The Abyss – Ishqbaaz FF by Aashi (chapter-8)

The Abyss-Ishqbaaz FF by Aashi

Chapter-8

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His head felt heavy and clouded as if he had been hit by something hard. A constant piercing sound was making him irritated. He tried to get up but couldn’t feel himself. His throat felt clogged and eyes heavy as lead. He could hear someone whispering “……..it was quite severe………..keep him away………….him happy….” His head began to throb. A louder cry, some shout then he faded into oblivion.

Sometime later he felt his hand and arm too heavy to move. He tried to protest against this extra weight but his voice failed him. He tried opening his eyes but could do but to flutter them. Slowly, strength dawned to him and he managed to open his eyes, closing them back shut unable to face the bright light of the room. He tried again and managed to keep them half open. Fluttering them a couple he was able to adjust his vision. He saw Rudra crying, half hugging him and Om was talking to someone hidden from his view with his back to him, in a low voice. He tried to raise his other arm to comfort his brother but could feel enough strength. He tried to say something but his throat was parched and he could manage nothing but a hoarse whisper. Sensing some movement, Rudra got up. “O look!! Bhaiya is okay, he’s all right” he shouted joyfully but tearfully “I’ll kill you myself Bhaiya if you neglect your health again. You know I felt as if I lost you” he declared between sobs. Shivaay smiled at him and patted his back before turning his head towards Om. He stared at the devastated Om, tears flowing continuously from his eyes, and the almost hidden form peeping from behind him, Anika.

The next morning Gauri got a call from Mr. Oberoi that he would be expecting her at his home. When she tried to protest that she was supposed to work in the office but was informed he had a mild heart attack and was bounded at home. Gauri had to agree helplessly. She had a long time pondering over the children’s admission but left them alone after a bit of bickering among them, smiling and laughing. She had to go to Anika’s canteen and bought her lunch; a luxury she hardly afforded. The day was smooth at work; she, a small group of other close and important employees, Mr. Mishra and Mr. Oberoi worked together busily in the study at Oberoi Manson. The level of professionalism and commitment she noticed in her boss increased her respect towards him ten folds. Despite of his ill health, they all worked busily and sincerely on the upcoming land project and its presentation but he did take quite a number of short breaks for his medication and lunch. At exact six thirty they bid adieu to each other and were instructed to work there for the following week. Too stressed of work and thinking about her personal problems, Gauri decided to visit Anika’s canteen again. Anika’s canteen had a warm and homely atmosphere which she had always longed for. The place seemed strangely quite as compared to the day before for that hour of evening when she had passed the place. She went inside and was startled to see Anika packing up. “Hi Anika” she greeted courteously glancing at the empty tables. “Oh hi Gauri, I’m sorry but I’m packing up. I sent the tiffin to your house in the early evening” she said hurriedly. Sensing the other’s discomfort and tiredness, she forwarded a chair “here, take a seat. You okay?” she added concernedly, speculating. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry to disturb you.” Gauri got up hastily from the chair. “It’s okay Gauri, you may sit. It’ll take me at least half an hour to pack all these up. Have some of the cookies from that jar and tell me how your day was?”
Gauri welcomed the change in the topic and told her about her work and about her thoughts on her children’s admission but suddenly stopped short. Being a single mother in an Indian society is frowned upon, sometimes worse than that. Gauri looked up slowly to look at the latter’s face. The other looked piercingly at her for some time before she came forward and hugged her warmly. The reaction was so strange from what she had expected that the former gaped at the latter that stood there with an open smile, appreciation and admiration showing clearly at her face. “You are a brave, brave woman Gauri, but don’t you get alone staying there and don’t you get afraid for the children who stay alone the whole day” Anika asked as she moved the counter once again. Gauri felt confused and was suddenly petrified. At a very early age, she had learnt if she bared her soul to anyone they would hurt you even more. Gulping down some water kept at the table, she said hesitatingly “yeah but I don’t really have a choice. I wasn’t able to manage a rented house in the city. “Don’t mind my saying, but what do you think about staying in a chawl?” she asked sitting down beside her. “What?” “Staying in a chawl” Anika said casually, shrugging her shoulders “don’t look so horrified, there’s nothing wrong in staying in a chawl. The rooms next to mine are being vacated. Think practically, I can get them arranged for you. It will lessen the distance to your office, Sahil will be there, I can keep an eye on them and after every hectic day we can sit together and talk & I’ll get company” she added the last part softly. Gauri felt strange. It was an almost compelling force about Anika that she couldn’t oppose directly. Sensing her hesitance Anika put her hand on her shoulder and added comfortingly “take your time and think about it Gauri, no need to hurry and it’ll be your decision only; you needn’t agree for my sake.” Overwhelmed by this sudden care and love, Gauri suddenly hugged Anika tightly. “Thanks Anika, this means a ton to me” she admitted while hugging. “Bas, bas, bohot ho gya rona-dhona. Chal mere ko der ho rhi hai.” Both parted and bid adieu for the night.

Om sat silently on his bed, his room engulfed in darkness. He couldn’t help but to ponder over the information he got yesterday. He felt lost in himself as the conversation with Soumya replayed in his head again. Learning the cause of her sudden departure shocked him, precisely, stunned him. He couldn’t digest the fact that his brother had got married and that, too, with Soumya. He wanted to deny it but he knew Soumya would never fib on something so serious. He remembered her crying face as she told him that Rudra would never acknowledge the marriage and her topmost priority that was her education, her Aai’s dreams and her self-respect which she couldn’t bend to enter a relation in which her wishes won’t be respected. Om was too muddled up to speak so she, like the understanding girl she is, advised him to go back and not to over think. She told him that they would meet again on next Monday at Anika’s canteen as she smiled sadly, getting down from his car at the hostel.
Now alone in his room, Om couldn’t control his emotions. He wanted to cry, to laugh, to punch someone, preferably his dad, to smash each and every thing in his room or to escape all the mess. Escaping the pain means Drugs. His hands shook as he reached out to the concealed cabinet under his drawers and took out a small brown box and opened it. In it was a small air-tight pack with a little of white powder, cocaine. With trembling hand, he took it out the pack and all of a sudden a set of faces loomed in front of him; Shivaay, Rudra, Daadi, Prinku, Anika, Soumya, Saahil. They were the people who would be the most affected. He meant to them; to what extent he had no idea but what if he failed? They would hate him or break down themselves. If he succeeded his dad would probably make his mom’s life hell, what if he divorced her and marry that Swetlana.
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Om was nine when he had got to know what a mistress meant. He heard about it; it being a topic of discussion among elder boys and some of his foreigner friends, talked in hushed whispers, at his boarding school. He had known it was a secret; a thing to be marveled and excited about. Holding onto this intriguing secret, he went back home on holidays only to be confronted by the bitter realization of the secret. He saw his four year old sister in his brother’s care who himself was just six, both of them laughing and delighted to see him. He fondly ruffled their hair fondly before rushing to his parents’ room but stopped short hearing loud voices inside, his parents were shouting at each other, hurling abuses. All of a sudden his mom shouted at the top of her voice “so NOW you want to stay with that mistress of yours. Don’t you care for your family any more Tej? Don’t you care for your children? For me; for us? She added the last part haltingly, pleading, softly. His dad stormed out of the room letting the door swing back to its frame but petrified Om caught a glimpse of his mother sitting on the bed, her face covered with her palm. The next evening after Shivaay had returned, he had asked what a mistress actually meant sitting in the solitude of poolside. “Om!!?” Shivaay had exclaimed horrified but seeing his brother dead serious he had said “she’s an aunty who would take your mother’s place without even marring your dad.” That night Om couldn’t sleep. Shivaay’s words revolved around his head. The fear of losing his mother still haunts him. That night he packed all the gifts and memories & gifts of his father in a box and threw it a corner of the attic. That day his dad became Mr. Oberoi for him.
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Om threw the drug away as the dreadful memory refreshed in his mind. Gasping, he sat up straight as he couldn’t let that happen; not with his mom or to Soumya. He felt suffocated in the room and realized he needed to get out of there. His glance at the clock told him it was two a.m. but ignoring the late hour he crept noiselessly outdoors, shutting the main door softly behind him. Outside the weather was stormy. Thunderclaps sounded and echoed, lightning clashed in the sky above, sound of wind howling echoed around eerily in the darkness of night & sound of waves crashing against the rocks could be heard in the stillness of night; it appeared if the nature itself was fighting a war within. The sound of Om’s footsteps mixed with all the other sounds as he ran down the road. He had almost reached the beach when the rain came pouring down. Om realized, in his haste, to leave his house the house he had forgotten to take his cell. He ran to the nearest shelter-a broken down shed and suddenly the memory of the time he had stopped there last filtered through his mind. He smiled at the thought of it; his mind suddenly at peace, unknowingly. The image of the brown eyes on the wet, pretty face came in his head. He, at last, was able to decide what he would do regarding the matter in his hand.

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Hi everyone, this is me Aashi again. This is the longest chapter I wrote till now. Thank you for supporting me continuously and waiting patiently for the next chapter. As I told before I’m late due to college. Please comment your views in the comment box below.
Thank you, Everyone.
By Aashi.