Arshi FF: Entwined Souls

3. Real

Arnav was left alone on the road as Payal hops in the taxi and goes away, without bothering to his calls. He was furious and that would be an understatement. He clenches his fist in anger, not able to get any information on Khushi. Khushi, the girl who was his Salvation. The first time he met her and she became his Saviour. And before he could even gather enough confidence to thank her, she disappeared from his life as if she was his fantasy. The fantasy he wanted to be real in some corner of his heart.

He sighs, walks away to his car, and zooms out of the area, towards his home. He hoped his family wouldn't create drama in the home.

As he was lost in his thoughts, he reaches Shantivan which was supposed to be his home — a place where one feels peace. But all he gets is everything but peace in his Mansion named Shativan.

As if it has ever been a Shantivan to him.

He parks his car. He has to pack his clothes and gets ready for his journey soon. As he enters the hall after the door was opened by Hari Prakash, he saw his Di sitting on the sofa reading a Magazine. Shyam was sitting beside her, reading a newspaper as well. Manorama and Manohar along with Akash were nowhere to be seen. He assumed they must be in their own room and Devyani must be resting in her room.

Anjali looks up when she saw her brother enter and stops him when he is about to pass her, "Chotte, I need to talk with you!"

Arnav releases a breath, loosening up his tie, knowing what his sister would talk to him about, "Di, if it's about what happened in the Morning, then forget it! I'm not interested."

But Anjali wasn't the one to budge easily and she had to disciple her brother too who's becoming reckless these days.

"It was wrong of you to talk with our Nani like that, Chotte. When will you understand this?" she reprimands him, reminding him of the incident in the morning. She didn't like how he back-talked with Devyani, no one should talk to elders like that. Right or wrong doesn't matter. Her thoughts don't suit her educated self. She looked orthodox more than traditional!

"And when will you understand me, Di?" he snaps off, tired of getting questioned always. If his Nani is behind him and he walks off her, his Di will be the next one coming to him, trying to push the so-called right thoughts in his mind. Not even trying to understand his feelings or bothering to know his opinion. He always tried to understand her, taking her feelings into consideration when she wasn't worth it. If anything is keeping him away from distancing himself from his Di and his toxic family, it is only because he has promised his mother to take care of her, and mostly he needs to show them mirror and give someone their deserved rights in the home.

Until then, he needs to tolerate the toxicity!

But at the cost of his own happiness? He wasn't sure. He needed guidance and nobody was there to give him that except the 24-year-old girl's face — who suddenly popped into his mind and he didn't want to go there now. He puts her in the corner of his mind and

"Chotte?" she had tears in her eyes at her brother's harsh words. Whenever her brother gets angry at her, she gets tears in her eyes. Why doesn't her brother understand her? When she didn't try to understand him?

Shyam took the chance to barge into the conversation as he stood up saying, "Sale Saheb, you shouldn't talk to your Di like that. Whatever she's saying is good for you only."

He tries to defend his wife's action and make his brother-in-law understand his wife's concern.

"Don't come in between us, Jeeja-ji!" he grits his teeth. This man always gets on his nerves no matter what he does. He hated Aravind Mallik, true! If he hated his own father, he hated Shyam Manohar Jha more than his father or anyone in the whole world.