Part 11: Declaration of war

Abhir stood there.

His parents knew about his Papa. He was lied to again. What was his fault this time? That he was naive. That he stupidly believed that his parents would not play with his emotions.

He felt his body heat up as if his blood had been replaced with hot, searing lava. He stared at his mother. He wanted to give her a chance to say that he misunderstood. Instead, his mother looked down in guilt. It was his last bit of mercy that got wasted. He gripped a nearby chair.

"Wait."

Despite himself, Abhir reacted to Shiv's authoritative voice.

 "Krish, Take Naira away. Now!"

Krish instinctively stood up and went towards Akshara. Akshara hesitated.

"It's OK. I'll take Naira to my room. She can sleep there much more comfortably." Krish tried to convince her.

Akshara and Abhimanyu made eye contact, and he nodded in agreement. Krish approached the sleeping child's mother and carefully lifted the child into his arms before walking outside. As he glanced back, he took one last look at the Wolves of Ajmer.

Shivu looked at Abhir. He couldn't delay it anymore. But he still tried.

"Bring the manager. Hukum Singh." He said to a waiter nearby. He was standing near the doorway, idly watching something on the phone. At first, the guy just nodded without even looking up.

Abhir's patience wore thin, and he hurled a chair towards the corner, narrowly missing the waiter.

"Abhir!" Akshara exclaimed in shock.

Abhir glared at the waiter and spoke in a menacingly low tone. "Do as he said."

The waiter approached Abhir, attempting to soothe him. "Sir, as a guest, you cannot...Ah!!”

Abhir grabbed the collar of the waiter and said, "No one can tell me what to do." He then pushed the waiter, causing him to fall onto a table, which toppled over and brought down the crockery.

“ABHIR!!” Akshara shrieked in horror, but Abhir paid no attention and threw a vase at the waiter.

Abhir was becoming more uncontrollable, so two more waiters came to help restrain him. Shivu, who had given up trying to calm him down, could only shake his head at the foolishness of those who thought they could control the fierce and unpredictable "Red Wolf of Ajmer."

There was a fight involving Abhir and three others. Abhir was not holding back and the intense fight resulted in multiple injuries. The commotion disrupted the restaurant's patrons, with Akshara pleading for Abhir to stop. However, it seemed as though Abhir was not listening to anyone. Shivu, who had witnessed this behavior from Abhir before, knew that no one could intervene this time.

“What is happening here?” A thin man with a pot belly came near the entrance attracted by the noise. “Hukum Singh?” Shivu asked as he took a cigarette from his pocket.

When he nodded, Shivu sighed and searched for the lighter in his pockets.

“Well, this can’t be helped. Direct customers to the banquet hall, and provide complimentary breakfast. Inconvenienced customers get 2k rupee discount in gift shop."

Abhir’s fight caused a table to break. Two more waiters came to subdue Abhir.

 “What?” Hukum Singh asked in a state of total confusion.

Shivu gave up searching for his lighter. He looked around. There was no candle. “What are you waiting for? A hotel manager should be swift and must be able to deal with these situations. Your performance today will affect your job. I’ll be kind of sad if I have to fire you as soon as I take charge. Do you have a lighter?”

Hukum was so confused that he just gave his lighter without comprehending. “What… I mean… who are you?”

"Shivansh Birla," Shivu said lighting up the cigarette. “The owner of this hotel starting today. Didn’t you get the mail?”

Hukum Singh stood frozen in disbelief, his mouth agape. It had only been a few hours since he had received the email that informed him about the change of management. The Dewdrop Residency Hotel had been purchased by Moonshadow Company just the day before, and now they were officially in charge. As he looked at the young person standing before him, he couldn't help but wonder how this person had managed to pull off such a feat.

"Just to clarify, I am technically only a 41.7% shareholder of Moonshadow. However, as my share is the largest, I consider myself to be somewhat of an owner. Therefore, I need you to follow my orders immediately. The future of the hotel will be discussed at the management meeting next week. Please get over your stupid astonishment… It's creeping me out. Do what I just said.”

The last line brought back, Hukum Singh’s senses back and he called many waitresses and his assistant manager. They safely escorted the other customers to the banquet hall while Abhir continued to fight with five waiters. The fighting was getting brutal and bloody.

Shivu looked at the three adults. Akshara Chachi was bawling her eyes out and pleading with Abhir to stop. Abhimanyu Chachu was less dramatic. He was shocked to the level that he was rooted to the spot… even though Akshara Chachi was shaking him and crying to stop their son. His face was blank. Shivu’s gaze went to Yash who was still sitting on his chair. He was calm. He looked mildly squeamish with the fight but not at all shocked. Shivu was wary of Roohi’s stepdad. Having an international standard private investigation agency under his belt must feel good. Roohi still doesn’t know, but Abhir and Shivu know Yash's true personality well. Despite his easy-go-lucky mannerisms, Yash was a shrewd lawyer and a ruthless businessman.

Shivu wondered how deep dirt Yash dug into them. He let the smoke out of his mouth. He didn't care. Shivu would even fight that headlong. One of the waiters fell near Shivu’s feet causing his attention to shift back to the fight. Shivu pondered if the waiters were just plain dumb to continue fighting, but no, it was Abhir. He was not letting them escape.

“Didn’t your parents tell you?”

Abhir couldn’t believe it. He was duped again. He saw someone run. He pulled him back by his collar and pushed him on the ground. He was about to punch him in the face but someone caught his arm.

“That’s enough, Junior”

“Junior?” Abhir spat at his father.

The waiter escaped in the interval. Abhir stood up. He was now taller than his father.

“So, tell me my dearest DAD, what happened this time? What stopped you from telling me the truth?"

Abhir’s forehead was bleeding from the left side. His knuckles and lips were cut. The anger in those bloodshot eyes was scary enough for Abhimanyu to take a step back.

“I am sorry…” Abhimanyu started meekly. 

“NO!!!” Abhir shouted.

“No, I don’t need your stupid sorry… I just need your answer. Why?”

 “Abhir…” Akshara said between her tears.

“I am not talking to you, MOM.” Abhir shut his mother. 

“Abhir, is this the way you talk to…”

“I don’t care! Tell me the truth. Dammit.”

 “We are still your parents…”

Abhir threw a plate across the room. “Just tell me.”

“We found out about three years ago. When you had your football semifinals in Delhi” Abhir remembered. They came late for the semifinals.

“Abhinav came to Udaipur and met us with his family. He wanted to meet you.” “Then why didn’t he meet me.”

“At first, we told him that you were in Delhi. He had to return to Rishikesh soon. So, he couldn’t

stay. Then…”

“Then?” Abhir was livid. Three years? He could have met his Papa that early.

Akshara came near him and touched his shoulder as though trying to calm him. Abhir jerked her hand away.

“Abhir…” Akshara cried.

“Then… why didn’t I know about him?” Abhir repeated.

“Abhir…” Akshara breathed. Then she said between her tears, “It was just getting better between us. You were finally trying to open up to us after a long time. And… and…”

“And what?”

“And I was tired…” Akshara crashed on the floor.

"It was just always one problem after another… There was just no peaceful time. I couldn't get a break. I wanted it to be peaceful. I wanted to breathe. And you know what happened in our family, First Parth bhaiyya, Shivu, then Arohi, Kairav bhaiyya, Roohi, then your grandfather, then Nara, Mimi's death, Complaints from your school and your suspension, bade Papa's stroke, it just did not give me breathing space.”

Abhir looked at her with an impassive face.

“Four years ago… I was crumbling… Nothing looked right… You know... what happened… What I did….”

“But somehow, we strived… we came together as a family. The peace that I wanted for a long time just was coming back. But then, Abhinav came as another storm.”

“You and your father were getting along… There were fewer complaints from your school. You have not gotten suspended yet. You came back home during festivals. You invited us to your semifinals. I wanted to continue that. I just wanted to live in that serenity for a long time. As a family.”

“When I saw Abhinav again… I was sincerely happy. I was just really happy to see my friend after a long time. I was happy to see my friend whom I thought I would never see again. But then he asked about his ‘Nikkiji’. He tearfully asked about his Nikkiji, and I froze. You and your Papa… If you guys meet again…”

Akshara looked at him as if asking for salvation.

“I just wanted to be unbreakable from our side. The relationships, which I need to survive... At first, I thought… I will let you both meet when I am sure that you will not leave us after knowing about your papa. But then… it was getting easier to delay the meeting than telling you both the truth. Maybe I was waiting for the day when I would feel it easier to tell the truth."

In the room, there was silence except for Akshara's crying. Abhir glanced at his mother and her distraught state reminded him of a night four years ago. Time can be cruel. When he saw her broken like this before, he felt guilty and hopeless. However, now he felt only contempt for her tears. He couldn’t seem to empathize with her anymore. Perhaps he lost his humanity when he became the “Red Wolf."

“Ha….Haa….Haahaaa”

Abhir couldn’t control himself and let out a humorless laugh, which echoed throughout the restaurant. Akshara looked up in shock at her son’s dry laughter.

“Abhir?”

Abhir continued to laugh uncontrollably. “Peace…” he managed to say between laughs. Abhimanyu called out to him, concerned. "Abhir…"

"Did you betray me for the sake of your peace?" Abhir looked straight into his mother’s eyes, causing Akshara to shiver at the pain she saw in them.

“Well, your peace was built on MY sacrifices.” "Abhir…"

“My papa wanted to meet me. I wanted to meet him. Why did you stop?”

Shivu walked up to Abhir and handed him the cigarette. “Because Akshara Chachi thought the illusion which we created was real.”

Abhir took a puff and exhaled it. Abhimanyu couldn’t believe it. “You smoke?”

“Surprised?” Abhir smirked at his father. “But why? You hardly ever tried to know about me…”

“Actually, what do you know about me?”

“Do you know my name in school? Or my current worth? Or my relationship with Pasupathi? First of all, do you even know Who is Pashupati?"

“On Shivu’s birthday, a few months back… Shivu and I fought… We never talked to each other till now, in Nainital. Forget why… Do you even know that it happened?”

Abhimanyu looked confused and looked towards Shivu. Shivu scoffed. Abhir smoked again.

“I have another world, which I couldn’t tell you both because… You didn’t want me there. But I already went there. There was no going back. I went there because while you were having your problems… we were also battling our fights. Me, Shivu, Roohi… We all had our battles… our monsters… but our wars looked like tiresome and immature plays for you all. Yes, your problems were serious, but that does not mean that our problems were less serious.”

“I never shared my problems with you all. Because you were never ready. But then, when I showed some weakness… You both felt embarrassed. No child got suspended for fighting in the Birla family. And then, when I started to rebel, you stopped me with your tears.”

“So, I stopped showing any weakness… I became stronger, and slowly I became the dragon I had to slay. All because I cared about you. Especially you, Mom."

Akshara flinched when Abhir looked at her.

“You got your peace because I transformed into a monster. It was my sacrifice. My f**king sacrifice.” Abhir stamped on the cigarette.

“Mom, your peace ends now… because I have stopped sacrificing.”

Saying this, Abhir walked towards the door. When he reached the door, he turned to meet Shivu’s eyes.

“Shivu, when we fought on your birthday, do you remember what I said?” Shivu chuckled in a non-humorous manner.

“You said that you will oppose me no matter what.”

“Well, I have changed my mind," Abhir said with a twisted smile.

“From now on, I will help you destroy the 'Mighty Birlas'. And I will not rest until we get to that goal." Abhir declared in front of everyone.

*****

"Ras bundiya nayan piya raas rache 

Dil dhad dhad dhadke shor mache 

Yun dekh sek sa lag jaaye

Main jal jaaun bas pyaar bache.."

The music played from her iPhone. The upbeat music flowed through her body, urging her to move. She closed her eyes and let the rhythm take over. Each beat, each note, helped her escape from the harsh reality of life. She danced with abandon. For Roohi, dance was not just a hobby, it was a way of coping with life's challenges. As she danced, she felt a sense of freedom and release that she couldn't find anywhere else. It was a break from the constant replay of past events that haunted her. Poppy once again broke the trust of those he claimed to love. Why would this happen again? Or did he just allow things to happen like last time?

“Roohi beta… You will obey Dida right... Don't tell this to your Poppy… OK?”

No. She should not think about those things right now. She repeated the part on her phone. 

"Ras bundiya nayan piya raas rache

Dil dhad dhad dhadke shor mache.."

As the music played, she began to dance. Her hands moved elegantly, flowing with the rhythm of each note. She closed her eyes, letting the melody guide her movements. But as she continued to dance, it became apparent that something was missing. Her face remained stoic, failing to fully capture the emotions conveyed by her body. Despite her graceful movements, there was a sense of disconnection between her physical expressions and her emotional state.

"Roohi.. Neil liked kishmish in his kheer. Don’t be stubborn.”

“Neil… I am sorry.”

“Roohi don’t talk like that… talk exactly how Dida taught you”

No. stop remembering those.

“It’s ok Ruhi beta.. hair will grow again.”

“You told me you loved this? Don’t you, Neil?”

She was not dancing properly. She repeated the part of the song. She shook her head to compose herself.

"Ras bundiya nayan piya raas rache 

Dil dhad dhad dhadke shor mache.."

Yes, she was getting the hang of it. Her performance had improved. She wore a shy smile that complemented the rhythm of the song. Her expressions were a reflection of a woman longing for her lover, portraying her as a timid yet passionate woman. The movements of her hands were nimble and graceful, conveying the uncontainable energy of young love. As she danced, her footwork was precise and gentle, indicating her mastery of the art. If Raji Dadi had seen her dance, she would have been proud of her skill and control.

“Yun dekh sek sa lag jaaye

Main jal jaaun bas pyaar bache.."

Even her curly locks swayed behind her in the same rhythm. Her whole body was dancing with her. The percussion music played and Roohi jumped with the beat.

“Ahh!!” She screamed as her feet hurt. She slipped because of the sudden pain.

“Roohi!!” Arohi came running towards her. Arohi held her before she fell.

“How careless can you be… You sprained your leg yesterday, and now you want to dance?” Arohi scolded her daughter. Roohi looked surprised but then composed herself.

“Papa told me that you came.” She said as she freed herself from her mother’s hold. Her voice was icy cold.

“Roohi. What happened? Why are you distressed?”

“Nothing.” She replied in a little voice as she paused the music on her phone. "And Papa is not here… so please don’t act like my mother.”

“Roohi…”

Roohi walked out. Arohi held her hand. “What happened Roohi?”

"What would you even do if you knew?” Roohi turned to glare at her.

“Blame someone? That is your go-to mode. No matter what happens, you will find someone to blame.”

“Roohi… I have told you. I was not in the right state of mind. That time…” Arohi whispered with tears in her eyes.

“Yes. I know that.” Roohi screamed as she jerked off her hand from Arohi’s grip.

“Yes. I know that. But it doesn’t justify what you did. You did not have the right to tell me what you said. It was not true.”

“I did not ask you to get engaged to Poppy. You did it yourself. I was just a six-year-old kid. Do you think I knew anything about marriages or engagements?”

“Nor did I ask you to get married to Yash Papa."

“And I did not cause your miscarriage. I didn't. I didn’t even know you were pregnant."

"Roohi, At that time..."

"I know! You just did it like you always do. You blamed Maasi for your mother's death. You blamed Maasi for every bad thing in your life because that was convenient. That was f**king convenient for you."

"And then when you didn’t find anyone else to blame. You found me. Didn’t you?"

“No, Roohi…”

“Yes. That was the truth. You did what you did. And you broke me.”

“It took me years to recover from that. Without Raji Dadi and Yash Papa, I may have been lost forever.”

“I know. You have gone to therapy after that. You are now much calmer about handling the situations. But I will never forgive you.”

Roohi turned to leave and when she reached the door, she stopped and said in a soft voice.

“You know what, they say I am more like Papa. He forgave even Dida, for what she made him through from his childhood. He forgave Dadu. But in this instance, I am more like you.”

Arohi cried as Roohi left the terrace. She knew her daughter. It’s been more than 5 years since they talked normally. She hurt Roohi the most. She didn’t deserve to be forgiven.

Suddenly she felt dizzy.

“Oh! Not now.”

She stood up. She needed to go to her room. She carefully walked towards her room and ran into someone. 

“I am sorry.” She muttered and looked up. 

“Naira?”

Some kid was holding Naira who was sleeping.

“You are also Abhir’s family?” The kid asked somewhat exhausted.

“I am his Maasi” Arohi said as she felt nauseous. 

“I am Krish, Abhir’s friend. You don’t look. That is my room.” He said pointing towards a nearby door. 

“If you want you can come in and...”

Arohi was not even in a mood to let him complete. She dashed towards the room. By the time Krish reached his room, Abhir’s Maasi was already in his bathroom vomiting. Krish carefully placed Naira on his bed. 

“Now even his Maasi, Mausa is here.” He whispered as he poured some water in the glass. He was about to drink the water when the sound of Abhir’s Maasi vomiting came again making him loose the urge to drink.

With Abhir’s parents and other relatives, Krish was feeling like an uninvited guest in a family function.  He looked at the mobile. The group with they were planning to explore Nainital were flaunting their joyous photos. Krish sighed. Why was he not inspired by ‘Dil Chahta hai’? They should have gone to Goa. Amir Khan was always right. 

But more than his disappointment with lack of entertainments in this trip, he was worried about his friend. He had seen Abhir face many tough situations. The bullies who cornered him for no reason. Him getting stronger under the guidance of Pasupati, the drunkard wrestler. His and Shivu’s venture in school’s market. The illegal wrestling matches. 

Abhir suffered a lot and many a times Krish would be just supporting him. Now, Abhir was just planning to rest in Nainital. They both thought to escape the scorching heat of Rajasthan and relish in the cold snowy Uttarakhand. Why did it have to be like this? He and Abhir didn’t even have time to talk about this whole fiasco. 

‘Red wolf’ was the nickname he earned in the illegal boxing matches. After beating the pulp out of the opponents, Abhir would have been covered in hot red blood. Hence the name ‘Red wolf’. The name followed him from those rings to the streets of Ajmer and then even the school. 

When Shivu was in hospital, Abhir was targeted by some bullies. At first, he never fought back. Later it became insufferable. Krish still remembered that day. 7 years ago, Abhir fainted. And when he opened them, they had this eerie emptiness to them. Then, Krish didn’t even know what happened, Abhir began to fight back. Sometimes he went out of the school at midnights. It was later, that he found out about Pashupati, the drunkard b***tard who trained Abhir to make him participate in illegal boxing matches. He used to bet on Abhir’s lose and win lots of cash. Abhir let him so that he can become stronger. And when Shivu came to school after being discharged. He joined hands with Abhir. Shivu’s initial investment was betting on Abhir’s victory. And slowly Shivu started having shady deals, slowly earning him the title, “The Black wolf.” Shivu operated in shadows while Abhir was on the forefront.

“Can I have some water?” Arohi asked Krish waking up from his thoughts.

Krish passed the glass from which he wanted to drink a while ago.

“Thank you” Arohi drank and sat down on the bed. She looked at the sleeping Naira. She stroked her niece’s hair in loving manner.

“So, you are Abhir’s friend”

Krish nodded.

“I am sorry about the vomiting. Maybe because it is my first Trimester. I normally don’t have them. I guess… Travelling this long had a toll on my body.”

“Understood” said Krish without understanding. He didn’t care anymore. This whole family drama is making him feel weirdly restless. He has better relationship with his crush’s father than the crush herself which was weird. There is a sleeping child on his bed, a woman puked in his bathroom, his best friend probably must have massacred some innocent civilians in the restaurant and he couldn’t even sightsee Nainital. The trip package was costly. He had to beg Kiran for extra pocket money. 

Arohi chuckled as she heard the indifferent reply.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?” Arohi asked the kid lost in his thoughts.

“I was so blind” Krish muttered. “Goa was such a better option.”