15.
“Boss, Ethan sends those men to kill you” Grover says as he comes inside the room.
I am wearing my watch. My fingers stop for a second on the strap, just one second, before I tighten it properly again. I lift my hand slightly, then turn toward the mirror.
I walk out of the room. Grover walks behind me.
As I reach downstairs, my eyes fall on everyone sitting there, already waiting for me. Some faces are smiling, too happy, more than necessary. Some faces are tight and gloomy.
I sit on my chair and start serving myself food. The cutlery makes a soft sound against the plate. I can feel four pairs of eyes fixed on me, watching every small movement, waiting for a reaction. I ignore them completely and focus on my food.
“Zayran, I made your favourite dishes today” DaDi says, leaning forward, about to serve me herself.
I raise my hand slightly to stop her. She freezes for a moment and looks at me with a blank face. Then, without saying anything, she quietly sits back in her place.
“You are all over the news, you know that, right?” DaDu says.
I keep eating. My jaw moves slowly. I do not look at anyone. The news means nothing to me. Noise never does.
“If we had trusted Liyara’s word, that bitch would have never entered this house. But what can we expect from cheap people like her” dadi says. My boot starts tapping slowly against the floor.
“Aap logon ko pata hai jo itni wah wah ho rahi hai na, uski woh layak nahi hai. Kothe wali ki beti hai woh. Society mein na uski, na uske ghar walon ki koi izzat hai” they continue, talking about her.
(You all know, she does not deserve all this praise she is getting. She is the daughter of a brothel woman. In society, neither she nor her family has any respect)
“We should fix the marriage date of Liyara and Zayran” Dadi says calmly. A few of them nod in agreement, murmuring their approval.
“Agar itna hi shauk hai use ghar mein dulhan bana kar laane ka, toh Dadu se shaadi karwa dijiye uski” I say finally, lifting my face and looking at them.
(If you are so fond of bringing her into this house as a bride, then get her married to Dadu)
The words hit the table like a gunshot. Every face freezes. Eyes widen. Mouths fall open. Shock spreads across the table in silence so loud it almost screams.
“Zayran!” Dadu shouts, pushing his chair back and standing up in anger.
I look straight at him.
“Yes. That’s my name, Zayran Kaalver” I say. His jaw tightens, teeth grinding together as rage flashes in his eyes.
“Bado ki izzat, sharam, lihaaz, sab khatam ho gaya hai” virendra says angrily, his voice shaking with disappointment.
(You’ve forgotten how to respect your elders)
I lean back in my chair slowly, I put the last bite of food in my mouth and chew it calmly before answering.
“Tha hi kab, jo khatam ho gaya,” I say flatly.
(I never respected elders in the first place, so how could I forget it?)
They glare at me as if they want to tear me apart with their eyes. Hatred, anger and helplessness burn openly on their faces.
I stand up from my chair and walk out of the mansion. Their burning gazes stay on my back.
I can hear footsteps behind me, four of them, following me like shadows, like a tail I can’t shake off.
“Bhai” Om calls out. I stop outside. All four of them move quickly and come to stand in front of me, blocking my way.
“What?” I ask sharply, trying to step past them.
“You knew she was here to gather information about you and you didn’t tell us” Yuv says, his voice tight with hurt and anger.
I raise one eyebrow slowly. “And Who are you all that I should tell you everything?” I ask in a low tone.
They stare at me as if I have stabbed them straight in the heart. Silence falls.
“Kya aap Sita se pyaar karte ho?” Shaurya asks, his voice serious, eyes fixed on my face.
(Do you love Sita?)
“Kya aap usse shaadi karna chahte ho?” Om asks next, stepping closer not blinking even once.
(Do you want to marry her?)
“Kya aap humein apne bachchon ke chachu banana chahte ho?” Yuv asks, trying to read something on my face.
(Do you want to make us uncles to your children?)
“Kya aap dono saath mein buddhe hona chahte ho?” Ishi asks softly.
(Do you want to grow old together?)
I close my eyes slowly, pressing my lips together. I am done with them. Completely done.
“Bhai, agar aap usse pyaar nahi karte, toh aapne use itni aasaani se jaane kyun diya?” Shaurya asks again, his voice rising with confusion. “Aur sab kuch jaane ke baad bhi aap jail kyun gaye? Aapko pata tha iska aapki image par kitna bura asar padega. Phir bhi sirf uske liye aap jail gaye. Kyun?”
(Brother, if you don’t love her, then why did you let her go so easily? And even after knowing everything, why did you go to jail? You knew it would leave a mark on your image. Still, you went to jail just for her. Why?)
All five of them nod their heads together, waiting for an answer I have no intention of giving.
“That’s my question too” Grover says quietly from behind, thinking I won’t hear him.
I do hear him.
“And don’t worry” Ishi says quickly, trying to sound reassuring “We’ll take revenge on her for you” Three of them nod in agreement. I know exactly what they are doing.
They are not trying to protect me. They are trying to protect her, from me.
“Bhai, bas please” Yuv says carefully, lifting his hands a little “woh movies jaisa mat karna, shaadi karke ghar le aana. Humein woh bhabhi ke roop mein nahi chahiye”
(Brother, please don’t do what happens in movies, marry her and bring her home. We don’t want her as our sister-in-law)
The other three nod along with him, their faces firm.
“She betrayed you, Bhai” Shaurya says strongly. “Hum uspar dobara bharosa nahi kar sakte”
(She betrayed you. We can’t trust her again.)
That’s it.
I pull out my gun, my patience completely gone. Before the gun even comes out fully, all of them disappear instantly.
I shake my head slowly and walk toward my car. I sit inside without a word. Grover gets into the driver’s seat and starts the car.
The Tiwari house shines softly under the morning sunlight. It is actually a government quarter given to his father but over the years, they have turned it into a home filled with warmth.
It is a dream house for those who cannot afford one and even for those who own palaces but still fail to find peace inside their walls.
The small gate of the house opens with a screeching sound. A bike is parked right there, clearly belonging to the head of the family.
As we step inside, the first thing that comes into view is the living room. The gentle sound of the morning puja bell echoes in the air and the fragrance of incense sticks spreads calmness all around the room, wrapping the house in peace.
He enters the kitchen, the very first thing he has been doing every morning for the last twenty-five years.
A soft, genuine smile appears on his face as soon as he sees his wife. Sunita Tiwari is busy making breakfast.
Sunita Tiwari is forty-seven years old, a calm and peace-loving woman. She carries purity in her heart and gentleness in her nature. She is the soothing presence of the family, while her husband is completely opposite.
Anil walks up to her and wraps his arms around her from behind. Sunita smiles shyly. Her hands stop working and she turns slightly toward him.
“Bacche aa jaayenge” she says softly, gently scolding him while Anil leans forward and kisses her nose.
(Someone will come)
“Woh toh bahut saal pehle hi aa gaye the. Aur humne yeh sab kiya isliye toh aaye” Anil says, hugging her tightly, his voice playful and full of affection.
(They came many years ago. And we did ahem ahem that's why they came into this world)
Sunita hits him lightly on the chest and turns her red face away from him. Her shyness is clear. But suddenly, a familiar fragrance reaches her senses. She pauses and turns back toward her husband, her eyes searching his face.
“Gajre laaye hain aap?” she asks with a soft smile.
(Did you bring flower garlands?)
Anil’s eyes widen in surprise as he suddenly remembers. He quickly takes the gajra out of his pocket and shows it to her with a proud smile.
Sunita turns around shyly, lowering her gaze. Anil gently places the gajra in her hair. Her hair falls slightly loose. The vermilion in her hair partition shines brightly.
Let’s leave them alone for now and take a small tour of the Tiwari house. The kitchen is on one side of the living room and on the other side is a small gallery that leads toward the bedrooms.
There are three bedrooms oppsss sorry two bedrooms and one store room, which belongs to the youngest child, Aditya Tiwari. He is nineteen years old and a college student.
The second bedroom belongs to Sita and Ananya. The room has a huge cupboard, so big that an entire Velqar could fit inside it but not their clothes.
There is only a mattress on the floor instead of a bed and a study table with a chair. The table, however, is completely covered with Ananya’s makeup products. Ananya is twenty-one years old and studies in college.
“Uth ja, Ananya” Sita says, lightly kicking Ananya.
(Get up, Ananya)
Sita comes out after taking a shower, looking fresh and clean, water droplets still clinging to her hair.
“Kitne din se sukoon se so rahi thi, par Bhagwan ko mera sukoon dekha nahi gaya” Ananya mumbles to herself, turning toward the other side and pulling the pillow closer.
(I was sleeping peacefully for so many days but God couldn’t tolerate seeing my peace)
“Kanha, kya main ise ek laat kheench kar maar doon?” Sita asks innocently.
(Kanha, should I kick her hard once?)
Ananya immediately sits up on the mattress with an irritated face. Her hair is messy, her eyes half-open, anger clearly written on her face. Without saying anything, she gets up and walks toward the bathroom, dragging her feet.
“Sab jalte hain mujhse is ghar mein” she mumbles to herself, annoyance dripping from her voice.
(Everyone in this house is jealous of me)
Sita quietly fixes the mattress, smoothing it with her hands. She then walks toward the window and opens the curtain slowly. Morning sunlight floods the room, touching the walls and the floor.
Sita smiles softly and takes a deep breath. She feels light, after so many days.
She looks outside toward the road casually but suddenly her breath hitches. Her eyes freeze. A car is standing there. Her heart starts beating faster. As much as she knows, it looks like his car but she is not completely sure.
“Kanha, kya yeh mujhe yahan maarne aaya hai?” she thinks, fear creeping into her chest.
(Kanha, has he come here to kill me?)
She quickly pulls the curtain closed, her hands slightly shaking.
“Bahut le li vitamin D maine” she mumbles to herself, trying to act normal.
(I’ve already taken enough vitamin D)
Slowly, she peeks outside again. This time, the car starts moving and heads toward the main road. Her shoulders relax. She lets out a long breath she didn’t realize she was holding.
“Maine kuch galat toh kiya nahi hai jo daroon” she says to herself, trying to convince her own heart. “Woh criminal hai aur usko pakadwa kar toh maine accha hi kiya”
(I haven’t done anything wrong to be scared. He is a criminal and handing him over was the right thing)
She grabs a towel and starts drying her hair roughly, her thoughts racing.
“Toh woh file apne Baba aur Commissioner ko kyun nahi di tune?” her subconscious asks sharply.
(Then why didn’t you give that file to your father and the Commissioner?)
“Jab woh criminal hai hi, toh usey faansi par latakwa deti. Par tune use bachaya aur sabse jhooth bola. Aisa kyun?”
(If he is a criminal, you could have gotten him hanged. But you saved him and lied to everyone. Why?)
She hits her head on the side wall. frustration and confusion mixing inside her chest. Her reflection in the mirror looks back at her, tired, conflicted and anything but calm.
“Bolo, sakhi, aisa kyun kiya?” Kanha asks her gently. “Kya Zayran tumhara saga wala pati lagta hai?”
(Tell me, my friend, why did you do that? Is zayran your husband?)
Sita freezes. Her movements stop completely. She blinks her eyes a few times, staring at nothing, her thoughts colliding inside her head.
“Saare ke saare yahan pagal hain aur mujhe bhi pagal kar denge” she says finally, forcing the thought away.
(Everyone here is crazy and they’ll make me crazy too)
She ignores the topic deliberately and pulls her hair in frustration, trying to shake the thoughts out of her mind.
Ananya walks out after a few minutes, not after a proper shower, just after washing her face. Her face looks fresh but her mood is the same as always.
She walks straight toward the cupboard, completely ignoring Sita. It is her daily routine to watch her elder sister behave like a street kid and pretend it is normal.
“Tu nahayegi nahi?” Sita asks, looking at Ananya with a disgusted expression.
(Aren’t you going to take a bath?)
“Kal hi nahaya tha maine” Ananya replies casually, picking out her clothes. “Aur waise bhi paani ki kami bahut hai, toh paani bacha rahi hoon main”
(I bathed just yesterday. And anyway, there’s a water shortage, so I’m saving water)
“Malichi kahin ki” Sita mutters angrily and walks out of the room.
(You filthy girl)
As she steps outside, she sees Aditya wiping his car collection carefully. Oops sorry not real cars, toy cars. His precious toy car collection is neatly arranged on the wall.
Aditya wakes up early every single day, not for college but just to clean that entire wall of cars. He wipes each toy carefully, lovingly. He cleans them daily, as if they are the most important part of his life.
“Aditya y....” Sita opens her mouth. Before she can complete her sentence, he shuts her up with a dramatic look on his face.
“Pata hai di, mai bahot handsome hu” he says innocently, puffing his chest.
(Sister, I know I'm very handsome)
Sita immediately hits him lightly from behind, annoyed. She mumbles something under her breath, shaking her head and walks towards the living room.
“Maa, what are you doing?” Sita asks as she enters the kitchen, her voice softening the moment she sees her mother.
Sunita carefully takes the paratha out of the pan and places it on a plate kept nearby. Steam rises from the hot food as she smiles warmly.
“Making my daughter’s favourite breakfast” Sunita says, her eyes full of love.
Sita’s face lights up instantly. She smiles wide, walks closer and kiss her mother’s cheek gently. “You are the best, maa” she says, adoring the woman who has always been her biggest inspiration.
“Pata hai, tere baba kitna dar gaye the jab tu gai thi” Sunita says, her tone turning emotional as she looks at Sita.
(Do you know how scared your father was when you went away?)
“Jab se tu gai hai, unho ne aur un dono chuhe billiion ne sahi se khana tak nahi khaya hai” she continues, worry clear on her face.
(Since you left, neither he nor those two have eaten properly)
She then steps closer and cups Sita’s face with her hand. “Sita, aaj ke baad aisa kuch mat karna, meri bacchi” Sunita says softly.
(But Sita, don’t ever do something like this again, my child)
Sita smiles a little, though her eyes turn moist. “Aap hi to kehti ho na, galat ko hamesha saza milni chahiye” she replies calmly.
(You always say that wrong should always be punished)
“Aur maine jo bhi kiya, sirf apne baba ke liye kiya hai” she adds.
(And whatever I did, I did it only for my father)
Sunita looks at her with emotions so deep that only God can understand them. Her smile fades into something heavier, something painful.
“Agar is duniya mein har galat karne wale ko saza milne lage na, to shayad hi koi bache” Sunita says quietly.
(If everyone who does wrong in this world starts getting punished, then hardly anyone would be left)
The smile vanishes from Sita’s face. Her eyes turn distant as a memory flashes through her mind, something she should not remember, something that still hurts.
“Sita, kaha hai tu?” Anil calls out from the living room.
(Sita, where are you?)
Sita takes a deep breath and walks out of the kitchen. She stops the moment she sees her father standing there, smiling widely, holding an envelope in his hand.
“Teri liye job ka offer aaya hai” he says, his voice filled with pride, making Sita’s eyes widen with happiness.
(A job offer has come for you.)
“Really?” she says in disbelief, her face lighting up. She quickly takes the envelope from his hand, opens it carefully reminding herself to breathe and starts reading what is written inside.
It is a job offer to teach children around five to seven years old. She has always wanted to become a teacher and just reading those words makes her smile grow wider.
“But the salary is ittu si” Ananya says from behind.
(But the salary is very little)
Sita gently nudges her with her elbow, warning her without saying a word.
“No worries, job hi mil gayi, bahut badi baat hai” Sita says calmly, folding the envelope.
(No worries, getting a job itself is a very big thing)
“Kiun, tujhe ab spy nahi banna hai?” Anil asks, teasing her.
(Why, don’t you want to become a spy anymore?)
Sita makes a dramatic crying face, her lips trembling on purpose. “Stop teasing me, you all” she says, shaking her head with a small smile.
She walks towards the dining table, pulls her chair back and sits down.
After a long time, she is having breakfast with her family, enjoying the food, the laughter.
Zayran is sitting in a pub with Ethan. Dim lights surround them and the smell of alcohol fills the air. Zayran drinks silently, his eyes fixed on the table in front of him, his face unreadable and cold.
“I never thought that you’ll go behind bars but look” Ethan says with a smirk on his face, enjoying every second of it.
“You know, I like your unbothered attitude” Ethan adds as he gets up from his seat and walks behind Zayran slowly. He places his hand on Zayran’s back, exactly where he got wounded two days ago.
“Don’t think too highly of yourself and join hands with me” Ethan says, pressing hard on his wound. Blood starts oozing out, slowly staining his white shirt red.
He does not say anything nor does he show any pain. His calm and unreactive attitude makes Ethan grit his teeth in frustration.
Zayran slowly gets up from his seat and turns towards Ethan.
“Nice to meet you” he says and turns around, walking out of the pub without looking back.
But this bothers Ethan as hell. Zayran has been sitting with him for the past one hour and he has not said a single word. He just sits there silently, drinks and now leaves like this.
Somewhere deep inside, fear creeps into Ethan’s heart because Zayran never does anything without a reason.
The cold night breeze hits his face sharply. He sits inside his car and Grover starts the engine without asking anything.
“Boss, the commissioner is planning to get his son married to Sita” Grover says. Zayran’s eyes slowly open.
“They are going to meet tomorrow” Grover adds. Zayran looks outside the window, his gaze fixed on the open sky. A slow, dangerous smirk appears on his face.
Zayran enters the mansion. His eyes fall on Gauri and Neelam, who are sitting in the living room with fractured hands, their faces pale and full of pain.
He does not stop. He walks straight upstairs, ignoring them and everyone else present there.
“What happened to them, Grover?” he asks innocently.
“Kisi shareef insaan se panga liya hai shayad unhone, boss” Grover replies while placing a pile of files on the side table.
(Maybe they messed with some decent person, boss)
Zayran nods his head, removes his tie and watch and places them aside. Grover quietly walks out of the room.
Zayran starts moving towards the closet but suddenly stops. He turns and walks towards the corner of the room. The vase, which used to have fresh and different flowers every day, is now empty. He stares at it for a moment.
Suddenly, he pushes the vase from its place. It falls and shatters into hundreds of pieces on the floor. His eyes fix on the broken vase. He keeps staring at it but the only thing he can see right now is her face.
Grover walks into the garden where Tara is sitting quietly in a corner. She is looking up at the sky, her face relaxed, her body calm, as if she is lost in her own thoughts.
Grover slowly sits beside her, keeping a safe distance, careful not to make her uncomfortable.
Sensing someone’s presence, Tara turns her head to the side, only to see him sitting there. For a moment, she is surprised. She is about to get up from her place but she stops when she sees Grover extending a bouquet of sunflowers towards her.
She looks at the bouquet, then lifts her eyes to look at him. As always, he is looking down, like a scared puppy. He does not meet her eyes at all. She hates this habit of his the most.
She grabs the flowers from his hand, almost like snatching money from a sibling’s hand. Both of them sit silently after that not speaking a single word.
A shy, small smile slowly appears on Tara’s face, while clear relief settles on Grover’s face.
“I’m sorry” Grover says softly, his voice low, apologizing for his behavior towards her.
“It’s okay” Tara replies gently as she realizes that now he wants to come closer to her.
“I di… didn’t want a relationship be… because I was s… scared back then” Grover says, struggling with his words. Tara rolls her eyes slightly and then looks at him.
“You are still scared” she says softly. Grover finally lifts his eyes from the ground and looks at her after ages.
But the moment he notices her eyes already on him, he immediately looks down again, his fingers curling nervously.
“I… I want w… we… I… you” he tries his best to speak, his words breaking again and again. He fails, just like every time.
“Keep quiet and enjoy the moment. Don’t know when you’ll change your mind” she says gently, moving a little closer to him.
She understands his broken words without him saying them properly and inside her mind, she is dancing, oo lala ooo lala, trying hard not to smile too much.
“Are you free tomorrow?” he finally asks, this time without stuttering, surprising even himself.
“No, there is important work tomorrow” Tara says sadly, her smile fading a little.
“Don’t worry, I’ll manage that. You just be ready” he says. She looks at him with soft eyes, then nods her head slowly while biting her lips.
Both of them sit there for a few minutes, feeling calm, peaceful and happy in each other’s presence.