Thank for your votes and comments.
I couldn't get a title for this.So suggestions are more than welcome.
Happy reading...:)
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"Mom!!Are you even going to tell O or should I just go and tell him?"
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"No,Not in the evening.I want you to tell him before he makes any decision. He has the right to know."'
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"Mom,I am sure he will be happy to see you doing good without Dad.He will be happy in your happiness.Just tell him before things worsen further."
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"Yes! You better do that otherwise I myself will tell him,Mom.Bye."Rudra slammed the phone on the table and took a deep breath.Why don't people learn from their mistakes?Why do they keep committing the same mistakes again and again?he wondered.
But on the flip side,he could understand hos mothers fears.He had seen his brother resort to drugs to keep his mind away from their family problems. He had also seen how it had gradually killed his creative brain and turned him into a wild maniac. It still send a shiver down his spine thinking of the possibilities if Shivaay Bhaiyya hadn't dragged Om to a rehabilitation center.
He even understood that his mother feared the change. Everyone feared a change in their lives no matter how minute the change could be.What they didn't realize was that change was a way of life and even a small change could change your life for good.For example his mother's.She had been running away form the concept of divorce for a long time.But when she finally embraced the change she found her lost confidence seeping back to her.
---------------------------FLASHBACK:SEVEN YEARS AGO-----------------------------------
Rudra had just walked in through the door of the Oberoi mansion when his father walked up to him with his phone in one hand.
"Rudra,I have talked to Mr Ahuja and we have agreed to organize your engagement with Ms.Ahuja, day after tomorrow in the presence of media .Once this engagement is done,we will have another meeting for the deal terms."Tej declared enthusiastically while Rudra mutely nodded.He wanted to oppose but he didnot have the energy to do so.He had been slogging from 5 in the morning from taking care of everyone at home to attending board meetings all day in the office.
Rudra walked up the stairs which led to the second floor of the west wing of the mansion.It lead to his room.(Err..Ex room).Apparently Dadi felt that it was appropriate to lend her new guest (aka his best friend his room because according to her he was practically living in his Bhaiyaa's room.Well not that he blamed her.That was true but now since that incident,He was practically been roomless with him refusing to go into the cold empty room of his brother.He had spent the past nights after Shivaay's departure sitting in Om's room staring at him do his work.Both the brothers didnot speak.For once even he,the chatterbox of the family had nothing to say given the truth revelation and the never ending guilt which weighed him down.He knew that his elder brother mirrored his feeling and had started searching for Shivaay bhaiyya using his sources.It was almost like an unspoken agreement that was forged between them to divide the responsibilities.
While he holds that fort at home,O would continue his search for his missing brother using various sources.
Everything was as good as it could have been as such a situation until....His brother's sudden disappearance about a week ago which left him baffled,sad,angry and many other emotion rolled up together. At first he was in denial.He had rushed to his brother room to check his belongings to find some photo frames and half of Om's wardrobe missing.He had involved the security guards to find him but O was not spotted at any nearby airport,railway station or bus stand.As days went by, the started to sink in the truth.His brother had disappeared too and that he had lost another person close to his heart.Only if he knew that it was just the beginning.
Two days after O went,one of the fights between his dad and mother had turned into a full blown screaming match.The tiffs which happened secretly were now a public one with the full audience of the Oberoi family and its staff members watching from the side lines.Apparently his parents didn't feel the need to tone down their fights, given that O was not there anymore,conveniently forgetting about their other two children who were watching this fight..Priyanka and him.Finally at the end of it,his mom had thrown the divorce papers right at his father's face and prepared to walk out the mansion with her luggage in the tow.
She had convinced Dadi about her need to free herself and had assured her children about her constant support and her availability if they needed her in the future. And then she left.
For Rudra,Jhanvi's departure meant more responsibilities on his shoulders and less people to share it with.
He was so engrossed in his thoughts and the tiredness of the day was kicking in,that he didnot realize that he had arrived in front of his room.From inside the room,he could hear anguished sobs and it didn't take a genius to figure out who was crying.The door was ajar slightly and through the gap he peeked inside to see Saumya sitting on the floor,crying while clutching on to his mangalsutra that he had tied at their drunk wedding.Though he couldnt consider Saumya as his wife,she still was his best friend.Seeing her sitting on the floor,crying he felt his own heart bleed for her. Unable to see her crying anymore,he pushed open the door and entered.
As soon as Saumya saw him,she wiped her tears and hid the mangalsuta in the pocket of her sweat shirt.Pasting a smile,she stood up awkwardly. Rudra saw that Saumya was packing,her suitcase was open on the bed and clothes were strewn all about.
Seeing Rudra scan his eyes around,Saumya explained,"I was just cleaning up the room,Rudra....Nothing else."she planned to travel to Delhi to her mother's, tomorrow morning.She had kept it a secret from Dadi even.She didnot want them to feel that she was abandoning them in hard times when the real reason was something else.She couldnt bear to stand here and watch Rudra's engagement knowing the fact that he was her husband.No matter how she saw it, it was true and nobody could deny it.
Pushing some clothes aside,Rudra made some space for him to sit on the bed."Don't lie to me,Saumya.I know that you are taking a bus tomorrow morning to your mother's.I know that.I will not tell anybody and I will not even come before you while you escape but please don't lie to me.I have had enough lies in my life."Rudra whispered.He had obviously found out about it.No, he had not stalked but accidentally her bus ticket was delivered to him by the agency.
"Rudra!!"Saumya whispered."If you knew then why didn't you tell me?Why didn't you tell Dadi about it?"She asked curiously.
Rudra smiled sadly at his best friend."You think I would do that?No,Sumo.As much as we want you here,I know that you are not obliged to live here.You are an individual who comes and goes of your free will.I know that it is suffocating in here ,frankly even i feel so.But unlike me you have an option to go.You are not bound to this place."
Pulling the mangalsutra by its chain which was hanging out of her sweatshirt pocket,Rudra held it up."As for this.Its over.The annulment papers will come tomorrow. You are not bond to me or this place.It is better to go.Dont stop yourself for our sake.We are not worth it."
Saumya stared at Rudra with surprise in her eyes.Who is this person infront of her?From day one she had always considered Rudra as a spoiled child with no sense of responsibility.He was impulsive,he was childish and was stubborn.But in the past few days he had changed.He had adapted to the changes around him and learnt to take responsibilities.She could see that he was trying very hard to shoulder the collective responsibilities of the Oberoi family and could even see the toll it was taking on his health and his well being.Every day, he would come dragging himself back and would crash on to the sofa in the living room.She was bought out of her thought when she felt Rudra hold her hand.
"You are going tomorrow. Will you have dinner with me like we do everyday.One last time.Please."Maybe it was tears that he was trying to hide, that made Saumya agree to his last request.
Soon,they were seated on the poolside with their dinner trays on their laps.
"Why are doing this Rudra?"Saumya asked out of the blue making Rudra stop midway.
He sighed.Nobody knew the real reason,he had agreed to this engagement and marriage to a girl he had not even once met.He had not told anyone because nobody had bothered to ask.Everyone thought that him being Tej singh Oberoi's son would be equally heartless and would do anything for a business deal.
"Priyanka...I had found out from someone that Mr Oberoi was planning to push Priyanka's name to marry the Ahuja Family's eldest son.I didn't want her to be trapped in a marriage where she was not happy.So went to talk to Mr Oberoi and he told me that this relation between the both family's was important for the deal.He would definetly not step back from the deal.I was given an option to let Prinku marry Or else I could choose the other option."
"Other option?"
"To marry Mr Ahuja's only daughter and Make her Mrs Rudra Singh Oberoi.So it was either Me or Priyanka.So I thought that it better be me than my sister."Rudra sighed.He had no idea whether he was doing the right thing but this was the only thing that he could do to protect his sister.
"Rudr,I didnot know."
"That doesnot change anything,Saumya.You should go.As much as I want to stop you,I know that I don't have the right to do so.I cannot ask you to stop as a husband because we both don't want to keep this relation and I cannot stop you as a friend because I know that what you are doing is right."
"Rudra,I am just moving out from here.I will still be your best friend.You can call me anytime you need anything.You know right that these are the hand of the paratha eating girl.One punch and all your problems will run away."Saumya joked trying to infuse some humor into the situation.
"yaa,Right..After all you are love angel.Your advise would be great."Rudra agreed to her.
"But...I would not call you after you go..."he whispered."I cant sumo.I cant pull you back into my problems when you are trying so hard to get away from them.Moreover being with an Oberoi you will get endless problems for you to face.I don't want to be a burden for you when you have enough on your plate already.I want you to remember me with some happy memories that ewe had as friends,.Let it be like that."Rudra spoke while keeping his eyes glued to his plate lest she see the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Rudy.."Saumya gasped.she was literally at loss of word to console the broken man infront of her.
She was about to say something when a loud call reached their ears..
"Bhaiyaaaa.."
Rudra raced to the hall as fast as he could with Saumya running behind him.HE reached the hall to see Priyanka standing at the center of it frozen at something.even his chotte papa and his chotti maa who had shut themselves in their room stood there looking at something with anger filled in their eyes.
He turned to see and his hand automatically curled into a fist seeing the person standing there.
Swethlana.And she was not alone.His father was standing behind her and was asking her to step in.
"Pinky wont you invite your to-be jethani inside your house?"Swethlana asked Pinky while Rudra's blood boiled at her voice.Of the rare things that got Rudra Singh Oberoi's anger out of control,Swethlana was surely one of them.
--------------------------------------------------Flashback Ends---------------------------------------------------------His flashback was interrupted when the driver announced that they had arrived in his brother's house.Hoping that his mother would do her job,Rudra stepped out of the car and walked to the other side to help Saumya climb out.
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Tia jumped out of the car as soon as it skidded to a stop in front of the Kapoor mansion. Running up the stairs with her handbag,she couldnt help but pray for the last time for the things to be all right.It all started in the morning when she was at a aura cleansing workshop in Goa.She had been in India for the last three days to attend the workshop but nobody knew of her presence in the country except her mother,sisters and of course her fiancée Robin.In the morning she had received a message from Pinky Aunty saying that Shivaay was in Mumbai and that she had sent a message because her calls were going unattended.Though it did sent a shiver down the spine,Still Tia chose to Ignore it move about with her day.However,things went in for a toss,when she got a call from her frantic sister begging her to come to Mumbai asap without specifying the reason.She had booked a flight and had rushed home as soon as she could.
She entered the mansion and saw her mother sitting on the living room with her sisiters on the adjacent sofa.She had messaged her the flight timings so it was clear that they were expecting her.Years of being a part of the cream of the society had taught Tia that emotions were not something that they could easily display. Each emotion whether of anger,Sadness,Anxiety or even happiness were supposed to be well hidden beneath a mask of polite indifference.Since she was well versed with this unwritten rule that was followed by everyone in her household she was taken aback when her mother stood up from her sofa and walked to her to give her a welcome hug. Awkwardly hugging her mother back,Tia looked over her shoulders to see Swethlana and Roi looking at them,While Swethlana had her usual expressionless face,It was Romi's worried expression that scared her.
Pushing her thoughts away she withdrew fro the hug and held her mothers arms and enquired."Are you fine Mom?Universe jaanta hai that I was so scared.And see, I guess even my Aura has turned black because of the worry that you put me through. Now I have to make sure that I cleanse My Aura all over again to be peaceful."Tia complained.
"But why did you call me?"
"Well,we have a news for you."
"Wo! That i good Even I have to tell you something."Tia replied enthusiastically. She was just waiting for the right time to break the news and she knew that the moment had finally arrived.
"Tia sit and tell us."
"Well!! Robin proposed to me about a week back and I finally said yes!! See.HE even gave a ring.Isnt it pretty?We are planning a wedding in spring next year.Oh God!! I cant even begin to express how happy I was .I have to do so many things.All the things that I dreamt I would be doing.I had so many dreams about my wedding and finally they would be coming true..."Tia chatted on,completely missing the change of expressions of the people listening to her.
"Tia..."Swetlana called out but Tia was still going on and On about her dream wedding."TIA.."She called out louder and this time Tia stopped.
"Tia,Shivaay is back."Swethlana broke then news.
That statement got her confused.So what if Shivaay was back.How was that supposed to affect me? she thought completely missing to join the dots.
"So?"She wondered aloud.
That was when it hit her. Pinky aunty's message,THE phone call..The welcome hug..The quiet worry...All that was for this??
"No,NO..NO,tell me this not what you are thinking."Tia stood up fro her seat in shock.She felt as if history was repeating itself. Years ago,when she broke the news of robin, being her boyfriend,they had told her play along to marry Shivaay and today finally after a wait of seven years when she was going to live her life as she wanted to,the history was repeating itself.
"Yes,Shivaay is back so we have to do something to stop him.And we need your help to continue our mission and ensure that Shivaay is no longer a roadblock in our way. Remember our mission?"
"I don't care.I don't care about our mission.I left Robin years ago,when you asked me to and became Shivaay fiancée. And then you told me to break up with him and I did that.These seven years,I kept dodging Robin's hints of marriage because I was scared that Shivaay would come back and I would be forced to dump Robin again.When finally I gained courage to say yes and take the risk you tell me that Shivaay is back??"Tia shouted not caring about the volume or tone.It was now or never..
"Tia I know that It is traumatic for you but try to understand we have come so ahead in her mission and we cannot..."
"Again mission....As far as I know our mission was to destroy the Oberois.And in these seven years you got enough chances to do so,Still you let go of every chance.Why??Why couldnt you just do it when you had the opportunity. Why did you wait for Shivaay to come back and pull me into the quicksand.?"Tia lashed out at Swethlana with angry tears sliding down her cheeks.
"Tia,Our mission was to destroy them in the beginning but through all these years Kapoor industries have famished. we need their resources too.Simply destroying them would be a loss on our side."Mrs Kapoor stated.
"Just in case,you don't remember we started this because of dad."The mere mention of her dad pulled down a deadly silence in the room,how ever Tia didnot stop."We started this because of dad..For your revenge. For making you a widow..for making us fatherless..For robbing us of our childhood....."She stopped.."For destroying my perfect family."
"We did that.We destroyed theirs.We destroyed their family.We crushed their great wall.Pulled down their companies. Gave them enough misery.Now enough.Lets stop this."
"Tia!!Do you realize what you are saying?We are far too involved to stop this right now.We need you to do that.After all it is just a matter of weeks."
"What makes you think that I would do something like that.What you couldnt achieve in 7 years when Shivaay,your greatest enemy force was absent.why do you think I would achieve that in 3 weeks?I have broken up with Shivaay. He is no longer my fiancée. He and I have different paths that are better if they never intervene."
"I would have done something if that Jhanvi hadn't asked for such a high alimony.She demanded 30% shares in Tej's assets stating that she had helped to built the business up and supported him through years of their marriage. Tej was adamant not to do that and by the time he agreed,the stocks had fallen drastically. At that stage even if he divorced Jhavni I knew what lay ahead for me.The Oberoi empire would nose dive and I would be left with a tag of bankrupt.But in Shivaay's case, it is the total opposite.He had the brains and he is built a multi billion business,literally out of nothing.So its not the same for you."Swetlana tried to lure Tia by the riches and the luxuries that she could experience.
"I am not going to do this.Get it straight and clear."Tia stood up facing her sister.She has had enough.Not anymore.
Seeing her daughter's rebellion,Mrs Kapoor walked quietly behind Tia and got hold of her bag.She scrounged inside the bag and finally she found what she was searching for. Grinning to herself,she called out to Tia.
"I hoped to set the matters right by peaceful talks.But since you are being so stubborn.I guess I will have to go the twisted way."Holding up the passport,she continued."I know that you desperately want to go back to your Robin in New York but I guess that It wont be possible without the passport.Lets say you lost your passport,or maybe..Hmm.I goes missing.You cant escape to anywhere in India without my notice and even if you do your fiancée will be still in New York right.So lets sort thing s peacefully,you do as I say and I will not do anything. Is it a deal Tia?"
Tia looked at her mother in horror.If something happens to the passport it will take sometime for the new one to be procecced. She couldnt escape to anywhere in India.Her mother would find out.And even if she did,by rare chance then her mother would target Robin.
"IS IT A DEAL,TIA?"Mrs Kapoor asked again but this time in a louder pitch.
Seeing that there was no way out of this maze called her family,Tia replied."Deal."
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Gauri forwarded the glass of fresh juice to Saumya.Saumya was again having one of her mood swings as a result of which she didnot feel like eating anything.But in this state it wasn't safe to stay hungry wasnt it?So Gauri hoped that at least she would have a glass of juice.
"Sorry di for troubling you.Looks like chotu is reallly in a mood to trouble us."Saumya excalimed while patting her belly.
"Saumya not again.What is with this chotu name? I told you that it will be a girl."
"The baby is inisde me right?I know better,udy."
Gauri and Om stood in the middle seeing them bicker non stop.Seeing that both of them were not coming on common ground for a long time,Om intervened.
"Ok guys,Enough.Lets first try to find out where Anika and Shivaay are.Once we are done with that,you both can fight to your hearts content."Om tried playing the peacemaker between them.
"We have not gone missing Om."exclaimed Shivaay who just entered the kitchen with Anika.
"Finally!! I am so glad that you came otherwise it is impossible to handle both of them."Om said pointing to Saumya and Rudra."They are going to be parents and they still fight like little school kids."
"Om, You have come to the right person to ask help.Atleast Saumya and Rudra are younger but Shivaay even now,never fails to find topics to argue."
"I argue because you give me the chance to argue.And FYI tum bhi kuch kam nahi ho."Shivaay replied.
"Oh pleaase aap shuru karte hai toh mujhe aapko rokne ke liye aage bolna padta hai.Otherwise ,I am a very peace loving person."
"Peace loving?Peace loving?Oh god!! 75% of the times we argue because you call me by weird names.So in short,it is because of you that we fight."
"Aap rehne dijiye billuji."
"Billuji?"Gauri whispered to Rudra who was standing beside her."who is this billuji?"She asked.
"Hehe! Aapko nahi pata?Well Anika di a given so many nicknames to Bhaiyya and this Billuji is one of them.Dadi calls Bhaiyya billu, so Anika di made it billuji."
"Oh!! The same way I call Om Jattadhari hippi.I totally get it."
"What??? Jhatadhari hippi.??"Rudra snickered silently. Turning to Om he whispered in his ear."You didnot tell me that you got a brand new nick name?Jhataadhari hippi?I must say kya dabbang Bhabi laye ho O.Kitna unique naam hai,Jhataadhari hippi.Suits you well."
Om glared at Rudra.Yeh Gauri bhi na."Shut Up Rudy.Aur think ki Inn dono ko kaise roke abhi?"
"You are really mad O.You asked both of them to stop us from fighting and now they both are fighting amongst themselves.On second thoughts, it is so good to see them arguing like this.It feels like everything is normal.I missed their nok-jhoks in these seven years."
"Rudra.You can ship them later.Abh inhe roko.I thought that maybe in these seven years something might have changed.But nahi,yeh toh vahin ki vahin hai.I don't know how Naira manages both of them."
"Yeh toh inka USP hai O.It is not going to change anytime soon."
"Dad"A small voice at the end of the room made the whole room go silent.Naira stood at the entrance of the kitchen in her night pyjamas leaning against one of the pillars groggily rubbing her eyes.
"Naira.I told you not to walk around half asleep.You should have stayed in bed at least till the time someone got you down.Now what f you slipped somewhere or what if you banged your head in some wall..."Anika rolled her eyes at Shivaay's concerns.It was bizarre but of course she knew that all of these concerns were stemmed from the fear of losing her.
"Aap aate the na mujhe jagane le liye.You didnot come so I thought that you forgot."
"Mein bhool nahi gaya tha Naira..I was just..."Shivaay struggled to find a suitable excuse.
"Busy fighting with your mom.Haina Shivaay?"Completed Anika who was standing behind Shivaay.
"Inn dono ne phir ladayi ki?"Naira asked turning to the other people in the room.
"Ladayi nahi Naira but they had an argument."Rudra explained.
"Thank god.Mujhe laga ki kuch galat ho raha hai lekin abh I am finally happy that things are normal.Jiss din mumma aur papa lade nahi haina uss din kuch khaali saa lagta hai.Now everything is perfect."Naira clasped her hands together in happiness.
"Nairaaa."Shivaay called out as she bolted out from his hold and ran to Gauri.
"Sir,Mr Mishra is here."Shivaay walked out to meet Mishra while Naira settled on one of the chairs grumpily muttering under her breath.
"Why are you so angry?"Gauri asked Naira.
"I don't like this Mishra Uncle."She said huffing away the strand of hair from her face.
"Why?"Om asked curiously.
"He is always bad news for me.Whenever he comes Dad has to go to his office."Naira replied with a pout.
"Phir toh khanna uncle hi pasand nahi hai?"Om asked.
"Nahiii...Omm.Khanna is one of her favorite and this young lady here has Khanna wrapped around her finger.Khanna is Naira's partner in crime right?"Anika joked.
"Haan.Khanna uncle is nice."Leaning way from Anika she whispered making the rest of the gang bite back their smiles.,"He even saves me from Mumma when I am about to get scolded."
"Sir"Khanna said entering the kitchen with an envelope in his hand.Seeing that Shivaay was absent form the kitchen he handed it to Anika and quietly walked out of the kitchen.
Anika was puzzled by Khanna's strange behavior. She was even more curious abut the contents of the envelope that was handed to her.Even though she wanted to open the envelope at that very moment,she knew that it was meant for Shivaay so it would be better if he opens it.As if on a cue,at that very moment Shivaay too returned to the kitchen with a determined expression on his face.
Taking the envelope from her hands,he turned to face the others who were laughing at something that Naira had said."Om."he called out.
This bought the attention of everyone back to him.Seeing Shivaay's serious expressions everyone in the room knew that it was finally the time to address the elephant in the room.
"Om.Ru.I hope that you both have made you decision regarding ho to tackle the problem that we have at a personal level."Om nodded while Rudra looked unsure but finally gave in and nodded."Well,then I hope that mys decision will not affect yours in any way."
"What have you decided Bhaiyya?"Rudra asked impatiently.
"Shivaay what is n that cover."Anika pitched in not able to control her curiosity anymore.
Shivaay opened the envelope revealing flight tickets,surprising everyone in the room."Anika,you told me that you will let me take the decision. So I have decided that we are gong back to London.The flight to Delhi is in three hors and then we have the connecting flight to London in the night. I know that it is extremely short notice and I am sorry for that but we need to start packing now."Shivaay's words earned a gasp from everybody in the room including Anika. They were certainly not expecting this.
"Now if you excuse me I have to start packing."Shivaay muttered to break the pin drop silence and held Anika's arm to lead her way.He walked a few steps ahead but was surprised to see Anika Standing rooted to her place not moving even an inch forward.
"Anika?"