Part 28

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"The most important things are the hardest to say"

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"There office has been divided up by glass partition. They are no more sharing the same office space" Rishab told his wife as they walked out of the elevator and walked in the long corridor.

"Oh, I am glad" Madhu commented. She wanted him to move on soon as he deserved a better life.

"I think he deliberately made this change as he wanna put some distance between him and Naira. It won't be easy for him to see the girl who ditched him throughout the day" Madhu said sorely. She was still cross with her daughter for what she did.

"Don't start now, Madhu" Rishab said and knocked at Naira's cabin door.

They stepped in once she called 'Come in'

"Dad, mom?" Naira was surprised with her parents impromptu visit. "You guys here? Is there any reason?"

"We came to see your new office" Madhu said as she looked around her office. The blinds were drawn down from the other side of the glass which means Roshan had shut it from his end and Madhu frowned at that. "Roshan is clearly avoiding Naira" Madhu thought.

"Oh" Naira didn't buy that reason. She hadn't setup a new office at all. Only renovation work took place in her old office so what's there to see? They came to check whether things were going smooth between Roshan and her. "Oh c'mon guys, I am not a baby. I can deal with my shit" she thought with an inaudible groan.

"I think you are busy with your clients so you carry on. We will wait for you in the waiting room" Rishab said noticing a young couple sitting and seemingly in the middle of a discussion.

"No dad, we are almost done here. Moreover, I want you guys to meet my clients." She said making her parents wonder whether they were anywhere connected to her clients. "Mr. & Mrs. Gaurav, you guys have heard a lot about my parents and now its time to meet them in person. My dad, Rishab Kundra and that's his lady love and my mom Madhubala Kundra."

"Delighted to meet you Sir" Naira's client Mr. Gaurav stood up and shook his hand with Rishab.

"Likewise" Rishab smiled though he was puzzled not knowing their role in the young couple's lives.

"I also belong to your family" he said and seeing Rishab's confused frown he clarified "I mean the police family. I am an inspector in crime branch"

"Oh that's great" Rishab sized the guy and approved him to be a best fit in crime branch as he looked smart and shrewd.

"I am back with my husband only after hearing your story. You are such an inspiration ma'am" Gaurav's wife hugged Madhu surprising her.

Madhu awkwardly hugged her back and shared a "What's going on here?" look with her husband. He just shrugged his shoulders. He was as much clueless as she was.

"What's all that?" Madhu asked Naira once the couple left her office.

"They came to me six months back."

"Okay?"

"On mutual consent, they wanted divorce as they felt they weren't compatible. They had constant quarrels and misunderstanding it seems. Then I told them your successful marriage story." Madhu placed her hand on her husband and they shared a proud grin. "That girl's main complaint was her husband wasn't spending time with her and I told how hardly you spent time with mom as you were so dedicated to your duty but how understanding mom was and how efficiently she managed the family all by herself. And to that guy I told how supportive you were to mom and how easily you compromise with her. It took me four sittings to counsel them..." She sighed. "...but I made good money. I charged for every sitting" Naira said with a winked. Her parents laughed. "They decided to give their marriage a shot and it clicked. Now, they are going to have a baby. They came to give me the good news along with this chocolate basket" Naira said eying the chocolate basket gleefully.

"Oh that's nice to hear, sweetheart. You really did a great job here." Rishab appreciated. Naira smiled.

"They are together now because of us, mainly because of me, that girl told so..." Madhu paused and placed a hand on the basket.

"What?" Naira's eyes went wide.

"I think I deserve these chocolate" Madhu took the basket and placed it on her lap before hugging it tightly as if her life depends on it.

"Mom, this is not fair." Naira protested. Rishan shook his head at his wife's silly behaviour.

There was a couple of knocks before Roshan walked into her cabin with a lunch carrier in his hand.

"Hi, uncle, aunty. What a pleasant surprise?" Roshan said, surprised by their sudden visit. "When you guys came? Where you going to meet me or just see your darling daughter and escape?"

"We came only 5 minutes back and we were about to meet you after meeting with her" Madhu said with a beaming smile. She was happy seeing Roshan in his normal behaviour.

"Oh good. I came to have lunch with Naira" he placed his carrier on the table. "Please join with us"

"Thank you for offering but we already had our lunch. You guys don't mind us and please have yours" Rishab said and gestured Roshan to take a seat next to him but he dragged the rolling chair and positioned it closer to Naira's.

"Sorry, I made you wait. I was in client meeting, Roe" Naira apologized.

"It's okay yaar. You have waited for me for so many days so me waiting for this one day is not a big deal" Roshan said and gave Naira's forearm a fist pump.

"How are you and everyone at home, Roshan?" Madhu asked conversationally.

"We are all good, aunty." he said with a genuine smile. Madhu smiled back.

"Oh and this weekend me and my brothers are going to Goa..." He wanted Naira to take care of the office and his cases.

"You didn't tell me, Roe?" Naira accused him.

"I am telling you now"

"Why suddenly going to Goa?"

"We were supposed to go on this trip..." Roshan said nonchalantly.

His brothers Rohan and Rohit had booked a beach resort in Goa for them, for a week, to spend their honeymoon.

"...but now that we aren't going, we thought we will make it as boys fun trip" I need some booze to sip and boobs to suck. He thought. He had been a celibate for how long he didn't know. Maybe since he developed deep feelings for Naira. But now that she wasn't his, he decided to live in the moment and enjoy life...with chicks.

"You know we can still go" Naira said. Goa trip sounded interesting to her so she blurted out that.

"What do you mean?" He was stumped by her reply.

"Well, we are still friends and we can go on a trip. Nothing wrong about that right?"

"Naira!" Madhu called her daughter and shook her head. She didn't like her daughter's suggestion at all. If she didn't want that boy then she should let him move on, not to toy with him.

"Uncle, will you send Naira with me?" Roshan asked hopefully.

Oh why me? Rishab thought. He didn't like that question being directed to him.

"I... I trust you... so why not" Rishab said though he wasn't confident enough mainly after Roshan trying to kiss his daughter in front of him on the wedding day. And one more reason, his wife wouldn't approve them going together on a trip.

"Roshan, you said it's a boys trip, then what Naira will do there?" Madhu tried to put a brake to their plan.

"Mom, please, it's been so long since I had gone anywhere. I was busy with work so I couldn't take a trip before but now I feel this is the right time to take a break and relax. It's much safer for me to go with Roshan, Rohan and Rohit. They are our boys" Naira insisted on going.

"By the end of this month, your daddy and Inayat are going to Kashmir. You can go along with them. Kashmir is such a beautiful place as you know"

"I have been to Kashmir"

"Even to Goa"

"But I will have fun with the boys"

"If you both have gone then who will look after the firm?"

"We have a couple of juniors and interns. They will manage. Moreover, its just a week's trip which we had already planned. We would have anyways gone on this trip if we were married, right?"

"Rishab, you say something and stop her" Madhu hissed at him.

"Will Sabeer be okay with your arrangement?" Rishab asked teasingly. Madhu glared at her husband for bring another boy in the issue.

Roshan cluckled. He didn't know why that sound funny to him. Maybe he thought Rishab was trolling his daughter.

"Why won't he be okay? First of all why should I bother? It's my decision to take, not his."

"Alright. Go and have fun but not too much." Rishan finally agreed knowing there was no use arguing with his adamant daughter. Naira grinned widely and mouthed thank you to his dad "Take care of her, Roshan. If anything happens to her then you will be answerable to me" he warned him.

"I promise to take care of Naira, uncle. You don't worry, aunty. It's just a friends trip. Nothing is going to change in our relationship" he reassure Madhu.

Madhu sighed in defeat. "I am going home" she said abruptly and left the room.

"I will convince her. You guys make arrangements for your trip" Rishab said and ran behind his wife.

--0--

Rishab glanced at his wife every now and then waiting for the moment she opens her mouth as he drove the car back to home but she sat there silently with her arms and legs crossed, brooding.

"Stop looking at me. It's annoying me" she snapped

"I was waiting for you to start your rant" he said honestly.

"I am tired of arguing with you, Rishab." She sighed. "I clearly know you have a view point and I have one and both are not the same so it's wise we don't discuss about it and spare ourselves from an unnecessary fight"

"We are not going to fight, Madhu. We never do. We always communicate."

"This big fat lie of yours is going to cause us to put a fight right at this moment, Rishab" She shouted. They always fought but the truth was they made up before going to bed.

"If you lower your tone I can assure you we won't fight"

"Alright" Madhu said and took in a deep breath. "I don't want Naira to go to Goa with Roshan"

"Why?"

"Because she is seeing Sabeer"

"No, she is seeing no one at the moment. She is just friends with both Roshan and Sabeer"

"Then why confuse the boy who already has feelings for you? Why can't you let him move on? Why are you hurting him more than you have already?" She bursts out.

"Me?" He joked wanting to calm his wife down.

"No, your confused daughter. She never knows what she wants in her life. First, she was confused whether to do Engineering or Law and now Sabeer or Roshan."

"She might be a confused soul now but once her confusion gets cleared she will be happy with her ultimate choice." He said with conviction. "Look, she is a successful lawyer now and she will be successful in her life too... Just give her sometime to choose the right life partner"

"Rishab, instead of telling me all this, just tell me a way to stop her"

"Why are you hell bent on stopping her from going to Goa?"

"Not stopping her from going to Goa. I am trying to stop her from going to Goa with Roshan"

"Don't you trust them?"

"I trust Roshan. He won't misbehave with my daughter. He won't let me down." Madhu said confidently.

"Then?"

"Ah! What's wrong with you, Rishab? Why can't you understand my simple point here? I don't want him to think he still has a chance in winning Naira's heart when he clearly has no..."

"What if I say he has?"

"You kidding"

"Whoever treats my girl with dignity and care will win her heart and I believe Roshan has highest chance here"

"He has been treating her nice all these years but this girl didn't understand that and only got attracted to the hot doctor." Madhu grumbled.

"Um...Maybe this trip will bring some change in their lives"

"I seriously doubt that and you know what? He was actually obliged to take her with them on this trip as she asked to him in front of us. He agreed because he didn't want to hurt us."

"No" he denied to agree that. He knew Roshan really wanted to have Naira in that trip. He just can't stop loving her so easily, can he?

"Did you notice the changes in their office, Rishab?"

"What changes?"

"They got separate rooms."

"Okay?"

"Roshan even had his blinds pulled down."

"What's the big deal about that?"

"He doesn't even want to see her face. He is that mad at her."

"Don't be presumptive, Madhu. For convenience and privacy sake those changes were made."

"You believe!" Madhu scoffed

"They still have lunch together and what you call that? Distancing from each other?" Rishab mocked her.

"Whatever!" She threw her hands in air in exasperation.

"Oh shit!" She hit her head with her palm.

"What now?"

"I forgot to bring that chocolate basket"

"That's not yours, sweetheart"

"Then you get me chocolates, husband" she asked batting her eyelashes making him chuckle.

--0--

"Guess what guys?" Naira shrieked as she jumped on Inayat's bed. Arjun was also there in the room chit-chatting with his bhabhi before his sister came and interrupted them.

"What?" Arjun asked disinterestedly.

"I am going to Goa for a week"

Inayat smiled seeing her joy.

"Wow, Naira di. Why don't you take me with you?" Arjun now showed so much interest.

"You have exam, Arjun. I am going this weekend"

"Oh no! Why you planned this trip now? You could have waited for my exams to get over right?"

"I didn't plan. Roshan and his brothers planned the trip and I am just joining them"

"You are going with Roshan bro?" Arjun asked in surprise. Even Inayat was surprised but she didn't ask openly.

"Yeah..." Naira dragged.

"Love - Sabeer. Hook up - Roshan. And marry - Who?" Arjun asked teasingly.

"What rubbish! We are just friends"

"If you say so" he smirked.

--0--

"Hey, I was wondering whether we could meet this weekend?" Sabeer asked over the phone.

"No, I am going to Goa..."

"On vacation or on business? With family or friends?" He pried

"With friends..." She said softly and paused briefly hesitating to tell him with who all she was exactly going with. "Actually I am going with Roshan and his brothers"

And there was complete silence from the other end for a moment.

"Sab, you there?"

"Have fun" Sabeer said and rudely hung up the phone.

Naira frowned at her phone screen in disbelief as anger built in her. "How dare he hang up on me?"

"I am not going to talk with you till you regret your mistake" she scowled at her phone and threw it on the bed.

--0--

"Darling..." Arjun slowly started. He wanted to apologize to her and patch up with her but didn't know how to do that. "...how are you? How is your hand?"

"Is anything important you wanna talk with me other than asking how am I doing, Arjun?" Kathryn asked in a brusque tone.

"Um... I..."

"I take that as No and am quitting the call..."

"No, wait. Please. Let's talk. I miss talking with you. I miss kissing you. I miss fucking you..." He talked in a husky tone hoping to seduce her.

Her sharp intake of breath proved him that she was affected by his talk.

"Baby, can I come to your place? Let's study?" He asked her tentatively.

"I am going shopping now and I won't be back to home before 10"

"Perfect. I can come after 10. We can spend the night together. Sounds good?"

"I will tell your mom about your sneaking plan at night time and coming to my place" she threatened.

"You don't want me anymore, Kathy?"

"I have recovered" that's all she said and hung up on him.

Recovered?

Does she mean recovering from her addiction to drugs or her addiction to me? I hope it's not the latter one. He thought.

... To be continued!

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