CHAPTER 12
In Hyderabad…..
It was raining heavily in Hyderabad. It seemed that even the sky was crying on Ruderash misery. Every search that Ruderash made was reaching a dead end. There was not much progress from the last time. He hired the best man but it seems that as soon as Maya and Joyti reached Salem they just disappeared into thin air. All this negative report was making him restless it seems that all his money and power bowed down to the stubbornness of Maya. He still remembered that rain when he last met her. He still remembered the pain and determination in her voice. He still remembered her parting words…….
Flashback 6 years back…… Ruderash
It was raining cats and dogs in Bangalore when he went to meet her in her college hostel. When he asked her friends where she was, they answered that she was acting strange from two days and was on the terrace. What the hell was she doing in such rains on the terrace?
The scene which welcomed Ruderash on terrace was not a pleasant one. There he saw Maya sitting drenched in rain with a red eyes. She seemed unaware of what’s going around her, she looked at sky as if cursing god himself and also she wore white which she usually never wears. It seemed that there was more thunder in her heart than in sky. But Ruderash was not in a mood to understand her, he needed his answers…. He needed to know where she was….. Where his Joyti was….
Ruderash: What are you doing here Maya?
Maya: As if you care brother…..
Ruderash: I do care….
Maya: (Cutting him) Do not pretend. There is no one round, just the sky weeping. So please cut the crap and come to the point. WHY. ARE. YOU. HERE? WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT? (Stressing on each word)
Ruderash: Maya where is Joyti?
Maya: There you are. But sorry I don’t know where is she or for that matter any Joyti…
Ruderash: Please I am not in a mood of jokes just me where she is….
Maya: And why do you care….
Ruderash: That I don’t need to tell you. You just tell me where she is…
Maya: So that you can make sure yourself that the proof of your sin is destroyed…. Another Maya is not born to destroy the Narang name…..
( He just felt like she slapped him)
Ruderash: I know what I did was wrong. I had no right to talk to her like that, or insult her, when all she did was to love me. I promise I will ask for her forgiveness, and spend rest of my life making up to her. Just tell me where she is….
Maya: Wow telling in front of world you don’t know her and she is not worth even to be your mistress, and now you are telling me that you will make it up to her. Did you even know why she came up to you that day, did you even try to listen to her… no right?
Ruderash: I know I was wrong Maya, I hurt you too. I promise to take care of her always. I apologies to you too, I know I have also hurt you. I will make everything right Maya.
Maya: Why your promises sounds like the promises of Mr. Vijay Pratap Narang that I heard in childhood. ” I will make everything right Maya beta”. Ha…ha…ha…. But it took my mother’s funeral for him to remember his promise, and then also he did not fulfill it…..
Ruderash: Maya……( he shouted) don’t compare me with him….
Maya: Ya you are not like him…. You are worse than him. He at least had the guts to accept my mother as his mistresses you don’t even have that….
Ruderash: Maya enough is enough….. She is my love and not my mistress, you know that. I accept what I did was wrong. But just tell me where she is…. She is not picking my calls and I am worried…
Maya: She will never pick your call again!!! And I promise you will never see her again till Maya is alive. Search the entire heaven and earth, even the hell if you wish but I promise, you will return empty handed. You will never know what she came to tell you…. You never deserve to. You are not worth it.
Ruderash: Maya I will strangle you right here (Pressing her neck) Just tell me where she is.
Maya: (Laughing hysterically) Kill me is all I care, as I am already dead. But even in my death you will not reach her I promise…..
Ruderash: Maya please don’t do this to me…..(he pleaded)
Maya: Bye Mr.Ruderash Vijay Pratap Narang, Rot in hell. And it’s a final good bye from my side too. Hope we never meet, even in hell……..
Flash back ends.
Her words still haunt him to this day. He was as helpless today as was on that day. He lost both his sister and his love due to his one stupidity. And the harsh part is that he still wishes to ask for his forgiveness from both…….
But today when he look back into past which runs clear in his mind like a film he is confused, what was that Joyti wished to tell him…. Why she said she said she did not know any Joyti….. Why did she say Another Maya is not born to destroy the Narang name….. What did she mean by all this…. Why did she say she is already dead…… God all this WHY’S were killing him and he needed answers….. SOON….
At Nest….
Tammana was frantically looking into her case papers, she had three urgent cases going on, and for first time in last 6 years she was not able to concentrate on her work. How she wished she was with Abhi in the hospital or in Shimla with Meghna. After 3 hours and no work done she decided to stop her work try to distract herself.
She was really tensed. She could really not come up with any theory why Dev was in Chennai or why he was with Arjun Shah, they were sworn enemies, and how they became friends so quickly……. But she knew if Dev was in Chennai with his enemy she had lot to look out for, after all who knew better than her.
As she was thinking this her phone rang and it was Venu. He told her to immediately call back her senior Mr. Murty and watch the breaking news. So she called Mr.Murty and she was informed the most shocking news that Mr. Dev Mehra was the defended lawyer for Abhi’s case and he wished to meet her before case hearing. She could not guess why he called but knew he was up to no good knowing his past reputation and habit of out of court settlement by intimidating the opposition lawyer. But was in a shock for this time he was facing Abhi’s aunt, who could go down to any level for him. Thinking this she started the as Venu said and received the next shock the head line was “THE JHA’S AND THE MEHAR’S SHAKE HAND ENDING THEIR LONGSTANDING COLD WAR.”” “THE JHA’S AND THE MEHAR’S ANNOUNCE A NEW SEVEN STAR HOTEL PROJECT FOR CHENNAI.” “MORE VENTURES EXPECTED FROM THE JHA AND THE MEHAR PRINCE“And the news goes on…… So he was in a for a long term Tammana thought. And now she had to get all her resources and weapons out as she knew she was going to fight the toughest battle of her life, which she had to win at any cost…..