• Second Chances •

26. We Can Share

"Cheers!" Brinda clanked her beer tin with Aditya's. "The real holiday begins now. I am so excited. I have heard so much about the south island." 

Ram looked at everyone's happy faces and sighed. They were on their way to Christchurch and were sitting in the airport's lounge. 

"Me too!" chirped Aditya. "I have heard about it so much!" 

"From where?" asked Brinda. 

Aditya took a sip of his beer. "From you."

Brinda and Priya chuckled. Brinda had expected Ram to laugh the loudest at the poor joke. So when he didn't, she worriedly looked at him and questioned, "Is everything alright, Ram?" 

"Yeah..." Ram said in a small voice. But then told her the matter anyway. Aditya also needed to know it. "Actually. It's Shubham. He didn't turn up at the meeting today."

"What? It is important!" Aditya cried out.  

"I know. I have no idea how to deal with him. It's just..." Ram was exasperated. "Vikrant handled it well though. I had a word with Mr. Khurana and Mr. Shah. They are satisfied with the progress." 

Brinda kept her eyes on Ram. "And?"

Ram narrowed his eyes and asked back, "And, what?" 

She rolled her eyes. "What else, Ram? There is obviously more." 

There was more. But it was so scary that Ram didn't know how to deal with it. Letting out a heavy breath, Ram got up. He excused himself from the group. "I am sorry guys. I will be back in a bit." 

He didn't wait for their reactions. He knew that Aditya was following him but he only stopped when they were out of the lounge and in a completely vacant corner of the airport.  

Turning back, Ram frustratedly walked here and there for a few minutes. Aditya let him do it. 

"Is there a smoking area over here? Can we smoke?" asked Ram suddenly. 

Aditya knew that Ram smoking was a rarity. It only happened when he was flustered and worried a hell lot. Ram didn't lose control that easily. So he cloaked the utter panic he felt and replied, "No Ram. I don't have a cigarette pack."

"Fuck!" Ram cursed. 

He agitatedly tugged at his collar and sat down on the floor beside the mammoth pillar. Aditya broke into a cold sweat. Sitting on the floor, he grabbed Ram's cold hand and questioned, "What happened? You are scaring me." 

Trying to keep his voice level, Ram took a deep steadying breath. "I received a phone call. Anonymous."

Aditya kept quiet, waiting for Ram to complete what he was telling him. Ram rubbed his forehead and whispered, "It's about the land we acquired in Worli for the residential project." 

Aditya felt coldness creep in his veins. The proposed project was on a land that was falsely occupied by a few trespassers. They had built their houses there and were now not ready to leave. It was a coveted piece of land, sea-facing. Both Ram and Aditya could see the immense potential it had. If they built a luxury tower there, they would be pushed directly into the top wrung of builders in the country. They badly wanted this to happen. 

It wasn't so easy. Ram had taken the legal route and tried to evacuate the land. He had even offered to compensate the people. But they had not budged at all. Aided by a local goon, they remained adamant that they were going to stay there, come what may. 

Over the course of the past few months, Ram had received a lot of threats since he was the more recognizable face between them both. And if now Ram was this worried, Aditya knew that it must be serious.