dedicated to nivinishi ( hope you like it), psuhuna ( hope you like my imagination of boy version of Khushi)
and to all my lovely readers and friends.
~ It's Too Late ~
Second Part
AR Fashion House...
Early Morning...
The moment Arnav's eyes fell on the young boy who entered in his cabin, his breath stop and he felt his heart beats again after 20 years.
The boy is the exact replica of Khushi... His khushi... the face, chin, lips, jawline, straight hair, and the pale white skin...Arnav was as if seeing his Khushi after so long but in the form of of a boy.
"Good Morning Sir." The boy wished him with a smile and Arnav felt finally the breath left him which he was still holding.
" Good..Good morning." Arnav whispered looking straight at the boy.
" First Thank you sir, for your time. I will finish quickly." The boy said.
" It's okay...I.. I.. don't have important work today.. so,.." ASR replied looking at the boy in daze.
" Thanks again.. So, Sir, your life story is a living inspiration. The way you stood among all the odds after your parent death and build a name of yours own , is really commendable. What was your inspiration that time?" The boy straight come to the question.
"Inspiration.. I really don't know.. I will not say it's inspiration but a deadly need for survive make me do all that." ASR replied being amazed about the straightforward question of the young boy.
" Well, your love for your sister in an example for everyone. You are the best brother in the whole world probably.. So, I have heard that your sister is working in HR department of AR. What is the necessary for work when she is THE ASR sister?" The boy smiled but Arnav felt a ting of sarcasm in his voice. Why his all questions are related to his personal life only, Arnav wonder.
" Well my sister wanted to be independent and it was her husband's constant insistent that she became a part of AR today." Arnav replied keeping an intact smile on his face though he did not want to discuss about his sister or about his personal life with anyone but for an unknown reason, he is not able to stop this boy.
" That's really encouraging. Sometimes, it's because of their husband a component girl lost in her life and forced to leave her dream unfulfilled. But it's really great listening about Mr Shyam Manohor Jha is so much of a gentleman and your sister is so lucky to have him as her husband."
The moment the boy uttered Shyam's name, Arnav lost his cool.
" What are you saying? My brother in laws name is Rahul Khurana, not some Jha. Don't uttered bullshit and why you came here unprepared?" Arnav roared like a wounded lion.
" Sorry.. Sorry Sir.. Oh.. I just go through the internet and there was some picture and informations... Pardon me for the MISTAKE...It was not INTENTIONAL... I did not do it intentionally. I am sorry and I appreciate again for your love towards your sister. She is the luckiest girl in the whole world." Though the boy apologized but Arnav felt as if he is mocking him.
" Will you ask me something about my professional life or AR ? If not you may go. I am not going to entertain you with my personal life anymore." Arnav looked at the boy sharply.
Before the boy goes on further, someone intrude in the room without Knock. Arnav was about to shout but instead Arnav smile softly looking at the young handsome man infront of him.
" ohh.. Arav, my boy.. How are you? When did you return from your medical conference? How was the experience ?" Arnav asked the boy with a rare smile on his face.
" It was fabulous and really enriching. I am here to say you Hi, I will not disturb you anymore.. see you at home..Bye.." Arav was about to leave the cabin but surprisingly his eyes landed on the young boy and an question rolled out from his mouth unknowingly, " Who are you?"
Before the boy could answer Arnav said, " He is a 2nd year journalism student, taking my interview. Any problem Arav, why are you asking that?"
" No.. Actually he reminds me of...." Arav shook his head and left from the cabin immediately.
Arnav frown a little, looking at the retreating back of Arav..Why he is behaving so odd today?
Arav Singh Raizada, yes, that little boy Arav who was the pawn of Sheetal is now a full grown man, a responsible Doctor by profession. He is now Arav Singh Raizada, the adopted son of Akash Singh Raizada and Payal Singh Raizada.
Arnav remembered after throwing back Sheetal from RM and handing over her to police, he so badly wanted to throw Arav back to orphanage..But his Nani and his Di stop him, saying there is no fault of the child. He is a mere child when, as a full grown man, Arnav did wrong after wrong with Khushi and the whole family too. Why then punish the little child?
To his utter surprise, Payal said that she will adopt Arav making everyone shock.. Manohar did not wanted it but Manorama supported Payal. And it was a sheer torture for Arnav to watch the boy in RM..
Slowly with time, everyone accepted Arav , as already all family member loved him a lot. But Arnav never accepted him and he felt that it was his punishment, not only his but the entire families punishment to bear the boy who was the indirect cause of Khushi's leaving the house..
But after one year, when Arnav was still searching Khushi like a mad man and had hope that he will get her back, he found out that Arav was crying looking at Khushi's picture. Standing silently behind the boy Arnav heard how Arav was asking for forgiveness from Khushi's picture.. He was only 10 years old then...
That day, Arnav realized indeed Arav was not the reason he lost Khushi, but his ego was the reason... from then, Arnav's behaviour towards Arav changed. And now, after another 18 years, Arnav became his closest one. Many a time, Arnav thought what if he would not behaving like a jerk, then he may be have a son like Arav, he and Khushi would have been proud parents...
Arnav came back from his memory lane and look at his front. But he got starlet seeing that hard face of the boy sitting infront of him. His all feature got so rigid, he was gritting his teeth and all of a sudden Arnav felt it's not Khushi's miniature but he is sitting in front of His own young version... Because those eyes... Those dark brown eyes were spitting fire looking at the way Arav left and Arnav felt Shiver run down his spine...
An unknown feeling was overwhelming his whole being..He was feeling restless and a ray of hope was rising in his heart..
The boy looks like replica of Khushi including her smile, but he has his eyes, the brown orbs.. Arnav felt what is his wild imagination is true?? What if, he is the answer of all his question..
Arnav's mind screams that it's just a co incident but his heart whispered that no, this boy is...
Is his....
His and Khushi's...
This thought itself make his dead heart alive.. Once again.. After 20 years...
So, unable to control himself Arnav asked the boy, " What.. What is your.." but before he could complete it, the boy asked him, " can we move forward Sir.. Can I ask the next question?" and Arnav was surprised hearing the cold voice and looking at the emotionless face of the boy..
A stabbing pain was aching in his heart and he found that, though the boy was emotionless but his eyes was speaking volume.. there is pain, hurt, anger but what shocked Arnav was the silent accusation which he able to read in those brown orbs..
Was he reading too much?? Or...
" Sir.. Sir..." Arnav came back from his inner thought listening after the boy.. and for next almost 20 minutes the boy interviewed him with his well rehearsed questions. And surprisingly he never for once asked about any personal questions anymore, all of his focus was on Arnav's professional life and never uttered any single questions about his personal life...
" Thank you so very much Sir for your valuable time. I will take your leave now." With that the boy was about to leave but Arnav asked him a out of box question , " Why you choose journalism? Why not any other profession?"
The boy looked at Arnav face for few second then replied emphasizing every words, " I Cracked The Medical Entrace And Got Selected In AIIMS Delhi, But..."
Before the boy could complete, he was interrupted by an unusually chirping ASR, " AIIMS Delhi?? Arav also passed out from there. You must be very good in academics, otherwise, cracking the entrance is not very easy task.. Still you choose journalism? Quiet interesting."
" I did not choose journalism sir, but I was forced to choose. Not everyone is lucky enough like Arav Sir, sometimes our fate intervene in our path such a way, that, everything crumbled. But I am not at all regretting. I am use to do ADJUSTMENT like my mother did SACRIFICES in all her life." The boy's straight forward answer somewhere knock out Arnav but a sudden kind of restlessness and sense of familiarity hit him hard.
" Sorry to ask, but was it about financial matter? But in AIIMS Delhi, there was a scholarship given under our trustee for good and needy students. Even this year I approved many such applications but your's??" Arnav tried to remember about last years incident but he was cut off,
" I did not applied for the scholarship, sir.. I don't consider myself as a charitable case.. I prefer my middle class status and love to avail everything which are AFFORDABLE by us, which was available for me. "The boy replied looking straight at Arnav's eyes.
" Young man, you are getting wrong, I appreciate your self respect but taking this type of help, does not prove you weak or Charitable.." Arnav unknowingly continued the conversation as if he was trying to convince the boy that he would had come to them and continue his medical profession.
" ohh.. actually Sir, in my little bit of short experience, I found out that Rich people always took the middle class like us, as taken for granted, may be they does charity but the same people can also taunt us and can call us named like 'gold digger' if by any chance we stand in their path or we became wrong in THEIR VIEW.. It's okay sir, I am over from that phase and I am happy in my life too. Have a good day sir, bye." The boy's reply made Arnav speechless for few moments, as if the boy had slapped him silently, as if, something is so similar yet so far.. Arnav became more restless, a sharp pain was increasing in him chocking him alive.
Unable to control himself Arnav asked The boy, " Who are you? What is your name?"
" Umm...Why Sir?" the boy asked clearly uninterested.
" It's just that I am curious to know with whom I spend this 30 minutes. Nothing much." Arnav was suddenly become rude. He doesn't know why but the boy's ignorant behaviour rubbed him wrongly. But Arnav regretted when his eyes catches the rueful smile of the boy's face.
" Khushav Sharma, an ordinary boy of his middle class mother" The boy replied smiling. Arnav did not missed the spark in the boy's eyes while uttering his mother's name but at present he was stuck in one particular word..
" Huh...Sharma??" Arnav asked surprise, he was not exactly expecting Raizada surname but somewhere he was sure to hear Gupta surname, but Sharma??
Did Khushi moved on? Did she remarried ? But how it's possible? They are not Divorced..
But a sudden thought struck Arnav hard and he felt suffocated.
20 years back when Khushi left the house, she left many things behind. The entire exclusive and expensive gift given by either Arnav or his family, Arnav's mother bangle, their engagement ring and the neckless and ring Arnav gifted Khushi at their first wedding night, every damn thing and along with that she left a divorced paper where Khushi already did her sign.
Though Arnav torn the paper immediately but now, it struck him, in this long years Arnav never able to contact Khushi and Khushi thought she had liberated Arnav...so, so, what if Khushi has moved on? What if Khushi is not his Khushi anymore?
Arnav was so much engrossed in self pity or consoling himself that he felt to notice when the boy named Khushav left the cabin.
It was almost 30 minutes later, there was a knock which forced Arnav to come back from his turbulent self inner thought.
" Sir, this envelop dropped from the boy's pocket. Where I will keep it sir?" Riya the receptionist tried to draw Arnav attention.
" Why did you come here to me? What will I do? Which boy are you talking about? " Arnav almost yelled being interrupted in his own thoughts.
" So..Sorry Sir.. The boy who came to take your interview, I am talking about him." This statement broke Arnav's trance.
" The boy left?? LEFT ?? WHEN? WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED?" Arnav stands suddenly from his chair and again yelled at the poor receptionist looking at his surroundings vehemently.
" He left 30 minutes earlier almost. I thought you knew the matter. Besides, the boy was in real hurry and the envelop drop from his folder. I tried to call him many times from behind but he did not stop. What I will do now with the envelop?" the scare receptionist asked slowly.
" Keep the envelop on my table" with that Arnav dismissed the receptionist.
Just after she left the cabin, Arnav took the envelop in his hand.. He knew, there is something, something which again turn his life upside down...with shaky hand Arnav open the envelop but the moment Arnav find out what is within the envelop, he felt his world crushed down , so his hope too.....
Arnav looked in the material on his hand, shocked... dumb...numb..and shattered...
There is lying the only thing which 20 years ago, Khushi took with her, while leaving the house.
Which somewhere in Arnav's heart keep the hope intact that his Khushi is still his...
This was the shining diamond thread which the mighty ASR tied in the neck of the middle class bubbly girl, Khushi, whom he claimed to love.
Arnav looked unblinkingly at his palm, where Khushi's Magalsutra was lying lifeless without it's owner..
It's Khushi's mangalsutra..
It's his Khushi's mangalsutra...
Is Khushi really his now??
What is the meaning of this ?? Why the boy left the envelop with the mangalsutra? Is it just a co incident or did he really do it in purpose??What he wanted to indicate through this?
This boy?? Ohh...
He is his SON.... and Arnav froze in his place...
Arnav froze in his place.. He was right.. From the very beginning itself, the restlessness he felt seeing the boy very first moment, the agony he felt when the boy ignored his advances for a conversation or the surprise he felt seeing the boy's silent yet anger stricken face...
Every sign was there still he ignore...
His heart identified it at the first glance but his ASR mind needed proof...still needs proof...after all the destruction had happened and after spending almost a lonely life, still Arnav's mind rules his heart...
Once a ASR.. always ASR...rude, arrogant, shroud jerk..
He was infront of him.. Conversing with him in his cabin.. for long 30 minutes and he was calculating the possibilities...
Instead of hugging him close to his heart he was questioning about the possibilities...
In this last 20 years, Arnav always thought he has changed, Khushi's departure made him a different person but today, did not he again prove that Arnav Singh Raizada can never be a changed person?? While the boy was telling him, his name..Arnav focused on the surname but how conveniently he ignores his name...
Suddenly another realization dawn upon him...
The boy's name...Khushav...
Khushav ...stands for both Khushi and Arnav...
He is his son...Khushav is his and his Khushi's son..
And Khushi put both of their names together in HIS name..in their son's name...
Arnav cried out silently letting the tears flowed freely from his eyes.. The tears of happiness, the tears of agony, the tears of waiting .. the tears of finally finding his peace back..
Finally he had got a connection, a clue to find his Khushi.. and he will.. He will immediately searched for the address of Khushav and bring back his wife, his life Khushi along with their son Khushav.
Hurriedly Arnav put the mangalsutra in his blazer pocket after kissing it softly and left towards Aman's cabin.
But surprisingly Aman's cabin was empty and after searching for him, Arnav did not find him and upon finding his phone switch off Arnav was fuming mad and pacing in his cabin like a wounded lion.
Now where that stupid Aman gone? How long he have to wait for getting his families address? When that Aman will come? And why that idiot had switched off his phone? I will definitely fire Aman when he will come back.. and this time for sure.
Arnav was muttering all those when someone called him from the cabin door. " Sir.. Sir... Aman sir had called you in the reception, please attend it." the receptionist whispered to ASR in a fearful voice.
" What the ,,, why that stupid Aman had called me in landline? I will definitely going to break his head.." barking Arnav took the phone and the first word he uttered was, " You are fired..Aman Mathur," But in return what Arnav listened made him dumbstruck.
" I am happy.. Finally I will get rid off your tantrum.. bearing you for last 25 years was really a courageous job.. Now I will get relieved.. anyways.. You will be glad to know that I had already submitted my resignation letter in HR and check your email, I had send it already.. Good luck... Have a nice life ahead." With that Aman was about to cut off the phone but Arnav almost shouted in anger, " Don't you dare to play with me Mr Aman Mathur..I want to talk to you, now...I ..." Before he proceed further, Arnav heard Aman chuckle from the opposite side of the phone..
"You and talk ?? A civilised conversation ?? What a joke... but yes, I will talk with you, infact not with you but with your whole family.. I will be coming at RM at 5 p.m." with that Aman cut the call off leaving a shocked Arnav behind.
" Few more hours and then I will able to find out my family . But Aman.. I am sure he knew everything.. Still he hides me about Khushi and My son, all along." Arnav muttered to himself and went from his office restlessly, towards RM, getting the feelings of being home after almost 20 years..
To be continued....
Author note:
My First FS on Arshi...
This is the Second part...
I know I had said that it will be the last one but, I need at least one more part...so, hope you will bear with me..
Waiting for your precious opinion..
Until then, read my other stories, " Another Chance," " Beauty and the beast" and " Rising Phoneix"..
Love,
Mamree
21.10.2019