On the Run

Chapter 17 : Grim Revelations

Flashback continues...

7:30 pm, Malhotra Mansion, Mumbai.

I stared at Nyonika, as her smile grew wider seeing my misery.

"What have you done...?" I finally managed to speak up, scared to confirm my suspicions.

"How does it feel Manik? To have something you love be snatched away from you?" She asked, with a devilish smirk on her face.

"What the hell did you do, Nyonika? Come to the point!" I shouted at her. I was sick of her word games.

"That anger and sorrow that you're feeling now- that's exactly how I felt when Shrikant made his will and left nothing in my name!" She exclaimed in a disgusted voice.

"So you...killed him?" The words were hardly able to escape my mouth.

"You really shouldn't be blaming me for his death! Shrikant dug his own grave the day he left me and went to live in that ashram! I only tolerated you for all these years so that I would get a chunk of his property! But that stupid old man deprived me of even that right by signing everything over to you! Obviously, I couldn't let that happen! After all, you weren't even supposed to be born!" She said, in anger.

"What??" I was utterly shocked to hear these words.

"Ha Ha...did you really think I wanted a child? The only reason I married Shri was because I wanted to get my hands on his wealth! The moment I found out I was pregnant I wanted to have an abortion immediately, but Shri stopped me! He forbid me from doing so, saying that he'd take care of us both...and then what did he do? Abandoned me and went to live in that ashram without even granting me a divorce, leaving me stuck here with you!" She said, pointing at me, as if I were an abomination.

I felt the ground from beneath my feet being snatched away. I knew Nyonika was a gold digger, but I didn't suspect that she would stoop to such a low level for her own selfishness.

"And anyway, I may have planned all this, but I'm not the one who pulled the trigger..." She said, the mocking smile back on her face.

What? If she didn't shoot Dad, then who did?

"Who?" I asked, through gritted teeth.

"You know him very well! After all, he's your childhood buddy...your ex-best friend- Harshad!"

As soon as she uttered his name, I heard footsteps echo from outside, and before I knew it Harshad was standing before me.

"Anything for you...Mrs M." Harshad said seductively, as he stood next to Nyonika wrapping an arm around her waist, earning a big smile from her in return.

My blood boiled as I saw them before me! I clenched my fists in anger! I knew that Nyonika cheated on Dad, left, right and centre but of all the people in the world-she had to sleep with him? The one person who I probably hated more than her! The same bastard who left no stone unturned to hurt me and my friends!

Harshad finally turned towards me and said, "Oh Manik, I totally forgot you were here! Kaisa laga yeh surprise?" He asked in a smug voice.

"How dare you? How dare you do this to Dad?" I screamed.

"The same way you took everything away from me! My sister whom I cared about more than anything, started to love you more than me! Bachpan se leke aaj tak, you've snatched all the awards and medals that I deserved! I was always a more talented musician than you-but somehow you got lucky every time! And let's not forget you're the reason Mukti broke up with me-because you told her that I was cheating on her!" He said in a scornful voice.