Chapter 1 : Lost in the Echo

Immediately, hard hands clasped her upper arms and dragged her out to the exit of the office. She stumbled out and fell to the ground as she was pushed out none too gently.

The gravel met her mouth as she stayed there lying limply.

She came to her senses, staggering in a desperate attempt to stand up on her feet. Grief gripped her as her helpless, reproachful eyes wandered one more time towards the tall building from where she was mercilessly thrown away. She gulped for air and finally stood up, wiping her face. 

Her vision was blurred by the constant gushing of tears and her heart felt heavy. She wiped the salty liquid away one last time and made her way towards the highway, the howling voices of the bustling vehicles intensifying her vicious calamity. She walked slowly and silently, her thoughts returned back to the day Mr. Raghav Saxena, her father's trustworthy lawyer as well as a close friend, had turned up with the most saddening news in the history of the Parekh family.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking at her. "But it's inevitable, and we cannot save the Parekh Mansion anymore."

There were murmurs and gasps of shock and disconsolation from the family members and ashen faces gaped at the lawyer. Baa burst into countless fits of tears, clamping herself on the wall she stood nearby, pressing her hands on the shoulder of her son who sat there as stupefied as everyone else.

"But there can be something for sure?" she had said, despair trickling through her eyes.

The lawyer shook his head. "I'm sorry, Baa. But we have tried our best."

Baa pleaded before him for several minutes but it went unheard by him.

"Ishaani, can't you do anything more? Anything?" Baa asked her desperately but as she lowered her head, Baa realized that truly it was the end. The little pittance left in their accounts could not help them anymore when the battle was against the giants of the Dalal Street.

Ishaani sobbed as a car passing by snapped her out of her thoughts and she realized she was somewhere near Marine Drive, for amongst the grisly smell of the vehicles on the highway, a tender scent of salty sea reached her nostrils. It had been nearly half an hour since she last lost herself and she had not yet found her way out.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the thought of one person. She quickly dialed the mobile number as she cursed herself for having forgotten his name when he was the only one who could help her.

"Hello," the voice of a woman from another side spoke.

"Hello," Ishaani started nervously. "Can I talk to Chirag Mehta?"

"He's busy in a meeting," the woman answered in a no-nonsense tone.

"Can you please inform him it's Ishaani Parekh wanting to contact him?"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but he has instructed us not to disturb him for the next few hours."

Ishaani could hear the noises from the other side, but wondered if it was her own mind playing tricks with her.

"How long do you suppose it'll take him?"

"I can't say anything."

The morning had turned into noon and noon into the evening but Ishaani could not muster the courage to face her family after her final attempt had gone futile and she could only answer them what Mr. Raghav had said. She had spent her entire day pondering over the events of the next day and how they were to affect the rest of her life. She saw the sun go down, its golden ripples spreading before her eyes. She sat on a bench in the garden in front of the office where once stood her father's business and workers equipped the entire place but now it had been evacuated and loneliness wound itself about it languidly.

A ringing sound broke her thoughts' sequence and she was back to reality. Her phone rang next to her and as she answered it, a familiar voice spoke.

"Hey, babes!"

"Chirag!" Ishaani exclaimed, suddenly feeling better. "Where have you been?"

"I'm so sorry, Ishaani," Chirag said. "I was busy with some important clients. How is everything going on?"

"It's next week, you know that," Ishaani said gravely. "Bidding will start at 11.30 in the morning."

Chirag gasped but fell silent. "I'm so sorry," he said at length. "I tried my best."

"I know- I know, Chirag," Ishaani said, wiping her tears. She was always fearful he would misunderstand her. She had no one but him. 

"Do you want to try one last time, Ishaani ? If I ask you to see someone who might help you through it?"

Ishaani nodded. "Yes, yes!"

"Well, I have a friend, Nikhil Dixit. He was doing his internship in law in Boston when I was there. He returned 2 weeks ago. I'm sure he will help you as he showed his interest in your father's case as soon as he returned. Should I come over there to drop you at his office?"

Ishaani 's face lightened up with a hope that seemed impossible until a few minutes ago. "No, no. Just give me his address, and I myself will see him," Ishaani said excitedly.

"Alright. I will text that to you right away and inform him you are coming there in an hour," Chirag said.

"Thank you," Ishaani said, and before she could disconnect the call, she heard Chirag say "I love you" on the phone.

"I love you, too," she replied softly, and smiled.

*

"May I come in?" Ishaani said as she stood on the entrance of Mr. Nikhil's office.

"Come on in," he said, his eyes fixed on a file in his hands.

Ishaani nervously walked toward him. "Mr. Nikhil Dixit, I- I was informed by Chirag Mehta about you… Actually, I'm Ishaani Parekh and I need your help." She couldn't decipher the cause of her sudden nervousness. Perhaps it was the hope she knew that couldn't last or the fear of it. 

"You are Ishaani Parekh?" the lawyer said, squinting his eyes then shaking his head as if remembering something. Ishaani nodded. "Please sit."

"I think you understand the case and cause I'm here for," Ishaani said, as she sat on the chair before him, her hands on the desk. "Auction of the Parekh Mansion is next week, and I want to know if we can do anything... just anything? You're the last hope I'm relying on."

The lawyer raised his eyebrows and then rested them back. He sighed. "Look, Miss Parekh. It's one case I will never take for my own sanity as well as reputation as a newcomer in this field. Forget me; no one with the tiniest of the common sense is ever going to fight this already lost case for you."

"But--"

"Don't you realize the loan your company has had to pay as well as the legal actions that are to be taken against it? Your company's been exploiting the rights of the Dalal Streets since last 15 months. No one is ever going to bother with this. Let it go."

"No, but, listen to me first..." Ishaani began, but was cut short by him again.

"No, buts, Miss Ishaani. I hope I made myself and my reasons clear already. You may leave now."

"What on earth is wrong with you?" Ishaani barked, standing up. "Have you really tried reading the case files in the first place? Have you really bothered with it?" 

"You're crossing your limits. It's not your father's office. Get the hell out of here!" the lawyer screeched, depravity clearly visible on his face. "You can't force me to take a case and make me dance on your fingers. Get out, or there are better ways to make you do that." The colour of the lawyer's eyes changed and a grim smile passed through his lips, as he took a step closer to Ishaani. She moved backward, her feet automatically leading her out of the room.

It was futile once again. She indeed couldn't force anyone to fight a case for them. 

"That's like a good boy." The back door of the office cabin opened gently and a man in black emerged out of it. "I'm proud of you, Nikhil. You acted well, and if it was in my own hands, I would have awarded you an Academy Award!"

Nikhil turned to look at the man and smiled. "I did what you asked me to," he said grimly. "I would have taken the case after Chirag called me. He's a friend after all." 

"I have your reward ready." The man handed him over a packet.

"But this is still more important." Nikhil raised the packet in his hands, fidgeting it to make sure it had what he was promised with. "I assume it's not the complete amount." He sharply looked at the man.

"No need to worry about that." The man laughed lightly, clearly trying to keep his temper composed that he was losing. "You will have your overdue payment as soon as the work is finished."

Nikhil's features softened a bit. "I hope it won't take longer."

"Shoot me in my head if it does."

*

The night was dark, stars gleamed brilliantly in the black sky. Her hopes were reduced to the ashes, the day all the priceless things of her life will be relinquished drew enormously nearer. Her heart clenched in her chest at the sight of her flat that had her room's lights left alight even now. Her mother wouldn't have slept yet, she knew. Ishaani wiped her tears and moved ahead when her eyes fell on an anxious looking Pratiek who had just exited the flat.

"Pratiek," she cried out. He turned back, and at her sight, he sprinted towards her.

"Ishaani," Pratiek said breathlessly. "Where have you been? Falguni Mami was so worried about you!"

Ishaani smiled sadly, and looked away.

"Ishaani , we understand. We understand everything you've done for us. Now, do come on, let's go."

Ishaani followed Pratiek to the flat. He opened the door and let her in. "I'll get you something to eat."

"Where's Ma?"

"She's asleep in her room."

Ishaani nodded. "I'll be back in a while," she said and left to see her mother but a harsh voice made her halt in her tracks.

"Where have you been the whole day?" Ishaani saw Baa standing behind her, her tyrant eyes glaring through her wrinkled face. Ishaani cowered lightly.

"B-Baa, I-I had been to see- if- if someone could help us."

"What did you find?"

Ishaani looked down, fidgeting the border of her dupatta.

"I knew it! You're as useless as your mother who is sucking our blood," Baa said. "Neither of you have done anything when this family needed you the most and nor in the past when my son-"

"Baa, please," Ishaani interrupted. "It isn't Ma's fault. What happened in the past couldn't have been avoided."

"You want to say it's our fault? My family that's been feeding you both is wrong?" Baa widened her eyes in exasperation.

"No, I don't mean it. Ma couldn't have been there on time and-" 

"Yes, she needed to look after her own needs, didn't she?"

"What is going on here?" Falguni said, getting out of her room, glaring at Baa.

"Here comes your mother!" Baa jeered at Ishaani.

"Ishaani, do come here," Falguni said, ignoring Baa and took Ishaani's hand in hers when her expressions turned to those of shock. "What is this?"

Ishaani retreated her arm back and smiled at her mother. "It's- It's just a bruise. It'll be fine," Ishaani said, trying to sound convincing but failed. The tiresome day had cost more than just courage and sanity.

"It's bleeding, Ishaani," Falguni said and applied the antiseptic on the wound that now contained the traces of the dried out blood. "It'll be fine now." Falguni smiled.

"Thank you," Ishaani said. "I want to sleep." She put her head in her mother's lap, while Falguni caressed her daughter's head softly, tucking the strands of her hair back in place.

In a few minutes, Ishaani felt her mother leaving her as she closed her eyes tightly so that she wouldn't know of her sleeplessness. Ishaani sat up, her eyes gaping aimlessly in the dark room as an old memory tugged at her heart, stronger than any she remembered. Sleep did not come over her and she came to the terrace, the sultry air of September caressed her face and lingered there. Her eyes were closed as a couple of drops of tears escaped her eyes. She couldn't do this anymore. The pretense of being so strong for the last 3 years had now ruptured. All she hoped was to be held by someone who would never leave her alone. Without whom the darkness wouldn't look too treacherous and rays of the sun wouldn't sting.

*

"The alleyway leading to the flat of the Parekhs is covered in darkness. I stand nearby the window she sobs lightly, and prayers are silently sent to the heaven through her tears. She looks up in the sky and it can be seen she expects a miracle to happen. However, she understands it's unlikely and her eyes feel swollen. There are the odds she would never win against. She isn't made to fight the lost, but so much else. If I were her... I would have let it all go she is sacrificing her life for," a man said on the phone, and smiled. 

"You sound poetic. Have you fallen in love with her? I heard she's charming." 

"F**k you, man!" 

A laughter was an answer. "Calm down. Where did you say he is right now?" 

"I'm sending you the details." 

With that, a click was heard and all went dark.