LOVE, LIFE, SECRETS: Answers lie within – CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 14: Secrets

Mishti saw Abir and Ishana talking to each other for some time…. She could not hear what they were talking about but seeing them with each other holding hands she felt hurt…. A lone tear escaped from her eyes and she quickly turned away and wiped the tears that were flowing from her eyes…. She had to stop these tears…. They were not allowed to flow…. They were not allowed to make her feel the pain in her heart…. They were not allowed to make her feel weak…. She could not fall weak…. She knew that one day this would happen…. She knew that he would move on…. She knew it would hurt her but she never knew that it would hurt so much…. She could feel everything breaking inside her…. She wiped her tears harshly and composed herself…. She turned to take one last look at them when she saw them walking away…. She saw Ishana going away while Abir excused himself to attend a call…. She did not understand why she was doing it but she needed to talk to Abir…. She controlled her emotions and walked towards him….
Abir finished his call and turned around…. He was surprised to see Mishti standing behind him…. He did not wish to talk to her and moved to go but Mishti was also not going to let him go…. She held his hand firmly and he stopped to look at her…. There was a moment of silence as they looked at each other…. They lost in each other’s eyes…. Abir broke the trance and Mishti too came out of her thoughts…. She left his hand and they moved back….

Abir: What do you want?

Mishti: Nothing, I just want to talk to you.

Abir: And I do not want to talk.

Mishti: Abir, why do you always have to argue with me, I just want to talk, you can keep your anger aside for once and listen to me.

Abir: No, I cannot keep my anger aside, and also I do not have any interest in arguing with you.

Mishti: Abir, please…. What I have done that you are behaving like this with me?

Abir: Really, you do not know what you have done? I think you have a very weak memory then.

Mishti: That is our past Abir, for God’s sake, just get over it.

Mishti realized that she had said something she did not intend to say…. Also her voice was raised…. She was about to apologize but Abir lost his cool…. He held her by the shoulders and pinned her to the wall…. Mishti was shocked by this sudden movement…. She could feel his hands pressing her shoulders hard…. The pain caused a tear to flow down her cheek…. Abir’s eyes reflected intense rage and hatred…. He did not pay any attention to her tears….

Abir: Dare you say anything like this again. You could get over with it easily because you never valued our relationship but I did, I actually cared for it. I am not selfish like you that I can get over it just like that.

Mishti: Abir, you are hurting me, please leave me.

Abir: You are also hurting me. Whenever I see you all I can think is about your betrayal, you have used me and played with my emotions. You deserve this pain; you have earned it with your selfish nature.

Mishti looked at him and hearing his last statement she could not take it anymore…. With all her force she pushed him away…. He was startled by the sudden push…. Before he could react a slap landed on his face…. He was shocked seeing Mishti’s anger…. He could not say anything when he saw the anger and rage rising in her eyes….

Mishti: Don’t you dare ever question my love for you, I know that I have hurt you with my decisions but that does not give you any right to question my love. And yes, you are right I am selfish, so you better stay away from me.

She quickly wiped her tears and walked away…. Abir was looking at her retreating figure in shock….

*****

Rudra was sitting in Gauri’s cabin…. They had decided to work here to avoid any unnecessary questions from the Oberois or the police…. Soumya had gone to get her laptop while Gauri excused herself to make a few calls…. Rudra was busy checking the interiors of the office…. The place was full of colours just like Gauri’s cheerful nature…. In the past few days he had become a good friend with her…. He was really impressed by her creativity and smartness…. The wedding would have been her best work till date if that unfortunate incident had not happened…. Although he did not want to see his Bhaiya getting married to Tia for a business deal, he never had anything against Tia…. She was very good with his family, she was irritating at times but she was not a bad person…. Why would someone kill her…. The question was revolving in almost everyone’s mind…. Rudra was brought out of his thoughts by the opening of the door…. He looked at the door and saw Soumya and Gauri entering…. The three of them settled on the sofas in the cabin…. Soumya opened her laptop….

Soumya: So, where do we start?

Gauri: If we have to find about Tia’s killer, then first we need to know about Tia. Until and unless we do not know about her, we cannot decide where to proceed.

Rudra: Correct and the best way to know about a person is to check their social media.

Soumya: But she in a known personality how will her social media help us?

Rudra: Not her feed but maybe her private messages can help us.

Gauri: But how will we find her private messages, we do not have any access to her personal information.

Rudra: Well I heard that someone knows hacking.

Soumya and Gauri looked at him surprised while Rudra raised his eye-brows looking at Soumya…. The girls remembered that Rudra had heard their conversation…. Soumya did not say anything and just opened Tia’s instagram account…. She opened some other tabs and typed a few things here and there…. Rudra and Gauri were looking at her confused not understanding what she was doing…. They were just looking at the screen…. After about half an hour Soumya smiled as she opened Tia’s messages…. Rudra and Gauri looked at each other surprised and then at the screen….

Soumya: So, here it is guys.

Rudra: You are amazing; you should have been a detective.

Gauri: Seriously Soumya, how come you decided to be an event planner, you deserve some other job.

Soumya: Okay enough guys, we’ll decide my profession later, first let us do our work.

They looked at the screen attentively as Rudra scrolled through her messages…. There were many casual chats mostly her friends, Romi and some relatives…. Rudra was scrolling casually when a name caught Gauri’s attention…. She asked Rudra to stop scrolling and they all looked at the name “Dushyant Rana” …. They looked at each other surprised and confused….

Gauri: Isn’t he the younger son of Vikram Rana, I have heard about him in business news.

Rudra: Yes, but why Tia would talk to him, everyone knows about the rivalry of Oberois and Ranas, Shivaay Bhaiya toh doesn’t like their mention also in our house.

Soumya: Well the answers are in her messages, let us check them.

Soumya opened the messages…. They started reading Tia and Dushyant’s chats…. The messages shocked them to the core…. They looked at each other to find them the same shock on each other’s face….

Dushyant: Tia, I do not at all like all this…. Why are you getting married to that Shivaay…. I just hate him….

Tia: Sorry baby, but what can I do…. I have to do it for Mom…. You know how she is…. Always dominating….

Dushyant: I wish we could do something about her….

Tia: I wish the same…. I am doing all this because I do not want Romi to suffer unnecessarily…. Once this wedding happens…. I’ll just save my sister from Mom….

There were several other messages like this…. Soumya scrolled down slowly as the three of them read each and every word carefully…. They were shocked but the next message just shocked them to the core…. They could not believe what they had read….

Tia: I don’t understand why Mom is like this…. I just hate her sometimes….

Dushyant: Looks like my wife is really upset today…. Well if she wants I can change her mood….

Tia: Yes please…. I really want my husband near me at this time….

Dushyant: As you wish…. Get ready; I’ll pick you in an hour….

Soumya kept the laptop on the table…. They needed some time to process and accept this new truth that had been discovered…. Not only was Tia in love with Dushyant but they were married also…. Tia was lying to Shivaay and the Oberoi family….

Gauri: Tia is such a liar and cheater, she is already married still she was getting married to Shivaay Sir.

Soumya: I never thought that she was someone like this, all these days she was showing fake love and concern for everybody.

Gauri: Why wouldn’t she after all marrying Shivaay Sir would bring so many benefits in her life, such a money-minded person.

Gauri and Soumya realized that Rudra was not saying anything…. They looked at him and saw him lost somewhere…. Gauri signed Soumya to talk to him…. Soumya nodded and kept her hand on Rudra’s shoulder…. Rudra was brought back to the world by her touch…. He turned to look at her…. She was looking at him concerned….

Rudra: We’ll talk tomorrow, I should get going now.

Before Soumya or Gauri could stop him he left the room…. The girls looked at each other understanding that he needed some time after all it was about his family….

*****

Rudra was sitting in his car in the parking lot…. Many thoughts were going on in his mind…. If Tia was already married why did she agree to marry his Bhaiya…. Why was her marriage with Dushyant Rana a secret…. They both belonged to rich and well-known families then how could no one know about their relation…. Were the Ranas aware of Dushyant being married to Tia…. Or was this a plan of the Ranas to defame the Oberois…. So many questions running in his mind…. He could not let his Bhaiya or anyone know about this…. He had to find everything related to Tia and her life…. He could not leave even the slightest detail…. Anything could be related to the case and could put his family in danger…. He had to be very careful….

*****

AUTHOR’S NOTE: All I would say is every coin has two sides and both sides are fair from their own perspectives.
Also many of you asked about Mishbir past, so I will make it clear the story for now will only concentrate on their present and the past will be revealed much later.
Keep reading and smiling!!!
Take care and stay safe!!!