Chapter 2
Present Day
Robindo popped his head round the door. Nilanjana was sitting in the study, idle; staring into space with a small tear just on it's way to fall down. He couldn't see his mother like this not even for freedom, drinks and girls. He could never imagine that things would shatter to such extent after the death of his Taani Bodi. He didn't even know the condition of his Anurag Dada. Shekhar had forbade him from coming to the court hearing and had involved Robindo in his business that he barely had time to go meet his love; Mauli.
He glanced hopefully at the embroidered Sari he held. It was in his mother's favourite colour; Red and had heavy stones and work neatly done down the front of it. At first his voice trembled but he pushed that lump away and meekly said "Ma, I have brought something for you," And then he had found himself drawn towards his mother; her welcoming lap and the way her hands patted her thighs inviting him for the stroke on the head.
"Will he be out, Robindo?" she asked hopefully, her hands ruffling through his brown curls as he nodded. He wasn't sure though and he regretted being the cause of her fake excitement as she reached out and grabbed it. "I will wear this Sari when he comes home. And I shall offer 21 coconuts to Goddess Ambe just like Laboni Di would have done." she announced, cheerfully stroking the stones of the Sari, feeling bliss again.
Before he could stop his mother, the stiff man on the door glared at the two as if he had registered every word of the conversation. "Nothing of that sort will have happen, Neelu. Your son will be there for imprisonment and he will suffer for what he did to our daughter-in-law! And you," he pointed straight at Robindo ready to bawl out his anger "Get out of here, you useless good-for-nothing son. I sometime have a doubt whether you are my real blood..."
While walking away, a thought triggered in his mind wondering why he was still called a good-for-nothing son when he had become Kolkata's best industrialist in a flick of time...
***
The plate came sliding through the perpendicular bars filled with a dry flatbread and some lumps of vegetable cornered in the end making the dinner look extremely small and disgusting. But nothing mattered any more. He didn't care, and he was willing to eat a thousand meals like this just to have her back. He had started to believe that he was the killer otherwise she would have never died. He had killed her.
"You have 10 minutes. Eat it or don't." barked the fat inspector banging his wooden stick on the steel bar gaining the attention of others. His looks, his personality didn't scare him and Anurag was sure that he was far stronger than the lump which was bossing everyone around. His hands tore a small morsel and dipped it in the vegetable but the loud cry instantly stopped him.
"Anurag!" called out the familiar understanding voice. Ananya ran past the confused inspector and clutched the bars, her left hand holding on to a silver tin. "Look at this. I brought this for you. It's your favourite dish," she offered sliding past the tin and smiling happily as he took it in his hands.
"No thanks, Di. My favourite's have died out and I will only eat what I deserve," declined Anurag pushing it back and eating the morsel which he was about to eat. She stared at the state of the food and bawled angrily at the inspector who sat on the desk lazily. "Is this what you call food? I agree that my brother has done wrong but this is not even enough for starters! Do you want to kill him through this way just because he wasn't sentenced to death?"
He stared at her from head to toe and understood she was rich enough to scream at an inspector. Rising from his seat, he placed his hands on the desk and muttered "I have been eating this food since 10 years and look at me. I am fine, stuffed and well healthy."
"Why can't I see, Inspector?" she replied vainly smirking at his belly which stuck out as if a pregnant woman's. Turning to Anurag, she assured "Don't worry, Anu. You will be out of here in no time for the crime you haven't even done!" Swinging on her heel, she turned around and walked away while pushing some guards off their transfixed position.
***
Laboni ran her fingers on the glass photo she held. Two lone tears coursed down her plump cheek and fell on the glass instantly reminding her of the tears her own daughter had shed for the beastly man who was trapped in the jail. But how will she ever get her daughter back? She was gone, and everyone assumed she was dead. Even she had started to believe that and her trust was crumbling away in small pieces.
Taposh placed a hand on her shoulder, a reassuring smile on his handsome lips. She felt he was here to give good news and instantly wiped away the lingering tears. "Has the final judgement happened, Taposh?" asked Laboni while placing the frame back. "Has he got it for what he done?" she asked harshly looking straight at him.
"Not yet, Ma. He will and Mr Mehta has said that we will win the case," said Taposh giving one of his striking smiles yet not forgetting his sister's recent death. "Ma? What's happened to Mauli? She's just disappeared and she doesn't come for street plays either."
"I don't know. I don't care," Laboni replied gloomily walking out of the room. He wondered how his mother had gone from loud to quiet, caring to disregarding and mostly happy to sad. His eyes brimmed wondering whether the same vociferous sounds of stories and the melodious voice would ever echo from his house. And he made sure that the causer of this suffered. He would make sure that he would kill Anurag first before they sentence him imprisonment rather than death and that he swore to his dead sister.
***
Author's Note
Extreme apologies to all the readers. I did take a while to update and you all must be wondering where Taani is. Don't worry guys, I haven't kicked her out of the story and I will never do that. There is going to be a sudden twist in the story and I hope you all enjoy it.
Please comment and here is a BIG hug from me 🤗
Edited by Humari_Dosti - 14 years ago
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
