Chapter 29

“…how could you do this to me Avu…? Why do you still want to stay with that man after what he has done…” her mother asked as they sat in her room where Keshav left them alone before going back to his. Avanti knew he was disturbed by the sudden unannounced arrival of her family but she had to sort it out before talking to him. Fortunately, he promised to have lunch on time before she shut the door to her room. She looked at her sister who looked around the room snickering at her choice of decorations and arrangements. But then Arpita and she were poles apart when it came down to choices. While she loved pastel shades and simplicity in everything, Arpita was all for flamboyance.

“…Aai… I am not leaving my husband and that is final…in fact we have baba’s blessing too…”

Her mother and Arpita both looked stunned. “…What…what do you mean baba’s blessings…Avanti…?” Arpita spoke in an angry tone. “…baba wasn’t even around when you got…married…”

Avanti then told her about the letter Keshav had received. Her mother stood up from the rocking chair and walked towards her. “…Avu bala… I don’t know what your father saw in that…Keshav. All I know is…ever since your baba…got acquainted with that man and his father before that… nothing has been going good for us… and then…”

“…Avanti…?” Arpita interrupted. “…why on earth didn’t baba speak to me directly and put me through the humiliation…?” She paced the room back and forth as she continued. “… I never liked Keshav in the first place…it was just… I wanted to do something for baba for once and so… I went through that engagement and torturous courtship…” Arpita then walked close to her mother and put her arm around her shoulder. “…thank God Aai had her senses intact and she saved me from tying the knot that day…”

“…What are you saying…?” that Avanti was shocked was an understatement.

“…Aai… well… actually Keshav had already told me about his condition the day before the mehandi… and had forbidden me from revealing it to you… he was all set to go for a contract marriage agreement and I was to give in…because you Avanti…YOU convinced me it was for the best… but then I couldn’t help it and told everything to Aai…and she made me run away…”

Avanti sat on the bed with a thud. What was going on here… why was only she in the dark… everyone seemed to know everything around her…

Her mother came to her and patted her head. “…Avu bala… by the time you decided to get married to him that day it was too late for me to do anything… and you were determined… but now…Now we can overcome everything… in fact Arpita has found a buyer for Vedshastra… he is an acquaintance of a director friend of hers… So… we can sell that headache and you will be free too… just…”

“…ENOUGH…PLEASE…ENOUGH… both of you…” Avanti screamed. “…first of all…I am in this marriage for good…it may have begun with a contract but now we are legally married forever…so my question of leaving Keshav doesn’t arise….” Both her mother and sister stared at her. This was probably the first time she had raised her voice. “…Second point… Vedshastra is our legacy and baba’s dream…I will not allow its sale…no matter what. And as you know I have the majority power at the moment and so I -will- not -allow -it…” She was panting and just at that moment Keshav knocked at the door.

“Avanti…” he called out. “…Are you alright…?” She opened the door and hugged him tightly to compose herself. She then turned to face her mother and sister, while he held her by the shoulder.

“…both of you please go home… my decision stands unchanged…both about my husband and Vedshastra…”

“Avanti you made a huge mistake marrying this guy…” Arpita reprimanded her. “…someone who had only lied…”

“…what about YOU tai…? What about the lies you have been feeding us for years…?” Avanti asked even as Keshav hold on her shoulder tightened.

“…Wha…what are you talking about…?” Arpita appeared hassled and their mother only looked on.

“…I know you were a very disciplined professional and frugal with money and money management… I am aware of your various investments and honestly… tai… I was proud of you… baba would have been proud too… why did you have to project a different image at home…?”

“…that’s because Avanti I was tired of being the goody two shoes girl that baba always wanted… and by the time you came along and took up that role… being a rebel was the only way I got his attention… you won’t understand all that Avanti… you are too selfish and cruel… you got everything served on a platter… baba’s love and affection… freedom to pursue any crap career…a husband…money… You are just too self-absorbed…”

“…that’s enough Arpita…” Keshav spoke in his lethally soft voice. “…not a word more against my wife…”

“…you can keep your wife Keshav…” Arpita huffed. “…but Vedshastra also belongs to me… and I want it to be sold and my…my share of the money…”

“…in case of Vedshastra at the moment…I am the major shareholder and decision maker… so I go with my wife’s wishes… As for money…if you need something…”

“…Oh please…Keshav…keep that charity act for yourself and that dimwit sister of mine… I know how shrewd you are…somethings up with Vedshastra and you want all the profits isn’t it…?”

Avanti wanted to speak but Keshav pressed her shoulder and spoke instead. “…What is your plan Arpita…? Why do you want it sold… you know nothing about the business so why the sudden interest in Vedshastra…?”

Arpita folded her hands and the look on her face was so menacing Avanti wondered if she ever knew her sister. “…look Keshav…” Arpita continued. “…I am getting married next month to this wonderful man… who also happens to be the director of my next series…where I play the main lead… He has a friend who is in the same industry as yours and has showed interest in buying out Vedshastra…after I had shared how worried I was about it…” She sighed. “…So it’s better to sell it to him and he is offering us way more than the market value for that piece of crap…”

“…NO…NO MEANS NO…” Avanti screamed again and Keshav had to restrain her as she shook with annoyance and shock all at the same time. Tears rolled feely down her cheeks… who was this woman before her and what had she done to her sister…?

“…Arpita…Aunty…” Keshav spoke softly. “…I think it’s better we have this discussion on another day… as you see…my wife is upset… Arpita, text me the details of the buyer and I will check him out… I will get back on that… I promise… but for now…please…”

Arpita left the room in a huff, her gown irritatingly swishing around with the rushed movements followed immediately by her annoyed mother. Avanti couldn’t hold it anymore and her legs gave away… fatigue was setting in given the events of the yesterday and today combined and she almost collapsed in Keshav’s arms.

A little later she woke up in their room and felt a cool cloth of her face. She opened her eyes to see a worried Keshav wiping her brow. “…hey… you OK Avanti…?”

She nodded tearing up. “…I really don’t understand Keshav… what had come over Arpita…?”

“…And I thought only I had a problem with my family…” he chuckled and said. “…Look Avanti… give her sometime… Something tells me this Kolhapur visit is going to be important…”

“…Keshav… can Vedshastra sustain itself… I mean…”

“…Avanti…” Keshav sighed. “…I won’t lie to you… things are tough…we are in a tight position because of the delay… in fact I have only one shot at making this formula… my flowers…they are coming in full bloom very soon… if the formula isn’t ready then they will wither away and years of my…. hard work will go down the drain…”

She sat up with his help on their bed and held his hand in hers. “…Keshav…I have a good feeling about Kolhapur too…about meeting baba’s mentor… but whatever happens Keshav…I leave the decision about Vedshastra to you… and I will always stand by you, Huntington or not…”.

Keshav hugged her tightly and they sat in the room for a long time each lost in their own stream of thought but united in their concern for each other and finding the needed solace and calm in each other’s arms.

A day later they reached Kolhapur late evening. The award ceremony was to be held the next morning after which Avanti had secured an appointment to see her father’s mentor, Dr. Pradhan. Keshav had surprised her by booking a penthouse in the heart of the city. As she looked around the chic but warm interiors, Keshav hugged her from the back and kissed her neck. “Avanti…” He whispered into her ears, his baritone along with his warm breath on her ears caused the fluttering in her tummy, making her forget all her worries momentarily. “…Sweetheart…” he continued even as her heart made the somersaults. “…we couldn’t go for our honeymoon… so… uh… though it doesn’t compensate… it just a little… I mean…”

She turned around and crushed her lips to his even as she circled his neck and he pulled her hips close grinding his arousal to her abdomen and she was a goner. He lifted her and dropped her on the soft bed which was strewn with rose petals. Her favourite flower heightened her sensitive senses… even as he ravaged her lips his hands feeling her body all over igniting the embers of passion pushed deep within by the worries holding her to ransom these past couple of days.  He kissed her like there was no tomorrow, not that she was complaining… the orgasmic waves already finding roots in her lower abdomen. She couldn’t wait any more as he showered her with kisses all over…whispering sweet nothings… that made her eyes fill. She didn’t even know when he took off her clothes and his too…joining her on the bed and pulling her close to him.  For a few seconds they lay facing each other and like a flash of lightening he moved on top of her devouring her mouth and moving slowly down her neck, upper chest and as he fondled her full globes, he looked at her and she shuddered anticipating his next move. He took one inviting peak into his warm mouth and she was almost undone… He pinched the other counterpart even as she moaned under him. He sucked and gently bit the tiny nub and she raised her torso further pushing the traitorously erect nub into his waiting mouth. His tongue continued its onslaught and in the next instant she screamed his name as the waves of passion rocked her body making her fly out of control… He showed no mercy and continued his torrential display as he moved lower kissing and sucking her abdomen… She was writhing under his ruthless unleashing of ecstasy. He moved down to her core and blew over her mound and she shivered with the cold feeling over her wetness… his mouth continued its storming as it latched on to her delicate nub and his tongue moving in and out of her secret place wet with her fresh release, driving her to the edge of yet another cliff. He sucked her most intimate part and replaced his tongue with his fingers…his pinched her clit and in the next instant she had her headlong descent from the tallest cliff in the world as her body rocked with the spasms of her orgasm… she had barely settled when he plunged into her depths, his rock hard member sheathing itself completely in her womb. He moved on top of her covering her completely with his taut body and held her hands above her head as he rocked into her body… she heard the slick sounds of their union clash with the AC humming… and withing two strokes her body spasmed around him yet again milking every ounce of his release as he screamed her name and fell besides her holding her close to him…

They lay joined to each other for a while as he kept kissing her head and she scribbled on his firm chest with her fingers. “Avanti… you continue that… and we will have to skip dinner…” he chuckled and held her close. She didn’t want to let go of him… how she had longed for moments like these where he would be carefree and relaxed. She just hoped for the sake of his health… their visit to Kolhapur would yield results. And there was an important topic that needed his attention too.

They dressed and had a quick dinner ordered from a nearby restaurant and though it had gone cold she loved the small talk with Keshav as they ate. Later as they lay next to each other, she resting her head in the nook of his arm as he played with her hair she decided to speak up on the issue that was pushed to corners of oblivion every time. It only resulted in Keshav hurting more. “Keshav…?”

“…Yeah…” he drawled on lazily.

“…can I ask you something… for both of us…?”

He stopped what he was doing and rose on his elbows facing her with a frown on his handsome face. “…What is it Avanti…? You know you can tell me anything…”

“…Keshav don’t be angry please… this is about Kamya…”

Keshav’s face contorted and she could feel the change in the air in the room. He laid back on the bed on his back covering his eyes with his hand and ignored her.

“…Keshav…please don’t do this… she is your only family… and you have to listen to the entire story before…”

“…Avanti…please…I don’t want to talk about them… Kamya is no longer related to me after what she did…”

“…Keshav… now you are being unreasonable… Kamya and Sahil want to reconcile…”

“…So, they sent you…? Are you their lawyer…?” He spoke, his voice sparkling with anger, but face still covered.

“…Keshav please listen once to what Sahil has to say and then decide whatever it is…I will always be on your side…”

Keshav abruptly stood and started to pace the room. After what seemed like ages he spoke. “Avanti… my heart is thoroughly worn out and bruised beyond repair…” he said softly and it broke her heart to see him so heartbroken. “… I …I was a walking corpse for years without any emotions or feelings…just doing my duty and working hard for my family… but there were times when things went beyond my endurance levels and I almost gave up. But…at that time my father had just died and the only legacy he had left us was debt… I didn’t even have the luxury to end my life…”

“…Keshav…” She rushed to him and held him. “…don’t you ever think like that…”

He moved her apart and held her shoulders. “…Avanti let me come clean…there were three instances when I had almost given up. First… when my father died and I was totally clueless… second when I … I newly got diagnosed and very recently when your mother refused to send you with me from the hospital…”

“…Keshav…”

“…but you know what, Avanti…? First… it was your father who gave me hope and helped me to stand on my feet… when I got diagnosed…again it was your father and Kamya who were there for me and by the time the third instance came along…I was seasoned to face heartbreaks…but still… had you not arrived when you did…” He rubbed his face and she saw moisture pool in those beautiful browns.

“…Keshav… I know its painful…but facing the nightmare of your past gives you the power to build a magical future… please Keshav…” she held his hands. “…please let’s do it together… for your closure… otherwise it will only trouble you more…there is a lot you don’t know…”

“…Avanti… I can’t… “

“…You are not alone Keshav… I am with you…every step of the way… just…just once Keshav… just hear him out…please… for Kamya’s sake… she will soon be moving away… you have been there for her… you faced so much but never gave up… because of her Keshav…so would you be happy if you let her go with things left unsaid…?” Keshav stood limply and she held him tightly and spoke into his chest. “…Keshav I promise you… you won’t regret this…” He didn’t speak anything but she knew she had managed to penetrate the hard exterior he had built around him.

The next morning, they reached the university auditorium by 11 AM. The place was tastefully decorated with floral arrangements at the entrance and there was a huge poster adorning the wall detailing her father’s contribution to the field and the university. Avanti’s eyes filled remembering her beloved father as she saw his file photograph printed on the poster. She remembered having selected his suit for him for the photoshoot he had reluctantly agreed for. Her baba hated showbiz for the superficial attitudes and everything that came along with it. He had been heartbroken when Arpita had chosen the same field which he had detested from the start. Suddenly Keshav’s warm arm hugged her from the side towards him and she was broken out of her reverie. “Don’t…don’t cry Avanti… you should be proud of your father and celebrate his life… he was a great man… his goodness and legacy is carried forward by his younger daughter…don’t you forget…” He pressed her arm and she wiped her tears smiling. He had barely spoken after their faceoff last night and she was glad he hadn’t completely blocked her off. She texted Kamya to join them for dinner after her return from Delhi and as expected Kamya was over the moon. She promised to call Avanti on her return with Sahil and visit them.

The award was presented to Dnyaneshwar Rane and Avanti accepted it on his behalf to a thunderous applause from the crowd. She was touched by the respect and love showered upon her baba and choked while giving her prior prepared thank you speech. But every time she faltered, her eyes found her husband and his encouraging smile gave her the much-needed impetus to face the moment on the dias. Soon after the award ceremony there were photo ops and after the quick lunch, they visited Prof Pradhan at his residence.

Dr. Pradhan was a frail old man who could barely walk without help and his son helped him to join them. But the drawback was only in his physical condition. Mentally he was sharp as a tack…just like Avanti had heard. He congratulated Avanti on her marriage and reminisced the ‘good old days’ of the times when her father was his student. Avanti though she loved hearing about her baba… she was also running out of patience for the important purpose of her visit.

“…Um… Dr. Pradhan… there is something I want to talk to you about… um… my baba’s last project… we need your help to figure out…” She said even as Keshav took out the folder he had duplicated again after the first copy was stolen. But as she passed it on to Dr. Pradhan he held up his trembling wrinkled hand.

“…my child… I am in no position to help out… my mind isn’t what it used to be at one time… but there is something I have to give you…”

Avanti tried to hide her disappointment as she and Keshav exchanged looks. Dr. Pradhan gestured to his son who nodded and he went inside and came out immediately with an envelope. Dr. Pradhan handed over the envelope to her and said. “…Avanti… your father was extremely well prepared for any kind of adversity… a few days before his… uh…passing… he had couriered this letter to me…to hand it over to you in case of his untimely death…” Avanti gasped and gripped Keshav’s hand as she eyed the letter with her name writer on it in her father’s beautiful handwriting. “…Avanti…” Dr. Pradhan coughed a bit before he continued. “…I am sorry this took so long… but I wasn’t aware of the accident until a couple of months ago and my health didn’t permit me any excitement… so I told my son here and he went ahead…Avanti I wish you all the best…”

Avanti and Keshav left Dr. Pradhan’s house each of them silent on their way back to their penthouse. Avanti kept staring at the envelope… her name blurring every time as fresh tears continued their foray… Her father was a man of his word and she knew he had kept it… for Keshav’s sake she hoped he really did…as she clutched the envelope to her chest she wondered; did it have the whereabouts of the black book…?

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 28

The next day as they had a quick breakfast Avanti saw Keshav looking well rested and enjoying her special kanda poha. She was glad to see him back to his formal cheery self and probably even more relaxed than she had ever seen him. She hadn’t slept a wink last night and had got out of bed earlier on to prepare breakfast for him. Mrs. Sinha was unwell and was not coming over today, so she decided to go ahead and prepare something to uplift Keshav’s mood. Akshat was due to arrive in an hour and Keshav decided to finish his workout while she finished preparations for lunch… Given the situation Keshav had declined to go out leaving her alone at home today till he found any viable solution. Avanti too felt humiliated on encroachment of their privacy by that unknown intruder.  

Later as they sat in the living room waiting for Akshat to show up with the PI, Avanti suddenly turned to Keshav. “…Keshav…what about the twins…?”

“…What about…them…?”

“…No… I mean were they tested as well… given the risk…”

“…It wasn’t necessary Avanti…” Keshav said softly and sighed.

“…Why…?”

“…Because they… actually my father didn’t sire them…”

Avanti sat up suddenly. “…you…you knew this all the while…?”

“…yes… My father was heavily medicated when he met Rohini Jaiswal and… the side effect of those medications combined with his alcoholism was… infertility… Also the womanizer, that he was along with being a businessman … he had got his vasectomy done years ago… But that wasn’t something he liked to advertise… I had seen his reports once when he had carelessly thrown them around… but thank God for that…I knew Rohini was lying through her teeth passing the twins as my half siblings…”

“…So then…. Keshav…”

“…It wasn’t the twins’ fault that they had parents who didn’t really want them and like I said it was a give and take relationship with Rohini… And Avanti… after all these years, I already love them like my own siblings… so this point doesn’t make sense anymore…does it…?”

“…Do they know the truth…?”

He nodded. “…Yes…five years ago when things fell apart with Rohini… I had to tell them… Surprisingly they chose to stay back with me… And I was touched Avanti…” He chuckled. “…relations don’t have to be blood ones, do they…? The twins are mature enough… and I am proud of them for what they have made of themselves so far…” Avanti smiled at the pride in his voice. “…And they know that I am always available for them… come what may…” Avanti patted his hand and he placed his palm over hers, turning towards her and smiling. “…Avanti…thank you for coming back….and for being there for me…”

They were soon joined by Akshat and his PI who first swept the entire house for bugs but found none. They also checked for cameras other than their own, making Avanti cringe thinking of someone watching her private moments, but fortunately there were none. They all then sat in the study each putting forward his/her findings. Avanti began and gave a detailed account of everything that transpired in Shamsunder Valmiki’s place. She could see Keshav face contorting with anger but she continued her narrative. She told them about the rotten food, the ransacked house, the diary and whatever details she could remember and Akshat made a note of it. She finally ended with her remembrance of the phone number.

Akshat thought for a while and spoke. “…Well we will get the call details but it will take time unless we get the cops involved but it may also alert the person behind all this… Mrs. Goyal…ma’am I have to applaud you for this information which otherwise would have been destroyed in the fire without us knowing about it…. But… Keshav sir, are you sure nothing is missing from this house…? Here…I have the footage. Let’s see it together…as usual its inconclusive though…”

For the next few minutes, they went through their home security footage but there was nothing except for Keshav and Avanti and Mrs. Sinha going about her chores and the cleaning maid working under Mrs. Sinha’s supervision. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Akshat was about to shut the laptop when Avanti’s eyes fell on something. “…Wait Akshat…stop…just take a look at this…” when they all came closer to the TV where the footage was being played, she pointed out to something near the French window. “…it looks like a shadow of someone standing there… take a look…” Akshat zoomed as much as possible but it wasn’t clear. And then there was a gust of wind and the curtain blew hard which was visible better in the close- up. The intruder must have opened the windows. And then they saw the silhouette of a man who touched his face and stumbled a bit and then moved to an area where the camera didn’t cover and banged against the showcase before he escaped probably from the main door… they quickly checked the camera at the entrance but it wasn’t working and instead of what they thought earlier was a technical glitch, they found the wire snapped precisely…Akshat and the PI looked around the entrance and elevator for any clues while Avanti rushed back inside the house,  to the window with Keshav in tow and they tried to look around the area for some clues. They moved cautiously without disturbing the scene there and even as they gave up not finding anything, Avanti bent and picked up something. It was a shrivelled contact lens…? Must have fallen off the intruder’s eyes because of the wind… Akshat gathered it in his evidence pouch he always carried on him. Avanti shuddered at the thought… the man had come in yesterday before Keshav and she had returned back. What if Keshav had confronted him accidentally…?

The PI left with the evidence and as they sat on the living room couch Akshat began to share his findings… most of which was what Avanti already knew. “a day after ma’am visited that place…” he began. “… and it was burnt down, it was cordoned off totally by the police. However, when they dug up the area, they found a half burnt dead body buried in the backyard of where the house stood…” Avanti gasped…. It was exactly where she had been too. Keshav who was sitting beside her held her hand as Akshat continued. “… a couple of days earlier I got to know from my friend in the local police that they confirmed the dead body belonged to Shamsunder Valmiki. He was shot dead at point blank range and the person who killed him must have tried to dispose off his body by burning it. The post mortem estimated the time of death at least a couple of days before ma’am visited the place. The climate these days in that place had been volatile and, on that day, as well there was heavy downpour so the body didn’t burn well enough…. The perp must have buried the body and fled but returned to destroy any remaining evidence connecting him to Shamsunder and burnt the house down….”

“…What about Prantik…?” Keshav asked

“…He has disappeared without a trace for long now and the phone is shut as well… his uncle says he had a fight last month and left the house in a fit of anger… no one knows his whereabouts as of now… but given the history with Shamsunder…we are fearing him dead as well…” Akshat revealed as Avanti felt the chill seeping into her.

Suddenly she sat up. “…Keshav…Akshat there is something you have to see…” She led them to the terrace and pointed to the stairs. The mud patch behind the green house had footprints larger than Keshav’s and of spiked shoes. So, the intruder must have entered the house from the terrace… the door locks were picked easily. He must have been a master of camouflage to escape into the shadows to avoid being caught in the CCTV. Keshav was fuming and Avanti had a tough time controlling him. Even before they checked the building CCTV cameras, they knew they weren’t functional. The building wasn’t occupied to full capacity as yet and Avanti had a mammoth task preventing Keshav from lashing out at the gate security. Akshat and Keshav mutually decided against going to the cops at the moment and returned back home. Keshav’s frustration was palpable and Avanti didn’t want him to stress more. He was to accompany her to Kolhapur for the award function the day after tomorrow and she hoped the change would do him good as well.

Akshat promised to reinstate the private eyes on the building entrance on a 24/7 vigil. Keshav was relieved but something troubled Avanti. “…Keshav…?”

“…Yeah…” he sounded weary.

“…Why do you think the intruder came in… quite a few times and took nothing valuable…then what did he want…?” Keshav looked at her questioningly but she knew he was thinking along the similar lines. He abruptly stood up and rushed to his study even as Akshat and she ran after him. He unlocked his top drawer and shuffled through his files.

“…Its missing Avanti..” He whispered.

“…What…what is missing…?” She asked even as Akshat looked on bewildered.

“…The folder… it had the copy of my personal research based on your father’s work-up to derive the formula… I had got a copy home to take it with me to Kolhapur… I was to go anyway…to talk to your father’s mentor if he could help with the missing pieces of the formula… but it’s gone form here…the folder…is gone…” Keshav rubbed his eyes.

“…Keshav sir…how dangerous can it be….?” Akshat asked.

“That’s the problem Akshat…” Keshav started pacing the study like a wounded lion. “…the formula is incomplete or maybe even completely wrong. If the intruder was after the formula then he… will be even more lethal now… angered even since it’s not what he wanted…”

Akshat removed his pocket book. “Keshav sir here are the three companies I zeroed in based on the information you gave me… Karvy Chemicals, Benzolite pharma and Narendranath and sons Pvt ltd. These were in touch with Vedshastra at one time and the deals had gone sour… Of that Narendranath and sons Pvt Ltd had been on friendly terms with Vedshastra relatively but their fourth brother was banished by the family and jailed for seven years for corporate espionage and Mr. Dnyaneshwar Rane and You sir, had been instrumental in doing so. He is serving a jail term as of now…with two more years to go. I will check on that nonetheless. Even the other companies have shown nothing suspicious. In fact, Benzolite has recently declared bankruptcy… So, we are back to square one on that end. I shall keep digging though…”

“…Any…any news about the source of that gas…?” Keshav asked

“…It’s a complex compound with definite presence of Ethylene Oxide…” Akshat referred to his notes as he said. “…we got the analysis report yesterday….and sir… it’s the same one…”

Keshav nodded. “…I know… the office accident…”

“….Ganga dye-chem…” Avanti suddenly exclaimed. As Keshav and Akshat looked startled at her she continued. “…Keshav do you remember I told you last night about Ganga…? They had the official permits to store this chemical…”

Akshat made a quick not of it and left promising to check everything on the front. Keshav reluctantly went back to continue a conference call, the office work couldn’t be left unattended.

Avanti went to the kitchen to sort her thoughts as she finished the lunch preparations. It all seemed like a nightmare, one she wanted to desperately get out of…the perpetrator was far more dangerous that she had thought. He seemed to go to any extent to get the formula and to cover his tracks. Probably Keshav had sensed it earlier so had kept an eye on her…but what about her mother…? She shuddered thinking of her mother being alone at home… should she call…? She was to call Rahul later anyway and decided to request him to stay with her mother. She was sure, after the stunt she had pulled by going against her mother wouldn’t have gone down well with her. Suddenly she was worried about Arpita…where on earth was her sister? Why didn’t she call her after that day… the number too was switched off and she had given it to Rahul to check it out. There was a time her mother would always be worried sick about Arpita especially if she had a late-night shoot. But it irked Avanti that in spite of all that had happened, her mother never once mentioned Arpita neither was she visibly worried about her whereabouts. Why was her mother so casual about Arpita this time and why was she so against Keshav that she had come all guns blazing to the hospital and had been unreasonable…? How did she know all details…did Arpita tell her everything…? Arpita never was close to their parents and was a perennial rebel… then why did she share so much with their mother instead of talking to Avanti first as she usually did…? Avanti was finding it difficult to assimilate the facts…. why did she get the feeling that something wasn’t right…? She realised she had to work towards explaining things out to her mother. Unfortunately, if her mother didn’t abide by her decision then there wasn’t much, she could do… but the only constant in the sea of uncertainties was, she was not leaving Keshav. Not now…not in future.

She knew, just like her, Keshav would have lost his appetite after all that had happened today but he had to eat out of necessity and she would give him company. As she finished the final touches to a simple khichdi, the doorbell rang jarring her out of her thoughts. She reached the door at the same time that Keshav did and after looking through the video monitor, they stared at each other before Keshav opened the door. He mother stood at the other end and if looks could kill her mother’s piercing glare could have just blazed them both to a cinder right then…

“…Aai…” Avanti tried to speak, amidst the continuous beep of the elevator door demanding to be shut. Why had her mother kept the doors open and how…?

“…How dare you lie to me Avanti…?” He mother spoke in a lethal tone. And right then the from the elevator emerged a lady wearing a long black frilled silky gown her stilettoes making an echoing sound on the floor as each step pierced Avanti’s heart instead of the elation she should have otherwise felt. The woman stood before them hatred written all over her face as she stared at Keshav.

She then turned her attention towards a stunned Avanti and said with a snide smile. “…hello Avu…long time no see…my dear little sister…”

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 27

Avanti stared wide eyed at an equally shocked Keshav… their own house landline number was used to make the calls. They rushed to all the rooms and checked for valuables. Nothing was out of place or stolen. Even the deity worshipped daily by Avanti was made of pure gold and it was left untouched. It was well past midnight and neither of them could sleep in spite of having a very tiring day. The revelations were sapping up their energies…it looked like. What on earth was happening…? Avanti realised if she had to understand the reason for the perpetrator to go to this extend then she had to know the entire story.

They lay in bed next to each other each lost in his own line of thoughts.

“Keshav…?”

“…yeah…”

“…How did my mother come to know about me being in the hospital…?”

“…Uh…Actually Avanti that night I was going insane since we hadn’t got any news about your whereabouts …so I… uh…I  called your mother to check if you had gone to her place or called…or anything…that’s how then…I had to tell her everything…” Avanti could feel him rub his face in the darkness of the room.

“So…Keshav… we now know that baba’s accident was actually a sabotage… now what do we do next…?”

Keshav moved closer and she turned and moved into his arms…where she longed to be. “…Oh God Avanti…the very thought of that place gives me the chills after what happened there… just promise me…you will never play detective ever again…” He tightened the hold as she contemplated her answer. “…Promise me Avanti…please darling…” He whispered the last words and that did it for her.

She looked up into the silhouette of his face in the moon light coming in through the cracks in the blinds adorning the window above the bed. “…I promise you Keshav… I will never do it again… honestly even the vision of that burning house gives me the shudder now that I also know it’s the same person… who has gone to such lengths to cover up his misdeeds…”

They lay quiet for a few minutes the chiming of the clock the only sound in the quiet night. Suddenly she felt Keshav chuckle. “…what…what is it hubby dearest…? What’s so funny…?”

“…Avanti… I don’t believe you lied to your mother… you can’t lie to save your life… how did you achieve this feat…?”

She had told him a little earlier about how she had conspired with her school friend and Rahul to come to see him and stay back if needed. She interlocked her fingers with his on his chest. “…Keshav… when it comes down to choices, I choose you…always…and when it’s a matter of your well-being, I will go to any extent…lie even…” before she could complete her sentence, he turned her on her back and moved on top of her kissing her hard. Her heart stopped beating even as he raised her hands above her head and held them there, their fingers interlocking, his legs on either side of her body sunk into the soft mattress. He sucked and pulled her lips even as she gasped with pleasure. He suddenly moved up and looked at her in the dark…starring at her as if she was the only star in the dark and again brought down his panting lips on hers as if she was the air that filled his lungs. She floated mid-air and didn’t want to land back on earth… Within seconds their clothes were on the floor and he balanced his arms on either of her sides boring into her eyes as if asking her permission to be a part of her…She pulled him closed and circled her legs around his him as she kissed him and the very next moment, he filled her insides to the brim… She peaked almost instantly, the subdued embers of passion suddenly amplifying in their intensity. He began his moves in and out of her softness even as she tried to match him stroke to stroke raising her hips… she barely lasted for a few seconds before she got thrown down the precipice, her arousal breaking all barriers and she saw stars before her eyes… her screams muffled into his mouth and  in the next couple of strokes he followed right behind freeing her mouth and screaming out her name as his warm release gushed inside her womb. He fell all exhausted next to her dragging her close to him.

Moments later Avanti stared at the sheen of sweat on his chest sparkling in the moonlight hues and smiled even as the last remnants of her arousal coursed through her body… She finally felt complete and satiated today after being away from Keshav and though it were just five days they were apart…it seemed like eons ago. Sleep was miles away and as he played with her hair, she decided to address the elephant in the room…in their lives. “…Keshav…?”

“…Yeah…” He sighed. 

“…I …um… I have been reading about Huntington’s disease…”

He stiffened and started to move away his grip on her shoulder loosening. But she turned completely towards him and held his torso placing her head on his chest. She could hear his heart racing…but she couldn’t let the moment go. “…Please Keshav let me in darling… I won’t judge you…I promise…I just want to be with you in this journey…let me in…Keshav…let me in please…”

“…Av… Avanti… this journey that you’re talking about is one without a destination in sight…. it’s just… just a black-hole…waiting to swallow me… and trust me Avanti…I…I love you so much it hurts…and…and… if not for your father’s… last wish… I would never have dragged you into this marriage…

She jerked up on her elbows. “…what did you say…?” looked like it was a never-ending night with a lot many skeletons yet to get out of the cupboard.

Keshav rubbed his face. “…Avanti…your father was an intuitive man… he had an amazing foresight and I always trusted his decisions blindly. Although he had proposed Arpita’s hand in marriage to me… he probably had known that…I  I was interested in you…I …I had held back always… because of my condition… not wanting to punish you…”

“…Keshav…?” Avanti whispered not able believe what she was just hearing.

Keshav sighed. “… yes Avanti… Your father was the closest I had for a father… he was always there for me in the worst upheavals of my life… he knew me so well…understood my mental state even before me having to tell him…I didn’t want to let him down either. A few days before the wedding I got his letter…I don’t know why but it was arranged to be delivered at that period… it was… it was the  same day I found you in the study looking for that black bound book and collapsed…”

Avanti remembered the day like yesterday. “…what…what did the letter say…?”

“…He…your father said…he knew I liked you and not Arpita and that I shouldn’t marry her… he also said…you were a better match for me in all regards and that I had his blessings…”

“…Really…? Baba said that…?”

“…Yes…that’s why I saw to it that Arpita was too scared to go ahead with the marriage… I couldn’t come up with any other way to call off the marriage with her and… propose to you… without causing a storm…You would have refused outrightly…not because you didn’t feel for me but because you…wouldn’t betray your sister… But in the end, it would have been disastrous for the companies and the investors…”

Avanti’s head was reeling. “…Oh…” her voice broke. “…Keshav… you could have just told me…”

“…Avanti… I was… I was scared and selfish…” He looked at her in the dark and she realised he was choking up as well. “…I wanted to be with you and at the same time… I wondered what if you…reject me…and …”

“…I would never have … Keshav… I always loved you… and I think baba knew it too…”

“…Avanti trust me I never wanted to pull you down with me…”

She saw him rub his face, the moisture twinkling in his eyes. “… Keshav… do you think I would have agreed to go ahead with this marriage if I didn’t love you…? I trust you sweetheart… and the decision to get on this bandwagon of whatever the disease is, alongside you…is mine and mine alone… so… let’s do it together… now that I know I have baba’s blessings I am more confident than ever that we can beat this…” She looked at him eagerly, hoping that though he couldn’t see her face in the dark he could gauge her feelings by her tone. She thought he nodded and moved upwards holding his face in her palms. She wiped away the tears with her thumbs and continued. “… why don’t we start then…? Why don’t you tell me about…when did you first get to know about this disease…?”

After a poignant pause, Keshav sighed again and held her close turning towards her as they faced each other in the dark, their bodies touching each other skin to skin…but this time instead of arousing her it gave her the needed warmth to listen to what was coming up. She knew this was a long night from what was left of it and none of them could sleep.

“Avanti… as you must be aware Huntington’s disease is an Autosomal dominant disease…each of us children had fifty percent chance of inheriting the mutated gene to develop the condition… my grandfather died very young at thirty five… and my father an only child,  apparently got it from his father…Those days genetic reports were not something one would think of… but my grandmother had mentioned the symptoms in passing to my father and our family physician Dr. Shetty who was my father’s friend and also a geneticist by passion… Dr. Shetty took upon himself to find out facts about after my father started showing symptoms himself… he was just… thirty three…” Keshav halted and Avanti touched his cheek encouraging him to continue. “… my father… was a chronic alcoholic so it was increasingly difficult to differentiate the symptoms, but Dr. Shetty tested him thoroughly and he was found to have the gene and alcohol only sped up the symptoms…” Keshav sighed and she felt his warm breath on her face.

“…Keshav…if you are not OK talking about it, we can do it tomorrow…”

“…No…no Avanti… I don’t think I can carry this burden alone anymore…i…”

“…Keshav I am right here… go on…”. She ran a hand through his hair and he turned his face to kiss her wrist, holding it in his palm as he interlocked their fingers.

“…my…my father deteriorated rapidly in his early 40s especially his cognitive abilities… you see…Avanti…in spite of everything, all his vices, my father was a shrewd businessman but in his last years he was a far from it. I still remember… the only outing we had with him…he once took Kamya and me to the National park on a picnic… Kamya was so thrilled to be with him while I was happy because she was happy… and she was around 7 years old… But he suddenly forgot where we were and we kept wandering going further deep inside… Those days there were no mobile phones and we continued walking aimlessly…. Finally, a security guard found us…but Avanti…it was a nightmarish to see Kamya crying in the dark and my father totally disoriented… for a few hours he couldn’t even remember who we were or why we were there…I… I even remember him some days walking out in his pyjamas and getting into the car at midnight or at dawn, to go to office…his gait faltering…but then he drank a lot too…” Keshav stopped again and this time she felt him shudder.

 She put her hand around his mid and held him tightly close to her. She felt him cry silently and moved backward opening her other arm and pulling him closer. He willingly came to her digging his head in her neck as tears flew unabashedly. She was glad it was dark otherwise Keshav would have hesitated… finally he could let go. She wondered how many times he would have cried as a kid with no one to hold him… he had been all alone throughout his life trying to look out for his family. It was indeed a wonder that he had turned out into the wonderful human being that he was… He was that piece of charcoal who had handled everything life had thrown his way and now shone like a diamond… her precious diamond. But still she didn’t want to tax him more. “…Keshav my love… if it’s too painful… we can do it some other day…”

“…No Avanti…” he spoke into her neck and then turned his head towards the ceiling, gripping her hand tightly as he continued. “…I have never spoken it out before and I have to face the demon tormenting me for years now…

She nodded and nudged him to continue.

“…Dr. Shetty suspected either Kamya or me… so we all got tested and Kamya tested negative…I… I tested positive but the mutation in my case was different form that in my father. In fact, Kamya’s interest in neurology had stemmed from this condition…However, Dr. Shetty wasn’t sure if my kind of mutation was good or bad news…. So, for last several years I have been regularly doing my annual scans and following a healthy fitness and dietary regime and of course preventive medications which are just proteins to be honest…” He chuckled and she rubbed his wrist with her thumb as he tightened the grip and she knew something was coming up. It was just the lull before the storm. “…Avanti…uh… about a couple of years ago I started to forget things…initially it didn’t register but after a couple of months I realised it was getting frequent…my PET scan revealed miniscule changes in the brain… It isn’t alarming though and I have never had those episodes again… maybe I was extremely stressed at work those days… Dr. Shetty and the other neurologists in the team still don’t find any gross abnormalities in the brain…its till the same as it was 2 years ago. But then…” He turned towards her again and held her palms close to his bare chest. “…Avanti…in these two years I have become extremely temperamental with lots of mood swings… I forget things very often…even that morning after in Hyderabad I was totally disoriented for a while wondering where I was…it was only when I saw you next to me I was aware… I suddenly can’t remember what I had for breakfast…or lunch… I forget to eat at times in spite of hunger pangs and my glucose levels drop down alarmingly… as you have seen…”

“…Keshav… did baba know about all this…?” She remembered her mother’s accusations in the hospital.

“…yes Avanti… he found out accidentally… he found me in a lousy mood in one of our meeting two years ago…that was the day I had got my PET scan results… he coaxed me till I had to tell him the truth… your father was extremely persuasive…” She saw Keshav grin and she smiled too. Her baba was always like that…. Never letting go. Keshav kissed her hands and continued. “…he took it upon himself to develop the compound which would slower the progression of the disease and reduce the symptom severity in those whom it had already progressed…Avanti… this was the last project he as working on…”

“…um…Was that why he got those threats…?”

Keshav stared at her surprised. “…how did you know about those…?”

“…Rahul found out actually… recently and he blamed you for a while as well…”

“…Oh…that’s why he was so worked up on the day we were married…”

Avanti nodded. “…but why the threats…it was just a compound…”

“…it wasn’t any ordinary compound Avanti… it’s a special formula based on the existing medications along with some added compounds both chemical as well as natural. It stops the mutation by interfering in the protein complex, specifically for my kind of problem and delays the faulty interaction between them…This compound can also help those with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s in very early stages and halt their progression. And if these cleared clinical trials and if your baba’s theory is to be believed, then it’s possible to even prevent the next generation from getting the faulty gene… That’s the most important finding Avanti… your father was a genius…” He hugged her and kissed her head. “…unfortunately, there was only the black bound little book where he had made a note of the final derivations for the formula and Novo Supremo had invested in the study and more and acquired the sole rights to make the medicine for the first round of clinical trials…I am registered as a participant as well…”

“…the threats still don’t make sense Keshav…”

“…Avanti…if this fell in wrong hands… it can result in biological warfare… the market price for this compound even when the buzz was created then, was in millions of dollars… Similarly, there are some rogue pharmaceutical companies who want to induce malfunctioning in the grey cells and then treat the same patients with their patented drugs derived from this formula. Your father wanted to hand over the patent to the government of India… he was a great man Avanti…”

“So…Keshav…who do you think is Sirji…”

“…Avanti…I have no clue here…it may be someone I know or may be not… there are many suspects at the same time… and without evidence there is no one… Lets talk to Akshat tomorrow and take it from there…” She found his voice fading and realised that the adrenaline rush had passed and he was probably sleeping already…

She decided to let him, he need it to be alert… She was lost in thought wondering who would have hated her father so much to kill him for a mere formula… Well she had heard money turned man into monsters…  However, she smiled. Irrespective of everything, she was back home… back to her real life… where everything had happened by chance, giving her the love of her life… her Accidental Husband!

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 26

By the time Avanti arrived at Keshav’s Deonar pad it was already 5PM… She tried her best to call Keshav but he probably was in his conference room which didn’t have a proper network and none of her texts were read as well. His PA too didn’t answer the office number and now it was past office timing as well. She decided to keep trying and wait for him while she cooked up something special for dinner… She smiled to herself feeling better as she took the elevator to the fifth floor. As expected Keshav wasn’t back and the lock combination was changed. But why…? Disappointed she wondered what to do when she remembered the D’Souza couple. Her visit to their home was long due and she was sure they were home at this time. The elderly couple greeted her with warm hugs as they invited her in. Avanti immediately called security and instructed them to inform her via intercom as soon as Keshav arrived. As she relished Mrs. D’Souza’s classic pumpkin pie laden with cream the combination just melting in her mouth the moment she took a bite, Avanti groaned in pleasure…immediately realising where she was and turned red. But the D’Souzas only chuckled and regaled her with stories on how Mrs. D’Souza had made her famed pumpkin pie for dessert when Mr. D’Souza had visited her home with his family decades ago. A young Mr. D’Souza had fallen for her via her pie, hook line and stinker and within four months they were tied in holy matrimony. They showed Avanti an old framed picture from their wedding day as well as their son Daniel’s picture collection from the time he was a baby to his school days where he was an NCC cadet and even a few in his army uniform. Mrs. D’Souza couldn’t hold back her tears as she showed Avanti pictures from Daniel’s funeral wake. Avanti found it very difficult to control her emotions as well… to see a young man barely into his mid-twenties…life snuffed out due to malicious acts of terrorism. She mentally thanked Daniel and all others like him at the border who made it possible for the civilians to be rest assured of their freedom and relax.  Mr. D’Souza took her to their huge balcony converted into a beautiful kitchen garden… he left her to explore while he returned to his wife to console her.

Avanti sighed thinking of the unfathomable loss of the D’Souzas. She turned towards the different plants mainly herbs arranged neatly by the D’Souzas. There were innumerable combinations of basils, thymes, parsley, coriander and peppers… the cherry tomatoes were in abundance adorning one side of the balcony. Plants always refreshed Avanti and today as well she was already feeling better after the huge emotional tribulation placed on her… As she walked towards the further end of the balcony, she looked up to see the corner of the green house of Keshav’s terrace garden. She smiled thinking of the moments she spent with Keshav just a few days earlier and longed to go back. As she turned around something caught her eyes and she looked up again. The four floors below didn’t have any terraces so the fifth floor was pent house stood out but what intrigued her was the ladder like structure she saw spiralling around the drainage pipes right to the terrace. It wouldn’t have been visible as it was camouflaged by the electrical pole right outside along with the extra-large light pole meant to lighten up the entire radius at night. But her sharp eyes not only could find it but it’s very presence irked her. Mr. D’Souza walked upto her with a cup of chamomile tea and explained that it was an emergency staircase to help in evacuation…though he laughed at the strange placement wondering how anyone could use them in case of one! Something didn’t feel right to Avanti and she made a mental note to discuss it eventually with Keshav. Also, she saw how the stairs connected to each flat on each floor…it was easily accessible to anyone trying to trespass and break into a house. Of course, there were CCTVs in place but still…

She chatted some more with the D’Souzas who asked her to join them for dinner as she waited for Keshav, to arrive trying his phone every half an hour. But she declined and made her notes on developing a kitchen garden of her own. … Once they finished their dinner the D’Souzas served her custard which Avanti couldn’t refuse. Mr. D’Souza gave her a gift-wrapped object. “uh… this is a little something from us… its customary to welcome a new bride with a gift but we haven’t done so far…” Mrs. D’Souza explained.

Avanti was surprised. “…oh thank you so much… may I open it…?”

“…Oh yes of course….” Mrs. D’Souza smiled gleefully with twinkling eyes and it looked she was more excited than Avanti to know about the gift.

Avanti unwrapped the meticulously covered object to reveal something that looked like a little mobile phone. She looked questioningly at the senior couple while Mrs. D’Souza giggled like a small girl about to open up her cards. “…Well Avanti…” Mr. D’Souza explained. “…I loved dabbling in electronics and this was my last creation…before my son… It’s a customised walkie talkie. There is only one button of you see… its connected with mine here. My Daniel loved to play this kind of games even when he grew older and we had our conversations without my wife hearing it…. I wanted to give it to someone special…Whenever you wish to talk to someone without anyone around you knowing about it…just press this button…”

Avanti’s eyes filled as their gesture touched her. She nodded and kept the phone into her hand bag. It was 9PM when the D’Souzas retired early to bed and she waited switching channels on their TV. She couldn’t focus on anything playing on the tube while she waited with bated breath to hear about Keshav. Was he alright? She had already conspired with an old school friend with whom she was supposedly staying tonight and she had agreed to corroborate her stand just in case Avanti’s mother asked her anytime in future. Rahul was covering the home front for her…just in case her mother decided not to stay up for the jagratra… Avanti chuckled at the complicated maze her life had become in such a short span of time.

Finally, at around 10.30PM she was almost dozing on the D’Souza’s living room couch when something told her Keshav was back. As if on autopilot she rushed to the balcony and saw the driver park the car… Keshav always got off earlier. She moved out of the D’Souza residence silently shutting the main door behind her and hurried towards the elevators. She saw one of the two elevators halt on the fifth floor, right before she got into the other waiting one. As soon as it halted on the fifth floor, she ran outside towards Keshav’s main door and ran the doorbell. There was no response and her anxiety mounted notches higher… Keshav had not had his lunch…was he alright…? She was about to bang on the door when the lock clicked the unlock tune and the door opened to a fatigued wearily looking Keshav. His eyes widened as he saw her… the beautiful browns were bloodshot as if he hadn’t slept for a long time. It was not even a week that she had last seen him and it appeared as if he had lost weight…as he stared at her he looked like a lost puppy. Her eyes filled as the emotions she had been suppressing all this while rose up to the brim and his hands fell limply on his sides and he rubbed his face. “…Avanti…” he whispered.

She didn’t know who made the move but the next instant she was pulled inside the house, her bag falling at her feet, the door banging shut behind her as she was pushed against it and his lips came crashing down on hers. They devoured each other… their separation notwithstanding…. They couldn’t get enough of each other. Avanti was already floating in another world where the fire within her was ignited…Keshav’s kiss breathed life into her soul and fanned the long-forgotten embers. He rubbed his body to hers as she wove her fingers into his hair. He finally pulled apart and rested his forehead on hers panting heavily. “…Fuck me…Avanti…it is…really you… Oh God…tell me this isn’t a dream…” His lips descended again on hers as he pulled her towards him this time. She felt the wetness on her cheeks and realised it was from his tears.

She moved apart and held his face wiping away the moisture with her thumbs as he bit his upper lip to control himself. “Keshav… I missed you…so much…”

He sighed hugging her. “…Me too…Avanti…Life is such a bitch without you in it… Don’t leave me Avanti…I know …I am being selfish…. But…I need you like my next breath…. I can’t keep going like this without you… anymore…” She felt him shudder and his arm holding her tremble.

She moved away and held his hand. “…Keshav…have you eaten anything…you skipped lunch today…and why was your phone not reachable….?”

“…I dropped my phone and the battery dislodged… I have another instrument at home which I will be using till Akshat gets mine repaired…. And…I had snacks and fruits earlier and was about to have dinner…. wait… how do you know I didn’t have lunch today…?” he looked at her and chuckled as realisation dawned. “…Oh…Rahul…I should have known…”

She nodded smiling. “…Keshav there is lots I have to tell you but…first, go and freshen up…I will heat up the dinner…. I had planned something but then Mrs. Sinha also has prepared Palak paneer today just the way you like it…” He kept looking at her, his fingers drawing patterns on her face with the back of his palm, amusement written all over his face. She moved closer and held his lapels. “…why did you think you could order me around… when you asked me to go with my mom…? I am not going anywhere Keshav…even if you push me away…” He bent to kiss her but she laughed pushing him away. “…Food first…”. He laughed shaking his head and turning around, went to his room.

Avanti went into the kitchen and as she watched the simmering gravy, a strange calm descended on her soul. There were lots to discuss and plan but the maze was no longer a threat to her… she had Keshav with her to work out a path through the labyrinths of life. She felt optimistic after ages…

Later as they had their dinner Keshav who insisted on sitting next to her held her hand. “…So you were in touch with Mrs. Sinha…” he grinned as avanti nodded. He had emptied his plate and was waiting for her to finish. “…I wanted to…reply to your texts… or call… just to hear your voice… but…” His grip tightened as he continued. “…I also respected your mother for her… concern…” Suddenly he turned towards her. “…Avanti…what about your mother…? Does she know you are here…?”

“…Keshav don’t worry about her… I have the situation under control… we have a lot more to talk about…” Avanti explained as she had the last morsel on her plate…”

They walked to the study and sat next to each other on the little couch placed there. Keshav held her close to him as she rested her head on his chest feeling his heartbeat…how she had missed him…. “Avanti…?” He softly called her name. “…don’t you ever do it again…”

“…what…?” though she knew what he was hinting at, she wanted to hear from the horse’s mouth.

“…Avanti… what were you thinking…? If something untoward would have happened…to you… then…I don’t know about my hereditary disease… but that news would have killed me in an instant…” He hugged her tightly. “…Do you …relish taking risks…? Surprisingly I had always pegged Arpita to be impulsive and you were always projected to be the mature one by your father…” He chuckled as he continued even as she struggled for words. “…Avanti…please don’t do this again…”

“…Keshav…It was not meant to be like that… I was just going to do a resee… and in spite of everything…” She sat up straight and turned towards him. holding his hands in her palms she continued. “…Keshav…I got quite a bit of information…just…hear me out OK…?”

Keshav nodded and she told him about the dilapidated house and the diary she found, mentioning the contents. “…but Keshav…there was this landline number which was way too familiar but I just couldn’t place it…”

“…Do you remember it…?”

“…No I don’t… I didn’t have the time…there was this strange chemical odour and then… and then someone…shot at me…”

“…FUCK…I will kill him with my bare hands…” Keshav was furious.

“…Keshav please calm down and listen to me… that number belongs to some Sir-ji…” Keshav tried hard to think while she went ahead. “…Also…that chemical…Keshav it’s a highly inflammable one… but I recognise it…”

“…from where…?” He looked at her his eyes blazing with curiosity.

“…there is this factory close to Vedshastra which was shut last year as they went bankrupt…Ganga dye-chem pvt ltd. It had belonged to baba’s friend Rasiklal bhai and I had visited their Diwali pujan with baba every year … This chemical odour though very limited was present all the time in the air… I remember my throat going hoarse at the end of an hour so would baba’s and he had once told me, that chemical though highly inflammable, it was an integral part of the dye industry and Ganga had special permits to purchase and store it…. Keshav…” she suddenly got a brainwave. “…now that I think of it…it has to be the same chemical…”

“…Which caused my accident in Vedshastra… and Avanti…?” he completed her statement and as she looked at him, the new piece of revelation yet to sink in, he continued. “…I had been to the plane crash site almost 2 hours after the unfortunate event and…I had got a whiff of the same chemical…at the site…”

“…Oh goodness…that means…” Avanti exclaimed tears rolling uninhibited as her emotions threatened to drown her.

“…It means…it definitely wasn’t an accident and…this was all plotted and executed by the same mastermind…” Keshav finished as he held her close to him.

“…Keshav…but why…? Who disliked baba so much to…ki…kill…him…?” She wailed into his chest.

“…Because they wanted the crucial formula one way or the other… and your baba… would never have given it… you know Avanti…?” He rubbed her back. “… Your father could have made a lot of money and not just cover his debts but live a lifetime of luxury…”

“…but why did anyone …want this formula…Keshav…?” she asked, her voice laced with desperation.

“…It was a special formula developed by your father… specially for…me… and it is something …if it falls in wrong hands it will… it can be used in for extensive damage to mankind…” Keshav rubbed his face and held her shoulders. “…Avanti…its way to dangerous than what I had thought…especially after what you went through… Akshat also had found about the same address and he was to visit the next day…but he would have only got ashes and other remnants…nonetheless he will be visiting us tomorrow to discuss the future course of action… am expecting his call anytime now to confirm the timing…”

Avanti nodded wiping her eyes, as it was getting increasingly difficult to accept the situation. Suddenly the home landline blared jarring her from her stupor…and even more quickly the final piece of the puzzle fell in place in her head… the query troubling her ever since she had visited Shamsunder Valmiki’s house… “Ke…Keshav…” she stuttered, barely whispering.

“…oh that must be Akshat… I have yet to put my SIM in my other instrument…” Keshav moved to answer the call and was back in a few seconds. “…Akshat will be here with the PI tomorrow by 9AM…hey…” he looked at Avanti’s shocked look. “…what is it Avanti…?”

“…Keshav… that phone number which I saw…belonging to Sir-ji…its…its…”

“…Yea what about it …Avanti?”

“…Keshav…it is our home landline number…”

Meanwhile a little away from Deonar…

The man rested on his rocking chair and stared out of his balcony sipping his daily dose of rum. The slum view wasn’t what he had expected while buying this pad but it kept him away from curious onlookers… he was a loner and no one suspected him. Even the maid who visited weekly had taken in the grieving widower impression he had imposed upon her. So did the others in the building… no one interfered in his ‘sad’ life as they went about celebrating festivals or parties… he quietly gave the contributions and was happy so far. Very soon he would gain entry into his family bungalow…into his old bedroom which he had painstakingly decorated before he was declared the black sheep of the family. He lowed being in power… his father never understood. He was the youngest of four sons so the share of power too was graded down when it came to him… he wasn’t born to do menial work handed down by his brothers. He was smart, better looking and fitter than all of them put together. He deserved the respect in the company amongst the employees and also…power. He had insisted those stupid pawns of his to call him ‘sir-ji’. It felt like bliss when they did… money made people bow to you…money gave you power, respect and any damn thing he wanted!  

He chuckled thinking of the dumbass Keshav… Looked like his hereditary gift from that son of a bitch father of his was really eating up the grey matter. Didn’t he know changing lock combinations or fixing CCTV cameras at strategic positions inside the house wasn’t a solution…? For a seasoned man like him it was a child’s play to mess up signals… He was an expert in organic chemistry just like Dnyaneshwar Rane had been… and he had used that very same knowledge to obtain that chemical…he had used the right amount of Ethylene oxide in the lethal combination…he had to confirm Dnyaneshwar Rane died…what if he had escaped the crash…? He never trusted those greedy dimwits Prantik and Shamsunder. He couldn’t take a chance…could he? He had also used it to scare Keshav…

He picked up the folder he had stolen recently… He sighed as he spoke aloud. ‘Oh Keshav… you are lucky to be alive after everything…. just so I could lay my hands on this…this better work…else you can join your father-in-law…’

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 25

The next day Avanti walked out of the hospital into the waiting Taxi along with her mother and Rahul. Rahul didn’t speak a word with her though his eyes revealed he knew everything that had transpired. Was he in touch with Keshav…? She couldn’t say but she hoped he would … at least she would know how Keshav was doing. She had made her decision and there was no going back on it, but she needed a little time… especially since she had to regain her strength and convince her mother. She would then return back to Keshav… and her home, though she didn’t know how she would bear to stay apart from him for so long. But it was necessary for her to think rationally now especially given the situation they were in with regards to the enemies around them, along with her baba’s research. This was no longer only about Keshav’s disease but there was someone out there who didn’t hesitate to kill and that gave her the shivers. Did her baba want to find a cure for Keshav…? Given how much he liked the man she wasn’t surprised. Her baba never gave up on anyone close to him…family or not. She decided to go with his decisions…she wouldn’t give up either. She would never give up the fight to make things better though at the moment everything including Keshav’s ailment was a blurred entity for her.

She had about ten days, after which she had to go to Kolhapur where she was to accept the university honour on behalf of her baba. She contemplated missing the event but later decided against it. It was one of the last threads holding on to her father’s memories in that place… Besides the Ex-head of Chemistry Dr.Pradhan who was her father’s mentor now in his late 80s had expressed a deep desire to see her. His son had recently connected with her on email. She didn’t know what he had to say to her but she believed he could help her knowing more about her baba…in regards to his profession… perhaps that could throw light on his work in his last days since the black book was nowhere to be found. She was lost in the complex array of thoughts and before she knew they neared her old home. It was cleaned and their maids were back too. She looked around and realised nothing interested her as her mother helped her upstairs to her room. She lay on her bed and the effect of medicines were setting in causing her lids to get heavy and before sleep adduced her all she could see was the beautiful dark browns laden with a defeated anguish which called out to her….

Avanti woke up to darkness around her, disoriented as she looked around and realised, she was in her maternal home. The separation pangs hit her hard as she fought tears remembering Keshav… all she wanted to do was go running into his arms. He probably needed her more than ever… she could see it yesterday. He had been already affected by Kamya’s engagement and now she was not with him when he needed her the most.  He was broken and defeated and she couldn’t see him like that. She knew it was going to be tough but she didn’t expect everything around her to remind her of Keshav and their moments in the short time together. Even as she wove her fingers through her hair, she remembered Keshav fingering her locks whenever they got close…he loved the feel of her hair he always told her. As she rubbed the sheen of sweat beaded on her forehead, she felt Keshav’s soft lips surrounded by his rough stubble kiss her there at every instance he got… her eyes teared up with the flood of their memories gaining momentum with every passing minute.

She had to remain strong for both their sakes and she would go to him when he would have no annihilating barriers around him and she would have answers for him. She wiped her eyes inhaling a strong sense of determination. She stood on trembling legs as a wave of weakness swept over her, she walked carefully to the washroom to relieve herself and freshen up. She then walked out to the living room where her mother sat deep in conversation with Rahul. They stopped talking as soon as she walked down the stairs and joined her mother on the couch. She laid her head back on the headrest as a fresh wave of dizziness tilted her senses.

“Aai…?”

“…Kay ga bala…?” (what is it) her mother was speaking as if she was walking on eggshells around her. Avanti hated doing that to her mother but at the moment she had to grasp at every possible straw.

“…Aai…how do you know about Keshav’s condition…?”

He mother looked at her as if she was a deer caught in headlights. “…Uh… I recently got to know…”

“…Did tai call you as well…?”

“…ho… ca…call…kela hota tine…” (she had called) Her mother tentatively replied. “…Avu bala…its time to eat something and then you have to take your medicines…lets not waste our time and energy on that man…” Her mother abruptly got up and went to the kitchen to heat up dinner while Rahul kept staring at her.

“…What…?” She asked him in an irritated tone immediately regretting her behaviour. “…I am sorry Rahul…its just that…”

“…I know Avanti… I know what happened… what you tried out there was stupid… anything could have happened… I want the complete details once you feel better…”

Avanti nodded. “…Yes…I am sorry…I…”

“…Do you know Avanti…? Keshav had an eye on you…in spite of the fact that you had objected last time… but he followed you till Khopoli and the idiot thought you were on your way to Vedshastra… It was only later in the day when Keshav couldn’t get you on call we realised something was amiss… Keshav brought entire Vedshastra down…he was so upset…Fortunately… we had a meeting with the PI which I was present as well and we exchanged what we knew… it didn’t strike us till later though that you may have gone alone….”

“…Sorry Rahul… I didn’t mean to…”

“…Avanti I have never seen Keshav like that… he was losing it big time and was set to go out himself in search when the men he sent didn’t bring back news… he was running around like a maniac constantly on phone with the local police and Akshat…till finally that man called informing about your situation…He forbade us to accompany him and to manage the crisis here…the news couldn’t make it to the papers you see… we don’t know how people will twist the tale…” he rubbed his face.

Avanti sniffed away her tears. “…I understand Rahul and I am miserable thinking about Keshav…but Aai…”

“…don’t worry Avanti…give it time… Aunty needs time to cool down…everything has probably come like a shock to her….she will understand eventually…”

Avanti nodded. “… Rahul…I want a favour from you…” He nodded patiently and waited for her to speak. “…um… I want you to give me a daily account of how Keshav is doing… I mean… he tends to skip meals…”

“…I promise you Avanti…in fact he was the one who had arranged the transport here and informed me about all this… Avanti…he was a wreck…”

Tears welled up as she remembered Keshav’s stricken face from last evening and she vowed to go back to him never to separate from him ever again. “…I miss him like my next breath Rahul… but I couldn’t help it… As soon as I return from Kolhapur next week, I am going back for good… But meanwhile I need your help in finding out some information…”

Later that night after her mother retired for the night, Rahul and she sat up late looking for all possible articles on Huntington’s disease in her baba’s study. After about 3 hours of brainstorming with Rahul she typed out information on the hereditary disease and took out the prints. She made a neat folder with the collated information and pasted a sheet on the summary on the cover of the folder. Her baba had taught her the value of meticulous documentation which made work easy.

Her summarised sheet mentioned the following:

Age of onset: mid-life…30s or 40s (symptoms show up)

Symptoms:

• Memory lapse
• Mood swings
• Clumsiness
• Slow eye movements
• Trouble sleeping
• Loss of energy and fatigue

Current medication: managing symptoms. Fitter the person, the better it is for him.

Symptoms worsened by stress

Avanti stared at the last bold letters and they blurred as tears sprung up… Keshav was in distress and she could feel it right in her heart. Though he wasn’t physically present or in contact with her he pulled at her heartstrings and she was even more determined to hold on to the hope of getting him out of this trepidation. Rahul looked at her but only held her hand as she sobbed realising the agony that Keshav had to go through and at the moment he was all alone… battling every fireball thrown at him. She was glad Rahul was here with her… he understood her plight and morally supported her as well.

Rahul stayed back as it was very late by the time they were done and she went upstairs into her room. As she went to bed, she texted Keshav.

Hi Keshav,

I hope you had your dinner. Take your medicines before going to bed…

Love

Avanti.

 She saw he immediately read it as if he was waiting for her message… and though there wasn’t any reply it brought a fresh bout of tears. All the time she spent with him in the short time that they were acquainted and married, all the memories sneaked out of her eyes rolling down into the pillow.

The next day too was spent in research in her father’s study. Rahul joined her after office hours and gave her a detailed account of what he could find out about Keshav. She was relieved that Keshav had his lunch and evening snacks in office and hoped he would have his dinner on tie as well. She religiously kept texting him reminders irrespective of him not replying but was happy that he read them all. She also tried matching the symptoms that she had read from what he demonstrated so far and she could barely find any… She was curious to know more with regards to his diagnosis and current line of treatment and there was only one person who could help her.

The next morning, she called Kamya who was delighted to hear from Avanti especially after what had happened on the day of the engagement. Kamya was also excited as Sahil’s family was talking about helping her with attachments to the best hospitals in New Delhi after her residency, where she would be moving post marriage. She was scheduled to go for the first round of interview next week and wanted to meet Avanti prior to that if it was possible. Avanti agreed and since she was feeling much better now, she planned to meet Kamya a couple of days later on Thursday. Her mother was to go for a day long satsang and jag ratra that evening and would be home late at night. She didn’t have to make excuses then.

On Thursday Avanti met Kamya for lunch at a pre-decided hotel in Vashi. Sahil was there too and soon Rohini joined them in tow with Parminder. Once again though the man spoke well and blended with them, aptly supporting Rohini in most of her view points, Avanti couldn’t shake off the feeling of something untoward when she looked into his eyes…somehow, they made her uncomfortable. But she was also happy for Rohini… who looked radiant in her black outfit. The woman really knew how to dress up for any occasion. They all had small talk as the lunch was served and Avanti was comfortable after a long time. Parminder took out his glasses…thick ones and that surprised Avanti. How did he manage so far without them…? As if reading her mind Rohini spoke up. “…Parminder here has trouble with his distance vision…can you beat that? None of you could guess… right? He hates contact lenses too and now with reading glasses too things are tough for him… but still he does his work with an enthusiasm that could put all you younger guys to shame…” Rohini looked adoringly at Parminder who was clearly embarrassed but he led her close and gave a kiss on her head. Kamya giggled and Avanti was happy to see her smile…she just hoped she could see Keshav like that as well…

Avanti made sure not to let anyone know about her…accident and hospitalisation. Soon Rohini and Parminder left after lunch and Avanti left with Sahil and Kamya to Sahil’s home. His parents had gone back to Delhi and Avanti was less guilty about what had transpired the last time she was here.

Avanti didn’t waste anytime and immediately started to discuss Keshav’s condition with Kamya. The latter sprung into her professional mode as she explained his issues to Avanti.

“…Avanti… Keshav has the mutated gene and has already being showing subtle symptoms for a while especially since last two years now. We regularly get the MRI done…every six months at the moment and his last scan was normal…i.e the brain is not affected as of now…. There is no sign of atrophy. But… given the condition and family history… the full symptoms could set in…say about two years from now…” Avanti stopped breathing as reality started to sink. Kamya sat next to her and patted her hand. “…look Avanti…though there is no cure for the disease, there are medicines to manage the symptoms and even prolong their severity from setting in…” Avanti only nodded trying to hold back her tears. “…but there is something you should know Avanti… the symptoms are triggered mainly by stress… or when he hasn’t eaten for a long time, Bhaiyya who tends to have hypoglycaemia (sugar levels falling low), it’s aggravated… So, he has to eat on time, regularly and…” She held Avanti’s hand together. “…and…Avanti the only way he faces less stress is when you are with him… so please Avanti…do not leave his side…please…” Kamya blinked back tears even as Avanti nodded. Just then Kamya got a call and she excused herself to answer it moving away towards the open window at the end of the long drawing room.

Avanti smiled sadly at Sahil even as the information she had received from Kamya was settling with a strange heaviness in her heart. Sahil gave her a glass of water and started the conversation. “…You know Avanti… Keshav is the most stubborn human I have ever known…” He chuckled as he continued. “…even as kids he would listen to reply rather than to actually listen to the speaker… he was always restless to achieve whatever he set his mind to…” He sighed and smiled looking at Avanti. “…But in spite of all that he faced in his pathetic childhood he has literally lived for the people he loved… he is fiercely loyal towards his family and friends and would go to any extent for them…”

“…why…then…Sahil…? Why didn’t you stand by him those years ago…? Even if your father refused to help…why didn’t you…at least …”

“…That’s because of his son-of-a-bitch father… he was a wretched excuse for a human being…”

Avanti was stunned. “…what…?”

“…Avanti… that man… he was a known womaniser…he made a move on my mom…twice. My parents ignored it because he was stone drunk both times and Keshav and Kamya were innocent… but a little before his death he molested my mother… and if not for his poor health he would…have… the bastard would have raped her…” Avanti gasped as he continued his eyes blazing in anger. “…my mom often visited their home at times without me in tow, to help out with Kamya… the kid was barely twelve and suffering from her menstrual cramps all alone with no one to talk to… one day my mother had gone to help her with the issue and as she emerged out of Kamya’s room after she slept, the bastard attacked her out of the blue….as if he was waiting for her….” Sahil halted for a moment anger written all over his face, his nostrils flaring up as he panted. “…There were no servants that day… and the swine wasn’t drunk either…My father was furious and severed all ties with the family…both personal and professional…That man had even swindled company money to the point of bankruptcy so my father withdrew his partnership but not before pumping money to revive the company for a while more till Keshav could take over the reins…. Unfortunately, his father…the parasite he was… ate away at that fund as well…leaving a shitty legacy behind for Keshav and Kamya…” He sighed again and with a trembling smile, looking at Avanti. “…But in spite of all that…I am so happy Keshav and Kamya turned out the way they are…”

“…Um…Sahil…why didn’t you tell this to Keshav…? I am sure he doesn’t know…”

“…Avanti… When it comes to us, Keshav had his blinders on… He probably won’t believe it. As it is…he barely has some sporadically good memories with his father… I don’t want to ruin them for him now…even Kamya got to know recently by accident and she resents her father already…” Avanti nodded trying to understand. “…Avanti…I have been away for long but I have always followed him and even later when Kamya and me started dating…. Avanti…Keshav is… uh…lonely…right from childhood…in spite of all his achievements. He has this Casanova image and he has dated women before but I know for a fact he was never into anyone before…it was only to drive away his loneliness… So… don’t leave his side… Ok…? I could see the affect you have on him…I don’t know when we would reconcile…. But I would be happy if he is at peace…”

Avanti nodded wiping away her tears even as her phone buzzed with an incoming text from Rahul. ‘Keshav didn’t have lunch today…I rushed upstairs but he had left by then for some crisis in Novo Supremo…thought you should know…’

Oh no…she had forgotten to text Keshav a reminder to have his lunch… worry ate her up… what would happen if he didn’t eat at all. She bid good bye to Kamya who was busy on the work-related call and Sahil walked her to his car instructing the driver to drop her at her destination. Before the vehicle started, she called Novo Supremo office but couldn’t reach Keshav’s PA and right then she made her decision…her destination was Deonar…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 24

Avanti woke up later in the evening feeling a lot more refreshed and energetic than earlier. She felt Keshav’s perennial presence besides her and Avanti didn’t have to look at him to know he was exhausted and hoped he had eaten something… or else…it would be disastrous now that her mother doubted his intentions. He held her hand just then and there was no shiver so she knew he was Ok…thank God. He released her and helped her sip water holding her close to him by her shoulders. She felt his warmth seep into her and calm her distorted senses enough to settle. He hadn’t gone home or probably away from the room ever since he was here and she could get a whiff of the odour emanating from his soiled clothes. But she wasn’t repulsed… in fact she could stay all day long in his arms…that was how much she had missed him.

 The turn of events in the last couple of days had taught her to value her relationships for there was nothing certain in life. She shut her eyes and shuddered seeing the visions of the house in flames as she barely missed being toast, by a whisker. Keshav immediately hugged her closer and placed kisses on her head, caressing her arm as if he knew what she needed at that instant. She just wanted time to freeze right then and all chaos in her life to come to a standstill… she raised her other hand to his cheek and felt the rough beard which was an integral part of his charm, causing her skin to feel more sensuous. She turned her head further upwards, digging her nose into his neck feeling his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed and she revelled in it. Right at that moment she wanted to be his canvas where he could paint her with the colours of his love…

Someone knocked at the door and they separated, to her utmost annoyance and Keshav helped her lie down again. As the doctor made his way to examine her, she was already feeling a lot better and alive! Keshav was by her side holding her hand and she saw her mother stare daggers at their joined hands, standing next to the doctor, her frail aging body emitting tension. She must have been waiting outside for the doctor. “…Well she is fine and tomorrow morning you can take her home… But she has been through a lot and needs rest with good diet at least for a week…” The doctor declared.

“…of course, doctor…” her mother quickly spoke and she felt Keshav’s grip on her hand tighten. “…I will take her with me… and take good care of her…” Her mother glared at Keshav and Avanti looked up at him to see the stricken look on his tired face.

The doctor smiled and nodded as he exited the room with the nurse in tow after asking Keshav to complete the discharge formalities tomorrow morning.

“…Aai…” Avanti spoke in a voice better than earlier today. “…I am alright… you should go back to Shirgaon tomorrow… your health too needs to improve…”

“…No Avu… I have made my decision… you will no longer suffer because of your baba’s mistakes of trusting this man…” she kept scowling at Keshav even as she spoke with Avanti,

“…Aunty…please…” Keshav spoke in a whisper. “…I will take good care…”

“…What…? Good care…? Like you have been doing all this time…? My daughter almost died…and you are also to blame for the mayhem she has been through… I wish her baba knew the true Keshav…”

“…Aunty…” His voice cracked and the grip on her palm tightened further as she saw him trying to rein it in.

“…Aai… that’s enough… please… Keshav had nothing to do with all this…it’s my sole responsibility…”

“…Whatever it is Avanti…I can’t lose you too… It’s been nightmarish as it is and I can’t even say…how … I can’t take it anymore… Avanti we will go to Panvel tomorrow and stay there for a while till you recuperate and then move permanently to Shirpur…”

“…NO… No aunty… you can’t do that…you can’t take her… away from me… I mean…”

“…I know what you mean Keshav…” Her mother glowered at Keshav…making Avanti wonder what had got into her. Her mother never spoke up in the way she was doing now. “…I don’t even want to argue with you…” her mother continued. “… You don’t deserve her Keshav… or any good woman for that matter…”

That’s it…Avanti had enough. “…Aai… I am not going anywhere with you…” She tugged at Keshav’s hand so he sat next to her holding her close to his chest. “…I am going back home with my husband…” Her mother looked away blinking tears and Avanti felt torn. “…you have to understand Aai… I love Keshav… more than anything and I can’t stay away from him…”

“…Avanti…” Her mother touched pinched her eyes with her fingers and continued. “…you are absolutely gullible and this man here… has taken advantage of you…” She then looked at Keshav the anger returning in both her eyes and voice. “…Why Keshav… am I not right…?” She folded her hands.

Avanti looked at Keshav. What was she missing here…? she was sure she didn’t hit her head and didn’t have a concussion. But to her surprise Keshav’s eyes were filled with emotion and his grip on her hand was sweaty. “Keshav…?” She whispered and he jerked standing up instantly and moved away as if she had slapped him.

“…Keshav…for the last time… Do not brainwash my daughter anymore…you did enough damage to my family and I will not allow…”

“…AAI…” She screamed with all her might the effort resulting in her panting heavily. “…Please…please stop this…I don’t… want to… hear any more about… my hus…husband…”

“…you have to Avu… I didn’t want to tell you like this… but its high time you face the facts… instead of being blinded by that stupid emotion called love…” Her mother blinked tears away and Avanti was now gripped by a fear of the unknown… what did her mother know that she didn’t. Did Arpita get in touch with her mother…? Gosh…

“…Aunty can we do this after she gets better…?”

“…Oh, really Keshav…? Suddenly concerned about my daughter…? I am sure you haven’t told her anything yet… she wouldn’t have rooted for you like this if you did…”

“…Aa…aunty, pl…please…” He spoke softly rubbing his face his voice cracking and Avanti felt the beginnings of the storm about to burst through her life.

“…Aai…for the last time… what is going on… I want to know why you are so rude to him…”

“…That’s because my dear, he deserves all the hatred I can muster, for destroying our family…”

“…Aai…what are you saying…?” her heart fell.

“…Aunty please let her recover first…” Keshav pleaded but it fell on deaf ears. Her mother was all geared up.

“…Shut up Keshav… enough of the façade… enough of playing with our lives… you should be ashamed…my husband gave you so much… stood by you always…even when you had nothing… that first bit of investment into your company came from selling our village land…I am sure he didn’t tell you…” Avanti looked at Keshav’s shocked look and back at her mother who continued her tirade. “… that land… was the only back up we had in case anything happened, it was for our daughters…and…as if everything he did wasn’t enough, you had to… demand…even this stupid drug…?”

“…I didn’t… tell him to…” Keshav’s voice cracked as he spoke.

“…oh, you didn’t tell him…but saw to it that he knew… didn’t you…? He was never the same after that, Keshav… he plunged himself and everything he had…into the project…just for you… that eventually ruined us and if that was not enough… you arm twisted my innocent daughter into marrying you… and now you want her to stay… and suffer watching you die…?”

WHAT THE HELL…?

“…AAI… ENOUGH… STOP IT…” Avanti screamed and panted as she felt the breath wheeze out of her body with the effort. She also felt Keshav stumble backward towards the wall as if he was hit by the hatred filled words her mother just uttered. “…Ke…Keshav are you alright…?” But he looked blankly at her as tears rolled down his face the drops hanging on his chin, the extra growth of beard notwithstanding. All she wanted to do was go to him and take him in her arms but it was equally important for her to stay rational and tackle the situation. She realised; the truth didn’t matter to her anymore. “…Aai… I don’t care… I just want to be with him for the rest of my life…” She saw Keshav turn around facing the wall his back hunched…Her eyes filled.

“…Avanti… you can spend a lifetime… only if …IF he has those years… I don’t want you to watch him die every day till he is actually no more… you can’t ruin your young life like that…I can’t see you emotionally destroyed…”

“…Aai… for God’s sake…stop it… enough…I don’t want to know…” She looked at Keshav. “…Keshav please come here…”

“…AVANTI…” her mother raised her voice. “…i know what it is to be a widow and… all this after i spent almost 35 blissful years with your father… still its horrible…my child….you are so young…i cant see you…”

“…but Aai…”

“…Avanti…” Keshav called out to her. He turned around slowly and she had never seen him defeated like the way he stood before her…his shoulders drooped and head bowed. He raised his head slowly, his red rimmed eyes speaking volumes of the tornado destroying him inside. “…Av…Avanti… your mother is right… you… you should… g…go with her…” He spoke in voice she could barely hear…was he out of his mind?

“…Keshav I am not going anywhere…” It was difficult for her to speak with emotions choking up her throat.

It didn’t seem to make any difference to his demeanour as he moved towards the window and turned his back towards her.  She looked at her mother and gathering all the remaining strength from her anxiety ridden body she spoke. “…Aai… whatever it is… I will deal with it… I am not going to stay away from my husband…”

“…NO AVANTI…I will not let another family member sacrifice her life for this man and his illness…” Her mother pointed an angry finger at Keshav. “…Avanti… he will deteriorate soon and take you down with it as well… you will be destroyed Avanti…I know you… so better call off things right here… You can start a new life…”

Avanti heard a gasp and realised it was from her throat. How could her mother speak something so atrocious? “…Keshav what Is aai saying…please tell me the truth at least now…” She pleaded, her throat clogging further with emotions she was finding difficult to contain.

Keshav turned slowly and picked up his jacket from the hook on the wall. He flung it over his shoulder. What…? Was he leaving already…? Alone…? He came closer to her bed and kissed her forehead as she held his arm. He released her hand and walked back. “Avanti… you should listen… to your mother… I… I can’t give you the life you de…deserve…I have…I have been selfish so far… but she is right… you have to…live your life…”

“…Ke…Keshav… please tell me wha…what is wro…wrong with you…?” she wanted to give it her best…still.

Keshav stared at her and looked at her mother. “…Aunty I will arrange for transport to take you wherever you want to go… he will be here tomorrow morning…”

“…Keshav STOP IT…” Avanti screamed but lost steam as her dams broke open to the onslaught of warm tears, the plethora of tumulus emotions getting increasingly unbearable just at the thought of not being with him again.

Keshav didn’t even glance at her as he continued to speak with her mother. “…Aunty…text me the address later… and I will arrange to send her things…after you move…” he said softly but each word sounded like a nail pounded in her heart as he slowly strutted his way out of the room. The click of the door closing behind him was enough to drown her into a frenzy of misery and she wondered if she could ever emerge sane from it…

Later that night as she lay in a crying heap in her bed, sleep miles away, the humming of the AC the only sound interrupting her fragile train of thoughts, for the first time she felt the desolation creep into her soul. Ever since her baba had died she had been strong except for an occasional breakdown here and there but… then she had something to look forward to…i.e… Keshav. Now as his retreating form kept playing repeatedly in her head, she heard the buzz of an incoming message and her hopes sored as she saw Keshav as the sender.

Dear Avanti

I am so sorry… For everything… I should have told you earlier… but I was selfish…and scared of your rejection. Even now I didn’t have the guts to tell you this in person.

Your mother is right…you deserve better…a whole man and I am not him. I will set things right…by ending this contract right here. You are now free from this bondage…

I promise to set Vedshastra afloat again to the best of my abilities. You take care and I hope you find the happiness you warrant.

Forgive me if possible…

Love

Keshav

P.S: Its Huntington’s Disease…

She held the phone close to her heart and sobbed into her pillow… What on earth was that disease…how could Keshav just give up on himself…on them… how could her mother just tell her to break the bonds…it wasn’t possible. She couldn’t help but revert back to music…her only go-to when she was depressed….one of her recent favourite numbers ‘virah’ by Shanker-Ehsaan-Loy…apt for her situation.

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 23

The flames were closing in on her as she ran… her baba was calling out to her…she was going to meet him on the other side of the fence… really…? was it time now…already…? No that couldn’t be…she still had to speak with Keshav and tell him at least once more that she loved him… she had escaped the inferno and also battled the muddy deluge…. only to see him…was she too late…?  And then she heard Keshav calling her… ‘Avanti…? Avanti…? Sweetheart…?’ Was he joining her too….? What the hell…oh God her foot burned in pain… ‘Avanti darling…?’ Why was Keshav here…? This was so confusing… where was that car and the guy calling Keshav…? The trillion-dollar question…where exactly was she…?

Avanti jerked up awake to see the spotless white hospital ceiling even as the sharp antiseptic essence invaded her olfactory tracts with a vengeance. There was sudden movement around her and rough warm hands covered her cold palm. She tried to move but a piercing pain shot through her body and she couldn’t even make out the point where it originated. It was like a road roller had actually travelled over her and she wondered if this was what, out of body experience felt like. “Av…Avanti… darling… can you hear me…are you …OK…?” She heard Keshav’s voice heavy with anxiety and fatigue and right then the events at Shansunder Valmiki’s place flooded her memory cells urging a break in her walls to set them free. She shut her eyes as fear shuddered through her bruised body and tears threatened to overflow. But as soon as she did, the vision of the blast she was sure would have resulted in a conflagration making her crisp meat if not for the rain… spreading all over the dilapidated house with smoke threatening to gag her to death, sprang before her eyes and she gasped in fear. She heard the beeping of the monitors around her even as she panted, her breathing getting laboured, her throat felt constricted and all she could hear was Keshav screaming something intangible in the distance…and then all went blank.

She didn’t know how long she had lost consciousness but now when she came to, the background was still the same but Keshav’s rough hand was clasped firmly in hers. Strangely it gave her the needed impetus to come to. Her throat felt dry and parched and all she wanted was a sip of water. She used everything in her to squeeze his palm and immediately he moved right over her face. “…Avanti… Oh thank God…” Keshav’s face though rugged and bleary, was what she had craved for a long time ever since she had been in her precarious position in Khandala. She wanted to tell him everything she had found out but she just couldn’t move… her body was heavy and as if not under her control. She must have cried because she felt his thumb rub away her wetness from the corners of her eyes. “…Don’t cry Avanti… everything is fine… doctor’s on his way… your…your vi…vitals are fine…Just rest…”

She further squeezed his hand that was still in her palm. “…Kesh…av…” She rasped with all her might as the pain numbed her senses to oblivion. “…Wa…t..er…” She could barely whisper.

But Keshav understood…he always did. He released her hand and used the side lever to raise the bed so that her upper torso was now slightly inclined. It was then she saw her hospital room… where was she? As Keshav came with a cup and straw she gave him a weary questioning glance. He sat next to her and held her shoulder with one hand and forwarded the cup to her mouth with the other. She sipped greedily as if her life depended on it but the very activity exhausted her and she fell back on his hand. He kept the cup away and pulled her close. She relished the closeness of his taut body as she snuggled further unmindful of the pain throbbing her insides. And then she felt the shudder… oh God was he…crying…? He held her close and dug his face in her hair as he wept and she softly patted his hand. “…Ke..shav… hey… I am…OK…” she whispered.

He moved a bit but still held her in his arms. “…Avanti… I almost…da… died when I saw you that day…” He wiped his face as the doctor arrived and stood up to greet him and make her lie on the bed again…she immediately missed his touch. “…Doctor…?”

The doctor, a greying man probably in his sixties and a stern face conducted a thorough check up and after about ten minutes he folded his hands. “Mr and Mrs. Goyal… well… Mrs. Goyal you are lucky to have escaped with minor bruises and a sprained ankle. But having said that you need plenty of rest and fluids besides what we have been transporting into your body. You need to eat well too to regain the strength…Mr. Goyal…I hope you see to that…” Keshav nodded and walked with the doctor outside the room. The nurse who had accompanied the doctor belled the aayahs who arrived with warm water and a fresh change of clothes. As they sponged her the feel of the hot cloth on her battered body was nothing but bliss and after a while the nurse helped her take in the medicine’s and helped her prop up further on the bed as she lay.

She saw the identity tag on the nurse’s uniform mentioning Sahayadri Super speciality hospital, Lonavala. “…Sister…” Avanti continued to struggle for strength. “…what day is it…how long was I…?”

“…You arrived day before yesterday night and were out totally all day yesterday and now its 11AM in the morning…. Your husband… oh my! he was a nervous wreck…” the nurse chuckled as she adjusted the drips. “… A good Samaritan couple brought you in at around 11PM that night and your husband was here by 1AM… I don’t know how many traffic rules he may have broken in the process and then once you were stabilised and brought into the room, he had been glued to the seat next to you holding your hand… as if you would disappear if he let go… Mrs. Goyal…” the nurse winked as she left the room.

Avanti smiled and blinked her tears away…and just then there was some commotion as her mother barged into the room with a harried Keshav behind her. “…Avu…bala… oh God… kaay jhaale he tula… (what happened to you…?)” She rushed to her bed and stroked her hair inviting fresh batch of tears.

“…Aai… me thik aahe… (I am fine) … Don’t worry…”

“…don’t worry…DON’T WORRY… look at what has happened to you…I had told you not to get into this… but enough is enough…”

Avanti saw Keshav looking on pensively and it broke her heart to see the pain in his eyes. He didn’t need this outburst now.  “…Aai… please…relax…”

“…No Avanti…nothing doing… I am taking you with me… we will stay in the Panvel house for few days till you recover and then you are coming with me to Shirgaon… just enough of all this…” She waved towards Keshav and said. “…all this façade called marriage…” She wiped her eyes with her saree palloo and continued. “…My child…Avu bala… your life is ruined because of us…”

“…No…aai… I am OK…”

“…uh…Aunty… I will…” Keshav started to speak but her mother held her hand up to stop him.

“…Enough Keshav…we have had enough…I don’t know what arm-twisting tactics you used with my daughters that one ran away scared and the other has landed up in the hospital almost dead… No…I am taking her with me and you will not say a word…”

“…Aai…it’s not his fault…” she struggled to speak and felt her veins bursting out of her throat.

“…everything that has happened… every calamity that has befallen on our family is because of this man here…” He mother looked accusingly at Keshav and he appeared as if someone had struck him. Avanti’s heart went out to him and all she wanted to do was hold him close to her and console him. She knew her mother was worried about her and was probably unaware of what she was speaking at the moment.

“…Aai…please… just calm down…”

“…No Avanti… NO… just NO…I am talking to the doctor shortly. And if he permits you, I will take you out immediately and your things from his house can be sent for later…”

Why was her mother speaking the gut-wrenching words? Keshav moved towards her bed and rubbed his face again. He spoke softly. “…Aunty…please don’t do this… you may stay at our place if it puts you at ease… but don’t…talk about taking her away…I will take care of her…I promise…”

“…to hell with your promises…there have no value… not for me… I hate you from the bottom of my heart… you ruined our family…now I am only left with my daughters…just let us be…Take the Panvel bungalow back if you want to… We will sell Vedshastra… and the two flats in my daughters’ names and pay the debts as much as possible… whatever it is…we will handle it from here…you have done enough…” Her mother was trembling as anger blazed her eyes. Avanti didn’t know why her mother reacted the way she did. But at that moment she held Keshav’s hand.

“…Aai… I am not going anywhere… I want to be with my husband…”

“…Avu…he is not your husband for real… you don’t have to compromise anymore…”

“…He is my Husband…my soulmate…the man I love and respect… the man whom baba had chosen… for his daughter… and also to help run… the company…” Her mother stared at her panting form as if she had grown two horns. Keshav squeezed her hand as she continued. “…Aai… I trust Keshav…more than anything else… and I won’t give up on baba’s dreams… Vedshastra will arise again…”

“…Avu you don’t even know what you are saying… Vedshastra is down under because of this man and you expect him to just turn things over…?”

Avanti tried her best to gather every ounce of strength in her body “…Aai… do you remember what baba had said… when our neighbour had… come crying complaining about his son’s bankruptcy…? Baba had told him to become like a horse… He had said, we often have three choices in adversity…to give up, give in or to face the tide by giving all we have got and aai… that what Keshav is doing…” She took in a deep breath as exhaustion was overwhelming her and Keshav held her shoulders sitting close to her. Her mother looked away annoyance evident on her face.

“…Avu… bala… your baba adored horses for their ability to stand against all odds and their exemplary courage…” She looked sternly at Keshav. “…but what can you do when the horse goes lame…? Do you know Avu, when a race horse goes lame its often put down…”

What was her mother saying…? it made no sense to her medicated brain and she was way too sleepy. But she didn’t miss Keshav’s muscles tense beside her as his grip on her hand tightened. Did her mother know about Keshav’s hidden illness…? that would only mean one thing… Arpita had contacted their mother as well. But all the analysis was getting overwhelming at the moment and the nurse came in to advise her to sleep. Her mother stared at them and walked out of the room in a huff.

As sleep claimed her yet again, all she could think was of how she could convince her mother and more than everything she wanted to spend her life with Keshav… lame or not….

Meanwhile a few kilometres away:

The man chuckled as he cleaned his glasses… the beautiful golden rims had cost him a fortune. Not that he was worried. He had lots of money now and would soon get more… he would become the richest man in the country if things worked out as per his plan. He stood up and opened the walk-in closet and further opened the hidden chamber. He removed the rifle and smelt the bullet exit point. The smell of gunpowder still present and it gave him a strange high more than the superior quality of weeds combined. He kept it back and locked the closet covering the hidden area with his clothes.

He sat back on his bed and rested his head on the back rest. These days he got tired easily…age was catching up and he was yet to achieve a lot in his life. But he was still agile for his age that he could put younger guns to shame. He moved his neck and cringed…There was a sudden muscle pull he had acquired when he had gone to burn down that house. He didn’t like to leave loose ends…he had taken care of everything but something had nagged at him about that house. He had searched it enough but had found nothing that would incriminate him. He rubbed his neck as he remembered his years in prison… five years…five bloody years of his life down the drain. All because of Dnyaneshwar Rane… the extra righteous man. He had given the old man an offer he couldn’t resist… not only had the man refused but the bastard had complained about his business to the Information Bureau and things had gone downhill from there. His Hawala scams had come up to the forefront and that Keshav… the overzealous asshole had sided with Dnyaneshwar Rane and found other sinister dealings that led back to him. Even today his blood boiled thinking of the time he had to spend behind bars… not to mention get excluded from his father’s will and disowned by his family totally… Fortunately he had the good sense to stack away booty regularly for hey days and here he was. He was confident to get that formula and regain an entry into his family owned company. His groundwork had been perfect and he had everything under control so far…in fact Keshav may have been a smartass…but he was always a step ahead.  He had every right to get a piece of his family owned company’s pie…. Every goddamn right and he would seal his position as his company’s managing director soon enough with his new find…. It was just a matter of time. Soon Novo Supremo and Vedshastra would bite the dust… and his company would be the Phoenix rising from the ashes… he had been burnt enough….

He laughed as he thought of Dnyaneshwar Rane’s daughter scampering away like a frightened rabbit. He hadn’t expected anyone to be there but she had caught him by surprise. He had tried to scare her off by shooting… he was a great shooter and the idiot girl thought he missed! He didn’t want more blood on his hands especially not Avanti’s since her overbearing husband would have moved heavens to find her murderer and at this juncture, he couldn’t come under the police radar. The door latch trick worked too… he was sure to have scared her to the core and she would definitely have nightmares for days to come. Good for him…. she would stay out of his business.

He only knew one way…forward and he was the flood which carried or ruined everything that came in its way… Avanti and Keshav would be ruined if they got in his way.

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 22

The rented vehicle breezed past on the Mumbai-Pune express-way and any other day Avanti would have loved the chill misty November breeze filled with the scent of fresh foliage tapping her senses. But today she just stared at the passing scenery as the unoccupied land passing from the side of the road called out for her attention…

 She remembered seeing off a melancholic Keshav to work today morning. He was still silent and yet to get back to his original self even as they had shared breakfast. He had often held her hands and almost hugged her when Mrs. Sinha had entered the drawing room. He had withdrawn again and rushed to the home gym even as Avanti had turned beet red. It was then his phone that he had left behind on the centre table had buzzed with an incoming text with Akshat’s name on display. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her and though his phone was password protected she had scrolled down the notification to read the message on display. Akshat had just texted, ‘Address confirmed…Kune it is. Check mail for POA…’ Avanti’s heart had raced… Keshav had the same doubts as her and he had been working on it as promised. She had the same address for the engineer Shamsunder Valmiki. She knew Keshav was still hurting after what had transpired yesterday at the Kulsreshtra’s and especially because of Kamya’s so-called betrayal. Today he was to visit Novo Supremo for a board meeting after which he was scheduled to visit Vedshastra and would be late to arrive home tonight. She had immediately planed her move and had told him she would be resting at home. He had been lost in his own flow of thoughts and had just kissed her on the forehead before hugging her goodbye.

As Avanti stared blankly at the beautifully spread nature’ backdrop, she felt guilty about hiding her plan from Keshav. But he had too much on his plate notwithstanding his health concerns and she didn’t want to pile on without being sure of the facts. At the same time, she wanted to share his burden in every sense of the way. She knew she was being rash and impulsive which was more like Arpita than herself. Her baba would tell Arpita that impulsivity often led to trouble and could have unpleasant consequences. Here she was all set to do just that. Her eyes filled as she remembered him. “…Sorry baba… but I have to find out what happened that day… it’s eating me from within and I cat trouble Keshav anymore…” She sniffled tears away.  Even Rahul wouldn’t have approved of her trying out what she was set to do. But she had to find Shamsunder Valmiki without calling for attention and try to extract information indirectly and subtly either from him or at least about him. She knew she had the added advantage of being a woman and usually people opened up to her easily. Would Shamsunder do that? She didn’t know but it was worth a try…besides she was going there in broad daylight as a tourist so it wouldn’t be dangerous either…would it…? As she neared Kune village near Khandala, the address mentioned in Rahul’s findings, heavy rains lashed the picturesque ghats and she hadn’t carried an umbrella… who would have guessed it would rain so much in November…? She got off the vehicle at a point beyond which there was no entry for wheels and the driver instructed her to take a walk up to some point mentioned in the address. Unfortunately, the point wasn’t on GPS and actually it didn’t make much sense either since the signal was crappy. Fortunately, the rain Gods had been merciful and it was down to a drizzle. She had her jacket with her which she pulled around her to ward off the chill from freezing her cheeks and ears. Who knew it would be so cold here? She looked around to see a few hikers on nature trails and was happy that she wasn’t alone… Keshav would throw a fit if he got to know what she was up to but she would beg for mercy if need be and at the moment she had to focus on the task. She was sure Rahul’s man, Akshat’s PI as well as the police would have missed something if they had come here and that was a cent percent possibility. None of them were as invested in the case as her… In fact, her baba’s death was touted an accident and the file was shut…it was only Rahul and Akshat’s sleuthing that got them around to this point… but they had their limitations too and had to go by the book. She inhaled the moist air deeply and hugged herself driving away the shudder which she wasn’t sure was because of the chill or her mounting anxiety… She sighed promising herself she would just take a look around and nothing else…

As she walked along the road her sneakers no match for the slushy winding pathway made worse by the soil flowing down the adjoining hills. She had to tread with caution else she would have a bad fall in this sparsely populated place. She picked a stick lying around and used it for support as she strutted ahead. As she moved further lost in making her plan of action, she suddenly realised the human trails had trickled to oblivion and there was no one in sight for miles around her. It was already 3 PM and as she munched on a protein bar, she had fortunately carried in her little backpack she hoped she would finish soon to return home before Keshav arrived… she wondered if she had to give up. As she moved a little further, she could hear the gurgling sound of the Kune waterfalls. How Shamsuder Valmiki had a house in this remote place away from civilisation was beyond her… and as always, the million-dollar question…why…? She met a couple of local men who helped her with the address not before scrutinising her as if she was an alien visiting their sacred helms. Just a little more…she thought… She shook her head struggling her way through the overgrown foliage and soon she was huffing and panting as she arrived at a little clearing very close to the falls. The area around the falls had been cordoned off for the public since it was pouring heavily for a while now and the terrain was treacherously slippery. She wondered how Mr. Valmiki could get the permission to build a house in this supposedly eco sensitive zone… unless he was influential in some way or…in hiding… She shuddered as the fearful chill further seeped into her body. Did she make a mistake already…she thought for the nth time…should she return…? No… she took in a deep breath and made a resolution. She had come all the way here and now was not the time to turn back and retreat. She wasn’t going to actually confront the guy anyways…just get some background…

With unwavering determination to achieve what she was set to do she strutted ahead. Her feet were wet as her sneakers had soaked in water and were sticking uncomfortably to her feet. She decided to get rid of them once she hit the road again. As she approached the clearing which was farther than what she had assumed from the directions received earlier and a feeling of unease crept up her spine. She walked slowly towards a dilapidated house. There was an electrical line passing the area and the nearest house though far away was at least present, indicating some sort of living here. Promising herself she wouldn’t spend more than ten minutes here and go back immediately, she warily approached the front door only to find a heavy rusted padlock on it. There was mud and slush all round and wear and tear along with wet cobwebs indicating no habitation in the place for a long time… while it brought down her fear, did it also mean Shamsunder Valmiki wasn’t here…? Oh God… after all that trek in wet shoes and bone crunching physical work, she had to endure not to mention she would have to face Keshav’s wrath, to reach here… he wasn’t there? Continuing her grip on the pen knife in her pocket, considering that she was already here, she decided to look around just a bit, she still had a few minutes for her self-imposed deadline… The place was eerily quiet except for the now harsh sound of the waterfalls. Dark clouds loomed over and the drizzle had just set in. She walked around to reach the backside of the house… beyond that the wild grass overgrowth had camouflaged everything else

She stepped cautiously hoping not to rattle any hibernating creepy crawlies…. And as she gradually moved towards the back door of the house, she saw the mesh door ajar and stopped in her tracks. Was he home? She slouched down immediately and walked towards the window adjacent to it. Like other windows it was shut too but there were no curtains covering it inside so she tightened the grip on her pen knife and tried to peep in holding her palm against the glass… she couldn’t make out much but she was now sure the house was empty. The thunder roared loudly with the bright lightening for company and she needed to save herself from getting electrocuted.  She slowly pulled the mesh door ajar and tiptoed in her wet sneakers squeaking as the air escaped the water filled pores of its soles… the sound startling her every time it did. As she pushed the inner door, it made a creaking sound and she almost expected Shamsunder Valmiki to just emerge out and her heart stopped… but then nothing happened and she gathered courage and opened the door further but was suddenly hit by a bad odour… it was something rotting and she almost threw up. With eyes watering because of the redolence repulsing her totally, in spite of covering her nose she walked in tentatively… she saw the entire drawing room though sparsely furnished was in a mess. The couple of throw pillows were mercilessly shredded and thrown while the chairs were toppled. There was paper strewn around as if they were ripped from folders or files. It looked like someone had put in a lot of effort to search the place down. She was now confident she had made the right decision of coming here. As she moved ahead the stench increased and she saw the kitchen counter with food on it and thoroughly moulded everywhere… oh…goodness…he had left food on the counter which had rotted. How could she get any information here…? Though she was certain Shamsunder Valmiki was involved in some sinister manner in the plane crash… there was nothing she could do here… She felt dejected and was about to turn when her eyes fell on the landline phone toppled near the wall. She walked towards it stepping on the mess trying not to fall and checked the area around the phone. There was a calendar set for June with the days crossed right upto 23^rd…the day of the crash. Her heart raced ahead as a new rush of adrenaline surged through her body. There had to be something…oh Baba please help me…

She looked around and found a telephone diary stuck between the rickety cupboard and the wall…it wouldn’t have been visible if someone didn’t look carefully. It looked strange to maintain a landline phone and diary in today’s times of cell phones. But maybe the lousy signal in these regions made Shamsunder Valmiki do that. She skimmed hurriedly through the pages in the diary most of them were stuck and dirty probably by the rain water that had seeped inside. There were some numbers written in the first few pages which looked like ordinary mobile numbers. However, she looked at the last page and as she turned them, she was shocked to see her father’s name and different amounts against different dates. The lowest amount was 10000/- while the highest was 50000/-. The next page has a few names of people whom she didn’t know but one name she did recognise… Prantik Mukherjee…really…? The bastard was indeed involved in all this…? The adjoining page had a name ‘SIR ji’ and a phone number against it…it was a landline and …very familiar…where had she seen that number? She was blank. She turned the page further and the date and time along with the flight details of the private plane her father was to use were all mentioned. There was some technical jargon about nuts and bolts in the engine and information about how to… loosen them…? Oh God…

Tears rolled over as her heart clenched…so… her baba was murdered and so were the others in the plane. But this didn’t prove anything…how could she do it…? She had to take this diary to Keshav… he would know what was to be done. She couldn’t help but turn the page where Shamsunder Valmiki had written a to-do list.

1. First installment from sirji
2. Dnyaneshwar Rane office search
3. Second installment from sirji
4. Plane arrangement
5. Technician meets for gadgets
6. Prantik meet
7. Third installment from sirji
8. Black bound book to be given over
9. 23^rd final money tranfer from Sirji.\ Demand only cash
10. Cancel lease on rental home.

The asshole had planned everything? Avanti was sobbing furiously wiping at her cheeks… why did he do that…just for a black book of formulae…? Just then thunder struck causing vibration all around her frightening her to the core. Wait… what was that smell…? It was different from the malodour from earlier. And…then…something creaked… there was a noise and the chip on the wall beside her was broken. What the hell…? The diary fell from her hand right then and she bent trying to tear off the last pages and only one came off. She stuffed it in her pant pocket but right then there was another noise right above her as the window pane crashed… Fuck…someone was shooting at her and she had narrowly missed… Panic engulfed her and the smell…getting stronger, overpowering the malodour that had spread earlier and why did it suddenly feel warm…? She looked towards the kitchen…oh no…there was a fire…when…? how…? Was there a gas cylinder that could burst…? The fight or flight conflict pulled her out of her shock and she chose the latter… She tried to run outside but the door didn’t budge…did someone lock it…? Was she so engrossed in the diary she didn’t hear anyone? The flames were spreading albeit slowly because of the rain and breeze blowing in…

“…help…somebody out there…? Please don’t do this… HELP…HELP…” she banged at the door but knew it was futile as the heavy downpour and the waterfall roar was masquerading everything, she tried… She began to palpitate and watched in horror as the fire stepped up its ante moving into the drawing room… the smoke making everything hazy around her…there was nowhere else she could go… Was she doomed…? At that moment she just wished to admit her feelings to Keshav…would she ever see him again…?

She cried as the smoke became unbearable. “…Ke…Keshav…I …I…Love you…I am sorry…” she could barely whisper and she went closer to the exit door as the flames roared burning everything in their wake, the smoke threatening to smother her any minute. Taking one last chance she tried to yank open the door and to her surprise it opened. She flung herself outside and rolled down the sloppy overgrowth soaked to the skin. She didn’t know how far she rolled across but she finally halted and looked up, to see the fire blazing in spite of the rain and then there was a blast. She scampered behind a tree as she watched the house collapse completely. She looked at her hands which had blisters rearing their ugly heads, her foot was probably sprained. In a span of half an hour or so she had trespassed into a house, tried to sleuth, almost died of suffocation and had been shot at… wait… if she had been shot that meant the shooter was somewhere around… she wondered, her heart thudding in agreement. Did he see she had escaped…? There was lot of grass and heavy rain. Could she push her luck further today…? She tried to stand on trembling legs but her ankle throbbed. She had let go of her backpack containing her wallet and mobile phone which were probably burnt down now. She checked her jeans pocket where she always kept some back up cash. She had about five hundred in total albeit wet notes. She had to somehow make her way to the little road ahead and that would lead her to the closest main road. She lifted her pant at the ankle only to see it had swollen…Oh God how could she manage to walk the distance. It was getting dark and there was no one around. NO…she was her baba’s strong daughter. She wouldn’t give up…having beaten death moments ago she couldn’t betray her second chance… Keshav needed her…she had to make it for the man she loved more than life itself…

Tears streaming down her face mixing with the rain, she walked in a painfully languid gait her ankle crying out loudly in agony. She cried aloud, the rain drowning her sobs but it felt a bit better to vent out amidst the throbbing ankle. She was sure there were lot many bruises… but the only thought right now was to reach Keshav… She prayed with everything she had. “Oh God…just let me see him only once… please God…” A wave of dizziness hit her and she almost collapsed. She had almost reached the muddy pathway which was even worse than when she had arrived. The mud was actually…oh goodness… it was flowing downwards towards the road. Her baba always said, ‘if you can’t beat them join them…’ and she got an idea. She removed her jacket and plucked a huge banana leaf thank fully the penknife was till with her and her arms screaming in protest while her palms were already numb. She placed the jacket on the leaf and moved towards the road. The muddy slush was flowing downwards at a great speed and she knew it was pointless to walk along and so she did the unthinkable. She placed the leaf on the edge of the road and sat on it and gradually shifted toward the road on the path of the flowing mud. And as expected she got pushed. She tried rowing with the unaffected leg and that helped her speed up. Exhaustion had already crept into her beaten body and she had no clue where all she was hurt… all she could see was those mesmerising brown eyes waiting for her at the other end of the ordeal. She had to make it. She remembered when she had been disappointed at someone copying her essay in school right before the competition and submitting it as hers. She was disqualified and had felt humiliated and upset. “Avu bala… sometimes all you can do is just hand on… remember tough times don’t last…tough people do…”

Yes… she was tough… she was her baba’s diamond who couldn’t be broken. She was facing one of the greatest challenges of her life and all she wanted to do was look into its eye and give it a wink. Avanti chuckled with the mere thought and rowed using her leg and arm vigorously. Finally, she didn’t even know how much time had lapsed but she made it to the road…all soaked in mud but alive. She was in a daze energy totally depleted from her rendezvous which showed no sign of ending as she stood soaking in the heavy rain looking around in the dark for some sign of light…

She didn’t even know which direction she was dragging herself. And then she saw a light …it was a vehicle. She had no option she went ahead and stood in the middle of the road…would the ride be dangerous…? She didn’t know…just that she had to take the chance. The car came to a blurred halt and the occupants…a young couple apparently swore at her something about wanting to die before their vehicle. She gathered all her energy and screamed, “PHONE…PHONE PLEASE…”

The man got off the car and stood before her. “…what the hell are you doing here… its dangerous and we are expecting a landslide…this area was cordoned off…so what are you…”

“…Pho…phone please… husband…call him…” Avanti struggled to even whisper.

The man looked at his wife from beneath his umbrella and took out his phone. Avanti rattled off Keshav’s number from memory and the last she heard before collapsing was the call had connected. “…Hello…Mr…Uh… I am speaking from Kune falls near Khandala… your wife…”

His voice faded away as Avanti slipped into oblivion…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 21

The vehicle was stuck in traffic for a long time, the eerie silence in the car amidst the surrounding honks of vehicles around them, reminding Avanti of the lull before the storm. She had visited the Kulsreshtras in spite of her unwillingness today with a sole purpose of finding answers but landed up with more questions instead. Keshav always knew her whereabouts and she should have known better than to rely on Kamya’s information. And Kamya… what was she thinking…? she had thrown a bouncer which Avanti just couldn’t gauge…she was still stunned at the turn of events. She could only imagine what Keshav was going through. Though Keshav didn’t really show, she knew he was hurting and miserable at what Kamya had done and she wanted to help him…desperately… but didn’t know how to get through that invisible hard walled barriers he had erected around himself. She sat at one end of the passenger seat and turned to look at Keshav who was staring outside his window with an unfathomable look. She knew, the quieter Keshav was, the bigger was the storm brewing inside him. She was scared for a while but her baba always said, smooth seas do not make skilful sailors and she was his warrior princess who never bowed in the face of challenge. In fact, now she was facing the greatest test of time… the challenge of prevailing uncertainty.

As the car cruised forward at an excruciatingly slow pace in traffic, Avanti recalled the events of the evening. She especially liked Mrs. Rama Kulsreshtra…the woman oozed warmth and love and she could see that Kamya thrived in the household. What was the grudge…? Why couldn’t Keshav see reason and why could a brilliant businessman of his repute fail to solve a long-standing family feud… And he was the only one hurting badly as an outcome of all this… Kamya too suffered now, but she would eventually get over it with the Kulsreshtras strongly supporting her in every way. Avanti was, in a way happy for Kamya because she felt Sahil was perfect for her…having known her family history. But then…what about Keshav…? He must have felt betrayed at the moment…somehow like a ping pong ball his trust kept getting hit, vacillating on either side and he seemed lost. What about the research and the black book that was still missing? Did it perish with her father…? Had her baba taken it along that day? Keshav didn’t believe so… it was high time she upped her ante and found things on her own… at least the direction of search. But first she had to help Keshav get through this tumulus phase of his life and hopefully once things settled with her findings, she could work on bridging the gap between Keshav and the Kulsreshtras. She knew it was tough but as her baba had taught her, in face of adversaries it’s the mindset that was important. If she had the will then she could either find a way or make it!

As the car halted Keshav couldn’t wait to open his side of the door and rush towards the elevator without waiting for her. He didn’t even instruct the driver like he usually did. She had to literally sprint in her saree and was in time before the elevator doors shut. The elevator rode in silence but the tension between them was palpable. It was not until they entered the house that Avanti broke her silence. She had enough… “…Keshav… please wait…let’s talk…”

“…Avanti…I don’t want to talk… just…leave me alone…” He barely whispered and started to walk briskly towards his room.

“…No Keshav this is not done…” She rushed after him.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around facing her. He had an expression that screamed lethal “…What is not done Avanti…? You of all the people… You went to their house in spite of all I had shared with you…?”

“…Keshav… Kamya had requested… but I didn’t know…”

“…enough Avanti… I …I had thought there was more into this relationship… after our time in Hyderabad…I thought… we had it going for us…. But I expected too much…guess I was wrong…” He spoke softly with a neutral face but his eyes revealed his inner turmoil.

“…Keshav… you have to answer that for me…don’t you think so…? After going out of radar ever since you left Hyderabad… Do you even know what I went through…?” Avanti couldn’t hold it in anymore. The anguish built up in the last couple of days began to break the barriers. “…I have been through so much of agony Keshav…You didn’t even bother to reply to my texts or call back… what do you think I must make out of the situation…?”

“…Avanti I was busy with workload…literally buried and I hoped you would… understand… so… was this some kind of retribution…? Did you want to teach me a lesson… well… congratulations…you succeeded…”

“…Keshav this is NOT FAIR…” her heart was breaking…couldn’t he hear it?

“…Fair…? You want to talk fair…? You know what’s not fair…? My pathetic life is not fair… my own sister rebelling against her brother who lived his life for her, is not fair… my sister marrying my sworn nemesis is not fair… my wife… who I thought loved me, shaking hands with the enemy is not fair…”

Avanti saw his hands trembling and knew she had to put an end to this unending argument between them. “…Keshav…look… you can’t blame me for what has happened especially since I know nothing about your life except what you have shared… you don’t open up your cards and expect me to understand you…? Don’t you think I am at a disadvantage here? Keshav…I know, just like baba you have this silly notion of keeping thigs from me to protect me…but I don’t need it… Just bring it on…let’s face everything together Keshav…” She went closer to him holding his trembling hands and held them tightly even as he tried to pull them away. “…Keshav…” she said softly. “… baba always said, whenever we think we are playing our cards right, God shuffles the deck…So nothing is in our hands…. Keshav…” She felt him loosen up as he sighed…his hands going limp in hers as if she had taken out the air beneath his sails. She held his face between her palms and she could see a sheen of moisture in his eyes as he furiously blinked them away. Her voice trembled as she continued. “…Keshav I know you are… hurting… so let it out sweetheart… I am here for you and come what may…I am not leaving… Just let me in…please Keshav… let me in…”

Before she could finish, he slammed his lips on her and pulled her close to him. He feasted on her tender lips with a vigour determining how starved he was. She gave in totally, circling his neck and matching his passion with her own. She had missed him so much… After a moment they stood panting as he hugged her closer to his chest and she held his hard torso. She revelled in the moment and realised life without Keshav was unimaginable.

“…Keshav…?”

“…Yea…?” He whispered still holding her close.

“…Have you eaten anything…? Let’s have dinner…” She couldn’t eat at the Kulsreshtra’s because of the mounting anxiety.

Keshav nodded releasing her and as he went back to his room to freshen up, she didn’t say a word to let him have his space. Meanwhile, she retreated to the kitchen having changed into comfortable home clothes, hoping to sort her thoughts before she saw him again. She was glad at least things between them hadn’t soured beyond repair, as she touched her swollen lips and hoped it would get better… in the next half an hour or so, they quickly had their dinner. She could see Keshav had relaxed a little but was a far cry from his chirpy self… She held his hand and took him to the terrace garden. They sat on the swing holding hands and she waited for Keshav to vent out. She saw him with that faraway look and knew he was most hurt by what Kamya had done and even now he was definitely thinking about his sister. He had spoken the harsh words out of rage then, but Avanti knew Kamya meant the world to Keshav and he was the over protective brother who couldn’t face the strings being cut…notwithstanding the family feud.

“…Kamya…” Keshav began to speak in a soft voice. “… was a little over three when… when… our mother…uh… committed suicide. My mom was suffering from chronic depression and my father’s wayward ways…only made things worse… I…I was seven and I found her…bo…body…” She felt his shudder as he tightened his grip on her palm. She moved closer to him and he put and arm around her shoulder holding her close to him. She placed her cheek on his chest and loved the feel of his heartbeat right beneath. He placed his chin on her crown and continued. “…I couldn’t get through the nightmares for years… even today at times I see her… my mother lying lifeless on the bed…in fact that’s my only prominent memory of my mother… I don’t know if I had to blame my father for it… I barely knew him… The next thing I knew at sixteen was, he had passed away… leaving us under a heavy pile of debt. Everything we had was gone in a jiffy and I… it was a struggle Avanti, Kamya was just twelve…” He held her further close and she hugged him tight…trying to give him her all as he relived his painful past.

“…Avanti… I tried… God knows I tried… my childhood was rotten but my adolescence and young adulthood was worse… I didn’t even know our finances were that bad… and then I got to know about Rohini Jaiswal and the twins… I had lost it totally and would have hit rock bottom if not for your father… he was the life boat that helped me find my way to the shore… After that I have slogged my guts out to bring back Novo Supremo from the brink of bankruptcy to where it stands today… and now… when I am working towards a very important goal…partly your father’s dream too… Kamya had to…” his voice cracked and he halted to rub his face. “…Avanti…it just pains me… how could she do this to me…after everything we have gone through…”

Avanti sat up straight and held his hands. “…Keshav listen to me please… I met them today… the Kulsreshtras. I don’t know your history beyond what you have told me but I know for certain there is a lot more than what meets the eye…. Keshav… you have to understand… Kamya loves Sahil and the Kulsreshtras dote on her… in fact Mrs. Kulsreshtra was fondly remembering your mother…”

He drew his hands away from hers and stood. “…Enough Avanti… I can never forget Srinivas uncle’s snub and the way he had looked down upon me… when I had gone to beg him to help me out… Even today… Avanti… that hurts the most… the people I had thought were the closest to me abandoned me outright…what more is left…? I can’t forget the past Avanti… I just can’t… I have made my decision and I will hope you stand by that too… We will have nothing to do with Kamya…”

He stood hands in pockets looking at the twinkling landscape spread before him. She went and stood next to him…determined not to give up as yet. The ball had set to roll and she wasn’t going to let it stop. “…Keshav… what about Rohini Jaiswal…? She had got her guy today…he seemed decent… so why aren’t you letting her go…?”

Keshav turned towards her and chuckled. “…Avanti… I have been blessed with an extended family… but the baggage they got along outweighs the pros… Rohini Jaiswal is the last person I trust, to be a good judge of people’s character. The very fact that she had married my father who was old enough to be her father then… knowing about his drunken stupors and womanising habits…proves it all. She was a gold digger… but fate played its own card… She got pregnant… and then she was stuck…”

“…But Keshav she played her part, isn’t it…? Kamya seems comfortable with her and the twins adore you…so…what is it now…?”

“…Avanti… its only because she took care of Kamya during her growing up years that she is still at the receiving end of my monthly allowance and I am generous about it… Otherwise I would have thrown her out five years ago…” He spoke in a tone dipping malice.

“…what happened…five years ago…?”

He walked towards the terrace railing and the cool breeze calmed her insides making her relax and she hoped he could relax too. “…I had a deal with Rohini Jaiswal when she had first arrived broke at my doorstep… She would stay at home and take care of the kids and the household chores while I worked my guts out to rebuild Novo Supremo…. I also promised to consider the twins as my siblings and took them under my wing right away… We both kept our parts of the deal and all was fine till five years ago. One day I was unwell and got home early… we lived in three BHK flat close to the company…I had planned on moving to a larger place soon… But then on that day, I found her in bed with some guy much younger to her, a college student. I found out she got that guy home very often and I would have overlooked the fact considering she was young and had her needs as well… but I couldn’t take that risk with Kamya and Nirvi around… and then I found out the guy was extracting information from her regarding the company… She had access to the little study where I often sat late into the night with my documents…and she made copies of certain contracts and served him on a platter… my fault was that I was swamped with workload and cyber security slipped my mind totally… I actually booked that guy but had to withdraw the complaint because Rohini was involved too… it would have affected my siblings if she would have gone to jail… or even had a case against her…”

“…So that’s why you sent her to Hisar…?”

“…Yes…that was the best punishment I could think of because the lady is vengeful and I couldn’t risk my sibling’s well-being with her trying out tricks to get back at me. She wouldn’t have spared her own blood…I couldn’t stand being in the same house as her and Mrs. Sinha helped out with everything else at home back then…You know Avanti…the saddest thing about betrayal is…it never comes from your enemies… so…I… it’s difficult for me to trust…today Kamya proved it as well…”

“…Keshav…?” She held his hand and he turned facing her. “…I don’t know about anyone else but here is a promise, that no matter what… I am here by your side… always… so just don’t go incognito on me…ever again… its terrifying… just talk to me OK…? I want to share your pain Keshav…I want to understand you better…”

He held her shoulders and looked at her a wave of confusion passing over his beautiful features. His eyes burning with a combination of emotions and she just wanted to turn to ashes by plunging into their depths. “…Avanti… I was… today my PA told me about Kamya’s call enquiring about my return back home… and I suspected something… and then when I got to know you went there… I was afraid…”

“…Afraid of what, Keshav…?”

“…I thought…I would lose you too, Avanti…I can’t…I…”

“…Keshav I am right here… with you… but why didn’t you text me or call after you got back…? I was afraid as well…”

He held her hand and they started to walk back inside. “…Avanti I am sorry for being bull-headed… I was caught up with research and put in long hours…” he pressed her hand and sighed heavily. “…I really wish we could have got that black bound book… none of my scientists can match your father’s brilliance…”

“…Keshav… I have something to share…”

He stopped midway of locking the door to the terrace entrance. “…what is it…?”

“…Um… I think baba’s plane crash wasn’t… I mean… an accident…I mean…”

He quickly held her arms and with a face that suddenly hardened like a stone… he spoke softly. “…Avanti…. for God’s sake please stay out of this… I know Rahul is sleuthing around for you…but there is a lot more than you can even think…”

“…then tell me Keshav… what are you hiding… I must know…”

“…and what will you do once you know…? If and a big IF… there was foul play what will you do without proof? Go after the bad guys guns blazing…. just that you don’t possess guns…and if it’s actually what you suspect then it’s way too dangerous…”

A sense of disappointment washed over her. “…should I just let it pass then…?”

“…Avanti…look up here…” He raised her chin with his index finger. He looked lethal as the shadows of the night lamps from the terrace seeping in through the crevices of the door and the grills around it, made strange patterns on his face. But the determination in his eyes were unmistakable. He continued not losing contact. “…do you trust me…?” When she nodded he said. “…in that case leave all this to me… I am working on it… Akshat is trying his best with the police and… we will find something for sure… but for now… Avanti…don’t…get involved…please… and I promise you the moment we get something concrete you will be the first person to know…”

She nodded and as they walked down the stairs, he hugged her close to him caressing her arm. He took her close to his room and she looked up at him questions evident in her eyes. He held her face in his palms and smiled. “…Avanti I am… not… not so good at communicating… so I don’t even know how to ask this…  uh… Avanti…will you move in with me…?”

She was thrilled to no end, the turmoil of the last couple of days suddenly disappearing. “…Keshav… are you sure…? I mean … you didn’t even speak to me or text me after leaving Hyderabad… and today…after…”

“… Avanti…I …” he said softly as he rubbed his hand over his face and it was then she realised how tired he looked as if he hadn’t slept for days. “…Avanti…I am so sorry… I was…I am…in a mess… it’s like I am drowning and in spite of knowing to swim, my limbs fail to move….” He held her arms again. The grip tightening as he poured out his emotions. “…I just didn’t know…if I should drag you down with me… so…I retreated…literally… but Avanti… I… can’t do this anymore…call me inconsiderately selfish…but… I can’t stay away from you…it’s the worst ever feeling… please…don’t be angry… I am sorry… but…” He struggled to find words and she was overcome with emotions her love for him only increasing multifold by the second.

She hugged him tightly digging her head into his chest taking in his mild traces of the Montblanc he must have used in the morning like he usually did. The tinge of fragrance was very much masculine…it was just totally him…and he held her close to him. They stood embracing each other for a while the ticking of the clock and the racing of his heart the only sounds indicating their presence. He took her hand and pulled her towards his bedroom and that night as they slept in each other’s arms fully clothed, Avanti glanced at Keshav’s sleeping form. He had gone to sleep almost immediately after hitting the bed and pulling her close for a quick goodnight kiss. As she heard his slight snores she smiled and even as sleep claimed her, she knew she was in way too deep with him and it was definitely a forever… she only hoped she would soon know what ailed him…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 20

Konark express was delayed due to a signal snag and by the time Avanti reached home it was well past 12PM. Her phone was discharged as she had spent yet another sleepless night, the train speeding with the constant rattle of the tracks connecting with the wheels, the only redundant sound most of the time. Even as her group members had snored away or whispered conversations, she had been up trying to google as much information as possible about the maintenance company and their engineer. He was the key to many of her answers. Avanti had exhausted the phone battery in her futile search for possible leads.  She had made her to-do list in Docs folder.

1. Talk to Kamya di about Keshav’s illness
2.  Find Shamsunder Valmiki. Visit his home at the given address… Find out if there was any foul play.
3. Meet Mukherjee uncle to discuss about baba’s last days… and also what Prantik was upto.

She had made up her mind to find things out on her own before involving anyone else. Of course, she would only find out theoretical information and wouldn’t actually do something…she wasn’t a fool to not be aware of the danger as Rahul had suspected. She also made it a point to discuss it with Keshav once she got even a tiny lead….she would definitely come clean with him and hope he would trust her enough to do the same.

As she stepped into the house Mrs. Sinha was just leaving. “Oh…Avanti so nice to see you back… this house missed you dear… I missed you and the D’Souzas were enquiring about you too….”

Avanti’s eyes filled as she hugged the lady and had a tough time blinking them away. “…I missed you too Mrs. Sinha… I will meet the D’Souzas later today….”

“…Avanti did you eat anything…? The lunch has been kept ready…why don’t you freshen…”

“…Mrs. Sinha…you go ahead and don’t wait on my account…I have eaten on my way here… I just want to rest…”

“…Oh ok dear… see you tomorrow then… bye…”

Once Mrs. Sinha left Avanti rushed to her room to charge her phone. By the time she freshened up and came outside it was continuously beeping with messages…mostly forwards from her music group including pictures taken and comments on social media. They were a huge hit and the music school had received a lot of bookings for performances already. She was glad to be a part of a noble initiative as well. As she freshened up and settled to text Keshav as she had been continuously doing… She saw he read every one of them instantly but didn’t reply. Somehow, she knew he was hesitating… did he regret what happened in Hyderabad…? No definitely not. Then why didn’t he call or text her…? She had to meet him in person tonight and only then could she clarify with him. she wanted to tell him not to worry about anything and just talk to her… she would stand by him come what may…She wouldn’t abandon him, if that was his fear. Her heart felt heavy thinking about the possible scenario.

Her phone rang and she was glad to see Kamya’s name flashing on her screen… Finally! “…Hello Kamyadi… I was about to call you…”

“…Uh…Avanti… I need help and you are my best one now… Please don’t refuse…” The ever confident Kamya didn’t sound herself at all.

“…What Is it Kamyadi…? I will do my best…”

“…Uh…I don’t think Bhaiyya must have told you…. But I have a boyfriend…Sahil Kulsreshtra…. Actually, Bhaiyya is dead against this match because of the long-standing feud with the family… So…”

“…Um…Kamyadi, Keshav has actually told me about this…how can I help you though…?” Now, Avanti was curious.

“…look…I want your help in convincing Bhaiyya for this match… he is a man with his own mind but he does listen to you Avanti…”

“…Um…Kamyadi… I… Keshav won’t like me interfering… So…”

“…I understand your position Avanti… so does Sahil and his family… they have welcomed me into the family with open arms… Avanti…uh… Bhaiyya and you are my only family… and I need you to be on my side as I start a new life with Sahil…” Where was she leading, Avanti still couldn’t figure out. “…uh… today evening Sahil’s parents have a Mata ki Chowki at their Vashi home which his parents visit whenever they come to Mumbai form Delhi where they are now settled… So…why don’t you come over for a while…? You can meet them and see what a wonderful family they are… and maybe that would help you convince Bhaiyya…?”

“…Um…I don’t know Kamyadi…if Keshav will like that…” He wasn’t talking to her as yet and she was yet to bridge the gap in their relationship. She had a lot on her plate and didn’t want him annoy him on her account…not till they had spoken.

“…Oh no…don’t breathe a word to him, Avanti…Actually its Sahil’s parents’ anniversary so they have this celebration… they have extended the invitation to you…Rohini along with Naman and Nirvi will be there so you won’t feel left out…”

“…I …I am not sure… Kamyadi…Keshav would be upset if he finds out…”

“…He won’t find out Avanti… please come just for a while… I will arrange to drop you home before 10PM… Bhaiyya won’t come home today before 11PM anyway…so…”

“…What…? How do you know that Kamyadi…?”

“…Uh…actually I called his PA at Novo Supremo… he is heading there today evening from Vedshastra …and it would be very late…”

“…Oh…ok…”

“…Great Avanti…you are a gem… I will arrange to pick you up at 6PM from outside the lane…that OK…?”

“…Um …yes…fine…”

After the call disconnected Avanti held the phone in her hand for a while. Why was she so worried about Keshav’s reaction…? This was an opportunity to ask Kamyadi about his illness as well as find out more about the Kulsreshtras. If the family feud would end then Kamya would be so relieved… She deserved happiness as well. Maybe if Avanti actually tried, she could douse the embers of animosity burning silently for years…another worry that Keshav could strike off his list. Convincing herself she decided to visit the market for a gift for the Kulsreshtras.

Later as she dressed in her favourite pink silk saree gifted by her mother on her last birthday, she wondered what she would say at the event… She looked at the beautifully wrapped gift and wondered if the Kulsreshtras would like something so humble… but then she wasn’t someone who socialised and didn’t know a lot of things… unfortunately she couldn’t consult Keshav on the issue, not that it would matter anyway. He had decided to go incognito. She shook her head as she applied minimal make up and stuck to a no-jewellery look, her favourite one. She wasn’t someone who believed in the symbolic adornment of the married look. Though she knew her mother would have thrown a fit if she were to see her daughter dressed like that.  Right at 6PM she was seated in a comfortable vehicle sent for her by Kamya and as she crossed the Thane creek bridge the fear of the unknown started to build in her belly. What would transpire today…? Suddenly she felt she was thrown into the cage with a pack of hungry wolves. Would she be devoured or would she fight and if she chose the latter…would she win…? Come what may she knew she had a lot of explanation to do tonight before Keshav!

As she stepped out of the vehicle, she was spell bound by the beautifully decorated home of the Kulsreshtras. The entrance was stunningly beautiful and Avanti stood in awe watching the intricate floral patterns adorning the doorway. There was some kind of music being played inside which she still couldn’t hear well and before she could take the next step, Kamya called out to her. “…Avanti come this side…” as she turned around, she stared open mouthed at a beautiful Kamya, radiant in a yellow Anarkali suit in blue embroidery with matching turquoise jewellery. Just then a tall handsome man joined Kamya with a hand on her hip. He had worn a designer onion shaded silk kurta with white churidar. “…Uh…Avanti…this is Sahil… and do you know…? He was bhaiyya’s classmate in school…”

Sahil nodded and said. “…Welcome Avanti, Kamya has spoken so much about you, I was eagerly waiting to meet the woman who stole the elusive Keshav’s heart…. Do come in…” He gestured towards the entrance. Avanti nodded and smiled… she missed Keshav and hoped he could have come as well.

As she entered the drawing room… she stopped her walk and stood to stare at the beautiful idol of the Goddess… which she just couldn’t take her eyes of. It was Goddess Durga seated on her vahan, the lion. Around her were the idols of other deities like the Ganesha, Hanumaan, Shiva and also Shirdi Sai baba. Avanti was moved to see the beauty radiating from the Goddess. “…Avanti…?” She startled as Kamya called out to her. “…come on…I will introduce you to Sahil’s parents…” She held Avanti’s arm and dragged her towards the inner rooms which was the actual drawing room or the seating room as they called it. There were many people talking simultaneously, who fell silent all of a sudden as Kamya walked in with Avanti. Sahil was already there standing next to an elegant woman clad in a beautiful white with embroidered salwar kameez, probably in her sixties from the looks of it. Sahil spoke something into the senior woman’s ears and she looked up at Avanti studying her anxious face and then her minimally wrinkled face lit up as she walked towards Kamya and Avanti.

She placed her mehandi clad hand on Avanti’s cheek and said. “…Welcome Avanti beta… Do you know I was Kamya’s mother’s best friend till she… anyways Keshav and Sahil too were best friends at one time… but then…” Sahil hugged her from the side as she inhaled deeply and continued. “…I wish things could go back to what they were at one time… Avanti… my gut instinct tells me you are the key to unlock the relationship again…” She smiled sombrely her eyes filled with love and sadness…further moving Avanti…

“…Maa…”  Sahil spoke up. “… Avanti has just arrived and you are already burdening her tender shoulders… its Keshav we are talking about, maa… he won’t budge… I know him very well…” He sighed. “…Avanti don’t mind maa… she has high hopes…. Oh look here’s dad…”

Avanti saw a tall man with aristocratic demeanour and broad shoulders who was a senior version of Sahil. Sahil walked towards him. “…Pa, meet Avanti… Keshav’s wife…”

The man stood before her dwarfing her and everyone around him totally. He looked at her for a while as she gave a trembling smile and nodded “…Keshav is one lucky guy…Avanti beta…God bless you…” his baritone reverberated around her as he placed a hand on her head while she blinked away tears remembering her own father. Soon the panditji called them and everyone marched to the outer room for the puja. As the keertan began Avanti who sat next to Sahil’s mother at her insistence also sang a couple of hymns. Mrs. Kulsreshtra hugged her after her second rendition. It was a Devi Bhajan which she often sang during Navratri visit to her friends’ homes. The senior woman kept speaking to her in between the songs and Avanti developed a liking for Sahil’s mom. Kamya was right…at least Sahil’s mom was a wonderful lady. The keertan was done in two hours and everyone broke up for the maha prasad… The light food was amazing but Avanti couldn’t shake the feeling of anxiety that kept rising time and again. She still wasn’t sure of what she could tell Keshav, to convince him to agree for this alliance.

As she was lost in thought there was a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to look at Rohini Jaiswal in a beautiful outfit next to a handsome older man with salt and pepper hair. Rohini Jaiswal was a pretty woman but today she almost stole the show. Most of the women were heavily dressed here but Rohini was a step ahead in her off while lace adorned lehenga and black velvet off shoulder blouse. Not to mention the heavy jewelery as if she had come for a wedding. Her companion had worn a white silk bandh gala… “Avanti… meet Parminder Singh… and Parminder, this is Keshav’s wife…Avanti…”

“…Hello Avanti… it’s a pleasure meeting you…I wish I could meet Keshav but unfortunately he is prejudiced about meeting up with me…” He smiled but something about his eyes irked Avanti… not that she was a great judge of people by their looks or vibes but at that moment she couldn’t place a finger on what was troubling her. Maybe it had to do with her existing anxiety.

“…Um…Rohini…you look beautiful… um…where are Naman and Nirvi…?”

“…oh they are busy with their exams…” Rohini brushed the topic off which wasn’t surprising as she usually didn’t bother with their routines form what Avanti had been told. But then Kamya came in right then and held her arm.

“…ok all of you… its time now… Avanti I am sorry I didn’t tell you earlier about this…”

“…wha…what is it Kamyadi…?” She had kept her gift along with the others on the gift table. Was that a problem…? What was it?

“…Uh…Avanti just come along…please…I need you now…”

Avanti just nodded as she walked towards the main hall again and she saw Sahil and his parents standing before the dias. His father saw them walking towards them and picked up the mic. “…Dear all… thank you from the bottom of my heart for having come today for this special occasion. A lot of you were asking us about the special occasion for this puja which we had kept as a surprise… and now is the time…” Avanti was wondering what was going on as she dragged herself towards the dias with Kamya holding her arm tightly and Rohini and Mr. Singh following them closely.  His father continued. “…So here it is… please welcome the latest member into the Kulsreahtra family… my son’s soon to be wife…Kamya Goyal… and today is the roka ceremony…please wish the young couple as they step into an important phase of their lives…”

That she was shocked was an understatement. Avanti was stunned to silence. She didn’t know what to say or do. “…Ka…Kamyadi…? What is all this…? ROKA…? Without Keshav…?”

Kamya turned towards her with tears in her eyes. “…Avanti…I know what you think… but Bhaiyya won’t agree and convincing him is next to impossible but…I wanted a part of him here so… I called you here… please just… be with me today…Avanti… please…?”

Before she could react Rohini Jaiswal spoke. “…Avanti… Kamya is doing the right thing… Keshav won’t agree at all… I wish I could do something like this… but am stuck because of the kids…”

What the hell was going on…? But the next few minutes passed in a blur as Avanti saw the young couple in love exchange rings and garlands as they hugged each other. Then there were photo ops as the people gathered there came towards them to wish the newly engaged couple. As Avanti stood at a corner wondering what on earth, she was to tell Keshav, Sahil’s parents came upto her.

“…Avanti beta…” his mother spoke. “…I know it’s difficult for you… actually Kamya was all alone today… so thank you for coming…it means a lot not just to her but for us as well… The marriage will be after her residency is over with and… hopefully by then Keshav will give in…”

Avanti nodded slightly…the cat had bit her tongue. Kamya and Sahil walked towards her as well. “Avanti…” Kamya spoke holding her hands. “…Thank you so much for being there for me… Just please try to convince Bhaiyya… for our wedding…”

“…IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS…” a voice bellowed behind her and a startled Avanti turned around. An angry Keshav stood there like a lion waiting to pounce on his prey and he was looking at Kamya but immediately caught her eyes… his molten greys started to burn her insides. “…So dear wife… this is where you were…just piling up a list of backstabbers…were you…?”

“…Ke…Keshav…it’s not…” Avanti Stuttered.

“…Just keep quiet… Avanti… and get going already….” He spoke in his low menacing voice.

Sahil moved towards Keshav. “…Keshav…yaar…”

Keshav held up his hand and looked away. Avanti saw the tremble in his hand that he had used and could see him panting hard. She knew he was losing control for whatever reason and she had to get him out of this place. She turned towards the senior Kulsreshtras and nodded apologetically to them, even as people started to watch with increasing curiosity about the scene playing out. Come what may, she couldn’t embarrass Sahil and his parents and it wouldn’t be an auspicious beginning for Kamya.

Sahil’s father stepped ahead. “…Keshav… you need to cool down son…”

“…I AM NOT YOUR SON… I am nobody to you… I didn’t know you could stoop so low as to involve my sister in this battle between us…” Keshav was panting heavily and as Avanti looked at Kamya’s expressions she knew it was beyond being upset… she was definitely worried as a doctor. Avanti stepped ahead and moved towards Keshav with pleading eyes.

Keshav looked at her his face hardening like a chiselled stone as he held her hand and dragged her out of the place. Sahil and Kamya ran after them and as they reached the exit, Sahil touched Keshav’s shoulders…but Keshav showed his hand away. “…Don’t you dare touch me…and you Kamya… you just ended our relationship… if you want to continue being my little sister then severe ties with this man right now…”

Kamya gave him a defiant look as she held Sahil’s hand tightly. “…no Bhaiyya… I can’t do it… you are both important to me… why do I have to choose…?” She started to sob and Avanti’s heart went out for her.

“…Alright fine… then let me choose for you…I no longer have a sister…” Speaking with his teeth clenched, he turned around and walked towards the waiting car dragging Avanti along. Before she got in, she turned back to see Kamya collapsing in Sahil’s arm as she clutched his lapels…what a way to end a special day for her.

As the vehicle moved out of the gate, Avanti’s heart fell in anticipation of what was in store for her now… did she inadvertently ruin everything?

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