Part 34 Remnants of the Past
Arnav touched the old lady's shoulder lovingly, who cried hugging him.
Meeran pulled her back and dragged her a little away.
"What are you doing? He is not Arjun... He died twenty-nine years ago. He just resembles Arjun does not mean he is Arjun. He can't be Arjun" He chided her.
"No... He is our Arjun only. Don't I know him? He is definitely our Arjun only. He came back"
"Yeah, Allah... How can I make you understand? Don't you know, what will happen if he is Arjun...?"
Parveen became horrified. She nodded yes and came back to Arnav.
"Why did you come here? Go back..." she said hastily.
"Why should I go back?" Arnav questioned.
"Because we don't like to talk to you," Meeran said.
"Won't you talk to Arjun?" Arnav asked even though he had no idea who both of them were.
"Arjun? Are you really Arjun?" Parveen asked emotionally.
Arnav nodded yes.
"No, you can't be Arjun... He is trying to get something from us" Meeran said angrily.
Of course, Arnav was trying to get the TRUTH from them.
"How do you want me to prove I'm Arjun? Shall I bring INDHU here?" Arnav asked.
Both of them were stunned.
"Indhu? Is she with you?" Parveen asked.
"Yes... She is with me. We are in Delhi presently. We are going to get married soon. I came here to invite you to our wedding" He said even though he went to Hyderabad for another purpose.
Parveen became happy and Meeran became nervous.
"Is it...? I want to attend your wedding but I can't. Leave this place immediately" Parveen said.
"But why?"
"He will burn you again if he gets to know about your wedding"
"You mean Pradeep?" Arnav asked and they became shocked.
"How do you know Pradeep? Are you really Arjun?" Asked Meeran with confusion.
"Yes... This is my REBIRTH... My name is Arnav Singh Raizada"
"I can't believe this"
"Wait..." Arnav removed his mobile and searched the pic that was captured at their office party in which Khushi stood next to him.
He showed it to Parveen. She widened her eyes in shock and snatched the phone from Arnav.
"Meeran... see this...! Our Indhu also took Rebirth...! She came back to marry her Arjun. I can't believe it happened"
"Yes, she came again..." Arnav said.
Arnav didn't show them he too didn't believe it. he just behaved like, he remembered his previous birth. So that, they won't hide the truth from him and would tell them about Arjun and Indhu.
"Won't you ask, how Indhu is?"
"She would be fine because she is with you... she loves you so much... that's why she married you leaving everything and everyone behind. Poor girl, she should be happy at least in this birth"
"But, Islam doesn't believe in rebirth right?" Arnav asked wondering.
"What would I do if you were in front of me?" the old woman asked miserably.
"By the way, how could you still remember Arjun, even after so many years?"
"How could I forget you? You make your surroundings lively. At first, I was annoyed with you as you talked a lot but after knowing about your good heart, I felt a vacuum if you didn't come to meet me" Parveen smiled.
Arnav understood Arjun's character. If a motherly woman felt a vacuum without seeing him, then there was nothing to wonder if Khushi became mad and did crazy things to get him in her life again. He supposed.
"Aadhil and Farida will be happy to see you," Parveen said delightfully.
"Shall I meet them?" Arnav asked.
"Why not? "Aadhil just returned back from Delhi. He went there for a seminar. Farida is at home. Let's go..."
"One minute... I would like to buy some bangles for Khushi"
"Khushi?"
"Indhu's this birth name is Khushi"
"Oh... Come I will give good bangles for her"
She walked inside the shop and took some bangles with JUMKA and BEAD work. What surprised Arnav was, she didn't ask her size and chose it by herself.
"Indhu would like it"
Arnav took it. Parveen got upset when he tried to pay for the bangles.
"This is not fair... Will you give money to your mother?" She asked him sadly.
Arnav nodded no and kept his purse in his pocket.
"Let's go..."
"By the way, how your eyesight is still powerful? You are looking young also... what are you doing to maintain your elegance?" Arnav asked trying to get ARJUN in his character.
"Go, Arjun... you haven't changed a bit... this is how you teased me before too..." Parveen laughed.
"You have not tell me the secret..."
"It's Allah's grace... what else, I could say?"
Arnav nodded yes.
Parveen took him with her. When they came to a house, Parveen gestured Arnav to stand behind a wall and she knocked on the door.
The door was opened. A woman in her late forties opened the door. She frowned, seeing Parveen.
"Ammi, don't you go to the shop?"
"I went. Someone wants to meet you. So I brought him here"
"Who?"
Parveen looked at Arnav smilingly. Farida looked at the direction and was horrified. Her eyes widened. She touched her chest and moved back with extreme shock.
Arnav smiled at her.
"Ammi... He..." Farida stammered.
"He is undoubtedly our Arjun"
"But..."
"I and Indhu took rebirth again. I'm Arjun..." Arnav said.
"No... He is not Arjun but Arnav Singh Raizada..." Came from inside the house.
Arnav saw Aadhil standing who came to visit his sister after his Delhi visit.
"Arnav Singh Raizada is his this birth's name..." Parveen said.
"Ammi, from when did you start believing in the Rebirth concept? There is nothing called rebirth in Islam" Aashil said sternly.
"I don't believe it... But, what about him, who is in front of our eyes?" Parveen asked.
"Ask him to leave the place, first..." Aadhil said.
"Why Aadhil? Are not you happy to see your friend?" Parveen asked.
"He is not my friend. My friend died long ago. The police tortured us a lot after he died. We beard it for my friend but we don't have to tolerate it again for someone who is not related to us"
"Oh... That's why did you run away from me when you saw me in Delhi?" Arnav asked.
Parveen looked at him with confusion.
"Did you meet him in Delhi?"
"Yes... He met me in Delhi. That's why he is here now. He should have followed me finding my address in the register" Aadhil said.
"You are not wrong. I got your address from the seminar list only...! But why did I follow you if I'm not related to you, Aadhil?" Arnav questioned.
Aadhil was silent.
"But what about Indhu?" Parveen asked.
"Indhu?" Farida asked and Aadhil was perplexed.
"Yes, Indhu is also in Delhi only. They are getting married soon. He is here to invite us to his wedding only." Parveen looked at Arnav and said,
"Arjun, show them Indhu's photo"
Arnav removed his phone and showed them Khushi's photo. Both Aadhil and Farida were dumbfounded.
"Is Indhu with you?" Farida asked.
Arnav nodded yes.
"Recently, she got our previous birth memory. I didn't believe it until Aadhil hugged me and called me Arjun. I want to know how much Arjun and Indhu are true. That's why I tried to talk to Aadhil but he left the place immediately not showing interest in talking to me. That's why I came to Hyderabad"
"You guys are so much true, Bhai. Indhu's love for you is true. That's why she reached you in this birth..." Farida said.
"Means?"
"Means, she wanted to be with you in every birth... Her love for you is immortal"
"But, Aadhil is not ready to trust us it seems," Arnav said looking at him.
"Whoever you are... Arjun or Arnav, please leave this place. I'm saying this for your betterment only"
"Ok... I will leave Hyderabad but tell me the reason."
"I tell you... It's because of Pradeep..." Farida said.
"Pradeep? What will he do?"
"He may kill you again"
Arnav chuckled.
"No Arjun, don't underestimate him. He is still the same. In fact, he is more arrogant than before I suppose" Aadhil said restlessly.
"Didn't he get punished for burning Arjun and Indhu alive?"
"No... Because it was framed like an accident. He went to Singapore after killing them. Arjun's parents filed a complaint. The police tortured everyone who was related to Arjun, Indhu and Pradeep."
"Did Arjun's presents agree to the marriage with Indhu?"
"No... Both the parents didn't agree to it. That's why they got married with the help of friends. I and Farida also one of the witnesses of your wedding"
"Why didn't their parents agree to the wedding?"
"Because of Pradeep. Your parents wanted you to marry Pradeep's sister. Because Pradeep was ready to give you a house and five hundred grams of gold as dowry. Your parents strictly said you could marry Indhu only if her parents were ready to give the same dowry. Indhu's parents didn't like your parent's attitude. So, they decided to marry her to their close relative guy. Without any choice, Arjun and Indhu got married without their parents' acceptance. Pradeep didn't expect that. His sister was heartbroken. She committed suicide. That angered him like never before. He waited for us to leave from the place and fired the house in which Arjun and Indhu stayed that night. Before we reached the place, everything was over. I still can't forget how their burnt-dead bodies were in the hugging position" Aadhil choked while Arnav gulped down hard.
He remembered Khushi once said I WAS BURNT ALIVE. I CAN STILL REMEMBER THAT. I CAN STILL FEEL THE BURNING SENSATION. I DIED NOT BECAUSE I GAVE UP, I HAD NO CHANCE TO ESCAPE FROM THE FIRE...!
She didn't tell him how they died. Maybe, she didn't want him to think of it as exaggeration.
To be continued...