Chapter 14
"Thank you, for trusting me..." She whispered..."I am so sorry..I know how hard reliving all of this must be for you."
"Yes. It was not easy after I spent a year running form it all" He admitted. "It felt like all the peace had been sucked out of the world" . He said ruefully.
The sat quietly for a long time, her offering him silent comfort as his brain dealt with all these memories from his past. Apart from the shadows of the horror, came relief that it was now all out in the open. She new the worst about him, and the fact that she was still sitting here was astonishing. Sharing his inner most demons with some one who understood , was a blessing to his tortured soul. He did not think he could love her more but he did.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked after a few moments.
"Anything" He answered.
Pulling back she looked at him.
"Have you forgiven him?" She asked
"He's dead, what dose it matter?"
"It dose, I mean you feel guilty because he died at your hands, and you two did share a very deep bond, and the promise you made to your sister that you would protect him. But he still hurt you , you were still hurt and angry with him for betraying you, right?"
'Yes" He admitted, amazed at how well easily she guessed his feelings
"if he was alive today, do you think you would have forgiven him after all this time?"
"May be not" he said honestly.
Taking the photo and the letter she placed it in his hands, holding it.
"I think you need to, you need to let go of the anger, forgive him. Until you do you will never fully be able to move on . You can't change what happened, no matter how much you blame yourself. The most you can do is put it to rest." She said
"How?" He asked, he knew she was right...but he had no idea how to put it to rest.
"Come with me" She said, taking his hand and leading him outside.
Standing in her back yard, Vickram was staring down at a small bonfire Sugni had set up. She was standing on the back porch, she said to give him some privacy but right there should he need her. So this was her plan. By destroying the letter, he would also be symbolically getting rid of the anger and hurt he had been harboring. He was not to sure about it but decided to give it a try. He opened the letter, reading the words he knew by heart, one last time. He could hear Adi's voice as he read the words. He closed his eyes, as he deliberately brought the image of Adi and Reva to his memory. He could feel the anger the hurt all over again. "Why? Why..Adi...how could you?" How could you betray me like this?" He asked silently, as his tears spilled over, tears of hurt, pain and loss.
"I am sorry Mamaji" he herd Adi's Voice
"You betrayed me Adi!"
He could hear Reva's evil laugh as she looked on "I'm so sorry Mamaji"
"I forgive you , I forgive you Adi, I forgive you, Please for give me to. Be at peace Adi" a light cool breeze touched his skin, as he opened his eyes, he knelt in front of the bonfire , and placed the letter and photo in it, watching it as it burned. As it turned to ash, miraculously he felt a weight being lifted from his chest...as though his spirit became lighter, free. He stayed there until the fire died down.
Getting up he turned to find Sugni patiently waitng for him. She smiled stretching her hand out , which he took. "You Ok?" She asked giving him a concerned look.
"Yes. Thank you Sugni." His eyes conveying just how greatful he was for her presence .
"Come on, dinner is getting cold" She said simply leading him inside.
****** \\\\\\\\\\\\\\******
Vickram had a problem, now that his past was literally behind him his next task was revealing the truth about who he really was to Sugni. He spent the last few days watching her worry herself over the fees his lawyer friend might charge, and again he tried to tell her she did not have to but she would not listen
She was under the impression that he was an employee of a big conglomerate. She refused to listen when he tried to tell her, in fact the one time he blurted it out, quite frankly , "Look I am telling you stop worrying about the lawyer, I'll take care of it. He has been working for my company for years..this for him is childs play!"
"Maybe he works for your company, but he dose not work for you now dose heI mean you left them what ? A year ago?"
"Noyou don't get it 'it is my company 'Sug'." He stopped when he herd her laugh. Her reaction was much the same as when she read his name on his ID card.
"Yeah, and I am the queen of England'. No one in their right mind would abandon their business!"
It was impossible for her to believe that any one would walk away from a multi million dollar business and choose to work as guard.
"Oh don't try that, you are just trying to trick me into letting you pay for it all" She said "Sorry that is not gonna happen" She was adamant. Finally he decided that maybe seeing is believing, so he stopped trying to explain knowing she would find out in a few days any way.
That time was here, as the taxi pulled up in fornt of his office building. He was anxious to see her reaction.
"WOW...you worked here? Oh my God this place is huge!" She said as she walked through the door of TVS Industries.
"Do I look Ok?" She asked as they stepped into the large high rise building.
'Relax , you look fine" he said she was dressed in a non nondescript simple office suite. Much unlike her usual wear of jeans and a T-shirt .
"Easy for you to say..I still can't believe how different you look in a suit. So handsome!" she said
He laughed, "Thanks..."
He adjusted his tie ..it felt weird he realized being dressed for business. He never thought he would have to go out and get himself one of these again. Making his way up to the office area, he smiled.."why don't you have a seat here?," he indicated the reception area and I will go in and see if everything is ready ok?"
"Um ok" She said taking a seat.
He walked into his office, where Bushan was in his usual poise, with his head buried in the computer.
"Hey, brother! He greeted cheerfully.
"Vickram" He got a repeat of last weeks reaction, except with much more smiles , while his brother was again shocked by his transformation, he was extremely glad to see his brother back to his old self. He wondered how it all happened
" A long story..I'll tell you later...Right now I have another problem..."
"What?"
"Sugni dosen't really know who I am...I am not sure to break the news to her!" he said trying to explain his dilemma. His brother was even more surprised and amused seeing Vickram all nervous and gaga over a woman. Not since the Reva's incident. It was nice to see him happy again..He just hoped his brother choose better this time. From what he could see...He did
"Only one way to handle this" he said , picking up the phone he asked the secretary to send Sugni in.
"How?" Vickram asked
"Direct!" he said, Vickram still had a confused look on his face when Sugni walked in. She took in the office, a look of awe on her face.
"Good Morning, Sugni!" Bhushan greeted her with a warm smile.
"Good morning sir" She replied stretching out her hand
"Please, call me Bhushan ! Have a seat, the lawyer will be here in a while as reqested, my apologies but that man is never on time !" he said.
"That's alright," she answered. 'Thank you so much for allowing us to do this especially for some one who has not been in your employment in over a year!" She said. "And that to not even for himself" She said great fully.
Vickram exchange a helpless look with his brother, who just smiled.
"Though I appreciate your gratitude, that is not all necessary as I am not the one you should be thanking...I was just doing this on my bosses orders..if any one you should thank him." He said
'OH I'm sorry I just thought.."
" I know a lot of people think that...
"I would like to meet him, thank him if you don't mind" She said
"Of course you can, in fact I'll introduce you to him."
"Hey bhagwan" Vickram sighed, "Bhushan" he said shaking his head from side to side
Sugni glanced at him confused, but turned back to Bushan
"Please do." Straightening up Bushan glanced at Vickram, then at Sugni who was still wearing that confused look.
"Well Sugni, I'd like you to meet the founder, director and owner of TVS industries...Thakur Vickram Singh. Who these days it seems is expanding his career in the direction of Personal Secutiry.."
After that revelation Bushan left on the pretense of getting coffee, leaving Vickram and Sugni alone in the office.
Sugni closed her eyes, wringing her hand nervously she bagan mumbling something under her breath he could not make out. But sounded like :" Oh, god, oh god , god ,god ..." '
Moving closer to the desk , he sat at the edge facing her. The expression on her face of one of comical embarrassment , that Vickram had to kill the urge to laugh out loud.
"Sugni?" he said
"Hmmm"
"Look at me please?"
"Nooo" she wailed
"Please"
"Hmmm" She shook her head
"Why?"
"I am too embarrassed?"
Why?"
"I thought you were making it up, but you ...Oh God"
Taking hold of her hand, he said "hey" Opening her eyes she looke at their entiwined hands , then embrassidly she looked at him.
:Believe me now?" She nodded.'
"So what's going on in your head right now, hmm what are you thinking?" He could see the wheels turning
She glanced at him, looked around the sprawling office, that was probably the size of her living room.
"I don't know , confused , overwhelmed...i mean this is...you...Thank you...you didn't have to get involved ..." She was staring a him her eyes shining with unshared tears.
"Hey ...no you don't have to thank me,...and all of this it's a part of my life but it's not my life. I am still the same person I was yesterday, when you thought I was a guard. Nothing's changed...Has it? He asked. Watching her closely, he knew this was alot to take in.
She shook her head.
"You walked away from all of this?"
"Yes...you know the saying :Money dose not buy happiness, well that is true. I was miserable here. Who would have thought i would find that happiness in a little diner , in a small town?"
Her blush was back, followed by that worried smile. Sighing he said.
"Would you do something for me?" he asked
"What?"
" I know this is a lot to take in right now. But I want you to stop worrying, about the diner, the lawyer or what ever It's going to be ok. I promise you I will not let him get your diner. So what ever worries you have about that put it to rest Ok?"
After a few minutes of thinking she said.
"On one condition" That took him by surprise. "That I pay you back, what ever it cost I'll pay you back someday"
"Sugni..you do..."
"NO...I am grateful you are doing this for me, and I know without your help I can't save it. But my mother built the diner from nothing, and she prided her self of owing nothing, and keeping it debt free.. I never understood it until now, when she said nothing comes for free, and nothing is easy. Whatever you take you give back in some way, what ever you borrow you pay back. "
"Sugni..." seeing the determined look on her face, he knew this was one argument he would not win. Her self respect and pride meant a lot to her..."Ok , as soon as you get settled, you can start paying me back ok.'
"OK" She smiled, nodding looking relived.
"I don't understand one thing though?" She said, curiously after a few minutes.
"Whats that."
"Well you're a business tycoon, who spent most of your day in here right?."
"Yes"
"You have gun toting guards on almost every floor.?"
"Yeah" he was trying to see where she was going with this.
"Then how the heck did you lern to fight like a street thug?" She was truly baffled by that. Vickrams laughter could be herd out in the corridors.
Edited by Vinnie79 - 12 years ago
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