56| A surprise?
"Kya jaanna chahti ho?"
The voice rings in from behind, Tara freezes.
Curiosity kills the cat, as they say.
Cursing something in her breath, she turns only to find Aaryan Oberoi standing a few steps away with suspicion in his eyes.
Tara hesitates, then quickly tries to divert the situation. "Doesn't aashika's taste so good, Mr. Oberoi?" She glances around, "Her room is giving regal vibes, unlike Aayansh whose place always looks like a crime scene."
"I'm not as big a fool as you're taking me for." He presses, clasping his hands behind him.
Tara exhales, knowing this wouldn't help.
"Can I ask you what you're doing here?" She questions back, staring into his eyes without flinching.
His expressions turn serious.
"Can't I enter my daughter's room?" He presses, his tone strangely soft.
"Of course, you can." Tara answers "And similarly, I can also visit my sister-in-law's place." She pauses, then adds "By the way, Daughter? But I've always seen you all treating her like a stranger. Weird no?"
Silence follows.
"Because she chose to live here as a stranger." Aaryan finally says, breaking the stillness.
A frown tugs at Tara's face, confusion flicking through her gaze.
"She's not here for love" He adds, his tone laced with agony "She's here for vengeance."
With these words, a flashback flickers before his eyes.
"No one will raise voice at my sister" Aayansh's words stun everyone into silence. They stare at him, dazed. Opposite to this, a faint smile tugs at Aashika's lips, but she quickly hides it away.
"She tried to kill y-" Tara interrupts but Aayansh clamps his hand over hers, making her turn instinctively as he heads inside the palace-unbothered.
But here, Aaryan's mind has stopped at one word "Sister?
" He repeats into himself.
His mind shifting back to the same morning when Aayansh confronted him with the name 'Mannat sinha'-The woman whom Aaryan gave the identity of aashika in order to preserve O.R.
He returns to his room, dialing one of his most trusted men and O.R's Managing head, Ashray's number. With a tone urgent as death, he orders "Ashray, send me this girl Mannat sinha's employee history from the company's records."
"Alright, but what happened, sir? You sound worried." Ashray questions, noticing his strange tone.
"Just do what you're told" Aaryan snaps, cold sweat drops gleaming on his forehead as he rubs his palm over his face.
Many questions are tossing into his brain-Aayansh knows about his conspiracy of giving 'Mannat' aashika's place to use her as a pawn, then why did he address her as 'Sister' at that moment?
After around two hours, Ashray contacts him.
Aaryan picks the call without pausing a second.
"Sir, there's not even a single clue of 'Mannat sinha' in O.R's employee history."
"Have you lost your mind, ashray?" He rages out, his patience thinning.
"I'm equally stunned. But sir trust me, I'd gone through the whole confidentials, employee records of the last 7-8 years. Not even her name is mentioned anywhere."
"How the hell is this possible? That girl had worked seven years in O.R-Check everything again."
"Sir I have checked many times, there is no mention of 'Mannat sinha' in the employee history. Maybe someone has manipulated and deleted company's confidentials. And this can be only done by someone who's connected to the company for a long time, or maybe some hacker-"
"Sir-"
"Sir? Are you there?"
Everything freezes. Aaryan Oberoi stirs as if cement is being injected into his spine, unaware aashika herself vanished Mannat Sinha's profile from the company's history long ago as she knew how wicked her father is.
Aaryan sits back on the couch, trying to connect the dots.
Mannat Sinha- The girl entered into their life as Riva's friend seven years back-joined O.R, Oberois' Empire as an employee-won their trust and comfort by living within them all those years-To the point Aaryan Oberoi gave her his dead daughter Aashika Oberoi's identity to use her as his greatest pawn.
And now? When he turned back the pages, there's no Mannat Sinha.
Everything was a trap, a smooth trap where he thought he's playing, without even realising he's the one who was being played with.
Above all this, Aayansh addressed her as 'Sister' in front of everyone, each of these is indicating toward-
Next Day~
O.R, EXECUTIVE SUITE
Clad in a red tailored suit, her shoulder length hair falling free and a light touch up gracing her face, aashika is just about to step into the cabin when a voice stops her.
"Mannat?"
She doesn't turn, doesn't flinch, even.
"You're not mannat" Aaryan Oberoi questions, taking a step toward her "Who are you?"
Silence.
Then, his eyes narrowing in disbelief and pure shock. Voice nothing but a slow murmur "Aashi?"
Aashika faces him this time, her expressions unaffected with his daze. "Late, but" She says, "Happy realisation-" She stops, her lips curling in a smile, not kind, but something lethal as she stares into his eyes and adds "....Father."
Aaryan's breath dries, not coping to believe what just unfolded. His daughter?
"I like this helpless self of yours." She mocks, "You know why did I do all that yesterday? The gun drama. Just to see this look on your face."
"How.." He manages to form words, moisture gleaming in his eyes "How did you survive, princess? After that inci-"
"Interesting question" Aashika cuts off in between, "But I'm in no mood to answer."
She lets her words settle, a coldness taking over her features as she finishes off "Start your countdown from this moment, and I promise I will make every second of it worse."
"I don't know what turned her against me, nor where this will end," Aaryan Oberoi admits, his voice threaded with heartache "My own blood-my daughter-my son... they despise me."
He glances back at Tara who's staring at him with blank expressions, just not intending to believe whatever he presented. "I thought I lost my daughter with aaina, then Aayansh, everything slipped past my hands-"
"Why are you telling me all this?" She interjects, confused but firm.
Aaryan remains rooted at his place, aware that Tara hasn't believed a single word he said.
"Because you're a part of this family" He asserts, words dripping with a softness "You have the right to know everything."
"Is it?" Tara fills in with suspicion in her gaze, "Weren't you the one who fed me lies back then, in New York? Aayansh's mom was mentally ill, she did a Suicide? His sister died in a mishap? What if this is just another lie?" She accuses in a breath.
He flinches, not able to form words this time.
Tara ignores him and moves to the door.
Leaving the room, she lets out a shaky breath. Confused, Whom to trust? What is happening behind the curtains?
I lean on the passenger seat of the car, my mind drifting back to the conversation I had with Moksh Deewan about legal shifts in O.R. I was supposed to be announced as the lead of the company that day, but Aayansh flipped the game and ruined my years of plotting in a blink.
Seven years.
Seven years without wearing my own name.
I held patience, lived amongst those monsters who tore my world apart.
Every time I smiled within them, it killed a part of me.
Just because I had to win their trust, I had to unmask the one who was behind my mother's ruin.
My soul is still starving for his blood, for the ruination I devoted my life to.
But my brother? He played.
With me, with everyone who believed they're leading the game or chasing the win. My useless father, spineless uncle. Anika and Meera Oberoi-little pawns in a quiet game.
And I?
I chose to play beside my brother.
Not the way he wanted, but the way I chose to.
The day Aayansh's sole ownership was announced on the estate and people thought this got me against him, I fed their delusions.
I still don't know since when and how Aayansh knew about me being alive and living here as mannat, my intentions behind all this and this might be the reason for him flipping things against me.
But the thing mattered is he knew, i didn't have to pretend anything in front of my brother.
So, I confronted him with the same without a second thought, in the party when I saw him after years.
Then the evening I raised a gun at him, just to see-whether like others, he also believes that I'm against him?
But his reaction was something I had never expected.
He was playing.
I was playing.
But the irony- we were playing the same game differently?-in our own ways.
And now, I'm playing to End.
I wanted Aaryan Oberoi to know about the daughter he buried years ago. Me. And-
The notification ring on my phone pulls my chaotic brain out from the mess, I reach for it. There's some location flashing on the screen, I go through it carefully. The location directs to a safehouse on the outskirts of Mumbai, A mafia headquarter?
There's also some text 'A surprise awaits you.'
Surprise?
Interesting.
I've been involved in the mafia for the last eleven years and my instinct says, this cannot be a trap. I order the driver to change the direction toward this place. Suspicion threading, but thrill is more.
Fear? I've stopped feeling this for a long time.
It takes a couple of hours to arrive at the said place, on the outskirts of Mumbai. I stare at the dark building in front, a pause, then I step inside the safehouse and a chilling silence welcomes me.
I don't flinch, keeping my senses active more than I should.
Entering the courtyard, layered in the same dark, my gaze lands on the pale figure lying in front. I move near, trying to see his or her face when a man from the safehouse turns on some lights.
The dim glow casts on the figure in front of me and I pause for a moment.
Anika Oberoi.
Groaning faintly like a living corpse. As if starve and thirst has hollowed her body to the brink of death. Looking at her condition, anyone can say she hasn't eaten anything for days and is surviving on a few drops of water.
Her clothes drenched in dust and dirt, eyes barely opening.
I stare at her without a bit of sympathy or affection. She deserves this, even worse.
A conversation with aayansh from the day anika disappeared striking in.
"Where is anika, aayansh? I know you're the reason for her vanishing this suddenly."
"You'll know everything when you're supposed to know."
He has done this.
My phone rings, my eyes not shifting away from the disgust in front as I pick it up without wasting a moment.
"Your turn to begin the end."
Aayansh's calm, lethal voice reaches my ears. Not a command, just the indication that he wants me to start this blood war. To turn my hands crimson with the blood of demons I've hungered to hunt.
He disconnects.
Meanwhile, Anika's eyes shift to me, as if struggling to recognise who stands near her.
Her death.
"Man.. mannat?" She whimpers, voice barely leaving her throat.
"Correction Masi" I take a slow step ahead, "It's Aashi! or you can say Aashika." I smile, taking in her reaction.
She writhes on the ground like an insect she is, struggling to figure out my words.
I bend slightly to bring the boot knife out and then stare at the sharp blade in my hand for a quiet moment. While anika's eyes widen as she tries to crawl backwards.
She begs. Again and again.
I ignore.
Mercy should be served to those who had learnt never to cross their boundaries.
I sit on my tiptoes near her, the black leather jeans clinging to my legs.
My eyes now burn with a calm rage. The face in front, my mother's sister and my step mother, I was supposed to share a bond of love with her as my masi, but did she deserve this?
After using her own sister's death as an opportunity to wear the crown, betraying her at every sensitive point of her life?
Some faint shreds of memories swirl in front of my eyes.
"Aayansh?!" I dash in the lawn, searching for my pumpkin brother who scribbed odd patterns on my face when I was asleep. He could have drawn something stylish, something to match my pretty face, but ugh, he went for crooked circles that make me look like a clown.
I swear on my ruined but as always beautiful face, I'll make him forget what he himself looks like.
"Mom?" I yell just when my eyes find dadu sitting on the sofa. Perfect timing!
Anika masi stands near him, they're talking about something with weird faces. Should I listen? But mom says hearing others' conversations secretly are bad manners.
But they're not others.
I quietly walk to them until their words become audible to me, making sure they're not noticing my presence.
"Uncle! aaina is my sister, so clearly I'm not her enemy. And I've read her reports. She needs psychiatric assistance. She's mentally ill and her presence here is harmful, especially for aashi and ansh. Trust me, send her to the asylum for some time, she really needs it."
Masi says to dadu who's sitting silent, the only thing I understood in her long paragraph is she's asking dadu to send my mom somewhere else. And that mom is ill? No, how can she be ill when she looks so pretty everytime. Masi must have had some misunderstanding.
"It would be better if you focus on your own life rather than your sister's home."
Dadu stands up, clasping his hands behind. Masi is about to say something but dadu walks past her.
I shift my eyes to her. She needs to hear it- my mom isn't ill and she isn't going anywhere.
"Masi-" I snap, rushing near her as she glances back at me "Why did you say mom is ill and she'll have to go somewhere else?"
She leans in a little, messing my hair with a wicked smile "Your mom is mentally sick, aashi.
And she'll have to leave this place, this family someday.
Because your dad loves me, I was supposed to be his wife.
She was here just to give the family an heir, you and ansh. Now it's time for her goodbye."
"Masi, you're mentally sick! I will ask dad to send you to the doctor." I walk away from her.
She's so bad.
I HATE HER!
Why would I say goodbye to my mom?
No, never.
I feel my eyes getting teary with just a thought of this.
-Past Ends-
My fingers clenched around the knife's hold, eyes gawking at this filthy woman and the other moment, I plung the sharp blade right before her heart. Blood drops splatter on my face as I drive it deeper into her chest, coating my palms in crimson. Exactly how I like it.
She screams, thrashes, begs-and all her suffering sounds like a melody to my ears.
"You're so lucky, Aayansh is himself not ending your life" I whisper darkly, yanking the blade out from her chest only to drive it back into her heart, this time with ruthless precision.
Her agonised screams echoes.
"You know why?" I twist the blade deep into her, blood floods down unhinged. "He would have given you ten brutal deaths before killing you."
I tear her flesh apart until she goes silent forever.
Then, tossing the blood drenched knife aside, I stare at her body. Eyes wide open, lips parted, bathed in her own blood. Anika Oberoi is dead.
Another chapter ends.
One more demon sent back to hell.
Just some more blood.
I'd always heard karma takes time to deliver justice. But I didn't have that patience, so I decided to bring justice with my own hands. Even if it demands my life, my blood.
The car halts in front of 'Deewan Enterprises'. Mr. David Deewan's office. I had to settle some things with his lawyer son, Moksh Deewan.
Ordering the driver to park the car, I make my way inside the colossal building.
I don't have so much to waste here so I stride up to the receptionist. "Where is Mr. Deewan?"
"Your good name, ma'am?" She questions back, lifting her gaze from the laptop.
"Aashika-"
She cuts in smoothly "Aashika Oberoi, right?"
"Right" I confirm.
"Ms. Oberoi, Mr. Deewan is in the union lobby, you can meet him there" She smiles politely.
My eyes narrow.
Lobby, Seriously?
What kind of man sits in the lobby of his own office? Hosting tea parties with the security guards?
"Guide her to the lobby" Receptionist's instructs, her voice breaking through my thoughts. As a staff member appears and I follow his lead, my heels click on the marble floor until he halts before the understated.
"This way, ma'am" He outlines, gesturing toward the wide archway.
I step past him, as I cross the threshold. There's not even name sake light here, darkness swallowing the walls. My footsteps resound as I walk ahead, searching for the Bastard who happens to be here.
But then I hear the sound of someone's movements, faint but noticeable. A tall, muscular figure appears in my gaze, I can't see his face, my eyes meet his amber orbs glowing in the dark.
It must be Moksh Deewan.
I open my mouth to snap when he takes a hold of my waist and pulls me toward him, I couldn't balance myself with the sudden jerk and crash against his chest. His hot breath fan against my face as he husks "Come baby, let me fuck your tight hole."
What the-
He tilts my chin to kiss me.
My jaw locks. The other second, I lift my right knee and hit between his legs, right on his manhood as I push him away. He cries out, clutching his horny dick like a toddler who just lost his favourite toy. Like the world just ended.
"Mr. Moksh Deewan-"
"Moksh?-?" He chimes in, his voice cracking with suffering. "Lady, you've just ru-ruined wrong Deewan's private pr-property." He groans as if he would collapse anytime.
My brows twist in suspicion as I try to make out his face, which is still hidden in the darkness. When I reach for my phone to turn on the flashlight, someone steps in.
"Dr. Malang, sorry I'm late" Before I can mouth, a feminine voice makes me turn back. A girl dressed in a tight fitted bodycon, walking in from the entrance, with a seducing grace.
So he's not moksh.
But wait, Doctor?
This dickfucker?
Frustration builds in me and I don't glance back to the shit as I make my way out.
I certainly don't have any regrets for ruining his coming generations.
I reach the ground floor and was about to leave the building when the same receptionist's voice halt my steps. "Sorry, ma'am, I had a misunderstanding. Dr. Malang Deewan, Moksh sir's younger brother, was in the lobby and you can meet Moksh sir on the seventh floor."
I let out a sigh before turning to her, forcing a smile on my lips. "Tell your moksh sir to fuck himself, and his brother too."
By the time I return home, evening has already settled in. The air inside is thick, mourning lingering, heavy and suffocating.
Servants and staff lined against the walls, heads bowed and hands folded in silence.
I walk past them, my steps echoing faintly as I enter the living room. My gaze lands instantly on Anika's body laid at the center, wrapped in white, lifeless beneath the shroud.
I let my eyes wander on the police commissioner and two inspectors standing in one direction, talking to chachu and ashray with a severe demeanor.
Chachi, Riva-Rhea, their sobs reach me. Their eyes red with the agony of losing someone precious.
Rivaan stands frozen aside, his dry eyes glued to Anika's body.
And that father of mine, he's sitting blank, unblinking as he stares at his dead love.
I swear to the god I don't believe in, this sight is so satisfying.
He must have an idea this would happen, because his suffering has just begun.
And me? I can't even summon fake tears for this woman.
I glance around for tara, she's not here. She had to attend some music event, I guess. Glad she's not becoming a part of this drama.
I walk near the commissioner to hear their conversation.
"How come any of the family members couldn't contact her for eighteen days, If she was really on a business trip?"
"It wasn't the first time she went out of the country and we couldn't contact her, that was usual for us. But this time bhabhi disappeared without telling anyone, we tried to-" Chachu pauses, his voice heavy as his eyes shift to me.
"Hm.. the way she had been killed brutally and we found the body in the city's outskirts, it's definitely out of some old grudges or hatred." The commissioner says.
Smart ass.
"Let us investigate, we'll find the murderer very soon." He adds, making his way out when he glances at me, I don't look back. The other inspectors leave with him.
Unfortunately, until their investigation concludes, another body would be lying in the same place.
"Aashi-" chachu mentions, now everyone knows about me being aashika, of course.
"I'm tired" I cut in, ignoring his reaction as I moved to the elevator to reach my floor.
I head into my room, breathing like it's something so difficult, but I'll have to.
I walk to the boudoir table's mirror, sliding it aside as I enter my sanctuary.
The place where I've preserved every memory of mom, her last remnants.
Her photos, small clips, our childhood and each fragment of her life.
To this family, my mother was a scar, and scars are meant to be hidden from the world. So I hid her into my heart, and this tiny place. Not because she deserved to be erased, but she was too pure to live amongst these monsters, even as a memory.
I stare at the photograph in front, where she stands in her doctor's coat, smiling alive like an angel she is.
Aayansh's childhood memories, though he was always a grump, calm and devilish. Lord, how much I miss my brother.
I've learnt to breath with mom's memories long ago, still sometimes-
I shake my head and divert my attention to the portrait I had made, the shadow- the one orchestrated my mother's ruin.
I focus on the blurred face as always, trying to get a hint who this could be. How is this even possible? I've been living within these people for years, how can I not picture who this is?
Anika is dead. Aaryan Oberoi? Rithvik or Meera or someone who's away from my reach? I don't even know if this person is a man or a woman?
I take a deep breath, swallowing the uneasiness this portrait brings in me every time I see it.
I curl up in bed, willing myself to sleep but the moment my eyes shut, Anika Oberoi's face flashes before me. Though I haven't seen her body, still it's something I can't swallow. The way she had been killed brutally, who can do this? And why?
True I didn't like her, but this was something I never expected or wanted for her. I turn, trying to comfort myself but this uneasiness seems to be so tough.
I get up to pick my phone from the night stand. Dialing kia's number, she's a skilled agent I've hired to get some information about Mrs. Aaina oberoi, at least something. Because it feels like she has vanished from everywhere, like she never existed. Not a piece of clue.
"Hello, ma'am?" She presses from the other end.
"Did you get to know anything?"
"Um... ma'am-actually" She falters but a ring echoes in the room, snapping my attention. Someone's there downstairs.
I ignore, answering kia's call instead. "Yes, I'm listening?"
She doesn't answer.
"Hello, are you there?"
I glance at the screen, the call has already been disconnected. I dial her number again, but strangely her phone's now switched off.
I let out a sigh when the ring echoes again.
I get off and with the lift, I head downstairs to look who this is.
Vale?tina stands there, my eyes drop to the big black net box in her hands.
"Ma'am, please get ready and come to the car outside." She doesn't lift her eyes, forwarding the box to me.
Has Aayansh returned from Russia?
But this late.
I simply press a nod and take the box from her, a smile tugging at my lips as I hurry to the room with desperation. Finally, after so many days-I'm gonna see him, kiss him until his lips are bruised with my essence.
-An Hour Later-
I let my gaze travel slowly over my reflection in the mirror.
The black satin slip dress clings to my curves, it's thigh slit exposing my skin.
The deep neckline bears a glimpse of my cleavage.
And overall, the dress perfectly fits my figure.
My eyes smudged with a delicate line of kajal and nude shade pink lipstick coating my lips, hair free and curled.
As a self obsessed person, i can't help but admire myself for a moment.
I head downstairs, the pin drop silence tells me everyone must be asleep. There isn't a single soul in sight except vale?tina. She guides my steps outwards, stopping in front of a black Rolls Royce, she opens the back seat's door for me and I step in.
The world sleeps-but my night is only begining-with him-my love. Ugh I can't stay away from him anymore.
The driver starts the car, I stare outside at the silent and dark night, the moon's beautiful glow spilling through the quiet streets.
Cold wind touches my face, making me forget every other thought but him.
I should have called him, asked him about this, but I didn't. Because facing him directly is the better option.
Another hour slips and the car finally halts at the edge of the cliff, the quiet place which is far away from the chaos of lives.
I step out and glance around, my breath dries as my eyes land on the vast, majestic lighthouse in front-like straight out of some Dark rom thriller.
And other than this, there's just land in sight.
"Ma'am, please blindfold yourself and step inside."
The voice pulls my attention to the woman standing a few steps away, forwarding a black blindfold toward me.
Why does all this feel so strange?
My mind races in anticipation.
But I take the blindfold from her and slip it over my eyes before heading inside the lighthouse.
I walk ahead carefully, not able to see anything, just darkness.
"Anyone's there?" I breathe, trying to keep my steps steady. And to be honest, I'm scared as fuck. All this feels like a horror movie with me as the heroine living it.
"Aayansh?"
Without warning, I feel myself in the air and my breath hitches as a pair of strong arms lifts me in a heartbeat. It's him, of course.
My hand instinctively moves to grab his shoulders as I exhale, "Aayan?"
He doesn't say anything, carrying me up on the winding stairs of the lighthouse. I need to see this grumpy dick's face, but wait Tara, let's live this moment.
I hear him pushing the door aside with his feet as we enter on the top of the lighthouse.