SECRETS AROUND THE NIGHTS

FAMILY IS EVERYTHING

It was 9:00 in the morning when Kushal got up. Everyone in the house were waiting for him welcome to the dining hall. When he did, he saw the union minister having breakfast in his house, he was surprised and shocked to see Herun. He immediately rushed to greet and salute him. He was just about to salute when Herun stopped him as Herun said "Please Beta, don't salute I haven't come here as the minister but as a desperate grandfather guilty of his son and daughter in law's death". Kushal was shocked at what Herun had just said. Arun explained him that Herun was Neel's father and hence his grandfather. Kushal bowed to Herun take blessings when Herun stopped him and hugged. Kushal asked why was Herun guilty of his parents death to which Herun replied with utter embarrassment "I wanted Neel to join politics and lead the family's legacy but Neel believed to improve the country outside politics, he wanted to provide justice to the poorer sections of the society. He wanted to uplift them but I kept forcing him and when he could not take my nonsense anymore he left me with your mother 24 years ago, you were just a year old then. I started to miss him but my ego never let me apologize to my son. 16 years ago, when Aru wanted to interview me, I asked her to come to our house, my poor child, she agreed but she could not reach our house alive. She met with the accident on the way and died. If she would have been alive, she would have convinced both of us, me and my son and we would have lived together. Neel stopped talking to me since then and never wanted me to get close to him or you. Neither would have I forced him nor he would have moved away and Aru would not have died and perhaps he would be alive too" and began crying aloud. Kushal did not really know how to react, he sat on a dining chair as tears rolled down his cheeks. Sagarika ran to him and console. "Beta, I am tired now and I have no desire left in me, all I want is to die peacefully. Please accompany me to our house, my child, I cannot live alone anymore. My guilts haunt me to death " told Herun.

"Dada, I cannot leave this house. I know you need me but I can never live in peace being away from here, I have my loved ones, my memories and this has been my only happy place. All that I am today it's all because of Sagari aunty's sacrifices. She has filled mum's absence and if I know any happiness it's only because of Taanu and Karan and I see my dad in Arun uncle. I cannot leave then all behind, it's impossible to live without them. I am extremely sorry,Dada. But why don't you come down here to stay with us, you will be loved and taken utmost care of, I am very sure of that, Dada. Please, I request you to stay with us" said Kushal."Yes Uncle, he is absolutely right please stay with us" said Sagarika.

"How long are you going to let your loneliness haunt you, Uncle. Please stay here" said Arun

"Beta, I had come here to take Kush with me but you all want me to stay here. I respect that. I will finish my term as the minister and come here to stay with you all. May god bless you all. I have to leave now, I shall stay in touch with you all" said Harun and left.

Kushal got ready and left police station to study the postmortem report. Everyone in the evening sat in curiosity for Kushal to tell about the report. He told them that accident had occurred due to the faulty replacement of steering in the car. As soon as Arun heard this he began to yell for the first time in the last 16 years as he said "it is because of my endless desires of cars that killed 4 and made 2 kids orphan, it is me who is responsible for their death, arrest me Kush, please arrest me and make sure I get a death sentence, I'm the one who killed your parents, our driver and also his widow" and cried aloud.