FADING DARKNESS

CHAPTER 18: BEING THERE FOR YOU

Arnab stepped out with a sigh, able to breathe at last after the knowledge that his son would be safe. He took a deep breath, letting the cold fresh air in, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he came face to face with Abhay.
"Abhay?" he said in a voice filled with pleasant surprise. "Mr. Abhay Raichand? Here in the hospital. All is fine I hope."
"I heard about your son's accident" Abhay stated, not answering Arnab's question.
"Yes, but he'll be fine" said Arnab in a relieved voice. "It kept me worried. Thank you for asking. Have some coffee with me?"
"No thanks" said Abhay quietly. "Mr. Dobriyal, there's something I needed to say to u. What happened at the party -those pictures, they weren't Piya's fault. None of it. Somebody else took them."
Arnab's face had gone from relieved to shocked in an instant. "What-how do you-" he spluttered.
"They were done in an attempt to disgrace Piya-and it seemed it served its pupose. Even her family wasn't an exception. U turned your backs to her, didn't u, Mr. Dobriyal?" said Abhay quietly, his eyes never leaving Arnab's face.
Arnab looked away at his words. There was a few second's silence and then he looked back at Abhay to find him still looking at him. "How did you-what's it got to do with u? Why are u saying this now?" he asked weakly.
"It's got a lot to do with me." Said Abhay in a voice of self-loathing. "I was the man with her in those pictures, the man whose face was carefully edited so that it would not be visible. Piya danced with me that day. People at the party will know of course, but who remembers the man? They are all busy pointing fingers at the woman, a woman who was innocent in this case."
Arnab blinked several times as Abhay looked steadfast at him. And then anger took over his face.
"you-"
He raised his hand to slap him, but Abhay caught it, stopping it easily.
"I deserve this slap, but not from you. Not from a man who doesn't know how to stand up for his daughter, from a man who is a coward, shying away from truth." He said coolly, though his eyes were as hard as steel. "I'll take the slap from the woman who deserves to give it."
He let go of Arnab's hand and it fell limply to Arnab's sight. Arnab stared at him in shock, not knowing what to say. Abhay almost pitied the man; he was a good man; if only he had not been weak then it would have done him a lot of good. "I'm sorry for the pain I've caused Piya, but you are no one to forgive me or punish me. You do not have a father's right to do that, u've failed your daughter in a way no father should." He added.
And then he walked away, leaving Arnab standing alone in the night.

NEXT MORNING:
Piya kept the phone back, frowning. She had thought there would be more complications when she had called up Ms. Roy to request her a day's leave from school. But Ms. Roy had not said anything to her. Why though, she wondered with a frown, as she started walking towards the hospital canteen. Misha had gone to meet Kabir before setting back to Shimla because she had evening duty at the hospital. Piya had assured her that she would be fine, and as soon as she had met Arjun, she would return back. The doctors had not permitted anyone to visit him last night after the operation, saying that he needed rest. Piya rubbed her temples, grateful to that blood donor who had saved her brother's life. She wondered who that person was. "He doesn't want to disclose himself" the doctor had said when they had asked. He. So it was a man. Was it one of Bhai's friends, Piya wondered. Nevertheless, she was relieved that her brother was out of danger. She stepped into the canteen

"One coffee please" she said to the woman behind the canteen, whose back was turned to her. She opened the chain of her bag, searching for her purse. Then she heard a gasp and looked up, her eyes going wide with surprise as her mind registered the woman. There was a moment of silence, finally broken by the woman. "P-piya?" Diane stammered.
************
Arnab paced up and down the corridor outside the room to which his son had been shifted, waiting for the moment when the doctor would allow them to visit him. Abhay's words came coming back to him.
I deserve this slap, but not from you. Not from a man who doesn't know how to stand up for his daughter, from a man who is a coward, shying away from truth.
I'm sorry for the pain I've caused Piya, but you are no one to forgive me or punish me. You do not have a father's right to do that, u've failed your daughter in a way no father should.
Each word, each look, each gesture of Abhay had been true, and Arnab knew he deserved all that. All that and more. Piya. He closed his eyes, pain engulfing him. She had trusted him the way a daughter trusts her father, trusted him through all the lies he had told her. She had lit up his house with smiles and cheerfulness, she had taken his hand whenever he had held it out, never doubting him for once. She had called him 'Papa'. That four letter word made him realize the importance she had given him in her life, the love he didn't deserve. It made him realize the enormity of his betrayal, the wide abyss of pain he had caused her. He felt iron rods squeeze the region around his heart. He couldn't ignore it any longer. He wouldn't allow her to drift away for his mistakes, be denied a family for no fault of hers.
With a deep breath he walked over to Madhu who was sitting on one of the benches, tears dry on her cheeks, as she rocked back and forth slightly.
"Madhu" he said, his voice quiet, weighed down by guilt. "I think it is time we accept our mistakes and brought Piya back."
Madhu looked up, a look of surprise fleeting across her face to be replaced by anger. "Our son is in there." She said, standing up and pointing at the closed hospital room in which Arjun lay. "And you are thinking about her!! Now??"
"Madhu, she is our daughter, too. "
"She is your daughter. Not mine. You'd do well to remember that."
"Madhu" said Arnab, quietly. "I-we-need to accept that it is not Piya's fault. It is high time that-"
"I don't want to discuss about it Arnab" snapped Madhu furious. "Why are we even talking about this right now? Our son needs us, he's been hurt! It's him we should worry about! Not her!"
Arnab sighed. "I am worried about Arjun, Madhu. Believe me. He is my son, and I really wish he gets well soon. Please listen" he added in a firmer voice, as Madhu opened her mouth. "But Piya's been hurt too, hasn't she? Hurt by us, the ones she has loved and trusted. Don't her wounds need healing too? Both our children are hurt Madhu."
"Arnab-"
"Madhu, I know you and I know that u r a strong understanding woman. I know how hard it has been on you. Seeing Piya reminds you of-of-my betrayal. I know. I've wronged everyone. But U've still been with me." He stepped forwards, taking hold of her hand. "Madhu, please, stop punishing Piya for something I have done."
Madhu's lips trembled slightly. "Arnab-I-"
"Please-I can't deny I've hurt u terribly as well-but still u did raise her-"
"It's not-"
"Can u try?" Arnab's voice had gone gentle. "C-can we try at least? Let our children not suffer for something we, or rather-I have done. Please?"
Madhu took a deep shuddering breath, trying and failing to keep her tears at bay. She bowed her head, her shouders shaking slightly as she cried. Arnab let her, waiting for her to stop. Finally she looked up. "I-I don't know, Arnab. I'll t-try." She said.
************
Piya blinked, trying to make sense of the fact that it was Diane she was seeing before her.
"D-diane? You?" she finally managed o say.
Diane looked away, pretending to straighten the apron she was wearing.
"I h-heard about your b-brother's accident" she said evasively. "B-but u were not in Dehradoon, I didn't think u'd know-" she trailed off, meeting Piya's eyes with a fleeting glance before looking away again.
Piya frowned. "I don't understand, Diane." She said, ignoring Diane's words. "What are u doing here? I mean, in this canteen."
Diane looked at her again, with a look Piya recognized but didn't understand. Why was Diane looking ashamed?
"I left the job at the newspaper-after-I-you-" Diane's voice faltered.. "I don't deserve ur forgiveness yet, of course-"
"What?" said Piya, completely clueless.
Diane now looked at her with a faint frown creasing her eyebrows. "U do know, right?"
"Know what?"
Diane closed her eyes. "Abhay Raichand must have told u of course."
Abhay's name shot a pang of pain through Piya. Why did this man crop up everywhere he went? Even though he was not present, he would be there.
"What's A-abhay got to do with whatever u're trying to tell me?"
Diane took a deep breath, looking straight at Piya, the shame and guilt more pronounced in her eyes now. "I'm talking about those pictures Piya. I was responsible for getting them printed, for my own benefits. It was disgusting and cheap and I myself can't look at the mirror now. Abhay Raichand found out everything and rightly told me to leave the job. I didn't deserve journalism. He told me not to meet you, till I was half as worthy as you Piya. And I don't blame him. Look how u suffered for me."
The words echoed in Piya's ears after Diane uttered them, leaving behing a ringing in her ears. She clutched the marble slab of the counter for support, trying to think through the shock of what Diane had just told her.
Her lips moved soundlessly. Diane looked at her, her eyes watering. "Believe me Piya, ultimately I had no intention to do it. I-I was forced-"
Her voice faded away from Piya's ears. "Y-you-it was you-" she choked out at last, her voice faint.
Diane was shaking her head.. "I I didn't want to-"
Piya backed away slightly. "No-u're my friend-no-"
"Piya, I'm sorry" Diane's eyes shone with tears. "I know I don't deserve to be ur friend-but I really regret..I feel it eating into me everyday, Piya. I can't breathe. I wanted to find out where u were so I could go tell u, but I didn't have the courage..I thought Abhay would tell U before. At least U would know me for what I was...d-didn't u know?"
Piya shook her head, feeling numb. She couldn't find the right words to say to Diane. Her mind whispered "No..no" over and over again.
"I t-thought he would have." Said Diane in a low voice, looking away. "I thought that he was in touch with u, he would have told u the real picture." She sighed, wiping her hand across her eyes.
"He-we don't talk.." Piya managed to say.
"Oh" said Diane. "I guess I assumed wrong. I was sure when I heard he'd donated blood to ur brother-"
Piya's head snapped up now. This was too many shocks in too little time. She didn't have the strength to bear any more.
"What? Abhay d-donated blood?"
Diane nodded. "I-er-overheard Dr.Mehta tell Dr. Sharma while I was serving them coffee" She sighed. "Piya that's not the point. I-I'm sorry for everything and I'll take whatever punishment u'll give, even if u take the eye for an eye policy..I.."
Piya was no longer listening, the blood pounding in her head, emotions suddenly coursing through her body as the numbness began to dissipate. The force of the emotions overwhelmed her as she backed away from the canteen.
Tears pouring silently down her cheeks, Piya backed away and ran out, not sparing another glance at Diane.
***********
Abhay drove the car furiously, his grip on the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles had gone white. Lately, office and work were not a means of earning money and rising the ladders of success. They had become an escape, an escape from the complicated mess his life had become, an escape from his father and a failed attempt to escape from the feelings a certain girl evoked in him. It was Piya Piya Piya everywhere for him now. And the feeling gave him pain, it made breathing difficult.
He recalled the sharp word exchange with his father a little while ago.
"Where were u? U were supposed to return from Shimla yesterday night" Chand had confronted him as soon as he'd entered his home. No not home. And definitely not his home. More likely to be a house where two strangers lived, bonded by blood against their will.
Abhay's temper had already been running high and Chand's voice had made his reigns on control snap. "Were u worried?" he said, his voice sarcastic. "Because it doesn't suit u, u know. U'd do better ruining people. Dad." He had added, before storming out of the house to go to office.
Abhay felt a crude satisfaction as he remembered the furious look in his father's eyes as he'd gone out. As he reached his the parking lot of his office, he stopped the car, pocketed the key and stepped out. It was still too early for office so the place was quite deserted. With his face set like stone, he turned away from the car and started to walk towards the office building. And then he stopped short. A warmth flooded through him as he took in the figure before him, staring at him. And then pain engulfed him as he noticed the tears swimming in those hauntingly beautiful baby-brown eyes.
*****************
His feet took him forward of their own volition and he was not even aware of the fact until he realized that he was within touching distance of her. She was still staring at him, not making a sound, the tears still making her eyes sparkle as they struggled to break free. Her lips trembled slightly.
The silence rose between them, thick and tangible, until Abhay could bear it no longer. "What's wrong Piya?" he asked, stunned at how his voice came out as a whisper, as though he was afraid of hurting her if he spoke too loud. But he had to know why those damned tears were there in her eyes. Was her brother fine? Hadn't the blood donation worked? Had Madhu Dobriyal hurt her again? His insides clenched furiously at the thought.
The tears had broken free from her eyes at the sound of his voice and they were now slid silently down her cheeks, showing no signs of stopping. She had her eyes closed and had still not answered him. Waching those sad tears was torture for Abhay. He couldn't hold himself back. He raised his arms, bringing his palms to her cheeks as he cupped her face, wiping away those drops of agony with the pad of his thumb. For the first time in a long time, he was painfully aware that he had a heart and it was beating.
Piya opened her eyes as she felt his touch, looking up until she met his ice blue eyes. Not ice blue. In their warmth they resemble the endless oceans on a warm summer's day. They seemed even deeper than before.
"Piya.." Abhay whispered again, unsure of what to say. She had not recoiled from his touch, a part of him noted with relief. But he concentrated on the bigger part that told him there was something else. How had she gone from hating him yesterday to not recoiling at his closeness today?
At last Piya spoke. She took a deep breath, and attempting to keep the tremble out of her voice, spoke a single word, in a whisper as low as Abhay's "Why?"
Abhay looked at her,, feeling confused. "Why-what?"
Not moving her eyes away from his she spoke again. "I met Diane."
There was a moment's silence as Abhay stared back at her. Piya watched realization flicker into his eyes, seep into his being like sunlight seeping through the curtains into a darkened room. She watched as he stiffened, his hands dropping from her cheeks as he looked away from her, his hands fisted at his sides.
"I see" he spoke through clenched teeth.
"S-she told me everything. How y-you weren't-that she was the one who printed t-those photos....."
Abhay continued to look away.
Suddenly, Piya took a step towards him and grabbed his collars, shaking him as he continued to look away. "How could you? Why didn't u say it to me before..when I thought..when I thought you.." he voice shook and faltered. Abhay looked back at her, his eyes widening as he saw fresh tears pool in her eyes.
"Piya.."
"Don't" she shouted, grabbing his collars tighter. "U let me stay all this time thinking u were the responsible one, when...u let me.!!" She let go off his collars, pushing him on the chest with all her strength and he stumbled a step back in surprise. "You should have forced me to stop" another push at the chest "...u should have forced me to hear the truth" another push "...you should have not let me go till you had convinced me" a weaker one this time "....u should have slapped me..you..you.."
"Piya." Abhay tried to restrain her as her resisted, trying to hit him again. Their past conversations since the incident flashed before her eyes.

She had not believed him when she actually needed to.
"Why..why" she mumbled, feeling agony at so wrongfully accusing him.
She had stopped fighting him now, and he gently pulled her towards himself, his arms going around her, trying to calm her down, assure her that it was all right. She clutched him fiercely, clutching at the shirt at his back, as she wept into his chest, her whole form trembling in his arms.
They stood there for a long time as he let her cry herself out.
Abhay's mind whirred in full speed. Did Piya not hate him now, he wondered, as he gently ran his hands up and down her back, feeling that forbidden soaring feeling when she clutched him tighter.
"It's okay, Piya.." he mumbled..
She pulled back at last, sniffing, her eyes red. Abhay held on to her, still reluctant to let her go. She looked up at him. "You've even saved Bhai's life by giving your blood.." she saw his eyes widen in surprise. "Diane told me" she added, seeing him about to speak. "I-can't tell you what it means...I-and I said so many things to you-I was so mean-I'm sor-"
"Don't.." Abhay cut her short, putting a finger on her lips. "Don't say that u r sorry. I don't deserve to hear it, specially after what I've done to you." He took a deep breath. "U were right in believing all this Piya. I've never given u any reason to believe otherwise.."
Piya was shaking her head.
"It's true" Abhay continued. "I've hurt u numerous times, each time with the intention of causing u pain, Piya.."
"Abhay.."
"Please listen" Abhay's voice had gone softer, more pleading. "If there is one thing I want u to know, it is this. W-what happened at the party wasn't my plan Piya. All of it was real."
Piya stared at Abhay, her heart beating furiously in her chest as his words registered. She had been right-he had felt something that night, they both had. And it wasn't only the words that made her heart leap. It was the way he was looking at her...with those raw emotions..that look..almost tender..with the touch of something else in it..something she still felt afraid to name lest it was her imagination....she had never seen him look at her like that. Ever.
Time stood still as they stared at each other, drinking in each other's sight hungrily, tenderly, the inexplicable bond between them visible in their eyes. And then he bent his face slowly, slowly, still looking right into her eyes. Piya felt her breathing increase as he looked at her from so close, his lips hovering over hers, giving her ample time to move away than before. But Piya kept on looking at him, till, finally, he closed his eyes and touched her lips with his.
It was nothing like their previous kisses. Their first kiss had been forced; their second had been full of heat, when Piya had been drunk at the party. This kiss wasn't lust, wasn't something merely physical. It was as though he was speaking through his kiss, Piya thought, her eyes fluttering close, the tears dry on her cheeks, as she trembled from the tenderness of the kiss. He was comforting her through this kiss, telling her she wasn't alone, and she welcomed the feeling without hesitation, her hands moving to the nape of his neck, clutching the hair there as he pulled her closer. His lips were so gentle on hers, they made Piya want to weep at the sweetness spreading through her. She kissed him back, slowly, softly.
They pulled back from the kiss, dazed, his hands in her hair, hers in his, both breathing deeply. They didn't move their eyes from each other nor did any one step away.
"I'm there for you" he said finally, and a lump rose in Piya's throat, making it impossible for her to speak. She managed to nod.
Abhay sighed, moving forwards to tuck a stray strand behind her ears, making her tremble at his touch.
He looked back at her. She could have sworn that she saw a faint smile on his lips, a genuine smile, before it was gone and her heart leaped. She wished she could stay with him for a moment longer, her whole soul yearned for it, she was in his caring arms after so many days. But she wanted to meet her brother, talk to him too. She dropped her hands at her sides, managing a smile at him.
"I-I have to go now...to the hospital..I want to talk to Bhai."
Abhay gazed at her silently for some time, then reached forwards, catching hold of her arm, entwining her fingers with his. "Come. I'll drop u there." He said.