SUMEDH
Numb
Shattered
Emotionless
Anger
Sad
These past days had been hectic for me. My brain and mind were conflicted. I couldn't find myself to bring back in any state to adjust with the reality. I was emotionally drained. Anything was not normal. Everything was falling apart. We were growing apart. The news of our incapacity to be parents had changed everything. Mallika and I had grown to be distant.
After her discharge from hospital, we both were maintaining an invisible and emotional distance. We both had built barriers between us. Our communication had been short and formal as if we were merely some acquaintances. Our relationship was deteriorating. It was not that I was not taking care of her. I had been there for her in every second whenever she had needed me. We shared the same house, same room and same bed yet there was a narrow wall between us. We were doing everything just like we used to do before including touching, kissing, hugging,sex but something was tearing us apart.
I had almost blocked out all the emotions making myself buried deep in works. I barely spent times to think about what was going on and what I should do. To be frank, our worlds were collapsing infront of us. We both were trying to block out the pain and feelings that were reason for our current condition. We both were aware about what was happening in our life and at the same time, we were clueless to make decisions or step froward to do any action. Hollowness and numbness had engulfed us in a way that had sheilded us from actively sensing the external battle of miseries, troubles and sufferings. An aweful phenomenon. My life was becoming lifeless and monotonous with absolutely nothing happening or none interfering.
I sighed in exhaustion when I closely went through some legal papers of our company's work. After Siddharth leaving the position of COO and joining in New york police department, I had to take all the responsibility single-handedly to maneuver the company. I was infact looking for someone who would be fit for COO position. I was under tremendous pressure which I didn't mind though at some point as it was helping me to keep my mind off from the other things.
A certain beeping sound of my phone broke my concentration. Without bothering to check who was calling, I simply accepted the call.
"Hello"
"Umm..Hello Riccardo" I immediately straightened up in my seat recognizing the voice easily.
"It's Mallika's uncle Luca speaking. " I raised my eyebrow.
"Yes Mr.Singh ,how are you doing? It's been long we have talked." I feigned pleasent behaviour just like always. I was infact little startled to know that he was now coming for the papers. He had got fair chances before yet he really hadn't braught out the matter infront of Mallika.
"Yeah, I am absolutely fine. What about you?" He asked.
"I am fine." I replied.
"Well, I have actually called for a family matter. I need to talk to Mallika but she is not picking up my calls."
"It's not a big deal. Actually something has happened recently which is why she is keeping distance with everybody. She is emotionally disturbed and needs space for herself to cope up with times." I didn't choose to speak about the entire issue. Instead I chose to reply in a simple way so that it didn't seem as if I was hiding something. Apparently I had spoken the truth also.
"What happened?" I could clearly figure out the pretend concern in his tone.
"Nothing serious. Anyway, may I know for what purpose you were intending to talk Mallika?" I asked clearly having the knowledge about his true intention.
"It's just family matter. You don't have to be stressful about it." I rolled my eyes at his blunt reply.
"Amn't I your family, Mr.Singh?" I faked a gasp in reponse.
"No, not at all. You are definitely family. After all, you are the husband of Mallika as well as our only son-in-law of Singh family." I shook my head sugestively at his sugar-coated voice.
"Then, you can surely tell me the matter Mr.Singh.As a husband of Mallika, I have the right to know what you want from her. After all, you are my only father-in-law and so it's my duty to fulfil your wishes. " I hated how I had to fake an act just to let out the truth from his mouth. I would have easily got him killed in a moment without second thoughts. But I guessed that time would predict that.
"You are so sweet, Riccardo. " I stopped myself from gagging right now.
"The matter is that I need Mallika to sign some legal papers of our company. When her father died, he has made the ownership of the company on her name. But Mallika was never interested in buisness. She got her degree on classical dancing as you already know. I once asked her about which way she wanted to pursue. And she said that she wanted to be dancer and she had gone on this way. So I decided to take the ownership on my name since I am the one who is carring out all the funtions of our company. After my retirement, I have decided to sell all my shares. I and our company's co-workers will get half of the shares and I will hand over rest of the amount to you and Mallika as well."
I must admit that he had planned to lie smoothly in such a clear way that would never relish his actual intentions. He hadn't technically lied yet the theory he had added in last part was completely made up for sure.
"That's a great idea, Mr. Singh. Then I guess, you can come tomorrow in New York. Currently with all my pressure in company, it's difficult to go back in India. It will be delayed if you wait for us to come there. Besides, we haven't met for long and Mallika terribly misses her family. So it will be my pleasure if you come here."
"That's cool. Then I am coming tomorrow and it's final, right?" He asked, his voice high due to the excitement probably.
"Yep, bring grandma with you obviously. I will book tickets for you both. Just come as soon as position. "
"Thank you. Bye, Riccardo and take care."
"Yeah, same to you." I cut the call and released a deep sigh. A smirk covered my face as I thought about my next plan. It was time to finish Luca.
****
"Welcome,Mr.Singh." I greeted Mallika's uncle who had recently reached in my house with his mother.
"Please come in, grandma. You must be tired." I bowed my head smiling at her.
"No son, I am fine. How are you?" She smiled as I ushered them to the couches, Siddharth following behind me.
"Where is your father, son?" She asked once she settled on the couch with Luca beside her.
"My father has gone in Greece. Apparently he desperately needed a vacation for himself and so he chose to travel." I explained while Avneet came there holding grasses of juice. She sqealed at grandmother before going over and pulling her in a hug.
"How are you, grandma? I am seeing you after decades. You look so old now." She pouted as she threw questions at her. Her grandmother only laughed at her shushing her questions with a shake of hand.
"I am fine." She nodded her head and drank the juice from the glass.
"By the way, where is my precious child? I haven't seen her for so many days. She even doesn't call me like before. " She asked, her face reflecting her emotions. It immediately made me feel aweful about what I was going to disclose today about her son and also the miscarriage. I hadn't told anything about their arrival to Mallika as I really thought that it would be better if she would meet them suddenly and it could definitely lighten up her mood as well as divert her mind from things.
"I wanted to surprise her, Grandma. So I didn't say anything to her." I exclaimed.
"That's great. But where is she?" She asked.
"Wait, let me call her here." Avneet said before I could say anything, and went upstairs to find Mallika. I noticed her uncle sitting quietly without saying anything.
"Mr. Singh, have you braught the papers with you?" I asked catching his attention.
"Yes, the papers are ready." He curtly nodded in my direction with a smile.
"If you don't mind, can I see them once?" I asked with fake politeness.
"Sure." He handed me the papers once he dug out them from his bag. I quickly scanned through the papers checking on the terms and conditions which had been applied for modification of the ownership of their company. I could feel my blood boil at how much calmly he was sitting here doing nothing as if he was the most innocent person alive on the eart where as the ugly facade beneath his sophisticated and gentle persona depicted his actual characteristics. I must admit how tactfully he had tackled all the situations with ease making it barely suspicious for an eye.
I gave the papers back to him and conversed with them for the new few minutes. I wondered why Mallika was taking so much time in coming down. I was not sure how she would react after seeing her uncle after learning everything. But I had to bring out the truth at some point. So it was better if it happened as soon as possible. Even I had to reveal my truth to grandmother also. I didn't meet her much but she was already giving me grandmother vibes which I never felt due to having no grandmother figure in my life. I respected her and I truly wished that once I would disclose the entire truth, she would understand and would accept me.
"Grandma " A shrieking sound broke our conversation which I recognised to be Mallika's. Her grandmother beamed at her granddaughter. She rushed towards her wrapping her arms around her neck.
"My daughter, I missed you so much." She said as she pulled away from the hug. Caressing her cheek, she pressed a kiss on her forhead.
"How are you ? You don't even call me like before. It's been months you have contacted with me." Mallika's smile quickly faded as soon as she heard her question.
"What happened, dear? Is there any problem? Why do you look so pale? You have lost weight too much. What's up with your petite figure? Don't you take your meals properly?" She almost scolded her glaring at her granddaughter. Mallika looked anywhere avoiding her eyes.
A clearing of throat caught our attention and we all turned to face Luca who had usual smile on his face.
"How are you, Mallika?" He asked. My eyes darted to Mallika to look for her reaction. She had a unreadable expression on her face as she stared at her uncle for some moments. The next move of her made me shock as well as feel proud. She walked forward and shoved him by pressing her palm on his chest. It resulted in making him collapse on the nearby couch. Her bold action earned gasps from everyone present in the room.
"Mallika!" Her grandmother shouted.
"How dare you to come in my house? You don't deserve to be here. Why have you come here?" She yelled as she glowered in his uncle's direction.
"What are you saying, Mallika?" He asked as he stood up on his spot.
"What am I saying? After everything you have done, you have the audacity to show your face to me. I am aware about all of your so-called deeds. And you are asking me why I am behaving like this" She exclaimed. At this moment, she was literally raging like a fire that she wouldn't hesitate to kill him. A swoon of satisfaction flew through me seeing her this nature.
"I am not understanding what you are saying, Mallika. He is your uncle. Why are you disrespectfing him in this way?" Her grandmother came forward.
"He doesn't deserve any inch of respect. Trust me grandma, when I said that he deserves hell for what he has done, I mean it." Avneet too glared at Luca.
"Exactly, you don't know what he has done for his greed of property and money. You have not a single idea about how much low he has stooped just to accomplish his own desires. You have no idea, grandma. " She further added. Her grandmother had confusion and concern on her face as she eyed from Avneet to Mallika searching for answers.
"Yes grandma, we have something big to tell you." Siddharth said.
"Grandma, he has killed my parents and Riccardo's parents." She gasped at Mallika's words. She covered her mouth with her palm as her eyes widened in shock.
"Yes grandma, there is a huge truth behind everything and I have evidence of his doings. " I took the lead to continue the entire truth regarding Luca's actions, my parents' incident and my real intentions of marrying Mallika.
By the time I finished explaining the entire story, she was in tears. My heart sank at her tear sticken face.
"No" She shouted as she immediately broke down into sobs. Mallika and Avneet rushed forward to hold her from both sides.
I turned to face Luca who had horror filled expression on his face. He was sweating and trembling on his spot with wide eyes. I smirked at his condition before looking up to meet eyes with Siddharth who had the same gleaming look in his eyes. I gave a curt nod in his direction which he easily guessed what I meant through my gesture.
"No, no I haven't done anything." He finally said as my guards came to capture him.
"They are deceiving me on wrong basis." He struggled to free from their hold. I swiftly moved near him, my hands tugged into my both side pockets.
"You are betrayer, Sumedh! You are a manipulative man." He growled.
"This is what you get after the things you have done till now. You are calling us betrayers. Let me remind you that it's you who has betrayed everyone. You have betrayed me, my father who trusted you blindly, your own brother and your own niece. You have betrayed your own family and your own mother. You have taken advantage of Mallika's helplessness and used her for your own selfie motives. Now you are saying that we are the culprits." I stepped froward, my eyes shooting daggers at him.
"No, it's lie." He kept his hand on his chest and was breathing heavily.
"You have no right to stand here throwing tantrums at me. Don't taste my patience. You have no idea about what I can do to you. It will take me just a minute to kill you right now."
He seemed to be suffering from palpitations. I gestured my men to take him out which they followed variably dragging him from the room while he kept shouting profanities and accusing us.
I sighed out as he finally left out of my life. My game of revenge finally ended. But nothing was alright in my life. I had to endure a lot more sufferings in my life.
For now, my first priority was Mallika.
****
I know that this chapter is bad. I wanted to add some drama but I honestly failed. Well, I guess that it's due to my exhaustion. My boards are completed. Yes, my last exam ended today. After coming back, I decided to write this chapter. Not to mention, I have written it hurriedly. So, it's probably not upto the mark.
Anyways, do vote and comment.
I really don't want to talk about it. But it will be nice if you guys do comment little more. 🙂
Thank you.