Posted:
Dear friends and readers,
As many knew, I am still on holiday abroad, hence it it taken me longer than usual to post my latest update on my Restitution Series. Also, you will see from the length of this, that it is a long and detailed chapter as it makes clear all the revelations that I felt needed to be brought out and also contains a lot of dramatic action, which I feel the plot I have chosen justifies. I have changed much from the present storyline of the show as that makes little logical sense to me. I hoped to post this as a final part but there needs to be a concluding short chapter. I will have that up in the next few days. I warn some of you that the below contains much drama and ends with some angst and if not quite a cliffhanger, some uncertainty, although I have minimised it as much as I can. I am posting the below as have had many kind messages asking for the next update. A special thanks for this to Anna for encouraging me to post this whilst I am working on the final part 4 and also to Viji who really wanted to read on following on from Rectified. I am formatting and editing so please bear with me.
Your likes and comments are truly treasured and I hope I will not disappoint anyone with the below. Part 4 is titled Rewarded:)
For those who need is, links to the previous parts are:
Part 1- Resolved: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/swaragini/4537179/resolved-part-1-the-restitution-series
Part 2- Rectified: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/swaragini/4539717/rectified-part-2-the-restitution-series
Happy New Year to you all!
RECOMPENSED
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss,the abyss will gaze back into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Kaveri looked at the reflection staring back at her in the ornate silver mirror in the garish bedroom in the "kothi" that she had made home in Kolkata. The woman looking back at her at the moment was Kaveri Roy but soon the transformation to Kaveri Bai would take place, she thought with a grim smile. As the years had passed, the time spent in front of different mirrors had lengthened, just as the fine lines around those striking eyes has deepened, and the soft skin of the jaw and neck had slightly begun to sag, until masked over with make up akin to war paint. She had always been more handsome than conventionally beautiful, but she had that undefinable quality that certain women possess which makes them irresistible to men, an innate sex appeal that hints at hidden secrets waiting to be unearthed and an allure that is heady as the finest wine. The young Kaveri had had to learn those tricks to attract and enrapture early. Her formative years had been blissful in their ignorance. Kaveri did not know any different to understand that her life was unusual and unconventional until much later. She had her beautiful mother whose dazzling laugh she still remembered as much as her melodious voice, teaching her all the "ragas" under Master Ji's strict tutelage, at their modest but very comfortable house they lived in, as well as the dance lessons Maa took such interest in, sometimes spontaneously getting up to show the intricate patterns of a complex "gatt" or "toda" when Kaveri struggled to grasp the steps quickly enough. The days were thus spent and as soon as the clock struck six, Maa would stand before the mirror, much like she did now, fussing over her saree and "bindi" and brushing the strong "attar" scent on her pulse points to await Kaveri's father. If he did come, he would burst in, bringing Maa perfumed "gajras" that he would lovingly adorn her hair with, and little Kaveri "sandesh" or "cham cham", with lots of hugs and cuddles.
Sudhanshu Roy belonged to one of the most prominent business families in Kolkata at the time but when he was with Kaveri and her Maa, he was a simple man delighting in seemingly mundane pleasures. That is, if he came to visit them at all. Sometimes days would pass and Kaveri would stand by the window awaiting his arrival and fret and even cry at her Maa's forlorn face, seeing through with a child's instinct, how the smile plastered on was a pale parody of the genuine joy that flashed across her lovely face when her beloved appeared. The ugliness of the words like mistress and bas***d transcends linguistic barriers, and it was only years later when the growing Kaveri truly understood their import and impact both. The experience marked her for ever and shaped the person she was to become. Kaveri had spent her teenage years ensconced in unrealistic dreams; she was sure her Price Charming would come and sweep her off her feet and she would never suffer the fate of her mother. She or any children she had, would never live life on the fringes, scorned by society and shunned by the very family they craved to be part of. She would never be the "other woman", she would have the privilege that her father's wife by law and societal norms enjoyed, she would be respected and cosseted and she would be the "maalkin", never the woman referred to by the word that must never be uttered. How ironic then that she not only occupied that post as vacated by her Maa, but for different masters, but also took it a step further to elevate herself to the lofty heights of infamy she managed to carve for herself. The same fate she had thought to avoid when she had met Durga Prasad Maheshwari.
The young man already destined for great things and the even younger woman, who was fighting tooth and nail to avoid being pushed to the sordidness and exploitation of a courtesan's life after the death of her mother and utter denial of paternity by her father, had met by chance. Durga Prasad had seemed her veritable knight in shining armour. Kaveri and her appeal had him enraptured against his instincts. Their liaison had been one of illicit passion fuelled by romantic notions of fighting for love, but his own father's will and eventual decline in health, with the attendant charge of shouldering a burgeoning empire in the most conservative of social circles, prevailed. Durga Prasad caved in and as part of his new kingship, he needed a queen. The illegitimate daughter of an outcast Bengali woman could never be crowned alongside. No - that blessing and burden had gone to Annapurna Maheshwari, a fitting partner for a monarch. Stately and regal, she had been everything Kaveri had always wanted to be, and had also got everything she should have. Kaveri had long learnt to stop crying at her fortunes. Tears hardened around the heart help to form a shell that can defend and allow one to attack with ferocity from behind the walls. And Kaveri had prepared for this battle for many years. She was no stranger to abandonment. Her father and even mother had left her, the only man she felt capable of love shunned her for what he called his duty. However, talking of duty, he still fell in love - oh not with her, but with his lawful wedded wife - Annapurna! Like she had not taken enough from Kaveri. She lived the life Kaveri had craved, the man she wanted, and something even more precious after all that. Even that solace had been snatched from her by Durga Prasad - now Kaveri realised that it would have been the most precious possession she could have ever hoped to have, but young, and lost and frightened she had thought it an unbearable load, which sacrificing magnanimous Annapurna was only too glad to relieve her of. That was not all. Many years later, Kaveri had had another crutch snatched from her. That had been her way to finally vicariously live the life she had been so cruelly deprived of years ago, but again, circumstances outside her control and Durga Prasad Maheshwari again joined hands, and she was left bereft. They say that lightening never strikes twice in the same place, but they had never met Kaveri.
How else could you explain why Kavita, a child not born of her, but perhaps for her, and the one who filled the void left by the one she had birthed but parted with to her greatest enemies, should also suffer betrayal and downfall. Only of course, her falling was so much more worse than Kaveri's, although perhaps the beautiful finality with which her story met its end was a release rather than the punishment Kaveri lived through daily. She had been ecstatic when Kavita had met and fallen in love with Sanskaar Maheshwari, the emerging heir apparent to the Maheshwari clan. Not Durga Prasad's son but close enough. Establishing Kavita in the mansion she was to rule over was to be Kaveri's triumph against her hated enemies. She would have so enjoyed that, and she knew she would always be able to manipulate her sweet gentle orphaned dove Kavita, who was beholden to her for so much. Sanskaar too played his part beautifully. The golden child turned rebel and leaving broken hearted Maheshwaris in his wake, had been a glorious sight to behold, and despite Kavita's pain at her lover's turmoil, Kaveri had fuelled those fires all she could. But alas, Durga Prasad had found out before it had been prudent, and he had flown into a paroxysm of rage at the idea of his precious nephew marrying a girl with such a doubtful pedigree, and especially as she was connected to Kaveri. She still recalled the confrontation they had had more than five years ago. She had almost gloried in it despite the accompanying trauma it brought her. Kaveri by then had established herself as the mistress of a well known criminal who masqueraded under a thin veneer of respectability but fooled no one. Regardless, he had been powerful and a fitting benefactor to Kaveri. The only problem had been that he had been obsessive, and any mention of Durga Prasad or Kaveri's torrid past, he could never tolerate, so all her behind the scenes involvement in encouraging Kavita to elope with Sanskaar had been done secretly from him too.
However, it had all gone awry, unraveling into nothingness so quickly, Kaveri had been left clutching ashes in the end again. The Marwari Society henchmen had taken it upon themselves to join the fray and her once beloved Durga Prasad had played so dirty, she almost couldn't believe him capable of it. Her helpless child who had seen the same silly dreams she had once dared to envision, was left soaked in a lifeless pool of blood and the iconic young man who was to save her as once his inspiring Bade Papa was to do for Kaveri, was also lost. Kaveri had believed him as dead as her renewed desires for revenge. Kaveri had left Kolkata for a long time, despair and grief swamping her to the exclusion of all else. But, some cities you are connected to almost like the cord that binds the child at birth to its mother. It can be severed, but the bond between the two then is no longer parasitic on that physical connection. The sudden death of her patron required Kaveri to return to the city which marked all her greatest moments of bitter defeat and seemed to be waiting for an equally striking victory. Kaveri had known that the Maheshwaris were now beyond her reach; their power had multiplied and they were at the upper echelons of an order that she dared not try to breach. She toyed with the idea of using some of the connections her now deceased protector had given her access to. His successor was someone he had trained and Kaveri had a close rapport with. But she believed she did not really have any real motivation or sufficient leeway to strike so deeply as to not just shake, but crumble the foundations of the hated Maheshwari empire. That was all until very recently when by chance a certain Lakshya Maheshwari hired one of her dead lover's myriad minions to arrange a van to kidnap a certain Ragini Maheshwari, his own wife. Kaveri found this out by accident and so intrigued was she that she delved, and the more she searched, the deeper the treasure she unearthed. Free from the control that had previously been exercised on her, she could now perhaps not only extract the dues she had promised herself the Maheshwaris owed her, but also potentially reclaim her most precious possession that they seemed to have safeguarded rather well. What also sealed their fate was the discovery was that not only was Sanskaar Maheshwari alive, he had dared to forget her tragic dead Kavita and was actually married to some half Bengali chit, the very sister of this Ragini who was the victim of the pathetic failed kidnap plot. Kaveri had her opening and grasped it, making inroads with Ragini, who turned out to be delightfully delusional enough to make it all so easy, and her equally ridiculous grandmother, after careful enquiries and manipulation. From then on, she had supplied the ammunition to ensure the battle could be waged against Durga Prasad and his haughty family, who would be brought to their knees finally. Kaveri had resolved to make it happen and it was all going splendidly according to her plan, even down to Sanskaar being driven to mindless grief due to the separation of his precious Swara, who had dared to take the place earmarked for her own successor. Kaveri had been cheated. Annapurna had stolen all that was hers by right but this Swara could not be allowed to be the next Annapurna. With the notable exception of her son and his wife, all the rest of the Maheshwaris would rue their existence.
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."
Martin Luther King Jr.
Swara looked into the mirror, carefully applying the vermillion to her
parting and then fastening the clasp to her "mangalsutra". Just as she finished, she heard his district sharp rap on the door and she turned, her eyes lighting up, to see him enter. As ever, their eyes met and their world constricted to just them. The past long weeks and the pain of separation and the uncertainty it had wrought, all seemed to matter less. After their last meeting when emotions had swamped them both and Sanskaar had confided in Swara, they had reluctantly agreed not to see other and to keep their communication to a minimum too. Sanskaar had been rightly concerned about spying eyes and eavesdropping ears all around them, and so felt it best that they keep their pretence as realistic as possible. They had reconciled to this, clinging to the optimism of uniting again once their obstacles had been cleared and they both now delighted in knowing that this was the day they had awaited for what seemed an age, rather than mere weeks.
Swara rushed into his already outstretched arms and they went around her, enfolding her in warmth and bliss in an instant. As she looked up into his face, her hand softly touching his cheek, both craving every touch and every tender gaze, she said,
"Agar tum ek minute pehle aate toh tumse hi sindoor bharwaati aur mangalsutra bhi tum pehnaate."
His eyes radiating love like a blaze around her, he gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear,
"Aaj sabh tamasha khatam karne ke baad tumhari maang phirse khudh hi bharoonga aur yeh mangalsutra bhi pehnaoonga, aur shaadi ki sabh rasame joh hamare beech abhi bhi baaki hai woh bhi toh puri karni hai na?".
Sanskaar could not resist the last and after a moment, he saw the realisation dawn on her lovely face as a deep blush suffused it. She hid her face against his chest, which now heaved with rumbling laughter. He marked his possession and love with a kiss on the top of her head, before raising her still pink face with a finger under her chin. They were in danger of getting lost in each other again but Sanskaar recalled the unpleasantness that still awaited them before the shackles could be finally shrugged off, and they dragged themselves away to do what had to be done.
Sanskaar kept her hand in his, and even whilst driving, ensured she placed it on his knee when he had to change gear or needed both hands at the wheel. He knew she was nervous and apprehensive and he made sure she stayed distracted and cocooned in safety and security born from his adoration. Despite that, as Maheshwari House approached, they both felt some sense of foreboding, it is the same feeling one must get before going to the front for a decisive war. Even if you are prepared and have arrayed your army for victory, the wise general and his ablest soldiers must still experience that healthy dose of caution and wariness, which marks the wise from the over confident. Sanskaar reassured Swara when she hesitantly asked him if he was sure of what they were doing, that he had thought this through and Ragini had to be stopped now or each day that passed, led to more erosions of their sanity and peace.
And so they all shortly gathered in the now grim hall of Maheshwari Mansion, the chandelier still glinting and the intricately patterned windows still reflecting their prisms of light, but still imbuing the atmosphere with a subdued air that had permeated these past months. Sanskaar saw Ragini's and Dadi's eyes widen as he entered with Swara, the rest of the family already congregated there as planned by him and Lakshya. He exchanged a swift glance with Lakshya and gave him the most ephemeral of nods. "Let the games begin,", was what their resolute silent exchange seemed to imply. Ragini immediately began cawing her displeasure at being summoned in a preemptory manner by Lakshya and at seeing her banished sister there, her eyes narrowing in suspicion at seeing Sanskaar and Swara's entwined fingers. Her glance was darting nervously between various members of the family, noting how except Swara, the women all looked puzzled and even apprehensive, as did Adarsh and Ram Prasad, but to a lesser extent. However, Durga Prasad, Sanskaar and Lakshya were entirely steadfast, Ragini noted with growing alarm and Swara too seemed rather determined, although still rather tense. Her voice getting shriller only seemed to amuse Sanskaar, but it was actually Durga Prasad who first spoke, after an almost tacit signal from Sanskaar. Calmly, he first outlined a simple choice for Ragini and Parvati Gadodia. He asked them if they were willing to call their torturous machinations within the household to an end and hand back the reins of the business which the they were entirely ill equipped to manage, back to their original owners. This of course led to a fresh outburst from Ragini who ranted about how she was the owner, as if anyone needed reminding, followed swiftly by the familiar veiled threats to Durga Prasad about how she would be forced to reveal matters that he would certainly not want disclosed.
However to her utter shock, this time her monologue was met with a chilling smile from Durga Prasad and the response that if that was how she wanted to play this, she needed to speak to Sanskaar and Lakshya, and he cautioned stonily that he would then not intervene, regardless of how they choose to deal with her. It was enjoyable for everyone except Dadi to watch their tormentor squirm, clearly grasping that some stratagem that was against her had been planned, and was now being executed. But the die by all key players had been cast and onwards was the only way left open. Sanskaar then started to speak, his stern tones ringing through the silent hall, portending doom for Ragini, and salvation for the rest. The tale he unfolded was enthrallingly unbelievable; parts of it were known to certain of those present but no one person had the full picture, except himself and Lakshya, or so Sanskaar thought.
Sanskaar took great pleasure in telling Ragini that he had never mistrusted his Swara; he had only let her believe he had fallen for her cheap ploys. Meanwhile the now reconciled brothers had joined forces to continue to gather information and plan their next move. Lakshya had discovered that Ragini was in frequent contact with some Kaveri Roy and as soon as he had revealed her name to Sanskaar, he had been stunned into disbelief as she had been the same woman who had been a mother figure to Kavita. Sanskaar and Lakshya had then discovered Kaveri's nefarious connections and had also tackled Durga Prasad to force him to confess what hold Ragini had over him. Once Durga Prasad had realised that his sons knew about Kaveri, he had confided in his shameful secret of his past liaison with Kaveri. Those from the family who did not know of this sordid secret were entirely at sea with the discovery that their idol had feet of clay. These were namely Adarsh, Parineeta, Sujata and Ram Prasad. The even more grisly truth was that Annapurna had known all along. Oh she had not known the exact identity of the woman but she knew that Durga Prasad had loved an unsuitable woman and her match with him had been the catalyst to end that affair. She had truly been Durga Prasad's partner in the trust of senses and she stood with her usual composed demeanour, although hugely ashamed at these dreadful secrets spilling out after almost a lifetime of silence. The charade with Swara had been allowed to play out as Sanskaar had genuinely feared for Swara's life, and Durga Prasad also admitted that he had allowed the huge injustice to Swara to take place and that too at his own hand, as he knew about Kaveri's reach and had been indirectly threatened by Ragini that Swara's life could be in danger if she insisted on staying on to foil Ragini's plans. They had also been concerned about the Marwari Society men and the threat they could pose. Sanskaar apologised for not having brought the rest of the family into his confidence but the subterfuge had been necessary to maintain the element of surprise and to ensure no one even inadvertently compromised their plans. Once the brothers had taken Durga Prasad into their confidence, they had set the next stage of their mission into process.
During even this staged recounting, Ragini was losing her grip on the veneer of sanity that she had been precociously been clinging to for possibly a long time, but certainly over the past months. Her agitation was more than apparent and Dadi too was beginning to tremble and was therefore proving of little help. However, that did not stop Ragini from bursting in to interject that regardless of what they had all discovered and despite Durga Prasad coming clean about his affair, she still owned their businesses and would not part with them at any cost. At this, Sanskaar openly smirked, and Lakshya looked smug.
"Maine tumhe pehle bhi kaha hai Ragini, ke tum hamesha bhool jaati ho ke tumne chaal baaziyan mujise hi seekhi thi, main hamesha ek kadam aage sochta hoon. Tumne hame tumhari tarah kacha khiladi samjha hai kya? Joh log itna bada business chalate hain, unse tumne takkar lene ke baarein main soch bhi kaise liya?", Sanskaar knew gloating was not becoming but this woman had wreaked havoc into their lives and he was enjoying twisting the knife in.
He then elaborated how a new company, called SSM & Co had been formed entirely by him. He proudly explained that SSM stood for Sanskaar and Swara Maheshwari, not able to help exchanging a complicit smile with his wife, who was now staring at him with undisguised admiration, before continuing. This company was now trading in a modest but reasonably successful manner. In addition, a further company had been set up. It was called RGM & Co, an acronym for Ragini Gadodia Maheshwari, as officially registered, the name being the brainchild of one Lakshya Maheshwari, but entirely traceable only to his unwanted wife! Multiple transactions meanwhile had been engineered from his and Durga Prasad's merged company, which was of course now in Ragini's name, effectively stripping assets from it, and transferring them to RGM. This entire series of transactions was fraudulent and a clear audit trail had been engineered to prove it was so, should the authorities decide to investigate. Ragini demonstrated her total ignorance of the business world by exclaiming loudly and desperately that this was all going to land the Maheshwari men in prison, unable to truly grapple with the sophistication of the coup that had been waged. Sanskaar patiently clarified for her that there would definitely be a prison sentence in the offing, but not for any of the Maheshwaris, except for herself and perhaps her beloved Dadi Maa. For each of those unlawful deals had certainly been constructed and conducted by them, but each time had been instructed, authorized, or even expressly ordered, by Ragini herself. Durga Prasad interjected at this point, spelling it out to a confused and pale Ragini,
"Tumne yeh nahi socha Ragini, ke jiss tarah se hamne Swara se woh ghatiya papers sign karvaye, hum tumse bhi aasani se karvaskte the? Farq sirf itna tha ke Swara ne uske bholepan aur humpar wishwaas ke bharose par sign kiya, aur tumme apni lalach aur murkhta ki wajay se. Hum jaante the ke tumhe business ke taur tareeke kya maaloom! Tum dhoke aur dhamkiyon ke ball par maalkin toh bann gayi, lekin kaam toh hum sabh hi karte aaye hain na. Tumnhe khud hi kitne saare papers inn peechle hafto main sign kiye, kuch sahi the, kuch yeh sabh joh Sanskaar ne banvaye the. Sabh main itna likha tha ke tumhe toh kuch samaj aaya nahi aur tumne yeh soch kar sign kiye ke yeh toh karobaar ki bhaag daud ka maamla hain. Joh khadda tumne apni behen ke liye khoda, aisa hi khadda hamne tumhe dafan karne ke liye tayyar kiya; usme khud hi girr gayi tum."
Ragini was spluttering with rage and panic now, trying to unsuccessfully rack her brains to see what she could do to reclaim lost ground. She frantically shouted that she still had Maheshwari Mansion, their beloved family home. Not content with the blows already dealt to her, Sanskaar carried on, intent on a knock out victory. He gleefully recounted to Ragini that Maheshwari Mansion had been secured against one of those very disreputable dealings he had just outlined, and therefore would soon be auctioned off. The momentary gleam of triumph in Ragini's eyes was squashed before it could take root, when Lakshya then told her that she need not worry, as a deal had already been struck with the liquidator they knew would be appointed to ensure that any bidding war at auction was won by a subsidiary company of SSM. The entire matter would be on the right side of the law, but would be manipulated by the Maheshwaris, who of corpse wielded considerable influence in the business world due to their pedigree. The Maheshwaris would come home to roost soon enough, and their intruder would be firmly pushed from the nest forever, it's wings broken to ensure it never dared fly again.
When the thrashing tide swamps you and threatens to pull you under, you either let it engulf you alone, or decide that since you are going down, you will take the other person also fighting to stay afloat with you. Ragini turned to Durga Prasad, knowing there was no negotiating with her old tutor, Sanskaar.
"Papa Ji! Aap hamare saath aisa nahi karsakte! Hum abhi hi Kaveri Ji ko bulate hai, woh yeh sabh nahi hone dengi!"
Sanskaar interjected before Durga Prasad could say anything, his laugh a mocking endorsement of the parody Ragini's plotting had come to.
"Bulalo apni Kaveri Ji ko Ragini. Waise bhi kuch hi deir main tumhe unse mulakaat hojayegi. Abhi hi police unke hi darshan lene gayi hogi. Woh kya hai na Ragini, ke kisine unke underworld ke connections ki khabbar police ko dedi", at this point exchanging a complicit slightly smiling glance with Lakshya, "Aur jaise tum jaanti ho ke meri police main kaafi jaan pehchaan hai, toh mera farz tha ke hamare sheher main aise criminals ko police ke hawale karvane main main bhi kuch madad karoon. Toh ek woh kaam ho raha hoga aur phir tumhe bhi wahin uske paas waale cell main kuch hi waqt main jaane hoga. Abh itne saare fraud kiye hain company main toh police ko toh kuch karna hoga na?!", he finished with finality.
Ragini now looked like a cornered animal, the same stricken look in her darting eyes and now trembling hands, and Dadi fared little better. It seemed as if her already tenuous grasp on sense was slowly slipping away from her, but a trapped snake will always try to spew out its poison before its head is finally crushed.
"Papa Ji! Aap yeh sabh rokte hain ya nahin?! Yaa phir main aapka sabse bada sach, jiska pehle sabh baatein Sanskaar ne bataayi, usme koi bhi zikar nahi kiya, woh sabh ke saamne rakhdoo?"
Durga Prasad stiffened and closed his eyes for an instant. So she did know! He hadn't been sure and had tried to call her bluff as he had not known whether his greatest secret, which was far more volatile even than the reality of his past illicit relationship with Kaveri, was something Kaveri had already revealed to Ragini. A huge chasm opened up in front of him. He had made so many mistakes and to cover for them, he had made yet more. In his own eyes, his action with Swara had been criminal, as much as the ones he denounced Kaveri and Ragini for. It was now time to finally face his past, even if that would ruin not just his future, but that of others he had cherished and protected as the truth has a habit of finding you, no matter where you hid. He faced Ragini and she saw to her dismay that he perceptibly straightened, the slightly cowed man who had recently taken the place of Durga Prasad Maheshwari, seemed to be struggling off his shackles, and reemerging was the scion of the Maheshwaris who had built an empire with blood, sweat and invisible tears.
Approaching uncontrollable hysteria now, Ragini was raving.
"Aap aisa kaise karsakte hain Papa!! Maa ke saath itna bada dhoka! Aapne joh kiya hai, uske baad aap hame sazaa dene ki baat kaise karsakte hain!! Batayi na toh phir Papa Ji! Sabh ko batadijiye ke Kaveri Ji ke saath aapka sirf najayaz rishta hi nahi tha, uss rishte ki ek nishaani bhi thi!! Aapka aur uska beta!! Jisko aapne Kaveri Ji se cheen ke, apni patni ki gaud main daal diya aur duniya ke saamne aapke aur Maa ki aulaad ka darja de diya!"
The silence was deafening. Myriad emotions flicked across every face. The general consensus was of stunned disbelief and horror. Sanskaar and Lakshya in particular looked beyond shaken and in that moment, Ragini detonated a further explosion, her voice unnaturally loud in the deathly quiet that now prevailed,
"Kyun Maa, aapko bhi nahi pata tha na ke joh bacha aap parr Papa Ji ne thop diya, woh unki hi najayaz aulaad thi? Lekin sabse badi nainsaafi toh Adarsh Bhaiya ke saath hi hui na! Kyun Adarsh Bhaiya, aapko toh kisine nahi bataya na ke aap Durga Prasad Maheshwari ke bete toh hain, lekin Annapurna Maheshwari ke nahi, Kaveri Bai ke!"
Adarsh physically flinched at this vitriol and almost staggered backwards. From all the unexpected secrets that were to be revealed today, this was one no one could have foreseen, save Durga Prasad and Ragini. After the initial shock, a furore erupted. The family was in true turmoil and chaos reigned supreme for a while. In all of this, Ragini screamed that she would not go anywhere and made to rush to her room. Sanskaar and Lakshya both saw her and Lakshya even made a reflex move towards her, but as there was so much hysteria ensuing, they decided to first calm everyone down before dealing with Ragini. There was after all, little more damage she could now cause surely. Her parting shot was already possibly her retribution for them having outwitted her so definitely. Annapurna showed her mettle, even at such a time. With tears in her eyes, but still standing nobly clutching the shredded cloak of her dignity to her queenly frame, she intoned that she had always thought of Adarsh as her son and this changed nothing for her. She had always known that the child her husband had put in her arms as a babe, was likely to be his with another woman, but had chosen not to delve there, knowing her hold on his heart and affections so many years ago was rather fragile, and also understanding that the man she had married was haunted by a past she was not part of. However, the babe in her arms had needed a mother, and she had taken him to her heart. She admitted that she too was guilty of collusion with her husband in keeping the secret from Adarsh, and in that they were both offenders. Durga Prasad claimed full responsibility; he explained how Kaveri had not wanted the child if Durga Prasad refused to marry her and was to abandon him, which Durga Prasad could not let happen. He had not known of the child when he had married Annapurna, he had ended his relationship with Kaveri, but she had held this to her as her final bargaining chip, and when it didn't win her the game, she was all to happy to cash in her chips for the money Durga Prasad threw at her for her silence and departure from their lives. He had therefore sinned further and asked his wife to take the child and bring it up as her own, calling him an orphan in need. Ram Prasad and later Sujata had known that Adarsh was adopted, but no one except Durga Prasad knew of his true paternity, and the family had long since decided that this truth would cease to exist for them. Much like the victors that often rewrite history, a version was created and sustained. A period of confinement was prescribed for Annapurna on health grounds and at the end of it, a baby called Adarsh was proclaimed as the first born Maheshwari. Everyone took him to their hearts, especially Annapurna, and the baby brought her closer to her husband in a way that sealed the foundation of their love and marriage forever. Years later, when Sanskaar and then Lakshya were born to both Sujata and Annapurna, their happiness knew no bounds and was completed with the birth of Uttara to Sujata. Their perfect family was complete, but the sins of the fathers often get visited on the children, and thus was the case here it seemed. Adarsh was reeling, and it was clear that no concrete decisions could be made now. He asked to be excused and almost ran out of the house with Parineeta; his world had literally caved in, and no one knew how he would eventually feel, or what he would do.
In the wake of his departure, there will still Ragini that needed to be dealt with. A now furious Lakshya said he would fetch her, and asked Sanskaar to call the police. He ran up the stairs and a worried Swara and Sanskaar made to follow, the rest of the hapless family still trying to absorb the tremendous happenings of the day. However, before Lakshya had reached more than halfway up the central stairway that connected the rooms to the main section of the Mansion, Ragini herself emerged and made her way towards the stairs, an oddly vacant look in her dulled eyes. She had a shawl draped over her arm and at the top of the stairs from her side, asked if she and Dadi could be sent home to Baadi. Sanskaar immediately refused, despite a quick glance shot at a disturbed looking Swara. Sanskaar calmly told Ragini that she had to be take responsibly for her actions, and therefore he could not stop the police questioning her. Ragini's game was up, the penny finally dropped and she realised that either she could accept defeat gracefully, or she could go out in a blaze of fury and destruction. She slowly made her down the stairs crossing Lakshya without looking at him, keeping her eyes locked to Swara, and also totally blanking out Sanskaar, who had stayed protectively close to his precious wife, staying coiled for action. However, she stopped across from them, Lakshya now looking at her perturbed from where he stood, a few steps elevated, to her left.
"Swara, toh tum aakhir main humse jeet hi gayi? Tum hame kabhi bhi koi sukoon naseeb hi nahi hone desakti na? Lekin Swara, tumhari jeet main bhi tumhari hi haar hogi," saying which she suddenly brought out her arm from underneath the shawl to display a slim looking pistol, which simultaneously elicited gasps or shrieks from all present. Ragini in a chilling voice, devoid of all expression, and all the more frightening for it, asked them all to not move a muscle, or she would use the gun, which made everyone turn to almost statue-like stillness. Even Dadi looked flabbergasted at this development. Ragini then explained that Kaveri had given her the weapon, just in case she should ever need to defend herself, Kaveri had magnanimously explained, mainly against her husband who could not be trusted after his kidnap attempt. Sanskaar's blood was turning to ice as Ragini spoke; all he thought of was his Swara and how he could get her out of range from the death that stared them in their face. He tried to cajole and reason, but when madness is incarnate, there is little hope. Ragini was now hissing venom, her delusional ramblings were terrifying, and all present were chilled to the bone listening to the hate that racked her fractured soul. If there had ever been any good in this woman, it had long since fled, leaving this shell of emptiness and vindictive hatred behind. But Ragini's target was much more nefarious.
"Aap fikar na kare Sanskaar, hum jaante hain aap Swara ke hi baarein main soch rahe hai. Yeh pistol ki goli humne Swara ke naam nahi, aapke naam likhi hai! Aap Swara ka sacha pyaar hain na, toh aapko tadap ke marta dekhna hi Swara ki sabse badi haar aur hamari sabse badi jeet hogi. Aur aap bhi toh yahi chahenge na ke Swara ko kuch na ho, kyun na aapki jaan chali jaaye?!"
Swara screamed at her, in the same instant with a maniacal laugh that shouted out her utter insanity, she aimed the pistol towards Sanskaar. No one quite had time to either absorb or react to anything with reason. As she was about to pull the trigger, Lakshya launched himself at her, in the exact same moment that Swara threw herself against Sanskaar, instinct entirely ruling her, her only thought to not let her love and her life be harmed. The gun went off as Lakshya wrestled with his mad wife, and the sound was deafening. The bullet ricocheted against the ornate staircase and for a second it seemed it had thankfully missed its mark entirely. Lakshya savagely pushed Ragini, also slashing his hand across her face, and as the gun clattered to the marble floor, her foot slipped off the carpeted smoothness and she was tumbling the next instant, screaming as she slipped and fell, with a sickening thud, down the set of steps. Sanskaar was in a state of dazed disbelief when his absurdly brave but stupid love had slammed into him, and he had automatically grabbed her. However, he felt her suddenly go limp in the circle of his arms, and he then felt a hot wetness between his fingers. He heard a voice screaming Swara's name, not realising it was him. The sound was one of unadulterated agony and mindless fear. There was then blood everywhere and all Sanskaar could see was his life slipping away in his own arms. They say that when someone is dying, their life flashes before their eyes, and in that instant, the bullet may have grazed Swara, but it brought death to Sanskaar. He had no recollection or realisation of the frenzied activity around him. He never quite saw or heard his family rushing, Durga Prasad immediately calling for urgent medical help, the police sirens soon ringing, Lakshya and the others trying to speak to him. What he remembered with crystal clarity was her eyes radiating pain and gradually dulling, the congealing blood, the limpness seizing her limbs and him clutching her, begging her to stay alive and reassuring her that he was there. He saw her lips trying to move despite the excruciating torment she must be going through and despite the nightmare he was plunged deep into, he saw the burning love in her beautiful eyes, and the tremulous smile she tried to valiantly muster for him before unconsciousness took her. He wouldn't relinquish her to the medics, staying clutching her hand as they drove her at breakneck speed to hospital, not registering their reassurances that it was a flesh wound and they would get her help. He certainly spared no thought for the flaccid form of Ragini, which lay like a broken lifeless doll at the foot of the stairs, her body bent in an unnatural angle and was entirely oblivious to the second ambulance that carried her off.
"Clouds and darkness surround us, yet Heaven is just, and the day of triumph will surely come, when justice and truth will be vindicated." -Mary Todd Lincoln
