Hi Friends…
It feels great to update after a long time… Thank you all for your time and support… Good or bad, please keep commenting…
Let’s get started… Happy Reading…
Radhika: (Her phone’s ringtone broke the silence. A smile adored her face seeing the caller ID.)
Arjun: (His face filled with confusion.)
Radhika: (Attending the call.) Hey Haddie Boy…
Kittu & Athu: Haddie Bro… (And rushed towards her. Grabbing the phone, put the call in speaker.)
Haddie Boy: (His voice boomed through the speaker.) Love… Miss you so much, dear…
Radhika: Miss you more… (A lone tear rolled out of her eyes.)
Kittu & Athu: Excuse us… Even we are here…
Haddie Boy: (Chuckling.) My Little Champs… How are you, darlings…?
Kittu & Athu: Great…
Kittu: Where are you, now…? Missing you so much, Haddie Bro…
Athu: Yes… Come back soon, Haddie Bro… It had been long time… You had never gone away this long…
Haddie Boy: Hey Champs… Don’t be sad… Tonight, I would be in front of you…
Kittu & Athu: (Cheered.) Yes…
Radhika: (Tensed.) Tonight…?
Haddie Boy: Yes, tonight…
Radhika: Haddie… (Shuttered.) We…
Haddie Boy: Relax, Radhika… I very well know where you guys are right now… And with whom…
Radhika: Haddie Boy…?
Haddie Boy: Meet you tonight, Radhika… (The line went dead.)
Radhika: (More tears rolled out.)
Kittu & Athu: (Was worried.)
Radhika: (Stepped back and walked off through the hallway.)
Kittu: Haddie Bro had never ever called RD with her name…
Athu: She had always been his Love…
Kittu: He is pissed off…
Athu: Literally…
Kittu & Athu: Crap… We should have let him know before stepping into light… (The twins were tensed and sad.)
Arjun: (Standing behind them, pulled them to his chest.) Hey… (Rubbing their shoulder.) All good…?
Kittu: NO…
Athu: Ajju Bro, Haddie Bro is upset with RD and us…
Neil: (Standing in front of them.) And who is this so called Haddie Bro…?
Kittu: The only right person whom we met in this brutal world…
Athu: We met him through RD… He once helped RD and from then we had been a family…
Kittu: Due to his work, he used to travel a lot… And he had been away from us since a month…
Athu: And that is when… (He trailed off.)
Kittu: We should have informed him…
Athu: RD is in big trouble now…
Neil: No one dares to touch her…
Kittu & Athu: (Rolling their eyes.) Oh please, Nikki Bro…
Kittu: You can’t do anything… Mark my words, she would choose him over anything or anyone…
Parth: Oh… But who is he…? Why would she choose him over Boss…?
Athu: Because she will and she can… In this whole world, if someone is capable of taming her wildness which she rarely pulls out, that is only…
Kittu: (Cutting him off.) RD’s Haddie Boy…
Athu: (Nodded confirming the same.)
Arjun: (Was fuming in anger and jealousy. But kept himself composed.)
But few eyes which were fixed on him understood the tsunami taking over in him.
Sammy: Oh… This Haddie Boy seems to be special… So, anything special…?
Arjun: (Was almost out of control, but waited for the answer of the twins.)
Kittu & Athu: (Understanding her intentions, shared a look.)
Kittu: Oh trust me, SB… They are special by every means…
Athu: Yes… We even thought they would end up together…
Kittu: And I still have hopes… They would, no, they will end up together…
Arjun: (Had enough of the love interest of his love, without a word he stormed out of the place.)
Neil: (Nodding his head in disbelief. In a warning tone.) Guys… (To Sammy.) Atleast, I didn’t expect this from you, Sammy…
Sammy: (Looking straight into his eyes.) This is needed, Neil…
Neil: (Gave her a plain look.)
Sammy: (Exhaling deeply.) This is needed, Neil… Either to make him fight for his own feelings or to give him a closure and take up his responsibilities… Either way he is to be benefited… (After a pause.) I care for him, Neil… And I would anything and everything, even if that means going against you…
Neil: And why am I not surprised…?
Sammy: (With a sad smile.) Because you know me inside out… It is you who had ever understood me completely for the first time, Neil… And it is HIM, apart from you who had ever understood me the way he does… Maybe he had understood me beyond you do… It is just he doesn’t displays his mind and heart…
Neil: I know him better, Samaira… So, I would suggest you to have a control over your acts… I had promised fair justice to someone and I would be disappointed to see my own wife being the cause for breaking it…
Sammy: You may keep up your word, Neil Malhotra… And I would keep up my responsibility and bonding… You prefer the promises you made… And I prefer the promises I made… And I’m not the one to back out… You must have known that better by now…
Neil: (Keenly looked into her eyes. He felt helpless once again. It seemed to be he is being helpless recently. He would have never expected such a day in his life ever.)
Abhinav: (Clearing his throat.) Stop fighting among yourselves… Instead fight along for the right… Take it as my advice or request… But think about it…
Vishal: Dad…?
Abhinav: (Stopping him with his palm towards him.) It is right to do something that is right…
Vishal: And do you think it is right to separate an innocent baby from his/her own father…? Because the right which you’re expecting to happen is going to leave Vaishali and her unborn behind…
Vidanth: (Sternly.) Vishal… (After a pause.) In first place, if she wouldn’t have pushed herself upon random men this whole scene would have occurred…
Vishal: Arjun could have walked off…
Vidanth: (Chuckling.) Yes… He could have… Now tell me one thing, Vishal, when you had your share of night hunts did you mind walking off…? (He waited, no reply.) No…? Then stop accusing him wholly… He is wrong the same way as Vaishali… And trust me, man like Arjun would never take upon a girl unless she doesn’t gets into his way… He has his own values… He had never forced himself on anyone…
Akasha: (Engulfing Vishal’s palm in her palms.) You aren’t wrong… It is just the brother in you speaking… And it could be selfish… But Bro, think once if she could be happy with the man who has no love for her… And the worst is he is madly in love with someone else, who is as beautiful and pure as Aunt Vidhya… Will Vaishali be able to compete with a person who is replica of Aunt Vidhya…? I don’t think so… But don’t you worry, for the man he is Arjun Bro will not let the innocent baby fatherless… He would take up his responsibility… And Radhika Sis, she will burn herself before letting someone shed a single tear on her name…
Clapping sound disturbed their trance. All turned to see Vaishali, and just behind her was Prerna.
Vaishali: I’m impressed little sister… Taking side of a whore like her upon your own blood… I’m impressed…
Neil: (Screamed.) Enough… (Marching towards her. Spoke dangerously calm.) Speak a word more about her, you would wish your no existence…
Prerna: Neil… Don’t forget you’re talking to a woman… A woman who is to marry our Arjun…
Neil: (Gave her a pointed look.) And what are you doing here, Mother…?
Prerna: I’m here to decide the wedding of my son, Arjun…
Neil: Seriously, Mother…? I pity your thoughts…
Prerna: Mind your tone and language, Neil Malhotra… I’m your mother…
Neil: Yes, Mother… You’re a mother who could never wish happiness for her own kids…
Prerna: (Screamed.) Neil… (And swung her hand straight to his face.)
But the slap missed him and landed straight on Radhika, who just entered and came in between the mother and the son.
Neil: (Lost completely.) How dare you, Mother…?
Radhika: (Stopped him from proceeding.) You want to get your son married to her (pointing towards Vaishali), then you may proceed… But not a single word or glance towards MY FAMILY… Slapping someone is far away from your reach…
Prerna: YOUR FAMILY…? Let me remind you woman, this is MY FAMILY and stay away from them…
Radhika: (With a pity smile, with her arms crossed across her chest.) Then why is YOUR FAMILY not behind you…? Instead, why are they behind me…?
Prerna: (With accusing eyes, looked at her son. Pointing towards Radhika.) This is what you give to me, Neil…? You’re letting this trash to speak with such an audacity to your mother…
Neil: So, you mean to say, you’re a trash…
Radhika: (Closing his mouth with her palm from letting out the words that they would regret. She gestured him not to.)
Neil: (Gave her a pained look.)
Prerna: (Looked confused.) What do you mean to say, Neil…?
Neil: There is nothing for you to be bothered, Mother… You chose to stand against YOUR FAMILY and I’m standing against you… And yes, this daughter-in-law of yours (pointing towards Vaishali) will get married to my man, my Arjun… (He stepped forward to move, with Radhika in his embrace. But stopped, turning halfway towards her.) You would literally regret about your decision one day, Mother… (And walked off.)
Sammy: (Holding Kittu and Athu hands, dragged them and walked off following her husband.)
Sid & Yuvi: (Walked off after side hugging Akasha.)
Parth: (With much hesitation.) I would take you home, Mother… Please come… (He avoided eye contact throughout.)
Prerna: I came her on my own, Parth… I can return in the same way…
Parth: (With a curt nod, he walked off.)
Prerna: (Didn’t understand what is happening around her or what she missed. Before she could do anything or speak anything, a pair of hands encircled around her shoulders. She turned to her right, to see Arjun.)
Arjun: You need rest, Mother… About marriage, I’ll get to it… (His eyes were brimmed with tears, but not a single drop rolled out.)
Prerna: (Was shocked to see this. From the day one she had met him, she had never witnessed his wet eyes, not even the horrible childhood brought tears in those eyes. But the separation from a lady had brought this to him. She was questioning herself was she doing right with the son she raised as her own for years now.)
Arjun: (Guided her towards the exit.)
Prerna: (Walked along without a word.)
Vaishali: (Tried to stop her, but all in vain, as her eyes were locked to her son.)
Arjun: (Helping her inside the car. Turning to Parth.) Take her home safe…
Parth: (Nodded affirmative.)
Arjun: (Bending to the height of the window.) Mother, please go and rest… Will meet you in a while…
Prerna: (Nodded absent minded.)
Parth: (Started the engine and drove off.)
Arjun: (Inhaling a long breath, stepped back into the hospital. As his footsteps echoed the hall, every eyes raised to look at him confused and shocked.)
Vaishali: Arjun… (And tried to hug him.)
Arjun: (Without bothering her, walked forward towards the older Banerjees.) Uncle Abhinav…
Abhinav: Yes, Son…
Arjun: I…
Abhinav: Don’t rush, Son…
Arjun: (Gave him a sad smile.) Let me know the date, Uncle… I’ll be there… I promise…
Abhinav: (Released a sigh.)
Vidanth: Are you sure, Arjun…?
Arjun: (Locking his eyes with him, gave him a nod.)
Vidanth: Can I do anything to stop you from doing this…?
Vaishali: What rubbish, Bro…? You are convincing him to step back and wash his hands off me and my baby… How could you…?
Arjun: (To Vidanth.) Now nothing could stop this I guess…
Vishal: I hope you don’t hurt my sister, Arjun…
Arjun: That solely depends on her behaviour and attitude towards my people, Vishal… No promises… She behaves, she get heaven… She hurts anyone, she get hell… And I would be honoured to show her hell… I promise…
Vaishali: (Asked sarcastically.) And that whore of yours is one among your people, right…?
Arjun: Yes, the whore of mine is one among my people, and that is you, unfortunately my to-be-bride… (With a pointed look at her.)
Vaishali: How dare you…? (She tried to slap him.)
Arjun: (Got hold of her hand and twisted and held it to her back. With her back to his front, he warned.) Behave or I would make you to… You asked me for this… (She tried to speak, he continued.) Don’t ask for more, I may show no mercy next time… I’m sparing you this time, because of the innocent life in you… You know me better, lady… So stop instigating me… (He let go of her hand.)
Vaishali: (Turned towards him and glared him, while rubbing her wrist to ease the pain.)
Arjun: (To Abhijith.) I hope the baby is safe and healthy…?
Abhijith: Yet to run few tests, Son… I can’t confirm anything before getting the tests done…
Arjun: (Nodded understandingly.) Please get the tests done… I don’t want any last minute complications…
Abhijith: (Nodded affirmative.)
Arjun: (Got blessings from Abhijith and Abhinav.) I’ll take a leave…
A feeble voice: Won’t you meet me…?
All turned towards the same direction to see Vidhya at the door of the ICU, supported by Akasha.
Vishal: Mom… (He rushed to her.)
Vidhya: (Stopped him showing her palm.)
Vishal: (Was confused.) Mom…?
Vidhya: I didn’t teach any of my kids to be selfish… But I think, I’m failed somewhere…
Vishal: (Had his head hung low.)
Arjun: (Felt bad, when he saw tears rolling out of Vishal’s eyes. He understood, Vishal is one helpless brother who wanted his sister’s life settled. But it was him who couldn’t grant his wish. Stepping forward, he held his hand around Vishal’s shoulder.) He isn’t wrong either… He is simply forced to… Never doubt your son or your upbringing…
Vishal: (Visibly trembled. He couldn’t take his support after hurting him and his love.)
Vidhya: Do you have any plans to get my blessings or stand there idle…?
Arjun: (Smiled and stepped forward. Bending forward, got her blessings.)
Vidhya: (Caressing his hair.) Stay happy…
When he was back to his normal height,
Vidhya: I would be with you and would bring all happiness in your life… It is a promise of a mother, Son…
Arjun: (Smiled.) You should rest… You still look pale…
Vidhya: (Smiled and nodded.)
Arjun: (Gestured Akasha to take her inside.)
Akasha: (Obliged.)
As they left, Arjun turned towards the rest.
Arjun: I’ll take a leave…
Vidanth: I’ll join you to the entrance…
They both walked out.
Lots of Love,
Anci