12:30 PM, 3rd April, Disha's home
Amna stood motionless and frozen on hearing about the mention of her parents from Sarita's mouth, "Please tell me, Aunty... Your silence is killing me every passing second"
Disha made her sit on the sofa and she exhaled a long breath and began narrating again, "I, your mother Rohini Dasgupta, and your father Shekhar Dasgupta were school friends who had lost touch with one another after passing out. In late 1990, when my husband had just joined YM hospital, I met Rohini with a newborn baby girl in her hand in one of the annual ceremonies conducted by YM Group. The little girl was your sister, Vaani Dasgupta. We recognized each other immediately"
"Then I came to know that your father, Shekhar worked as a financial consultant at YM Group, and your mother was a medical researcher at YM laboratories. All four of us became really good friends after that. Both of them supported me a lot during the whole time but finally, I had to bid goodbye and come to Pandharpur"
"But destiny had some other plans, they came to meet me and Disha. Despite my telling them to stay away from my sorrows, they still insisted that they would help me in getting justice for my husband and expose the horrendous scandal of heart valves."
"I knew that I can't do anything against the YM group on my own. I needed help and your parents offered me the same. Shekhar decided to bring financial evidence and transaction records related to HV 94 while Rohini decided to bring the real data regarding HV 94 from the research laboratories"
"Spying into that high-security zone was not at all easy, especially for Rohini who was three months pregnant with you at that time. After a lot of efforts for three and a half months, your parents managed to get all the evidence and also the real reason behind the fire"
"Real reason? Destruction of evidence, that was it, right?", Amna asked with an unknown fear in her voice.
"Correct but the fire served two purposes for Mhatre, first one you already know, the second was insurance. After the failure of HV 94, YM needed funds and the fire gave him the required insurance amount, as the Special trial ward(STW) was enabled for a huge compensation from an Indian bank, in case anything happened to it as it had the most expensive machinery and medical equipment of YM Hospital"
"When all these things were happening, the news of the sudden demise of Yashwant Mhatre came into the picture and all the rights of the company went completely to your father", she said looking in the direction of Shreekant.
"After collecting all the required proof in Mumbai, your parents and I finally decided to hand it over to a highly authorized person of the state but we couldn't just trust anybody. Just then an idea came to my mind; Pandharpur every year had a huge annual regional temple festival and that year, Chief Minister, Health Minister and some very high ranking IAS and IPS officers were coming as the chief guests, I was a part of the media personnel and was bound to be present there."
"So we decided to hand over the proof directly in the presence of thousands of cameras and officials to the CM and Health Minister so that no one can deny the evidence. The date decided was the 8th of June, the day the inauguration ceremony was to be conducted. But then..." Her voice trailed off like the painful notes of the music as she clasped the handle of the sofa.
Taking a momentary break, she looked in the direction of Amna again, "Just four days before the decided date, I got a sudden call late night from your mother who said that she was driving to Pandharpur with Vaani. She informed me that somehow Mhatre and his people had come to know about the breach of the security"
"They had come to your parents' house but somehow Shekhar convinced your mother and made her and Vaani flee from the place in time. She was crying on the phone telling that she had left Shekhar in a big danger and was on her way to Pandharpur with all the proof that they had collected"
"As I was talking to her over the phone, I heard a strange thrashing sound and the call got disconnected... I knew something wrong had happened with both of your parents. I kept on trying to connect Shekhar and Rohini again and again but everything was in vain"
"The whole night I roamed like a mad person here and there thinking of what to do. Then in the morning, I got information about a road accident that had happened on Pandharpur-Solapur highway and the fact that the people involved in that accident were taken to Pandharpur Government Hospital"
"My worst fears came true when I saw Vaani being taken by Sister Geetha out from the hospital entrance. On enquiring near the hospital reception, I came to know that Rohini had died due to excessive bleeding... But she had given birth to a premature baby girl. As I was about to go inside and declare the identity of Rohini, something stopped me... Rohini was dead, I couldn't contact Shekhar and all of this was happening because of me"
"I decided in any way, I will keep you both safe and away from all this mess. I decided to first find Shekhar somehow but ultimately I got nothing. My sixth sense kept on telling me that Rohini didn't just die in the accident, someone intentionally caused it"
"I kept on searching for him for three days with all my effort but I was totally unsuccessful. I had a bad feeling about this but I was determined to protect you both from anything. So, I published the fake news in the regional newspaper saying that the accident had killed everyone who was there in that car"
"I ceased every proof of the fact that you both had survived the accident. Most of the government authorities were busy preparing for the temple festival and that worked in my favor. When I enquired about Vaani, I came to know that Sister Geetha had planned to take her along with her to Bangalore. She was well-known in Pandharpur as a kind and compassionate woman and I knew for sure that she would take proper care of Vaani. Now I had to do something for you... You were premature and very weak so I waited patiently"
"While staying in Pandharpur, I had joined an NGO to help some of the ailing patients in the memory of my dead husband. Using my identity as an NGO worker, I brought you from the hospital after around a month"
"Your mother was a medical student and I only requested the hospital staff to donate her body to a medical college but I made sure no one knew of her identity. To date, there is a missing complaint filed in Mumbai Police Station of three people, Shekhar Dasgupta, Rohini Dasgupta, and Vaani Dasgupta"
"Through my contacts, I finally found a place for you, Snehalaya orphanage, Lonavala, and finally sent you there, promising myself to never return in your or your sister's life. When I went to the orphanage, I was asked the name of the child by the caretaker, to which I had no answer. She requested me to give you the name"
"I always wanted you to stay safe and protected, so I named you Amna which meant the same. I convinced the caretaker to never mention my name to you, for the sake of your security and well-being and she agreed. Your adoption papers just mention the name of the NGO and not the person's name who brought you there for this reason"
"I came back to Pandharpur and finally decided to leave that place too. We finally settled in Pune. Shekhar was still missing, Rohini was dead and the proof was ultimately destroyed. I decided to never include anyone again in my fight. As Disha grew up, she came to know about everything, and despite my pleading, she decided to get justice for her father. She joined Mhatre Group only for that purpose and it was only a year back when we came back to Mumbai, the same place which snatched our everything years ago mercilessly"
After hearing everything, Shreekant was breathing hard, wanting to cry his heart out, his legs trembled for a moment and he gulped his saliva. He was shivering on hearing the truth of his father and with utmost fear asked, "So, my father is responsible for making Anna and Amna orphans? Is he the one because of whom your family lost a husband and a father?"
Sarita nodded, "Yes, everything changed within moments. Your father became richer and richer while these two girls lost their parents forever. I became a widow and Disha grew up fatherless. In the next few years, YM became ROYMHA and everyone seemed to forget everything except us. Disha and I are still stuck in the past, trying to cope with our loss even now"
A single tear slid down from his dark brown eyes, followed by another one until soon, a steady stream of wet tracks flowed down his cheek, releasing the grief and sadness that has been held inside of him for all this time but still he did not make a sound.
With teary eyes, Amna clasped the hand of Sarita, "You said my father was missing... Is it possible that he may be still alive?" Beads of perspiration began to preoccupy her forehead as she was anticipating the answer while Sarita exchanged glances with Disha on hearing Amna's question.
Disha looked in Amna's direction, "The thing is... I don't know how to say to you. Have you heard about the Ambodi Case, in which an unknown 25 years old male skeleton was found in early March?"
A trepidation of horror hunted down her body, immersing her skin from the fear of listening to the answer, "Are you saying that the unknown skeleton belongs to my father?" A strong blow of pulsating pain escorted her chest and her stomach stirred from its impact.
"Amna, I had fixed a voice bugging device in Anant Sir's cabin. The day a special task force was made for the Ambodi Case, I heard him speak to Parimal Sir, his business partner regarding that case. He was literally trembling in fear while Parimal Sir was trying to calm him saying things like no one will know, no one from the family of that man is alive and things like that"
Seeing Amna clenching her fists, Sarita intervened, "We are not sure of it yet... Let's hope that Shekhar is alive". Amna silently nodded with no more words.
Shreekant was filled with remorse, his eyes sore from the realization of what terrible and heinous things his father had done. He couldn't gather enough courage to stare at any of them. The truth had injured his heart and made him miserable and desolated still he somehow managed to ask, "Did Anna knew all of this? How did she find you?"
Sarita looked in the direction of Disha hinting her to answer Shreekant's question.
"Sir, It all happened on that fateful day of 8th February. Anna Madam had given an order for framing a marriage photo as a gift to you, a rare expensive silver frame. Do you remember it?"
"Yes, I remember... What about it?"
"I had also given an order for a similar frame for the photo collage of all the articles that my mother had written as Neelam to commemorate her birthday which was just three days later, on the 11th of February in that same shop. It was some sort of strange coincidence that somehow our orders got exchanged, maybe because of the same silver frame... Anyways when I reached the shop to take my order, I saw Madam sitting at a corner of the shop waiting for the person who would come to take the other order"
"She was all appalled and stunned to see me there but I had no idea about her real identity. She casually approached me asking about Neelam to which I simply replied that Neelam was my mother. Then she asked if my mother was an NGO worker, and that was it... My mistake, I should not have answered her that"
"But I answered yes and also told her that my mother was an NGO worker and a journalist long back but now she is not. Perhaps she was still not sure if my mother was the same Neelam she was searching for but finally the next day she reached my home just like you two"
"When she told us about her real identity, we both were shocked, After all, she was not Vaani Dasgupta anymore, she was Anna Mhatre, wife of Shreekant Mhatre and daughter-in-law of the same person who was responsible for all this"
"Anna had no idea about the big conspiracy behind all this, she just wanted to find her little sister and the identity of her parents but ultimately came to know about the truth just like you people. My mother told her that her sister's name was Amna, who was put up in Snehalaya orphanage of Lonavala"
"Shreekant sir, do you know Anna was going to tell you everything regarding her sister on 9th Feb, the day when you both had met for the first time in Canada. But fate had other plans... She came to know about what happened twenty-five years ago just a day before she could tell you anything. She knew that this truth will break you apart and distance you from your family even more, especially when you had married her without your family's consent.
"The main reason that she didn't involve you initially because she wanted you to concentrate on the business as she was well aware of the fact that Aruna Madam was searching for an opportunity to put you down in front of your father and snatch the things that rightfully belonged to you"
"So, she decided to hide everything from you. How could she have gathered the courage to tell the man she married that his father was such a ruthless man? My mother had warned her strictly not to get involved in the past anymore and live her life just the way she was doing before. But how could she? She was a victim just like me and my mother"
"She wanted our help to punish Anant Sir for his deeds, but how could my mother allow that? Twenty-five years ago, she involved her parents and it resulted in nothing but destruction. So, we decided not to help her in any way and instead kept on convincing her to stop whatever she was planning to do."
"Then on the 6th of March, that dreadful news came about her suicide. On hearing about that, I knew that it can't be suicide but what could I have done? I trusted no one from the Mhatre Family, not even you... Initially, I even doubted you, but I was not sure, there was a long list of people whom I suspected and your father was number one on that"
"List of suspects? Who are these people you are talking about?", Amna asked with a stuttering voice as Shreekant gazed blankly at Disha.
"First suspect... Anant Mhatre, he already hated Anna madam and perhaps he came to know about her real identity and motives. Second suspect... Mahesh Roy who had behaved indecently with her just a day before she died. She had given him a befitting reply by slapping him, which might have hurt his useless ego. Third suspect... Saket Mhatre, I know the fact that he liked her during his college days. Fourth suspect... Aruna Mhatre, who technically is not a suspect, she doesn't have that much sense to do something like this"
He gaped with his widened eyes, "Mahesh misbehaved with Anna? How dare he?", he spoke again digesting the anger, "In short, it can be anyone from my family. Looks as if you have been spying on us very diligently, but still it's really hard for me to believe that Saket can do something like this? Even Mahesh, just because Anna slapped him"
Disha averted her gaze down, "Sir, these are only my speculations, the real reason for her death is still unknown, it can any of these or even none of these"
"Do you have any idea what exactly Anna was planning to do?", Amna asked leaning her face towards Disha fisting both palms.
"I really don't know, perhaps she was trying to find proof regarding Study 94 but I don't think she was successful... I mean, ROYMHA has top-notch security, without the help of an insider no one can breach it. I have been working in Mumbai Head Office for a year but I still can't get into ROYMHA's secrets. Further, after listening to Shreekant sir's side of the story, I think Anna Madam must have bribed that person... Amol, to get some evidence against ROYMHA"
He pressed his hand against his forehead, exhaling deeply, and muttered, "So, this might be the reason for her death? She was trying to get evidence against ROYMHA? My father is responsible for a lot of things, but did he kill Anna?" Tears were flowing down his cheeks like a river escaping a dam.
Amna placed her hand on his shoulder, "Shreekant, we are still not sure about it but whatever your father has done to date, his hand behind Anna's death can be true in all probability. This a great country, where even after finding the culprit, the courts take years to give a final verdict, sometimes so long that both the plaintiff and the defendant are dead. But I will not leave this fight, neither will Disha and her mother, am I saying right?" She asked looking at Disha and Sarita.
"You are absolutely correct Amna, we will fight against Anant Mhatre till our last breath. This is the only thing, I can do for my father, and you for your parents and sister" Disha replied sternly as Sarita nodded in affirmation and said, "Shreekant, we will not force you to be a part of this... I understand Anant Mhatre is your father but I can only request you not to be a barrier in whatever we do" She folded her palms together while her eyes were still watery and red.
Amna looked into Shreekant eyes and said, "You came here as Anna's husband to know the truth and now it is up to you to decide how you leave this place, as Anant Mhatre's eldest son or as Anna's husband?"
A/N :
The truth is finally out... But what will be Shreekant's decision? Will he go against his own family? Will the secret behind Anna's death be out?