Alex POV
"Where have you been?" I was drying my locks with the towel while coming out of the bathroom when I heard the stern voice.
"Ah Professor" Thank god, I wore my contact lenses otherwise today my cover would have blown off.
"Yes professor, now will you please enlighten me Mr. Mehta about your whereabouts" his experienced gaze was boring into my soul asking for truth.
"I have been caught into the storm" Well this is whole truth.
"With the beautiful princess, how romantic" he smirked and puffed his cigar
"Sir it was just a coincidence, why are you standing? please have a seat" I immediately brought a chair for him while he was standing near the window.
"In boodhi haddiyon se kitna kam karaoge bhai (How much you will make me work with these old bones)" he half chuckled then become serious.
"Wo Rana pagal ho gaya hai, agar apni aur meri jan ki salamati chahte ho to jaldi kuch dhundo (That Rana has become crazy and if you want me and yourself alive then find something soon)" I nodded in understanding.
"Look Apaar, I don't want my reputation to be ruined by your flirting nature. I want results and that is also very soon. Did you get that?" He eyed me with his steel gaze and I nodded a little in agreement.
"Yes sir, You won't get any complains from my side in future" He lifted himself off the chair and stood full to his 5' 9" height. He is a tough nut for his age, he may look aged but he is quite well maintained himself.
"Ek kam karo, Wo guide hain na tumhara. Kya nam tha...(Do one thing, that guide of yours. What was his name..." he rubbed his forehead with two fingers trying to catch Bhuwan name.
"Bhuwan ji" I provided his name instantly
"Han han wo hi (Yes, yes he is)" he looked at me like an officer looked at his recruit.
"Bhuwan ko bula lo aur ek rough map taiyar karo Bhanugarh ka (Call Bhuwan and prepare a rough map of Bhanugarh)" I lifted his cane from beside the window and gave it to him.
"Ji sir subah karta hu (Okay sir, will do in morning)" I have walked him near the door.
"Abhi karo, us rana ne nak mein dam kiya hua hai (Do right now, that Rana has become a pain in ass)" He scowled at me and his black eyes flashed a sign of frustration.
"Okay sir, I will do it right now and give you the map early morning" His expression softened a bit and he slightly adjusted his oval shaped glasses on his nose before moving towards his chamber.
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"Is it looking okay" I looked at my creation on large white paper where I have marked the directions, landmarks, names of the places, borders, desert, road and every detail Bhuwan has described to me.
"It is looking good hukum. We can use it for the beginning of expedition and we can some more information as we come across more landmarks and things" I looked at the wall clock and it was showing quarter past three.
"You must take rest Bhuwan ji. I think this is good for now, I will make changes if required after showing it to my boss" He take it as a cue to retire for the night.
"Hukum, I have a question. I just can't sleep without knowing the answer" he stood up and asked with slight hesitation.
"Okay, come let's go on a night walk" I closed the door of my room and signaled him to move ahead towards his chamber. The sound of crickets was prominent in the darkness along with the occasional rustle of dried leaves from the orchard. The guards were standing near the gates with rifles in their hands, they looked at us from distance and then get back to their work.
"Bidi piyenge hukum (would you smoke)" Bhuwan offered me an Indian cigarette and I smirked because I knew that it was just an excuse to show the guards why we are out in the balcony.
"So hukum, who was he" I took the bidi and take a puff.
"Bhuwan ji, you are stubborn. Aren't you?" I chuckled and he smirked.
"Have you read Shakespeare?"
"Yes Hukum, I really liked his stories" His face lit in admiration
"What do you think about Romeo Juliet" I took another puff and blew the smoke in air.
"Great lovers, Epic love story Hukum, I really felt bad for Romeo. If he got informed about Juliet's plan then they could be saved. Don't you think so? It is very painful to imagine that your lover is dead" I looked at him, he has a tender and romantic heart under the macho look.
"And what if you become the reason of your lover's miserable life and then painful death." I was looking at the black sky when Bhuwan gave me a questioning look.
"Would you like to know about the story of Edward?" I looked at his confused face.
"Edward? Who Edward Hukum" He was curious that how an unknown person invaded our discussion over the epic love story.
"Edward was a nobody but he become the biggest merchant of diamonds. Would you like to know how?" he nodded his head up and down like a kid eager to listen the new bedtime story.
"You will find your answer in this story Bhuwan ji"
"I am all ears hukum" He smiled and enjoyed his bidi.
"Edward was a young boy who wanted a simple life. He wanted to travel places and one day settle down with a simple girl. He was from a noble family of England and the only son because his father has died in the war after his birth. He also aspired to join the British army but didn't join because of his mother." I tried to imagine my grandfather in his young age and smiled.
"But you know destiny don't work our way. Edward mother has died and he was free to follow his heart which he did. He has joined the army, got a reputed rank and travel the whole world especially the countries under British rule. Once he attended a ball in Europe where he met a beautiful girl named Celeria and his search ended for his love there." I looked at Bhuwan who was listening to my story with all his heart.
"Celeria parents were very happy when Edward asked her hand for marriage because he was a good match for their daughter. Edward and Celeria got married, moved to his home in England and had a son in second year of the marriage. They named their son Jack and loved him a lot. It was a perfect love story with happy ending but you know love is incomplete without pain" I took a deep breathe and continue my story.
"Edward was summoned for the war and he had to leave his love for his country. Celeria waited for him for long and after two years he came back, a little injured but fine. He had to go back and she said bye to him with teary eyes. She pray everyday for his well being but her world fell apart when she got to know that he was missing maybe dead. She was carrying Edward's second child and she couldn't head back to her home when the war was going on. The money was less and there were two mouths to feed, she did every job she could to earn some money. Her financial and physical condition has deteriorated. She has nobody to help in the foreign country and then she decided that she would risk her life to return to her home in Europe.
She has somehow returned to her homeland but only to find an empty home. Her parents were slaughtered, her home was looted and burned. She had only one person left who could save her and her children. She went to her sister Cecelia, a widow who was struggling to save her husband's fortune. Once a rich lady was now on a verge of becoming a beggar. Cecelia asked Cerelia to give her child to her so that she could claim her husband's fortune stating that she has his heir. Cerelia has no options so she gave up. She gave birth to twins and gave one of her son to Cecelia. She got the money in return and when the war get over, she returned to Edward's house in hope that he would come back and he did.
He came back forever because he has broke his right leg during war. He has been war captive for two years in Europe and tortured immensely. He has become a different person, a quite and self centered person. Celeria was not sure how would he take the news of the twins so she hided it from him. One day, Celeria received a letter stating that Cecelia and her son has died in fire accident. Celeria couldn't take it anymore and told everything to Edward but least did she know that he would start blaming her for his son's death rather than comforting her. Little Jack was seeing all the sorrows bestowed upon his mother and he started blaming his little brother James for that because he picked the words "my other son" in his father's vile words. Edward let out his frustration on Cerelia almost every day and one day she told him that it was all his fault. She defended herself saying that she did the right thing because if he has provided enough money to her then she didn't have to lose her child.
Edward left his home once again but this time he was blinded rage and vowed that he would not return back until he gather money for the lifetime. Cerelia's life has again filled with struggle but she didn't complain.
Edward returned after four years as a rich man. He has built a big villa for Cerelia, provided best education to his children and gave every existing luxury to his family but he couldn't bring back the happiness in his marital life. Cerelia was grief stricken with the death of her child and wanted emotional support from her husband which she never got. The pain has slowly eaten her alive and one day she closed her eyes forever." I felt moisture in my eyes which I dried with back of my hands.
"Hukum, life was not fair to her" Bhuwan uttered in sadness.
"I can't believe how the need of money can make us do things which we never dreamt of" he sighed and throw the remnant of his bidi.
"Indeed Bhuwan ji, money is very important but if you don't know how it should be spent then you will remain poor in one way or other. I have enjoyed every luxury in my life and taken money granted but when I met my wife, I knew it's importance and most of all when I heard this story, I thanked God that I never have to struggle financially ever." My lips were moving but my gaze was fixed in darkness.
"I can understand hukum. But hukum, how this story is related to my question" curiosity was seeping out from his words.
"One of the twins of Cerelia is my father" I heard a gasp and I half looked at the surprised face.
"Means the other twin has not died in fire and that guy was his..." I nodded my head a little and smiled at him.
Rose POV
"Mom, I think this is the right time to tell him" she caressed my left hand with her soft hands.
I was sitting on the chair after the meeting like a defeated person though I managed to assure our collaborators that Alex will look after the investment efficiently like I did. The emotional turmoil inside me has robbed my peace of mind. What James must be thinking of me? My daughter has sensed my emotional state and just looked at me with her kind blue eyes.
"Mom, you can do this." She cupped my face and made me look at her.
"I am sending him in, okay??" I stared at her blue orbs for a while and then nodded a little. She hugged me briefly and left the room.
What will I tell him? How should I start? How he will react? Won't he feel betrayed? Will our relationship be like earlier or he will also react like his father did to his mother?
The door closed swiftly and his presence dominated the room increasing the temperature by few degrees or I felt it because of my nervousness. His blue eyes bored into the depth of my soul when our gaze met. With his every step towards me, I wanted to sink in my seat and vanished under the ground. Is he ready for the bitter secret of his family?
The chair towards my right creaked a little under his weight. His left hand moved over the glass top of the table slowly and engulfed my right hand. His warmth spread over my hand wrapped my whole body with his love. My heart squeezed and tears pooled into my eyes which I blinked away.
I have to do this whatever the consequences will be.
"Rose, if you are not ready" I pulled my hand out of his grip and stopped him.
"I am ready but James....ask yourself if you are ready" he took a deep breath and nodded in yes.
"Whatever you read in that file is true. I have been raped" I saw his reflection in the glass topped table. He closed his eyes and his fingers curled into fists.
"When....and who" Although his words were soft but I knew his inside was bubbling like a live volcano.
"When I was pregnant with our second child....." My breathing become heavy like him and heat has engulfed my body even in the air conditioned room.
"That's how WE lost..." I nodded a little in yes. I have lost my child because of that incident. His knuckles become pale and then white because he dug his fingers deep into his fist.
"Who" I have no courage to look at his face because his reflection in the table was enough to scare me. His body was tense, face like stone and eyes burning the wall in his line of vision.
"He..y..yo..." My tongue and lips were trembling and I was not able to complete words.
"JACK" I moved my head a millimeter and the whole table crashed down into thousand pieces with the impact of his punch and made a thunderous sound. Nobody rushed into the room as it was sound proof.
Nobody knew that it was sound of shattering of glass or a heart.
"Why.......you didn't tell me?" He gripped my chin and demanded answer.
"Why...tell me" his blue eyes were blazing like blue fire.
"Fa..Fa.. Father stopped me" he was stunned when I mentioned his father. His eyeballs moved left and right vigorously searching for the truth behind my words while a frown appeared on his forehead.
"He knew??" I nodded my head a little.
"Why he didn't allow you to tell me" this same question was bugging me when he requested me not to mention that incident to James.
Flashback
"You must be thinking that why I am stopping you" I never heard him speaking so softly but I have no courage left to look at him.
"Rose, I know I am not a good man. I have lost all emotions but I can feel your pain because I have seen it before." I didn't turn to him but listened carefully.
"You know Ceri, my wife, she was an angel, so pure and pious. She loved me with all her heart and life but I didn't love her like that." He breathed deeply.
He told me his story that how their perfect life ruined into pieces.
"Dear, she has to bear a lot of pain and one of the pain was just like yours" my head snapped towards him within a second. His head was low and he was gazing at his hands.
"The only difference between you and her that she accepted this pain to survive, to earn few coins so that she could feed three mouths" I covered my mouth to prevent the sob escaping my mouth.
"When she pour her heart to me and told me about her sufferings. I knew that she was not at fault but I couldn't love her back like I used to. I blamed myself every second but she has faced the wrath of my frustration. I know my pain was less than her but I couldn't live in peace after that." He sniffed and slowly raised his head.
"Rose...please....I don't want my boy to go through that pain" his rough and calloused hands engulfed my little hand" his old grey eyes was glassy and his lips were quivering.
"Promise me Rose, you won't tell him" tears flowed down from our eyes and I nodded in agreement.
Flashback ends
James slumped back into his chair while I narrated the story of his parents.
"That's why Jack hated me. He thought I made our mother's life miserable" I put my hand on his shoulder.
He remained silent for few minutes and I let him absorb the revelation into his soul.
"Rose, this Alex" he looked at me and I nodded in yes.
"But you said this is your friend's son and it is just coincidence" I moved my seat near to him.
"He is your nephew" he was stunned.
"Did father know about him?" I nodded in yes.
"But your friend is married to...wait, where is my brother"
"He is no more........he died few months before we got married"