CHAPTER 37: Dark memories
(Day after Ishana told Abir about Daksh’s comeback in her life)
“Tai, this is not fair, you had promised me, you’ll come for the engagement”
“I am so excited that I am getting married to the person I love so much”
“Tai, please save me. He’ll kill me”
“I am sorry Tai, but I have to go. Take care of Aai-Baba”
Ishana woke up with a jerk…. She opened her eyes as she sat on her bed…. Sweat beads formed on her forehead…. Her throat felt dry…. Her body was all heated up…. Tears flowed from her eyes…. The memories of the past were resurfacing again…. The dark memories were haunting her again…. Since the day he had come back in her life, she was all messed up, broken and vulnerable again….
She got up from her bed and walked towards the balcony…. The breeze was flowing touching her face…. She closed her eyes again and felt the breeze to relax her mind….
The day she had met Daksh at Om’s gallery, she had a different fear rising in her heart…. She didn’t bother much thinking it to be nothing…. The way Daksh stared at her made her uncomfortable…. However she didn’t ponder more on the thoughts…. But after Om told her that they should stop working together and that he cannot go against his family…. She felt upset for believing the sweet words of Om and falling for his kind nature….
She couldn’t concentrate on the case and to divert her mind was going through the photos in her laptop…. That’s when a photo caught her attention and ground slipped beneath her feet…. It was a photo from her sister’s engagement…. Seeing Daksh standing beside her sister, she realized that he was the same man who had turned her life upside down….
Devika….
Devika Kulkarni….
Devika was younger to Ishana but they had always been more of friends than sisters…. Devika was Ishana’s lifeline…. Ishana was always extra protective towards her baby sister…. But alas she couldn’t save her sister from that beast…. He had snatched her sister away from her….
It all had happened three years ago…. Ishana had shifted to Mumbai recently and was all busy with her new job…. Her sister had informed her one day that she loved someone and wanted to marry him…. Ishana and her parents were reluctant to get Devika married as she was quite young…. However upon Devika’s emotional blackmail, Ishana had to give up and convinced her Aai-Baba…. Ishana couldn’t attend the engagement because of her work load…. She had talked to Devika’s fiancée a couple of times on phone and was convinced that he was a good man….
Things took an ugly turn when one day Devika found out that Daksh was cheating on her and she confronted him…. Devika was heartbroken realizing how she had fallen in love with the wrong person…. When Ishana found out, she wanted to run to her sister but work kept her away…. Her Aai-Baba assured her not to worry and that they would look after Devika…. Ishana’s heart was not assured and she felt that something very wrong was going to happen….
Ishana was in her office when she received a call from her father and he informed her about Devika’s suicide…. The world seemed to end for Ishana…. The baby sister she always vowed to protect had taken away her own life…. When Ishana reached her home, she understood what her sister was going through all these days…. After the engagement with Daksh was called off, Daksh did not leave a chance to humiliate Devika and her family…. He would come to their house regularly and create a scene in front of the neighbours…. Whichever century we may be living in, many people still blame the girl for everything…. People blamed Devika for everything…. Devika who was so lively and chirpy turned into a silent bird…. She wouldn’t talk to anyone and would always be locked in the confinements of her room…. Doctor told that she was into depression….
Ishana cursed herself that she couldn’t protect her sister…. Ishana felt herself responsible…. Only if she had been with her sister during that time things would have been so different today…. After Devika’s death, Ishana tried to bring her parents to Mumbai with her but they didn’t agree….
Ishana wiped her tears as she looked at the night sky….
*****
Abir walked into the police station lost in his thoughts…. He had met Ishana almost two years ago…. Her confidence, her personality, her will to fight, her fearless nature was everything he admired about her…. She was easy to get along with and with Abir’s friendly nature; they had become best friends in no time…. The only time he had seen her breakdown was when it was her sister’s birthday and he had met her at her home…. Abir’s was shocked seeing the strong girl in such a vulnerable state…. That was the time when Ishana had told Abir everything about her sister…. That day Abir had promised to be with her in all situations and their friendship had become stronger…. But when yesterday he again saw her in the same vulnerable state, his heart flinched with pain…. The man who had destroyed his friend’s happiness was back in her life…. This time he would protect her from him….
Abir’s thoughts came to a halt when someone called him and he turned around to see Priyanka walking towards him…. The worry on his face did not go unnoticed by Priyanka….
Priyanka: Abir, are you okay and how is Ishana?
Abir: Neither I am nor she is okay.
Priyanka looked at Abir…. The intensity of his words was clearly visible in his eyes…. The pain filled voice made her worried…. The Abir she had seen and had known about from Veer was nowhere close to the Abir she was seeing today…. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder….
Priyanka: Abir, I don’t know what has exactly happened but all that I can tell you is, this time will also pass and there will be happiness again.
She smiled at him and Abir smiled back at her…. Ranveer had witnessed the entire scene and smiled seeing the bond that was forming between Abir and Priyanka…. Ranveer’s only family was Abir and seeing him getting along with Priyanka made him happy…. The two most important people of his life were with him and that is all he wished to ever have….
Ranveer: Subah-subah kya baatein chal rahi hai?
Abir and Priyanka looked at Ranveer….
Priyanka: Why do we tell you, our talks, our matter.
Abir: Absolutely correct Bhabhi.
Hearing the word Bhabhi, both Priyanka and Ranveer were surprised and blushed…. Abir was surprised seeing his friend blushing and smiling like this…. It is indeed true…. Love can do wonders….
The trio saw Mishti looking at them smiling….
Mishti: I had never thought I would ever see Sir like this. You both look so….
Abir: Cute….
Mishti: Yeah, cute is just the word.
Ranveer: Okay, enough of teasing us.
Mishti’s eyes then looked at Abir…. One glance at him and she understood that he was worried about something…. Then she remembered how he had gone to Ishana….
Mishti: Abir, how is Ishana, is she fine now?
Ranveer: Actually, even I wanted to ask that, how is she?
Abir: She is strong but even the strongest people break at some point in life.
Ranveer: Matlab, what has happened?
Priyanka: I think we should go in and talk.
Ranveer walked inside his cabin followed by the others…. They all settled down on the chairs…. Abir looked at them and took a deep breathe…. He knew it was not his right to reveal the past but he had to do it…. To ensure Ishana was safe, all he needed was some trustworthy people and he was definitely sitting amongst the most trusted people of his life…. Abir looked at them once and began talking…. He told them everything Ishana had told him earlier and then what had happened yesterday….
There was a silence as Abir finished with his narration…. Ranveer and Mishti were shocked…. But Priyanka was more than shocked….
Priyanka: Daksh Khurana, you mean….
Abir: Yes, the same Daksh Khurana who is your brother’s friend.
Priyanka: I don’t believe that Daksh Bhaiya, we have known him since years….
Mishti: It happens Priyanka, even after knowing people for years, we never know their true self.
Ranveer: I never thought that the girl I have always seen as strong and confident, has so much pain hidden inside her.
Abir: The state I saw Ishu in yesterday was worse than a nightmare, she has never been so afraid to face someone.
Mishti: Don’t worry Abir, this time she isn’t alone, we are with her.
Priyanka: Right, we’ll fight for her. Also, I don’t want such friends in my Bhaiya’s life.
*****
It was late in the evening…. Breeze was flowing softly at intervals…. Mishti was sitting on the steps outside in the backyard of the station enjoying the breeze…. The day had been hectic and she wished to have some calmness…. She closed her eyes as she let the breeze touch her as it flowed…. The gentle breeze calmed her mind and heart….
She felt a little guilty thinking that she had not understood Abir and Ishana’s friendship properly…. How she had easily assumed that Abir had moved on…. Indeed Ishana was important for him and today after hearing the talks of Ranveer and Abir, she understood that how Ishana was truly…. She felt sad thinking that she didn’t trust Abir’s love for her…. How could she even think that the Abir who had loved her truly would love someone else…. But then, they were together in the past…. Maybe he didn’t love Ishana the way he had loved her…. But then, what if someday he actually found someone whom he would love more than her…. The thought of Abir loving someone else pierced her heart and tears brimmed in her eyes….
“Mishti”
Mishti immediately opened her eyes and looked up…. The tears in her eyes worried Abir…. He sat beside her and wiped them…. How much ever he was angry, hurt and upset with her because of their past, one thing that he could never see was her tears…. He had tried to control himself every time tears flowed from her eyes in the past days but today he couldn’t…. Seeing her like this pained his heart…. Mishti couldn’t hold herself anymore and hugged him tightly…. Abir was shocked by her sudden action but soon composed himself and covered her with his arms….
Peace….
Eternal peace….
This is what he felt having her in his arms…. Only he knew how much he had craved for this moment…. Every time he looked at her in the past few days, all he wanted was to hold her tight in his embrace and tell her that he still loved her with all his heart…. No matter what had happened in the past, he still loved her more than anything in the world….
Home….
Her home….
Mishti felt she had returned to her home after years…. This is where she always belonged to…. Abir was her home…. He was where she felt happy, secure and loved…. Only she knew how much it had hurt her in the past few days when she couldn’t go close to him and hug him…. How she wanted to tell him that she was sorry for her past behavior and that she still loved him….
“Mishti, I love you, I love you the most”
Mishti broke the hug as soon as the words reached her ears…. Abir was stunned by her sudden action and looked at her…. Tears stopped flowing from her eyes…. Had he said the words she had heard or was she dreaming…. How could he still love her even after what she had done with him…. Seeing her silent Abir moved away from her…. He should not have said it, not without knowing if she too felt the same or not…. Sensing Abir move away, Mishti’s trance was broken and she looked at him…. She understood that he was taking her silence in the other way….
Abir: Mishti, I am sorry, I shouldn’t have….
Mishti: Shut up Abir and I love you too….
Saying so she pulled him into a hug…. Abir took a few moments to process what had happened before reciprocating the hug….
A sense of belonging filled their hearts….
*****
Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well.
Here is the next chapter of the story, do read it and share your views on the same.
An important thing to be told, my internship has stared and I have to go to office everyday, so I’ll be able to update only on Sundays. I hope you all will understand.
Keep reading and smiling!!!
Take care and stay safe!!!