Hello everyone. Here we go…
Recap: Ankush, Rithik being shot twice and once respectively by Sesha, Sesha being shot by Khushi, Arnav preventing Khushi from injuring anyone again, Karan and Arnav throwing down the guns down the cliff, the three being taken to hospital, the pain reflecting from everyone’s eyes.
Shivanya and Karan were standing outside the ICU moving restlessly as Sesha was being operated by the doctors. She looked at the ICU at the other end. She moved towards it as she tried to look into the room through the small glass panel. She felt a hand on her arms as she jerked due to the force applied on her by Khushi. ‘Get lost from here’, Khushi uttered as she looked at her in a rage.
‘Please Khushi. I just want to see him once. Seeing him in pain…’ Shivanya’s words were stopped as Khushi lifted her hand and gestured her to stop. She kept her hand down as uttered with gritted teeth, ‘Oh come on!!! Cut your crap. His pain… your pain. Where the hell were you when your sister did all this?’ Khushi was literally shouting at her when Arnav stood up from the chair and grabbed her arm. He dragged her at a corner as he uttered, ‘What are you doing? This is not your house where you can shout at the top of your voice.’ She calmed down a bit as he let go of her hand. They both sat back at their respective positions. She glared at Shivanya who was still there looking at Rithik through the small glass panel. She diverted her attention as she said to Arnav, ‘You don’t need to wait. You can go home and rest.’
‘No I’m absolutely fine here. I cannot leave like this. I have to say to you something.’ He replied promptly looking at her as he waited for her response.
‘What’s it about?’ She looked back at him as their eyes met. Their eye lock was broken when his phone rang. He moved away from there as he picked up the call. She looked at him as he took a left turn from the corridor and vanished in seconds from her sight. It had been 10 minutes till they had arrived here. She was thinking how to tell Rithik about his father. She really need to gather courage to tell him that his father was no more. He had died on his way to the hospital and she didn’t have even the slightest of courage to inform the rest of the members of his family. She heard heavy footsteps in the corridor as she turned her gaze and saw Arnav being accompanied by some policemen. A fear gripped her as she stood shocked. She had never given a thought about the consequences of her actions. Shivanya and Karan had also reached the place as the inspector stopped before them.
‘Mr. Arnav has told us everything about the incidents.’ Khushi heard only these words as she became astounded. ‘Did he inform everything? I mean… how can he do this?’ she was lost in her thoughts as she looked at him in disbelief. The inspector’s voice brought her back to her senses. ‘Are you alright Miss Khushi?’
‘Yes, actually I …’ she stopped as she saw Arnav rubbing his forehead with his fingers and looking at her with his eyebrows raised. They saw the inspector leaving to attend a call as Arnav turned to all of them and uttered in a low voice. ‘The inspector does not know anything.’ He then started narrating the story he had cooked up. ‘I saw inspector coming when I stopped him in the middle and escorted him till here. I have told him that a group of mafia wanted revenge from Sesha and they had thus kidnapped Shivanya along with Rithik when they were heeding to our engagement. Ours mean mine and Khushi’s engagement. They had then called Sesha and she had gone along with Rithik’s father to protect you both. Their they had fired at Sesha, Ankush and at you Shivanya. But before the bullet could hit you, Rithik came in front and was shot. Khushi, Karan and I had arrived after sometime and had called the ambulance.’ Everyone looked at Arnav as soon as he stopped the narration. Somewhere, he knew that everyone would nod in agreement and that is exactly what happened. ‘And you don’t recognize them Shivanya because they had their masks on.’
Their interactions were disrupted by the inspector who came back. ‘I have an important work so I need to go but these two policemen will remain here. I’ll come after a short while. If what Mr. Arnav has said is true than we need to just complete some formalities.’ They looked on as the inspector left the place.
***
[Arshi]
He was sitting beside her on a chair as he looked at her. He had imagined that she would get angry after listening to “our engagement”. But she was sitting silently there. He was searching for the right words to say as he finally spoke, ‘You are Rahul’s cousin sister, right?’ She looked at him shocked by what she had just heard. She kept staring at him as he continued, ‘Rahul used to work for me. One day I had caught him red- handed along with his colleague, John. They were involved in adding some adulterants in my company’s product. I had decided to hand over them to the police but Rahul had pleaded. He had never indulged in anything wrong and when I had caught him, I was utterly disappointed. I left both of them. I visited Rahul and met him in the lawn of his house. I was very angry that day as that was the third time I was asking him about the people involved behind all this. I had threatened him with dire consequences and had given him an ultimatum of two days. But I learnt about his demise…’ He stopped as he looked at her. She uttered with difficulty, ‘And why should I trust you?’ He could feel the pain in her voice as he said, ‘I don’t have any proof.’
***
[Rivanya & Sesha]
Her sister’s operation was successful as the bullet was removed. She sat beside her as she picked up Sesha’s hand and placed a peck on it. She narrated her sister the entire account as she moved out of the room and went into the room where he was. She entered the room as she saw Khushi sitting beside him and Arnav standing at a corner. He had worn a forlorn look as she was trying to cheer him up. She saw Khushi turning her face to a side as she quickly wiped of the tear and again started talking to him. Arnav kept a hand on her shoulder as he gestured her to look at the door. She saw Khushi turning as she walked briskly up to her. ‘Please Khushi,’ she had said before Khushi could say anything and went up to him.
She placed a hand on his hand as he jerked his hand. She looked at him as he averted her gaze. She made out that he was not in a mood to listen to her. She heard him saying as he had uttered, ‘I know everything. Don’t worry no harm will befall to you. What was my father’s fault? In fact, I was at fault. I repent the moment I fell in love. And let this be the last thing that I do for you. After what you sisters have done, I don’t want to see your face.’ She could hear no more of his harsh words as she ran out. He saw her leaving the place as he composed himself and gathered all his strength.
*****