Chapter 17
For how long they both remained in each others' arms, ambling through the air on the sound of the music they did not know and nor did they want to, for it meant spoiling of the most beautiful moment that they both felt perhaps for the first time in their lives. Ishani tightened the grip of her arms around Ranveer as they still continued to dance. But suddenly the sounds of cheering, whistles and shoutings separated them as they both stared around to see everything was same except one thing: the lights were back to being intense red, green and now as well as yellow, people still existed there and their chattering came back to life again; but now instead of the loud, hard music played a soothing number by U2. Ishani and Ranveer broke apart nervously as they refused to look at each other. They could feel people staring at them but neither of them looked towards the crowd until Ishani heard Rishi's voice saying how good they looked while dancing together.
Ishani tried to leave the party hall having a feeling that she had never felt before and at the present moment there was only a joy in her heart that she could not understand the reason of. Ishani stole her gaze to look at Ranveer and he too looked annoyed but did not look at her, rather made an attempt to smile at others who waved their hands at him.
"You guys were awesome," Ishani heard someone tell Ranveer while he only nodded in a polite reply. And before the events of the future could unfold before her eyes she dashed towards the exit of the hall and soon she found herself away and safe from the crowd.
The surroundings remained calm as Ishani tried to reconcile with the events that had affected her in last few hours. Her heart beat faster as she remembered Ranveer's arms around her waist and the feeling which rushed through were like she had never felt before. Each and every moment of their dance giving her shivers as she blushed thinking of them. The moon rose higher and the cold chilly air blew across her hair. Ishani turned back to leave but looking at Ranveer suddenly she gasped.
He too looked as though he did not expect her to find him there and was taken aback.
"You here? What are you doing here?" Ishani asked in a shocked tone.
Ranveer looked at her confused.
"Yeah. I'm here. Why?" he said.
Ishani stared at him for a few seconds then looked away while he too turned his gaze towards other things. Both feeling the emotions neither of them had ever come across and now trying to make peace with them. Ishani sighed.
"I hope it did not get screwed up," Ishani said, still looking on the other side and closing her eyes. Ranveer did not say anything but looked towards an antique placed in a corner of the yard.
"I need to leave now, Ishani," he said in a low whisper and before Ishani could question him anything he disappeared in the dark.
Now she was alone, standing in a lonely place, where no sound haunted her or no eerie lights hurt her eyes, shadowed by a part of the roof which made the surroundings look dark as well as blocked the moonlight to penetrate through. Her eyes wandered here and there as if she still wanted to understand the happenings, for despite the time having passed since they were together Ishani could not find herself there. She along with her soul and heart still lingered there in his arms, feeling safe protected and happy. Ishani caressed her right hand which Ranveer had held the moment he had moved her away from him before taking her in his arms. She could feel the pace of her heartbeats getting different as the memories of their dance rolled back to her again. For a moment she felt embarrassed but it turned into a gentle blush in a moment. Ishani walked away from the corner, now completely exposed to the moon as its white light touched her face again and the air turned cold.
Ishani kept walking in the garden, adoring the mystical beauty of the sight of the house, when she heard a sound: the sound of someone shouting in anger which seemed to be coming from slightly afar. Ishani headed towards the sound and saw Mr. Zaveri talking to someone on his phone and as soon as she came to him he was done with it and his expressions from those of anger turned into softness and he smiled at her.
"Good to see you, Ishani," he said, although tension was still visible in his tone and expressions. "It's good that you're interacting with people more now otherwise you were such a loner."
Ishani smiled and he patted her head gently.
"By the way, uncle," Ishani asked him, "I heard you were shouting at someone. Is everything alright? "
"Yes, yes! Everything's fine. It's just sometimes our crazy employees work lazily so I simply was telling him off. There was a set of diamonds that needed to be delivered by now but they didn't. So I had to do something," Mr. Zaveri chuckled and Ishani laughed back as well.
"Are you leaving?" Ishani asked him.
"Not now. I have an important business here. There's going to be a party from China and RV and I have to see them. There's this meeting," Mr. Zaveri replied.
Ishani for a moment found it strange as she knew Ranveer had not mentioned any such thing to her when they had met last time. Was it a new deal that she had missed, she wondered.
Why would he be telling me of everything he does in his work?' Ishani thought to herself and smiled at Mr. Zaveri.
"Excuse me," he said and left.
*
Ishani was in the thoughts of talking to her kaka and kaki before she left. No more games and no more hide and seek now,' she thought, I must talk to them.' And with this Ishani went towards the part Amba and Kailash were sitting along with some others guests. Few were leaving while some were preparing to leave. It was already 10.30 by now and everyone might have wished to be at home before it was late night. Ishani stood in the corner waiting for everyone to leave and have a chance to talk to Amba and Kailash. In the next 15 minutes all the guests had left and only Kailash and Amba were standing there. It was then Ishani came out of the corner and stood in front of them though she refused to look into their eyes.
"Do you need anything, Ishani?" Kailash asked, struggling to keep his disappointment aside.
Ishani gulped and spoke: "Kaka, kaki, I don't know what I should be saying. I have no words. When I came back...from..." Ishani closed her eyes and continued, "Two years ago when you left and I came back...from Chirag's house I was told what they did to you. It was..."
"Does it matter?" Amba spoke, for the first time in the evening; and Ishani's heart gave a leap as she looked up at the older woman. "Does it matter, Ishani, what happened to us that night? I'm sure you'd never have had any servant more loyal than my Ranveer but you trusted those you hardly knew. Does it matter now that in that night you left your friend to die? Does it matter you forgot the promise you made to his mother of never letting her get hurt again in your family?" Amba said last line extending her hand towards Ishani and pointing towards a brown spot on her wrist. Ishani remembered the event to be her promise to Ranveer of taking care of his mother after Baa had abused her.
Ishani looked at Amba helplessly while Amba continued, almost in a yawp, "We had never expected anything from you or your family except...except a bit of kindness as a reward. But none of you could give us that. I will not condemn you for what you did, Ishani, because at least your unfaithfulness made my son what my words and warnings couldn't. He's known as RV now. RV. The name that the entire UK respects. And I need nothing more. Nothing."
"And I'm happy for all of you. I really am," Ishani said, nodding her head. "I always wanted to see Ranveer where he is and I'm truly glad he's achieved this that too on his own."
"You are?" Amba asked, as if not being able to trust Ishani's words.
Ishani nodded her head in positive.
"Ishani, do you know why Ranveer..." but before Amba could finish her question, she was called by one of the remaining guests in her house. Amba reluctantly left and Ishani gave a sigh of relief as she looked at Kailash. This was the time she needed to talk to him now.
"Kaka, I understand why you two are angry but please listen to me. I never thought my family could do anything like this. My papa, Maa, Devarsh and everyone they could never be so wrong. They were not like this," she said.
"Ishani, I have no idea what to say. We trusted certain people and hoped from them something. We did get out of this shock soon, but Ranveer couldn't. He still cannot let go of that moment you and his Mota Babuji left him," Kailash said, while tears flicked through Ishani's eyes.
She tried to say something but due to conflicting emotions surfacing from the bitter memories of that night no words came out. She looked at Kailash and managed to say, "I don't know what the truth is, Kaka. I was told..."
"'Told'? Ishani, you trusted the things you were told'? I expected better from you," Kailash said.
"Once you left, I missed you all. I missed you so much that it became impossible to live in the house I had been with my father, with my friend and with all of you. I fear going there, Kaka. That place scares me. It hurts to be there," Ishani said sadly.
Kailash's look still did not change but Ishani could not wait there. She felt the air choking herself and dashed out to find breath. On her way she met Amba but could not look into her eyes and left. Amba and Kailash showed no hatred, though they tried. Ishani felt this in her heart, for all she could feel was a sharp, shooting disappointment that she had presented them with. Ishani drove hurriedly towards her house, tears continuously falling from the corners of her eyes as she blinked several times to have a clear look of the way.
At the moment she could only remember Ranveer, his mother, his father in that fateful night, wounded, and a hope in their hearts that she would not let them down, but she failed them. She felt a maddening anger taking over her for living her life in self pity for so long while becoming the reason of others' happiness. She wanted to scream but only hiccoughs came out of her throat.
After two hours Ishani reached her home, not remembering anything of her journey, and shut the door tightly as her remaining strength gave her away and she buckled on her knees on the floor. The memories of her past life swimming in front of her eyes as she gave a painful scream.
"Why did it have to happen?" she said crying. "Why life cannot be simple?"
Thinking this Ishani fell asleep but for how long she did not know.
*
"Where were you, Ranveer?" Amba asked Ranveer when he entered his room late at night. Amba's voice rather cold.
He looked at his mother and knew she was upset with Ishani but he needed to pacify her. He came upto Amba who was sitting on the couch in his room, and took her hand in his.
"Maa, I know you're upset, but I had invited all my business partners, how could I leave her?" he said softly.
"That is not the problem, Ranveer. You didn't even trust me on this? Why would I interfere in your professional life? She works with you. Spends hours in the place you spend your most of the time," she said jerking her hand out of his. "You know, I wanted to see her and tell her who you are now..."
But before Amba could continue Ranveer interrupted. "So did you tell her? Did you tell her what RV is? What he has become?" he asked, knowing his mother could not do this. Amba looked away.
"Maa, I know you are not someone who'd like to tell someone how rich you are. Don't pretend to be either," he said.
"But, Ranveer..."
"Maa, try to understand. Please. You wanted to meet her and you just did. Now let it go."
Amba looked at her son and felt he was not as unhappy as he used to be, but feared this happiness might be short lived as the face of Ishani rolled before her eyes. In these days she had learnt to read his happiness and today as well she understood Ranveer was happy because Ishani did not turn down his invitation. She looked at her husband standing outside the room who smiled at her and she sighed.
"Maa, it's very late and cold. See, you're shivering. Please go to bed. You mustn't be up at this hour," Ranveer said.
Amba reluctantly nodded and was accompanied by her husband to her room.
*
Ishani woke up at late at night as her phone rang loudly. She looked at it and saw there were 5 blank calls from her mother. Ishani put it aside and tried to sleep again but her phone wouldn't give up. After several calls she irritably took it up.
"Hello, Maa," she said, her voice still very low and cracked.
"Ishani, is everything alright? You look tensed," Falguni said, concerned.
"Why did you do this?" Ishani asked as if she would burst into tears.
"Did what?"
"You know! You know what I'm talking about," Ishani shouted.
"I don't," Falguni replied, frowning as Ishani could guess.
"I'm talking about what you, Baa and rest of our family did to Ranveer and his family," she said, now tears coming out of her eyes.
"Ishani, why are you talking about them, huh? What have they got to do with you anyway? They're our past. You get it? Our. Mine, your father's and yours as well. Move on from the edge. Ranveer never respected your relationship with him and nor your feelings. Don't you remember what he did to Disha?" Falguni said, and Ishani could sense her breaking down in tears as well. "Ishani, all those parents who want Disha as their daughter-in-law don't accept her only because of your friend. Can you forgive him for that?"
"But they didn't deserve such humiliation, Maa."
Falguni said she did not want to talk on the matter anymore and advised Ishani too to not think of anything else but her work and disconnected the call in dismay.
Her colloquy with her mother gave no comfort or answers to Ishani and nor could she get back to holding the same grudge she had for Ranveer for past two years. Her heart ached at that thought and she realized it was impossible. The questions and their answers left her shattered, confused and craving for peace but she never got any.
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