Retrouvaille: An IPKKND FanFiction

Chapter Nine: Reversed

Payal adjusted the fluffy comforter over her legs as she lazily flipped through the magazine in her hands. She had finally found some time for herself after a busy morning instructing Hari Prakash and the rest of the helpers about the meals to be prepared that day and then personally ensuring that everyone had their food on time. Anjali's and Khushi's absence in overseeing the house affairs had piled additional responsibilities over her shoulders – ones that she did not wish to shrug out of no matter what. She had realized that her family needed her to be strong, needed her help to maintain some semblance of normalcy they deserved. She was aware of the fragile balance that had kept the peace in the house; and she was afraid it wouldn't take long for things to spiral down once ticked off.

If she were honest to herself, she knew in her mind that Shyam would be the undoing. Soon.

Her eyes paused on a news article in the magazine that had covered the recent successes of the AR Group. She looked at the confident faces of her husband and her brother-in-law next to an excerpt in italics. She skimmed through the interviewer's summary of her brother-in-law's business ethics, the corporate culture at AR, and philanthropic initiatives founded by the Raizada siblings. A small smile played at her lips as she read more of the interview in the prestigious business magazine. She remembered the day when she had run into Akash and Arnav at AR when the interview was scheduled and secretly hoped that the times were as simple as it seemed to be. And that brought her back to Shyam. With everything that had happened, she needed to talk to Akash to tell him her story, doubts and convey her worries of the future. 

And she needed to talk to Arnav as well, if she can muster enough courage to see him eye to eye. That man exuded an aura so powerful to make even the strongest of the men demure - a putty in the hands of the influential tycoon. Till that day, she had been careful not to step too close to him for the reasons unknown even to her. She had always wondered how her younger sister was able to stand up to him. Close enough to get to know him well. Close enough to fall in love with him. But Payal didn't think she could afford that luxury of staying away anymore. Shyam had threatened to step out of his limits. He had stepped outside the limits.

Maybe she could start by talking to Akash, she thought, and then the two of them could talk to Arnav. She wondered how much Arnav already knew about Shyam. She knew Khushi wouldn't have told him anything outright – that was a promise the sisters had made to themselves before her wedding. But things have changed since. Khushi had married into the family along with her. That wasn't planned. Had she told him about Shyam after their wedding? She wasn't able to read her sister like she used to anymore. She contemplated if Khushi had revealed some of their shared past with Shyam in light of new things. If Khushi was right that Shyam had tried to kidnap and murder Arnav to get his property and lay claim on his wife, maybe Arnav knew more than she was aware of. Maybe Khushi had told certain things to Arnav.

"Payal?" a concerned voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Hmpf?" she mumbled. She looked at Akash with a frown on her face.

"I've been trying to call you for a while," Akash said, sitting next to her on the bed, "Are you okay? I'm worried."

Payal closed the magazine in her hands and nodded, "I'm okay, Akash."

Akash pulled her chin up, "What's bothering you? Something's off – I can tell."

Payal looked at the worry lines on her husband's forehead. She lifted her hand to his face and softly tried to straighten his frown with her hand. "I was just – just thinking about things. About Khushi. And Arnav ji. Are they back home with you?"

Akash shook his head, "No, Bhai and Khushi ji decided to stop by at Laxmi Nagar. Khushi ji wanted to see Amma and Babu ji."

"But I told her to come back home as soon as she was done at AR."