‘Hate me Hate me, show me how you hate me
Show how I’m trash, And you can easily replace me’~
AAYANSH OBEROI—
“But bhai, getting to this villa is not a tough task for AJ, he’d reach here anyway!” Rivaan articulated, placing the tab before me carefully.
“That’s exactly what I want,” I leaned back on my chair, watching the smoke curling around me, my expression were calm.
Rivaan hesitated, knowing I didn’t like anyone questioning me. Still, he gathered the courage. “B—But, how, bhai?!”
I looked up at him. His eyes instantly darted to the floor, “You don’t need to know that.” I stated, hitting another slow drag.
He nodded.
I rested my head against the crown, shutting my eyes. “What about the work I handed you?” My voice was cold, severe.
“Yes. It’s done. Your marriage’s news is all around—Like wildfire.” He answered without looking up.
“Handle those media shits, I don’t want any unwanted chaos.” I ordered, he immediately acknowledged.
That’s when a slow knock rumbled in the cabin. Then came a figure with controlled, measured steps. I sat unbothered, clearly having no interest in acknowledging my so-called father’s second wife.
“What’s going on, Ansh?” She pressed, stopping a few steps before me.
My eyes shifted to her, she flinched under my gaze.
I tilted my head slightly, making sure the words I say gets through her head. “Aayansh, Mrs. Oberoi. My name is Aayansh.”
Her lips parted to say something—anything—but shut the next second in caution. Of course she knew the treatment her husband received last time.
“You,” She pushed her shit words out warily again, “You’re marrying?”
“Accurate information!” I said, crushing the used cigar in the ashtray.
Her brows knitted together at my response. “Beta, tomorrow is Aaina’s death anniversary. She was your mother, how can you marry the same day?”
“Exactly the way I would have married any other day.”
Her frown deepened.
“Who is the girl you’re marrying?” She asked timidly, “I know you don’t like us. But at least, we have the right—”
“A—Aa.” I cut in, my gaze darkening. “You and your husband don’t have any right on me, and especially my wife. So stay the fuck out.” I didn’t raise my voice, but the words were dead clear.
She gulped at the warning.
Then, that drama resumed. “I’m not your mother, but at least her sister.” Moisture glistened in her eyes. “Tomorrow is the day we lost her, you shouldn’t have done this to her.”
I didn’t react, my bored gaze stayed on her.
And she herself left.
I drop my head to the headrest, the world when I was that young boy again flashing before my eyes.
PAST (AGE: 8 YEARS)
“Ansh, come out,” Her voice came fragile, softer like always. My mom. I wanted to rush out and hug her tight, but I didn’t move and kept myself hidden. I couldn’t talk to her as I was mad.
The silence in my room filled with the jingles of her bangles.
“Ansh, please, you’re scaring me now!” She called again, more desperate, more restless. “You know your mom’s heart is weak.”
She searched for me all over again.
That was it.
I didn’t want to trouble her more.
So I immediately came out and ran near her, my arms looping around her waist from behind. My eyes were close, feeling the comfort she brought with her embrace. And then, she turned around and dropped to her knees before me. I blinked at her. My mom, she’s the most beautiful face I’d ever seen.
But the moment I noticed the sheen in her dark blue eyes, I asked. “Why are you crying, mom?”
I didn’t like that. Never.
“I’m not,” she said, rubbing the back of her palms over her eyes one by one.
For a moment, I just stared at her. She never lied, not to me. But right now, she was.
“But I’m angry with you,” I began to complain, folding my arms over my chest. “He cannot talk to you like that, and why do you let him?! You don’t even let me say anything. I don’t like him.”
“Ansh, aise nahi bolte, he’s your dad.” She gently held my folded arm and pulled into her lap in the bed.
“You’re my mature boy. You know your mom’s condition. I may trigger him sometimes.” She murmured, trying to melt me. “That’s all! And I know, he loves me more than that.”
She caressed my hair, but I quickly looked up and told her. “Not more than me. No one in this world can love you more than me.”
She smiled brightly, “Of course, no one can love me like my ansh does.” She pinched my nose.
And then, she rested her forehead on mine as we looked into each other’s eyes. “You know, love is the only purest thing that can heal every dead emotion inside us.”
“Dead?!” I cut in, curios to this new word. “What does that mean, Mom?”
“Umm... dead means when someone goes far away from our reach.” She explained but I didn’t like the sound of it. Worst word I ever learnt from her.
“But why, we can never see them?” I asked further anyway.
She paused for a moment, kissing my cheek as she said. “Because they become angels.”
“Now leave all this! Today is my boy’s birthday, tell me what do you want from me?” She added quietly, excited more than me.
I waited to choose the best thing I wanted from her. Then, “I want to see you in that red saree.” I cooed with the same excitement as hers.
“Okay done,” She kissed my other cheek. “Anything else my boy?”
Again, I paused to think about my other gift from her, but I wanted her to find out herself.
“I want something special, mom,” I told her.
“Alright, I promise this birthday would be the most special and memorable birthday of my Ansh, okay?”
I nodded.
And then, her expression changed. The warmth didn’t fade, it just severed. “You’re way more mature than your age, my big boy, right?” She looked into my eyes deeply. “I also need a promise from you.”
I didn’t say anything, just waited for her to complete.
She sighed as I kept staring. “Promise me you’ll never become weak. You’ll never cry, no matter what the situation will be.” Her voice dropped, quieter now. “You know, my heart won’t be able see you like that. So, promise?”
And then, she just smiled.
I knew it wasn’t real.
“Promise.” I said, smiling like her.
“Now go! Aashi must be waiting for you!” she hurried up and pulled me off her lap, and before leaving, I turned, only to see her beautiful face once again before it disappeared.
She winked.
It was evening already when my teacher dropped me to my home.
“Mom, where are you?” I called out, ignoring every other thing around. I was so excited to see my birthday gift from her. I rushed toward my room, strangely there was no precious decoration like every year. And mom wasn’t there too.
Was she mad at me after what I told her in the morning?
“Mom?!” I called again, louder this time. But no response. The staff uncles and aunties stood like statues, their heads lowered, completely silent.
Without waiting a moment, I made my way to mom’s room.
Dad, Anika masi, Nanu and some more people I didn’t recognise were present there. They were quiet. And all of them were crying... except dad.
But why, it was my birthday?
I passed through them, and then, my eyes fell on the floor and I stilled.
Mom laid there. Silent. In that same red saree I wanted her to wear as red was my favourite color on her. And everything I loved, mom loved it too. She looked beautiful like ever. Her thick lashes were bent close, like shade of peace in the chaos. But there was no shine on her face, her lips were dried, her pale face all quiet. As if she was peacefully sleeping after a long, exhausting journey... far away from every evil.
But why on the floor, why like that? No smile, no warmth. I didn’t like her silence at this moment. I didn’t want to see her like this.
I turned to dad who stood unmoving, his face was blank, then I looked up at mom again. This time, my eyes lingered on her face, the hole between her shut eyes, some red fluid pooling out of it. Blood. She was all covered in her own blood.
Someone hurt her. But who?!
My fists clenched, something snapped inside me so hard it ached into my chest.
“Mom?”
She didn’t answer.
She never ignored my voice.
I stared at her body, there were scratches, cuts, wounds on her arms and neck.
I quickly moved to her but someone caught my hand from behind. I didn’t turn, never away from mom, I didn’t want to see anything or anyone but her.
“Aayansh! Don’t go near her!” It was Anika masi’s voice.
“Leave my hand, she’s hurt, she needs me!” I yelled and yanked my hand away from her grip.
A forwarded a step near, just then, a sharp slap landed on my right cheek. My body shook, but I didn’t let myself fall, didn’t even glance at him.
I was still looking at mom. The way she stayed calm, she didn’t come to hold me. Didn’t call me “Ansh.”
Nothing.
“You’re not a little child, Aayansh.” Dad said. “Can’t you see your mom is dead. Aaina is dead.”
Dead. The same thing mom explained to me just a while ago. That meant she was gone far away from my reach. Still, she was before me. I could see her, I could feel her presence.
“She did a suicide.” Dad’s words rang again.
This time, I peered at him and asked quietly. “What does that mean, dad?”
He sighed, closed his eyes for a long moment before answering. “She killed herself with her own hands.”
His words echoed in my head as I observed mom. “She killed herself with her own hands.”
My heart raced.
She couldn’t.
“No!” I glared at dad. “You’re lying! My mom can never do this! You’re a liar.” There was anger in my voice, more than that, it was hurting.
Dad’s eyes hardened.
I didn’t care. I never did.
Mom told me on our birthdays, angels comes to bless us. She was herself an angel, she could never do that. I knew her. She was too strong, stronger than anyone.
My dry eyes hurt.
She kept her promise, making my birthday memorable, so I’d also keep mine.
I moved near her and dropped to the floor beside her. Taking her hand in mine, I placed it on my chest. Her hands were cold, lifeless, there were no bangles. Instead, they were stained with her blood.
“Mom, can you hear me?” I whispered, rubbing her hand on my chest to make it warm. She stayed still. No movement. I bent, from her forehead, I put the strands of hair behind her ear as they must be causing irritation to her.
“She was bloody whore, good, died herself.” I heard a slow murmur.
Whore? What did that mean?
It sounded bad.
I inched my head slightly toward the uncle who used this word for my mom. My blood boiled before I even understood and I rose, at the very next moment, I grabbed the glass vase from the table near me and hurled it at him, right at the throat, because he dared to mouth something bad about my mom.
Everyone around panicked, shocked as they glanced at his body on the floor, the long shard of the glass piercing itself deep into his neck, blood continuously spilling out. Staring at him like that... I felt satisfied.
Just then, dad caught both my arms and yanked me back forcefully.
And—some giant men dressed alike in white, came near mom.
They gathered her onto something like bed, I tried to pull free of dad’s hold, screaming. “Leave her! Leave my mom. She’s hurt.”
They didn’t stop.
No—I couldn’t let them touch her.
I punched on dad’s hand, kept yelling, but it didn’t affect any of them. And soon, they took her away. I couldn’t protect her.
But I had to protect my sister from them.
“Where is Aashi?” I shouted at dad, but he didn’t say anything. I got up and started dismantling everything around. But then—I felt a prickling sensation at the nape of my neck, before everything around blacked out.
“Ansh, get up.”
The voice kept echoing in my ears until I opened my eyes and pushed myself up. I quickly looked around—where was she? Was it all a dream?
There was just darkness around. I couldn’t even see myself, I tried to look for Mom anyway. My steps re-sounding through the walls.
That’s when I realised something warm dripping from the back of my head, I touched it and a light groan escaped past my lips. It was blood. I didn’t care about it. I needed to look for Mom, and aashi.
But where was I? Who brought me here?
I needed to get out of here.
“Torture this little mother fucker until his mind shuts and he acts like my puppet.”
This voice, it was low, familiar. But I couldn’t place from where it came, my head was heavy, I was bleeding.
Before I could take another step ahead, something sharp hit my neck again from behind.
PRESENT:
I stared at ceiling, many things came back at once. The truth was—I didn’t feel anything for anyone. From the beginning itself, the darkness wasn’t around me; it lived within me. And I didn’t need anyone, but I wanted her.
The story I left incomplete years ago, it had to come to the end. Soon enough.
ARSH JINDAL—
“It seems like a rare case,” The doctor’s voice made me turn to him and that girl who laid in the bed, unconscious. “I think many kind of solutions, viruses, then the antidotes had been injected into her body.”
I frowned at his statement.
Catching my expression, he exhaled and continued in the same tone. “Yes, as I said, it’s rare case where human bodies are used for laboratory purposes and experiments, like animals. It’s illegal and I think,” He gazed at her briefly. “She’s a victim of this since she must have been just two or three.”
I froze.
It was inhumane.
My jaw tightened, but everything made sense, the place where this little girl was, it was an illegal area itself.
“She’s underdeveloped, both mentally and physically.” The doctor continued carefully. “And the way she behaved before falling unconscious, that can be the one indication of her condition.”
I said nothing.
He stood up, picked his bag. “I’ll let you know the further things once the reports are out. But please, be careful with her.”
I just nodded in response.
I picked my phone again to reach out my men, needing to know if they found anything about Tara, or even a slightest trace.
“This is the place, Luca. I’m sure he has kept Tara here.” I muttered, gazing at the places marked in the digital map. These were those where that bastard thrived, his illegal businesses, and everything. And the place I marked, it was a villa. His villa that had been set deep within the forest.
12 hours. That’s all I was left with.
And ahead all of that, his marriage news, tomorrow. If it was correct—I was sure it was about my Tara. But that would never happen. Never. Every nerve in my body was on edge, ready to burst the rage I held back.
I felt useless, like a loser. Hours had passed and my hands were empty. Though, this wasn’t the time to sit and blame myself. He wouldn’t hurt her. Bullshit. Once I get my sister by my side, there was no holding back. But before that, if anything happened to her, first I’ll skin him alive, then myself.
“Boss, I don’t think he’d keep princess at such a place which is easy to track.” Luca interrupted, tensed.
“He’s clever, Luca. Too clever. He does what no one even thinks of.” I straightened, my demeanor a void as I ordered. “I’m not wasting another second. Get the car.”
TARA JINDAL—
The gun’s weight was something that still lingered in my palms. In the morning, when Lucie entered the room and the gun slipped past in panic, I somehow managed to hide it from her. And till now, I was holding myself together as this was the last and the only hope.
I’d get out of this place, very soon.
The sound from the door made me stiffen immediately, I fixed the pillow over the gun and lifted my head toward him who stood there, his gaze already on me. I kept my face blank, at least tried to, as he came near me.
All of a sudden, he threw some envelope on my face and said. “Be ready, I’m marrying you tomorrow.”
I was flabbergasted, for a long moment.
Before my blood boiled.
“What? You—You’re lying.” I demanded, fuming in rage and insult.
He placed a knee on the bed, tilting over me, his presence closing in. “I don’t lie,” he murmured, his fingers brushed my cheek, his voice low and cold.
But this time, without hesitation, I fired back. “I’ll never marry you, rather I’ll die.”
An evil grin tugged at his lips. “I didn’t ask you. I have commanded you.” His mouth hovered above mine and the next words vibrated straight into my skull. “And I will decide whether you’ll live, or die.”
With that, he straightened up and walked to the closet.
How evil could someone be?
I kept staring in that same direction, composing myself and pushing every other thought down. I took a deep breath and very carefully, pulled the gun out from under the pillow. Its weight pressed into my palms, cold, biting. But this was it. If I backed off now, I wouldn’t be able to escape from here.
I rose slowly, that’s when his voice dragged me back to the reality. “Hold the gun tight, otherwise it’ll slip again.”
My eyes flew open.
I whipped my head toward the closet.
He stood there, leaning against the door and folding his arms, in nothing but black trousers.
When the fuck did he see the gun?!
I had no time to process as he took a step near me, I raised the gun at him, warning. “Don’t come near me! I’ll shoot you!” He stayed unbothered and I repeated. “I said I’ll shoot you! Stop there!”
“Of course, shoot me right here,” He pointed at his chest, his smirk only deepening as he took another step ahead.
“I said stop! I’m not kidding!” I panicked, but that didn’t budge him, not even a little.
“I have given you that right, you can stab me, shoot me, but can never stop me from close to you.” He was now almost in front of me.
“Stop it! Just stop!” I screamed, and out of nowhere, my fingers pressed to the trigger. The loud sound of the gunshot tore through the room and I covered my ears, my eyes squeezed shut in dread as the gun slipped once again. But this time—
To be continued~
Write a comment ...