The roads were cleared of traffic to allow Indrajeet Chauhan's cars to pass without a hitch. Everyone who saw the entourage pass looked in awe as one car after another, including police security, passed by. Police had already reached the hospital.
Raina, Tarini, and Daksh were traveling in one car, while Indrajeet, Dhruv, and Bajrang were in another. Indrajeet and Raina were on a call with the DSP, who had personally gone to the hospital with a team of senior officers to check the status.
"Hello, sir," the DSP informed them, "it's a case of domestic abuse. The husband and in-laws have injured the woman quite badly."
"What nonsense! The girl in question is not married. Which case are you talking about? I am asking about Ms. Vara Datar," Indrajeet snarled.
"Oh... o... okay... sorry, sir... I thought we were talking about the lady in ICU. Ms. Vara Datar is sitting here. She is quite injured but is refusing treatment till her sister comes..." The DSP informed nervously.
"What the fuck is going on exactly?" Indrajeet bit out.
"Sir... there is a lady hospitalized for domestic abuse. She is Ms. Vara's sister, Shikha Banerjee. I believe Ms. Vara and a few others brought Shikha Banerjee here, but the girl, Vara, seems to be in shock. She is not saying anything except calling for her sister, Tarini," the DSP continued.
"Shikha Banerjee is hospitalized?" Raina asked for confirmation.
"Shikha didi?" Tarini asked, shocked. "But... but she is supposed to be in Canada... how?"
Indrajeet slammed his elbow hard on the car window, causing a crack to appear.
"Relax, Indra," Dhruv said, keeping a hand on his shoulder. "We will reach there in five minutes."
*****
Vara couldn't understand anything. People were asking her questions, but no words came out. She numbly followed the instructions of the hospital staff when they asked her to fill out forms and complete some formalities. Her Shikha didi had fainted in an ambulance. The hospital staff were initially hesitant to admit her; it was a police case. Vara could see the man who had helped them was asking her something, but she couldn't answer. Finally, he forwarded the phone... she called her Tarini Tai.
The man spoke and then forwarded her the phone. Her sister assured her that she was coming right away. That was the only thing keeping her sitting there. She would not let anyone treat her. Right now, she couldn't trust anyone but Tarini Tai. What if Sourav Jijaji and his family returned to harm them??? once Tarini Tai came, she would handle everything. She always did...
Somehow, the crowd around them had thinned suddenly. Now only a few police officers and the man and his wife stood. They were offering her water.
"VARA!" Someone called her loudly. Indrajeet was coming towards her, followed by Dhruv and Bajrang. For the first time, she welcomed his presence... at least some familiar faces.
Her lips wobbled as she saw him hurrying towards her worriedly.
Indrajeet could assess her injuries: a busted lip, a bleeding forehead. She extended her hand as he neared her.
"Di... di... ICU..." She hiccuped.
"Shh... it's okay, I am here now..." Just as he was about to hug her, they heard Tarini's call.
"Varu..."
Vara, who was ready to go into his arms, moved towards Tarini..."Tai..." She cried out.
Indrajeet saw Tarini taking stock of her injuries. "Kay zhala? Koni kela he? Oh god, kiti lagla ahe tula... Doctor... chal adhi doctor na dakhavu," Tarini asked, wiping her tears.
(What happened? Who did this? Oh god, you are hurt.... Doctor... let's go to the doctor)
Vara seemed to come out of her stupor. "Nahi Tai... aik... Sou... Sourav Jijaji Ani tyacha parents ni marla... mala ani Shikha di... la... Shikha di ICU madhe ahe..." Vara informed her while crying continuously.
(No... sister... listen... Sou... Sourav and his parents hit me... me and Shikha di... Shikha di is in ICU...)
"What?" Tarini asked flabbergasted.
"I think she needs to see the doctor first," Indrajeet snapped at Tarini.
"Varu..." Tarini called out as Vara fainted.
Indrajeet was ready. He had noticed her unsteady feet and shaky figure.
He picked up her fragile form. "Doctor..." He called out. The hospital staff were already prepared. She was taken to the VIP room.
They left Dhruv and Raina talking to the man and woman...
*****
"Tarini," Dhruv entered the room. "They are calling you. You need to sign some forms as a family member. Shikha needs two small surgeries, and you need to inform her parents... Raina will help you."
"B..but Vara..." Tarini looked torn.
"Me and Indra will look after her. But Shikha needs you right now... her condition is serious," he told her gravely.
"Oh god," Tarini placed a hand on her mouth to control her sobs as Daksh guided her towards the ICU.
"Bajrang... can you please call my Dad and inform the family in detail about the situation here... I have already given a background to dad," Dhruv asked.
As Bajrang left, Dhruv placed a hand on Indrajeet's shoulder, who was silently staring at Vara's unconscious form. Nurses had changed her clothes and had performed some basic first aid. Now she was in a hospital gown, with a drip attached.
"I am going to kill them with my bare hands..." Indrajeet declared with unrestrained anger.
"Mr. Chauhan... can you please wait outside... I need to check the patient," the doctor asked him quietly.
Indrajeet turned his eyes filled with potent rage. "Female Doctor... I want a female doctor to check on her."
"I... oh... yes.. why not... I... we will arrange that right away..." The stuttering doctor took a step back.
"And remember, doctor, if anything happens to her, I will burn this entire hospital down..." Indrajeet told him in the same tone making doctors run out of the room.
"Indra... they were just doing their work..." Dhruv looked at his friend in disbelief. Indrajeet almost looked unhinged.
As the team of female doctors entered, Dhruv and Indra left the room.
*****
As the doctor came out, everyone hurried towards them.
"Doctor, how is Vara?" Tarini asked.
"Don't worry. She is stable. Nothing serious. No fractures. But it seems she fell down on broken glass. We have removed many small glass pieces from the left side of her body. But due to her jeans, they have not penetrated deeper into her body." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Though she will be in pain for a few days. Whoever hit her, it was harsh. She has a bump and a cut on her forehead, a busted lip. Some glass pieces went into the palms of her hand and feet. We have bandaged them. Make sure she does not put pressure on her hands and feet for at least a few days..." The doctor informed them.
"Can we see her?" Daksh asked.
"Sure, but she is under strong medication and won't come around for a few hours. We have done some tests. Her reports are pending, after that you can take her home but she needs a good rest," the doctor informed them and left.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
*****
"Shikha is stable for now but not out of danger. She will be in ICU for some more time. She is badly injured. Some of her reports are still pending; only then can we say if she has sustained any internal injuries..." The doctor informed them and left.
"Tarini?" One of Shikha's cousin brothers and his wife were approaching them...
"He is Shikha Didi's cousin from Munmun Miami's side..." she told the group in general.
"You guys talk to him. We are here if you need us..." Saying so, Dhruv moved away with others.
"Munmun aunty sent us... she said Shikha is hospitalized... what has happened? When did she return from Canada?" Shikha's cousin asked.
Daksh and Tarini informed him about the situation. Shikha's cousin looked scandalized. "You see, we have not informed Mama and Mami about everything. He just knows that Shikha di is hospitalized due to an accident. We don't want them traumatized on the way... Sourav and his parents are on the run. My family has arranged for a plane ticket and two security guards are waiting at the airport for Mama and Mami. They will bring them here safely."
Shikha's cousin and sister-in-law hurried to the ICU.
Tarini and Daksh entered Vara's room and were surprised to see Indrajeet, Dhruv, Raina, and Bajrang already present there.
Raina was giving a brief about the situation "From what we can gather, Shikha Banarjee's husband and in-laws have been staying here for the past 6 months...Shikha has been raped and abused multiple times and from multiple partners it seems. Plus she has been through three abortions. The man outside, Mr. Patel, informed us that Vara pressed their door bell and asked for help. They saw Sourav Banarjee and his parents running after them but as soon as he dialled for the police they went back. But both Mr and Mrs Patel told us that they have never seen Shikha around. Most probably they were keeping her locked. No one from the Banarjee family ever spoke to anyone else in the building except the security guard. He has been taken into custody. A team of police went to the given address. The Banarjee family tried to burn the proofs. They set a fire to their house...till the time fire brigade reached the location many things got burnt down. We have circulated their pictures to each police station."
Tarini gave out a sob.
"Tarini, didn't Vara ever mention anything about Shikha? How did she get to know about Shikha's whereabouts?" Raina asked her, frowning.
"I... Vara was worried about Shikha didi... she told me multiple times that Shikha di is not responding properly... but I... thought... I spoke to Shikha didi months back... She always said she is busy... But I don't know anything else..." Tarini replied, looking lost.
"So basically, we will only know exactly what happened once Vara wakes up. Because no one else knows how she reached from her office to Shikha's place..." Dhruv sighed.
"Ummm... actually, maybe we do..." Daksh hesitated.
Everyone looked at him sharply. He was checking Tarini's mobile. "Tarini, I think Vara has sent you many messages... but all of them are in Marathi... but I can see a loan statement from Janta bank in the name of..." Before he could continue, Tarini snatched the phone from him and started reading messages.
"Read them out loud for us, Tarini," Indrajeet demanded.
Tarini started reading messages in English for everyone's benefit. "Tai, didn't I tell you I thought I saw Sourav Jijaji two days back. Today I am sure I saw him coming out of Janta co-operative bank. What should I do?.... Tai, I am leaving early today. It's just 1 PM but I got a half day. I am going to Janta bank. Something doesn't feel right... Oh god, can you believe this Sourav Jijaji is a loan defaulter. He has taken a loan of 12 crore.... attachment sent... Plus he is here in Mumbai. I think he is duping us. I think we need to find Shikha di. Can you please answer your phone... called Mamaji, he said he knows about loans. It is an educational loan. He is not even ready to believe that Shikha di is in India... okay please reply as soon as you see this. I am going to the place.... this place is creepy... oh shit look at this Tai... this is Shikha Didi's handwriting... images attached.... what should I do?.... okay here is Sourav Jijaji. I don't think the security guard will let me go upstairs. He seems friendly with Jijaji... I saw a very odd-looking man come from Sourav Jijaji's house. I am going up... I think Shikha di is in danger..." Tarini finished reading the messages, and a stunned silence enveloped them.
"What were you doing, Tarini, that you missed so many messages..." Indrajeet fired at her.
"Dada... her phone was not working properly due to a pending system update," Daksh tried to calm Indrajeet's anger.
"Please don't make so much noise, this is the patient's room. So many people can't stay in one room," the head nurse told them.
*****
"We are taking Vara home... I mean Chauhan Bhawan. Indra Dada's decision," Daksh informed her.
"What but what about Shikha didi? I can't be in two places at the same time..." Tarini worried, "and the doctor said Vara's reports are pending..."
"Indrajeet Dada spoke to the doctor. Vara's reports are almost normal except for some deficiencies like hemoglobin. The doctor is prescribing medicines and painkillers for Vara. Indra Dada also had a word with Shikha's cousin and doctors. Shikha's initial reports seem normal. Shikha's cousin is staying here for the night. Dhruv Bhai told me that they are leaving security here to guard. Police are also there. After the doctor gives us the go-ahead, we can even move Shikha to a nearby hospital from our home, but that decision lies with her parents... Everyone is getting worried at home, and as long as Sourav and his family don't get caught, even Vara's life is in danger. She will be safest at Chauhan Bhawan... Tomorrow morning we will return; Indra Dada wants to have a word with your Mamaji..." When she still looked unsure, Daksh cajoled her, "come on, Tarini, Shikha is stable... and for Vara, we are hiring a nurse who will look after her, plus our family doctors will visit... Indra and Dhruv Dada can make these decisions better than us..."
Tarini agreed. This was huge; she had never faced anything of this sort before and was glad that Daksh's family was there to help her. She moved with Daksh to complete the discharge formalities.
*****
Indrajeet tenderly caressed her bandaged feet, taking note of each small injury visible to him. He observed her bandaged hands and lightly kissed them before moving towards her face. There was a handprint on her cheek where that bastard had slapped her, and a bandage on the left side of her forehead. He gently moved his hand through her hair, caressing her head and ensuring there were no additional bumps. The doctor had assured him there were none, but he wanted to be sure...
She is like a delicate flower. Today, he felt proud of her. She didn't even think twice before putting her life at stake while helping her sister... He didn't yet know exactly what transpired in that flat. He would know the full story only when Vara woke up, but he had an idea of it though. She was a selfless, courageous, and the most pure-hearted person he had ever come across. No one had the right to harm such a pure, gold-hearted person...
"Jaan," he gently took hold of her hand, "I promise to punish the culprits. Aur aaj hum aapse ek wada karte hai, aaj ke baad jo bhi apko chot pohchane ki koshish karega vo aapke samne hamesha hume khada payega... Hum apko kabhi unprotected nahi rehne denge. Fir chahe uske liye hume kuch bhi kyu na karna pade," he bent down and lightly kissed her forehead.
(I promise to punish the culprits. And today I promise you one more thing, from today onwards whoever tries to hurt you will have to face me first. I will never leave you unprotected. I will do whatever it takes)
They had brought Vara back to Chauhan Bhawan. Narmada had prepared a room for her in the family section. Vara was still under medication, hence unconscious. After the nurse connected the drip and made other arrangements, his family came to see her. After they left, Tarini spent some time with her before Daksh took her back to their room. Indrajeet had been waiting for everyone to depart so he could spend some time with Vara...
*****
"Dada," Bajrang knocked. "Doctor is on the way."
"Hmm..." Indrajeet nodded and looked at the nurse who was waiting for further instructions. "You can go in."
Nodding her head, the senior nurse entered the room. Last night, when everyone left the room, Indrajeet Chauhan came and asked her to leave. She was hesitant at first. At his glare, she left quietly... Since then, she had been waiting in another room.
"Did you sleep at all last night?" Dhruv asked as soon as he saw Indra still in last night's clothes. He was waiting for Indrajeet near his room.
"I can function on a lot less sleep than all of you..." He dismissed his brother's concern. "What's the news?"
"Das family arrived two hours back. Mrs. Das fainted and Mr. Das's BP shot up... but now they are alright... coming to terms with the mishap..." Dhruv informed him.
"Good. The doctor is on the way. Once she checks Vara, we are leaving. I want to meet that father who was this ignorant..." Indrajeet entered the washroom to get ready.
*****
"There is nothing to worry about; she is absolutely fine," the doctor informed them.
"Why isn't she up yet?" Tarini asked, worried.
"We had administered a small dose of sleep medicine through the drip yesterday. Her body needs as much rest as she can get. Don't worry; she should be up in an hour or so," the doctor assured them.
"Thank you, Doctor," Indrajeet nodded at her.
"Chalo ab tum sab bhi breakfast kar lo..." Narmada told them. "Areh Indra, kaha ja rahe ho sab..."
(Come on, all of you have some breakfast.)
(Indra, where are all of you going?)
"Hum aane ke baad kha lenge, abhi hume hospital jana hai, Shikha ke parents aye hai..." Indrajeet told his Buasa. "Daksh and Tarini tum dono thori der baad ana hospital."
(We will eat after we return from the hospital. Shikha's parents are here.) (Daksh and Tarini, you both can come after some time.)
"Vo log pakde gaye ya nahi?" Girish asked them.
(Did they get caught?)
"Not yet. Pr just abhi news mili hai. Ye Sourav Banarjee ka first case nahi hai. Khabar mili hai ki ye uski dusri shaadi hai aur pehli wife ki death bhi jal ke hui thi. Uske pehle biwi ke parents ne case bhi darj kiya hai ki Sourav ne maar daala unki beti ko aur uske gehene aur paise leke bhag gaya hai...but prove nahi ho paya... Sourav ne dava kiya ki first wife ne khud apne aap ko aag laga li hai aur police ne bhi case band kar dia" Raina told everyone.
(Not yet. But just got the information that this is Sourav Banarjee's second marriage. The first wife died due to severe burns. First wife's parents have filed a complaint against Sourav that he killed their daughter and ran away with her money and jewellery. Due to lack of proof, it didn't get investigated. Sourav has claimed that his first wife had burned self on her own. Police has also closed the investigation)
Everyone started murmuring angrily.
As Indrajeet started leaving, Dadisa called him.
"Indrajeet, aapne kal raat se kuch nahi khaya, kuch toh kha lete," Dadisa sounded worried.
(Indrajeet, you haven't eaten anything since last night. At least have something.)
"Later Dadisa... I need to settle this matter first..."
*****
It's been some time since Vara woke up. At first, she was confused about her whereabouts, then all the memories rushed in. Tarini was sitting beside her, happy that finally her baby sister was awake.
After Tarini ensured her about Shikha being stable and Mama, Mami has arrived, Vara calmed down a little, only to tear up again.
"I called you Tai, so many times...you didn't answer...he ..he hit us badly...and he s...said..." Vara could not complete her sentence. Tarini felt more guilty. This is the second time that she was useless and couldn't help her sister on time.
"I am so sorry Varu..." Tarini sobbed. "I swear this will never happen again..."
"H..he..sa...said..." Vara was still trying to tell her but couldn't get the words out.
"Shh... nantr bolu apan. Please ata radu nakos..." Tarini consoled, wiping Vara's tears.
(Shh... We will talk later. Please don't cry.)
Thereafter, Tarini ordered food and made sure Vara eats some food. "Bhook lagli asel na amcha bahuli la."
(Our doll, must be hungry, right?)
"Vara aap toh Jhansi ki Rani se kaam nahi..." At Daksh's comment she gave a watery smile.
(Vara, you are no less than a Jhansi ki Rani.)
"Tai, mala atta jaycha ahe hospital madhe Shikha didi la baghayla," Vara requested her.
(Sister, I want to go to the hospital right now. I want to see Shikha di once.)
"Doka firla ahe ka tujha? Nope. Not possible. Tula doctor ni rest karayla sangitle ahe. Tujhe pay pan injured ahet. Ani atta thoda vela purvi tr call kela hota sangitala na. Ekdam thoda time sathi Shikha didi shuddhit ali hoti. Tine Mama ani mami la olakh pn dakhvali..." Tarini tried to make Vara understand.
(Are you out of your mind? Nope. Not possible. Doctor has asked you to rest. Your feet are injured. Just a while back we called. Didn't I tell you Shikha didi came around and was conscious for a few minutes. She even recognised our uncle and aunty...)
When she didn't listen, Tarini shook her head. "Varu, you are too stubborn." Meanwhile, Daksh called Raina. "We need Indra Dada's permission. Otherwise, no one will let you out of this house. I am calling Bhabhi sa. She is in the hospital. She will give you an update about Shikha."
"Hello Bhabhisa... ha sab thik hai... ha Vara bhi thik hai. Vo Vara kuch puchna chahti hai... yes... okay," Daksh handed her the phone.
(Hello Sister-in-law... everything is alright here... Actually, Vara wants to ask you something... yes... okay)
"He... Hello," Vara took the phone and answered Raina's question about her health. "Ji, mein thik hu... mujhe hospital ana hai."
(Yes, I am okay... I want to come to the hospital.)
"Abhi?" Raina was surprised. "Shikha thik hai. Unconscious hai. Abhi uske liye doctor chodke aur koi kuch nahi kar sakta. Aur Doctor ne abhi apko aram karne bola hai."
(Right now?) (Shikha is okay. Still unconscious. Right now, no one besides the doctor can help her. The Doctor has also asked you to take a rest.)
"Please... mujhe bas ek baar dekhna hai," Vara still requested her.
(Please... I just want to see her once.)
Raina handed the phone to Indrajeet. "Your phone."
"Who is it?" Frowning, Indra checked the name... Daksh.
"Ha bolo Daksh," when no one answered, Indra asked, "Daksh?"
(Yes Daksh)
"Ji mein Vara...." She replied in a small voice.
(Yes, I am Vara...)
Surprised, Indra looked at Raina who gave him a thumbs-up sign.
"Boliye Jaan," Indrajeet replied.
(Speak, my life)
"N..nahi...mein Vara bol rahi hu," Vara replied, confused, thinking Indrajeet didn't know who he was speaking to.
(N...no... it's me Vara)
"I know Jaan. Batayiye kya baat hai?" Indrajeet could not control his smile, thinking about Vara's reaction.
(I know Jaan. Tell me what it is?)
"Toh a..aap ye Jaan kisko bula rahe hai?" Vara was still confused, but she had to whisper because Daksh and Tarini were sitting before her, thankfully they were discussing something.
(Then who a...are y...you calling Jaan?)
"Apko...ab aap humari jaan hai toh hum aapko Jaan hi bulayenge na?" Indrajeet countered.
(You. You are my life so I will only call you as such.)
Vara went silent for a minute. She was embarrassed. For the past one week she had heard similar kinds of things from him. She decided to ignore it.
"Mujhe hospital ana hai. Shikha didi se milna hai," she changed the subject.
(I want to come to the hospital. I want to meet Shikha didi.)
"Vo toh possible nahi. Doctor ne aapko strict rest lene ko kaha hai," Indrajeet refused upfront. "Aap badme aa jana."
(That is not possible. The doctor has strictly ordered the rest for you. You can visit later.)
"Please baas ek baar," Vara tried again.
(Please just once)
"Hmm...ab aap itne pyar se request karengi toh hum aapko mana toh nahi kar sakte, par ek sharth hai humari... boliye manjoor hai?" Indrajeet asked her playfully.
(Hmm...now that you are requesting so sweetly, I can't even refuse you. But I have one condition. Tell me, do you agree?)
Vara didn't understand his tone. "Ha kuch bhi..." She agreed readily.
(Yes, anything)
"Jaan wada karne se pehle sharth to sun lijiye," he was enjoying this way too much. "Kyoki aapko doctor ne strict rest kaha hai aur aapke pairo mein bandage bhi hai toh hum aapko apni godi me uthake leke ja..." Indrajeet laughed out as the phone got disconnected, or rather Vara disconnected the call.
(Jaan, at least listen to the condition first before promising something) (Because the doctor has ordered a strict rest and your feet are bandaged so I will carry you in my arms...)
Bajrang was waiting at a distance. He observed his Boss as the call progressed, his smile broadened more and more. He had never seen his Boss this happy...
*****
"Kya hua phone kyu cut kr dia?" Daksh asked surprised as he saw Vara suddenly disconnect the call. Due to her bandaged hands, she was facing some difficulty in holding the phone, so he quickly took it back.
(What happened? Why did you disconnect the call?)
"What did Raina say? Are you okay?" Tarini was worried as she saw the tip of Vara's nose had turned red. This usually happens when she is angry or embarrassed or about to cry.
"Nothing," Vara shook her head quickly. "Tumhi dogha ja hospital madhe ani mg mala tithe jaun call kr...video call." Vara told her sister.
(Both of you go to the hospital and call me once you reach there... video call.)
"Aga pn..." Tarini started to say.
(But...)
"Pr Bhabhi sa ne kya kaha?" Daksh asked again.
(But what did the sister-in-law say?)
"Permission nahi mili..." Vara told him too quickly.
(I didn't get the permission...)
"Tumhi ja na hospital madhe please mala ekda Shikha di la baghaycha ahe" Vara pleaded.
(Please you guys go to the hospital. I want to see Shikha didi once.)
"What's say? Anyways you want to meet your Mama and Mami" Daksh asked Tarini.
"Ha bhai, jao tum sab. Hum hai yaha Vara ke saath" Narmada announced entering the room with Dadisa.
(Yes, you both can go. We will stay here with Vara)
Tarini left with Daksh but not before telling Narmada in a hushed whisper to make sure that Dadisa isn't rude with Vara.
"Aapko lagta hai utani bhi buri nahi hai Maa sa" Narmada smiled at her "par aap fikar maat kijiye hum Vara ko akela nahi chodenge"
(My mother is not as bad as you think) (still, don't worry, I will not leave Vara alone)
"Kaisi tabiyat hai ab aapki Vara? Kahi dard toh nahi?" Dadisa enquired
(How are you feeling now Vara? Is it paining anywhere?)
"Nahi thik hai ab..." Vara gave her a small smile
(No. I am okay now)
"Aapne toh bada accha kaam kia hai Vara." Narmada praised her "Girish bhi aaj chutti pr hai, vo bhi thodi der mein milne ayenge aapse."
(You have done a very good deed Vara) (Girish is on leave today, even he will come to meet you in sometime)
Vara smiled at both the elder ladies.
*****
Someone gently rapped at the door. As the nurse opened the door there stood Raina
"Kya hum andar aa sakte hai?" Raina asked
(Can we come in?)
Vara nodded her head and started sitting straight. The nurse helped her to sit and left the room.
"Relax! We just came to meet you" saying so Raina settled on a settee next to her bed.
At Raina's We, Vara quickly gazed at the door to find Dhruv, Indrajeet entering the room. Bajrang stayed just outside the room whereas Indrajeet folded his hands and leaned on the wall, blatantly staring at her.
Scared, Vara immediately averted her eyes and turned to look at Raina, only to realize Raina was already observing her. Not just Raina, she could also see Dhruv looking at her in curiosity. It always made her uncomfortable when someone stared at her for too long. Why were they staring at her? Do they know???
Raina cleared her throat. "How are you feeling now?"
"Ji, thik hu..." Vara said in a small voice, resolutely looking at Raina.
(I am okay...)
"You are reading 'Wings of Fire'..." Dhruv commented casually, looking at the book on the side table.
"Yes, Girish uncle lent it to me," Vara replied.
"Good. You will be happy to know ki Shikha is out of danger," Dhruv said.
At that, she looked at him with a smile.
"Vara... you will need to give a police statement. We need to know exactly what transpired in that flat, and I don't think Shikha can help us anytime soon," Raina told her bluntly.
Vara could feel her heartbeat racing as she clenched the blanket in her hand and swallowed hard.
"Chill! You can narrate everything to Raina, or if you are not comfortable, we can arrange for someone else. Plus, your Tarini Tai can stay with you," Dhruv reassured her. Vara relaxed at his assurance and nodded her head.
"Chalo, you take rest. We just wanted to make sure you are okay. Let us know if you need any more books. Indra has a whole library... He will be too happy to help," Dhruv said, turning to wink at Indra.
"Take care," Raina nodded at her.
Everyone left except Indrajeet...
*****