PART 20
Sanchi was staring intently at nothing in particular as she stood by the window with her hands covered with an intricate and adoring design of mehendi. She was given discharge after the overnight observation revealed her to be perfectly healthy. She glanced down at her hands and a rush of nostalgia seemed to take her over. She could not help but remember her own wedding days, the sudden turn of events that had her standing here at the first place. But she did not regret the twist of destiny anymore now. In fact she was happy that this had happened to her of all the people. She was not sure if she could live with those people after she had known their reality. They had deceived her, hurt her, emotionally as well as mentally traumatized her but it did not matter to her now. Those people did not matter to her now. She was happy where she was and if given a choice, she would stay behind out of her own free will. She would never choose to go back to them. She just wished that her father would delay the help they require so that she can spend some more time with the love of her life and create some more memories with him to cherish for her lifetime.
Sanchi had fallen in love with him the moment he had become the savior for her, the moment he had shown his soft side to her when she was nearly raped. She hated him at first for showing her the bitter truth that she never wanted to know but later she realized that he had indeed saved her from a life full of delusion. Her vision had changed considerably after hearing about Mrs. Webber and interacting with Veer, Arjun and Abhay. She got to know a different side of him whenever he was with Rishub. The change of heart was so foreign to her that Sanchi did not understand what was happening with her. She felt a tug of pull towards him whenever he was around her. Her heart beats would accelerate whenever she was close to him and she could never let her mind off of his thoughts. She slowly began to realize that she was in love with him but nothing of that kind was ever reciprocated from his side. His kind side was only when they were alone or she was in some sort of danger or else he was very cold and indifferent towards her. This confused her to the extent of insanity. But that night, in the hospital, cleared everything for her. She saw his tears, his pain, his guilt and all of above his love. She was now very confident of the fact that he loved her as much as she loved him and as a result she had written his first letter ‘K’ in her mehendi.
A smile broke on her face as she saw her mehendi. She stood there admiring her hands when her friends barged in while grumbling about the shortage of time. It was 10 in the morning and the wedding was supposed to be held at 7 in the evening. Radhika was looking after the last minute preparations with Arjun helping around. There were no Tom and Jerry fights after the Mall Road incident but still they used to have light verbal fights which were the foundation of their relationship. Isha had also written Veer’s name in her mehendi. They had grown pretty close to each other during their stay in Shimla. Sanchi had had a brief talk with Veer on this. Veer had found Isha’s personality endearing and unique. He wanted to give his life a second chance and thus he had decided to let Isha in through the walls that he had built around his heart. He had spilled his heart to her in a date which was meant to be romantic but turned out to be emotional. Isha had given Veer a chance and now they were a perfect adorable couple.
Kabir was nervously pacing his room. Today was the final day of execution. They had been planning for a while and today was the day that the plan had to be implemented. He was hoping for things to turn out for the best. He could not afford to lose anyone today. They had laid a careful plan to trap them and to cause the minimum possible causalities from their side. He was confident that things would work today. He also realized that today was the last day with Sanchi. He would send her away after everything was sorted. She was too good for him and he knew that he had to sacrifice his first and only love for her own benefit. He would never find anyone like her in his life time and hence he would never love anyone else. She had taught him how to love and he had mastered the art of living without love. Her absence would create a void in him but his heart was already hollow with many voids. He burrowed the painful feeling of hurt as he prepared for the finale.
There she was standing besides one of the pillars of the mandap and helping with the ingredients Panditji needed. He could not take his eyes off her since the time she had come down with Priya. She was looking mesmerizing as always and her simplicity just added more to her beauty. Their eyes met once and Sanchi could not stand his intense gaze so she averted her eyes and kept them down the whole time. The marriage was nearing its end and approaching a devastating start of a war. Just as the last of the rituals were about to finish a gunshot was heard.
Dazzled by the sound, people began to panic and Sanchi’s gaze met Kabir’s intimidating one. She knew at once that the situation was under control as all the men began to take some kind of positions. Kabir gestured her to go in at once and she obliged as she knew now was not the time to disobey him. Sanchi along with Isha, Pragya, Satish, Radhika, Jhanvi, Garv, Priya and Sanket went in the lodge to the special room where they were told to go in case of emergency. The room was completely soundproof and it had provisions to last for a few days. There were numerous couches and a king size bed in one corner of the room. All of them took their seats on the couches and sat there in utmost silence which was unbearable. Isha was hyperventilating where as Sanchi was concerned but Priya was a bit calm and collected as this was not the first time she was in such a situation.
Kabir had just shot his next target. He saw around and was quiet content that things were going in accordance with his plans. His eyes met the ones of his partner and they both nodded at each other before going back to shooting their targets. He could see Kumar sneaking through a cover to go into the room where all of them had been sitting. He assigned his position to one of his men and began following him. Sanchi was the main clue behind Kumar’s disclosure and if he had to hide his business then it was necessary for him to kill Sanchi and Kabir would never let that happen.
Sanchi was serving everyone water. The glass slipped from her hands and as she bent to collect the shattered pieces of glass so that they don’t hurt someone, she got a cut in her palm. As she removed the blood, she saw that the cut was on the place where she had written ‘K’. She began to over think things as her heart began to beat faster. She could not afford to lose him. She had that fear rotted in her mind and to get that out of her mind; she had to see if he was all right. Without thinking of the consequence, she just made a mad dash out of the safety of the room and just as she was about to turn around the corner, she gate crashed into someone.
Her breathing hitched as she saw the person. He had an oval shaped face with a long nose big black eyes and thin broad lips. The thing that scared her was the scar running down his face, from the forehead to the chin. It looked like someone had deliberately cut across his skin with a sharp object. He looked to be in his late fifties. She instantly got the feeling of danger around and as she was about to turn and run, he placed a gun on her temple. She was scared to death as she stood there blank and grounded on her place. The person circled her and gave out a dark evil sinister laughter which caused a shiver to run down Sanchi’s spine.
M: Oh my my, I was thinking that I would have to search a lot to find you but look at the destiny, you came crashing into me.
Sanchi gave him a confused but scared look. She wished that she would never have left the room. All she did now was pray that she could be saved from here as she really wanted to live. If the same situation had occurred a couple of months back, she would have happily told the person to shoot her dead but now she wanted her life. She wanted a moment at least so that she could tell him how much she loved him.
M: I guess that you may not know me. Well let me introduce myself to you. I am Kumar.
Sanchi’s eyes widened at this. So he was Kumar who wanted to kill Kabir and thus had executed various attacks which were unsuccessful.
K: Don’t look at me like that. I wanted to kill you long time ago but every time that Kabir came in between but don’t worry today no one will come.
Sanchi was confused as to why Kumar wanted to kill her. All these while she thought that it was Kabir who was the target but now she realized that during every attack she was also present and there were no attacks when she was within the safety of the house.
K: What confused that why I wanted to kill you? Well I guess that Mishra has not spoken a word to you yet. Well then it’s up to me to tell you. Vikrant is my son. I and Mishra signed an agreement to get you two married when you were born as your father wanted to step into the mafia business. Your mother did not like it and came into my way so I had to kill her you know. I do not like any kind of intrusion in my way. Then I sent Vikrant so that he can learn and then when you two are married, I asked your father to hand over the business to Vikrant. Your traitor father was also in agreement with Kabir which made my blood boil and I had to take revenge but before I could get in between the wedding, Kabir came and abducted you. Now seeing as the plan, I can see that your traitor father was with Kabir instead of me and hence I have to kill you now.
He said the last part in between gritted teeth. The information shocked her to the core. Her mother was murdered and Vikrant was not an orphan. She had been majorly kept in dark for the whole life and that too by her own blood father. She could not take this anymore. She wanted to slap this man in front of her. He had killed her mother, taken away her happiness and her childhood, kept her devoid of mother’s love and more over he had tried to ruin her life. Without giving it a second thought, Sanchi lifted her hand and slapped him hard on the face. He was shocked for a few seconds but then his rage knew no bounds. He loaded his gun and just as he was about to shoot Sanchi, she was thrown aside and her body collided hard with the wall. She turned around and saw that the bullet had hit Kabir on the shoulder and he was bleeding profusely. Kabir stood still with the gun tightly clutched in his hands. Kumar and Kabir both aimed their gun at each other.
Kumar: Game over Kabir.
A gunshot was heard again and this time the gun fell from Kumar’s hand and his wrist was bleeding badly. Soon Kumar felt a cold metal touch his head from behind. The person surrounded him and stood in the front. Kabir moved aside as he dropped his hand which was holding the gun and Sanchi immediately hugged him from the side. He held onto her tightly but did not lose the focus of the scene in front of him.
P: No so soon Kumar.
Sanchi recognized the person’s voice and lifted her head from Kabir’s chest and took a proper look at the person. Shocked would be an understatement of what she was feeling. There stood Garv with a gun in his hands and smiling evilly at Kumar and Kumar seemed as though he was confused, amazed and angered at the same time.
G: You are under arrest Kumar. You just confessed your crimes to Sanchi and we have proof of your black business; extortion, kidnapping, murder, human trafficking, drugs dealing, illegal weapon dealing, everything. Guards arrest him.
Some people came rushing in the room and arrested a very devastated looking Kumar. He was yelling like a mad person that he would have his revenge but the truth was that he was finished. His empire was finished and his reign of darkness was finished. Garv turned to Kabir and set his hand out for a shake.
G: Thank you Kabir. Your help was appreciable.
Kabir shook his hand and both of them nodded their heads.
K: I will be waiting for tomorrow’s news then.
G: Sure.
Both of the gave each other a cunning smile which was more of a smirk and Garv turned to Sanchi who was blankly staring at them as though they were an alien.
G: Why are looking at us like that Sanchi?
S: Who are you and what did you just say?
G: Meet Garv Bajaj, an undercover inspector who was working to get Kumar arrested from the past three years and got the task finally accomplished with the help of Kabir.
He said as he forwarded his hand for a shake. Sanchi stared at his blankly and slapped his hand away.
S: Why didn’t you tell me?
G: It has to be kept as a secret Sanchi. You know it but I expect that you don’t tell this to anyone, am I clear?
Sanchi narrowed her eyes at him and thought for some time after she slowly nodded her head. Soon Veer, Arjun and their other men came in and Garv left to finish the task at hand.
K: Status?
V: All cleared and no causalities on our side.
A: I have called the doctor, he will arrive soon.
Then after Sanchi found herself outside a room where Kabir was being treated and Veer was telling her the complete story. She now came to know that the man she saw at the mall was Garv and he was the one who told them the details about Sanchi’s marriage so that they could abduct her as he knew from the very beginning that the marriage would endanger her life. Just as Veer finished answering Sanchi’s queries, the door opened and the doctor came out.
D: He is fine. The bullet was quiet near the Jugular vein but now he is out of danger and he will gain consciousness in a couple of hours.
Sanchi breathed a sigh of relief and went inside the room. Veer on the other hand told Isha and others to pack their stuffs including Sanchi’s. He was well aware of Kabir’s intentions of letting Sanchi go. Though he was against it, he knew very well that Kabir had a point and it was impossible for anyone to change his mind.
*****
Radhika decided to wind up her things and so she went to the wedding hall. There she nearly screamed when she saw the bodies all around and whole of the hall was smeared with blood. The once beautifully decorated multicolor hall was now drenched in the rich blood color. She traced her steps back and hit someone. She turned around to find Arjun standing in front of her. She threw her arms around his neck as she cried on his shoulder. He held her tightly and whispered sweet nothings to calm her down. Once she was better than before he took hold of her hand and lead her out of the room.
A: You should not come here until the clean-up is done. You go pack your bags. You all are leaving today in the evening.
Radhika looked at him with her teary eyes and saw his sincerity and concern. She nodded her head and left after giving him a sweet kiss on the lips. He was shocked at her sudden gesture and touched his lips when she was gone, a small smile playing on his lips.
*****
Sanchi sat on the bed besides him as she held onto his hand. She just stared at his sleeping and somewhat peaceful face. She just sat there admiring him. She was genuinely happy after knowing the fact that Kabir was not a bad person. He just eliminated them who were a threat to him and the country. He did not allow any black business dealing with the mafia to affect the country. He was in a very good relation with other mafias of the world and this caused the country to be safe from outer invasions. She was still curious to know his past. She knew that there was something which did not allow him to sleep at night. She had seen him wide awake at many odd hours of the night and she wanted to help him but he did not let her in through the barriers of ice that surrounded his cold and almost dead heart.
She saw his eyes flutter open and slowly he sat up on the bed without accepting the help that Sanchi offered him. He seemed distant from her and she could feel it. The warmth radiating from his body had suddenly turned into cold and chilling winds of the Antarctica. She opened her mouth to speak something but he beat her to it.
K: You are leaving today with the rest of them.
Sanchi felt like he was pushing her away from him. She knew that because he was not looking her straight in the eyes while he was talking which he usually did. Sanchi knew that he wanted to shut her out from him because of his past but she had the confidence that he would come around his stupid thought soon. She just had to say what she had come to realize and she could not leave with it being burrowed deep inside her heart.
S: I will leave but before going I want to tell you something.
She took a deep breath and Kabir had that sudden feeling that she wanted him to look at her and so he did. He lifted his head and looked at her straight in the eye. Sanchi leaned in to whisper in his ears.
S: I love you Kabir.
She said with her lips grazing his ears. He felt immense pleasure from within him and his cold and lifeless heart began to feel warm. She had said his name for the first time and it sounded like music that came from her mouth. He snaked his arm around her waist and brought her on his lap so she was straddling him. Just as he was leaning into her, he stopped as he realized what he was doing. Sanchi watched him freezing half way through and she decided to finish it. She leaned into him and kissed him. Slowly at first and soon Kabir responded and the kiss grew passionate. They broke the kiss after Sanchi was breathless and she saw straight in his eyes instead of shying away. She saw him staring at her lovingly and she knew at that instant that she would not have to wait too much to get back to him.
S: I will wait for you.
She whispered and gave him a chaste kiss on his lips and went away. Just as the door closed behind her, Kabir whispered to himself.
K: Feelings are mutual, love.
He then sensed a lone tear roll down from his left cheek. He then felt a tight pain in his chest but he gulped it down with the water he took after having his medicines.
*****
Sanchi was seated with her friends in the plane. They relaxed after the flight took off. Isha came and sat besides Sanchi.
I: Sanchi where are you going to go?
S: I am not going back to Delhi. I will live with you in Mumbai if that is okay until I find another flat for me.
I: You can live with me for as long as you want.
Isha looked hesitant but she could not control herself.
I: Sanchi you love him, don’t you?
S: Yes.
I: Then why did you leave him?
S: He let me go. I left him because I know that he will come back to me again….soon.
Isha squeezed Sanchi’s shoulder and then the rest of the flight went in a comfortable silence.
*****
The next day as Sanchi switched on the television to distract herself, something caught her attention. She saw closely in the news paper and instantly changed the current channel to a news channel.
‘The most wanted criminal, Kumar was arrested yesterday from Shimla. He had attacked a wedding in one of the lodges in Shimla but the police acted fast and arrested him. The curtain from all his black business has been pulled off as we can now see that half of the crimes in India were due to this person and his company. All his legal possessions have been sealed and he has been charged for multiple cases of extortion, kidnapping, murder, trafficking, and the list goes on.
It has been revealed to us this morning that the wanted criminal has been killed while he was trying to run free from the custody bus. He was being taken to the central jail of Delhi by bus but he made an attempt to break free in the middle of the route was killed in an attempt to stop him.’
Sanchi zoned everything out as she thought back to the time where she heard that tomorrow’s news was going to be great. She now understood the meaning of it. The plan to kill Kumar under custody so no one could question Kabir was a brilliant idea. She was happy that he got his punishment and lots of people got justice.
Few days later…
Kabir sat in his office while reading some papers of his deal. He could not concentrate on it as every time he laid his eyes on it he could hear Sanchi’s voice, her laughter, tears and whenever he closed his eyes he could see her face. He was having a difficult time while dealing with his emotions and if not for Veer then he could have made some very ridiculous decision in business and he would have been indebt till now. Veer sensed that Kabir was mentally not here and he knew the exact reason behind it. He walked inside the office and sat down on the chair in front of the table.
V: Still thinking about her?
K: Hmm.
V: Why don’t you bring her here?
K: I cannot. She will never accept me after knowing my past.
V: Well I think that it is her decision. If she loves you then she will definitely see through the situation. At least tell her so that you don’t feel the guilt of not trying the option.
Kabir set the papers aside and got lost in deep thoughts. He knew that Veer was right but he could not bring himself to tell her about his past. It was way too dark for an innocent and pure soul like her. He feared that his past would make her hate him and he was incapable of seeing hate for him in her eyes. He just leaned back on the plush chair and contemplated on Veer’s suggestion. Veer just left Kabir in his thoughts. If it was for him then he would have told Sanchi everything but it was not his place to talk about Kabir’s past. He just hoped that Kabir took the right decision and that too soon.
Two months later…
Sanchi had shifted in her new apartment two weeks ago. She had left Kabir’s company and was now working to set up her own company. She had stayed with Isha for a month till she had found a good flat. It was a small one bedroom flat but it was very warm and cozy. She had loved it at the very first sight and decided to buy it. She worked all day to establish her company and at night she would dream of the time Kabir would come to take her back. She was still confident that he would come back and she just waited patiently for him to turn up one day.
Sanchi had just returned from her day at work. It had been a hectic one and she was dead tired by the time she reached her flat. She had settled on the couch and just as she had taken few sips of water, her doorbell rang. She mentally groaned but stood up and went to open the door. There to her surprise stood Kabir. She was happy that he had shown up but his condition was what had left her in dismay. She led him into the living room and made him sit on the couch. She gave him her glass of water and he drank quietly. There in the light she could see properly. He was in a much disheveled state. His hairs were a mess and they were sticking around in all the directions as though hands had been run through them many times. His eyes were red with dark circles under them and he looked really pale. His skin had lost its color. Sanchi had begun to worry about him after seeing his appearance.
K: I need you but I want you to know about me. Who I really am and what is my past.
Sanchi nodded her head and held his hand in a gesture to tell him to continue.
K: My father was a very common man. He was poor but honest. One day when he was coming home late at night, he witnessed something that he should not have seen. He saw some people were killing a man. He went to the police and complained against them. He also became the eye witness of the case in the court and got them arrested. They were sent to the prison for five years. Everything went back to normal.
I was 12 when they one day they came again. Kumar was their leader. They came home at night after my father had returned. They killed my father in front of me. They stabbed him many times till he was fully covered with blood. They did not stop on my father. They…they raped my mother in front of me and made me watch it. My mother kept shouting for help but no one came forward. They raped her one by one and made me watch it. Then they left. My mother kept on shouting from pain and agony. She wanted to move but she could not as they had shot her in her leg. She kept on hurting herself with a knife that was within her reach. She drew various cuts on her body. Blood was oozing from everywhere. She threw me a pleading glance and I knew what she wanted at once. I saw that they had mistakenly left their gun beside the bed. I took the gun and killed her. She could not leave with the agony and I could not see her in this much pain. I killed her Sanchi.
After that I vowed to kill Kumar and then I started my journey to become a gangster. With only one aim that no one should suffer from what I had suffered. I could not sleep from that night onwards. I can still hear her screams and I can still see her lying in pain in front of me. I want to relieve myself from this pain Sanchi. Will you help me do this? I want your help Sanchi. I need your help. Please help me. Please.
Kabir broke down in tears after saying this. He folded his hands in front of her. Sanchi could not feel his pain. She could not understand his predicament. She would never think of something this worst to happen with any person. She could not understand what he might have felt when he would have seen his mother… and her thoughts trailed off. She threw her arms around him and snuggled closer to him on the couch. Living with a horrible past like this was a job of great courage. She knew exactly how to relieve his pain. She knew what she had to do.
*****
Sanchi and Kabir were now travelling in the car in a comfortable silence. Sanchi wanted to take Kabir to a place and he did not ask any further questions. He trusted her and he would go with her where ever she wanted to take him. They had started early in the morning and it was noon yet they had not reached their destination. After driving straight for hours, Sanchi finally took a left turn and stopped the car. They got out of the car and headed towards the single tattered house that was standing on the barren land. Kabir visibly tensed and stood still at his place. Sanchi slipped her hand in his and gestured him with her eyes to move forward. Kabir was not sure if he could face it but he did trust Sanchi and hence he hesitantly took a step forward. That was all it took for Kabir to engulf him in a wave of emotions. It was as though he had no control over his body. In no time he found himself in front of the door of his house from where his life had changed. He opened the door with shaking hands and got inside. The place was a bit smelly as it was shut for all those years. The floor still has patches of dry blood and the bed was still smeared with blood and clothes were lying everywhere in the room. Kabir touched the dry blood on the floor and he hugged those clothes as he wept silently. Sanchi just stood by the door and watched him. She had to give him his own time to accept his past.
Flashback
Sanchi was talking with Veer in the living room whereas Kabir was asleep in her bedroom.
V: You don’t know Sanchi that you have done a great favor to Kabir by accepting him along with his past. Thank you so much.
S: Veer I love him. I can understand why he did what he did and any loving son would have done that. That does not make him a bad person.
V: I knew that you would understand things.
S: Veer I have realized that he has not yet accepted his past like I have done. He has been running from it. We have to make him face his past so that he can be relieved from those hunting memories.
V: You have my full support Sanchi. What do you want me to do?
S: Veer where is the place that Kabir grew up in?
V: It’s on the outskirts of the city.
S: Are there any chances that his house is still there?
V: He had bought the whole place at first when he had money because he wanted to preserve his childhood. The house is still there but he has not yet visited it.
S: Okay. Can I get the address?
V: I will message you. Be careful.
S: I will and thank you.
V: I should say that.
S: Call you tomorrow. Bye.
V: Bye.
Flashback ends
Sanchi was lost in her thoughts that she did not notice that Kabir had approached her. She realized it when he hugged her tight to his chest. She reciprocated the hug with the same amount of intensity and they stayed like that for some time. Kabir let her go and closed the door of the house behind him. He turned towards her and was now feeling comparably light hearted. He walked to her and stood in front of her.
K: How did you know about this?
S: Veer told me.
Kabir nodded and after much of hesitation he spoke.
K: Sanchi you have relieved me from my pain and suffering. You have given me the world’s most valued thing and that is peace. You have pacified my soul and you have accepted me the way I am with all my flaws. I don’t want to lose you Sanchi. I love you. Will you marry me?
Sanchi was dumb folded for a minute but then a broad smile made its way on her face and she nodded her head.
S: Yes. I will marry you.
Kabir then lifted her up in his arms and twirled her around until she felt a bit dizzy. He put her down and kissed her lips passionately, the passion that could burn the fire of desire deep down one’s body. They broken their kiss and Sanchi placed her head on his chest as she heard his heartbeats and that made her believe that the wall of ice had been melted and now his heart was warm and lively just like her own.
That night was the first night where Kabir slept peacefully after the incident with the love of his life in his arms; he now really treasured and valued his life.
Hello everyone. Sorry for the long wait. The ff has finally ended. I had thought of writing it in two parts but then there were some issues and so I have joined both of them together and here is the finale of this ff.
Well my college is starting so I won’t be able to post regularly but I will try to write as often as I can.
Love you all and please do convey your opinions.