'Suraj was poisoned' Swara said from the doorway,
'By whom?' Sanskar asked
'By him... 'Swara gestured towards Sisodia 'Roopali aunty just told me...' She gave the mobile to inspector, telling him that everything was recorded in it as evidence.
Sanskar warned Sisodia 'Now, are you going to spill it out or do we need to resort to other methods?'
The inspector came forward and threatened Sisodia to speak out. Sisodia explained curtly
'The fight, between Adarsh and Suraj, happened unexpectedly. We never expected it. Suraj was already poisoned when Adarsh joined him at the club. Our plans were spoilt by Adarsh's fight with Suraj. When Suraj fell into the water, Adarsh could have got arrested for attempted murder if we had not made it look like suicide. No one came to know that Suraj was poisoned.'
'So you wrote the suicide note?' Sanskar asked him and he nodded
'So that is the reason, he could not swim despite being a swimmer...He was already poisoned....'Sanskar speculated. He asked 'Did Adarsh know about this evil plan of yours?' Sisodia shook his head and replied 'No....'
Ram Prasad asked Sisodia 'Were you the one responsible for stalking Sanskar and attacking him?' When Sisodia did not reply, Sanskar explained 'Yes dad, he was the one. He did not want us to air the documentary.'
'Also, he did not want you to find out about Suraj's death. That is why he fitted cameras in the room...'Swara added
'Adarsh was scared that Sanskar would find out about his hand in Suraj's death so we had to monitor Sanskar....' Sisodia disclosed
The police inspector hand cuffed Sisodia and dragged him away. Suddenly, a thought struck Sanskar and he asked 'Why did you try to kill Ishan?'
'What? We did not do anything to Ishan. When was he attacked?' Sisodia asked with surprise. Swara and Sanskar shared an anxious glance. So there was one more danger lurking around. Sanskar took out his mobile and tried to warn his friend.
Durga Prasad and Annapurna stared at each other like two adversaries. Annapurna watched her brother being taken away with distress and sadness. He had been the only support for her. Durga Prasad pointed out that 'Annapurna should also be arrested. She is the reason behind the entire trauma in my life...'
Ram Prasad and Sanskar were uncertain but Annapurna was shocked. She could not believe that her husband for whom she sacrificed so much happiness would allow her to be arrested...
'Would you really get me arrested? Don't you have any feelings?'She asked him with fear and dread
'What about my feelings Annapurna? Why did you not think about it before harming my son or the woman I loved?' Durga Prasad asked her with sorrow overcoming him at the fate of his son and his beloved. He crouched down as if his life had lost all meaning for him. Ram Prasad and Sanskar tried to hold him up but he was too shaken up with anguish. He could not face the fact that the woman he lived with, for so many years was responsible for the death of Mohini and their son. How could she be so heartless? He broke down completely and Annapurna, for the first time in her life, felt remorse and guilt. She realized the extent of his misery and pain. She never wanted the man she loved to be so heartbroken. And the reason was her own deeds...She buried her face in her arms and cried softly. Swara left the room giving the family privacy. She peeped into Roopali's room and found the woman exhausted with the emotional trauma of recollecting everything. She had fallen asleep. The nurse who was taking care of her, put her on medication. Swara did not want to disturb them. She moved on to a large balcony overlooking the backyard. She stood there watching the setting sun on the horizon.
As she lost herself in the landscape that stretched endlessly with paddy fields, she felt a pair of strong arms sliding around her waist. He pulled her back to him. Swara smiled and rested her head on his chest. He buried his face in her neck and closed his eyes.
'I could not see bade papa so shattered.' He mumbled....
Swara understood his pain and caressed his strong arms softly. There was so much hatred in the family.... So many people suffered....She sighed with sadness,
'Do you think he would forgive your aunt?' Swara asked
Sanskar straightened but his arms were still wrapped around her, 'I don't think so. She has lost him forever. She knows it. That is why she is also shattered and crushed.' Sanskar explained
'By the way Swara, your friend Hridoy was confined here but he escaped at night.' Sanskar informed her casually but he was worried about it. What if Hridoy surfaced again to harm Swara?
Swara turned around and looked up at him, 'He won't harm me Sanskar. I am worried that he would come after you.' She spoke aloud her thoughts,
'As long as we are together, no one can harm us. Come on let us leave this creepy house.' He pulled Swara's arm but Swara stalled him
'What about Roopali aunty Sanskar? We can't leave her alone here.' Swara asked him
'What do we do?' he asked her advice,
'Let us take her to Kolkata and admit her in a good hospital. I think she was neglected here and she is depressed and sad.'
'Ok let us move. Ask her nurse also to come..' he said
Swara was surprised to see Roopali pleased with the news of shifting to city. A faint ray of hope shone in her eyes and Swara was touched by her gesture of blessings.
They left the gloomy house by evening. Annapurna was asked not to show her face again to him by her husband so she left in the car she came by. She did not tell anyone about her destination. Swara felt that Annapurna should have been pleased that her husband did not get her arrested. Roopali was wheeled by her nurse into Sisodia's car and the car followed them. Annapurna did not bother about the sick woman who was the wife of her arrested brother. Swara was turned off by Annapurna's callous and unfeeling attitude.
Sanskar had already called up Ishan and updated him about the latest. He also warned him about Hridoy's escape and the danger lurking around Ishan. Sanskar's friend, the Cabinet Minister congratulated him on the successful mission over the phone. He was part of the plan that Sanskar and Ishan hatched to trap Sisodia. He helped them in executing it with the supply of weapons and personnel.
Roopali was housed in Maheshwari house temporarily till she was admitted in the hospital. When Sanskar and Swara reached Baadi, there was a small crowd at the entrance. They rushed in anxiously. They could hear the wailing of women from a house in the first floor. When Sanskar glanced at Swara, she whispered that it was Hridoy's grandparents' house.
She came to know from dida that the lorry Hridoy was travelling had plunged into the river and he was killed instantly. Swara was distressed at the loss of her childhood friend.She remembered the times when they used to fight and practice music.There were tears in her eyes. Sanskar hugged her quietly and comforted her. Though he felt relieved that Hridoy was no more to trouble Swara, he could not see the tears in her eyes. So he waited till she got a grip on herself and then left her, unwillingly. He headed straight to Ishan's house.
Sujata was shocked at the events that took place in her absence. She was aghast that Annapurna and her brother were responsible for Mohini and Suraj's deaths but she was happy that the truth was finally exposed. She hoped that Mohini and Suraj rested in peace now. She was not a woman who carried grudges.For her, past was over and done with.The Present and Future mattered to her more. And what excited Sujata was the fact that Swara's parents and grandparents would be coming tomorrow on the auspicious first day of the Navratri with their Priest. They would be fixing up the date for Sanskar and Swara's wedding.
Sujata wondered about Annapurna. Where was she? She did not come back home when her husband and his brother arrived. Sanskar called her up to brief about everything and he said he was going to Ishan's place. So where was Annapurna? She did not want anything bad to happen before her son's wedding. When she asked her husband, he said he did not know about her whereabouts. Durga Prasad refused to speak about his wife. He said he did not care where she was. She tried to call Annapurna's mobile but it was switched off.
When Sanskar met Ishan at his house, he came to know that the lorry driver who hit Ishan's car divulged the phone number of the person who hired him.
'Who is it Ishan? Not Sisodia again I hope.....' Sanskar asked but Ishan was hesitant to tell.
'Who Ishan?' Sanskar persisted
'It was Adarsh...' Ishan said
Sanskar was shocked 'Adarsh? But why attack you?' he asked baffled. Was everyone in his family a criminal?
Ishan shrugged his shoulders.....
'Have they caught him?' Sanskar asked but Ishan's reply perplexed him,
'Absconded?'
'Yeah, he knew that the police would go after him so he got scared and left the city..' Ishan explained
'The idiot...'Sanskar muttered 'Oh, I get it. History repeats itself. He does not want to see you with Nivedita..' he concluded,
'I don't know. Only he can answer. I think it is because I was the one who grilled him at his house and he hated it..' Ishan replied
'What about Nivedita? Hope he won't harm her.' Sanskar expressed his concern
'No. I got confirmed news that he left the city..' Ishan said
Sanskar shook his head...' The fool would never win any girl if he keeps running like this...'
The documentary on refugees was to be aired on Sunday with a teaser in the morning segment and the episode at prime time. Sanskar was busy in the office till late night to finalize everything.
Next morning, Sujata was excited and she instructed the servants about the decorations and cleaning. It was the first day of Navratri and everyone fasted in the house. Secondly, Swara's parents were arriving along with the priest. So she was busy with the preparations in the kitchen.
Sanskar woke up to hear his mother giving directions to one and all loudly. He frowned and checked the time. It was hardly six in the morning. He buried himself deeper in the pillow but his cell phone buzzed. It was Swara. He grabbed it and answered...
'Hello sleepy head....' Swara's voice greeted him
'Good morning to you too...'he wished back
'Guess what?' she asked excitedly
'What? Are you here?' he asked with excitement
'No Sanskar...How dumb you are...'She chided and he stared at his mobile 'Am I?' he asked her
'Yes, because my parents are coming to your house with Priest today..'She gushed
'Really why?' he asked. Now it was Swara's turn to stare at her mobile. She made a face at it and replied 'You don't know what that means?' she asked him
'No I don't know Swara. Please explain.' he asked her with mischief in his eyes..
'Go to hell Sanskar...' she disconnected the call with anger. Sanskar laughed and called her back
'Hello my Angel face....' he said when she answered the call
'What? Don't irritate me Sanskar...'she said angrily
'Ok Ok I know that they are coming home. I was just teasing you..' he said grinning to himself
'Will you be at home?' she asked
'Will you come?' he asked
'As if I will come to discuss my own wedding.....' Swara reminded him
'But I will be there at home.' He said huskily making her shiver.
'Sanskar...'
'Hmmmmm, Missing me?' he asked,smiling and staring at the ceiling...He was still on the bed and nothing was more exciting than a wake up call from Swara...
'Yes ...No..OK whatever.....'She fumbled and Sanskar laughed, wanting to kiss her...
'Sanskar listen...Don't you think that our plan against Sisodia was accomplished too fast. I mean such a seasoned Politician and leader he is....How did he get caught so quickly?'
'Because Swara....A) we had planned everything meticulously and everyone thought that we would go to Midnapore only after Ishan recovered...B) He did not expect his wife to expose him. That was a shock to him and it made our job very easy...and from then on everything moved smoothly for us. Moreover the team was constantly monitoring our moves so everything got over fast....'
Swara had to agree with Sanskar's logic....They talked for some more time and ended the call with reluctance... a warm smile lighting up their face...
Ragini was surprised at the unusual activity in the house. She realized that it was the first day of Durga puja and proceeded to kitchen to help with the preparations of the Prasad. Sujata beamed at her and asked her to take care of the special dish she was making...
'Chachi what is special today other than the puja? You seem to be making so many things...' she asked
'You don't know?' Sujata asked with surprise. When Ragini shook her head, she replied 'Arrey, your parents are coming here with the priest to fix the date of Swara and Sanskar marriage.' She dropped a bomb on Ragini. Sujata did not realize that she had let open a Pandora's box by her announcement.
Sharmishta and Dida watched the bright sky fade to a dark grey. A storm was brewing. They frowned at the signs of an upcoming hurricane which was unusual at this time of the year.
They were travelling in the car to Maheshwari House when they felt the gentle whip of the breeze. Shekhar explained that weather forecast predicted an unseasonal cyclone brewing in the Bay of Bengal and that it would be lashing the city soon. Dida looked at the ominous clouds and an unexplained anxiety took hold of her.
Ragini sat quietly in the kitchen corner and concentrated on the sweet she was making. Her mind was planning, weaving and evaluating ideas and actions. Swara did not tell her about this new development and she knew that Sanskar would not want to marry Swara. He loved her. She completed her chores and headed quietly to the study. She knew where it was. She had seen it while cleaning the study chests. She went into the study and closed the door. She picked up the key from the desk and unlocked the chest of drawer. She opened it quietly and found the small shiny .44 Magnum pistol which bade papa had kept for self defense........
PRECAP
Ragini's sinister silence, a jealous and possessive Sanskar and a frightened Laksh........Is everyone ready for the TEMPEST that would be wreaking havoc????