As every eye in the room turned in his direction, Kapil Aadekar walked up to one of the chairs and gestured to Kalyani Oberoi to take a seat. Daadi beamed at him. As she walked past Priyanka, her hand grazed the girl on her shoulder as if to comfort her. Jahnvi and Pinky followed suit. Tej's frown did not disappear but he didn't refuse when the senior officer nodded at him to sit down on the empty chair next to him. The rest remained standing including Randhawa, whose narrowed eyes revealed the inner state of mind that his impassive face tried so very hard to hide.
"When Kalyaniji came to my house this morning, I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Her granddaughter in a relationship with one of my prized officers. I am certainly happy I got to know about this though the manner of it might not have been ideal."
As the Commissioner spoke, there were sharp intakes of breath around the room. Anika gasped and Priyanka flinched as if she had been whipped. Sitting next to his mother, Tej opened his mouth to protest but Daadi laid her hand gently on his. He fell silent.
The senior officer moved his eyes across the room before finally settling on Randhawa. The ACP was standing, looking straight at Aadekar and his face was like it had been carved in stone.
"The attention from the press is certainly an unwanted one but it is nothing that a marriage would not take care of."
This time, Shivay spoke, interrupting the officer.
"Are you talking about marrying Prinku to him!" His words dripping with contempt, shock and hatred was accompanied with a gesture of his hand at Randhawa's direction.
"Billu!" Daadi's tone was affectionate but with a hint of warning in it. However, none of her grandsons were known for their obedience or meekness and so her Billu went on regardless.
"But Daadi, how can you even think of marrying Prinku off to anyone against her wish?!"
The irony of his words seemed to be lost on him even as Anika, standing beside him, reeled as if he had struck her.
"Priyanka beti is not one to ever question the decisions the elders take for her and it is not as if we do anything against her will. The pictures have revealed what we had been blind to and I must say, Prinku beti, you have chosen well."
Priyanka's face drained of whatever remaining colour. Randhawa inadvertently glanced in her direction before quickly looking away.
"Absolutely, Kalyaniji." It was Aadekar once more. He spoke as his face lit up with a smile that seemed almost genuine in its warmth. "Randhawa is an honourable officer, one of our best. He is not one to toy with the feelings of women. We do not permit such scoundrels on our force, eh, ACP?"
The last comment was said with a light laugh but a muscle twitched on that rock like face and Randhawa's fingers around the stone paper weight tightened.
"So, Kalyaniji has done me the great honour of giving me the task of asking you if you would agree to this marriage proposal that the Oberois bring before you."
***********
The phone rang with a deafening quality that was heightened by the silence that had reigned in the room till then. Irritated stares were cast in his direction. He quickly muted the sound and left the room. This was a call he had to take. Before he could even say a 'hello' however, the voice at the other end launched into a series of agitated complaints. He smiled even as he heard the list. He wished he could have seen the look on Tej Singh Oberoi's normally placid face when he saw those pictures.
"Don't worry about lawsuits," he muttered into the phone before hanging up. The tiny twinge of guilt in him was soon assuaged by the thought that he was probably helping the girl out. It wasn't as if those photos had been fake. Every single moment captured on film had taken place. All he had done was add a context that suited his plan. Turning around he saw the serene face of the man who had been such a guiding force in his life.
"Guruji," he said, and smilingly walked up to the man.
**********
Ranveer collapsed into his chair as the door closed behind Shinde. The room was finally empty and his angular face now clearly displayed the horror that filled every cell of his body. The report on the DNA samples collected from Gayatri Tambe's corpse had arrived finally. But now the folder lay ignored on the table as Randhawa tried to gather himself.
This must be what bloodless coups felt like. With one sweep they had shown exactly how powerless he was. Made to bend to the will of his betters. Coerced into a marriage he had no wish for, tied to a family that represented everything he despised and finally taken off the case he had put heart and soul into.
Before departing, it had been almost in passing that Aadekar had remarked, "And, ACP, in the light of the present revelations, I have to take you off Gayatri Tambe's case. We can't have you investigating your own family now, can we?"
The man had laughed after saying this. Like it was a joke. Randhawa picked up the paperweight finally and threw it across the room. Instead of shattering into a million pieces, the round ball of thick glass simply fell on the carpeted floor and rolled off to a corner. In his chair, Randhawa sat, bottled fury simmering.
**********
What does someone feel when the sky crashes on their heads?
Priyanka walked out slowly. She could barely look at any of the faces of her family members. Outside, Daadi made her touch Commissioner Aadekar's feet before he left and she did so, still in a daze.
And then everyone left. Papa got into his car and left promptly without a backwards glance at any of them. Anika tried to say something to her. It was in her eyes as she tried to move towards Priyanka. But then Shivay Bhaiya stepped behind her and caught her hand and Anika turned away and followed him to his car. Priyanka had seen Shivay Bhaiya's face then. It had been tight like that of a mask. He would probably do something to Anika. Threaten her? Hurt her?
O Bhaiya wasn't even looking at her. He turned and walked off with Rudra Bhaiya following him. They would be alright. In a while. Priyanka had watched it all like someone would from the bottom of the ocean. Not a word reached her ears. She couldn't feel a thing.
Soon she found herself ensconced in a car with Daadi and Ma sitting on either side. Choti Ma sat in the front. No one spoke for a while until Choti Ma said something about lehengas. Daadi replied. Priyanka felt Ma's hand around her wrist. It tightened as Daadi and Choti Ma continued speaking.
It was raining by the time they reached home.
__________________________________
No one said a word as Randhawa handed the files on Gayatri Tambe's case to the clerk from Inspector Surat's office. They needed his signature on several documents. He did so and then he decided to take the day off.
Stepping outside the building, he immediately noticed the dark clouds. It was quite windy. His hair was buffeted by the wind and he could hear the sound of a billboard ripping. A storm was coming. His car was waiting and he instructed Pillai to drop him off at the nursing home before leaving.
The doctor was busy when he arrived so he simply went off to meet Rajju. She was lying still as usual. The machines surrounding her made her look even more frail and tiny than usual. But Ranveer was used to it. He sat down on the steel chair next to the bed and took her hand. It was soft and smelled slightly of soap. The nurses must have bathed her only a little while ago. He laid his head on her palm and breathed out. A sigh. It was lost in the dull cacophony that was the constant sound in a nursing home.
He looked at her lying there and saw that her eyes had opened. It was only a fraction. But it had opened.
"Rajju!" he cried out, his voice hoarse. Getting up from his chair, he ran down the corridor to Dr. Arora's office. This was the doctor who had been handling Rajju's case for the past six months. He had to bring her. He had to make her see this.
Dr. Arora was seated in her chamber, reading from a folder. She looked up as he burst in.
"Rajju's eyes!" he panted out.
She immediately got up and they raced back to the cabin.
He stood back, as Dr. Arora went through the normal checks. She turned to him finally.
"With such cases, we never can tell, but this is definitely a sign in the right direction. There is partial movement in the eyes. I do believe she has a good chance of coming out of the coma."
_________________________________
His day long stay at the ashram over, Shakti Oberoi had entered the bath as soon as returning home. Hence, much of the commotion in the house had escaped his notice. When he emerged, bathed and smelling sightly of the assorted ayurvedic products he used, his wife was waiting for him with a cup of tea. He took it from her gratefully.
"Mummyji wanted to speak to you," Pinky said. She was bursting with the need to tell him everything that had happened that day but Shaktiji liked the brief moment of peace as he took his tea.
Instead of sitting down, Shakti looked at her questioningly before leaving the room.
In her room, Daadi sat on the balcony, her eyes fixed on the distance.
"Ma, you had called?" Shakti said as he sat down on the empty chair next to her.
"Why did you do this?" Kalyani's voice was angry.
Shakti set down the tea cup on the table before them. "Ma, I don't know what you are talking about?"
"Shakti, don't try lying to me! Without an Oberoi's permission, those pictures would never have been published. Was it to get attention away from Billu?"
He sighed. He had known Ma would guess what he had done immediately. "I did a background check. Randhawa is a solid fellow. He will be a good husband for our Priyanka."
"Don't even try pretending it had anything to do with your concern for Priyanka," Kalyani said. Her anger was hot, and she never had learnt the art of masking it with sarcasm or impassivity. "You wanted him off Gayatri's case and Prinku was a pawn!"
Shakti sat, head bowed. He knew Ma would forgive him. Perhaps not now but soon.
Finally Kalyani let out a sigh and said, "May God forgive us for what we are doing!"
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