The friends continued to chatter together.
Soumya: So what did he say?
Shubhi: He apologized on behalf of his mom
Anita: Wow!
Shubhi: For me also it was tough to believe my ears, Daivik apologizing to me...for his mom's behaviour!
Soumya: He finally came to know what happened to you! He might come to his senses!
Shubhi: He knew about Mahesh bhaiya; even specifically apologized for him....
Anita: Girl, I smell a but there....
Shubhi: He...said I should not have claimed...that the child was his....to his mom...
Anita and Soumya (together): What!!
Shubhi: Apparently, his mother did not know that our marriage was consummated....
Soumya: What!
Anita: So he was okay to have the relation with you....but pretended to his family that you have not done it? Why?
Shubhi: Remember I am a lowly commoner....
Soumya: Whenever I think he is improving.....
Anita: He starts digging ....I mean the rock bottom that he has hit ...then he starts digging around that!
Shubhi: I also scored a hit (with a smile)
Soumya: How?
Shubhi: I punched him on his nose....I just could not stand him
Anita (patting on Shubhi's back): Good girl! I am proud of you!
Shubhi: Next time I will send Charan; I am not going to the hospital till his royalty is in town!
Anita: And you have other things to focus on!
Shubhi: I will be finishing the financial work for the boutique soon Somi!
Soumya: But we will meet soon
Anita: You are meeting her here and now!
Soumya: And we will meet again next week...it is uncle and aunty's 50th wedding anniversary, remember?
Shubhi: Oh yes, I should be able to finish the work around that time....and then the boutique ownership will change....
Anita: Your life will change Soumya...are you planning to quit? With uncle and aunt not at the helm?
Shubhi: Yeah Rawals are taking it over...
Soumya: The good thing is that the uncle and aunt will still oversee the day to day work despite the acquisition
Shubhi: And we also dont know which Rawal is taking it over.....hope it is not His Highness
Anita: Viren said once that it ties into the fashion business that Darsh is handling from the UK
Shubhi: Then Somi will never quit!
Soumya: Yes Darsh is still the love of my life....despite...my err...fiancee...I know I am doing this marriage for dad...
Anita: Your dad needs to let you live now!
Soumya: He says that you both have spoiled me....thankfully Shubhi has a huge joint family
Anita: And thankfully he has never pried into my past!!
Shubhi: Girls you are family!! This is your family now!!
Anita: But this wont be your only family for much longer (winking)
Soumya: What do you mean?
Anita: Your mom has taken the deity's blessings seriously, she thinks that you will be married before the year is over
Shubhi: I don't know, that will definitely be a miracle...I am so frustrated with men....
Anita: Remember the one who came to see you on Shuchi's wedding?
Shubhi: The one I did not see
Anita: Apparently he and his family liked you a lot
Shubhi: Ohh
Anita: And I heard that they are planning your next meeting....this time you will see him!
Soumya: That is awesome!
Shubhi: We will see...who he is....
At the Rawal Residence something else was brewing. Viren was thoroughly confused by what Veni had told him and then the claim by Sampat bhaiya. He was not sure who to believe. He was also not sure how to break it to Daivik who still believed that Dyuti was definitely someone else's daughter. Even the possibility of her being Daivik's daughter would turn everything upside down. He decided to call up Jai, his longtime friend and family lawyer.
Viren and Jai Singh Rathore were good friends – they called themselves Jai and Veeru. They grew up together, going to the same elite school and then studying in the US in different colleges but in the same timeline. While Viren never bothered about his royal connection and was an out and out businessman, Jai had royal blood and headed one of the most famous legal firms in town. Faced with legal confusion, Viren connected with Jai to get advice on the legals aspect of Daivik's marriage, and then they met at Viren's office and decided to go to Rawal Residence together.
Once settled at the back of the car, screened from the driver, they bantered that both of them had been rejected for marriage by the same person- Rukma Shandilya. She had sacrificed her match with Jai to take care of her younger brother Chetan. And a few years later she had opted out of marrying Viren because he sounded too controlling. The fate of his first marriage had made him bitter and suspicious of all potential brides. It was during the negotiations for her brother Chetan's marriage that this option had been put forward and Viren was impressed by the dignity with which she had refused the match and made sure that her brother was married to his love. Jai informed Viren that she was no longer available as he had recently fixed her match with someone else.
Viren: Is your legal practice doing so badly that you have started this matchmaking business on the side?
Jai: This is just a hobby; I help love struck people with my skills
Viren: Really?
Jai: Veeru, I would like to offer the same to you, given your reaction to Rook's new status, I think someone else is on the horizon
Viren: I think we need to focus on Daivik's marital situation.
Jai: Veeru, you need to start from the start, from what I saw in the documents this is a complicated matter...
Viren explained the background to Jai while walking into the house- Daivik, Dheemant and Darsh were married off around the 75th birthday of their grandfather. All the marriages had a middle-class aspect. It was triggered by the car crash of Viren's wife. Viren's marriage had been a business deal- a society marriage and they had a daughter within 2 years of marriage. It all looked great from a distance. They were settled in Dubai where Viren was expanding the family business.
Everything seemed good till his wife Shipra died in an accident. Reports said that she was high on drugs and the person driving the car was her latest boyfriend. It was devastating for Viren who expected his wife to be faithful. The family had to pay a lot of money to hush the matter. Worst was when her family was informed of all this, their response was that this marriage was a business deal, and they should not have expected anything more from Shipra. Viren's grandfather was shocked by this lack of morals and decided to marry off the next generation as soon as possible. Since Viren was still busy in wrapping up the loose ends of his wife's death, he barely made it to the weddings of his brother and cousins. To him they all happened in a haze, where he saw little beyond the little Veni in his arms.
To get the marriages done, his grandfather had contacted his childhood friends and found three middle class appropriate brides. The astrologer matching the horoscopes warned that some of these marriages will have a rocky start but were fated and might need a second round to stabilize. If carefully nurtured, they would survive, else the chances of breaking were high. The matches were like soulmates but belonged to very different social backgrounds. Still, his grandfather went ahead and blessed all these marriages. He left for his pilgrimage soon after. All three marriages were performed within a few weeks but it turned out that they all had different fates. Dheemant remained married to Nitya, Daivik and Shubhi's marriage was annulled and so was Darsh and Soumya's. Now this possibility of Daivik and Shubhi's child was complicating the matters.
Jai was amongst the frequent visitors of the Rawal Residence and the two friends settled in the Viren's study to discuss. Then Jai guessed it must be very important matter for Viren to ensure no prying eyes and ears. Usually, they would meet in the club for a bout in the boxing ring or in the living area at either one's house. Viren's study meant this was not the normal friendly call. Viren mentioned that Daivik might be joining them soon but, in the meantime, he will fill in Jai with the latest.
Jai: Okay, now I know the whole back story but why did you call me--now?
Viren: Regarding Dev's marriage, there is a complication.
Jai: Veeru, you just told me a long story of the marriages...it is all complicated but...over...
Viren: It happened recently...
Jai: What happened?
Viren: It seems...Daivik...he has a daughter.
Jai: He seems to have a daughter. Is that a question or a statement?
Viren: I do not know as of now. Likely that he has a daughter.
Jai: Let's go with the possibility.. How old?
Viren: Five years.
Jai: And he did not know about it?
Viren: No, he did not
Jai: Is this a movie scene or a prank?
Viren: Jai this is real.
Jai: Are you sure? That she is his daughter?
Viren: Sampat bhaiya is very confident....that she is his daughter
Jai: I hear a but...
Viren: Hmmm....Veni told us another story of her father being an army man who has been Missing In Action
Jai: Hmm six years that he has been missing....she can get married next year
Viren: Actually they are looking for matches for her....
Jai: Hmm...do we have any evidence, other than what Sampat bhaiya has said?
Viren: No, but I have a feeling....that he might be right....
Jai: And you want to confirm that either way...
Viren: Yes, what shall we do?
Jai: DNA testing?
Viren: Not possible as of now...
Jai : Do you have her photographs?
Viren: I think there should be some on the social media...
Jai: Get them
Viren: What will we do?
Jai: Match them with Daivik's childhood photographs. Kids have a tendency to resemble fathers in the first few years of life
Viren: Okay
Jai: Try to get the birth record and details of the child as well...and then we meet again....
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Authors Note:
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