“Shyam-ji.. Aap itna sab kuch kaise jaante hain? (Shyam-ji.. How come you know so much?)” Khushi asked astounded

“Because I am the Dheeraj Kharbanda Arnav wants to meet, I'm the DK you're looking for so desperately!” Shyam revealed leaving the couple stupefied.

“What do you mean you're DK?” Arnav asked surprised, How could this even be possible??

Shyam chuckled slightly “I know it is difficult  to believe, Almost impossible. But it is the truth Arnav and I have proofs too. My retina scan, My fingerprints, The statement of my employees.. I mean the employees of Kharbanda Constructions, I can present anything you ask for to prove it to you that I am who I say I am.” Shyam spoke confidently.

Arnav and Khushi exchanged glances, confused whether to believe him or not.

“It seems you desperately need my help with something, The way you're hell bent on hunting me down. What is it Arnav?” He asked

“If you know I need your help.. we need your help then why are you evading us for half of an eternity?” Arnav questioned

“Firstly, I haven't known all along that You're trying to get in touch with DK, I came to know last week and I've been trying to talk to you ever since.” Shyam said

“You talk like You and DK are two different entities and want us to believe that you're the same person” Arnav said confused.

Shyam or Rather Dk smiled “DK and Shyam are indeed two different entities Arnav, Just like Arnav Malik and Arnav Singh Raizada are two entirely different people. Kharbanda name has given me everything Arnav, Fame, wealth,  recognition, Everything that I did not ask for, Everything I did not want. All I wanted was a peaceful life, A family I could cherish. Shyam Manohar Jha gave me all of that, everything I ever wanted.” Shyam said.

“But that isn't the point here, The point is why did you want to meet me?”  Shyam asked curiously.

“My father had worked with your family trying to make a name for himself in the industry you now happen to rule-”

“He was a liar, Your father was a lying ba***rd. If working hard on making it big in the construction business was what you think he was doing all those days he was out of town away from you and your family then you're wrong Arnav. He didn't want to make no name for himself in the business. He was a lucknowy royal, the owner of an unending fortune written on his name by his forefathers, He needed not to work in order to provide his family with facilities that you enjoyed. It was all.. just inherited by you.” Shyam explained.

“I was told that my father came in contact with your family while trying to venture into the construction industry. I was told that he was regularly in contact with your family.”

“He was indeed in contact with our family, but not because of the reasons you think. Arvind Mallik was never the kind of person to whom loyalty was something valuable. He was.. was not a one woman man. Girls.. were a commodity for him.. A piece of flesh, just meant to satiate his lust. He had done it a countless times, Sometimes the girls retaliated, They filed cases against that man but none of it actually reached the boundaries of Sheesh Mahal because of the power and the authority that your family enjoyed in that area, Unfortunately my sister caught his eye as well on one of the weddings he had attended on the behalf of the Royal Family of Lucknow-Malliks.” Shyam said, His eyes closed tightly, A lone tear escaped his eyes.

“Your sister?” ArShi exclaimed.

“Diksha Kharbanda, She was called. Jiji was my father's backbone. The backbone of Kharbanda Group. She was.. shrewd, intelligent, Intellectual, practical, Everything a thirty  years old businesswoman should be like. She was not exactly the kind of girl who could fall for the charms of your father just like that and your father found that part really intriguing. Jiji was like a challenge to your father, A challenge he wanted to win at any cost.”

“He got in touch with your family because-” Khushi's face contorted in disgust

“He wanted to use my sister. But it wasn't easy, He had to work hard to get what he wanted. He got into the good books of my father first. He worked sincerely, Winning my father over. Giriraj Kharbanda was not a fool, But your father managed to fool him over and over and over again.” Shyam sighed

“You did inherit your father's brain, He did exactly what you did to gain a meeting with me. He made a fool-proof plan. Created an identity for himself, Gave himself a background, Opened a fake company though you didn't go to such extremes but thats what he did and while doing everything he didn't let even a seed of doubt generate in my father's mind. Slowly and steadily he became an inseparable part of his life, One step closer to his ultimate goal. He had once he won over my father next target was my sister He tried to make jiji to fall in love with him. He was thirty five at that time when he started working with my father. It took Two years and four months for him to entrap Diksha Kharbanda but eventually he managed to do what he wanted to do all along. The challenge was won, Jiji fell for him. For his beautiful face. For his carefully constructed lies, for his tact, For his charm. My sister fell for a vile bastard”

“She was a practical woman, With no fairytale dreams. Simple, Just, Fair, practical but at the same time she was still a woman. A woman who was not oblivious to feelings, who hoped that one day she'll find someone who will love her the way her own father loves her, Cherish her like she's the only woman in his life. A woman who hoped to be a wife some day. That man made her dream.. He made her see a future with him. She was so happy, finally there was ecstacy reflecting off her face. She had built so many dreams Arnav.. That she didn't realise when her dreams became her existence. Love ruined her. Your father.. Your father ruined everything that dear to her. He.. He shattered her dreams one after the other and she crumbled into a thousand pieces right in front of my eyes” Shyam spoke now through constricted throat, His fingers curled into fists to stop himself from breaking down.

Arnav shuddered involuntarily. All through the last fourteen years he had held his father responsible for his mother's death. He knew his Mumma was not that weak to commit suicide, He never believed his grandmother when She said that his Mumma had committed suicide. He knew.. That his father was murdered fourteen years ago because of an enmity and he knew that his mother was had died as a bait of everything that had transpired between the two parties namely the murderers and his father. It wasn't like he didn't expect that man (His father) to do everything shyam was saying. On the contrary, He was scared of what was yet to unfold. He looked at Shyam, who had his eyes red with unshed tears. Suddenly, Arnav didn't want to probe any deeper, For he sure  was of finding something which will make him loathe his father more than he already did.

“Shyam-ji” Khushi's whisper almost startled the two men out of their reveries

“He killed her Arnav.. Arvind Mallik killed my sister” Shyam broke down giving free reign to his tears.

Arnav got up from the bed, sitting next to Shyam he gently touched his shoulder. There was more to the story of this man than what meets the eye and it was totally unfair on their part to judge him unfairly when he hadn't given them any reasons to doubt him for more than two months now.

“Jija-ji” The word rolled out of his mouth before he could check himself causing Shyam to look up at him in surprise.

“I.." Shyam hesitated, Arnav's hand fell back next to his body on instict

“We can.. stop the questions for a while if you'd like. It's not easy to relive your worst memories” Khushi said softly

Shyam smiled “I'm fine Khushi-ji, I think we should get over with this once and for all.. I have much explaining to do.” He said

Mmm..

Am I late??

Vacation over, College restarted and that's made me super busy umm.. not sure if I'll be able to keep up with the schedule or not but I'll try my best to update on every Sunday positively. (Each story every sunday)

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Love
Vinny