CHAPTER 49: Love hurts
(Day Daksh had kidnapped Ishana)
All of stood in their places as they saw Dushyant walking away….
Anika composed herself and turned to the others…. Prachi could understand what Anika felt at the moment…. Years of friendship had made them understand each other inside out…. Words were not always required for them to understand each other….
Soumya who had been quiet all this time finally spoke….
Soumya: I am sorry Anika Di, I know I shouldn’t interfere in your personal life, but still I am asking you, do you know Mr. Rana personally?
Anika: Who would know him more personally than me, of course I know him, he is the man I had once loved.
Hearing her all except Prachi looked at her shocked…. They did not know how they were supposed to react….
Soumya: I am sorry Di, I should not have asked.
Anika: You don’t have to be Soumya, it is all in the past now.
And with that Anika walked out of the room…. Prachi looked at her although she wished to follow her but she did not…. Anika needed some time alone and she knew where exactly Anika would go…. Ranbir looked at Prachi asking her if it was really true and she nodded her head….
Rudra: Anika Di and Dushyant Bhaiya…. I never thought that they were together.
Prachi: It was a long time ago Rudra. We were in college, now after years it doesn’t mean anything.
Ranbir: But if they were together, what had happened that they broke up?
Prachi: They were together until Dushyant meet Tia, after Tia’s entry, everything changed. He spent less time with Anika, ignored her and one fine day he told her that he didn’t love her but loved someone else. Anika was so broken and hurt, I have seen her going through that worst phase of her life, she was so weak that….
Prachi stopped talking suddenly realizing what she was going to say…. She was not supposed to say that…. It was the worst phase of her best friend cum sister’s life…. She had seen Anika go through hell during those months…. Anika may appear to be a strong headed woman to many, but only Prachi knew how Anika was protecting a fragile heart that had already been broken once….
Rudra: Why did you stop Prachi Di, what has happened with Anika Di?
Soumya: Di, don’t hide it from us, please tell us.
Shivaay was a silent listener throughout the entire conversation…. Anika’s words were replaying in her mind…. “He is the man I had once loved”…. The thought that Anika had loved someone broke his heart…. When Prachi stopped talking suddenly he looked at her wanting to know more…. He wanted to know what had happened with Anika…. He wanted to know her pain…. He looked at Prachi and Prachi understood that he too wanted to know more…. Taking deep breathes Prachi looked at the others….
Prachi: Anika was so weak during that time, that she had even tried committing suicide….
Prachi’s voice choked as tears flowed from her eyes and she could not say anything further…. Others also turned numb hearing her…. Tears collected in their eyes and they did not know how to react…. Words did not help them….
Shivaay’s heart felt extreme pain as the thought that Anika had tried ending her life crossed him…. Extreme anger and hatred rushed through his body for Tia and Dushyant who had broken his Anika’s heart…. A girl like Anika definitely did not deserve a man like Dushyant…. All Shivaay wanted was to kill Dushyant and make him go through the pain Anika had gone….
Shivaay remembered that time when Arjun was really worried for Anika…. Shivaay did not know the details as he did not wish to hurt Arjun by asking many things but now he understood, all that was definitely related to Anika and Dushyant’s past….
Rudra: Anika Di is really strong that she has rebuilt herself again.
Soumya: Yes, you are right Rudra, Anika Di is really strong.
Ranbir: If Anika always knew about Tia and Dushyant, why didn’t she tell it earlier when the case started?
Prachi: No, she didn’t know that it was Tia whom Dushyant loved, only when Romi told us the truth that she got to know.
Soumya: So when Di said that love makes you do things you regret later, she meant about all this.
Prachi: Yes, Anika really loved him but all she got from him was pain.
Shivaay could not bear any more and walked out of the house…. Others looked at him walking away…. Ranbir and Prachi could understand what he must be feeling…. They knew he needed some alone time….
It was indeed true….
Love hurts….
*****
“What are you saying O”
Rudra asked shocked hearing the incidents that happened and about Daksh’s true nature….
Omkara: Yes Rudra, this is the truth. Daksh was not what we thought him to be.
Shivaay: What about Riddhima?
Omkara: Even Ridz did not know, she was also devastated knowing about him. I consoled her but it’ll take some time for her to come in terms with the truth.
Rudra’s phone rang disturbing their conversation…. He walked out of the room to attend the call…. Om looked at Shivaay who was lost thinking about something…. Om placed his hand on Shivaay’s shoulder and Shivaay turned to look at him….
Shivaay: Why are people not what we think them to be?
Om understood that Shivaay was not talking about Daksh but someone else….
But whom….
Omkara: What has happened Shivaay? I know you didn’t mean Daksh when you asked this question.
Shivaay: Anika….
Om looked at him surprised…. What was about Anika…. It was only two days ago when he could see Shivaay being happy with Anika…. What had happened in two nights that changed the way Shivaay talked about her….
Omkara: Anika?
Shivaay nodded and a tear escaped his eye…. Om looked at him shocked…. For the first time was he seeing tears in Shivaay’s eyes for someone who was not an Oberoi…. This only meant one thing…. Anika meant a lot to Shivaay and that something had happened that had not hurt Shivaay’s ego but his heart…. We only cry for someone who means a lot to us…. Only those people have the power to bring tears in our eyes….
Omkara: Shivaay, what has happened? What did Anika do?
Shivaay: She broke my trust….
Om did not understand that how she broke Shivaay’s trust…. Shivaay started telling him about Anika and Arjun’s conversation he had heard in Raichand Mansion the other night…. That Anika and Arjun were lying to him…. And he did not know from how long were they lying…. As he completed speaking Shivaay sat down on the bed…. Fresh tears made way from his eyes and he let them flow…. Some emotions couldn’t be kept bottled up inside him….
Om was stunned for few moments as he let the truth soak inside him…. Arjun and Anika were lying…. Why would they lie…. Shivaay and Arjun were friends from many years and he had known Arjun…. Arjun wouldn’t lie, he was not that person…. And Anika, although he had only met her few times, he could tell neither was Anika such a person who would lie and betray…. But keeping aside his thoughts Om sat near Shivaay….
Omkara: Shivaay….
Shivaay: Why did she do this? How could she do this with me?
Om looked at Shivaay surprised…. All this while when Shivaay talked about everything…. He only questioned why Anika was doing all this…. Not for once did he question why Arjun was doing this…. Shivaay was hurt by Anika’s lies much more than he was affected by Arjun’s….
Shivaay: I trusted her so much. I told her everything she wanted to know, I trusted her to be with me and what did she do, lie to me, all that she is doing is a lie.
Omkara: Shivaay, both Arjun and Anika are lying to you, then why are you only talking about Anika. Shouldn’t you be more affected by Arjun, considering he is your best friend from ages?
Shivaay looked at Om surprised by his question…. Om was saying the right thing…. Arjun and he had been friends from years and still he wasn’t hurt by his lies the way he was hurt by Anika’s…. Anika…. The girl he had known from the past weeks…. Why was he getting more affected by her…. It was because….
Shivaay: Because I love her…. Yes Om, I love Anika….
Shivaay stood up from his place…. Shivaay Singh Oberoi had fallen in love…. Amidst the tears a smile appeared on his lips as he said those words….
Om who had never expected Shivaay to accept his feelings was more shocked than happy….
*****
“What are you saying Ranbir? Private investigator to spy on Anika and Arjun Bhai”
Prachi stood up from her place…. She could not believe what she had heard…. Shivaay had hired a private investigator to keep an eye on Anika and Arjun…. Ranbir also got up from his place…. The morning had been hectic followed by the busy schedule so Prachi and he had come to the beach to calm down their minds…. They started talking about the day and as they were talking Ranbir revealed about the phone call he received from Shivaay the other night and the private investigator….
Ranbir: I don’t know Prachi but definitely something has happened that made Shivaay Sir take this decision.
Prachi: Now I understand the way he had been with Anika in the morning, the rude behavior and the anger.
Ranbir: Yes, but what might have happened? Sir wouldn’t just spy on his best friend and lawyer out of nowhere.
Prachi: That is also right, no one decides to spy on their friends just like that.
Ranbir: I think we have to find the reason.
Prachi: Yes, and we’ll find it together.
*****
It had been hours that tears were flowing from her eyes and she could not stop them from flowing…. She had learnt it long ago that love hurts you like nothing else…. It gives you everlasting wounds and pain that can never be cured…. Arjun had been consoling her but she could not stop crying…. He couldn’t see his sister like this…. He hugged her tightly and kissed her hair…. A brother can never see his sister broken…. Tears in her eyes hurt his heart….
Arjun: Annie, please stop crying…. Please….
Anika: Bhai, why does it happen with me only? Why always me?
Arjun: Sshh…. Annie, please don’t cry….
Anika: Bhai, I love him…. I really love him….
Arjun broke the hug and looked at her shocked…. He could not believe what she was saying….
Arjun: Annie, you still love Dushyant?
Anika looked at him shocked…. Dushyant….
Anika: Bhai, I don’t love Dushyant.
Arjun: But you said, wait you don’t love Dushyant, then….
He thought for a while and looked at her surprised….
Arjun: Shivaay?
Anika did not say anything and only nodded her head…. Arjun looked at her….
Anika: After whatever happened between Dushyant and me, I thought I would never fall in love again, but I was wrong. Love again found a way towards me.
Arjun: And this time love will stay with you forever.
Anika hugged Arjun tightly as she felt secure in her brother’s arms…. This place had always given her peace….
*****
Omkara: Shivaay, I don’t think we should come to a conclusion, considering you might have heard only a part of their conversation.
Shivaay thought about Om’s words…. They were right…. Indeed he had not heard the entire conversation between them…. He had to find the complete truth….
Shivaay: You are right Om, I have to know more.
Omkara: Exactly Shivaay, we should find the entire truth.
*****
Anika: No Bhai, what are you saying? We cannot do this.
Arjun: But Annie….
Anika: No Bhai, we cannot tell Shivaay, the truth not unless we are sure about it.
Arjun: Annie, I don’t want you to get hurt more.
Anika: Bhai, I love him and for him, I can face all the pains, even if they are given by him.
Arjun looked at his sister with pride….
Anika: Don’t worry Bhai, we’ll save Shivaay and my love both.
*****
Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well.
Here is the next chapter of the story, do share your views on the same.
What turn will Shivaay and Anika’s life take now that they have realized their love for each other? What could be the lies Anika and Arjun are telling Shivaay? How will this new development affect the investigation of Tia’s murder?