Intertwined Fates -- An IPKKND FanFic

Revelation

"Hello hi bye bye, Arnav bitwa, come look at this!" Mamiji called from the living room where she sat with Naniji watching the news.

Arnav was sitting in the dining room, working on his laptop. Di and Akash sat on either side of him, working as well. At Mamiji's call, he got up and made his way to her, with Di and Akash following behind curiously.

"Breaking news!" screamed the newscaster excitedly from the screen. "The great business mogul Amol Ayushman has been accused of rape."

"Isn't he your friend, Arnav bitwa?" asked Mamiji, almost as passionately as the newscaster.

"We were at Harvard together and now we're business competitors," answered Arnav distractedly as he watched pictures of Amol flashing on the screen.

There had always been rumors regarding Amol's unsavory treatment of women but his family's wealth and power had always been enough for such matters to be settled without much fuss.

On the screen was now dupatta-draped girl walking with her head down out of a courtroom as cameras flashed mercilessly around her. Arnav grimaced, disgusted with the whole situation. Behind him, Di whispered, "Poor thing."

Suddenly, another girl came into view, wrapping her arm around the first and glaring at the cameras as she forcefully pushed through the crowds.

Arnav jolted as he recognized her. "Di, that's her! That's the girl with the file!"

"What?" Di moved forward to get a better look.

"The file about Shyam?" asked Akash as he came to stand next to Arnav.

"She saved our Anjali bitya's life?" asked Nani.

"Hello hi, bye bye," exclaimed Mamiji in wonder as they all stared at the slender girl.

The newscaster explained that this was the lawyer representing the alleged rape victim. "What's her name?" cried out Di impatiently.

As if in answer, the newscaster said, "Ms. Khushi Kumari Gupta."

Recognition hit him like a punch to the gut. Images flashed through Arnav's mind of the desperate teenager that had shown up at their door, the one who he'd dragged out of the house as she begged and pleaded. She was their benefactor?

His gaze returned to the lawyer on the screen, confidently fielding questions from the overbearing reporters as she shielded her client. "My God," said Di in awe. "What has she become?"

"Do you know her Di?" asked Akash.

Arnav exchanged glances with his sister. When Khushi had shown up at their doorstep eight years ago, Akash and his parents had been abroad to visit a relative of Mamiji's. The rest of them had never informed them of the story. "We'll tell you later, Akash," whispered Di, not wanting to involve the overdramatic Mamiji.

****

"Wow." Akash let out a huff of air as he leaned back in his chair. The three of them were sitting in Arnav's office the next morning. "So this is the daughter of the woman that broke up your parents' marriage. And even though you kicked her out of your house all those years ago, she's helped you now. Is she really that good of a person?"

"No," said Arnav firmly. "There's got to be an ulterior motive. She has no reason to help--"

"I have to tell you something," interrupted Di. Glancing guiltily at her brother, she launched into the story of how she'd gone to visit Khushi to make sure that the girl wasn't their half-sister, discovered that Garima was her adopted mother, and ended up forgiving the woman because she pitied Khushi.