GAMBLE OF FLAMES

TEASER

SCENE 1

"Sunn, what is love?.....Pyaar, ishq, mohabbat hai kya?" Abhishree asked

The teenager answered "Love?....love is legitimatisation of life. Pyaar woh hai jo chupaye nhi chupta, ishq mann ki be-dhadak talab hai aur mohabbat.... mohabbat woh hai jis mein ashiq ki sikast nischit hai, dil luta kar ya dil tudwa kar"

Abhishree was impressed with his answer. Popping a grape in her mouth, she asked "toh Maharaj inn sab mein aap ka position kya hai?"

"It's forbidden" he replied looking at Abhishree but his focus was on a couple behind her back.

SCENE 2

"What are you doing?" A small child, whose age would be approximately 7-8 years asked Abhimaan.

Abhimaan smiled and turned around to look at the child. "painting", Abhimaan replied with one word.

"This is toh....."

"Yup I am painting Meera's portrait" Abhimaan answered before the child could ask the question

"Ditto" the child complimented Abhimaan, appreciating his skills in painting an exact image of Meera.

"I am honoured" Abhimaan dramatically bowed

The child looked at the painting and then back at Abhimaan, giving him a toothy grin the child ran out of the room.

"Maa......maa......maaa" the child came near a woman while panting during running

"Why are you running like this? Is everything fine?" The woman asked

The child nodded while taking deep breaths

"Here, drink water first and relax then speak" the woman offered a glass of water

The child took the glass but didn't drink and said "maa, I want to learn how to paint. Please maa, don't deny"

"Painting is a good extra curricular activity, why would I deny it? You can start taking tutorials from tomorrow itself"

"Thank you maa. I love you" the child hugged the woman

SCENE 3

A girl was running like a mad woman as if her life depended on her speed.

"Wouhooh!! Watch where you are running into lady" the man snickered

The girl looked at him with terrified eyes. She looked back to see the goons following her.

"Can you please help me?" The girl meekly whispered with joined palms, her eyes filled with fear and desperate hope

The man picked his groceries and looked at the girl. He saw few goons approaching her. He pulled her behind him and stood facing the goons. The girl clutched his jacket and tried herself behind his broad back.

One of the goons flicked his pocket knife and warned "back off man, she is our for tonight"

The man didn't say anything and just pulled a metallic object from behind his jacket. The goons instantly got the signal regarding who has an upper hand over the situation and who should back off.

As soon as they left, he tugged his gun safely behind his jacket and turned around to look at her.

She was visibly shivering, out of cold or fear that is a thing to guess.

"Will you be able to manage till home or you want me to drop you ?" He asked genuinely

She looked down and nodded her head negatively "I don't have a home to live in"

"Aah! Any near and dear ones living here like relatives or friends? Where you can stay?"

She again nodded her head negatively. "an orphan" she whispered almost inaudibly.

He could feel the pain and despair in her voice.

"How? I mean what had happened to your parents? Only if you don't mind me asking"

"Papa died out of cardiac arrest and ma couldn't bear the trauma and passed away due to subarachnoid haemorrhage" she replied in a low voice

"Siblings?"

"A brother" she replied while biting her quivering lower lips and he knew something is massively wrong.

SCENE 4

"You knew everything right?" Kartavya asked looking sharply at Geetanjali, who lowered her eyes in reply.

"Who?" Kartavya asked daring Geetanjali to lie or hide anything

Geetanjali gulped and spoke with teary eyes, "There is someone"

Abhimaan who was sitting on his rocking chair closed his eyes hearing her reply.

"I fucking hate betrayals" he said

Hearing which Meera started weeping silently.

SCENE 5

Abhigna looked at the antique pendulum which showed 2am at night. She sighed, tired of waiting for her husband. She opened his side of the wardrobe and pulled out his suit coat. Clutching it close to her chest she we went to bed.

If not the person then at least his belongings upon which she can rely. Till today she wasn't habituated to stay alone in his huge penthouse which haunts her at night. And she absolutely hates his enormous mansion which looks pretty with magnificent architecture in the broad daylight but with the advent of night it turns scary.

She inhaled his smell on his suit coat, thinking about the whereabouts of her husband she gradually dozzed off.