Sigh…………. As I was updating, luck ran out and the entire first half of my text got erased and just couldn't be retrieved. So I had to slog it out again.
Adit quickly closes the briefcase and rushes home with Abhi. It is late in the evening when Vidya and Antara are coming back. Both are tired and are dragging their feet. Vidya chappals give way and there is no cobbler in sight at this time of the day. Vidya limps due to the broken footwear and Antara copies her steps. Hoppety hop! Vidya laughs when she realises this and calls Antara a 'badmash'. They sit down on the steps. Vidya removes her footwear and starts to massage her tired feet. Antara notices her movements and sees her bare feet. She removes her shoe and offers it to Vidya. She tries to make her feet slip in. (It's the cutest Cinderella scene that I have seen). But the shoe doesn't fit. So Vidya slips it back on Antara's foot. She is touched and kisses Antara. She hopes that she will always be blessed with happiness.
At home Adit is sitting with the briefcase open and is stroking the money. The doorbell rings so he closes the bag and hurries inside to keep it in the cupboard. Abhi is sleeping soundly there. Vidya and Antara enter the house. Adit sees the chappals in Vidya's hand and she explains what happened. He asks her why she didn't buy a new pair. She says this pair is new and so there's no need to waste money on a new one. Adit brings the first aid box, to clean her bleeding feet. Vidya is uncomfortable that Adit has to touch her feet. Tsk..tsk!! Adit tells her to stay put quietly and let him do the needful. He tells her that he would cook and that she should rest. In the kitchen he starts to clean the dal and is soon lost in daydreams. Dreams about how he'd return the money to the thug, how Antara would benefit from the therapy, how he'd get a new car, how they'd be a happy family with the arrival of the new baby. Vidya shakes him out of the dream and tells him to make the dal sweet since she has developed a taste for sweet things. There have a friendly banter in the kitchen.
Adit locks himself in the room and again opens the briefcase. He's obsessed with it. He feels the money and then counts one wad. He quickly makes a mental calculation and realises with a gasp that the total amount is ten lakhs. He's absolutely beside himself. Vidya knocks on the door. Adit quickly hides the bag in the cupboard again. He opens the door. Vidya asks why he had closed the door. He says he was doing some accounts. She calls him to have dinner. Abhi is half asleep on his chair. Vidya wakes him up and coaxes him to eat. He reluctantly starts to eat. He remembers and with a conspiratory gesture whispers "Papa…bag". Vidya is confused and looks at Adit. Adit remains silent. He tells Abhi to eat his food.
Abhi asks him if he returned the bag and Adit says yes. But he's avoiding eye contact. Abhi wants to know when he did that and Adit says when he was asleep. Was the man happy, asks Abhi. Adit nods. Vidya is confused and so Abhi relates the whole story to her. She asks where they found the address. Adit hums and haws and says he gave it back. Abhi is happy and says if he was in his dad's shoes he'd do the same.
Conclusion: The devil is seducing Adit into keeping the money. His conscience (Abhi) won't let him rest. He is torn between his duty to return the bag and the temptation to keep what he's found to make life comfortable for himself. He feels the next man would have kept the money to himself so why shouldn't he?
Precap : He tells Antara that he's been a good man so far and that hasn't helped him one bit. So he's going to take the easy way out and dump honesty. Tsk tsk Adit…. Even Antara looked shocked when she heard your loud thoughts. She looks at him giving him full attention.
Udne Ki Aasha
