in thought.
Just then, Tanmay approached Prisha. "I'm sorry, Prisha," he said. "I have an urgent matter to attend to. I'll meet you at home, I promise!"
Prisha smiled and nodded. "It's okay, Tanmay. You can go."
Tanmay smiled back and left. Prisha and Tanmay had completed their internship together, and Tanmay had developed feelings for Prisha. However, Prisha still had feelings for her first love, Tom, and was hesitant to commit to Tanmay.
Ridhans had already decided to finalize Tanmay and Prisha's relationship. Tanmay had moved to Canada for his studies and business but had recently returned to India.
As the party began, everyone was having a great time. Daksh was chatting with Aru and Karun. Prisha and Shanaya arrived, and Ridhans was standing alone, lost in his own world.
Shanaya approached Ridhans, who was standing with a drink in his hand, his other hand in his pocket. She tried to get his attention, but he ignored her.
Shanaya was used to Ridhans's behavior and knew that he was aloof and distant. She decided to break the silence. "For your kind information," she said, "there's a party going on here!"
Ridhans replied without looking at her, "Did I say it was a funeral?"
Shanaya raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so weird? Can't you behave like a normal person?"
Ridhans put down his glass and turned to Shanaya, his eyes locked on hers. Shanaya's heart skipped a beat as she gazed at him.
"You know that I only tolerate your nonsense for one reason," Ridhans said. "If that reason didn't exist, I would have sent you packing from Mumbai by now!"
Shanaya looked at him in surprise. "That's so rude!"
Ridhans replied, "Officers like me say things like that."
Shanaya smiled. "In your love, I forgive your tone!"
Ridhans gave her a tough look and started to walk away. Shanaya quickly grabbed his arm, stopping him.
Ridhans glared at her, and Shanaya made an innocent face. Aru, who was watching from a distance, felt a pang in her heart as she saw Shanaya holding Ridhans's arm.
Just then, Karun took the stage and started singing. He walked over to Aru and took her hand, leading her to the dance floor.
As Karun sang, his voice filled with emotion, Aru couldn't help but feel a connection to the lyrics. She closed her eyes and let the music take over.
The song was about love and longing. Karun's voice was mesmerizing, and Aru felt herself getting lost in the moment.
Shanaya couldn't resist joining in. She started singing along, her voice blending with Karun's.
Ridhans's frustration grew as he watched Shanaya and Aru singing together. He walked towards the dance floor, his eyes fixed on Aru.
As he reached the dance floor, Karun let go of Aru's hand, and Ridhans quickly took her place. Aru felt a jolt as Ridhans's hands wrapped around her waist.
Their eyes met, and Aru could sense the intensity and emotion behind Ridhans's gaze. She tried to push him away, but he held her tight.
The music was still playing, and the crowd was cheering. Ridhans and Aru were lost in their own world, their emotions clashing.
It was clear that Ridhans still had strong feelings for Aru, and Aru couldn't deny the connection between them.
The situation was becoming increasingly complicated, and it seemed like things were about to escalate.
Aru glared at Ridansh, her eyes warning him, "Don't mess with me." She had issued her silent warning and now extended her hands to loosen Ridansh's grip on her. But did Ridansh really care about her warning or her anger? Or did Ridansh have something else in mind today? No, absolutely not. This was evident not only in his expression but also in his actions.
As Aru, with a stern expression, reached out to free herself from Ridansh's grip again, Ridansh's action stopped her midway. She looked at Ridansh with surprise. For a few moments, she continued to stare at him blankly, her expression unreadable.
In reality, Ridansh's sole purpose in coming onto the dance floor was that his gaze had suddenly fallen on the back of Aru's blouse. The zipper was almost open, and Aru had no idea. Karan, who was dancing with her, was lost in his own world. But before Aru's blouse zipper could open completely, Ridansh, arriving at the opportune moment, had saved her from public embarrassment and shame. He held Aru in his embrace and, before anyone could notice, fastened her blouse zipper. When Aru realized this due to Ridansh's action, she looked at Ridansh with surprise and a mix of emotions. Perhaps, somewhere in a corner of her heart, she felt regret for misunderstanding Ridansh, when in reality, he had saved her from public humiliation. But the very next moment, upon hearing Ridansh's words, her stern expression returned to her face.
Ridansh (looking at Aru): "Just as your tongue runs 24/7, if you kept your brain and senses open, you could save yourself from becoming a victim of many major incidents!"
Aru (sternly): "Thank you for your favor, which I will repay very soon!"
Ridansh (with a sarcastic smile): "A favor, really? Your expression and tone suggest otherwise!"
Aru (seriously): "I said I will repay your favor when the time comes, and I will. Now leave me!"
Ridansh (tightening his grip on Aru, pulling her closer): "I am not your f***ing servant to follow your orders. I do everything of my own will, so don't you dare to give me orders!"
Aru wanted to say a lot and would have retorted to Ridansh in his own language, but her gaze unexpectedly fell on the hundreds of people present, most of whom were staring at them. Aru absolutely did not want to get into unnecessary controversy because of Ridansh or his actions. Therefore, without saying anything, maintaining a neutral expression on her face, swallowing her anger, she was trying to free herself from Ridansh's hold silently, avoiding the eyes of the people. And Ridansh, somewhere, understood the reason for her silence. That's why he was also sticking to his stubbornness – or rather, just refusing to acknowledge what Aru had said. Aru was trying, and so was Ridansh.
Just then, after a few moments, the dance floor lights dimmed once again. This time, the DJ played a song – or rather, it was not wrong to say the song was played – and this was the doing of the one and only Daksh, whose gaze had been fixed on Ridansh and Aru for a long time. He wanted both of them to spend as much time together as possible, even if it was with arguments. Because Daksh believed that no matter how big the resentment, when two people are together, spending time together, the chances of their resentment reducing are higher. Because seeing each other close, all their anger, resentment, irritation starts to come out slowly, and with all this coming out, only love remains between them. And this is the rule Daksh wanted to try on Ridansh and Aru today.
He wanted them to do whatever they wanted, just give each other time. At Daksh's behest, the DJ started the song, and Daksh's guess was absolutely correct: Aru would insist on freeing herself from Ridansh's grip, and Ridansh wouldn't let her go due to his stubbornness. In their stubbornness, his plan to bring them closer would be fully supported, and he would also benefit from it. And indeed, something like this happened. As soon as the DJ started the song, Aru struggled to leave, but Ridansh maintained his grip exactly as it was. After a few moments, Ridansh slightly loosened his grip on Aru, but before Aru could move even an inch, he firmly held both her hands and placed them on his shoulders.
Then, holding her by her slender waist with both his hands, he started moving Aru's feet along with his own to the beat of the music. Because of how strongly Ridansh held Aru, even though she didn't want to, she was moving to his cues. Her helplessness and frustration were that she couldn't openly retort to Ridansh in front of so many people. Seeing so many eyes on her, Aru, suppressing her anger, was matching Ridansh's rhythm, or rather, she was being forced to do so. The song had started, and with it, the couples on the dance floor began to move their feet, among whom the most sizzling-hot were Aru and Ridansh. Even amidst so many people, their dance moves made them even more attractive and the center of attraction.
There's something special, something close
Some unfamiliar feelings
Some distances, some closeness
Some lonely moments that smiled
Is this infatuation?
Is this trust?
Perhaps this is love
Perhaps it is love
Is this spring, is this anticipation?
Perhaps this is love, perhaps it is love.
(Looking into her eyes, Ridansh spun her around two or three times and pulled her back into his embrace. But this time, Aru's back was against Ridansh's chest, and Ridansh's hands were holding Aru's hands, resting on her stomach. Both their feet were continuously moving to the beat.)
Some melodies awakened that were asleep
Words are lost in silent intoxication
Only glances understand all this conversation
Some desire has stretched sweetly
Is this infatuation? Is this trust?
Perhaps this is love
Perhaps it is love
There is no denial
No acceptance
Perhaps this is love, perhaps it is love.
(When the beat changed, Ridansh spun Aru once again, lifted her, and with her in his arms, performed a captivating move. One by one, all the couples on the dance floor stopped, and they, along with everyone else, were mesmerized watching these two dance together, looking absolutely perfect, made for each other. If the situation were completely normal, Aru would have been ecstatic and proud of her luck that people were crazy for a glimpse of him, and with whom she had been waiting for such a dance for a long time, showing everyone that the one she desired from afar was hers alone!)
And today, it would have undoubtedly been a dream come true for her, but unfortunately, neither were the circumstances like that, nor perhaps were Aru's desires the same as before. Anyway, as the beat changed, Ridansh changed his move again. This time, spinning Aru, he brought her back into his embrace, put both her arms around his neck, and placed both his hands on Aru's waist. Once again, to the song, both their feet began to move.
What can I say about my non-interference?
Show the heart, a reflection of the heart
This was my condition from the heart
How this loss feels like a victory
Why this call?
Why this restlessness?
Perhaps this is love
Perhaps it is love
Magic is overpowering
No control
Perhaps this is love, perhaps it is love!!!!
On the last beat of the song, Ridansh rolled Aru onto his arm, leaning her downwards, holding her waist with his left hand and her right hand with his right hand. Aru held Ridansh's shoulder with her other hand. As the beat ended, for a few moments, both of them, forgetting everything around them, gazed deeply into each other's eyes in silence. Their reverie broke only when the applause of the people and the enthusiastic cheers to encourage them reached their ears. While some people were happy and excited seeing this hot couple, some were irritated, some had a normal reaction, and some were completely shocked – especially for Ridansh, because his aura and personality had made people perceive him in such a way that if he reacted like normal people, it would be a wonder for them.
And everyone knew that Ridansh never paid attention to any girl, and after his marriage, such an expectation was out of the question. Therefore, today, seeing him dance with Aru, whom they didn't know, many people were shocked, surprised, and confused. Some girls were envious of Aru's luck, and some boys were envious of Ridansh's luck. And apart from all this, there were two people who were secretly jealous seeing the proximity of Aru and Ridansh, for whom their togetherness, their closeness, for some unknown reason, was very jarring. And they were Karan and Shanaya. But they didn't even know half the truth yet, the revelation of which would surely shake them from their foundations.
As soon as the shouts and cheers of the people reached Aru and Ridansh's ears, both of them stood straight and moved away from each other as if they had received a 440-volt shock simultaneously. Aru ignored the gaze of everyone and quickly stepped down from the dance floor. Aru stood near the counter. Many thoughts and ideas were racing through her mind at that moment. She closed her eyes for a moment and normalized her fluctuating emotions and feelings. As she was about to move away from there, an unknown voice reached her ears.
Person (looking at Aru): "If I am not wrong, you are Ridansh's ex-wife? Umm... (after a moment of thought)... Aarna... Aarna Kapoor?"
When Aru heard the person's question, for a moment, she looked at the person standing beside her with an uncomfortable expression. The person was between 35 to 40 years old, with a glass of Scotch in one hand and the other hand in his pant pocket. His face clearly showed his eagerness to know Aru's answer. Aru looked intently at the person's face for a few moments, trying to recall if she had met this person before. Or if she knew this person in any way. After a few moments, when Aru was sure, she finally broke her silence in a serious tone.
Aru (looking at the person): "I don't think I have seen you anywhere or know you. (pausing for a moment) So who are you?"
When the person heard Aru's question, a sly, sharp smile settled on his lips.
Aru looked at the man and said, "I don't think I've seen you anywhere before..... or I know you..... (pausing for a moment)..... So, who are you???"
The man listened to Aru's question, looked at her with strange, sly eyes for a moment, and then a sly smile appeared on his lips.
The man said with a sly smile, "Well, that's not an answer to my question!!"
Aru looked at the man with full confidence and said, "And if I say I don't think it's necessary for me to answer you??"
The man said with a sharp smile, "When I first saw you as Mr. Agnihotri's wife..... I didn't think you had a tongue in your mouth..... I mean, at that time, you seemed like a shy, scared, cute little girl..... But today, you seem like fire..... which attracts anyone and sends its heat to their heart and mind without much effort..... (pausing for a moment and stretching his hand towards Aru)..... Well, I'm Mithilesh.... Mithilesh Khurana..... the owner of Khurana Industries!!"
Aru glanced at Mithilesh's hand, then immediately fixed her sharp gaze on him, completely ignoring Mithilesh's extended hand.
Aru said, looking at Mithilesh with sharp eyes, "Don't forget, Mr. Kumar's fire doesn't just give heat.... it also burns to ashes if you try to go beyond your limits or play with it..... So, it's better for you..... to stay as far away from this fire as possible!!!"
Mithilesh looked at Aru with a sharp smile and said, "Well, I'm impressed..... I like it..... your attitude..... (pausing for a moment)..... I don't know..... what kind of stones fell on that arrogant Ridansh Agnihotri's mind..... that he threw away his life with his talented, beautiful, and attractive wife..... But don't worry, I'm here!!!"
Aru's face turned red with anger when she heard Mithilesh's words, and she clenched her fists. Somewhere, she had recognized the cheap meaning behind Mithilesh's words and his cheap gaze.
Mithilesh said, changing his tone, "I mean, I have a great appreciation for talent, and I don't want to see the talent of a lady like you wasted..... (pulling out his card from his pocket)..... This is my card..... you're welcome anytime!!!"
Aru looked at Mithilesh, took the card from his hand, and then looked back at him with sharp eyes, her face clearly showing her anger and confidence.
Aru said with a sarcastic tone, "It seems you're not only a good businessman but also a philanthropist..... and you've reached here by doing charity work and helping people..... isn't that right, Mrs. Khurana???"
Mithilesh said, "No, it's not like that..... it's just my duty..... and....."
Aru interrupted Mithilesh and said sternly, "So, tell me, how and where will you utilize my talent..... (pausing for a moment)..... will it be enough in your office cabin..... or do I need to come to your bedroom to complete your work???"
Mithilesh's face became uneasy as he listened to Aru's bold words, and he looked around, fearing that those nearby might have heard.
Aru continued, "Get this out of your dirty and filthy mind..... that a single woman is an opportunity for a man..... which cheap and fallen people like you can take advantage of whenever they want..... And if your body and mind are burning so much..... then there are many opportunities and people in the market who will pay you for your cheap money..... And if that's not enough..... then there's the best idea..... to turn your home into a market..... and auction yourself to satisfy your lust!!!"
As Aru finished speaking, she started walking away, but then stopped and turned back to Mithilesh.
Aru said in a warning tone, "And one more thing, get this into your small brain..... what happened in my personal life..... and what my relationship is with Mr. Agnihotri..... you're nobody to me..... I don't have to tell you anything..... so stay in your limits..... (pausing for a moment with a sarcastic tone)..... and I hope that after this respect, you won't make the mistake of coming in my way or clashing with me again!!!"
As Aru walked away, Mithilesh bit his teeth in anger, watching people's gaze on him. Meanwhile, Karn stopped Aru and took her hand, pulling her aside.
Karn said, "What happened, Aru? Did something happen??"
Aru thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "No..... don't worry, everything is fine!!!"
Karn looked at Mithilesh from a distance and said, "I saw you talking to Mr. Verma..... and I'm sure that man must have said something nonsense to you..... because you weren't angry like this before..... But I reached there just in time, and you had already left..... (pausing for a moment)..... But if he said anything nonsense, tell me..... I'll go and break his face!!"
Aru said normally, "Don't worry, Karn..... I know how to answer people like him in their own language..... and you know I can handle people like him!!!"
Karn said with concern, "But Aru....."
Aru interrupted Karn and said, "If I ever need your help..... I promise I'll let you know..... but for now, I'm fine..... so don't worry..... and change the topic!!"
Karn smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am, as you wish..... (pausing for a moment)..... By the way, I told you that you look extremely beautiful today!!!"
Aru looked ahead and said normally, "From home to here, you've told me that at least a dozen times!!!"
Karn scratched his head and said, "What can I do, you're so gorgeous..... I just can't stop complimenting you!!"
Aru didn't respond to Karn's words. After a few moments of Karn staring at her, Aru broke her silence.
Aru said without looking at Karn, "Stop staring at me, Karn..... it's weird!!"
Karn closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "I want to say something to you, Aru!"
Aru opened her eyes and said, "Karn....."
Karn interrupted Aru and said, "Don't say anything, Aru..... please..... just let me say it..... I took a lot of courage to say this today..... please..... just let me say it!!"
Aru crossed her fingers and thought to herself, "Please..... don't say anything, Karn..... please don't..... I don't want to hurt you at all!!"
Karn took a deep breath and said, "Aru, I want to say that I....."
Just as Karn was about to finish his sentence, his phone rang. Karn let out a frustrated sigh and pulled out his phone to check the screen. On the other side, Ridansh was standing with Shreya after Aru left the dance floor. For a few moments, Ridansh was surprised by his actions, wondering why he had danced with Aru. As he came down, Shreya blocked his path.
Ridansh said in a warning tone, "Don't mess with me right now..... or you'll be responsible for the consequences!!"
Shreya made an innocent face and said, "What did I do that you're behaving so rudely..... I just wanted to dance with you..... that's it!!"
Ridansh said sternly, "I told you..... stay away from me!!!"
As Ridansh was about to walk away, Shreya hurriedly stopped him, and her heel got stuck in her own gown, making a strange sound.
Shreya's eyes widened in surprise when she realized what had happened, and she quickly stood by a nearby pillar. Ridansh noticed that Shreya's gown had torn because of her heel getting stuck. He looked at her with irritation.
Ridansh said with irritation, "I don't know..... why people carry such useless dresses in the name of fashion..... which they can't even handle!!"
Ridansh was annoyed by Aru and Shreya's carelessness with their clothes. But when he saw Shreya's panicked face, he tried to control his frustration and comfort her in his own way.
Ridansh said without any emotion, "It's okay..... it's not a big deal..... it happens accidentally!!"
Shreya made a sad face and said, "But how can I..... in front of all these people....."
Ridansh took off his coat and gave it to Shreya, saying without any emotion, "Wear it..... and then go fix your dress!!"
Shreya took Ridansh's coat, put it on immediately, and then left.
Shreya said as she left, "But I don't know where the restroom is???"
Ridansh glared at her and said, "Did God give you a mouth and a tongue..... go find out!!"
Shreya said with a complaint, "Don't be so heartless..... at least have some consideration and care..... that I'm a girl..... and how can I go alone to an unfamiliar place like this..... think for yourself..... is it safe for me to go there???"
Ridansh thought for a moment, then said with frustrated emotions, "Fine..... hurry up!!"
Shreya saw Ridansh agree to her request and a cute smile appeared on her lips. Ridansh glanced at her for a moment, then ignored her and walked ahead. Shreya quickly followed him. Meanwhile, Karn saw the number on the screen and, after a moment's hesitation, received the call. As soon as Karn picked up the call and heard the person on the other side, his face changed suddenly.
As soon as Karan picked up the call and heard the other end, his face suddenly turned pale. After listening to the call, feelings like nervousness, restlessness, fear, and tension emerged on Karan's face all at once.
Karan (speaking on the phone in a hurry): "I... I'm coming right away... I'll reach there as soon as possible... Just manage everything there!"
After saying this, Karan quickly ended the call. Aru saw the worry and restlessness on his face and broke her silence, expressing her concern.
Aru (looking at Karan with a worried tone): "What's wrong, Karan? Is everything okay?"
Karan (with worried and nervous emotions, rubbing his palms on his face): "No... Arju, it's... it's Dad... Dad had a heart attack!"
Aru (with surprise): "What?? But how and when?"
Karan (with worry and panic, rubbing his palms on his face): "I don't know how this happened... It was his manager's call... He told me that on the way back from the office, Dad's health suddenly deteriorated... and they took him to the hospital... and he's there now... and they're treating him!"
Aru (trying to console Karan): "Just relax, Karan. Everything will be fine. Mr. Singhaniya will be absolutely fine!"
Aru saw the persistent panic, worry, and fear on Karan's face and tried to console him by holding his hand, attempting to comfort him like a good friend.
Aru (trying to console Karan): "Don't worry, Karan. Everything will be alright. Nothing will happen to Mr. Singhaniya!"
Karan (with a little moisture in his eyes): "Dad is everything to me, Arju. He's not just my dad; he's my mom, my friend, my whole world. If anything happens to him... I won't be able to live, Arju!"
Aru (strengthening her grip on Karan's hand): "Trust me, Karan. Everything will be fine. Nothing will happen to Mr. Singhaniya... (pausing) And if you panic like this... how will you take care of him?"
Karan (looking at Arju with innocent and hopeful eyes): "He'll definitely be okay, right, Arju?"
Aru (blinking her eyes): "Yes, of course. He'll be fine. You just prepare to leave quickly. I'll book tickets for both of us. I'll also come with you!"
Karan (shaking his head): "No, Arju. You need to stay here right now. I'll go there. You take care here!"
Aru (with concern): "But Karan, you don't seem okay to me. How will you manage alone? How will you go? I'll come with you!"
Karan (trying to calm down): "Don't worry, Arju. I'm fine. I'll manage everything. I'll go!"
Aru (frowning): "Are you sure, Karan? You'll go? No problem if I come. I can come back on the next flight!"
Karan (shaking his head): "No... you stay here. It's more necessary for you to be here. I'll manage everything!"
Aru (nodding her head): "Alright then. I'll book your tickets. You go and take care. And as soon as you reach there, give me an update!"
Karan (nodding his head): "Yes!"
Aru then called her manager and asked him to book a ticket for Karan. After that, she came out to the parking area to see Karan off.
Aru (looking at Karan): "Take care, Karan. And don't worry, everything will be fine!"
Karan (looking at Arju): "Yes... (pausing) But how will you go home alone? I'll stay a bit longer and drop you home, then I'll leave for the airport!"
Aru (shaking her head): "No, I have a car. Don't worry, I'll go. And there's a meeting with Party and Prince; we can't predict how long it'll take... so don't delay. You go. I'll go home comfortably!"
Karan (nodding his head): "Okay, Arju. But as soon as you reach home, send me a message!"
Aru (nodding her head): "Yes, and take care!"
Karan (giving Arju a side hug): "Yes, and you too!"
Karan then took a taxi from there and directly headed to the airport. Meanwhile, Arju reluctantly returned to the party. Arjun ran her eyes all around but perhaps the person she wanted to see wasn't present there. Arju saw from a little distance that Daksh was also busy talking to some people, so she didn't think it was appropriate to disturb him. Prisha wasn't present there either. After some time, Arju sat on a chair in the corner, watching the people at the party and checking the time on her watch, hoping the party would end soon and she could leave.
On the other side, Ridansh left Shnaya outside the restroom and was going away when Shnaya once again showered emotional dialogues on him, and Ridansh got annoyed and told her to come out quickly. Then he stood by the railing, looking outside. Shnaya smiled and went inside. Meanwhile, Mithilesh, who was burning inside after being humiliated by Arju, was looking for an opportunity. He had already decided in his mind that he would avenge the insult he faced from Arju and give her a befitting reply, making her regret it for life.
However, his intentions towards Arju had already turned bad; now he just needed a reason. With this feeling, Mithilesh called one of the waiters present there, gave him a bundle of 500 rupee notes, and handed him a pouch, pointing towards Arju sitting in the corner. The waiter kept the money in his pocket, nodded his head, and with a glance, mixed the pouch into a glass of orange juice and slowly moved towards Arju with the glass. When the waiter approached, Arju realized her throat was dry and she was thirsty, so she took the glass without a second thought and as soon as she brought the glass to her lips, a poisonous smile floated on Mithilesh's lips.
Arju started sipping the juice while watching the people at the party. Slowly, after some time, Arju finished the juice. As soon as the juice was finished, Arju started feeling something strange. She felt that due to the crowd and heat, she was perhaps feeling dizzy, so she got up from her place and sat in front of the AC. However, with every passing moment, Arju's unease and restlessness increased.
When Arju felt extremely uneasy, she got up and moved outside. She thought that maybe the open air would make her feel better. As soon as Arju stepped out, Mithilesh saw her and followed her from a distance, hiding from her sight. He stood behind a pillar, waiting for the right moment.
Mithilesh (thinking angrily): "Why is it taking so long to take effect? I hope no one comes and ruins my plan... (pausing) No, no, it won't happen. It's just a matter of some time. Then I'll succeed in my goal!"
Just as Mithilesh thought, it happened. Arju's head started spinning, her eyes started blurring, and despite trying her best, she couldn't keep her eyes open. She could only see a blur.
Arju's legs also started giving up, so she sat by the stairs, supporting herself against the wall. Seeing this, a poisonous smile appeared on Mithilesh's lips, and he slowly approached Arju, ready to pounce.
In a half-unconscious state, when Arju felt an unknown touch, she tried to see his face with the little strength she had left, but unfortunately, all she could see was a blur. Mithilesh stretched his hand again to lift Arju, which Arju shook off. This time, Mithilesh caught Arju's arm tightly and lifted her into his lap.
Even in this intoxicated state, Arju felt this unknown touch extremely disgusting and impure. However, at this moment, she was helpless as her brain and body weren't supporting her. Unknowingly, Arju's lips uttered Ridansh's name.
Arju (in a daze, mumbling): "Rid...Agnihotri!!"
Mithilesh brought Arju to his car a little later. He had already bought the parking guards, so he didn't face any difficulty. As he placed Arju on the seat, Mithilesh's eyes sparkled with lustful greed at the sight of Arju's beauty in this intoxicated state.
He thought of fulfilling his evil intentions and tried to touch Arju disgustingly. As soon as Mithilesh touched her with his lascivious eyes and touch, Arju shook off his hand again. Seeing this, Mithilesh got annoyed.
Arju (in a weak voice, trying her best to keep her eyes open): "Do...don't...don't...touch...me..."
Mithilesh (grasping Arju's jaw tightly): "Just a little more... then after that, all your arrogance and pride will be on the tip of my shoe... (pausing) You have insulted me so much today... tonight, I will humiliate you so much that you will regret it for life... Your image will be ruined... (with a poisonous smile) You've made a wrong move, darling. I'm sorry you won't have a chance to regret it!"
As soon as Mithilesh finished saying this, he slammed the door shut and as he turned to sit on the driver's seat, his feathers were ruffled. The worldly shock and fear suddenly appeared on Mithilesh's face when he saw Ridansh standing in front of him. The deadly and stern expression on Ridansh's face made Mithilesh's world crumble. His eyes were wide with fear, and his heart was pounding in his chest. Seeing Ridansh in front of him made all his courage and conspiracy evaporate in an instant, and his entire plan now threatened his own life.
Mithilesh (with a nervous tone): "I...I...I was just...helping...I swear...I was just..."
Before Mithilesh could even finish his sentence, Ridansh punched him straight in the face with his angry, red eyes, and just one punch from Ridansh was enough to ruin Mithilesh. Only God knows what the cost would be for waking up the sleeping lion's anger!
For Mithilesh, just one punch from Ridansh was enough to ruin his plans. And only God knew what price Mithilesh would have to pay for fanning the flames of anger of the sleeping lion. With one punch from Ridansh, Mithilesh fell straight to the ground. And that punch was so powerful that for a few moments, Mithilesh saw birds flying around his head, and for a few moments, darkness engulfed his eyes. But before the hangover of Ridansh's punch could wear off his head, Ridansh caught him by the collar and hit him again with a powerful punch on his face. And then, as if Ridansh had rained punches on the wretched Mithilesh, one after another. And each punch of Ridansh felt like a hammer to Mithilesh. And the fact was that Ridansh was far more powerful and strong than him in every matter. Ridansh kept hitting Mithilesh on the face until he had completely ruined his face and blood started gushing from his nose and mouth.
At this moment, it was clear from Ridansh's expressions alone that his anger was at its peak. And his anger was so high that he couldn't see anything around him except that this wretched person had tried to touch Aru. At the moment when Ridansh saw his hands holding Aru, his blood had boiled with anger. Ridansh was standing outside the restroom, holding onto the railing, busy on his phone. He was not just busy; he was getting frustrated. That's why he asked Prisha to come there. Prisha immediately agreed and hung up.
A moment later, when Aru called out his name, he felt a sensation in his heart, as if someone dear to him had called out. And his thoughts immediately turned to Aru. As soon as he turned to the other side of the railing and looked around, his eyes suddenly fell on Mithilesh, who seemed to be taking Aru away. And that was it; Ridansh's patience was over. And then Prisha, who had just arrived, told her to stay there and then left in a hurry, filled with anger.
Ridansh's anger was already high; after reaching there and hearing Mithilesh's wretched words, Ridansh's volcano of anger was bound to erupt. And it was inevitable that Mithilesh would be devastated by Ridansh's storm of anger. Tom and some guards of Ridansh arrived there at the same time. They tried to intervene, but Ridansh showed them his palm and ordered them to stay there. And as soon as he received the order, Tom and the rest of the guards stood there silently with their hands folded.
After that, Ridansh continued to hit Mithilesh until he fell unconscious. Although Mithilesh had fallen to the ground with just a few punches from Ridansh. Even after Mithilesh became unconscious, Ridansh did not stop; Tom took a few steps forward.
"Tom (with his hands folded and in great respect): Boss, he's unconscious. If you keep hitting him like this, he'll die!"
Ridansh heard Tom's words, closed his eyes for a moment, controlled his emotions and anger, and distanced himself from Mithilesh with great difficulty. He removed the sweat from his forehead, which was stuck to his forehead due to perspiration. There was sweat on his forehead, his eyes were red with anger, and his face was burning with anger. If anyone, even a child or a person with a delicate heart, saw him in this state, they would undoubtedly tremble at his anger.
For a few moments, Ridansh stood with his hand on the car's bonnet, trying to control and normalize his anger. A few moments later, when Ridansh opened his eyes, he saw Aru's glimpse through the car window. And when his eyes fell on her face, he felt some peace in a corner of his heart. But his anger was still intact. Eventually, he broke his silence.
"Ridansh (looking at Tom with anger and a dangerous tone): Tom?"
"Tom (bowing his head with folded hands): What do you say, boss?"
"Ridansh (crushing his teeth while looking at Mithilesh): Give this gutter worm such respect and treatment that he doesn't even get up from his bed for the next six months. And whenever he uses his hands, which he used to fulfill his dirty intentions, he remembers what sin he committed and what punishment he received for it. Tom, it's your responsibility that he doesn't even move from his bed for the next six months!"
"Tom (with complete determination): Don't worry, boss, it will be exactly as you said!"
"Ridansh (with a blank expression): But remember one thing, he should stay alive, and he should regret being alive every moment and crying blood for his wretched actions!"
"Tom (nodding his head): It will be so, boss!"
"Ridansh (without any emotion): Now you can go!"
"Tom (nodding his head): Yes, boss!!!"
After that, Tom signaled to the guards, and they lifted Mithilesh and put him in a car, and then they all left with Tom. After they left, Ridansh walked towards Mithilesh's car and opened the door to see Aru, who was lying unconscious. Ridansh bent down to pick her up and, for a moment, his eyes lingered on her face, and he gazed at her innocence.
But then, in the next moment, he shook off his thoughts and bent down to lift Aru into his arms and moved towards his car. The driver saw Ridansh coming and quickly opened the door. But Ridansh asked the driver to open the front door, and the driver quickly opened it. Ridansh carefully placed Aru in the car, fastened her seatbelt, and closed the door.
"Ridansh (looking at the driver and stretching out his hand): Give me the keys; I'll drive myself!"
The driver handed over the keys to Ridansh as soon as he heard the order.
"Ridansh (looking at the driver without any emotion): You, along with Prisha and Daksh's car, go back home. I have some work to do; I'll attend to it and then come back!"
"Driver (nodding his head): Okay, master!"
After that, Ridansh sat on the driving seat and started the car without delay. While driving, many thoughts were running in Ridansh's mind, only he knew what they were. But in between, his eyes kept falling on Aru's face. Ridansh was wondering why he had reacted this way, why he had gone crazy with anger, when usually he was someone who thought with a clear mind, even in the most difficult situations.
But today, when he saw Mithilesh taking Aru away, his mind was overwhelmed with anger. And if Tom hadn't intervened, he would have probably taken Mithilesh's life. A few moments later, Ridansh took a deep breath, shook off his thoughts, and focused on driving. After a while, Ridansh stopped his car outside a farmhouse that belonged to him. He didn't want to take Aru home for some reasons, and only he knew what those reasons were. Ridansh gave a honk, and the guard quickly opened the door, and Ridansh drove inside, and as he entered, the guard closed the door behind him.
Ridansh got out of the car and opened Aru's side door, removed her seatbelt, and lifted her into his arms. He took her inside. The farmhouse, like Ridansh's other properties, was incredibly beautiful, luxurious, and cozy. Ridansh took Aru to the bedroom, carefully laid her on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and then moved towards the bathroom. Often, when Ridansh wanted to be alone or needed some peace, he would come here and spend time alone.
After some time, Ridansh changed and came back to the room. He saw that Aru's sleeping face had changing expressions, and her forehead had lines of worry. Maybe she was having a bad dream. Ridansh sat beside her, and his fingers unintentionally touched her forehead. And as if by magic, Aru's worried lines disappeared, and her face became calm. For a moment, Ridansh tried to pull his hand back, but then, for some reason, he just sat there silently, looking at her.
As the night deepened, Ridansh also began to feel sleepy. A little while later, when he saw Aru still holding his hand, he lay down on the other side of the bed and eventually fell asleep. Throughout the night, his cautious sleep was interrupted several times when Aru moved from her place and reached close to Ridansh, snuggled up against him.
And finally, she fell asleep with her head on Ridansh's chest, tightly wrapped in his arms. When Ridansh saw her like that, old memories flashed before his eyes when everything was fine between them, and Aru would often sleep on his chest like this. Usually, Ridansh should have been irritated by Aru doing this, but for some reason, despite her doing it, Ridansh's face remained blank.
"Ridansh (looking at Aru sleeping on his chest): When she's awake, she spews venom, and now, in her unconscious state..."
Ridansh picked up his phone and did something on it, and then, taking a deep breath, he let go of his thoughts and fell asleep. His sleep opened when he saw Aru stirring in his arms. Ridansh saw Aru wriggling and, at this moment, whose face was clear of frustration and anger, but seeing that, Ridansh's expressions remained blank, and he got up from the bed without reacting and moved towards the bathroom.
But when Aru's words reached his ears, his footsteps stopped, and a moment later, he turned back with his usual swagger and hands in his pockets.
"Aru (standing up, angry): How dare you touch me?!"
"Ridansh (raising his eyebrows): Excuse me?!"
"Aru (with frustrated emotions): Don't pretend to be ignorant; why did you bring me here?"
"Ridansh (with his attitude): For your kind information, if I hadn't brought you here, you would have liked to see yourself dead by now!"
Aru heard Ridansh's words, and for a moment, her expressions changed, but since she didn't know anything, and nothing after the juice was remembered, her expressions became tough again.
"Aru (with a tough expression): Alright, I assumed you helped me, did me a favor, but why did you bring me here? And what's the point of sleeping in a bedroom, on a bed with you?"
Ridansh heard Aru's words, and with a blank expression but with attitude, he moved his steps towards Aru, who was standing a few feet away, and then, in the next moment, he pulled her close and trapped her in his arms and chest.
"Aru (trying to push Ridansh away with tough and determined expressions): I said let me go!"
"Ridansh (with challenging looks): Threatening me?"
"Aru (without hesitation): Yes, I am; so what?"
"Ridansh (with challenging looks): Then try me!"
"Aru (with deadly expressions): I said let me go!"
"Ridansh (with challenging looks): Or what?"
"Aru (with deadly expressions): Or maybe the next time it's not just a small trailer, and somehow your recklessness might affect your future!"
Ridansh heard Aru's words and, after some time, mocked her.
"Ridansh (in a mocking tone): Don't forget that it was you who slept clinging to me all night (raising his eyebrows)... and who knows if you were just sleeping or taking advantage of me..."
Aru heard Ridansh's words, and she clenched her fists, and seeing her expressions, a victorious smile spread across Ridansh's lips. But after some time, a clever smile appeared on Aru's lips.
"Aru (with a tight-lipped smile): Fine, I agree that you helped me, did a favor, and I was asleep, snuggled up close to you. And according to you, one wonders if I slept only or took advantage (pausing a moment), I accept all this; now give me a chance so I can repay your favor!"
Aru spoke and looked at Ridansh. He was good at understanding; Aru was not telling the truth, but still, she was keeping up appearances.
"Ridansh (looking at Aru with suspicious eyes): What do you want to do?"
Aru looked around the room, and then her eyes fell on her purse on the table. Aru moved towards it and picked it up. Aru once again stood before Ridansh and serious expression.
"Aru (looking serious and putting some cash from her purse on Ridansh's palm): That was done; thanks. Now, I'm repaying; it’s done. You stay away from my path!"
Ridansh gazed at Aru; she was doing something unexpected!
