Chapter 35
A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here is the next update! :D :D
Happy Reading! :D :D
The long arm of the clock touched twelve as its companion kissed four, the night sky still in the colours of twilight as Ishaani sat beside an unconscious Ranveer. She put a wet handkerchief upon his head as she squeezed out the cold water from it, rolling it up neatly. Having him fall unconscious in her lap had sent her into shock as she stared at him and yet remained unseeing, the weight of his head taking her back to the unwelcoming realm of a nightmare that made her heart go cold so frequently.
Finch had taken advantage of the same as he gently hoisted the now-unconscious Ranveer and put him up on the bed, the absence of his weight snapping Ishaani out from the reverie. Somehow, she still couldn't find her voice as she remained stupefied under the effect of whatever had just happened in spite of the fact that her mind was now buzzing with tens of hundreds of questions.
"Ishaani, look at me. He's alright, okay? Don't panic, this has happened before. I'll keep dabbing a wet handkerchief upon his head and the fever will come down by the time he wakes up. He's been having the fever for four days and the dabs help. They always do. He'll be perfectly alright," added Finch when Ishaani had turned grey, feeling close to collapsing as he stared at Ranveer, aghast.
"What- what's wrong with him?" she'd asked in a barely audible whisper, miraculously finding access to her voice. Finch had looked at Ranveer's sleeping form and sighed.
"He's just had an episode that's usually accompanied by fits of hallucination, nausea, severe headache, and fever. But I think it's best if he tells you about it when he wakes up because only he deserves to tell you about it. But just know that he'll be alright. He might wake up by tomorrow afternoon or evening, so don't worry. That's pretty normal too. Although you need to put a stop to this," he'd informed her rather seriously and she was admittedly bamboozled with the proceedings that were going on.
"I- I don't understand," she'd spoken in a small voice and Finch had put a consoling hand upon her shoulder.
"Ishaani, go home. You're tired and over-strained. I'm here with Vaghela, I'll take care of-"
"NO! I'm not going anywhere from here. You go and sleep. I'll do whatever's required," she'd cried out in a sudden burst of decibel, surprising Finch as he jumped slightly. She'd wiped away the tears from upon her face and had looked at Finch determinedly, not willing to leave the place until she got some answers and saw Ranveer awake with her own eyes.
"Ishaani, please don't-"
"Greg, I won't be able to sit in peace even if I go home. Not until he wakes up and I see for myself that he's alright. Please," she'd begged of him as she took his hands into her own, urging him to let her stay. Finch hadn't put up an argument, knowing that stubborn that she was, she wasn't to listen to him no matter what he said. So instead, he'd sighed and decided to let her take care of Ranveer tonight.
"If you need anything, I'm right opposite, okay?"
She'd nodded her head as Finch bid her goodnight and left the room, still looking reluctant. She knew that he didn't have a mind to leave her vulnerable self alone like that, but she had a feeling that it would somehow help Ranveer and herself tonight as they healed themselves with the other's essence.
She'd sighed once the door shut behind her, wondering about how much there was that she still didn't know about Ranveer. But all of that could wait for tending to Ranveer's health tonight was all that mattered right now. She'd quickly walked to the washroom, deciding what was to be done next. She'd returned back after five minutes with all the things of her requirement and had set them down upon the side table. Dipping her hands into the huge cold-water basin that she'd retrieved, she quickly immersed a towel into it and squeezed it dry before cleaning Ranveer's face clear of the sweat and blood upon it, noticing that his chest was still hardly rising as his mouth remained agape.
She did not let that distract her as she next cleaned his face dry with another towel. She then pulled out an ointment tube and some gauze from the first aid box she'd found in the washroom cabinet, tending to his wound before putting some cotton and medical tape upon it. She'd felt her heart sink slightly when he didn't even so much as hiss upon the pain and had prayed to the Lord that whatever was making Ranveer suffer like this to soon go away.
And then she'd set upon the slow, monotonous process of dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief soaked in cold water. She observed his temperature from time to time, feeling relief when it was slightly lesser and feeling anxious when it went back to square one. Around three in the morning, she noticed that his breathing had almost returned back to normal as the fever had lessened considerably, her spirits raised. She'd jumped off the bed and changed the water in the bowl, bringing back another round of the same.
Sleep didn't feel too welcoming to Ishaani as she continued to stare at Ranveer, clearly taking in his appearance properly for the first time since he'd entered her cabin for the first time eleven days ago. She noticed that his face was almost the same even though his cheeks had become hollower, unlike the usual chubbiness that she loved about them as a kid while his eyes looked taut with dark circles, bags beginning to form around them. He looked slightly grey, the lifelessness and brokenness upon his face a reflection of what she knew his soul left.
She smiled slowly, musing upon the fact that he'd still retained the stubble the exact way he used to although though it now worked as an incentive to accentuate his charismatic charm. And as she took his hand into her own, she noticed the thing had made her heart beat just a little faster - the promise band upon her hand. Her promise band upon his hand. RI. Always Together. And suddenly, hope sung in her heart as she felt the metal against her chest grow warm in joy, as though connected to its other half.
Ishaani let her fingers trail upon his cheek softly as she sighed, wondering how much strain he had been under just to save her from Chirag and to fulfill his Mota Babuji's legacy, especially after knowing what Chirag had done with her all those years back. She felt tremendously guilty as the two conversations from earlier in the night kept replaying itself over and over again in her mind, making her realize how terribly wrong she'd been to accuse Ranveer of something like that. She wondered why it was that they loved hurting each other like that until she realized that he was never the one who hurt her, really.
It was just her.
But those days were coming to an end, she promised herself with satisfaction as she let her mind travel back to a conversation she'd had with a certain Mr. Chauhan the previous night on the phone, only to receive a pleasant surprise in return.
"Mr. Chauhan, There's a slight change in plan. We need to keep the exhibition on the 19th in place of the 23rd."
"I don't believe this," came the stunned reply from the agent and Ishaani huffed irritably.
"I know that its very last minute and that the invites must have been sent out, but I need all the 249 guests present on the 19th of October instead of the 23rd. That's essential," she emphasized, hoping that the job would get done now that she'd turned around her plan about the art exhibition. She could sense Mr. Chauhan's hesitation before he spoke at last, explaining what would otherwise have been a catastrophe.
"You must forgive me that I didn't inform you about this earlier. But there was a mix-up with the dates on the invitation cards sent out to the guests since we have three exhibitions back to back. So the date on your invite went by the 19th by mistake, instead of the 23rd, to all the guests. It's a co-incidence that you had a change of plan because we came to know about it just today itself."
"But the date on the sample card-" began Ishaani, her mind reeling from the near heart attack of his words, but the agent beat her to it.
"The sample card was printed before just for your confirmation, so the date was correct. The printing shop made the error since we gave them three formats along with the specific details and numbers for the cards to be printed in," added the agent rather defensively and Ishaani couldn't help but grit her teeth in spite of herself.
"I would have gotten your art gallery shut had this not worked to my advantage, Mr. Chauhan. But whatever it is, just have everything done up by the 19th, because Chirag Mehta will definitely come to sell the painting to you on the 18th. Let me know when he makes contact."
"You've got it, ma'am," came the response in the affirmative and she continued.
"Good. I'll hand you in the replacement an hour before the exhibition so make sure that there's no mix-up. And there shouldn't be a single error on the 19th, do you get me? The mistake with the card was fortune, but the next time won't be so."
"I'm terribly sorry about that, ma'am," apologized Mr. Chauhan in a petrified whisper but Ishaani didn't care about it.
"Send me the last invite on the list by tomorrow without fail. And that should be all for now," was all she said before cutting the line, not bothering to wait for a response from the opposite end.
Ishaani purred to herself contentedly as she watched Ranveer's features relax now, the colour slowly coming back into his face as she felt the fever become even lesser by the next hour. By five in the morning, he'd finally changed his side and fell asleep towards her, making her heave in relief at the sign of life he showed. She knew that she'd have to leave him alone for some time if she had to witness the sweetest fruit of victory at the office in a few hours, but it was something she couldn't miss either even though she didn't like leaving Ranveer alone.
She knew that she had to head back home and then to the office to finish off the second last piece of drama before she could return and give Ranveer her undivided attention for the day. Remembering that she had to collect the most important thing from Finch, she knew that she'd have to leave Ranveer in his care for some time till she returned. And then, she'd to nurse him back to the pink of his health to make him ready for the final drama tomorrow.
Everything was set into play. The stage was ready. The characters were ready to play their part. The script was finalized. The audience were ready to play their part while she now remained in desperate wait to enjoy the real show. And she wanted Ranveer to be a witness of the same, even more so now that he'd handed her the golden egg to take Chirag down once and for all in a revenge that was just as much his as was hers. He'd been the one who'd really brought down Chirag behind the curtains with his brains while he let her get away with the credit.
Quickly finding a blank piece of paper and a pen, Ishaani jotted down a note for Ranveer in case he woke up before she'd returned from the office. Reading the note to herself thrice, she nodded to herself in the affirmative and placed it on the bedside table.
Sorry about last night, I didn't mean to be such an ass to you after everything you've done for me. Don't worry, I'll be back soon. Freshen up in the meanwhile and order yourself something to have. And for heaven's sake, stop stressing yourself out so much!
Yours
only.
Ishaani
And as Ishaani kissed him upon his forehead lovingly, she knew that it was time to let him take away the credit for once.
-x-
"I knew it! I knew it that you'd put this upon my head eventually! Inspector, she's lying! She's trying to pin this on my head! I'm innocent!" yelled Shanella at the top of her voice as she tried putting up a fight against the female inspectors who'd handcuffed her, looking affronted. All the employees of the office looked on as mute spectators in intrigue while Shanella looked hassled, her face puce in anger and tears alike.
"We have all the proof that says otherwise, Ms. Carvalho. Whatever you have to say for yourself, say it at the station now," ordered the lead inspector coldly, asking the sub-inspectors to take her away to the van. Shanella had barely begun resisting and begging anyone and everyone to help her when Miss Parekh entered the office in a blaze of grey, her eyes instantly falling upon the scene before her. Her haughty features quickly changed into a contortion of harsh lines upon her carefully crafted expressions even though the ire she felt was true.
Shanella looked at her and had an identical look of loathing upon her face before she thundered towards her not unlike a demented bat.
"You! You bitch! You did this on purpose now, didn't you! DIDN'T YOU?! You'll pay for this, Ishaani Parekh! You'll pay for-" she roared in a brave attempt of what Chirag had taught her as threatening, but fell quiet when she felt Ishaani's hand fly across her face in a slap that resounded around the office as everyone watched with baited breath.
Shanella caught the throbbing side of her face, shell-shocked.
"Did- did you just-"
"I warned you, Mrs. Mehta. I warned you to choose your warring side carefully because the fire would consume you eventually. You didn't pay heed. So now, you have to reap its rewards. I hope you know that what you've done is a non-bailable offense. Enjoy your stay at the jail for you will be reunited with your master soon enough. Tomorrow at this time," she added with the coldest, deadliest whisper, not bothering to smile.
Her eyes spoke the rest of her threat as Shanella shivered, feeling more tears fall upon her face. Ishaani signalled the inspector to take her away as a fresh wave of protesting began, Shanella's voice trailing behind from even beyond the corridor.
"No... No... Please, no! Inspector, please! I'm innocent! She's the real culprit! Please! No!"
Nobody dared to even breathe or meet eyes with each other until Ishaani Parekh stormed out of the office five minutes later.
-x-
The warmth of sleep made him snuggle into his blanket a little deeper as he opened his eyes softly, feeling a strange tranquility after what felt like ages. Unlike the previous time, Ranveer didn't have a problem in remembering about where he was and what had happened as he pushed himself up. He held his temple in pain that seemed to throb for no reason, until he realized that it had been bandaged.
And yet all he could feel was a benevolent calm as the room remained bathed in the same morning light that he loved so much about it, wondering why it was that his heart felt so light and whole after what he could cite was an eon. The scars were there but they didn't ache him this morning, and neither could his heart feel the despondence it had learnt to live with. There was something different about this morning, especially about the aura around him and the way it made him feel. The next moment, he knew why.
"Hey there, sleepyhead."
Ranveer looked in the direction of the vooce in astonishment as he stared at Ishaani, who was leaning upon the doorpost of the study room with a broad smile upon her face, the silk of her grey dress shining brilliantly in the morning light of the room. She looked every bit the angel he always saw her as, reminded of the first time he'd seen her waltz down the steps in that bubblegum pink dress of hers.
She now came and sat beside Ranveer, who didn't know what to feel at her sight even though there was an explosion of several emotions within him. But his suddenly racing heart overpowered them all as he continued to feel the same balm upon his wounds, easing him out of the never-ending suffocation of pain for the time being. He continued to stare at her, dazed.
"What are you doing here? I mean, how did you-" he began but Ishaani shook her head.
"Shh," she whispered as she pinned her finger upon his lips, striking him dumb. She gently put her hand upon his forehead and neck to check for a temperature, nodding to herself in what Ranveer asumed was relief. He somehow couldn't take his eyes off of her as he noticed how radiant she looked, especially the smile upon her face. It wasn't how it originally was, but this would do for now.
"The fever's almost negligible, so that's good. Now before either of us say or do anything, I want you to do three things for me, okay? I need you to go and freshen up, change into something good and have your breakfast. Alright?" she asked, looked at him in request.
Ranveer sighed and nodded his head, knowing that he needed to do all the three things on her bucket list for the day before he could make any sense of what was happening. Ishaani slid off the bed as she helped Ranveer up, who was a little unsteady upon his feet initially but regained his balance by the time he reached the washroom.
An hour and fifteen minutes later saw Ranveer sitting in a pair of jeans and a white shirt, washing down the last bits of his breakfast with a cup of strong coffee as Ishaani sat opposite him, sipping on a cup of coffee of her own. Food always worked like a charm upon him as he felt rejuvenated after the almost dead-like feeling from the previous night.
"So, how do you feel now?" asked Ishaani once the bellboy cleared away the table and left the room, leaving the two of them to their privacy. Ranveer relaxed in his chair, looking at her pensively.
"Better enough. What are you doing here though?" he asked, worried about how he to tell her the truth for it was obvious that she'd been there with him the previous night. And just like that, he realized why he felt so different this morning. She'd been healing him with her essence the previous night after inflicting the wounds that were unnecessary in the first place.
Ishaani sighed tiredly before replying.
"I regretted the way our conversation ended last night and I knew that I'd crossed a lot of lines. So I just wanted to say sorry. Instead, I find you fallen upon the ground, hallucinating and burning with a fever along with your temple cut," she explained. Ranveer flushed dully, feeling guilty for putting her through something like this after everything that had happened in the past few days.
"I'm guessing that Greg told you about it then. My ailment," he emphasized when Ishaani looked slightly confused. She shook her head.
"No, he said that you'd tell me everything about it once you woke up because it was something that only you had the right to tell me," she replied and Ranveer gasped, wondering how it was that she was so calm when it was contrary to her nature in situations like these. He cocked his eyebrow at her in wonder.
"And you've been so patient," he stated, but Ishaani caught the question in his voice anyway. She chuckled.
"Patience is a virtue I've learnt to use in these years, Ranveer. It's only when light breaks through do you realize what the dark has left you with - another lesson on how to survive. If I could wait for five years to complete my revenge, I'm pretty sure that I can wait patiently for you to give me an answer to this. You can tell me about it whenever you want, though. I won't force you," she added as an afterthought and all Ranveer did was stare at her, astounded.
"What's hit you?"
"Sense?" she shot back cheekily. Ranveer gave her a shrewd look, leaning forward slightly.
"I think its Finch," he stated at long last, observing the amusement flicker across her face upon his words. She couldn't help but smile in spite of herself as she remembered all the times he'd nose around and find things she didn't want him to know about in the first place.
"You just have to know everything now, don't you? You've always been like this even as a kid," she added, sounding bemused. Ranveer gave her a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders as he looked at her with the same shrewd glance that tried to guess the facts.
"It's habit. I'm guessing that you've stayed back the entire night since your eyes look tired," he remarked astutely and Ishaani sighed, letting her back hit the chair as she shut her eyes, sighing tiredly.
"Couldn't leave you like that now, could I?" she asked, and the worry in her voice made him gulp in guilt.
Ranveer knew that it was time to confess at long last, balancing the scales by revealing his guilty secret to her now. And so mustering all the courage he possessed, Ranveer shut his eyes and pushed the words out from upon his trembling lips at long last.
"I'm an insomniac. I've been so ever since Ritika died."
The room remained silent. Ranveer didn't have the courage to open his eyes, afraid of what he'd find the moment he snapped them open. But when he did open them at long last, his eyes met Ishaani's reddened ones as she wiped away the tears from upon her face hastily. She gave him a flabbergasted look when he caught her at it, letting her hand fall away from upon her face awkwardly. Both of them were consumed into another lapse of silence before Ishaani spoke in a small voice.
"Another vice."
Ranveer let out a soft sigh before answering her unsaid question.
"I was a chronic insomniac for three months once she passed away. Slept once in seventy-two hours until meditative therapy helped lessen it, although not cure it entirely. I can now stay up to twenty four hours with ease and with full functionality, and most of the days I barely sleep for three or four hours otherwise. The days I cannot sleep, I use alcohol to keep me driving until I know that I'll sleep soundly the next night for a couple of hours."
"One vice cradling the other one," she spoke, more to herself than to Ranveer, but it was audible enough for him anyway. He shrugged his shoulders again, not bothering to contradict what he knew was the truth.
"I thought alcohol always knocked you out cold," remembered Ishaani after a few minutes. This time, Ranveer did shake his head with a small smile.
"It doesn't now. And you definitely need the alcohol when you're trading at an exchange as crazy as the ASX, yelling at the top of your voice and trading like mental loons. Mota Babuji was right - stock-trading is nowhere near as pretty as it appears to be, especially when you're doing that for a livelihood and not just for the heck of it. So yeah, the alcohol is what keeps me sane and thriving in the day. Two glasses at the most, not more. And since foreign liquor isn't half as strong as our cheap country liquor, it doesn't make a lot of difference unless it's three bottles down. Then it's a knock-out cold, yes."
"What went wrong again?" asked Ishaani after some time, having a rough idea about what must have set off the insomnia once again. Ranveer on the other hand, pondered upon the question for a minute before deciding to come clean about it.
"I've been having a relapse of the chronic insomnia ever since the start of the month when I came to Mumbai. I guess it's been the whole anxiety and paranoia of having to come face to face with you again that's set it off. The hours I've been awake for have only been getting longer and longer since these past few days and the moment it goes beyond two days' worth of sleep, I get a fever. Two and a half days, a hallucination alongside," he added, and Ishaani suddenly looked exasperated.
"Would you mind telling me why haven't you bothered sleeping in these past two days, then?"
"Do you blame me really? There was so much to be done and it's been so complicated! There were hundreds of things that could've gone wrong if the timing wasn't correct," replied Ranveer, wondering why Ishaani was asking him a question that had such an obvious answer to it. But then again, he knew from where her reactions were coming from as well.
"Greg told me that you've been having a fever since almost four days now," she remarked rather pointedly. She remembered feeling his skin burn against her own the previous day in the cabin after their kiss, something that she misunderstood as the heat of the moment. She felt rather stupid thinking so as she remembered Finch's words from the previous night.
"Ever since the scene in the conference room, yes," elaborated Ranveer and Ishaani mentally kicked herself for being an even bigger pighead to him the previous night. She knew that amends had to be made for her blunder that she was sure had sent him to the edge and had aggravated his miseries more.
And she was tired of being the cause of his misery.
"You were in jail for twelve hours. Couldn't you have actually slept there rather than waste time and watch the mosquitoes?" she asked in yet again another childish question, and this time Ranveer didn't bother hiding his emotions. He rolled his eyes at her.
"Yeah right, like I could sleep after everything Chirag told me, especially about that day when he gave you the divorce papers," he replied and Ishaani gasped, her face losing its colour before its flushed red with suffused anger. Afraid that it would make her do something stupid again, he ploughed on hastily. "And then I was worried sick about how you'd been taking it all and whether the diamonds had reached or no because I'd asked everyone to stay as far away from me until the supplied came to retract the FIR. I didn't want any kind of suspicion or information leaking out."
"You're an idiot," was all Ishaani chose to tell him at the end of his speech as she crossed her arms and turned her face away from him.
"You can't blame me really. I don't think that a prison cell is quite the appropriate place to fall asleep in either," added Ranveer, and Ishaani's expression softened instantly.
"How was the experience?"
"Underwhelming. Atleast they didn't make me suffer from third grade torture, or any kind of torture for that aspect, which was good. I guess money does have a cushioning effect, after all, because I don't see myself getting the preferential treatment had I been a servant. But alright, it was another experience in the life of RV. Never been to jail before that, so cheers," ended Ranveer, looking unperturbed.
"You're definitely off in the head."
He couldn't help but notice the chain around her neck that glowed ethereally as the pendant remained out of sight. Now that he recalled it, she'd been wearing the same chain every day since he'd first seen her after all those years. And for some odd reason, the unknown pendant had caught her fancy for she always wore her father's gifted pendant on a gold chain and not a silver one, and didn't like wearing any other chain either.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that," said Ranveer at long last, but Ishaani remained lost in thought as she questioned him absentmindedly.
"Are the hallucinations new?"
"No, the hallucinations I used to have even during my three-month chronic phase," replied Ranveer rather awkwardly, wondering what it was about his hallucinations that left everyone afraid as he could see the uneasiness cloud upon Ishaani's face in that moment. She sighed tiredly.
"What's the top that you've pulled?"
"Three days to be exact," replied Ranveer, halfway torn between hiding his face and laughing at the absurdity of his own answer. Ishaani spotted the dilemma upon his face and exploded.
"Have you no shame left, Ranveer?! It's not an achievement, you know! This could get really ugly, especially the kind of repercussions associated with it!"
"I know that," he replied rather evasively, his answer making Ishaani bang her fist upon the table in anger.
"I don't see any care or remorse upon your face though-" she began, but stopped abruptly as the look upon Ranveer's face hit her like the crack of the whip. It left her thoughts spiralling freely until she caught what was lurking within the confines of his chocolate orbs, the reason behind the overwhelming guilt now out in the open
And she couldn't believe it!
Ranveer Vaghela, the man who was always against self-harm and had even slapped her for the same on a night where things had gone out of hand, had been indulging in a crueler way of it himself! And the moment she found her voice back, Ranveer knew that there was no good coming his way judging from the gobsmacked look upon her face.
"You've been using your insomnia the same way I've been using the scalpel now, haven't you? It's exactly why Greg wanted you to tell me about this! It makes perfect sense. You always overworked yourself to the point of death and achieve your dreams even though that meant not sleeping for an entire day just like I'd dig my nails into my skin to ease the anxiety back when we were teenagers. I always hated that habit of yours because it made you come off as desperately over-ambitious. And now, there's this..." she trailed off, seeing the fresh colour drain away from upon his face as he stuttered for words. She continued to glare at him.
"I- I don't-"
"It's alright. We all have our guilty pleasures so I'm not judging you. I know how it feels," she grudgingly agreed, deciding not to make him writhe underneath the weight of this when she knew how it felt even though the fact seemed too bizarre to be true. When Ranveer looked slightly relieved, she gave him a stern look.
"But knock it off, alright?"
Ranveer threw his hands into the air helplessly.
"Ishaani, it's not like I haven't tried. I have, but I just can't-"
"You will be able to soon. Just like you made me throw away the scalpel, I'll make you throw away the insomnia," she assured in a quiet confidence, her tone not entertaining any ifs and buts.
Ranveer sighed, hoping to escape the topic somehow as the passing moments only left him with a prickling discomfort. As a distraction, he turned to look at the clock whose hands now sat upon 11:35. He gasped.
"Ishaani, aren't you supposed to be at the office?" he asked, and even though Ishaani didn't like the change of topic, she let him get away with it nonetheless. She chose to reply with a rather smug smile.
"Well, Miss Parekh has supposedly stormed out of her office, furious at the debacle that has just happened this morning. Apparently, the HOD of Purchase for the JV to London was arrested on account of fraud, malpractice and breach of contract, and the police authorities have proof about the same," replied Ishaani and Ranveer could see the relish with which she spoke about the same. But he felt annoyed at missing it.
"Damn it! I wanted to be there!"
"Oh, I'm sure that Rishi must have taken a recording of it. I'll ask him to send it across for certain," cooed Ishaani and Ranveer stared at her with his mouth agape. He couldn't believe that she'd actually made a recording of the same to cherish!
"Seriously, you made him record it?" he asked, the stunned disbelief in his voice making her laugh. It reminded her of another recording lying in the store room of the Parekh Mansion for over ten years after she'd hidden in the first place. She wondered whether Ranveer knew about it.
"Ah well, I finally got to do what I've been yearning to do!"
"Did you kill her?" asked Ranveer rather fearfully, knowing only too well about her feelings for Shanella. Ishaani gave him a rather remorseful look in return before replying in the negative.
"As much as I wished to do so, no. I slapped her and sent her to jail in wails and tears, even though she did have the temerity to threaten me even as she was being carted away to the police van," she added suddenly, looking rather ill-natured about it. Ranveer pulled her hand into his own in worry as her eyes suddenly softened at the change of look in his own.
"And what about Chirag?"
"Oh, that's a tale for tomorrow. For now, I've rattled his cage up a little by cutting him out of his financial bloodline," replied Ishaani, wondering how long it was till he'd phone the art dealer and try to sell away the painting, fleeing from the country with the money he'd scrounge from it.
"And what are you going to do tomorrow?" asked Ranveer, suddenly not liking the look upon her face as he saw her mind running a little too fast from him to grasp what was going on in it. Ishaani patted his hand in assurance.
"Celebrate the most important day of our lives. And that's why, I'm going to need you at the fullest of your health so that you can witness the great fall tomorrow," she replied but the look of worry only deepened upon Ranveer's face.
"Ishaani, what are you up to? And what's this?" he questioned as Ishaani pulled out an invitation from her handbag and handed it over to Ranveer. It was a white and purple card with gold-embossed writing.
"An invitation to the first art exhibition that I'm holding tomorrow. VIP pass," she added as Ranveer turned the card around, looking intrigued. He for the life of it couldn't fathom what she had in mind, but he knew that whatever was to happen was not going to go down without some high-end drama. And neither was Ishaani going to tell him anything about it even though he tried his luck.
"And what's it going to be centered around?"
"The circle of life. But well, no more spoilers for now," she exclaimed when she noticed the inquisition in his eyes, and Ranveer pursed his lips rather moodily. Ishaani shook her head at her childishness before pulling out the next item from her bag.
"I need you to take this first."
"My fever tablet?" asked Ranveer as he looked at the strip, surprised that Ishaani still used the same medication. Until he realized that it was a brand new strip and that she must have bought it for him at the pharmacy before coming to the hotel.
"It's always worked for you. Have it before you sleep tonight so you'll be alright by tomorrow even though your fever is as good as not there now," she added, and Ranveer gave her a nostalgic look.
He was incapable of feeling pain today for a reason he didn't know, and he strangely enough liked feeling like this. He was beginning to get accustomed to the light of the moon again.
"This reminds me of the days where you'd fuss upon me like this," he recalled as Ishaani stood up with the same endearing smile upon her face. She put her hand out to Ranveer, who in turn was curious about what she was up to now.
"If you're in a reminiscent mood and feel up to it, I want to take you somewhere right now."
-x-
The afternoon wind grazed upon their cheeks with the caress of a lover as Ranveer and Ishaani walked along the shoreline of the beach, letting the water lap upon their bare feet lazily. They walked upon the wet sand in silence, letting the water trickle through the gaps of their toes as the froth of the water tickled them. Ranveer thought back to the last time he'd been upon the very same beach as he let memory take him along the path he'd started upon eight years ago, but not stopping there.
The spirit of his memories took him back to the prime years of his life as he remembered sitting by the beach for hours at a stretch in the afternoon with Ishaani beside him, staring away at the horizon with the one thing he was devoid of today - hope. Day or night, the beach had been his earliest source of solace with the splashes of water crashing against the next fold of a wave, singing its soft melody of tranquility. And the sky would remain ablaze with the colours of life adding so much life to it, making it indeed a forget-me-not blue as it soon embraced a myriad of colours.
Ranveer let his feet carry him ahead as he thought back to the days when Ishaani would often bring him to the beach during his paralysis, remembering the despondence he felt at the sight of a life he was sure to be confined to. And every day he'd die a little more as the pain increased a little more, sapping him of what little will and life he had in himself until she'd bring him upon the beach. And that's where he'd find those stolen moments of life - sitting upon his wheelchair and feeling the water brush against his toes in a nuzzle.
But it was not only in nature where he found life; it was in her hope and her love to make him see through it as she'd sit beside him holding her hand, her hope speaking louder than his despondence. And it was over there that he'd learnt the most important lesson of life - there was a despondency in every heart that yearned to change into conviction; a lifelessness in every soul that yearned to embrace the life back into it; and darkness in every mind that yearned to find its strand of sanity at the end of a never-ending tunnel. All that one needed was to find the will amidst the ebbing and flowing waves of life that crashed against one's being time and again, leaving behind a hope hidden in every shell that one was to find on the way.
And that was the beauty of living, he'd learnt with time.
He couldn't help but reminisce how far he'd come in life after everything he'd been through, recalling all the occasions he'd sit upon the beach trying to think about his future. Or whether he'd ever be able to rid himself of the title of being a servant just so that he could finally bring the moon to his doorstep. There had been insecurities and anxieties with its baggage of burdens and responsibilities until he'd seen the sparkle of a shell whose pursuit he'd set out for.
And on the way he'd let the tide of life sweep him away, not knowing where it would eventually lead him to but just trusting destiny to find the shore as the maddening journey of loneliness began. Until eight years later, he found the shore as his fingers remained tightly grasped around her own, the journey of his loneliness drawing to an end at long last.
Ranveer let Ishaani lead him out from the water as they both walked towards the drier side of the beach and sat down, happy that the area was almost deserted just like old times. They stared ahead at the horizon as Ishaani let her head fall upon Ranveer's shoulder and he put his arm around her, pulling her closer into the safety of his embrace. There had been a night years ago when he'd cradled her the same way, promising her that there would be a dawn after the night that would infuse a blast of colours into the black waters, making it come alive.
He was giving her the same promise this afternoon.
And yet as Ishaani looked up at him, she could see how he still comfortably shut his eyes as the sun bathe his skin like a baby, making him feel human. It made him realize that even through the cold prison around his heart, he could still feel. That he still had some life within him; that he wasn't dead yet. He didn't have to tell her any of it - it was the tear that escaped his eye in that moment that gave her the answer.
Ishaani let her head slip upon his chest, noticing how he enjoyed the sensation immensely for it must have been the first time she saw him smile ever so softly as his eyes remain closed. It wasn't really close to his original smile but it would do for now, she knew. She couldn't help but unconsciously try to feel what his heart felt in that moment, what it ached to feel in that moment as she heard it beat softly through his baby-pink shirt.
Her eyes silently sought his own as he stared across the sky with the first sparks of genuine self-belonging, the dazzling sun making his pupils dilate and constrict as the light hit him with its glowing beauty just like the old times. She noticed the black still persisting in his otherwise-chocolate orbs that looked like someone had smashed a breathtaking beauty into with the way they twinkled, reminding her about the twinkle that would once always be a part of his eyes.
Until their eyes met, and so did their souls. The beach was where they always connected again. It was where they never felt the need to say or do anything but stare ahead at the matrimony of the sea and the land at the horizon, simply letting their souls heal. Heal from the tragedy of living. Heal from the pains that it'd being burdened with.
And for the first time in twenty years, they both secretly yearned for the same thing - to have the other's hand in their own; to hold the other from falling; to melt away in the other's embrace and never know pain ever again. Just love. They wanted to feel the other half of their soul again. To feel the power of the universe in the other's gaze. To feel the power of the other's love wipe away all the blood and wounds. To feel the life throb against their cold, unfeeling form.
They just wanted to have their best friend back. Their only friend back.
"Remember how we'd come here almost every week?" asked Ishaani at long last as the afternoon began to draw into the evening, the rapidly changing colours in the sky captivating their interest.
"You'd bring me here every day during my treatment because I wouldn't respond to anything else," whispered back Ranveer in response, and Ishaani sighed.
"I'll never forget those afternoons, sitting beside you and seeing you try to live the moments of a lifetime as you stared ahead at the horizon, waiting for either life or death to embrace you while I sat in hope, praying for God to give me the strength to make you pull through it."
"We could be fourteen and thirteen again today. It just feels the same way, no?" mused Ranveer and Ishaani smiled in spite of herself.
"Or maybe eighteen and seventeen, staring away at the black waters until the dawn broke out. You taught me a lot more about life that night than life itself ever could, Ranveer. Every word you spoke was true. And I can see the dawn about to break finally with my head upon your shoulder the same way it was that night as you let me feel the beats of your heart," replied Ishaani, seeing the surprise reflect upon Ranveer's face.
"I still love the black waters terribly," he confessed and Ishaani cupped his cheek lovingly.
"And I know why. The black waters remind you of yourself. Just like with every dawn, the darkness knows how to fade away into oblivion until it is time for it to return. And the darkness was what made the beauty of the dawn stronger," she continued and he gasped, surprised that she'd figured this out as well. He was intrigued to see till where she'd made the connection.
"Go on," he said softly. Ishaani nodded, continuing happily as she felt the warmth of his embrace stir the deepest of emotions in her soul.
"Just like the black waters, you willingly slither away into the shadows as I learn a little more about life and come out of a phase as a stronger person, until its time for you to envelop me and pull me out from the next one. The night is where the water learns the virtues of life; the dawn where it encompasses them. That's what you did then, that's what you do now and that's what you'll always keep doing until the end. And that's where the beauty of the black waters lay."
"You unveiled it," he spoke at long last, unable to contain the tears that left his eyes. Ishaani wiped them away slowly, bringing his face close enough to hers as their eyes met in a scorching gaze that drove away everything from around them except for the other's presence.
"I'll save you, Ranveer. I promise. Just like I always have," spoke Ishaani passionately as she kissed his forehead, his lips shivering with the weight of her words as he let her embrace him this time. He spoke into her hair.
"All these years, I thought that you needed to be saved because you were the frailest beauty amidst the wild weeds. It turns out that I was wrong. And I could not have been prouder for what you did the other day and the way you picked up on everything and turned it around. It was astoundingly brilliant, and it showed me how far you've come in life. Mota Babuji must be so proud."
Ishaani blushed in spite of herself.
"It's only been your trust and Papa's that's been leading me all these years. You believed in me when I never believed in myself, and that belief has always been my driving force ever since the day I decided to turn my life around," replied Ishaani and Ranveer let her fingers interlock within his own until the sparkle of his ring snapped them out from her thoughts. She noticed that he was staring at her pensively.
"Ishaani, why did you never seek me?" he asked with a childlike innocence as his eyes peeked into her soul. She caressed his cheek.
"How could I after everything I'd put you through? It only made me realize that I was the one who was unworthy of you and your love all along. So I knew that I had to work as hard as I could so that the next time we met, I could look you in the eye and tell you that I did something worthwhile in my life and had stood up to what you and Papa believed," she spoke in response, the longing in her voice for approval making Ranveer smile in spite of himself.
"And along the way, show Chirag the true power of a woman. The saying does stand true - hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," he added as their foreheads touched, feeling the intoxication of the falling sunset transport them to another world. Ishaani didn't let her hands fall away from upon his face.
"You've helped me all along the way, Ranveer. The Mehta & Sons Co. takeover, the diamond consignment and now the art exhibition. It's been you all along, but just me on the forefront. You've been there with me all the time, if not in presence then in essence. You've stuck true to all the eighteen promises you made me on your eighteenth birthday," she whispered as they separated, turning their face towards the blazing sea once again.
"You remember those?"
"Oh yes, I do. I see that you've been wearing the band upon your finger," remarked Ishaani out of the blue, and on reflex, Ranveer fidgeted with his ring as he sighed.
"I've been wearing this for four years now. I took it off the day I married Ritika even though she asked me not to. I put it back on after a year of her death," he explained and Ishaani nodded her head in understanding. When neither of them spoke after that, Ranveer decided to continue.
"I see that you don't wear it on your finger."
Ishaani felt the ring rest upon her heart warmly but chose to follow her instinct instead.
"Seeing it upon my hand reminded me of what I lost. So I decided to keep it someplace safe where it would remind me of what I had to win back. The day you take the leap, I'll show you where," she added as an afterthought. Ranveer gave her an intrigued look but didn't press on the topic anymore.
"I'm inching closer to the cliff. The day I'm ready to take the leap, you'll know," he replied as they watched the sun take it's descent towards the horizon, the sky askew with an infusion of colours that only left them yearning for more.
"Pain cannot be fought alone; it won't let you live through it. I have twelve days in hand still," she reminded him as the sun finally vanished beyond their sight, the sky studded with orange at the horizon as it faded away into a languid blue away from it. Knowing that it was time to part for the day, Ranveer and Ishaani both stood up, staring at the crashing waves for one last time.
"Thank you for this, Ishaani. It's precious, the dusk," whispered Ranveer fondly as they embraced once again, Ishaani tiptoeing to bridge away what little gap remained as she whispered into his ears determinedly.
"The dusk to tomorrow's evening is going to be even more so."
-x-
"He made contact."
"Did he take the bait?" asked Ishaani, unable to keep the worry out from her voice as she waited for the agent to speak.
"Took it like a charm. Everything's set for tomorrow," came the positive reply and Ishaani shut her eyes in triumph, praising the Almighty for his graciousness and aid in making the biggest risk of her plan pay off. Nothing could save Chirag Mehta tomorrow. Even God couldn't.
"Brilliant," was all she uttered as she cut the phone, feeling the adrenaline of her partial victory surge through her veins.
Ishaani smiled broadly, looking at the pouch in her hand with a grin upon her face. This was going to be even better than expected, she remarked to herself as she stared at the moon through the window, feeling her heart go pitter-patter in excitement. Sighing, she made her way to the washroom and pondered upon whether or not she'd be needing it before she brought out the scalpel anyway, staring at it with a mixture of fondness and repulsion. It still had a final deed to do tonight before she could abandon it for good.
Nodding her head to herself confidently, Ishaani made her way to the store room with purposeful strides where the painting now lay, ready to do its final job the next day. Eyeing the painting with utmost abhorrence the moment it met her sight, she shut the door behind her quietly and brought down the painting that was hung temporarily upon one of the walls, examining its frame keenly.
It was perfect, what she had it mind.
She gently let the scalpel push through the brackets of the frame around the painting before they fell off limply, and she smiled. Just like she'd expected. For once tonight, the scalpel had done something better than just draw cries of agony and blood out of her.
And the painting would do the same for someone else tomorrow.Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D
Next chapter:
Chapter 12
Your reaction
Nice
Awesome
Loved
LOL
OMG
Cry
Post Your Comment