Chapter 28

Chapter 24-Gurleen

Gurleen was very confused.Her family was definitely hiding something from her,atleast her mother and brother were.Her Parjaai was equally confused and had vowed to get to the bottom of things.Shortly before their departure fror Brar mansion,she was summoned to the study where here mother and veerji awaited her,their expressions suggesting rains of doom.She surveyed them warily as they stood in silence.

"Mummy,what happened? Is everything alright?", she asked worriedly.

"Gurleen,I need you to listen to this patiently. You must control yourself and not act recklessy."

"What is it mummy? You're scaring me.Are you sick or something?"

"No puttar, I'm perfectly alright.I need to confess something before we leave for the Brars."

Gurleen looked at her mother ,chills creeping up her spine.Her veerji didn't look better, he was positively ready to throw up,judging by the greenish tinge to his face.

"What is it mummy?".While her voice sounded soft to a lay person,those who knew her well could detect the threat of menace it carried.

"Akaal Singh Brar had blackmailed us into agreeing to this marriage."

Gurleen had nodded slowly ,the anger starting to rise,

Deep breaths Gurleen,slow and steady,she told herself

"I'm assuming there's a reason you haven't told me yet."

Her veerji swallowed gingerly and looked at his mother for askance;she avoided his eyes.Sighing,he continued,

"Mummy was responsible for the fire which destroyed your orphanage but it was assumed to be a freak accident .We covered our tracks well but the old man apparently has an eyewitness."

Gurleen was numb with shock,her brain unable to process the onslaught of information.

Ten children had died that day along with their warden.

"Veerji, tell me one thing.Momsie ...."

The older woman flinched but Gurleen ignored her and continued

"But momsie is quite influential.She could easily,what do you call it, make the evidence disappear.What has prevented her from doing so?"

"Gurleen.....",she ignored her mother once more and focused on her brother.

"He threatened to reveal the information to you.He was sure that you'd ensure that mummy and I ended up in prison.Moreover ,a criminal case against mummy could cost us crucial losses at this juncture.That's why she didn't want to reveal this information to you."

Her brother finished,looking at her expectantly.

She stared back ,in a daze.It didn't matter at all.She was a pawn to the Babbars all the way up till the end,right from her adoption till her wedding.She was responsible for all those deaths.

"Gurleen,say something."it was her mother.

She turned towards her,

"What do you want me to say momsie? Do I have to say that I'm proud of you for killing eleven people?" ,her last words coming out as a scream.

"It wasn't my intention to kill anyone.Your records following the adoption had to be destroyed.Don't forget, your mother was a minor at the time of your birth.If the courts had declared your father a rapist ,the business would have sunk then and there itself."

Gurleen felt sick to stomach as her mother went on a tirade.

"This is not at all about you, it's about our livelihood and our employees who are heavily dependant on this company group to flourish."

"Momsie, you're deviating from the fine.It's not about destroying the records.I understand your reason,but how could you be so careless?Eleven people died mummy, eleven .And ten of them were children."

"They were orphans, Gurleen."

She felt a chill permeate her bones and the numbness began to set in.

"You happen to forget that I too am an orphan."

"No.You were born a Babbar and will always be.As long as you're alive,you can never escape your blood and legacy.Till the day you die, whether you like it or not, you're tied to the company and the company to you .Whether you like it or not, others will depend on you.You matter the least in the giant scheme of things.Do not expect anyone to consider you as their first priority.I'll give you five minutes to collect yourself and arrive downstairs."

With those words,her mother swept out of the room,the hem of her saree trailing behind.She looked at her Veerji who signed her to wait.He locked the door and made her sit down.

"We don't have time before they come looking for us.There's something mummy hasn't told you yet.Brar women cannot work after marriage.Akaal Singh Brar used blackmail not only to convince mummy to accept the marriage but also facilitate the property transfer from your name to his son, Jaspal's name."

"No wonder he was so nice and polite",she fumed.

"Let's not judge Jaspal immediately.We do not know if he is privy to the plans or not.Let's wait and see ."

She nodded.

"Mummy didn't reveal the truth today out of love did she?"

"She realised there was no guarantee that the old man would keep his end of the bargain.She couldn't risk him revealing the secret to you after marriage and emotionally manipulating you into signing away everything after gaining your trust.Revealing everything now means she can control the narrative in her favour and force your hand using me.She's hoping you'll fight the brars in her stead and simultaneously find a reason to break off the marriage as well.If she were to act directly,the evidence will go to the police.Akaal Singh Brar would have never imagined her confessing everything to you in his wildest dreams .

"Why didn't she tell me about the property transfer?"

"She anticipated your anger.She was worried that you'd impulsively agree to it just to spite her.

He caught sight of the derision on her face

"Don't look at me like that,I know the reasoning is quite stupid."

"Veerji ,please give me a minute to think."

She paced the room,wracking her brains.

"Gurleen,why don't you just sign away the property?"

She looked at him quizzically.

"The business is tainted.Mummy has done a number of unspeakable things in the name of business."

"She set the orphanage ablaze on purpose, didn't she?"she interrupted her brother who sighed and nodded.

"Yes Gurleen.The warden had known your mother or in other words she had been our loose cannon.But the deaths of the children were accidental though."

"As if that makes it better,"she muttered under her breath.

"Princess,just agree to the Brar's conditions. You'll be free off an unwanted burden.Plus you'll annoy mummy to no ends.She'll be spitting fire .I first thought of breaking the wedding but your young man seems nice."

"Unfortunately my hatred for Akaal Singh Brar is greater than my dislike for mummy.He tried to manipulate me once again.And I cannot forgive him for what he did to you."

Her veerji looked trouble.

"Mummy is hoping I call off this marriage,so it's imperative I get married.And Akaal Singh Brar loves his business doesn't he?I have beautiful plans for them ."

"Gurleen,please don't throw away your life for their petty fights.Call off the marriage, leave the business and come with me and your Parjaii.We'll leave this dreadful city behind and start afresh elsewhere."

"How can I do that veerji?After all,the world doesn't revolve around me.I'm tied to the company for the rest of my life."

Her brother sighed at the sarcasm .

"She didn't mean it.She does love you."

"Not as much as she loves you.I will always be dust in front of you.She adopted me only because you loathed the business and a conventional marriage.And no, it's neither your fault nor hers",her voice softened.

"You can't help the way you love.And I'll always be an outsider where the family is concerned.Bit that doesn't mean I'll take things lying down.She dragged me into this,she is more than welcome to face the consequences.And now I believe,I have a fiance to meet."