Jab We Met

Part 3

Anjali, now in her nightdress, lay in bed, her mind refusing to let go of one particular photograph. It was a family portrait of sorts - Garima, Shashi, Arnav, herself, and little Khushi, all smiling at the camera. The memory of the day she discovered that Shashi and Garima were no longer alive came rushing back, hitting her like a tidal wave. They had passed away a year after leaving Lucknow, and she had only found out when she visited their old home, hoping to reconnect.

She remembered her conversation with a familiar face in the neighborhood.

"Aunty, where are Shashi Uncle and Garima Aunty? They used to live here, don't they?"

The woman, who had been staying in the colony for a long time, answered her, recognizing her as Anjali Mallik. "Bitiya, they passed away seven years ago in an accident. Exactly a year after what happened in Sheesh Mahal. Poor Khushi. She was heartbroken and kept crying for her parents. She was just twelve after all. Who can bear that loss at that age? Khushi's Buaji took Khushi away after a few days. We don't know where they went."

Anjali felt the ground slip beneath her feet. She clutched the wall for support, tears streaming down her face. "No... this can't be true."

It took Anjali some time to accept the truth. She was twenty-six then, having just returned to India after opening her company while working full-time at an MNC. The tenants at Gupta House knew nothing. No one knew where they had gone. Anjali broke down that day, feeling the loss of Shashi and Garima, who had been like parents to her. She didn't tell Arnav, knowing it would push him further into his shell. After what happened at Sheesh Mahal, he hadn't fully recovered, despite pretending to be fine.

Everything had been fine until her wedding day. Her Dadi and parents had tried to marry her off to a twenty-three-year-old man when she turned eighteen. She wasn't okay with it but was blackmailed into saying yes. Her Nani and Mama disapproved and didn't attend any wedding-related events. On the wedding day, her mother discovered her father's affair with another woman. In a tragic turn of events, her mother shot herself with her father's gun, and her father followed suit. Her brother, only fourteen, witnessed it all, and the wedding was canceled. Their Chacha betrayed them, throwing them out and taking over their property after the funeral.

In those dark times, Garima, Shashi, and little Khushi had been their beacon of hope. They took Anjali and Arnav in, providing them with the love and support they desperately needed. Later, their Mama and Devyani took them to Delhi, helping them heal and rebuild their lives. They stayed in touch with Garima and Shashi, but lost contact a year later when Anjali left for Harvard to pursue her Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Arnav was lost in his shell, barely talking to anyone, studying 11th and 12th and later his Bachelor's like a zombie. With only one aim in mind, to get back Sheesh Mahal, at any cost. And so, for over five years, they couldn't reach them with Arnav and Akash soon following to Harvard for their MBA.

At twenty-six, with over three years of experience, Anjali started her own company, AR Fashions. Arnav, twenty-two, was in his final year of MBA at Harvard. Akash was in his first year. Arnav completed his MBA and returned to India to work at AR. Akash followed soon. She saw her brother taking back what was theirs as soon as he returned. She left the opportunity for him to do that. That was also the very same day when he got to know about their death as well as he conquered Sheesh Mahal and went to Gupta House. Though he didn't show it on his face, she knew he cried that day. That news devastated him some more.

A few days later after that,

Arnav sat in his bedroom, lost in thought, Anjali walked in. She noticed the distant look in his eyes and sat beside him

"Chotte, what's wrong?" she asked gently.

Arnav looked at him, his eyes full of pain and tried hiding it, "Nothing, Di."