Manmarziyan : A Passion Project
Chapter 33
Guys, here’s the next….the next few updates may get a little irregular as I have exams which is followed by a fest in my college….i’ll try to update another couple of chapters, and would then most probably, update on 30th. Sorry!!!!….
I hope you like this one….
Please ignore my typos and grammatical errors…it isn’t proof read…..i was short of time…so just kept typing and typing…
Do let me know, how it turned out to be.
Happy reading
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Arjun looked at sam with a lot of hope in his eyes……she reciprocated his gaze all bewildered……finally she asked all exasperated, “what?”
Arjun gave her a sheepish smile, “please please talk to Radhika…..just ask her what she thinks about me….i don’t want to jump on her suddenly with my proposal…a little background talk will help…..pleaseeeeee?”
He stretched on the word please like a little kid…..
Neil smiled, “you are being a really despo…”
Sam punched neil in stomach…, “he is a just being a loving would be boyfriend….unlike some others..”
She linked her arm with arjun’s , “fine…will talk to her tomorrow night.”
Arjun nodded…
Neil looked at them all melodramatically, “everybody wants to have a love story…..nobody cares a about damn what happens after….”
Arjun looked at him confused, “what happens?”
Neil gave him a sheepish smile, “ever wondered why all love stories…end with the leads getting together….no body makes a movie on what happens after they get together….its all a trap, my boy…..you want to get in when you are out…and once In…you want to get out..”
Sam punched him hard…..and Arjun rolled on the floor laughing, seeing the look on neil’s face.
Sam grabbed his collar, “then try staying out.”
She walked huffing to herself while neil cursed his big mouth and Arjun stood laughing…
Neil was irritated, “what are you laughing at?”
Arjun, “you.”
Neil, “laugh all you like, bro….radhika is gonna be a hard nut to crack…you’ll know what its like soon enough.”
Neil walked to his room…leaving Arjun behind deep in thoughts…..he was thinking about Radhika.
He closed his eyes and went in his dream parallel universe.
The next morning…
Radhika’s words regarding giving a second chance to saral kept playing on repeat…..bonnie’s anger and avoidance only added fuel to fire…
Arjun could not longer see bonnie’s sulken face…..he didn’t want to lose the sister he had found after so long…
he came to her…and turned her towards him, “gudiya, you know naa that bhai only wants the best for you.”
Bonnie didn’t match his gaze…she just kept looking down….arjun lifted her chin with his hand and held her by shoulders…he let out a sigh, “fine….call saral and ask him to be here in half an hour.”
Bonnie looked at him all wide eyes….arjun nodded…bonnie jumped on him….giggling and squealing…Arjun happily twirled her around…
She shouted, “you are the best, bhai…!!!”
She quickly saral who nervously agreed to come…
He knew he would have a tough time getting Arjun to agree…he wondered in what other ways was Arjun tied to him by destiny…his former best friend, and the girl he stalked was arjun’s love….and now the girl, he truly loved was arjun’s sister…
Saral sighed as he put on his jacket…it was gonna be a long rough day…..
Saral was already In second thoughts, standing outside the door was arneil’s apartment when Radhika approached him from behind…she smiled at him… she teased him, “saral joshi…I hope you realise that you already are making a first impression….there is spy camera fixed here…and I can bet to my last buck that Arjun is observing you.”
Radhika’s statement made him sweat even more profusely….
Radhika laughed hard….there weren’t any cameras…she just wanted to have fun….
She opened the door and ushered him in..
Radhika shouted in the direction of arjun’s room, “Arjun, come out…your would be brother- in-law is here.”
Arjun came out of his room and scowled at her, “lets not get too excited about that..shall we?”
Radhika smiled…..bonnie rushed out on hearing voices from the living room….she was about to hug saral…when Arjun’s voice commanded, “stop…not until I permit.”
Bonnie looked at Radhika….who nodded ..bonnie distanced herself from saral and saral gulped in fear and nervousness.
There was protection from Arjun…the one, he expected to take his side had been ordered to stay way…and then there was Radhika, the only girl who could mould the great mehra according to her whims and fancies…well, to be honest, saral didn’t expect any help from her after what he did….so, in a nutshell…he know…Arjun mehra was going to ruthless.
Arjun looked at saral with steel grey eyes and mentioned towards the couch, “sit down Mr joshi.”
He formality in arjun’s voice made saral even more nervous, “tha-thanks Arjun.”
Arjun, “we aren’t friends, that you are calling me by my first name….i am bonnie’s elder brother…call me sir.”
Radhika laughed silently….arjun was being rude on purpose…he wasn’t leaving any chance to discourage saral.
Saral smiled apologetically, “sorry sir.”
Arjun asked him in a calm even tone, “so saral, tell me why you are better than any other guy I choose for bonnie?”
Saral lost all hopes of impressing arjun for a second but gained his confidence back with one glance at bonnie…
He confidently replied, “sir, you are her elder brother.. you love her more than i could ever possibly do…..agreed, any guy you find suitable for her would be excellent in each and every field….would have a flawless personality….but no matter who you choose…nobody will be perfect for her, expect me…..true, she may lead a far more comfortable life with them…but whats the guarantee that she’ll be happy?….sir, I love her more than my life…and if anything happens tomorrow…..and I have to chose between me and her…it would always be her….there isn’t a second thought about it…..most importantly, she will be happy with me…”
Arjun seemed unconvinced…so he continued with a little aggression in his voice, “sir…if you can find a guy who can keep her happier than I would and are willing to guarantee that she wont shed A single tear her entire life……then I promise to give her hand into his myself…moreover, I’ll even come to their wedding and dance.”
Saral looked at Arjun, who seemed deep in thoughts….
Radhika cringed, now it was clear that saral was pure about his affection…but no, Arjun was being unnecessarily hard.
She wanted to call neil, but refrained remembering that he was with sam….making up for behaving like a idiot last night…
Arjun finally spoke, “so, that means you are willing to do anything for bonnie?”
Saral responded instantly, “yes.”
Arjun smiled….he knew from saral’s tone and emotions that he wouldn’t find a better guy than him for his princess…but he wanted to play with him….he wanted to push saral to his limits…..and he played his cards well….he knew that saral was well placed and had a staff to look after his needs in mumbai..and had any amazing family to look after him back home…..so he never had to do the odd jobs, one usually tackled by living alone like cooking…cleaning etc……and this was exactly what Arjun was going to make him do.
Arjun, “let me be very clear….my sister wont do all household chores by herself…she isn’t your servant…you would have to contribute equally to the tasks if you guys, ever get married…..so I want to check your capabilities regarding the issue at hand…..mind that?”
Hearing his words…..made saral’s heart race….saral mentally facepalmed himself…this was one area, he had no knowledge and experience about…it would be a herculean task to impress Arjun doing household chores……he cursed his fate….he cursed himself thinking if he couldn’t have fallen In love with a girl having a younger sibling. Saral masked his nervousness with confident no.
Arjun then picked up a notepad from the table…and made a list….he handed over the paper to saral, “this is a list of jobs, you have to complete by 7 this evening…….if you are successful in doing so, you both have my permission.”
Saral rolled his eyes looking at the list…washing utensils…cleaning the entire apartment…..washing all the bedsheets and curtains…grocery shopping….cooking…..the list went on and on…..
Saral’s head felt dizzy and his body ached just by looking at the list…but his heart remained determined to win his love…and if this was what he needed to do, then he was more than willing to.
Arjun looked at bonnie, “don’t even think about helping him in any of this…”
Bonnie nodded….arjun moved to his room and Radhika followed him, “arjun mehra…that was so unfair, you very well know, bonnie wouldn’t have to do anything even if she got married to saral….” She kept on bugging him…
Arjun finally turned around and pinned her against the wall and kept his palm on her mouth “relax Radhika…..i know….and I also know that he is the one for bonnie…just wanted to have a little fun..so handed him the list…….he had my permission the second, he completed his first line….”
Radhika smiled and bite his palm….arjun removed his palm instantly….radhika smiled, “we are both going to have fun….”
Saral was in the kitchen doing dishes, while Radhika and Arjun just kept adding meaningless utensils..
Neil entered in the apartment and whistled looking at saral working….he understood have approved him…otherwise he wouldn’t be standing in the apartment “when going gets tough…the tough get going….keep working my boy, you are inching close to your destiny.”
Radhika, who was sitting on the slab teased him, “you seemed really fresh….haan neil?
Arjun asked him, “sam forgave you?”
Neil grinned, “after 50 push ups…a bouquet of roses…a sorry card…and two tubs of ice cream…..yes.”
Ardhika burst out laughing…even saral smiled.
They walked out of the kitchen, allowing saral to work in peace….they had just sat down on the sofa…when teji entered with ishana in tow. Neil got up to leave seeing ishana….but she caught his wrist…she spoke in a regretful voice, inflicted deep with pain, “don’t neil….i came here to talk to you….actually I came to apologise….whatever happened six years back was entirely my fault……I should never have hurt you….and nothing I say now would ever justify what I did…but honestly, Its something I regret till date…..but trust me neil, I have come a long way…making wrong decision but have learnt from them side by side……its totally understandable that you cant trust me after what I did……but even a little part of heart can try to soak in my words then please listen to me once….neil…I promise, that what between you and me is never going to happened between me and teji….i love him from the bottom of my heart…and will kill myself before even thinking to hurt him…..trust me.”
Neil looked at her for a minute and then glanced at teji, “I trust you.”
Ishana jumped in delight and hugged teji….
It started raining outside….even the heavens rejoiced….four entangled hearts conquered the one they loved…..it was a battle which made their love even brighter and stronger.
Precap : Radhika and sam talk.
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So guys, that’s it for now…please let me know if you are satisfied with the storyline…if not I’ll be happy to make improvements.