Medusa Ishkara SS chap 4 pg 15(17/9/16) - Page 6

Hi,

Long time no see right? So sorry about that. Without further ado, here goes chapter two. We have a new name now😊and you will meet Ishana or a version of her, in this chapter. See you at the bottom.

Chapter two

This is where it all begins. Everything starts here, today.

- David Nicholls, One Day

As the twilight fall over; the city slowly retreated into silence and the veils of twinkling light. But the railway station was still busy, people elbowing each other out of the way, families grouped together as they pushed their way through the crowd; mothers maintaining too tight a grip on their kids as they dragged them towards the compartments. There was a cluster of porters, vendors of sorts scattered through the relentlessly moving crowd. None of them paused, or looked twice at the couple who stood by a compartment, their heads bowed closer in a silent conversation.

Ishana bit her lip once, as Omkara traced a finger through her bangles, each ringing in rhyme as he touched them. The silence hung heavily as she preyed around for the best set of parting words. She had to say something, silence was the worst of all farewells, that burned memories with unsaid words and all those "what if" s.

"I feel so guilty," she said in the end, looking up at him and trying to force her lips to smile. "It feels as if I'm a thief running away."

"We both know that's not true..." Om told her, his eyes never leaving hers. The bangles rang against each other again.

"Still..." She sighed. "I wish things were different. I wish there weren't so many problems, and then at least I could have stayed here and earned what I got."

"You can always come back," his voice sounded hopeful. "Once the danger here is done and dealt with."

She did not reply as her eyes glazed over unfocusedly.

"They're never going to leave us alone." She said in a small voice. "Now even their debt is paid full, still the damage is there, like a hole left after a nail's been pulled out."

"I will take care of this," he promised her. "I just need to make sure you're safe." For a moment their fingers interlaced each other and he sighed. "I'll bring you back, once it's over."

"You don't have to do so much for me," her voice trembled again. "It feels like using you!"

"Does it?" He asked with a host of a smile. "Then I like being used."
"Didi?" Mona stuck her head out from the compartment as the train noisily announced its immediate departure. Her eyes traveled from one of their faces to the other and Om let go of Ishana's hand after one last squeeze.

"Go on," He said attempting a smile. "Be safe!"

Taking a large gulp of air and throwing the last of her insecurity away, Ishana threw her arms around him in a brief hug, surprising both of them at the same moment. Their relationship had been strange in that way, there were hardly any so obvious gestures of affection.

"Be strong," she muttered in his ear, before pulling apart and following her sister inside the compartment that was already pulling away, gathering speed. At that moment Omkara did not know what she meant by those words and when he did know, it had never been what he would have dreamed of.

*

Once upon a time there was a man called Shivay Singh Oberoi. He was cold, collected and was a man of sharp intellect and ruthless nature. Nobody knew what happened to him, since the man collapsed into one of the benches in the hospital corridor hardly had any resemblance to the above said man.

In a matter of hours, his life had speeded away in years. He seemed older, warier and lonely. There was a distant look in his hazel eyes, rimmed away with daring red and there were bags under his eyes. He was pale and his fingers clasped together to stop them from shaking. The posture did not, even on a single notch match to his reputation as the aspiring chairman of the Oberoi Empire.

He looked every inch a man who had watched his world crumble to dust in front of him; a man who had then immersed the ashes himself. He was all but a shell that was still breathing, for not all hope was lost to him yet.

He looked up hopefully as the door of the operation theater opened and got up hesitantly as the doctor walked out.

For a moment they stared at each other, both daring the first words the other might speak.

"Your wife is out of danger Mr. Oberoi." The doctor said finally. "She is still under observation and unconscious, but there is nothing remotely dangerous about her condition now."

His eyes softened in pity for the young man who had collapsed back to his chair, eyes closed in silence prayer to the heavens. It would have been a disaster to watch him fall to the pits of despair as the doctor had been afraid of a few hours before, when he was confronted with the young woman barely alive after the drastic accident she was met with. Mrs. Annika Oberoi is certainly a lucky soul. The doctor thought to himself as Shivay collected some of his thoughts.

"Can I see her?" He asked finally.

"Once we shift her to the main ward," the doctor replied, clasping his shoulder in an encouraging manner, the older man left, leaving the younger to relish the blessed minutes of happiness in solitude.

His mobile rang then, shrilly that it broke his trance. Without glancing at the screen, Shivay disconnected the call. He had chosen his work over her so many times, that he could hardly remember when their last conversation was. Still she had been always there and never complaining. Perhaps this was his turn to make some sacrifices.

The thought was alright; sweet even. But the moment was totally wrong for in the afterglow of having his wife returned to him; Shivay forgot that everything had a price. At least in his world they did.

*

It was common lore that the center hall of the Oberoi mansion was the coldest of all. Without the ornate chandelier in the center lit to chase away the shadows and the chill, the high windowed space looked eerie.

Kalyaani, the oldest of the Oberois, thought she heard something break, a glass that shattered the silence along with its many shreds. But what was about to shatter was far beyond her imagination. With a sigh and her hands clasped in a casual manner she turned her calm eyes on her eldest son, who was seething in anger.

"Call him back home right now," he barked, his hands clutched to fists. "I need answers damn it! Shivay has to answer!"

"Just because you shout, he's not going to leave his wife and come running after you Mr. Oberoi," Omkara stated from the shadows. "My brother has a life outside your office as well."

"Do you have any idea, what your brother has done?" Tej Demanded, his voice rising a little more. "What had possessed him to sign an order, releasing a major percentage of our shares? So much money? What for?"

"Annika is in a critical condition Tej, perhaps he wanted to..." Jhanvi's cool tone spoke next. But as always he cut in before she completed.

"Who gave him such an authority huh? If he needed money he could have talked to us...any of us," he looked around at the assembled family. "Surely, he couldn't have needed a sum we can't arrange for?"

The assembly fall silent, as the silhouette of Shivay appeared in the doorway. Tej walked forward to him, his arms stretched in a mock welcome.

"And here comes the man of the hour, Mr. Shivay Singh Oberoi!" He said sarcastically.

"Billu?" Daadi spoke next, in a hesitant tone. "What is everyone saying here? Did you really..."

"Yes Daadi," he answered her, looking straight past the towering figure of his uncle. "I did sign those papers."

Kalyaani clasped her fingers over her lips for a moment. The jewels on her rings caught the eerie light and shimmered momentarily.

"Are we entitled to know the reason for this stupidity Shivay?" Tej interjected again.

There was a pause, as Shivay looked up, his hazel eyes meeting the blazing ones of his uncle in calm acceptance. Before he would reply however, Shakti hurried inside, tucking his mobile back in his pocket as he finished his conversation.

"The matter is well beyond reasoning now Bhai sahib," he said as he glanced briefly at his son and then back at his brother.

"Don't tell me," Tej sighed. "Someone bought them? All of them?"

"A company, named Asthra."

"See, what you have done?" A livid Tej Oberoi turned to Shivay. He was still eerily calm; something Om was quite disturbed to notice.

"Shivay?" He said questioningly right at the moment when his brother opened his mouth to reply. His eyes still firmly planted on Tej's face.

"There's no harm done bade papa." He said softly. "The shares are still within the family."

"Within the family?" Shakti repeated astonished. "What do you mean Shivay, Asthra is not one of our..."

"Om," Shivay popped out suddenly. "I think you can elaborate better."

As if practiced for a parade or synced to move together, the entire family turned from one Oberoi brother to the other, as the air thickened with withheld exhales.

"Omkara?" Kalyaani said in a small voice.

*

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Thanks for reading.

Love,

Sakura