A Tale As Old As Time - Page 7

Chapter - 09

“How long do you think this is gonna take?” Rishi asked impatiently. “At least another one and a half hours, if we are lucky.” Karan heaved a sigh. Neha turned towards her brothers for a second and then shifted her gaze back to Ansh. Everyone was worried sick since they received a call from the hospital last night. It was no wonder they would hover over Ansh as soon as he entered the house. Still, for once she wished for the elders to behave out of their characters and leave Ansh be. While they kept discussing his injury and the recovery time, Neha felt more concerned about his emotional state. Clearly, something was off about him but what could it be?

“That’s enough, I’m going inside. Ansh needs rest, not a twelve-page-long apology note from Chachu.” “Or you can wait for a bit longer. I have a feeling Bhai himself will ask them to leave him alone but in the most SANSKARI tone.” “Cut it out, will you?” Neha lost her cool, “This is not the time for such foolishness.” “Oh please! Don’t tell me you didn’t feel sadistic pleasure when Bhai broke up with Ruby this morning.” “How is that relevant here Rishi?” “Ever since yesterday, Bhai has been acting all weird. If he could call it off with Ruby all of a sudden, why not make another exception by raising his voice in front of the elders?” “He did more than that and look where’s that gotten him.” “I know but don’t you think…”

While Rishi and Karan continued their banter, Neha’s eyes remained fixated on Ansh. As usual, her foolish little brother noticed the obvious but failed to grasp the gravity of the situation. Yes, she didn’t like Ruby at all. When Ansh first told them about their courtship, she was shell-shocked. However, she always admired Ansh’s maturity in handling his relationships. He was considerate of her reservations. Nonetheless, he made it clear that he would never hurt another girl for his family’s validation. Even though they were just casually dating, Ansh always maintained that boundary and treated Ruby with the utmost care and respect. Unless they realized they weren’t compatible with each other and decided to part ways mutually, Ansh would never leave her for another girl let alone some stranger whom he met just yesterday. 

It was surprising enough when he first mentioned Piya. However, everything that happened later - him approaching some random girl in a nursery, then attacking Mohana, and finally being rescued by that same girl in the evening, could it all be a coincidence? “Look Bhaiya, I’ve made this card for you.” Vishesh’s voice broke her trance. Unknowingly, her lips curved into a smile. No wonder the youngest one was Ansh’s favorite. But what caught her attention was the warmth she saw in Ansh’s eyes. Until that moment, he laid on his bed like an ice statue; completely oblivious to others’ presence. But the moment Vishesh hugged him, she noticed his jawline softening. 

“So as usual, it’s Vishesh who saves the day.” Karan said smiling, “Seriously Chachu, you should stop for your own good. Even if Ansh didn’t have any hard feelings, he would definitely get irritated with this never-ending apology.” Avinash said something in reply but Ansh kept looking at Karan. His long-lost brother! Separated at birth and reunited in youth, he never got the chance to truly know the person his twin brother was. The Karan he remembered was cold and aloof, yet righteous in his own way. Everything that was handed to him on a silver platter, his brother had to fight the world to get a mere fraction of it. 

At times he wondered what if the history was reversed and Mohana chose Karan over him. Would everyone be happier that way? For all he knew Karan would have thrived under Vedashree’s care. He would grow up to be a kind, considerate, and playful young man like the one standing before him. Wouldn’t it be better if Piya met Karan instead of him? How was it fair that her fate got intertwined with someone so weak as him? A gullible, wretched so-called “Daavansh” who always squandered her efforts and questioned her faith in him whereas Mansi destroyed Karan’s life?

“I am connected to you Ansh... And this is how it’ll forever be… You are mine and I’m yours, there’s no place for a third person between us, not even another Daivik…”

Tears stung his eyes as the bubbling rage inside him made him want to burn down the entire world. Why was he like this? When his heart knew her truth, why did his mind always wander off to every possible direction where Piya would be better off without him? Yes, this was all that he ever wished for - Karan finally getting the love he always deserved and Vedashree having her own child. He would give up his life for this dream to turn into reality, but not Piya. He couldn’t bear to be a part of such a dimension where she wasn’t by his side, he simply wouldn’t. He wouldn’t close his eyes without seeing his kids’ smiling faces one last time.

This had got to be a nightmare, yes, that’s what it was. It was just a matter of time before Piya would wake him up and then… He was gonna look into those beautiful, brown eyes of hers and tell her how much he loved her. He was gonna pull her into an embrace and never let go again, unless of course, Adi and Pari barged in their room, making them come up with some silly excuse. That was how it should and would end, he would make sure of it.

“Piya!” Ansh slowly opened his eyes to that name. He was still lying on his bed. Except for Neha, everyone else had left the room. “How is this possible? Why am I not waking up?”  “Because you are already wide awake,” Neha sat by his side, “What’s wrong Bhai? What is it that’s bothering you so much?” Ansh could feel his heart skipping a bit. No, this couldn’t be… “Are you feeling feverish? You are shaking like a leaf. Let me call the doctor.” She left the room in a hurry leaving a distraught Ansh behind. “I no longer can differentiate between what’s real and what’s an illusion. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if I myself turned out to be a figment of someone else’s imagination. Without you, none of it matters. I’m cold Piya, wrap me in your warmth before I lose myself…”  

Chapter - 10

“I wish all of us got to live this moment for real!” A lone tear escaped her eyes as Piya held one of their family photographs. In the photo, all four siblings were playing with their parents. It seemed like she was competing with Ayush to climb up to Nishant’s shoulder, the same way Adi and Pari would fuss over who got to be on Ansh’s team when they were playing cricket or who would accompany her to the temple knowing the obedient child would get a big chocolate bar as a reward. 

Suddenly a strange anguish tugged her heartstrings. Why? If she was blessed with the Goddess’s boon, why did her brothers have to endure Mohana’s wreath? Why couldn’t they enjoy their childhood as normal kids? And what wrong did Nishant and Divya do to miss those precious moments with their children? No matter how many times she reminded herself of the reality, the little girl in her wanted to protest. She wanted to be selfish and sever all ties that prevented her from reveling in the love of her idealistic yet illusionary world. 

“Adorable, isn’t it?” Divya came from behind, startling Piya, “It seems like yesterday when I held you in my arms for the first time, and look at you now… I still can’t believe you are getting married.” Piya felt a lump in her throat. All she ever wanted was to reunite with her mother. So what if this world was a mirage? Couldn’t she for once give in to her heart’s desire without feeling guilty? “How old was Saavi when this picture was taken?” “Two, it was her birthday but Danish enjoyed the most. After all, her arrival earned him the coveted title of “Bhaiya”.” Divya smiled reminiscing the past.

“I don’t think he was old enough to grasp all that. It's not like there is a considerable age gap between the two of them. Although, I do remember the sparkle in his eyes when you placed Saavi in his lap.” “You still remember that!” “Of course, I may not have a photographic memory but certain things are impossible to forget. He looked at her with the same awe as a child would look at a new toy.”  “Well, you are right about that. He always treated Saavi like a delicate little doll; he still does. It’s another thing that his sweet baby sister has now turned into a nightmare who has zero consideration of others’ feelings.”

“Maa, come on! I know Saavi can be a little difficult to handle at times but she’s anything but inconsiderate. You of all people should understand that it’s her concern for others that drives her forward. Besides, which nineteen years old gets along with their parents?” “You did.”  “Oh, I see. Then I believe I owe you an apology for not behaving like a typical young adult.” “Perfect! Keep pampering her like this and she’ll never learn from her mistakes.” “Maa…” 

“I’m not blind Gudiya. I know she means well. Out of all my kids, she is the most like your father and that’s what worries me. She’s always thinking about the greater good, of ways through which she can make people smile. But what about her? Like this accident, it wouldn’t have occurred in the first place had she listened to me and stayed back.”

“Wait, what? What accident?” Piya felt as if the ground beneath her feet was shaking. She talked with Saavi just an hour ago. What happened within such a short period? Did she meet with an accident? How serious was her condition? If she got injured here, even the real-world Saavi would feel it. How would Nishant help her without her or Ansh’s healing power? This was all her fault! If only she stayed firm in her decision and didn’t bring Saavi along, none of this would ever have happened. How could she repeat the same mistake? Who gave her the right to gamble with her sister’s life just so she could salvage her relationship with her husband?  

“Gudiya, hey! Calm down. It’s okay, Saavi is safe. She’s heading back home right now.” Divya tried to comfort Piya while the latter stared at her blankly, unsure of whether she got her mother’s last sentence right. “You were at the hospital when Sanam called; Saavi twisted her ankle while trekking. I would have informed you sooner but…” “Did you just say Sanam?” “Yes, Saavi’s best friend - seriously Gudiya, what’s gotten into you today?” “I’m sorry Maa. I guess my mind went blank for a moment. You were saying?”

“Not to sound rude or anything but that jolt you just got, fearing the worst for your sister - that’s how I feel 24/7 because I don’t know what your sister is up to. Take this trip for example, I know Sanam had an ugly breakup with Nikhil and I was completely okay with the idea of being a supportive friend but which sane person plans trekking for distraction? That too during the monsoon?” “That’s Saavi for you.” Piya said absentmindedly. “My point exactly. You know, at times I feel…” 

While Divya continued lamenting, Piya remained lost in her thoughts. Such intricate detailing! Going by how each of their deceased family members was alive in this reality, it shouldn’t be surprising that Ansh would want to resurrect Dilruba in her human form. However, with Nikhil in the picture, she was forced to consider other possibilities. The line separating their world from this alternate version of reality was incredibly thin. If she didn’t know better, she could be easily manipulated into believing this parallel universe was the original. The way she left things with Ansh on their last meeting, what if Ansh succumbed to his own illusion and gave up on them? 

She felt a chill running down her spine as the moment they got separated flashed before her eyes. No! It couldn’t be! She didn’t risk everything just to accept defeat now. As long as a breath was left inside her, she wouldn’t abandon hope. Her love prevented Ansh from turning evil in the past. She was certain that eventually, Ansh would open his eyes to the truth and restore the natural order. All she had to do was reaffirm his faith and leave the rest up to him. 

“Gudiya you are bleeding!” Divya made her sit on the bed and rushed to grab the first aid box. Confused, Piya looked at the mirror and realized blood was coming out of her nose. She tried to grab a piece of tissue when suddenly she felt a burning sensation on her right shoulder. To her utter bewilderment, she found her Daivik mark to have disappeared from her skin. “Devi Maa! What’s happening to me!”