Chapter-11
When Agni returned from the hospital after Malhar was discharged, she hadn't expected what she found in her house.
Sampada chirpily said to Agni who still couldn't believe her eyes, "Ma'am. Inse miliye ye hain Maai Anupriya Deshmukh. Aaj kya h na meri tabiyat kharab hai? To aaj ke din aapki exclusive naukar ye."
Agni clenched her fists, and growled, "Mere saamne paison ke liye tum aur tumhara vo boyfriend gidgidaya tha...to mere naukar bhi tum hi dono rahoge. Kisi aur ko involve karne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai."
"Maai," Sampada said, "Ye Agni madam ka chehra aapko kahin dekha dekha nahi lag raha? Zara yaaddasht par zor dijiye apni."
Anupriya adjusted her spectacles and said, "Us Kalyani ki shakal thi inke jaisi. Par ham uski baat lekar kyon baith gaye? Naak katwa di thi us ladki ne meri...aaj bhi kiraane vala mujh par taane maarta hai ki teri beti vahi thi na Anupriya jo Pallavi ke saath us ghatiya hotel me thi...main hi bewakoof thi jo ye bhool gayi ki ganda khoon ganda ho hota hai."
"Y...y...ye kya keh rahi h aap Maai?" Sampada was stunned. She had planned to bring Agni face to face with Anupriya so that she could expose that Agni was no one else but Kalyani. But what had possessed Anupriya?
"Tum Kalyani se unki kya tulna kar rahi ho Sampada?" Anupriya continued, "Siwaay nautanki ke kisi kaam me man nahi lagta tha us ladki ka. Tum khud hi socho ki kya uske andar thi itni kabiliyat ki itni oochaiyon tak pahunch sake. Bas usse itna hi ho sakta tha ki Rane parivaar ke ghar me bina pagaar ki aaya bani padi rahe."
Agni couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had thought even after she had lost everything, even after everything had changed, even herself, she would always have her Aai. But why was she behaving like this? She said, "Magar A..."
Anupriya slipped, colliding with Sampada whose cellphone fell on the floor in this chaos. In her phone, video recording was open. Agni looked at it and then at Anupriya who signalled her to see it. "Meri Aai smart ho gayi hai!" Agni proudly thought to herself.
"Bahut ho gaya," Sampada said with exasperation, "Chaliye yahaan se Maai."
"Magar tumhari to tabiyat kharaab thi na Sampada," Anupriya innocently asked.
"Ab theek ho gayi hai," Sampada said and took Anupriya with her. Anupriya looked back for a second with tear filled eyes at Agni. Agni who never broke down in these five years finally was helpless.
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Agni was going in the town for some work. She got down her car and with a big bag, she said loudly, "Haan mujhe pata hai das crore rupai hain is bag mein ye par why are you so overreacting? Itne paise to main har mahine charity me donate kar deti hoon. Just Chill. Haan jaa rahi hoon bank me deposit karne use but usse pehle mujhe tumse milna hai. Kahaan? Wahi parking lot par."
Agni was fully aware she was being followed by Ahir, who was standing there in the corner, eve-teasing at the girls who were passing by. Agni knew when he would hear the hefty amount of Rs. 10 crore he wouldn't be able to stop himself. And add to it the money was with a girl. It would make Ahir overconfident that he would be able to intimidate the girl and snatch her money.
Agni, wearing white silk shirt with a beige cotton blazer and crop beige pants. Her sunglasses made her like a stylish diva on the road. Ahir was following her to a deserted parking lot. As soon as Ahir tried to put a chloroform drenched handkerchief on Agni's mouth, Agni casually took out her sunglasses and pushed the temple tip of her glasses which was actually a sharp knife in disguise. Ahir wasn't expecting that. Then kicking right into his belly, Agni held him by neck.
"Ye kya kar rahi ho?" Ahir screamed in pain, "Main to bas yahaan apne dost se milne aaya tha."
"Are Ahir...in paanch saalon me to tum apni Vahini se baat karne ka tareeka bhi bhool gaye...aap se seedhe tum. Chalo aaj main tumhe tameez hi sikhati hoon." Saying that Agni pressed a nerve in his neck which made him immobile.
In some minutes, Agni brought a kerosene container and poured it over Ahir.
"Vahini nahi, chhor do mujhe," Ahir pleaded, "Main Dada aur police ko sab bataa doonga. Arey dewar hoon main tera."
"Dewar hai tu mera," Agni said, "Tabhi to. Jab Tera bhateeja mar gaya, teri Vahini bhi mar hi gayi thi, tere Dada ki Naukri chali gayi to tu kaise khush rahega? Family ki feelings ka bhi to dhyaan rakho..."
"Vahini please," Ahir had snot all over his face.
"Chalo ek game khelte hain tere saath," Agni said, "Vaise mere bacche ko bedardi se maarne se pehle tum logon ne mujhe koi choice nahi di thi. Par chal itna to main kar hi sakti hoon. Zinda jal kar marna ya ye belt ki maar khaana, bol kya hai teri choice?"
Finally after some hours, when Malhar phoned Agni that he wouldn't be able to come to work tomorrow as they found his brother brutally wounded in a deserted parking lot and doctors had declared him to be 95% paralysed, Agni said to him, "I'm so sorry for your brother, Mr. Rane." But there was an enigmatic smile playing on her lips.
Meanwhile in hospital, a tall man with sunglasses entered.
"Kaka aap?" Malhar said.
"Ab main aa gaya hoon," Sarthak said, "Ahir ke saath jisne bhi ye darindgi ki hai use khoon ke aansoo na pila diye to mera naam Sarthak Rane nahi."