To Love or Not To Love

Chapter 42

Anjali's arrival had turned Sheesh Mahal upside down. If the servants were concerned initially about Arnav's arrival, they now prayed the older one left them in peace. Indeed, they never believed that a day would come when they would actually prefer the younger sibling to the older one.

The palace now resembled a fort under siege, with servants literally creating hideout spots, codewords for communications and mapping exit routes and strategies, should the fort, and their job go up in flames. They had also created a small makeshift temple in one corner of the palace, far away from the prying eyes of the Raizada siblings where a mud idol of Devi Maiyya had been temporarily installed. The idol was being bribed consistently, four times a day, to ensure Anjali Jha left just as soon as she came. Their only remorse, that the pollution in Delhi had only delayed her by a day. They would have been happier if her entire trip had been canceled.

Arnav was not having a great day either. Pacing up and down his room for the umpteenth time, he wished Aman had not informed Anjali, worse, described in vivid detail the condition Khushi had found Arnav in. He was now having to bear the brunt of his sister's anger, which he grudgingly accepted was far worse than his. And he was beginning to see how her nickname - the Dragon Lady - was really a watered-down version of the truth. He would have probably called her Devil Re-incarnate. Or maybe, the devil was way too nice to be compared with Anjali. It didn't matter. Right now he had to deal with Anjali, and he couldn't very well deal with her like ASR, because, well, she was ASR's sister and just as capable of giving him stiff competition in that aspect as well.

Anjali never resorted to the traditional screeching and screaming when she was upset. Neither did she believe in emotional blackmail. She simply looked at the person with her cold, calculating eyes, and looked straight past them, as if they didn't exist. If she was severely displeased, she would raise a single eyebrow challenging their audacity at eliciting even a single sound from their vocal cords. And that was precisely the look Arnav was getting right now - one of severe displeasure and irritation, challenging him to say a single word for her to tell him succinctly and clearly which way the road to perdition lay. He had seen her use this very same tactic numerous times on other clients, but for the first time in his life, he felt the sheer force of it when it was directed towards him.

After an hour of Arnav simply sitting there waiting for Anjali to issue his death sentence, she finally took a deep breath and spoke.

"I'm not happy."

Arnav waited for more, but none came. He knew he had to take the initiative, otherwise, this standoff would never end.

"Di."

"I haven't finished yet."

More silence. And after what seemed like eons, Anjali continued.

"In all the years that we've taken care of each other after Amma and Baba, I never thought I would have to see this day."

More silence and guilt, another emotion Arnav didn't believe he was capable of, churning inside his stomach, making him sicker than he already was.

"I have turned a blind eye to many things that you made a part of your lifestyle, Chhote," she continued, albeit halting, choosing her words carefully, just like she did in court. "I have ignored your colorful trysts, your choice to stay away from me, your crazy work schedule, your irregular food habits, your anger, your ego, everything."

Another deep breath. "But this, I draw a line on. I am not willing to lose my brother, and after what happened two nights ago, I am not sure I can trust you to take care of him."

"But Di..."

"Chhote, I haven't yet finished. Do...Not...Interrupt..Me.

"Two nights ago Khushi Gupta found you ice cold in your own office. If she hadn't accidentally forgotten her phone and come back for it, you would not have been discovered in time. There is no one who waits for you to come home, raises an alarm bell when you're not back on time or takes care of you to ensure such incidents do not occur. And I intend to change that."