Trials Of Fire Adni Untold Saga Chapter 47
IPK3 Season 2 Episode 117
"Wait a minute!"
Chandni had laid a restraining hand on Advay's arm. He turned back, mistaking her call to be for the continuation of their unification. But now was not the time. Though he himself wanted it,needed it! He searched deep in her eyes; but it wasn't desire there; rather something else which made him curious.
"What is it?"
His voice was tentative, caring, indulging! What was he going to say if she suggested it?There was too much on his mind now that Allahabad meeting was in progress. How would he explain her?
"What is this?"
Chandni pointed to the walls, all over covered with newspaper cuttings with threads tied,tracking from one point to another, hideous looking close up of a gold tooth, focus light thrown on one specific cutting.
"You know what it is!Why are you asking me?"
Advay's demeanour changed abruptly, age old anger creeping back in his being.
"Yes, I know! It's all about your revenge. But why is it occupying your walls everywhere? It feels like there's nothing else in your life; same as there's nothing else on these walls."
Advay's gaze flicked over her dismissively, his tone robotic, "What do you want on these walls?"
"Anything else!... Anything that's not revenge! Anything that doesn't say death; but spells life for you!Why are you letting revenge occupy the whole being of yours?"
Her voice grew serious as she spoke. "It was Krishna who manoeuvred Mahabharata battle; but that battle doesn't define Krishna. Don't let yourself be defined by this revenge, Please Dev!"
She continued as he remained quiet, listening to her every word.
"Look Dev, I am supporting you for your rightful revenge. Indrani is already in jail; Miku is back with you. How I wish you could let peace and quiet settle over you now...But in your life there is no peace...None whatsoever...in spite of everything."
"I once cursed you to never have any family, any relations and may I rot in hell for saying that." She flinched at the memory of her deed, "But I was not aware about this beautiful family you already have! There is Naani, Maasi, Pooja di. Aadi and Miku are so innocent and they adore you... You have so much, such a loving family!... Yet, I am sure every time you close your eyes, all you must be seeing is the faces of dying Maa-Baba. You have made war and only war as the sole purpose of your life!" Her pitch rose as her exasperation grew.
Memories came rushing back with her words. She had cursed him that day in Allahabad, going far with cruel words and pushing him to limits.He had cried alone at night.
"Aasoon banke gham sabhi, dil behalaane Aaye hain
Main hoon, raat hain... Donope tanhaayee ke saaye hai"
Tears were his sole companions as loneliness clouded all nights of his. The memory brought back all his bottled up anger. The muscle in his clenched jaw ticked as he regarded her momentarily,the gleam in his eyes warning her she'd gone too far again.
"Because it is, Chandni!" His voice throbbed with pent up anger, "It's about my Maa-Baba! My world died with Maa- baba, so did everything good and gentle and pure in my life. Now only revenge remains." He spoke with gravity almost like throwing her an ultimatum.
Temper came and she clung to it like a familiar blanket, challenging him back in a ferocious exasperated cry, "And what about me?"
"You are part of this revenge, all through and through!" The decibel crossed the sound barrier.
Chandni jerked like struck by a bolt of lightning. Her face contorted in hurt, her countenance devastated. Abruptly she turned back to hide tears springing suddenly in her eyes and walked away, wanting more space from him...buying space that would save her from the guilt of her dark past, coming back again and again to hound her.
Advay flinched at her sudden change, words ripping out from him, "Stay, Chandni!" Angry hurt and need evident in his call.
Chandni halted in her steps, acknowledging the hit...refusing to analyze the strange curl of pain in her gut...refusing to turn and acknowledge the truth in his eyes.
He took the forward step this time for her, coming from behind and leaning in, inches from her face,shaking his head in refusal,
"I am not going to apologise!"... He let out a sigh, looking straight in the very centre of her, "You know damn well that I meant you as my strength in this war. You are making yourself a prisoner of the history; letting the past rule over you!Guilt is become your proclivity! Don't do it, Chandni!"
His stark words fell between them in a challenge. Chandni looked at him through the sheen of her tears. If she had been right in her rebuke, he was right, too! He'd always been brutally honest. He always stated what he meant and then never deviated from it.
What was this between them? Both were shattered deep inside from their pastand both trying to heal each other in every possible way, sometimes in healthy cajoling and if required, in stern rebuke.
An awkward silence descended. Her breath came out in uneven bursts. Raw emotion shimmered in the teary eyes, along with a fear that made dread trickle down his spine.
"Then, you also don't do it, Dev!" Her soft words carried a touch of hurt and an earnest urging. "Don't live revenge, live life! Revenge will be done in its own time!"
"Where there's time,Chandni? How will I face Maa- baba; if I don't avenge my parent's death in my own lifetime? Who knows, I might have to face my Maa- Baba very soon!"
A poignant moment between two lovers asking the most fundamental question...If life were to become short should it be spent in revenge of past or in happiness of present family...what was more important?
Chandni spun away from Advay. Anger and anguish beat from her in waves he could almost touch. World spun around her, why did life have to be like this? She wasn't ready to accept such truth. It was too blunt, too stark, and too terrifying.
Her body shook as angry sobs escaped from her throat. Advay kicked himself in his head for his wrong choice of words. His dread grew into a roaring river; he had truly cocked up the situation now.
He turned his resisting wife firmly back towards him and stood with his head bowed in front of her, his eyes hooded by his lids.
"I am sorry, Chandu! I shouldn't have said that. Please forgive me."
Then he looked up, his face ravaged by pain, holding her gaze with his, "I promise, I'll fight even the death, to be with you, to live with you! I want this life with you now."
His confession came from deep within his soul. The words settled into her soul and spread warmth through her body. Gaining his apology and his promise was priceless.
Advay Singh Raizada never apologized and to nobody. She knew how much it had taken for him to admit he'd been wrong. It was her Dev apologizing to his Chandu.
She knew how much his promises meant to him; perhaps even as important as life itself. As he had himself once said, if Advay Singh Raizada promised, he always fulfilled.
She gave him a small smile in acknowledgement and he smiled back in reply indulging her. Her tentative smile grew bigger, until her lush lips were stretched into a joyous grin that did strange things to his insides. Dev had always known his Chandu to be like this. She'd always been an emotional giver never afraid to soothe, nurture,touch!
She was just opening her mouth to say something in excitement; something that would tell him how happy she felt with his promise; but he put his finger on her lips, silencing her. No words were now necessary between the two of them.
His eyes glittered with shards of gold, a promise for lifetime in them; while a mischievous smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Chandni was left powerless against the clean masculine scent of his enveloping her, the scrape of his finger rough on her soft lips; while her face held a moony look.
The space between them shrank, filling the air with a crackling, sexual tension that exploded in the room and tried to drag him under. He sucked in a breath,got himself under control, and spoke in a resonating voice, just a whisper of sound,
"Be with me!"
Mamaji stood quietly at the end of the crowd gathered. Pandeyji had been looking out for him, as he had suddenly disappeared. Pandeyji's gaze fell on Mamaji, startling him.He was astounded that the secret shared by him was already utilized by Mamaji. He then looked at Veer. Veer stood quietly, his eyes unfathomable, like a mighty yet silent ocean!
Mamaji walked forth with folded hands and spoke to Panches(jury), "Please allow this lady, Padmamalini, to speak."
From his crouched position, Gangaram looked up hearing the name and was flabbergasted to see the person.
Padmamalini folded her hands and spoke to Panches, "It'snot my position to speak in your gathering. I am just the Devdaasi in temple in the outskirts of the village. Gangaramji had taken whatever little gold I had;promising me that he would coat me completely with gold very soon. This man has taken from me all my lifetime earnings."
Malati jerked up hearing the lady while Panches queried,"Why did you trust him? Have you known him for long?"
"Yes! For the past fifteen years, this man has visited meevery day either during the day or at night. And a few days back, he coerced me to give my gold though I did not trust him. I request for some justice."
"What justice? You'll lose your Temple job also from now on with all your lies." Gangaram had not lost the evil gleam in his eyes in spite of all that was happening..
"I don't care. I am myself giving it up." Padmamalini countered in defiance, "Under the guise of serving the God, we are made to bear molestation from people like you. I will rather take a job with Mahant Advayji! He'll give me some work in his company to live my life with my head high rather than being molested by you everyday."
A sudden realisation struck Gangaram with more force than a bolt of lightening. Everything had been Advay Singh Raizada's plan right from the start.
Malati had been listening to the interaction but now rose slowly from her husband's side. Anger beat from her in waves, spreading like a wildfire, creating an angry ripple in the crowd. She sucked in her breath as if trying to control her rage; but it burst free, refusing to be caged; refusing to accept or examine the sudden knowledge of the concubine.
Shock kept Gangaram still. Malati appeared to him like Kaali mata personified as her fair, usually soft face, suddenly darkened now. Malati held him in a staring deadlock, his stunned with her transformation and hers angry as her belief of a faithful husband though vile shattered to tiny splinters.
Her anger made her want to kick him in his face; tramplehim under her feet; but traditional values would not allow her. She looked around in anger and stomped towards some dung fallen on ground. Within a blink of a moment, Gangaram's face was blackened with dung and black.
The crowd continued to get angrier with every passingminute; but Veer stood quietly his eyes narrowed in cold anger. Ganagaram might have thought in all these years that he could get away with his lies; but with Bhai returning back, Gangaram's black deed was repaid, replete with interest.If Gangaram had blackened their father's name long back, today Bhai had ensured that culprit's face was blackened in disgrace.
Ripples of anger grew bigger and bigger in the crowd. Gangaram's sordid deeds had cost the holy senior mahant his wife and his life. Gangaram had been cheating every person coming in contact with him and had not spared his own devoted wife, too. He had cheated regarding the treasure of "Siddha Mahadev", the deity itself. All his actions were a flagrant flouting of society. For once, all communities, the rich and the poor, the structure of village and even the panches along with Sarpanchji were united in their desire to see Gangaram severely punished.
"Don't leave him! He should be made to sit on a donkey and taken through the whole village." PP roared from his place.
Veer looked at him in surprise, trying to stop him; as this was not Bhai's instruction. But PP had lost the plot and was in no mood to listen. He signalled to his men. They started putting dung and black all over Gangaram and made him sit on a donkey.The mob roused in anger and started throwing stones at Gangaram. His procession sitting on donkey started.
Veer was in a dilemma.It was not possible to control the angry mob though a tiny warning bell clanged somewhere in his mind. He knew neither he nor Bhai would approve of such procession. It was too much of a disgrace! For a moment, his heart wondered,maybe this was justice of fate, the evil man deserved this. Anyway, he would have to call Bhai and inform of the happenings.
Advay changed his attire to causal jeans and a white shirt before proceeding to club. He looked so much younger and handsome that Chandni got raucous and blew a raunchy whistle, her face lighting up with approving smile.
But then, she pointed at his attire and raised a questioning brow, "What's the plan? Want me to punch in the faces of few women?"
Advay crinkled his nose, though it did nothing to distract from his handsome face. "What? You don't expect me to go the club in office suit, surely! And I do keep a change here in office!"
"And what about me? Shouldn't I change to casual, then?" Chandni questioned, suddenly awkward with her dressing.
"Don't worry! You look gorgeous, always!"He looked at her with complete approval wanting to restore her confidence, "I hope I don't have to break a few bones in the club today."
Chandni threw her head back and laughed heartily. Advay looked at her indulgently. She cried big, laughed loud, and refused to shy away from silliness. It seemed to be a long time since he'd been on the receiving end of one of her true happy laughs, and he remembered how special it felt, as if he were the only man in the world to make her happy.
Time passed quickly in the club as Advay met with his friends and introduced Chandni as his wife. Chandni watched him mesmerised as he greeted friends at the pool table and joined the game. His eyes were on the balls but before making every strike with his cue, he looked at her in eyes and waited for her to smile. Every strike took the hole and won him points.
As both proceeded for a quiet dinner, she looked at him with pride in her eyes, "You win the game always, don't you?"
He smiled down at her tightening his hold to hug her closer, "With you by my side, yes! Always!"
Just as he was pulling her chair at the table, his cell rang and he excused himself. When he returned, his smile was wider, his shoulders relaxed. Tonight, he would show his wife how much he loved her!
As the evening grew darker, Gangaram stood alone in his treasure room remembering the cursed moment of his life when he had agreed to the conspiracy of the evil Indrani in the greed of a large share. Not had she given him any share and now the consequences of his deed had resulted into his losing all his wealth, his family and his respect.
In that moment his mind was lucid, drained of all avarice,as if the hidden fear finally real and present had purified him. He had no desire for life now, only death could salvage him!!!
Context:
Devdaasi- As explained earlier, this is ancient custom in Indian temples where young girls were married to God but then slowly as the society deteriorated, they were pressured for prostitution.
Procession on donkey with blackened face- In Indian customs this is the worst insult/total disgrace for a person.
Truly, life gives difficult questions to loving souls; what is more important?
Yet, it's their healing process as both are guiding each other.
Gangaram has been pushed to his fate; what repercussion will this incident have on Advay? Get answers in next chapter.
Edited by Loving2Missing2 - 4 years ago
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