Judaaiyaan

5

Kunal had been in that living room more times than he could count. The occasions also varied more than he could acknowledge. There have been happy times, difficult times, and painful times. There had been celebratory, casual, comforting visits. He had been alone and in the company of his late wife and his daughter. But he had never come to that house to lie, to deceive his old friend. He couldn't feel comfortable in his skin and he was relieved to know that Mishti had called her meeting with Ritwik shorter and soon they were all having lunch. Kunal didn't have any plans to stay there after the final course of their meal. He was disgusted by himself. Many could say that in all the years as head of his company, Kunal's approach hadn't been the most honest on some occasions. The business required him to make some difficult decisions, but he had no problem making them. It was part of the package. But Kunal Khanna values friendships, honest and meaningful friendships like Vijaypath Noon. He loved those boys as if they were his sons. He felt like there was a silent promise between him and his friend. If either of them died, the other would take care of their children. That was how much Kunal considered the three men sitting around him.

He had a lot of trouble accepting Pragati's idea to seduce Ritwik and merge their business. Finally, Kunal only accepted it because Vijaypath confirmed that Ritwik had a big crush on Pragati, maybe even more than that. He asked his daughter more than once not to break Ritwik's heart. And he was only relieved when she confessed if she didn't marry Ritwik she would probably marry no one as she did not expect to have what he and Mauli had. It broke his heart to know his daughter was so disillusioned about love but he honestly hoped that someday Ritwik could bring all her walls down with his love. He prayed that Ritwik could be the knight in shining armor his daughter so desperately needed.

But now everything has changed. Pragati was dying in a hospital bed and the boy he loved like his own was being deceived by his daughter. It had to stop. He wouldn't be able to live with that guilt.

"How is your schedule tomorrow, Vijaypath?" Kunal asked when they were already eating dessert.

"You know that now Ritwik has finally been named the company's CEO. All I have to do is wait until he and Rishabh give me some grandchildren. I'm old enough to only care about being a dada," he smiled as Ritwik and Mishti almost choked on their ice cream. Rishabh and Arohi were together longer than Ritwik and Pragati but she wasn't with them that Sunday. Arohi didn't get along with Pragati and when she learned the lunch was almost a party for her sister, she asked Rishabh to go to her house after he was done. She especially hated this situation because Rishabh had never given up on bringing Pragati's friend, even knowing his friend and his girlfriend didn't like each other. Arohi expected her to keep his loyalties with her but Rishabh considered the Pragati family, just like Vijaypath did and it had nothing to do with her relationship with Ritwik.

"There's somewhere I'd like you to go with me," Kunal looked briefly at his best friend and when his eyes dropped Vijaypath knew him well enough to know it was something bad, maybe even connected to Mauli.

"Of course, what time do you want me to go?"

"How about early in the morning? Maybe eight o'clock?"

"Deal, I'll be at your house," Vijaypath offered and Mishti knitted her eyebrows together. She also sensed the pain coming from her father and felt almost offended knowing that he was inviting Vijaypath instead of her.

"I'll come and we'll leave from here," Kunal offered and the older man agreed but the younger occupants of the room were just curious about the elder's meeting.

The meal was over and soon Rishabh and later Kunal and Mishti excused themselves, leaving for their different destinations, leaving Vijaypath and Ritwik to be alone in the house.