I am very sorry for the delay in posting ...something unexpected came up and you know how that goes 😉😉😉
A big thank you to everyone clicks the like and reviews and a huge thank you goes to my friends who have constantly been here for me by requesting an update ...that has been my only biggest motivation ..without your requests I would have let my thoughts slide for another month at least ...
This chapter was a bit difficult to write, I had to delete and rewrite so it made sense...trying rush through so I can bring Jalal to his son and Jo quickly ...then the real drama ... :)
Anyways, I hope you like how this story is going ...
Thanks once again
Love you all
Prema
Chapter 20
Sleep didn't come night as she tossed and turned as usual, something Jo went through every night, but tonight it seemed extra painful ...remembering every single gossip she read, every single picture she saw of him and Rukiaya, in all the pictures he wore dark ray ban glasses making him look more handsome, cool and sexy ... he seemed to have adjusted well to his disability and was back in the limelight as a partying billionaire, he was still married to Rukiaya, he never divorced her, his memory lapse had phased her out of his life ... he was moving on, Jo genuinely wanted him to be happy even if that meant giving up her chances of being together with him ever again... Jo feels a heaviness weighing her down deep down as images of her life with Jalal flashes across her, remembers the first time she had sex after agreeing to be his mistress ...on his private yacht ... way his hands clasped around hers, holding them above her head on the mattress, he was sweet, gentle and slow, the fire in his eyes as he cautiously took her to climax ... laying underneath him ...basking in bliss, knowing her love him made her surrender to his wishes ...their sex life was amazing ...Jalal was in a horny mood every time they were together, a constant honeymoon period ...he made her feel sexy, made her feel wanton and free, like she was created just for him ...
Tears roll down her cheeks as she continues to wonder how he could have completely changed back to his old self, wonders if his amnesia is real ... if thinks about her ...if he still remembers their passion ...the news gossips tidbits, ... stop thinking about it, she scolds herself mentally trying to focus on sleep, but she could not stop thinking about him ...her life with Jalal kept replaying in her mind over and over again ...
Sobs rocked her body...she does her best to muffle her sobs, ...hears footsteps outside her door several times throughout the night ... she would have to think of something new to tell her in the morning ...
The morning brought a lot of surprises...
When she came down for breakfast
"Jodha" Her father's gruff voice ... "Jodha, beti" he stood looking at her disbelievingly
"Hi, Bapusa" she whispers quietly, then runs into his arms, hugging him cries her heart out
"Jodha, beti" he whispers again
"Yes bapusa, it's me" she cries
"sshhh beti, it's okay, it's okay for us to cry ...we are all hurting, do you believe me?"
Jo nods into his chest as his arms enveloped her tight "good, let it out, just cry and let it out" he whispers wiping away his tears...moments later
She silently walks into the other room with her father ...her father watches her not taking his eyes of her as if she might disappear ... finally he sits on the sofa next to her, lets out a deep sigh ...continues to stare, keeping her nerves on the edge ...he remains silent ...
"Beti" he finally speaks breaking the silence, hesitates ... "I know I am just your father, you are an adult and you decided to live your life on your terms ... so I don't know much about your personal life after Jalal's accident ... but I want you to know that we miss you very much, we missed you every day ... from what Mr Suleman tells me, you are their daughter in law's sister but on your passport you are their daughter in law ...they did not want to hurt you by asking, it may seem like there are a lot of uncertainties in life but ... I do know Salim is Jalal's son ... and you are hurting inside ...and no matter what, we will support you "
Tears fall down her cheeks, she didn't wipe them away, as shame and embarrassment rushes through her body as she tried to explain recalling her mother's word when she came home hurt and angry from Jalal's bed the first time ... "what masa said became true...I was pregnant and unmarried and the baby's father was not in the picture ... I wanted to go into hiding for a little while and slowly get in touch with you because I was afraid..., he ... Rukiaya's father, threatened to destroy you all if I told anyone about what happened ... then I found out I was pregnant ... I thought you'd be disappointed in me, force me to have an abortion, I was afraid if Mr Sultan or Rukiaya found out they would kill me and my baby" tearfully Jo opens her heart out to her father ...
She looks up and sees his tears "You could never be a disappointment to me Jodha, never, I only wish you had believed in me and reached out to me so I could have helped you, I warned you about him, I could have dealt with him, I would have gotten a restraining orders against him, I have connections in high places and can have him banned from entering India ... he can never touch me in India, all his money and power will not work in India" his voice full of sadness, the look on his face makes her cry out in earnest ...
"Now, beti, it is all done with, I found you and my grandson, there is nothing to worry about"
"but ..., but .. I ...I.." she sobs into his shoulder "I'm afraid"
"Jodha, I am not going to lie, it hurt when I got your message, it hurt a lot ... I contacted the FBI and used every resource I had to find you, but no matter how angry and upset I was, I had to accept defeat" he stops, rubs her back gently "don't for a moment think that I am not angry our upset, I am pissed ...but all that matters now is that I have found you, we can worry about everything else later ... Are you going to tell me what happened between the two of you? want to talk about it beti?" he asks "I've seen a lot of things in my time, but nothing compares to the sorrow I see in your eyes"
He scoots closer to her, putting his arm around her shoulders, pulls her into his arms ..she melts into his arms ...her body seizing in sorrow, tells him the whole story ... "The accident happened because of me, I was buried in guilt, I should never have called him that night... what if ... like Ruks and Bakshi told me, I should have called the police first ... he almost died, was in a coma with many broken bones ...because of me, now he is blind and has amnesia and walks with a limp...all because of me, my call ...within moments my whole life had turned upside down and Jalal was spinning out of my hands"
"I'm a failure, I'm so sorry bapusa" she sobs her father groans, swiping a hand angrily over his face, looks down towards the floor, taking in a few deep breaths, restraining anger obvious on his face ... "Never, never say you are a failure"
"No beti, No Jo, beti, you are not a failure ... what do you have to apologize for? why you do think you did something wrong? No beti, we were all shocked when we read of Jalal's accident, the fire in his house set by his mistress and all the gossips and news that surrounded it... we did not believe on word ...I know my daughter ... we were all worried, I tried calling you, I even flew to Toronto ... Jalal's family were not helpful, when they told me you caused the accident, took money from Mr Sultan and disappeared, I knew what they said was not true, the stories the media wrote, no one would listen to me, Surya, Moti, Mirza, Abdul Salima ... I called all of them, non of them called me back, ...then we got your message telling us you were fine and not to look for you ... you sounded desperate, I hired a private detective ... my money and influence works in India only my hands were tied,...I filed police report, I got no information...I tried to contact Mr Sultan ... his secretary told me he was sick and not taking calls ...later that day I ran into Hajid at the airport ... he enquired about you, told me he knew you, he used to be Jalal's bodyguard till he got fired and while talking he got a phone call, then I found out Sultan was being treated in London for burns ... I feared for your life knowing with Jalal in a coma, you were in danger, ...finally I had to give up,... I could not console your maasa and dadi ...we lived in hope and prayed every day for you, never stopped looking for you. Later from news channel we found out that Rukiaya was petitioning the court to control Jalal's business and wealth ... Mirza, Abdul and Surya were busy running between hospital, court and running the business I guess that why they had no time to pay attention to me, Moti finally called and told me there was proof that you took the 25 million that Rukiaya gave, she also mentioned you married some guy and disappeared ...
Two years after Jalal's accident his mother called, we were surprised ... she told us Jalal had started therapy to deal with some of his anger and frustration ... she told us Jalal did not recall his relationship with you, she was upset over everything that happened but still hoped you would walk back into Jalal's life to help him "As humans we make our plans, but Allah has His own plan for us mortals ...the doctor suggested that I try and bring Jodha back into his life, we are hoping once he sees her, some memories might come flooding back to him" ... after her call, I was slightly stunned at her ulterior motive ...
"I am not here to judge you or the decisions that you have taken beti, I told you that many times, because the decision you took gave you the motivation to live, gave me my grandson, ... infact after you disappeared, I felt guilty, like I let you down, like I should have put up more of a fight and taken control before you decided to be in Jalal's life" looks away from her into his hands and continues "I was trying to be a supportive parent and all, look, where it got us? ... I just don't want to make that mistake again, you understand where my thoughts are coming from?"
Jo nods, being a parent has opened her eyes, looking back on it, she could see the pain and hurt her actions caused her parents ...she could relate to it now ...
"I am really proud of you Jodha, you have been through a lot at young age, you have successfully hidden from the world and established yourself without anyone's support. You know you can't stay hidden forever ... like how your dadi watched the TV serial and guessed it to be the story of your life and insisted we contact the writer to get some leads to finding you ... Jalal's family might find out too"
He explains how his mother forced him to contact the story writer "beta Bharmal ... Jodha confided in me, I know the details of her life with Jalal, although the situations in the serial are different the events that occur are identical to what my Jo went through, your dadi went on a hunger strike ... thats how we ended up contacting Mrs Suleman Bibi when she came to Mumbai for the Zee TV awards show to receive the best story award. Your Dadi and I met with her and almost immediately I knew something was not right, she could not answer any of your dadi's questions regarding the story, she told us the story is based on the life of someone she once knew and insisted she did not know where that person was, then she told us about the orphanage "my daughter in law helped us build it back up" that clicked an idea in my brain, I donated a large sum of money towards the orphanage, we became friends mr suleman and I, we kept in touch, then she told us her daughter in law is a hindu girl from India... I took the help of my minister friend and used his influence to hire a private detective, the reports came back that her daughter in law died of breast cancer, but your dadi would not let it rest ...I came here to see for myself and I found you... the Gods I believed in did not forsake us"
He goes on to explain that he had met with Mr and Mrs Suleman in Pakistan a month ago and planned this trip with the help of his minister friend. " I told them I was your father and they told me how you developed the orphanage, started the farm, an old age home and a school by writing stories and script for the TV serial. They were blessed by your presence in their lives, but recognize it is time for you to live your life with son and also you are the guardian to your friend's son, you have not one but two children to fend for, they tell me Salim is very smart and is very talented, there are no proper schools close by that's why they are considering selling this establishment to an NGO from the US and put away money in trust funds ... they were afraid to tell you"
Jo could not believe what she was hearing ...she had seen them talking quietly with the elders in the orphange, but never mentioned anything to her ...she sits there mentally thinking through the events of the past months trying to pinpoint signs she may have missed ...she sighs, there were signs, only she had missed catching on as she was buried in mountains of paper work, busy running the place and writing the story and script for the TV serial. "Beti, we are getting old and would like to retire without having to worry about how to run this place" "before we die, we want you to meet your parents and make peace with them" "the investor that bought the properties surrounding us, made us an offer" "have you ever thought of moving to the city so Rahim and Salim could have better education?"
"Salim and Rahim need a male figure in their lives" her father's voice brings her to the present ... If Jalal's family find out about Salim ... they will take him away ...they have the influence, money and power ... Jalal may never regain his memory or sight but he is still a powerful man that is influenced by his mother, wife and uncle... working very closely with his uncle, he has become like him ... ruthless in business... that's why I can't let you stay back here anymore, you are not alone, I will not let you retreat into yourself allowing the world pass by ...something has to change beti, and the change has to be you ... you can't live life hiding from them anymore...be brave and face them"
Later that morning they were joined by Mr and Mrs Suleman ...they convinced Jo to go home with her father " sometimes the roads we take on our journey through life lead us to things we never thought were possible. Detours and bumps happen in every journey, you can use it to destroy you or enhance your journey's experience and we hope the past 4 years and 9 month have enhanced your experience beti" Mr Suleman told her, he had become her father figure for the past few years...
Jo was forced to agree, she leaves with Rahim and Salim amid tears and hugs from everyone at the orphanage and the couple who had silently orchestrated her reunion with her father ... "we realized you were putting up a show of happiness every day ... living with you, we could feel your loneliness, your silent misery, although the birth of your son brought you out some, but we knew deep down something was missing ... every night we heard your muffled sobs, the mornings, your eyes showed us the hidden volumes of unhappiness and you made up excuses ... we prayed and Allah heard our prayers ... your father contacted us ... you are very smart and helped us a lot, but we have to let you go because we cannot stand to see you be miserable in this little village, living our simple life ... your talent for business, your talent for writing stories should reach great heights and we don't want to stand in the way of that"
Her life was about to change all over again ... going back with her father ...Jo hesitates, looks at the women that had taken the place of her own mother the past 5 years "go back with your father beti, don't let them suffer anymore ...nothing can replace a mother's love and support, I can relate to how your mother will be suffering, the loss of my son has left a hole in our lives... Please take this opportunity ...let this be your first step to solve some of the things holding you prisoner, stop running away"
Suleman bibi advised her amid tears, which was true, but Jo was afraid to face the issues ahead, the pain, the void, going home, she would be forced to talk about Jalal and remember things she tried so hard to forget, she would never be ready to go back, but decides she had to stop hurting people that loved her, she did not want to be away from her family, she longed to see her dadi, her maasa, sister and brothers ...just thinking about being with them brought a feeling of calm, little by little she pushes her anxieties away and decides to go with her father ...
Jo's move back to Delhi, India without a passport was accomplished without any problems with the help of her father's minister friend. Her family welcomed with open arms amid tears of joy, Rahim and Salim fell in love with Jo's parents. Jo talked to her mother, grandmother brothers and Sukanya for hours, late into the night ... Jo allowed Rahim to join private school in Delhi, Jo still harbored a fear and Salim tutored at home... she stayed indoors and avoided meeting extended family ...over the next few weeks her relationship with her family got stronger, Jo begins adjusting and living life ...
And so does Salim ... meeting up with Jo's nephews and nieces Salims begins to realize his new friends had someone they called dad, papa, bapu ... one evening Jo was greeted by a somber looking Salim almost in tears "Anything I can do for you little man?" Jo sits next to him and pulls him onto her lap .. and looks at him with a mother's pride ...
"Ma, who is dada?" he asks her with child like innocence ... Jo smiles "he is my father beta and he loves you very much" Jo explains
"Even you have a daddy? He questions, " then, why don't I have a daddy?" he cuts her off pouting with the exuberance and innocence of a 4 year old... reminding her of Jalal who frequently did the same , like father like son ...Jo flinches ...her heart begins to race ...tries to keep calm for the sake of the little boy she loved so much ... "Ma, are you Rahim bhaiya's mother?"
"yes beta, Rahim is your brother, why all these questions"
Salim begins crying "Then why don't I have any of my baby pictures with my dad?" he sobs, "Rahim bhaiya showed me pictures in a book ...his abbu was carrying him, why didn't you take my picture with my dad?" Jo stiffens at that revelation, her heart torn to shreds as Salim continued his speech in tears ... "my new friends said I can't be their friend because I don't have a daddy ..." Hearing his broken voice Jo's heart broke even more than ever possible ...
Jo pulls him into her arms, kissing his wet cheeks ...Jo coughs trying to cover choking on tears she was fighting ...her son, the love of her life had no idea he just dug a deep hole in her heart ...she was not surprised, she knew this day would come she was fighting a loosing battle with her tears and amid tears explains
"Baby, remember how I told you about my best friend in New York who gave you to me ... he was in an accident ..." Salim nods "remember I told you ... that he'd really like you if he ever got to meet you"
Salim nods ... Then smiles excitedly, his voice high pitched
"oh, yeah, I member now" suddenly his attitude changes, he smiles happily as he excitedly explains "oh yeah, I can go on a big aeroplane high up in the sky, to New York ... like how we came to dada's house, right ma?" Jo nods tearfully ...excitedly he begins relaying this recent flight experience "and the big white clouds" ... Jo smiles ... how easily her little boy got side tracked, she was happy his thoughts strayed away ...
Later that night she discusses her son's conversation with her dadima ...
"Are you going to tell him?"
Jo looks up at her grandmother, surprised, "dadima, how could you ask me that? After what I've told you about all that happened ...how could you ask me if I am going to tell him?
"Don't give me that look beti, don't you think Jalal needs to know that he has a kid?"
"No, I don't" ... they look at each other silently, "I know Jalal is his father, but I can't risk Salim being taken away from me, or him being hurt ... I made the decision years ago"
"Do you really think that Jalal would be so callous and hateful that he would take your son away from you?"
"No, dadi ... no matter how much I want to deny it, it is true Jalal lost his memory ...he does not remember me ...he is blind so even if I went and met with him it is not like he will recognize me, our existence will make no difference to him ...but if his family finds out, they will take my son away from me...that will kill me dadi... The truth is people change, I don't know what they are capable now and I won't take that chance with my son"
Dadima sighs, runs her hand over her face "alright, I see what you are saying ... but I want you to think about it ... it might be hard to admit ... I want you to understand that one day your son might find out and hate you ... you don't' want your child blaming your for not telling his father about him. At least show him pictures of his father and tell him about his accident and memory loss ...that way you are not hurting your son, Jalal is a public figure ...I hope you understand what I am trying to say" she side hugs Jo "beti, I just don't want this to end badly for you or Salim ...okay."
Jo shakes her head in the positive ...deep inside of her she has a feeling this will not end well ...she could only pray and hope for the best ... then wonders what baby Rukiaya had ... there was no news online about any children ...there were a few pictures of a heavily pregnant Ruks floating on the internet ...
Rukiaya and Jalal's baby will a few months older than Salim now ...Jo breaks the promise she made to herself and decides to get back on track to face the world ...come out of hiding ...little by little, day by day, one step at a time, slowly but surely she begins taking back her life, begins reestablishing her life again ...
Jo slowly got back on the internet created new email, twitter, accounts joined blogs and forums as the author Suleman Bibi' to the TV serial and begins surfing the net .. was astonished to see the fan response to the serial "my stolen dreams" she begins answering fans queries, suggestions and reviews, with the assistance of her father's lawyers representation begins an online business and signs an ironclad contract with a publishing house agrees to edit the script, converting the serial script into a novel for a large sums of money Jo was shocked at the large sum of money that was offered but accepted it anyways...makes sure to include the clause "no interviews, no talk shows, no photo-shoot and no direct talk with client or media ..will only conduct business online and contact only via emails" it earned her a lot of negative reviews but as the public loved her story they did not seem to care much... news buzz continued surrounding the serial's author, everyone wanted to know who the elusive actor was and his mistress was...there were multiple lists of couples who they the fans thought fit the plot online with viewers voting on who they thought might be the actual couple ... on TV the serial aired the story up to the birth of her son, in the serial Rajat's accident left him blind with amnesia and mistress had a baby girl unknown to him... the viewers were disappointed and wrote many letters on her blog to inform Rajat about the baby ...
This got Jo thinking ...she begins establishing herself ...Jo begins investing money into stock market again, working from home ... her father assigns her a team to work with, Jo makes sure everyone assigned to her team had signed the NDA ... Jo stayed indoors, avoided family when they came to visit ...she became reclusive in where family and friends were concerned ... but reigned supreme on the internet ...answered all fans queries ...
...A month later
Jo's parents begin asking her to get married "we are getting a lot of proposals beti" her mother explains, "it is hard to keep a pretty young girl at home, these days men don't mind marrying a woman with children" Jo tries to walk away ...when her father stops her
"Jodha, beti, wait, I did not want to tell you this as I know it will hurt you ...but I have to now... two weeks ago I ran into Jalal during cocktail hour at a business convention in Turkey, Jalal completely ignored me and walked past me, then I struck me he was blind, so I went and introduced myself to him, I told him "I am Jodha's father" he said "Johda, who is Jodha?, see beti, he is still the old arrogant, egotistical, immature person ... I don't have any bias against him or you, but witnessed it firsthand ...he has forgotten you and is living a happy life with his wife, she was there too. He may have loved you a few years ago, but life and situation have changed, people change, these days people fall in and out of love all the time...and in Jalal's case ...his accident just accelerated it"
He pulls out his phone and shows her pictures he had taken as he explains "he walks with a significant limp ...but that did not stop him from taking his wife to the dance floor ...he was a very loving and committed husband", pictures of Ruks clinging to Jalal, Jalal wore dark glasses and his expressions were blank ... in the background she could see Hajid, ...Jo wonders how Hajid was back in Jalal's life as bodyguard ... remembers reading about memory loss, probably remembers Hajid as his bodyguard, does not remember sending him into Sultans security team ... Jalal remembers his marriage to Ruks, but does not remember me ...tears begin to pool
"Forget him beti, you are too young to limit yourself ...life has given you another chance to spread your wings ... Tan Sharma ...my friend's son saw you in the temple and wants to marry you... his father is the foreign minister, his security force helped me follow the Mrs Suleman and find you and bring you out of Pakistan without any problems, he knows you have two children ...is willing to adopt them ...this will be his second marriage, his first wife died giving birth to twins girls, they are 8 years old... Jodha beti, this will give you the security you need...Salim looks like you ...he has his father's mannerisms but no one will guess he is Jalal's, moreover Jalal has no memories of you being in his life"
"No Bapusa, No" she whispers through gritted teeth "you absolutely cannot be thinking that I will agree to something like that" she breaks down ...
"Jodha, beti, listen to me" her mother pleads "you have suffered a lot, and I feel this will give you a chance to right the wrongs that happened in your life, please trust us, you have to at least try, you have been miserable for a long time"
Jo thought she experienced pain over the past years thinking about Jalal, thinking about the life they could had if only she agreed to go with him to his sisters reception instead of listening to his mother and staying home...but hearing her father today she ripped a new wound and pain shot through her body ...she begins sobbing, she could not stop ..
"Jodha beti, you need to pull yourself together, I understand this will be tough on you, but I will not stand by and watch you suffering, you are being selfish and are making it harder on the rest of us that care about you" Jo runs to her grandmother arms ...
"Dadi" she chokes out crying "I don't know how to do this, I thought I had gotten over Jalal, but I am not ready to say goodbye to him, I need him, my son needs him ..I need you to tell me how to fix this, my life is messed up, I know you warned me, tried to tell me that I would regret my decision but I was too self- centered to listen"
"Jodha beti, you look at me right now" her dadi pulls away, places her hands on Jo's cheeks, forcing her look up at her, scolds her "I am proud of all the choices you have made in life and you are the only one that can decide what happens in the future ..."
"Bharmal beta, I know promised you I won't interfere in Jodha's life, but if she tells no, then it should be a no beta"
"Maasa ..you stay out of this, you need to ..."
"No beta, what you are doing is wrong, if not for the accident ... Jodha would be with Jalal and Salim would have known his father ... you owe Salim that much ... at least once ...let Jodha meet Jalal and tell him about his son ...she owes him that much ...if he does not recognize her, if he does not utter a word, then she will have the peace of mind she tried ...and meeting her, hearing her voice might jog his memory ... and if he does then ... but she has to atleast try and we cannot stop her"
"Maasa, this won't end well for anyone, I cannot support you on this" then he looks at Jo "beti, I just truly can't imagine him getting his memory back...and even if he got his memory back, I would like to think that you'd be strong enough to tell him that you've moved on in life ... and for Salim's sake I hope he never does remember you"
Out of pure frustration Jo finally agrees to meet him and his family with the intention of telling him off and when she meets him pulls him aside "I'm sorry ... I came her only because my parents forced me to ... I am still in love with my son's father, I don't think I can ever recover from it ... so please don't ruin your life by agreeing to marry me ...please" Jo openly begs "I don't want to hurt my parents again by refusing their choice ...but if you do it ... it will save me a lot of trouble" he smiles, nods, walks away and claps his hands to get the attention of the family members ... Jo was shocked when he turned around announced "Jodha has agreed to marry me, we decided to get married quickly within a month ...we would like to have a small engagement right now"
Jo's was still in shock when her mother hugged her "thank you beti, thank you" many hugs, congrats from the rest of family members ... Jo continued to remain dazed as the rest of the evening as rings were exchanged ...garlands were exchanged, dates were fixed, she would be getting married in 7 weeks ...
The more she thought about the way it happened, the angrier she became ...she was certain it was preplanned, everyone had to have known and was upset on one, not even her grandmother cared enough to clue her in ...she had walked right into the trap set by her parents ...
"Sorry Jodha, I think it's time you start over" Tan's voice irritated her ... "I know all about you affair Jalal ...Rukiaya and her father and I am willing to take the risks on your feelings towards me"
"Look Tan, you're a good guy and you deserve far more than I can offer, if it is money that you want, I will lend it to you ...you should be able to find a woman that can bring far more into a marriage than me because ...I can't pull myself to start over, I've seen too much, taken too many turns, taken too many irrevocable decisions that have permanently affected me that's why I've concluded starting over is a myth"
He exhales, sighs, takes in a deep breath ..
"I like your philosophy Jodha, it is interesting I won't deny it ...but I want you to take me seriously, consider what I have to offer, I have already sent our picture to the media"
***********************************************************************
In Toronto at the Mohammed Residence
Four years ...sometimes it was hard for him to believe ...it had been four years since he had been thrown into this incomplete existence waking up after being in a coma for 9 months ...4 years of clouded memories 4 years of investigating his accident, running into dead ends ... brewing revenge...hatred ...
"hey man ... can't believe your head is still intact after the nasty crash ...sorry man, she told us to take you out ...your girl Jodha" ... Wakes up soaking wet ...the same old nightmare ... lying in bed he felt like his head was being hit by a thousand pound brick ...splitting headache ...he hurt all over ...the light hurt his eyes, his throat felt dry and scratchy, blinking his eyes orients his focus to the surrounding, the place looked familiar... he was at home...
Jalal remembers the crash, he remembers the her frantic voice, he remembers rushing to help her, his heart raced, her face was the last thing on his mind and how much he regretted leaving at home when he was struck, his legs were crushed then ...he remembers bright overhead lights glaring into his eyes, "looks like he is still breathing" then something struck the back of his head ...flash of lights ... bandages, blood, tube in his throat, constant beeping ..voices arguing, fighting, comforting, crying but he never heard her voice...but a voice constantly played in his mind "sorry man, she told us to take you out ...your girl Jodha"
He wanted revenge ...revenge for the accident ...revenge for making him limp the rest of his life ...that's why he chose to pretend to have amnesia ... to be blind, so he could get to the bottom of it all ...and chose the right time to come out of his comatose state with the help of his doctor, Abdul and Mirza, together they planned everything well...Jalal would remain in good terms with Ruks and Sultan "so they won't have any doubts about your amnesia" Abdul had insisted ... Jalal had come a long way since that morning overcoming many obstacles and odds that stood in his way as he recovered ...rehabilitation and rebuilding his life ... for 4 long years he'd done a good job at that ... no one expect for his doctor, Abdul bhai, Mirza and Hajid knew the truth.
The first few months after he came out of coma had been hard, pretending to be blind was harder than he thought but he got used to it eventually and wearing dark glasses helped, he could look directly into people's eyes for hints of deception without them knowing, that's when he realized Ruks and her father were hiding something from him ...slowly he adjusted to life, got used to the new routine in life ...playing a blind amnesic man ...waiting for the right time ...
He gets of bed and walks out over to the balcony, his usual morning routine ...lights up a cigarette and watches the wind blow against the trees ...the gentle sway of the branches ...this was the only time of the day where he was able spend time by himself ...he allows his mind the freedom to roam in whatever direction it pleased ...inhales deeply enjoying the fresh air knowing it wouldn't be long before he was pulled from his quite solitude ...Rukiaya and his mother would see to that ...they got increasingly possessive over him after the accident ...it had taken a great deal of bargaining and pleading on his part to be allowed the freedom to be in his room alone ...the only room no one was allowed to enter without his permission ...the only room where behind closed doors he could be himself ...his own infamous private arena for revenge, where scrutinized files and files of FBI investigative reports, leafing through various sheets of papers, notes detailing various missions, accounts and figures involved ...old newspapers ...spent hours on the internet trying to trace her ... all came to a dead end ...the money could not be traced, the last day she checked her emails and chatted online was the day of his accident ... so far the extensive background checks showed Jo died of breast cancer in Pakistan ...which Jalal was not willing to accept even after being shown the original death certificate ...
"Mr Jalal sir" Hajid spoke softly, hesitantly, his voice deep and serious as he knocked on the door ...Jalal sighs closing his eyes for a moment ... "Hajid, I'm sure whatever it is can wait another 30 minutes till I complete my morning routines" Jalal stubs off the cigarette and walks back in, "No sir ..there is a situation that needs you immediate attention" ... He picks up the remote, clicks it to open the door
Hajid steps in, shuts the door behind him ... "Hajid" narrowing his eyes "it better be important, what is it?" Jalal asks with concern
"It's Jodha Sir"
Jalal stops short, his whole body freezes ...he looks into Hajid's eyes intently searching for a hint of possible deception ...
"What?" Jalal asks, his voice barely a whisper, low and calm
" ...the news has her picture ...she is engaged to Tan Sharma...she is in India with her parents"
Jalal could not move, his heart thundering wildly in his chest as he stared at the picture Hajid handed him on his mobile phone ...he was finding it difficult to process what he just heard ... his entire world had shifted with one statement ...one simple sentence "she's engaged"
He walks over the cabinet pulls a file and throws it a Hajid "pages and pages of paper, notes detailing various accounts of your investigative directives, detailed reports of investitation ...finally you say she fled to Pakistan, then she is dead, and then she is alive and well, we go there she disappears again without a trace and now she is engaged?" he looks at the picture again and throws the phone with full force against the wall
Hajid shudders as he watches the phone fall to pieces on the floor ... waiting for a burst of anger and violence again ... not needing reminders of Jalal's anger on that awful day he found she had disappeared from the orphanage...it has haunted him every day since and feared it would haunt him the rest of his life ...the day Jalal punched him and trashed his whole room needing to be tranquilized ...but that never happened ...
Jalal sighs heavily ... a resigned sound, turns his eyes to Hajid and speaks quietly "Hajid, if this is real ... I hope this is real ... I can't go through another disappointment again"
Hajid nods in understanding ...Jalal had had many many false Jodha sighting leads ...Jalal took every single lead seriously and did not give up even if in the end it was a dead end ... "Hajid, I am grateful you know me so well" taking another deep breath, his eyes quickly flits across her picture that fell out of the file ..looks into a pair of beautiful eyes that stared back at him, as if they could read his soul, the unique stunning, mesmerizing eye that captured his soul ...
He expels a shaking laugh, tear slides down his cheek ...he reverently traced the lines of her face on the picture with a shaking finger, knowing the hell his life had been without her ...
"Sir, remember you are blind and are still suffering from a case of amnesia" Hajid reminds him "I have to call Abdul sir and Mirza sir before we proceed further"
Jalal smirks, grabs his phone and begins dialing ...
"Sir ...what are you doing?"
"I am calling for my pilot ...I want my jet gassed and ready to go within an hour" Jalal tells him "You can call Abdul and Mirza"
"No sir, now isn't the best time to just up and go, she is engaged to a high profile politician's son... please lets talk this over with ..."
"I don't give a f**k about that right now" Jalal cut him off "I am going ..."
Edited by crystalwings - 9 years ago
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