Chapter 36

Sitting across the table in a corner of the backyard of the Trivedi house, Jwala spoke in a harsh tone to her eldest daughter Nidhi, "Are you telling us that you have chosen a CBI officer for yourself?"

Nidhi shrugged her shoulders. "I have and I will be becoming his wife. Don't you both know that I want to marry a charming guy, someone who can make me smile. I've found my dream man in Arjun. Though I haven't told him about my feelings because I know winning his heart will need time, but I do have taken his phone number using a prank."

"Prank?" Kunwar said angrily.

"Dad, I was with Vidya for the past couple of hours and found Arjun's phone number in her cellphone. I will contact him after I return home. For the time being, I'll have to befriend him." Nidhi chirped happily.

Jwala banged the table lightly, gritting her teeth. "You aren't doing anything as such. I can't permit you to get hooked to some policeman. Your dad and I have always told you to find a rich guy for yourself but you wouldn't."

Nidhi raised her voice, "So what mom? He is in the CBI, he has money and stays all by himself. I don't even have to look after his family or do household works after marriage. What else do you both need?"

Kunwar intervened, narrowing his eyes at Nidhi, "Nidhi! You know very well what my businesses are. Are you planning to get your parents exposed of their wrong doings and put them behind bars by bringing a police personnel into the Patel house?"

"No dad, do you think you are so weak enough to commit anything and leave evidences behind? If you didn't get caught since the time you started your business, what are you scared of? I need Arjun in my life and I will win him some day," Nidhi said with determination.

"Is that your final decision?" Jwala uttered in a crude voice.

"Yes mom, I am two hundred per cent sure. Have I ever gone crazy earlier for any guy? I haven't, so mark my words this time." Nidhi widened her eyes.

Jwala gritted her teeth once again before uttering, "If you are really going into this, we will not think twice before throwing you out of the house. In no way a policeman can be a part of the Patel family!"

Flinging her chair away and banging the table, Nidhi stiffened her arms. Bending over towards her parents, she spoke in a little raised voice, "Like the way you threw Vanya out of the house? She was a coward as she didn't give a fight, she embraced her defeat and left quietly."

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Nidhi added, "But.... But I'm not like Vanya. I know very well how to rebel and get what is mine. Don't forget that I know many things about all your wrong doings but, I stay quiet because I live in comfort. If you think of throwing me out, I will not mind narrating every single truth to Arjun or his team!"

"Nidhi!" Jwala slapped her. "Haven't I warned you not to utter Vanya's name again? She was a black spot to the family, a worshipper of truth and an idol of honesty. Dare you utter her name again!"

"Mom!" Nidhi shouted back, rubbing her cheek. "You raised your hands on me! It's going to work like an energy booster now. I will get married to Arjun at any cost and you can't stop me ever. It's a swear!"

When Nidhi left the place in a fit of rage, Sanchi's grandmother reached their table, scrolling her wheelchair hurriedly. The old Mrs. Meenakshi Patel was suffering from severe paralysis to the left side of her body and couldn't use her left limb or arm properly.

"Did you hear what she said? She just changed her ways of talking to us in a matter of a few hours!" Jwala asked Kunwar angrily.

"Why wouldn't Nidhi be, Jwala? You have raised your daughter to be completely like her parents. Didn't she say earlier how she snatched the expensive dress she is wearing, from someone who had spoilt her dress accidentally? She's becoming just like you, Jwala. Now when she is beginning to rebel against you, it shouldn't hurt you much," Sanchi's grandmother interrupted, "But I'm happy for Nidhi. She's changing her ways for the best. If really she didn't, you both could have changed her mindset for the worst!"

"Kunwar, I told you not to fetch your mother here. Why did you bring her with us?" Jwala asked her husband, her voice full of disgust.

"I had to, after all Hemant had requested me a lot." Kunwar turned to his mother. "Maa, you should stop advocating for good things now. You are sick and it's time for you to pray to God instead of interfering in Nidhi's matters. You have done enough of interfering in Vanya's matters though."

"I don't know how could I give birth to such a son in my life? You turned the worst under Jwala's treatment." Sanchi's grandmother took a deep breath. "Dare you both curse my Vanya again! I don't even know where and how my little granddaughter is. You both had deliberately thrown her out of the house while I was admitted to the hospital. I only came here because I see my Vanya in Vidya. I came here to bless Vidya."

Jwala looked around and called for a servant. "Can you fetch this old woman, I mean my mother-in-law to some resting room? She is feeling sick and needs to take rest."

Sanchi's grandmother smiled. "I know Jwala, you want to get rid of me. But remember, you will never get what you wish for. I am not giving away all my properties to you or to my son easily."

As the servant rolled away the grandmother's wheelchair, Jwala turned to Kunwar. "I'm only letting your mother stay alive because she is not disclosing about her legal property papers to anybody. I don't even know what she is going to do with it but she said she has already written down her will. I can't find a way to get the papers signed in our names."

"Even I want the papers but I don't want you to hurt her. She is my mother and she will only disclose it when we talk to her lovingly or pretend that we have changed." Kunwar nodded his head.

"Is that so? We will think of it later but I don't know what Nidhi is up to!" Jwala expressed her worries and Kunwar rested his hand on her shoulder to calm her.

*****

The marriage rituals of Vidya and Dheeraj commenced in time, with the bride and the groom portraying as the brightest stars of the night. Sanchi was watching the befitting ceremony in quietness from a distance, until her eyes fell on a lone Vihaan. His eyes were rotating all around the hallway, making it easier for her to realize he was searching for her.

The feeling of Vihaan searching for her gave her mild goosebumps and her breathing speedily accelerated. She was planning to disclose everything to him but she was also aware of how Vihaan was. He would either get angry on her or set up an enquiry with her estranged family. She didn't expect any of it and only continued admiring him from afar.

Her admiration broke when she saw the servant scrolling the wheelchair of her grandmother. Suppressing the emerging tears in her eyes, she hurried to prevent the servant from dragging her beloved grandmother.

Whispering lightly in the ear of the servant, Sanchi caught hold of the push handle. "Go and do so-me other work. I'll fet-ch her to my room."

As the servant took leave, she pushed the wheelchair through the door of her own room. Helping her grandmother to stretch out on the bed, she wrapped a warm blanket around her.

"I'm sorry for embarrassing everyone here. I'm better now. You may go to attend other works of yours," Sanchi's grandmother said softly.

Adjusting her veil, Sanchi touched her grandmother's feet. Feeling uncomfortable, Meenakshi blessed her. "May God bless you with a happy and long life, child. Who are you? You must have grown up in a family of great values."

Sanchi nodded slightly, removing the cover off her face but careful enough not to show her hairline. "You are the on-ly one in my fam-ily who impart-ed the great values to me, grand-ma!"

As soon as her grandmother saw her, it was so sudden that she sat up on the bed vigorously. "Vanya! My baby!"

Embracing her grandmother, Sanchi allowed her tears to trickle down her cheeks, leaving a trail of satisfaction on them. "I have miss-ed you, grand-ma, a lot and a lot. I'm sorry for leav-ing you, the fam-ily and the hou-se. I'm really guilty."

"You shouldn't be, when I know you weren't at fault. If you are seeing me alive now, you must have realized how big a fool they made of you." Meenakshi caressed Sanchi's hair.

"Grand-ma, you don't know how much it plea-sed me today after see-ing you better than bef-ore." Sanchi continued crying.

"I got to know everything from Nidhi later when I returned from the hospital. How they disowned you and blackmailed you to leave the house, setting conditions before you. They had warned you that they wouldn't fund my treatment if you didn't leave the house and your identity behind. How can you trust them when they really can't do such a thing? They won't let me die unless they get the properties from me." Meenakshi wiped her wet eyes.

Sanchi encircled her arms around her grandmother. "I rea-lly didn't know they were plot-ting to get the proper-ties in their names. I can't even beli-eve I was born to such par-ents!"

"Will you return home now, since your fears against your parents are wiped out? Be sure of it that they'll never kill me. I consoled myself for the past few years thinking you were alright, because when you left, I knew you had already found a job at a news channel. Did you really change your identity, my baby? I heard them calling you by a different name downstairs," Sanchi's grandmother asked, frowning her forehead.

Not sure what to tell her grandmother but she knew that the stories of her contractual marriage would hurt her already ill grandmother. The vermilion or the sacred thread weren't in view to the old lady and Sanchi managed to keep her voice firm, instead of breaking down.

"I did chan-ge my name to Sanchi and that's wh-at they call me now. But I'm sorry I won't be return-ing home as of now. I have a few commit-ments to look after and I need an ano-ther four months, grand-ma."

"Four months? What are you committed to? Anything serious? Why do you need the time?" Her grandmother exhibited a shocking expression.

"Search-ing for an iden-tity, grandma. Circum-stances forced me into the commit-ment and I'm afraid I will eit-her lose it or screw it." Sanchi's eyes flickered, not trying to match her grandmother's.

"Why would you allow yourself to get defeated if you are devoted to your commitment? You shouldn't think of losing ever."

"I don't trust my des-tiny, and you know how every-thing has been with me since child-hood." Sanchi's thoughts instantly hovered to Vihaan's.

"You should learn to fight, my baby. I don't want you to be accepting defeats like you always were and falling prey to people's false motives against you." Her grandmother nodded her head, warning her strictly.

"Don't you kn-ow I was al-ready born to fall prey to peo-ple? But I have learnt my ways of stand-ing strong again-st certain thi-ngs and I don't know how long I'll have to keep apply-ing them to save my-self," Sanchi muttered, keeping her voice low.

"Well, it clearly means you have some strong commitments. By the way, have you changed your thoughts of 'living the life of a nun and never falling in love'?" Her grandmother asked curiously, knitting her eyebrows together.

Realization stuck Sanchi as she clasped the sides of her lehenga skirt. Fluttering heartbeat and the pure emotions for Vihaan gave way to butterflies in her stomach. Trying to control as much as she could, she tightly closed her eyes. She was struggling hard not to let the tears fall down her cheeks, not when she was in front of someone who was the closest to her throughout her life.

"Grand-ma,.. I ... I think liv-ing the life of a nun does-n't restrict you from fall-ing in love. We all hap-pen to love the moon but can we touch it? That's when you draw a line bet-ween falling in love and liv-ing like nun. I think both can fall in track simul-taneously, but admi-ring from a dist-ance apart." Sanchi sighed, trying not to mess up everything.

"I do know what you mean and you have firm reasons for it. But your firm reasons don't compel you not to love and touch the moon simultaneously? If you have found your moon, don't hesitate, my baby. I really have this feeling now that you are in love. If not your words, your eyes are speaking the truth."

"I'll th-ink of it, grand-ma. I think you sho-uld take some rest now. I'll fresh-en up for the time be-ing." Sanchi tried deviating the topic.

"That's a nice way of trying not to surrender to your emotions. Well, it means I get to see you after four months. Can't you visit sometimes to check on me?" Her grandmother repeated, with expectant eyes.

"I wish I cou-ld, but that would ex-pose me to many things I'm al-ready at a mess with. I'm not sure where my own life is lead-ing to, and visit-ing you often but not be-ing able to stay with you for satis-factory number of days will make me feel guil-ty. It will give my par-ents enough rea-sons to torture you if they see me there ag-ain, while not being there to pro-tect you will kill me inter-nally," Sanchi said, convincingly.

"How is it that after four months you'll be able to do it?"

"At least after four mon-ths, I'll get to know where my life has actua-lly led to. I work here and the place I'm current-ly staying at, is tempo-rary. I want to set-tle down before fetch-ing you with me. But I will try to keep in con-tact with you if I get a chan-ce in these four mon-ths," Sanchi assured her grandmother.

"I know and I will wait for you, my baby. I will start counting the days henceforth." Her grandmother embraced her before lying down on the bed.

"Ple-ase keep in good health, grand-ma. I love you," Sanchi uttered one last time before moving into the bathroom.

Sanchi's heart ached with all the conversation she had with her grandmother. Meenakshi was the only one to whom Sanchi could always pour her heart out and share things with, more than she could with Vidya or anybody else.

She was helpless as to what she would do with her newly found love, she didn't even know what Vihaan felt for her. But if he really ever reciprocated, would she agree to stay with him for her whole life? She needed answers to all these questions disturbing her but she didn't want to rush with anything without proper contemplation.

*****

It had been three hours since Vihaan's hunt for Sanchi all through the procedures of the wedding but he hadn't found a trace of her amongst the crowd. He did try calling her but her mobile was switched off. He knew she was probably busy with attending guests but he was getting a gut feeling as if she was trying to ignore him.

Feeling irritated and totally pissed by waiting like a fool at the corner of the hallway, Vihaan gasped for some fresh air. He was under the impression that she would definitely meet him, some time after the ceremony. While strolling aimlessly around the garden and scanning every person's face like a stringent investigator, he was trying hard to get a glimpse of Sanchi amongst the crowd outdoors.

His search was finally fruitful when he spotted the woman he was searching for. Though her back was turned towards him, he had well recognized her by the beautiful silvery pink lehenga she was wearing. His lips automatically arched into a proud smile as he glided over to her in quick strides.

Vihaan stopped for a second when he witnessed she wasn't actually standing alone, but she had Arjun beside her. They both had paper cups in their hands and were conversing over something. Before Vihaan could call out to her, she had hastily wrapped her arms around Arjun. Arjun, having taken aback, didn't attempt to reciprocate the hug and Vihaan sighed in relief.

"I have promised not to doubt her with Arjun again. Maybe she's in grave trouble and needed comfort, but why wouldn't she tell me?" Vihaan wondered, initiating the walk again.

Having reached them, Vihaan tried uttering as carefully as he could, "Sanchi, is there a problem? You didn't even call or text me the whole day."

Upon hearing Vihaan's polite voice, Nidhi turned to him. "I what?"

Glancing at the unknown girl from top to bottom, he jerked his head. "Who are you? I thought Sanchi..."

"How would you know me if we have never met? By the way, if you are looking for the maid, I don't know where she is!"

"Nidhi! How many times will I tell you to stop calling her that?" Arjun snapped, causing Nidhi to bulge her eyes.

"Arjun, do you know this girl? Where's Sanchi then?" Vihaan asked, not caring to look at Nidhi again.

"Then? Sanchi is not supposed to be found with me, Sir. I really don't know where she is," Arjun said, waiting for Vihaan to leave without further problems. He had to anyhow follow Sanchi's instructions.

"Sir! Did you just call him Sir? I thought you were the boss at your bureau," Nidhi spoke in a confused voice.

"I..." Arjun was cut off by Vihaan.

"Arjun, will you care to tell me where Sanchi is and how can I get to her? You can always send answers to your newly found date later. And lastly, why is she wearing Sanchi's clothes?" Vihaan enquired, raising his voice.

"Wait mister! You just can't charge an officer like that. For your kind information, I'm wearing my own clothes and I don't think I need to answer you at any cost." Nidhi tried maintaining her voice level similar to Vihaan's.

Vihaan's ear itched as Nidhi's voice annoyed him, but more than that, he was worried for Sanchi. Staring at Arjun, he spoke in a hoarse voice, trying hard not to let his arrogance to return to him, "Arjun, will you mind calling Pari all by yourself or else I'll have to do it? I'll have to get the robber out of Sanchi's way. If not I'm wrong, she's the one who has stolen this dress."

"Arjun! Will you tell me why are you not retorting answers back to him like the way you do to me? If you don't, I'll have to deal with him now. I'm not a robber to steal things. I get enough money from my parents. And who's Pari? Are you dating someone, Arjun?"

Arjun was stuck with his mouth wide open as he wasn't getting enough pause to at least have his say into the argument-like conversation. "Sir... I.... Will you shut up, Nidhi and let me talk?"

Vihaan was already losing patience. Narrowing his deadly eyes at Nidhi one last time, he scoffed, "If you don't want to wake up to fetters around your body the next morning, be honest with your answers right now."

"I'm tolerating you since long and I won't do it anymore. I was trying to keep my calm just because Arjun had pleaded me," Nidhi almost yelled this time. "It'll need you a thousand years to get me chained in fetters. You better be in limits or else!"

"Or else I'll bring orders from the commissioner of Indore police to arrest you for stealing my wife's clothes!" Vihaan spat angrily.

"How dare you talk to me like that? Is that maid your wife? I now understand she totally deserves you!" Nidhi shouted, "You do whatever you want but I will myself lodge a complaint against you for accusing a girl of wrong charges. I have a CBI officer with me as the witness."

Vihaan smirked, his devilish attitude back in action. "What if charges are pressed against you for trying to file a fake complaint against an another CBI?"

"Against who?" Nidhi's mouth fell wide open.

"I think you are suffering