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

Before we go to chapter three it's time for a little author's note.

So, many of you I guess were wondering why I chose Medusa of all names. Those who do know please forgive the explanation. Medusa is a Greek mythological character, a monster actually, a woman with snakes for hair and eyes that kills anyone who gazes upon them by turning that person into stone.

She was originally one of the three daughters of Earth and the Ocean, the only mortal one of their children. A maiden with alluring beauty who later caught the eye of the sea god Poseidon and married him, in spite of being a priestess of Athena; the furious goddess cursed her into that demonic form then.

So I named this story Medusa, for reasons that will be revealed later...but the main concept runs in lines of a once pure soul now cursed into evil. Rest; open for guesses.

Now here we go, chapter three! Will see you at the bottom!😃

Chapter three

"Et tu, Brute?"

-William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

"Omkara...?" Daadi's small voice tore through the silence that wrapped them thick and fast. Om's eyes slowly shifted from one astonished pair of eyes to another, until resting upon the tear glazed, red rimmed, hazel ones of Shivay.

"You can tell them the truth now Om," Shivay insisted, his tone somewhat broken and his eyes empty. "I would like to hear that too."

"I'm not sure what you're hinting at Shivay..." He said hesitantly, his eyebrows knitting unconsciously.

Shivay walked to him, his steps echoing in the center hall, each on its own accord breaking a tiny piece of silence. Omkara held his ground, watching his eldest brother approach with his eyes betraying a hint of confusion underneath the mask of usual calmness. He stopped right in front of Om, their eyes boring into each other.

"The truth Om," he said again.

"What truth Shivay?" He questioned back.

"God!" Shivay snarled, running an impatient hand through his hair. "Why? Why do you make me hope again that I was wrong? That someone has misled me? Why are you trying to break me over and over again? Isn't it quite enough now?"

As if a lightening had struck, Omkara took a step backwards. His eyes slightly wider and his jaw tightened.

"You think I did this?" His tone was crippled. "Really Shivay?"

Shivay gripped his shoulders, trying to compose himself. His hazel gaze again found its way into Om's dark brown one.

"If this was what you wanted, you really wanted; you should have told me Om. You should have asked...I would have stepped away in a millisecond. I would have..."

Without letting him continue Om shook off Shivay's arms.

"Is this what you really think of me? Seriously Shivay, you think I'm a..." He gulped. "You think I'm my father?"

"I didn't want to believe it." Shivay said slowly. "I tried to prove them wrong. I trusted you! And almost lost her!"

"That is quite enough," Tej spoke from distance. Om took another step backwards, the raw pain in his face masked in the shadows of the darkened hall. "Either you stop accusing my son, or explain what you mean Shivay. We had enough drama for one day."

"Asthra, was created by Omkara..." Shivay stopped to look at Om again. "...Singh Oberoi," He completed the sentence in a dismissive manner. "He is the one who bought those shares."

"This is..." Om begun only to have Tej cut him off.

"Even if he had, he was only repairing the damage of your foolishness Shivay. I don't see how that makes him a traitor."

"Do you know why I signed those papers bade papa?" Shivay asked then, reassuming his mask of fake calmness. "Do you know what exactly happened with my wife?" The family gathered around them did not miss the extra pressure he added to the words "my wife."

"She was kidnapped and I was asked to sign those papers in return of her life!" There was a joined intake of breath at this, and Kalyaani softly whispered "Hey Ram!"

"I am sorry bade papa, but I refuse to accept that all this," he gestured at the luxurious surrounding. "Is of worth than her life!"

"This is why there's a police force in our country Shivay, you should have called them." Tej still found a comeback for his nephew's outburst.

"Do you think I did not?" Shivay snapped. "It was only later that I realized why they were so reluctant in helping me. Because..." He stretched out a finger back to Om, his eyes still fixed upon Tej's face. "He was behind it all."

"Shivay!" Jhanvi objected sharply. "How can you talk so about your brother?"

Shivay did not reply to her as he continued. "I went to bring her home only to realize she had escaped before hand, while she was returning...that car crash happened. Do you know what I think Bade papa? I think in the script that was planned for us today, I was not supposed to return to tell you all this."

"Om?' jhanvi turned to her son exasperatedly. "Say something!"

"How are you going to prove this Shivay?" Omkara spoke at last. There was a guarded look in his eyes, his features set.

Shivay took a deep breath, his face twisted in pain as he was made to relive the moment of agony when he realized that those who mattered most to him had betrayed him so cruelly. He brought the papers of detail on Asthra first, the blow that had not been so great on him. What broke his trust on his brother had been the incident mated out with Annika, which he then proceeded to reveal. There was a video of Om handing them money, the same goons that had dealt with kidnapping Annika, along with the transaction details of his accounts.

"I did not kidnap Annika," Om stated clearly. "Someone is spinning a lie around some real facts."

"Why did you withdraw so much money then Om?" Shivay rounded on him, for a split second something very much like a hope flickered in his eyes.

"I was helping a friend."

"So this video is fake?" Jhanvi summed up.

"No," Om said slowly. "It is real. That friend of mine had a debt to those goons, which was putting her through so much trouble, so I stepped up and paid it for her."

Her?"

"Who is she?"

"Bela." He said calmly.

"Very well bring her here right now," Jhanvi said with a sigh of relief. "She can put this matter to rest."

"I can't bring her Mom," Om said softly. "She's not in Mumbai at the moment."

"Fine," breathed Shivay. "Call her; that you can do."

"Of cause," said Om, as he dialed her number. An empty mechanical voice answered him from the other side.

"The number you have called is disconnected."

As a chill of dared started to creep into his mind and curl his brain, Omkara looked up at the sound of more marching footsteps. At their doorway a set of police officers stood.

"Those goons confessed who put them in to the job Mr. Oberoi," the ACP informed Shivay.

"And?"

"Mr. Omkara Singh Oberoi, you have to come with us."

Om pursed his lips, his mobile slowly slipping from his hand to the sofa next to him and Shivay leaned against the nearest pillar his hand covering his face as he tried not to break down completely. He would not have believed it for an eternity to come. But it was true and hence the wound deep. The long day pacing the hospital corridor and the evening spent arguing with his private investigator had slumped his shoulders, turned his eyes blood shot and his throat sore. None would match up to the wrenching sense in his heart as if it was being ripped off, when he looked at his brother. Something unbreakable was broken that day and the cracks would perhaps last forever. He did not turn around to watch his brother leaving with the policemen, or hear the voices of his family as they bickered over each other, on right and wrong. Amidst the noise, chaos and betrayals the great wall of Shivay Singh Oberoi crumbled to the ground.

*

Few hours later; when the night had completely thickened its hold around the environment; a circle of florescent light found Tej Singh Oberoi still in his office; seemingly gathering the remains of a rather unfortunate day at work. The news of his son being taken into custody, or the news of his daughter in law's critical condition had not reached the media yet, as miraculously Svetlana was holding her reins very well this time. But he was not satisfied, for she could not bring Om out. But Tej knew who would be able to do that.

Some miles away the night found her descending from a cab, at her new apartment. The sun had set long before. The aura of rosy light with golden highlights plaited through the tresses of a cobalt sky vanished giving way to sprinkled dust of stars. Underneath the cosmos that sparkled in a glow of their own lay the never sleeping lanes of Mumbai.

From the vantage point she had then, the vehicles looked a messy child's scattered toys and human figures unrecognizable. Higher, she had to go higher; she did not find much joy in the way leading to her destination as her focus had always been on the prize rather than the race itself. As she lingered at the foot of the staircase (claustrophobia never let her take the elevator) looking down from the large window by her side, one of the perfectly manicured set of fingers tapped against her phone.

She had chin length cropped hair, perfectly setting off her narrow column of neck and dainty ears. Her eyes were sharp, large and deep...their color a thicker midnight blue than a dusky black. Her lashes layered with mascara curled perfectly and a stud shimmered in her pierced nose. She wore tight blue-black leggings with a crimson shirt and looked every inch a woman who was perfect blend of death and desire. Hopping the last few stairs and throwing open the door leading to the terrace of her new apartment she stepped out in to the faint light of the string of moon left in the inky blue sky and the wind slapped hard against her cheeks. She stretched her arms wide and closed her eyes...a soft smile playing in her lips.

No more masks, no more hiding, no more restrains or tales...finally it was time to flap her wings wide. Completely ripping off the mask of Bela, Ishana Shah laughed out loud and the wind carried her sound to the clouds in the dark horizon.

Then her mobile started to ring, breaking the sense of tranquility she had been feeling. She answered the call, after a moment, as she descended the stairs back to her apartment and popped against the sofa, making herself comfortable.

"You job is incomplete yet, where are you Miss Shah?" The boring tone of Tej Oberoi filled her ears.
"I did what I had to," Ishana narrowed her eyes. "You wanted me to break the much reputed brotherhood, make your son the best candidate to your throne...done. Now it's time to hold your end of the bargain Mr. Oberoi."

"I never told you to send my son to jail did I?"

She sat up straight.

"So he's in jail now?" He lips, unable to help themselves stretched into a smirk. "Don't tell me the great Tej Singh Oberoi can't get his son out of a cell."

"Enough of fooling around," barked Tej. "Get him out right now."

"You know what Mr. Oberoi, after the method I employed to break the unbreakable, I can hardly go waltzing to the police station and tell your son "Hi, I'm your new fairy god mother!"

Listening to her voice dripping with sarcasm, Tej inhaled deeply. If this imprudent tongue did not come with the cold intellect that got him what he could not in decades, he would have gotten rid of her many months ago.

"Fine," Ishana said in the end, as if reaching to a conclusion. "I will release him; help you in whatever silly comes next. But I want my repayment now. I need my job back with everything that you promised."

"Fine," Tej imitated her stiff tone. "You're my PR head from now on, but the offer stands as long as Omkara stands where I want him to."

The call disconnected and Ishana threw the mobile away.

"Damn you Omakara Singh Oberoi!" She muttered to herself. "Will you ever grow up?"

*

Hmm...That's it for now. So Ishana's out in open, what do you feel about her? And of cause the messy web she trapped the Obros in?

I'm really curious to know your opinion, Good?😊 Fine?😳 Shocking?😲 Terrible?😕 Boring?🤢 Each review speeds up the process of writing, so please be kind enough to drop a word or two.😊

I'm so sorry if someone's disappointed with the turn of events.

Thanks for reading.

Love,

Sakura