First of all, a very happy new year to everyone! May this year bring loads of happiness in your lives!
Secondly, really sorry for not uploading for so long. Actually I had already written the next chapters, but was facing some problem while logging into this site. Hence the delay.
@Jayanthi Thank you so much! I’m so happy you liked it. Finally Riddhima has something to you know live for. Also your compliments make me feel very flattered, hehe.
You see, Riddhima’s diary was with Neeti and the gang. So it could be possible they must have used the details in the diary to train Vihaan with utmost perfection. As for your theory, you never know what happens next.
@Neetu Thank you
@Sara Thank you so much! So glad to see you invested in the story. Definitely, Seher is a really good friend which every person really needs in their life.
@Disha Thakur Thank you so much for all those compliments! You are damn sweet! Really happy to see your love for this story.
@Prabhleen Thank you
@Priyanka Thakur Thanks a lot
@Palak14 Thanks a lot. Glad you liked it!
@Varshini Thank you
@SAM Thank you
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Link to the 13th chapter : https://www.tellyupdates.com/where-secrets-lie-chapter-13-reliving-the-fogotten/
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Vihaan was quietly eating his meal in that tiny, crammed up appartment of his. Even as he did that, his mind was running somewhere else.
He still remembered that fateful day when Ajay had called upon him and explained his plan to him. He was asked to fool Riddhima and play with her emotions in the name of love.
He did find it a tad too bad whenever he did that drama of being Vansh in front of her. The immense love for Vansh that he saw in her eyes and heard in her tone, didn’t go unnoticed by him. His conscience did scream at him telling him how wrong he was. But he conveniently ignored that.
His guilt increased when he spent the night with her. Truth be spoken, he didn’t want to go that far and the idea of taking her advantage like that never once crossed his mind. He tried to refuse to her that night, but she remained insistent. Ideally he should have told her the truth that very night so that they wouldn’t have had to get intimate. But spilling all the beans to her right then, would have disrupted Ajay Sareen’s plan and he would have received no money.
Money, yes he did that for money. Ajay was ready to offer him a handsome price for carrying out the act. Which man in dire need of money could refuse to such a tempting offer?
Only a man of principles and strong character would have been able to resist that. And sadly, he wasn’t one.
Even though, the information about Ajay and Yash being cold blooded murderers was not unknown to him, still that did not justify his actions in any way.
The loud buzzing of his phone broke him from his reverie. As soon as he saw the name flashing on the screen, he became pale. All sorts of pessimistic thoughts began crowding his mind.
With trembling hands, he put the phone to his ear.
“Is…s-she fine? D-did…s-something happen to her?” he stammered.
“She is fine. But the hospital bills are still pending. If you don’t clear them within 2 hours, then we’d have to give her discharge.”
“No, no! Please don’t do that. She’s so critical right now. She might lose her life if you discharge her,” Vihaan begged frantically.
“I’m sorry Mr. Vihaan. This is a corporate hospital which works on bills. If you can’t afford it, you can take her to another hospital.”
Vihaan stared at the screen as the call got ended. From where would he arrange the money in such a short span of time?
He buried his head between his palms and cried. The mere thought of something happening to her was enough to create a void in his heart. He had no one else except her in this whole world to call as own, and he couldn’t lose her.
Remembering what he did with Riddhima, he silently prayed. “Don’t punish her for my sins. Please, don’t let anything happen to her.”
Taking his important accessories along, he left his appartment for the hospital.
______________________________________
Vihaan rushed through the huge line of patients waiting at the reception, and went to personally meet the hospital’s chief administrator.
“I know I haven’t been able to clear the bills. Just give me some more time and I’ll try to arrange the money…”
“You don’t have to worry, Mr. Vihaan. All bills have been cleared.”
Vihaan stood there confused.
“And not only that, but we also managed to find a donor,” the administrator said with a professional smile.
“Wait…I did not pay the money. Then who did it?” asked Vihaan.
“The same person who arranged a donor for her too. I’m sorry, we have been strictly forbidden by that person to divulge his details.”
Vihaan couldn’t understand what was happening. Even though he was extremely overjoyed that not only all the expenses of her treatment were already met with, but also a donor had been found. Yet, he was dying to know about the identity of this particular person who had entered his life like an angel.
He peeped out of the window and was astonished to see Riddhima leaving the hospital premises.
Putting two and two together, he understood that it was Riddhima who had come forward to help him. Riddhima, that very woman whom he had played such a nasty game with.
Excusing himself from the office, he ran as fast as he could through the busy corridors in order to catch up with the guardian angel of his life.
“Riddhima!” he yelled out her name from behind.
For a split second or so, she stopped abruptly but then proceeded to walk further ahead without caring to turn around.
In a desperate attempt to stop her from leaving, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. And as soon as he did that, a hard slap landed on his face.
Her eyes blazed with fire when she shoved him away. “How dare you touch me!”
Vihaan retreated behind with his reddened cheek and raised his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to touch you. I just wanted to…”
“Thank me, I suppose, for paying off the hospital bills for your ailing grandmother?” she snapped.
“Yes. And you also arranged a liver donor for her. Thank you so much for that. I will never be able to repay your favour,” he said in the most earnest way possible.
“You know what, what are you even doing here? You should start a career in Bollywood considering how good of an acting talent you’ve got.” Riddhima started clapping her hands in a taunting manner. “If your drama is over, just let me blo*dy leave!”
Vihaan immediately came before her like an obstacle. “No, I won’t let you go. Not unless, I apologize and explain everything to you as to why I did all that.”
Riddhima showed him her palm while clenching her teeth. “What expanation do you exactly want to give? The same one right where you’ll be citing the need of money for your grandmother’s treatment?”
“My Nani is suffering from a liver failure. And the only means to save her is a liver transplant, which obviously requires a lot of money…”
“And the only means to procure that money was to play with me? Wow! If money was all that you needed you could have come to me, and I’d have paid you generously. But obviously, rather than politely asking me for help you thought that making a complete mockery out of me would be a better option!”
She turned her face away not only because hot tears were beginning to form in her eyes due to all those emotions, but also because it was impossible to keep looking at him and not be reminded of Vansh.
“I agree I was horrendously wrong. You may beat the shit out of me or cuss your heart out. I’m ready to bear all your anger undeterred, because that is what I deserve,” he said sounding remorseful. “But just tell me one thing, why did you come forward to help me? Why did you pay off Nani’s hospital debts? Why?”
“To punish you.” Riddhima peered straight into Vihaan’s puzzled eyes. “The guilt that the same woman saved your grandmother’s life whom you had agreed to destroy for a few pennies, wouldn’t let you stay in peace for the rest of your life. That would be the worst form of punishment for any man with a conscience. And you…you I believe still have that little conscience left in you…”
Vihaan looked up at her in surprise. She believed that he had some amount of conscience left inside. She believed that he wasn’t completely evil.
“And that very conscience won’t let you live. It will eat you from inside, every minute and every second of your life.” Riddhima paused to take a breath. “Besides, I didn’t want your poor Nani to suffer because of what you did.”
Vihaan stood rooted to the ground. Feeling of extreme shame began creeping over him. She was right, his conscience would never stop berating him, it would tirelessly follow him wherever he went.
How could he have done to her what he actually did to her? He had stooped so low in his very eyes that he felt like digging himself six thousand feet under the ground.
“You are very nice, Riddhima. You really are. I wish there was a better way to apologize, but right now I have none…”
She didn’t let him complete his sentence and began leaving from there.
But he blocked her way again.
“Did you get any information about Sia? If not, I can help you find her…”
“I don’t need your freaking help. I can do that on my own!”
Saying that, she got down in her car and drove away.
______________________________________
As Vihaan tagged behind the jailer through the narrow corridor, he could hear their footsteps echoing through it’s thin walls.
He came to a stop when he saw Ajay Sareen’s cell in front of him. A proud and arrogant man in his earlier days, now he had a devastated look on his face. Dark circles under his eyes showed that he hadn’t slept for consecutive nights. And why not? Someone who was used to living with comfort would need some more time to get accustomed to this prisoner’s life.
“You have only five minutes,” the jailer said with a stoic face. He walked a little further away from them but his eyes constantly guarded over them for any unwanted mischief.
Vihaan walked towards the cell and clutched the iron bars that separated him from the offender.
“Mr. Sareen!”
Ajay raised his head up and with a slight smile came closer to the bars.
“Vihaan! Thank God you came.”
“Just cut the crap and tell me why you called to meet me,” he said while stifling a yawn. The late night hospital stays had taken a toll over his sleep.
Ajay grew serious. “Riddhima’s life is in danger.”
“Why though? Are you planning to escape from here?” Vihaan joked.
“Shut up! I’m damn serious. Chang won’t keep quiet till he gets that property from her. He’ll kill her!” Ajay started tearing up remembering his daughter. “Please save her from him. I tried telling this to her and her friends also but no one would listen to me.”
“You have also killed many people before. Just imagine how their families would have felt,” said Vihaan slowly. “As for Riddhima, don’t worry about her. I’ll protect her till my last breath…”
This was Vihaan’s chance to do something for her. And he didn’t want to miss it. Perhaps, this would ease a little of his guilt. Moreover, the mere thought of someone as ruthless as Chang laying even a finger over Riddhima made his blood boil in anger.
“By the way, why is Chang after that land? What is so special about it?” he quizzed after a long pause.
“How would I know?” Ajay retorted. “I’d have wanted Riddhima to voluntarily give away that property to Chang, but the stubborn girl she is, she won’t agree, I know it!”
The jailer interrupted them. “Time is up. You need to leave.”
Not wanting to become the butt of the jailer’s wrath, Vihaan proceeded to exit from there. But not without a determination to keep Riddhima away from any kind of danger.
______________________________________
Riddhima angrily paced up and down in the living room of her house.
“Is there no way to get any further information about Chang?”
“I tried. But Chang is someone who keeps everything about him as secretive as possible,” said Jeh. “It’s impossible to find out anything without any inside help.”
“I just want to know where he keeps the traded girls at, that’s it!”
Riddhima angrily slammed her fist against the table. She along with Jeh and Seher’s help had tried their level best to find out Sia’s whereabouts, but all they could do was to reach a dead-end.
Sia was Vansh’s sister. But before that she was a woman. Riddhima couldn’t even imagine the atrocities she must have been facing. She needed to find her at any cost. But the biggest question was how.
Her phone pinged and she immediately diverted her attention to it. A voice message from an unknown number lay in her inbox.
No sooner did she click on it, a croaky yet menacing voice reached her ears.
“Hi Riddhima. Chang here. Must have heard about me from your dearest father. Hehe! Well, now that he has been jailed for lifetime, there is nobody to protect you. Better hand over that land to me, or else…you know the consequences. Because of your and your mother’s stubborness, many people have already lost their lives. You are next in the line, baby.
And don’t even think of contacting this number back. This sim was destroyed the moment this message was sent to you. Toodles!
We’ll meet soon….”
“I won’t let him take that land from me. That was my mother’s last wish and I won’t let it break. Let him do whatever he wants but I won’t give Chang what he wants, I won’t let the evil win!”
In a fit of temper, she flung her phone. It hit the ground and broke into pieces.
Jeh clicked his tongue and thought to himself. “What was the need to break this phone for that? Now I’m sure, I’d be the one asked to get it repaired. Uggh!”
Seher tried to calm her friend down when the doorbell went off, startling them.
“Is that Chang?” Jeh chuckled.
“Shut up, Jeh! Can’t you get serious for once?” said an annoyed Seher.
Whining, he dragged himself to the door and peeped through the door-hole.
“Not Chang, but Chang’s dog’s dog is here,” he chuckled.
When both the girls looked up at him with questioning stares, he explained using hand gestures hoping that would help.
“Chang’s dog is Ajay Sareen. And his dog is Vihaan. You get that?”
That was the last straw for Seher. She had had enough of this man whom she called as boyfriend.
“I don’t know about Chang, but I’m telling you that very soon I’ll end up in jail for mudering you if you don’t stop those lame jokes of yours!”
“You know that I can’t live without cracking few jokes here and there. That’s how I am!”
The doorbell rang once again and this time the sense of urgency in it was evident.
“I’ll deal with him.” Riddhima marched towards the door and opened it only slightly, so as to prevent the unwanted guest from barging inside.
“I don’t want you here. Just leave! And if you don’t, I might have to call upon the security.”
She tried to shut the door on his face, but Vihaan had placed his hands upon the door frame knowing very well that she could do that.
“Listen to me once. This is important…” he tried to say.
Ignoring his pleas, she pushed him away and tried to close the door again. But she didn’t pay attention to his fingers that came in the way until he yelled out in pain.
Getting worried, she instantly started examining his bleeding and seemingly twisted fingers.
Beckoning him to come in and sit on the sofa, she asked Seher to get the first aid kit.
Even though Vihaan had wronged her, but she was a doctor. And a real doctor treated her patients without being judgemental, discriminative or emotional.
“Can you open and curl your fingers?” she asked as she forgot about all that had transpired between her and him.
“Yes.” Even though it was a little painful, but he could carry out the said movements.
“That means it is unlikely to be a fracture,” she concluded with a little relief.
Just then, Seher returned with the first aid box. She wasn’t a doctor and had no compassion for a man who played with her friend’s feelings. Smirking, she roughly poured the whole bottle of antiseptic over his wound.
“Aahhh!” he let out a horrible shriek. Jerking his hand back and forth, he tried to get rid of the pain but obviously nothing worked.
“Seher, what was that?” Riddhima sternly asked.
“What did I do? Was just trying to clean his wound you know,” Seher blinked innocently.
Vihaan went still as the hot, stinging sensation was suddenly replaced by something cool and soothing. He opened his eyes and found Riddhima tenderly blowing over his wound.
She gently dabbed the ointment and bandaged it. During this entire process, Riddhima’s eyes were stuck on his fingers in extreme professionalism, while Vihaan’s eyes were stuck on her.
He always knew that she was beautiful. But today, he realized that she was much more beautiful from inside than what she appeared on the outside.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” she spoke interrupting his thoughts.
“I had to, Riddhima. I really had to,” said Vihaan. “I know that you can’t stand me at all, but can you put your hatred aside? Not for me, but for Sia?”
She sat up straight at the Sia’s mention.
“What do you mean?”
“Chang is a very powerful gangster. And the only way to get to him would be through influential contacts. Which I unfortunately or fortunately do have.”
Vihaan continued, “You see, I’m a small scale fraudster. Even most of my friends and acquaintances are those who are in similar illegal professions. And one of them actually works for Chang. So through him, we can reach Sia.”
A new ray of hope rose in Riddhima’s heart. There still was a way to get to Sia. Even if that way passed through that one man whom she clearly despised.
But Sia was Vansh’s sister. And she’d do anything to bring her back safe and sound. Even if that meant striking a deal with this conman and impostor, whose face always reminded her of Vansh, thus causing her even more pain.
However, could Vihaan be so easily trusted after all that happened?
“Once a betrayer, always a betrayer,” remarked Seher with contempt. “This time, how much money did you sell yourself to Chang for, huh?”
Vihaan stood up, holding his bandaged hand in place. “I know after what I did, it would be difficult to trust me. And I don’t blame you for that.” Solemnly, he turned to face Riddhima. “The only person in this world who means everything to me is my Nani. I’d never want anything to happen to her. That is why, I swear upon her that this time I won’t break your trust.”
After an awkward pause, Riddhima asked, “Why are you doing this? Is this to repay my favour?”
Vansh thought for a while. “No, that is not the only reason.”
“Then what is it?”
He took a deep breath. “You can think of it as my way of apologizing to you.”
“And what if after doing all this you still don’t get an apology?”
He gave her a sad smile. “That is up to you to decide. I can’t force you on that, right? But I’ll fulfill my promise to you irrespective of whether you forgive me or not.”
After what seemed like ages, Riddhima finally said, “Fine. I guess there’s no option other than trusting you.”
Seher however was not convinced. She was sure that he would deceive them yet again.
______________________________________
“It’s been such a long time since I hung out with you,” said Rishabh as he took a large sip of his favourite cappuccino.
“I know man. Just been caught up with a lot of personal stuff lately. You tell me, how’s life working under the most notorious gangster of the country?”
“Shut up Vihaan! Or someone will hear us,” Rishabh shushed him up.
“Oops, my bad. But how is the money by the way?”
“Really good. My life is sorted after joining his gang.”
“Even I’m tired of living my life as a conman. I barely get to make enough. I want to do something big.” Realizing something, Vihaan’s eyes gleamed. “Can I join Chang’s gang too?”
Initially surprised by what he just heard, Rishabh said, “Look, there’s a hell lot of difference between being conning people for money and doing the gangster stuff. There’s no scope for any morals or any conscience here. Killing, kidnapping, robbing, human trafficking, drug peddling, you need to be ready for all this.”
“Of course, I am. I’ve already sold my soul to the devil. I just need the damn money!” The desperation in Vihaan’s voice was discernible, all thanks to his mindblowing acting.
Rishabh finally gave into his demands. “Alright, alright. I will speak to Chang’s manager and see if he has got any job for you.”
______________________________________
Vihaan walked out of the café, whistling and feeling quite proud of himself.
“Maybe, I really should begin considering Bollywood as an option,” he chuckled softly.
He looked at his ringing phone and his face instantly glowed up.
“Hey Riddhima! I spoke to my friend and he agreed to…”
“I know, I heard that,” she said in a dry tone from the other end of the phone.
“Wait, what? You heard that? That means…”
“I was in the same café all that while. I was spying on you.”
“So now you know that I can be trusted, right?” he asked sounding hopeful.
“Well, for now it does seem like that,” said Riddhima. “But it in no way means that I don’t have any more doubts upon you.”
“By the way, did you try the cappuccino at the café? I think it’s the best in town…”
She hung up in the middle, leaving Vihaan a little disappointed.
Maybe, she didn’t like the way he was getting quite informal with her. And maybe, he should just keep his heart in control.
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Hello everyone! That is it for today guys. Do comment.
Peace out!