Intertwined Fates -- An IPKKND FanFic

Imminent Danger

Arun Misra declined the call from his mistress as he anxiously waited for his daughter to come home.

His wife, Soniya, watched nervously as he paced back and forth. He'd forbidden her from attending her kitty party tonight--he had never, in there 17 years of marriage, forbidden her from doing anything.

In return, she pretended not to know about his mistresses.

But tonight, something had happened to break the tacit agreement that they lived by. Whatever it was, it was big. Arun had never asked for his daughter like this...if he expressed any interest towards his children, it was towards one of the boys. Sometimes, Soniya thought that he'd forgotten that Guriya existed.

An annoyed Guriya walked into the family room. "What is it, Mom? I had to leave my friends--Dad? What are you doing here?"

"Who did you have dinner with yesterday?" he demanded.

Guriya went pale.

Soniya looked between father and daughter. "Who?"

"That's what I want to know." Arun honed in on Guriya's wrist and a vein popped in his forehead. Grabbing her arm, he demanded, "Where did you get this watch from?"

Guriya yanked her arm back. "Relax, will you? It's a present from a friend!"

"That watch is worth the yearly salary of some of my employees! What kind of friend gave you such an expensive gift?"

Soniya's heart sank. Did a boy give Guriya the watch? Is that who she had dinner with yesterday?

"Why do you care anyway?" Guriya hissed. "I'm not bothering you. Live your life and let me live mine."

"You are my daughter and your life is my goddamn business."

"Oh f*** off!"

For a moment it was eerily silent. Guriya herself looked shocked, as if she couldn't believe what she'd said.

"What did you say?" Arun said quietly.

"I meant...I didn't...Dad, where are you going?"

Soniya and Guriya ran after Arun as he stormed towards Guriya's room. He locked the door behind him and they pounded on it, afraid of what he was doing.

But two minutes later, he opened it himself. All anger had drained away and instead, he looked hollow. He held the card that Guriya had received in his hands.

"Vikrant Amit? Vikrant Amit is pursuing you?"

"My God," said Soniya. "But he's...he's twice your age, Guriya."

"So?" said a teary-eyed Guriya. "He doesn't see me as a child. He cares about me. He says he knew the first moment he saw me that I was special."

Soniya couldn't believe her ears. "Special? I'll show him special!"

She whirled around, intent on driving to the Amits' house and giving Vikrant a piece of her mind but Arun caught her arm. "Wait. I need to...I have to talk to someone."

***

Khushi hummed happily as she placed the dirty dishes into the sink. The Raizadas had just left and she couldn't be more pleased with how things had gone. She was about to go out to get more when she noticed the blinking red light on her phone. With all that was going on, she hadn't checked it.

Unlocking it, her mouth dropped open when she saw that in the last two hours, she had twenty-one missed calls from an unknown number.

There was only one logical explanation. Arun Misra finally knew the truth. Quickly, she called back.