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First of all sorry to be so late, it was a very long chapter and I’m having cold – again – … So sorry again!
Then, special dedicate to all students , pupils having their exams in this period… all the best for all^^
Then like I said LOOOONG chapter, so to not bore you… I post it on 2 parts, so enjoy episode 14 and 15 at the same day
Like promised, time is about discovering the mystery… tell what you think about ?
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As Swara stands in place, Nikhil walks toward her saying:
“- I know you’re angry at me, Swara… But…”
She raises her hand at his face stopping him and says with a stern voice:
“- what was the gain, Nikhil? Promotion?.. Money? Medals?… What have you won playing with our lives, inspector Nikhil Chatterji?”
“- I’m really sorry… I even didn’t know about your connection with the case before Sanskar found Laksh’s trace at Banares… He displayed his men all over the country and despite all our attempts; he succeeded systematically finding the way… But trial was approaching… Moving Laksh again would be dangerous for him…”
“- while living in my house… Playing with my family’s feelings… With my sister’s heart was easier for the case?… Ragini could’ve died!!! How dare you use our childhood friendship like that?”
“- oh come on Swara! I was just doing my job… I never thought that I’ll meet with my childhood friend before I came here! I was surprised… how could I imagine that you were Maheshwari’s daughter in law… you changed name, life, family, friends… When my family came back from Canada ten years ago, you and aunty have moved on… No one knew anything about you”
Swara shivers turning away, she recalls the first time he came at badi, her fights with Sanskar, his jealousy, his hurting words… She closes her eyes repressing her tears; she refuses to remember this awful time.
Nikhil comes in front of her and says holding his ears:
“- I’m sorry Swara… Really… Please try to understand… Laksh was our priority, you think that dealing with diamonds’ traffic gangsters is simple, no one can escape from them… once you’re in… it’s till death!”
At her alarmed expression, he adds reassuringly:
“- don’t worry! He’s out of danger now… ”
She frowns, wondering suddenly if Sanskar was involved in that, if this is why he has faked his death! Noticing Nikhil’s eyes searching something behind her, she checks time on her watch as bells start ringing in the Academy enceinte.
“- your case is closed, inspector Chatterji! why are you still roaming around?”
“- is it your way to chase an old friend from your life, Swara?”
“- you’re not my friend, Nikhil… you’re someone else who used an old relation to do his job… end of the story!”
“- but…”
“- nahi! I guess you know the exit way… I have a job too so, excuse me!”
Walking by his side, she steps toward the main building, her head was spinning and so many questions started submerging her. Now she’s sure all that mess is about Laksh’s case, but kyu? If the case is closed, if he’s out of danger, if bad people are jailed with his help? So why? What is Nikhil doing here yet? She’s absolutely sure that he came to meet Sanskar… so he knows that Sanskar is alive! But…
Banares! He said Laksh’ was at Banares and Sanskar was there searching him… is it the reason Dida is back?… does she knows that Sanskar is alive too? but…
Who knows else? Everyone? Laksh? Ragini?… Ma?…
She tightens her grip on her head feeling about fainting, sits on her chair and takes a sip of water from the glass waiting for her there… a white handkerchief covering it! Wiping her lips, she looks to the glass in her hand and thinks that it was surely Sanskar’s small care…
A sudden black irk submerges her! How many people are involved in that? What the need of keeping her away? Torturing her had suddenly turned the hobby of all her family?…
As she hears someone knock at the door, she closes her eyes taking a long deep breath to calm down and asks him entering.
The rest of the morning flew over papers, reports, schedules to check… but she wasn’t really in mood of thinking about work.
At noon, lunch arrives from home at her request; she had to convince her sister for not obliging her to come back to home, promising to finish her meal and take the afternoon to go to her doctor.
***
“ cigars fumes… a Durga pooja’s celebration… laughs… chants… dances… darkness… men talking’s… laughing… cars horns… police station… woman’s scream… arm’s shooting!”
Swara awakes startled! She was quivering; her pale face drowned with tears and sweat… she wipes her face, her eyes searching in the void!… she was in her office, at her desk… did she sleep during her launch time?
The plate in front of her wasn’t finished! She takes the glass of water in front of her and drinks its content in one gulp! Pouring more, she takes some sips trying to calm down her heart beats racing!
That was the same nightmare she keeps having since weeks! Months!… she wonders what could it mean? Who was talking? With whom? Where?…
“- enough!”
She stops herself feeling her head about exploding with a million of questions without responses!… she checks time standing up… time to get ready for her appointment with her doctor.
After gathering her lunch box and freshening up, she lets her instructions to her secretary then takes a place on the back seat of her car, driver was already waiting for her at the entry. It’s about 3.00 pm when she reaches the doctor’s office… at her big surprise, she’s welcomed by Ragini who was waiting for her.
“- Ragini! Kya hua? Why are you here?”
“- arree? This is your first visit to doctor… you really thought that I’ll let you alone?”
Swara gets teary and tries to convince her that she’s fine and doesn’t need people to worry for her, honestly. But Ragini insists wondering why she was so surprised that her sister is so concerned by her health and pregnancy, she teases her saying:
“- be happy, I convinced chachi and Ma that your doctor’s office can’t contain all Maheshwari’s women in once!”
***
MAHESHWARI MANSION… IN THE EVENING…
Beautifully decorated, with pale rose and deep blue veiling curtains, assorted flowers and lights… the mansion was setting one of its biggest parties ever…
Domestics are displaying different meals and sweets while Annapurna and Sujatta are verifying every detail. Durga Prasad and Ram Prasad come out from their office, Sujatta exclaims joyfully:
“- hay bhai sa… What a wonderful idea! A party to celebrate the return of the good days… Hai na jiji?”
Annapurna smiles replying:
“- ha ha Sujatta, you keep repeating this since the morning”
Ram Prasad precise smirking:
“- since you told her about this surprise, last night!”
Durga Prasad has a small smile seeing Sujatta pout childishly which makes his wife laugh.
Laksh comes down announcing:
“- Ragini has just sent me a message, they’re on their way”
At that moment Shekar and Shomi enters the mansions, greeting Maheshwaris with wide smiles, they are welcomed cheerfully.
Both of them and Durga Prasad exchange meaningful looks, Sujatta asks surprised:
“- arre? Sharmista ji isn’t with you?”
Shomi replies smiling:
“- choto is having fever, she had to stay at home with him…”
They all wish his rapid recovery then suddenly, they stop talking.
Their eyes are widened from what they see upstairs. Adarsh accompanied by Parineeta and his mother in law are walking in the house:
Before anyone could protest, Durga Prasad announce that HE invited them:
“- today is a day of celebration for this family… All this family!”
The three of them walk to him, Adarsh and Parineetha bending down for blessing and Sulika ji joining her hands greeting him.
Durga Prasad raises his hand above both Adarsh and Parineetha’s heads shocking everyone.
At this moment, Swara and Ragini arrive upstairs. At this sight, Ragini tightens her press and her sister’s hand, looking to her with filled with tears sad eyes.
Swara just smiles to her shaking her head and presses her hand back reassuring her. They come down when Parineetha was bending at her mother in law feet, Annapurna hesitates her eyes searching explanation from her husband, she finishes by blessing them putting her hand on her son’s head.
Sujatta starts to complain but her husband stops her as Durga Prasad announces:
“- today, Maheshwari family is celebrating the end of all her pains, a return to sources and a son’s back to home… We should prepare ourselves to welcome our guest… Shekar ji, after all what happened in this year, all I can say is that we’re no more in laws, we’re the same family and I’m proud to see you join us today..”
Ragini frowns feeling sad for Swara, how could they be so insensitive to her sorrow? How can they forgive Adarsh baihya for everything like if nothing happened? Before she can express her disappointment, Swara lets her there going up to her bedroom.
***
A hour later, when Swara stands upstairs, wearing a sumptuous sleeveless black ball gown, wrapping her shoulders in a large scarf which was making her milky skin shines more, her hair knotted in a messy artful bun letting some escaping curls ornamenting her swan neck where the heart entwined SS were sparkling in response with her bangels…
Her gaze brushes the view of lot of guest talking cheerfully and family members meeting here and there with everyone… She was searching for him! She was sure he’s here, just around her… she could feel his presence… But…
Suddenly, Ragini’s hand on her forearm startles her:
“- Swara… You…”
“- not now Ragini, please…”
As Ragini keeps looking to her with teary eyes, Swara clutches her fingers with hers shaking her head and smiles sadly asking her:
“- won’t you help me going down?”
***
The party was going on, meals and fresh drinks served continually, Ragini greeting the guests while Swara who was asked to take rest, is just sitting next to her Dida listening absent mindedly to the conversations around.
The assembly attention is attacked by a tickling on a glass. Durga Prasad declares:
“- dear friends, business partners and family members… As promised, today, we are celebrating the end of a long time of darkness wrapping this family… “Maheshwari and sons” has always been the symbol of family’s union and will always be. Today I feel proud of my two sons whatever happened in the past months and Adarsh who already paid for his errors will today take the place he deserves… he always aimed for…”
Everyone is shocked, Laksh is about protesting when his uncle presses his hand frowning and nodding a no. Swara’s hand too is pressed by her Dida’s who smiles reassuringly to her. At Durga Prasad sign, papers are brought and put on the table in front of him, he asks Adarsh to come saying:
“- you wanted your place in this society and house… You’ll have it…”
Giving him his own pen, he asks him to sign the papers giving him all the rights he was asking about… Parineetha and her mother smirk happily.
At the moment Adarsh has signed all the papers, the sound of flute surrounds the place making everyone look upstairs where the old chacha was playing a traditional sad air of music while a group of dancers and musicians was coming from behind him to invade the living room center surprising everyone… his eyes meet with Swara’s, tears form in both their’s, she looks away while he closes his…
Lights get off and a spots shows him descending down stairs, he starts saying theatrically:
“Sonu.. Sonu… Sonu… it’s the truth call”
“I have a story to tell you all”
Dancers start executing choreography around him while he plays the sad flute air again, drummers giving the rhythm of his phrases, he says:
“This is a story about love… family … and betrayal…”
One dancer looking like Durga Prasad comes in front, three little boys playing around him.
“About a father’s love”
He acts giving blessings to children… offers them sweets…
“and brotherhood…”
The children start fighting about their sweets, pushing each other they finish all on the floor while music rhythms dancers steps around.
Sanskar “chacha” turn around them playing flute again, he stops at Durga Prasad look alike who was watching sadly to the three children and says sadly:
“- or may be the story started long time before…”
Children stand up running away and a young woman comes dancing joyfully in the center…
“- in another life…”
“- before children and wife…”
“- he was a sister’s brother…”
“- he was her child, she was his mother…”
Durga Prasad look alike goes away letting the place to the play where the flutist was the story teller.
The played scenes are captivating everyone’s attention, Annapurna worried eyes search responses in her husband’s ones, he nods to her reassuringly. Laksh and Ragini look confusingly to the awkwardness wrapping their unwanted guests. Prineetha and her mother look to each other fearfully while Adarsh’s attention was just focused on the music around, the sad song’s lyrics and the story the old chacha is telling…
Swara’s heart was pounding, a strange feeling of insecurity wrapping her like never before. She’s at home with her family and even Sanskar, but something was wrong… and she couldn’t know what! Her Dida presses her hand asking if she’s fine, but she just smiles to her nodding a yes.
Closing his eyes, Durga Prasad plunges in the awful memories…
FLASHBACK
Maheshwari family was the most prosperous family in the region. Beyond their wealth, they were the most respectful in their community throw their deep attach to their traditions, culture and education.
The eldest child was a beautiful young lady named Aradhya, more a mother than a sister to her younger brothers Durga Prasad and Ram Prasad, she took the place of her their mother at the age of 12, never giving them the orphan’s feeling.
Educated, lovable and with a strength of character making her able of handling the mansion as a real madam. She was the light of sight for her both brother who could do anything for her happiness.
But one day things changed… when she fell in love…
Durga Prasad who had taken the succession after his father’s death and despite all her pleadings, couldn’t accept that man.
From another culture, richness from unknown sources, without elders to talk to them… her charming prince was a danger against their reputation, their work and above all… against her.
He tried to convince her, to make her understand that marriage isn’t about heart’s ties uniquely, that all what was important, is her happiness, her future life…
but how could she see anything else but that perfect lover hidden in darkness. When even asking him her right on him being his elder, he didn’t change his mind; she closed the topic and never talked about it again.
Days… weeks… months… then one night… letting a letter behind her asking forgiveness, she disappeared!
END OF FLASHBACK
Sujatta enjoys the play smilingly her eyes widening at the events but she frowns at her husband’s expression, she never saw him so tensed, when she asked him, he just shakes his head looking to his brother.
Annapurna approaches Durga Prasad saying with a shaking voice:
“- ji… what is this? Why…”
For all response, he just presses her hand in comfort, his eyes straightly rived to Adarsh whose tensed face expresses nothing but confusion, he couldn’t take off his eyes from the scenes…
She looks around to their guests worrying, everyone was captivated by the play joyfully, everyone but Swara who was busy checking her phone.
When the second act starts, the settled decors remind her that night…
FLASHBACK
It was a day of celebration at Maheshwari Mansion, the most important celebration for the family… the elder son’s marriage!
When phone rang, he saw at the domestic face that it was important and at the moment he took the call, he understood:
“- Durga … Durga… it’s me… please… help me! Help… he’ll kill …!”
He could hear a baby’s cry, she was panting…
“-Aradhya!!!”
“- Durga!!!… shhh… this monster will kill… please… DURGA!!!”
Less than an hour, Durga Prasad in groom’s outfits, was engulfing his car in the somber forest toward the place she told him to meet her, he was sweating in terror, what happened? Was his sister in this same town for all the past year he was searching her? Whose baby was crying?
All those questions were haunting him all over the road until he saw the lights, he stops his car and gets off shouting:
“- DI!!!… Aradhya????… Diiiiii…. Are you here?”
Few moments later, she was here, just face to him her face covered with bruises, blood oozing from her mouth and baby crying in her arms. He yells in shock:
“- DI!?”
She runs toward him crying but stops face to him sobbing and says:
“- mudje maaf kar do, Durga! I’m so sorry!. I’m really sorry… you were right… how could I be so stupid!? This is… he’s a criminal… his money… his world… his work… I’m so sorry… I didn’t listen to you all…”
She was trembling, begging him her hands joined trying to not let the baby in her arms fall, he approaches her caressing her face, wiping the blood on her lips corner, his eyes filled with tears, he looks to the baby who has stopped crying and asks with a choked voice:
“- your baby?”
She has a sad smile nodding tears drowning her face, he puts a hand on his head blessing him which makes her cries more, inhaling sharply he says:
“- let’s go home… we’ll talk there…”
He’s surprised to see her shake her head hysterically refusing, she was terrorized, he caresses her hair trying to calm her:
“- Di… don’t worry… main hoon na? hai na?… come with me, he can’t…”
“- not me Durga… take Adatsh…”
she looks behind her startled and adds:
“- I don’t want him to be like his father! I don’t want to be the mother who gave birth for a monster like that…”
There is an arm’s shooting behind them, they look back shocked to find her husband pointing an arm on both of them…
END OF THE FLASHBACK
***
While the play was yet going on, Swara starts her car hurriedly, struggling with her security belt, she recalls the call she received few moments ago from. One of their neighbors at badi called her to say that her Dadi is back and she was fighting with her mother in their house.
While rushing to badi, she thinks about the party she left, what was the point of all this drama? So Adarsh is probably the son of bade papa and dad’s elder sister… but why expose all this publically after all those years? Is it because of that, that Adarsh turned evil after being the perfect son all his life?…
And that criminal… is he still alive? Was he behind all Adarsh’s acts?…
But the most important… what was she doing in all that story? Why has she found herself in the middle of this battle? Or… is she even involved in all that? Was it just the revenge her Sanskar was having over his brother… not brother… nahi… he’s a brother too… she’s sure he’s the baby that this never spoken about aunty was giving to bade papa… what happened after that? Why is she having this strange feeling of knowing this story?…
“- arrghhh!!”
She growls in frustration hitting on the wheel of her car and saying:
“- Sanskar Maheshwari… you better has to have a good reason for all that mess!”
Her phone rings, she picks up frowning worriedly:
“- kya hua aunty? I’m on the way… “
“- beta I wanted to tell you that someone came to your home now… I don’t know who…”
“- ok aunty… keep an eye there please, if you feel anything wrong, call police… I’ll be there soon…”
“- ha beta… take care!”
Swara hangs off shivering, what was her Dadi doing here after so long time? Surely not for a friendly visit…
***
The last scenes from the show were playing along with the flutist sad notes showing everyone the end of this story when the husband arrived claiming his wife and child, the brother argued badly with him not fearing the pointed arm toward him… but the dangerous man wasn’t the kind who backs off and shooting ones aside to make him go away without response, he fires on him heartlessly… but Aradhya walks on the bullet way and took it in her throat shocking both of men!
Adarsh, shocked by the scene gets up his eyes filled with tears yelling:
“- stop it! Stop it now! Liar! You’re lying! It didn’t happen like that…”
Sanskar “chacha” comes to him his flute still between his lips, he turns around him while the last scene shows how the brother’s men came there all armed too, saving him at the last moment… the murderer hearing police’s sirens runs away promising to come back and take revenge!
With teary widened eyes, Adarsh repeats:
“- NO! it’s a lie! You’re all lying!…”
Nervous, he pushes the flutist chacha away stopping his music, Parineetha comes to him trying to calm him down:
“- Adarsh… shant… it’s just a play…”
She looks around anxious about the situation but her husband pushes her away saying with a trembling voice:
“- lie… all this is a lie… he didn’t kill her…”
The flutist faces him, continuing his tale with his old pathan accent:
“- in her last breaths… that mother asked forgiveness from her brother again and made him promise to never tell about this story! So he went home and put this baby in his bride’s lap…”
Looking back to bade ma who was crying, he adds:
“- the young lady who came in this house as bride, became a mother on that first night… the secret has been buried in the past for everyone… everyone but her closest one…”
Going to Sulikha ji who was looking down, he continues:
“- a friend counted for family… who became a relation years later… taking her daughter for first daughter in law… a friend closer than a sister… a friend who turned enemy at first hard time”
Adarsh comes to face his mother in law asking her:
“- mummy ji… you tell me!… what are they saying?… didn’t you said that Maheshwaris never let their revenge!?… never forgive who brings them shame… TELL ME!”
Annapurna replies at her friend’s place:
“- why don’t you ask me?… why didn’t you came to me then? … didn’t I give you all the mother’s love? Have I ever make any difference between you and Laksh?…”
When she breaks down, Durga Prasad holds her shoulders consoling her and says with a choked voice:
“- leave it, Annapurna… it was our fault, our fault to believe that our love, our education, our care will make him the son we loved to have… but maybe it’s fate… I brought my enemy’s son to my home so he destroyed my family… Ram Prasad… don’t cry for our Di… God was clement to take her away before she could see her son becomes just like his father!”
Adarsh walks to them angrily at those words but Sanskar stands just in front of them facing him, he says with his real voice pointing a finger at his face:
“- don’t even dare approach them!”
Taking off his fake beard and black glasses, his hat along with fake white hair, he shocks everyone showing his real face, Adarsh whispers in disbelief:
“- Sanskar…”
To be continued… just now… episode 15 is already posted too ^^