CHAPTER 35
Sugni sat on the bed of her room watching Vickram feeling, somewhat, bereft as he left her to stand by the window. She knew he was displeased with her request. She knew he had every right to be but what else could she do ...something about hearing that her Uncle was sick and asking for her made her remember her mother. Like it or not they were her mother's brothers.
This afternoon just before they left for the field Naganiya Maami came to Sugni crying and begging her to come home to visit her uncle who she said was very ill and asking for her. Sugni refused but then Naganiya shocked her by falling at her feet.
"Please , please Sugni...I know we were always horrible to you. Yes we deserve this ...but Sugni please...All Hukum wants is to see you once can't you do that much for him... God forbid if something happened to him before he sees you...Sugni can you live with that... Please beta I am begging you please..." She cried as Sugni looked at her in shock.
Vickram who was standing close to the van observing them was about to find out what was going on, before he could reach to her though Naganiya left, again begging her to come visit her sick uncle.
Sugni spent the trip home wondering about what her aunt said . She remembered all they put her through. She also remembered that her mother did love them dearly , Naganiya Maami did not ask for anything except that she visit her uncle.
In all the time she been away from them their paths hardly crossed but Sugni herd that her Uncles had no choice but to go out and do odd jobs here and there. It was either that or starve. Now he was sick. Sighing she made her decided she would fulfill his request.
Later that night told Vickram about Naganiya's request and that how she wanted to go. He listened to her without saying a word, but observing his expression she could tell he was not happy with what she told him. Especially after he got up and walked to the window.
"You believe her?' He asked
Yeah... why would she lie about that?" She asked.
"I don't know they lied about a lot of things...I don't know Sugni...something feels wrong here."
Something about this did not sit well with Vickram. All of a sudden Sugni's Aunt wanting her to visit. True sickness does not give prior warning...but something was telling him this was to strange. Maybe it was the fact that he knew that these people really could not care if Sugni was alive or not... every time he thought about the fact they almost sold her had his blood boiling.
In his opinion the father away she was from the bunch of them was the better. He knew she had a soft heart and this could be a ploy just for them to find a way to milk money from her somehow. He Knew Hukum was not above turning a common cold into a life threatening illness.
"I don't think so...she was crying.'
Vickram just looked at her.
"He just wants to see me..." She said looking at him pleadingly.
"The same man who had no problems selling you... now wants to see you suddenly...they sure had no concern for you when you left with me...did they even come to check to see if you were ok?" he said to her.
Sugni looked at the floor. He was right.
"Look Sugni...I am not going to tell you what to do Ok...it's up to you. If you want to forget everything they did to you fine. Go ahead. But given his track record for lying, did it ever occur to you that they are looking for a way to free load off you again because they found it is not so easy when they have to work... Think about that.. and do what you want." He said as he walked out off her room and into his.
Sugni stared after him. He did not want her to go he did not say so but she was getting the message loud and clear. She lay on the bed wondering what she should do as she closed her eyes.
The atmosphere around the breakfast table the next morning , was tense to say the least. Vickram was polite as usual she knew he was still not happy with her wanting to go to see her aunt.
Quitely Sugni sat in the jeep as they left for the fields.
"So what are you going to do?" he asked her.
"Huh?" She said looking at him . for an answer she shrugged. She really did not want him angry at her. She thaough about it all night and by morning she still did not have an answer.
The answer was made for her when Vickram pulled up in front of her old home.
"Go on..." He said. Sugni looked at him then back to the house, then back of Vickram confused .
"He wants to see you...then go ahead...if he is sick it's the least you can do." He said
She shook her head.
"What? Why...last night you wanted to."
"I know ...but I won't go in there if you are going to be mad at me... If you don't want me to ..." she said looking at her lap.
"Sugni ..listen ..." he said . as he turned her face to look at him. "I am not mad at you. True at first I was not happy about it, but I thought about it. You are smart enough to know when you are being taken for a ride all he wants is to see you ...talk to you...go ahead. You can give him that much hmm ..."
"You promise you don't mind?" She asked
He shook his head.
"Thank you!" she said as she hugged him. She smiled feeling much better than she had this morning. As long as he was not mad at her she was fine.
"Ok..Ok...but I am not going in there" He said. "I need to go visit the bank this morning, pick you back up when I get back?" he asked .
"OK ." She said.
"Alright ..see you later.." he said as she stepped out the jeep. Smiling she waved him good bye as she walked into the yard.
As Vickram sat in the bank waitng for the manager to finish getting the cash he needed to this weks wages. As he waited he was wondering how Sugni was doing . He could tell that she was torn and maybe she really should visit him. He knew he could not stand to see her upset for anything so he gave in told her to go on.
Vickram was taken out of his thoughts by the ringing of his phone. Amrita.
"Hello?"
"Hi..vickram can you talk?" She asked
Knowing he as a little wait ahead of him and no one else was around paying him attention he said yes.
"ok here is the scoop... I did some more digging into the insurance thing...and my contact probably broke all sorts of rules telling me this confidential information...so please you did not hear it from me ok... He did me a big favor here"
"Sure..."
" Ok So Reva's father took out an insurance policy on Reva when she was Sixteen, he paid it upfront.. Now when he got sick he made Neranjan her beneficiary . All was quite with it until three months befor she disappeared she came into the office and insisted that her brother be removed and to appoint you. Which they did.
Now after her accident, Neeranjan came into the offices one day to claim it, but when he found out that it was changed he was shocked, he told them he had forgotten and was never seen of again. By this time the company started to look into her death but before they could take action...well "Reva" Showed back up. They dropped it."
"Now it appears that around that time Neeranjan was frequenting a place called the Scarlet Club...it's a high end place where the people gamble, run girls all sorts of shady things go on in there. He owed a lot of people money there... so much so he began selling of his father's stuff quietly to pay his debts." She told him.
"Oh really...but after his father died he did move in with us...He told me he could not handle his father's debtors calling and suggested we sell the house and move in with us, Reva said ok so they did splitting it in two. "
"It was not his father's debts but his own..." She said
"Hmmm'
"Well see it gives us a motive... he was owing money...maybe he was pressuring her?"
Vickram thought about it...
"I remember she getting agitated a lot sometimes saying she did not want to be with him. She would say he wants to kill her for her money...but I never took her on, because Neeranjan did not seem like he was doing all these things and kept saying she was having attacks.!'
"Well maybe there was some truth to what she was saying...Well I am going to continue the investigations. There are a few places he was seen as well I got people checking out,...one thing is for sure he was into some shady stuff. And he had a lot of people after him! " she said
"Hmmm..."
"Anything on the accident?" He asked
"well I checked out the hospital she said she was in, showed her photo around ... no one has any records of her .. there was not any patient there for months on end, no one knows the face...so that was a dead end." She said.
"hmmm"
"But Vickram after a year...given the accident...I don't think she's out there...alive..." She said softly. Vickram closed his eyes and sighed.
I am sorry." She said
"It's ok..." he really hoped that she did not die by some horrible conspiracy.
"I'll let you know of any more developments ..Ok"
"Hmmm."
"Bye"
"Bye."
Vickram collected the money and was about to make his way to pick up Sugni his mind mulling over what he just learned from Amrita. He always knew Neeranjan was a cad, but he never suspected him of being underhanded.
It was still hard for Vickram to comprehend him wanting to hurt his sister...for money???
The ringing of his phone interrupted him again. Looking at the ID he answered.
"Yes MAA..."
"Vickram where are you? Are you OK?" She asked sounding panicky
"Yes Maa I am fine...just came from the bank and going home. I'll be home in a while." He said
"OH God I thought something happened to you...beta where is Sugni why isn't she with you? " She asked. "I thought you two were always together...OH Lord..." She said sounding as though she was crying. Vickram got a bad feeling in his stomach. How did she know they were not together?
"What's going on Maa?" he asked.
Rattu ..jiust came looking for you...and he said..Oh god ..Ohh.."
"Maa tell me what happened to Sugni..." Vickram asked stopping the jeep before he crashed into something.
"Vickram Rattu just came he saw Sugni in a car with Reva and Neeranjan...he said they were headed out of town..sort of..."
"What...when...where is he?"
"Hello? Thakkur Mallick?" Rattu's voice came on the line.
"Rattu what is going on..."
"Thakkur Mallick I was heading home with this weeks supplies when I noticed the car coming in my direction was yours...Reva Madam was driving and I saw two people in the back one looked like Neeranjan and the next look like Sugni...but she would never go with them...so I rushed here..."
"OH God..." Vickram cursed himself for not following his instincts. He ended the call and made his way as fast as the jeep would go to Sugni's old house. Within five minutes he was there.
Without warning Vickram walked straight into the house looking at every one. A very healthy looking Hukum was sitting counting a pile of money he knew very well where they got it from. Moving as swiftly as he could he grabbed Hukkum by he collar jacking him up onto the nearest wall, smashing his fist into his face. His rage growing out of control.
"Where is she you scumbag!!!" he asked choking him.
Behind him he herd the scared exclamations of the women.
He released Hukum who was beginning to turn blue from the coke hold. He ell onto the ground.
"ANSWER ME WHERE DID THEY TAKE HER????" He said picking him back up...
"o-o-old Haveli ...he said something about the old haveli..." Hukum stammered out...
"You better pray she is un hurt...because if she is you are dead..." Vickram said as he stormed out the hut and into the van...
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