Pursuit (Completed)

Fifteen - Part A

Ankush paced in the cell he was kept captive. He couldn't agree more that the prison was safe place for him to be. The issue had blown out of proportion with the employee unions protesting in front of the Police Headquarters. How did his life take such a turn that he was hiding in a prison?

___

*Twenty-Eight Years Ago*

Ankush lived a perfect life with Layana. Aashayein was a wedding gift from Layana's father. Layana loved him like he belonged to her only. And, it was true to an extent. Between his family and work, there was no place for anything else in his life.

Until one day, when Ravinder Batra decided to involve Layana as the Vice Chairman of Batra Pharmaceuticals. Ayaan was two years old and accustomed to his grandparents, allowing Layana time to spend at office. At first, he thought it was only a matter of time and he would raise to the status of his wife. However, the office gossip treated him as a henpecked husband who took orders from his wife. He considered them mere rumors, but his inner self knew the truth. He was still a Research Engineer who had to stand as the Chairman and the Vice Chairman passed by his cubicle. It was the office culture and Batras didn't deal in biased privileges.

Six months later, they attended a party. Aakriti was out of station. They decided to bring Ayaan with them. At the party, Layana interacted with a group of industry leaders. He stood by her side, holding a restless Ayaan. "I don't think merging departments between rivals would work," was his input.

But Layana thought a while before opposing his opinion. "Ankush, I think they are right. The industry is growing exponentially with the pressing need for new medicines for the rising ailments. That's a very good idea to merge our research capabilities to save on the costs. If our R&D costs reduce, we will be able to provide the medicines at lower prices, eventually being able to reach our to the poor and underprivileged."

One of the men in the conversation group jeered at Ankush. "Agnihotri, you take salary as an engineer. So you don't know what all goes on at the higher level. Please don't interfere in issues you don't understand."

Hurt by the comment, Ankush left the place with Ayaan. Layana tried to stop him but she was pulled back into the conversation. As he passed by different people, he caught snippets of conversations involving him. "He should just take care of the child while his wife leads the business deals. Don't know what Layana saw in him."

Well, he himself didn't know what Layana saw in him. He would have been happy to have a small house and a family that depended on him. Layana brought him into the society of the rich where he was the odd one out. Ayaan was saying something but he didn't listen. He put him on the ground near the pool area so that he could play while Ankush downed alcohol at the bar.

That was where he met a beautiful young lady, Chhaya. She wore a black net ghagra with a heavy maang tika and jhumkas. She looked at least ten years younger than him but knew the art of flirting perfectly. "What's a handsome man doing here all alone?" She asked.

"Bored of the party." He replied bluntly, as he downed the Scotch. It burnt his throat yet felt good.

"How about I entertain you? I live in next bungalow. You can come over." She whispered in his ear. When the bartender placed a refilled glass, she took a sip out of it. "I have much better stuff." She took him by his hand and led to her place.

He returned home at around 2 A.M. Layana sat in the arm chair facing the entrance, leaning back, with one leg crossed over the other knee and eyes on the door. “Where were you?” She asked in an angry tone.

“You are still awake?” He asked unsure of the source of her anger as he tripped over the carpet.

“Ankush, you are drunk. Where were you? Do you know what happened because of your carelessness? Ayaan almost drowned in the pool. His breathe was so weak that I though I lost him. Thankfully, I took him to a nearby hospital and the doctors were able to save him. Where were you, Ankush?”

“Shhh. Don't scream. Don't forget you are my wife. Your identity should be Mrs Agnihotri. The accident happened because of you. You don't want to take care of him. You have made me a laughing stock in your wealthy circles. You just care about your name and your father's name. Whether my son is alive or dead is none of your concern.”

Layana slapped him hard. “Dare you say that again. I can go to any lengths to protect what's mine. That's my son you are talking about. If anything happens to him again because of you, I will forget what you are to me. Do you get that? Don't force me to choose. I know ways to keep both options.”

Layana cut down her time in the office and social events. She insisted on staying by Ayaan. That gave Aakriti the foot hold in Batra Pharmaceuticals as Layana's representative. It burned Ankush that his wife chose his sister and not him. He started to hate Layana from that moment.

An year later, Ankush wanted to start a factory to manufacture medical equipment. He had Chhaya as a major investor. But to have a stake of his own, he had to invest money. For that, he had to request Layana. Both Layana and her father denied saying they don't have plans to venture into the equipment. What they missed was Ankush wanted the factory to be purely his, with no connection to Batras.

When Layana was busy at a full day conference, Ankush took Ayaan and blackmailed the Batras for investment amount, if not provided, he would hurt Ayaan. They gave him the amount and even licensed him the patent of a surgical machinery they held. Once the company was registered and the patent licensing was complete, Ravinder Batra proved to be a threat wanting to inform Layana of his blackmail. So, Ankush had no choice but to orchestrate an accident where both Layana's parents died on the spot.

Ravinder Batra had already transferred everything to Layana. So, Chhaya suggested they should get rid of Layana and Ayaan as well so that the property would go to Ankush as the survivor. However, they had to wait for the news to die down lest it might put them as suspects.

During the gruesome wait, Layana happened to overhear their conversation in his office while they were planning for a new life together. They only realised when she visited Chhaya to warn her, “You can never have what's mine. Neither Ankush nor the amount you swindled from my Dad.” Chhaya still had nightmares of that visit.

Six weeks later, Ayaan disappeared. Layana had taken him with her to register the Jaipur house on Aakriti's name for her wedding. She said she lost him on the way back. Ankush and Chhaya had decided to kill Layana after Aakriti's wedding since she would be alone without her sidekick. But with Ayaan's sudden disappearance, they preponed their plans and  planned on the night Aakriti was supposed to visit Pune to invite her school friends for the wedding.

Ankush found the sleeping Layana and tied the thick rope around her neck, strangling her. Chhaya prepared the stool underneath the ceiling fan. Their plan was to showcase it as suicide as she missed her dear son. But they were disturbed by the eye witness, Vipul Gupta, the lawyer Layana hired to settle the Batra properties. Chhaya was better prepared than him for she sliced his throat with a pocket knife.

They succeeded. When Aakriti arrived, he was afraid of her reaction at the sight and the questions that might follow. But instead, she joined them, “Well done. I was tired of running errands for her. Good riddance!”

___

Ankush had only himself to blame for the situation he was in. But he had no regrets. He lived his life on his terms, doing what was correct in his book. His reputation was no longer based on Layana. He liked the control he had on Chhaya who never tried to overpower him. His sister had faithfully walked by his side. His sons took his words as final say. Until recently, when Ayaan started to challenge his decisions.

How he wished to strangle Ayaan the same way he killed his mother! After three months, on the day of Ayaan's birthday, his wish would come true.