Arhi FF: Us Against the World

Chapter 16

Arnav impatiently paced across the living room. Aman's cryptic call regarding a complete report on Shyam was getting on his nerves and boring a hole in the carpet wasn't helping much. Khushi gathered her courage and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder halting him.

'It's going to be okay, Arnav ji. Whatever it is, we're going to fight it together.' Khushi consoled him. She was worried that if the half-baked information that they'd discovered up until now was so devastating for everyone then what would happen if there was more. Arnav ji would surely blame himself for no fault of his. So she turned him towards her and held his hand, 'Promise me that you'll not blame yourself.'

'Khushi, that man was living under my roof cheating all of us and...' Arnav grumbled. 3 years that fraud was living amongst them, in their house, playing the role of the perfect man that ever existed. And the mess that his actions had created in all of their lives.

'Exactly. All of us, not only you. It's no one's fault but him.' Khushi insisted. There were so many what-ifs that she found her head spinning. What if she had been adamant about refusing Shyam's refusal? What if Anjali ji had caught on to his lies sooner? What if Bua ji had checked his background before putting her proposal? What if she had told Arnav ji all of this before? All of them had failed to judge Shyam in some way or the other. It was Shyam's fault. But knowing his transgressions, how they moved forward, that was on them. On seeing Arnav quiet, she asked, 'If you let guilt consume you, how are you going to think straight and act rationally?'

Arnav looked at Khushi deliberating her words. She was right. His biggest strength was not to let emotions cloud his judgement and any decision based on cold, hard facts was a profitable one. This was his family and everyone's life was at stake. And that was all the more reason he should put emotions behind and let ASR do the thinking. Whatever it was, he needed to think from the brain rather than the heart. With that resolve, he nodded towards Khushi and waited with bated breath as Aman entered with a grim expression on his face. This was bad, ASR thought.

**********

Aman relayed all the facts to the group in an emotionless tone. No one could sense the anger and pain he felt at not being able to see that man's true face and protect his friend's family. Stealing money, impersonating, and stalking. That much everyone knew. Arnav's guilty eyes had met Khushi the moment Aman revealed why Shyam had to save her from the goons. Her mock glare had assured him that they were past all that. But all hell broke loose when Arnav heard the damage Shyam intended to do to his sister's life. The scorpion, tampering with the brakes, the infertility pills. He was trying to kill his own wife. A wife that was ready to forgive his every mistake. Arnav felt like someone had physically stabbed a knife in his heart. If not for Khushi's stronghold on his hand, he would've broken everything in the room. She gently squeezed his hand and shook her teary eyes at him reminding him of their earlier conversation.

'Why the fuck wasn't this on his background check when he got married to Di?' Arnav bellowed in a furious voice turning towards Aman. If the private investigators had missed something, he'd make sure that everyone's career was ruined.

'I don't know, ASR. At that time, the man was clean.' Aman answered honestly. He still remembered the time when ASR had demanded a complete background check on Shyam. He was aware of the scandalized faces of his family and their protests but the man was relentless. Even when the reports came clear, ASR had taken his time to trust Shyam completely. Now, knowing that despite all the precautions his worst fear has come true, was excruciating.