CHAPTER 39: One for all, all for one
(Day of Arjun-Pankhuri’s engagement)
Ranbir was driving the car…. He was trying his best to concentrate on the road and his driving…. But how could he when he had a beautiful companion by his side….
After the party Anika and Arjun were going to drop Prachi to her house but making everyone surprised Ranbir had offered to drop her back…. Anika smiled seeing this….
Not only were Prachi-Ranbir witness of the Shivaay-Anika moments but even they had noticed the way in which Ranbir behaved with Prachi…. He liked her and it was clearly seen through his actions…. Whether it was getting coffee for Prachi or getting any information…. The way Ranbir smiled when Prachi would be explaining something…. Ranbir’s little gestures were clearly giving away his feelings….
Prachi: So, are we going to keep silent like this throughout the journey?
Ranbir: Nothing like that, I was just being careful while driving.
Prachi: Haa, but you can talk also while driving.
Ranbir: Okay, so kaho kya baat kare hum.
Prachi: About Anika and Shivaay Sir.
Ranbir: What about them?
Prachi: Didn’t you see how they were behaving throughout the party.
Ranbir: You are right, even I have noticed this. For the first time, I have seen Sir getting attracted to someone like this.
Prachi: I am so sure that this is the beginning of love.
Ranbir: Love, don’t you think it is too early to say this. I mean they have met only few days back.
Prachi: So what, love doesn’t need ages to happen, it happens in a moment. Only a moment is required for the heart to know that they are the one for us.
Ranbir looked at her surprised…. He smiled seeing the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about love….
Ranbir: But how will the heart know, I mean when do we know that this is the moment we are looking for?
Prachi: Love is not some mathematical equation that you apply formulae and get the result. There is no calculated time or moment to know you are in love.
Ranbir: But phir how will I know if I am in love or not?
Prachi looked at him surprised…. Ranbir realized what he said and kept quiet…. He knew if he spoke more he was going to get into trouble…. She looked at him with narrowed eyes….
Prachi: Oh so, someone wants to check for himself?
Ranbir: Of course not, I was asking for Shivaay Sir and Anika.
Prachi: Ranbir, you are very bad at lying.
Ranbir: I am not lying.
Prachi: I think you are forgetting that I am a lawyer, I can see through the words of people and your words are definitely not matching with what your eyes are saying.
Ranbir: You are thinking a lot.
Prachi: Really, this is what you have to say, that I am thinking a lot. It is clearly seen in your words and actions.
Ranbir: Oh acha, you are saying as if you have done PhD in love.
Prachi: Don’t try this trick of changing topics with me.
Ranbir: I am not changing any topics.
Prachi: Anyways, you may not admit it today but one day you will.
The rest of the journey was again filled with silence…. Ranbir mentally slapped himself for not thinking before speaking…. Prachi smiled looking out of the window…. What Ranbir had not said was clearly seen through his actions…. She was sure that he had feelings for someone and she was going to find out who it was…. Little did she know that she was going to get a surprise when the truth would be unfolded….
*****
Shivaay was standing near the window of his room staring at the water in the pool…. The water twinkled as the moonlight fell on it and the same twinkle was reflected throughout the pool area…. For the first time Shivaay was enjoying the beauty of the moon light…. It was so pure and serene just like her…. Shivaay was reminded of the words he had read somewhere years ago…. “The moon is the reflection of your heart and the moonlight is the twinkle of your love”…. How he had laughed at the words then saying that all this just suited in books, poetries and stories…. But today when he recollected those words, he smiled sensing the true meaning of those words…. They were indeed true…. It was a matter of a few days and he could feel the little changes taking place within him…. She was doing wonders being around him….
He was brought out of his thoughts by Om’s voice…. He turned to face his brothers who were again looking at him with narrowed eyes…. It was the second time in the same day that he was being caught by them…. He mentally slapped himself for smiling a little too much…. He knew now they were not going to leave a chance to tease him and pull his leg…. He straightened his face and put on his famous businessman look….
Omkara: Dekh raha hai Rudra, kaise koi kisike khayalon mein khoya hua tha.
Rudra: Yes O, sab dekh raha hu main.
Shivaay: You both have no other work to do then cook up imaginary stories.
Rudra: Leave it Bhaiya; we know it already, no need to hide anything from us.
Shivaay: Of course, only you can hide things from me.
The change in Shivaay’s voice made the fun-teasing environment turn into a serious atmosphere…. Om and Rudra understood that Shivaay was talking about something serious….
Rudra: What are you talking about Bhaiya, what did I hide from you?
Shivaay: Tu sach mein bhul gaya hai yaa phir ek aur baar jhoot bol raha hai.
Omkara: Shivaay, what is the matter? Will you tell us clearly?
Shivaay: Okay, I’ll say it clearly. Rudra, why didn’t you tell me about Tia and Dushyant?
Om and Rudra looked at each other shocked…. How did Shivaay come to know the truth…. They had decided not to let Shivaay know the truth until the right time came…. They knew that Shivaay considered Tia as a true friend and then how much he despised the Ranas…. They could clearly understand that Shivaay would have felt betrayed and angered by the truth…. Om placed his hand on Shivaay’s shoulder….
Omkara: Shivaay, we were going to tell you but….
Shivaay: We? That means Om, you also knew the truth.
“Not only had they but even I have known the truth, Bhaiya”
The three brothers turned towards the door to see Priyanka standing there…. She was going to Dadi’s room when she heard the words from Shivaay about Tia and Dushyant…. She was shocked and walked to her Bhaiya’s room…. She walked in and stood beside Rudra….
Shivaay: So you all knew the truth but hid it from me.
Shivaay was disheartened knowing that not only Rudra but even Om and Priyanka had hidden the truth from him…. He removed Om’s hand from his shoulder; he moved back and sat on the bed…. The only three people he trusted without any doubt were hiding the truth from him…. Rudra and Priyanka’s eyes welled up seeing their Shivaay Bhaiya’s state…. Knowingly or unknowingly they had hurt him a lot…. The Shivaay Bhaiya, who protected them from all problems, they in the process of protecting him and had ended up hurting him more…. Om did not let tears fill his eyes as he knew that this was his time to hold onto Shivaay and he could not fall weak….
Shivaay: I am not your real brother so you three did not bother to let me know the truth.
As soon as the words reached the three of them…. Tears that they were trying to control broke free…. They could deal with Shivaay’s anger but such hurtful words pierced their hearts…. Never had they thought of Shivaay as their cousin brother…. They had always loved him as more than their real brother…. This difference had never risen between them…. Priyanka just hugged Shivaay tightly as tears flowed from her eyes….
Priyanka: No Bhaiya, please don’t say like this. You know there is nothing like that.
Following Priyanka’s lead, Om and Rudra also hugged Shivaay from eithers sides…. Tears flowed from the eyes of all four…. They were each other’s lifelines…. Even if one of them was hurt, the pain was felt by all…. Shivaay hugged the three of them tightly…. Whatever the differences in opinions be there, tears were one thing they could never see in each other’s eyes….
Rudra: Sorry Bhaiya, I am really sorry.
Omkara: Haa Shivaay, we are really sorry. We have hurt you a lot.
Priyanka: Yes Bhaiya, please forgive us, please.
Shivaay broke the hug after a few minutes…. He wiped their tears while Om wiped his…. Shivaay forwarded his hand as the other three looked at each other and then at him….
Shivaay: Only on one condition, promise me this won’t happen ever again.
The three of them looked at each other and put their hands on Shivaay’s…. “Promise” they said together and the four of them….
“One for all, all for one”
They shouted together and again engulfed each other into a tight hug….
*****
Priyanka was sitting in her room looking out at the night sky…. She had come back to her room about an hour ago but sleep was miles away from her eyes…. She was thinking about the promise she had made to her brothers some time back…. She had promised not to hide anything from them ever but she was breaking that promise even before it was made…. She was hiding something really important from her brothers…. She was feeling guilty…. She couldn’t do it anymore…. She had to tell her brothers about Ranveer….
*****
Rudra was lying on his bed…. He was happy and smiling that he had convinced his Shivaay Bhaiya to allow Soumya and him to help them with the investigation of the case…. Shivaay was very reluctant on allowing Soumya but when Rudra told him how she had helped in finding the truth about Tia and Dushyant, he had to agree…. Rudra wanted to tell Soumya the new information soon and was about to call her but seeing the time, he kept his phone down…. Working with Shivaay Bhaiya on something important had always been Rudra’s dream…. Being the youngest amongst the brothers, Shivaay and Om had always kept him away from problems…. Today when he had got this opportunity to be there for his Bhaiya, he felt on top of the world…. He had to prove himself….
*****
Om was working on a statue…. The client had suddenly requested him to send the work two days before the decided schedule and he had no other option than to work all night long…. As he was working his thoughts shifted to his sister Priyanka…. When Rudra had suggested they work together and investigate the case, Priyanka’s face had lost colours for a few moments before she became normal again…. He could also sense her hesitancy in agreeing to the idea…. It was not that she was afraid to investigate the case but something else…. He had to talk to her….
*****
Shivaay was working on his laptop…. Although he had allowed Rudra and Om to work with him on the case, he had to make sure that they did not find more than required…. He did not wish them to know about the bitter past of the Oberois and Kapoors…. Om already hated Tej enough and he did not wish to worsen the already worsened relation…. He had to protect his brothers and sister…. He had to talk to Anika, Prachi and Ranbir and had to make sure they did not bring up the topic of Kapoors and Oberois….
*****
Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well.
Here is the next chapter of the story, do read it and share your views on the same.
Will Ranbir realise his love for Prachi? Will Prachi find out that she is the girl Ranbir likes? Will the Oberoi siblings let their family know about Tia-Dushyant? Now that ShivOmRu will work together on the case, how will it affect their lives when more truths will be reveled? Will Prinku tell her brothers about Ranveer?
Keep reading and smiling!!!
Take care and stay safe!!!