Part 42 Threat
Khushi dragged Arnav aside. Arnav got confused and asked,
"What happened Khushi? Why are you dragging me like this?"
"Shhh... Don't shout..." Khushi pleaded.
"But why?"
"Pradeep is here..."
"Whaaaaat? Pradeep? Where?" Arnav asked unbelievably.
"Look at the entrance of the restaurant..."
Arnav was about to go out, but Khushi stopped him.
"Don't go... see from here..."
Arnav slowly peeped towards the entrance of the restaurant and saw a man in his middle fifties standing.
"Is he Pradeep?"
She nodded yes.
"Are you sure?"
Khushi looked at him weirdly.
"I didn't mean it, Khushi... could you identify him?"
"Yes, he has not changed a bit"
Arnav looked at him and captured his figure in his mind.
"I don't know what he is doing here and how he came to Delhi...! I think he got to know about our REBIRTH. This is why I was scared to go to Hyderabad. Don't know what he is going to do" she said with an extreme level of fear.
"Khushi relax... we don't know why he is here. He may have some other purpose to visit Delhi."
"Whatever, I don't want him to see us"
"Okay, we will wait here until he moves away..."
They saw Pradeep getting into a car and leaving the place. Khushi closed her eyes restlessly.
"Khushi, he left..."
"I am scared Arnav..."
"Hey, listen to me... we will face anything being together. This time nothing will happen"
In no time Khushi hugged him.
"I am very scared," she said again.
Pulling her from the hug, he asked,
"Do you trust me?"
She nodded yes.
"Then don't be scared. Our families are very much satisfied with this alliance. They are going to fix our wedding date. I will ask my father to fix the date as soon as possible. If we become together, everything will be alright. Ok?"
"Last time also we were together Arnav..."
Arnav got stuck. He didn't know how to console her.
"Khushi, we should not have seen Pradeep in Delhi but we did. We have to face the situation. We have no choice. So, instead of being scared, we should think about how to defeat him. Your fear will weaken you. Among the two of us, you are the one who knew exactly what Pradeep was up to. So you should be strong. Even if Pradeep comes in front of you, you should stand like a strong pillar. Your confidence should frighten him. I am with you. Hold my hand and walk with me. This time we will cross all the hurdles" Arnav said confidently.
Khushi nodded ok.
"Keep smiling... Don't let anyone cause the pressure in your heart. I promise... Arnav will not let anything happen to you. He will give you the life ARJUN failed to give you in the last birth" He said emotionally.
She again hugged him.
"I love you, Arnav... I love you so much... I can't live without you. I don't even want to think of a life without you"
Arnav embraced her.
"You don't have to think about it Khushi because it is not going to happen. Last time, we died together... this time we will live together as we wished" he kissed her hair.
Khushi smiled at him.
"In case, Pradeep sees you, just behave like you don't know him. he should not know you got your previous birth memories. We should keep him in the false hope this time and will hit him. ok?
She nodded ok.
"Shall we go?"
Khushi nodded yes. Arnav was supposed to enter the restaurant but Khushi stopped him.
"Let's go home, Arnav"
Arnav was perplexed.
"But why? You wanted to talk to me about something right?"
"I wanted to... but I don't think my mind will work on it. I will tell you about it on phone afterwards or, we will talk about it tomorrow. Please think about it"
Arnav sighed and shook his head as he didn't want to disturb her who was already disturbed. Arnav started his bike and Khushi sat on it. Arnav rode the bike towards Gupta's house. When they stopped at a signal, a man from the nearby shop came out and saw Khushi. He was none other than Pradeep...! Hewas shocked to the core. He didn't see Arnav as he was wearing a helmet but he undoubtedly saw Khushi and identified her. That was when Arnav removed his helmet and looked his left eye in the mirror as he felt something go inside his eye. Pradeep widened his eyes. He could not believe what he was seeing could be true. He could not believe he was seeing Arjun and Indhu in front of his eyes. Was it even possible? Did they take birth again? Did they meet each other in this birth too? Did they know their previous story? Did they know HIM? Would they identify him if they saw him?
He got into the car hurriedly and asked the driver to follow them, keeping enough distance from them. The car followed.
Arnav dropped Khushi at GH.
"Will you come inside?"
"No, Khushi, we will come day after tomorrow officially"
Khushi smiled.
"See you... don't stress yourself. Ok?"
"Ok..."
"Bye..."
"Bye"
Arnav headed to RM. Pradeep followed him giving enough space, keeping his bike in his eye limit. While entering RM, Arnav looked behind and looked at the car. Pradeep lay down on the seat not wanting Arnav to see him. Arnav went inside. Pradeep got down of the car and came to the shop that was in front of RM. He made sure, he was not being noticed.
"Namaste..." he greeted the shopkeeper.
"Namaste..."
"I would like to know something...! We got an alliance for my daughter from the opposite house... could you tell me about the boy? He just entered inside..."
"Oh... are you asking about Arnav?"
Pradeep nodded yes even though he was not sure his name was Arnav.
"He is a nice guy. So decent. Family oriented guy. Respects elders. Working in Info center as a programmer. Earns in six digits. You can't get such a nice man for your daughter. Go ahead with the alliance because his family is also a reputed one"
"Oh... thank you" Pradeep was thoughtful.
He walked to his car. At the same time, Arnav came out of RM with Aparna to drop her in her computer class. He was shocked to see Pradeep near his house. He saw him getting inside the car and leaving.
Arnav rushed to the shop and asked the shopkeeper,
"Tiwariji, did the man ask you something?"
"Haan, Arnav... he inquired about you."
"Me?" Arnav was thunderstruck.
"Don't worry, I gave him good feedback about you. He will give his daughter to you only"
"Daughter...?"
"Haan, he said he got your alliance for his daughter"
Arnav understood how Pradeep tricked the shopkeeper. It seemed he underestimated Pradeep. He was so faster than he imagined. Khushi must be right. he should have come to Delhi after knowing his Hyderabad visit. He had to be cautious about him. he thought. At the same time, Arnav was confident that he could do nothing this time. He felt that was a chance for him to win the man who burnt them alive in the previous birth. Let's see what he would do.
Night
Bhashyam was playing with his grandson Arnav. That was when he got a call on his mobile. He attended it even though it was an anonymous call.
"Hello..."
"May I speak to Mr. Bhashyam?"
"Speaking..."
"Mr. Bhashyam, I called you to offer something nice"
"Offer? What offer?"
"I will give you fifty lakhs if you do what I say"
Fifty lakhs? Bhasyam was stuck. Who was that who was ready to give him Fifty lakhs?
"May I know who are you?"
"It's none of your business"
"What do you want me to do?"
"You should FIRE someone from your company"
Bhashyam straightened himself. FIRE? Whom should he fire?
"Whom are you talking about?"
"Arnav"
"Arnav?"
"Yes, if you fire him, I will give you fifty lakhs"
"Why should I fire Arnav?"
"It's none of your business"
"How could I fire him without knowing the reason? He is a key programmer for my company. He will ask me the reason. Without telling him the reason is against the rule of my company"
"Then create the reason. Blame him for something"
"Why would I do that?"
"To avoid problems..."
"What problems?"
"you will face problems if you don't fire Arnav"
Bhashyam became furious.
"Let me see what you do... do you think I will shiver to hear your threat? Fifty lakhs my foot... my employees and my company are the same to me. Without them, my company is nothing. Do what you can... I know how to face it"
"You are taking a risk"
"If you have guts, come in front of me. Hiding yourself like a coward, are you threatening me? Shame on you"
He disconnected the call. He didn't know who wanted Arnav to lose his job. Though it was purely his company issue he wanted to tell that to Dr. Avinash because Arnav was related to it.
To be continued...