Chapter 9

Chapter 7-Akaal

"May I come in sir?"

Akaal looked up and beckoned his personal aide,Vineet to enter.He wordlessly bade him to speak.

He cleared his throat.

"Gurleen Babbar was born to Neetu Arora on 17 march 1976.Her father's identity is officially unknown.Her mother passed away during childbirth in Darjeeling after which the baby was sent to an orphanage.She was officially adopted by Poonam Babbar ,the then chairperson of Babbar Group of companies and currently the CEO of Babbar watches ,in December 1986."

Akaal stroked his beard in contemplation.

"What of her natal family?Why didn't they look for her?"

Vineet replied,

"Sir,the records are rather sketchy.Nothing is known of her mother.Infact,we think that even the name Neetu Arora might have been an alias.

That orphanage was burnt down in a fire in June 1989,so we have no way of verifying our facts."

"Are there adoption papers ?",asked Akaal.

"Yes sir."

"You may now leave.Thank you."

"Sir, there's one more thing.She's also Poonam Babbar's sole heir."

This was news to Akaal.

After Vineet had left,Akaal stood up and went to the window.He recollected his conversation with the Granthi earlier that day.

"Brar Saab.May I know the reason behind your interest in Gurleen?

Akaal had taken a moment to reply.

"She seems to be a wonderful young woman; cultured, kind and most importantly humble.I am looking for a suitable partner for my second son, Jaspal."

The granthi mused for a second ,

That is wonderful news.That poor dear deserves to be happy after all that family drama."

"Ah,that family drama",Akaal thought.He had heard the rumors but had never truly considered investigating them and had never felt the need to do so until now.

"Granthi Saab,would you mind telling me about it.I need to ensure I can care for her properly before I approach her family for her hand in marriage."

He had internally winced at the inelegance of his own words.

The granthi had only been too happy to talk.

"Everyone knows that Gurleen's father is the late Colonel Mahesh Babbar but no one is really ready to acknowledge it.While Poonam ji did officially adopt her stepdaughter,it is said that their relationship is not very cordial.It is rather understandable considering her situation,and Poonam ji has been very generous.But it is a tad bit unfair to blame Gurleen for her father's mistakes.

He passed away shortly before her adoption so she's never had a father figure.Her father had left her a sarangi,the same one she played today.She showed up here one day when she was ten,and begged to be allowed to play during the kirtan.She said it was the only way she could speak to her father.Since then, she's been coming here every Saturday.I've never known her to miss a single day.

Sometimes she even stays behind to help us distribute the Prasad.She's truly a gem and deserves all the love in the world.It's unfortunate that the kindest are the ones to suffer the most.

I hope God protects her throughout her life ."

The girl herself was a good person,there was no doubt about it.She was idealistic enough and considering her background,he knew she'd love deeply and cherish her relationships.Jaspal would be happy with her.The illegitimacy didn't matter either as she'd been legally adopted.

However,the news of her being the Babbar's sole heir , sent the cogs turning in his head.The Babbars were a very old and respected business family.An alliance with them would definitely help the Brars deal with the fallout from Inder's actions.On top of that,no Brar woman could work,which meant the business would automatically shift to Jaspal's hands,provided she was willing to transfer it.He'd ensure that.

The problem now was securing the alliance .As the Babbar heir,she was widely sought out by all ,including families more affluent than the Brars.To make matters worse,his son had all but shut them out of his personal life.He still wasn't sure if Harminder Bajwa had been a casual fling or a serious contender.Jaspal was a very difficult person to read.He had mastered the art of locking his feelings out of sight.

"He's like me."

Akaal thought with pride.

With his son being an unreliable pawn,he had to bank on the girl.Eyeing the sarangi sitting in the corner of his study,he summoned Jaspal .

He had an errand for him.