Advay-Chandni ~ Claimed~PART 6 IS UP ON PAGE 13 - Page 7

Dev's return to Mumbai had been relatively uneventful. Although he had finally cleared his parents name and had at last fulfilled his revenge, a feeling of apprehension and anxiousness was tugging at his heart. He couldn't comprehend what it was. It had been 3 weeks since the event, and he still couldn't get a certain Vashisth out of his mind. Her ethereal face would creep into his mind more than once and he would constantly worry about her well-being, although he'd never admit it.

A constant war would be waging in his mind and in the depths of his soul. Although the Advay in him left Allahabad without showing any concern for his wife, the Dev in him creeped up as soon as he arrived in Mumbai. He had told Murli to remain in Allahabad so that he would remain informed about the events that conspired after his departure. Although the majority of the Vashishth clan was behind bars, those who were innocent were now settled in Banaras. This included the Vashisth sisters and their Mama. Apparently, once the events had transpired, the occupants of Allahabad had become highly hostile towards the remaining Vashisths, which led to the family shifting to Banaras.

Although Advay had left the family practically homeless, he had ensured that a minimum amount of security would be present at the Vashisth premises until it was vacated, so that they wouldn't face the wrath of the locals. He had seen what they were capable of. They had burnt his mother right in front of him, and just the thought of any harm befalling Chandni, made him queasy.

His Nani had been eerily quiet during these three weeks and so had Pooja. Leela Mausi was gloating with delight and Advay found a companion in her. She was perhaps the only one who supported his decision of abandoning Chandni after marrying her, while Pooja treated her brother with utter distaste and had even reprimanded him at several occasions for making the decision that he did.

He had been signing some files when his Nani entered his room and told Murli to give them some privacy. All the humour and affection which was a prominent part of her aura was gone. Once Murli had left the room and closed the door behind him, she turned to him and asked a question to which he had no answer.

"Why did you consummate your marriage if you had no intention of remaining married to her?, Nani stated in a tone which was devoid of any emotion.

"Nani... how..uh... how do you know? Advay asked in a perplexed tone. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with his Nani and he felt an acute sense of shame and embarrassment wash over him.

"Main bewkoof nahi hoon, Advay. I am aware that you had sexual relations with her prior to marriage. Beta, doosro par keechad uchalne se pehle apne aap ko parakhna zaroori hai. You called her characterless in front of an entire audience. Tumhe sharam nahi aayi ? Nani was practically shaking, not able to digest the fact that her educated, London-return grandson had such a regressive mindset.

"Nani, please. I didn't mention that fact that I had relations with her prior to our marriage even once. Maine bas uske illegitimate bacche ki baat ki thi. And Nani, please don't compare me to Chandni. Haan, maine zaroor girlfriends rakhi hai but never and I mean never, would I abandon my own child. Advay stated, his voice shaking with repressed anger. He couldn't belive his Nani was reprimanding him for abandoning that back-stabber.

"Jhoot bolte ho tum, Advay. Beta, tum apne aap se chaahe jitna jhoot bolo, apni Nani se kuch nahi chupa sakte. Are you trying to tell me, it doesn't bother you that she had a lover besides you ? Are you trying to tell me, ki tumhe ye baat nahi chubti ki, shaayad, tumhare alava, uske zindagi main ek aur mard tha, who she loved enough to bear a child ? Nani asked in a curious tone, already being aware of the answer.

Her suspicion was confirmed when she heard a glass being thrown across the room. Her grandson's anger was palpable. He was obviously unsettled at the thought of Chandni, his Chandni having a lover besides him.

Nani placed a comforting hand on his leg and ushered him to put his head on her lap. That is when his dam broke. All the feelings that he had kept repressed for so long, all the anger that was gnawing at his heart, came out in the form of salty tears, that were leaking from his eyes at a fast pace.

"Cheeku, mere bacche, tum iss baar galat ho. Tune Vashishth parivar se badla liya, maine kuch nahi kaha. Tune Chandni se shaadi ki, main chup rahi. Par leaving Chandni after consummating your marriage, beta meri tumse ye umeed nahi thi. Tu nahi jaanta ek ladki pe kya beet ti hai jab usse koi aise chod deta hai. It's the biggest betrayal you could have given her, beta. You've scarred her beyond repair. And no matter what she did as an eight year old, nothing and I mean nothing, justifies what you did to her. And no matter what you say Cheeku, I fail to believe that, that child is Chandni's. Beta woh kisi ko bachaane ki koshish kar rahi hai. Tu abhi samajh nahi raha, par main jaanti hoon. Main bhi Maa hoon, Cheeku. Main samajhti hoon ek Maa aur bacche ka rishta. That child isn't Chandni's. Nani stated, her own voice quaking with unshed tears.

As Nani presented arguments in defence of Chandni, a memory came to his mind. He remembered the first time he had made love to her. She looked so unsure, so innocent, not even close to someone who had made love to a man before. He remembered how she had grabbed his shoulders in slight fright when he had finally entered her, and the blood that had coated his sheets afterwards.He had written it off to her menstruating. There was no way it was her first time... right? Obviously it wasn't, Advay concluded. He had seen the orphanage accounts himself. She was clearly the heartless girl who had abandoned her own child. But more than her abandoning her child, the Dev in him felt betrayed. How dare she be intimate with someone ? He had always assumed that it was his right and his right alone, to touch her in the most intimate ways and to fulfill her most primal desires.But... she had betrayed him in more ways than one... and he absolutely loathed her for it.

Advay lifted his head from his Nani's lap and wiped his remaining tears.

"Nani. Bas. Ab woh hamesha ke liye mere zindagi se chali gayi hai. No need to mention her again. He said in a cold tone.

She stood from the chair and donned a mask of iron as well. She loved her grandson, but his recent actions had left her feeling ashamed and angry. Angry that he could desert an innocent girl like Chandni, without even reconsidering his actions.

"Theek hai, Advay. But mark my words. You have harmed an innocent girl. A modest and virtuous girl, who made no mistake except trusting her conniving step-mother. You don't realise it now, but one day, her loss will destroy you.

And with those words hanging in the air, she left the room.

That day came two weeks after, when Meghna Vashishth arrived at Advay's residence with documents and a letter in her hand.

~

He was out in the balcony, smoking a cigarette when he heard the commotion downstairs. He could hear Leela Mausi's furious shrieks from his room.

"What the hell is going on? Advay murmured, a frown marring his face as he thought of what had upset his Mausi so badly.

When he reached the scene however, he comprehended his Mausi's anger at once.

Standing at the entrance of the Raizada house, was Meghna Vashishth, a cold and passive expression adorning her face.

Advay felt a surge of anger fill him. How f**king dare she. He was about to tell her to get out, but Meghna stopped him, lifting her hand. The pure fury radiating from her frame, stopped him in his tracks.

"Five minutes, Advay spat, his tone filled with malice and fury "Five f**king minutes for you to say whatever you want to say. Then get the f**k out.

"Tum toh aise bol rahe hai jaise I am interested in talking to you. Tumko kya lagta hai ? I don't give a damn about you, jija ji. Aaj main yahan tumhare false allegations ko clear karne aayi hoon. Mujhe toh tumhari shakal dekhni ki iccha bhi nahi thi, par kya karoon, Mama forced me to tell you the truth in person. she hollered, revulsion and disgust quoting her tone. She took a deep breath and carried on. " The child... the child that you found in the orphanage, he was mine, not jiji's, her eyes welling up at her confession.She felt an acute sense of shame wash over her. Not because her child was born out of wedlock but because she had allowed her sister to bear the brunt of her foolish mistakes. "His father..well, we... we eloped but he eventually left me for someone else. When I returned and found out about my pregnancy, well... Chandni jiji.. she decided to take the blame,Meghna stated in a morose tone. " Agar tumko ab bhi shak hai, toh ye lo, here are the medical reports and the hospital reports from the day he was born. If you still think we have forged these, you can go and cross-check the orphanage reports as well. Although Jiji had written her name in place of mine, the blood group and medical details written in the records belong to me. I don't know if you remember but Jiji is a universal donor. Unka blood group O negative hai. Orphanage accounts main, mother ka blood group B positive likhwaya gaya hai, jo mera blood group hai.

At this piece of information, a light bulb went off in his head. How could he forget her blood group. He still remembered how proud she was of the fact that she was a universal donor. " Hum O negative waale bade dayaalu hote hain Dev ! Sabko khoon dete hai par sirf apno ka khoon lete hai. She would exclaim in that childlike voice of hers.

"Agar tumko aur bhi proof chahiye toh tum hospital accounts bhi dekh sakte ho. I was admitted in The Allahabad local hospital on 20th January at 6:05 am. I gave birth to my son at 11:08 am and he was admitted into the orphanage at 5:03 pm on the same day. She sighed, her tone wry. Meghna was so exhausted. So sick of monstrous men jilting their trusting, pregnant counterparts. She had gone through that hell and now her kind, selfless and angelic sister had to go through the same ordeal. As she looked up to gauge the reaction of the devil incarnate, she was surprised to see his moist eyes.

"One day, her loss will destroy you. His Nani's words rung in his ears as he realised the heinous mistake he had committed. The Advay inside him stood silent while the Dev in him was raging. Raging at how he had failed to understand his Chandni. Raging at how he had not only failed to protect her, but had been the source of her humiliation. Silent tears made their way down his face and he crushed the cigarette in his palm, welcoming the burn that accompanied it. His promise of scratching Chandni's tormentor's eyes out came to his mind and he felt like gauging his own eyes out. How could the business tycoon and math genius miss out such important details ?

It all fell into place now. Chandni's clueless actions when he first made love to her. The blood that stained the sheets afterwards, being the biggest proof that Dev was in fact, her first and only lover. Chandni's silence when he had labelled her as a "characterless girl. And what about... he gasped. "Meghna.. when was.. when was she kidnapped? Dev rasped, his tone filled with equal amounts of concern and anger. He felt overwhelming concern for Chandni, his heart sunk as he realised that she had experienced excruciating pain, her tale of her head being forcefully submerged under water sprung to his mind and he immediately felt his stomach twist in discontent. He felt like retching today's lunch when he thought of the extent of torture she had been forced to endure. But all this was overpowered by the immense fury that he felt. His anger directed at the man who had subjected his wife to this torture. "I'll f**king kill him, Advay thought to himself, already working out what he had to do to get the man traced and punished for his crimes.

"The kidnapping that you claimed was a farce?, Meghna grated in an accusatory tone and Advay lowered his head in shame. "You made a spectacle out of her pain. You mocked her suffering. And now you expect me to divulge details? Sorry, jija ji, but my five minutes are over and most importantly, I don't wish to share my sister's pain with a man who discarded her like a piece of trash. I only came here on Mama Ji's insistence to clear my side of the story. He's sent a letter for you, whether you wish to read it or dispose of it, is your prerogative. From today onwards, you're dead to us anyway. Meghna thundered, depositing the documents and the letter in his hand.

With a final resentful glance at Leela Mausi, she stormed out of the haveli, leaving a broken Advay and a guilty Leela behind her.

~

Dear Dev,

I am writing this letter, hoping that you'll read it. If you wish to contact me after reading this letter, I have written my contact details below.

Foremost, I wish to clear a few misunderstandings that you may still have with regards to Chandni. If you're reading this letter, you're well aware that Chandni did not have a child out of wedlock. Her silence on the day of the reception was merely a ploy to protect her sister. Besides that, I wish to tell you that Chandni has been innocent throughout this whole ordeal. Chandni, did in fact see your mother flying. Or to rephrase , her Mausi had donned your mother's sari and was suspended in the air by Indrani and Kajal. And that is precisely what Chandni saw. I know that you have gone through unimaginable pain. You lost your parents and your brother and your revenge is justified. But executing that revenge by humiliating Chandni was cruel. Beyond cruel.

That poor child has seen nothing but misery after you left Allahabad. She was always mistreated by the Vashishth family and outsiders alike, and even I am guilty of not being able to defend her. Today I wish to share a piece of information which Chandni herself is unaware of. Her kidnapping was orchestrated by Indrani Vashisth herself ! Don't be surprised my child. That woman couldn't even spare her step-child ! She paid a goon to kidnap Chandni and have her tortured. She wanted to Chandni to be fearful of everyone and everything except her family, a feat which she managed to achieve.

My motive for writing this letter, however, was something else altogether. Although I earn a decent amount, it isn't enough to sustain three women. And Chandni requires greater medical attention now, the reason being... she's pregnant, Advay. You're well aware that the child is yours. And even if you don't wish to be involved in Chandni's and your child's life, you are legally bound to provide both of them a minimum amount of income so that they can sustain themselves. Chandni is not aware that I am writing this letter. Your abandonment has left her so broken, that she refuses to even utter your name, but as her Mama, and as her well-wisher, I felt it was my duty to inform you about her pregnancy. But I must warn you, my child. As of now, she harbours nothing but distrust and anger towards you. If you wish to re-unite with her once again, you must redeem yourself in her eyes. If you plan to put her through misery and heartache once again, don't bother coming at all. Chandni's extremely fragile as of now, both emotionally and physically and any additional stress will result in both hers and her child's demise.

I am truly sorry you lost your parents Dev. I hope you find peace and happiness in whatever you pursue.

Regards,

Neeraj Vashisth

~

"Akash, Advay barked, his business persona coming to the forefront as he conversed with his secretary. "Book a flight for Banaras ASAP, I am reaching the airport in an hour.