Love... Once Again ! (Completed)

17 - "Apologize?"

Nisha was pacing back and forth impatiently in the living room of Aditya's apartment. She was getting even more impatient by the minute. It was half past three. An hour and a half past the time she had asked her father to meet her.

"Why don't you dial his number once again?" Aditya suggested. "Or maybe your mother?"

"I tried. But dad's mobile is switched off and mum is not picking up hers."

Aditya held her hand and stopped her, feeling dizzy by her constant pacing. "Just calm for and sit for a few minutes."
He pulled out a chair for her. "Please."

She reluctantly slumped on the chair.

"You've got something on your specs." He slowly took off her glasses and started cleaning them with his handkerchief.

"Here you go." He held them in front of her. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be here soon." Aditya continued and on accord the doorbell rang. Nisha snatched back her glasses and rushed to the door.

"Mom, dad. Finally you are here. I've been waiting for you since when." She stepped aside to let her parents in. "What took you so lo..." She stopped mid sentence when she noticed that they had not arrived alone. "Rishabh Chacha, Lavina Chachi. How come you two are here?"

"We are here to apologize." Rishabh replied.

"Apologize? For what?"

"For the trouble you are in. All of the trouble you are facing is because of me."

"Bu..."

"First come inside and then explain everything to her." Rakesh ordered. He then turned to Aditya and requested him for a mobile charger.

In a few moments everyone was seated on the dinning table.

"Nisha, before you ask any questions, let me only tell you everything from the beginning." Rishabh started.

"You better." Rakesh muttered loudly and Prerna placed a hand on his arm to calm him down.

"Nisha, this whole blunder began two years ago. When I became jobless... The it firm I was working in, shut down due to a crisis."

"But dad told us that..." Nisha frowned.

"That I got a job in its parent company. I had only asked Rakesh to tell you all so. I did not want anyone to get worried, especially papa. Years before he had happily accepted my decision to not join the family business. I did not want to disappoint him."

"But what did you do then?"

"I decided to start my own IT firm. And that was the worst decision I ever took in my life." Lavina squeezed Rishabh's shoulder while the latter continued. "I came to Mumbai without informing any one of you all and started looking for locations to set up. I had hardly put a word to the real estate agents when I got an offer of couple of floors in a building. It was at a prime location so I checked it and finalised the deal. The consideration was high compared to my budget but I decided to put all my savings in it. As the seller and I were the in a hurry we rushed through the paperwork. A week later I realised why the seller was in a hurry and what stupidity I had done. I got a notice stating that the building was going to be demolished due to the upcoming metro line. I received a meagre compensation for it." He let out a sigh. "I then commited another blunder. To escalate capital, I put that money into stock market. After that when I was finally left with nothing I approached Rakesh."

"Finally." Rakesh muttered. "You know what Rishabh if you would have approached me even after the building fiasco, you could have been saved. But no you had to go further and gamble in shares."

"I did not gamble." Rishabh argued. "I just took some wrong decisions."

"Yes. To invest in wrong companies."

"Cut me some slack Rakesh. It was my first time."

"Well if it was then you should not have acted smart and asked me for some advice atleast. Now because of you my daughter has to suffer."

"It was not my intention to make anyone suffer. And don't you worry about Nisha. She is my niece and I care for her too. When we go back home I will reveal everything to papa. Nisha will get back her position."

"Why did you..."

"Stop it you two." Prerna shouted. "This is for the time to argue. We have another problem to deal with as well. We have lost four crores too. And till yet we don't know to whom."

"Not four only two." Nisha said and everyone looked at her. "I know about those blackmailing emails."

"But how?" Rishabh asked. "Only we four know about this." Rishabh said refering to himself, his wife, Rakesh and Prerna.

"Actually Aditya found it and informed me."

"Who's Aditya?"

"Me." Aditya meekly raised his hand. "Hello sir, I am Aditya Gupta. Chief architect of Nina incorporation."

Nisha then narrated events of the past week, from Aditya informing her about the email to hao she got disappointed in not finding out anything about the blackmailer.

Nisha now understood the email introduction and how it fit perfectly to her uncle and not Naren. Rishabh was an actual Kapoor by name, he was trying to be like the rest of his family by getting into business and using the business money with the help of Rakesh.

Nisha's mobile rang. Think of the devil. She stood up and walked to the window before accepting the call. The rest of them were arguing and discussing about what should be done next.

"Hello Naren."

"Hello Nisha. Where are you you? Do you know chote mama and mami have arrived in Mumbai?"

"Yes. I just met them."

"Oh. Okay. Nisha when are you coming home? You left home early today morning and did not return home for lunch as well."
Nisha felt guilty listening to his concerned voice. She felt remorseful and wanted to apologise. She was thankful of the sense left in her to not confront him in the past week and embarrass him.

"I'm coming home with chachu and chachi."

"Okay. See you at home."

Nisha disconnected the call. She was about to place her mobile back in her pocket but it rang again. She pressed the volume key to make it silent.

He had been calling her since afternoon. But she ignored his calls. She hoped he would get the hint that she did not want to speak with him. But no, the lunatic kept calling her. She finally decided to talk to him and opened her call logs. He picked up on the second ring.

"Good evening darling."

"What work did you have with me?"

"Hello to you too Nisha. I am fine. Thank you for asking. How are you?"

"I did not call you back to exchange pleasantries. What do you want Karan?" Nisha was irritated.

"Oh honey, I understand you are tensed. But this is no way to speak to the guy who has the solution to your problems."

"Karan you are incorrigible. Just get to the point or I'll hang up right now."

"If you do then forget those two crores."

***
For Nisha, Rishabh is her father's younger brother so she refers to him as chachu and Lavina as chachi.
On the other hand for Naren, Rishabh is her mother's younger brother so he refers to Rishabh and Lavina as chote mama and mami.