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…

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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?

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 19

The next afternoon as they boarded the train for return, Avanti had been an epitome of silence and no matter how much Rahul tried he couldn’t get her to speak to him as she cuddled up against the train wall near the window and kept staring outside. She hadn’t eaten breakfast too… in fact even skipped dinner and cried herself to sleep which in itself was a disturbed one. “Avanti… please say something…what is it? We had such a successful concert… is it got to do with Keshav…? You were so happy yesterday…” Rahul asked her. The other members of the group were engrossed in their own games and conversations in the berths behind and Rahul was giving her company. But his words only got more tears to flow as fear and anxiety regarding Keshav’s health kept piercing her insides. What was wrong with him…? He seemed just fine to her except the two episodes which took place but that often happened to someone who didn’t eat for long, she had read about it. Was he diabetic…? But that wasn’t life threatening as such in today’s times, but if it was enough to scare Arpita away then it had to be something big. She had to speak with Kamya… she was the only one to throw light on the subject. She also had already read through his hospital files when he had been discharged last time but there was nothing mentioned there either. As she continued staring at the passing scenery, she tried to recall the spate of events ever since she had met Keshav for the first time in her father’s study till date. But nothing pointed towards anything amiss on his health front. She had also tried calling Arpita for a while now but her sister had switched off her phone.

She sniffled back tears and checked her phone, Keshav hadn’t bothered to text her or call or reply to her texts neither had he answered her calls. She had tried frantically last night as well as today morning. How could he do that to her after declaring his love to her and doing what he did… he was a paradox in itself. A strange fear engulfed her heart clutching it tightly the pain unbearable for her now. She tried to calm down and decided to share her agony with Rahul. He knew everything about her so far and he also had been sleuthing around Vedshastra and other related places for getting more information. “Rahul…?”

“…Oh, thank goodness Avanti you finally spoke… want an apple…?” he looked worried

She was touched by his concern. “…No… I just need answers and my life is chaotic as it is so, please… give me straight answers…however bad they may be…”

“…What is it Avanti…?” Rahul sighed.

“…Rahul…you were looking into baba’s death… and you had said about finding out information… so what did you find out so far…?”

“…Avanti…really… do you want to…now…?”

“…Rahul please… just give me what you have…”

“…Ok Ok fine… Avanti I have been probing deeply into that charter airline company with the help of a hacker friend. I even checked their financials but they are clean…all money is accounted for. It took me a while to do that though… So Keshav is in the clear…. after that I started my search in that maintenance company Shanbad Enterprises but…”

“…but what…?” She was now totally into it.

“…Avanti… the company isn’t what it’s on paper… they have a swanky office in Juhu near the Dason Hanger where most of the private aircrafts are parked and Shanbad is one of the many companies hired by the plane owners for the maintenance. But I checked the financials and found many loopholes…like there were some large transactions around the time of the crash… but they were from an account we haven’t been able to get a track of… Then we looked into that engineer Shamsunder Valmiki… he had been given a clean chit by the police. He had himself done the inspection before the flight took off…”

“…So, nothing there as well…?” Avanti asked her anxiety rising once again, frustration creeping into her skin as she yearned for answers.

“…that’s the problem… everything about the guy is shady… he left the job right after the police questioning was done and no one has seen him since then… I got his number and the address… but the house was a rented one and surrendered already and the number has been disconnected long ago…”

“…oh no…so the only lead is gone cold again…?”  her heart fell again…how much more disappointments could she take?

“…Actually…I found something last week… but…”

“…but what is it Rahul…?”

“…Actually, my friend found chat conversation snippets between Shamsunder Valmiki and Prantik…”

“…Prantik…? Mukherjee uncle’s nephew…?” Avanti was alarmed. What on earth was happening? It was as if the entire world had conspired against her father…

Rahul nodded lost in thought. “…but it can just be a coincidence…because Prantik and Shamsunder Valmiki attended the same college from where Prantik had dropped out… my friend even checked indirectly from a couple of their batchmates but except for them being regular college kids who hung out together there was nothing suspicious…” He rubbed his face and Avanti was starting to feel the desolation creep in.

“So…Rahul… now…whats next…?” She asked dejection evident in her  voice.

“…Avanti, I got an address very recently… it’s a place near Khandala… where Shamsunder Valmiki hails… he apparently has a house there…”

“…So, can’t he be checked out now…?” her hopes soared again.

“…Um… Avanti… anything we do from now on will call for attention…not just the authorities but also… if as we suspected there was foul play then the person behind all this will…be alerted. He may escape totally or it may even be dangerous for us…”

“…that means… nothing can be done….?” Avanti barely whispered.

“…Look Avanti…let me think this through…OK…? I got this information just before we left for Hyderabad and my friend double checked the address only yesterday. I think we should involve Keshav from now on… he has the power and the resources to find out…”

“…NO…NO… please don’t involve him… he is occupied with so much already and…even if he finds something… he won’t share anything with us… give me the address…I will look into it…”

“…Absolutely not Avanti… it’s too dangerous. OK look… let’s do it together… alright…? Let me make a plan…for the upcoming few days I am caught up with the audit in Vedshastra, once that’s done, I will take a few days off from work and we will do this… alright…?”

“…Ok fine… but just send the address across to me… I will search online… maybe find something you have missed…” Avanti wasn’t sure she could wait that long… there were a lot of things she needed to unearth.

“I will Avanti… but promise me that you won’t do anything rash…”

Rahul texted her the address and Avanti for the first time in hours felt the flicker of hope in her heart steadying itself. They had some lead after all.

After a while she suddenly exclaimed. “…Rahul…do you have any idea about the last project baba was working on…?” She asked him as he jerked straight up from the position in which he had been dozing, making her feel bad for not letting him rest.

Rahul cleared his throat. “…No Avanti… it was a closely guarded secret where no one knew anything…even now, the bio tech guys are working on what Keshav has given them…but no one knows exactly anything…Keshav hasn’t revealed anything completely to anyone of them… the closest to the material in the lab have sealed their lips and have hinted that its highly confidential. They have signed an iron clad NDA…”

It was getting increasingly frustrating for her now. But with the information Rahul gave her she had her work cut out once she reached Mumbai tomorrow. She would first call Kamya…

Keshav got home at 2AM dead on his feet and without even changing his clothes fell on his bed falling asleep within seconds. However barely a couple of hours in to the slumber he woke up… Something troubled him for a while now. He heard some sounds…was there an intruder…? Had he forgotten to set the alarm? How could somebody cross the tight security and come up here…? But he had been getting this feel for a few months now. He had even got Akshat to revamp the passwords and in spite of a thorough sweeping by Akshat’s team, nothing was found amiss. Nothing that he knew was missing. Then what was that feeling… Before Avanti had arrived, he would get a feeling that he wasn’t alone at home at times or that someone had been through his study and bedroom too. But nothing was out of place and he couldn’t keep calling Akshat based on his disillusionary assumptions every time. But now he heard the creak again… unmistakably there was someone. He took out a hockey stick from his closet and silently made his way out into the dark living room. He stood for a moment but other than the soft chiming of the wall clock and his rushed heartbeats pounding into his ears he couldn’t hear anything else. He shook his head and walked back into the bedroom…did he really hallucinate?

He changed into his night clothes after relieving himself and let himself fall on his bed, but sleep was nowhere in sight and he went back to his perennially troubling thoughts. He had tried his best to place the previous location of the gas odour, which had put him into hospital last month. But he had drawn a blank and he had refused to accept Akshat’s version of an accident just like the police’s version of the plane crash that had killed Dnyaneshwar Rane. The PI had done a good job so far and had unearthed something which he was to share with Keshav after confirming it in a day or two. He would then hopefully get his answer… Wait… Crash…? Bingo… that smell… He had gotten the same odour when he had visited the crash site immediately after receiving the call. Though it was faint by the time he had been there it was unmistakably the same. He made a mental note to report this to the PI… his postulation was on track…everything that had been happening, was linked.  He could never go wrong with smells…he was blessed with strong olfactory senses. He could tell by the fragrance which flower or flowers were in bloom… Goodness how had he forgotten…? Maybe since Dnyaneshwar Rane’s death had hit him hard. Not just that they had lost the formula which had given him hope but he had also lost his father figure and mentor in a single blow.

The worry about the formula aside, his family was falling apart. Kamya was getting unreasonable and she had stopped answering his calls, not to mention Rohini Jaiswal who frequented his office to have a meeting and he had always sent her back. He knew the woman was up to something. He never trusted her and their symbiotic relationship had been good…till five years ago. But now she was seeing somebody and he had asked Akshat to look into the man. God… he was up to neck with his troubles and amidst the chaos, he had just left everything and rushed to meet Avanti. He had missed her like hell and providence notwithstanding he had just acted upon his impulses.

He smiled into the pillow as he remembered the play of expressions on her face when he had declared his love for her. He hadn’t planned it though but it just happened and she loved him too. He didn’t have a doubt about it but hearing her say it thrilled him to his core. But then the next morning he had been suddenly disoriented and wondering what he had been doing in a strange hotel room. He had almost got a panic attack for being in a fudge state for a few moments and then Avanti who was sleeping besides him had sighed and turned towards him. The evening before had flashed before his eyes and he had been relieved but the silent embers of his secret were stroked. They threatened to flare up totally to destroy what he had and treasured the most… Avanti’s trust in him. He had panicked and rushed to the washroom and splashed water on his face to calm himself and get his heartbeat on track. Avanti had trusted him to submission and as she had come, he had fallen even completely for her… but then his condition would always remain a bone of contention between them especially since he hadn’t revealed it as yet to her. He hadn’t planned on getting close to her before letting her know about his hereditary curse but then she had touched him and he had combusted into her arms and the throes of passion had consumed them both.

He pulled out the last award which he had won… two years ago he had been the Forbes-Gillete entrepreneur of the year… Dnyaneshwar Rane had been the first to wish him and also the first at the venue and at the time Keshav had felt as if he had conquered the world. That was what he had always wanted…to be appreciated by his father at least once…. It was also the first time he had actually seen Avanti when Dnyaneshwar Rane had placed his mobile on the table in order to pick up two files… Her picture was his wallpaper and there was something that pulled him to her right then. Dnyaneshwar Rane had excused himself to take a leak and he had shamelessly transferred the picture to his phone…even till date he didn’t know what had gotten over him. Dnyaneshwar Rane never locked his phone to his utmost annoyance but that day he was greatful…

As he lay turning and twisting in his bed staring occasionally at the award, he missed Avanti like his next breath. He had almost called her umpteen times and kept the phone away as guilt ate him up…Her messages were full of innocence and he hated having her riled up and anxious… he had ruined everything good he had going for him. Avanti was also his best friend and he couldn’t lose her… what did he do? He had let his emotions and libido exceed common sense. He rubbed his face and suddenly overcome with emotion… nothing had shattered his spirit all those years ago when he had been all alone fighting the world and almost in the dumps. But today…he felt broken. Until now, his disease had just been a name and a few suspected symptoms, but today it suddenly seemed real. Fate wasn’t just cruel…it was merciless. He felt like it was extracting cruel rewards for the happiness he had been bestowed upon by chance in form of Avanti. Their souls had met but would their destinies meet too…? As he looked at Avanti’s radiantly smiling picture hidden away in his phone, a lone tear found its way down his eye on the pillow. As he beheld, he couldn’t imagine a life without Avanti in it… how would she react when he told her about his condition…? And that her baba had given up everything to find the drug to help him out of his miseries and lead a qualitative life… would she forgive him for that…? As he lay awake in the vee hours of the morning, he had made a decision.

He would tell it all…he would come clean with Avanti. Though it tore him within, he would also let her go with immediate effect; the contract be damned. Even if they found the drug it would only help postpone the ultimate result of his disease by a few years and Avanti deserved someone who would stand tall besides her supporting her in the perils of life and not desert her midway. Not to mention she would be exhausted in every way given what was in store for him later as his disease progressed. She would then resent him for putting her through the harrowing experience, though she loved him now. She had lost her father already; her sister and mother weren’t of much help to her. She needed someone strong and healthy to walk with her through her life’s journey.

He was destined to be alone and Avanti didn’t need a broken soul like him who suffered from the incurable hereditary Huntington’s Disease…

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 18

Avanti couldn’t stop smiling as she looked at her husband chatting with a couple of members from her group during their buffet dinner in the hotel lobby that night. She blushed remembering her moments with him just an hour ago in the suite. He had hugged her tight, their chests touching and given her soft little pecks on her head making her feel the most cherished person on earth. They didn’t speak anything for a long time especially considering the emotional tirade between them a little before they had combusted…but Avanti knew Keshav’s silence said it all. He was a man of few words but full of riddles and she vowed to peel of each of his layers gradually. The very fact that he confessed his love to her overwhelmed her… he had not just touched her body where it still tingled but also her heart much earlier. There was a little boy inside him who longed to be loved, to be acknowledged appreciated and supported…she intended to do just that no matter what. She had felt his taught pulsating pectoral muscles under her palms as they lay satiated in each other’s arms and her phone had buzzed breaking the moment. He swore getting up and walked into the washroom as she chuckled and answered the call. It was Rahul who had called them over for dinner. She had freshened up in a hurry and dressed to join a waiting Keshav at the door. He had moved to give her way and before she could open the door, he had held her hands and turned her pushing her back to the door. His lips found hers even before she could feign a protest and though they had just had barely been apart for a few minutes after their romp in the bed, she gallantly tugged at his t-shit feeling those strong muscled beneath the fabric. As he devoured her, his hands in her hair holding her in place, her senses all increased multi-fold bursting at their seams. From the scent of his cologne to the scruffy feel of his beard she felt it all… wishing for the time to halt right there. He tugged at her hair as they landed back on earth from the passion filled clouds and she wished they could go on… but then they wouldn’t have made it for dinner. He had watched in amusement with the fire still burning in his eyes threatening to set her ablaze with desire…as she had set her hair and light makeup to hide the fruit work of their little rendezvous on her swollen lips. They had walked hand in hand down the stairs avoiding the elevator to spend more time together and he didn’t miss any opportunity to pull her closer or push the lock of hair away from her face as they made their way to the lobby. She blushed at the stares from her subordinates and teachers from the music school as Keshav and she moved in the line for the buffet spread. Keshav easily mingled with her group as if he had known them for a long time.

As she chewed upon the lovely Hyderabadi biryani, Rahul joined her on the adjoining chair. “…So, someone’s very thrilled…” He chuckled.

“…Rahul…” she feigned a shocked expression and looked back to see Keshav smile and wave at her as he continued to chat. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off him even touching her lips dreamily once in a while.

“…did I hear a Thank you…?” Rahul continued to tease her.

“…Rahul…cut it…but yes… thank you for everything… you are a true friend.” She spoke continuing to look at Keshav.

“Avanti… are you all set for tomorrow…? Its an important day for us…” Rahul spoke in a serious tone.

“…yea…what…?” She looked at him suddenly confused. She then realised that in her excitement, she hadn’t even asked Keshav how long he was here, given his busy schedule. “…Rahul… let me get back to you later… just text me the itinerary for tomorrow…”

Rahul must have said something but she didn’t hear as she rushed to put away her plate and walked towards Keshav. He saw her and excused himself from the group members he was talking to and moved towards her. They went out for a stroll in the hotel premises and as they walked in silence she spoke. “…Keshav…um… how long are you here…?”

“…If I could I would have stayed back till you finished the event here… In fact, I also wanted to hear you sing… but then workload doesn’t permit it at the moment…. I am leaving tomorrow morning…”

Her heart fell and her eyes filled. It wasn’t that she didn’t know how busy he was… but at that moment she just wanted to be with him. She looked away blinking furiously as he held her hand and turned her to face him. He placed a palm on her cheek wiping away the errant drop that had slipped out of her eye. “Avanti… trust me… after the evening we had so far… it kills me to go back without you… but… you know the situation, right…? Vedshastra needs me there…”

“…I know Keshav… I understand and I won’t hold you back… it’s just that I am… emotional… I missed you and you are going away…I don’t feel like… I wish I could cancel the event but a lot is riding on its success…”

“…the Avanti I know doesn’t run away from the situation but faces it head long…and that makes you the strong woman in am in awe of…” He held her close as they started to walk back to the hotel building. “…This event is important, Avanti… so promise me you will give it your best…? Else I will be worried sick about you and won’t be able to focus on my work back in Mumbai…”

She turned towards him again and they halted. She smiled and looked into his eyes twinkling in the hotel’s street lamp. “…I promise you Keshav… I will finish my commitment thoroughly… and you won’t have to worry…” He kissed her forehead and they continued to walk towards the hotel lobby.

They went to bed right away as they lay in each other’s arms they slept off immediately the days of fatigue claiming their hold over them. At least Avanti knew she had the best sleep in months following her father’s demise and she woke up early morning refreshed and ready for the upcoming concert. Keshav too had a flight to catch and after a quick room ordered breakfast, he kissed her hard before hugging her close to him and leaving for the airport.  Later, as she looked into the mirror getting ready for the concert, she smiled touching her lips… would people know what they had just been through…? He had kissed her and had left without uttering a word and yet it was like he had spoken to her soul. She blushed and chuckled as she recalled the kiss, she received from Keshav just an hour ago… everything seemed so surreal.

Was she still dreaming…? Was Keshav really there last evening…or was she hallucinating? And… he loved her… She clutched her chest to stop her heart form thumping ahead in a rush.

As Avanti joined the group in the vehicle taking them to the auditorium, she was missing Keshav with terrific intensity. As if they had connected with telepathy, she received his text.

Hey sweetheart…

Just boarding… all the best for the concert… you will hit the ball out of the stadium I am sur of it. Make me and your father proud…

Love

Keshav

Avanti’s joy knew no bounds as she held the phone close to her chest and her confidence levels instantly made a beeline to the skies. Rahul who sat at the passenger side in the front turned around and winked at her chuckling as she glared at him. She couldn’t thank her friend enough…irrespective of his reservations about Keshav, Rahul had played a role in giving her the most beautiful evening of her life. She hoped she could clear the misunderstanding for Rahul and also hoped that he would begin to trust Keshav just as she did.

The Sheetalaraman Auditorium was filled to the brim and the organisers were overjoyed to see the tickets sold houseful. Avanti was the poster girl for her music school, being the youngest female participant from Mumbai at 8 yrs to win the Maharashtra Shreshta Gaika state finale. Her music school which already boasted of having some of the top singers in the country and many in the regional music industry too amongst their alumni, was already popular and it looked like the goal of the event was achieved. Avanti was draped in a beautiful red silk saree with zaree work and a designer blouse which was Arpita’s idea at the time when she had finalised her presence for the concert. Even the jewellery which she had worn was chosen by her sister and at that moment as she saw herself in the waiting room mirror backstage, she missed her tai. Arpita had always planned her wardrobe for her…

She was introduced along with her accompanying singers and Rahul as the other lead, as well as commanded the tanpura. As she settled on stage she mentally prayed to the Almighty and then to her baba for his blessings. This was the first ever concert which her baba wasn’t present and she missed him terribly. But then Keshav’s message flashed before her eyes and she decided to dedicate this performance to her beloved father. The concert started with a prayer to maa Saraswati and soon Avanti sang the famed song from her childhood event finale that had brought her accolades and the next couple of hours passed with various renditions of the bandhish in Hindustani classical forms. Rahul too was his melodious best and she hoped he would someday make it big. There was a time when she had wanted to make a career in singing but teaching pulled at her heartstrings more and she had given up active concerts in favour of tutoring young school kids.

Rahul sang his most popular natya sangeet ‘Marma bandhathali theva hi…’ which even though was in Marathi received ‘once mores’ and he had to sing a small part again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjyDZ2ZzFPA

Avanti followed it by her rendition of the Yaad piyaaki aayi…. The combination of different ragas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neWuw5NQblM and while the audience applauded Avanti she was lost in her musings for Keshav as she deeply pined for him. She had made up her mind already that after tomorrows event, she was going to take the first available flight to Mumbai and that gave her heart a little solace.

Finally, the classical music concert ended with the Bhairavi raga sung together by the entire group led by Avanti. The song ‘shaam sundara madan mohan…’ regaled the audience who showered them with claps and hoots after the event. This was just the first day and the show was a success with the music academy getting various offers for performances and as each singer was honoured on stage Avanti too was asked to whom she dedicated the soulful melodies of the day to which she replied, it was for her baba…who was actually the soul of her singing…

That evening while the rest of the group went out to the local market, Avanti stayed back in the suite which Keshav had booked for three nights for her exclusive usage. She ordered dinner in the room itself and as she slept on the soft bedsheet she hugged the pillow still holding feeble traces of Keshav’s scent. Keshav had been very busy and they barely had time to talk that night and he insisted she take the train along with the group as planned and not travel alone. While she adored his concern and sense of responsibility, she loathed having to spend another night away from him.

The next day’s concert was dedicated to light music and Bollywood numbers which the audience enjoyed even more. Avanti sang her favourite number ‘Do lafzon ki hai…’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waeAGdCvJd8 she was so involved in the lyrics given her situation she had a tough time completing the song as her throat choked with emotion. Following that Rahul took over the dias and announced. “Dear all, thank you for the lovely applause and encouragement for our budding singers. As you all are aware, we had conducted a poll yesterday just before you all had exited the venue, for your choice of retro Bollywood numbers. Here is a number specially requested on phone by my dear friend Avanti’s better half specially to be sung for his new wife…. So here I go…”

Avanti was stunned and watched open mouthed as Rahul began the number, “tum saath ho jab apne…” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSuHOgDiq6Y   he was well supported by another singer from the group and there was a thunderous applause as the song ended. Avanti wiped her cheeks and smiled as she texted a thank you to Keshav.

The rest of the event passed without a glitch and like yesterday all the singers were honoured by a different dignitary this time. Avanti couldn’t wait for the event to end even as she was congratulated backstage both on her wedding as well as the beautiful singing. Another hour went in the photo ops with the dignitaries and by the time she retired to the hotel room post lunch it was already 5PM. She suddenly realised her phone was still on the silent mode and she immediately changed the settings. To her disappointment there was no missed call alert or text notification. Keshav had only replied to her earlier text with a thumb’s up emoji… really…? She placed the phone on her dressing table and went to freshen up before she rested. Like yesterday she had refused to go out with her group today as well. Rahul tried convincing her but she was in no mood to budge and the only way she knew she would be relieved of her fore brooding sense of anticipation, was to hear Keshav’s voice on phone.

As she settled to rest after freshening up her phone rang startling her and she rushed towards the vanity almost tumbling in her nightgown in the process. Her heart fell seeing it wasn’t Keshav but it was an unknown number… who as it?

“…Hello…?”

“…Avanti…? It me…”

“…TAI…? tai…is that you… Oh God…” Avanti burst into tears. “…Tai…where on earth are you…?”

“…Forget about me Avanti…stop crying… Avanti…” Avanti sniffled as Arpita continued. “…Avu… you idiot… you married Keshav…?”

What the hell… “…Yes tai… but… where are you…?”

“…That isn’t important… Avu I ran away from hell and you landed right into it… why… Avu, why…?”

“…What are you saying tai… I didn’t have a choice then…”

“…Avanti…we all have a choice… You shouldn’t have married that bastard…”

“…TAI…STOP IT… stop calling him names… what is going on…?”

“…Avanti…I ran away for a reason… why did you have to commit the same mistake that I escaped from…?”

“…Tai… just… just listen to me… at first I married him…because I didn’t have a choice…we had to save Vedshastra… but now… its real…I love…”

“…It’s not REAL…grow up Avanti… come out of your fairy-tale world…You just think you are in love and all that nonsense… he is a cheat… first baba, then me and now he succeeded with you…Oh God… Avu…”

“…Tai you aren’t making sense at all…” Avanti was now at her wits end.

“…Avu I am sure he hasn’t told you anything about himself…but he did tell me just before our wedding day… I couldn’t go ahead with the façade after that…”

“…Wha…what did…he…say…?” her heart fell… what on earth was going on?

“…Its his health Avu… the bastard had threatened me with dire consequences saying… he would pull out of Vedshastra if I revealed everything to you…”

“…Tai… was this the reason you were…. Upset three days before the wedding…?”

“…yes Avu…he had met me that day just to tell me the truth…”

Avanti’s throat chocked up with emotions as she tried to talk. “…Tai… what…” She could barely whisper.

“…Avanti…Keshav has some health problem… a major one…hereditary he said…he wouldn’t survive much… and hence the drug deal with baba… and our baba… put in everything he had for developing the miracle drug for him… And see where that has landed us…”

Arpita continued her tirade cussing at Keshav but all that ran through Avanti’s mind was… wouldn’t survive much… Keshav was in danger…? Were those two health episodes linked to his problem…? Why didn’t he tell her then… especially after all that they shared…? She didn’t know when Arpita’s call ended with something about joining her mother in the village soon… She just felt the walls close in on her as she landed with a thud on the carpeted floor sobbing her heart out, as the sunset brought a pale of gloomy darkness seeping into her…

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 17

…he says he is your husband… WHAT…?

Avanti almost dropped the receiver…she stood speechless. “…Hello ma’am…? His name on the ID says Keshav Goyal…should I send him upstairs…? He wants to meet…”

“…No…please ask him to wait… I am coming downstairs right now…” Avanti didn’t wait for the operator’s response and quickly rushed to pick up her phone. It was working just fine…then why didn’t he call her…? No call…no texts or reply… and she missed him more than words could say but, was she day-dreaming now…? Keshav was here…really? Heart thudding in anticipation, she quickly changed into her jeans and t-shirt and grabbing her mobile and room keys, ran outside… the lift was taking time so she ran down the staircase three floors almost falling on one of the stairs and as she approached the reception, she saw him. Keshav stood towards the entrance in the lobby in his jeans and full sleaved t shirt and glares, emanating royalty as if he owned the place. There were a couple of families too with their brood waiting to check in but right at that moment as he looked up at her, and smiled showing his pearls, the world faded away… she only saw him as she made her way slowly towards her husband. She felt wetness on her cheeks and then the dams broke as she ran the distance into his waiting arms and he pulled her into an embrace. She hugged him tightly not bothering about the audience around them as she dug her head into his warm chest and sobbed. He tightened his hold and kissed her head. After a minute or so, he held her shoulders as she moved away from him. “Avanti…I … I was worried…Are you OK…?”

She nodded. Using the crook of his index finger he lifted up her chin. “…Avanti… what is it…? You aren’t your usual self…please tell me dear…” That brought a fresh bout of tears and he wiped them away. “…ok that’s it… I have taken a room here, the only suite they had on the fifth floor… move in with me… and then we will talk…”

Avanti nodded and in the next fifteen minutes she was all packed and transferred to his room. He ordered lunch for them and as they sat on the two-seater couch, watching the beautiful Banjara hills staring at them royally from a distance, she felt much better having overcome the shock of seeing him in flesh and blood. They didn’t speak anything but his presence itself reduced her turmoil to a great extent. They sat there even after lunch holding hands as he drew circles on her palm… didn’t he know what he was doing to her heart?

 After a while she couldn’t hold it anymore and spoke up. “…So…Keshav…not that I am complaining but… how come you are here…? why didn’t you call…?”

“…I wanted to…uh… surprise you today… but then my battery died by the time I reached here and had to request the receptionist to make the call…

“…How did you know about this place…?” She hadn’t given him any details. “…is it that person you had hired back in Mumbai…? Was he following me here as well…?”

“…No…No…. there is no one following you anymore…I…uh…I asked Rahul…in fact…he told me you were not with them today…” She nodded blinking away tears as he continued. “…What is it Avanti…? Why were you so disconsolate earlier…? even last night you didn’t sound fine… I just couldn’t help it… I… had to make sure you were Ok…”

“…Keshav…?” She looked into eyes even as a fresh batch of tears filled her eyes threatening to spill. “…Why are you… really here…?”

“…I said…I was worried…” He rubbed his face and looked away.

“…You were worried so… you… you just packed up and took the first flight here… dropping all your work…?” She felt the warm tears and wiped them away as she whispered. “…come on Keshav… I am not a kid…”

He turned towards her and bending forward held her hands. “…Avanti… I… I was actually…uh… missing your…uh… presence in the house… it’s like this empty space…I have always lived alone…. but now that you have been around…I was missing everything we did together…the evening chats, tea…your humming throughout the day when you are home…”

“…Keshav… tell me why- are- you- here… the true reason…” She spoke slightly raising her voice.

“…Goddamn it Avanti… because …I… I wanted to see you…personally… I … I … I was worried… and…”

“…KESHAV… THE TRUTH PLEASE…you could have always video called me… you just ignored the hell out of me and didn’t even text me…didn’t reply to my messages…” She almost screamed.

“…Because I was scared Avanti….” He whispered and looked down at their clasped hands breathing hard.

“…you were scared of…of what…? Me…?” she didn’t know if she was surprised or horrified.

He nodded. “…I was scared of… rejection… and even worse…of…you starting to… dislike me…”

“…Why the hell would I dislike you Keshav when… in fact… I was craving to hear the sound of your voice…Do you even know what… I have… been through these two days…?”

“…Avanti…I …”

“…What now…? You ignore me as and when you like…and now you turn up like this… this is so torturous Keshav… I can’t take this anymore…” her chest tightened along with her grip on his hand as subdued emotions surpassed their limits.

“…Avanti…”

“…I can’t… just can’t Keshav…it’s getting too painful to even breathe …I am unable to do what I have always loved the most… I have this event tomorrow and I am just not into it because… you didn’t call me… do you even realise…”

“…Avanti, I love you…”

“…Do you even realise… wait…  what did you say…?” She jerked up straight and looked at him. Did she hear right?

He looked into her eyes for a while as she waited with bated breath. “…Avanti… look…I am in love with you…for…for a long time now…” He rubbed his face again even as his words started to sink in her mushy brain. “…I think ever since I first opened the door of your father’s study that evening and saw you for the first time…or maybe even before that when I just heard your melodious voice…But that day…I actually fell for you… your messy look…hair all over, that stained t-shirt… it just felt like…home…” He smiled as he continued. “…for once in my life I don’t have to try to be happy… when I am with you Avanti…it just happens…” He shook his head and looked down again. “…I will totally understand if you… don’t feel the same…Avanti… but please don’t dislike me…or stop being my friend…”

She chuckled even as her tears flowed unabashedly. “…You idiot…Keshav… All this time…I have been in this turmoil… because of my uncontrollable feelings for you… and… because I thought you didn’t reciprocate them…”

He suddenly looked up from her hands. “…so… you…Avanti… do you…?” he asked expectantly.

“…Yes…I love you Keshav…I love you so much …its past the mind…its beyond my heart even…it’s in my soul… I was in love with you even when you were… engaged to my sister and …I know it doesn’t sound right and probably… you may think the worst of me…” before she could complete her statement he stood up abruptly and pulling her up towards him, he held her face in his palms and smashed his lips on hers. She was stunned for a second but at that moment she clung to him like he was her last breath. Her arms automatically circled his neck and she rose on her toes and as their chests touched, she felt the wave of arousal assume a greater magnitude right in her belly. He pulled her closer to him and continued to ravish her mouth… his tongue made its own way as it surged ahead tasting her…. She tasted the tea they just had and as soon as their tongues touched, she gasped and they stopped…but he didn’t move away this time and held her tightly against him as if she would disappear if he let loose.

He bent his forehead down so it touched hers and sighed… she felt the warm breath on her face and on its own accord her face tilted upwards towards him…it was like she was the iron filing attracted to his masculine magnetism… her hands gripped his shirt lapels as she leaned further into his body. “…Av…Avanti… I can’t…anymore…I want you…but…”

“…then take me Keshav… just take me…”

He tightened his hold and kissed her forehead before he let her go and held her shoulders as she should before him. “…Avanti there… are things… you don’t know…about me… and…”

“…Keshav…” She whispered softly tears brimming her eyes. “…I don’t care anymore… I don’t even want to know… I just want… to be your wife in the complete sense of the word…” the traitorous tears started to trickle down and she turned around hugging herself in embarrassment. Did she just throw herself at him…?

He hugged her from behind and kissed her neck. “…Avanti Sweetheart… don’t misunderstand me please… I want you like hell… but… I… you have to know…”

She turned around again to face him and her heart broke to see the distraught expression on his downcast face. She didn’t know what got over her, she moved her hands around his waist and tugged at his t-shirt tucked in his jeans. When it got free, she raised it upwards slowly looking into his eyes all the while, to find even a speck of rejection…but all she saw was a forlorn look asking her to free him of the shackles in his mind. He removed the t-shirt and threw it on the chair as she focussed on his vest…as she raised it her finger tips touched his chest…his nipples and he gasped… she didn’t break eye contact as he helped get rid of the vest which joined his t shirt. When her trembling hands held his belt buckle, he placed his palm over hers. “…Avanti… there is no going back for me… this is your last… chance.” She could see he was panting and if the tent in the front of his pant was any indication, then she wasn’t the only one who wanted more.

Avanti didn’t say anything but just went up on her toes and holding his face in her palms she placed a peck on his lips. That was probably the confirmation he wanted and he lifted her up as she squealed and dropped her on the bed. He climbed up after her and holding her wrists above her heads kissed her into oblivion… she forgot where she was as she saw stars and her toes curled in the bed as his kiss devastated every sense she had. His onslaught continued as he kissed her jaw and went lower kissing her neck, her sensitive clavicular area as she raised up her chest wanting to feel him more. He moved away to take of his remaining clothes and she immediately missed him. She decided to make the best of the time by getting rid of her own clothing but was suddenly shy… gathering the courage she held the edge of her t shirt but he immediately held her hand. “…let me…” He whispered and she felt the heat pooling between her thighs. She nodded and sat back on her elbows…  clad only in his boxers, he moved towards her resembling a lion on prowl. She sat still taking in the glorious sight as he moved with grace personified his tanned skin shining in the dimmed light of the room further darkened by the drawn curtains, his hair falling in his forehead as the cool breeze from the AC vent fell on his face. He closed the distance between them and in the next minute or so as she remained still… mesmerised by his hypnotic eyes holding hers, her clothes joining his… suddenly she became self-conscious in only her slip and looked for the blanket to cover herself. But once again he stopped her and lay her on the bed gently. He took off her slip even as his soft touch on her body unravelled her arousing her to the peaks of ecstasy.

 He held her wrists above her head again but this time with one of his hands while he used the back of his other hand to draw soft lines on her cheeks and gradually moved lower touching her neck and the upper swell of her breasts. She rasped a throaty gurgle as she felt the soft touch of his fingers on her erect nipples. He drew his hand down till he reached her apex curls and she felt his finger probe its way through her front slit into her private channel. She was so wet he slid inside easily and she raised her chest further above the bed. He removed his finger and smiled as he licked at it looking into her eyes as he did…her heartbeat increased multi-fold and she bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling. He quickly came over her and started to rain kisses on her face, lips and soon his lips traced the path of his hand. As he reached her globes, he took an eager peak into his warm mouth and she was a goner. He kneaded her other globe with his palm and pinched her nipple. She heard a deep throated sound and realised it was her moan… he repeated the same with the other nipple as she grabbed his hair as if it were a life boat as she was hurled up by the large tides of passion. He kissed her sternum and moved towards her abdomen as he kissed her naval… if she had been any apprehensions about her abdominal fat or her thunder thighs, it didn’t matter anymore as she saw the twinkle in his appreciative eyes as they roamed over her body burning her skin in their wake. She felt she was the most desirable woman alive…. He held her hips and moved lower between her legs…oh God… was he…?

He spread her legs and stared at her wetness below as if she were an exhibit and he was the connoisseur of art. In the next instant he moved his head between her inner thighs directly reaching for her juices as he used his tongue to lap them up. The waved of orgasm increased their pace as they kept lashing her insides. Her inner thighs quivered as he inserted a finger inside her soft core and then another as his tongue continued its barrage into her most intimate crevice. Suddenly he sucked on her nub as his finger touched a spot right in the secret passage and she almost jumped up the bed as the waves in their greatest torrents crashed against her carrying her to dizzying heights even as she screamed and held the bedsheet on either side to hold herself. He immediately came on top of her and kissed her hard and she could taste herself on him. That gave rise to another crashing of the thunderous waves and before the aftershocks could recede, she heard the crinkling of the condom foil and within seconds he entered her in a rush as she arched wildly into his chest. The initial invasion into her virgin canal stunned both of them for a second but he kissed her on the forehead, withdrawing as he did and made a soft entry this time filling her to the brim. Every second of the act he held her eyes as if checking if she was alright and she was moved to tears. Once seated into her warmth he kissed her softly on her lips and then holding himself up with a hand on either of her side, he started moving to and fro. Once again, the passion started to build up the crescendo and before she knew she screamed as she fell of the peaks flung up in the air to a great distance before landing down and he followed right after as his baritone calling out her name reverberated in the room with his release filling her core.

Few minutes later as she lay in his arms completely satiated her skin glowing in perspiration in the night lamp, even as the chilled breeze from the AC made her shiver, she felt contented and cherished like never before. He lay lost in thought holding her close…She always wanted Keshav to communicate with her and today their bodies did the talking…fluently. She hoped this was the beginning of a new chapter in their life…one without any secrets. That was her last thought as fatigue took over and she dozed off snuggling into his warmth beside her.

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