BALI 100 KM (Book 1) ✔

Chapter 62

Bandu never thought that his mother would disclose his true feeling to miss Sakhi at that juncture. For him, it was to be a quiet exit.

"Ma..." he exclaimed and stood straight.

"Bandu... is that true?" Miss Sakhi asked, surprised.

"The trauma of seeing his father killed still haunts him, and he wants to protect us from the same fate. He has lived in nightmares," She stopped and could go no further as she began to sob. Sukhi quickly came and sat beside her mother, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Bandu's face became taut with horror as he stood looking down at his crying mother. Miss Sakhi was too stunned to speak after hearing this account. She rose and moved towards Bandu.

"Bandu...," she called him, but he was too stunned to hear her, "Bandu...," she called again, and this time he glanced at her and blinked his eyes.

"Yes, Miss Sakhi...,"

"Bandu...I am sorry..., I broached up this subject...," she said, looking regretful.

"You don't have to be sorry, Miss Sakhi. It was not your fault," He said in a soft voice, barely audible.

Miss Sakhi went and stood near the bed and addressed his mother.

"Mother...I have promised Bandu that I will not reveal anything about him in the research, and I promise you the same. Please do not be distressed on this account. Bandu can stay here and expand his business," She said.

Mother controlled her sobs to sniffles and mopped her tears.

"Thank you, dear, for being considerate," the mother said, "What do you know about him?" she asked.

"I know that he is from the extinct Zohar tribe, mother, and he is the only male member alive of that tribe."

"How did you discover that? Bandu's father mentioned his lineage to me only when he wanted to visit Ghatti with Bandu," mother exclaimed.

"I did not discover it, mother it was my father Mr. Janardhan Rajput who discovered about the tribe, and it is his research that I am going to publish,"

"Mr. Janardhan Rajput!...you...are his daughter?" she said, her eyes going wide with surprise and happiness as she cupped Miss Sakhi's face with both her hands and looked at her searchingly.

"Yes, I am his daughter. Did you know him?" she asked mother and felt those warm old hands leaving her face as sad memories opened up in her vision.

"Yes, I had met him a few times when he visited us at our home. He was a good friend of my husband. They got together many times and were inseparable friends. They had many plans for the future. But what they didn't know was that they had built castles in the air," she said sadly, 

"Bandu was to become an architect like your father and was to be enrolled in a boarding school for better education that year when fate struck its tragic blow on our family."

"Did he talk about me?"

"Yes, yes, dear, a lot. He missed you, missed caring and loving you. Was unhappy at not seeing you grow up...," she stopped when Miss Sakhi started to sob into her hands.

"There, there, don't cry, dear," mother said, gathering Miss Sakhi in her arms.

"I miss him too," she said in a muffled voice, still sobbing.

Bandu was feeling very distressed at seeing Miss Sakhi cry like that. It was after some time she stopped crying and detached herself from her mother's embrace. She mopped her face with her handkerchief.

"Mother, it was my father's wish that his daughter should complete the research and publish it. In his letter to me, he had instructed me to dedicate the research to his dear friend, who helped him with the research,"

"Yes, dear, you must complete this research. But you don't have to mention anywhere that any of the members of the tribe are alive,"

"Mother, as far as I know, my father mentioned that the tribe had become extinct. He also never mentioned Bandu's father as being a member of the tribe. That only means that he wished to remain unknown. But I don't understand why someone harmed the family?..., Bandu's father killed..., my father killed..., why mother..., why?"

"There was more to it than meets the eye, dear. It is not for me to mention things that are by rule never mentioned out of the tribe to anyone,"

"But why?"

"If you utter it out, then the curse falls upon you,"

"The curse!"

"What curse?!" Bandu asked.