SS: Shattered Souls - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Aman said, "Ruhaan, go and have your food" Ruhaan nodded and went away but not before hugging his dad. Slowly Aman also walked away leaving the three in the room.

But Arnav never felt Ruhaan hugging him. All he could feel was she standing before him.

Dressed in a cream coloured saree and her hair pinned to a bun, she was looking extremely beautiful but a little older than before. Her eyes seemed to be weak. Her skin seemed to be paler.

He drifted his vision to his brother.

Still the same! He has new specs now and a new hairstyle too. He has grown stubble and looks like a perfect business man not a small boy as he used to look before.

He again drifted his vision to Khushi and saw tears rolling down her cheek. This is something he hated! Her tears! Unknowingly his hand lifted to her face to wipe those tears away.

She was standing in tears looking at him. She was trying to grasp the situation when she saw him lifting his hand to her face. A sudden anger bubbled in her. He wants to wipe her tears when he is the cause for that! He gives her pain and is now trying to wipe it away.

She shoved his hand away and the next moment, lifted her hand and gave him a tight slap!

Akash stood numb seeing Khushi slapping Arnav.

Arnav felt his head turning left under the impact of the slap. He slowly raised his head and looked at her who had nothing but hatred and anger in her eyes.

The next moment he felt her holding his collar.

"WHY ARE YOU BACK NOW? AREN'T YOU SATISFIED? YOU HAVE GIVEN ME ENOUGH PAIN ARNAV...NOW PLEASE GO AWAY...GO AWAY FROM MY VISION AND DON'T EVER COME BACK!" She shouted.

Akash held her shoulder and whispered, "Khushi ji...calm down..."

Khushi took a deep breath and left his collar.

Akash said to Arnav, "Just go away Mr. Arnav Malik. You don't belong here!"

Arnav closed his eyes in pain hearing his brother, who followed and supported him in every step, addressing him as Mr. Malik when it was always bhai for him.

He opened his eyes and masking his feelings, said rudely, "I'm not here to bother you or to sneak into your house! Your company contacted me for a shoot with my son and that's why I'm here. Technically, you called me here! So, it'll be very good if you people stay away from me, not the other way." And he walked away biting his lips not to let out tears.

Khushi looked down in tears and felt her brother-in-law side hugging her.

She turned and hugged her jeejaaji tight and cried, "Why? Why did he do that to me? He left me alone at altar, he broke all the promises and he is again and again hurting me...WHY??? WHAT CRIME HAVE I DONE?"

"He don't deserve you Khushi ji..."Akash said calming her.

Arnav stormed into the changing room of AK and found Aman working on his laptop. Aman heard his footsteps and looked up to see a burning ASR.

He stood up and heard Arnav asked, "Where is Ruhaan?"

"He is in washroom!" Aman answered.

The next moment Arnav caught Aman's collars and asked dangerously, "You knew it right? You knew that they are AK's owners!"

Aman looked down and said, "Yes"

The next he received a tight slap. He looked up to see his angry boss who again and again slapped him.

"HOW DARE YOU AMAN? WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU INFORM! WHY DAMMIT?" Arnav shouted and again slapped Aman that he fell down.

It was then Ruhaan came there from washroom. He was hell shocked seeing his dad slapping Aman.

"Aman uncle..." Ruhaan exclaimed and ran to him. Helping him to get up, Ruhaan asked, "What is this dad? Why are you slapping him?"

"Ruhaan, stay out of this!" Arnav warned.

"But dad..." Ruhaan began when Aman said, "Ruhaan, go..."

Ruhaan nodded and walked away sighing.

Ruhaan walked around AK. He was at the AK boutique which was at 19th floor of AK Fashion house. He checked the time and found it to be 1.00 pm.

Rubbing his stomach, he mumbled, "I'm damn hungry!" And he walked to the lift and pressed the ground floor button where the grand mega canteen of AK was situated.

Everyone started murmuring seeing the rockstar Ruhaan entering the canteen. One by one, everyone gathered around him and started getting his autograph.

Ruhaan, who was damn hungry, signed every autograph with a painful expression in his face. Come on, he is hungry here and these people want him to smile for photos and sign his name on their bodies! Urrgh!

Fortunate for him, his bodyguards came to him and cleared way. Thanking his stars and the bodyguards, the rockstar walked to the counter and ordered, "2 hamburgers, 1 pizza, a chocolate shake and French fries...FAST!"

He sat on one of the chairs and could feel everyone's and their camera's gazes on him. Ignoring them, he concentrated on his food and started gobbling it. It was then he heard a cute voice calling him.

"Ruuhhaaannn..."

He turned to his left and found a small girl running to him. She stood before him and said in her cute voice, "Ruhaan, I'm a great fan of yours. Can I have your autograph please?"

Ruhaan laughed and said, "Sure sweetheart but not now! As you see, I'm having my food here!"

"Oh it's okay! You give it to me after your food!" The girl said.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Ashwika...you can call me Aashi!" Aashi said.

"Ok Aashi...do you have a pen and paper?" He asked.

"No. Why?" She asked.

"You need an autograph right? So, get me a pen and paper!" He said. "Oh yeah," Aashi said smacking her head, "Stupid me! I'll get it now. By then you complete your food!"

"Mamma..." Aashi called out as she entered her mamma's cabin. But to her surprise, she saw her mother crying and Akash chachu handing her tissue papers.

"Mamma...what happened?" Aashi ran to her mother.

Khushi wiped her tears and sniffing her nose said, "Why are you here Aashi?"

"I came to see Ruhaan!" She squealed.

"And you bunked classes?" Khushi asked faking anger.

"No...today after lunch there is a function at school. I called NK chachu to pick me!" Aashi said.

"What function and why didn't you attend?" Khushi asked.

"It's father's day celebration" Aashi said.

A silence prevailed.

"Ruhaan, please give me your autograph!" Liza, the sexiest model of AK asked in her seductive voice.

Ruhaan looked up from his pizza to find a barely clothed mannequin standing before him. Urrgh! How much does he hate such living mannequins! He looked up and saw her makeup covered ugly face.

"Sorry mam, I'm having my food here!" He replied rudely and continued to have his food.

"It won't even take a minute Roo..." Liza said sitting on the chair opposite to him.

"Wait a second, what did you call me?" Ruhaan asked surprised.

"Roo...as a short for Ruhaan!" Liza said.

"Call me Ruhaan! Only my dad can call me Roo!" Ruhaan said rudely.

"But baby...even I'll love you like your dad does...may be even more than him..." Liza said seductively when Ruhaan shouted,

"Don't you ashamed to flirt with a school going boy who is 10 years younger than you? Are you that much characterless?"

Liza stood up in shock hearing his shout and Ruhaan stood up and lifted his food tray.

Looking at the people, he said, "Even I'm a human being and I need food! I'm having food after hours and naturally I'm damn hungry. So please, excuse me!" And he walked away holding the tray.

Little Aashi came running to canteen holding a pen and paper only to find Ruhaan missing.

"Where is Ruhaan?" She asked with a sad face to Aliya, Ruhaan's PA.

Aliya pulled the cute doll's cheek and said, "Ruhaan is upstairs baby. He is having his food!"

"Thank you didi..." Aashi squealed and ran upstairs.

"Ruhaan..." Aashi squealed as she opened the door. Ruhaan looked up from the burger and smiled seeing her.

"Come in Aashi..."

"Ruhaan, here is pen and paper. You give me autograph after having food." Aashi said sitting by his side.

Ruhaan nodded and asked, "In which class are you studying?"

"First standard!" She said, "And you?"

"I'm in 11th" he replied. "Oh, which school?" Aashi asked and he said, "I don't go to school. I have personal tutor!" he said with a smile and Aashi nodded.

"Ruhaan, can I call you Roo bhaiyya?" Aashi asked after a while.

Ruhaan looked at her surprised and she said, "Woh mamma says that we should not call elders by their name. You're elder to me...so can I call you Roo bhaiyya?"

Smiling at the innocent baby he said, "Sure my angel!"

Aashi giggled and asked, "So Roo bhaiyya who is your favourite singer?"

Ruhaan thought for a while and said, "Taylor Swift, why?"

"Taylor Swift?" Aashi asked with a frown, "You should love yourself Roo bhaiyya, you are the best singer!"

Ruhaan laughed and pinching her nose said, "So what? I have an angel to love me..." Aashi giggled and was about to say something when the door opened and a man entered.

Arnav entered the room in thoughts of Khushi when he heard a giggle inside the room. He looked up and saw a beautiful little girl sitting with Ruhaan.

The girl looked at him and for a moment he felt he was looking at him. Her eyes...he could see a replica of his in her...he looked closely at the girl and found the most shocking part.

Her lips...her smile...it so resembled his Khushi...the way she was smiling at him and looked at him with her big brown eyes with resembled him, Arnav could find a form of his and his wife...

"Dad..." Ruhaan's call jerked him.

"Oh yeah...looks like you have a new fan!" he said and Ruhaan smiled and said, "Dad, this is Aashi...she is Khushi Singh Raizada's daughter. And Aashi, this is my dad"

"Hii uncle..." Aashi said chirpily.

But he heard nothing beyond Khushi Singh Raizada's daughter.

She is Khushi Singh Raizada's daughter

She is Khushi Singh Raizada's daughter

She is Khushi Singh Raizada's daughter

He looked at the baby girl.

His eyes, her lips, his forehead, her hairs, his nose and her cheeks...

His and Khushi's form of love!

His daughter!