Manmarziyan-The Lines of Fate (Chapter 7)

Hi there, how are u beautiful people? Got time this morning so finished the chapter and here it is pls do tell how it is. Am a little occupied this week but will try to find time to write and post soon. Love u all and enjoy.
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Chapter 7 – Hide And Seek

Birdsong
Arjun was watching Radhika from his cabin running around from one work station to the other busy doing God knows what. Lately she had taken into her already busy mind another special task of avoiding him. Miss Radhika or ‘Miss Nautanki’ as he liked to call her these days had become an expert in making silly excuses all in the name of avoiding him. He thought after their party special moment they can become friends atleast and he will get to tell her about his feelings but no instead she had become distant with him. She didn’t make her cocky comments infront of him anymore, she didn’t retort when he teased her and she didn’t even ask her stupid questions she just plainly avoided him and he hated it, he hated it from the bottom of his heart. He missed his old chirpy voice girl who had never failed to amaze him. He had to do something and fast, he saw a file on his table and got an idea, he smiled and called her to his cabin.

Radhika huffed at his call, the more she tries to avoid him the more he looks for excuses to talk to her. She took her notepad and entered his cabin. She didn’t find him on his chair, she heard the door being locked she turned back and saw him pulling down the blinds. She took an audible gulp “sir…. wha… what… what are u doing sir…. why did u lock the door and… ” she swallowed the rest of her words when he took a step towards her. Radhika nervously took a step back and Arjun smirked at her nervous face. He took another step foward and she took one back, step by step until she her back met with the table.

Arjun locked her on the table with both his hands “why are u avoiding me Radhika?”

Radhika:”am… am not avoiding u sir”

Arjun:”don’t lie Radhika…. even a blind person can tell that u are avoiding me…. and I want to know why” He stared her face then smiled “do I make u nervous Radhika?”

Radhika now alerted at his words spoke in a sharp voice “what?…. there is nothing like that…. u need to either get your eyes or your head checked…. and I recommend u get your head checked”

Arjun chuckled this was the Radhika he knew he leaned down to her face and she titled her head back “then why are u sweating in an AC room?” Radhika quickly wiped the sweat on her forehead with her palm and stared daggers at him. He just chuckled more “I do make u nervous…. is it because u have feelings for me Radhika?”

Radhika:”u should really see a doctor sir”

Arjun:”u have been avoiding me soon after the party…. u can’t blame me if I think its because u have started to like me…. or maybe u are already in love with me” He moved more closer filling the gap btn them making her more nervous. “Do u like me Radhika?”

His breath mingling with hers was making Radhika all the more nervous. She closed her eyes for a sec to compose herself she placed both her palms on his chest and pushed him “there is nothing like that sir”

He immediatly cut her “then prove it” Radhika frowned not understanding what he meant and he continued “first stop avoiding me…. and second we need to find location for Splitz ad shoot… go with me…. no excuses” Radhika left his cabin enraged while he smiled over his victory, his plan worked she now can’t avoid him.

Chic Office
Aditya went to meet Piyali at her office and briefed her on the case. Upon asking her if she knows anything about the famous gold Piyali refused bluntly about having any knowledge on the said matter. But being in the police force for so many years and having interrogated many Aditya could sense that she was hiding something. “Listen mam, this is a matter of your family’s safety…. if u know something and u are keeping it from me… u are not harming me….. instead u are putting your own family in danger”

Piyali fumed at his accusation “your job is to find the culprit…. not to interrogate me…. but I think you have lost your capability…. so please leave unless u have something better to say”

Aditya apologized and stood up to leave he was greeted by Nandini at door who took him to her cabin to share her own worries. He took a sit opposite to her and gestured her to speak “I need your help Aditya…. professional help”

Aditya:what is it about?”

Nandini:”its about Radhika” Aditya became alerted “I need information about her”

Aditya:”why… what happened… did she do or say something?”

Nandini:”Arjun is in love with her… I want to make sure she is right for him… we don’t know anything about her family or background… I don’t want to trust her now… and later she turns out to be an opportunist”

Aditya agreed to help Nandini clear her doubts, he already had information on Radhika but didn’t want to share it with her at the time. He felt Nandini was not happy with her brother’s choice and she would find Radhika at fault no matter what. He neither wanted to be a block in someone’s love story nor be a reason of fight btn brother and sister. He valued relations and knew the pain of living without them.
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Neil sitting in the back seat of a black BMW was mentally kicking himself for ever agreeing to be friends with Sam. Now she would invade his space without a care to the world and pester him to chat all night long. Its one thing that he enjoys her company and loves to have her near him but it another thing that it hurts him too thinking that she would never feel for him the way he wants her to.

Sam on the other hand was happy beyond measure at her friendship with Neil. She loved everything about it, their talks, hangouts and Neil’s ridiculous sense of humor. She knew he was funny before and now she got to experience his funny side first hand. Sam glanced to her left and saw him staring outside the car window in deep thought and smiled, they were going out for coffee, nowdays these kind of outings were common btn them and Sam wasn’t scared anymore to go out. They reached the café and took a private corner seat and were waiting for their order to come when a sharp shrill came from Neil’s back “Sam!!… OMG… long time no see”

Sam drawled “hey Anushka” Anushka in a tiny body hugging dress greeted Sam with hugs and kisses and invited herself on their table. She talked and talked about her Europe trip much to the uninterested audience. Neil excused himself to go to the restroom and she took the chance to ask “so is he your boyfriend?”

A smiled adorned Sam’s lips at the mention of the word boyfriend it reminded her the party events “no, we are just friends”

Anushka excitedly “really!…. well it is obvious…. no offense but it will be a miracle if u ever get a boyfriend…. u used to run away from boys remember…. and besides he is too handsome for u” Sam just forced a smile at her so called friend. Upon Neil’s return she pulled her chair close to him flashing her white teeth at him. “So handsome… what do u do…. apart from being s*xy” Sam’s jaw touched the table and Neil smiled wide at her reaction but was soon startled by Anushka’s shriek “OH. MY. GOSH…. u got dimples!… that is so cute” Sam rolled her eyes at her all of a sudden super sweet voice while Neil thanked her for her compliment

Neil:”well…. Anushka”

Anushka:”oh pls call me Anu…. those who are close to me call me Anu”

Neil cleared his throat “Anu… well I work in an event management company…. it’s a family business”

Anushka soon got Neil busy in her talks totally ignoring Sam, they were so engaged in their conversation that any onlooker will say the two were long term friends and Sam was an outsider. Sam shook her head in disbelief Anushka was like this since in school, thinking that she is the pretty one and bullying others to maintain that status but what Sam hated the most about her was her flirting attitude. She was now doing the same with Neil, talking in that fake sweet voice, flipping her hair while talking crossing and uncrossing of her legs every now and then.

Sam’s POV:”What happen to this Neil, why is he entertaining her so much? Look at him smiling at her like an idiot, can’t he see that she is fake?

Anushka then took Neil’s hand in hers and entwined their fingers, Sam’s eyes bulged out almost cartoonish at the act. Neil withdrew his hand feeling uncomfortable then Anushka touched his face smilingly and pretending to rub something off his face and Sam gritted her teeth so hard that people nearby could hear the sound of it. She stealthily reached Anushka’s coffee cup and spilled the entire coffee on her. Anushka quickly stood up staring daggers at her before treading to the washroom and Sam pressed her lips not to laugh.

Sam looked at Neil “let’s go before she comes back” and started to leave but Neil didn’t move an inch staring at her with a questioning look. “Neil let’s go”

Neil:”isn’t she your friend?…. how can we leave without saying goodbye?”

Sam in anger “she is not my friend… and am saving u from that fake face… now let’s go” She held his wrist and dragged him out of the café with her in a hurry before he could say anything else.

Khanna Mansion
Everyone was in his or her room after an awfully quite dinner, Piyali was standing in her bedroom balcony remembering one of the most tragic day of her life.

**********Flashback**********
Piyali and Samrat were in the garden enjoying the evening tea. Samrat was catching up on the latest news reading a newspaper but Piyali was lost in some thoughts she appeared distraught.

Samrat put the newspaper down “what is it Piyu… what’s eating your mind?”

Piyali:”why are u so calm Samrat?… we’ve been receiving death threats and u are not doing anything about it”

Samrat:”Aditya is looking into it… and u know that…. but I still think it’s someone’s stupid joke… so relax”

Piyali:”how can u tell me to relax… someone is threatining to kill our children and u say it’s a joke?”

Samrat moved to the chair near her and gave her a side hug “u read what was in the threats… whoever that is… is accusing me of taking what’s his… and I have never taken anything I don’t deserve… he must a business rival but Aditya will get to the bottom of it”

They were disturbed by a servant who came to announce the arrival of two police officers after the introduction one of the officer showed them a clear plastic bag “do u recognise these items?”

Piyali snatched the bag from him and with teary eyes “these are Jai’s belongings… his wallet… phone… his wrist watch… what happened… where is my son?”

Officer:”am sorry to be bearer of bad news… but your son is dead… he was shot dead… we need one of u to come with us to the hospital to identify his body…. and fulfill other formalities”

Piyali lost consciousness on the spot she couldn’t bare the pain of losing a son. And as if it was not enough few weeks later Samrat met with an accident and slipped into a coma.
**********End of Flashback**********

Piyali closed her eyes pushing back the memory. She closed the balcony door and came to bed near Samrat who was lying still in deep sleep. She sat next to him and held his hand “please come back Samrat…. wake up already…. I can’t do this alone anymore…. I need u… If u had only listened to me… then we wouldn’t be facing this day… this is all because of that damned gold… please wake up… I need u to fix this”

Tears rolled down her eyes, she wiped her tears and went to bed hoping for the nightmare to end.

Precap:NeSam fight, Aditya finds out Radhika’s identity.