Chapter 1

[MEMBERSONLY]

Hey everyone! 

This is an old one-shot. I had written it in July last week but it was never posted as better ones had followed. Today I thought of sharing it when I came across it while browsing a folder. 

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Lately Prerna had been seeing Mr Bajaj in an entirely original light, with every new incident frantic to break the image she had moulded of him, the latter buttressed largely by perceptions and biased fancies enforced by others. Seeing the man with his daughter had been the first major step towards the realization that she had been awfully wrong about him and his intentions. And a LOT had taken place after that. This development had compelled her to outstretch her limits and to find out what precisely he sought against Basus, and why? Today was the day when the ugly and agonizing truth had stood bare before her shocked self. Moloy Basu, green with envy, and in a bid to attain quick success against his much-superior arch-rival, had stooped and trapped Rishabh’s father in a lowly scheme, ending the latter’s successful and reputed run in the publishing industry. Marred by humiliation and defeat, the victim had succumbed to a deadly heart attack, leaving his miserable wife and a 12-year old boy to battle the world alone.

That’s why Mr Bajaj had vowed to destroy the Basus. But was the second generation at fault? Did they deserve to be locked behind purgatorial rods to repent for the deeds committed by their elders? No. But then even Mr Bajaj wasn’t at fault, neither was his unsuspecting, victimised family that fell prey to one man’s lust for money and illicit fame.

Struggling with questions, conflicts, and still shocked over the revelation, Prerna held her throbbing head when suddenly the guilt of her own conduct towards him impaled her hard. She sat brooding over it all and failed to take note of the passing hours. A thundering suddenly broke her reverie and she realized it’s 9:30 already. She needed to talk to him.

“The rainstorm would finally quench this urban desert.” A delighted passer-by remarked.

Attorney Mehra had already informed his boss of his wife’s recent activities.

Prerna entered his study and beheld him slumped into his huge chair, staring into nothingness with his masculine fingers lightly playing with a bottle of alcohol placed nearby. The sight before her eyes pierced her heart like glass shards and it took every ounce of courage to gather herself and speak.

“Mr Bajaj…I…” she whispered.

He stared at her blankly, while she conscientiously watched for a trace of another emotion, to comprehend what was going on in his mind. Failing to find any, and unable to bear the silence, she felt her desperation choking her, with the delay repetitively stabbing her frail patience.

After her tolerance perished, her hesitant tone stirred the air again. “You…want some coffee?”

“I don’t think I do.” He finally spoke and lit a cigar, the smoke over his face bestowing him with a menacing yet irresistible appearance. He was a mystery she was keen on solving.

“I thought I’d give you company.” She softly voiced with lowered gaze before looking into his eyes with great expectations.

Mildly surprised, he beheld her. The hope and honest concern brimming in her eyes further loosened his hold upon the bottle and he withdrew with a sigh.

Prerna interpreted this gesture as an approval, and quickly returned with two cups of coffee. She held his hand and guided him to the couch

Handing over a cup to him, she sat closer, carefully observing the minutest details that would allow her to delve into his psyche.She couldn’t read this man. Though they were certainly more than strangers, he was still an enigma to her. But today she was determined to unravel his secret side. Her gaze was a fresh affair for him, but he did nothing to avert it.

“Nice coffee.”

His compliment broke her trance.

“Hmm…oh…thanks!”

“Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“About what?” His tone established he had mastered the art of being apathetic.

“You know what I’m talking about.” Her voice almost choked with this sentence as the horror of her husband’s past gripped her.

“Do you think we are there yet? I mean, despite everything that happened, we are still two strangers forced into cohabitation by our personal ambitions. How could I possibly burden you with my most intimate secrets without your interest?”

Prerna was speechless. He was right. Though she was aware of the existence of a miserable past shared by her husband and her deceased mother-in-law, she had never really made attempts to know about it.She was so engrossed in thinking about undeserving people that she had been a terrible failure in this department.

 “The world is not what you like to view, Prerna, it’s not black and white. The world is full of too many shades of grey, so am I.”

“I told you I’m not a saint, wasn’t meant to be. I despise those hypocritical saints you are…were associated with. And you know,even those saints have dark grey skins hidden under the garb of shallow holiness. I can clearly behold that lurking under all the sham.” With this, his tone became louder, aggressive, and dominating.

“I know I’m selfish, manipulative, and home to several other vices. But I’m clear and unapologetic about it.”

Rishabh got up and walked near the window, seeking comfort in the darkness of clouds that somehow mirrored the darkness within him. 

Desperate to continue the conversation, Prerna followed him there.

“But why did you lock yourself in a shell? Pain is meant to be shared with…”

“With whom?” With this he turned his face in her direction. There were traces of rashness in his tone, lent by decades of experiences in this brutal world. This time she could clearly see scars of an old pain.

“Everyone faded out of my sight and I realized I didn’t need those treacherous wretches. I allow an army of deceiving swindlers into my corporate life because I have the power to trample those wretches before they even imagine suffocating me out of greed. It’s my sadistic delight and I revel in it. Power is the only thing that works in your favour. Unfortunately, I learnt it when I saw my father’s corpse and my mother’s agony. Since then I’ve lived all alone and it has been so satisfying.”

“But Mr Bajaj…” she tried to speak but words failed her. How could she possibly convince him otherwise when he was right in his place?

“But you know…” With this his voice softened, and lured his listener into staring at his face with deep, unsaid emotions. Staring at him, Prerna felt as if he was under a spell cast by looming ghosts of his past.Not looking entirely conscious of the present, the man then uttered,

“It was so hard.”

“Whenever I beheld happy families in their moments of undiluted joy, envy rushed to my consciousness, not because I despised the sight before my eyes, but because I was robbed off of my share of the same joy.People would rush in mad joy while I’d dwell in my realm of silent darkness,imposed upon me by alleged saints.”

She could feel the transition in him despite it being largely guarded by years of rashness first experienced and later inflicted by him upon offenders as well as unsuspecting victims. His last statement tugged her heartstrings, and in that moment, she felt a strong desire to envelope him into a tight embrace, letting him cry his heart out while confessing all his sorrows and fears to her. He should know he’s no longer alone.

“Let’s go downstairs.”

His soft, caressing voice slowly broke her light trance.

“Hmm…”

Rishabh turned around to leave while his wife struggled with conflicts over what to do next. Sands of time were constantly creeping out of her tightly clenched fists. She had to end the conflict, now!

“Stop!” She let out a whimper, making him cease and turn around in surprise. He was confused regarding the actual feelings in her mind. However, he was sure when it came to himself, that he didn’t desire her pity.

She moved towards him while he stood with an expression displaying a mixture of mild confusion and ignorance.

Finally reaching him, she pulled him into their first embrace entirely initiated by her, loaded with genuine care and unspoken promises. Breaking it after a few moments, she rested her palms on his shoulders and stared deep into his eyes, very much conscious of his increasing perplexity,as well as of her own racing heartbeat and the rising heat between them. The lightning illuminated the dark room and his handsome features tempted her into a sea of newborn feelings she couldn’t fathom.

“You are not alone.”

“I know.”

“I…friends?”

“Yeah! I guess I never made that offer and we are enemies.” He teased and she remembered the time when he had lent her his handkerchief and said he was willing to listen to her as a friend without despicable judgements. Alas! She had been distant.

“Can’t I renew the ties with newfound feelings?” she shot back.

“Forever.” He said with tenderness in his tone.

Comfortable, they embraced each other again and refused to part for a long time, oblivious to the storm outside. 

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[NOCOPY]