The Other Half

Chapter 20

(Nutan Street: Alliances)

Aman Mathur was surprised to see Shyam Manohar Jha call him. He had never liked him. Knowing the things he knew now, he liked him even less. Then again, prey rarely rang the doorbell of the predator.

"Jha."

"I see you've caught up to reality." Shyam said.

"I'm waiting."

"You know how you are collecting dirt on the Vashishths?"

"How do you know that?"

"I have my ways."

Aman sighed. "What do you want, Jha?"

"Want?" Shyam chuckled. "I'm here to help buddy. Have I got the juiciest story for you."

"You haven't got my trust to believe your crap. I can't be bought unlike you."

"Speaking of buying... Indrani sent me some money, you know. Quite a lot. Could bring up a kid with that much at once, I could."

"And why did Indrani pay you?"

"It seems one of her daughters has been naughty."

"Naughty h-. Oh you mean. Ohhh." Aman registered his surprise quite verbally.

"The middle child was here. Quite gullible, she is."

"Meghna."

"Quite verbatim about the Vashishths, you have become."

"She's in Delhi?"

"Nah. Someplace else. Unnamed. I-sent-her-away-with-the-truth. Also someplace else. Unnamed. She was quite jarred to know of her mother's ways."

"Hang on. Meghna Vashishth met you. Alone. Because her mother told her to. Whatever for?"

"Mathur, what do you do to keep gossip away when you've been naughty?"

Aman's eyes widened in realization. "Indrani wanted an abortion!"

"Remember, I'll want payback." The call dropped.

(Awasthi House: IV vs KG Part 9)

Arnav looked around the small 2BHK and smiled. Little things always were so much better than the grandiose ones. He picked up a photo frame when Advay seemed interested in it. Ashi.

And suddenly he felt the engulfing feeling he was getting familiar to. His eyes roamed the house again, stopping at different parts where a lot of family photos were hung.

Arnav realized the question the same moment Advay took control. "Dinesh Bhaiya, where's Ashi?"

"She lost control in her teens. They found out and took her."

"Sorry, who's Ashi?" NK asked.

Dinesh Awasthi sighed. "My younger sister. Younger than Dev. It's how they learn everything, including control."

"So she's..."

"Magic, yes. Where did you think they came from?"

NK blinked.

Awasthi chuckled. "Ma! Can you come out? Are you busy?" He knocked on a bedroom door.

"Damn you Dinesh! How many times-" The door opened and she stopped scolding her son. "I'm sorry. I didn't know we were having guests, son?"

"I don't think... guests... is the right word Ma. This is NK Rathore and that is... Arnav Singh Raizada ."

"Raizada?" She looked at Arnav with hope.