CHAPTER 11
"Meera?" Carol knocked the door.
"Carol! Got something?" She jumped from her seat.
"Nothing." She pressed her lips, feeling her pain.
"None of them?"
"No... I'm sorry." She said apologetically.
Meera didn't move, she was standing there as a rock.
It was getting harder, each passing minute, for her to cope up with her fear anxiety and Pain.
"Oh.. Meera." Carol hugged her, but she didn't hug her back. She was frozen.
"It will be all okay." She tired to comfort her but Meera was immobile. Paler and colder than before.
"I need to go." Meera said and slowly started walking out.
"Wait.. where?" Carol grabbed her hand.
"I don't know." She whispered and started moving out, slowly.
-----------------------------------------------------------
With heavy and steps, Meera entered the palace, walking inside the palace towards Samar's room. The only person who could help her was him now. So here she was, recalling that fateful call by him.
After biding goodbye to her love, she was waiting in her jet to take off remembering all the beautiful memories she had with Vivaan and, then Ira and Samar when her cell phone started ringing.
It was Samar.
"Hello?" She answered, hoping to hear Ira's voice once again.
"Meera??? I can't find her! Where is she? Is she with you? I was going to surprise her but when I returned...... there was some blood.... And she was gone! She wasn't there! Nowhere. She is hurt.... she is missing! Ira is missing." He said in a cracked, broken voice.
Though she couldn't exactly understand what he meant but she could sense the terror in his voice. She caught his meaning and terror seized her as well.
"I'm coming back." She whispered and got down the plane.
Meera finally reached his room and all she could hear was him screaming.
"What the hell do you mean? You couldn't find a single girl on a lone island??? Is that how efficient your police force is??............. oh you want me to wait??? Fucking hell! It's been two days!!!! What the hell do you think I'm doing??........ Go kill yourselves! I'll make sure that all of you, useless people, will lose your jobs!!!!" He angrily snapped and threw his cell phone on the door from inside which made her take a step back, outside.
She summoned courage, wiped her tears and knocked the door.
"What?" He yelled.
"It's me. Meera." She said and after a moment the door opened.
The man standing in front of her wasn't the man whom she met months ago. He wasn't a calm qualified doctor, but a serial killer who just lost his family. All shabby in tears and pain, looking like a drunk alcoholic.
"Did you find her?" He asked with a hope filled voice.
Painfuly, she just moved her head in denial.
"I know it's Veronica!!" He said angrily, punching the wall.
"Couldn't find her either." She wispered.
"And Vivaan?"
"I tried. But. I couldn't contact him." This time tears started rolling down her eyes and she immediately hugged Samar. "I'm sorry. I know how it feels. But I can't handle it all alone."
He stood silently, then finally hugged her back.
"We'll find her. We'll find everyone! And then I'll make Veronica's life hell."
"We will." She looked towards him.
"You look pale and weak. Have you eaten?" He gestured her to come inside the room.
"Yes. Even though I didn't want to but I can't keep my hands off food. I don't know why."
"You still look pale.. are you okay?"
"Yes just....." before she could finish her sentence, her head started hurting and she fell.
"Meera!" Samar caught her in his arms and tired shaking her up.
"Meera!" He called again and ran to bring in some water which he sprinkled on her face.
"Meera!" He shook her again and this time she came back to her consciousness.
"Thank God! Are you okay?"
"Yes yes.... I don't know what's happening. This the third time this week. It's just stress and tension." She said and got up back on her feet.
"Come." He pulled her inside and carefully helped her to sit on the couch, giving her a glass of water.
"What else do you feel?" He asked in a serious tone.
"Just hungry and dizzy. That's it. I'm okay. Seriously. I guess the island was off for me."
She shrugged.
"Wait." He went and pulled out a box from his drawer. "Take this."
She looked towards the box and frowned. "What? No!"
"Meera. Just to be sure." He pushed.
"But..."
"Please."
"Okay.." She took the box and went off after ten minutes she reappeared, even more paler.
"What is it?" Samar asked.
"It's..... It's positive" she gave him the box with shivering hands.
He checked the box and with a firm voice said. "Meera, You are pregnant."
-----------------------------------------------------------
She slowly opened her eyes, carefully observing her surroundings.
It was a beautiful hotel room, and she was lying on the bed, her hands tied with a rope. From the window she could see the beautiful Eiffle Tower, so she was sure that she is back in Paris.
She noticed herself dressed in her wedding dress and smiled how panic Tia was when she asked her to give one on a short notice.
"Oh.. you are awake." Similar voice dropped on her ears, and tired to focus on the image standing in front of her.
"Don't bother. These drugs are doing their work perfectly. You won't be able to get up."
The voice said again and smiled.
She lightly frowned on this, and tried raising her head. He was right, she couldn't even do that.
"Oh.. sorry. My bad." He said and sat next to her on the bed. "Drugs as in cocaine injections, you know? I'm not going to kill you but yeah.. I'm going to push you closest to death. Sorry about that though. Nothing personal, just family." He caught her arm.
She winced and tried to pull back but his grip was strong and she was weak.
"Here you go Ira Di." He smiled and gave her the injection.
"Raghav......" She whispered and drifted back into unconsciousness again.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Meera..." He shook her.
She lost colors of her face, and was shivering like a scared child. "I'll bring shame to the palace.. to Kapoor's.. to him. What have I done?" She was shaking badly.
"It's not your fault. You didn't do it alone. Come. Let's go to a hospital and get a formal check up." He said.
"No... I'll go myself." She said and grabbed her purse running out of the room.
"Meera wait." Samar called but she was already down the hall way.
He sighed and put his hands in his pockets, where they touched a cold piece.
He pulled it out and realized what it was, it was her bracelet.
It was Ira's bracelet he bought and gifted her.
Tears started dripping from his eyes again.
In anger he ran down to their bar and pulled a full bottle of bourbon, drinking directly from it. Sinking with his pain.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"No.. I can't be pregnant." She was chanting while driving as fast as she could.
"No... I have to talk to him." She pulled her cellphone and tried calling Vivaan again, which was not reachable as before.
"Please..." She dialed again and again and again still the response was same.
Now she stood in front of the parking of a hospital. It was broken and shabby but reliable and most importantly out of media's or anyone's eyes.
"I can do this." She took a deep breath and stepped out, walking slowly towards the hospital.
"Si?" The receptionist asked.
"Je veux .... voir le ... gynécologue.
(I want to.... see the... gynecologist.)" Meera managed somehow.
"D'accord. Remplissez ce formulaire et S'il vous plaît attendre votre appel.
(Okay. Please fill this form and wait for your call.)" She handed her a form.
Meera smiled weakly and walked towards the empty couches staring at the form, when her phone rang.
It was Carol.
"Hello?"
"Meera----news------------it's about------." Carol said but her voice was cracking.
"I can't understand. What are saying?" Meera said and checked her phone. It had poor network connection.
"Meera-----------------ship------------------news." Carol spoke again.
"I'm still not getting you." Meera frowned.
"Madame. C'est ton tour
(Ma'am. It's your turn.)" The receptionist called and Meera nodded.
"I'll talk to you later Carol." She said and disconnected the call and nodded towards the receptionist.
"Par ici. (This way.)" The receptionist guided her and stopped in front of a small room.
"Merci. (Thank you)" She said and pushed the door.
" Asseyez-vous, s'il vous plaît. (Please have a seat.)" The doctor smiled. "Hello, I'm Kate.... and you. look quite familiar..." the doctor frowned and soon as Meera sat down.
"Unm.. Hi. I'm..... I'm..... Sara. Must have met in subway or somewhere. You are english." Meera lied.
"Yes, Maybe. No, Canadian. You are Indian I believe." The frowned changed into a smile.
Meera nodded and smiled.
"Well, Ms. Sara. You want a pregnancy test?"
"Yes." She swallowed hard.
"Lets start with the procedure then." The doctor smiled and pulled the curtains.
After the check up Meera was sitting on the couch again waiting patiently for the results to come.
When Carol called again.
This time, Meera moved outside to have a better network coverage.
"Carol"
"Where are you?" She asked in a hurry.
"I'm.... somewhere. What happened?"
"Why weren't you atteding my calls?" She asked.
"What happened Carol?" Meera asked firmly.
"Did you watch the news?"
"No. why?"
"Watch it. Now." Carol said firmly.
"Okay.." Meera disconnected the call and went inside recalling that there is a telovision there.
"Excuse me? Can you switch to a news channel for a moment please?" She requested the receptionist who nodded and changed it.
Meera smiled in gratitude and turned her eyes towards the screen.
"Selon nos sources, nous pouvons voir que le navire est absent de ces deux derniers jours. Dans les 4 heures suivant le départ, ils ont perdu leur contact. Comme mentionné précédemment, ce navire appartenait au prince Vivaan qui était à bord avec ........
( According to our sources, we can see that the ship is missing from the past two days. Within 4 hours of their departure, they lost their connection with the main land. As mentioned earlier, this ship belonged to Prince Vivaan who was on board with .....)"
Before hearing anymore Meera fainted again.
-----------------------------------------------------------
It was 2pm now and Samar was dead drunk, still emptying the content in him.
"Babe?" A slender figure stood in front of him, and he caught her scent.
"Ira!" He smiled and tried to get up and she caught him. "Where have you been?" He asked the blurry figure.
"I'm sorry I had to go." She whispered softly in his ear.
"Oh.. I missed you so much." He touched her face with shaky hands, tears rolling down his eyes.
"Sh... I'm here now. I'm not going to leave you." She kissed his lips.
"You taste different." He said.
"It's the alcohol talking." She smiled and kissed him again.
"You are right." He smiled. "Oh.. I love you so much. You don't know how terrible it was for me to think that you are gone."
"I know and I'm sorry. Let's just forget the past as I'm eagerly waiting for my wedding night." She smirked.
"Me too..." He grabbed her shirt and started kissing her again.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Where is Anamika?" The king asked in urgency.
"She is in the prayer room your highness." The care taker said and the king almost ran towards the prayer room.
"Anamika." He whispered as soon as he saw her.
With teary eyes she turned towards him. "What is it now?" She knew it's serious. It's only then he takes her name.
"I got this today." He gave her a packet.
She frowned and took it.
It had exactly four photographs. Each of them had something scribbled behind them, an information related to the picture.
The first picture was taken of a medical office with Meera taking to a lady.
On the opposite side it was written.
'She is pregnant, currently at Jane Nursing Home.'
The second picture was of Ira, lying in a hospital room. Unconscious.
'ICU. Sylvia Hospital.'
The third had a picture of her younger son, Samar naked in bed with Veronica.
'He married her.'
The fourth was a ship, which sank. A logo of Vivaan's company on it.
'He is dead.'
As soon as the queen reached the last picture she was shivering with fear and dropped all the pictures.
"Anamika?" The king shook her, all she did was stare him back with wide eyes.
"I'll find them.... All of them." He said and hugged her firmly.
-----------------------------------------------------------
He was shivering in anger.
Great anger and Pain when he saw those pictures.
"How could she?" He clenched his teeth.
"Mr. Kapoor?" His Secretary knocked the doors.
"Yeah." He called with his eyes fixed on the pictures, specially the one which had Veronica in it.
"Sir the plane is ready."
"Let's go." He grabbed his coat and briskly moved out.
"Sir the driver waiting on the airport there wants to know his destination so that he can get the car as per the distance...."
This was something he couldn't decide himself. He randomly picked one of the pictures. It as Meera's.
"Jane Nursing home." He said and moved out.
After a few minutes he returned and started searching his drawers.
"Where the fuck!" He cursed and then he found it.
He pulled the revolver, tucked it in his belt and then moved out again.