An Imperfect Story ||✔️||

18.

"Tia!"

Svetlana caught Tia before she could fall and hugged her protectively.

Svetlana: Tia, are you alright?

Tia: I'm fine di.

Svetlana: *shouts at Mrs Kapoor* Paagal ho gayi hain kya aap Mom?! Tia pregnant hain, use kuch ho jata toh?

Mrs Kapoor: *shouts back* Svetlana, you idiot, yeh kya kar diya tumne? Tia ka toh pata nahi but tumse jo thodi bahot ummeed thi, tumne woh bhi khatam kar di. Both of you are useless! Betiyon ke naam pe dhabba ho tum dono!

Tej: Betiyaan?

Tej's question caused Svetlana to pull away from Tia and look around. All eyes were on her. Her breath hitched when she realised her secret was out as well. She made Tia stand next to Dushyant, away from their mother before turning to the Oberois.

Shivaay: Svetlana? Tia, tumhara aur Svetlana ka connection hain?

Svetlana: Haan hain. Kaafi purana aur gaihra connection hain. Tia meri chhoti behen hain.

The room filled with gasps.

Svetlana: Yeh saari planning meri aur execution hum dono ka hain. Maine Tej aur Omkara ko toh badi aasaani se phansa liya likin Shivaay, tumhe phansane ke liye toh ek poori company khol ke manage karni padi.

Shivaay: Matlab Kapoor Industries ke taraf se jo bhi news, jo bhi mails aate they woh...

Svetlana: Woh main bhejti thi and you all bought the lie aur tumhari family ne tumhari aur Tia ki shaadi fix kardi. Humare plan bilkul sahi track pe jaa raha tha likin pata nahi kaha se yeh Anika beech mein aa gayi. Na hi humare plans fail hone lage balki ise Tia par shak bhi hone lage. Humne kaafi koshish tum dono ko alag karne ki likin ulta tum dono aur kareeb aane lage. Finally, is raaste ke kaantein ko hatane ke alawa koi option nahi tha.

Anika: Tumhe mujhse dikkat thi toh thi, likin Shivaay ke par attacks kyoon karwaye?

Svetlana: Shivaay par ek bhi attack plan nahi kiya tha humne. Pata nahi kaise par har woh beech mein aakar tumhe bacha leta tha. Bachpan se humne tum Oberois se sirf nafrat ki hain. Meri life ka sirf ek maksad raha hain; Oberois ki barbaadi. Ki tum log waise hi tadpo jaise hum tadpe hain. Tum apna sab kuch kho do jaise humne khoya. Aur iske liye mujhe jo raasta lena padega main loongi. Aur jo mera raasta nahi ban sakta, use main raaste ka kaanta bhi banne nahi doongi. And in case you're wondering, tum dono par jo attacks hue woh Tia ne nahi, maine karwaye they.

Anika: Toh mera accident...tumne karwaya tha aur Tej uncle ko phansa diya?

Svetlana: *sarcastically* Badi jaldi samaj aaya.

Shivaay: *with tears of anger* Kyoon kiya tumne aisa? Kyoon meri family, meri biwi, meri bhaiyon ki zindagi barbaad ki koshish ki? Kyoon mere bade papa ko frame kiya?

Svetlana: *shouts* Kyoonki tumhari family ne meri family ko barbaad kar diya! Hume sadak par laakar khada kar diya. *teary eyed* Mere papa ki izzat ki dajjiyaan ua di! Mere papa tumhare parents ke business partner the, har property ke barabar ke shareholder the. Jis chemical factory ke woh manager the uske joint owner bhi the. Woh factory loss mein jaa rahi thi, us wajah se who teeno kaafi tensed the. Ek din, factory mein aag lag gayi. Dad situation control karne ke liye factory gaye, aa rahe the-jaa rahe the, logon wahan se nikaalne ki koshish kar rahe the, itne stress mein the ki... drive karte car ka accident ho gaya. Chemical factory thi, aag accidently lagi likin police ko shaq tha kia ag jaan-booch ke lagayi gayi thi, especially kyoonki factory loss mein jaa rahi thi. And you know investigation ke dauraan kya hua? Tumhare parents ne case aise manipulate kiya ki saara ilzaam humare dad par aa gaya, unke accident ko suicide frame kar diya gaya. Company se toh unhe blacklist kar hi diya saath hi saath life ya car insurance bhi deny ho gaya. Hum unki innocence prove katne ke liye ladte rahe, investigate karwate rahe likin tumhare parents ne saare proofs, saare witnesses; sabko khareed liya. And isse pehle tum poochho, mein hi bata deti hoon. Main blind trust ki wajah se nahi keh rahi mere papa innocent hain. Tumhari daimaa hain na? Unke pati bhi use factory mein kaam karte the. Incident ke 4 saal baad, apni deathbed par unhone hume bulaya aur yeh baat batayi. Mere papa ne khud unki jaan ki bachayi thi. Woh papa ki defence mein statement dene wale the likin tumhare parents ne unhe bhi paise khilake chup karwa diya. Itna sab-kuch kiya. Kyoon? Taaki *scathingly* Oberoi khaandaan ki izzat pe aanch na aayi. Sounds amazing, doesn't it?

Oberoi family was speechless. They knew, they all knew that wasn't the first time they had taken unscrupulous measures to protect their reputation and that they had gained many enemies along the way for the same. Many tried to take revenge, to ruin them many ways but none of them were able to get to as close to them as the Kapoors had managed to.

Rudra: Papa, kya yeh sach hain?

Rudra's voice caused all of them to look in his direction.

Rudra: *teary eyed* Main nahi maanna chahta kia ap aisa kar sakte hain likin main aapke muh se sunna chahta hoon. Boliya na. Mom, Chhoti ma, chhote papa; koi toh kuch bolo.

The Senior Oberois couldn't meet Rudra's eyes let alone speak a word.

Svetlana: *sneers* Jo itne saal se kuch nahi bol paaye, woh aaj kya bolenge? Aur rahi baat capability ki toh Oberois apni izzat bachane ke liye kis hadh tak jaa sakte hain, iska ek namuna tumhari pyaari Anika Bhabhi toh pehle hi dekh chuki hain.

A shiver ran down Anika's spine recalling that fateful day. She loved Shivaay, she doesn't regret marrying him but that day will always be a sore spot for her. Shivaay wrapped his arms around Anika's shoulder. He glanced at his younger siblings, who were huddled together. He tried his level-best to keep them away from the drama, from the pain but they had to face it today.

Shivaay: Svetlana, baat mujhtak rakkho. Meri biwi aur bhai ko beech mein laane ki zaroorat nahi hain.

Svetlana: Kyoon? Bahot bura lag raha hain? Apne bhai ko dukhi dekh ke bahot taqleef ho rahi hain na? Good. Honi bhi chahiya. Tabhi tumhe baat samajh aayegi.

Tia walked up to Svetlana and held her arm to stop her, knowing where the conversation was leading to.

Tia: Di, please, us baat ko rehne dijiye...

Svetlana: No Tia! Agar aaj itna purana zakhma khul hi gaya hain toh inhe uski gehrayi bhi jaan lene chahiye. Aur khaas kar in 3 bhaiyo ko.

Omkara: Hum teen..?

Svetlana: Jaan basti hain tum teeno ki ek doosre mein? Ki tum teen nahi, ek ho. Oberois se pehle O-bros ho. Toh socho, in fact suno, tum Oberois ki izzat bachane ki qeemat me...*voice cracks* meri chhotu, meri behen Amyra Kapoor ko... apni zindagi se chukani padi.