Judaaiyaan

4

Mishti couldn't help the knots in her stomach as she entered the Noon house. It was as imposing as her father's but that wasn't what made her feel almost sick. She was going to meet Vijaypath and Rishabh for the first time and although Kunal decided to come along to the Sunday lunch she was nervous about the encounter. Kunal had said that Pragati seemed to look forward to visiting the Noons and that she seemed to enjoy Vijaypath's company more than her own fiancée's. He even admitted to Mishti that sometimes he felt jealous because Vijaypath was the closest Pragati had been to anyone other than her parents.

As the days passed Mishti could finally understand her father better. She had thought the main reason why he had asked her to take Pragati's place was because of the impending wedding but not once had Kunal talked about it. He told her why Pragati started dating Ritwik in the first place and while it shocked her it also showed that she and her sister had something in common: they were willing to do anything they could for their parents. While Mishti's first motivation had been to have a relationship of any sort at all with Kunal, Pragati sacrificed her happiness to make sure her father didn't see his company being sold to people he knew didn't care about all the sacrifices and hard work he had to do to build his empire. Mishti also sacrificed her happiness by leaving her mother and fiancé behind her but it was only temporary. Pragati was willing to spend the rest of her life with someone she didn't love. It was shocking for Mishti to learn that Pragati didn't fall in love with Ritwik. It seemed nearly impossible but at least her sister had a genuine relationship with her future father-in-law.

"I don't have any idea of what those conversations Pragati constantly had with Vijaypath were about but I expect he'll lead you there. It may be about the company and I know you didn't have time to get used to everything we do but you could always change the subject and propose something different," he suggested as they waited for the Noon men to come to the living room where the maid had brought them.

"Okay," Mishti nodded quietly.

"I'm so sorry about everything you've been through because of me. I've been thinking about it and while I don't want to let you go I know that's what I should do. I was shocked to know you broke up your engagement to be here, that's not what I want for your life, daughter. I want you to be happy with the man that makes you happy. I'll fix it soon, I promise," Kunal offered and before Mishti could answer her father was standing up to greet his old friend. A nighttime conversation revealed that Mishti had been engaged before traveling to Mumbai, which shocked him. The more he knew about his estranged daughter the less he understood her. Mishti was incredibly selfless. It almost felt too much, nearly impossible and he wondered what the reasons behind such altruistic actions were. Maybe she missed him as much as he had missed her for the past twenty-one years. That hadn't been a day that Kunal went without thinking about the daughter he had only seen for a few days. Or maybe she wanted to know more about the sister she would never meet. He highly doubted she was after his money as he was about to lose his companies and although selling Khanna Industries would bring him a lot of money, he knew she and Nandini knew he was willing to give them a part as he had done all his life. Though Mishti's life wasn't luxurious like Pragati's, she didn't need it. She appreciated it but it wasn't what she was looking for. Or at least not that he thought.

"So your daughter still lives after all," Vijaypath saluted the man in front of him but he didn't realize that both Mishti and Kunal became pale. It was a lighthearted greeting but it hit close to home to the Khannas.

"I missed you, Vijay uncle," Mishti followed her father's initial movements and reached the Punjabi man before her father did as Kunal was suddenly rooted in his place.

"It seems like you're acting on this feeling lately. Ritwik doesn't talk about anything else other than your newly acquired warmth," he quipped and Mishti breathed somewhat calmer as she realized he was teasing her.