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Kiran looked at the mirror and the memories of her childhood flashed before her eyes…the big mansion…so many servants…all amenities and yet she had had such a lonely childhood.
She knew her mother only from the pictures that hung on the walls of the big house. Her father had always been a stranger….the tall man who would breeze in and out of the house in between business meetings and travel. She remembered that the only conversations that they had ever had were across the huge dining table which was big enough to seat an army. Her only support, friend and confidant had been dai ma…her ayah who had brought her up. Days went by and she had blossomed into a lovely young lady with a beautiful complexion and large expressive eyes.
And then one day a young driver had been hired to ferry the young lady to and from the college. His name was Nishikant Dixit. Kiran liked the sincere looking small town boy who was very shy and would get embarrassed when sometimes he saw her glancing at him in the rear-view mirror. Slowly Kiran became friendly with him and he too began to open up. He told her about the big dreams that he wanted to fulfil and for which he had come down from Mount Abu. He was well educated but came from a poor family. He had been forced to take up the job to make his two ends meet. Kiran sympathised with him and really respected him for his moral values and determination. She realised that this man was so different from the people in her world and she slowly began to get attracted to him. She began feeling a new emotion for the first time in her life….it was love….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kiran was meeting some family friends for dinner that day…the Waalias…She hated socialising with her father 's rich friends but the Waalias were an exception. She like Jai Waalia who was a couple of years junior in her college. He was an interesting person and she shared a special bond with him…..he was like the younger brother she would have loved to have. And today she was going to ask Jai to help Nishikant set up his business. Jai was a little disturbed when she told him about her plans to financially support Nishikant. You have to help him…please use your dad's network to get him the contacts , she pleaded.
But Kiran…are you really sure…Would Singhania uncle approve, he asked worriedly.
I don't know, said Kiran. But I like him…I mean I want to help him, she stuttered.
Jai was a little suspicious and he felt anger welling up inside him, because he had already presumed that the driver was taking advantage of Kiran.
Kiran hated the rest of the night. Jai was sullen and did not approve of her friendship with Nishikant. And as if to rub salt on to her wounds her dad called out to her and asked her to sit with Ranvijay, their manager, at the dining table…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What Kiran thought would be a casual dinner turned out to be a defining point in her life. While she was struggling to make polite conversation with Ranvijay, her father dropped the bomb shell. Attention everyone, he called out. All conversation stopped and everyone looked at him. I have an announcement to make, he said. I think I have found my heir for my business and my family….I want you all to drink to the health of my future son in law Ranvijay….
Kiran's head was spinning and she could barely hear the people around her congratulating her and Ranvijay. After a few minutes she excused herself and said that she was going out for some fresh air. She stood out in the garden wondering what had hit her when she saw Nishikant standing there in the shadows near the parked cars. He looked so lost as he stood there staring at the moon. A feeling of warmth and softness welled up inside her. She loved that man…how different he was ..so gentle, so kind…unlike the manipulative and brash Ranvijay….She stood there gazing at the man who was soon to become her destiny….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The clouds were threatening to burst into a torrent of rain any minute. Dai Ma came into her room with her bag that she had packed for her. She was the only one who had supported Kiran in the last few days. The high voltage drama that had followed when she had gathered courage to tell her father that she did not want to marry Ranvijay had been emotionally draining for Kiran…She did not have the heart to tell him that she planned to marry the driver instead. Convincing Nishikant had not been easy but Kiran was not deterred. She knew that he too loved her and had admitted that but he did not want to bring hardships to her life he had said. Kiran had cried and pleaded and told him that she just wanted to be loved and was ready to face all hardships. Nishikant had been moved by her confession. He had held her in his arms and promised to love and protect her for the rest of her life. They couldn't have stayed in the city because of her father so they had decided to elope to Mount Abu.
In her bag that night Kiran had packed the jewellery that her mother had left for her as well as all the cash that she could lay her hands on….she had to take this to give them a start..but never again, she had vowed, never again would she turn to her father for any financial help…
They had gotten married in a temple that night and had boarded the train to Mt. Abu.
A few months later she had received a court notice where Mr, Singhania had notified that he had severed all ties with her and she would not be getting a single penny from his vast wealth…
Nishikant felt guilty but she had smiled and hugged him. And then she had torn the notice into small bits….and had told him that they were about to get the best treasure of their lives in a few months…she had been expecting her eldest daughter then….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And now after 16 long years she was back in the city…..and the irony was that it was her father who had wanted to see her. Jai Waalia had called her one day out of the blue and told her about her father who was on his death bed. He wants to see you Kiran, Jai had said. She had sensed the coldness in his voice. You are still upset with me, she had asked. How could you, Jai had sneered. How could I what? Kiran had laughed softly. Just thrown everything away and walked away….
Thrown everything…Kiran had repeated…I didn't have anything there ….and here I have everything…
She got down from the train and saw Jai in the distance. He was with a pretty lady who had her arm in his. My fianc…Roshni, he had introduced her. She got into the back seat of the car, while Jai sat in the front next to Roshni who was on the wheel. I will take the Park Road said Roshni to no one in particular. Why the Park Road..asked Kiran…That will be an hour extra…
The roads are flooded said Roshni…she had seemed a bit nervous…and we will get all the office traffic on the other route at this hour…she mumbled…..
The car sped towards the Park Road....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roshni was nervously glancing at her watch as she steered the car....I need you to delay her Rosh...the words were haunting her...Ranvijay was planning something, Roshni knew, but she had not questioned him. He had promised not to tell her fiance about her past and now she had to keep her part of the deal.
As she drove the car across a big pool of water on the road, it suddenly began to cough and splatter and then came to a complete halt.
What is it? Jai asked...I dont know said Roshni as she tried unsuccessfully to start the car. And just then they were blinded by the flash lights of a truck....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranvijay glanced at the old man breathing heavily in his bed. He nodded at the nurse who took the cue and emptied the syringe into the drip bottle. The guy was certainly a tough one Ranvijay thought as he anxiously kept looking out of the window and was relieved to see no sign of Roshni's car.
The dose of the old man's pain medication had been doubled in the last few hours and no one but the nurse and he himself knew that. He would stop breathing and pass away peacefully, Ranvijay had been told. The nurse would not open her mouth for Ranvijay had made her an offer that she could not have resisted. His cancer would have killed him in the next few days in any case, Ranvijay had cleared his conscience of any guilt. He had managed the Singhania empire for the last 15 years and the old man had always said that his faithful manager was his rightful heir. But the last few moths had been hard…when the ageing man realised that he had only a few days to live he began getting very emotional and remembering his daughter. He wondered if she had kids. Ranvijay had panicked due to this change in his attitude…he could not lose all his wealth to a girl who had rejected him and her fathers wealth long ago…and then he had planned a most sinister plot….and he was using his pawns well..wasnt he….he had an evil smile on his face when he thought of Roshni and Jai.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Its dangerous to be stranded in the middle of the road at night in such weather, Jai muttered. He was sounding irritated. You wanted to take this God forsaken route didn't you. Roshni tried to say something but Jai raised his hand gesturing at her not to speak. I will try and find a work shop, he said and alighted from the car.
"Do you have some water.." Kiran asked Roshni. As Roshni passed her a bottle of water she noticed Kiran taking out a bottle of pills.
"Whats that for ?" " My medication for blood sugar..I'm diabetic," said Kiran. "I forgot to take it in the train. Diabetes runs in the family." She remembered her father then and grew impatient. "Wonder why Jai is taking so long?"
Roshni was fiddling with her cell phone… "No signal," she muttered, … "let me find a phone booth, " she said as she stepped out of the car. Just as she disappeared around the corner Kiran saw Jai approaching the car from the opposite direction. He was accompanied with a man…the mechanic Kiran presumed…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The mechanic got the car started in no time. " Hota hai Sahab…ye mausam mein aisa hota hai," he said. Jai was in no mood for a conversation so he quickly dismissed the guy with a 500 rupees note. Roshni came back just then and they were on the road again. The pick up van came at a break neck speed around the corner without a warning. Roshni tried to swerve but it was too late. The passenger door of the car flew open and Jai was thrown out onto the road……All he heard was Kiran's painful scream piercing the silence followed by the shattering of glass and screeching of breaks….
At the Singhania mansion, the nurse was checking the pulse of the old man. Ranvijay looked at her inquiringly and she shook her head.. And then both of them smiled….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jai had been in a dazed state for the next few days. Kiran and Roshni had been admitted to hospital, the former with critical injuries. The driver of the pick up van had died and there had been no eye witnesses to the accident.. Kiran had not been told about her father's death. Ranvijay had pleaded with Jai to keep his sister out of the picture. He would handle the whole thing he had promised. He had convinced Roshni and Jai to give a false statement to the police. A driver had been put forth by Ranvijay as the person who had been driving the car that day. The driver had picked her up from the station…Unfortunately she never got to see her father….
Jai had called Nishikant but he did not get to see him because Ranvijay had convinced Jai to go to London with Roshni for her treatment. Before he left he had deposed before the Judge and had narrated the same story that Ranvijay had told the police.
When he got back from London after a few weeks, he had heard that Nishikant had returned with his wife to Mount Abu. With a guilt ridden conscience he had gone to Mount Abu, only to dicover that Kiran had breathed her last. Nishikant had seemed like a broken man and had wept like a baby. She never wanted the wealth…why did she have to go to Mumbai…she said she would never look back. Jai had promised him financial help but he had refused. He was scared for his daughters…they had lost one parent. What if something happened to him. He had made Jai promise that he would take care of his daughters if something happened to him.
Jai had returned to Mumbai and discovered that a legal battle was going for the wealth of the late Mr. Singhania. Ranvijay had produced a hand written will which said that all the wealth was his. The battle had lasted for months and the will that ranvijay had produced had been proved null and void. All the Singhania wealth had gone to a trust and Ranvijay did not inherit anything. This had shaken up Jai completely and he had always had a niggling doubt that Ranvijay had somehow orchestrated the whole incident. He had called off his engagement with Roshni and severed his ties with the Chopras…..
He had almost forgotten about the whole incidence…till one dark rainy night the three sisters walked into his house and changed his life forever…..
She knew her mother only from the pictures that hung on the walls of the big house. Her father had always been a stranger….the tall man who would breeze in and out of the house in between business meetings and travel. She remembered that the only conversations that they had ever had were across the huge dining table which was big enough to seat an army. Her only support, friend and confidant had been dai ma…her ayah who had brought her up. Days went by and she had blossomed into a lovely young lady with a beautiful complexion and large expressive eyes.
And then one day a young driver had been hired to ferry the young lady to and from the college. His name was Nishikant Dixit. Kiran liked the sincere looking small town boy who was very shy and would get embarrassed when sometimes he saw her glancing at him in the rear-view mirror. Slowly Kiran became friendly with him and he too began to open up. He told her about the big dreams that he wanted to fulfil and for which he had come down from Mount Abu. He was well educated but came from a poor family. He had been forced to take up the job to make his two ends meet. Kiran sympathised with him and really respected him for his moral values and determination. She realised that this man was so different from the people in her world and she slowly began to get attracted to him. She began feeling a new emotion for the first time in her life….it was love….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kiran was meeting some family friends for dinner that day…the Waalias…She hated socialising with her father 's rich friends but the Waalias were an exception. She like Jai Waalia who was a couple of years junior in her college. He was an interesting person and she shared a special bond with him…..he was like the younger brother she would have loved to have. And today she was going to ask Jai to help Nishikant set up his business. Jai was a little disturbed when she told him about her plans to financially support Nishikant. You have to help him…please use your dad's network to get him the contacts , she pleaded.
But Kiran…are you really sure…Would Singhania uncle approve, he asked worriedly.
I don't know, said Kiran. But I like him…I mean I want to help him, she stuttered.
Jai was a little suspicious and he felt anger welling up inside him, because he had already presumed that the driver was taking advantage of Kiran.
Kiran hated the rest of the night. Jai was sullen and did not approve of her friendship with Nishikant. And as if to rub salt on to her wounds her dad called out to her and asked her to sit with Ranvijay, their manager, at the dining table…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What Kiran thought would be a casual dinner turned out to be a defining point in her life. While she was struggling to make polite conversation with Ranvijay, her father dropped the bomb shell. Attention everyone, he called out. All conversation stopped and everyone looked at him. I have an announcement to make, he said. I think I have found my heir for my business and my family….I want you all to drink to the health of my future son in law Ranvijay….
Kiran's head was spinning and she could barely hear the people around her congratulating her and Ranvijay. After a few minutes she excused herself and said that she was going out for some fresh air. She stood out in the garden wondering what had hit her when she saw Nishikant standing there in the shadows near the parked cars. He looked so lost as he stood there staring at the moon. A feeling of warmth and softness welled up inside her. She loved that man…how different he was ..so gentle, so kind…unlike the manipulative and brash Ranvijay….She stood there gazing at the man who was soon to become her destiny….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The clouds were threatening to burst into a torrent of rain any minute. Dai Ma came into her room with her bag that she had packed for her. She was the only one who had supported Kiran in the last few days. The high voltage drama that had followed when she had gathered courage to tell her father that she did not want to marry Ranvijay had been emotionally draining for Kiran…She did not have the heart to tell him that she planned to marry the driver instead. Convincing Nishikant had not been easy but Kiran was not deterred. She knew that he too loved her and had admitted that but he did not want to bring hardships to her life he had said. Kiran had cried and pleaded and told him that she just wanted to be loved and was ready to face all hardships. Nishikant had been moved by her confession. He had held her in his arms and promised to love and protect her for the rest of her life. They couldn't have stayed in the city because of her father so they had decided to elope to Mount Abu.
In her bag that night Kiran had packed the jewellery that her mother had left for her as well as all the cash that she could lay her hands on….she had to take this to give them a start..but never again, she had vowed, never again would she turn to her father for any financial help…
They had gotten married in a temple that night and had boarded the train to Mt. Abu.
A few months later she had received a court notice where Mr, Singhania had notified that he had severed all ties with her and she would not be getting a single penny from his vast wealth…
Nishikant felt guilty but she had smiled and hugged him. And then she had torn the notice into small bits….and had told him that they were about to get the best treasure of their lives in a few months…she had been expecting her eldest daughter then….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And now after 16 long years she was back in the city…..and the irony was that it was her father who had wanted to see her. Jai Waalia had called her one day out of the blue and told her about her father who was on his death bed. He wants to see you Kiran, Jai had said. She had sensed the coldness in his voice. You are still upset with me, she had asked. How could you, Jai had sneered. How could I what? Kiran had laughed softly. Just thrown everything away and walked away….
Thrown everything…Kiran had repeated…I didn't have anything there ….and here I have everything…
She got down from the train and saw Jai in the distance. He was with a pretty lady who had her arm in his. My fianc…Roshni, he had introduced her. She got into the back seat of the car, while Jai sat in the front next to Roshni who was on the wheel. I will take the Park Road said Roshni to no one in particular. Why the Park Road..asked Kiran…That will be an hour extra…
The roads are flooded said Roshni…she had seemed a bit nervous…and we will get all the office traffic on the other route at this hour…she mumbled…..
The car sped towards the Park Road....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roshni was nervously glancing at her watch as she steered the car....I need you to delay her Rosh...the words were haunting her...Ranvijay was planning something, Roshni knew, but she had not questioned him. He had promised not to tell her fiance about her past and now she had to keep her part of the deal.
As she drove the car across a big pool of water on the road, it suddenly began to cough and splatter and then came to a complete halt.
What is it? Jai asked...I dont know said Roshni as she tried unsuccessfully to start the car. And just then they were blinded by the flash lights of a truck....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranvijay glanced at the old man breathing heavily in his bed. He nodded at the nurse who took the cue and emptied the syringe into the drip bottle. The guy was certainly a tough one Ranvijay thought as he anxiously kept looking out of the window and was relieved to see no sign of Roshni's car.
The dose of the old man's pain medication had been doubled in the last few hours and no one but the nurse and he himself knew that. He would stop breathing and pass away peacefully, Ranvijay had been told. The nurse would not open her mouth for Ranvijay had made her an offer that she could not have resisted. His cancer would have killed him in the next few days in any case, Ranvijay had cleared his conscience of any guilt. He had managed the Singhania empire for the last 15 years and the old man had always said that his faithful manager was his rightful heir. But the last few moths had been hard…when the ageing man realised that he had only a few days to live he began getting very emotional and remembering his daughter. He wondered if she had kids. Ranvijay had panicked due to this change in his attitude…he could not lose all his wealth to a girl who had rejected him and her fathers wealth long ago…and then he had planned a most sinister plot….and he was using his pawns well..wasnt he….he had an evil smile on his face when he thought of Roshni and Jai.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Its dangerous to be stranded in the middle of the road at night in such weather, Jai muttered. He was sounding irritated. You wanted to take this God forsaken route didn't you. Roshni tried to say something but Jai raised his hand gesturing at her not to speak. I will try and find a work shop, he said and alighted from the car.
"Do you have some water.." Kiran asked Roshni. As Roshni passed her a bottle of water she noticed Kiran taking out a bottle of pills.
"Whats that for ?" " My medication for blood sugar..I'm diabetic," said Kiran. "I forgot to take it in the train. Diabetes runs in the family." She remembered her father then and grew impatient. "Wonder why Jai is taking so long?"
Roshni was fiddling with her cell phone… "No signal," she muttered, … "let me find a phone booth, " she said as she stepped out of the car. Just as she disappeared around the corner Kiran saw Jai approaching the car from the opposite direction. He was accompanied with a man…the mechanic Kiran presumed…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The mechanic got the car started in no time. " Hota hai Sahab…ye mausam mein aisa hota hai," he said. Jai was in no mood for a conversation so he quickly dismissed the guy with a 500 rupees note. Roshni came back just then and they were on the road again. The pick up van came at a break neck speed around the corner without a warning. Roshni tried to swerve but it was too late. The passenger door of the car flew open and Jai was thrown out onto the road……All he heard was Kiran's painful scream piercing the silence followed by the shattering of glass and screeching of breaks….
At the Singhania mansion, the nurse was checking the pulse of the old man. Ranvijay looked at her inquiringly and she shook her head.. And then both of them smiled….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jai had been in a dazed state for the next few days. Kiran and Roshni had been admitted to hospital, the former with critical injuries. The driver of the pick up van had died and there had been no eye witnesses to the accident.. Kiran had not been told about her father's death. Ranvijay had pleaded with Jai to keep his sister out of the picture. He would handle the whole thing he had promised. He had convinced Roshni and Jai to give a false statement to the police. A driver had been put forth by Ranvijay as the person who had been driving the car that day. The driver had picked her up from the station…Unfortunately she never got to see her father….
Jai had called Nishikant but he did not get to see him because Ranvijay had convinced Jai to go to London with Roshni for her treatment. Before he left he had deposed before the Judge and had narrated the same story that Ranvijay had told the police.
When he got back from London after a few weeks, he had heard that Nishikant had returned with his wife to Mount Abu. With a guilt ridden conscience he had gone to Mount Abu, only to dicover that Kiran had breathed her last. Nishikant had seemed like a broken man and had wept like a baby. She never wanted the wealth…why did she have to go to Mumbai…she said she would never look back. Jai had promised him financial help but he had refused. He was scared for his daughters…they had lost one parent. What if something happened to him. He had made Jai promise that he would take care of his daughters if something happened to him.
Jai had returned to Mumbai and discovered that a legal battle was going for the wealth of the late Mr. Singhania. Ranvijay had produced a hand written will which said that all the wealth was his. The battle had lasted for months and the will that ranvijay had produced had been proved null and void. All the Singhania wealth had gone to a trust and Ranvijay did not inherit anything. This had shaken up Jai completely and he had always had a niggling doubt that Ranvijay had somehow orchestrated the whole incident. He had called off his engagement with Roshni and severed his ties with the Chopras…..
He had almost forgotten about the whole incidence…till one dark rainy night the three sisters walked into his house and changed his life forever…..
Cricket
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