Intertwined Fates -- An IPKKND FanFic

Sixth Sense

Khushi Kumari Gupta always trusted her instincts. So when Shyam Manohar Jha was first introduced to her and her gut felt like someone had grabbed it and turned it inside out, Khushi trusted the inexplicable, bad impression that he left on her.

During her first month at the tiny Delhi law firm, Khushi avoided him like the plague. But Shyam, unfortunately, didn't seem to get the message. The more Khushi tried to stay away from him, the more he tried to get her attention. His flirtations were over the top and nauseating and his offers of "helping" Khushi with her cases made her want to laugh derisively.

Shyam was a horrible lawyer. He had no natural talent, nor did he have the drive to make up for what he lacked. He put little to no effort into his clients' cases and even simple cases like sorting out someone's pension issues were monumental for him. The only reason he still had a job at the firm was because he was able to sweet talk some gullible clients into keeping him on.

So when she spotted him outside of a local Mandhar with none other than Anjali Singh Raizada, Khushi did a double-take.

What relationship could this shady lawyer have with Anjali Ji? Surely, she wasn't his client. All of India knew how the Raizada business had boomed within the last decade; there was no way they couldn't afford better counsel.

Khushi watched from a distance as the two chatted for a bit before walking to a black car waiting for them. As the woman got in, Shyam clasped her hand for a moment. He said something to make her smile and then stepped back as she was driven away.

So an affair? Ugh. Love really was blind.

Khushi walked away in the opposite direction before Shyam could turn around and see her.

But she couldn't stop thinking about it. It had been eight years since Khushi had last seen Anjali, at the hospital where Garima had breathed her last. Later, staring into the flames of her mother's funeral pyre, Khushi had decided that the best way to repay Anjali for her kindness was to avoid the Raizadas altogether. Surely, the sight of Khushi would bring them nothing but pain and that was the last thing she wanted.

Khushi had even been reluctant to accept this job offer in Delhi but she'd reasoned that in this overcrowded, bustling city, the likelihood of Khushi seeing them were one in a million.

It didn't matter though. Anjali Ji hadn't seen her so the events of this morning may just as well have not occurred.

All Khushi had to do was forget about it.

She opened a case file, busied herself in that. An hour passed, then two. As the newbie, Khushi was often loaded with the mundane cases that no one else wanted to handle. But Khushi didn't think of them that way. Every person was important. For a lonely old widow, that delayed pension meant nights without food. For that hard working laborer, that injury meant having to compromise on his children's education. For that decrepit old man, that excessive hospital bill meant almost certain death.

If a little effort from Khushi could ease each of their lives, then her own life had that much more purpose.

It was her grumbling stomach that eventually distracted her from her work. Closing the case file, she glanced at her phone. What? How was it already seven? Only now did she notice that the building had become silent.

Everyone else must have left. She put away the files for the day, made a note of the phone calls she'd have to make first thing the next morning.

She was still thinking about her cases when she walked past Shyam's office. She stopped short as the memory of the odious man standing with Anjali Ji came rushing back.

Brimming with curiosity, Khushi made a rash decision. Pulling a bobby pin from her hair, she quickly picked Shyam's lock. Perhaps there was some evidence in here with regards to his relationship with Anjali Ji.

Systematically, Khushi dug through each cabinet, flipping through file after file. Her stomach grumbled again but she hissed at it to be quiet. And then Khushi flipped open an insignificant looking file in the bottom most drawer of Shayan's desk and saw the marriage certificate of Shyam Manohar Jha and Anjali Singh Raizada.

Staring dumbfoundedly at the piece of paper, Khushi sat down on Shyam's chair. The marriage had taken place a little over four months ago. She took the certificate out of the file, only to see that another marriage certificate had been lying underneath, this one confirming that a Mr. Aditya Mehta had been wed to Ms. Naitee Devi. Then another three, legalizing the unions of Mr. Kabir Singh to Pooja Acharya, Mr. Rudra Devan to Ms. Laasya Kohli and Mr. Ajay Varma to Ms. Ramya Malhotra.

Khushi had no idea what any of this meant, but her instincts told her there was more to this collection of certificates than met the eye. She dug through the rest of the drawer but found nothing more of interest.

No big deal, thought Khushi, taking the file and running down to the copy machine on the first floor. She had ten names; two people which she knew, eight others that she'd find. As soon as she figured out the connection between these five marriages, she'd figure out how someone like Anjali Ji could possibly be married to Shyam Manohar Jha.

But first, dinner.

Author's Note:

So there's been a time jump. Our Khushi is now  a lawyer and Anjali is married to Shyam.

Buckle up your seatbelts, readers, because we are in for one wild ride.

Next update will be on September 29, iA.

Take care.