Chapter 2
Shubham stood on the rock, gazing down upon the inky waters below. Perhaps no one would ever find him. Even if his body washed up on some beach weeks or months later, they may never think to tie it to him, the missing stepbrother of business tycoon Ram Kapoor.
It depended on how soon his family raised the alarm though. Given what they were currently going through, it might just be long enough. They would search for him, of course, they would.
But he wouldn’t be able to control what lay in store for them- another dead body or the life-long uncertainty of a missing persons case. And this caused him some hesitation.
Shubham had learnt a long time ago that the best way to protect the people he loved was to do whatever his mother wanted of him. The consequences of her not getting her way was something Shubham had strived all his life to avoid. She had always said that everything she had ever done had been for Shivina and him.
Then how had it gone so horribly wrong?
Less than a day ago, Ram bhai and he had had to light Shivina’s funeral pyre. The smell and heat of the embers permeated this chilly night.
For as long as he could remember, people had been surprised to find out that Shivina and Shubham Kapoor were twins. They didn’t look alike- she had been born with classical good looks and he had always been awkward and gangly. They didn’t behave alike- she had always been an extrovert and he, was shy and retiring.
But they had always been close. And to think of her and their relationship in the past tense was almost too much to bear.
He stepped off the rock and walked to the edge of the secluded shelf-like outcrop of the rock beach.
Was there any chance he would survive? How could he ensure that that didn’t happen?
He jumped at a rustling sound behind him. He turned and picked up the phone he’d left on the rock. No one was around but it had started to drizzle. Standing beneath the walking path, he was momentarily shielded from it.
The only person who knew of this place was the one who had shown it to him.
It had been a very different sort of day- a sunny afternoon, he’d chased her down the walking path. The interns had stepped out of the office for ice cream in the sweltering heat. He couldn’t remember just what he’d said to upset her on that occasion, there had been so very many of them. But he had been horrified when she stopped, not at his call, but at a particular spot where a defect in the railing had created a small gap large enough for her to slip through.
Peering down from above, he couldn’t see where she’d gone.
“Sandy!” he shouted, slightly panicked. He always enjoyed seeing her getting riled up, but she couldn’t have taken him seriously, could she?
And then she leaned across, turning her head up to him.
He followed the path she’d taken, in trepidation and found himself on the little balcony, tucked beneath the walking path, where he stood now.
She’d sat on this very rock, in a huff and he’d walked across the gem of a find, taking in the spectacular views.
But she was a long way away on this day. She, unlike him, had a sister in distress to look after.
Another rustling sound and a soft voice, “Shubham sir?”
He turned in disbelief as the torchlight of a mobile phone nearly blinded him.
Had thinking about her summoned her to him?
In the neon glow, he saw that she was a mess. Her hair was spilling out of the knot on top of her head. Her eyes were red from crying and her cheeks were tear-stained. She was holding a rather ineffective umbrella.
But peering at him, her expression changed to one of horror.
“Leave me alone” he barked, turning away, unable to bear her scrutiny.
“I promise I will,” she said, “Just come away from here.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“Shubham sir, please listen to me,” she said, touching his elbow. “Just this once.”
He shook her off violently.
“It’s not your fault,” she said quietly.
“No, it’s not.” he roared. “It’s your fault, you people killed my sister.”
He knew how ridiculous and unreasonable his words were even as they left his mouth and he suspected that his defensiveness had exposed the guilt encircling his heart.
She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Tears were swimming in them when she opened them.
“You’re right,” she said, her voice trembling. “And we’ll pay the price for it. But please, please just come away now.”
He slumped against the rock and sat on the wet floor; she had already ruined the plan by showing up.
“She’s gone,” he said, in a whisper.
Sandy put away the umbrella and sat down beside him.
“You don’t know what it's like to have your entire being cut in half,” he said, his feelings finally finding words. “She was my twin and she’s gone; I belong with her.”
To his surprise, she didn’t contradict him. He thought he saw her hand move, perhaps to reach his, but she withdrew and crossed her arms.
“I’m the reason my father left my mother,” she said, after several seconds. “I was born a curse.”
He turned to her in surprise. He had always known the story, of course. But had never stopped to consider her perspective.
“My whole life, I’ve been a burden to my loved ones”.
What was she talking about?
“But I’m still here, see?” she said, turning to face him. “I haven’t given up and even though you’re hurting now, I won’t let you give up either.”
Perhaps she thought she would stall him by talking. Shuddering in the cold, she took a deep breath, faced forward steadfastly and continued.
“I try every day to find reasons,” she said, “You… you have to avenge Shivina Bhabhi. To…to make sure we’re punished. Even if it's hate, you have a reason to…to stay alive.”
Shubham stared at her profile. Sandy had always been a thorn in his side. From the beginning, her very presence had irritated him.
She was loud and at times unruly. He had been arrested by the police for the first time in his life because of her. Admittedly, he had nearly run her over with his, but that had been because of his idiot best friend, Sid, distracting him.
And yet, here she was, sitting beside him, instead of being with her distraught family, in the heavy downpour on the darkest night of his life.
How long they sat there, Shubham didn’t know. But at some point, she convinced him, wordlessly to stand and follow her to her car.
She drove him home, not a word between them the entire trip. He got out and stumbled to the door where he turned back and forgot what he intended to say.
Was it a warning never to tell anyone about this? Did he mean to thank her for saving his life?
She simply stared from the car, unwilling to drive away until he went inside.
He made a show of slamming the door behind him and although it wasn’t a smile, there was something akin to relief on her face as she reversed.
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