Kaun Kiska ✔️

five: Dusk and Dawn

Shagun's Plan
Neel, Raman and Mihir stared in disbelief at Shagun. They were all sitting in Neels office, where Raman and Mihir had taken Shagun at her insistence.

It was the morning after the infamous aborted wedding. Raman had called Neel from home and had filled him in on what had transpired, asking him to draft a shared custody agreement. However, the details of Shaguns plan to force Ashok to marry her had not been known to any of them until this moment.

"Shagun" Mihir was the first to break the silence. "So you are telling us that Ashok's businesses have been operating illegally. Tum yeh sab jaanti thi toh phir chup kaise rah sakti thi" (If you knew all this, then how could you have stayed quiet? )

"On come on Mihir. Tum toh apni uss mangetar se bhi zyaada naive ho" Shagun sneered at her brother, flicking an imaginary speck of dust off her designer chiffon sari with a manicured bejewelled finger. "Business mein yeh sab hota hi rehta hai. Lekin kabhi kisi ke khilaf saboot nahi milta, aur kuch nahi hota. Magar mujhe in sari baaton ki khabar hai kyunki Ashok mujhe apne client meetings aur parties mein saath le kar jaata tha. Unke clients ko mein bahut pasand hoon, aur mein ne subkuch dekha aur suna hai." (Oh come on Mihir. You're more naive then that fiancée of yours. All of this goes on in business all the time, but there is never any proof against anyone. But I know about all this because Ashok liked to take me to parties, and meetings with his clients. His clients liked having me around, and I have seen and heard everything)

Raman could not hide the distaste and disgust that he felt.

After all, he had been married to this woman once, had children with her. To hear her speak of how her boyfriend virtually pimped her for business deals was unbearable to him. He felt a deep sadness at what the pretty girl he had married had turned into, at what her thwarted ambitions and greed had transformed her into.

Neel had recovered from the blow that Shaguns revelations had caused and was now speaking quietly to them.

"Shagunji, aap jo keh rahi hai, woh sab toh theek hai, lekin uski koi documentary proof hai kya? Agar proof nahi hai, toh jo aap chahti hai, ki mein ek letter draft karoon Companies Regulatory Authority aur CBI ke paas, jisko dikha kar aap Ashok Khanna ko shaadi ke liye razamand karogi, woh safal nahi hoga."
(Shagunji, what you are saying is all fine, but do you have any documentary proof? If you don't have proof then what you asking for, that I draft a letter to time Companies Regulatory Authority and the CBI, which you can show to scare Ashok Khanna into marrying you, well, that won't really work)

"Sirf draft letters nahi, mujhe ek Pre-nuptial agreement bhi chahiye, remember?" Shagun told Neel firmly, ignoring the look of incredulous disgust on Raman's face. "Agar Ashok ne mujhe divorce karna chaha, toh usko ten crore dene padega mujhe. Aur usko Adi ko apna legal heir banana hoga"
(Not just draft letters, I want a pre-nuptial agreement too, remember? If Ashok tries to divorce me, he will have to pay me ten crore rupees. And he needs to make Adi his legal heir)

"No" Raman spoke up for the first time. "I don't want my son mentioned in this dirty deal.You just sign this shared custody agreement, Shagun, before I change my mind and ask for full custody."

Raman thought back to earlier that day when he had arrived to pick up Shagun and Mihir from Mihir's house. He had not missed the way in which his son had clung to his mother, or the gentleness with which she had removed his hands and handed him over to Mihika. Yes, Shaguns first priority was always Shagun, but Adi was a close second. Certainly she loved him as much as she could love another human being. And taking Adi away from Shagun completely, even though he was sorely tempted to do so right now, would not be in his son's best interests.

Shagun glared at Raman, ready to argue her case, but the look on his face forced her into silence. She needed Raman's help right now, so antagonizing him was not smart, and besides, securing Adi's future was something that she could negotiate with Ashok later.