Warrior - Chapter Fifty One

 The gala was being hosted at the city, so about forty five minutes later, we arrived to the function. Aptly, the function was being hosted at a museum, and given what I had seen in the brochure, there's loads of paintings and statues being auctioned off. As soon as we stepped out of the cars, the paparazzi went completely nuts, their camera flashes going off one after the other, ready to blind us!

What the fuck is wrong with these people?

Now, look, I'm not a person who gets chased down by paparazzi whatsoever - I'm not! The only time they've ever bothered me was just during that time when the news of my engagement with Arnav Singh Raizada was announced. Therefore, a lot of this is very foreign to me. Sure, in the past I've been on a few gossip columns, getting comments for my looks at events that I had attended, but I never cared for that shit, nor did I ever really care to look at them.

Now, however, there was no way of avoiding it.

I spot my mother in-law and father in-law together, standing together for the paps to click some pictures of them. Even my aunt in-laws and uncle in-laws do the same. Akash and NK only stand around for a bit, letting the paps get a few pictures before heading off, but as for Arnav and I?

Oh...

My...

Fuck!!!

"Mr. and Mrs. Raizada, over here!"

"Mr. and Mrs. Raizada, a picture over here please!"

"Mr. and Mrs. Raizada, pose this way!"

I mean seriously, these people were going bananas! At first I was too stunned to move, but I very quickly overcame it and followed after Arnav. We both stood together, the paps going insane and clicking photo after photo of us. Several of them cried out for us to get closer, which obviously wasn't missed by either of us. I noticed Arnav glancing down at me and knowing how these paps could be such vultures, I placed my hand around Arnav's arm and moved closer to him. The paparazzi went even crazier, flash after flash going off, once again trying to blind me. I think Arnav also figured that I was going blind, so he quickly lead us inside, which was much calmer.

"You okay," Arnav asked me.

"I think my vision is starting to come back. What the fuck is wrong with them?"

Arnav shrugged in return. "Uh... you know you didn't have to do that."

I looked at him in confusion.

"You didn't have to hold my arm like that," he said softly.

I stopped myself from letting my eyes widen. "Yes I did; they only would've hounded us even more."

"Khushi-"

"It's fine Arnav, really."

Arnav let out a small sigh. "You sure you're okay?"

For a moment I looked at him, the events of what had just happened in our room moments ago replaying in my mind. "I'll be fine," and I walked away.

I'll be fine... I. Will. Be. Fine!

*~*

The main event is being hosted in this huge hall full of many paintings, and there's people around everywhere, a majority of them holding champagne flutes. While some mingled, others walked around and observed the paintings. In my youth, I had been to this museum for many school trips, so some of it is very familiar. Of course some things have changed over time, but overall, it's pretty much the same.

As I'm walking around, I noticed Arnav off on the side. He was talking to several men, though not the same group of men I had left him with. As soon as we came into the hall, people pretty much bombarded us, eager to speak with Arnav. As soon as one conversation with Arnav would end, more people would come up to speak with him. It had nothing to do with me, even though Arnav did introduce me and try to get me in the conversations, but I was exhausted by it, so I managed to excuse myself and get away.

Looking away from Arnav, I spotted Aryan Singh Raizada in conversation with some men as well. Not only was he in conversation, but even Firouz and Madhav Singh Raizada were talking to people as well.

Men.

"Bored?"

Turning around at the sound of my mother in-law's voice, I find Shalini Singh Raizada smiling behind me.

"A bit. Auctions aren't really my thing."

Shalini let out a small chuckle. "They weren't really my thing either for quite a while. But when I learned that I could help people, that's what got me into them."

"Such a humanitarian, you are."

"Why thank you."

Looking around, I spotted Maira Singh Raizada talking to several women. "Not interested in gossiping with all of the aunties?"

Shalini looked over to where I was looking. "Nah, I've never liked to associate with the women so much. Especially since I know a majority of them have spoken about me behind my back and sometimes even to my face."

"Ah! Cruel ass bitches, huh?"

"Indeed."

"Aunty in-law seems to be getting along with them just well."

"That's because no one has ever said shit about her."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "It's not like she did what I did. Plus, out of us three bahus, Baba loved her the most."

Oh? Well this is news. "How come the old demon loved her so much?"

Shalini couldn't help but her chuckle. "Old demon? So you and Chote have spoken about him."

No shit.

"Well, Baba loved her the most simply because she was a bahu of his choice and she gave a son very quickly."

My face instantly scrunched up with disgust.

"But don't worry - just because he favored her, doesn't mean that she liked him at all."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning she hated him."

"But she gave him what he wanted."

"She did... but that's only because she was terrified of Baba."

Oh! Well that's even more interesting.

"Sure, she married Firouz out of her own will - Maira had agreed to marry whomever her parents had chosen for her. What she didn't expect was that she'd have to produce an heir immediately. The thought terrified her, but Baba scared her more than anything. Sometimes to avoid him, she'd spend most of her days either shopping or mingling with the other ladies of society."

Which would explain why she's all smiles and easily mingling with the women now - they were her escape.

"Then, after not even being married for a full year, they had Akash."

I glanced over at Maira Singh Raizada, who was smiling as she spoke with other ladies.

"Does she regret it," I asked.

"No... but she does wish she could've done things in her own accords. Even Firouz Bhai does."

I looked back over at my mama in-law. "You mean he didn't want a child immediately, either?"

"None of them did. But after what happened with Aryan and I, a lot of pressure came down on Firouz... and the easier thing to do would be to comply with Baba's words."

Ugh, that fucking old bastard! "Fucking demon," I grumbled.

"If Aryan had heard you, he would've said here, here," she chuckled.

I bet he would!

Okay, but now I'm curious....

Surveying around the room, I spotted Varsha Singh Raizada, who was standing by herself, looking at a painting. 

"So I get the deal with Akash's mom," I began. "But what about NK's mother? Arnav mentioned how they waited several years before having NK."

Shalini looked over to where I was looking, spotting Varsha as well. "That's true, the poor thing. She had to hear so many bad things about her and Madhav. It really broke her down at times, but Madhav was always very supportive. Even Amma supported her... we all did."

I glanced over at mama in-law.

"At times, she would get mad at Madhav and yell at him - tell him to get over his grudge towards Baba, as well as for them to just have a baby. But Madhav repeatedly refused. He didn't want for her to go through something so young. Then finally she turned 18 and she demanded that she wanted a child... Madhav eventually obliged."

"That's... that's terrible."

"It was... and after she had NK, she had hoped that Baba would change his perspective on them... but that never happened."

"What a fucking dick!"

"That's actually what Aryan had said."

Right on, papa in-law!

But okay, that's more information on them... now to get the answers of what I really want to know.

"So while all this stuff was going on," I began, "obviously, you, papa in-law, and Arnav lived separately still. So how were you guys all close and stuff if the demon treated you guys as outcasts?"

"Even if that was what he wanted, it wasn't what Amma wanted. She still wanted her children to be together - for her family to be together, and she demanded to be able to see us and visit us. ...when he refused, she threatened to take her life."

My eyes widened on their own. "No fucking way," I gasped.

"Mm hmm," she nodded. "And of course, Baba loved her too much to lose her, so he eventually gave in. But he wouldn't let her or the family see us for too long, nor too often. So Amma, Firouz Bhai, Maira, and Akash would visit is now and then. Unfortunately for Madhav, Varsha, and NK, they weren't really allowed to since he still had his anger towards them.

What the actual fuck was wrong with that geezer?

"Amma didn't like it, but she really couldn't do much about it - she knew her husband's fury. NK was young, and Amma wanted him to know he had more family, so she would play old family tapes for him."

"And that's how he picked up Arnav's nickname," I murmured as realization hit me.

"Nanav," she smiled sadly.

"I... that's... what the fuck? I mean-! ...what the actual fuck?"

"I'm sure you can imagine how it must've felt for all of us."

"Yeah, but like... what the fuck?"

Shalini smiled sadly.

"It makes it much more clear why papa in-law hates the demon so much - why anyone in this family would ever hate him so much."

I looked back over to where Varsha was standing. She was now looking at another painting, still alone, when I realized something.

"Why isn't she wearing the dress you guys picked out for her at the shop?"

You see, when they were all doing their little fashion shows, Varsha wasn't exactly too into it. Actually, when I think about that time in the glam room a month ago - heck, even earlier today - sure, she acted like someone that was half her age just like the others. However, there was always a hint of sadness to her. Heck, even the time I first met her at my engagement, she was like that. Back then at the engagement, I described her as bland but it wasn't because she was wearing dreary plain clothes. Sure, she was dressed for the event, but not that dressed up, if that makes sense. Same thing today - sure she was in a lovely cocktail dress... but it was beige and... and bland... which was completely the opposite of the gorgeous golden dress that everyone liked on her.

"Because no matter what, she always goes with something more comfortable - something that'll make her blend away and make anyone forget she's there."

What the fuck-? I mean oh my god, like what-! "Blend away? Blend away for what? And why forget she's even there?"

"In the past it was to avoid Baba's remarks, and anyone else giving pointed stares. Dressing plainly helped to make people not notice her and forget that she was even there."

"Okay, but the demon has been long dead and no one now would even have the balls to say shit, there's no need for a defense mechanism."

"Old habits die hard," Shalini said sadly.

What the fuck? What the actual fuck?! Despite the old demon having been dead for how many years now, how are they all still affected-?

Says the one who's still affected by him to this day, a voice echoed in my mind.

A tingle shot up my spine, making me straighten.

That's true. Even though he's been out of my life for so long, he still affects me like it was just yesterday.

"Oh, hello Chote."

Glancing up, I see that Arnav has joined us.

"Everything okay here," Arnav asked, looking concerned. "You both looked so sad and serious."

"Everything's fine," Shalini waved off. "Just talking about stuff."

But Arnav's expression said he didn't buy it, so Shalini laughed it off, distracting her son as she wrapped her arm around his. And while she has Arnav's attention, I can't help but to look at Arnav.

All he did was accidentally graze my neck with his fingers after helping me put my necklace on. It's not like I've never experienced that before, I mean baby sis has helped me with my jewelry many times before, even Amma! But the fact that I reacted the way that I did with Arnav....

I guess I can understand why Varsha Singh Raizada still reacts in the way that she does, why she still tries to blend away and be forgotten. And I guess I can understand Maira Singh Raizada's tactics as well.

"Oh! I think it's time for the auction to begin," Shalini said, and then she turned to me. "Shall we?"

I glanced at her and Arnav, both of them looking at me.

I will not let him still affect me. I will not let him have power over me.

Not. At. All.

I looped my arm with Shalini's, surprising her somewhat. "We shall."

Her lips quickly formed into a smile, and we headed off to the auction, Arnav following behind. I can't help but to glance back at him before looking forward.

I will not be affected by him. I cannot allow for myself to still be affected by him.

I can't.