Chapter 24

Chapter 23

Shaurya Khanna would have killed the person on the other side of the door. His irritation at being interrupted at the most important moment of his life knew no bounds .
Keeping the ring on a side table, he reached the door in two strides and yanked it open, ready to blast . The angry words froze in his mouth when he saw the homestay owner Dilip Soparrkar stood their shaking .
" is everything all right Mr Soparrkar"
"Now that is a subjective question"...Mr Soparrkar was not speaking   ..."Bhanje"
Sanjay Sharma walked in from the dark corner he was lurking to stand right in front of Shaurya , nudging Dilip aside .
A couple of his goons also revealed themselves , guns in their hands ...Shaurya understood why Dilip was shaking .
Tu jahan jahan chalega ...Mera saaya Saath hoga
Mera saaya Mera Saaya Mera saaya Mera saaya
Film Mera Saaya (1965)
Gaayika hai Lata Mangeshkar (singer)
Likha hai Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (lyrcisit)
Sangeetbadh kiya hai Madan Mohan ne (Music composer)
Mama shared the information with all and sundry ..
Mamaji ..Shaurya feigned happiness ..itne dino baad aur yahaan ( it has been so long and we meet here)
Mami ko second honeymoon par laaye ho kya ...ya kahin second Maami toh nahi le aaye ( have brought Maami for a second honeymoon ..or is it that you have got me a second Maami)
Sanjay smiled ...his slimy smile.
Shaurya looked at the poor man caught in the middle
Mr Soparrkar go and rest . My Mama and I have a lot to talk about .
Oh yes Mr Soparrkar ...go and rest ..and remember I have a lot of men at your service tonight , all around this homestay ..so do not worry ..do not try anything funny ...just rest ...and say my pranaam to Bhabhiji ...
Mama was definitely enjoying himself ...
Mehak was stunned by the going on just outside the door . Her instinct had made her hide in the corner where she was not visible at first glance . She had never thought, never dreamed that Shaurya's life was marred by such characters and that too in his own supposed family. Family for her were source of strength and love , not the intense hatred that she could sense between Shaurya and his Mama.
With Dilip gone , Mama tried to step inside the room , which Shaurya resisted..
Oh come on Bhaanje ..we are not going to spend the whole night standing outside this door ..are we..
And I quite curious to meet my Bahu ...after all my Bhaanja has chosen to be united with her , inspite of the fact that neither of you may live long enough to enjoy that union ...
Yeh Ishq nahi asaan , buss itna samajh lijiye ..ek aag ka dariya aur doob ke jaana hai ...
( love is not easy ...it is like an ocean of fire ..and the only way to get across is by drowning)
I think the time has come for you two to drown...
Mama are you sure that you will not drown ..??
Ohho Bhaanje ...hum to doobenge sanam tumko bhi le doobenge ...is it??
( I will drown Dear ..but ensure that you also drown)
He chortled ... where exactly is the cause of this conversation Bhaanje ..where is the our cook turned chef turned Laila turned Bahu ...
He scanned the room and could not see anyone .
Shaurya was worried for a second about Mehak and the fact that she was suddenly nowhere to be seen ,but told himself that she will be safe , afterall were could she go.He had been standing at the exit .
He needed to think fast , to ensure that she continued to stay safe.
Mama broke his chain of thoughts
"So Bhaanje you decided to rip me off completely ...eh...I am sure you know that there is a price to be paid for being this mischevious . I like mischevious kids because it gives me extra pleasure in punishing them."
"Mama you do know that no matter what happens now , you will never get the property .."
"Yes , but you do know that I will not sit on the side and let you enjoy the property "
"And you do know that if anything happens to us , you will be the first suspect ...right ..." me
Wrong... because for the world , I am in Panaji at the moment Bhaanje , and this homestay at the edge of a jungle is going to be robbed today and everybody in it killed ...
His eyes turned in cold slits as he told Shaurya ..Did I not tell you Bhaanje I am a desperate man and desperation can drive you to anything
Tch ..Tch ..tragic ,..very tragic ...what is the world coming to ...

He patted Shaurya's cheeks lightly ...and broke into a song
Yeh duniya .Yeh mehfil mere kaam ki nahin mere kaam ki nahin
Kisko sunao haal-e-dil bekaraar ka ,Bujhta hua chiraag hoon apne mazaar ka
Aiye kash ki bhool jaaon magar bhoolta nahin kis dhoom se utha tha janaza bahar ka ...
Yeh duniya yeh mehfil mere kaam ki nahin mare kaam ki nahin
Film Heer Ranjha (1970)
Gaaya hai Mohd.Rafi ne sangeetbadh kiya hai Madan Mohan ne aur likha hai Kaifi Aazmi ne
His devilish laughter echoed all over , as he shared details of the song that elucidates the pain of someone about to lose everything in this world , like a lamp about to be extinguished , like a leaf caught in fall who cannot forget the first bloom of spring ...
Kahan hai bhai ..kahan hai ...ab shubh kaam mein deri nahin ...
(Where is she ...do not want to delay the auspicious beginning) Mama had pushed into the room along with his gun toting henchmen as he cruelly referred to his desire of killing Shaurya and Mehak and moving on.
A strange silence fell in the room for a second only to be abruptly interrupted by   a streak of black and red, blitzing across the room right in the feet of Mama.
" Please Sir Please, save me this Mad Man is about to destroy my life ..." Mehak pleaded with Sanjay .
" He blackmailed me in into coming with me ...I do not know how he finds me always ...He has been after me since the days of ISC .. he wants an old recipie book I own ..I keep telling him I cannot give those ... it is of my mother's , handed over in her family for generations ...I ran away from him as he had forced me to work for him in Delhi ...and now he has found me in Goa...she broke into hysterical sobs...he is so powerful ..no one can get better of him ...please save me ..it seems only you can ..."
She fell down on the floor , quite ...
Shaurya was paralysed with shock . He had never thought that his Laddoo will betray him like this ...but impending death can wilt the strongest of all...
" Ai Ladki utho " ( get up Girl) Mama lightly shook Mehak who was prostrate on his feet ..She did not respond ..
He nodded to his henchmen ..who got some water and sprinkled it on her face ...
She opened her eyes and again gripped Mama's ankle firmly "...Please save me please save me "
"Allright ..shut up and just get up " Mama was irritated ..this curve ball had thrown him off balance
...Mehak slowly got up to face Mama , making her stand sideways to Shaurya ..
She hung her head and continued sobbing then slowly she raised her left hands and pulled a few strands of her hair beneath her ears ...
There glinting in her ring finger was the symbol of Shaurya's love ...
She met his eyes for a split second ...it was enough for Shaurya to read a thousand promises written all over them ...
"What kind of drama is this Girl ?"
"Do you think these bruises are drama ...she showed her arms   ,,,they were covered with bruises .."
"Until you came in he was hitting me into submission ..he want to marry me to get hold of those recipes ..he threatens to destroy my whole family if I do not do so ..."
Shaurya had caught on to the game .." Mehak Sharma you bloody middle class ...why do you think I will have any connection with a low life like you ...I have been tolerating you for months , just because you have something I need"
He spitted in disgust ...
Mama was thoughtful ..."is this the reason why you did not have any contact with him for all these months "
She laughed sarcastically " who wants to have any contact with the Devil himself?"
" Bloody hell Mehak Sharma I would have killed you myself ...had I known where you have hidden the damn recipe book"
The greed in Mama was getting better of himself ..but he wanted to be sure ..he just could not trust this girl...
" So the let us kill him here and you give me the recipe book as my payment to save you"
She laughed "no one will be happier than me to see him dead..but here is the thing, I will be the one who will get in trouble if he is found dead as he was last seen alive in my company ...and how do I know that you will not kill me once I give you the recipe book"
"I have a better plan why do you want to kill him when I can ensure he has a life better than death ..I will bring out his truth in front of the whole world..I will finish his credibility ..he will never be able to live down the scandal and the bad publicity "
Mehak was on a roll , she was desperate to convince Mama somehow , to ensure that Shaurya and she can stay alive ..
"Why do you want a blood bath here when a better outcome can be achieved without spilling one drop of blood "
Shaurya lunged forward at Mehak " Mehak Sharma I will kill you"
Mehak retorted back " Shaurya Khanna I will ensure that you stay alive to see your own downfall"
"Shut up "..Mama quietened them both
"How do I know That you will not double cross me .." He asked Mehak
"Find out at the spice farm whether he forced me into coming with him or not ...Find out from my home whether they know where I am at the moment ...and then tell me whether you believe what I say is true or not "
Mama thought about the multiple instances when he had heard that she left his cabin or apartment in tears and he in anger .This relationship was definitely not what he had assumed it to be ...aah so that is why his snobbish nephew was getting married to a middle class girl .. The pieces of the puzzle were falling place.
..accha theek hai ...".what do you want to do ..."   he asked Mehak again...
"Call Media and Police here ,...Let us have a press conference here ..."
"why here ..." mama asked suspiciously ..
Mehak sighed in exasperation "Because this man can try escaping enroute .. he is not above or beyond anything    ...Here you have him firmly in your grip "
Hmmm ...akal to hai ladki mein ...Kyun Bhaanje ..lagta hai tumne galat jagah panga le liya
( the girl has brains ..does'nt she dear nephew ...seems like you got in the wrong mess)
He laughed as he called his contacts to arrange for a press conference at 6 AM in the morning ...
Mama was going all out ..his long cherished dream of seeing the downfall of his hated nephew was about to be fulfilled ...
How did you find me Mama ...??
Shaurya asked quietly
Of come on Bhaanje you underestimated me ..just because you threw away the SIM does not mean that I did not have my eyes and ears in every district , in every major road leading out of Goa,,,Goa is a small state you know ..it was easy to track you SUV number from the tolls...and hen a little bit of 2 + 2 and wham ba'am and you are in the slam ... Your punters were taken in by my empty car returning to Panaji""
His glee as he described his cleverness knew no bounds ...
Pag Ghungroo .Pag ghugroo bandh Meera naachi thi ,,,,
Aur hum naache bin ghugroo ke ...
Dhin dhin dhin tinak dhin
Film Namak haram ...
I am not interested Mama ...Shaurya interjected sharply ...
"Ok ok ..anything you say dear Bhaanje ..." He again patted Shaurya's cheeks
"Umm Sir "..Mehak addreesed Sanjay"...you may want to lose your people when the media comes in ...you know ...it unnecessarily creates the wrong impression ..."
"And I think you have called a few TV channels too ..so the live streaming etc will be difficult to manage if these guys are seen with guns and all "
Are you sure you are a chef ..you should be in PR ...Sanjay again laughed at his own joke ..
As dawn broke through the sky and the pale lavender and pinks started turning into bright oranges , the vans started filtering into the gates of the home stay and then choking all roads leading to it .
That sleepy village had never seen so much activity in its whole existence ...people lined the roads and climbed the trees that lined the roads just to get a view of the goings on ... they were found on the roof tops and terraces and rocks and any higher vantage point ...
Sanjay's Men had a difficult time hiding , but they had to recede deep into the jungle to not be noticed ...
The press conference began sharp at 6:00 AM...
Sanjay stood up ...his shallow heart bursting with false ego and pretense as he delved into a mini speech of his own
"As you all know , how much I love my family and my sister . For me empowerment of women is supreme .So when my sister took a decision , with which I did not agree , I still went by it and gave my nephew ..my step nephew all the love in this world . Today , however life has come to this ..." he choked with false tears ...
Shaurya's face was blank
Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you Mehak Sharma ...she will like to tell you her story in her own words ,,,

Mehak stood up
" Thank you Mamaji for giving me this chance of telling me my story . Thank you for putting all this together so that my story can reach it's right destination ..you truly believe in women empowerment   and love your nephew..
Other wise who is this day and age will take so much pains "
Sanjay was reveling in the lime light and shaking his hand to the camera like a man possessed , a broad smile on his face.
"..not many men give a girl who is so underconfident of her abilities a chance ... but your nephew did "
..Sanjay's smile faltered just a little bit ...he pulled himself up ...there was more to come , this was going to change gears ..the meaty parts he wanted to listen ...
Shaurya Khanna made this girl from Parathe waali Gali a chef in her own right ..not only that he gave her a place in his own heart , that seems to be made of stone to the outer world but is this soft mushy warm place for me to hide... Shaurya Khanna last night you had asked me a question ...
Whether I would like to marry you and my answer is yes ...and she put her hand adorned with the beautiful star diamond in front of her face as the camera bulbs went beserk.
Shaurya got up and hugged her .He gently kissed her forehead and whispered in her ears ..."nautanki "
Mehak turned her head to Mamaji ...and said with saccharine sweetness .."Thank you Mamaji for making the most important moment in the life of your nephew and me so special"
She again turned her head to the media
"oh and the love of this man know no bounds ..he did this inspite of lurking danger ..some strange gun toting men followed him and yet he went on about this task with unwavering courage ...hai na Mamaji "
A buzz rose in the gathereing ..the police squadron started getting restless ...
Mehak looked at them
"I think those men have receded in the jungle "
They filed out quickly to check that piece of this information
Thank you Mamaji ..Shaurya broke ...for ensuring I got my bride and that too in such style ...
After all I have learned a lot from you ...as you would say ...
He broke into a song ..looking at Mama's ashen face
"Apni to jaise taise ...thodi aise ya waise kat jaayegi
Aap ka kya hoga ..janaabe aali , aapka kya hoga "
Film Lawaaris (1981)
Sung by Kishore Kumar ne , written by Anand Bakshi and Composed by Kalyaan ji Anand ji

Mama struggled to keep the smile plastered on his face .
Shaurya , stayed on to answer several questions about his professional life , business and marriage plans .
Later he was able to make a phone call to ask for his vehicle and a police escort to Panaji .
They were relieved to get into their own vehicle and after thanking the Soparkarrs and apologizing for the mess that they had landed them in .
Damn ..said Shaurya ...as they had been driving   for about 30 minutes ,,,
Kya hua ..asked Mehak ..
Mehak I forgot to ask you ...how did you get those bruises on your arms ...
I kept hitting myself with the hand shower in the bathroom
He looked in her eyes ...and said very quietly ...'Mehak you are very brave"
"Of course I am ..I dared to fall in love with the Shaurya Khanna"
With that Shaurya Khanna leaned in to give his future bride a plump kiss on the lips in full sight of the police vehicle .

The End .


tibs092017-04-15 20:46:49