Misconceptions ✔

Chapter 19: A glimpse of the past

Ansh, who is the youngest of all came to the front and asked Radhika to introduce Arjun to all of them.

' Well kids, he is Mr. Arjun Mehra, the Chief Minister of our state.' said Radhika.

But the kids are not going to take these formal introductions. They are very much computer-generation, you see.

'Do you think we are fools?' asked Pari and when she got a negative nod from Radhika, she continued, 'We all know he is our Chief Minister because we read the invitation. But our question is who he is to you.'

"Kids these days." Thought Radhika.

"Well someone is helping me to push the feelings of my Doll." Thought Arjun.

'Haan, he is my husband.' said Radhika but didn't expect the claps from the kids.

They are jumping and clapping gleefully. Okay, did she miss something!

'We know that. We just wanted you to spell that out.' said Hari, 13-year-old boy poking his tongue out.

So, this entire mission was headed by him. No wonder all the kids are standing in attention as if they are listening to the National Anthem. He is one strict leader.

The kids ran from there after getting their answers.

Arjun is happy listening to the word husband from Radhika. It is the first time she acknowledged him as her husband in public, after all. Thanks to the gang of gabroos who made this possible.

After taking leave from the people of the orphanage, they made their way to their home. Arjun, who is a bundle of nerves after Radhika's dialogue knew he will never be able to concentrate on work even if he wanted. So he has gone along with Radhika to their house. The journey to the house was so silent and that let him recall his past with Ayushi.

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Ayushi, Pawan and Arjun were childhood friends. Even though Arjun is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he couldn't make friends because of his shy nature. The only friends he ever had were Ayushi and Pawan.

Ayushi, because she is the daughter of the personal secretary of his father and more to that, her mother is friends with his mother for a long time. The ladies bonded well when Ayushi's dad joined as personal secretary to his father. Both of them had so many interests that didn't include kitty parties or shopping. They loved to help the people in need, so they took a building on lease and started an old age home with the money they saved from their monthly income of their husbands. Both husbands didn't stop their interest until they were not disturbed. Both the gents are happy in their political connections, discussions and the parties hosted by the Ministers. This helped them to keep a good place in the books of Ministers. Arjun is never the one who is close to his father but he admired him a lot and wished to become a man like him one day. He is close to his mother and that is directly proportional to the closeness he had with Ayushi's mother. He termed her his godmother and respected her all the same as he did his mother. Years passed and his friendship with Ayushi became stronger. They cannot live without another as they are partners in crime to tease their other friend Pawan.

Pawan is his friend. He is the son of the maid, who happens to be a single mother, in Arjun's ancestral house. Arjun's mother always taught him to treat everyone equal, so he made friends with this lad who is practically full in all directions and was teased for the same. He saved Pawan from the bullies and there the kick start to their friendship took place.

After he told everything about Pawan to his mother, Arjun felt proud to be her son because of her decision. She took it to her shoulders to get the kid educated. He knew so many people who flaunt their money but not his mother. She lives the simplest way of life. From the day he introduced Pawan; he was treated as the son of the house and was given equal status as Arjun. Arjun feared that his father will be angry with this, but he took it so casually and the respect Arjun had for his father increased tenfold when he saw his father didn't make an issue out of this. There started the journey of friendship with Pawan and Ayushi. Ayushi has this serious possessive problem. She doesn't share her things with anyone. But she loves and cares so damn much that people forget anything that may reduce her position in society. Pawan is the person with whom she had a hate-love relationship. Hate because she has to share Arjun's friendship with him. Love because she is the only child and these two love each other like siblings. They fight, make up for the fight by giving each other gifts like flower pots, and then scratch each other faces when they have to do the same thing for Arjun.

The only dream of Arjun was to keep his family intact like this for an eternity. But alas! Destiny doesn't work according to our dreams and wishes. His happiness left him and his friends were separated from him ruthlessly.

One day, a reporter of a newspaper stood outside the school building of Arjun to get some information about his father. Arjun is nervous to see this person who is bombarding with so many questions and answers are unknown even to him. Add to his bad luck, Pawan and Radhika were talking to some other people for the activities related to the school. Pawan who saw this from the other side excused himself and ran to Arjun's rescue. But the reporter who saw him running towards them pushed Pawan to the ground. Pawan lost the balance because of his speed and fell on the ground. Ayushi who completed her discussion came to see her both friends were treated badly by some other person and her anger flared. She stood in front of the reporter and asked him what his problem is. But the reporter brushed off her words because she is a girl. Ayushi took this as chance and punched the reporter hard in his stomach. The reporter fell down clutching his stomach. There are no bodyguards for Arjun because his mother wanted a simple life for him. Ayushi helped Pawan to stand on his feet and started her row of curses.

'You, Potato Pawan! Can't you handle a single lean fellow? You have to get the help of me to get rid of him.'

Pawan gave a scoff as his answer and let Ayushi tend his wounds on the palms which were hurt because of the stones on the ground.

After their usual banter, Ayushi and Pawan got into the car and they left for their house. But Arjun has to ask her this...

'Why did you hit him, Ayushi?'

'I can do anything and everything for you, Arjun.' Said Ayushi with a smile playing on her lips.

-----

The car screeched to a halt in front of his house bringing Arjun out of his past.

~~~~~

End of the nineteenth chapter. Hope you liked the chapter. I know this is a short chapter but can't help it to keep the suspense intact.

I thought to post this chapter yesterday but it rained cats and dogs here and somewhere in my town, a transformer was blast leaving us in dark. *wiping my tears* I've written most of this chapter on my mobile, so there will be many mistakes and missed expressions, please forgive me for that. I'll edit the chapters as soon as I can.

I was meaning to ask a favour from my readers, there is this award called The Fiction awards, 2017. Please do nominate Misconceptions under General Fiction category (if you feel it has the capacity to win) and let the book to make its place in the final list of the books.

I'm giving the link here:

http://my.w.tt/UiNb/v7SA2o2doD

[If you're on mobile and can't open this link, please check my reading list and you will find the book. ]

And also I may go out of town for a while and that leaves me in a wi-fi free zone, so please do wait for me to reply to your comments. I'll do that as soon as I reach my hometown.

Please do check my other stories too if you can. : )

Love you all and have a great day ahead.