Chapter 5
"Hello uncle..." Aashi again called.
Arnav jerked and saw her patting his hand.
"Hii, I'm Aashi..." she extended her hand.
Arnav chuckled in tears and shook hands with her.
"Why are you crying? Aren't you happy seeing me?" Aashi asked pouting.
Arnav laughed and wiping his tears, said, "No, I'm not crying. Something went into my eyes. And why would I be unhappy seeing a doll before me?" He said pulling her cheek.
Aashi giggled and said to Ruhaan, "Roo bhaiyya, your daddy is very sweet..."
Ruhaan smiled and so did Arnav.
It was then Aashi said, "Oops, I forgot to say something important."
Ruhaan and Arnav looked at her confused and she said, "Today is my birthday and there is a party at home. Will you both come?" She asked in her cute voice.
Ruhaan and Arnav looked at each other and Aashi said, "Woh, invitation card is with mamma. But the birthday girl herself is inviting you both...please come..."
Ruhaan said, "I'll be there!"
"Sachi?" Aashi asked with glistening eyes and Ruhaan said, "Muchi!"
"And uncle, what about you?" Aashi asked.
But Arnav was in another world.
Uncle! That was what HIS daughter called him. And today is HIS daughter's birthday! And he is being invited for HIS daughter's birthday party. What could be more painful?
"Uncle..." she patted his hand. Arnav looked at the girl who again asked, "Will you come?"
"Err...no dear, I have some work..." Arnav began but stopped seeing her sad face.
"I'll come!" He said at once seeing her about to cry.
Her face broke into a smile and said, "I'll wait for you both! Party is at 8pm."
"But why did you go to school on your birthday?" Ruhaan asked, "Usually birthday means a full day celebration right?" Aashi laughed and said, "Mamma won't allow. She says studies are important than everything!"
"And your papa?" Ruhaan asked and the next moment her smile was wiped off. "I don't have father" she said slowly.
How would the little girl know that her father is right next to her with his heart bleeding with her reply?
"Oops, mamma will be searching for me. I'll go now, bye...do come for party okay?" Aashi said.
Ruhaan and Arnav nodded and Aashi ran away but not before getting an autograph of Ruhaan and also a selfie with him.
"Dad you okay?" Ruhaan asked seeing his father looking at the way Aashi ran.
Arnav nodded and walked away leaving Ruhaan confused.
"...and I got an autograph from Roo bhaiyya and I also took a selfie...he promised me that he would come for the party!" Aashi said but soon frowned seeing that neither her uncle nor her mom was listening to her.
Crossing her arms, she leaned on the backseat and said in her cute anger, "No one is listening to me!"
"Aashi, keep quiet. I'm really irritated now!" Khushi said and looked out of the window.
Aashi pouted her lips and looked at her chachu who was concentrating on the road.
"Oh yes, I also called Roo bhaiyya's dad for the party!" Aashi said.
And that caught their attention.
"You did what?" Khushi asked angrily.
Scared of her mamma's anger, Aashi said, "I invited Roo bhaiyya's papa for..."
"WHO ASKED YOU TO?" Khushi shouted.
"Khushi ji..." Akash hissed and Khushi closed her eyes calming herself.
"I liked him. He is so nice. So I invited him." Aashi said slowly.
Khushi kept mum and looked out of the window.
"You okay na?" Ruhaan asked to his dad who was looking out of the window. Arnav hummed and looked out.
Ruhaan sighed and recalled what he heard from the employees.
After Aashi ran away and his father exited the room, Ruhaan went to his bag and started searching his mobile. It was then he recalled that he had given his mobile to Aman.
Searching for Aman he walked downstairs when he saw a group of employees standing near the stairs and talking something.
Ignoring their office politics, he turned to walk away when he heard their words.
"So Arnav sir is back! But how come Ruhaan become his son?"
Hearing his and his dad's name he turned to them. Hiding behind the wall he listened to their conversation.
"Now what will happen to Khushi mam? Arnav sir left her at the altar and she is still unmarried. Does Arnav sir know about Aashi being his daughter?" One employee asked.
"And how did he become Arnav Singhania? He is Arnav Singh Raizada right?" Another said.
"Hey, keep quiet. If Khushi mam hears his name being taken in office, she will fire us, remember?" Another said.
"Oh yes, she has ordered that no one should spell ASR inside AK campus!" Another said.
"But ASR is back!" Another said.
"No matter what, don't take his name before her or else we'll lose our jobs!" another said.
He glanced at his dad.
So Khushi Singh Raizada is the lady love of his dad.
Holy shit! How on earth could he ignore the name Raizada? His dad is Arnav Singh Raizada. Hearing Akash's and Khushi's name, it should have clicked in him!
So Akash is his chachu.
Khushi is the same girl whom his dad loves and left at the wedding day.
Aashi is her daughter.
Means, Aashi is his dad's daughter.
Aashi is his sister!
Ruhaan smiled and looked out of the window.
So this is why dad slapped Aman uncle. He knew about this and kept it hidden from dad. Aman uncle wants dad and Khushi aunty to reunite and so do I.
He again looked at his dad who was still looking out.
I'll reunite you and your wife dad. I'll reunite you with your daughter. This is in return for every sacrifice you have made for me. This is my promise dad! It's rockstar Ruhaan's promise to you!
"Bua, Maasi, badi dadi, mami...I MET RUHAAN!" Aashi screamed and squealed at little Ayush (Payal and Akash's four year old son), "Ayu...look I took a selfie with Ruhaan!"
"I also want to take selfie with him!" Ayu pouted.
"Don't worry he'll come for my birthday party today evening!" Aashi said beaming and Ayu squealed, "Really?" Aashi nodded.
Aashi and Ayu ran inside to copy Ruhaan's pics to laptop when others noticed Akash's angry and Khushi's glomy face.
"What happened?" Payal asked.
"He is back" Khushi whispered.
"Who?" NK asked.
"As Ruhaan's dad" Akash said.
"Who is back? And who is Ruhaan's dad?" Anjali asked annoyed.
"Arnav Singh Raizada!" Akash said angrily.
Everyone stood rooted.
"Arnav bitwa is back?" Nani whispered and Akash said, "But not as ASR. He is Arnav Singhania now; Ruhaan Singhania's father!"
"How come Arnav became Ruhaan's dad? Ruhaan is 16 years old!" NK said confused.
Akash shrugged and Khushi walked upstairs not stopping for other's call.
Sitting in front of the mirror, she pulled out the mangalsutra she had been hiding under a diamond necklace and removed the strand of hair which she had fixed for hiding the sindoor.
Clutching the mangalsutra, she whispered with tears rolling down her cheek, "Why Arnavji? Why did you leave me?"
She broke into tears and cried, "And why are you back now? Why are you hurting me? You didn't trust me and my Amma. Like you dadi, you also believe that my Amma is the reason why your mother died. You doubted my love to be fake and didn't come to altar...and WHY ARE YOU BACK NOW?"
She screamed at her own reflection.
Here at downstairs, Aashi had started narrating her experience with Ruhaan and none of the family members were able to go to Khushi's room as they were made to sit on the sofa by the little girl.
"...and his pa told that he is in his room and I went there. We talked a lot and I asked whether I can call him Roo bhaiyya and he agreed! It was then his daddy came"
Everyone looked at her as she started narrating about Ruhaan's daddy.
"How sweet he is? He is so handsome and he talked with me. He agreed to come for party also! I thought Roo bhaiyya's daddy will be rude and strict, but no, he is very sweet!" Aashi said.
Everyone looked away not being able to take that man's praises.
Little did the girl know that the person whom she is addressing as Ruhaan's daddy is actually her daddy!
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