FADING DARKNESS

CHAPTER 12:FACE TO FACE

"What ?" Arjun shouted. It was the first time he had raised his voice on his mother, but he didn't care. "You did what? Mom-Piya-my sister-u u-"
"I've already shown u the papers" Madhu snapped. "See what she has done. Our family, our reputation-"
"I don't care" Arjun snapped back. "U believed all these over her? Did u hear her out even once-I don't believe u mom-don't recognize u-"
"She's not ur sister" Madhu screamed. "She's ur half-sister, Arjun, ur father's daughter, not mine. Why should she matter so much?"
There was a pin-drop silence. Arjun stared at his mother, the words hanging heavy in the air between them. "She matters" he said, his voice shaking slightly. "She matters, Mom. She is my sister, and will always be her brother's baby sis. And I'm going to go find her."
He stormed out of the room, leaving Madhu alone, tears streaming down her cheeks.
************
Arjun's phone rang just as he was leaving the house. He received the call."Hello?" he said, his mind still on finding Piya.
"Hello Arjun Bhai? It's me Misha?" Arjun frowned, trying to remember who Misha was. Of course. Piya's best friend. "Um-Piya doesn't want u to know, but she's with me."
Relief swept through Arjun at her words. "Misha thanks. I'll come get her right away. Where--?"
"No-no-" Misha said at once at the other end. "Um-I think it would be-er- best if she stays with me for a few days. I'm in Dehradoon right now, but will bereturning to Shimla soon. A change will be good for her, Arjun Bhai. Given the circumstances. U know how people are. I-I read the Dehradoon newspaper today. For some days, my friend needs distractions. Of course, I completely believe her" she added hurriedly. "So if u will allow"
Arjun closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. He wanted to go to Piya right now, protect his sister from the vile world outside. But maybe Misha was right. He knew his sister, how sensitive she was. Maybe it would be best. He sighed. "Okay, Misha. Take care of her. And keep me posted. If ever u need anything-"
"Sure" Misha's voice came through from the other side. "Thanks for understanding. It will do ur little sister a lot of good. Okay I'm keeping the phone now."
Arjun cut the call, his eyes once again falling on the pictures. He was about to look away when something made him look closely. The man holding Piya in the dance had his back turned on the camera but seemed familiar. He frowned, bringing the newspaper closer to his eyes.
He suddenly remembered something he had overheard a woman saying while he had carried a sleeping Piya to his car. He had ignored it, pushed it to the back of his mind as gossip as his sole concern had been Piya back then but now he remembered something the woman had said. "And her dance with Abhay Raichand-scandalous-"
Arjun dropped the paper in shock. Had they been talking about his sister? Could Abhay Raichand be--?
He had to find out the person in these pictures. He had to go question Abhay. Taking out his car keys, he rushed out of the house.
**************
Abhay leaned back in his chair, going over the conversation he'd just had with the manager at DELICIOUS CATERERS.
"Sir, at the night of the Khurana party, we had one substitution among our members. We do not usually take any one from outside, but it was a last-minute adjustment as one of our caterers had suddenly fallen sick and this person we took in as our replacement used to work here once."
"What was his name?"
"Shekhar, Sir. Shekhar Sharma."
"Send a picture of him to my email. As soon as possible."
"Erm, Sir-"
"Abhay Raichand does not like to wait."
"Y-yes sir."
Abhay opened his laptop, connecting to the net. As he waited for his homepage to load, his jaw clenched as those pictures flashed in his mind again. And the way Piya had looked at him. So much pain had been there in her eyes, so much hatred. And he was the reason for all those emotions in her. The thought made him uneasy. As though his heart had constricted, as tough his lungs were drawing in much less air. Shaking his mind off these thoughts, he opened his email account and saw at once that a new mail had been delivered to his inbox. He opened the mail, and clicked on the picture file that had been attached to it.
He stilled. The face of the man who stared back at him from his laptop screen seemed familiar. His stomach suddenly tightened as he remembered who he was. The man from last night's party. Forcing herself on Piya. Could it be he--?
Abhay stood up, his fingers curling into fists. It could be a start. Something rather than nothing. He had to find out. This man, this Shekhar, he had to talk to him. Abhay had learned from long ago to trust his instincts. And his instincts told him that this man was important. Did he still work as a caterer? Or did he do something else now? He picked up his phone, connecting to his secretary."I want u to search for a man by the name of Shekhar Sharma. I'll email u his pic shortly. Look thoroughly. I Want a satisfying result in two days" he added coldly. "He's a waiter most probably, but not sure about that. "
He cut the call, his eyes cold as he glanced at the man's face again. Don't worry Piya, he said in his mind. I'll not allow anyone to harm you.
*******
Arnab sat on the chair by the window, staring outside but not really seeing. The present was repeating history, bearing evidence of the way he had acted all those years ago when he had failed to defeat the first love of his life. Sugandh.
He had come from a rich family, with traditional, strict views and a deep sense of so called "Status". But meeting sugandh had changed his life in his second year at college. She had been a year younger than him,a bright chirpy girl who had pulled at his heartstrings immediately. Those two years of college had been the best days of his life. Blissful. Dreamy. Sometimes he wished he hadn't met her or loved her. Because in the end when his family had come to know about them and forbidden him to keep any contacts with her, he had been unable to stand up for her. For them. He had been weak. Too weak to go against his world, his family. He had given up. Some years later, he'd been married with Madhu. Yes, he loved his wife, it was true. But Madhu had never taken the place occupied by Sugandh. Arnab had tried to stop thinking about Sugandh, forcing her back into the dusty recesses of his mind. Now, he wished it were enough. Five years after Arjun's birth, on a business trip, he'd come across Sugandh again. He could remember clearly what came after. A night of passion, a try to make up for all the time lost, a try to apologize to the first lady love of his life.
And he had abandoned her yet again after that. Overcome with a feeling of betrayal towards his wife and son, helpless in the face of his feelings towards Sugandh, he had tried to escape. But fate. He gave an ironic smile. Fate always played its game, forcing men to become its players. That night, so unforgettable in Arnab's memory even after all these years, had borne him a girl, a little baby girl. He came to know of his daughter a month after her birth, when Sugandh had met with a fatal accident that had cost her her life leaving little Piya motherless. Piya's eyes were exactly like her mother's, warm, baby browns, the only reminder of the woman Arnab had once loved. He had been unable to leave Piya, his baby there. Something had pulled him towards her and he had taken her home. He would be forever thankful to Madhu for accepting Piya into their family, when she had every right not to. She had a right to be bitter, but she had not broken up their marriage, had given his daughter allowance to her father's love, a brother's protection.
Arjun had been away to his aunt's place then, and had been overjoyed to come back home and find a little baby sister.
Arnab smiled sadly, a lone tear trickling down his cheeks. Piya deserved a better father. Someone who could stand up for her, give her the respect she deserved. Because, God knew, after all these years, he was still the coward he had been all those years ago. He had failed as a lover, failed as a husband, failed as a father. He knew it was no one's fault-Madhu had every right to behave like this though he rather wished it were all aimed at him. Piya had no fault in all this. It all came down to him, he thought, putting his head in his hands, and he still couldn't muster up the courage to set things right.
**************
Arjun shook with fury as he walked into Abhay's cabin. Abhay stood up on seeing him, his eyebrows raised. Without waiting for an introductory greetings, Arjun strode up to him, his face inches from Abhay's.
"It was you?" he hissed. "At the party. Those-those pictures?"
Abhay gave him a cold smile. "Really? U think so? Well-well, seems like Arjun Dobriyal has brains after all"
Arjun stared at him, shocked, and then grabbed his collars. "I guessed right." He hissed. "It was you. I can't believe-why-Raichand-my sister-why'd u-she-she had feelings for u-"
"Easy pal" Abhay smoothly freed his collars from Arjun's grip, his eyes holding contact with Arjun's. "A really caring brother, I must say." He gave a low laugh, his voice growing lower and colder. "But doesn't care for others' sisters, I'm afraid."
"W-what do u mean?" Arjun asked, momentarily thrown off by Abhay's words.
Abhay's eyes were spitting cold hatred by now. "Does the name Alisha ring a bell?"
Arjun's face rapidly drained of colour as he stared at Abhay. For a few seconds , there was absolute silence. "How-how-what's A-Alisha got to do with u?" he finally stammered.
"With me? What's she got to do with me?" Abhay repeated coldly. "Well, put it this way, Dobriyal, I happen to be the brother of the girl u killed."
Arjun stared at him in shock, his mind whirling rapidly, trying to connect Alisha Raichand to Abhay Raichand. "No-" he whispered.
"Yes" said Abhay, and there was no trace of mockery or humour in his voice. "I was there that night. I'd followed her out because she seemed nervous and I wanted to know what's wrong-and-and I saw u-u killed her-u escaped-under the Dobriyal name-and I-I could do nothing-I was a nobody back then-but I vowed-"
"I-I loved her" Arjun no longer seemed to speak to Abhay, he seemed to be talking to himself.
"U didn't-u murdered her-"
"I loved her so much" said Arjun. Looking up at Abhay. "Alisha-I-that day I was drunk-I didn't realize till it was too late-"
"Don't u dare say u love her" Abhay had advanced up to him and pushed him back. "U took her life. A murderer-"
"If-if she hadn't shown me ur mother's picture-the same woman who kidnapped me-I didn't think straight-"
"Don't lie" It was Abhay now who grabbed Arjun by the collar pulling him close. "My. Mother. Was. Not a . kidnapper." He shook Arjun between each word, then pulled him closer still. "But u r are murderer. My sister's murderer. And I'll never forgive u for that." He released Arjun with a rough push and he stumbled back, tears now forming in his eyes.
"I-I didn't-I still love her-I'm sorry-"
"U should be-" Abhay spat coldly, "And today, u r also responsible for not being for ur sister at the right time."
Arjun stared at Abhay for a long time. "No-" he finally whispered, shaking his head, before turning and leaving the office.
Abhay stood staring after him, his whole body shaking as the old memories and wounds rose up to the surface again, raw and hurting.. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. No, he needed to concentrate on giving Piya justice. He could think about revenge later.