CHAPTER 44: Trust
(Day after Arjun-Pankhuri’s engagement)
Shivaay walked with hushed steps in that dimly lit corridor of Raichand Mansion…. It was past mid night when he had sneaked into the mansion…. It was his best friend’s house and he absolutely had no reason to enter like this…. He was always welcomed here with open arms and bright smiles…. But tonight was definitely different…. He himself did not have a reason why he was so eager to meet Anika and talk to her…. The morning incident…. Their talk on the terrace…. The time when lights had gone…. He wanted to talk to Anika ever since the morning but could not get his time…. He wanted to apologize to her…. Shivaay smiled amusedly at himself…. How much was she changing him…. Shivaay Singh Oberoi desperately wishing to apologize to someone that he was sneaking into his friend’s house…. This was going to be a night to be always remembered….
He stopped on his tracks as he heard her familiar voice from the nearby room…. He was about to enter when he stopped hearing her talking to someone…. He immediately recognized the other voice to be Arjun’s…. He stopped and hid near the door…. For some reason he wanted to talk to Anika when they were all alone…. He thought to wait for one of them to leave…. He knew listening to their conversation was wrong but here he had no other option….
Arjun: Annie, I know what you are feeling but we cannot do this now.
Anika: I understand your point of view Bhai, but I don’t know why lying to Shivaay is getting difficult with each passing day.
Hearing Anika’s words Shivaay became alert…. Anika was lying to him…. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing….
Arjun: I know Annie, but we cannot tell it to Shivaay, we have to hide it from him.
Anika: But Bhai, he deserves to know. What if he finds out from someone else?
Arjun: Isiliye toh tujhe Shivaay ke saath rehna hai, he should not find from someone else.
Anika: Shivaay trusts me a lot, I don’t want to hurt him in any way.
Arjun: And I am sure you won’t hurt him ever. When Shivaay trust someone, he does it with full understanding, and now that he trusts you, he will never doubt you. Just act normal with him, be the Anika Raichand you have always been.
Anika nodded slightly…. Arjun kissed her forehead and saying good-night he walked out of the room…. Anika stood there still feeling guilty of lying to Shivaay….
Anika: I am sorry Shivaay but I have to do this.
Shivaay was shocked listening to the conversation between his best friend and the girl…. The girl whom he was making a part of his life…. The girl who was in all his thoughts from morning to the night…. The girl he was developing feelings for….The girl…. The girl he was falling in love with….
These two people whom he trusted without a second thought were lying to him….
*****
Gauri was working in her cabin…. She was working on the upcoming project when her phone rang…. She looked at the caller id…. She was surprised seeing an unknown number calling at this time at night…. She was about to pick up the call but disconnected…. She was amused…. She checked the time on her mobile again and decided to head back home…. She quickly packed her things and locked her cabin…. She gave the keys to her watchman and walked towards the parking….
She stopped on her way as she felt someone looking at her…. She turned around to look but the place was quiet and she was there all alone…. Thinking it be just a feeling she walked towards her car…. Her phone again started ringing and she was surprised to see the same unknown number again…. She picked up the call….
Gauri: Hello…. Who is this calling so late?
She waited for an answer but moments passed and she did not get one…. She checked her screen, the call was still going on then why wasn’t someone answering…. She decided to disconnect the call when she heard a voice from the other end….
POC: Yellow colour suits you, you look so beautiful.
Gauri’s eyes grew wide as she heard him speak…. She looked around her…. How did the caller know that she was wearing yellow coloured dress…. That means the person on call was able to see her but from where…. She looked around to spot someone….
POC: Don’t look around, you won’t be able to find me.
Fear gripped her heart but she tried to maintain her composure…. She was scared but she could not let the other person know that…. Never let your enemy sense your weakness…. She took a deep breath before speaking….
Gauri: Listen, whoever it is, just stop with your mindless games, otherwise it won’t be good for you.
She disconnected the call not waiting for the caller’s reply…. She quickly opened the car door and got inside…. She took a few fast breathes as she sat on the seat of her car….
The person on call smirked hearing her reply…. This game was going to be a lot of fun….
*****
Shivaay was standing near the pool…. The same moonlight was reflecting on the water again…. Only a day ago he felt so calm and peaceful looking at the moonlight that reminded him of her…. But tonight a storm was raging inside him…. A storm rising inside him as he felt betrayed and hurt…. More than angry he was hurt…. Hurt by her words…. He did not know why but more than Arjun, it was Anika’s lies that were hurting him…. She was lying to him but why…. From when was she lying…. Was she lying from the beginning…. So all this that happened in the past weeks was a lie…. Was it all a lie…. He in a fit of anger punched the nearby wall…. Blood dripped from his hand…. He did not even bother to look at his wound…. The wound inside him was all that he could feel was hurting him…. This pain felt so unbearable….
Shivaay: How could you do this Anika, how could you?
He sat down on the floor, his back against the wall…. A lone tear escaped his eye…. He instantly wiped it harshly…. He was such a fool to get carried away by emotions…. For the first time he was thinking about someone from his heart…. And what did he get…. Lies…. Lies thrown at him every day…. He shouldn’t have done this…. He should have like always listened to his mind…. His heart was a fool to fall for her acts…. He shouldn’t have found peace in her warms eyes…. He shouldn’t have felt calm with her soft touch…. He shouldn’t have done any of this…. Emotions had made him weak that he was getting fooled…. But no more now…. He had to become Shivaay Singh Oberoi again…. He shouldn’t have become Shivaay…. Shivaay was weak and he, Shivaay Singh Oberoi, was not going to be weak….
*****
“Bhai, do you really think whatever we are doing will work? Is it really needed?”
Pankhuri asked with concern in her voice…. She had heard brothers talking about their plan and she couldn’t help but feel worried….
Shaantanu: Relax Di, don’t worry so much. We know what we are doing and it is for our family only.
Adhvik: Haa Pankhu, he is saying right, we are doing it for our family. And everything is fair when it comes to family.
Pankhuri was still not convinced…. Even if her mind had agreed to help her brothers with their plan but still her heart screamed all this to be wrong….
Pankhuri: But what about Arjun, I don’t want to lose him in all this?
Adhvik: And you won’t lose him, Arjun and you will definitely get married.
Shaantanu: This is a promise from your brothers Di.
The brothers assured their sister…. Pankhuri nodded at them but deep inside she was scared…. She really loved Arjun and did not wish to ever lose him…. But she could not also go against her family…. She was caught in a dilemma between her heart and mind…. Arjun trusted her and she did not wish to let his trust in her break…. The coming days were going to be difficult and she had to be prepared for everything that lay ahead….
*****
Arjun was sitting in his room going through the file…. He was trying hard to focus on his work but his mind was replaying his conversation with Anika…. She was right to some extent…. He was taking advantage of the trust Shivaay, his best friend had in him…. He was not doing right by hiding matters from him…. But then thinking about it practically, he had no other option…. Shivaay was already surrounded by problems from many ends and he had to save his best friend…. He had to hide things from Shivaay for a few days…. Arjun knew he was only doing it for his best friend and the welfare of the Oberoi family…. The game had just begun and he had to make his moves carefully…. It was not only about the Oberois but also about his family….
Arjun: Sorry Shivaay for breaking one rule of our friendship but this needed. I know you will understand when you will know the truth.
*****
Ranbir was lying on his bed…. He was trying hard to sleep but for some reason he was not getting any sleep…. His phone started ringing and he was surprised seeing Shivaay’s name flashing on the screen…. He immediately got up and picked up the call….
Ranbir: Hello Sir, all okay, you called at this time?
Shivaay: Ranbir, I need you do something very important for me.
Ranbir: You just say Sir, I’ll get it done.
Shivaay: You have to hire a private investigator.
Ranbir was surprised hearing this…. Why did Shivaay need a private investigator in the middle of the night….
Ranbir: I’ll do it Sir, do you need more information about the Ranas?
Shivaay: Not the Ranas, I need all information about the activities of Arjun Raichand and Anika Raichand. Track down all their activities, their phone calls and every place they visit. I want to know every minute detail about the Raichand siblings.
Ranbir was shocked hearing this…. Why did Shivaay need to keep an eye on Arjun and Anika….
Ranbir: Bhai….
Shivaay: Get it done by tomorrow morning.
Shivaay disconnected the call…. Ranbir was shocked…. Something had definitely happened…. Shivaay was sounding different…. He was sounding more like Shivaay Singh Oberoi rather than Shivaay…. But Ranbir would do whatever Shivaay had asked him to do…. Shivaay trusted him and he would do whatever it takes to keep that trust intact….
*****
Anika was lost in her thoughts as she sat near the window of her room…. The moon was shining in the dark night sky…. The stars were twinkling…. She was looking at the moon…. From childhood the moon had always fascinated her…. The soft and serene moonlight made her mind and soul calm and peaceful…. But today even the moon and the moonlight were unable to calm down the havoc that was being created inside her….
Anika: I wish I didn’t have to lie to you Shivaay. I wish there was some other way.
Whatever Arjun had explained her was also correct…. When her Bhai had told her the plan he had made to find the truth she had agreed but now with the time she had spent with Shivaay…. Everything had changed…. Shivaay was not just another client anymore…. He was someone special…. Someone close to her heart and the mere thought of hurting him pierced her heart…. Shivaay trusted her blindly and she was taking advantage of that trust…. It was wrong but she had to do it…. She had to do it for Shivaay….
*****
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