New FF: Escape Last Part Page 49 - Page 14

Chapter Thirteen

Gopi shut the door to her office before breaking down. She thought she wouldn't ever have to see him again, but there he was sitting in the conference room acting like everything was okay. She didn't know what had come over her in the room. She had never spoken like that to anyone, but she couldn't stop herself. The words just flew out of her mouth. She kept picturing her husband with another woman. Her husband marrying another woman, her husband sleeping with another woman, her husband loving another woman and it broke her heart and she wanted to break his. 'STOP IT GOPI. He isn't you husband anymore; he is simply a client now so you must act professional. Those people mean nothing to you anymore. Baba is your world now and he has a lot of confidence in you. Don't let him down.' She completely forgot that she needed to call Sanjeev. Seeing Ahem had really shaken her up. She grabbed her phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Raghu Kaka has Baba eaten and taken his medicine? What is he doing right now? Tell him I said get back into bed right now."

"Beta he ate and took his medicine and he is still in bed."

"Don't lie to me Raghu Kaka I know you're just saying that because Baba told you to. I bet he is sitting on the sofa right now with his laptop open about to call Rahul regarding the meeting. Tell him I said no work and back to bed right now." Raghu Kaka laughed.

"Sir I think you have been caught. Gopi beta knows you too well. I suggest you get into bed before she has a fit." She knew he was probably pouting right now. Raghu Kaka handed the phone to Sanjeev and he talked to this daughter.

"Are Gopi beta I was looking for that beautiful diamond set you bought for Kamya to have it cleaned but I could not find it. I want her to wear it for her Sangeet and Mendhi function so I must get it sent over right away."

"Oh yes Baba I completely forgot. I have it in my drawer in my room. It should be right on the top."

"Okay Beta I will find it and have Raghu send it out and then go straight to bed. I will see you later. Have a good day at the office." Sanjeev walked into Gopi's room and looked around. It was so neat and tidy, just like Gopi. He searched through the drawers and didn't see anything. He pulled everything out, but still nothing. He got to his last drawer and pulled it open. What he found inside shocked him. He slowly pulled out the picture and fell to the floor. That was how Gopi found Sanjeev when she came back from the office. She looked around at the mess in her room and smiled. She expected it. When she saw Sanjeev on the floor looking sad and distant she ran to him.

"Baba what's wrong. Are you feeling okay? Baba please answer me." Sanjeev looked over at Gopi with tears in his eyes.

"Gopi beta who are these people in the picture?" Gopi looked at the picture confused and looked back at Sanjeev. Why did a picture of her parents make Sanjeev like this? "Baba those are my parents." Sanjeev looked over at Gopi with tears in his eyes. He hadn't seen this face for a long time, but it was a face he would never forget. He knew that he had died with his wife that fateful day, but he had never known that they had a child, a daughter.

"Gopi Beta this was my older brother. He was a loving and kind-heartened man, and Bhabhi was just like him. They suited each other so well. All Bhai wanted was to surround himself with family and love. All I ever aimed for was money. Bhai always told me to be careful of my maanzil as once I attained it I would be all alone and he was right. I always had such high ambitions but never had the money to attain them. Anytime I got any money I would lose it all on some venture. Then Bhai had a brilliant idea and started Shah Company with his life savings. He must have found out about you and probably wanted to set up a future for his daughter. I never paid much attention to his life so I must not have known. He knew how much I wanted to succeed and make money. Shah Company started out small, but it grew really quickly and I was jealous. He was attaining everything I wanted and I hated it. Bhai was always so upset because I was his only family and he wanted his family around me. I moved away from him, far away and never contacted him. I continued to fail at everything and I was all alone. I finally decided that maybe Bhai was right and that I should be surrounded by family. That was where you will find wealth. When I came back into the city I found out about the accident and that both my Bhai and Bhabhi had died instantly. Bhai, knowing how much I wanted success, gave me everything; his company, his money, and his house. He didn't want his brother-in-law or his wife to find out about his successful business because he knew how greedy his brother-in-law's wife was. By that time, Shah Company had thrived to several companies and was renamed Shah Industries and I was now the owner. I never knew he had left me something more precious than all of his wealth. Oh Gopi I blame myself for everything. This money, this company, it all belongs to you. I wish I could have protected you from those ruthless people. Can you ever forgive me? You are my niece, my daughter! I love you." Sanjeev grabbed Gopi and held on for dear life. He had his family and that is all that he ever wanted.

"Baba, I was just a baby when my parents died so I never knew that Papa had a brother either. It's not your fault. You didn't know I existed and neither did Mama or Mami. If Papa was here he would have forgiven you a long time ago. If it wasn't for you Baba I would have died a long time back. You are my world, and I'm so happy to know also my family." Gopi and Sanjeev got up and she took him back to his room. He needed his rest now and she had some cleaning up to do. Gopi had never been so happy in her entire life. She had a Kaka, her Papa's brother. Her Baba was her blood, her family. She went back to her room and started cleaning up. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the jewelry box, the box that contained her mangalsutra. She suddenly remembered the scene from this morning. She slowly opened up the box and grabbed the familiar object. She remembered his face and his smile. He never smiled around her, but sometimes she caught him smiling around his mother and her heart would melt. Then she remembered that fateful night. The slap, and the push. She absentmindedly touched the scar on the side that she had gotten from that push. She fell to the floor and didn't realize when she started weeping. Seeing him again brought back all those memories that she wanted so badly to forget. He belonged to someone else now. She didn't stop herself that night. She cried her heart out because she had to forget everything about him. She had to act like a professional now. He was only a client now and she must never let anyone in her present find out about anyone from her past. Especially not her Baba because if he ever find out about Ahem, he would destroy him and the entire Modi Parivaar. She could never let that happen so she had to make sure that her past stayed in the past.