Chapter 16

Avanti watched her music school group actively indulge in antakshari as the train sped across Pune junction… they were on board for the last four hours and had a scrumptious dinner organised by the school. Avanti too had carried parathas and chutney neatly packed by Mrs. Sinha who had insisted she have home cooked food at least when she travelled… Avanti barely had a few bites and she handed the tiffin box to the group who gladly ravished the delicious parathas. She was too engrossed in her thoughts which only single mindedly followed their own radar… her husband… and she only missed Keshav more.

He had hardly spoken to her today morning as he had insisted on dropping her to CST station, though her group had arranged for a bus which could have picked her up. But as Keshav and she were about to leave home, he was called with an emergency at Novo Supremo and had apologetically looked at her.

“…Uh… Avanti…I am so sorry but there is this important thing I have to personally take care of in the company and I have to…go…so…”

“…Hey it’s alright … I will take a cab… just relax …ok …?” She had been a little disappointed but knew he was stressed already and she didn’t want to pile up on his miseries. The subtle breeze blowing around her with the scent of the jasmine flower plant in their compound courtesy D’Souza aunty, always alleviated her mood and now she smiled at him. Keshav starred at her even as the shadows of the nearby tree danced on his face and initially hesitated… but gently raised his hand and held a lock of her hair which had escaped the clutch she had contained them in. He tucked it behind her ear and she closed her eyes, slightly trembling in the warmth of his touch. He had moved the back of his palm on her cheek barely touching her and she had never felt more cherished and revered before.

“…Take care of yourself and… call…or…text me… I mean… if you aren’t busy…” He looked away.

“…I will… call you Keshav…and don’t forget to eat on time… and take your medicines and…” and at that moment she didn’t want to leave at all… He had nodded chuckling as she had got into the taxi which their driver had arranged for her drop.

Even now as she sat with her head leaning on the window as she watched the passing scenery, she kept touching her ear and cheek still feeling his touch… she had really lost it. It was only 5 hours now since she had last seen him and she yearned to hear his voice. She had removed her mobile phone umpteen times to call him but had almost speed dialled him and then disconnected immediately before the call could connect. She didn’t know why she hesitated… Some of the senior members of the group had teased her when she didn’t join them in their fun filled games and gossip… but she had only smiled and nothing at the moment seemed to impress her.

“…Hey Avanti…” Rahul joined her as he sat on the opposite berth.

“…Hi Rahul… so what’s up…?” She was happy to see Rahul in his regular avatar. She had missed her friend terribly but then he often read her mind and she was a lousy liar. She didn’t want him to find out the truth about her marriage…even now she had to be careful. He hadn’t taken the topic about her baba’s accident again and she was in a way glad about it. She had decided to do it in her own way once back from Hyderabad. She was happy he was here with her…it made the melancholy bearable.

“…Avanti, you look distressed… what’s bothering you…? Fought with Keshav is it…?”

Oh God here he comes again. “…Why do you think of something so absurd…?”

“…Come on Avanti…I know you very well. You don’t tolerate deceit and Keshav…” Rahul looked around to see if anyone was within hearing reach and lowered his voice further as he bent forward and continued. “…I know the circumstances of your wedding to that man, Avanti. My heart bleeds when I see you try… put up a smiling face before the world while I know your heart is bleeding inside…”

“…Rahul…it isn’t what you think…Keshav is a wonderful husband… a great guy…” she replied with her heart thudding. She hoped her traitorous tears didn’t give her away.

“…Oh really…? Then why does he work late in office… you come to office but leave separately… and why does he not have the same charm as a newly wedded husband…sorry Avanti the charade fails to do its job… nothing … nothing about you two projects itself like a happily married couple from any angle…”

Oh, that got her annoyed now. “…So, what are we supposed to do Rahul…? Dance around trees in Vedshastra premises, or kiss and hug each other in front of the employees…? Rahul for God’s sake, we are struggling to save Vedshastra from sinking…” Rahul shook his head and started to speak but she held up her hand. “…wait Rahul…just listen to me… you know nothing about my husband… but then I have not given anyone the right to badmouth him…”

Rahul held up his hands and gave her a side smile…his typical expression whenever he was annoyed with her. “…fine… whatever… I can see that you are desperately waiting for his call but the man hasn’t even texted…has he…? But you are my bestest friend Avanti and Rane kaka was someone I had high regards for. I can’t see you burn out and perish… I will be watching your back…”

“…Rahul… you don’t…”

“…Avanti… it pains me to see you hurt like this…pinning for someone who probably doesn’t feel the same…”

Though it hit closer home, Avanti knew it was futile arguing with Rahul so she changed the topic. “…could you track Arpita tai…? Any leads…?”

He shook his head in the negative. “…No…her phone is switched off still and since you insisted against it, I haven’t gone to the police… they could have kept her phone on surveillance. She hasn’t connected with any of her agencies or past work mates from the list you gave me… it’s like… she has disappeared from the face of the earth…”

Avanti’s heart fell. She had been angry with her sister but now she was worried. “Rahul… do you think she is ok…?”

“…Don’t worry Avanti…if anyone can take care of herself its Arpita. She just puts up this act before us… do you know…? I spoke to so many of her colleagues, discreetly though… and everyone vouched for her professionalism and commitment… can you believe that…?”

To say Avanti was stunned was an understatement… open mouthed she starred at Rahul as if he was an alien. Arpita and responsible…? Just implausible… But if what Rahul had found was true then that meant her sister had been making a fool of everyone… especially post her engagement. But why…? Why did she do all that…?

“Avanti…?” Rahul called out rousing her from her thought brigade. “…there is one more thing…Pramod is not missing. He is heavy on weed on a daily basis these days… I checked…he is totally wasted. There is no way he is in touch with Arpita…”

Avanti placed her palm on her head. She and her baba had always resented Pramod for his nasty habit of narcotic abuse. But Arpita had been hell bent on seeing him…. however now Avanti was happy… at least Arpita wasn’t involved with him. Small mercies were welcome too… she just hoped her sister was happy and living her life wherever she was.

The next morning, they reached Begumpet and within an hour Avanti settled into her hotel room she was twin sharing with a younger trainee from the music school. Fortunately, the girl kept to herself since Avanti was in no mood for small talk. There had been no text from Keshav… she had hoped he would do it last night and had eagerly checked her phone the moment she had woken at dawn in the train. Didn’t he even remember her once…? And here she was thinking about him, all her waking hours. Nonetheless she texted him about her reaching the hotel safely. Though she hated to agree, Rahul was right… Keshav probably didn’t reciprocate her feelings and as she blinked away the tears in her room, she hated herself for falling for the man…in spite of knowing the repercussions. She deserved the heartbreak… but then it hurt like hell. She clutched her chest and took in deep breaths. It was like she was in this dream from which she didn’t want to wake up from…. A dream where Keshav belonged to her body, mind and soul.  She shook her head and as she did her pranayama, she started to feel better… this was an important event and she had to see it through. That morning they had a luncheon with the event organisers and the involved NGO heads in a nearby restaurant and Avanti decided to focus on interacting with the dignitaries.

The luncheon was a beautiful mouth-watering spread of the traditional Hyderabadi biryani and other special dishes doled out by their speciality culinarians for the occasion. Though the aroma had others swooning over the buffet, Avanti was not in a mood. It was a huge struggle to get through every passing minute and she often found herself lost in thought and more often than not blinking back tears as her throat clogged with emotions even, she couldn’t pin point. All she wanted to do was rush back to Mumbai and cry her heart out… She often found Rahul watching her closely and she had to take care to hide her emotions. Later that evening they were treated to a small cruise on the Hussain Sagar Lake… seated in the heart of the city it was the largest man-made lake in Asia. The heart shaped lake circumvented by open spaces on all four sides, was extremely picturesque even as its surroundings twinkled in their distant splendour. Avanti for those moments forgot her agony and smiled looking around as the evening breeze blew her hair across her face…she just wished Keshav would be with her to tuck her unruly locks away… NO… she wouldn’t think about him.

 As she stared at the huge Buddha statue, she began to wonder… As per the story, it was installed because Buddha was a humanitarian who told the whole truth to the people. Would her moment of truth ever come…? Would she ever know the truth behind her father’s death…? Arpita’s disappearance and most of all Keshav’s intentions…? His feelings for her…? She felt the extra cold breeze on her face as she stared at the serene face of the statue and realised she had been crying. Thank fully the lights in the cruise were dim and she could hide them away. She wiped her face and turned back to join the others in the story their tour guide was entertaining them with. That evening after dinner Rahul and she walked around the hotel campus. It was a simple three-star hotel with basic amenities and very clean. They walked towards the little children’s play area and sat on the bench as she checked her phone for the nth time.

“…Tomorrow we are going to the Ramoji Film city… you know for the picture ops… the organisers wanted you to sing a bandish in their specially erected pandal… but then Guruma was strictly against it… she said…” Rahuls voice swayed into the background as she checked her phone yet again. Why didn’t Keshav bother to text as yet…he had read her message from morning… was he alright…? The scene from the last two times he had been sick flashed before her eyes and she clutched the phone to her chest. “…why don’t you call him…?”

 She suddenly looked at Rahul frowning. “…wha…what…? Sorry I missed what you said…”

“…that’s exactly what you have been doing ever since you boarded that train yesterday… just call him Avanti….”

“…you are telling me that Rahul…?”

“Avanti… how I feel about Keshav is immaterial. I can’t see you miserable… I have to call Anuj so am going for a stroll right around here… just call him OK…?” He stood and patted her on the head as he walked away.

Avanti stared at her phone as if she was seeing it for the first time. Taking in a deep breath she clicked his number and waited as the call went through. He answered on the first ring and her heart stopped. “Hello Avanti…?”

“…yea… hi…” she struggled to speak as her throat clogged yet again.

“…Avanti… are you…Ok…? Your voice is…”

“…I am fine… did you have dinner at home and take your medicines…?”

“…Yes, I did…did you have dinner…?”

“…yea…” She barely whispered as tears started to have their free way down her face.

“…Avanti… are you… crying…?” He sounded worried and she swore at herself.

“…No… no not at all…it’s the weather… Ok… then…catch up tomorrow…”

“…Avanti…wait…are you really… alright…?”

“…Yes… goodnight… bye…” she disconnected without bothering to hear a reply and switched off her phone. Holding it close to her chest she started to sob.

“…you are in love with him, aren’t you…?” Rahul came back to sit next to her. Did he hear her conversation? She didn’t reply and continued to cry holding her mouth to muffle the sounds. “…Avanti… come here…” he held her free hand and she clutched his palm as she hunched and cried her heart out. He rubbed her back and spoke. “…Avanti… you should tell him… you have been in love with him even when he was engaged to Arpita and now… Avanti… I don’t know what to say to you… does he feel the same…? I know he likes you though…”

She straightened up and rubbed her face with the back of her palm. “…Rahul… I don’t know anything now… and yes…I love him… I hadn’t expected it to happen but even if I try, I can’t stop being in love with him… Rahul…thank you for being there for me… and by the way…? who was the asshole who said love was beautiful…? It’s a bitch… its extremely painful Rahul…”

“…Hey Avanti… just remember I am always there for you no matter what… but I still feel you should talk to Keshav about your feelings… I know I don’t like him and don’t approve of him given his grey shades but then… for your sake…I will stop my crusade against him…I promise…”

She smiled amidst her tears feeling grateful to have a friend like Rahul. They walked back to the hotel and by the time she slept she was feeling a lot better than since last evening.

The next morning, she was back to her chirpy self, at least some of it… and she had a round of early morning rehearsal with her group after which they returned back to the hotel by 10 AM and were to leave in an hour for Ramoji studio. Avanti was in a better mood but as she got back to her room to change the feeling of despair once again began to settle in her heart… was Rahul correct…? Should she tell Keshav…? How would he react…? Would she lose the lovely friendship and camaraderie of the last few days…? Could she take the risk…? As she finished combing her hair, she realised she couldn’t go to Ramoji Studio…she didn’t feel like it and it would be difficult to fake her enthusiasm when all she wanted was to be left alone. She called Rahul and told him she wasn’t in a mood and wanted to rest for tomorrow’s performance. She was the lead singer so it was imperative she didn’t tire herself to the bone… Rahul agreed and asked her to take rest. Her roommate bid her goodbye as she left and Rahul texted her to take rest as soon as the group left the hotel.

She had just emerged from a bath and dressed in her loose track pants and t-shirt when the hotel intercom rang. Surprised, she answered it.

“…Hello Ma’am. This is the reception. There is someone here who wants to meet you….”

Avanti checked the time…who on earth wanted to meet her at 11AM in the morning in a new city… oh God was it any organiser wanting her to attend the Ramoji event for the photo shoot…? No, she wouldn’t go… “…Um hello…? I don’t know anyone here…whoever it is… I am in no mood to…”

“…ma’am sorry… but he says he is your husband…”

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

Chapter 15

Avanti stayed up still for an hour in the dark in her room where she had retreated to after her argument with Keshav. Her tears had long dried but the hurt in her heart was still all too raw. More than Keshav screaming, the fact that he refused to share anything with her irked her to no end. She was indeed a novice when it came down to the matters of the heart. She was the most comfortable with her little students in school. She remembered Arpita had once cried throughout the night after one of her many break-ups and she had asked her baba how she could understand what lay in a man’s heart. Her father had run his hand on her head and had said, “ Avu blala… there is no knowing what is in a man’s heart…if you are smart…you will know what to say but if you are wise you will know if you have to actually speak or not.” She had looked all confused at her father and he had chuckled. “…bala, let me put this in a way you will understand. Knowing a person is just like music…we first get attracted by the melody and as we get to know them…we learn their lyrics… so take some time to reach there Avu and never be in a hurry to fall into conclusions…”

Her eyes filled again as she realised, she was yet to learn Keshav’s lyrics. If only he would let her in. She sighed…all for planning a dinner for him… she deserved it for reading more into this marriage than what it was. She was too naïve to fall for his charms…she should have known better. He was a ruthless businessman true to his famed nature which she had read about. Maybe her father was attracted to Keshav’s passionate zeal to succeed… his soul stirring obsession to succeed in his career. Her father loved this tribe or maybe he had this strange sense of displacement of paternal emotions towards Keshav because his daughters had refused to take over the reins of his company. But her heart begged to differ…like on its own accord…it just knew and she wanted to trust it. Whatever it was she was in a soup and had to find ways to stay away from him…that would be the best for both of them. He wouldn’t ruin his health and she wouldn’t be hurt…

There was only one way in which she could distract herself from anything that troubled her. She took out her Harmonium and sat to hit the keys. Her favourite go-to raaga for her mood was the todi… it was meant to alleviate the pathos in the early stage of rendering as her guru had rightly said. Today she chose a beautiful poetry composition of her guru in the raaga for the poem by Maithili Sharan Gupt describing Kaikeyi’s pain in Ramayana. Kaikeyi was cursed and called evil for asking the two boons from king Dasharatha which banished Rama for a fourteen-year exile. What many are unaware is king Dasharatha had promised to make her son the crowned prince during their marriage. Kaikeyi was an intelligent woman and a warrior princess when Dasharatha fell in love with her. Her pride took a beating when Rama was made the crowned prince and she was destined to become a notional slave to Kaushalya. But eventually she came to her senses and Maithili Sharan Gupt describes her turmoil, her repentance, and her pleading with Rama to return back to Ayodhya, in his heart wrenching work. Avanti’s guru had entwined the beautiful lyrics of ‘kaikeyi ka Anutaap’ in raag Todi. As Avanti started the aalap and began to sing she was so immersed in her rendition that she failed to realise the door to her room opening and finally when she opened her eyes, overwhelmed with emotions… she saw Keshav seated on the floor before her, leaning back on the wardrobe, his eyes shut, face resting on his arm placed on his folded knee and a tear had escaped from the corner of his eye. Her heart went out to him right at that instant… was he too misunderstood like Kaikeyi?

As soon as she stopped, he opened his eyes and rubbed his face. He was a far cry from the earlier man she had exchanged words with but she couldn’t let her guard down. He had a bottle of water with him which he held out for her. She nodded and drank a couple of sips now relieved from the stressful aftermath of her encounters today. “Avanti… you are gifted indeed… you sing so beautifully… And I…I am sorry…for the way I reacted earlier…actually Rohini Jais…”

“…Its OK Keshav…” She interrupted him abruptly. “…I understand…totally… I am sure you have your reasons and I …shouldn’t have overstepped…Um… let me see what is there for dinner…” She excused herself and hastily rushed out of the room. She picked up the bags she had dropped earlier and kept them away. She prepared a quick dinner of daal khichdi… and watching her creation simmer on low flame, the aroma of ghee spreading around rousing her appetite, she decided it was time for some hard-core decision making. If she had to spend the next year in this house vacillating between her feelings for Keshav then she had to come to a mid-point with her relationship with him. There was no point expecting too much and then feeling the heart break every time her hopes crashed.

As they sat on the dining table enjoying the soul food, she wanted to make her point. “…Um…Keshav…?”

He looked up into her eyes. “…yea…”

“…um… actually… I think…um…”

“…Avanti…you can say anything you want to… don’t hesitate…”

“…No…actually… I didn’t like us arguing…I didn’t like that you yelled at me…not only did it hurt…but it will affect your health as well… I mean…”

“…Avanti…I am sorry…” He spoke with a stricken expression on his face those deep browns carrying an ocean of pain broiling in them. But she held up her hand to stop him, she wouldn’t get swayed by her emotion for him however it churned her insides.

“…let me finish Keshav… we are adults and matured enough to make decisions… also…um… we are to be staying together… for a year… so… I think it’s best to be cordial to each other… I mean… let’s not hurt each other… anymore…”

“…Yes…I agree…” he said softly.

She was relieved when he said that. She had mustered courage to speak the words and didn’t want her voice to quiver to lay bare her inner turmoil. “…Also…Keshav… um… can we be …friends…? My baba always said friends are with you every step of the way and specially in your low time…and Keshav…you have been there for us…for me when I have needed someone the most…just like a true friend…I… I barely have any friends…”

He stared at her with an expression she couldn’t figure out. “…Fine Avanti… lets be friends…” He kept his spoon down and held out his hand. “…friends…”

They shook hand and she felt light and happy as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. That night they sat up late, while he continued to work in the study, she finished some paperwork for her school. She had to visit school a few times for the handover of her class and notes. Closing that chapter of her life was particularly painful but it didn’t make sense to travel all the way and it would work well for her students too. She however promised to do her best to continue with her charity work with the school.

She loved to prepare their ritualic tea every evening which they had when they chatted in the breaks from work and was glad to have the camaraderie back… though deep in her heart she knew she wanted more of this…more of them together… a lot more. She had always prided on controlling her emotions very well…even when her sister was to tie the knot with Keshav when she was half way in love with him. But now, whenever Keshav was around, those emotions were scattered all around. Her susceptible sentiments were beyond her control…for music and her singing it was a blessing in disguise but as far as Keshav was concerned it was her greatest weakness.

The next few days were absolutely uneventful and Avanti didn’t know if she had to be thankful for getting into a groove in her new life or worry if it was a lull before the storm. Her day began with visiting Vedshastra with Keshav and the entire working day would be busy as she even began learning the handling of the accounts…Mukherjee uncle surprisingly was helpful too and explained the little details to her. She stayed clear of Prantik’s topic and Mr. Mukherjee too didn’t talk about him. She had heard that Prantik was still banned in the area and no one had heard about him for a long time now. Some even spoke about him getting a job out of town… She hoped he could mend his ways for Mukherjee uncle’s sake. Avanti focussed on learning and was yet to go through the major books but considering she was so very outside her comfort zone she was taking meaningful baby steps. Her couple’s time with Keshav during lunch hour was very special to her where he would share his experiences as a newbie in his work place and the mistakes he had made. It gave her a lot of confidence whenever he encouraged her. Most of all she loved the time she got to spend watching and learning from him…he was an epitome of dedication and hard work. She accompanied him to meetings and he even took her few times to Novo Supremo where she was greeted by his staff with great excitement and thrill. She had a smile plastered to her face all day long and his staff regaled her with the working of the company and she was in awe of the respect and loyalty they demonstrated towards Keshav and by virtue of their marriage… towards her as well. She was totally at ease and chatted freely with Keshav who also looked serene in spite of the work tensions. They discussed everything except family and she was OK with it so far as it helped her keep up her peace of mind. She had lost her heart to Keshav and she could only hope that he would realise its value someday.

She often visited her music school as well to prepare for the upcoming event in Hyderabad. There were barely five days left now and she still hadn’t shortlisted her songs for the same. Rahul was conspicuous by his absence. She was told he came late in the evenings and rehearsed his parts… she didn’t get to speak with him at work as well because they rarely crossed paths and she missed his carefree company. Back home she made it a point to prepare dinner for Keshav daily before he arrived from work. She often left early from work with the driver on Keshav’s insistence while he sat back late with the R and D unit heads. Though he never mentioned during their innumerable chats at home, she knew he was stressed about her father’s formula which was missing. She often caught him lost in thought with a forlorn look on his face… she even heard him argue with Kamya recently and from what she realised from the talk she heard one-sided he was upset with Kamya and had probably something to do with her boyfriend.  Why was he so bothered about boyfriends of the women in his family…? They weren’t small kids for crying out aloud. Keshav didn’t appear to be a control freak as Rohini had mentioned but she still couldn’t understand his high handedness when it came to the women in the family. Well she wouldn’t know…she didn’t have brothers and her father didn’t have to worry much about her. If he was worried about Arpita he never let it show. She only wished she had some idea where her father could have hidden the formula and what was in it that was so important for Keshav’s interest in Vedshastra.  At least that would have reduced his stress levels a little. She was in regular contact with her mother who seemed to be happy at her maternal home in the village. But so far there was no sign of Arpita which made her worry sometimes.

It was Thursday evening and she was packing for the six-day event at Hyderabad. She was leaving late morning the next day and they were to take the train from Mumbai CST in the afternoon and alight at Begumpet the next morning on Saturday at around 7.15 AM if all went as per schedule. They had a couple of meetings to attend as prequels to the main event. Sunday was a rest day and Monday and Tuesday they had the charity event at the famous Sheetalaramam auditorium in the heart of Hyderabad. They were to be put up in a hotel close to the auditorium to save time and also to enable rehearsals. They were to leave for Mumbai on Wednesday and reach on Thursday. Avanti had been looking forward to the event for the last three months ever since it was first announced. She had wanted a break from the mundane hassles at home and Arpita’s marriage preparations then. But today as she shut her little suitcase her heart wasn’t in the right place. She didn’t want to leave Keshav… no… NO…she couldn’t have the attachment. Her eyes filled thinking of how it would be after the year was done with… how would she bear to stay away from Keshav. She was getting attached to him, irrespective of her determination, her resolve weakening with every passing day.

“…so…all set for tomorrow Avanti…?”

She startled hearing Keshav behind her. “…Hey when did you arrive…?”

“…a little while ago… and stepped in here when you were lost in thought… what is it…? Any problem…?”

“…Oh no… not at all… come on let’s have dinner…” Avanti tried to go around him to exit the room. He caught her arm and stopped her as she looked up straight into the pair of her favourite eyes boring deep into hers.

“…why the hurry Avanti…? You will be gone for almost six days… so why don’t we just… chat…?”

Avanti nodded and while she prepared the chapatis he sat right there in the kitchen and they talked about all the humdrum ordinary matters related to work place and home. Keshav had a humorous side to him which Avanti had recently known of and she loved that aspect more. He was quick witted and could pull off a joke with a neutral face… even now as she stood in the kitchen, she cracked up time and again as he regaled her with some funny stories of his mistakes at work from the past. Avanti didn’t want the moment to end…it was the most he had spoken at length and she had enjoyed every instant.

Later post dinner he put up a movie…Sweet Home Alabama… oh her favourite… She had just told him once in passing and was touched by his gesture… but was still at a loss about the reason for his behaviour the other day. He seemed relaxed after many days as well so she let it pass. As the movie progressed, she couldn’t focus on anything accept the enigma of a man seated beside her. His hand was on the backrest behind her and though he didn’t touch her he was just… too close. When it screened her favourite scene where the female protagonist Reese Witherspoon was proposed by the Mayor’s son in the Jewellery shop, she as always got all mushy and teary.

“…Hey…all Ok…?” He must have heard her sniffle her tears.

“…Yea…it’s just that it’s so romantic… I had watched this movie years later after its release when I was about sixteen… and had stars in my eyes… silly dreams at that age…I fantasised my guy doing something like this for me whenever he would propose…” She chuckled.

“…but don’t you think such dreams are overrated…? We have to have an ambition…some goal in life…”

Oh God could he be more cynical? What a way to ruin the mood…She shook her head “…I agree… goals are important to move forward but dreams give you the power…they propel you forward so you reach those goals… Any ways…” She switched off the TV. “…OK listen… I have discussed the menu with Mrs. Sinha and she will be coming in the evening as well to make dinner for you. Do not…I repeat…do not eat outside food…” She stopped as she looked at his amused look. “…And take your medicines on time or else Kamya di will be upset…” as soon as she mentioned his sister his face fell and he looked away rubbing his face. He stood up to walk away but she couldn’t leave the conversation half way for the next six days. She stood up as well and held his hand. “…Wait Keshav… what is it…? Sorry but I overheard your conversation on the phone the other day… is Kamya di alright…?” He didn’t answer and just looked blankly at the wall. She let go of his hand. “…Its ok… I … was just worried that’s all…I didn’t mean to intrude…and…”

“…Kamya is seeing someone whom she wants to marry and I don’t approve…” He said in one breath interrupting her.

“…Why don’t you approve Keshav… Kamya di is a successful doctor with a strong head on her shoulders…”

He turned towards her his expression pained. “…Avanti…that’s because I know the guy… Sahil Kulshreshtra… he is my childhood friend and we had grown up together…family friends at one time…”

“…Then what is the problem…? You should be happy that…”

“… Avanti there is a history with the Kulshrestras… Your father knew them too… Sahil’s father who was closest to my father…literally partners in crime… he refused to help us when we were almost on the roads…can you beat that…? We… just me and Kamya… were left to fend for ourselves… we have gone through so much….and now she seems to have forgotten everything … She wants to get married into that household…no… Avanti, I won’t allow that to happen…” He walked back to his room rubbing his face. That was the maximum he had ever spoken to her about his family. She wondered what was the true story was…nonetheless she hoped to talk to Kamya indirectly once she got back and now, she had to focus on her upcoming trip.

As she slept that night, she couldn’t help but wondering how much she would miss Keshav…but then missing someone was a part of loving them…wasn’t it? She knew she was in love with Keshav… had always been… but then would being apart show her how strongly she felt for him…?

But what would be the outcome of all these feelings and their analysis… it would be futile. A tear fell down her cheek on the pillow on the side she had turned to sleep.  This was a one-sided affair, but then…she would always keep him in her heart…forever.

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 14

The next couple of days were uneventful as Avanti visited Vedshastra and tried to get a hang of the administrative work pertaining to Keshav alone so that he could focus totally on the R and D… She met Rahul on a couple of occasions but except for exchanging pleasantries they barely spoke to each other. Yesterday she had finished her work early and had gone to her Panvel bungalow to resume her search for the black book…She even looked for some clues if her father had left her any like … the game they played in childhood. She made a new list of all the bank lockers and secret places where her father would keep away stuff to conceal from even the family. Avanti of course was given an idea because she helped her father maintain them. There was no corner she didn’t miss till Keshav picked her up on his way home. And…they had their occasional moments where she caught him staring at her and smiling as he looked away. They had lunch together jesting about something mundane and she loved to listen to him crack little jokes. She knew he did it to help bring down her anxiety. Her heart fluttered sending the tiny butterflies from her stomach scamper around her insides. She was so much in love with him… she wondered if he felt anything remotely close… for her… She knew he had been in love with her sister at one time and wondered if he would feel the same for her someday…but then a girl could hope!

It was Friday and she had her date with her step-mother-in-law. Rohini Jaiswal had sent her the address of a fancy restaurant in Chembur itself and Avanti was glad because she wanted to return home before Keshav did. She also had to be extra careful because Keshav had a set of eyes on her. He had said it was for her protection but she had always wondered what the reason was. Akshat had finally ruled out any foul play in Keshav’s recent incident in Vedshastra and while it relieved her to an extent, she got the vibes of something being amiss and made it a point to figure things out on her own before talking to Akshat about it. It looked like her self-sleuthing skills had to be upped given the increasing list!.

Meanwhile she had to figure out how to meet Rohini Jaiswal and also keeping it from Keshav… She knew he had a strained relationship with the woman but Kamya was warm with the lady so Avanti had to take care not to antagonise her. Keshav was to visit Novo Supremo today since Vedshastra was shut every Friday and she had already mentioned in passing that she was to visit some friends in the same area where the restaurant was. He hadn’t responded probably because he had been dug in a pile of files on his study when she had gone to give him the evening tea which was soon becoming a ritual. As she adjusted her salwar-kameez, her favourite set in her existing wardrobe, her eyes fell on her instruments. She realised she had to get back to riyaaz as soon as possible for the upcoming concert in Hyderabad and there was barely any time. She wondered if she had missed out a lot and if she could regain her octaves if she did… but then she remembered the quote on the wall of her music school which said, ‘music once admitted to the soul becomes a sort of spirit and never dies…’ Her father too believed in the same… he always linked music with the soul. Speaking of soul, she hoped to sing for Keshav someday… thinking about his reaction to her song on his birthday and his immense knowledge on the subject. In the last two days he had been engrossed with work and since his voice was better her was busy with phone calls as well and they never got intimate like they did in his cabin or study…she missed him…

She hailed a cab and took a roundabout way to reach the restaurant which indeed was classy… Rohini Jaiswal did have great taste. She was taken by the supervisor in charge of fine dining to the closed booth and Rohini Jaiswal was already present. Dressed in a black sleeveless gown she didn’t look much older to Kamya, her uncanny resemblance to actress Pooja Bedi increasing her oomph factor all them more. She leaned back on the cushioned headrest as Avanti greeted her and stepped inside the booth. They ordered tea and pav bhaji which happened to be a speciality here according to Rohini Jaiswal. As they waited for their order to be furnished, Rohini Jaiswal sighed. “…So dear… how is married life treating you… rather… let me rephrase… how is my SON treating you…?”

Avanti was taken aback at her tone but then there was no love lost between Rohini Jaiswal and Keshav, according to what she had heard. “…Um… all’s good Mrs…”

“…Oh, just call me Rohini… I am not much older than you guys… I am just 42 for God’s sake banished into oblivion and treated like a fly on the wall by my own family…” She looked away and for a moment Avanti felt for her. She didn’t know what to tell her and was contemplating on the same when Rohini Jaiswal continued. “…these Goyal men are opportunistic scumbags… and Keshav…? Like father like son… His late father just used me…I gave up my career for that man…you know Avanti…I was the highest paid model those days. I fell for that man’s sob story and he married me promising me the world… I grew up in poverty and had to struggle my way up and I got carried away…” She looked out of the booth window and Avanti saw her eyes fill… “…Avanti…I… I didn’t know he had kept our marriage hidden from the world… he had kept me in that fucking ancestral home in Hisar and I had then thought it was an honour… Honour my foot… I was just his arm candy for his visitors in Hisar and our twins were barely one when the old fart passed away…. He didn’t leave me a dime the slimy old man… just some bonds for the twins…I was stuck…with no formal education or opportunities, I was really stuck with two children…”

She was silent… lost in thought so Avanti spoke. “…How did you manage then…?”

“…Oh…I lived on those bonds for a while since I was a caretaker and then the great Keshav Goyal stepped in…so I got a roof over my heads and my children got to live a good life and pursue good education…”

“…So that’s good Rohini… isn’t it…?”

Rohini Jaiswal snickered and looked away. “Good…” she laughed and rubbed her eyes. “…Good…? Do you know the price I had to pay for Keshav’s charity…? I had to give up my youth… for taking care of the house and that sister of his… but she is a sweet girl…Kamya… never mistreated me… She has been good to the twins too. Avanti, when the twins grew older and Kamya too moved to the hostel I had thought I could pursue my dreams… but then Keshav… he couldn’t stand to see me happy…I was sent back to Hisar and my children separated from me and do you believe it…? They idolise their cruel half-brother over me…they listen to him and I am afraid he is turning my Nirav into another pathetic Goyal…”

“…No Rohini…you are mistaken here…Your children love you…I have seen it in their eyes… you should be proud of them… you have raised them well…”

Their order arrived and as they ate, Rohini Jaiswal spoke. “…Avanti… Keshav is a lucky asshole… he got you in his life… but I pity you…that whatever the reasons…you are tied to him…” Oh God how much did the lady know…?

“…Um…No…I think you are mistaken…” Avanti tried dousing the fire.

“…You and Keshav may fool the world but not me, Avanti… I know yours is a marriage of convenience… Otherwise why would Keshav a Casanova marry a simple…a plain Jane like you…?” She suddenly looked up and raised her palm. “…no offence… When it was your sister, I didn’t really bother… because the kind of attitude she had I knew it was some arrangement… they suited each other… But then you Avanti… why did you have to get into this crap…? He doesn’t deserve you…”

Avanti’s throat choked up with emotions. “…Its… not what you think Rohini… Anyways, was there anything specific that you needed to talk about…?” changing topics seemed to be a better idea.

The waiter arrived to take their plate away and placed fresh cups of tea. Rohini Jaiswal sighed again. “…Look Avanti… I won’t beat around the bush… actually… I am seeing someone… he … he truly loves me… but Keshav won’t let go of the shackles he has tied me with…”

“…have you spoken to Keshav about it…?”

“…Of course, I have… the bastard… I am sorry… Keshav threatened me Goddamn it… He has asked me to go back to Hisar… And I don’t want to go to that hellhole now… He has said he would get me back on the roads along with my children…”

“…Oh… come on Rohini… I know Keshav loves the twins… he would do no such thing…” Avanti was getting annoyed at Rohini Jaiswal now…she somehow felt defensive towards Keshav.

“… You are an Angel Avanti… you don’t know your husband and what he is capable of… But then… I have seen the way he looks at you… he is smitten and I think if you talk to him, he will… let me go…” She held Avanti’s hands across the table. “…you see…Avanti… I want nothing for myself…I don’t want any share of property or money…nothing at all… The guy I am seeing has it all… But my children… they are also Goyals and I am worried Keshav will be vengeful against them… So, Avanti…please talk to him…”

“…I will…give it a try… but I don’t promise you anything Rohini… I have to get going now…”

“…Avanti I think you are too trusting when it comes to Keshav and you don’t believe what I say… Keshav is against that man I am seeing saying it’s his gut feeling… that’s ridiculous. Let me introduce you to Parminder … you will know what a great human he is…”

“…Um…I don’t really know about that…”

“…Please Avanti… please don’t refuse… you are my only hope now…I have a right to be happy after all that I have gone through… please…” Rohini Jaiswal spoke with tears streaming down her pretty face… threatening to ruin her makeup.

“…Ok ok… once I get back form my concert in Hyderabad…I will meet your guy…ok…? And I will also talk to Keshav… but again… don’t keep your hopes high… I am a new entrant into his life…”

Rohini Jaiswal nodded as they both stood and Avanti left earlier towards the cool cab stand…she didn’t have the patience to wait for an OLA.  Throughout the journey back home she kept pondering over what Rohini Jaiswal told her… well her life got more complicated than ever… Oh baba… how I miss you…

It was 6PM when she reached the elevators taking her to the house and she was glad she could make it in the traffic on Sion-Trombay road in spite of the evening peak hour traffic. She didn’t want to face Keshav and lie to him… it was better he didn’t know details. He had raised an eyebrow when she had mentioned about meeting her friends today and she had purchased spinach and cottage cheese on the way home to prepare Keshav’s favourite Palak-paneer for dinner… She wanted to cook for him and smiled to herself wondering about the look on his face when he took the first bite… As she stepped into the house, she immediately knew she wasn’t alone. But the drawing room was dark and there was no light coming from the study as well… she shook her head trying to drive away the paranoia and stepped in to switch on the lights.

“…So what did mother dearest have to say to her darling daughter-in-law…about her prodigal son…?”

Avanti dropped the bag in her hand startling as the lights came on and revealed Keshav sprawled on the couch in his home clothes… “…Um…what are you talking about …. you are back home early today…are you alright…?” Avanti was a tad bit worried.

“…Cut the façade of being a caring wife Avanti… and please don’t test my intelligence… I may be a fucking number of other adjectives to fill a dictionary but stupid is not one of them…I know you met Rohini Jaiswal today…”

The nerve of him to have gotten her followed again. “…Ok fine… I met her… I didn’t tell you only because I knew you wouldn’t like it…”

“…then why the hell did you meet with her…?” He stood throwing the TV remote on the couch, hands on his hips…his face with clearly annoyed expressions.

“…I met her because she requested me… she wanted to talk… she… she is miserable, Keshav…”

“…there you go… to save the world. The deceitful woman calls you and you drop everything and even lie to me…try to escape my eyes out there and meet her… it looks like she has got you convinced with her sob story… about how I have tormented her…”

“…Look Keshav…I don’t know if she is telling the truth or not…. But she is desperate to stay in Mumbai with her lover… I think you need to let her go…”

“…Let her go…?  Have you lost your mind Avanti…? You know nothing about the woman and want me to just… let her fucking go…?” he was breathing heavily his taught neck muscles straining the skin covering them… his veins threatening to pop out any moment.

“…ca… calm down Keshav… it’s just that she was so upset…I felt for her… she doesn’t want to go back to Hisar and… she doesn’t want to be away from her children… that’s un…I just feel that’s unfair…”

Keshav starred at her his gaze burning a hole in her forehead and then suddenly his face turned expressionless. “…Let me make one thing clear Avanti… you are my wife on paper… do what you want… in your personal life…I don’t care…but my family is NOT YOUR CONCERN… do you understand…? So just stay out of my family matters…” He slammed the remote to the floor breaking it into pieces along with her startled heart and turning around the couch walked back to his room… he slammed the door so hard the sound reverberated in the huge house.

Avanti sat on the couch with a thud, tears streaming down her face… what did she do wrong to deserve this…? Keshav refused to share anything and expected her to understand… She had thought they had something going on… but it probably was just a dream… and she was now wide awake…

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 13

Avanti watched Keshav’s stooped form dragging itself out of her room, gradually blurring as fresh hot tears flooded her eyes and made their way out even as the door clicked shut behind him. She threw herself on the bed and sobbed into the pillow. She had raised her voice in frustration at Keshav, but it was she who felt the hurt piercing her heart. In spite of what Rahul told her or the circumstances of her marriage she couldn’t get herself to hate or even doubt Keshav. Something about the man tugged at her heartstrings. Just then she heard her phone pinged alerting her of incoming messages. Wiping her eyes, she sat upright and checked them. Rahul had been true to his words and had sent the pictures of the documents he had told her about. With a list attached for her reference:

1. Agreement of the transfer deal between Feather Folks airlines Pvt ltd and Novo Supremo with the signed authority being Keshav Goyal a year ago.
2. Letter of official request for the commercial charter aircraft JC369 for use on -23^rd June- to return on 27^th June from Frankfurt Germany signed again by Keshav Goyal with beneficiary as Dnyaneshwar Rane. It had met its fateful end on 23^rd itself.
3. Details about the pilot Commander R.S Gadgil who was ex air force and had over 200 hours of flying recorded in his name.
4.  Details about three other members, one representative of R and D, Novo Supremo and other two were crew members.
5. Maintenance of aircraft JC369 exclusively by an outsourced company Shanbad enterprise and the contract signed a month prior to her father’s passing.  They had cleared the aircraft for flying on 23^rd June. There was the signature of the maintenance engineer for the day, Shansunder Valmiki with a contact number.

Avanti sat up frowning…deep in thought. The inspector in charge of the investigation had told her then, that the aircraft had developed a technical snag which unfortunately proved hazardous. Eventually it was declared an accident and she had been too upset and busy handling her family to notice anything amiss. Keshav had been taking care of the formalities for them. Did he counter check…? Given the resources at his disposal…it would have been possible for him. But he had been busy as well… salvaging what was left of the project without her father being around. Why Rahul suspected Keshav… was beyond her but as she sat upright, she decided she would do her own sleuthing. It was imperative that she find out the presence of any foul play with the so-called accident. As she drifted off to sleep, she realised it was important for the truth to emerge not only for her closure but also to reinstate her complete trust in Keshav…

The next day she woke up late in the morning after a disturbed sleep. Keshav had already left for office and Mrs. Sinha was busy with the preparations for lunch. Avanti walked into the kitchen to get some tea for herself and wondering if she had to text Keshav…his voice had gone bad last night and guilt ate at her. She had wanted to ask him so many things… they only threw accusations at each other and she landed being hurt and hurting him further. No…that wasn’t the way to go about it. As she sipped her tea lost in thought Mrs. Sinha patted her shoulder. “…Its fine Avanti… He will get over it… it’s all new for him…I think he will take a little while…He may look tough from the exterior but he is a great guy Mr. Keshav… Can I say something…if you don’t mind…?”

Avanti smiled and nodded. “…you can tell me anything Mrs. Sinha… you know that… don’t you…?”

“…Uh…About Mr. Keshav…he has seen a lot of upheavals in his life…that man… he has lived for his family… for his employees and no matter what curve ball life threw him… he has bounced back… I have seen him earlier as well when he was a little boy… my sister was his nanny and I helped with other household chores in their home…. That bungalow is long gone now… but… there are too many painful memories for him, which have stayed…” Mrs. Sinha sighed and looked back at Avanti taking a break from stirring the stew. “… Avanti, last couple of years… somehow I felt he isn’t… you know…his old self… He seems to be giving up… and that’s unlike him. He doesn’t say anything to anyone but I …I have seen it many times. I don’t know what it is… whether its Kamya or the twins or that step mother of his… no idea at all… but something has been eating him up… I saw him happy the other day with you after a long-long-time…” Mrs. Sinha smiled and went back to her cooking even as Avanti tried to figure out what she just heard. “…Avanti…today…Mr. Keshav didn’t eat anything… he didn’t even speak or look at me like he usually does… he just left home… I thought I should let you know…”

“…thank you, Mrs. Sinha, … I will take care of it… and thank you for telling me about him…” Avanti smiled and left the kitchen. She had made up her mind for now. She had her work cut out for her and strangely that gave her the calm she was yearning for. She saw that Keshav had not taken his medicines for today from the kit and she picked them up with her. She then quickly filled the tiffin box with the fresh lunch prepared by Mrs. Sinha and left for Vedshastra as soon as possible. It took her longer than usual because she didn’t have the car at her disposal and getting an OLA took a while. Finally, it was nearing 1PM by the time she reached Vedshastra. She went straight to the third floor where Keshav had got himself an office made and walked slowly through the corridor leading to his cabin. The floor was empty as the employees of the research lab and the attached storage unit had gone for lunch and she wondered if Keshav would be busy. She looked around shuddering at the thought of Keshav being hurt…and hoped that the chemical leak was just an accident as it was now turning out to be. In fact, she was happy to see a barrier that had been put between the two wings separating Keshav’s from the laboratory unit. She hadn’t called him or texted him and she wondered what he would think of her visit.

As she moved towards the cabin, she peeped in through the glass wall partition stepping inside the waiting area. He hadn’t appointed any receptionist so there was no one to stop her … but what she saw broke her heart into zillion pieces. Keshav was hunched on his chair with his head in his hands…with the same despondent body language as she had seen him last night. She couldn’t take it anymore as she opened to door and barged inside. He startled and looked up, his eyes red as if he was sick… oh God he hadn’t eaten anything…was he getting that episode again…? She placed the bag on the floor and moved towards him even as he stared at her with surprise written on his handsome frowning face. She crouched before him and sat on her heels. Taking his hands in hers she looked at him. “…Keshav are you upset or angry because of what I said…? In that case… why are you torturing yourself…? Why are you ruining your health…? You didn’t eat your breakfast… And you look sick. You haven’t even recovered from the last….” Before she could say anything more, he bent grabbing her head and pulling her closer slammed his mouth on hers.

That was probably what she needed as well; she circled her hands around his neck as she kissed him back with all she had. He tugged at her hair and she gasped… that was the opening he just wanted and his tongue made its way into her warm softness. He tasted of the coffee from the machine which she had had numerous times whenever she had visited her father and she hated it… she held him closer as if her life depended on it and he tightened his hold as well getting her closer to sit on his lap. As their tongues met it was nothing short of a short-circuited electricity surging through her veins and she was flying up higher and higher…. It was well over half a minute when they withdrew and he touched her forehead with his as they panted life into their aroused selves.

“…Avanti…” he spoke in a terribly hoarse voice and immediately a bout of cough caught him in its clutches. Avanti immediately stood up and rubbed his back as he pulled her close and dug his head into her midriff. She held him close and softly ran down her hand on his back till she felt his taut back muscles relax. She only wished she could know what was troubling him so much….it was definitely more than the laryngeal inflammation.

“…Keshav… don’t say anything please… just nod a yes or no… OK…?”

He moved back and nodded as he rubbed a trembling hand over his face.

“…did you eat anything here in the morning…?” she asked him. He nodded in affirmative and pointed towards a plate kept on another neighbouring table. She saw few bits of poha. Ok…so had something…she was relieved.

She took out two plates and served the stew and boiled rice which Mrs. Sinha had meticulously packed in a casserole so it stayed warm. “…here… first eat lunch and then take your medicines…. We can talk later OK…?”

He chuckled silently and nodded as they both dug into the delicious lunch. She knew it was one of his favourite food and she was glad she had come. After a while as they sat facing each other, she spoke. “…Keshav…about yesterday…I didn’t intend to say… I mean I didn’t intend to hurt you …Ok…? But then you can’t be careless about your health…  you know you can’t afford to be sick… You haven’t taken the medicines for the throat… last night as well as today morning… Listen to me carefully…” She looked into his eyes and moved her chair closer as she held his hands. “…I know… saving Vedshastra is a priority for us, getting that formula prepared by baba is of utmost importance… I mean who but I would know, wouldn’t I …? It’s not only my father’s life which had revolved around it… we had to… get married… with this in mind… we have gone through a lot. But all said and done, I wouldn’t want anything to jeopardise your health… just promise me something…” She again looked at him. He was listening to her intently and the grip on her hand had tightened. He probably was as anxious as her. “… Ok… from today… we are in this together… I know I don’t have the pharmaceutical or chemical knowledge…. But that’s fine…there are many other things here… I will be…um… your receptionist or something… But you will share everything with me…however cataclysmic or heart-breaking it may be… is that ok…? I am not questioning your decisions Keshav… because I trust my father’s judgement… And he trusted you.”

He sighed and leaned back on the head rest shutting his eyes. She guessed he must have pulled an all-nighter after their squabble last night and her conscience ate at her. He needed his rest for the trauma his throat had gone through…rest all could wait. “…Keshav lets go home now… enough for today…” She had thought he would argue but surprisingly he nodded and in the next half an hour they wound up work and left for home. They didn’t speak in the car while he just dozed off and back home, he silently walked into his room shutting himself in and she hoped he would get his much-needed repose. As she got back to her room and freshened up, she looked into the mirror. Her lips still tingled where he had kissed her and she smiled coyly. Just then her phone buzzed… it was an unknown number.

“Hello…?”

“…Hello Avanti… this is…Rohini Jaiswal…your…uh…step mother-in-law…”

“…Oh…um… hello …um…what is it…?” She was caught unawares and didn’t know how to react.

“…look Keshav must have hardly told you anything about me or our family in general… I know him…” she heard a sigh at the other end. “…Anyway, we haven’t got acquainted as yet… I would like to meet you… How about tomorrow for tea…?”

“…Um… actually I will be at work… what about Friday… the company is closed… so it’s a holiday for me…”

“…uh…ok…will do… I will text you the address… and Avanti…?”

“…yes…?”

“…don’t tell Keshav anything about it… he doesn’t like me at all so I don’t want any trouble coming your way…”

Avanti took a moment and then agreed before disconnecting the call. She had thought her problems in life were grave enough to worry. But here was her husband who dealt with multiples of such problems and never swayed… her respect for him grew a notch higher. She missed his voice and hoped he would recover soon.

That night Keshav had dinner before she emerged from her room and he gestured he was working late. She nodded, surprised at his emotionless expression… but his eyes they spoke about his inner turmoil… they were a reservoir of something brewing there and she wanted to find out what it was. But at the moment she left him alone. Later that night she couldn’t sleep a wink and as she came outside and glanced towards the shut study, the light was on and she knew he was working. She went to the kitchen and prepared her special recipe of honey-lemon tea…it always helped soothe her throat during her performances and she wanted him to feel the relief as well. Besides she also wanted to check if he had taken his medicines. Kamya had texted her earlier that she was going to be away in Delhi for next couple of weeks and that Keshav had to take his medicines regularly. Avanti had promised her she would see to it… well she had to keep the promise…

She took the tray towards the study and knocked before slightly opening the door. He was busy reading a bundle of papers and as soon as he saw her, he gave her a tired smile gesturing her inside. She had worn her favourite comforting night outfit, her pink t-shirt on white loose track pants… She felt comfortable and also a little conscious before his scrutinising eyes. He looked hot in her favourite grey knitted sweat shirt that he usually wore at home. She looked around the study as she sat on a little couch nearby and placed the tray on the small centre table. Though she had often been here she had never had the time or inclination to observe the room. It was then she saw his beautiful collection of books across genres on the wall to wall book shelf… she watched open mouthed at the never-ending spread before her. She definitely had lots to explore… On the wall adjoining the shelf was a framed picture of Keshav and Kamya as little kids… they were so adorable she couldn’t help smiling. There was another framed picture of Keshav smiling free spiritedly into the camera…probably from his modelling days. He looked much younger and she hoped she could help him get the peace of mind someday… and the smile back on his face.

Shaking her head, she poured tea in two cups and walked towards him, placing his cup on his study table. “… here… take a break now… feel the goodness of this special tea… it will soothe your throat…” As she turned to leave, he caught her hand and pulled her towards him… she landed on his lap her hair all over her face with the movement even as she held his hard shoulders for support. He weaved his fingers through her unruly locks and tucked the strands behind her ears as he glanced into her eyes… his eyes holding a different emotion than the one she had seen earlier and she just wanted to drown into their alluring depths. He pulled her down towards him and they kissed…but unlike earlier in the day…there was no urgency in them…it was slow and sensuous…. The caress of his lips much softer this time. As his tongue roamed around her lower lip within, her heart caught… his beard softly tickled her sensitive mouth as they fused closed to each other, with his other hand he held her torso and pulled her closer so she was completely touching him chest to chest… even as he continued exploring her softness.

She heard a moan and realised it had its origins in her throat and at that moments he realised why she was here… his tea! Supporting herself with her hand on his chest, she moved back as he frowned, she silently laughed and pointed towards the tea. “…Have… have you taken your medicine…? Um…Kamya di had texted earlier to remind you about it…” She tried to move away from him but he held her tight and for the next few moments as he sipped the hot beverage, he held her close… not that she was complaining as she took in the fragrance of his shampoo, with her hand around his shoulder.

Finishing his tea, he turned towards her and moving her hair aside, placed a few light kisses on her shoulder close to him. “…Avanti…” He said with a voice much better and audible now compared to morning. “…I am fine…” he muttered into her ears and her heart pounded. She was a novice and didn’t know what to do or how to react. All she wanted to do was kiss him senseless and maybe more…

“…Keshav… I…um…have to go to bed early… very tired today… um… you finish your work soon …OK…?” She didn’t know why, though she didn’t want to be anywhere, but in his arms, she knew there was a lot of unsaid matter between them which had to be sorted. He only chuckled as he let her go this time.

She finished her tea and as she took the tray back to the kitchen, she was sure of one aspect that she was completely into this marriage now… for the long haul. Well if wishes were horses…

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 12

Keshav was in high spirits… He had literally finished his day’s work in marathon speed just to get back to spend time with Avanti. Never before had he wanted to rush back home from work, for the simple reason…there was no one waiting for him. Even when he was a kid, except in the initial couple of years there was no parent or grandparent but the appointed uninterested nannies who waited for Kamya and him to return from school… not out of love but because they had to finish their enlisted chores for the day which included feeding an unrelenting little Kamya who wanted her mother and an extra obedient Keshav. His only fear was the then current nanny would leave and his father would throw a drunken fret around the house or bring a new ‘aunty’ along with him, resulting in his mother getting further depressed than she already was. He had no good memories with his parents…no birthday celebrations, no picnics, outings, no family dinners…nothing at all. His mother barely spoke to him in the seven years of his life that he had seen her and even today he vividly recollected the day when he had found her…

Keshav rubbed his fatigued face as he remembered as a seven-year-old, entering their huge house only to see a little Kamya still in her nursery class uniform, sleeping peacefully on the living room couch. A look at her messed up hair and reddened face and he knew she had cried herself to sleep probably not had anything to eat. The house was quiet indicating the current nanny hadn’t yet come for the day or had left early or even worse, left the job. But something about the silence hadn’t felt right…Usually during silence claiming their home, he always felt the reassurance of his mother’s presence at home, irrespective of the fact that she was oblivious to Kamya and him. But that day he could feel it…something was amiss…his seven-year-old brain could only fathom that bit and nothing beyond that. He had seen his school friends with their mothers for different events in school and had wished for his mom to be there as well. But neither of his parents ever showed up for anything at all and the heavy donation from his father had sealed the lips of the school authorities who tolerated him for the booty he got in and of course he was a no-trouble kid scoring good grades. He did however, occasionally hear some of the teachers talk about him being privileged and something about his parents thinking it was below their dignity to visit his school… if only they knew what he had to go through…

That day, little Keshav had climbed upstairs and walked towards his mother’s bedroom on trembling legs and as if on autopilot had clicked open the latch… the door was never locked. And it was then he had seen her… Mrs. Mandakini Goyal… who at one time was nicknamed Moon Moon Goyal because of her resemblance to the beautiful actress Moon Moon Sen… but that was before depression had reduced her to a dark shell of her former self. Little Keshav had moved tentatively towards his mother’s sleeping form…why was she lying awkwardly and without covering herself with her blanket…? He had shivered partly because of the AC blasting and partly because of something his young mind had anticipated…He had tried to shake his mother asking her to wake up. He needed help with Kamya and there was no one else… but her body was cold just like her usual responses but this time he was chilled to the core…. Because he saw a few empty bottles lying on the bed with the caps unscrewed.  Something was terribly wrong… he had rushed to the drawing room and used the landline to call his father’s office…one of the only two numbers he knew but there had been no answer as usual and then he had dialled the other number, Rama Kulsreshtra, Sahil’s mom and his mother’s best friend from school.  The next few hours had been wiped out from his memory, probably because he and Kamya were rushed to Sahil’s home and he had returned back in a couple of days only to see the gathering of people in a sea of white cotton seated before a garlanded portrait of his mother. He had rushed inside and yelled lying on the floor…for a glimpse of his mother even as Rama aunty had tried to hold him back… that was the last time he had ever thrown a tantrum….

Now years later, as he moved around his empty house those haunting memories returned with a vengeance… He had known the moment he had stepped in Avanti was not at home. Where was she…? Keshav looked for her in every room as well as the terrace garden…the fifth-floor exclusive house had never felt so huge before….and empty. Had she gone shopping or for a stroll? But it was almost 8PM now and it was unlike Avanti to stay out late without informing him and this time she had his number memorised in case she faced trouble like she did a day after their wedding. But he had been repeatedly checking his phone for the last couple of hours and there was no text or a missed call…

He had been calling her but her fucking phone was out of coverage area… where had she gone? He had a busy day at work with the PI he had hired through Akshat for investigating Dnyaneshwar Rane’s plane crash having come up with some information. The mole he had set up in the company to get insider information too had come up with information and their meeting behind closed doors had taken hours considering his voice which he couldn’t tax beyond a certain level. He had a lot of work to do now besides working on the impending research… the blossoms in the green house had sprouted buds and he had been excited about that as well…. Overall, he was terribly exhausted and his throat pain was a bitch. He had stressful weeks before their wedding as well after Dnyaneshwar Rane had passed but meeting Avanti in lieu of his so-called courtship period with Arpita, and talking to her had helped him immensely. Something about Avanti worked wonders for him…it was as if she was the antidote to the poison seeping its way inside his body. And now he was restless… his pretty and tenacious wife had him by the invisible strings she pulled.

 He chuckled as he continued to look for her and just then he got a text. It was from the guy assigned by Akshat to keep an eye on Avanti in case she had to go out…oh how could he forget the man? Shaking his head, he read the text and his heart skipped a beat. There was a photo of Avanti hugging Rahul in some secluded place and she appeared to be crying while Rahul held her…the slimy bastard…was missing from work and under suspicion for fraud and here he was flirting with… his wife. His blood boiled and he caught hold of a nearby glass and smashed it on to the floor and it was then he heard the door lock click open as Avanti entered. Immediately his rage was replaced by a sense of relief to see her safe back home. There was a lot he had to ask her, but looking at her condition his words died in his throat. She looked fragile, her minimal makeup smudged over her face, the noodle like hair strands messing around her crown as they had escaped the clutch that had held them. Her eyes swollen from crying as she strutted towards where he stood. “Avanti… are you alright…? Where were you…? I was worried…?” Every word uttered was an additional effort.

She starred at him with a blank expression as if seeing him for the first time. Did she have a doubt about his condition already…? His heart raced in panic… no there was no way she could have found out. No one knew it except for Kamya, his doctor and select others in his circles involved in the research and they were all sworn to secrecy. He saw Avanti look away as fresh tears made their way in her eyes and his chest clenched… what was it with her and Rahul. As far as he knew he was just a ‘friend’…. Was there more…? Was she in love with the guy and now stuck in a marriage with him…? His heart fell. It was then she looked down at the shattered glass and then up at him. “…Uh…I am sorry Avanti…I was upset… You go to your room carefully and freshen up…we can then have dinner…”

“…I…. I am not… hungry… I want to rest… tired…” She replied in voice cracking even a despair filled him further. As she walked into her room and shut the door, he stood rooted at his spot wondering what had gone wrong. The answer was clear…just about everything. Right form the time he had fallen for her while being engaged to her sister, to the forced marriage…just about everything. Why hadn’t she spoken up then… he had no clue about her having a boyfriend. The way she had always reacted to him… he couldn’t have been wrong. Most of all she was a good friend and God knew he rarely had any. For the sake of her safety and his own sanity he couldn’t reveal anything to her… the lesser she knew the better it was for her. Letting her go wasn’t an option for a lot of reasons most importantly…he couldn’t bear the thought of her gone. Besides given the findings he had received; her safety was of utmost importance and hence he had no option now but to keep her close to him to keep an eye on her.

He had to clear the air… about Rahul… they had it in the contract that they would remain faithful. Avanti wasn’t a fool to sway to peoples tunes or lose her sanity to act recklessly. He had to speak to her…make things normal as they were for last two days. She had taken care of him and for the first time in his life he had been fussed over. No one had ever don’t that for him before. He had always looked out for others, shouldered responsibilities for a long time now but for once he had depended on someone else… he didn’t want his holiday period to end. Watching her sleep on Dnyaneshwar Rane’s rocking chair in her room was a treat. He would pretend he was asleep so she would sleep too… she had tirelessly worked to nurse him to health. He had almost kissed her when she had tucked him in before leaving for her room late in the night. The insomniac idiot in him had revelled in her touch every time she got close to him thinking he was fast asleep. Her aloe vera fragrance from the talc she used was now synonymous with her. He had often caught her staring at him with worry in her eyes in those two days… again a first for him. Finally, there was someone for him…no…NO…NO…she couldn’t be having an affair with Rahul and behave like the way she did with him. She was innocent and a simple woman unlike her sister or the many women he came across to date during his modelling days or at corporate parties he attended to network. He was no saint but whenever he dated anyone, he stayed loyal for the duration he did. None of them lasted beyond a month or so and he knew it was he who drove them away. He didn’t want to get close to any woman before because of the baggage e carried and he couldn’t involve anyone in the mess. But with Avanti it was different… she was different. She genuinely cared just like her father Dnyaneshwar Rane…. And he had become selfish…

He carried some food for her in a plate and knocked at her door. “Avanti… please have something. I know you haven’t had lunch either…. Please open the door…”

There was no response and as he was about to turn back, she opened the door. She looked like an angelic beauty with red rimmed eyes… She had just cried again. He walked inside and placed the plate on the table and turned towards her. “…What is it Avanti… why are you so upset…?” He started to cough…the irritation in the throat was returning with a vengeance. Maybe because he wasn’t healed completely or maybe because….

Avanti’s eyes widened and she immediately rushed outside coming back with a box he recognised as the kit the hospital people had given him before discharge. She took the glass of water he had brought for her with her dinner plate and picked up a tablet for him. “…here take this…your voice is getting affected again… this will help you and… stop talking now… it will get worse…”

He nodded, touched with her gesture… she cared even though she was in a foul mood. “…Avanti… I am getting worried here… please tell me what happened…” he said hoarsely.

“…Nothing… nothing to worry Keshav… I am just tired that’s all…”

“…Avanti… what did Rahul say or do that ruined your mood…?” he coughed as he spoke… but he had no choice now but to get to the point.

She looked shocked and wide eyed at him. “…how… did you…know…?”

He took out his mobile phone and showed her the picture. “…Avanti that place is secluded… what were you doing there… it… would …have been…dangerous…” he coughed again and this time it was so painful his eyes watered and he bent over holding the table breathing heavily. God this was bad… if he could lay his hands on the asshole who did this, he would choke him and hurt him right there… the pain was torturous and he usually had a high pain threshold. He felt her soft hands rubbing his back as she pulled him to make him sit on the bed.

“…Shhh… Keep quiet Keshav… don’t you understand… you are damaging your voice… And how did you get this picture… were you getting me trailed…?” She then looked up at him with a pained expression. “…No…leave it don’t say anything… I should have known. I felt someone was watching…. but didn’t think it would be… I mean…you getting it done…” She was about to walk away when he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.

“…I… I am done with the charade Avanti…” he panted as the pain pierced his neck making each syllable emerge with excruciating difficulty. “…I had…told you… we have to remain faithful… till the time…we are… it’s in our contract…” He coughed even as he let go of her and she held a glass of water for him, tears flowing from her eyes now… That was a kick in the gut for him. He had to control his anger but somehow all his attempts were proved futile. He panted further as the bout of cough passed and said. “…why…why… did you… meet…him… Is he…spe…special to you… we are just… married for… God’s sake…?” His voice was now barely heard as pain engulfed him and he bent forward on his knees to control the cough.

“…THAT’S ENOUGH…” She screamed. “…Why are you doing this to us Keshav…? You are ruining your health further… and you got me followed…? What the hell…? You have the audacity to doubt me…? It’s you who has been harbouring God knows what within and you expect me to just be a spectator…? Keshav…it’s my baba’s company we are talking about… my legacy… which baba always wanted me to have….” He opened his mouth to refute but she held up her hand. “…No… you have spoken enough… just listen to me now… I may have given you the rights to the company… but I have a right to know what’s going on… I know it’s going through a major crisis and I want to help… I may not have the qualification but I deserve to know what’s happening…So you will now on…tell me everything… however bad it is…Is that clear…?” She was panting by the end of her tirade.

His temper was rising. That dimwit friend of hers must have brainwashed her. “…The fuck I will… I am… not answerable… to you… not your teacher… I have other… important things… you are… free to… visit… the company… and check… what you want… with that boyfriend of yours…” He spoke in a voice barely audible as he struggled to talk…his eyes were watering with pain clutching his neck muscles.

“…You are crossing the limits Keshav… mind your language…” She looked angry and he hadn’t seen her like that before. But the photo he was sent kept flashing before his eyes.

“…I have not… done anything… as yet Aavnti… if you… continue to… see that boyfriend of yours…”

“…RAHUL IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND GODDAMN IT…” Avanti screamed and there was a pin drop silence in the room, the only audible sound was that of the fan circling above and their labored breaths. Had he gone too far? but he couldn’t hold it in any longer…the volcanic burst of his molten rage was threatening a powerful exit and he had to rein it in before it burnt both of them in it’s fury…

Keshav continued to show her the picture again but didn’t say anything.

“…Keshav I am not answerable to you as well…because I have done nothing wrong… I…I Rahul is my best friend from school…that’s it…”

Keshav stared at her, his temper rising once again and even he couldn’t pin point the exact reason… whether it was jealousy or an inner fear that she would leave him…earlier. Or that he couldn’t speak at all his anger further choking his bruised throat.

“…Keshav…” She wailed now. “…Just stop it… I am not able to take it any more…. Just leave…”

He didn’t move and held his phone again in front of her eyes. Couldn’t she understand he was miserable as hell…? Why was she doing this to him…?

“…Oh goodness… Keshav…Rahul is just my best friend… I don’t have any romantic feelings for him and even if I did it would have been of no use… Rahul is gay… do you get that He is Gay and lives with his partner Anuj who is a stage artist and away on a gig…. They have been there for me every time I was low… that won’t change, did you get me…? I am not going to stop meeting my friends just because you don’t like it… YOU are the one who bullied me into this marriage… and I am in it… just to save Vedshastra… So… what you do is none of my business and so far as I keep the terms in the contract… what I do and whom I meet is none of your damn business…” She halted her tirade panting to take breaths.

“…I have… given up… a lot Avanti… I was… supposed to… be married… to your sister…had certain ideas…” He whispered hard as he wheezes through his utterance. He didn’t know how else to cover up for his misunderstood jealousy laden accusations.

“…Keshav… you were at least prepared to get married… I didn’t even know I was to get tied up in this union and… my life changed in a fraction of a second…” she snapped her fingers. “… just like that… I too have given up everything… only to save my family and company… I…I just resigned from my school…” She wailed. “…so, don’t you accuse me of something horrendous… I think I have been doing my duty as a wife pretty well so far and will adhere by the contract in future too… But learn to trust me Keshav… otherwise it would be difficult to survive under the same roof…”

That took the air under his sails as the feeling of defeat seeped into his soul. He had suspected her for nothing… but the very fact that she needed Rahul when he was right here for her, was something he found it difficult to accept. He thought their relationship was something special…  maybe that was just a mirage in his profound desert. He nodded as he patted her head and walked out of the room. He was stuck in the quick sand and she was the only fragile thread of hope he had in his life. He hoped he hadn’t just severed that very thread by his outburst…

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 11

Avanti didn’t know how long she sat on the cold hospital floor… how did this happen. It was like Keshav was stuck in the whirlwind of health issues directly or indirectly and by association she was a part of the deal too. She never believed in fates and horoscopes like her mother did. She and her baba would often make fun of her mother whenever she would speak about the stars, constellations and planets and how they affected humans. But today she wanted to believe her mother… She didn’t know much about stars and firtunes but she knew for sure she loved Keshav who was now her star and was too fond of him to be fearful of the darkness surrounding him. She stood up on trembling legs as her anxiety started to pass and taking in deep breaths, she sat next to his sleeping form. Keshav looked pale, a far cry from the energetic man whose eyes spoke volumes and facial expressions mirrored the words in his heart… her eyes filled again.

 She sat still for a long time, a lingering backache not withstanding and moved only when the door opened and the nurse stepped in to check Keshav’s vitals. She wiped her fatigued eyes and moved to give way to the lady in white. The nurse noted down the information from the beeping monitors and turned towards her with questioning looks. “Mrs. Goyal…?”

Avanti nodded as a fresh batch of tears crowded in her eyes threatening to flow out any instant. “…How is he…?” her voice was barely a whisper.

“…Mrs. Goyal…don’t worry he is fine… we had to sedate him to give his throat a rest to recover. The gas had inflamed the inner lining of his trachea…i.e his windpipe and he had to rest but he wouldn’t…kept yelling for… Avanti… that’s you I guess…” the nurse smiled and Avanti couldn’t stop her tears from flowing down her cheeks. “…he will wake up in a while…just see that he doesn’t speak…Ok…?” The nurse patted her shoulder and left the room. In about five minutes she returned with a couple of doctors. One was a physician tending to Keshav and the other was a pulmonary specialist. They discussed something in medical jargon among themselves. Later they conveyed exactly the same words to her with the same precautions as the nurse had told her. As she sat beside his bed holding his free hand in hers, she texted Kamya about his hospitalisation. She didn’t know if Kamya was out of surgery but whenever she would be out, she would call her back…that she was sure and she was desperate to hear a familiar voice telling her all would be fine. She also texted Nirvi and Naman who were away on a college trip and out of town for a camp, respectively. Their mother wasn’t reachable and Avanti never felt more alone in her life. In fact, her heart went out for Keshav who had no one beside him… “Keshav…” She whispered. “…please wake up… I am so lonely and scared… plee…please… just wake up for once… I am so worried… I am…”

She wiped her tears away and covered their joint palms with her other hand. A while later she paced the small confines of the room and then she heard him when her back was to him. “…Av…Avah…hanti…” She rushed towards his bed.

“…oh, thank goodness… you are awake… finally… Are you taking your revenge for my innocent mistake from the other day…?” She placed her hand on his which he immediately grasped as she saw him struggle to speak. “…Stop please…don’t say a word… your throat needs to heal Keshav…” then feeling the squeeze on her hand she nodded. “…I am right here Keshav… and we are leaving the hospital together… I promise… You have a lot to answer for putting me through this…” She chuckled amidst tears. She saw his face relax as they kept staring at each other with a renewed look in their eyes. Avanti wondered if the circumstances surrounding their marriage and the current event which landed him in the hospital, were responsible for it.

The next two days were spent at home with Avanti taking care of Keshav…refusing to even let him alone for a minute. To Mrs. Sinha’s amusement, she cooked for Keshav based on the diet prescribed by the hospital nutritionist. She was particular about the medication schedule along with the other meds which he took. Though she had queries on that she refused to give in to her curiosity…with only one goal in mind to help him get better. She had even put up her rocking easy chair in his room where she slept for a while till, he fell fast asleep every night, before returning back to her room. He was much better and could speak few sounds in a breathy voice but she could see he was straining as the veins in his neck became prominent with the efforts. She knew it was extremely frustrating for him and moreover the work load at both the companies was mounting up and though he didn’t show, she knew it was eating him up to stay at home. She wished she could help but it was tough… she did handle his phone calls and conveyed some messages while mostly he relied on emails and phone texts. On the third day the vocal inflammation had considerably reduced and his voice could be heard albeit meekly. In spite of her protests Keshav left for work promising her to return home early in the evening and not taxing his voice for more than what was needed…

With a heavy heart Avanti watched with her forehead leaning against the window as his car left the huge gate of the building premise. Just as she was wondering about her next task for the day, she received a text from Rahul.

Meet me today 2PM at Café Mysore in Chembur…it’s close to your place. Come to the other entrance at the back. I will find you… don’t let anyone know…

Rahul

Avanti’s head was reeling. In the topsy turvy muddle following Keshav’s injury where the investigation was yet to reveal anything conclusive besides the obvious, she had put Rahul and her personal investigation on the back burner. But now she had to pull up her socks… Her gut feeling told her Keshav’s injury was not an accident…it had never happened when her father was around… What if…what if Keshav was in danger…? It would bear down heavily on her conscious. Also, nothing fell into place whenever she thought of joining the dots and that made her uneasy. She had to subtly find out facts in her own way. Oh…Baba… please guide me…right then she remembered what he would tell her whenever she was at crossroads or indecisive. “Avu bala… don’t waste your time waiting for an ideal path… there never is one. Think about the path you have forged by walking so far and not by waiting…there is a lot more than what meets the eye…”

Keshav texted her on reaching Vedshastra which had a new security system in place. Akshat had visited them last evening to updated them on the investigation. He was locked up with Keshav in the study and had given her a gist when she had gone to serve tea. Somehow watching Keshav’s grim expressions and his sullen mood, rest of the evening where he was lost in thought she knew the information was sugar coated for her. What was wrong with the men in her life… first her baba, and now Keshav… all with a stupid sense of protection now making her claustrophobic. Once she sent the packed tiffin for Keshav, she immediately left to meet Rahul. She wondered what he had found out… she was all set to forge a path…by walking ahead.

As she walked the secluded lane after exiting the building premises, the ruthless afternoon heat driving her crazy as she had already bathed in sweat, she suddenly had that sensation of being watched. She stopped in her tracks and turned around but as expected there was no one around. Yet the sensation refused to wane away till she rushed outside towards the main road and towards the auto stand. It was only as they approached Chembur did she heave a sigh of relief. She alighted close to Café Mysore and walked among the crowed weekday lunch hour as she struggled to nudge her way towards the backside. What on earth was Rahul thinking…? She reached the back entry which was reserved for the employees only but almost all of them were busy. Just as she stood wondering about her next move and whether she had to call Rahul, a rough hand pulled her into a by lane holding another hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. He dragged her protesting form to another lane close by between buildings and it was then he spoke. “…Av…anti… it’s me… shhhh…don’t scream…”

Once he released her, she fell backwards touching the building wall as she saw a haggard Rahul rubbing his face and heavily breathing looking on either side… “What the hell is going on Rahul… I almost got a heart attack there… and what’s with this appearance…?” she looked around them and saw they were in between the old building clusters which were now empty and looked like dungeons with overgrowths and a far cry from their actively buzzing days. The area was all set for redevelopment after the buildings were razed. No wonder, there was not a soul in sight…

“…Avanti… there is a lot to say… but not much time…” He spoke still panting.

“…Rahul…please relax and tell me what is it…?”

“…Avanti… I… I was right… your father’s death wasn’t in…an accident…”

Avanti was stupefied to silence… what on earth… really…? Her throat was tight with controlling her emotion. “…Rahul what are you saying…?”

“…Avanti… I was away all these days following leads…I couldn’t believe Rane kaka was killed in an accident…especially after what was happening in the company…those months leading to his death…”

“…Rahul you aren’t making any sense… what was happening in the company…?” tears had their way now as they flew freely unmindful of their surroundings.

Rahul gave a frightened look around. “…Didn’t Keshav tell you anything…? He was well abreast about the situation…We…we had two major break-ins in the Vedshastra office… Kaka’s office. Fortunately, nothing valuable was taken…the cash box was too left untouched. The gold idols worshipped by kaka too was left behind… just a month before the crash…”

“…Rahul why didn’t you tell me before…? No wonder baba was so upset…”

“…I didn’t know at first… none of the employees knew about it, Avanti… but I found out in my own way…I got a copy of the FIR filed by Keshav…”

“…so eventually, what was missing…? Did they find the robbers…?”

“…No Avanti…since nothing valuable was missing…there were no clues… but I am sure of one thing…everything has to do with Keshav Goyal… the man is responsible for all your troubles Avanti…”

“…What are you saying Rahul…even on the wedding day you were talking nonsense… Keshav is bailing Vedshastra out… he is saving all of us and you say…”

“…Avanti… you are so naïve…totally blinded by your feelings for that man. He is nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing…”

“…Rahul…this is going too far… how can you say something like this about my…husband…” The word rolled off her tongue giving her a strange thrill within.

“…Avanti… I found out… there was foul play everywhere. The man has everything to gain. Vedshastra is soon going to come out with a highly classified medicine tentatively christened ved-adbhut by Rane kaka. He called it a miracle medicine and the first batch of the product for human trial was to be done in collaboration with Novo-supremo pharmaceuticals and a hospital giant… Keshav stands to only gain now… with your father out of the way. He… can even sell the successfully tried formula to the highest bidder…”

“…but Rahul…” Avanti was almost choking on her own emotions. “…Keshav said…it shouldn’t fall into wrong hands… they still don’t have the formula… baba had hidden it somewhere…”

“…Rane kaka was a cautious man Avanti… and he trusted Keshav… a wrong decision… he probably had found out sinister planning behind his back… but before he could do something, he was… in the crash…”

“…what about that…? The plane crash…it was an accident …right…?”

“…I just got the proof Avanti…it wasn’t an accident at all…”

“…What…?” Avanti’s legs were to give away any moment and she leaned back against the wall behind her. “…Rahul…what are you saying…?” She wailed.

Rahul held her shoulders. “…Be strong Avanti… I got proof… it wasn’t an accident but a planned murder…” As Avanti sobbed, he continued. “…your baba arranged the charter plane from a company called Feather folks…”

“…ye…yes…I am aware of it…so…what…about it…?” Avanti’s voice was barely a whimper now.

“…Avanti… it belongs to a subsidiary of Novo Supremo group exclusively under the name of…Keshav Goyal….”

Avanti slid down against the wall as an anguished cry rushed out of her soul, piercing the solitude of the secluded lane they stood… it was dark and it was time for her to go home. Rahul who had held her as she had cried helped her up. “…Avanti… you have to be careful. I am joining Vedshastra back tomorrow. I will give an excuse of going to my hometown for a family emergency. But… I will find out more information within… I will keep an eye on Keshav…but…you have to watch your six…if he gets to know you are onto him…he may be dangerous….”

“…No…that’s not possible…Its…its…so difficult to bear all this…Rahul…Keshav is anything but a cold-blooded murderer…. No… I can’t believe that…Do you have proof of his involvement…?” she couldn’t accept it as yet and clung to some kind of a hope.

“…this is proof in itself Avanti… stop being ridiculous… the company is his entity so he had to know, isn’t it…? He has Vedshastra now…all under his control…”

 “…Rahul, I have served him the company on a platter…it was my decision… but then I would have lost it anyway…I had thought he was saving us…I still do…” A girl could hope…couldn’t she?

“…Avanti if his intentions were honourable he didn’t have to marry you… he could have stalled the investors but staying invested in Vedshastra and worked with the other executives… you could have just signed the papers as and when needed… but he almost took ownership…now there is no stopping him… but Avanti… you have to be very careful now on…”

Avanti was blank… nothing made sense to her anymore…she had been in love and married a man who apparently had her father’s blood on his hands. NO…NO…NO…she still couldn’t believe it… not until she saw proof. She had put her faith in Keshav all along and her baba always said ‘faith’ was trust without reservations and didn’t need any proof. She trusted Keshav and her gut feeling told her he was not involved. Was it her bias towards him…? would she betray her baba’s memory by her blind faith in Keshav…?

Rahul dropped her back to Deonar, a couple of building premises before hers and before she could alight from the autorickshaw he said, “Avanti one more thing…” She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around as though in a daze. “…Avanti…just pretend everything is fine OK…? I know it’s tough but Keshav shouldn’t get an inkling that we are suspecting him….and I will text you the pictures of the proof I have unearthed so far…just see them once and delete them from your phone…OK…”

As Rahul rode away, Avanti blinked back fresh tears and walked in autopilot back towards her house… the house where she had thought she could build a home, albeit temporary… with a man whom she thought she loved.

The man who was now touted to be responsible for her baba’s death…

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 10

Avanti quickly put away her stuff being extra careful with the instruments. She had enmarked the place for them prior to getting them here and she was glad they fit well in the locations designated. She had arranged them around the room in such a way that it gave her a feel of music all around. Her father’s favourite raga being played in the background… her father’s favourite song by the original singer… She got nostalgic and teary remembering those moments with her father when they had first heard Asha Khadilkar render the natya sangeet… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8tWvVY6UTk

Her father had loved it so much he had insisted that she learn it with immediate effect and she hadn’t disappointed him. She felt honoured that after that…every time her baba heard the song it was always from his dear daughter… She remembered a classical music competition she had won at the age of sixteen and it was judged by none other than Asha tai herself and the woman with the golden voice had blessed her saying she had the potential to achieve great heights in Hindustani classical music. It had apparently been the happiest day of her baba’s life and he had embossed the trophy with the date and time underneath it. Among all her achievements her baba had always found this one the most special of all. Avanti wiped her tears as she placed the only trophy she had packed up. She wiped it clean and placed it in the wardrobe.

Mrs. Sinha had offered to help but she insisted on doing things on her own… not sure how much to trust the lady irrespective of the fact that Mrs. Sinha had been nothing but sweet. But all the while, she couldn’t focus on Ashatai’s melodious rendition in the background, her thoughts were scattered in innumerable directions as she thought about the turn of events on her life. She barely took an hour to arrange her things and as she sat on the rocking chair arranged methodically to face the window which in turn faced the tranquil hillock outside, she let her train of thoughts go unhinged. She checked her phone for the nth time… there was no reply from Rahul as yet. What on earth was he doing…? She called him but his phone was switched off…really…? She had left a couple of messages for him in the music school but today when she had called, they had told her Rahul hadn’t visited the school either nor had he informed them… That was strange. Yesterday he wasn’t at work as well… which had surprised her to no end. Was he… alright…? She tried calling Anuj but he was away in the Himalayas for some kind of a meditation camp and would be unreachable for a week. Now there was no way for her to find out. Was Rahul avoiding her or was he actually in any trouble…?

She then thought of connecting with the accounts head of Vedshastra Mukherjee uncle who had been company loyal and her father’s long-time friend. He often visited their home too. A confirmed bachelor he lived with his orphaned nephew near Khopoli and that helped his travel become easy. Her baba had helped with the down payment of his house. Avanti knew the nephew, Prantik was a good for nothing and a drunk, who only caused trouble for his uncle. He had even tried to hit on her once when they had been present for a puja in Vedshastra couple of years ago and she had pushed him away. A couple of employees had seen the events unfold and had caught hold of an inebriated Prantik to the utmost disappointment and embarrassment of Mukherjee uncle. They had wanted to hit him and hand the stumbling man to the police but then her baba had intervened and managed the situation. But Prantik had never ceased to cause trouble and would often be seen loiter around the perimeters of the company, so much that a month after the puja incident her father had to ban him from entering Vedshastra premises. Mukherjee uncle had never been the same after that and he had never visited their home as well. Her baba never bad mouthed the man but she had heard from other staff during her sporadic visits that Mukherjee uncle was behaving strangely and given that he was accounts head a few of them had suspected that he swindled money. She however trusted her father’s judgement and knew he kept his personal and work life separate. If Mukherjee uncle was involved in anything sinister, he would have been terminated from his position with immediate effect. The fact that even today he was at the same position meant her baba had trusted the man. But would he speak to her…? What would she ask him…? She didn’t even know the equation he shared with her baba in his last days.

She got her harmonium like she always did whenever she was anxiety ridden or disturbed and tried to settle with her favourite raga…Vrindavani Sarang… She had barely sung the aaroh and the avaroh… when she realised her heart wasn’t in it like it usually did. She kept it away and checked the time it was 12 noon and she would have to hand over Keshav’s tiffin to his driver who was running errands after dropping him to Vedshastra. Mrs. Sinha had diligently packed a neat tiffin box as she had suggested and kept it ready before she had left for the day. Avanti smiled as she thought of the kiss, they had shared on the terrace garden on their wedding evening and reflexively touched her lips. Keshav had been ever so gentle driving away all her apprehensions. She didn’t know how the thought came in just then… but…had he kissed other women just as gently…? What about Arpita…? She knew he had liked her quite a lot…did they kiss as well…? she knew they were needless doubts…

Just then her phone buzzed with an incoming text…it was from Rahul. Oh thank God… finally the guy had good sense to return her messages. At the same time the driver arrived and she did the needful with the tiffin container. She then walked to the dining table and sat as she opened the inbox…

Hi Avanti…sorry for not getting back earlier. Am extremely caught up… trust me it’s important…and murky too. I am close to finding facts… I will contact you in a couple of days. Till then take care and stay safe…please…

P.S: don’t tell your husband about this text… delete it immediately…

Rahul

What the hell… what was Rahul up to…? He was obsessed about finding the truth behind her father’s accident. She didn’t want to believe the facts from the police initially but there was enough circumstantial evidence which ruled out any foul play and although heart-breakingly difficult, it was what her rational mind told her. Her baba was a victim of an unfortunate accident. But what did Rahul unearth…? The more she thought, the more she was perturbed… She was more curious about the events that led to the day of her father’s demise. Something wasn’t adding up. Keshav had at the time told her he was getting the accident investigated privately but she hadn’t been in the right state of mind to question him later… Did…did he know something and had been hiding it from her…? Though she wanted to trust him the haze of conflicting thoughts were clouding her perspective to take a stand. She touched her head to stop the emergence of a tiny lingering headache… her stress levels were rising… giving her some kind of a premonition of something amiss soon to befall on her…on them.

She decided to take a walk right then since there wouldn’t be many people around in the afternoon and she doubted the paparazzi would be interested in a plain jane like her… nonetheless as a precautionary measure she covered her head with a stole and took off with her sunglasses. She walked aimlessly circling a park close by trying to clear the rushing influx of thoughts… maybe try to arrive at another hypothesis. However even after almost an hour it was all in vain…she was just running in circles both physically and mentally. It was then she suddenly felt the prickling at her nape… as if a sense of being watched. She quickly turned around but the area was secluded and there was nothing out of the ordinary that called for attention. Somehow the sense of unease refused to pass and she didn’t know what was in store. Were her suspicions about her father…his death…true? Did it have to do anything with that last project he worked on…? Did that mean she and her family were innocent bystanders who were now in some kind of danger…? Did Rahul actually uncover something important…? Did Arpita have an inkling…? And finally did Keshav know the truth…?

As she walked towards her building caught up in the whirlwind of questions with no answers in sight, she saw her first-floor neighbours and old couple step out with their pug. The D’Souzas were a septuagenarian couple who had introduced themselves via Mrs. Sinha who also provided her services at their home in the evenings. Mrs. Sinha had told her they had lost their only son who was in the Indian Army to a terrorist attack at the border years ago and had mostly confined themselves at home. However, as she approached them, they gave her a warm smile. She nodded in acknowledgement. “Hello Mr. and Mrs. D’Souza… I am Avanti. Thank you for the lovely pie… it was delicious…”

Mrs. D’Souza’s smile widened and with a sparkle in her eyes she said. “…looks like you like solitude as well… so the afternoon walk, Isn’t it…? Fortunately, we have greenery this side… I am glad you liked the pie…it was my Daniel’s favourite…” She looked away. Her husband patter on her shoulder with his trembling wrinkled hands. He looked apologetically at Avanti.

“…I am sorry Avanti…my wife seems to go on and off with her manners…it’s just that she still hasn’t got over the fact that Daniel is no more… nonetheless…do visit us whenever you get the time… it will mean a lot…”

“…sure…I will… take care…” Avanti nodded and entered the lobby to take the elevator. Just then her phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was Kamya. Finally, a ray of sunshine…she thought smiling.

“Hey Kamya di… what’s up…?”

“…Hi Avanti… all OK dear… just stepping into surgery in five minutes… it’s been terribly hectic… this one going to go on at least for the next five hours marathon…so thought I could just squeeze in a call…. Bhaiyya isn’t answering his phone so called you…”

“…um…yes… things are busy on the work front… managing two companies is tough… was there something you wanted to convey…?” Avanti had sensed a little worry in Kamya’s usually composed voice.

“…Uh… not really… just remind him… to go for his check-ups… his doctor called me… Bhaiyya has been postponing for over a month now…”

Check-up…? For what…? She wondered if it had anything to do with the recent episode. “…is…um…everything alright…? Why is a check-up needed…?”

There was a moment of silence after which Kamya replied. “…Oh, nothing serious Avanti… it’s a yearly check-up that we all do as a family…you will do as well eventually once you settle down…. You see…I am a doctor in the family so tend to get paranoid…” Avanti heard soft laughter which she felt was forced. What was going on? “…Ok then Avanti… I will take your leave now… My phone will be switched off for few hours…. Take care…”

The sense of foreboding unease further tightened its hold around her as she got into the elevator and later into the house. She had texted Keshav after sending the tiffin earlier, but there had been no reply though he had seen the message. She decided to make a call…at least hearing his voice would reassure her. She dialled his number as she stepped into her room, her stomach growling in hunger. The call was answered in noise and all she could hear was a lot of people screaming at the same time. What on earth was happening…? and then she heard a distorted hoarse voice. “…Hel…hello… Avanti…?” and then there was a coughing.

Worry palpable in her voice she couldn’t help but ask. “…Keshav… are you alright…? What’s wrong…?”

The noise sputtered in the background “…Avanti…” he heard him breathe hard… as if he was wheezing and her heart stopped. “…Avanti… I…” He coughed violently amidst the cacophony of a myriad noise spectrum around him and then the line went dead. She called back frantically but there was no response. She then called the company landline but there was no answer. Appetite all gone her heart fell… was Keshav OK…? Just then her phone buzzed again with an incoming call.

Panicking she answered…her voice barely a whisper. “…hello…?”

“…Hello Mrs. Goyal…? Ma’am, this is Akshat Chaudhury here… there has been an incident in the company and Keshav sir has been hospitalised… we are on our way to Silas multispeciality hospital in Chembur which is a ten-minute drive from your home…” Avanti was stunned to silence as Akshat continued. “…Ma’am, there will be a green I 20- car reaching your gate shortly…it will bring you here…”

“…How…how is he…?” Avanti’s voice cracked as she fought back tears.

“…He is under observation but nothing to worry… he asked for you before he lost consciousness…so please come soon…will text you his room…”

She barely disconnected the call and rushed to take her carry bag… even as the intercom announced the arrival of the car. In the next few minutes, she was outside Silas multispeciality hospital. With her heart thudding she ran to the elevator to take her to the fourth floor where Akshat had mentioned in his text.  The corridors were empty except for select hospital staff and the antiseptic odour pierced her senses bringing back memories of her mother’s hospitalisation years ago. How she hated them…

She saw a young man in a black jacket standing outside a room with the title ‘VIP suite’ immersed in his mobile phone…furiously texting with a frown on his forehead, his irritation evident. She didn’t have to ask him to realise he was Akshat… the man was just like Keshav had described him. Tall and lean but muscular and definitely if his story was what Keshav had once told her in passing, then looks were indeed deceptive. He turned as she reached the room and nodded with a neutral face, gesturing to the closed room.

“…wha…what happened…? How is he…?” she was scared to peep too.

“…Ma’am…he is out of danger…his quick thinking saved others from being here… there was a gas leak in Vedshastra…”

“…what…? Gas leak…? How is that possible…? We take utmost precaution…”

“…Ma’am… I have taken it up on priority to look into it… but… Keshav sir… he needs you more than anyone right now… all the time he was being transported in the ambulance he kept asking for you… he was worried about you as he still struggled… and in the years that I have known him… he has only cared about everyone else…” She thought she saw moisture in his eyes. Was he close to Keshav…? “…Ma’am…I will get going now and will come tomorrow morning. Will you be fine here…? The car is downstairs and I have texted you the drivers contact… you may call him whenever you wish to go home…”

“…No…I… I am fine here…I will see him now…” Avanti took in a deep breath to gather her strength and creaked open the door slowly as she stepped inside. She saw a pale Keshav lying on the bed with an oxygen mask covering most of his face and tubes running through his arm. Was this even remotely related to what Rahul mentioned in his text…? Keshav didn’t react to the sound of her footsteps and she gently called out his name. There was still no response.

She couldn’t hold it anymore as she crumpled to the floor in a crying heap.

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 8

The next morning as they had their breakfast in silence, the vexed anxiety in the air very much palpable, the only sounds interrupting the agonising quietude was the clanging of the cutlery. Avanti had woken up early… in fact she had barely slept, her eyelids heavy with sleep a staunch testimony to the fact. She had started to prepare a cup of tea to start her day when a smiling Mrs. Sinha had arrived and she had immediately warmed up to the maternal woman. Mrs. Sinha was a widow in her fifties who had worked here for the last eight years and she had only praise to sing about her employer. She hugged Avanti and thanked her for bringing in the elegant lustre into the household with her arrival. Avanti had blushed and her sour mood from overnight had considerably improved. They had together chatted and prepared a breakfast of puri-bhaji which was apparently Keshav’s favourite. Mrs. Sinha had then gone off to the market to get fresh vegetables after discussing the menu with Avanti.

Now as she finished, she looked up at Keshav who was reading something on his MacBook… He pretended as if she didn’t exist while he did smile at Mrs. Sinha who congratulated him on the wedding. Well, two could play a game, Avanti thought. She decided to continue with the cold war…it shouldn’t make a difference anyway, should it? She was here for a purpose… for Vedshastra and that began today. It was better for her heart too to remain detached… she had another mighty important task at hand… to find the truth pertaining to her father’s last days. About an hour later they rode in his car to Vedshastra where the board of directors were to meet them. As they entered the meeting room everyone who had already assembled there stood up to greet them and also congratulated the couple. Avanti’s eyes filled as she remembered the last time, she had visited this room with her father. She attended these meetings twice a year to sign on some papers as a shareholder. This time it was nostalgic and she missed her baba terribly. She took in a deep breath as they sat and the meeting commenced.

Keshav was a pro and she was impressed with the way he conducted the entire process. He addressed the board with his upcoming plans which involved staying invested and by default the other investors too would remain with Vedshatra. He was now a joint 50 percent shareholder along with Avanti and was unanimously voted to be the signatory in place of her father. Avanti signed the vote of confidence too and she was asked to speak a few words as Vedshatra began a new phase. Her legs trembled as she stood and walked towards the little podium. She touched the stand remembering how she edited speeches for her father at times and how he kept taking off his reading glasses repeatedly as he addressed the board of directors. He was a man of discipline and he had insisted on the podium placement… he felt it was an important element to maintain the decorum.

She sniffed away tears and smiled, addressing the small gathering. “Good morning to all of you and thank you very much for being with us during pressing times in these last few months. My family and I are extremely grateful to you for having kept up the work going after baba passed and striving with a sole aim to achieve what he had dreamed for the company. As you all know, I have always taken a back seat when it came to company matters and have only been a signatory… so I am glad to have found Mr. Keshav Goyal who is not only my…husband but also someone whom my baba immensely trusted. I have complete faith in baba’s intuitions and with that in mind I hereby hand over the reins officially to Mr. Keshav Goyal. I hope you will all continue to be with us as we scale newer heights now on… Thank you…” She stepped down amidst a round of applause from those gathered and for the next few minutes went around interacting with each of them.

She then visited the office wing and met some of the staff she had known for long time and chatted up with them as they wished her with bouquets and hugs. She felt like she had come home… as she walked around, her eyes scouting Rahul but couldn’t find him anywhere… He hadn’t answered her message that she had sent last night in spite of reading it. What the hell… yesterday he couldn’t wait to pour out his irritation and now he was nowhere in sight…disappeared from the face of the earth. Even the admin head was upset about his frequent leave of absence that too without prior intimation most of the times in the last month or so. Avanti was surprised because Rahul was a dedicated employee and her baba had always appreciated his efforts.

She was thinking deeply about what he had told her yesterday even as she left the office and walked towards the exit. Today she had planned to visit her maternal home to pack up her remaining possessions. A staff from office was coming along to help her pack and get the items delivered safely to Keshav’s apartment. She texted Keshav about her plan and though he read it he didn’t respond. Strangely though, she felt hurt… her treacherous heart wasn’t letting her live-in peace …why on earth did his reactions have to hurt her so much…? She blinked away tears resolving to stay strong for the sake of retaining her sanity in the marriage.

At home she bid adieu to her mother who was all packed to go to her ancestral home in their village for a few months… Her mother was still to come to terms with her baba’s passing and Avanti had also thought it was a good decision as their huge house was now empty and she didn’t want her mother living alone in the ghostly silence of the house. Her mother hugged her as she handed over the keys to Avanti. “…Take care of yourself Avanti… live your life now… forget everything that has happened so far and start afresh… got it…?”

Avanti nodded and wiped away the wetness on her cheeks. “…Aai I am worried about Tai…”

“…Oh… don’t bother…” Her mother shrugged. “…I am sure she must be fine… hasn’t she gone away like this for days before and then suddenly sent a text or called in a few days…? I am sure she will get back to us…”

“…Aai…if she contacts you…give me a call…meanwhile I will do my best here to look for her…?”

“…yes of course… Avu bala… just take care of yourself… I am sorry… I can’t be there for you when you are facing the biggest battle of your life… but I know you are a strong woman… you will do better without me tagging along…”

“…No aai… I will always need you… but for now you need this break… call me if you need anything else and I hope you have packed your medicines…take them on time… I will call you every day…” She then said her good byes and her mother and uncle got into a waiting private taxi which was to take them straight to Shirgaon, Solapur…it was a long journey and she hoped her mother would be fine by the time they reached the village. She also wished Arpita would get in touch with her as soon as possible… at least one worry would be crossed off the chart.

Watching the vehicle disappear she turned around and walked inside…  She first went to her room and gathered everything she wanted right from her books collection to all of her musical instruments especially the designer Veena. The staff member arrived shortly with a tempo and they uploaded everything she wanted including her baba’s rocking chair which was her favourite and held loads of memories. She felt like she was a kid all over seated on her baba’s lap while he listened to her sing or tell him about her day… She had even thought of the location where she would place it in her room. Once they left, she locked the house from inside and roamed throughout the interior… they had lived here for about twelve years and the myriad of memories associated with every corner of the house and every inch of every piece of furniture…tugged at her heartstrings. It was as if each was calling out to her to remember them as well as the story embedded in each of them… involving her life with her parents and sister in the house…

Wiping her tears, she dragged her exhausted self to the kitchen where her mother had kept some milk and a tiny box of tea powder for her as if she knew Avanti needed tea. Rest everything was given away to the maids. Avanti prepared tea for herself and taking her cup, walked to her father’s study… she had to start work on her decision.  She took out all his files which he had neatly labelled and scanned through them. Though she couldn’t follow the technical jargon she tried to figure out some pattern especially if could point towards what was different in the last project… the files belonging to his last project were all with Keshav and she knew she couldn’t ask him without raining red flags.  So, she kept going with what she had and just like her father had taught her she started with a fresh unbiased perspective. She took a fresh notebook and started making her notes right from the first file. These were projects dating to a couple of years backwards. Just like her father would have done, she started to make the columns and categories entering details from each project… including the funds involved and the dates of closing. She knew her father was extremely meticulous in maintaining records and was proud when she saw, all the projects were taken to their logical end and signed off. A few of them also contained Keshav’s signature since his company had collaborated with Vedshastra. She traced a finger on the beautifully slanted signature now belonging to her husband.

A couple of years ago she had participated in a workshop on Handwriting analysis… It was just to give company to a friend but she had been fascinated. She couldn’t help herself as she saw, the way he had patterned the alphabets of his name indicated a strong sense of self, a trait found in successful people. The slight gap in the formation of ‘h’ in his first name pointed towards deep thinking and an addictive personality… addiction to succeed. His handwriting slanted upwards which made him an optimist. The increased waving of letters spotlighted him to be having a thirst for knowledge and an analytical mind… well she was bang on so far based on how much she knew about him. Finally, she saw his signature was large and over shadowed everything else written or printed on the page which was an indicative of perfectionism. She sighed as she shut the file and moved to the next one… if only handwriting could unlock the secrets hidden in his heart…

She didn’t know how the time had passed and it was only when her stomach growled with hunger she looked up from the piles of files around her and saw it was almost 7PM…Oh God… she hadn’t told anyone about her whereabouts… she had only texted Keshav she would be back after packing her stuff… it was hours ago. She took out her mobile and shook her head seeing the battery drained out totally. She was in for trouble back home as there was no way for her to intimate anyone with the landline phone disconnected ages ago…. Not that it would be of any help though. She had terminated the contract for the day security guys starting today and the night watchman /caretaker wouldn’t be arriving before 9PM… she was done for.

Instead of looking for some stranger outside for borrowing a phone… again, it wouldn’t have mattered since she didn’t know Keshav’s mobile number by heart… she began to search for a cab. It was tough since their area rarely had cabs coming in. She thought of asking the Godbole family next door for lending a car but they would have asked too many questions and she was too tired to think of answers to appease their curiosities. She walked as fast as her tired legs could carry her even as she felt giddy with hunger pangs. She didn’t have the time to buy something to eat as she finally found a cab… the drive to his apartment was long and by the time she reached baring the traffic it was almost 10PM… she immediately rushed inside the building premises and entered a waiting elevator… just as she emerged out of the elevator on the fifth floor she saw… commandos… storming out of the house … oh no…was Keshav alright…? She rushed inside to chaos and suddenly as she stepped into the drawing room there was a pin dropped silence… As if she was watching a movie and had pressed on the mute button. She looked around and saw a number of commandos in their all black outfits yielding guns, a few of them on monitors watching something, currently paused in their respective actions. Finally, from the sea of black… emerged a harried looking Keshav. His hair was unruly, his eyes bloodshot and his clothes from morning were creased and all over him. He saw her as if he was seeing her for the first time and rushed towards her hugging her tightly. “…. thank God you are safe…. I… I died a hundred deaths already….” He held her for a moment more stunning her speechless as she wondered what was going on…

In the next ten minutes the commandos cleared the house and it was then she saw her things placed at the entrance of her room. As she tried to move towards them, Keshav held her arm and turned her towards him. “…Just…what the fuck…were to trying today… where the fuck were you…?” He spoke clenching his teeth and starring daggers at her.

She was exhausted to her bone and even looking up into his eyes was taxing her already depleted energy. “…Keshav…I was at my home…winding up… I had texted you earlier today…”

“…that was in the morning… I was waiting here since 6PM… I came home early to help you get settled… And do you know what I have gone through these hours unable to contact you…? Why the fuck is your phone switched off…?” His voice rose and he was panting.

“…Keshav my phone died…I didn’t know… when it did. I left as soon as I was done… and… and didn’t have the time to charge… I…”

“…Stop giving me bloody excuses Avanti… this is the height of irresponsibility… not something expected from you of all the people…”

“…Stop overreacting Keshav…” She as annoyed now…why was he accusing her just for being late?

He came very close and held her arms. “…overreacting…? OVER-FUCKING-REACTING…? You are so naïve… One phone call was all you needed to make…As if you couldn’t find a phone anywhere to borrow…”

“…I …I didn’t have a number to call…” She whispered as her tears broke the barriers that she had kept up all this while. She hunched down and began to sob…she couldn’t take it any longer as the days’ events caught up with her.

All of a sudden, the hold on her arms loosened and he hugged her to his chest… it was all the move she needed and she hugged him back as she continued to sob into his chest. He was the anchor she desperately needed at that moment. He rubbed her head and back. “…Hey… Avanti… I am so sorry dear… I… I was terrified out of my wits when I didn’t find you home and… couldn’t reach you too… I called your mother who said you should have been here in the afternoon itself… I… I didn’t know…. I…”  She looked up at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes, the exact same look she had fallen for. He rubbed her cheeks with his rough warm palms and as he held her cheek, she leaned into one of them. Her eyes were almost shutting on their own accord. “…. Avanti… don’t do this to me ever again….” He whispered.

She stared at him and then nodded into his palm as he hugged her again…. squeezing the life out of her as if she would disappear right there. They stood like that for a while and then he spoke. “Avanti…?”

“…Hmmm…?”

“…Have you eaten…?”

“…No…”

“… come let’s have dinner then…” He moved away and looked at her still holding her shoulders.

“…I… I am too sleepy now…Keshav… I can’t…”

“…. Don’t… don’t argue now…. Avanti please… le…let’s e…eat…” She stared at his face as it contorted and his hand hold over her shoulder loosened and fell lifelessly as he staggered back. It was happening just like that evening in her house…

“…Keshav… when did you last eat…?” She was frantic now…

He plonked on the sofa and laid his head back on the headrest. “…Mor…morning… break…fast…”

“…oh my God Keshav… now, who was being irresponsible…? wait…let me get you something…” her hands trembled as she rushed to the kitchen and brought him a plate of steamed rice and masoor daal curry. By the time she reached him his eyes were shut and head had fallen to one side. Panicking she placed the plate on the centre table and sat next to him holding him close to her chest…rubbing his back… he stirred and it was then she released the breath she was holding. “…Ke…Keshav please stay awake… here eat this….” As she straightened him so that he was resting a bit on her body she held him close to her with one hand and fed him with her other. Soon he had food and she let him rest on the sofa as she rushed back to kitchen to get him turmeric milk. Once she helped him have it, he opened his eyes slightly. “…Keshav where is the medicine…?”

“…bedside table…” He whispered and she ran to his bedroom. She didn’t have the time to admire the beautiful décor that was so…so Keshav… Opening the bedside table drawer she found the same medicine that she had given him the other day and taking it, she scampered back to him. Holding him up she helped him take the medicine. She them made him recline a bit on the sofa while she went back to the kitchen. She had a quick dinner and later she sat on the neighbouring sofa keeping an eye on his resting form. He looked so innocent… a far cry from the man who was enraged just a few minutes ago…. A perfect submarine in the desert. She chuckled as she gazed at him and before she knew she was fast asleep on the sofa….

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 7

The dinner was a silent affair after which Keshav led the way to take her to a tour of what looked like an enormous house.

The entrance to the house led to the foyer which housed the shoe cupboard for outsiders and wall mounted key stands. There was a beautifully carved wooden coat hanger stand and she wondered if he entertained enough for its presence to be there and also what was expected of her whenever they had visitors. But then she knew Keshav would have well planned everything and she would definitely cross the bridge when they came to it. The foyer walls had couple of paintings of flowering plants and though beautiful, it didn’t make any sense why he would have them…nonetheless, she smiled as he led her to the drawing room which extended throughout the length of the house and ended into a French window on one side. The other end housed a dining hall which was further connected to a beautifully designed kitchen.

They walked towards the French window and she moved the heavy drapes and Keshav opened the window slightly. The cool night breeze hit her face and she could see the twinkling lights from the homes in the distant towers. She also had a slight view of the busy Sion-Trombay road where she saw the zipping of the lights of the speeding traffic. Her life too had just zipped by and now she was on the ambiguous threshold of marriage where uncertainty loomed above her head and she wondered if she had it in her to pull this through…

He shut the door and pulled back the drapes and they walked towards the kitchen each lost in their own whirlwind of thoughts.

“Avanti…do you like to cook…?” he asked her as she appreciated the intricately designed kitchenette

She nodded. “yes, I do… Um… I know you have a cook coming in…but can…can I cook as well…? Its cathartic for me…I mean…”

“…hey…Avanti listen…” He said softly. “…this is your house too now, Ok…? Do as you wish…got it…? The cook, Mrs. Sinha will guide you with the ingredients and anything else you need… she also shops for groceries and vegetables and fruits… you can just tell her what you need…”

Avanti nodded and they walked out of the kitchen. As they came back to the drawing room, she saw on one side were their rooms and the study all interconnected and on the other side there were two guest bedrooms as he explained and showed. Their layouts were exactly the same like her bedroom…but they weren’t connected. She wondered if his bedroom too had the same layout and why were their rooms connected… how many women did he bring here before her…? He had said he wasn’t a monk… She shook her head as if driving away apprehensions as he opened a third door that led to a home gym. It had minimal equipment alongside a treadmill and a couple of varieties of cycles, and now she knew how he maintained that gorgeous physique of his in spite of the workload. “…uh…if you ever want to exercise feel free to use this place… but there is something you must know Avanti…”

She looked up surprised as he started to walk towards the corner of the gym.  She saw a wall mounted cupboard. He typed in a password on the keypad and the door slid open to reveal a wall mounted vintage dial telephone. What on earth was this…? not just the man but his surrounding too reeked of intrigue. He picked up the receiver of the yellow beauty and there was a circular dial right below. He turned to her and said. “Avanti…uh…I know you are curious…or surprised… uh… just listen carefully, Ok…? This is something only you know now besides me and Mrs. Sinha. In case… ever… if you feel threatened or in some kind of danger… come to this room and lock yourself in…then use the code 147823 to unlock this cupboard and then dial 900… it will immediately connect to my phone  wherever I am, the nearest police station and also a couple of commandos I have hired to guard this place 24/7… you have to stay locked in here till any of us arrives… Understand…?”

Avanti looked wide eyed at the man who suddenly seemed like a stranger. Keshav looked worried as the frown lines marred the beauty of his handsome face. Suddenly he smiled his dimples making her want to plunge into their depths and she immediately looked away. “…Hey… I was just… preparing you OK…? You don’t have to get scared… actually this is a huge house so there are chances of burglars paying a visit and I … I just want you to be alert… that’s it…” She nodded smiling but somehow knew there was a lot more than what met the eyes.

They exited the gym and she followed him as he walked towards the last door on that side. He opened it and she saw there was a narrow staircase… He switched on the light and climbed upwards and they soon came to… oh God the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. There was a greenhouse at one end of it and a little double swing, in one corner. The rest of the area was filled with plants which were meticulously labelled. She couldn’t make out the strange concoction of the fragrances as each competed with other in intensity but she couldn’t deny the refreshed feeling that overcame her at that moment.

“Avanti… welcome to the favourite part of my home… my paradise… I come here whenever I have doubts of any kind and I get answers right away…” She looked around in admiration. The lights were strategically placed to light up the entire unit with minimal use of power and she saw the huge dome shaped roof had enough points to let the sunlight in. “…Can you see there…?” He pointed towards the green house. “…that’s the main part…the reason I have this place… its totally temperature controlled… the humidity too is measured daily…else the plants will fail to grow…Even I don’t go in there for days together… just observe the recordings on my phone…lesser the contact the better. that’s good in a way…if I have to travel for work. They don’t need monitoring by the maid…”

“…um… I don’t know much about plants Keshav… but what is in there…? Why does it need so much of care…?”

Keshav sighed and put his hands in his track-pant pockets. “…Just… just think that… it’s something too valuable to me… they are special medicinal plants… I have customised and synthesised the seeds and made the genetic changes in the basic combinations… That was the area I was always inclined towards and wanted to bring that study into pharmaceuticals… but circumstances were such that I couldn’t study botany in college… However… a few years ago as Novo Supreme settled, I started to focussed on this dream….I had never given up reading and trying my hand at various research parameters and I am still experimenting… I hope… someday I am successful…”

“…What… what is it that you wish to make…?” Avanti asked, all confused at what he had just told her.

“…Uh… there isn’t much I could tell you at this juncture except that I am working on this special medicine… which is extremely needed… for… uh… improving certain medical conditions. The existing ones are inadequate so far with side effects… so… I wanted to include natural ingredients more… Only your father knew about this…”

“…Really…? I didn’t know baba liked gardening or plants in general…” She wondered

“…Actually… Avanti… your father was my mentor… uh… more than that to tell you the truth… he was a father-figure to me… He was the only person who knew me well… In fact, when I had expressed a desire to do this experiment, he was the one who had supported me throughout… like what kind of equipment I needed or what kind of modifications I would need. He had even arranged for a horticulturist to help me design this. He believed in me…I had actually given up so many times considering all this as wishful thinking…” Keshav looked away lost in thought.

Avanti teared up remembering her father. “…Um…Baba… didn’t believe in the concept of wishful thinking…”

Keshav nodded. “…yes… he told me to turn wishful thinking into positive action and take a proactive stand… he said that would give me the ultimate joy… he also told me to keep my expectations realistic and derive pleasure from what I do…And honestly Avanti… I really enjoyed these five years of building this structure and getting it to this level… in a few weeks when the new blossoms come up, I will know if I have succeeded…If yes, then nothing like it but if not, then too nothing goes waste… I know how to make the best use of the failures as well…”

Avanti smiled in awe of this man before her who had this never to give up zeal. As she looked into his eyes with the mild late evening breeze gently patting her skin, she saw something flash in them, drawing her towards him… she mentally berated herself for her need to give in to her desire… but at that moment as he walked closer towards her, she stood rooted to the spot her breathing running a marathon. He came so close… there was barely any distance between them and they stared into each other’s eyes… she didn’t know what she was looking for, her heart overruling every rational decision her brain had made all this while. He slowly tilted towards her waiting every step if she permitted him and then his lips touched hers softly… he pecked at hers as she held her breath. His warm palm covered her cheek as he increased the pressure on her lips urging her to open them and she sighed… that was the invitation he probably needed and her held her hips by his other hand pulling her close as he persuaded her to open her mouth further. His tongue slipped into her waiting mouth and as it connected with hers, she gasped and moved away… his palm left her cheek and she missed his warmth immediately. However, he didn’t release her hip and placed his other hand as well. She looked down embarrassed but he spoke softly his baritone sending shivers through her aroused body. “…Avanti look up dear… I… uh… I am sorry… not about the kiss but about making you uncomfortable… I promise you; I won’t do that again… not when you aren’t ready…” She looked up at his face and saw his smile making him the most handsome man on earth…who set her heart galloping every time she saw him or spoke with him. He held her hand as they moved towards the stairs and he locked up after her. Facing her in the narrow staircase with barely any space between them as they almost touched each other he said. “Avanti… feel free to visit here as well… just stay away from the green house, ok…? It’s too important for me…”

“…Don’t worry Keshav I won’t… Can …can I ask you something…?”

He nodded as they continued their way back to the living room and as he locked the door for the staircase she spoke. “…I don’t know how to put this… um… what was baba working on in the last few months… I know it was something very important… but what was it…?”

Keshav stopped what he was doing and then slowly turned towards her. “…Avanti did your father share his work with you…?”

She shook her head. “…No… since I wasn’t from the same or related field… but he did share success stories with me… Kept me updated with general information… but somehow last few months… he stopped that totally and he was always tensed and worked up… he didn’t even listen to me sing… so I wondered…”

“…Avanti…” Keshav abruptly interrupted her. “…If your father had wanted you to know anything, he would have told you himself… the very fact that he didn’t, meant he didn’t want you involved at all… so I think we should respect his decision and leave it at that…”

Avanti felt like he had just slapped her. She was annoyed…how dare he undermine her curiosity. “…I am not asking you for the details…I only want to know why he was so upset… why did he change so suddenly… you came home regularly… you should definitely know…”

“…Avanti just let it go…it’s for the best…” He spoke clenching his jaw and she moved a step back reflexively. “…I suggest you go to bed now… we have a very busy day tomorrow at Vedshastra…” He turned around and started to walk away.

She held his arm. “…No Keshav…its important… I have a bad feeling about…his… I have to know Keshav… he never prioritized his work over us… then why now…? Please tell me…”

Keshav who had halted turned and stared her down…his eyes shining with veiled anger. “…Avanti let-it-go… Got it…? Just don’t keep hanging on to some fictitious notion of truth…” he was mildly panting.

“…that’s precisely the point Keshav…the truth… I just want some kind of closure…I hate not knowing what my baba was going through… in … his last days…” She forcibly rubbed the tears with the back of her palm. Her subdued annoyance starting to resurface. How dare he keep information from her…?

“… It is NOT my place to give you any kind of closure…” His vocal intensity had raised higher. “…its time you accept the decision made by your late father… DO YOU UNDERSTAND…?” She saw his nostrils flare as he stood with his hands on his hips.

 After what seemed like ages, he turned around and strode to his room shutting the door behind him as she still stood there trying to make sense of what had just happened. The man was an oxymoron in itself where he showered passion one moment and the very next instance, he turned into this cold unyielding businessman… What was he hiding…? Of course, he was right… they had to think about Vedshastra… that was the reason for their wedding in the first place…wasn’t it…? But then what about the waves of doubts thrashing her soul…?

She walked slowly towards her room and as she settled for the night sleep miles away she wondered what was in store for her in this entire marital fiasco…did she expect too much…? She was literally coerced into this marriage, given the situation.  She didn’t have a choice… as she stared at the circular movements of the ceiling fan… she remembered what her baba always told her. ‘it’s better not to expect anything from anyone since expectations only paved way for regrets…’

Would she regret marrying Keshav…? Time would tell… Given what had transpired, she knew what she had to do tomorrow after her morning meeting in Vedshastra where they were going to make Keshav the joint holder of her percentage of shares. Her mother had signed off her percentage of shares to Avanti few days ago and that made her the majority shareholder.  Hence Keshav would get to be the majority decision maker and have the final say. She knew her baba would have wanted it as he trusted Keshav. But unease crept into her heart… not willing to leave its clutches. She picked up her phone and sent a text…

She had to meet Rahul.

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.