IshVeer FF : La Douleur Exquise| Important Announcement (Page 51) - Page 21

Hey, everyone! Thank you so much for your patience! Before having you guys read this chapter, I need to hide away.

Chapter 17: Silence Before the Storm

Chirag had announced he did not want to wait any longer to get married and thus was going to visit the Parekh family on the same day itself. The news took everyone by surprise, but at Baa's insistence and stubbornness the Mehta Family was immediately invited with open arms. Ranveer could see Falguni Maa fuming with irritation from the last couple of hours. Ishani hardly sneaked out of her room that day, earning her mother's scorned glances. Falguni wasn't going to let her go away like this, especially when she needed her daughters to look prefect on the day. The noble thought from her side had, however, turned into a curse, for the family again became the victim of choosing two sides. Falguni and Baa. Those who had no problem with Ishani had to remain on Falguni Maa's side and those who wanted to see Disha happy, were to remain in Baa's territory.

Devarsh and Pratiek decided to stay on Ishani's side, not afraid of the angry looks being shot towards them from both Baa and Disha. At the end of the day, the members from the family remaining by Ishani's side were Vishkha Kaki, Devarsh and Pratiek who humbly refused to leave her side, stating, Ishani wasn't going to harm any of them by just being there. But Baa seemed adamant at not having her for the day at home; and when nothing worked, she played her final ace card.

"I don't want Ishani to be here for Disha's sake!" She looked at Falguni solemnly. "You might not worry about your daughter but I do! She's our honour and just because of this illegitimate I'm not going to put Disha into danger!"

"Ishani is also this family's daughter!" Falguni answered calmly, trying not to get carried away by Baa's words.

"She is your daughter! A child from the marriage you haven't yet shown the evidences of. Were you even married?" Baa sneered, her white teeth glaring hard. "Do you think it's right to have Ishani there dancing on our heads when her step-sister's in-laws are visiting for the alliance for her marriage? Those people have heard the rumors about your past. Your Ishani's past. They might even question you about all that if Ishani's there. What will you say? What if after knowing the truth Chirag refuses to marry Disha?"

Falguni glared at Baa, but the old woman continued.

"Why do you want Disha to suffer from the consequences of your mistakes?"

And that was enough to chase Ishani away from the hall, her eyes low. She didn't look back to heed the pleading voice of her mother or the grasps of her cousins that tried to pull her back into the humiliating hall. Instead, she darted out of the place and into the open, tears tirelessly leaving her eyes. Ishani did not bother to wipe them away, while they fell incessantly, leaving the red marks on her face.

And as she sat there beside Ranveer, her body shook with dry sobs. Ishani had rushed to him, circling her arms around him as she wept deeply in his chest until her sobs turned into hiccoughs. She refused to say anything further and Ranveer was forced to remain silent, giving her time to recover from the shock  of the day. It was amidst the time her sobs racked his house, did Pratiek narrate the entire thing to him, easing the calamity of unawareness of the whole matter.

Ranveer sighed, patting Pratiek's shoulder and assuring him to look after Ishani. And now, after 3 hours, Ishani showed no enthusiasm in explaining anything to him. Realizing his efforts were meant to go in vain Ranveer remained silent, hoping for his patience to win the ultimate battle. He stood up and advanced towards the kitchen, returning back with a glass of water in his hands.

"Ishani, take this." He handed her the glass. "It'll make you feel better."

Ishani looked up, her face wet from tears and sweat. "I don't want it." She sniffed.

"Ishani," Ranveer said gently, "half the times you don't realize what you want until you've had it. Come on!"

Slowly, Ishani took the glass from him and guzzled the water immediately.

"See? You needed water terribly."

"How did you know?"Ishani asked in awe.

"It wasn't tough, if you ask me," Ranveer answered sincerely. "You're far too predictable, you know?"

"Oh, really?"

"Of course! I can count all you are on my fingers." He threw a sarcastic smile.

Ishani rose to her feet and dashed towards the pillow, throwing them one by one at Ranveer. "Shouldn't you be less cunning and prying into my thoughts?" she spoke in between.

Ranveer shrugged, defending himself using his hands and hiding behind the suitable objects in the room. "Are you mad!" he shrieked. "Do you want to kill me with these pillows?"

But Ishani did not pay attention to his words, her hands continuing their assault. "Now you'll know!"

"Ow, I understand, I understand!" Ranveer muttered, still protecting himself from the attack of Ishani's hands who continued to smack him wherever her hands could find. Ranveer rolled out of the bed and onto the floor. "Are you even starving?"

"What?" Ishani panted, her hand now on her stomach as she struggled for breath.

"Forgot the Perk advertisement?" Ranveer said, completely prepared to defend against her strike. He didn't give Ishani time to think. "Because whenever you're starving, you turn into Sunny Deol."

"Ranveer!" Ishani rushed to him, her hands circled in a way to strangle him and they closed around his neck the moment she found him. "When will you change!"

"Never!" Ranveer cried, half-groaning, before he escaped from her grasp.

"I'll kill you!" Ishani ran after him, now more frustrated than before, but in vain. Ranveer already skipped out of the room and the passage of the servants' quarters.

"Yeah, what?" He made a face, while Ishani intensified her glare at him. "Now, see I won!"

"Won?" Ishani asked, halting abruptly in her tracks. "Won how?"

"Changed your mood, that's how." He smiled. "Ishani, stop taking stress over what others say, alright?"

Ishani's red face calmed as she took a deep breath before listening to Ranveer's words. She shook her head and gulped for air. "So you knew."

Ranveer took her hand in his as she accompanied him back into the room. He made her sit on the chair and left to the kitchen again.

"Pratiek told me everything." Ranveer said, returning with another glass of water which Ishani took eagerly from him.

He sighed, suddenly noticing her fingers moving to fidget the pendent around her neck. Ishani smiled softly, while the adrenaline now restored to normal.

"Are you still upset?"

The question took her by surprise, her eyes flaring slightly in attempt to conceal the tumultuous emotions which still continued to rush through her skin. "How did you know?"

He smiled. "The pendent." Ranveer pointed. "Whenever you're upset, you keep fidgeting with the pendant that Mota Babuji gave you."

Ishani shrugged, and Ranveer could read her thoughts: surprise flickered through her smooth features, barely causing the eyebrows to lift in declaration of the obvious as she inhaled before looking away.

"Do you want to take some time off?"

"Off?"

"Oh, my!" Ranveer smacked his hand on his forehead. "Why does this girl lack common sense?" He looked up towards the sky as he spoke, as if talking to God directly.

Ishani laughed. "Alright," Ishani said, pulling Ranveer out of the dramatic conversation with God. "Yes, I do want some time off. Long drive?"

10 minutes later Ranveer led Ishani to the car, helping her on the passenger's seat and settling himself on the driver's one.  Ishani stared around her, her eyes dreamy as she gave Ranveer a smile.

"Are you ready?" Ranveer asked, putting on the seat-belt, while Ishani nodded her head, doing the same.

"I want to go away from this mess, Ranveer. Far, far away. So much that for a while I can't remember anything."

"Maybe we can run out of fuel?" Ranveer asked, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint.

Ishani sighed. "To be honest, Ranveer, that's what I want. Let's go somewhere and not worry about anything for a while! Baa, Disha, Chirag... or anyone!" She looked at him, and returned the mischievous smile. "I want to get lost and never be found again."

Ranveer fought an urge to laugh hard at her childish wishes, but stopped. Instead, he raised an eyebrow. "Ishani, do you even know what you keep saying?"

Ishani ignored him and looked out of the window as the car began journey to its unknown destination. The road near home was empty, rarely a vehicle popping up in sight as they moved ahead. The sun had almost slipped past the horizon, revealing a reddish fringe adorning the cloudy sky which spoke of the advent of the night. Occasionally, streetlamps illuminated the path further, dissolving their thoughts into an oblivion of the spastic reality they had just left behind. Ranveer watched Ishani with a smile, contentment filling his heart up, while she leaned her head on the back of the seat. Ishani closed her eyes, feeling the beat of the wind sweep across her face gently. From the sudden crease on her forehead and shrivels under her closed eyes, Ranveer could tell her thoughts had returned back to the happenings in the family from the afternoon. Haunting memories.

Without another word, Ranveer switched on the stereo as the instrument came to life with a romantic song beginning to play. Ishani opened her eyes and turned to look at Ranveer.

"I love this song!" she chirped. Ranveer smiled. She'd told him hundreds of times before whenever they heard the song. It was merely a year old, and Ishani couldn't survive without it.

"I know," he replied. "You've told me that already."

Ishani again ignored the sarcasm in his tone and scowled, slowly closing her eyes to feel the music swirl in her thoughts, replacing the painful daunting memories. She peered her head a little out of the window, letting the wind stroke her face in gentle caresses. Her hair went disarrayed as the delicate tendril refused to put up a fight with the air, falling on the either side of her shoulders while some teased her forehead in mischievous strokes. Slowly, the song came to an end and Ishani turned back, watching him keenly. She looked confused as she found him smiling at her.

"What?"

"Your hair."

"What's wrong with them?"

Ranveer chuckled and Ishani examined them, slowly realizing the hysteric state of her hair. "You should really learn how to make ponytail for your own good," he said, struggling to keep laughter from bubbling as Ishani fumed at him.

"If it was an actress instead of me, her hair would've been alright."

"Err, what kind of actress you're talking about?" Ranveer asked, serious. "The kind of movies I watch, actresses never have the decent hair. If you know what I mean?" He winked at her before earning a hard punch from Ishani on his shoulder. "Ow! Sunny. By the way, your head looks like an abandoned nest right now." He snickered.

"You're so mean, Ranveer! Papa definitely needs to know about this!" she barked.

"Oh, hello! I also have a life beyond being your driver and you can't take away my right of freedom." Ranveer pouted. "And stop being a scary mommy! I already have Baa for that!"

"Oh really? Then what do you think you really get by watching all that nonsense? I thought you were different!" She turned her face away from him, while Ranveer watched her, aghast, at what she had just said. Did she really think he was different?

Controlling his urge to ask what she truly meant, Ranveer let the matter go. Fear of a non-existing dream getting broken was just as frightening as the abstruse ways his heart broke million times every day. By her.

"What?" Ishani's voice ushered him out of his thoughts as she continued to look at him curiously. "Are you hunting down the eggs in the nest?"

Ranveer laughed, feeling the previously toiling emotions come to a standstill as he saw her face red in anger. A soft smile involuntarily crossed his lips and he looked ahead to focus on the path.

They remained silent, humming to the songs that continued to play for last one hour, neither of them tiring of it. Ranveer could see Ishani easing up, for now a smile warmed her face as the dusk finally settled in. And suddenly their thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the temple bells ringing nearby. Ishani squeezed Ranveer's shoulder who understood her gesture and answered with a smile. In a moment, he pulled the car over and helped Ishani out.

"Wait, Ishani!" Ranveer shouted, rushing after her when he saw her roving away from him. "Where're you going?" He grabbed her by elbow and pulled back, preventing her from being collided by the couple of devotees who walked by, lost in their own reverie.

"Oops! I'm sorry." Ishani turned towards him. "I wanted to go there." She pointed towards a small stall of the Prasad being offered to the deity. "Since we're in the temple we better fetch it as well, right?"

"Alright. You stand here. I'll get some for you."

"Oh, hello!" Ishani said, rolling her eyes. "You're also coming with me and we're getting our Prasad separately."

"Alright, fine! Come on!"

Ishani walked by Ranveer's side, struggling with the crowd that promised to crumple them under the multitude of their weight anytime they let themselves become weak. After getting the necessary contents from the shop, Ranveer turned around, only to find Ishani still stuck on the stall.

"Ishani, we need to go," he said.

"Wait, Ranveer," Ishani said, turning towards him and offering a small smile. "See, these bells are said to carry our wishes to God. I want to tie one on the Banyan tree here." And she loped towards the tree which stood tall and proud, heavily adorned by the roots jutting out from the depths of the dark chasm in the night. Ishani fidgeted with the bell as she pulled the string it hung upon into order and Ranveer caught glimpse of the initials carved on the bell. IP. And he glanced at his own, only to realize he had picked up a bell with the initials of RV. What a coincidence.

IP and RV. Ranveer smiled, feeling breath catch in his chest.

On nearing towards the tree, Ranveer noticed a large hoarding of the bells hung on the strings garnishing the tree, denoting the wishes, some fulfilled by now, and some unfulfilled. Ishani busied herself with the act as she tied the bell on an empty space on the twig. Ranveer watched her, a smile involuntarily gracing his features, before he realized he, too, had to tie the same thing around before Ishani caught him in the act.

Well, she thought he didn't believe in the things like fate and destiny, and he had no intention of becoming the prey of her taunts for now. What harm would it do try something for once?

If destiny had it, he would get what he wanted.

And yet, as he rolled the string around the slender branch of the tree, all thoughts came to a halt.

She deserved to be happy, the thought in his head rang, but the monsters inside her never provided Ishani that comfort. So, he folded his hands together in prayer and lowered his head, wishing for the only thing his heart could desire at such a sacred moment.

"No matter what happened in future, I need strength to protect her till the last moment of my life."

Before his mind could even form a cluster of the coherent words, the wish was out of his mouth and Ranveer opened his eyes to find Ishani still busy in prayers. Slowly, her eyes opened and she gave him a smile.

"What did you ask for?" Ranveer asked, walking in the swarming alleyway alongside Ishani. "You took a long time!"

There was no mockery on his face, but a simple curiosity mixed with wonder for such a small moment next to the Banyan tree.

"You don't tell the wish to anyone, silly," Ishani said. "It's said to be a bad omen."

"Really?"

"Yep, and I'm not going to tell that to you right now."

"Haw, haw!" Ranveer mocked, shaking his head. "Sometimes you are ridiculous, Ishani!"

"Oh hello! Just because I'm not sharing my thoughts with you doesn't make me ridiculous. And anyway, why do you even want to know about it?"

"Maybe I can fulfill it for you?" Ranveer answered sincerely and Ishani gasped. Recovering in a moment she smiled, and Ranveer knew she hadn't taken him seriously.

In a while, she shook her head and gulped. "Well, you won't stop annoying me until you know the truth, right?"

Ranveer gave a triumphant smile. "Nope."

"Acceptance," Ishani said. "I feel tired of everything, Ranveer. Tired of not being good enough for the people around me. Tired of listening to the taunts every day. Tired of living a complete fake life in front of the people. I want acceptance."

"Only if they knew your heart, they'll love you more than anything." The words came out of his mouth without any conscious realization.

Ishani smiled ruefully. "It's what you think, but not how Baa sees it. Or those who want to judge me for a betrayal that my mother went through."  

"Does it even matter?" Ranveer asked. "People are going to judge you anyway. Even the most perfect of the people happen to have those who don't like them. It's either jealousy or hatred that always keeps everyone away from each other without even realizing them."

Ishani smiled. "I also asked for another thing," she said, now both of them standing in front of the metallic railing made to prevent the masses from assaulting the idol with their impatience. Before Ishani could say anything further Panditji asked for the Prasad as Ishani and Ranveer handed him over the materials. The next fifteen minutes were spent in taking the rounds in the temple and visiting each idol representing the various forms of the Gods and Goddesses, all fascinating in different ways.

"So, what was your another wish?" Ranveer asked, as they came out in open towards the car.

Ishani stopped in her tracks, surprised that he still remembered where their conversation had halted. "That I never want to lose you." Ishani sighed.

"And you think I couldn't fulfill this for you?"

"This was my first wish. I asked for two actually," Ishani said sheepishly. "And I was afraid. But since you're my best friend and know everything about me, I don't think you can't know about this when the wish is all about you."

For a moment Ranveer only stared at Ishani, trying to grasp any hint of sarcasm on her face, but failing.

"That's great!" he said, coming into his senses. "Should we go home?"

The look on Ishani's face immediately changed. "Not now, Ranveer!" she pleaded. "I'm sure Chirag and his family are still there. Let's go further than this."

"But..."

"What? Weren't you the one who wanted to run out of fuel and don't come back until it's late?"

"We're already late, and Mota Babuji will be worried about you too."

"He'll know I'm with you so he won't. Stop making excuses."

"Seriously, Ishani!" Ranveer frowned and Ishani chuckled as she took her seat back in the car.

The air was light and no invisible awkwardness hung over them. Instead, Ranveer felt his heart flutter with a lightness he had never known before. But why, he did not know.

It could be because of the way the evening had turned out or maybe the affection Ishani showered on him. Did this girl even realize what she'd done without having said too much today?

The evening wore on as they moved further, traffic and houses getting less and less in this area which made Ranveer realize they had come too far from home. But still, it was not a matter of concern for Ishani who remained lost in the rupture of staying away from her family for a while.

"I've never been so happy, Ranveer!" Ishani said, still looking sideways out of the window. "Why don't we try escaping like this more often?"

"Unless you want Baa to roast us alive, I'm ready!"

"Come on, Ranveer!" She punched his shoulder lightly. "I'm serious. It's so peaceful here."

And to that Ranveer agreed. But he always didn't get the days off, most of the times being with his Mota Babuji in his office and working anonymously on the projects his company got. Why wasn't his Mota Babuji keeping him with himself since last two days, then? The question shot up suddenly and Ranveer tightened his grip on the steering wheel, immediately drawing Ishani's attention towards him.

"Is everything alright?"

Ranveer looked at her, unsure whether to reveal his doubts about her father or not. Finally, he decided to delve further from her eyes. "Ishani, have you noticed Mota Babuji being little bit different these days?" he asked, trying to keep any hint of worry out of his tone.

Ishani pondered for a while and shrugged lightly. "Not really. He goes to the office, returns home quickly and spends time with us all! That's a good sign, I think."

On the contrary, Ranveer couldn't keep an unsaid dread away... or was he thinking too much?

"What?" Ishani waved her hand in front of his eyes and Ranveer realized he was still driving the car, without even looking in the direction in the first place.

"No, nothing!" He smiled.

Suddenly, dark clouds gathered in the sky, shattering the stretched silence of the night. Ranveer saw Ishani's face lighten up.

"No, no, no, no!" Ranveer muttered, eyeing Ishani with urgency. "You aren't going into the rains!"

"As if it's raining already." Ishani pouted. "Seriously, Ranveer! You need to grow up!"

Ranveer only shook his head, amused. The car felt silent, silence occasionally being broken by the rumbling clouds overhead. They needed to go home before getting stuck onto the traffic in the rains while returning back. The traffic of Mumbai had to be one of the worst things ever!

"I need water!" Ishani said, pulling Ranveer out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"I need water, I said," she said loudly as if speaking to someone deaf.

"Ow, I can hear you! Keep the volume low!" he said, feigning irritation. "You can't get it!"

"Why?" She appeared alerted, her eyes getting darker.

"Because it's about to rain in a few moments. You will have plenty of it."

"Oh, shut up!"

"Girl! I said no, then no," Ranveer said firmly.

"But why?" Ishani whined, giving him her most adorable look.

"Because the moment you do drink water, begins the endless chain of your tantrums."

"Like what?" Ishani frowned.

"Uh oh! See, you won't find the clean mineral water here, alright? And even if we manage to get some decent for you, you'd have your another problems and seriously, I cannot afford that when we're nowhere close to our house," Ranveer explained.

"But I'm thirsty and I want water!" Ishani said, her voice carrying an edge of threat. "And if you can't get me water, I'll find it myself." She moved to unlock the door but Ranveer caught her wrist, pulling her back.

"O maatey! You don't have to promote yourself to being a superwoman from Sunny. Wait, I'll go and find for you." Ranveer got out of the car, locking it properly from all sides. "And, no matter what happens, don't get out of the car!"

"I know! Now go, Ranveer!" Ishani drawled.

Ranveer walked in the dark, feeling the couple of raindrops descend down, but not enough to put him into panic all of a sudden. The lights in this area were off, hardly a streetlamp alighted to guide him away. After a search of almost ten minutes he found a local faucet, water flooding out of it hideously and assembling into a puddle nearby. Disgusted at the wastage of the water by locals, he placed the bottle under the mouth of the tap until it was full. Shutting the tap quickly and tightly Ranveer turned back and rushed towards the car where Ishani waited.

But his jaw dropped at the sight in front of him, blood rushing through his veins like the stormy tidal waves. Two men stood by Ishani's side, one of them holding a knife pointed at Ishani's neck as he gesticulated her to do something, while another accompanied by the third man snickered along. And before Ranveer could even realize his movements, he was already running towards the goons and launching himself on the man pointing knife at Ishani. The man shook violently and landed on the ground, taken off guard by the sudden assault. Another man tiptoed towards him, but too late. Ranveer turned back, fuming, as he took the second man by his left arm and twisted it callously. The man crumbled and Ranveer took the advantage of striking on his jaw. By then, the first man stood up, Ishani watching the scene with a horror-stricken look on her face as she moved to warn Ranveer. But the man pushed her away. The incident enough to pull Ranveer's attention back to him. A fire raged in Ranveer as he watched the man crawl towards him with slow, careful steps to attack. But the moment his eyes met Ishani's, he gulped, suddenly feeling something hard hit on his chest. The man had certainly taken advantage of his carelessness, but Ranveer was in no mood to give him further aids. So he locked his right arm around the man's neck while his left hand continued to fire merciless blows at whatever places he could find. By then, the third man dashed towards Ishani, but to no avail. She picked up a stick before he could reach her, the weapon smacking her opponent mercilessly.

Ranveer still continued to deal with the first man, blood trickling out of his mouth and as he made to release him from his grasp, knowing he was harmless, he felt something hit the back of his head with an agonizing explosion. Something heavy fell by his side but Ranveer did not turn back to see the source from which this sound came. In a moment, in the haze of his thoughts Ranveer heard the footsteps fading away, which his shutting mind realized to be those of the goons.

His balance faltered, leaving him completely helpless for the moment while nothing in his blearing sight came for a support. His eyes closed, darkness overwhelming him until he felt a pair of arms take hold of him. And it was then did he realize Ishani was present there, watching him.

"Ishani?" he said lightly.

"Ranveer, let's go!" She helped him on his feet and into the car.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "Water..." His eyes wandered from her face to the bottle, lying abandoned on the ground.

"Just stop it!" she said, her voice laced with panic. "Stay silent! I'm taking you to the hospital!"

By then, Ranveer realized he was in no shape of arguing anything further, for his eyes dropped low, the vision in front of him getting hazy. From somewhere distant world, he heard Ishani pleading him to keep his eyes open while something soft pressed against his skull to keep the blood from oozing out of his wound.

"Keep your eyes open, Ranveer!" she yelled.

And that was what he could not do.

Ranveer opened his eyes, his vision still hazy as the place he was in took time to come into focus. Four large white walls surrounded him while from somewhere close few voices whispered. Listening more intently, he realized one of the voices belonging to Ishani and another to a man he could not recognize. Ranveer made a failed attempt to rise on his feet, but collapsed back on the bed clumsily. The act seemed to capture the attention of the outsiders as Ishani rushed towards him, supporting him by his shoulder.

"Ranveer, are you alright?" The look of horror still did not leave her features.

"I'm sorry... I lost the water back there, maybe blood would do?" he said in an attempt to lighten the mood, but it only made Ishani fume harder at him. Ranveer cowered and sighed. "Alright, I'm fine. And, Ishani, it's late. We need to get going!"

"Not until you're fine!"

"Oh hello! " Ranveer said, "my Baba isn't a millionaire to pay for the hospital bills."

"I'll talk to Papa."

Ranveer shook his head. "No, you won't." Realizing how badly his friend's health affected him the other day, Ranveer decided not to break this news to him as the new terror of his life. "And anyway, I can go home. Trust me."

One look from him silenced Ishani as she nodded her head, thanking the doctor for his services and help before they walked out of the hospital.

"You scared me, Ranveer," she said, her eyes twinkling as they settled into the car.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you like this," Ranveer said, while Ishani put the engine into ignition.

"They wanted this pendent that Papa gave me." Ishani pointed towards the silver jewel resting on her palm. "I could never separate it from myself."

Ranveer sighed, very well knowing how much this meant to her. In the desperate hours when she was breaking down from the gruesome burdens of family and society's expectations, Ishani found her strength from this pendant, given to her by Harshad Parekh.

"It's still hurting?" she asked before driving the car out of the hospital's driveway.

Ranveer shook his head. "Not much."

"I'll apply some medicine as soon as we get home," she said, her voice heavy with guilt.

"Ishani, don't blame yourself for this, alright?" Ranveer said slowly. Knowing explaining anything to her in this moment wasn't going to be fruitful, he refrained himself from speaking further. She remained silent, watching ahead in front of her on the road.

"You better take rest for a couple of days from now on, alright?"

Ranveer shrugged his shoulders. "Will you say something more, Ishani?" he asked after the prolonged silence of fifteen minutes.

"I just hope Chirag and his family are gone by now." Ishani took a deep breath. "I don't have the heart to witness any other adventure for the day."

Ranveer smiled, silently agreeing to her wish as the car finally halted in front of the gates of the Parekh Mansion.

"Grandpa?" Ishani shook his chin up, eyeing him curiously. "Why did you stop? What happened then?"

He smiled. "The twist in the tale!" The sarcasm in his tone couldn't manage to conceal the bitterness of his emotions. His smile weakened a little watching his granddaughter looking at him eagerly. And that was the last thing he could hope to continue without weakening in the process himself. How many times had he pondered on the moment when everything changed? When two lives were changed forever, leaving a mark on the two souls that still carried the scent of a heart wrenching tale that no one forgot. Oh, how he'd hoped to erase some of the memories in hope to keep the hurt at bay. But who was he kidding with? Not himself for sure. The memories were sure to haunt him till he took his last breath and by the remaining strength in his limbs, he was sure to stick around longer.

The thought almost made him laugh. That was what people often scorned him for. For being able to laugh in the situations no one saw any humour.

"Where are you lost, grandpa?" Ishani stood up, the left of her cheek pulled inwards while her lips pouted in anger. "What happened then?"

"Wait, Ishani!" he said, taking a deep breath and passing as sweet smile as he could muster. And not a long while had passed when the conversation was interrupted by the sound of the soft footsteps in the alleyway leading out of the Mansion to this side of the garden. Surely someone important had arrived.

And true enough. Ishani leapt suddenly out of his lap to launch herself onto the newcomer.

"Pratiek!" He sighed. "You'll never change your habits of these unexpected arrivals, will you? Never letting me have time to prepare for anything!" He stood up to greet Pratiek who gently put down Ishani back on the floor to take him into a side hug. "After a long time!" He looked at Pratiek carefully, recalling the times of the old. "You lost so much weight! How?"

"So many questions as my welcome song?" Pratiek chuckled, carrying himself towards the couch that waited him eagerly. "There was no one in the house, so I guessed you'd be here!"

"Ah, yes. Ishani wants to listen to the story of the Prince and Princess." He ran a loving hand on his granddaughter's head. "The tale of our youthful days."

Pratiek looked confused.

"But he's stuck at some point!" Ishani cried, fidgeting a pendant which hung around her neck.

"What?" Pratiek eyed him, feigning anger. "How can you keep my girl hanging on like this? What is he not telling you, Ishani?" Pratiek asked.

"The Prince and the Princess reach home. The Prince is hurt and his Princess has promised to apply some ointment."

A hint of pain flashed though his aged features as a small amount of fluid glistened in his eyes. And then, he smiled. "Well, sure!" he said. "We'll narrate the story further to you."

Ishani beamed at them both, ready to sail through another chapter of the Prince and Princess' lives.