Chapter 19

Chapter 16-Inder

Never in his life had Inder imagined himself entering his father's study willingly and yet here he was, snooping through the documents scattered on the desk.To his shock and horror he came across unsigned papers;papers approving the transfer of the Babbar group of companies from Gurleen to Jaspal's name.He swore loudly as he put the pieces together.His father's target had been the property all along and the fact that his brother had fallen for the girl only seemed to strengthen his stand.

Grabbing the papers he immediately made a beeline for Jaspal's room.His brother was busy entertaining their little sister.He hesitated.While Prabhjyot didn't exactly dislike him,she was usually uncomfortable around him.It pained him that she preferred Manveer's company to his.Suddenly,a sort of apathy took over him as he sadly watched his siblings solve a jigsaw together.

Everything seemed to go wrong for him.Hockey had been his passion while in college.He had even made it to the nationals only for his daarji to bribe his examiners to fail him.He had never felt so betrayed in his entire life.To add insult to injury,he had been married off to Manveer as per his daarji's wishes.He loathed her to the core,yet had to spend the rest of his life with her all because a Brar could never divorce.

His father, had effectively taken away two things that had mattered the most,hockey and Pammi.He had been unable to move on no matter how hard he tried.The beautiful castle he had built in the sky for himself had come crashing down a long time.All that was left were the sticks and the stones.He should have worked on his marriage and focused on his wife ,yet he could see nothing beyond his hatred for daarji.He had vowed then to bring down his father's business at all costs.He had drunkk and slept around.In this mess of dealing with his own pain, he'd forgotten about his son,Angad ,and brother, Jaspal,who had looked up to him.

By the time he'd realised it,it had been too late.Angad looked up to his daarji as a father figure and Jaspal had closed himself off from the rest of the family,shouldering burdens and responsibilities that should have been Inder's and his parents',throwing himself into the business and raising Prabhjyot.Inder just drank himself to oblivion.It numbed the impact of failure and afforded him a temporary bliss.

Looking at the sheets in his hand,he wondered if it was worth helping his brother.It didn't matter did it?Their daarji would win either way.What was the point of struggling?With that he walked away towards his own room,prepared to drink himself to oblivion once again.He didn't notice the papers he'd dropped and a visiting Jasleen picking them up,a strange expression on her face.

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The next morning saw him with a terrible hangover, he opened his eyes blearily to find himself on the floor ,amidst a pile of pillows and blankets.His daarji was sitting on the couch, observing him,his expression unreadable.

"Good to see you're up,not that it would make any difference."

Inder winced, his father had never failed to make him feel terrible.

Daarji continued as if nothing had happened .

"We are leaving for the Babbar residence today to ask Gurleen's hand in marriage for Jaspal.Ordinarily,I'd expect everyone to come, including Jasleen, but considering your track record, I've come to request you to not even step out of this room until we return.If you truly love your brother, it's the least you could do ."

Inder was in a daze.His daarji was right as usual.There was no way his presence would be welcome.Even if he wished to disclose the secret about the property,who would believe him?He was a drunkard,a womaniser,a man of loose morals and utterly useless to the boot.He barely registered his daarji leaving the room.

Groaning,he reached for his glass and decanter.He'd need the alcohol to get through the day.As he drank,the past seemed to flash before his eyes.Playing hockey, courting Pammi, buying her the biggest bouquets he could find,Jaspal chasing him around on Holi with his water gun, Jasleen begrudgingly tying him a rakhi, secretly pleased but refusing to show it.

He missed them a lot.He missed his mother.He missed Angad,the son whom he couldn't raise.Most of all he hated his father with a vengeance.His only desire in his life was to destroy everything which his daarji held dear.

He finally passed out again.