The Other Half

Chapter 11

(Nutan Street: Third Installment)

Anjali Jha was walking along the fence, soaking in much needed Vitamin D. Once, very briefly, Anjali Malik had dreamt of having twin brothers.

How she would pamper them, how she would order them around, how she would love them and berate them alike. A four year old Anjali had adjusted to having just one of the two brothers. She was told that the doctor was wrong. It wasn't supposed to be twins. Then, one day when she was sixteen, she had overheard her parents getting emotional before Chhote's birthday.

Curiosity got the better of Anjali Raizada and she started snooping more. Within weeks she found the truth about Chhote's birth. Within months, her alliance was fixed. The only hurdle was that she was seventeen. Her Dadi told her that Advay's non-birth was written in the stars. That it couldn't have been helped.

Anjali had cried and screamed and shouted and yelled. She had begged them to tell Chhote the truth. She couldn't handle knowing the truth and keeping it from her brother. The brother who considered her his whole world. And thus, she was to be wed a week after her eighteenth birthday, to get as much distance from Chhote as possible.

Fate, however, had other plans.

"Anjali Mam?"

She felt her heart pick up. "Aman! You scared me."

"Sorry, you seemed to be lost in thought. I just came to get you for breakfast."

Anjali made herself relax. Aman Mathur was much more a friend than just her brother's best friend. "Sure, let's go."

"Did you know about sir being a twin?"

"Everyone except him did Aman. We just didn't know that Advay was alive."

Aman looked bewildered by it all. Much like he had all of the way. "You do realize that had it not been for K instigating ASR, we would never have found out?"

Anjali sighed. It did bug her, too. As she reached the dining table, Payal Gupta pulled a chair out for her with a smile. "Thank you, Payal." She took a seat.

The crowd was very unexpected. Arya Khanna, Pooja Rathore, Payal Gupta, Shivaay Oberoi, Aman Mathur and her. But Anjali felt more peaceful with them than she had ever been around anyone else. Including Shyam. Stop it Anjali, you need to stop overthinking about his passing comments.

Willing herself to focus, she picked a slice of bread and a butter knife. "Where are my brothers?"

Payal smirked. "Studying."

"Did you just say ASR is studying?" It was Aman.

Payal nodded and got up as the doorbell rang. She came back with an envelope in her hand. "As NK predicted, it was in evidence." She handed the envelope to Anjali.

"Thank you. Aman, can you pass me my phone?" Anjali opened the envelope and spread the paper in it out for everyone to see.

"What is it?"

"Advay's horoscope." Anjali muttered. She clicked a few clear pictures and emailed them to her Mami.

"And it was in evidence?"

"When his father- I mean- adoptive father passed away, his things were turned over to the police."

"Why?"

Anjali tried to think of a way to state things simply. She didn't know much in detail but from what Gayatri Rathore relayed, it had been a cold-blooded murder in broad daylight. "It was sudden."

"So how did Advay know to go to Gayatri ji?" Aman asked.

Anjali looked at Aman then at Payal.

"Why didn't we ever think of that?" Payal asked.