~:Chapter Five:~
"Inteha Yeh Nafrat Ki Na Mohabbat Ki Samjhiye
Ye Junnon Jo Jala De Dil Zara Hum Bhi Too Kar Ke Dekhe"
Antara'ss POV
"PAPPPAAA!!!!... MOMAAA!!!!..." The lump on my throat was not able to fade my scream. In front of my eyesight, there was only the huge flame which was burning each and every logs of the houseboat. Was it true or just a bad dream?! Was it the end?! My mind was numb and was not able to think anything. Where were they?! Why couldn't I see them?! Where was my family?! I didn't know!...
I was about to jump inside the mossy green water of daal lake when two pair of hands captured me tightly from behind and pull back. "Antara stop it what are you doing?!!!" I heard amir's frustrated scream from behind. "Amir, Aliya leave me!!!!... My family... My momma-pappa...Amir leave me!! Let me Go!!..." as I let out those words loudly out of my breath, my voice chocked due to the tears came down from my eyes. "Antara!!! antara stop it!!!... Are you mad?!! You are going to die if you got inside the water... you don't know how to swim!!" Aliya said loudly grabbing my other hand. I wiggled and jerked with all my strength to got out of their hold and rush back to lake shore. Why they were not letting me go?! My family, they were in danger!! I have to save them!! Those all thoughts were roaming in my mind. In front of my eyes the houseboat was turning into nothing but ashes. After some moments my all limbs got frozen and numb. Only silent tears made their way through down my chicks. I stopped and looked towards the black smoke. It felt like I could see the face of evil in that smoke bearing his fangs towards me and letting out his devilish smile. Like he was telling me that he had taken all happiness of my life away with him. Looking towards those utterly imaginary faces I sink on the floor with wide eyes. What just happened all of a sudden?! And why?! Just before some moment I saw all of them on the balcony of same houseboat cheerfully talking to each other and all of a sudden everything got destroyed. "Antara!!!..." I heard aliya's concerned voice and her hand on my shoulder. My silence was broken by that loud cry came out from my chest. "Antara!!,... antara!!...hold on please" both amir and aliya said from side but I was not in a state to listen. I just crush my head on aliya's embrace and vigorous tears made their way. "Antara please!!... keep quite... shhh shhh.. it's okk!!... Antara samhal apne aap ko..." She said caressing my hairs. I twitched my neck towards the burning houseboat at far. My eyesight was getting blur due to tears. "Aliya!!... hurry up.. we have to go back to the houseboat..." Amir said from side. "What?!!! Are you mad amir?! How can we go there?! See it is all jeopardized." Aliya said looking towards the houseboat still holding me tightly in her embrace. "Aliya.. I want to go there.." I said in feeble voice from her chest. "But antara..." aliya said. "please aliya..." I said in a voice barely audible. I felt like my voice was also fading away. "Aliya I am going.. take care of antara.." amir said and went.
After some few more hours while I came near that houseboat carried by a shikara, nothing was left then. The whole houseboat was almost turned into ashes and the fire was having its last breath. The whole area was covered by police and militaries and they were busy in putting off the remaining fire. A military launch boat stopped our shikara as they restricted the entry of common people rather than defense personnel. "Please sir!! We need to go inside. Her mother and fether was supposed to be in boat." Amir said indicating towards me. I was silently standing there supported in aliya's hold. My eyes were fixed on the burnt house boat. My brain already understood the real fact. If they were inside at the time of blast then there was no chance for them to survive but as our stupid heart never loses hopes, there was still a very small chick of hope there in a impossible thought that might be they were not inside the houseboat at the time of blast. They were not allowing me to go inside. Suddenly I saw a known fig at some distant on a military steamer boat. "cornel uncle!!..." I don't know from where I got back my lost voice. Cornel uncle heard my voice and looked towards us with surprise. He came towards us and was hell shocked finding me there and probably checking in my state. When I informed about my momma-pappa being present on the houseboat just some moment before the blast, I saw tremendous fear in his eyes, even a daredevil cornel like him was afraid. He ordered other officers to clear the pathway as soon as possible. When the fire was totally distinguished at last and the broken and burned logs were removed from the entrance and some militaries went inside at first while we were waiting outside with cornel uncle. After some quick moment, one of them came outside and told something to cornel with a very low voice. Cornel uncles eyes got worried and he looked straightly towards my questioning gaze. I saw something in his eyes which chocked my breath again. "Cornel uncle...what happened?!" I asked in worried voice. I felt I wasn't even breathing. "ohhh nothing!!..." he quickly looked away from my gaze. "Wait here!! I am coming back in few mins.." cornel uncle said. "No I wanted to go inside..." I insisted. "trust me antara... it will be better if you won't go inside. you won't be able to face the scene." Cornel uncle said worriedly. "and what do you think?! If I won't see it will help anyhow?!" I asked in frustration. Cornel uncle didn't answer and just lowered his gaze. "let me see this uncle!! I am ready for anything... how much cruel, how much violent it may be... I will face it!! Don't worry about me uncle... You know me well.. I am not that vulnerable..." I said with determined voice. Cornel uncle looked at my eyes for some moments and then nodded silently. He ordered others to clear the path. Cornel uncle lead me and aliya inside. The whole houseboat was smashed down totally. The heavy air and smoke made me cough. The scene inside was just unbearable. Everything had turned into nothing. The stairs which lead to the Terrence was almost broken. We made our way cautiously trough it. my heart was pounding heavily in fear and anticipation. At last we reached at the Terrence where they were supposed to be. As I came and stood at the middle my eyes frozen! There was nothing left!! The table at the middle was nothing to be seen and only a broken wood piece was remaining. Around that broken would piece, three bodies were lying on the floor without any stress of life. Those bodies were still burning in the fire about to blow off soon. They were hard to recognize. The blood was covered on the floor. A huge wind came from the side of daal lake and blow of the fire. I recognized the almost burned feature of my mamma, pappa and noor appa in first chance. I heard the gasps of aliya and cornel uncle from my both sides. Surprisingly no reactions came from my side as if I was not able to even react. My steal eyes were fixed towards the burned body of my family lying in front of me on the floor. "Antara..." I felt aliya's shaking hand on my shoulder. I firmly held her hand all of a sudden and she gasped probably feeling the coldness in my touch. Cornel uncle ordered his men to remove their bodies. Afteer some moments, some military peoples removed their bodies in stretcher and I just continued to look at them till there was nothing left rather than the blood spots on the floor. Cornel uncle and other army officers started to investigate the place. I was standing there at the same spot looking towards the blood spots on the floor, the last remaining of my family. "Antara, what happened to you?!... are you okk?! ANTARA!!" Aliya jerked my hands. My whole feature started to shook tremendously all of a sudden. What was that?!! I didn't know... like a black curtain was slowly dropping in front of my eyesight. An utter coldness and shiver was spreading throughout my nerve. I couldn't define that state in words. It felt like all rays of the earth was fading away from my eyesight and I was falling inside an endless dark pit. "Antara!!... antara...ohh god!!!..." Aliya's worried voice faded from my ears as I collapsed on the ground losing my sense.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the bed of my room. Aliya was seating at my side and looking towards me with worried face. "thank god!! You are awake..." she said in relived voice. I looked everywhere with dumb gaze. Where was everyone?! Pappa, mamma... appa?!! I was hell confused but suddenly I remembered everything!! The ear deafening sound of blast, those huge fires and black smoke, their burning bodies and those bloods. My feature started to shook immediately. "I should inform amir, mayank and other's they were hell worried." Aliya said. "ALIYA!!!!..." I said in broken voice and looked towards her face. Aliya looked at me and her eyes became more worried. I caught her hand in my tight grip and suddenly broke out. My whole feature jerked up as silent tears came out from my eyes. "antara!! hold on yaar... it's fine!!..." aliya said in soothing voice squeezing my hands. "Aliya...!!!" I couldn't say anything further. My tears were not ready to slow down anyhow. "Shhh!!... I understand ... don't worry I am here..." she said caressing my hairs. I felt a bit lighter by her soothing voice. I slowly wake up and looked outside through the window it was dark already, like it engulfed my life forever! I slowly brushed my tears and tried to be normal, "aliya how long I was..." I asked slowly. "it's almost 8 pm antara. You lose your sense there. We brought you to doctor. Doctor said you had nerve failure and need complete rest. So we thought it's better to take you here." She said. "thanks.." I said in dry voice. "don't be antara... it's what friends do..." she said keeping her hand on my shoulder. I looked at the wall where my whole family's picture was hanged. My momma, pappa, appa all were smiling towards me and I felt like they would just come out from other room surprising me like always. Like it was a bad dream and nothing happened actually. But alas it was all true in full sense. Suddenly a fire burned inside me. My jaw hardened as I felt a huge rage and wishes to burn down those bitches who were the cause of the brutal murder of my family. "ALIYA... what's the news about that blast?! Was it disclosed that who were behind that?!" I asked looking towards her. Aliya was startled at my hard gaze and sharp voice all of a sudden. She just blinked dazedly looking at my face. "Aliya I asked you something!!" I told her again in that same hard tone. "Well no... I called cornel uncle but he didn't disclose anything. Besides, there is no news about any terrorist groups who were suspected to be behind the blast." She said. "I have to talk to cornel uncle.." I said suddenly going down from bed. "Antara stop... where are you going?!!" aliya said worriedly. I felt my feet stumbled as I came down from the bed and I was about to fall back again. I somehow regained my balance holding the wooden frame of the bed. "Antara you were still weak... hold on..." aliya rushed towards me and supported me. "How?!!!" again a sob burst out from my chest, "how can I hold myself aliya. They killed my family... they snatched my each and every happiness... I just can't hold back and seat here silently like others do. It's enough aliya... IT'S ENOUGH!!!..." I cried out again. "Antara please!!... don't say like that..." she said holding my utterly shaking feature. "no aliya... I want to know about those people who killed my family I want to ask them why they did so..." I said in broken voice. "Antara... please keep quiet for now. Ishan is on the other room..." Aliya said. "what??... ishan??!!!" I was shocked to hear that. "yes, he just came back for hostel and he knows everything.." aliya said in grieve voice. "how?!! Who told hom about the blast?" I said in dazed tone. "no one told him antara... but the news was pread all over in the Shrinagar like fire. It is now the breaking news of all news bulletins in the country." She informed me. The mention of my little brother made my heart flutter. I could think about those devils later but still there was someone who needed me most. My little brother Ishan!!. I came out from my room and slowly moved towards his room. I was startled when I saw his room was dark. I entered inside and found and found ishan standing near the window looking towards the sky. I slowly moved towards him and looked to his little face. The broken, sad, innocent eyes made my heart break into several pieces. "Ishan!!" I caressed my hand through his hairs. Ishan gave me a dumb gaze. For a whole long time we continued to look inside each other's eyes trying to detect our thoughts but failed. Might be, we were not even thinking anything and our minds were totally blank. "Didu!!..." she said in chocked voice after long moment. "Haan ishan bol naa..." I asked eagerly. "Didu, do you remember what momma used to say?..." he looked back to the sky, "she told us that the people who left us becomes Stars and if we look towards the stars at night sky we can watch them." he said in slow voice. His words were again making my eyes moist. I backed them greeting my teeth. "Ishan look at me.." I said in firm voice. he looked towards me. "They didn't left us ishan... they are still with us.." I said holding his chicks. "What are you saying didu?!" he looked at me startled. "close your eyes ishan!!" I told him. he looked confused. "please ishan.." I said in firm voice. he closed his eyes without any words. "now you can see them in your heart!.." I said in tender voice caressing his hairs. After some silent moment a small smile spread on ishan's face. I understood that he saw them. I hugged him tightly while silent moist drops welded from my eyes and ran down my chicks. I looked at the sky where the stars were shinning so brightly. I saw three stars on the sky who were particularly looked shinning brightest. As if like they were smiling towards us!
The days past like bizarre. I have to face the interrogations of armies, police and intelligence people. But the most irritating thing was media peoples. I didn't know from where they came to know that someone from that family escaped the blast and they were searching madly for me. Thanks to cornel uncle and his influence that she gave me protection and securities and never revealed my name in front of media people. I was so grateful to him for that. The last thing I want to tolerate the irritating questions of media people while I was recoiling myself. I was calm from outside but the fire inside me was increasing violently each and every day. Every night when I was in bed, I observed my families photograph and determined my mind to finish all of those demons off who took away my lovable family from me. I didn't know who were they, didn't even have the slightest idea that how I would punish them, but I would fine them and detroy them with my own hand. I took oath each and every night to my lost family and spend the whole night tossing on the bed without a sleep. I am also grateful to have friends like Aliya, Amir, Mihika and Mayank. They and their families were always supportive to me on that hard time. If they were not there at that moment I would never be able to stand up on my own feet. Mummy Ji and Mmma ji called from Mumbai and they were ready to come and take me out imeadiately. But I stopped them saying that the condition was very worse. It wouldn't be safe for them if they come. They insisted so much but I was determined not to leave so soon. How can I leave before knowing the name of theose peoples who killed them?!!
After some weeks I was in mayank's house in an evening. Cornel uncle and CBI officer mr pradhan was present there along with me and mayank. "what?!! Still you can't detect who are the behind the blast?!" I asked with wide eyes. "We are really sorry miss antara kaul. But we are trying hard and we will detect that soon. Actually no terrorist groups had announced publicly that they were in charge of the blast." Mr pradhan said. "Wow!!! So you are waiting for the murderer to come out and tell on his own that he did the crime. Wonderful!!!" I couldn't control myself and burst out. "Antara... hold on yaar.." mayank said from side. "I am sorry I am being rude..." I apologized to mr pradhan, "but it's really intolerable to me now. So many days have been past and still not a single clue about the blast?!! HOW?" I asked. "no not like that.. we got something. a gift box in a very massacred condition. And we are sure that the bomb was kept inside that." Mr pradhan said. "Gift box?!!" I was utterly surprised. "Yes antara a gift box.." cornel uncle moved forward and told me, "we got the gift box from the spot and mr pradhan have certified my doubt." He finished. "But I don't remember that me or mr bajaj's family carried any gift box there.." I said. "that means, that gift box was kept there secretly by some other persons whom you probably didn't see.." r pradhan said with thoughtful face, "you know antara... that same houseboat was hired by mr mansukhani!! A very rich and famous businessman of Mumbai! But he canceled at last moment and then mr bajaj hired that..." mr pradhan said. " yes I know about the fact..." I said. Mr pradhan drove into a deep thought. "I wonder, who could keep that bomb in the house boat. Someone must had seen him. He might not be invisible!!" cornel uncle wandered. Suddenly an incident flashed into my mind and I remembered him. That shameless lad whom I saved from falling in the stairs of houseboat and who dragged me in the lone corner of neheru park just to know my name. God!! Why didn't I thought that before?!! Who was he and what was he doing there at that moment?! Could that be... I couldn't think further as I felt shiver down my spine. "cornel uncle, mr pradhan I saw someone in the boat on that day, he was not probably from mr bajaj's side and from my side. And he didn't even seemed local person. He seemed outsider. I never saw him before!" I told hurriedly. "What?!!" mr pradhan came out from the thought. I told him about the incident shortly. "Antara.. can you give me his description?! I mean how does he look?! Any speciality about him, tell me everything you remember." Mr pradhan said. He didn't know that how thoroughly I observed him and remind his each and every detail clearly. So I gave his full description to mr pradhan. His eyes widened as I told everything. He quickly let out a paper cutting from his pocket. "look at the photo thoroughly and tell me is he the person?!" he asked quickly. I looked at the photo. There was a lady standing in the crowd wearing black saree and joining her hands towards people with a smile on her face, but that smile looked faked somehow. The hard coldness in her eyes was something looked really devilish. And beside her, there stood a man. My eyes widened as I noticed him. I couldn't even talk for a moment when I can't utter a single word. "miss antara?!!" mr pradhan asked. "SIR!!! HE IS THE PERSON!!!" I said out of my breath. "ohh god!!! So my doubt was true!!" mr pradhan almost stroke his head. "what happened?!" cornel uncle asked. "The lady in that photo is Daya Naik. The owner of naik basti and may be one of the most popular persons in Mumbai. She was quite famous allover the city and links with so many high rank officers and politicians. You could say the whole Mumbai city is in her hand. And that person is Raghunath Naik.. Her foster son and her most obedient follower!! You can say her right hand. But we had doubts that Daya Naik is related with the underworlds and antisocial activities in the country. But we couldn't get proper proof for that and as you know due to her inner links it becomes harder for us to trap her. We were informed that for some days there is a sign of rivalry between mansukhani and daya naik.. We also had secret information that she might try to kill mansukhani!! So now I am quite sure that daya naik had planted that bomb through raghunath naik's hand for mansukhani but your family get victim of that blast..." mr pradhan said in single breath. I sat their frozen looking towards him with wide eyes. "I have to inform in main branch... cornel please come with me..." Mr pradhan Requested. "Yeah sure... mayank, come with uss..." cornel uncle said. mr pradhan and cornel uncle went out of the room followed by mayank. I was seating on the lobely room all alone. Mr pradhan's voice was still echoing in my ear. I looked towards the paper cutting still in my hand. That same arrogant and mischief mixed look in his face, same posture with so much dominating presence. A sad laugh came out of my lips. "So, RAGHUNATH NAIK!!!!." my jaw hardened as I uttered his name and I felt the burn inside my heart. "You are the one who was the messenger of death for my family!! you are the one who planted that bomb?!!!" my words getting harder and mocker. I looked at the fireplace burning at a side. I rolled the paper in my feast smashing it with all my power then throw the paper in between the flames with all my force. The paper caught the fire immediately. "And now it's my turn to burn your life just like you did to me... I swear, I will pay back each and every pain and grief you have given me. And If I have to sacrifice my life for that I will do that without any coast." I uttered greeting my teeth hard. My voice drenched with the hatred while I saw the fire engulfing the impression of his face on the paper and turning that into nothing but ashes.
Ps: Now ab defo iss chpter ke liye sab mujhe juta chappal marne wale hain... as well as it was long and also so much depressing. sorry all!!😭.. want to get over the parts soon so i finished them in single chapter cause i know if i drag them more you will become more frustrated. sorry for that. Ab jharu chappal jisse jo marne hain aa jaon.. hum taiyar hain...🤢
