He parked the car out of his old, almost broken house. Walking swiftly through the corridor, he opened the door of the house and locked the door behind him.
He heard sound of vessels being dragged, kept, thrown. It was almost 6 in the evening. He knew she might be cooking. He smiled to himself thinking that he might get a taste of her food today. He made his way to the kitchen and was invited by the aroma of the food. He’d missed this. Maybe since the last trip he visited Europe for a business meet. Two weeks ago.
There she was standing in the kitchen cooking something delicious for herself. She had to live, anyway. Even with the monster of her husband to see her daughter atleast once in her lifetime. Her dark hair was knotted in a bun, her cheeks bruised.
Her limping form brought a sadist smile on his lips. She hasn’t been cured completely by their last s*xual encounter.
He cleared his throat to get her attention. And she stilled. He could see her body practically shaking just by his presence and his dirt of a brain thought different things.
For her, he was a sadist. And that was an understatement. He was a brute, devil, demon. And what not.
He walked closer to her resting his head on her shoulder. She alarmed. She hoped she survived this monster.
For him, she was his relaxation. His possession. His tension killer. His doll for his s*xual tension. But he couldn’t deny, he still loved her. This was his way to show her how much he did.
“I… ” he started, but his rough voice was interrupted from his phone.
It was Sahil.
He groaned and she sighed in relief thinking she had sometime to live before he did something to her.
“hello? ” Sahil said as soon as he answered.
“yes? ” he voice was emotionless.
“Mr. Gadodia, Ms. Maheshwari called up my assistant and just informed that we are supposed to meet her on the New Year day. At 2 in the morning. ” he said.
Mr. Gadodia was too angered to tell something. He knew this girl had thought all possible way make him uncomfortable. Who in the hell would have a meeting at 2?
“at the godown right next to ours where the incident took place. ” Sahil continued.
Shekar sighed. Things were getting worse than he imagined them to get.
A thought just striked him.
“do you think she’s got any evidence against us? We might be in trouble.”
“I don’t think she has something yet. As far as I know her she might get there around a few hours before we did and can start searching for something. I guess we still have time. ” he said.
Sahil knew her for a while. No, he knew her for years. And his guessing might be true.
“fine. Send some of our men there for a search. We have got what? 8 hours? ”
“no need. If she finds something she might blackmail us. I bet she wouldn’t want to ruin her own blood. ” he said. He seemed confident.
“whatever you say. I’ll be there.. ” he said before he cut the call.
“I’m hungry. ” he grunted, sitting on the couch.
His wife sighed. He saw her filling his plate with whatever she cooked and turned around. Her eyes bore into the ground as she started walking up to him.
He set his phone on the table in front of him before he took the plate she offered.
“get yours too… ”
She walked back without giving an answer.
A few moments and a few bites later, he set his plate on the table before turning to her pale form.
“do you still love your boyfriend? ” he asked.
She frowned. Shekar always had a doubt about her having an affair with his P.A., and accused her of that all these years.
“trust me, Shekar. I never had any fling. ” she frowned. Her voice barely audible.
He sighed.
This little Maheshwari had got into his nerves to bring the identity of his wife to the world. That would change everything. A little reassurance from her, and a little blackmailing from his side will have to do in keeping her with him forever.
“would you want to go out? ” he asked, looking at her intently.
She phased out for a minute. She wanted to make sure that’s what she heard.
“do you? ” he asked again.
She nodded her head vigorously. She had lost the touch of the outside world for twenty long years. She was locked up in this dirtied den of his. She was provided with whatsoever she might require to be alive. He would come, finish his ‘work’ and would leave her alone for a while.
That’s how she lived so far.
Her eyes streamed.
“will you take me out of here? ” she asked in disbelief. She still quite couldn’t get it into her mind.
“you will be living with me in my house, in Mumbai from now on. I want you to cover up all those bruises and get ready in a neat attire. I’ve got you whatever you may need to make yourself presentable. You can go out and get it from my car. We will leave in two hours.” he said.
She was afraid to make a move but finally did as she was told when she made sure he was telling the truth. Had she been careful with him, maybe they’d have had a great time together.
He was afraid too. He might loose her forever if Shruti did something. He stared at his wife through the window to make sure she didn’t run away. He was sure she wouldn’t. But he had to reassure himself.
She walked in and then to her room and started with her work.
After a few minutes she was back. Ready to go.
His eyes widened at the sight of his wife. She looked beautiful than ever. Her makeup covered her scars, she had a small smile plastered on her lips. She reminded him of their wedding day, twenty six years ago.
He gawked at her for a while.
“we have got to meet someone. Promise after the meeting you will come with me and stay with me!” he said. She was confused on what he was saying but promised anyway. As soon as she placed her hand on his as a promise, he pulled her into a tight hug.
He was scaring her. She’d never seen Shekar this way. Though his face remained emotionless, he actions said otherwise.
“you might also meet your daughter! ” he said. And that undid her. She cried again.
“Swara… ” she said to herself closing her eyes.
A moment later, he released her and walked out dragging her with him.
*
Swara’s POV
I was frustrated. blo*dy frustrated.
I felt like kicking everyone’s ass in the house.
Everyone were asleep since what? 12 at noon. And note that I said since and not up to 12. Its almost seven in the evening and no one’s up yet. First when I saw that they weren’t up I thought something was wrong with the food I cooked. I tried waking up everyone of them but everyone just shrugged and turned around from me to sleep. My in-laws too.
Well, shruti and Siddhanth were out. So except for them. And here in my room, I played with Aadhya for two hours and then even she was bored to sleep.
Trust me, I tried. I tried to sleep as well. But no. I couldn’t. It was New Year for god’s sake in few hours. People party. Not sleep.
I finished tracing all possible angles to sit. And now, I was walking out of my room, again getting bored from watching my husband and daughter sleep. Only I know how I held myself from kicking Sanskar in his ass.
I walked down the stairs and to the living room. I heard Shruti’s car coming to the halt and almost jumped in excitement. At last.
She was now, really good. Healed. And she worked with the guys.
“hey!!! ” she waved from door and I held myself from pouncing at her.
“I missed you…. ” I said as I walked to her. I was now, completely one of them. I spoke, acted like them. I enjoyed it thoroughly too.
“me too…. ” she said as we hugged.
Now, we were all over dramatic.
“did they wake up? ”
I shook my head.
When everyone were asleep since morning, Sidhhanth and shruti kept me company for a while realising the need for me to have a company and not to go mad.
We walked to her room and I sat on her couch while she went to change. Her phone rung and she asked me to answer it. It was Siddhanth anyway.
“ready? ” he asked as soon as I picked up.
I was sad again.
Was he taking her on a date?
“you’re taking her on a date or something? ” I asked, pouting.
“Swara… Hey. Nope. You can join us. We are going on a search. ”
Search?
“to search what? ”
“we don’t know. We’ll know when we find something. Well, go and dress in some easy jeans and a shirt, top or whatever you wear. Let it be comfortable. ” he said.
” I always wear what’s comfortable dear.. ” I said and he chuckled.
“I meant, you should be able to climb walls. And I guess you know you can’t do it in your salwar or Saree. ” he pointed out.
I rolled my eyes.
“fine… ” I said before I held the call.
I told shruti that I would meet her in a few minutes and disappeared into our room.
My husband showed few signs of getting when I was almost done. Now I grew angry. My eyes squeezed once, before I threw my pillow over his face and got out to meet Shruti.
–
Shruti drove us to Siddhanth’s first. Picking him up, she started towards our destination, which I didn’t know where.
“where are we going? ” I asked her. The surrounding was dark and I could tell we were almost out of the city. We driving for around two hours already.
“to have fun on new year’s eve… ” Shruti said smiling.
Nice.
“where exactly? And why only us? Mom, dad, luc-” I was interrupted.
“how many questions swara? Slow down… ” Siddhanth said typing something hard on his phone.
Rolled my eyes.
“atleast I’m not killing my phone… ” I said.
“sarcasm.. ” he shook his head and we started to fight-talk. Shruti remained silent. That was unusual. She wasn’t like me. I meant talkative. But her silence, now, wasn’t something I saw. Not atleast after that day we spoke about things.
“you’re scaring me… ” I said, dramatically. Partly true, though.
She turned to me and smirked.
“I’m kidnapping you… So that I can ask Sanskar for what ever I want… Even mom, she’ll give everything possible from her side to get you back.. How’s luck? ” she winked.
I twisted my lips.
“kiddo… ” Siddhanth said, slapping the back of my head.
I did the same again. Well, this was fun. But I missed Sanskar. I hope he was there too. blo*dy bugger. He was asleep all day. I’ll have to find someway to bug him.
I glanced around my surroundings. I felt a familiar knot in my stomach. We were there. I didn’t dare take my eyes off from the way to the godown. I felt hands and feet losing the heat. My face white. My eyes wide, I stared at the godown when the car stopped.
I closed my eyes hoping this was a dream. I didn’t want to be here. It was a place where I almost killed my own family who are so kind to me. Even though they say they forgave me, I just couldn’t forgive myself and forget what I did.
I tore my rigid gaze from the godown to turn to them. Shruti’s gaze still fixed and Siddhanth who sat at the back was alternating between the two of us.
“why? ” I whispered unsure if they heard. My voice broke and so did the bank of tears from my eyes.
“we have to find something Swara… ” was all he said before he got down from the car.
Shruti gradually turned to me.
“I promise Swara, nothing will go wrong. If something, this new year, we should be able to forget everything for once and finish everything for once. We have a meeting at 2 a.m., and that’s just in the next building. Before heading there, we need to go there and search for something. ”
I nodded. Wiped my tears away.
“what? ”
“I lost my locket that day. It’s really important to find it. It’s someone’s memory. And I don’t like memories fading away. ” she said, Her eyes back at the godown.
The door on her side opened. Siddhanth did. She turned to him. He smiled at her before asking for her hand which she gave with a sad smile. Now, I knew all those emotions emitting from them. Because they made me believe that I was one among them. She didn’t get down yet. She looked as if she was mentally preparing herself.
The door to my left opened, too. And that caught my attention. Sanskar was standing there waiting for me to get down. He gave me a small smile which I returned. I hopped out of the car. I was happy when I saw him there. He closed the door behind me and hugged me.
“when did you wake up? ” I asked.
“just when my wife hit me. ” he said with a chuckle.
I laughed at the memory.
“you know I’m supposed to be angry now… ” I said, turning away from him.
Shruti was getting out of the car. I felt Sanskar wrap his arms around me. I leant back.
“don’t be please… ” he mumbled into my hair. I just smiled, turning my head to my side to look at him.
“I have one mad sister was too busy with her work that she’s called a meeting at 2 in the morning. She said we were all to be present there. And she had me work for what… Around three days continuously and I couldn’t sleep properly. So I just had to make up.. ”
I laughed. I remember finding all of them getting back home at 1, late night, yesterday. Mom, dad, laksh, ragini, Sanskar, and herself. She was as bright as sunshine and the others we almost sleep-deprived.
I was just wrapped up with my darling daughter, playing and laughing around. Shruti had told me if I wish I could work with them too. And I am joining them in the next month.
Siddhanth kissed shruti on her hand, hugging her close to him. I remembered the day Sanskar room me back. At our house. We go there often too. Only two of us. When there’s someone to watch Aadhya at home.
*
“it a long chain, with a circular pendent. I guess it just went somewhere when they hit me on my back. I remember bending down but I don’t know if my locket fell there.. ” shruti explained. I nodded.
It was ten at night. The four of us were inside the godown exactly where the incident took place. The lights were on. The place was kind of deserted. And no one actually used this place after the incident. That I know from living with my father. I don’t know how the bulbs survived. I asked her for the description of the chain so that I could search even. The three of them knew it anyway.
I strolled along the length and width of the room but didn’t get a clue.
“here… ” Sanskar said, as he showed something. Everyone’s faces brightened up. So that was the locket. Shruti, actually jumped, happily. She was quite a conserved person to act all giddy.
“my my…. I missed it so much…. ” she said taking it in her hand and kissing it. She smiled ear to ear.
“come Swara… ” she called and I walked to her.
“see, this is my brother Adarsh and my sister in law, Parineetha. ” she said pointing to the photos in the locket. They looked great. I smiled thinking Aadhya was a photocopy of her mother, with her dad’s curly hair.
“we are to hurry… ” she said, looking at her watch. I looked at mine and it was almost quarter past one.
We walked-ran out of the godown. Our car was almost quite far from the door of the godown so we had to walk.
I didn’t notice that they’d stopped walking until I heard a hissing noise. I immediately turned to see shruti throw a lit matchstick at the godown. I ran to them, seeing my father’s godown biring to ashes. I was shocked was an understatement. My eyes were wide as I stared at it.
“what the heck? ” I heard my dad’s voice from my left. My eyes widened more if that was possible.
“damnation… ” he cussed.
“indeed… ” I heard shruti say. “I don’t like memories fading away… And memories like this, I burn them away, so that they don’t hold a place in my life anymore… ”
******
Please don’t forget to vote and comment… Thank you….