Annika.. Ya.. Paanika??? Episode 12

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Back with the twelfth episode. Guys I just noticed that since the names of the female leads are all names of Goddess Durga , Annika’s sister should also have the same name. Hriday, a silent reader also told me the same. Please give me your suggestions-should it be Tanvi, Aparna or Rima or any other in place of Akira….Till then I’ll use the same name. Please advise…..
EPISODE 12
Daadi, Priyanka, Akira and Saumya returned to the Oberoi Mansion. The girls were about to retreat back to their rooms, when Daadi stopped them.
Daadi: Akira, Saumya, Prinku stay here.We need to sort few things first.
Akira: Daadi, you are already exhausted. You should not have stayed up this late. You were late all because of me. So sorry, Daadi. In my selfishness, I forgot that you needed to be back home at the correct time.
Pinky: Of course, you are always selfishs. See how mummyjis is, does any normal person do this to an old lady?
Om: But Choti Ma,she is no ordinary person. She is a very clever person, which is hard to notice,especially on seeing her face. After all, she is no ordinary girl, she is Akira Chadda,daughter of businessman Arnav Chadda.
Tej: What is this? What are you saying, Om?She is Chadda’s daughter?Akira??
Om: Oh and how can one forget the person who is every place where lies are? Here comes Mr.Tej Singh Oberoi.
Tej: Shut up Om. Insulting too has its own limits. Don’t forget that I’m your father.
Om: Correction. My BIOLOGICAL father. My father in the true sense is he (Pointing to Shivaay)..
Akira: Stop your melodrama, Om.It does not suit intelligent people to do melodrama. Be precise in what you want to say ,as you usually are.
Om: Oh of course, but since never saying things straight is your way, I thought I’ll walk in your footsteps too.
Akira: Enough,Om.Listen to the whole truth before being hasty in taking decisions. Truth is always unbiased,Om. You are being biased towards me as it is.You dare not judge me now. Calm yourself down, I’ll tell everyone the truth tomorrow.

Om: Me?Biased?Who gave you the right to tell me what I’m doing? You shouldn’t be telling me that,especially,when you are a lawyer. Your job is no less than that of a mercenary, what you do is serve justice to the highest bidder. The guy with the money gets all the justice. That’s what you are.
Akira’s eyes were red.A few tears flowed down. She fiercely wiped them, furiously swallowed .She wanted to reply back harshly, but did not deem it right to do so in front of his family. She decided that it was best to walk away at that instant, but was determined never to talk to him again.
Akira: Good night Daadi, Tej Uncle, Pinky Aunty, Saumya,Prinku ,Bhaiya,Om ,Rudra!
Saying so, she walked away.

Daadi: In your obsession for truth, you ended up blindfolding yourself from it, Om.You didn’t even wait for her to say what she wanted.
Om: Daadi, she does something so big and yet has the courage to speak back to me as if she did nothing wrong.
Daadi: Because she really didn’t do anything wrong, Om. I knew she was Chadda’s daughter even before she entered the mansion.Tej knew that Chadda had a daughter and he wanted to marry her off to you, but he didn’t know how she looked, what her name was or what she even did. Her dad did not even ask her permission, he thought he would make her agree somehow, through her mother. Akira was determined, she told her mom she wouldn’t marry you, since her father decided it without even asking her. She planned to move out of her house. Her mom was worried and she called me and asked me to take her in our house. She told me that that way she could tell Arnav that Akira was trying to understand you in order to marry you. She told me that it would be for 2 months only.
Pinky: The Avantika you said that day, was Avantika Chadda??This is Akira Chadda.O My Maata!!!
Daadi: She and her dad are not even on speaking terms. I don’t know why. The poor woman has even been sending me the rent for her stay, in spite of me telling her not to do so, Om.
The Silence in room was hard to miss.

Om: O my God! What have I done? I should…
Shivaay: Say sorry.
Rudra: Oh yes Abhi! Abhi ke Abhi..
Om: Yes…
Om walks rapidly while Shivaay and Rudra walk behind slowly.
Rudra: O,if you need any help, call us.Else,you know what to do.(Pointing to their room)
Om: You are my brothers,
“ Dali ka takhat kya hai,ghattri banke ke hi aathi hai baat,
Ghum ya Khushi,waqt ke har panne me dhethey hain bhai ek duje ko saat”
Rudra: I only understood the last line. But we cannot come along with you.
Shivaay: Exactly, you need to have a one-on-one conversation, Om. That will only help sort your problems.
Om: Shivaay, actually, you know…..I am..
Rudra: Terrified of her?
Shivaay: Afraid to say sorry??
Om: Knowing truth is in our side, confidence gained is supreme.
Being on the side of injustice, overcoming nervousness is impossible, it may seem.
Rudra: Is the word” Simple”,”Easy” not even in your dictionary, Om? O! How can I forget, when we assignments to write an essay in 250 words, you remember what we did, bhaiya?
Rudra: You used to write for some time and when it was considerably long, you used to end it and go to Math, your favourite subject.
Shivaay: You were even better. You were just as busy then as you are now. You used to cry for 5 min till Badi Maa herself wrote it for you.
Rudra: And when Om was given the same thing, I remember, he used to go on writing, count 250 words, strike out, write some more till it was perfect. He almost took 2 hours for his editing work alone, but one thing should be said,your relation is on the right track.
Om: What Rudra, there is no relation between us.
Rudra: Why not? You both are actually very similar. You stay firm on your ideals. You are both dedicated to your work. You both speak so complexly that people surrounding you can’t understand anything? And you know what the biggest similarity is?
Om: What?

Rudra: Both of you are not on speaking terms with your fathers.
Om: What nonsense, Rudra.
Shivaay: Rudra is saying things that make sense today.Hey, Rudra, tell me is today your” Use my Brain” Day?
Rudra: (Laughing) Nice one , Bhaiya.(Then stops it realizing that they were pulling his leg).Wait Bhaiya, did you just tease me?
Om laughed nodding his head slowly.
Rudra: Cut it, show this attitude there. Go tell sorry to Akira di.
Om begins walking slowly away.
Shivaay: Om??
Om turns around quickly, expecting Shivaay to join him.
Om: Yes, Shivaay?(With a wide Million dollar smile)
Shivaay: All the best.(Hi-fi to Rudra)
Om walks slowly, sees her lying on the sofa next to the swimming pool. He walks towards her.
Om: Akira, I’m really sorry. I realise that..
He sees her closed eyes, peaceful face but swollen skin beneath her eyes. He realised that she had drifted off to sleep. Her black straight hair, in a ponytail, put towards the front. He couldn’t help but notice how peaceful the face was, how beautiful. She had her headphones on, her spectacles, while the book was resting on her chest,. He smiled, thinking of how messy she was and yet could clean thing with fury when she felt like it. How she was always late, though she woke up early. One thing was clear; she lacked a father’s love. She craved for love, family,happiness from the speech he had heard that evening. He couldn’t help but notice, how they had been in the same situation years ago, while he had chosen to surrender himself to drugs, come out as a vulnerable, sensitive person, with the support of his brothers, while she ,had kept a cool head and locked away her heart ,never letting emotions enter and emerged out stronger than ever. Women are truly mentally stronger than men, he thought. His hand automatically, went over the small hairs covering all over her face. He moved them away to get a clear view of her face. On feeling his touch, she moved, smiled a content baby smile and hugged her pillow even tighter. Om retreated, relieved she hadn’t woken up. He took out her headphones and put it in his ear.
We have one more similarity, he thought. Both of us listen to music when we are sad.
He took off her spectacles, ever so gently, noting that this was the first time he had seen her wear specs.
He took the bed sheet; stretched till her thighs and with a sudden movement, covered her totally with it.
Almost at the same instant, a plate which seemed to have tomato sauce fell down.
Messy, messy, Akira. He thought.
He took the book, proceeded to read its name.
“How to Get Away with Murder-The Book” read its proud title.
Completely shocked and yet smiling, Om understood whom Akira had in mind before drifting off to sleep.
Devi Toofani, he said to himself as he left for his room with a smile plastered all over his face.
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