Nothing's Real Here ~ It's All An Illusion | A #ShaKhi fanfiction

Part 16 - She Shouldn't Love Me

Mature content 18+
(Scenes, language and violence)
Please don't proceed if you are a kid 🤨

Tej Saberwal too was watching the awards show. He switched off the TV and glanced at his wife, Devi. She glanced back. Tej cleared his throat and said, "Ye Shaurya humlogo ko aise dhokha dega nahin socha tha humne."

"To aapko kya laga ki aap uspar dabaw dalenge aur woh maan lega aapki baat? Aab to woh Aastha bhi uske saath hai. Itne salon tak jo Shaurya apni maa se nafrat karta tha wo jaake usi aurat ke saath reh rha hai. Humse dur ho gaya. Aur ye sab aapke zid ki wajese..."

"To main kya karta Devi? Humara business doob rha hai. Chopras to ainvayi invest nhi karega na? Unko bhi to kuch milna chahiye isse? Aur ek baat mujhe samajh nhi aa rahi. Yeh Shagun mein kya burai hai? Kyun nhi karna chahta Shaurya usse shaadi?"

"Aapko Shaurya ko dhamki nhi dena chahiye tha. Woh bhi uske dream project ko leke" Shaan Saberwal entered the room.

"Haan bhai, aab tum bhi mujhe hi dosh do." Tej replied in a resigning tone.

"Main aapko dosh nahi de raha hu bhaisaab. Bas yeh samjhane ki koshish kar raha hu ki Shaurya ziddi hai. Woh aise kisi bhi baat ke liye nhi maanta. Dekha na aapne? Woh Denis ke saath hai...." He paused a little, as it pained him to utter the name, "Aastha Denis kuch bhi karke Shaurya ki madat karegi. Uska business fir se set up karne ke liye. Itne dino baad usko mauka mila hai apne bete ke liye kuch karne ka...."

"To aab hum kya kare? Kya jawab de Chopras ko?" Tej sounded impatient.

"Main kuch bolu?" Alok, Tej's brother intervened, "Asp na bhaisaab Shagun ko call karo. Woh bhi Washington mein hi hai na? Usko bolo Shaurya to contact kare. Usse mile, jaan pehchaan baraye. Agar Shaurya ko Shagun pasand aa gaya to humara kaam bann jayega..."

"Ye pate ki baat boli hai tune" Tej's face lighted up, "Main aaj hi bolta hu Shagun ko..."

Shaan sighed. He knew that his elder brother was not going to back down at any cost. But he feared that Shaurya's issues with the family may get aggravated further.

Meanwhile, Shaurya knocked on the door of his mother's room.

"Come in.." Aastha responded.

As Shaurya stepped into the room, he got the biggest surprise in his life. The entire wall was decorated with his photos. From his childhood to magazine  pictures, photos of him receiving awards, giving speeches, his TED X speeches, it was an exhibition of every achievement of SS.

"Wow!" He couldn't help but exclaim.

Aastha smiled but didn't say anything.

Shaurya took a deep breath. He was not there to reconcile with his mother. He was there to seek her help to get his feet back in the game. Yes, it was selfish from his side but he made it pretty clear to her that he would consider her help as an investment of sort and that he would return it to her tenfold.

But that was not the reason why he came to her room.

"Kya baat hai Shaurya? Kuch hua hai?" Aastha could make out from his face that something was not right.

Shaurya sighed, "Baithke baat kare?"

"Yeah sure. Baitho na..."

He took a seat on the giant couch beside the coffee table. Aastha came and sat in front of him across the table.

"Mrs. Denis..." Shaurya tried to put his feelings into words, "Mujhe wapas jaana hai. Mumbai. Jald se jald. So can we speed up the investment process? I promise that I will return all your money as soon as 2-3 of my projects get their deserving recognition."