MehRya SS: His Last Valentine...Epilogue page 35 04/03/18..... - Page 24

Chapter #6B

"In conclusion I would like to reiterate, on behalf of myself, my family and Khanna Industries our sincerest gratitude to those who are the true heroes: our local authorities represented here by Inspector Singh, in addition to Mr. Jack Thompson. While I suspect that Mr. Thompson did not anticipate the training he was conducting with our company's security division to become a real-life exercise, he proved why his expertise is so highly sought in the corporate world. But most especially we would like to highlight and commend the doctors and nurses are who providing exemplary care to the two very special patients under their charge. If there are those who deserve accolades, it is these stalwarts of our community."

Shaurya looked at both ways, to his parents who at on either side of him and received their nods to continue. He smiled to his mother and then faced the media who had attended the press conference on the outside lawn of their home "As we do have some time left, we will open up the floor for a few questions. Of course, we are limited due to the ongoing investigation from answering every query, but we will do our best to provide as much information as possible."

"He is so smooth, and so handsome. The camera just loves him doesn't it, Mehek?"

"What are you saying, Sara, the man looks like himself," Trey muttered irritably.

"No, there is definitely something about him: a presence. Charisma... real, natural, charisma: that's it. What do you think, Mehek? You of all people see it right?"

"Eat," Trey demanded, "Or is it your intention to starve my child, because you are too busy ogling Shaurya Khanna?"

Across the room, Mehek covered her mouth to smother her grin. This territorial behavior was definitely a man thing she thought. She coughed delicately and then took a sip from the cup on her bed-tray. "He conducts himself rather well," she accepted.

"No, he's awesome. Repeat the words after me, Mehak. You know you want to."

"You need to eat, Sara," Mehek protested. For once she really didn't want to speak much on the topic that had been favorite of hers and Sara's in recent months, when dreams of reuniting with him had been just that: a dream. Things were different now, and she didn't know how, or if she could handle the change. As she watched the live press conference she had no problem in admitting that she was awed by Shaurya Khanna. He was all that Sara had stated, and more, and more and more it felt like she had no idea who this man was. Not that her Shaurie wasn't there, but there was far more to the man than the adolescent she had been enamored with. And frankly, that worried her.

"Shaurya, rumor has it that there was an engagement in the making last night. Is there any truth to this talk?"

Any further thought of conversation left the trio when a reporter posed this question. All of them stared instead at the screen, eager for the young businessman's response to this question, which would surely lead to keener interest in the tale that had been presented today.

"I can attest to the fact that the woman who holds a very special place in my heart was present and did unfortunately get caught up in the situation. However, I can assure you there was no engagement. It was hardly the place or time."

"But the prospect of you marrying: merely speculation or is there a grain of truth to it? Will Delhi's most eligible bachelor be soon off the market?"

"If last night's incident has taught me anything it is that one never knows what the future holds in store for one, and as such you do ponder your present circumstances. However, I do believe that the decision of marrying would be better served via more traditional methods, and as such will rely on my elders to take the lead. That being said: should an understanding be reached, I would not be entirely averse to the idea."

A rumbling of voices went through the group as they absorbed the juicy tidbit just offered up by the suave businessman, who had all but announced that he was off the market.

"A question for you then Mrs. Khanna. Every mother looks forward to the prospect of their child finding the right life-partner and settling down, and often directs these decisions. do you have any thoughts on your son's comments?"

Karuna smiled and stared straight ahead. "I can assure you that I am happy both for Shaurya's decision to marry and in his prospective life-partner."

*********

"All in all, barring that strange detour onto the topic of marriage, I would say that went very well," Harish announced minutes after the conclusion the mid-morning press conference the Khanna's had held on the grounds of their property.

"Absolutely," Shaurya agreed, as they watched the last of the reporters being escorted through security. He checked the time, as he was due meet Jack Thompson shortly at White Chili's. He turned to senior inspector who had participated in the q&a session and shook his hand "Inspector Saab, I will be leaving shortly, however I will be on my cell if you need to reach me."

"Shaurya beta, you were scarcely home this morning. I must insist that you not to be gone for too long. We have much to discuss, ideally over lunch," Karuna stipulated to her son from the home's entrance.

"I will try, Maa, but I did have some work scheduled, plus I was hoping to head back to the hospital as soon as I finish with Jack."

"Thik hai, but do not tarry. It is imperative that we talk today."

"Let the boy be, Karuna," Harish urged, imagining that the inexplicable attention on Shaurya's marital status had unduly encouraged his wife.

Bidding his parents goodbye, with the promise to return as soon as possible, Shaurya was heading for his car, when another automobile came up the driveway. Honking as they approached, Shaurya paused and then smiled inwardly on seeing who had arrived. Matters couldn't have worked out better than this had he planned it. He informed his driver that he would be delayed, and then called his restaurant and asked his hostess to advise the security expert of the same.

********

There was absolute silence in the hospital room after Sara's sudden declaration. Mehek averted her eyes from her friends.

"Well, I guess that settles that," she said enigmatically as she reached for the television remote to turn off the replay of the news conference that had ended this time with the live arrival of Shruti and her parents to the Khanna home.

"Mehek, that doesn't mean anything. You have to realize that that they were both were referring to you, during the conference?"

She didn't even want to contemplate what was on Shaurya's mind, so instead she spoke on what she did understand. "His mother; I doubt that very much. How can she be? She doesn't know me at all, Sara."

"It's true, she doesn't know you personally, but she certainly knows of you. We are very sure of that," Sara continued glancing up at her husband.

"Fine, Mehek said, "But how do you explain that?"

"We can't, we just know that his mother knows who you are, Mehek, "Trey stated. "Did you really think that once we found out the truth, that we wouldn't do anything about it, Mehek? Shaurya's mother knows everything."

*******

Karuna was gracious as she welcomed the unexpected guests into their home. Leading them to the lounge she invited the trio to sit and ordered Awara to bring refreshments for them. She took her first real opportunity to study the young lady who had contributed to her son's trouble and for the first time lamented the leniency she had shown the then unknown female seven years ago that had allowed the teenager to go unscathed while Shaurya had to suffer for the wrong decisions he had made on that fateful day.

~~~~~~~

Seven years ago...

Karuna had only come to the hotel that day only because she had been hosting the wife of the foreign investor who was meeting with Harish that week. They had not long been seated at their table for the hotel's indulgent high tea buffet, when a note had been handed to her.

"Karuna, is everything okay," her guest had asked when Karuna's face had blanched.

"My son. I'm sorry Diana, if you could excuse me."

She had rushed to the front desk and sought out the staff member who had sent her the message, and a minute later, accompanied by the young man hurried upstairs. Heedless of anything but the fact that her under-age child was somewhere he shouldn't be, she had knocked once on the hotel door and announced that she was coming in, before she used the master-key to enter the room. In her peripheral view Karuna caught back of a female, her long black hair flowing down her bare back as she made a mad dash to the washroom. The slamming of the bathroom door brought her attention back to her teenage son, whose inebriated state was plain to see. She sent a prayer to the heavens that at least he remained partially clothed, although it was plain to see by his unfastened trousers, that this would not have been for much longer. Karuna turned to Sam, the desk-clerk and requested him to discretely arrange for some cold lemon drinks to be sent up to the hotel room. After the man had left, she turned to her step-son, who sat on the edge of the bed completely befuddled.

"Maa...I"

"Nahi Shaurie, I do not want to hear any explanation. We will speak on this matter when I get home. For now, you will listen to me, and do what you I tell you to..."

Hours later, when she reached home, the morose, melancholy teen she found spoke to more than her son's displeasure at having been discovered doing wrong. That, without hesitation, Shaurya had followed her instructions to the letter, told her that this was no normal rebellion she was dealing with, but some sudden upheaval that had disrupted the steady progress he had been making of late. Both she and his father had noticed how Shaurya had become more settled; more focused in the past weeks and been happy for it. But today, all of that was gone.

She approached where he sat on his bed, his head bowed down in sadness, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Shaurie, what has happened?"

"Do not make this worse Karuna! Your coddling of him has only given him a sense of entitlement that has ruined the boy!"

Her husband's booming voice coming from behind her, had Karuna turning in shock, as he shouldn't have reached home yet. Her eyes widened as she noticed the two servants, carrying empty suitcases, who had accompanied Harish.

"Pack all of his belongings!"

"Harish, what are you..." Her question was halted when her burly husband came in between her and Shaurya and backhanded the boy.

"You wretch! Do you think I do not know everything that goes on in my hotel: that I wouldn't find out about you that s**t that you brought there? Do you think I will allow you to stay now: better you be on the streets than to bring any further shame to this family!"

"Harish, stop, you cannot do this. He's our son!"

"My son, Karuna: mine. And he is no longer welcome here!"

"Nahi Harish!" Karuna turned her eyes to the two servants frantically at their task. "Stop what you are doing and leave," she ordered. She waited only until they had passed through the doorway before speaking again. "You will not send my son anywhere. Can't you see that there is something wrong with him?"

"Only that his mother's bad blood has shown itself at last. Between that and your spoiling, the boy will never amount to anything! He will always be a worthless nobody: less than nothing!"

Where his father's accusations had no effect on him, this last statement caused Shaurya to stir at last. The teenager stood with his fists clenched. "If I am less than nothing it is your doing, and no-one else's. Don't you dare speak ill of my mother or of Maa for that matter," he warned his father spitefully. "You want me gone, then that is fine with me. I would rather beg on the streets..."

"Shaurie, beta no one wants you gone," she had said, trying to deescalate the situation, but in the end, she had been wrong. The one who had most wanted Shaurya out of the home was the teenager himself, although he never disclosed the truth behind his decision. With days to resolve the issue of saving her son, and salvaging any hope of a relationship between Shaurya and his father, Karuna had done what she had to do, ironically with the assistance of the woman she had entertained for the last week. Diana had at first suggested an appropriate school and then ended up being the surrogate mother Shaurya had needed during his stay in the UK. In the end, all had worked out as well as it could have.

~~~~~~~

And now with all the pieces in place, Karuna had the troublemaker here before her. She wondered for what reason Shruti had come today and looked at her son who was casting his own suspicious glance at the young woman who sat piously with her parents.

Although Shaurya was not entirely innocent and would have to pay the penance for his own bad behavior, it took everything in Karuna not to go over and slap the young woman's face for the problems she had caused. Instead, she smiled as she personally poured the tea for her guests. "Are you feeling better having had the opportunity to recover from your ordeal Shruti?"

"Ji Aunty," she whispered, as she took the cup and saucer from Shaurya's mother.

"I am glad to hear that beta."

Shruti's father cleared his throat, while at the same time his wife pulled out a gift box.

"Officially we are here to offer these on behalf of Sara's parents in celebration of her good news, but we thought it would be the ideal opportunity to discuss the children."

Karuna took the sweets with her thanks, but then affected a confused look. "The children, I'm afraid I don't understand?"

"Shruti and Shaurya."

"What about Shruti and Shaurya," Harish asked brusquely from his seat.

Standing where he was, Shaurya was never more appreciative for his father's brashness.

"Why their engagement of course," Shruti's mother noted, jumping into the fray. She smiled indulgently at the young man she believed to be intended son-in-law. "Of course Shruti advised us about the interrupted proposal last night."

"Did she? And is that all she disclosed," Shaurya drolled.

"Well she did indicate you were a mite upset with her, over a slight misunderstanding, and that perhaps we should give you a few days, before we visited."

"A slight misunderstanding, she called it," Shaurya repeated, enjoying Shruti's growing discomfort over the ill-fated mission she had been forced to participate it. He sent a sly smile her way, when she dared to raise her eyes to his, daring her to utter a word...wanting her to.

She didn't disappoint.

"You didn't even give me the opportunity to explain, Shaurya."

"You see Karuna Ji, we mustn't let something trivial stand in the way of what is an otherwise suitable alliance."

"I'm sorry, and please forgive me, but I don't know your daughter well enough to attest to the suitably of an alliance, with my son."

"We don't suit, Maa, trust me."

"Aacha then,"

"Now hold on here, young man, did you not intend to propose to my daughter last night? Was there not a ring, an elaborately planned proposal?"

"Yes Uncle, I was. Had we not been interrupted, I probably would have seen it through. However, it would have been a mistake. Both Shruti and I know this to be true."

"Do you think you can play with the emotions of an innocent woman without any repercussions because of who you are Shaurya Khanna, my daughter..."

"Deserves better Uncle, which I hope she someday finds," Shaurya stated as he walked over to Shruti and fished the ring box out of his coat pocket. "I cannot offer you anything more than an apology Shruti; you know that." He opened the ring box, and let the stunning gemstone catch the light, and then smiled generously at her. "And perhaps this. A beautiful girl can never have too many diamonds and it is your size, so..."

He held the ring box out to her.

As he expected Shruti's parents were apoplectic. Her mother jumped up and slapped him twice across the face, while her father addressed Harish directly, expressing his displeasure at the insult to his daughter.

"Your son is vile, how dare he pay off our daughter like some..."

"I'll take it," Shruti announced, snatching the ring box from him, lest he change his mind.

"Shruti, you can't be serious. What are you saying?"

"That with this I finally have the means to get away from both of you at last," the brazen girl declared to parents. "Thank God. But just so your delicate sensibilities are appeased, we never slept together, so save your protests! Although Shaurya that was entirely your loss."

"Somehow, I doubt that, Shruti you are hardly my type," Shaurya barked back.

Harish was the first to break the silence that followed the abrupt departure of the family. "Well if there is any silver lining to last night it is that we were not saddled with that wretched girl for the rest of our lives."

"Why do you think I have asked Maa to handle things from now on, obviously I lack the taste or sense for the task."

Karuna let out a very unladylike snort. "Nor the brains, beta. Aside from her parents getting to see the true nature of their horrible child, there is no way that Shruti deserved to leave here that ring. You have rewarded the least worthy woman I've ever met to a life of comfort. She will never learn her lesson. And what sort of financial decision was that? I understand you could not have reused the ring, but you could have a least returned it for a future credit. I just don't understand why you would have done this Shaurie?" She stared up at her handsome son, her exasperation evident.

"I'm going now Maa. To the restaurant and then to the hospital to meet Mehek. Will you send me off properly?"

"Silly boy, I want to throttle you, but you know I will."

Shaurya smiled and took his mother's blessings and when he rose, clasped her hand and leaned in to kiss her cheek, leaving her with a wink, and something extra. "Keep this safe for me Ma," he asked of the flawless diamond he left in her hand.

Karuna smiled. So, this was the work he had first thing this morning. Clever boy, she thought.

***********

Entering his restaurant, Shaurya quickly assessed the cleanup efforts underway. As promised, the police had processed the crime scene overnight to quickly release the property, so they could get back to business. Noting his harried hostess attending to the constantly ringing telephone, Shaurya knew that he could expect an initial boost in reservations, due to the notoriety attached to the restaurant post last night's incident. That was fine with him. While novelty would get the people in the door, Shaurya knew that their dining experience would have most of them returning.

The security specialist was already at work, leading Shaurya to suppose that he wouldn't be much longer. Shaurya hoped not, as he did have other matters to address today. Still the work to be done here was equally as important. If anything could be done to improve the security at the restaurant could be done, he wanted in place immediately. He needed to be able to give Mehek every assurance that the environment was safe for her to return, if she chose to. He walked over to the kitchen area, his mind awash with speculation of how different things would be here in the restaurant when she returned. He remained lost in his thoughts when finally, Jack approached him.

"I'm pretty much done now, Shaurya. I've noted a few improvements that can made to your security system, but not much that would have prevented lasts night's incident. Some procedural procedures on the other hand may reduce the risk a bit more, but I will detail them in my report."

"I suspected as much, but I look forward to reading your assessment, all the same. We will implement the recommendations straight away," Shaurya noted as he reflected back on the previous evening. "I expect though the threat of crimes of opportunity like last night cannot be totally eliminated."

"No, there will always be some element of risk. The gang last night was the perfect example of that, I'm afraid."

"If they were an actual gang. I wonder Jack, during your interactions, did you get the impression that there may have been more to them, than first met the eye: something that spoke of something more? I don't know how to explain it...it just seemed that they seemed trained if that even makes sense. Excuse me for a minute," Shaurya said, when his mobile began ringing and he recognized the number as being one that required immediate attention.

Watching as Shaurya walked away to take his call, Jack smiled to himself, realizing that there could also be lessons to be learned on his end as well, judging by the observation from the astute man he was dealing with. He wondered what exactly had given his operatives away.

*********

Frustrated, Sara looked at her watch and then across the hospital room. Mehek smiled, at her friend. "Sara you've been discharged. Go home. Take your husband and get the heck out of here. I'm sure Trey would like the opportunity to rest in his own bed; I'm fine, I promise."

"No, you're not fine, but you are right at the same time." She walked over to Mehek's bed and hugged her friend. "I'm quickly changing my mind about that man," Sara grumbled. She instantly regretted her words when she straightened up and saw the doubt on her friend's face. "Which is fine for me to do, but not for you. I admit he has been a first-class idiot who deserves a swift kick in the ass, but he loves you, so he's not a total loss. No matter what you decide I will support you, Mehek, you know that: both of us will."

"You mean all three of you right," Mehek teased.

"Of course, the baby has no choice but to be #TeamMehek." Sara took Mehek's uninjured hand and placed it on her tummy. "I can't wait to tell the baby the story of her superhero Aunty Mehek."

"Well they do say that babies recognize their mother's voices early on, so you can probably start now if you wish."

Mehek started and looked up, aware that heart had started pounding hard in her chest. Likewise, Sara turned in time to see Shaurya there handing a pretty bouquet of mixed flowers to Trey.

"It looks like I've arrived on time, if not I would have missed you entirely," he said as he escorted Sara to the wheelchair that she was obligated to leave the hospital in. "I'm happy to see that you have recovered enough to be going home Sara."

"Not as happy as I am to get going," Sara answered contradicting her previous reluctance. "Pass me the flowers and start pushing me Trey, the nurse can catch us up in the hall. Bye Mehek," she called out in her haste to leave the couple alone.

"You're back."

"I told I would be."

"We saw the conference. I wasn't sure at first, if you would be able to keep your word. They aired Shruti and her parents' arriving at the end," she explained. "I suspected they came with some expectations."

"They did, but her parents left disappointed," Shaurya declared.

"And Shruti," Mehek asked immediately picking up her exclusion.

"I expect her disappointment will come a little later."

"What does that mean Shaurya? Wait ...nahi, I've changed my mind I don't want to know."

"I only want truth between us Mehek. I do not want there to be any more secrets kept from one another."

"Even if the truth will further stack the deck against you Shaurya?"

"Even then," he replied. "So, what now Mehek Sharma?"

"Now Shaurie, you get a pass. I suspect that it will be only a matter of time before I hear from Sara what has happened. And frankly I don't think a new beginning should involve anyone but ourselves. But I am with you as it pertains to the secrets." She reached to the bedside table and picked up the tiny envelope. "I know this has been weighing on your mind, so here you go."

He opened the envelope to finally have his curiosity satisfied.