Endless Nights

Satyam Confronts Anuja

"Now, I think, it is Satyam's turn to face me." At the breakfast table Anuja announces this news to her family.

A pin drop silence starts to rule over the room. Gunjan stops chewing her sandwitch happily with a gawk, while Sashank inhales most smokes of his pipe in anxiety.

"Are you ready to meet him at this very moment, Anu? Remember he is not only a killer, but a merciless killer." Her brother, Sashank warns her.

Gunjan lifts her eyes to her too and tells - "It would not be an easy job like pulling your trigger to Damayanti."

Anuja smiles softly. "Vabi, don't try to underestinate Damu (Damayanti's nickname). If I could fool her, I think, I can face Satyam too."

"But.." Gunjan tries to open her mouth but before that her husband completes her sentence by uttering this - "you need some time to be more prepared."

Gunjan also nods her head. She also wanted to tell the same thing.

Anuja calmly reaches for her bread from the plate before her and with a knife puts butter on it. After that she replies to both of them with more calmness -

"But you both know it better than me that Satyam likes to give surpise attack to his oppenents."

Her prediction is proved right when in the next Sunday Satyam visits her at her NGO. Anuja had established an NGO for the distressed women and orphan children and she always tries to spend her precious time with them in every Saturday evening and whole day at Sunday.

Being the honorable Home Minister of the state, Satyam Singh Raijada could have no difficulty to discover that. So he decides fast to give Anuja Doshi a surprise visit, without knowing that his enemy is also waiting for this opportunity.

When he comes to the orphanage run by her NGO, he is surprised to see many people gathered there to welcome him. Even the members of the Press is there too. He has to give reply to all of them, so Satyam is bound to put on his mask once more.

"Tell me, why you are here?"

In its answer with a soft smile in his face, he replies to the journalist -

"Madam, I am here to congratulate the administration to run this orphanage so smoothly. I have no other intention indeed." (What a lie!!!)

"Then are you backing them?" She asks once more.

"Of couse. I am even suggesting their name in the field of prestigious Nirmal Hriday award category on the behalf of my state." He smiles once again. His political career made me more strong lier than he was before.

The crowd before him erupts into a loud cheering and clapping by knowing this announcement. But in between this hustle bustle his eyes are searching desperately for Anuja who is not there.

"Excuse me, Miss Ryna, where is your Anuja madam? I want to congratulate her too." He calls for Anuja's assistant Miss Nila Ryna who silently ushers him into Anuja's private chamber. "Madam is waiting for you there, Sir." She tells him politely and with a curt nod of head takes leave.

Satyam signals his bodyguards to stand in guard at the door and by knocking twice, he enters into a small room.

"Come on in."

Anuja's voice rings on his ear when he enters into that room. She is standing backwards and her back is facing him. She seems busy checking some files that actually she is not. Anuja is in reality waiting eagerly to meet with Satyam since this morning and just trying to look herself engrossed in her work infront of him now when he is standing before her.

"Yes !!"

With this, she turns back and faces him.

Satyam is still standing at the door watching her intently. He wants to compare the old Anuja with this one.

"Hello Satya. Come right in."

She signals him to sit in a chair in her office. Then, suddenly as if she remebers something, lifts herself from her own chair and indicates that with her right hand -

"I am so sorry. I nearly forgot that you like to sit in others' chairs."

He grits his teeths in frustration. This woman, if she is an imposter, is a great actress and knows too much about him. It will not be an easy task to unmask her.

"Are you thinking that I am not the real Anu? Hmm." She rubs her chin thoughtfully before uttering this in cold voice - "After all you are one of the last persons in the earth who saw her burning. Alive."

He produces his own licensed gun from his inner jacket by demanding -

"Tell me who you are and I will spare your life."

With a tut tut noise from her mouth she looks fakely petrified and bats her big eyelashes repeatedly to him by telling him once again in a cold bone chilling voice -

"Put it down, Satya. You can't kill me twice."

His revolver held hand remains still and he himself becomes stiff for a second in anticipation, when he hears her shrilling voice once more -

"Oh my dear Satya, till now you never got used to your gun. So sad."

And with this she closes the door on his face with a loud thud sound.