A boy is left behind by his mother and is rescued by a stranger. Soon after, two people are killed.
Twenty five years later, emotions are resurfacing. Ayaan Agnihotri learns that his rescuer is no more but the truth runs deeper than that. So, he emb...
Dhruv ran up the stairs, into the kitchen. The staff in the grey uniform were busy preparing the breakfast. "Is the Sun kind to us today?" He asked the room in general. It was a practice of the Agnihotris to have breakfast in the garden, lunch at the table and dinner in their respective rooms. However, when the weather turned bad, the venues changed.
He was also referring to his Mom, Chhaya Agnihotri. His parents were like the Sun and Moon. Even when both were present, you could only see one at a time. All house matters were his mother's decisions; office his father's. But when they overstepped those boundaries, it was a show Dhruv enjoyed sitting back with popcorn.
"Both the Suns are kind, D!" Raghav, the butler replied. He was in charge of all servants. All the chores to be done must be told to him and he would ensure they get done. He had been with the family for almost two decades, all throughout Dhruv's life.
Dhruv didn't want to be called Sir by people elder than him, and his Mom didn't let the staff call him by name. So, they found the midway with D. Ayaan didn't face such dilemma. He simply asked them to call him by name, and if their Mom scolded them, he would simply defend saying it's his choice. Dhruv had tried the same tactic only to receive a long lecture on maintaining the class difference. He added this to the list of Mahanidhi's Mysteries and left the argument there.
Currently, there was one mystery Dhruv was intent on solving. He had always wondered why his parents kept the old bungalow. It was called Aashayein, according to the rusty nameplate that was covered with creepers. The place fell on his way to his latest hangout club. Every time he passed by, he couldn't help but stop by the bungalow and take a look. It was still maintained on a monthly basis; he knew because he saw the 'Old Bungalow Maintenance' bills. But it was not enough to take away the haunted feels.
The previous week, he was bored at the club party and decided to take a peek at the interiors. He left his car at the club and walked down. Aashayein^ showcased traditional architecture. The one storey house had a verandah^ with a taken-down swing. The main door was carved out of teakwood^ with the carvings filling with dust over the years. He found a window facing the mini garden left open, probably for air circulation or the maintenance staff forgot to lock it. He jumped in and landed in a study room with bookshelves lining the wall. There were empty photo frames above a table, the pictures obviously removed by the family.
That reminded him, they have been living in Mahanidhi for the longest time he could remember. No one spoke about the old bungalow or the people who once lived there. He would not have known if his aunt didn't ask every month about the maintenance. He doubted even Ayaan would know the history of the place.
The study room opened to a master bedroom with a king-sized bed in the centre, a dressing table to one side and a built-in cupboard on the other. He tried opening the cupboards but they were locked. Who would still want to lock them?
Dhruv started to open the door when he heard voices on the other side. He recognized them as his parents'. His Dad sounded furious while his Mom was trying to console him that everything is in control. Dhruv was about to reveal himself when he heard, "We have only six months. Do something. Otherwise, if Ayaan gets to know the truth, he will not think twice to kill us."
Why would Ayaan want to kill them? What truth were they talking about? What's going to happen in six months?
Slowly opening the door, Dhruv switched off his mobile screen. He confirmed it was indeed his parents. Again the mention of six months reminded him of Ayaan's thirtieth birthday.
"If he burns, we will get nothing." His Dad roared.
What could happen in six months? Were they really talking of Ayaan turning thirty? What does Ayaan have that his parents have to plan stealthily? Most importantly, how could they even think of letting Ayaan burn himself?
After the encounter, he tried very hard not to see his parents in a different light. If he shared his doubts with Ayaan, he wasn't sure his brother would believe him. He felt he had to choose between his parents and his brother; he decided his brother was the victim here. He hardly slept, itching to visit Aashayein once again. At the same time, he was afraid of finding out more secrets that could destroy his peace.
Until this morning. Ayaan himself gave him the solution. "Set the game so that anyone playing it must do so by your rules." That's what he would do. He would set the game for Ayaan, lead him to find the truth, and also protect him on the sly from any attacks from his parents. But he needed a partner in this game. And his parents' conversation at Aashayein helped him choose his partner.
###
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
