LOVE, LIFE, SECRETS: Answers lie within – CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 23: Confrontation

(Day Anika had taken leave)

Ishana and Om were sitting in Ishana’s living room…. The same place where they had decided to work together the previous night…. Ishana visited her office only for important works while all her other works were done from home…. There were papers and files lying on the table and sofa as Ishana had managed to gather maximum information about Tia…. She was busy reading a few papers while Om was staring at her…. Om did not understand what he was supposed to do…. It had hardly been a few minutes and he was already confused and getting bored….

Omkara: Are you going to do everything on your own, I thought we were going to work together?

Ishana: Sorry, actually I have habit of working alone so. But you take this file and go through it, see if you can find anything or anyone suspicious.

Omkara: But how will I know what is suspicious; I have zero idea about all this?

Ishana smiled a little at his innocent question while he looked at her with confusion seeing her smile….

Ishana: Don’t worry, just read with concentration and trust your instincts, they will guide you.

Om nodded and opened the file…. He started reading it with his full concentration…. Seeing him doing his work Ishana got back to her work…. Om was reading about Tia’s education…. She had completed her schooling from Mumbai, graduation from Stephen College, New Delhi and masters from Imperial College, London…. She was Shivaay’s junior and they were together in London…. She was a good student with impressive grades…. She was also a part of the college’s music group…. She was a sincere and hardworking student overall…. Shivaay had always told him that Tia was always away from unnecessary controversies…. Nothing seemed suspicious about her life…. Then why did someone kill her…. This question still prevailed in their minds…. Om kept the file down even Ishana had done reading and kept the papers back….

Ishana: All this is very basic information.

Omkara: Nothing seems suspicious about her life, and we have known her from childhood. She was always good to everyone, she was a bit irritating but nothing that could get her killed like this.

Ishana: That means we need more information about her, I think we should get her call records. Maybe we’ll get some clues.

Omkara: Maybe, I’ll get the records.

Ishana: I think you have forgotten we are not using your surname to get any work done.

Omkara: When did I say I’ll use my surname, I have a friend who will do it for me with ease.

Ishana: Even I have a friend who can do it quickly.

Omkara: But Rohan will do it, why are you being stubborn?

Ishana: Wait, what did you say, Rohan, as in Rohan Kashyap?

Omkara: How do you know him?

Ishana: We were neighbors for several years, but how do you know him?

Omkara: He is a frequent visitor to my art gallery; we became friends over a period of time. So, now that our sources are same, may I call him?

Ishana: Yeah.

Omkara called Rohan and explained him the matter…. Rohan said that he would send the required details as soon as possible…. Om told Ishana the same…. They decided to take a break…. Ishana decided to make her famous adrak wali chai and Om insisted that he would help her…. They walked to the kitchen and talked about each other while making tea….

Ishana could see that Om was very different from whatever she had heard about the Oberois…. He is simple, sweet and kind…. No trace of rudeness or arrogance reflected in him…. He was just like his art, pure at heart and composed in his behavior…. If she had not met him like this she would have never come out of her assumptions about him…. She could see the truth reflecting in his eyes…. There was no pretense in his behavior…. He showed what he really was and that was what made him different from his other family members…. He did not find any reasons to show the world that he was Omkara Singh Oberoi, son of the Tej Singh Oberoi, all he was Om, and that is what he showed through his behavior….

As Ishana prepared the tea, Om observed her actions keenly…. Being an artist, he was a great observer and had the ability to remember even the slightest details of people and his surroundings…. He could see the twinkle in her eyes as she spoke about her work…. Her determination and dedication when she did her work…. The happiness that she had for the simplest of things, like her favorite ginger tea…. He felt her to be like him, she did not pretend to be someone else and embraced her real self and was not afraid to show the world who she really was and he had witnessed this in their first meet only…. If it was any other situation and Ishana had said the things she said to Shivaay, Om was so sure, Rudra and he would have hard time controlling their laughter, after all very few people dared to shut up Shivaay Singh Oberoi….

As they were having their tea, Om received the mails from Rohan and they looked through the call records…. They got to know that Tia had two numbers registered under her name….

Ishana: This number…. 9805390878…. She has talked a lot to this number in the past months.

Omkara: You are right, I think we should talk to this person; maybe our questions will get some answers.

Ishana: Maybe, you ask Rohan to find out who this number belongs to.

Omkara: Yes, I’ll call him.

Om called Rohan once again and explained him further…. Rohan asked for a few minutes time and Om disconnected the call…. After a few minutes Om received the messages from Rohan…. Ishana asked him to check it…. Om read the message and was surprised….

Ishana: What has happened Om, who is the owner?

Omkara: The number belongs to Rana Group of Companies.

They looked at each other surprised and confused….

*****

Romi walked into the café Rudra had called her to meet him…. She was looking for him around when she spotted him at a corner…. She was surprised and confused to see him with Soumya…. She walked to the table they were sitting at…. Rudra and Soumya saw her coming…. Romi greeted them with a smile…. Rudra signed her to take a seat and she sat opposite to them…. They placed their order and waited for the order…. Soumya and Romi talked for a few minutes…. The waiter came with their order…. Once Rudra was sure that no one would disturb them he began talking….

Rudra: Romi, I have called you to talk something really important.

Romi: What has happened Rudra, anything wrong?

Rudra: Romi, I won’t beat around the bush and come directly to the point, was Tia already married to Dushyant Rana?

Romi: What are you saying Rudra? I think you have some misunderstanding.

Soumya: Sorry Romi, but we do not have any misunderstanding.

Soumya kept the print-outs of the photos in front of her…. Romi looked at the photos shocked…. There were several photos of Tia and Dushyant from both before and after their marriage…. The colours drained from Romi’s face…. Rudra and Soumya understood that whatever they had found out was really true….

Romi: Rudra, now that you both know everything, there is no point in denying it. I’ll tell you everything but please don’t let Mom know about this.

Rudra: Romi, we’ll not let anyone know about it, but if has even the slightest connection to Tia’s death, we’ll have to reveal it.

Romi: If that would be the case, I’ll disclose it myself.

Rudra: So, tell us everything.

Rudra looked at her and Romi nodded….

Tia and Dushyant had met in London around three years ago when she had gone to attend her college reunion…. Shivaay was busy with some business deal so he couldn’t go…. Tia and Dushyant met their several times during their stay and instantly liked each other’s company…. They were in touch even after coming back to India…. With time they fell in love with each other…. Two years ago Dushyant proposed to Tia and she was more than happy to accept his proposal…. Romi was the first one to know about their relation…. Everything was going well until the day when Mrs. Kapoor told Tia about Shivaay’s alliance…. Tia rejected the alliance and told her mom about Dushyant…. Mrs. Kapoor rejected her relation with Dushyant as she could not lose the deal with the Oberois…. Mrs. Kapoor also warned Tia that if she did not break her relation with Dushyant, she would get Dushyant killed…. Being worried for Dushyant Tia agreed to marry Shivaay and break her relation with Dushyant…. However Dushyant was adamant and did not agree to Tia’s decision…. After Shivaay and Tia’s engagement Dushyant came up with the idea of secret marriage…. He asked Tia to get married to him in secret and then marry Shivaay according to her mother’s wish…. After the deal is done for the Oberois and Kapoors, Tia and Dushyant would reveal everything to Shivaay…. Tia agreed to the plan and they got married in secret….

Romi: And before Di could reveal anything to Shivaay Bhaiya, all this happened and Di left us forever.

There were moments of silence as Rudra and Soumya absorbed the new shocking information…. Romi’s eyes were filled with tears and Soumya comforted her…. Rudra was lost in thoughts….

He couldn’t help but think what would have happened if Tia had already told his family the truth…. Maybe she would have been alive…. Maybe his Bhaiya would have found a solution to the problem…. Maybe their lives would have been less complicated…. Maybe…. Maybe…. Now all that was left were the possibilities of an alternate reality…. What had to happen had happened and there was nothing he could do to change the reality…. Tia was dead…. His Bhaiya was working hard to find the culprit…. His family was again in a messed up situation….

Rudra: Only if Tia had revealed everything to Bhaiya earlier, maybe things would have been different.

Soumya: Some things are beyond our control.

Romi: Rudra, I am really sorry that I could never tell you the truth. I am really sorry.

Rudra: It is okay Romi, I can understand that it was not easy for you to tell the truth.

After talking for some more time they all left to their respective works….

*****

Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well.
Now even Om and Ishu know about Tia being in contact with someone from the Ranas, what will be their approach to the clue? What will Rudra and Soumya do now?

Some updates will be shorter, as I have to manage time for a lot of things in the coming days. However I’ll try my best.

Keep reading and smiling!!!
Take care and stay safe!!!