More Than Meets the Eye (An Ishqbaaz FF) ||✔||

2.

Shivaay had a long day ahead of him. He knew that by looking at his makeshift whiteboard, which really was a window in his study. He often used it to crack difficult equations. Now he was using to crack a difficult case. So far, a new development was that Roop was related to, more specifically, was the mother of Veer and this new guy Harsh Vardhan Trivedi, who was related to Anika. 

The first thing he did was confront his mother about his bua's child, whom she took to the hospital the night of KM incident. She revealed to him that the child was illegitimate and hence, was banished by Tej. "Illegitimate". This one word had wrecked havoc in his life too many times. He went on to confront Roop, only for another bomb to be dropped on him. His parents and uncle-aunt were murderers. He boldly defended them but Roop's confidence stirred up his faith. She told him to go KM at midnight and see for himself. Shivaay thought against it but ended up going to KM.

How he wished he hadn't. But he did anyway. And now he was standing across his elders and the skeletonized corpse of Mr Kapoor lay between them, half-buried in the ground. 

"You all are murderers. Aap log kaatil hain."

"Nahi beta Shivaay!... Aisa mat bol Shivaay... Humne kuch nahi kiya hain... Ek baar humari baat toh sun lo..."

Tej, Shakti, Pinky and Jahnvi's cries and swears of their innocence bounced off head. He couldn't process them when he felt horrified, disgusted and most of all, betrayed. He made himself into a wall that protected his family from all harm. He went till the ends of the earth and back and burnt the oil of countless midnight lamps because believed in his family. And now? The years of pride, faith and trust that he had in his elders crumbled to dust within minutes. 

CLAP!
CLAP!
CLAP!

Shivaay and the S.O.s turned towards the maker of the sound. Roop. Shivaay's expression didn't changed but he mentally scoffed. The day kept getting better and better. Shivaay kind of zoned out when the argument between the elders commenced but he became alarmed when Roop produced a new evidence; pictures of the S.O.s killing Mr Kapoor 25 years ago and unearthing his corpse in the present day.

"Yeh photos kisne kheenchi? Aur tumhare paas kahaan se aayi?...... Oh my god! Ab main samjha, yeh sab tune kiya hain. Iska matlab photos tune kheenchi thi, hum sabko phasane ke liye. Itna bada shariyantra. I will kill you. I WILL KILL YOU ROOP!" Tej roared and charged towards Roop but Shakti held him back. The firing of accusations resumed, which Shivaay paid attention to but stayed out of. He couldn't trust his parents but he definitely couldn't trust Roop. As their argument progressed, Shivaay understood the S.O.s were being framed but the proofs against them were strong.

"Tum logon ne meri zindagi barbaad ki thi ni? Ab meri baari, meri baari." Roop threatened and went away.

"Main samajh gaya ki aap logo ne Mr Kapoor ko nahi maara. Likin maara jisne bhi ho, proofs aap logon ke khilaaf hain. Na hi hume asli khooni ko dhoondhna hain balki aap sabki innocence bhi saabit karni hogi." Shivaay told them. 

"Oh my Mata, yeh kya naya siyaappa khada ho gaya hain." Pinky put her head in her hand.

"Is tarah yahaan khade rehne se kuch solve nahi hoga. Hume ghar jaake shaant dimaag se sochna chahiye." Tej suggested.

"Aap theek keh rahe hain bhaisahab. Bhabhi, Pinky, beta Shivaay; hume ghar chalna chahiye." Shakti and turned towards the exit, others following closely.

"We are are not done here." 

The S.O.s turned back hearing Shivaay. He bent and picked up Mr Kapoor's ring from beside his corpse. What had broken down to bones, ligaments and threads was once the father of his good friend and the girl he considered his sister. The mere thought made him feel nauseous. 

"Mujhe aapke mooh se Kalyani Mills haatse ka woh version sunna hain jo Tia, Saumya aur Svetlana ko pata hain." Shivaay stated.

"Tia..Shwetlana.. inke baare mein kyoon poochh raha hain? Unka kya lena-dena..." Pinky asked but Shivaay cut her off with a sharp voice.

"Unka "kya lena-dena hain"?" Are you serious mom? Unke father ki laash humari aankhon ki saamne hain aur aap poochh rahi unka kya lena-dena hain? You know, Kalyani Mills haatse ke baad humare parivaar koi fark nahi pada, in fact insurance ke paiso se sirf faayeda hua likin Kapoors... Mrs Kapoor ke husband, un teeno behno ke papa unse chhin gaye. Unki family physically, financially aur emotionally barbaad ho gayi aur kaheen na kaheen yeh Oberoi family ki galti hain." Shivaay criticized.

"KM ki aag ki raat, Mr Kapoor ki car chori ho gayi thi. Do din baad khabar aayi ki car ka accident ho gaya hain aur driver ki maut ho gayi. I think body usi ki thi jisne car chuarayi thi, surely nahi keh sakte kyoonki body bahot buri tarah se jal gayi thi. Driver ki kad-kaathi Mr Kapoor se match ho rahi thi, unka saara samaan bhi car mein tha toh police aur unki family ko laga body unhi ki woh aur woh car accident mein guzar gaye. Aur...humne...we went along with it. " Tej said with what one could say was hint of regret.

"And...?" Shivaay asked, knowing there was more to the story. He tried to remain as calm and level-headed as possible.

"Mrs Kapoor ne kayi mahino tak hume call kiya, approach karne ki koshish ki kyoonki...hum woh aakhri log the jinse Mr Kapoor mile the likin humne...humne..." Jahnvi began but couldn't bring herself to continue.

"Kaha ki aapne unhe dekha hi nahi, aap logon ke paas koi information nahi hain, right?" Shivaay completed for her. "But Mrs Kapoor was convinced ki accident aap logon ne kara hain. Isi liye Svetlana Bade-papa ki life mein, Tia meri life mein aur Saumya Rudra ki life mein aaye; apne papa ki maut ka badla lene ke liye."

"Shivaay, hum sirf tumhe aur OmRu ko..."

"Aapne insurance ke paise unke saath share kiye? Ya unhe koi compensation offer kiya?" Shivaay asked.

"Car accident ki wajah se unki family ki life insurance milta hi, car insurance bhi..." Tej began to explain but looking at Shivaay sharp gaze, he sighed "Nahi. Humne apni taraf se unki family ko kuch offer nahi kiya."

"Unhone aap logon se kuch poocha nahi?" 

"Unhone hume contact karne ki koshish ki hum unhe ignore karte rahe aur ek din sab ruk gaya, woh family jaise gayaab ho gayi."

Shivaay shut his eyes and when he reopened them, tears lined his eyes. Yet, all he did was scoff lightly.

"Apna har ek decision 10 nahi 1000 baar soch ke lena. You may not realise immediately but every choice has a consequence. Chhoti se chhoti galti bhi waqt ke saath bahot badi ban sakti and it'll ultimately destroy you. The Snowball Effect." Shivaay narrated while eyeing Tej. The latter had personally taught Shivaay that particular lesson when he was learning the business.

"Shivaay, meri baat maano, hum sab theek kar denge." Tej tried to assure Shivaay.

"Please, aap log jab kuch karna chahiye tha tab kuch nahi karke aap already bahot kuch kar chuke hain. Ab agar kuch karna chahte hain toh bas itna kijiye ki kuch mat kijiye. Sach pata karne ke liye jo karna hain main khud kar loonga, you all stay out of this." Shivaay instructed them before marching out of the factory. 

Just before exiting, he stopped at the of the foot the entranced, turned back and looked at the fear-stricken and guilty faces of his family members.

"Aap yeh mat samajhiyega main aapke khilaaf hoon. Chaah kar bhi main aisa kar nahi paaoonga. Aakhir hoon toh main Shivaay Singh Oberoi hi... the"Great Wall"."