Hai ..

Hello ..

Happy reading...

*******************

I had been pleading with Neil bhai for half an hour, asking, "Why are you so scared of my troublesome husband?"

"Neil bhaiya, please try to understand. I need your help. Please, can you do this for me?" I said cutely, but my brother was not ready to agree.

"No, Pallu, I can't help with this matter. What if Arjun sir finds out?" he said fearfully.

"So what if he finds out?" I groaned, and he lowered his head and murmured something I couldn't hear.

"What's wrong, bhai? Why are you mumbling?" I asked, and he almost stuttered, saying,

"I'll buy a painting of your favourite artist Picasso for you this Rakhi festival, but please let me go," and he started to run away.

And am I any less? I also tucked my saree pallu into my waist and chased after Neil bhaiya. After running around the entire garden area for a while, I stopped because I was having trouble catching my breath.

"Neil bhaiya, stop and help me, or I'll break both your legs and send you to the hospital," I said, panting.

"It's better to go to the hospital than to the graveyard. If Arjun sir finds out, he'll send me to the graveyard," bhaiya said, also panting.

"Hey bhagwan , help me! Send someone who can scare this langur brother more than my husband . This Monday, I'll make my husband fast," I said, looking up at the sky with folded hands.

Ring Ring ..

Just then, Neil bhaiya's phone rang. When he took it out of his pocket and saw the screen, his face went pale. He fumbled and cut the call.

"Who was it?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"N-nothing, it was a wrong number," he said, gulping nervously.

"Oh, you knew it was a wrong number without even answering?" I said, placing my hands on my hips.

Ring Ring...

The phone rang again, and this time, Neil bhaiya cut the call once more. Now I was sure that the person on the other end was even more dangerous than my husband. When the phone rang again, I grabbed it from bhaiya's hand and answered it.

" Tumra himmat kaiso huyi ki mari call ko katne ka " I heard a girl's voice from the other side

" Arey woh didi ka devar , mere saamne mat dikha apni tevar samje "

She kept talking nonstop like a train without breaks, as if she didn't know how to stop. She was scolding my brother, and finally, when she paused for a second to catch her breath, I said, "Excuse me."

"Who are you?" asked the girl on the other end.

"I'm Pallavi," I answered.

" Ohh toh didi ke devar ki behna ? , finally aap se baat ho gayi meri " she growled and I smiled a little ..

" Aur aap koun ? " I inquired

" Hum aapke Bhai ke bhabhi ki choti behen , basanti hai mare naam " she said and I chuckled a little ..

"So why are you scolding my brother ?" I just questioned...

"I just asked a simple question, whether he likes me or not, whether he will marry me or not. But he ran away as if a crazy witch was chasing him. Look, didi ke devar ki behna , tell your brother that in this lifetime, he will marry me. If he refuses, I will forcibly bring him, put a mangalsutra around his neck, and make him my husband, and also put a sindoor in his parting..." And she kept saying that during this, Neil bhaiya snatched the phone from my hand and hung up.

"Why did you cut the phone?" I jeered, showing anger towards him.

"You don't know how big a devil she is, if I marry her, my life will be ruined. And I would rather commit suicide happily in a well than marry her," he groaned and I smiled at me with an evil smirk.

Now I know his weak point.

"So, you will help me, right, bhaiyya? Otherwise, I'll call bhabhi ki behna right now and fix the alliance. She will put a mangalsutra around your neck and fill your parting with sindoor, and..."

"Enough," Neil bhaiya shouted, and I burst into laughter.

"Okay, I'll do something, but I have one condition," he said seriously.

"Vipul and the Blacksoul team will go with you, and you won't refuse, okay?" He jeered, I nodded happily, and he agreed to my plan.

****************

I was sipping coffee and seeing the CCTV footage of garden area , she behaves like a sherni sometimes and behaves like a kitten sometime,

I just laughed hysterically when I saw Neil and my pallu darling. Her is pro in blackmailing,

"Let's see how my saale saab will stop me from going with my darling."

"And my dear darling didn't even spare our child in this drama, such a drama queen. And my Alex also melted seeing her innocent face. Such a big plan to stop me from going with her ? She could have just told me directly, I sighed in disbelief with a smile.

But still, I don't know what she would do to convince Mr. Agnihotri."

"I closed my MacBook, went for a freshen-up, and after refreshing, came downstairs to the hall. Everyone was there near the dining table except her and my brothers. It didn't take long to understand that the three of them must have gone off to do something."

"I also played along, pretending I didn't know anything. Just as I was about to go outside, Alex came and climbed into my lap, acting all kinky."

"'Alex, you're showing signs of mumma; day by day, you're becoming more of a drama queen,' I cooed and pampered him for a while."

"'Okay, play with dadi today. I'm going to the office, otherwise, your mumma will punish me.' I pampered Alex a bit and then went outside and got into the car."

Neil was trying hard to be normal but miserably failed , we started our journey towards the office and suddenly he stopped the car ..

"It seems there is some problem with the car; I'll check it sir ," he asserted and got out of the car. My lips twitched a little, and I signalled him to go ahead with a gesture of my hand.

My gaze remains fixed on my MacBook, my heart pounding as I watch the video on the screen. I had heard that during the first rain of the season, peacocks dance in the forest, but here, right in front of me, my own peacock is dancing.

How meticulously God must have created her . She is so beautiful that I feel like I want to embrace her just like this. My darling looks like she has descended from some heavenly paradise while she dances.

But why is she dancing now? I don't know, but if she is happy, then I am happy too.

**************

Manasa sarovar dance academy.

"This academy is the top academy in Mumbai, and all the students and teachers here come from wealthy families.

You might be wondering why I am here, right? Let me explain; first, let me enjoy this place."

"This academy has really impressed me. Seeing it reminded me of my old days. I still remember, my dad used to say, 'Dance is in your blood,' and I didn't just do dance; dance had become a part of me.

I always used to tell my dad, 'Dad, when I grow up, I will become a great dancer and open my own dance academy.' But just as my dad was taken away, so were my dreams.

Just like that, I found myself in a big hall. The entire hall has a unique kind of positivity, and in the centre of the hall is a statue of Nataraj, the guru of dancers like us.

That's when I tried to put on the nearby ghungroos on my feet, but they wouldn't stay. Maybe the screw wasn't right.

Suddenly, someone adjusted the screw and fixed the ghungroos on my feet. That's when I realised that Adit, Anant, and Vipul Bhaiya had also come inside.

'Bhabhi, today will we also get to see your dance?' Adit asked while adjusting the ghungroos on my feet.

'Yes, Bhabhi, Bhayya praised your dance a lot. Finally, we'll get to see your dance,' Anant said while adjusting the second ghungroo.

And Vipul bhaiya also looked at us and asked, 'Ma'am, can I record your dance?'

I nodded in agreement and went to the stage in the hall."

"I felt like my soul was urging me to dance today after seeing the environment.

Then my favourite beat, 'Hindola,' started playing on the speakers, and I began my dance after first offering my respects to our guru, Sri Nataraja Swamy.

I didn't even realise how deeply I lost myself in the dance, forgetting everything happening around me.

All I know is that I am so happy after a long time. It's not that I haven't danced since Papa passed away, but I've never felt this much happiness before.

Perhaps it's the effect of Arjun's love that makes me happy from within; I just feel reborn in his love."

"I stopped my dance only when the music from the speakers stopped.

The entire dance hall echoed with applause, and I bowed my head to accept their appreciation. You know what? It's this very thing that makes an artist happy-neither money nor power, but this appreciation in the form of claps.

After receiving the appreciation, some people took selfies with me, and some got my autograph and left.

The academy head offered me a higher position within the academy, but I declined because I'm here not just to dance but with a purpose.

" So now it's time for some action."

"As I was taking off my anklets, a man approached me.

He was wearing a white kurta-pyjama, an expensive watch on his wrist, a stick in his hand, and spectacles on his eyes. He looked to be around 60 years old.

'Excuse me,' he said.

'Yes,' I replied, looking at him.

'Ma'am, actually I am looking for a dance teacher for my granddaughter. Will you train her? Don't worry, I will pay you for the training,' he said, adjusting his glasses.

'No,' I said politely, continuing to remove the other anklet.

'No? You are rejecting my offer? Maybe you don't know who I am. People wait for months for an appointment with me, and you are rejecting my offer?' he groaned.

"Oh, how could I forget? I remember Mr. Agnihotri, you even said last night that I would have to wait a month for an appointment with you, but now you've come to meet me personally," I said, turning to Adit. He ran to me and handed me my purse. I completely ignored Mr. Agnihotri and took out my phone to check for calls.

"What happened to my husband? He always bothers me with questions, but today there isn't even a call," I thought to myself.

"Oh, so you are Mrs. Srivastav, CEO of the Srivastav Empire. I'm impressed. You've done quite a bit of homework, it seems. Well, you have 5 minutes now. Tell me about the deal," he said, showing a hint of arrogance.

"Excuse me, I think you're mistaken. Yesterday I needed an appointment with you, and you were in a position to give one. But today, you need my favour , not me who wants to deal with you " I said, with my hands folded..

"Okay, Mrs. Srivastav, I'm sorry. Now, what's the deal? Why did you need my appointment?" He said with a slight, mischievous smirk.

When I saw Vipul Bhaiyya, he took that little girl, Mr. Agnihotri's granddaughter, and left with her.

We sat in a corner in that dance academy..

I extended my hand, and Anant handed me some documents and a pen.

" Read these papers and sign them," I said with a blank expression.

Mr. Agnihotri read the papers and looked at me angrily, but I didn't react because I knew this old man wasn't going to give in easily. However, I am also Pallavi Krishnan Srivastav, and I won't give up so easily either.

"What nonsense is this? And why should I sell my shares to you which were in Kashyap Industries, especially for a 50 percent of amount ? Do you think I'm a fool to sign these papers?" Mr. Agnihotri almost shouted.

"I'm not giving you any choice, Mr. Agnihotri. This is your only option," I said, pounding both hands on the table. At that moment, Mr. Agnihotri pulled out his gun and aimed it at me.

When Adit and Anant started to move forward, I signalled them to stop.

"Well, Mr. Agnihotri, this is a wrong move . Now, let's see what happens," I said with a smile on my face.

For a second, Mr. Agnihotri seemed confused, and that was the moment I grabbed the gun, pointed it at Mr. Agnihotri's head, and said...

"Well, my trainer teaches not just physical exercises but also mind games. So, Mr. Agnihotri, will you sign now?" I said with an evil smirk.

There was a time when I used to think of a real gun as a toy, and today, I am handling a real gun like it's a toy

All credit goes to my trainer, Pihu. In these past months, she taught me everything from self-defence and mind games to how to handle a gun properly.

And definitely, my husband will be proud of me.

"Girls' hands are not meant just for stirring pots in the kitchen, Mr. Agnihotri," I jeered, and his eyes were filled with fury.

"Do what you have to do. I will not sell those shares to you . That's my final decision," he said, leaning back in his seat.

"Alright, then you will be responsible for whatever consequences arise," I asserted, glancing at Adit. He nodded and gave me a thumbs up.

"Within 10 minutes, Mr. Agnihotri's phone rang. I gave Adit an evil smile, and Adit signalled that the job was done.

'What?' Mr. Agnihotri shouted.

'How can this be? They are hacking our entire system and tampering with all the transactions. What is our technical team doing? Stop them immediately, you f*ckers!' Mr. Agnihotri yelled at his manager, and I couldn't help but laugh.

'Mr. Agnihotri, there's no point in shouting. Our hacker is a professional, and your technical team can't do anything about it,' I growled at Mr. Agnihotri. He hung up and glared at me.

'Why? We don't have any personal enmity between us, so why are you doing this? Is it just for your name's sake bua ?' He groaned, and I shook my head negatively."

"No, Mr. Agnihotri, this is not enmity; it is atonement. Whatever has been done illegally deserves punishment," I said, showing my authority.

"What do you mean?" Mr. Agnihotri asked, narrowing his eyes.

"In 2001, in Delhi, a society building collapsed. Do you know how many people died? Officially 70, but unofficially 120. And do you know how many families were left destitute?"

"In 2010, in Gujarat, a bridge collapsed due to rain. Do you know how many people were injured and how many lost their limbs?"

"And there have been many such accidents caused by your illegal constructions. So this is a small compensation for those victims who lost everything because of your illegal buildings," I jeered in a cold yet dangerous voice.

"And the Srivastav Trust will ensure that this amount reaches the victims. It will help their families get back on their feet."

"Be thankful I'm taking legal action; otherwise, this discussion would have taken place at the police station," I said, extending the pen towards him.

He signed the papers and threw the pen on the ground.

"Mr. Agnihotri, what if, in the future, your granddaughter sees your true face? What will you show her? The face of a grandfather or the face of a murderer? Well, that's none of my business," I asserted, picking up the contract papers and leaving ..

"Before advising me , Mrs. Srivastav, why don't you look at yourself?" He groaned, and I turned my head towards him.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You say we've made illegal constructions, but what about your husband? Don't you know that your husband is involved in something even worse? He was involved in ma ......ahhhhhhh" He was about to finish his sentence when Anant landed a powerful punch on his face. I was completely stunned by Anant's action.

Usually, Anant was not the type of person to hit anyone, but today he struck a 60-year-old man? Why?

And what was Mr. Agnihotri saying? My husband is also involved in illegal business? No, that can't be true. Yes, he gets angry and has anger issues, but his behaviour hasn't harmed anyone. No, no, that can't be right. Mr. Agnihotri is just trying to manipulate me, " I thought to myself .

सन्देहः सुन्दरं सम्बन्धं नाशयति,
संसर्गस्य च सुखस्य शीलं विनाशयति।

Sandehah sundaram sambandham nasayati,
Saṃsargasya ca sukhasyā śīlaṃ vināśayati.

Doubt destroys a beautiful relationship and undermines the essence of joy and virtue in companionship.

******************

I came back to office only found an empty cabin , Adit and Anant were tried to coo me , yes mr agnihotri is just manipulating me ,

After all, he is my Arjun, and he can never be wrong. If you don't trust yourself, how can you expect others to trust you? These were the thoughts running through my mind throughout the journey.

I entered the cabin and placed my hand on the CEO's seat. Suddenly, I felt as if it was a huge burden on me. Whoever occupies this seat inherits its responsibilities and must make decisions with the mind, not the heart.

I am missing my old self greatly ,the one who found happiness in every small thing, shared joy with others, and always found solutions to problems with a smile, no matter how big they were.

But today, I am completely different: strong, independent, and capable of saving myself from any difficulty. All this is happening because of Arjun.

Where I used to think that I would be out of this unwanted relationship after a year, today, I find myself afraid of moving away from Arjun,

"I used to think that I would somehow finish this one-year journey, but now I want to make this journey a lifelong one. And in this journey, I don't want anything; if I look back in the future, there should be no sign of deceit."

In this battle with myself, I didn't even realise when day turned into night.

I didn't even realise how I was standing in front of this glass, looking at the traffic-filled road for hours .

I didn't even realise when my inner courage began to break down. Questions like "Will Arjun ever be wrong, or has someone suffered because of him?" are gnawing at me from inside .

I had thought that as soon as I entered this cabin, I would hug Arjun tightly, but even after so many hours, he has not come in front of me. What is this loneliness today?

Is loneliness the next stage of love? No, no, I can endure anything in life, but I cannot endure betrayal from loved ones.

After so many difficulties, I trusted someone again, and now, if something happened like that I feel like I can never trust anyone.

While I was lost in these thoughts, I suddenly felt someone hug me from behind. At first, I was scared, but that familiar touch brought a sweet smile to my face.

Yes he is here , My peace has returned, and with it, my soul has come back to me. My heartbeat has found its rhythm again, and with it, my reason to believe in love has been rekindled.

" Kya soch rahi ho mi amor ? , you are so lost and you didn't realise that I came inside the cabin " he said huskily while resting his chin on my shoulder , and wrapped his strong arms around my petite waist .

His natural scent stirs a deep yearning in my heart for his embrace. The blend of his perfume, intertwined with his unique body fragrance, creates a captivating allure that draws me irresistibly closer. This enchanting mixture makes me long to be enveloped in his arms, where I can fully feel the warmth and intimacy of his presence.

Immediately without wasting a second I hid myself in his embrace. Maybe he understood that I am not in a good mood, he too embraced me in his comfort hug by wrapping his two muscular arms around my shoulders and hid my face in his crook . I didn't even realise that his shirt was getting wet due to my tears .

" What happened pallavi ?? Kisi ne kuch kaha , ya kuch kiya ?? , agar aisa toh bathado , i will bury them alive " only words slipped from his mouth , i am still in his arms and suddenly mr Agnihotri's words echoed in my ears ..

" You say we've made illegal constructions, but what about your husband? Don't you know that your husband is involved in something even worse? He was involved in ma ......"

"I detached myself from his embrace and stood in front of him, just as I was about to wipe my tears. He gently wiped them away with his palm and rested his forehead against mine. I didn't react, instead, I simply embraced him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

'Where have you been? You didn't make a single call all day, not even a message? Do you know how much I missed you, how much I missed this warmth? Where have you been, huh ? kankajoore kahika ' I questioned him with an accusatory tone. I heard him chuckle and felt his grip on my body tighten.

" So my queen is missing me ?? , mujhse naraaz hoke mujhse hi lipat gayi ?? Tumhari gussa bhi tumhari tarah ajeeb hai biwi sahiba "

'So my queen is missing me? You got upset with me but ended up clinging to me anyway? Your anger is as peculiar as you are, my dear wife,' he said, pressing his lips to my hair. I lifted my head and saw his mischievous smile, then playfully hit his chest with a pout."

"I was in back-to-back meetings, which is why I couldn't call you," he said, gently caressing my hair.

"Is there really a meeting more important than me?" I mumbled, loud enough for him to hear.

"Trust me, mi amor, nothing in this world is more important than you," he said, cupping my face in his rough hands. A smile spread across my face and onto my lips when he softly kissed them.

But my happiness was short-lived when my eyes fell on a bloodstain on his shirt sleeve.

"What is this blood?" I asked, panicking for his safety. What if something happened to him?

"This? It's not blood; it's just some sauce that spilled by mistake," he clarified.

"Since when does Arjun Srivastav start eating sauce? Especially when he doesn't like it at all," I said in a sarcastic tone, turning back to grab my bag.

As I was about to leave, he held my wrist to stop me. First, my gaze fell on our intertwined hands, and then I saw his face. He had an apologetic look and held one ear with his free hand, mumbling a sincere apology to me.

"I'm sorry, jaan. I didn't mean to bother you. Actually, I had a small fight with someone and ended up punching him in the face. The blood isn't mine; it's his. But it wasn't my fault, it was his," he explained, sounding like a child giving a reason to his mother. For a brief moment, I couldn't help but smile at his innocent expression.

"He's so cute now; he must have been even cuter as a child," I thought to myself.

"Allow me, madam," he said, taking my purse from my hand.

"Don't you feel embarrassed about holding your wife's purse?" I asked playfully.

"Why would I be embarrassed about holding my own wife's purse, wifey?" he said, pulling me closer. He leaned in towards my trembling lips due to the closeness.

"What are you doing, Arjun?" I mumbled, looking into his dark eyes filled with unspoken desires.

"I want to do a lot, jaan, but I don't want our first time to be on a table or a couch. That's why I'm trying to control myself," he growled. I parted my lips in shock.

"I think you need to take some lessons on how to hesitate while talking like this ," I said, pushing him away slightly, my cheeks flushed crimson red.

"If I start hesitating like you, our bedroom life will never get a progress . So, I'll remain shameless like I am, and you stay as shy as you are," he said, pulling me into his embrace once more.

"Mr. Ashleel Srivastav, let me go," I struggled to free myself. Eventually, he released me, but only after lifting me into his arms in a bridal style . We headed towards our car. It was already 9 p.m., and the office had been closed, but did it make any difference to my husband?

*********************

" But what about your husband? Don't you know that your husband is involved in something even worse? "

My sleep was suddenly broken, and I was sweating badly.

Ahhhh, why am I unable to forget those words? What should I do to get those words out of my mind? I don't understand anything.

I look at Arjun, who is peacefully sleeping.

"jo hoga dekha jayega . If these thoughts keep buzzing in my mind, I won't be able to stay peaceful, so I need to check it once," I thought to myself, and lifted his laptop to sit on the nearby sofa.

I know Arjun's laptop password, bank account security codes, and even the passcode for his secret locker in our room, but I have never checked them before. Today, for the first time, I might be crossing this line, just to clear things up.

I opened his accounts and transactions; everything is clear, there is no issue, all accounts are in order and clear , and I am relieved. My Arjun would never do anything wrong nor harm to any innocent person.

Mr. Agnihotri only said those things to upset me, and now things are as clear as air.

I closed the laptop, placed it on the table, and lay back beside him, resting my head on his chest, just like always.

But when I closed my eyes, a flash of a transaction crossed my mind, and I immediately opened his account transaction history again.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I ended up sobbing uncontrollably.

*************

So that's it for today,

What pallavi had seen in Arjun's laptop , will she ever able to accept him along with his truth ??

Arjun is hiding which fight from Pallavi?

To know , then you have to wait for next chapter ..

Love you all

Bye ❤️