Daksh's Party
Abhay looked around for Piya but she was nowhere to be seen. There were familiar faces all around – his parents , his friends, his enemies but there was that one face that had just revealed a missing piece of his life and then, disappeared. Damn you, Piya! Where are you? I need to find you , LIKE NOW. Abhay moved past the waiters serving drinks , belly dancers making everyone starry eyed , smiling faces of Kabir , Zeenia and the rest . He spotted Misha talking on phone and went and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and looked at him – giving him a big bright smile.
Misha ( pleasantly )- Hey Abhay! Wazzup ? Nice party, hmm?...( rolls her eyes )… still can't believe am having apple tarts at Daksh's party who has turned my sister into a French Poodle with a pink bow!..
Abhay ( raising his hand )- That later , Misha. Where is Piya? I saw her come in but I don't see her anywhere .
Misha ( looks around )- That is strange, Abhay. Piya came with you, right? Then? …..I haven't seen her around… ( sees that he looks visibly upset and unsettled )….Abhay? Are you okay?
Abhay ( not wanting to answer her as his eyes search the party desperately for the girl in salmon pink )- Later, Misha.
Misha ( trying to stop Abhay as he just zooms off )- Abhay! .. Listen!
But Abhay is lost in the crowd and Misha senses that something is going to go wrong. Hugely wrong. That look in Abhay's eyes – she had seen it very very rarely – but whenever she had , it looked liked the rise of a storm. But why Piya?
"Stop thinking about it because there is nothing you can do."
The voice spills into Misha's ears like cold water and she spins around. Sambhav! His big grey eyes trying to scan her mind as he walks up to her with a glass of rum. As soon as Misha sees Sambhav , Abhay and Piya shift to the back of her mind and Tanushree's image comes gushing to the surface. Misha , gritting her teeth walks upto Sambhav who already knows what is coming.
Misha ( aggressively but keeping her voice low )- Sam! No time for pleasantries , just answer my question for once and all – where is Tanzie?
Sambhav ( sipping his rum and watching the dancers )- How do I know that , Mish? I haven't seen her after that night. And besides , why should you bother and even if you do , stop bothering me.
Just then, they both are joined by Abheer who comes and stands next to Misha .
Abheer ( pretending to sniff the air )- Do I smell Tanushree here ?
Sambhav ( pulling Misha aside )- First , stand 10 inches away from her , Abheer Raichand.
Abheer ( laughs )- Whoa , now that is something, Sambhav! You sure are the most handsome hypocrite I have seen after I last saw myself in the mirror….( Misha looks at Abheer , blinking her doe eyes at him)….don't look at me like that , pretty. Look at your ex-BFF ….Errm, I know Abhay is your new BFF….So, as I was saying , look at him. He is so worried about what I could do to you… ( looking sharply at Sambhav)…. When he himself has no idea what damage he has done to your precious devastatingly beautiful china doll Tanushree.
Sambhhav ( getting angry )- Chuck it, Abheer. Do I look like I even care if you just opened this big mouth of yours and told Misha what I have done?...( clicking a finger in Abheer's face )… I did what anyone else would do if he was in my place. It was the revenge of a werewolf on a vampire he made the mistake of trusting!
Abheer ( putting Sambhav's finger down)- Chill, Sammy. Chill. I have a finger too and raising your voice and justifying your dirty deed is not going to change what you have done….( sharply )…. I don't touch women against their will , even if she is an enemy….( smiles )… anyway , Misha , continue your question-answer rounds with Sam while I go and soothe my eyes on those gorgeous dancers. Have a nice evening….( grins )…. Sammy boy.
Abheer walks away whistling and Sambhav is about to go after him to sock his jaw but Misha grips his hand . Sambhav looks at her and he can see a tigress rising in her eyes.
Misha ( her voice shaky )- Abheer maybe a bas***d of the first order , Sambhav , but he is always honest – brutally honest. I heard him carefully and I think I know what you have done with T. Abheer … ( her throat choking and her eyes clouding with tears )…. Said… said something about touching a woman against her will …..you … you have ….( gulps)… assaulted T?
Sambhav (his face growing darker as he shakes off her hand and looks both hurt and shameless )- Raped . Raped is the appropriate word , Misha. Yes , I did to her … and I have …. ( looks away)… no regrets.
Saying this, Sambhav goes away , leaving Misha frozen to her every vein and tear rolling down her cheeks as all blood and colour drains out of her face……Sambhav's shameless confession is hammering in her head to such an extent that she suffers a blackout – she is about to trip and fall but Angad comes and stops her from falling.
Angad ( worriedly )- Misha! You okay? … Come sit.
Angad makes Misha sit on a chair and she is shivering – her eyes becoming bloodshot and her skin paling out.
Angad ( patting her back )- Misha?
Misha ( looking at Angad in half her senses )- Angad …( putting hand on her heart )…. Something tells me at T is at her home….( wiping her tears and muffling her sobs)…..can you…. Can you drive me to her house?
Angad is shocked at this sudden breakdown of Misha and her shaky state. He doesn't know what to say or how to react but goes with the flow looking at her.
Angad ( bewildered )- Of course I can drive you to T's house, Misha… but… what happened ? We can't leave the party and go just like that. Ruhi forced me to come and…
Misha ( getting up )- Fine! I will go by myself… but I have to see Tanzie right now!...( trying hard not to cry and burst out )… because I care about her!
Angad ( melting )- Okay , okay , okay. Relax. You are in no state to go anywhere on your own, Misha…. ( sees that Ruhi is busy showing off her new dress to her gang and is three beers down)…. She won't even notice that am gone. Alright, Mish. Come along.
Angad takes Misha's hand and cutting through the crowd , they begin to leave. Sambhav sees her go by and Misha gives him a blank look – as if there is no anger ,no venom – an empty vacuum look which says – did I ever know you at all? Sambhav looks away and Abheer laughs internally , fully enjoying the party and the drama that is happening all around him. Sigh! How I love being a handsome bottle of petrol…..he pats his own back.
Restroom
Zeenia looked at Piya with pity and concern written large in her eyes and the impending danger that was to come along now. Zeenia was just a Keeper but how could anyone not feel for Piya looking at the situation that she was in . Zeenia had been literally living with Piya as Anushka and she had seen how madly Piya was in love with Abhay . Meeting him everyday , seeing him with Maithli and telling him that she is just his friend inspite of loving him so deeply . How tough it was for Piya and now, Abhay's questions , his constant tests and her own heart had taken such a toll on her that all her strength had given away and she had ended up telling Abhay half the truth. Well, what half – she had almost told him what had been done to him.
Piya had come running to Zeenia, escaping a shocked and horrified Abhay. She had been a nervous wreck and Zeenia , to avoid anyone seeing what a mess Piya was , especially Kabir and the Dobriyaals , had brought her to a lonesome restroom of the mansion. Piya had come and collapsed in Zeenia's arms – going hysteric and crying that how everything was out of their hands now. How Abhay would go to any extent to find out the truth and how was she going to face him. Zeenia had held her in her arms and calmed her down . Piya had stopped crying now but she was a mess- her face looked like a blotched tomato and her eyes terrorized. Zeenia's face turned pensive as she wiped Piya's face with a wet tissue and lifted her chin to look up at her.
Zeenia ( seriously )- Listen, Piya. You cannot hide in this washroom forever and either Abhay will find you or sooner or later you will have to see him…( taking a deep decisive breath)…. Tell him the whole truth. Nothing will make sense to him and he might even go a tad insane because his memory has been erased but he is fated to know the truth.
Piya ( scared and confused )- He will not be able to take it, Zee. He has been hanging to an emotional precipice in any case… and… and his mind? He converts every hurt emotion into temper – he is not going to trust anyone of us ever again!
Zeenia ( looking into the mirror)- Things went out of hand long ago, Piya. We have moved way beyond any kind of damage control. Abhay and his fate is not in our hands. Abhay is no longer in our hands…. We cannot give his memory back to him because only Anushka can do it – nobody else. So, whatever shit happens now , we just deal with it. Come on, now. Tell Abhay the truth and leave the rest to fate.
Piya understands that they are in an acid test of their relationship with Abhay and they cannot escape it. Yes, Abhay now deserved to know the whole truth.
TO BE CONTINUED…………
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