Even Stars Burn: Chapter Five

Here it is the much anticipated Chapter 5! So sorry for the delay! I truly cannot apologize enough! Just know I am back and plan to update a lot more and a lot more regularly! Thank you all for your patience, support and kind words! I really appreciate it. Now back to the FF! 

Arnav stayed back at the banquet hall long after the event ended. He wanted to be alone. He'd never been one for drinking but tonight the smooth and bitter sting of whiskey called out to him. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Behind his closed lids danced images of Khushi, laughing, singing, dancing and being that carefree spirit he loved. A smile crept along his face. Then he saw the other side to Khushi, Khushi after he married her, crying, shouting, staring at him with those large frightened doe eyes begging for him to understand her. He opened his eyes and sat up. He poured himself another drink and downed it in one. Nothing. He felt nothing. Have you ever known a man who ruined his own happiness with his own two hands? Arnav did. He also knew a man that drove the only person who he had truly loved out of his life and why? Because he never truly understood her. That man was Arnav himself. Had he just once spoken to Khushi in the beginning, instead of assuming the worst about her. Then maybe...just maybe this all could have been avoided. Maybe then the night of Akash and Payal's wedding he could have told her he loved her and stood by her against Shyam. Then maybe Di would have been able to understand. What use were maybes? Khushi was gone and Arnav...Arnav was alone.

*the next morning* 

Khushi awoke to the loud piercing melody of her Debaang ringtone. This was one point where she did not appreciate this song. She groggily reached out for her phone.
"Hello?" She mumbled.
"Hello. Am I speaking to Mrs. Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada?" An unfamiliar voice asked. Khushi frowned at the "Mrs" and "Singh Raizada" but begrudgingly had to agree.
"Ji."
"Hi, I'm calling from AK fashion-house. I hope I'm not disturbing you?" The voice said. AK Fashion house, what was that? Khushi had never heard of it.
"Nahin hum toh-" Khushi was about to admit to being asleep but she realized she was speaking to a complete stranger. "Nahin hum free hai abhi ki liye." She said quickly.
"Good. Our boss would really like to meet with you and discuss a potential business opportunity with yourself. Are you free to come in today for a meeting?" The voice asked. Business opportunity? Khushi wondered what a fashion house would want with her. Maybe they heard about her Dabba service? She could do with the distraction, you know since she and... well yes she could do with the distraction.
"Ji hum aasakte hain." She said more enthusiastically.
"Great let me give you the address." The voice then proceeded to give Khushi the address.
"Tik hai hum jald se jald paunchtein hain. Thank you." She put the phone down and hurriedly readied herself.

*In the Raizada Mansion* 
"BHAI! BHAI!" Akash was shouting, his forehead creased with frownlines. The whole family came out, worried by the commotion.
"Kya hua Akash?" Anjali asked, frightened by her brother's sight.
"Di! Bhai kahan hai?" Akash asked.
"Chotte? Woh uppar apne kamare mein hain. Lekin woh dekhnein ki halaat main nahin hai. Usne bohut sharab lee hain. Kal raath ko, woh tikh se chal bhi nahin payain. Hari Prakash ne usse apne kamre tak chorayein teh. Mujhe lagta hai woh abhi bhi adha nashein mein hoon." Di said, the disapproval clear in her tone and the worry shone through her eyes.
"Honestly Di, I don't care. Bhai will have to get over all this for a day. Once he sees the paper he'll sober up." Akash said angrily as he scrunched the paper in his hands. Akash stormed towards Arnav's room.
"Akash! Par hua kya???" Anjali asked, sturggling to keep up with Akash's long strides.
"Woh kameena humko barbaad kiya, dhoka diya!" Akash shouted. "BHAI!"

*At AK Fashion-House* 

Khushi was out of breath when she reached the building. The rickshaw had broken down and she had to walk the rest of the way. She had her hands on her hips and was breathing deeply. It was only when she looked to the side to raise her handbag back to her shoulder away from the crook of her elbow that she took in her sleek surroundings. Everything was monochrome. White walls and static black sofas haphazardly placed around the office. Sharp cornered white desks and everyone wore black. Khushi felt slightly out of place in her fuscia anarkali.
"Ajeeb jaga hai. Kapre behjte hain, lekin jaga hai be-raangi." Khushi mumbled to herself. She was about to go to the receptionist to inform them of her arrival when one of the robots in black came up to her smiling.
"You're Khushi right?" She asked. Khushi nodded. "Fab! Mera naam Malika hai. Hum phone pe baat kiye thi subha mein." Khushi smiled and placed  Malika's voice to her face.
"Ucha! Namaste." Khushi said and Malika smiled.
"Boss ne warn kiya ta khi tum kafi traditional aur formal hai." Malika said, and Khushi immediately unfolded her arms. How did they know that about her? "Aayein hum aapko apne boss se milate hain."

Khushi walked into the office with Malika, this office was pure black, the boss was in his seat, the chair with its back facing Khushi so she couldn't see who this "Boss" was.
"Sir, Khushi is here for your meeting." Malika said.
"Good. Malika aap ja sakti hai. Thank you." Said the Boss. Malika nodded and left. Khushi felt unnerved by these unfamiliar surroundings and the general air of the room. The chair turned and Khushi saw his face. He was fair, had soft brown hair, gentle brown eyes and a razor sharp jaw flecked with stubble. He wore an all black suit and at the sight of Khushi he raised his eyes and smiled. Khushi knew this face...but from where?

*At The Raizada Mansion* 

Arnav was lost in a beautiful dream. Khushi was lying next to him by the poolside at night. Her head in the crook of his arm. She was smiling and looking up at him with the love he had once seen in her eyes. He could feel the even rise and fall of her breathing. He could smell her jasmine scent. She felt so close and so real. But a dream is but a dream and reality...
Arnav woke up drenched in ice cold water and he was gasping worried he was drowning. He opened his eyes and realized slowly that Akash had just tipped this ice cold water on his head. Before Arnav could open his mouth to protest. Akash opened the curtains and the light set off a blinding migraine in Arnav's head.
"Akash please. My head." Arnav said.
"Akash, be gentle, Chotte-" Di was cut off by Akash.
"I'm sorry but bohut ho gaya! Bhai tumhe abhi jaagna hai." Akash said with a tone of severity.
"I am awake Akash. You made damn sure of that." Arnav said.
"No. I mean YOU. NEED. TO. WAKE. UP." He said and threw the morning paper at him. Arnav frowned, unsure of what his brother meant. He read the paper slowly, the words were dancing on the page. He read it again. Then again. One more time. This couldn't be. He scrunched up the paper in his fist until his veins jutted out of his hand.

*At AK Fashion House*

"Please take a seat." The Boss said and Khushi sat down skeptically. Why did he look so familiar to Khushi? Who was this man? What did he want?
"Maaf ki jiye...par aph bohut jaani-peshaani lagte hain. Hum isse pehelein khabi milein hai?" Khushi asked cautiously, glancing over his features again and again trying to work out his identity.
"Sharp. I like that. Shahid apne pehle dhyaan se nahin dekha lekin haan hum dono milein hai. Tumhein shahid yaad nahin kyunki tabh mein sirf ek employee tha aur apka dhyaan kahi aur tha." He said and then it clicked in Khushi's mind.
"Aman?" She asked astonished.
"Aman Khurana at your service." He said with a mini bow. Khushi had met him once briefly when she had first started working at AR. But he had just been Arnav's PA then. How did he build up all this in that time?
"Aapke pass toh bohut saare savaal hongein so let me cut to the chase. I'd been working for you arrogant and egotistical husband for four years of my life. Every step of his advancement had my hand in it. Did I get any recognition or promotion? No. He kept me as a lowly PA because I was good at what I did." Khushi could sense Aman's resentment towards Arnav but couldn't help feel sorry for him. She remembered how hard he worked for him, first in the office and last out. Then when Arnav was angry Aman was always the goat to slaughter. She could understand any bitterness he felt towards him, she most definitely related.
"Hamesha mujhe ek gulam ki tarra rakha. So I started saving up my money, designed this fashion house you are currently sat in. Then I spoke to his employees, I informed them that I was opening up my own Fashion House and that they would be more than welcome to join me. You may or may not have noticed that around 75% of my staff are AR staff who have all over a period of time handed in their notice and come to work for me. All of Arnav's best designers, marketers, event co-coordinators and PR staff now work for me." Khushi was shocked at this. Payal had mentioned that there was a staff shortage at AR and so there was extra work for Arnav to be doing but she hadn't anticipated this.

"Maaf kijiye. ye saabh business vagera mujhse kuch lenha dehna hai nahin. Toh mujhe kyun bhulaya gaya hain? Khushi interrupted.
"Tujshe lenha aur dehna dono hai Khushi." He said and a grin crept up on his face.
"Main kuch samjhi nahin." She said.
"You see Khushi, Arnav understands one thing and one thing only money. Money created that inflated ego, arrogance and pride. Without it he's nothing. AR Fashions is my main rival if I can bring that down I will be the reigning power of the textile and fashion industry here in India." He said and Khushi was still confused.
"Woh sabh toh tik hai lekin woh toh tumhare aur Arnavji khi beech-" She was halted by Aman's sudden movement. He walked over to her, put his hand on either side of her chair and looked at her with an intensity that made her cheeks burn.
"Khushi I need you." He said. Khushi's eyes widened had she heard him right?
"Kya?!" She asked.
"You are undoubtedly Arnav Singh Raizada's greatest weakness. He's arrogant but over you its a whole new level. You're his pride, now imagine how it would look if India's greatest Fashoin House's owner's wife was modelling for a rival company?" Aman said and Khushi was in even more shock. Modelling and her no.
"Aapka dimaak toh tik hai? Main aisa kuch nahin karne wali! She said, she was about to storm off when Aman knelt to the ground.
"Listen to me. Try to understand. I could have just taken his models like I took everyone else but I didn't. Did you ever think why?" He said and Khushi paused out of curiosity. "I wanted the face of my house to be you because you represent everything I have been through to get to here. I knew about the contract marriage, who do you think went to get it drafted?" Aman admitted with guilt on his face and Khushi mirrored humiliation. "I know what you went through and how they treated you. How HE treated you. Khushi don't you want to show them they didn't get to you? That they didn't break you? They insulted you, belittled you, made you hate yourself...don't you want to make them feel some remorse or shame for what they did?" Khushi wasn't sure why, but what Aman said made sense. The Raizada's had baisically gotten away with this without retribution. Khushi had always played it safe, left it to Devi Maiyaan to punish those who were deserving. But when she needed help most, saving most, there was nobody. Anjali lost her husband and so Khushi lost her's too. But when Khushi felt pain, shame and isolation why did Anjali not feel any of this. Aman sparked a dangerous train of thought in Khushi's mind and he knew it.

He stood up and smoothed down his suit. "Maine already announcement ki hai that you are the face of my company. I'm just waiting for your yes. Of course if you want to go back to the world of anonymity and un-importance then I'll say that there was a mistake and have a retraction written. But just look at this before you make your decision." Aman swiveled his mac round and Khushi saw a gossip column on the screen. There was a picture of a drunk Arnav and that model, who was apparently named Kalpana. He had a bottle of whiskey in one hand and her in the other. The article titled, "Tycoon out to play while wife is away." Khushi's blood boiled.
"Hum tayaar hain, apki company ki model banne ki liye." And with that there was no going back for Khushi.

*In The Raizada Mansion* 
"Bhai saaf likha hain. Aman is the one who has been poaching our staff. His company launched today. All our collection plans have been released ahead of our plans under his name. We have no claim on them because he took the designers and it was their work which you hadn't approved yet because of all this family melodrama!" Akash was clearly annoyed. Had Arnav been on the ball none of this would have happened. Arnav noticed Akash failed to comment on the main feature of the article aptly titled "AK Fashion House uses ASR's wife as Face - trouble in paradise?" He was aware that Khushi was jealous because of all the rumors flying around about he and Kalpana but she was actually a good friend and married. She kept it secret for the sake of her career but nothing would ever happen there. But for that to drive her to model for his rival, for such a filthy traitor like Aman, that wasn't his Khushi, it couldn't be his Khushi...he would net let this be his Khushi.
"Akash, Di I need to get ready." Akash nodded, he saw the fire in Arnav's eyes, it was enough to burn the whole world to ash, this assured Akash that Arnav would fix this. Arnav couldn't care less about the company at this moment in time, he could fix that with his eyes closed, he had always been business savvy. But he'd be damned if he lost Khushi to Aman Khurana.

Returning to writing

Hi everyone and by everyone I mean anyone who reads this. Its been well over 2 years since I wrote anything here and yet people still read my writing and fics. For that I am truly thankful from the bottom of my heart. I've had a very tumultuous two years of life, hence my absence from writing. However, now I feel ready to go back to it, that is if anyone still cares to read because my writing only had worth with a wonderful audience such as yourselves. Basically this post is to say I'm back and to also ask if there's anything in particular you guys want writing? I'm aware I left "Agneepath An ASR Story" "The Fated Ones- A Qubool Hai Story" and "Even Stars Burn" incomplete, which if any would you like to see more of. If there are any other fandom based stories you would like to see up here let me know the shows and I'll see if I can accommodate. I really appreciate all the love and support I have received from you guys both in the past and now. Thank you and please don't hesitate to let me know about what you would like to see posting!

Jas :)