The Vile.

Chapter : 70

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I am really bad at making friends but I am trying. You have done so much that it already makes you important to us. I hope you'll understand." As she keeps saying, the words goes straight to his emotionless heart and makes it flutter. What's so different about her that makes him calm down, makes him more curious about her? He goes into a trance  because the more she speaks, the more her lips move, the more his head inclines towards her face. As if he has no control over his own movements. The loud sound of cleaning someone's throat breaks his trance and he realizes what he was doing.

"I-I apologize. You.. you are doing...." He  pauses.
"I-I think, freshen up and meet me at the dining table." Saying so he hurriedly leaves.

The very moment he leaves Abhirup walks towards the entrance and peeks outside.

"That man is head over heels for you. But I am reminding all of you again, he is mentally sick, a murderer and we found nothing inside that old mansion. It was totally useless there." Abhirup says feeling frustrated.

"Sudha, have you checked the things Nihal gave you the last day? The things they found with Abhay da?" Mihir asks.

"No, I didn't get enough time for that. Let's do that tonight. Ganika and Zoya, meet me after dinner. Derek, any luck finding the switch for the hidden basement?" Vasudha asks.

"Not yet. Couldn't go behind the old mansion because the front has a tight security." Derek answers.

"How about get inside the compound from outside? I don't think that jungle will have any securities there. We can give it a try." Ganika suggests.

"Not bad Ganika, not bad. We certainly can." Derek answers.

"So that's that. Let's get freshen up." Abhirup says as they leave the room.

¤¤¤¤¤

The more he drives the more he loses it. This cannot be happening. She has no idea about his true identity. She would've questioned it. And about her school life encounter, she might have forgotten everything about that unimportant incident. Unimportant? Who is he kidding. That was the only positive memory he holds close to his heart. But why would she do the same? No, he is certain she never recognized him. Why would she try to remember someone who is long dead? Raghu chacha must have lost his mind. He has to, because if he hasn't then every word he uttered has to be true. The mere thought of which makes his face go pale. No, she is simply taking a time out, she is not on any mission. She cannot be. Why would she? She doesn't even know about her brother's incident and that's what made her so angry and upset back at the terrace. She considers him to be the person behind her brother's situation. She doesn't recognize him as well. So what mission she could be on? Raghu chacha must have gotten confused. Danuj keeps thinking as his mind goes back to the conversation he had with him at the terrace.

"Why, why didn't you come back? Why didn't you claim what's already yours?" The old man cried hugging him close to him. A feeling he never thought he'll ever experience in his entire life,  the pain inside him kept making him feel suffocated. He slowly pulls out of his embrace as he looks towards the sky.

"I couldn't chacha, I couldn't. The memories, the love, the happy days, I just couldn't bring myself to witness that whatever I have built my small home with, was nothing but a smooth lie. That the small kid I have grown to love with my life is nothing but a conceited murderer, that he never considered me as his brother, that everytime he acted to love me he did it with the sole purpose of replacing me one day.
He could've asked for it, I would've given him the world, but he chose the wrong path. He chose to plan and murder our.... no my father. He chose to murder the man who practically did everything to make him grow into a man of worth. The man who never wanted him at the first place , true but eventually accepted and tried to love him. What did he ever do to deserve that death, tell me? What did he do to deserve that pathetic fate? It was all my fault. If I would've been the right heir, I would've seen the lie behind Ansh's mask but I blinded myself. So yes, if my father is dead today, I am equally responsible for it. I don't deserve to be his heir, I don't deserve that chair. You know why? Because even after so many things Ekansh did, I couldn't man up, I couldn't man up to give him what he deserves. I couldn't kill him. Every time I looked at his face, be it on T.V or somewhere else, I couldn't shake away the image of that small, helpless kid. The kid who lost his mother, who lost his family and had no one to go back to. I couldn't manage to kill him, so I resorted to other options. Like the weakling I have always been." He says looking down.

"No. Your father used to say that's your biggest strength. He believed in you no matter what. Carrying such a huge burden, such a horrible past and living like a dead is not something a weakling can pull off Bare Malik." Raghu ji explains.

"Danuj, that's what I call myself, that's what people know me as. Practice calling me that, I don't intend to bear anything from my past, Raghu chacha." He says looking ahead.

"Fine then, Danuj. I can not force you to come back, it would be your decision. When I couldn't save any of you from that tragic fate, I have no right to do anything else. However I have to ask this, who is that girl to you?" Asks the old man.

"Sudha you mean." He says.

"Yes, Vasudha Roy. What is she to you?" Raghu ji asks.

"She.... she is everything to me. The sole source of light in my godforsaken, gloomy life. However, she doesn't see me that way anymore, as it seems. Because I single handedly ruined everything." He answers, looking at the sky and then closing it.

"About that, what I heard her uttering, says otherwise." Raghu ji says as Danuj immediately snaps his head towards him.
"What do you mean?" He asks.

"That's not my thing to say. However, what I can say is that if you already didn't know, then she seems to be here with a plan. She has some sort of a mission, some critical and dangerous mission. I can see that in her eyes, in her body language. She has this do or die aura that's making it quite certain. I kept thinking it's related to her brother whose disappearance had its own mystery. Probably she is searching for something related her brother but now that I have seen how she was looking at you, it was crystal clear that her agenda involves you and your sufferings as well." Raghu ji explains and Danuj's whole body stiffens.

"What?! Impossible. Because first of all, I myself rescued her brother, who is still alive and she has found out about that. Isn't he here? Under Ansh's control or something?" Danuj asks.

"What? Abhay? You're saying that you rescued Abhay that day? Oh my goodness. That kid is safe. What is he doing now? Where is he? And why would he come back  to the same place that gave him those miseries?" Asks Raghu ji.

"No, he cannot come himself. He.. he is in coma. He can't do anything on his own. I was late when I rescued him chacha, I am sorry." Danuj explains and Raghu ji's face saddens.
"But he is not in my control because Sudha and her friends took him back with them, he might be here somewhere." He adds.

"Now, now, look at this. Did I not tell you right now, Vasudha is here with a bigger plan. Because I've heard her say it herself that they couldn't find anything regarding her brother. She might have hidden him somewhere else. But the question is how could she, because Ekansh's men were surrounding the whole hospital as far as I know. There is a hole in the plot. Something is not adding up to the present situation. But I am certain she is here not only for her brother but for you as well." Raghu ji says.

"No. How's that possible? She doesn't even know my real identity. How could she?" He keeps mumbling.

"This mansion is still surrounded with your and Malik's pictures. Trust me I have seen her standing infront of the pictures and not looking the least bit surprised. It's impossible for a person who kept seeing you for months. She would've recognized you and that would've made her surprised or even shocked. But trust me she wasn't. The only thing her face displayed while looking at your pictures is sheer pain and untainted affection. She knows who you are." Raghu ji completes, leaving him shocked and puzzled.

_________________________________________

If you like my story feel free to Vote, Comment, Follow and Share.

Love, Puja. 💜