Whispered Promises [COMPLETED]

Shot 4

The next few days passed by uneventfully.

Parth was passing by the village Square, when he saw the gathering around the huge banyan tree.

"What's happening there?" Parth asked a passerby.

"Village panchayat. There is a land dispute between two brothers. The panchayat will tell the judgement today," the man said, pointing at the four old men in white kurtis and dhotis, sitting as if they own the whole village, looking down their noses at the people gathered around.

"Why is the panchayat saying the judgement? Shouldn't they go to court or police station for all this?" Parth asked in confusion.

"Court?" The man asked, looking at Parth in confusion and then without waiting for Parth's response, he hurried towards the gathering to hear the judgement.

He spotted Vaani standing there with a disgusted look on her face.

"You don't believe in the panchayat system?" Parth asked curiously. She looks like an in and out village belle, but her mentality is quite progressive. Someone who wants to be independent rather than being dependent on the men in their family. So, he is quite curious to hear her opinion about the panchayat system here.

"They are a ridiculous bunch of people. They made my family suffer a lot," Vaani said angrily as she shot lasers at the panchayat officials gathered there.

"What did they do?" Parth asked, taken aback by the naked fury in her eyes.

Vaani's uncle fell in love with a woman from the upper caste. The then sarpanch ordered them to be stoned to death. Vaani's father somehow helped the couple escape from the village. They have never seen the couple again. Now her parents and grandmother have passed away. Her grandfather lives counting every day, wishing he could meet his son one last time. But they have no contact with them.

"Your uncle didn't contact your family after they left?" Parth asked in surprise.

"No. Baba once told me that he had made my chacha promise never to come back here and never to contact anyone here." Vaani said sadly. She vaguely remembers her uncle. She was only three when this incident happened.

"Your panchayat is cruel," Parth said in annoyance.

Vaani scoffed.

"This is nothing. They have done worse," Vaani said and Parth looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Come. I will show you," Vaani said and took Parth towards the outer forest area of the village.

"Where are we going?" Parth asked, looking around the remote looking place.

"Look there," she said and pointed at a dishevelled woman sitting under a tree.

Her clothes were torn. Her hair was a mess. She looked like it has been ages since she had a bath.

"Who is she?" Parth asked.

"Ganga. She was the daughter of a farmer. The only girl in the village who had gone to college in the next town. A couple of weeks after she finished her studies, a man came here. A city man. He was wealthy and powerful. Charming too, I guess. She fell hook, line and sinker. He was using her to get to the villagers. He needed the land for some construction business. When the villagers found out, he escaped, leaving her to take the burnt." Vaani said, her blood boiling, remembering the rich man who had been here a few years ago.

"What did they do to her?" Parth asked in dread.

"They gave her a punishment harsh enough to be a warning to other girls of the village. Never trust an outsider." Vaani said and a chill ran down Parth's spine at her last words.

"They didn't order her to be killed?" Parth asked, actually surprised.

Stoning to death seemed like the panchayat style.

"No. Death would be an easy punishment, wouldn't it. Now she is living a life worse than death. She is that living example for women in the village," Vaani said sarcastically.

"This is atrocious. Why didn't you go to the police?" Parth asked angrily.

"Here panchayat is above all. There is no police station in this place," Vaani said, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Why are you still living in this village?" Parth asked in disbelief.

"This is the only place I know," Vaani said softly.

"When I leave, come with me," Parth said suddenly, shocking them both at the same time.

"What?" Vaani asked in surprise, her heart beating crazily.

"I know you have known me only for a few weeks. But somehow, you have managed to ingrain yourself into my life, Vaani" Parth said, his heart clear for the very first time in his life and Vaani gaped at him in shock.

"I don't know what this feeling is. I like seeing you smile. I liked it when you cooked for me. I felt warm when I saw your eyes fill up in concern for me. When you are not around, everything seems dull. My eyes always roam around trying to find you." Parth said, a smile making its way to his lips as he realised what he hasn't in these last few days.

"Parth ji-"

"And when I think about leaving, all I can think about is taking you with me." Parth said softly.

"I don't know what to say," Vaani said softly, fearing her heart would jump out of her chest any moment.

"When you think about yourself in another thirty years, do you see me with you, Vaani?" Parth asked expectantly.

The picture he just painted was so very attractive. So very beautiful and Vaani couldn't help the blush that crept up her cheeks. She could picture herself with him. A family with him.

She had always believed that when she falls in love, there will be lots of sparks and fireworks. Never did she imagine it to sneak up on her like this.

Parth grinned seeing the blush creeping up her cheeks.

"You are blushing," Parth said, with a chuckle.

Vaani looked up at him with wide eyes and seeing him chuckle, she turned and ran away clutching her crazily beating heart.

"Damn! I didn't tell her about my background," Parth cursed himself when he realised the most important thing.

****

"Ah haa! Vaani Gupta is in love." Aarohi teased in a sing-song voice.

"Shut up. Somebody will hear," Vaani hissed at her best friend, looking around to make sure that nobody heard.

They looked up when they heard the sound of a helicopter.

It was flying very low.

"Is it going to land here?" Aarohi asked excitedly.

"Where would it land?" Vaani asked, equally excited. They have seen the helicopter flying through many times, but never one this low.

"In the village ground of course. Come. Let's go see. I have never seen one up this close," Aarohi said and dragged Vaani towards the village ground.

Parth panicked seeing the Malhotra chopper in the air.

"How the hell did Kabir trace me?" Parth asked himself as he hurried towards the only place in the village where a chopper could land.

The villagers had gathered around, seeing a helicopter landing in their village for the first time.

"Isn't that Parth ji? Why is he looking so panicked?" Aarohi asked, pointing at a panicking Parth running towards the centre.

A man in a suit, stepped out of the helicopter, wearing shades. He looked around and his eyes stopped moving when it landed on..

Parthji??

A/n

Here goes the next shot!

Parth's identity is going to get revealed. Let's see how Vaani is going to take it..

Please do vote and comment!

Love,
SF ❤️