Laxmi Nagar.
Payal sat on the bed in the room she used to share with Khushi looking at their family pictures as tears trickled down her cheeks.
She heard a knock and put the picture down and wiped her tears.
She asked the person to enter and entered buaji who looked at her niece but she looked away angry and folded her arms with her head on the headrest of the bed.
"What do you want? " Payal asked rudely not looking at her.
"I know you hate me. " Buaji replied.
"Why shouldn't I!..... " She cut buaji off in anger as she stood off the bed and marched up to her." Our whole life you have controlled us...... I hated my mother for abandoning us and starting a new family forgetting me but now I know she did right because you are unbearable and babuji allowed you..... You were a widow at a young age and I thought you will be more understanding of prejudice, but no..... You always judged Khushi for being an orphan and Amma for not marrying early and refusing to have children with Babaji........ She was a single woman who had just lost her sister and brother and was taunted by the neighbours for being single when in fact they were jealous because their husbands and sons were ogling shamelessly at her for being so beautiful...... You manipulated her to marry babuji because you wanted someone to control and be a domestic slave to us nothing more nothing less...... You didn't want Khushi going to school but she did due to Amma and you never gave her peace for that..... Khushi was just thirteen when she had to stop schooling because you were always complaining she was wasting money but the truth was you were scared she will achieve higher grounds and I wouldn't because I wasn't as intelligent as she was. " Payal cried out and buaji bowed her head in shame knowing it was true. "Well, news flash buaji..... Khushi did go to school online without you knowing. " Buaji looked up shocked. "Every night while we were asleep she and Amma studied with a laptop I don't know where she got it from and she always passed with flying colours....... Now you understand why Khushi always woke up late...... And it all because of you..... And like fools, I and babuji also fell into your talk and never or barely defended Khushi and Amma but am happy they are gone because now we will see their real worth...... Khushi and Amma alleviated the stress of house chores and taking care of us from me and you and now that they are not here, it's falling on us...... With what's going on, I will ask Akash to find me a job to help and I won't let him or his family talk me out of it and one more thing...... You will convince babuji to sign the divorce papers and free Amma because she deserves that freedom and maybe she will one day find a man who will support and cherish her like the queen she is because we don't deserve her. " Payal ended and Buaji was shocked by her final sentence.
"What nonsense?...... Who will marry Garima especially at her age? "
Payal shook her head disappointed that her aunt will never change.
"You have a backward mentality buaji....... Have you seen Amma!..... She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and she is younger than her age and the right man will marry her..... I bet you if she wants, she would marry today itself but why am I even bothering myself to make you understand when your brain won't because of your ego and jealousy..... So please leave before I became ruder and disrespect you. " Payal said pointing to the door and buaji walked out and Payal slammed the door to her face before she could say anything.
She turned and found her brother in the wheelchair looking so disappointed and hurt and she immediately knew he heard everything.
Days Later.
AR Designs.
Arnav and Khushi sat in his office waiting impatiently for the results of Aman's investigation.
Both especially Arnav was nervous because he felt he was about to hate himself in regards to his father.
Since his conversation with Khushi that day at the cafe, he realised Khushi was right about his father's innocence and he knew he could never forgive himself if it turned out to be true that his father was innocent.
He called Khushi to come to his office because he knew he will need all the emotional support he could get and only she can alleviate the pain he knew was coming.
Aman and Nk barged in and moved towards the couple sitting on the couch and locked the door behind them.
"I got the results. " Aman declared and gave it to Arnav who stared at it for a few minutes.
The trio knew he was scared and Khushi mustered up the courage and took it from him and started reading.
She started with the file on Anita.
"Anita Singh Raizada, daughter of Namik and Asha Singh Raizada and heiress to the Raizada fortune. " Arnav and the other looked shocked at the full name.
"What the hell?..... Nani killed her niece? " Nk exclaimed in shock.
"Wait you already know Anita? " Aman asked Nk but he shook his head no confusing him.
"We do know about Namik and Asha but they were a forbidden topic to the family. " Arnav replied.
"Well according to Nani...... Namik stole business ideas from grandpa Karan his older brother and it broke up the family...... Nani even blamed him for grandpa's death and forbade everyone from talking about him and now that I think about it, it is a lie like all the lies she has been telling us. " Nk revealed shocking Khushi and Aman.
(NB: Nk is related to the Raizada..... How? will be revealed later.)
"Khushi continue. " Aman said and she nodded and she her eyes widened in shock seeing what followed next.
"First and ex-wife of Arvind Malik and mother to their stillborn son. "
This sent a shock through the room at the revelation.
"Was married to Arvind Malik in 1991 and divorced by late 1992.
The reason for divorce was Ratna Singh Raizada the cousin of Anita showed up with a baby boy by the name of Arnav Malik who was conceived at the bachelor party of Arvind Malik during a drunk state. "
Khushi paused and she and the others looked at an Arnav who looked so broken at the revelation and it scared her.
"Please don't stop... Continue...... Don't stop until every detail in those files is revealed. " Arnav begged and Khushi nodded and opened the file and continued.
"Anita forced Arvind Malik to marry Ratna Malik a then single mother to a disabled daughter conceived out of a one night stand with an unknown man to secure the future of Arnav Malik.
Died a few months later in a car explosion due to failed brakes. No foul play was involved.
Namik Singh Raizada died a few days of a heart attack after the last rites of her daughter Anita Singh Raizada was performed and three days later, Asha Singh Raizada committed suicide by consuming arsenic. "
Khushi ended and proceeded to the file on Arvind.
"Arvind Malik, son of late Aryan and Meethi Malik and stepson and stepbrother of Subhadra and Anant Malik respectively.
Husband of Ratna Malik and father of Arnav Malik and stepfather to Anjali Malik.
Death by a gunshot wound to the chest.
Foul play suspected."
Khushi ended as shock engulfed the room accompanied by an eerie silence.
"So everything we've known all these years was all lies..... Lies. " Arnav yelled and slammed his fist on the glass centre table breaking it into pieces.
Khushi and the others flinched at this and she rushed up to him to check his hand but luckily it was only bruised.
He pulled Khushi into a hug and cried his eyes out.
"They lied to me Khushi..... Am the reason for my father's unhappiness..... I am the reason all this happen...... It's me..... All me. " Arnav cried out and Khushi didn't stop him.
For nearly ten minutes Arnav cried so hard that they all started crying in the process.
Khushi heard him go silent and felt his weight drop on her and Nk and Aman rushed up to them before they fell to the floor.
Aman and Nk helped lift an unconscious Arnav onto the couch and called his doctor.
Khushi couldn't stop crying and as she held onto Arnav's hand.
Akash who needed Arnav's signature entered the office to a shocking scene.
"He fainted out of shock..... Please make sure he rests and give him these medicines after each meal. " The doctor said and packed up and nodded at Akash before leaving.
"He can't go back to that house again not after everything we discovered......." Khushi said and they all nodded obliviously of Akash standing in the office. "Nk please can you go home and pack some of his clothes and accessories for him and Aman please cancel any appointments or work on it if you can for the next few weeks...... But first, we have to find Anant Malik and get the entire truth from him and if possible, get evidence to have Nani locked up for killing Anita. "
Akash dropped the file he was holding making his presence known.
The trio widened their eyes in shock seeing Akash there.
"Da..... Da... Dadi is a murderer. " Akash stammered in shock.
"Yes...... Your so-called Dadi is a cold-blooded killer so run and tell her we know her dirty little secret. " Nk voiced out angry and it shocked Akash.
He knew they were angry at him because of the incident that took place a few days ago but didn't think it was this severe.
"Nk I will never. " Akash defended in a hurt tone but Aman and Nk rolled their eyes.
"Akash..... You are their puppet and will do anything to please them and you expect us to trust you. " Aman yelled at him.
"I know I do everything they tell me but it has changed now..... Please tell me the whole truth. " Akash begged and Aman and Nk looked at Khushi who nodded.
They then told him everything and showed him the content of the file.
To say he was shocked will be an understatement but that shock turned to rage which shocked them.
"Aman...... Find Anant and take him to the abandoned warehouse downtown..... I will call my police friend to help us with something. " Akash said confusing them.
"What thing? " Nk asked.
"Anant won't confess that easily and my friend told me of an injection called the truth serum..... Once injected into the person, they will blurt out everything they knew which you want to know and I know he won't refuse me. " Akash replied and they nodded knowing he was right.
Aman and Nk left to prepare for the kidnapping of Anant leaving Akash and Khushi behind.
Akash watched as Khushi covered Arnav with a blanket.
If he doubted that Khushi loves Arnav then all of it is gone but he couldn't believe his Dadi was capable of hurting a fly left alone killing someone and lying about Arvind Malik.
"Khushi," Akash called out and Khushi looked at him and back to Arnav and Akash sighed. "He will be okay. "
"No, he won't...... Not after all this and I know there are worse things to come....... Am just scared he will never be able to fully recover from another shock. " Khushi cried out as she caressed Arnav's face. "Look at him Akash... Even in his unconscious state, he is still restless. ...... Am so scared. "
Akash kneeled in front of Khushi and she hugged him crying.
"We are all here to help him..... I promise to be a better brother to you and him. " Khushi nodded as she hugged him.
A few hours later.
A man in his late forties was dragged by two muscular men into a warehouse with a hood on his head and his hand-tied to his back.
"Let go of me...... How dare you kidnap me..... I won't spare you? " He yelled as he was pushed into a chair and tied up.
The hood was removed from his head and he was shocked to see Arnav, Nk and Akash looking at him together with Aman and Khushi who was standing far away from them because Arnav didn't want Anant you see her.
"Arnav..... How dare you kidnap me? " He yelled and Arnav marched up to him and slapped him.
"I know you had a hand in the murder of my father and you are going to tell everything I need to know now. " Arnav said shocking Anant.
He signalled one of the men and he injected Anant with the truth serum.
"Now there is no turning back. " Arnav thought as he watched the drug slowly start working on Anant.
To be continued.
Precap: Garima helps Arnav.
Khushi slaps Anjali.
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