Hunting Hubris

Stupid questions of a Stubborn Rabbit

"Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to our Reshma..."

A happy classroom of five-year olds, beaming at the sight of chocolates and celebrating Reshma's birthday, making it an unforgettable one for their friend.

This was all new to Arunthati... Ofcourse she was singing, ofcourse she was smiling and wishing Reshma to get all the white teddy bears in the world. But her small mind was reeling with questions.

Do they celebrate birthdays? Why?

Why wasn't there a single birthday celebration in her home?

When was her birthday then?

When was sister Nancy's birthday?

When was Aju's birthday?

"Aru.." Aju was waiting for her, to take her to their orphanage. They two were the only orphans who studied at this school. Arjun said the sponsors liked her. But he also warned, if she doesn't excel in studies like him, they will stop sending her to this school.
She passed her chocolate to Aju who returned a smile. "Who gave you this?"

"Reshma. She said it was her birthday."

"Did you wish her?"

"Yes. We all did. We sang along with our teacher too." Aru liked singing.

"Oh yes. This nightingale never misses a chance to sing." Aru giggled. She was skipping along, holding his hand as they walked.

"When is your birthday Aju?" The smile slipped from his face. 

"I don't know"

"Why?"

"What?" his brows furrowed and his beautiful blue eyes were glazed. Aru didn't like this. Had she hurt him?

"Why don't you know when your birthday is?" Her small hand slipped from his hold as the next second he held her by her shoulders.

"Will you stop asking these stupid questions?!!" That was the first time he yelled at her. Aru was scared, upset. She never liked it when people called her stupid.

Arjun was pulled out of the horrible trance by the innocent brown orbs of Aru that were now glistening with unshed tears.

And a teardrop slipped from his eye.

"Sorry... I'm so sorry." crouching down to her height, he pulled her into a pacifying hug. Lifting her off the ground, he carried an upset Aru to the blue-painted orphanage that housed them.

His little Aru was strong. This innocent five-year old could stand up to her bullies, give those occasional special gifts from her sponsors to her orphan friends with a smile, stay impasive when someone taunted her as an orphan. But she can't bear a single harsh word from him. She was fragile, just in his arms.

"I'm sorry, but will you please stop asking those stupid questions?" He whispered to her while standing in the dinner queue.

It was amusing to see his five-year old stubborn rabbit glare at him. "My questions aren't stupid. You are... for not knowing the answers" She never liked it when people called her stupid.

*********

"Will you stop asking these stupid questions?" Arjun had lost the battle to stay calm. But that stubborn rabbit of his hasn't stopped arguing.

And there it was. Those glistening tears that she was so stubborn to spill. Life seemed to be in a loop.

Concealing those traitors tears in a glare, she continued 'those stupid questions'.

"No. I want to know what happened to Dhruv that week when he disappeared on Sam."

"Why?"

"You know why. That journal of Sam has said one thing. Dhruv Dara was in love with my sister for real. My sister believed he would never give up on them. And she can never go wrong with reading a human."

"Is that why she is lifelessly starring at those windows now?"

And the first sob escaped the broken Arunthati. Arjun could only sigh.

"Aru..."

"No.

I want to know what happened to him. I want to confirm if he had really given up on them, if he was the reason that breaking my sister. If..."

"YES!!

Yes Arunthati. The Dhruv who became her new dream was the reason why she was robbed of her existing dreams. Dhruv, the same Dhruv who promised your sister the stars was the one who pushed her into this realm of darkness. And he was the Knight to whom your sister lost her real Saviour.

Where do you think your mother was going that night?

She has been to Dhruv's penthouse, to find him. She has roamed around the whole city in that wretched cab, looking for that bastard. She has finally been to their mansion.

And you know Ragini better than me to predict she would have waged a war with Mr.Dara Senior. Who knows what she threatened him with. But I very well know what his reaction could have been.

And you are not a baby to believe that it was coincidental for the accident which took your mother's life to have happened as she returned from Dara's mansion."

Silence. Horrid, pregnant silence.

"You need proof, right?

Arunthati, the righteous would never believe anything without proofs." He was rummaging through the cupboards.

Oh yes, I needed proofs. I needed proofs so that I could ruin that Dara who ruined my mother without a pinch of regret. So that I could break that Druv who broke my sister without an ounce of uncertainty. So that I could destroy my sister's love that destroyed my life without a shred of mercy. 

Files were thrown over the desk, papers slipped from them. Autopsy reports, FIR copies and invoice copies.

My hands shook as I held the cab statements. Yes my mother has roamed around the city, invading every property that belongs to the Daras. She has been to their mansion and the accident has taken place in its vicinity.

Yes it has been a murder.

A cold-blooded murder that has been shamelessly recorded as an careless accident by the police.

"Still in need of strong proofs?"

Handing me a reputed magazine, he went away. He was too frustrated to handle me.

The shiny cover of the magazine looked offensive to me, holding that high quality paper made my skin crawl. And the aristocratic font held the proof I had been searching for. But that just broke me more.

Because it held the proof that I had been stupid.

Stupid to believe my sister love.

Stupid to hope that Druv would have been innocent.

Featured in the cover was the gorgeous Anahita Abbas, the heir of leading businesses group, 'Azure Internationals', held in the arms of her ever charming fiance, Dhruv Dara.

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Happy Hunger Games

(Psst!! Any Peeta Mellark fans out there?)