ishita got up and started to compose herself by adjusting her dupatta, dusting her dress and fixing her hair.
"i should go home...." she said, as dushyant nodded in agreement, still sitting.
"are you sure?" he confirmed as she shrugged her shoulders.
"where else can i go?" she asked rhetorically, as she started to leave.
"ishita!" he called as she turned back.
"dhyaan rakhna..." he requested, as a tiny smile came on her face, and she agreed.
she stood by the lift, for which the button had been pressed already, waiting for it to come.
the elevator doors opened, as she waved him goodbye, and with her exit, appeared someone else.
"tumhe nikalne ki himmat kisne karli?" remarked satish, as he stood next to dushyant, who did not respond.
satish, concerned, sat next to him.
"beta, sab thik hai?" he asked, as dushyant glanced at him gravely, only to bury his head into his father's shoulder the next moment.
satish, shocked, was starting to get worried.
"dushyant, beta, kya hua?" asked satish, as he rubbed his back.
"dad, kavin ke papa ka accident, purvi ke kaaran hua tha...." revealed dushyant as satish was astounded.
"and, mere hi kehne pe, usne kavin ko bataya...and tabhi meeraji ne sun liya..i..." explained dushyant.
"abhi kahan hai woh dono?" asked satish, as dushyant pointed to the appartment door, as satish rushed inside and dushyant followed him.
***
"meera...." called satish as he entered their room, to a grieving kavin and meera.
"meera, tum..." he attempted to console her, when he walked towards her, only to be stopped by kavin.
"yeh sab aapki wajah se ho raha hai!" yelled kavin, as satish grew perplexed.
"humein yahan aana hi nahi chahiye tha! pata hai, khush the hum, yahan aane se pehle...aur ab, jab-jab tumhe dekhta hoon, bas yahi yaad aata hai ki papa nahi hai mere paas! alteast, atleast, mom toh move on kar rahi thi, but unko phir se wahi dukh jhelna pada! aur kitni baar humein apna trauma relive karna padega for it to be enough..." ranted kavin, as he started to have a meltdown.
satish went ahead to hug him, which he resisted at first, only upon satish's continous insistence, did he hug him tightly, as he cried his heart out.
dushyant witnessed all of this from outside, as meera walked to him.
"i am sorry beta." expressed repent, meera.
"nahi, aapki.." hesitated dushyant, as he paused when meera placed her hand on his shoulder.
"galti thi...tum pe uss baat ka gussa nikala gaya, jismein tumhari koi galti nahi thi. Tumne woh hi kiya na, jo tumhe kavin ke liye sahi laga...." apologised meera,as dushyant glanced at kavin, and then nodded in agreement.
"you did the right thing, we should have known..." assured meera, as dushyant gazed at her for a second.
"thik hai, aap?" asked dushyant.
"ho jaungi..." replied meera, as he nodded in agreement.
"dekho, tum mujhe bhale hi maa na maano, mere liye tum bahaut ache bete ho." she stated, as dushyant, surprised, had no idea what to say.
meanwhile, now kavin had calmed down, as satish made him sit on the bed.
"thik ho?" confirmed satish, as kavin nodded in agreement.
meera seated herself next to him.
"it's ok..." she assured as she gave him a side hug.
"paani laon?" asked satish, as kavin nodded in agreement.
satish, who was leaving to get some water, was interrupted, when kavin called his name.
he turned towards him to hear what kavin had to say.
"uhh, thanks..." he said, genuinely, as they both could tell from his glance, it was not for the water.
he acknowledged it with a smile as he left.
dushyant, walked inside the room, towards kavin, as he sat on his knees in front of him.
"sorry, yaar...chupana nahi chahiye tha mujhe." apologised dushyant.
"sorry toh mujhe kehna chahiye, faltu mein tera collar pakad liya..." retorted kavin, as they both shared a chuckle.
"toh, hum dono, hi ek dusre ko maaf karke, aage badhe?" suggested dushyant, as kavin nodded in agreement.
"haan, agar toh ne woh nahi kiya..."conditioned kavin, as dushyant glanced at him as if asking 'what'.
kavin shooted with his glance as if saying, 'you know', as dushyant's mouth formed an 'oh'.
"arre, woh, nahi.." responded dushyant, as meera just sat there perplexed.
"baat, kiss cheez ki kar rahe ho, tum dono?" questioned meera, as they both remained mum, just the two of them knowing, he meant a cigarette.
***
ishita came home today, overwhelmed with emotions she was unable to comprehend. home had never felt so strange before.
"ishu!" exclaimed her father, as she experienced feelings of horror, she had never before.
"thank god tum aa gayi, i was so worried.." he blabbered, as she swallowed.
"kya hua?" he questioned, as she shook her head.
"ishu..." he called as she started to run to her room.
"ishu! ishu!" he exclaimed as she locked herself inside her room.
"ishu!" he exclaimed as he banged the door loudly.
"ishu, hua kya hai?" questioned her father.
"i know, papa...i know the truth.." she said, as she had rested her back on the door.
"ishu.."he called with anxiety.
"mujhe sab bataya anjula ji ne..." she revealed, as his face was filled with fear.
"ishu, beta, dekho, meri baat suno..." he attempted to defend himself.
"papa, aap aisa kaise kar sakte ho?" questioned ishita.
"aapne maa ko unki puri zindagi torture kiya, phir unki maut se dukh lagne ka drama kiya!" argued ishita, as her father seated himself on the floor, as she held onto the door.
"beta, maine drama nahi kiya..." he insisted.
"no, you lied to me, all my life! woh diary ke pages, woh bhi aapne hi phade the na!" claimed ishita.
"ishu, beta, i..." he attempted yet again to defend himself.
"papa, aap, i, don't even know, who you are..." stated ishita, as her father hit his head on the door, and tears rolled down his eyes.
"i am so sorry, beta..." he apologised, only no response came back.
"ishu! ishu! ishu! beta, beta, kuch toh bolo!" he yelled as he banged the door, and upon silence, he slammed the door open, to an empty room.
***
author's note: so, as revealed in the last chapter, ishita's father had raped anjula. i thought it was not necessary to add any flashbacks for it, as the courage with which anjula told the truth, should be enough for us to believe, just like it should be in real life, when a woman speaks up about this in real life. secondly, the tragic thing with these incidents, is that the rape or even assault, is done by someone close to the victim. thirdly, believing men who do these disgusting crimes, are some out of the world people, is wrong. they are people like us, they can be people we know and even like or love...but that should not affect out judgement in seeing their crime as something they should be punished for.