CHAPTER 29
Omkara’s Room
Ishana is shocked hearing her name. This is first time he has said her name. He never has called her using her name when she stayed with him before this. She turns towards him and his eyes are still closed. His mouth is mumbling something which she can’t hear clearly. She goes near him.
Om: Please, Ishana….. Don’t leave me again…… (He continues repeating the same. Ishana is confused with him.)
Ishu: What he is saying?? He is asking me to not leave him. What he meant by this?? And this is first time I’m hearing him saying my name. Not even once he has called my name when I was staying here before till sometimes I too wondered if he aware of my name or not. But, why he doesn’t want me to leave?? And why he is behaving like inebriated?? Did he has alcohol?? But no, I couldn’t smell it. Then, why he is behaving like this?? (She is about to go when her eyes caught a medicine strip beside his bed. She takes and looks at it.) Sleeping pills!!?? He has taken sleeping pills. That’s why he is behaving like this. But, what is the need for him to take these?? As I know, he doesn’t have any sleeping problem. Then, why?? (She shakes her head and keeps the strip back to the place. She goes and lies on the floor to sleep. However, she couldn’t sleep. Omkara’s words are still ringing in her ears.) Why I am thinking about that now?? Just sleep, Ishu. (She sleeps after a while.)
Next morning
Omkara’s Room
Omkara wakes up and sees Ishana is feeding Mishti. Ishana realised he is awake and looks at him. Omkara turns his gaze from her while she just shrugs off and continues feeding Mishti. He gets down from his bed and leaves to washroom. Ishana places Mishti in the cradle when her mobile rings. She smiles looking at the caller ID and turns to Mishti.
Ishu: Your Neil papa is calling. (Answer the call.) Good morning, Neil.
Neil: Good morning, baby.
Ishu: (confused) Baby?? Neil, I’m Ishu.
Gau: We know that, baby. We have dialled your number only. (NeilGau chuckle and have a high five.)
Ishu: (confused) Gautham, you too?? Why you both are calling me baby?? You never have called me like this before. (NeilGau laugh again.) Don’t laugh. Just tell me why are you calling me baby??
Neil: Because you didn’t call us baby in these years.
Ishu: (confused) Haan!!?? Why I should call you baby??
Gau: Oh!! You can call that Omkara as baby. But you won’t call us. Too bad, Ishu. (Winks at Neil.)
Neil: Right, Gautham. We heard yesterday you were saying that you never called us as baby but you have to call him as baby.
Ishu: Ohh!! So, Rudra has told you about that, right?? He only asked me to do that. (Sighs) Do you know how I felt that time?? In fact, he even…..
Gau: Asked you to kiss him, right??
Ishu: Oh!! He told about that too?? (NeilGau laugh again giving high five once again.) Don’t laugh!! This Rudra…..
Neil: Ishu, Ishu, chill!! Actually, he was upset that you have been insulted again in the exhibition. He was saying about that. Then, he told us what he asked you to do to Omkara. Don’t scold the poor guy. Actually, that was really a good idea. Well done, Ishu.
Gau: Leave that, Ishu. We were simply pulling your legs. You tell us now, how are you?? Any problem there?? Did you take your food and medicines correctly??
Ishu: Ufff!!! These many questions!! First, I’m good. Don’t worry about me. Second, no problem till now. And third, yes, I’m having my food and medicines correctly. (NeilGau smile.) I have answered your questions. I’m asking the same questions to you both. Answer me.
Neil: We are fine and missing you very much. Everything is fine too. And we are having our food correctly.
Gau: But we are not taking any medicines. (Ishana makes face.) How Omkara is doing?? Did he trouble you??
Ishu: Actually, I wanted to talk about that to you both.
Neil: Why, Ishu?? Did he trouble you??
Ishu: No, Neil. His behaviour is completely changed. (NeilGau look each other confusingly.)
Gau: What do you mean by that??
Ishu: Last time, whenever he sees me, his eyes will be holding anger, hatred and sometimes he will give a disgusting look towards me. I didn’t even dare to look at his eyes most of the time. I will be shivering whenever I look at his eyes. Yesterday, I gathered my courage to stare his eyes without care about his anger or hatred. But, what I saw was different. His eyes didn’t hold any anger or hatred. It showed something else which I couldn’t understand.
Neil: (smirks) Ishu, seems like you are melting for him. Are you going to forgive him like you have forgiven Annika??
Ishu: Will you listen to me first??
NeilGau: Go ahead. (She tells them whatever happened last night.)
Gau: Maybe he thought you were Gauri?? You said he had sleeping tablets, right?? He was inebriated because of that.
Ishu: I thought the same but why he said my name?? That is what confusing me. And I was scared seeing his condition last night. He was shivering and sweating badly. I felt bad for him that time. (NeilGau chuckle which she understood the reason.) My darling friends, don’t imagine anything else. I felt bad for him doesn’t mean that I have forgiven him. I will not forgive him for whatever he did to me before this.
Neil: If you forgive him too, we will never forgive him or that family.
Ishu: (smiles) I know that, Neil. But I’m curious to know why he behaved like that last night.
Gau: Just ask him.
Ishu: What?? How I will ask him??
Neil: Gautham is right. You just ask him. I will tell you how. (He says something in mute.) Do you understand??
Ishu: Yeah. But will he answer??
Gau: Try first.
Ishu: Ok. Where are AvJa?? Only you both are talking to me.
Neil: They are getting ready for somewhere. We too didn’t see them yet. (Ishana hears the washroom door being opened.)
Ishu: Guys, we will talk later. He is coming.
NeilGau: Ok, bye. Take care. (End the call)
Gau: Don’t you feel weird??
Neil: Yes. Why this sudden change in Omkara?? Maybe as you said, he behaved like that because he was inebriated.
Gau: But I heard that if a person is inebriated, he will speak truth only. Sometimes, we too have taken that step to get the truth out from the criminals, right??
Neil: Yeah. I feel like leaving to Mumbai now itself but we need to solve the case first. Or…..
Gau: Or…..???
Neil: I will tell later. Where are our wives?? (They hear some footsteps and turn. AvJa walk down the staircase looking at their husbands. NeilGau face reaction change and look each other surprisingly.) Gautham, these are……
Gau: Our wives.
Neil: Why they are dressed up like this??
Gau: How do I know?? I was with you, right?? (AvJa walk towards them and raise their eyebrows towards their husbands. NeilGau decide to play with them.)
Neil: Excuse me, who are you both?? What are you doing in our house?? Where are our wives??
Gau: How did you enter this house?? Get out from here. (AvJa look at them shockingly.)
Avni: Neil, it’s me, Avni!!
Pooja: And me Pooja. You both can’t identify us?? (NeilGau chuckle.)
Neil: What getup is this?? Why you both are wearing mafia costumes??
AvJa: (shocked) Mafia!!??
Neil: Yeah!! Black pants, long black robe, dark lipstick, heavy make up, this hat some more. You are looking like lady mafia.
Gau: You too, Pooja?? This is what you both were doing since early morning?? (AvJa hit NeilGau chests.)
Avni: We both struggled hard to dress up like this. But you both are teasing us.
Neil: (laughs) For what you have dressed like this??
Pooja: (placing her hands on her hip) We have been assigned a task by our captain. That’s why we are dressed up like this.
Gau: (confused) Captain?? Task?? What are you saying?? Who is the captain?? (Avni’s mobile rings.)
Avni: Our captain only calling us. (Answers the call.) Agent Avni reporting, sir!! (Stumps on Neil’s foot making him winces in pain shrugging his leg.)
Pooja: Agent Pooja too reporting, sir!! (Stumps on Gautham’s foot and he winces in pain. NeilGau look at each other confusingly. Neil snatched the mobile and looks at the caller ID.)
Neil: Ranveer!!?? You!!?? (Puts on loud speaker.)
Ranveer: Yeah, it’s me. What’s wrong with both of them??
Gau: We should ask you that. So, you are the captain?? What you have told them that they are behaving like this??
Ranveer: (confused) Captain?? What are you saying?? I just ask them to go to Ishana’s old working place and meet her boss.
Neil: For what??
Ranveer: They didn’t tell you?? (NeilGau look at AvJa.)
Avni: Sir, we thought to tell them after we got the information.
Ranveer: (confused) Sir?? Why are you calling me ‘sir’??
Pooja: Because we are going to do investigation now. That’s why we have changed ourselves as investigation officers, sir. I am agent Pooja and she is agent Avni.
Ranveer: What?? (Sighs) Pooja, Avni, you both need to meet the boss as Ishana’s friends only. Not as any detective or investigation officers. I am here to investigate about it. Ok?? Now, change back to your old form as Avni Neil and Pooja Gautham.
Avni: So, our getup??
Neil: No need of this. Go and change.
Gau: Yeah. You both are looking like a mafia in this disguise. Faster go and change. Or we both will arrest both of you. (AvJa make a puppy face and leave from there. NeilGau chuckle after they left.)
Ranveer: They are very keen to investigate this case. I think they should join our department. (NeilGau chuckle.) Ok, I just wanted to know if they are ready to go to the office. I will call later.
Neil: They must be upset with us. We need to pacify them first. Ok, Ranveer. We will talk later. (Ends the call)
Omkara’s Room
Omkara comes out from washroom wiping his hair. He takes a hair dryer and started to dry his hair. Ishana looks at him.
Ishu: What happened to you last night?? (Omkara switches off the hair dryer and looks at her.)
Om: Sorry?? (He doesn’t understand what she is asking.)
Ishu: You should be. But that’s not enough.
Om: I mean I don’t understand what you were asking. (Ishana goes towards him.)
Ishu: I asked you what happened to you last night.
Om: Last night?? What happened??
Ishu: Why?? Don’t you remember??
Om: No, I don’t remember. What I did??
Ishu: Last night……. (Stops when Omkara interrupts her.)
Om: Did I hurt you again?? (Ishana is surprised with his question.)
Ishu: Why?? Are you planning to hurt me again?? That’s what you were dreaming last night?? Fine. Go ahead. I’m ready to face it. (Walks towards him while he moves back.) Why are you stepping back?? You wanted to hurt me, right?? So, go ahead. I too want to see how you will hurt me. (She continues walking towards him while he continues moving backwards till his back touches the wall. He couldn’t move from there.)
Om: I didn’t say that I’m going to hurt you. I just……
Ishu: Just what?? Hurting me is not new for you. Your revenge on me is not fulfilled yet. Or you wanted to think something differently to revenge me??
Om: No, I didn’t mean like that.
Ishu: Then, what did you mean?? What else you will think other than taking revenge on me?? (Omkara just looks at her without blinking his eyes. The girl who used to get scared seeing him, now talking boldly in front of him. She becomes annoyed seeing him keeping silent. She pushes his chest making him startles.) Answer me, sir. What are you thinking?? (Omkara just looks at her while she stares at him angrily. He brings his face closer to her. She is confused seeing him coming closer but continues staring at him. Ishana thinks.) What he is going to do?? (Omkara brings his face more closer to her till their nose touch each other. Mishti cries that time and Omkara realised what he was going to do. He pulls himself from Ishana and leaves from the room while Ishana is puzzled with his action just now.) What’s wrong with him?? What was that just now?? (Feeling confused)
NEW DELHI
NeilGau’s House
NeilGau go to their respective rooms to pacify their wives. Neil sees Avni already changed her dress and hugs her from behind but Avni doesn’t react.
Neil: Are you still upset with me?? Sorry, Avni. I didn’t mean to hurt you. (Avni turns towards him.)
Avni: Why, Neil?? That dress didn’t look good on me. Did I really look like mafia??
Neil: You want to know the truth?? (Avni nods. Neil holds her waist and pulls her closer.) Actually, you were looking hot in the dress. I don’t want any other man to eye my wife. (Avni smiles shyly.)
Avni: Really?? (Neil nods and hugs her. Neil sighs feeling relieved.)
Pooja: Are you saying the truth??
Gau: Yes, Pooja. Why would I lie to you?? Do you know how I felt seeing you in that dress??
Pooja: Then, why did you laugh at me?? I felt bad when you teased me.
Gau: (hugs her) Sorry, Pooja. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Now, get ready. I and Neil will drop you and Avni at Ishu’s office. (Pooja nods.)
AvJa have been dropped by NeilGau at Ishana’s office and they left for their works. AvJa enter the office.
Ishana’s Boss Cabin
Boss: I heard that you both wanted to meet me. What can I do for you??
Avni: First, sorry for disturbing you at this time. I’m Avni and this is Pooja. We are Ishana’s friends. Ishana, the one has worked here few years before. (She reminded him.)
Boss: Of course I remember her. She is very brilliant, talented and hardworking girl. I always feel she deserve to work in a bigger firm than this and I wanted to recommend her too but Ishana refused saying this firm is enough for her. I too didn’t force her because I can understand the reason she was refusing. Her background and surname are one of the reason she didn’t apply for job in other companies. I am a person who gives importance for a person’s talent and attitude. That is the reason I hired her in my office. But not everyone will think like me. However, due to some circumstances, she couldn’t continue working here. So, how is Ishana now?? Last time I saw her at Mumbai. After that, I didn’t see her.
Pooja: Sir, we are here to talk about that only. Sir, you are having many employees here. Why did you select Ishu for the presentation in Mumbai??
Boss: I agree that many employers are here but that time most of them are new here. Ishana has more experience than them. That’s why I chose her. And she succeed in getting the project for this company.
Avni: You gave party for all your staffs including Ishana after she succeed in getting the project, right??
Boss: Yes. That was one of my small appreciation for her and my other staffs for their hardwork.
Pooja: Do you know what happened after that??
Boss: (sighs) That was really surprising me. I returned here the next day. Ishana called that she is not well and want to take few days off. I just let her to take leave and return when she is fine. Ishana never said anything to me. But, she didn’t return after many days. I wanted to call her but I saw a news that she has become Omkara Singh Oberoi’s mistress. I was so shocked and couldn’t believe the news. I called her plenty of times but she didn’t answer. Then, one day she called me. She said she has stucked with some problems and won’t be able to join the work again. I asked her to tell me what is the problem. Maybe I can help her but she refused to tell me. She worried that the Oberois might do something to destroy this firm. She doesn’t want anyone related to her to fall in trouble because of her. After that, I didn’t talk to her. She will cut my call whenever I called her. Do you know what happened to her?? Why she has become that man’s mistress??
Avni: Yes, sir. (Avni narrates to him about Ishana causing Gauri’s death till Omkara married her forcibly to revenge her and declared her as his mistress.)
Boss: (shocked) What?? He has married her but tell this outside world she is his mistress?? How dare is he?? (Anger can be noticed in his voice.)
Pooja: He said Ishu was fully drunken that night when the accident happened.
Boss: Impossible!! Ishana won’t drink and I didn’t arrange any hard drinks for the party. That man must be lying. I am sure there was no hard drinks served that night.
AvJa: (shocked) What?? (AvJa look at each other.)
Avni: Then, how come Ishu was drunken?? That man was not lying, sir because Ishu too didn’t remember what happened after the party.
Pooja: If she was not drunken, she must have remembered what happened after the party. (The boss started to think.)
Avni: Sir, did you find any strange behaviour from Ishu during the party?? (The boss tries to recall.)
Boss: She came to me that night and said she is having headache and wanted to go back. I wanted to send her back but she said she will go herself. Then, she left from there.
Pooja: So, she didn’t stay at the same hotel where the party held??
Boss: Nope. She was staying in a different hotel and that hotel was organising another event. That’s why I booked another hotel for the party.
Avni: Can you tell us the hotel name??
Boss: Hotel Blue Diamond.
Pooja: Which hotel Ishu was staying??
Boss: Hotel Golden Palace.
Avni: Thank you, sir. We are leaving now. (AvJa about to leave.)
Boss: One minute. (AvJa turn towards him.) Actually, we had a video coverage for that party. The video must be here. If you wait for few minutes, I will get you the video. Maybe, you can find something there.
AvJa: Sure, sir. We will wait. (The boss nods and leaves from the cabin.)
To be continued……