Disguised Darling|✓

Episode 34

Mishti’s eyes stay stuck at the flaming stove, mindlessly stirring the contents in the pot, physically all well now.

It doesn’t occur to her when the flame grows bigger, trying to capture the lace of her sleeves, all her thoughts focused on her brother’s call that she had got yesterday, the conversation echoing in her mind all the while, her eyes gathering uncalled tears as they blur her vision.

“Hello, Bhai?” Mishti asks with uncertainty lacing her voice, anticipating her brother's reaction with a bated breath.

“Oh, Chutki. I'm glad you picked up the phone quickly. I was so worried.” He says, a breath of relief escaping his mouth.

Mishti imitates the action, a small smile crawling up her lips.

“Of course, bhai –”

“Chutki, lovely, we don't have time to talk right now. Just listen to what I'm saying and don't panic, ok?”
The warning makes Mishti panic, though she nods nonetheless even if her brother isn't able to see her.

“We have to go, Chutki, we have to get out of here." His brother exclaims with alarmed voice, not giving her chance to freak out in earnest at the words as he continues. “They are out to get us. Our doubt on Vineeta Agnihotri was right. She knows everything. She and the agency are working together.” Her brother says and she sits up straight on the bed, momentarily forgetting any kind of fever she had been suffering from.

 “What? Together? That means that the watch, the transaction and the vase –”

“Yes, Chutki, it was all Samrat’s mother. That woman, after her suspension and killing Tara's parents had gone down against her. She – she wanted to ruin her life. Tara had told us that this wasn’t the first time she had been trapped in a situation like that, and had she seen that woman's face, she would have never applied for a job in Samrat's house, even if it was to rob him. But that woman is too sharp, Chutki. She chose Tara for the job because she knew that she was a thief. She wanted to catch her red-handed!” Mihir frets through the other side of the phone, taking quick breaths while Mishti struggles to catch up.

“But then when Samrat's wife, Sakshi, published that article, she got determined to clear her name and get back her reputation. At least that's what we have got to know. And so instead of tracking only a single person, she made a deal with the agency to give her a big prey and they gave us up. All five of us. The agency had been lying to us all along, Chutki. They knew from the very beginning that the woman’s target has changed from Tara to us. They were trying to get us caught! Get you caught.” Mihir cries and Mishti's eyes widen in shock, a constant murmur of "no, no," leaving her mouth, an expression of disbelief.

It was his mother?

She knew about the watch and its location, she knew about the money that Samrat had kept for buying the shares, she knew about the vase, how important it was to her son and how he would have never forgiven her if she would have stolen it.

It was his mother all along. She wanted to catch them… her.

"But bhai, h-how did you know all this? Are you o-ok?" She asks with a fearful voice, imagining all the worst situations in her head.

"I had installed a bug in the orphanage when I had gone there for Daya sir's prayer meet. I had got the idea from Ranvi when he had installed the mic at Samrat's house."

"Here?"

"Not the time, Chutki.... and even though we are safe for now, we won't be for too long. You need to get out of there. I am booking the tickets for all of us, even Tara who we can't track anywhere but I'm sure we'll reach her. Till then pack your bags and get ready to run out of the place. Make sure you don't leave any of your identity markers in that place. Alright? Or your fingerprints. They’ll raid both the house the first thing they find us. I'll text you the time of our flight once I book it. But tomorrow evening we'll be leaving and that's final.”