Hello my lovely friends so here is the next chapter pls do give ur views on this one. Thank u all so much for loving and encouraging me, stay beautiful. Enjoy ?
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Chapter 12 – The Calmness
Khanna Mansion
Arjun standing near his bedroom window watched as Radhika said goodbye to Sam and Neil and left in Aditya’s car. He didn’t want to bid her adieu, he loves her and he was going to get her. What had he thought and what happened, he was eager to get home this morning but now he wished they had never left Goa. He was sure of Samrat’s innocence and needed to clear his name. He decided to personally check Samrat’s financial records. Nandini knocked and entered his room upon getting his permission. “why didn’t u want me to stop Radhika?” asked Arjun.
Nandini:”it’s for her safety and ours… besides it’s Aditya’s case not yours… I don’t want u to get involved” Nandini saw that he was still not convinced so she continued “Arjun… if she stayed here it would be like condemning Samrat”
Arjun:”she lost her father… she is a victim in all these”
Nandini:”and so is Samrat… supporting Radhika means accusing Samrat… and I don’t think I have to remind u of Samrat’s care and love towards u… we have to be on his side” Nandini touched his shoulder “Arjun… u promised me u will stay away from her if I feel she’s not right for u”
Arjun:”that’s not fair Nandu… u are not judging her… u are judging the situation that she is not even responsible for… I love her Nandu… and she needs me now”
Nandini sighed defeated “OK… I will not stop u… but maintain distance from her for now… until this matter is resolved… she is in more danger than any of us and I don’t want u to be dragged into the same with her”
Arjun took Radhika’s notebook from his bag once Nandini left and roughly went through the pages. Radhika had penned down her emotions and experiences in a simple poetic way. He turned to the last written page and silently read.
An Angel in the form of a man
Has taught me to laugh again
Drowning in his sea of love
I finally found my breath
Floating away in his arms
My happiness knows no end
Aditya’s Apartment
Aditya took her suitcases from the car trunk and started heading towards the elevator with Radhika behind him. She didn’t expect the so called safe place to be like this “what is this place?”
Aditya opened the door of his apartment and guided her in “it’s my place” Radhika halted her steps at the door. Why did he bring her to his place. Aditya turned to a hesitant Radhika “come, I will show u my family” He took her to a wall filled with lots of family photos and introduced her to them. He took a frame with a photo of a young girl and showed it to her “Pari… my sister… see she has the same brown eyes like yours… If she was alive today she would have been of your age… u remind me of her”
Radhika:”am sorry… I didn’t mean to… ”
Aditya:”it’s OK… u don’t just remind me of my sister I regard u as one… that’s one of the reason I brought u here… I saw the way Piyali ma’am and Nandini looked at u… if u had stayed there… u would have just hurt yourself further… but the most important reason is your safety… your identity will lead u into more danger than u can ever imagine… but u will be safe here”
Radhika took her cell phone in haste to call her mom “I need to call home… If am in danger as u say they maybe as well”
Aditya snatched the phone from her “u can’t tell them anything… or anybody else about this… I sent my men to your home … they will keep your family from harms way”
Radhika settled in one of the room not sure how to feel about the whole situation. Why does life have to be this difficult. She was sure of one thing, life never stops and so she shouldn’t stop living. She curled up on the bed drained and somehow fell asleep.
Birdsong
What goes around comes around but Radhika had never imagine it will come around this soon. Just a few weeks ago she was giving Arjun the silent treatment and now she understood how he must have felt with her cold attitude. Though it killed him Arjun kept his distance from Radhika but what he didn’t know was that along with himself it killed her too. Radhika was fuming, she was rushed out of his cabin for the sixth time today. She thought of tackling him later and finished her work, she was supposed to present a pitch to a client later that day.
While Radhika was giving the presentation Arjun glanced at their client in btn who had his concentration on Radhika rather than on the projector. Radhika finished the presentation with a catchy tagline and everyone clapped. Arjun looking at the client “so Mr. Singh… how did u find our idea”
Mr. Singh with his eyes fixed on Radhika said “beautiful… beautiful idea… it’s a deal Mr. Mehra” Arjun wanted to take the man away from Radhika as soon as possible and so asked him to his cabin to finish all formalities but Mr. Singh had another idea in his mind “what’s the rush… there is time for all the formalities.. first let me congratulate this beautiful lady right here”
Radhika felt uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her but she didn’t fail to notice from the corner of her eye Arjun’s bloodshot eyes and thought of taking advantage of the situation and make him jealous. Radhika smiled “thank u Mr… ” He immediately cut her in “Yuvraaj… call me Yuvraaj”
Arjun fisted his hand looking at Radhika chatting smilingly at the man who was interested with more than just talking. He banged his hand on the table startling everyone in the room “Teji escort Mr. Singh to my cabin… NOW” Mr. Yuvraaj wanted to protest but the murderous look on Arjun made him to timidly obey. Arjun went to Radhika “u better get this in your head… in my office we don’t flirt with the clients” he gave her one last angry glance before going to the washroom.
Arjun splashed water on his face to calm himself, Radhika entered and bolted the washroom door. Radhika pushed him and he staggered “what do u think of yourself… I wasn’t flirting with him I was trying to get a reaction from u… u have been avoiding me and I don’t like it… I miss talking to u… I miss fighting with u… I… ”
Arjun smiled and asked “why?” Radhika realised what she had just blurted out and quickly answered “Z” Arjun frowned and she continued “u asked why and so I said Z…coz after Y comes Z… after that u have to start all over again from A B C.. ” Arjun couldn’t help himself but chuckle at her childishness and Radhika laughed with him “see how handsome u look when u smile”
Arjun raised an eyebrow “so u think am handsome?” and Radhika answered “only when u smile… otherwise u look like a zombie… we are friends now… and u don’t run away from friends… u share with them your problems… so no more avoiding me OK… and that’s an order”
Arjun held her wrist and pulled her close to himself, looking straight into her eyes “just friends … are we just friends Radhika?” Radhika stammered lost for words, she tried to jerk her hand but he made his grip stronger. Before she could figure out what to do next Arjun pinned her to the wall trapped her with his hands. He leaned in and kissed her on cheek making her blush, he smiled looking at her flushed face. “Answer me… are we just friends?”
Radhika was breathing heavily his warm breath fanning her face was doing a million things to her. But she was adamant to not confess first “if u think there is something more btn us… why don’t u tell me what is it?” Arjun smiled at her answer and slowly closed in on the distance btn their lips but then a knock on the door was enough to remind them where they were. Arjun blamed the door for locking itself to a stuff who was giving them a questioning look and went to his cabin. He knew he broke the promise he made to his sister but also knew it was pointless to avoid Radhika coz she won’t let him.
Chic Office
Sam had joined her mom’s office and was being trained by Chic’s number one designer Tarun. Though she was good at making sketches there were still a few tricks to the trade she needed to pick up on the job. Tarun was very impressed by her talent and told her if she keeps up with the good work they can showcase her designs in the next collection. But with everything that had been going on Sam found it difficult to concentrate. She found a new admiration for her mom for being able to put up a calm business front while in inner turmoil.
Neil went to meet Sam for lunch, he smiled at the scene he saw. Sam with messy hair, measuring tape around her neck, pins dangling on her mouth was struggling to drape the mannequin. It looked like Sam and the mannequin were fighting and the mannequin was winning. Neil went near her and hugged her from behind startling her. Sam stopped her work and with a puppy face said “hold me” And he obliged Neil wrapped his arms around her in a long assuring hug. Neil then cupped her face and asked her the problem “am stressing out… I have so many ideas in my mind but nothing good comes out of it… I haven’t been able to design one dress… and am running out of time” said Sam in a single breath.
Neil:”relax Sammy… relax”
Sam:”mom has trusted me… and Tarun has so many expectations from me… am scared I will not be able to deliver what the want from me”
Neil rubbed on her shoulders to calm her down “u need to get your mind off this for some time… let’s go and have lunch together… I will tell Chashni and Arjun to join us also”
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Arjun Neil Radhika and Sam after a fun filled lunch decided to extend the fun time and so went to the beach. The four friends sat on the sand talking about anything and everything and if it was a competition then Sam and Radhika were sure winners coz they kept talking on and on and on while the boys had no other choice but listening. Neil was happy coz Sam wasn’t thinking about work pressure but Arjun was bored to no end. Deciding that he had had enough Arjun spoke “I think this is enough fun for one day we should get back to work” and his statement only earned him scowls from the others.
Sam said “don’t be a party pooper Arjun” and Neil seconded on her words. Arjun wanted to protest again but Radhika cut him in “stop being a grandpa… why are u so boring?… even my grandpa is more fun than u… u are like a grandpa of my grandpa” Radhika and Sam high five on her words while Neil held his tummy from all the laughing he was doing.
Arjun tried to argue that he wasn’t boring but Neil threw water on his efforts “bro… I know u and I love u… but Chashni is right… u are boring… u are not really fun to hangout with” Arjun argued more and as a result he was asked to prove his words with actions.
Sam scanned the beach for some minutes then saw a man standing near a pani puri stall and an idea struck her. Pointing to the man she said “see that man… u have to make him laugh and by telling him bald jokes” Neil and Radhika agreed with her idea landing Arjun in a fix. He looked at his target, the man wrapped in an all white suit angry at whoever was on the phone with him had a huge mole on his face. But the most scary part of his test was that the man was bald and he had to make him laugh with bald jokes. Arjun tried to get out of the mess but was immediately labelled a coward too by Radhika and both Sam and Neil agreed with her. Seeing no other choice he approached his target.
All four went near the stall and ordered pani puris while Arjun started his work. He smiled to the man who just ignored him in return. When he got off the phone Arjun said “looks like the moon is out early today” the man and the pani puri vendor looked at the sky only to see nothing while the trio tried to suppress their laugh. Arjun looking directly to the man said “nice hairstyle I mean headstyle” The man twitched his neck and said “do u want to ask me something young man?” Arjun hesitantly spoke “umm… yeah… how much do u save on haircuts a year?”
Everyone with baited breath waited for the man’s reaction and shocking all the man casually spoke “a lot actually” and wiped his head with his handkerchief. Arjun again asked “do u want to hear a joke?… what do u call a lice on a bald man’s head………homeless” They all bursted into fits of laughter led by the man himself and Arjun smirked at his friends that they shouldn’t challenge him again.
Arjun and Radhika went back to work leaving Neil and Sam behind. Walking hand in hand along the beach Sam had her head resting on Neil’s shoulder, she wasn’t stressed anymore and all thanks to him. Sam looked at him lovingly and thanked him for a fun afternoon.
Neil kissed on her hand “I did all these for your smile… I want to always see u like this”
Sam:just stay with me… and I will smile always” Neil asked her for her cellphone and clicked his selfie with it. He gave her the phone back and said “when am not near u… just look at my photo and keep smiling”
Sam shook her head in amusement and called him crazy. Neil smiled and said “am crazy in love with u… only u” He pecked her cheek and Sam hugged him tightly filling up her energy bank with his love and care.
Reno Pub – Mumbai
Sipping the neat whisky that was burning his throat Aditya observed things around him. Dim light ambiance, people having a good time meeting with old friends, some taking off their day’s stress and some trying to forget their problems. Aditya emptied his glass and ordered another one. He looked at his drinking buddy who had his eyes on some girls at the bar. Aditya smiled “am tired of playing defense… we need a change of plan”
Karthik:”the feeling is mutual… a crime was committed… we know the motive and we have suspects… but still we are stuck at the same point for months… what do u have in mind?”
Aditya:”it’s for certain that Malik is responsible for all the tradegies that has happened with the Khannas… like us he also thinks that Samrat has the gold… but with Samrat in a coma whereabouts of that gold will remain a secret… we need to lay a trap for Malik… that atleast will solve one part of the case”
Karthik:”if we catch Malik we will also know who killed Dilip Mishra… but he has been laying low … what will make him come out?”
Aditya:”let’s make him believe that Samrat is of no use to him… that someone else knows where the gold is… he will surely go after that person and that’s when we will catch him” Karthik sipped down the rest of his drink Aditya had indeed came up with a good plan. But when he asked him who that person will be Aditya shocked him with his answer “Radhika Mishra” Seeing his shocked face Aditya continued “am not going to put her in danger… an officer will assume her identity… we also need to pull back on security that we gave Khannas… Malik has to be 100% sure that what he seeks is no longer with the Khannas but with Radhika Mishra… our fake Radhika Mishra”
Karthik took a deep breath “it’s a good plan but very risky”
Aditya:”we have to take this risk… let’s throw a trap for Malik and see if he will fall for it… let’s give him THE GOLDEN GOOSE” Aditya lifted his glass and said “cheers” before finishing the whisky in one gulp.
Precap:Arjun angry with Radhika’s new home, Sam takes out Neil on a date, Saral meets Radhika.
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This nephew of mine is one naughty boy, everytime somebody praises him and calls him handsome he smiles and shows he one sided dimple, so cute. And in the honor of his naughtiness his parents decided naming him Romeo. We are going to get so many complaints from girl’s parents coz of this one I can already see the future. ???