LOVE, LIFE, SECRETS: Answers lie within – CHAPTER 21

RECAP TILL NOW (CHAPTER 1 TO 20)

Gauri and Soumya’s introduction as the wedding planners for Shivaay and Tia’s wedding…. Tia’s irritating attitude…. Tia’s dreams of being an Oberoi bride…. Tia’s murder…. DCP Ranveer and ACP Abir’s entry…. Start of the investigation…. Gauri’s jhumka is found near the body…. Crime reporter Ishana’s entry…. Oberois do not want to disclose about Tia’s murder…. Gauri tells that she was the first one to find the body…. Shivaay and Tej’s different behavior…. Ranveer’s first suspect is Gauri…. Shivaay is taken for questioning…. Anika Raichand’s entry…. Anika introduces herself as Shivaay’s lawyer…. Ranveer and Abir are called by the commissioner…. Shivaay asks Anika to leave as he needs a better lawyer…. Introducing the Raichand family…. Anika rants about Shivaay to Arjun…. Arjun, Sumitra and Shekhar persuade Anika to take up Shivaay’s case…. A new police officer ACP Mishti to join Ranveer and Abir in the investigation…. Abir and Mishti remember their past seeing each other after years…. Ishana and Omkara talk…. Anika and Arjun visits the Oberois…. Shivaay agrees to let Anika fight the case…. Introduction of Prachi and Ranbir as assistants of Anika and Shivaay respectively…. Shivaay and Anika start their research…. Shivaay is hiding about the Kapoors…. Soumya wants to help Gauri to come out of the suspicions…. Soumya and Gauri become sisters…. Rudra will help Soumya and Gauri…. Romi and Mrs. Kapoor’s talk about Tia’s murder…. Shivaay and Ranbir visit Mrs. Kapoor where Shivaay demands the proofs about something in return of a business deal between Oberois and Kapoors….

Rudra and Soumya talk…. Soumya tells Gauri about Rudra willing to help them…. Anika and Prachi find about Kapoor-Oberoi old connection…. Ranveer and team visit the Oberois…. Anika and Prachi are also there…. Ishana also comes there…. Om and Mishti affected by Ishana and Abir’s bond…. Questioning of the families continues…. Abir tells Ishana about Mishti and him…. Ishana and Om talk…. Anika pissed by Shivaay’s rude behavior…. Mishti questions Abir…. Rudra, Soumya and Gauri start their work…. They find about Tia and Dushyant being married…. Shivaay gets the proofs from Mrs. Kapoor…. Anika shows Shivaay her Anika Raichand behavior…. Postmortem reports arrive…. Prinku tells Ranveer about Tia meeting some mysterious man…. Ranveer and Priyanka know each other since a year no one knows about this…. Ranveer and Abir talk about Mishti…. Shivaay and Anika are shocked after knowing about Tia’s poisoning…. Rudra decides to find proofs about Tia’s life… Priyanka decides to be with Ranveer always…. Omkara decides to help Ishana in investigating the story…. Entry of the Ranas…. Dushyant reveals about his marriage to Siddharth and Mallika…. Priyanka wants to help Ranveer…. Ishana agrees to work with Om…. Abir apologizes to Mishti…. Shivaay and Anika have a talk when Anika takes a leave from work….

CHAPTER 21: Friends

Prachi and Ranbir were sitting in Ranbir’s cabin…. There were papers, files and photos scattered all over the room…. They had found Tia’s call records from the past six months…. Ranbir had used some contacts and some money and the work was done in a few hours…. Tia’s entire call history was in front of them…. They were both surprised that Tia had been using two different numbers to contact few people….

Prachi: This number…. 9805390878…. She has talked a lot to this number in the past months.

Ranbir: You are right, even I have noticed this. She has talked to this person almost every day and that too for long hours.

Prachi: We have to find out who this number belongs to. The person may have answers to many of our questions.

Ranbir: You are right, I’ll send this number to my friend, and he’ll get us all the information of the owner.

Prachi: Good.

Ranbir took out his phone and called his friend…. He gave him the number and asked him to find all possible information about the owner…. He disconnected the call….

Ranbir: He said he’ll need some time.

Prachi: So till then what do we do?

Ranbir: Look through the other documents.

Prachi: Don’t you get tired; we have been working since morning?

Ranbir: I have a habit of working for long hours, if you are forgetting I am Shivaay Singh Oberoi’s PA.

Prachi: Oh yeah, Anika and I take break almost after every hour, being best friends we cannot work for longer hours without having fun.

Ranbir: I have noticed that, how you both share some looks when we were working with Sir. He would never take breaks if his wish is allowed.

Prachi: I have learnt that, thank God I am working with you; otherwise he would have killed me giving me loads of work.

She said making a scared face while Ranbir couldn’t stop himself from laughing out loud…. She looked at him surprised as she saw him laughing his heart out…. He looked so cute when he laughed, she thought…. Ranbir felt her gaze on himself…. He controlled himself and looked at her…. They smiled at each other….

Ranbir: You know when I first started working with him, even I felt the same. But you see with time, I learnt to manage working with him.

Prachi: You are really praise worthy then; working with him is really difficult sometimes.

Ranbir: Not really, once you get to know Shivaay Sir better, you learn that he is much more than a rude and arrogant businessman.

Prachi: Maybe I’ll learn that working on this case.

Ranbir: Prachi, if you don’t mind, can I ask you something?

Prachi: Sure.

Ranbir thought for a while before speaking his mind…. Prachi looked at him amused seeing him hesitating to say something….

Ranbir: I wanted to ask that…. It is…. Actually….

Prachi smiled seeing him fumbling with words….

Prachi: We can be friends.

Prachi chuckled a little seeing him nervous…. Ranbir looked at her surprised…. How did she know what he wanted to ask…. Can she read his mind…. He thought looking at her in amazement….

Ranbir: How did you know what I was going to say?

Prachi: I just guessed it sensing your nervousness. Boys generally get nervous in such cases and if you have forgotten, I have been a lawyer for years; we know how to study body language.

Ranbir: Oh yes, how I could forget it. So, you don’t have any problem with being friends?

Prachi: Why would I have any problem, you are a nice guy and seeing your dedication to Shivaay Sir, I can easily understand that you will be a good friend.

Prachi smiled at him as she finished her statement…. Ranbir looked at her and he too smiled back….

*****

Anika was sitting with Arjun as he read the file carefully…. She had taken a leave from work so that she could talk to Arjun regarding the important matter…. The history of Oberois and Kapoors….

Anika was very sure of two things…. One Shivaay would never tell her the entire truth unless and until he was sure that she had proofs of what she knew…. And two, Shivaay would have definitely discussed the matter with Arjun sensing it was really important and involved his family…. So with all the information she had she came to Arjun…. She knew her Bhai would not hide things from her specially when it could be related to the case she was working upon…. Arjun looked at her a few times while reading and every look of him made Anika surer that he knew and what she had found out was true…. After a few more minutes Arjun kept the file on the table…. She looked at him waiting for him to speak….

Arjun: How did you find all this? Who gave you the information?

Anika: Bhai, you know I cannot reveal my source, I never have revealed them earlier.

Arjun: Those cases were different Annie, this one is different.

Anika: Why, because it involves a rich and powerful family, or because it involves your best friend?

Arjun: Annie, why do you always have to say this? What is your problem with Shivaay?

Anika looked at him not knowing what she was supposed to say…. Her problem with Shivaay was everything about him….

Anika: I don’t have any problem with anyone, until and unless my work is getting done. Bhai, please just tell me, is there a possibility that the past of Oberois and Kapoors may have a connection with Tia’s murder?

Arjun: Annie, we should not come to a conclusion without knowing the entire truth.

Anika: Bhai, this is not the answer to my question.

Arjun looked at her and understood that she was serious and he won’t be able to get past her without answering her questions….

Arjun: Maybe and maybe not….

Anika did not say anything…. She was lost in her thoughts…. Was she defending the wrong people…. Was she defending someone who had killed someone…. Could Shivaay be involved in the crime….

Arjun also kept quiet…. He was sure that Shivaay was not involved in the murder but there were people in the Oberoi family he did not trust and knew that there were possibilities of them being involved in the murder….

Arjun: Annie, do not conclude everything on your own in a hurry. Take your time and think from all perspectives.

Anika: Don’t worry Bhai, I won’t take decisions in haste.

Anika’s voice and words assured him and he smiled a knowing smile…. Anika knew her Bhai would not say anything unless he had thought about it…. She was sure she had to find more about the past to be sure….

*****

Rudra entered the cabin to see Soumya sitting on the couch with her eyes glued to the laptop screen…. She was looking at the screen with so much of concentration that she had not noticed him entering the cabin…. He looked at her surprised…. He could never concentrate in studies also like this, he thought to himself…. He stood there for a few moments thinking how to seek her attention…. At that instant her phone rang and she looked at the caller id…. She answered the call and spoke for a few minutes…. She kept the phone back and noticed Rudra standing there….

Soumya: Rudra, when did you come?

Rudra: When you were busy looking at your laptop with utmost concentration.

Soumya: Sorry, I did not notice you.

Rudra: It is alright, by the way, where is Gauri Di?

Soumya: Di had some work regarding an event, she has gone with Trisha. She is really worried regarding the company and the case.

Rudra: Don’t worry, we’ll make everything fine. We already have important information, we just need some more.

Soumya: You are right.

Rudra: So, what were you looking at with so much concentration?

Soumya turned the screen towards him and he was surprised seeing her searching through Dushyant’s social media profile…. It was a private folder with many photos of Tia and him…. Soumya pointed at one photo in particular and Rudra looked at it…. He was looking at it with shock…. It looked like Tia and Dushyant’s wedding photo…. But that was not what shocked him…. The person standing with them made him shocked…. It was Romi standing with her sister and brother-in-law…. So she knew it all along…. Romi knew that Tia was already married to Dushyant…. The two sisters were cheating his entire family…. He looked at Soumya who just nodded her head…. He always thought of Romi as his friend…. They were never best friends or something but good friends enough that he trusted her….

Soumya: I know Rudra, this is too much for you to handle, first their marriage and now that even Romi knew about it.

Rudra: I always treated her as a good friend and even as family later. But she was lying to me all along; these two sisters were cheating everybody, why did we ever trust them?

Saying so he just punched the wall near him…. His knuckles were hurt and Soumya looked at him scared…. For the first time she saw anger in Rudra’s eyes…. It clearly showed that he was hurt…. She had seen in the last few days that Rudra always tried his best to make everyone cheerful and happy…. Today seeing him like this made her shocked…. Composing herself she tried to calm him down….

Soumya: Rudra, please, you cannot lose your cool like this. We still have a lot to find out. Please be patient, we have to do it for your family.

Rudra looked at Soumya surprised…. Seeing the concern in her eyes he felt himself getting calmed…. She took her hand in hers and gently touched his knuckles…. He was looking at her…. He was not hurt much, just some scratches…. Still she was so concerned as if he had been badly injured….

Rudra: I am fine Soumya, and these are some scratches, I can handle them.

Soumya: I know but still I cannot see anyone getting hurt, that too by themselves.

Rudra looked at her for a few moments….

Rudra: Soumya, can I ask you something?

Soumya: Yes.

Rudra: Will you be my friend?

Soumya looked at him surprised with his question that was out of the blue…. He smiled and forwarded his hand…. She looked at his hand and then back at him…. She smiled back and shook hands with him…. They looked at each other with a smile as they shook hands….

Soumya: Friends.

Rudra: Now, what are we going to do? We know that Tia was already married, and that Romi knew about it.

Soumya: I think we should talk to Romi. She is the only person who can help us now, maybe she knows why despite of being already married, why Tia was marrying Shivaay Sir.

Rudra: You are right; we have to talk to her. I’ll call her to meet us; we cannot meet at my house or here.

Soumya: You call her till then I’ll get some of these photos printed, we’ll need some proofs to show her.

Rudra: Right.

*****

Shivaay was sitting in his cabin…. He was holding a file in his hand but his attention was somewhere else…. He was looking at the couch and lost in his thoughts….

He remembered how Anika used to sit there and do her work…. It had been only a few days that they had started working together…. But he had got used to her presence in this short time span….

He was amazed at himself; the Shivaay Singh Oberoi who did not even spare a glance to people around was missing someone’s presence…. Someone who was not even his friend or family…. How had he got so used to her presence just like that…. Seeing that empty couch he was feeling different…. As if something was missing in his life….

He had never shared it with anyone ever but Anika and her presence had always affected him…. He still remembered the day when he had met her in person for the first time…. Years prior to that he had only known Arjun had a sister named Anika…. It was a very brief meeting of a few minutes when he had met her at the inauguration of Arjun’s law firm…. It was years ago and after that on very occasion; all he wished was to get a glimpse of her…. Her simplicity and humble nature had unknowingly attracted him…. All through the years he had only met her as his best friend’s sister…. And when she had come to the police station that day all he wished was to ask her to help him but in his arrogance and anger for Ranveer, he had only ended up doing the opposite of what he had thought…. He was so thankful to Arjun who again came to meet him with Anika and asked the family to let her handle the case, if not for Arjun, Shivaay would have lost his opportunity to let Anika be a part of his life…. Unknowingly Arjun had done something really important for Shivaay…. He did not know why, but he really wanted her to be in his life as someone else and not only as Arjun’s sister…. Not that he would ever be vocal about all these thoughts….

He remembered her laughing the day before when she had found out about his nickname…. Unknowingly a smile crept on his face….

Shivaay’s phone rang breaking his trance…. He realized what he was thinking all this while…. He looked at his phone and saw an unknown number…. Why did the phone had to ring at this moment….

He was about to pick up the call when Ranbir entered the room with Prachi…. The call was disconnected…. Shivaay could easily guess that they both had something really important to discuss….

*****

Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well.

So how is today’s update, do share your views on Pranbir, Rumya and Shivika.

Who do you think the number belongs to, with whom Tia was in contact?
Is someone from the Oberoi family involved in the murder?
Why do you think Tia kept her marriage with Dushyant a secret?

Keep reading and smiling!!!
Take care and stay safe!!!