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.

Chapter 6

The vehicle carrying Avanti and her mother, arrived at the wedding venue, the other guests were arranged on a bus and her uncle was overseeing the arrangements. However strained her past relationship she had with her uncle, today he was a blessing especially for her mother… it was a huge relief to have someone by their side to manage everything when she couldn’t.  Avanti glanced outside the car and saw the décor had gone through some rushed changes. Through the basic floral arrangements using marigold garlands and mogras along with roses were just as planned by her, the huge plaque welcoming the guests with the floral design stating ‘Arpita weds Keshav’ was conspicuous by its absence. Keshav must have got it removed she thought… Her mother held her hand as she got off the car and a pensive Rahul drove away to park it in a designated slot. She walked towards the conical pandal where the floral arrangements hung giving it a festive hue. The breeze blowing around her brought with it the combination of the fragrances involving the floral scents mingled with the artificial perfume drops sprayed around by a rotating wheel at the entrance. As soon as she stepped inside the main carpeted area it hit her why she was here…instead of her sister and her heart began to race. Was she really a substitute bride…? Would Keshav keep his promise once they got married…? Would her baba have approved of her stepping in instead of Arpita…?

 Her mother held her hand as she drew strength from the remarkably strong woman who had put everything aside to support her daughter’s decision. Avanti knew, her mother who always thought about the world and their reactions to her decisions and their outcomes, was showing stupendous poise at the moment and she couldn’t help but respect and love her more than she already did. Her mother led her to the central area where the pandit had already started with the rituals on the microphone… amidst the soft wedding music playing in the background. Avanti had herself chosen the music and the irony was it was being played for her wedding instead of her sister’s. Avanti looked around and saw the gathering of her relatives… what…? only from the bride’s side…? She recognised Kamya, his step mother Rohini Jaiswal and the twins. There were some of the employees from Vedshastra whom she recognised… but there was no one else from his family. Whatever….

She joined her mother and close family members for the Ganesh pujan. The beautiful silver Ganesha idol belonged to her father and he had specifically got it for this event as soon as the marriage had been fixed. Her eyes filled and she prayed to the elephant God and also her father with all her heart, to give her the strength to face any obstacle that came her way. She also prayed that she made the right decisions which would be conducive enough to save her family’s reputation… Keshav was yet to arrive… where was he? Her mother and uncle then took her around amidst the family elders for their blessings even as she heard hushed whispers about the bridal replacement. She ignored the buzz around her as she plastered a smile on her face and went about her mother’s instructed order. She knew, irrespective of her opinion every ritual meant a lot to her mother. Finally, as they approached the main location, she glanced up to the wedding pyre straight into Keshav’s mesmerising eyes as he stared at her with some kind of a strange emotion. He had worn the same Sherwani that she had selected and the pretied red turban only enhanced his appeal… NO… she thought with disdain. She wasn’t supposed to like him anymore… Her mother tugged her to the centre stage.

The antarpat ritual began where a cloth was held as a barrier so that the groom couldn’t see the bride. Suddenly she felt a tug on her shalu and looked behind to see Rahul standing with a grim expression. What the hell had gotten into him…? She raised her eyebrows and he came closer. “Don’t do this Avanti…” He whispered to a degree of hoarseness to cover the background music playing. “…He isn’t who you think he is…just stop here… we will manage…”

“…What the hell are you saying Rahul…?” She spoke clenching her teeth… agitated. Her best friend wasn’t helping her stress levels to reduce, with his behaviour.

“…I found out a few things about him in last couple of days… he is…I mean…”

“…Come on Rahul… what is it…?” she blinked away tears as her heart sank. What had he found out? She knew Rahul had a way with computers

“…He….” Rahul had just begun when the Pandit started the Mangalashtak on the microphone drowning Rahul’s voice. She only heard the last word.  “…dangerous…”

Her uncle held her hand and took her closer in the mandap… the Antarpat was removed and she saw Keshav closely and irrespective of what Rahul said or didn’t say… irrespective of her foul mood or her impending fears… irrespective of her mother’s opinion of Keshav, Avanti knew that no matter what, she was hopelessly in love with him. Something about him appealed to her and it was beyond physical… He stood smiling looking into her eyes and she could feel calm seep into her heart as it settled. He always did that to her… even when they met during the arranged dates. As the Mangalashtak ended, they exchanged garlands and the couple was showered with unbroken rice… the akshatas.

It was time for the Kanyadaan and Avanti couldn’t help but let her father’s fond memories flow down her cheeks, as she remembered her beloved baba… He had dreamed of giving away his daughters with all pomp and splendour. But today as her uncle performed the ritual, her throat clogged as she reminisced her life with her father as they flashed before her eyes. Oh, how she missed him…. As her uncle placed her palms on Keshav’s, he gently gave her a squeeze and as she looked up she saw a blurry vision of Keshav nodding his head telling her…all was OK… as if. She sniffled as the Pandit said the mantras. They were then made to sit on the chairs placed there, as her uncle and aunt performed the traditional couple worship. They then performed the Kankan Bandhane ritual where Avanti tied a piece of turmeric on Keshav’s hand and he in turn repeated it with her. Keshav then sealed the ritual by placing the mangalsutra around her neck and applied the vermillion on her centre parting. She in turn applied a sandalwood tilak on Keshav’s forehead. She didn’t bother anymore to stop the unyielding tears as they flew uninhibited as they bonded in holy matrimony…even while the musicians played the famous song from the movie Dhadkan…Dulhe ka sehra…

Finally, they stood for the saptapadhi ritual where they circumambulated around the sacred fire seven times as Keshav gripped her hand protectively. She felt protected and cherished at that very moment as her hand as engulfed in his warmth. She didn’t know if he was putting up a show for the gathering as there were some people from the media as well… but at that moment she wanted to keep all her apprehensions aside and focus on the present. As the pandit reiterated the vows all she could realise was… that she was living in the moment where she was actually serious about the vows. She didn’t know if Keshav took any of them seriously… but in those instants of the rituals, the world had faded away and it was only the two of them on the stage…. She could only feel the fragrance of the garland adorning their necks and his eyes on her every move and expression….

The rituals ended and the newly married couple was led by her uncle to the family elders for their blessings. Starting with her mother and other long-lost elders, they circled a huge group. Later they moved towards his family where a beautiful Kamya stood clad in a silk saree, beaming ear to ear. She hugged her brother and Avanti. “Welcome to family Avanti Bhabhi…” Avanti blushed…Kamya was older to her but still addressed her as Bhabhi. The twins too hugged their brother and nodded at Avanti hesitatingly. She smiled, instantly liking his siblings. She knew they wouldn’t be staying together but it was better to have good relations to make her yearlong marital life bearable. Her father always said, “you don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you… just cherish them…after all…family is family…”

His step mother was young and very pretty and today especially clad in a designer silk saree she radiated elegance. However, she was stiff and barely smiled at Avanti. She could sense cold vibes between Keshav and the woman and his grip on her hand had tightened for a few seconds. The man was mystification personified and his step mother an entirely different entity…Avanti wondered what else was in store. They all had lunch and though there was her favourite masale bhaat and aluvadi on the menu which she herself had painstakingly selected for the wedding, Avanti was on tender hooks and could barely eat. After a photo session they had the varat ritual where Avanti bid a tearful goodbye to her mother and other close relatives. Most of all she was laden with guilt for having lied to her mother about the truth behind the wedding.

They were to have a small press meet but Avanti was not upto it. Keshav asked her to relax for a while in the adjoining room provided by the wedding venue while he addressed the press. She knew how important it was to make the world believe in their alliance…especially for their sneakily unpredictable investors. She smiled for the few photo ops along with Keshav and walked into the room. Her entire body was aching and her head was splitting given the day’s excitement and she longed to put her legs up for a while. As she settled in the room there was a knock and Rahul entered the room. “Hey… Rahul…what’s up…? Why didn’t you leave…? Who is driving Aai…”

“…Don’t worry Avanti… I am going … they are all waiting… I had to talk to you first…”

“…Oh God… Rahul…what is it…? I am exhausted as it is…”

“…Avanti… just… come home with us… we will give some excuse to everyone… but just come along…”

“…What the fu… Rahul…what are you saying…? You just don’t make sense…” Her head threatened to splinter into a million pieces.

“…Avanti… this man is dangerous… This Keshav… he is the most opportunistic person on earth… he eventually will take over Vedshastra…”

“…Cut the crap Rahul… Vedshastra is sinking anyway…Keshav is the one who is trying to save it…” She didn’t know why she was so defensive but the world didn’t have to know the reality of the marriage that had just taken place.

“…Avanti… he is the once who put the company into the back burner in the first place. That research… that formula that Rane kaka was working on which eventually led to this mess… it was on the insistence of Keshav Goyal… kaka neglected every other project for it and look where it got us…”

“…Rahul…you are insulting baba now… he was a genius… he relied on his own instincts and not others’…”

“…I wish I was wrong Aavnti… but just look at the timing… How conveniently the alliance was fixed with the Rane family’s daughter when Rane kaka made some headway with the formula… how easily one daughter disappears on the wedding morning only to be replaced by the other smarter and younger daughter without battling an eyelid…”

“…Rahul…just shut up…”

“…Avanti you can lie to the world… but I know you… you have got into this mess only for your family… you are too altruistic in that regard…And don’t deny it… please…”

Avanti sighed. “…look Rahul…I can’t help what you think of everything… but the truth is… I am now Avanti Rane-Goyal and that won’t change… so please leave…” Tears threatened to spill and she didn’t want to look weak before Rahul.

“…ok fine…one last thing Avanti. Do you remember the discussion we had… about Rane Kaka… whether it was an accident or a sabotage…?”

Now that got her alert. “…What do you mean Rahul…?” She had always believed the police findings on the accident.

“…Avanti… I always felt it wasn’t an accident… just think about it… it was a private plane… the pilot was ex- air force with an enviable number of hours under his belt… there was no investigation as such and it was declared an accident… the bodies were charred beyond recognition and there was no post mortem… can’t you see here…?”

Avanti wiped away her tears. “…Rahul… it was an accident… there was no proof otherwise… I thought we had agreed to it…”

“…I couldn’t come to terms Avanti… so I kept digging…” Rahul was flustered and rubbed his face.

Suddenly the door to the room sprang open and an annoyed looking Keshav entered hands on his hips. “…What on earth are you doing here…? Weren’t you supposed to drive the car back home…? They are waiting out there… I think you should leave…” though he wasn’t loud the lethal tone of his voice was enough to fluster Rahul. He just nodded and left the room.

Keshav looked at Avanti. “… we should get going now… your stuff has been transferred from your vehicle to mine… and the rest you can bring later from your maternal home… let me know whenever you want to do it… I will arrange it…”

Avanti was still reeling with the information overload she had received from Rahul. She decided to look into it eventually and nodded as she moved alongside Keshav to their waiting car. All through the long drive she kept to one corner of the passenger seat while he was at the other. In spite of convincing herself over and again that she was doing the right thing, her tears refused to stop. What was Rahul trying to tell her…? The car dropped them to a five storeyed building in a locality which looked pretty secluded…He lived in a posh locality in Deonar… overlooking the only open space in the area which her dad often mentioned to as the gas chamber due to its vicinity to Chembur. However, the air around seemed fresh enough and she was glad to see greenery in the otherwise concrete jungle they had passed through on their way inside the lane. He held her hand as they moved towards the lift that took them to the fifth floor… it was the only house on the entire floor… really…? He rang the doorbell and a smiling Kamya opened it. “…wait bhaiyya…bhabhi… wait a moment… Nirvi…? Are you ready…? then come over…” She giggled like a school girl as Avanti watched Nirvi bringing the Aarti thaal. Kamya performed the aarti as she welcomed the couple. Nirvi then placed a kalash filled with rice which Avanti toppled as she entered the house.  Kamya held her hand and took her to a massive living room. Even before she could recover from the shock of the room size, Avanti was made to sit on a huge sofa. Keshav was made to sit next to her and Kamya and Nirvi arranged a plate of rice on the centre table as Naman and his mother looked on. Kamya handed over a silver idol of Goddess Parvati to Keshav and asked him to place it on the rice plate. He then wrote Avanti’s name on it. Avanti was in tears… how did they know about the customs…? She definitely hadn’t expected it and was further touched when Kamya sat between them and picked up a tiny mirror where she saw Avanti’s face in it… oh God Soonmukh baghne…Only thing was instead of the mother-in-law Kamya was doing it. “…So, Bhabhi… officially welcome to our home… I hope I did the rituals well… actually your mother had given me the instructions when I had spoken to her earlier… I wanted to do it well… did I…?”

Avanti hugged Kamya. “…Thank you so much Kamya di… this means a lot to me… it was more than perfect… and please call me Avanti…”

The family soon left and they were alone at home… Keshav showed her, her room. It was a huge bedroom with an attached bath and a changing corner, with a four-poster bed, and a walk-in closet. Her bags were already placed in there. “This…is your room…this other door here leads to a study and across that is my room. Uh… in case someone from family visits us… which is rare…but it would be better if you emerge from my bedroom instead of yours… I have a cook and a maid who are very discreet and they only come in the morning for a while. You don’t have to worry about them… And… anything you need just let me know…”

Avanti nodded watching Keshav leave the room shutting the door behind him… suddenly she felt the void in her room and in her heart as well. Where had she gotten herself…? She took in a deep breath… she had to find Arpita… to check if she was safe… She texted Rahul to keep looking for her and promised to connect with him soon. Just as she freshened and lay on the soft bed, her phone buzzed with an incoming text. It was Keshav… why was he texting…?

‘Dinner at 8PM…see you later…’

She shook her head and picking up the remote switched on the TV… one of her favourite movie played on RomedyOne… ‘Mr and Mrs. Smith’…As she watched she couldn’t wonder…just like the protagonists in the movie was Keshav too… putting up charade…? Was the care and concern just a facade like what Rahul told her…? What was it about him that had scarred Arpita off…? In fact, this arrangement was perfect for her sister. Then what was it…? She didn’t know when sleep took over and she jolted up suddenly when she heard a knock. “Avanti…? All OK…? Come one lets have dinner…” Keshav called out and she sat up looking down at her loose track-pant and faded t shirt. This was her go-to attire on a tiring day which always comforted her. She tied up her hair in a messy knot and looked at her plain self in the mirror… what would Keshav think about her appearance…? As she let her hands fall along her sides she heard the trinkling of her bangles… she loved the sound of the green glass bangles and had always yearned to put them on… She sighed and walked towards the door. As she opened it, she saw Keshav standing in a grey t shirt with a pensive look in eyes…holding a water cup.

“…Are you Ok…? You took a while to answer the door…” He said in a tentative voice.

Irrespective of what she had heard or others thought about Keshav, she was always touched by his simple words of concern. She shook her head as a traitorous lock of hair fell over her face. Before she could move it, he raised his hands and held it taking his time to feel it in his fingers before tucking it away behind her ears. She didn’t know she had held her breath till his warm fingers left their touch on her skin. He cleared his throat and gestured her to the dining hall… attached to the living room on one end and the kitchen on the other. “ So… Avanti… lets have dinner and post that I will give you a tour of the house… in case you aren’t tired of course…otherwise we can do it tomorrow…And  you can tell the cook Mrs. Sinha, whatever you wish to have… she will make it for you…uh…and…if you need…”

“…Keshav… I am fine… So please relax and let’s have dinner…” She smiled as she spoke.

She heard him sigh and smile widely as he rubbed his face, his eyes lighting up in the bright dining room lights right above him, his dimple embedded in his beard, making her heart flutter…. She had to control herself she mentally reprimanded herself. As they had a lovely dinner of roti sabji, daal rice, she felt the time pass slowly with each lingering bite that she chewed, and a year in this house looked real long indeed…

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 5

This marriage is for the best…

Keshav’s words ricocheted off her ears continuously as Avanti looked at him with expressionless eyes. She hoped she was in a bad dream and would wake up soon… but alas…this was reality. She sighed and with trembling hands, picked up the pen. She grasped the cold metal as if it was her lifeboat in the current tumulus ocean of her life. But her rational mind also knew she had to do this else her family would suffer. Arpita may not have cared but her father was a prophetic visionary and he would have definitely seen the benefit of the alliance between the two families. She blindly trusted her father and his decisions and signed across the dotted line. And it was then the dread set in…

“…Um…Keshav… I have a… question…” Her voice was hoarse with crying.

“…What is it…?” The man had zero expressions on his face. Avanti wondered if she ever knew him.

“…Um… in this marriage…um…” She waved her hand to and fro between them. “…um…Will we be…sha…sha…sharing a room…?”

Keshav sighed and shook his head. “Look Avanti, I am a virile man so I wouldn’t lie and say I am not in for physical relationship with my wife… my legally wedded wife… but having said that, I am not the one to exert conjugal rights… or any kind of power on a woman. I will be ready whenever you are…” She thought she saw a hint of a smile on his face. Was he finding this funny? “… And don’t worry Avanti…you will have your own room…you will be free to live your separate life, but there are a couple of conditions…not exactly put down in the contract but I expect you to adhere to them….”

“…Wh…what conditions…?”

“…first… neither of us will have a relationship outside of this marriage so long as we are married to each other…” He halted looking at her.

She nodded slowly. “…and the second…?”

“…neither of us are going to reveal the reality of our marriage to any living soul… I don’t want the media or public to get wind of this…As of now only my lawyer is aware of it…” She nodded once and after a moment he spoke again. “Avanti…?” She looked up at him still shuddering and sniffling post her crying bout. “…do you… do you have a boyfriend…?”

She frowned… was he nuts…? Didn’t he realise the fact by now…? She shook her head and looked away. Wait… she had a right to ask him too. “…Keshav… do you…? Have a girlfriend…? Was that why my sister…”

“…NO… Avanti…do you know what your father’s biggest lesson to me was…? It was honouring one’s commitments and promises…He always said, ‘commitment is an act not a word…’ and I know to keep my end of bargains, come what may… So, no… I don’t have a girlfriend. And your sister… I don’t want to insult your father’s memories by talking about her…” he rubbed his face which was showing signs of fatigue now that she saw intently. Somehow, she felt reassured about the fact that he didn’t have anyone in his life, that about his opinion about her sister.

She nodded and pushed her chair behind as she stood. He followed suit and rolled up the agreement. “Avanti take this…” He handed over the home agreement to her. “…Hand it over to your mother. Consider this… as a wedding gift…”

Avanti teared up as she took the paper roll and began to walk towards the gates.

“Avanti…” He called out to her as she was about to walk outside towards her car the aroma of freshly prepared coffee in the café breezing through her nostrils. “…Be there on time today… you only have two and half hours …” She didn’t react and just kept walking. As she started the car her tears began to flow yet again. What would she tell everyone…? That she was replacing her sister at the wedding? That she was a substitute bride…? This wasn’t how she had envisioned her own wedding… She turned out to be a poor judge of people and had probably misjudged Keshav. Initially she had thought he was like those rich men who thought they owned the world based on his appeal. But she knew her father better and he would never closely associate himself with shallow people so she had given Keshav the benefit of doubt. Even as she had gradually got to know him, she had realised he wasn’t the run of the mill handsome rich guy but an extremely down to earth, polite gentleman and someone who valued relationships. She often hated Arpita for the way she had treated Keshav but today as she drove towards her home she wondered if her sister had to face something like this. What had happened three days earlier…? Her sister had been upset and silent throughout. Did he offer her the contract as well…? but as far as she knew Arpita, her sister would have loved the arrangement and her freedom. But she had disappeared and instead of knowing about her whereabouts or looking for her, Avanti had to prepare for her own wedding… Oh God…baba what should I do…?

Avanti got back home and relayed the edited version of the proposal from Keshav to her mother and uncle. Before that she saw her relatives were having a field day enjoying all the delicacies doled their way without a care in the world and she realised even more how important this wedding was. None of them would come to their rescue, that was a given. In fact, the sadistic pleasure they would eventually derive from her family’s situation would increase in multiples. Even now, they suspected something amiss with Arpita missing and no one even bothered to go and look for her. No one bothered to ask her or her mother how they were holding up… these were the same relatives whom her father had helped multiple times both in cash and kind without battling an eyelid. Whenever her mother had objected, he always said, no one has ever become poor by giving… Avanti wondered otherwise watching them finish of the medu wadas in record time as if they would soon be struck by famine. But her father always believed in soul connect and told her, never feel afraid to dive into yourself…your soul will catch you… it will never let you down… soul is everything Avu…

Avanti was worried about her mother’s health and as expected she was furious. Aai hadn’t approved of Keshav even earlier but had kept her silence respecting her father’s decision. “…What the hell Avanti…? Why did you accept it…?” Her mother wailed in the closed confines of the room while her uncle sat silently in a corner. He was a henpecked husband who had never bothered about his sister or her family when they had struggled but had frequently visited them after they had made it big. But Avanti knew his presence was important to her mother…

“…Aai… relax… its… not what you are thinking…Keshav is a good guy…”

“…maybe Avu… he may be a good guy… your baba liked him… but he doesn’t give out good vibes… he is hiding something… I don’t like him and definitely not that step-mother of his…she is a vixen…” They had only met once as a family few days back and her mother obviously didn’t like the lady.

“…Aai…please calm down…”

“…NO…DON’T ASK ME TO CALM DOWN…” her mother screamed throwing away the paper roll of the agreement and Avanti was tensed about her rising blood pressure. “…I lost my husband and now God knows where Arpita is…I can’t lose you too Avanti…”

“…I am right here in Mumbai aai…I will visit you regularly…daily if you want me to…And I promise I will find tai…” She tried to convince her mother.

“…Look Avu bala I don’t care what happens to the company and the house… You are more important… We can move elsewhere on rent…I have savings…jewelry…”

Her mother was oblivious to the real soup they were in. “…Aai…Aai… please stop… no one has forced me…I am willingly doing this…please aai…I can’t let go of baba’s legacy…”

“…To hell with a legacy which is only piling up grief…it was the same legacy which drove your baba away… He had become a workaholic and it was eating away his life… And for what…? just mounting up debts…? Look Avu…just throw this agreement on Keshav’s face and break it off…” She said picking up and handing over the home agreement back to Avanti.

She had to reveal the reality softly. “…Aai…please listen to me carefully… Everything…just everything…. Will be gone… We will literally come on the roads… My salary… if my job stays after the fiasco, isn’t enough to get a good rented apartment in Panvel and God knows what is tai upto…Look aai… everything will be alright…please trust me…”

He mother turned around in a huff. “Avu… bala… we… we will go to our village… you can start something there… and I will help out…”

“…Aai…please be reasonable now… you know its not possible… and baba…”

“…Baba is not here now Avu… and I can’t see you destroy your life…” Her mother was shaking in annoyance.

Avanti lost steam as she looked at her uncle who nodded slowly. “Savita…” Her uncle finally spoke. “…Avanti is right… we have to save the situation… not just for your futures but the entire reputation of our family…”

“…No dada…I feel horrible sacrificing my daughter at the altar for the sake of living a luxurious life… I don’t wan’t material stuff… I just want my family safe…” her mother spoke softly … in tears. “…That man… he is so much older to Avanti… She deserves a lot better than him…”

“…Aai… please we don’t have much time now… I am happy aai…don’t worry about me… now please help me dress… I will call Rahul to drive us to the venue….” Her mother had sent back the makeup lady and the hair dresser, not that she was upto it…

Her mother sobbed and hugged her and in the next forty-five minutes she was all dressed in whatever they could arrange given the limitations even as the shocked relatives whispered and commented. After her mother left the room Avanti glanced around her favourite place in the world… this was her own space… she had her life built up here. every molecule around her had been just hers… She saw her special possessions, her shelf full of books, boxes of pen drives, CDs… mostly related to her favourite music albums and her own concerts, which she would miss the most. She saw a framed picture of hers with Arpita on the day of Arpita’s engagement. Her sister looked so radiant and beautiful… No wonder Keshav had fallen for Arpita… many men did. Since she was a model, she was well groomed and fit… had an enviable hour glass figure looking a lot younger than her age. In contrast Avanti was a simpleton…she wasn’t much into vanity and preferred the company of little children to men. Was this why she had failed to recognize Keshav…? The way he was ready with the papers today… it was as if he knew this would happen. Did he plan it…? Her heart stopped… No… she had to believe in her father… Her father knew Keshav for a long time and he wasn’t someone who would call a man home if he wasn’t… a good man. The thought calmed her racing heart and she felt relieved.

Her gaze then moved towards the wall covered with her most prized possessions, her instruments. There was the harmonium placed on a stand in the corner, a veena that filled the crevice on the wall, two varieties of the tanpura and finally her eyes fell on the most beautiful of them all a stone studded designer veena commissioned specially by her baba when he had been to Germany once. It had cost him a bomb but he said it reminded him of her and he had to get it after paying heavy duty for it. She smiled as she looked at the fiber glass case holding it. She hadn’t liked the tonal quality of the instrument and hadn’t gotten to restring it as per her requirement, but it had sentimental value now that her baba was no more. When he had gifted it to her three years ago, he had said, “Avu bala… when you sing plucking at the strings of the veena it connects to the soul… it brings out the purity of your heart… so if you have to reflect and look into your soul…just string the veena…” She still hadn’t completely understood what he had meant then… but that was her father.

He was the most intelligent person she had ever known and he was cryptic in his own way. As a child he loved playing treasure hunt with her. Every second day he would leave clues in steps, for her to find her gift… which usually would be a chocolate box or a favourite doll or toy… even when they couldn’t afford them. She would usually take a whole evening to do so but it gave her a strange thrill… more so because she felt she made her father proud. Her father had wanted her to follow in his footsteps and take up chemistry but she didn’t have the aptitude for science. She had been upset to hurt him because Arpita had disappointed him in every way and she had wanted to be the perfect daughter. He had then smiled and told her, “…Avu bala… follow your heart, else you will spend rest of your life regretting it… your heart is your best guide…” And she had done just that. She loved being a teacher and she loved singing.

She realised Keshav’s house was far from her school… She had to do something about it. Even by road it would be time consuming. She loved the children and not to mention her existing commitments. There was a charity fundraiser organised by the music school she attended and she had committed to that as well. It was a two-day event to be held in Hyderabad next month. Then following that she had to visit Kolhapur where her father hailed from. He had studied there and a couple of years ago when a major fire had gutted the chemistry wing of the university where he had passed out from, her father had donated a huge sum for the renovation. They were to honour him and unfortunately given the circumstances she had agreed to go…

Avanti swallowed her grief…how she missed her baba… he would have known exactly how to handle the situation. His will was the last communication and a copy of the same was kept with Keshav on her father’s demand for safe keeping. Keshav had accompanied the lawyer during the reading of the will which had bequeathed the entire wealth…whatever was left… equally to her aai, tai and herself. Keshav had been so supportive then and it was difficult to believe he was the same man she now had to face… for a complete year. If only they had found the black book…she didn’t have to get into this loveless, contractual and conditional commitment.  She wished her father had left her clues, like in her childhood. But then she was no longer a child to be entertained and her father obviously didn’t know he would be gone so soon. Avanti blotted her eyes with her handkerchief as she shut the Veena’s case. She wasn’t taking much with her but she would definitely take her instruments… they gave her solace. She would now string this Veena as well and use it…. She somehow felt it connected her with her baba…. And God knew she needed him now more than anytime. As she sat into the car waiting for a grim looking Rahul to start it, she had one last look at her home… would things ever be the same…? She only hoped her family would be happy and Arpita would return home safely.

But in the poignant silence engulfing the vehicle as she looked down at her mehendi clad palms, the trinkling of green glass bangles adorning her wrists breaking the stillness….as she held her shalu close in comfort there was only one thought that crossed her mind continuously….

She was just jumping from the frying pan into the fire…

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 4

He was an asshole… One of the greatest order for making Avanti cry and it broke his heart. Keshav stared at the pretty docile woman sitting across him in the café. While most of the time he sat putting on a charade of being an epitome of serenity and calm, he was suffering too. He hated himself for what he was doing to her but Arpita…the idiot had left him no choice. She knew right from the beginning what she was getting into. He needed her for securing his business deal and she needed him to quench the wanderlust in her. He knew she was anything but a devoted wife… she was a vagabond, a commitment phobic, self-centred woman who didn’t care anything beyond her own personal gratification. Her myopic views on life angered him very often even when he had dated her in the past but that was brief and years ago but even today nothing had changed. He had always wondered how someone like Dnyaneshwar Rane could sire an offspring like Arpita. Dnyaneshwar Rane had been a father figure to him when he was the new director of his company. He had just taken over the command of the sinking ship and if not for the trust induced by Dnyaneshwar Rane in his abilities and the constant guidance in setting him afloat, he would have lost the company years ago.

His late father had just left him a bankrupt company founded by his grandfather and to add to it the mounting debt. He had student loans to pay off too. His father always bled the company dry because of his alcoholism and womanising demeanours. One such encounter got him a step- mother Rohini Jaiswal and eventually twin half siblings whom he didn’t know about till his father passed when he was barely seventeen and still in junior college.  Their names had only popped out in his father’s will where he had left the only untouched family heirloom, the family home in Hisar in his name. His father had saved a few infrastructure bonds he had purchased before going bankrupt, probably when he was sober and that he had left for the twins who were barely a year old. Initially it had enraged the teenager in Keshav to know about the other woman in his father’s life who he felt betrayed his mother’s memory… He had gone on an angry rampage and had almost been taken into police custody if not for Dnyaneshwar Rane who was working in the R and D department in their company. He had rushed to Keshav’s rescue and had taken him for a drive around Mumbai. They had spent the entire night chatting on the simple nothings and for the first time in his life Keshav had felt wanted. He had even cried his lungs out as Dnyaneshwar Rane had held him… probably again a first since he hardly remembered his mother who was depressed till she committed suicide after overdosing and he always blamed his father’s wayward ways for her untimely demise. Kamya was only three years old then and he had grown up overnight at the tender age of Seven. He never ever remembered his father being there at home or having spoken to him or even lambasted him for mistakes… nothing. He had grown up with a stream of nannies who came and left like they changed clothes and he and Kamya never had any kind of stability except for the last nanny who stayed for a long time till she had to give time to her own family.

 That evening spent with Dnyaneshwar Rane changed him for good. Mr. Rane advised him to focus on his studies and build a career in the company which needed him in a couple of years. It was a family owned organization which was currently taken over by a board of directors and each of them was trying to take their piece of pie and jump the ship. On Dnyaneshwar Rane’s counsel he met them and promised to repay them for their hard work once he took over. Meanwhile Dnyaneshwar Rane sold his village plot and village home and also ran pillar to post to arrange fund to be pumped into the company and managed to keep it afloat as Keshav struggled through college in the next two years. Every evening he would visit the company and meet up with Dnyaneshwar Rane who explained the working and other functions… even the perils the company faced, without mincing words. Keshav had always known since the time he was a kid that he was expected to take over the company some day and was mentally prepared… he loved the pharmaceutical field and working too. He had hoped to study pharmacy and further do an MBA before he took over… however fate intervened and he had to quit his dreams. Kamya was inclined towards a career in Medicine since early days and he vowed to fulfil her dreams even if his remained…. Just dreams. Dnyaneshwar Rane coaxed him to do a diploma in Pharmacy and the last year of the diploma was the toughest as he had to join the company officially at the helm of things as well as study… here too Dnyaneshwar Rane came to his rescue. He helped him in the smooth functioning and solved every problem for him even before he knew he had one.

At times in melancholic secrecy he even wished Dnyaneshwar Rane was his father… the man had been his rock during the turmoil in his life… He never gave up and stuck to Keshav and most of all believed in him. Finally, five years after joining the company things started to stabilise and a couple of super products spearheaded by Dnyaneshwar Rane and their vigorous tie ups and marketing by Keshav himself at the driver’s seat brought up the company financials from the red zone… this attracted a lot of investors who were inquisitive about new research as well as the young dynamic Director of the company. The company stars were now favourable and profits had started to make their way onto its coffers.

The only blot in his happiness were the constant reminders of his half siblings and their mother. One day a few years after his father’s passing, a frail woman landed at his doorsteps holding a little twin in each of her hands. Rohini Jaiswal had sold the bonds and had nothing to fend for herself and her children. Though he was angry at the woman, he couldn’t let the little kids suffer for their parent’s mistakes and he took them under his wing. His only condition was she would be a mother to Kamya and take care of the household responsibilities while he worked his guts out. In turn he would take care of her and the twins financially. Dnyaneshwar Rane had been proud of him and had patted him on the shoulder with tears in his eyes. For a few years the arrangement had worked well and seeing Kamya well settled psychologically, he didn’t regret his decision and true to his word he encouraged the twins. The fact that they respected him and idolised him thrilled him to no end and he had come to love them too. But he never trusted their mother and true to her nature she had made a grave mistake three years ago. He was forced to intimidate her and put up clauses to banish her back to Hisar… He hated what he was forced to do but he had a legacy to protect for which he had given his life and sweat and blood… and he wouldn’t allow the woman to damage anything.

At a time when all his illustrious relatives had given up on him and turned the other way round, Dnyaneshwar Rane had stuck and pulled him out of quicksand. A few years later when Dnyaneshwar Rane decided to start his own company dedicated to prepare the formulae for rare medicines, Keshav had been his first investor and Novo Supreme had been Vedshastra’s first tie up for producing the medicines as well. It was a huge decision which brought in a lot of other investors.

Dnyaneshwar Rane and Keshav were not just bonded in humanity but also because Dnyaneshwar Rane was the only one who had an answer to a major predicament Keshav was facing and time was ticking. Dnyaneshwar Rane believed in soul talk and always told him, the soul welcomes the bluest nights always aware that the light will return. Ten months ago, Dnyaneshwar Rane had almost got the formula for the special miracle drug Keshav had desperately wanted and Novo Supremo had poured in special funds for its research. His life and the company’s growth surge depended on that miracle drug literally and ever since he had received the news of the special legacy from his father, he had become distraught… He had struggled all his life and lived for his sister an eventually the twins who had come to respect him. He was the father figure for them and he had thought he had got the company’s fortunes in order. But the Almighty was probably not yet satisfied by his turmoil and had dropped the time bomb a couple of years ago. As usual Dnyaneshwar Rane was the one he had turned to for advice and he had immediately got the wheels in motion. Kamya had been at the helm of things as well and as she was finishing her residency, she had got attached to the research wing of her medical college where she finished her post graduate studies in Neurology. He was glad to have her on his side but she had had a hard life too and he didn’t want her to be involved in their collective research more than what was needed. Dnyaneshwar Rane was the best in the field and if there was someone who had the remedy for his affliction it was him.

He had got hope ten months ago and then Dnyaneshwar Rane had run into murky waters. For the first time since he had known the man, Keshav had seen him panic. Initially he hadn’t known but then he found out about the threats Dnyaneshwar Rane had received over emails with regards to the new formula he was developing. The danger was multi-fold and suffocatingly scary… It was on his insistence that Dnyaneshwar Rane had speeded up the process… age notwithstanding the man had pulled an extra mile. He would visit the bungalow regularly to help his mentor out. Dnyaneshwar Rane was a perceptive man… he probably had an intuition about something being amiss and probably had some kind of a premonition about the end being close. He had requested Keshav to tie the knot with his older daughter. Given his situation Keshav had been hesitant and also, he knew the kind of woman Arpita was. Not that he wanted her to take care of the family or anything of the sort but she just wasn’t a wife material… he didn’t have a right though, to be wishful.

But all that had changed when he had got to know Avanti… Dnyaneshwar Rane’s pretty and coherent younger daughter. He couldn’t take his eyes of her when she had smiled coyly at him for the first time…. Not because she was extremely beautiful…in fact he had met and dated super models who were ready to give up everything to be with him… it wasn’t physical beauty… but she was extremely caring and the way looked at him with trust in those beautiful innocent eyes… he was fiercely attracted to her. For the first time in his life he had lamented about his situation and he couldn’t do the injustice of asking for her hand in marriage. He had accepted everything that had come into his life… the bright sunny skies along with the dark forlorn clouds and he had always been hopeful of that silver lining. Avanti, whenever she met him brought along with her a strange freshness that had lit up his life. He wasn’t a monk but in comparison to the select women he had dated Avanti was different…there was no pretence, she was an open book and straightforward. Her beautiful eyes the striking feature on her face, unblemished by any make up, they were a direct reflection of her pure heart.

And then Dnyaneshwar Rane had died…He felt he was orphaned all over again but seeing a courageous Avanti holding things from falling apart had given a grit to his dwindling spirit. It was as if she revived him as well…. He had got to know her and had gradually begun to fall for her… and when she had sung for him on his birthday, it was as if he was hit in the solar plexus. He had a pathetic day at work resembling his crappy life and Arpita not showing up or even texting him had only increased his loneliness… though he hadn’t expected her to do so. But then Avanti had arrived and she had remembered… No one ever had shown any kind of a special gesture towards him… without expecting anything in return and here was this woman with kohl adorned astoundingly alluring eyes, dressed in a simple cotton outfit… a total misfit in that resto bar…and the voice of an angel while the world had faded away and he had been mesmerised. He had often heard her sing and there was some kind of a strange melancholic touch in her voice which helped him get rid of his stress that only threatened to mount up with every passing day.

He had almost kissed her that night when she had taken care of him during one of his episodes. He had been guilt ridden especially when he had realised, she reciprocated his feelings. No…he had no right… So, he had avoided her from then on, though it killed him within. The marriage had to take place or else Vedshastra was gone for big time and the creditors would have a field day with these women. He couldn’t bear to see Avanti suffer more than she already had in her plate and he knew first-hand how it was when everything collapsed around like a pack of cards. He owed Dnyaneshwar Rane at least that much… So, he had paid the mortgage for the bungalow and had decided to hand it over to Avanti on the day of his wedding to Arpita. He yearned to see her smile and wanted to see her expressions first hand.

However, Arpita deserved to know the truth about him… the entire truth and he had done just that three days prior to the wedding. He had threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed it to anyone especially Avanti. He knew the righteous Avanti would never allow the wedding to take place … even though she knew about the aftermath of the fallout. So, he had to hold his cards close to his heart. He had a gut feeling that Arpita would pull some stunt out of her kitty, the woman had done just that. She had texted him in the vee hours today morning that she wasn’t interested in tying herself with someone like him and she valued her freedom too much, she had run away. Instead of being angry, he had laughed and had got on to his plan B. He hadn’t come that far in his line of work without back up plans… and here he was.

Today, as he sat across Avanti dressed in her simple full sleeved t shirt, starring blankly at the agreement, the uninhibited tears flowing from her sublime eyes, his heart broke. He was the reason she was at crossroads but he had no choice. She didn’t know the reality… He had recently got a detailed report from his investigator friend Akshat Chaudhury who specialised in corporate frauds and crimes and Avanti didn’t know how deep they were in…especially with the black bound notebook missing. He had to be a monster who broke her kind heart for he had to save her from the repercussions of not just bad loans and a falling apart business but also, possibly a greater threat looming over their heads which he was yet to find out. As he straightened up on his chair to play his role further, he looked up towards the sky and said a mental prayer for Dnyaneshwar Rane… He apologised but knew the man would eventually forgive him. After all he was his mentor and this was just an arrangement for a year…he didn’t have a right for anything beyond that…

He held a pen towards Avanti. “…Here… sign it… it’s for the best…”

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 3

The black covered small book troubled her all next day… Avanti came home early from school and plunged herself into searching for the black book as she called it now… As she moved in her father’s study looking from cupboard to cupboard trying to locate the supposedly missing book, her eyes fell on the innumerable patents her beloved baba had obtained following his research. His sole aim in life was to develop something for the well-being of people. He would often get nostalgic talking about his past… his journey and off late he had been totally involved in the new project. She knew nothing about it and probably her father had his reasons for not sharing it with her. But she had once heard him slip and he had told her something to the tune of ‘wonder drug’. Was that the reason Keshav had heavily invested in Vedshastra…? Of course, he was a businessman and wouldn’t let any opportunity pass…besides it helped her father’s legacy to stay afloat so far given the circumstances. The man was even ready to settle down for the sake of the project…it must indeed be of great value.

As she kept looking through the innumerable files and folders, she saw her father’s neatly written notes on the post-its which he meticulously loved to place in neat order in his files. Tears flew down her cheeks as she hugged one of them and cried her heart out… she couldn’t grieve her father enough as she had to be the backbone of the family and take care of everything else…she just didn’t have the time. But today looking at the only remaining souvenirs of her father’s lifetime of research, she couldn’t contain it anymore… Her mother had gone to visit her brother in lieu of the upcoming wedding and Arpita was as usual away on a gig. Only their long-time cook was in the kitchen starting the preparations for their dinner… so no one would notice or hear her venting out. She cried for her father’s unfulfilled dreams wondering if it ever would… she cried for her sister’s apathetic attitude towards her husband -to-be and finally she cried for her unrequited love… Keshav never left her mind and she never even crossed his… 

She didn’t know how long she sat in that dark room curled up with her father’s folder in her arms… How she missed him, his comforting words, his appreciation of her music. She had stopped her classes after he passed, tentatively till the marriage was done with. Rahul was annoyed but he understood. Day before yesterday evening was the first time she had sung after her father’s demise…for Keshav. She walked towards a framed picture of her father remembering one of his favourite raagas Malkauns and soon she was singing a small bandhish…koyaliya bole ambuva… the one she had won her first state title at the tender age of 8 years… Her father had thrown a party for his friends and relatives. Her eyes teared up at the memory as she hummed the aaroh and avroh of the raaga but instead of the memory of her father’s elated face she saw the eyes that had captured her heart irrevocably. Why did that man have to intrude her thoughts day in and day out…it was so wrong to lust after her soon-to-be brother-in-law. She hated herself and her non-compliant heart.

There was a soft knock at the door and she jerked up from her stupor. Who was it…? It was 7PM and the cook must have long gone. Did her mother come back suddenly? She wasn’t expected before tomorrow evening… was it Arpita? But she never knocked and just barged inside and she hated the study. Avanti straightened up and switched on the lights as she moved amidst the clutter to answer the door. She opened the door with a creaking jerk only to stare at a wretchedly handsome Keshav in his trademark t-shirt jacket combination leaning against the door jamb. He looked at her and frowned…she was immediately self-conscious…oh God she must be a crying mess. She hadn’t even bothered to change from her simple outfit of black trousers and white cotton blouse from school and it must now be ruined and her face…oh no. She quickly turned around and went through the motions of picking up the strewn folders and files. “…Um… Keshav ji …what brings you here…? Um…I was just winding up… I searched for the black book as you had asked but nothing…”

“…Avanti…?” She heard him softly behind her.  She stopped and stood straight her back to him. “…Avanti please look here…” He whispered.

She turned around and saw he looked… sick. His eyes were red rimmed and now that she saw him clearly, he looked haggard. “…Um…Keshav ji are you OK…?”  she saw him drive a hand through his hair and it was… trembling… what was happening…? He sighed as he staggered behind and before she could realise, he swayed against the wall. She rushed and held him tightly around his abdomen before he could hit the wall but she was no match to his height and strength and they collapsed together on the floor. The clutter of files softened the blow and she held her hand protectively under his head before it hit the floor. He immediately moved away from her and groaned holding his head. She rushed to the kitchen and brought a glass of water along with a wet wash cloth. He was still lying on the floor and she crouched towards him, helping him to sit up against the table. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were shut. She pressed the wash cloth on his face and he groaned again…was he in pain…? Her heart was breaking seeing him so vulnerable. She touched the glass of water to his lips. “…Ke…keshavji…please have some water…” She whispered and he gulped a couple of sips.

He slowly opened his eyes and struggled to speak. “…Mo…mobile… call…Ka…Kamya…”

She nodded and searched his jacket pocket and found his phone…it was locked.  She held it up to him to unlock it. He squinted at her and whispered. “…p-o-w-e-r-o-f-m-e-d-i-c-i-n-e…”

She was surprised but typed in the letters and the phone unlocked immediately. She scrolled through his contact list but he touched her hand stopping her midway. “…Spee…eed Dial…2…” He struggled panting even finding it difficult to hold up his head.

She nodded, her hands now trembling in worry as she pressed 2 and the green dial button. She held the phone towards him but he said. “…Spea…eak…pl…please…” and his head fell back again on the table behind as if it didn’t have any muscle tone. She held the phone to her ear as she heard the ringing across.

“…Hello Bhaiyya… what’s up…?” A chirpy voice answered on the other end.

“…Um…hello…th…this is Avanti… Arpita’s sister… um Keshavji here is… unwell… he just collapsed… Hands… trem… trembling and he is breathing heavily…”

“…oh ok… relax Avanti… just ask him something to check if he remembers…like ask him…what he ate today morning…ask him what is the name of my hospital…” Kamya spoke strictly like a doctor. Avanti switched on the speaker mode and relayed the question to Keshav.

He lifted up his head and spoke. “…I didn’t …. Eat any…anything…other questions…shut up Kamya…”

“…Ok ok big brother… I knew you were up to no good… Ok…Avanti…?”

Avanti who was watching the banter wide-eyed was startled. “…Um…yea…?”

“…my idiot brother hasn’t eaten anything so can you handle that…? Immediately… so that the metabolism gets on track…?”

“…yes… of course…” She replied.

“…Ok and one more thing…Avanti…”

“…Yeah…?”

“…remind him to take his medicines after he eats something… that’s the most important aspect… got it…?”

“…yes… don’t worry…I will see to it…” Avanti spoke as she continued to look at Keshav who was now openly staring at her with drooping eyelids… Could the guy be sexier…? He looked hot even when sick…she was losing it.

“…Uh…and Avanti…?” The voice on the phone spoke and Avanti was back to the present.

“…Ye..yes..?”

“…Thank you…”

“…hey its cool…” she said and disconnected. She then turned to Keshav. “…Keshav ji… are you up to it to walk to the dining table or the living room…? I will help… or else I will get the food here…”

He didn’t answer, just rested his head back on the table. She didn’t waste any time and ran to the kitchen. Luckily dinner was ready and she quickly served him roti, mix vegetable sabji and varan bhaat. She took the plate back to the study and picked up the little table which her father had fancied during one of his trips abroad. Since it was kept away inside one of the cupboards it was clean and she kept it before him and the plate on it. “…Um…Keshav ji… please eat something… She patted his shoulder and he opened his eyes slightly. But he just looked at her with hooded eyes and shut them again as if he had no strength left in his body…what was happening…? she couldn’t understand but she knew it was important for him to ingest food. She realised she had forgotten to get a spoon along but she couldn’t waste any more time. She took some varan bhaat in her fingertips and took it close to his mouth. “…Um… Here Keshavji please have this…” To her surprise though his eyes were shut he opened his mouth and took in the food. She fed him some more and gradually even the roti sabji. She then helped him have water and went back to the kitchen to get him some hot milk. Back to the study, she helped him have a few sips of milk and reminded him to take the medicines. Why was he under medication…? She wondered. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her.

“…Avan…Avanti… medicine…in car… dashboard… gre…green box…”

She again nodded and taking his keys from the jacket pocket made a quick trip to the car to get the medicine box. By now he was sitting better and colour had returned to his face. She finally was relieved and realised her breathing had settled too. He selected a strip and held it out to her as she removed the tablet for him. She again helped him take it and he rested back again putting the little box in his jacket. But this time he was breathing normally.

She went to the guest bedroom adjacent to the study and prepared the bed. She then got back to the study and sat next to him. “…Keshavji… you can’t go home like this…. Why don’t you stay back in the guest room…?”

Fortunately, he didn’t refuse and she helped him stand. As they shuffled towards the next room, he lost his balance and hugged her tightly sideways. She was walking along the wall for support and suddenly was between him and the wall as she faced him… Their bodies touched and he tried to stabilise himself pushing the wall behind her. Her heart stopped beating as she felt his warm breath on her face. She looked up and at that moment he opened his eyes. He stared at her unabashedly and then specifically at her mouth. His eyes narrowed as he focused through the slits as he lowered his head and her heart was in her mouth…there was a buzz… his phone couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate moment to buzz getting her out of her rivière.  He looked away and held up his hand to stop her, as she moved to help him stand. With a hand on the wall for support, he shuffled his way into the room and shut the door. It was then she actually let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding. What the hell was all that…?

She walked around the house checking the locks and the alarm and it was then it struck her… how did Keshav enter the house…? Did he have the alarm codes from her father…or had the cook left the door ajar…? No… the cook wasn’t careless… nonetheless, she had to ask Keshav the next day… and most important of all…she had to keep her distance. She was rapidly slipping into quick sand and she had to save herself before it got too late…

She waited up to 11PM before for Arpita to arrive but the excitement of the day had taken a toll and she got back to her room upstairs and fell asleep… she had the nightmare again. Her father calling out to her for help…  Somehow, she felt it wasn’t a cry to help him from the wreckage but to help him extricate the business from dire consequences… She just wished she knew how to. She went back to sleep with a determination to speak to Keshav about the company and see if there was anything she could do. He was slogging his guts out to the point of sickness and he needed a break as well. But the next day morning by the time she walked downstairs to his room to call him for breakfast, he was gone. She however received a text from him. ‘Hey Avanti…thank you for everything… owe you one!’

She smiled and went about her routine. Arpita hadn’t come home last night and she was worried. She texted her sister and finally after an hour Arpita replied.

 ‘Had to rush to Shimla for an ad shoot… good opportunity can’t let it go… please manage back at home Avu…’

Avanti was getting angrier by the day. How could Arpita be so irresponsible and throw everything away for some side tiny bit role in an ad film…They had discussed this umpteen time and Arpita often fought with her father over this. She argued that she didn’t have much time left in her profession given her age and her father insisted that she settle down. Avanti knew about Pramod, Arpita’s boyfriend with whom she broke up from time to time and they always got back again. She wondered if Arpita was still seeing him after their last break up a few days before Arpita’ engagement to Keshav. He sister had sworn she didn’t meet him but now Avanti had her doubts.

Avanti had applied for a leave of absence from school for two weeks considering the preparations for the wedding and a little time out for herself after the marriage. So, she had to work harder to complete the syllabus and prepare the question paper bank for the little ones. She barely got to speak to Rahul as well… rest of the time at home went in searching for the elusive black book and often wondered what was in it…? And what did Keshav mean by falling into wrong hands…? Was there something serious that she didn’t know…? But questions only gave rise to more diverse questions and no answers. Fortunately, Arpita was at home the next few days and she even went out with Keshav a few times. Avanti was happy for her sister…finally! She hadn’t seen Keshav after their rendezvous that evening at home and he hadn’t texted her either. Though her heart fell, she thought it was all for the best.

Three days before the wedding Avanti was at home in the evening and Arpita rushed in from a date with Keshav, all in tears. It was supposed to be their last meet before marriage. Fortunately, their mother was away with her brother for getting some last-minute things and the next two days were to be busy with mehandi and other rituals. Their relatives were expected to arrive tomorrow and Avanti was constantly on her toes. “…Tai…tai thaamb… (wait)… kai jhaale… (what happened)? Why are you crying…?” Arpita didn’t bother to reply and just rushed into her room banging the door behind her.

Avanti tried her best to talk her sister to open the door. She was worried if their mother saw Arpita like this she would have a nervous breakdown. It was with great difficulty she had stabilised after her husband’s death….and Avanti didn’t know why but her mother didn’t approve of Keshav for Arpita. She was going through the motions only to fulfil her husband’s last wish. Avanti did what she could think of at that time… she called Keshav.

“…Uh…yes Avanti…? All Ok…?”

“…You tell me Keshav ji… Arpita is crying her eyes out… what happened. Between you two… did you guys fight…?”

“…Why don’t you ask her Avanti…?”

“…if she would answer the door, I would have asked her… what is it Keshav ji…?”

“…Look Avanti… I respect you and your decision to stand for your sister…I know you care but there are limits you can’t cross… this is strictly personal…Ok…?”

She felt like she had just been subtly slapped. “…oh…ok…I get it… I am sorry to have bothered you Keshav ji…I won’t call you again…”

“…Avanti wait…”

“…what is it now…?”

“…did you find the black covered notebook…? We are running out of time…”

“…Sorry…Keshavji…I am really very sorry…I tried my best…everyplace I could check… actually baba wasn’t someone who concealed anything or hid from family… so… I don’t know anything…Maybe if you could tell me something about the project…”

“…leave it Avanti…thank you for trying…” He abruptly intervened and disconnected.

Her head was reeling with the mounting pressure… she felt the walls closing in on her from all sides…exactly the same feeling she got in her consistent nightmare. She held her head and walked into her room. The next day Arpita got her tea and breakfast as she was speaking to the caterer and once, she finished the call, she held her sister’s hands. “Tai…what is it… why are you so upset…do you want to share…?” She knew Keshav wouldn’t like it but she also knew her sister better than him. Arpita couldn’t keep turmoil inside her…she projected herself as very strongheaded and stubborn but Aavnti knew her sister…she was a weakling.  

“…Avu… what happens when you are told something… disastrous… I mean… possibility of a disaster actually… and you can’t do anything about it but still go for it…?”

“…Tai…you aren’t making sense…” She was starting to worry. Arpita wasn’t someone to mince words.

“…Avu…there is something… uh… Keshav…he has this… uh… leave it… just tell me… how important was this alliance for baba…?”

“…Look tai… I know this marriage was important to save the company…baba’s legacy…our legacy… but all said and done, you are more important. So, if you are…”

“…No…No…nothing of the sort Avu… I am definitely getting married… It’s just that… Avu…I am scared… of the future… you know me right…?”

Avanti couldn’t get it…what was her sister indicating…? there was definitely something she was hiding…did Keshav threaten her…? Arpita never kept anything that troubled her, from Avanti… it still struck her weird that her sister wasn’t talking as she saw Arpita stand up and go to her room lost in thought. Was anything wrong? Did anything happen between Keshav and Arpita…? Just then her mother got back from the temple and the relatives too started to trickle in.  The following two days passed in a jiffy with the beautiful bridal mehandi adorning Arpita’s hands as well as the other ceremonies being performed as per her father’s wishes. Avanti couldn’t help but notice the sombre look on her sister’s pretty face… and it irked her to no end when Keshav refused to answer her calls or reply to her texts… She saw her own little mehandi design… simple patterns yet intricate in their own way…just like her life right now. She hoped that just like eventually the colour of mehandi faded away, her sister’s troubles too would go away as she blended into her new life.

Today as she held Arpita’s crumpled letter in her hands her eyes filled watching her mother and uncle discuss the repercussions of the wedding not taking place…the biggest being they stood to lose everything they had… She had just found out a couple of days ago, her flat bought as an investment by her father wasn’t of much value and they couldn’t stay there as it was too far from city limits… What would they do now…?

“Avu bala…?” He mom called out.

“…hmm…?”

“…there is only one solution to this mess… we have to talk to Keshav… just…just make a phone call…I will talk to him…”

Avanti was terrified at the prospects of making Keshav angry. He was already upset with Arpita all these months and also with her for the last few days… how would he take this news…this betrayal…? However, she did as her mother said and handed over the phone to her.

“…hello Keshav beta… we have a problem…” Her mother moved towards the window and spoke to Keshav all that had transpired. After a while her mother moved towards the centre of the room still speaking on the phone. “…ok beta I will send her… you can hand over the parcel to Avanti….” She disconnected the call and said in a neutral voice. “…Avu you have an important task at hand… Keshav says he had a parcel for us that was to be given to us during his marriage to Arpita…but he… still wants us to have it… He insists he will hand it over to you alone. So, can you go and get it…? He will be… at hotel Radisson… at their café right outside our lane…in half an hour…”

What the hell was going on…? She had to meet Keshav especially now to do damage control… the onus was back on her now… she pinched herself just to check if she was living another nightmare. For once she wished she did…

She reached the café and found Keshav waiting at a table with a rolled-up paper tied with a ribbon. She apologetically looked at him. “…I… I am sorry Keshav ji…I don’t know what to say…”

He seemed calm but was it the lull before a storm…? She couldn’t tell… but something was brewing behind those eyes and it definitely wasn’t the coffee kept before them. He handed over the paper roll to her. “Open it up Avanti you have to see it before I say my piece…” He spoke in an uncaring voice.

She untied the ribbon and unscrolled it… it was a document… no an agreement… Oh God he had repaid the mortgage for their home. The title was all clear now… In her mother’s name. She looked up… her vision blurring with her tears. “…oh God Keshavji… this means so much… I don’t know how to repay you… given the circumstances, you still…Thanks… thank you so much…”

“…Don’t thank me yet Avanti…I am not at all surprised at Arpita’s behaviour… absolutely disgusting… but I respect your late father too much to humiliate you all or take any drastic measures… But at the end of the day I am a businessman and have to take care of my… finances. So… I intend to do just that… now how it will happen is in your hands…”

“…What… my hands…? What do you mean…” she had started to panic. Was he going to pull the rug… pull out his investment from Vedshastra…?

He took out another stamp paper agreement… and placed it before her. “… I suggest you read it carefully and think about the repercussions of the outfall and then sign it…”

She read the heading ‘CONTRACT’. What was he up to…? “…Um…Keshav ji what is it…?”

“…Well…it’s a contract… a marriage contract between the two of us…”

WHAT? “…What the hell… what is going on Keshav ji…?”

“… Do not act coy before me Avanti… I totally despise you sisters… One is a whirlwind of trouble and the other only knows to cover up for her after the damage… so do this damage control now…your sister has left behind a lot of damages as she played tyrant and now its your turn to do your job as always… cover up for the ramificactions…pay for her…”

Avanti felt as if he had slapped her. “…Go to hell Keshav… I am not going to sit here and take your crap…”

“…Let me tell you Avanti you don’t have a choice here… The company is going down if this doesn’t take place not to mention your family will be hounded by creditors, the moment I withdraw my support… so I give you ten minutes to think it over… The marriage will definitely take place today… only the bride will be different…”

 “…I am not doing this…” she raised her voice amidst her tears. Was this the same man she had thought she had fallen in love with…? “…how dare you even think of all this… You got an agreement ready so early in the morning…?”

“…I have my means…” He said calmly as if nothing had happened. “… Look Avanti… I am only asking you to stay married for a year… that’s the time I will need to complete the project and finish the first round of trial… or if we get that black bound notebook it will be even faster… After that you will be free to leave, with the company intact… you may sell your shares if you wish to… nonetheless you will be a wealthy woman and more so your mother can spend the rest of her life in peace… the decision is up to you… or you can leave without signing and call off the wedding publicly… tomorrow onward the creditors will line up outside your house…which by the way, I can initiate with ease by just withdrawing my investment…. So think Avanti and your time starts now….”

Avanti only stared at him with her mouth hanging open as tears flew freely… If she thought the last few months were filled with turmoil this took the icing on the cake. Her life. she realised… was no longer hers to keep…

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.