Keerti heard faint screams coming out of the mansion and as she approached the under construction the mansion the voice increased. When she saw the sight in front her world collapsed, again. Flames in front of her eyes seemed to engulf her world and leave it to ashes. The sight in front of her was unforgettable, it was a person tied to a chair who was set ablaze. There was person with his back turned to her and was laughing like a maniac.

Keerti’s POV

The world around seemed to have come to a still, the feeling in my heart is the same that I had when baba passed away. All the courage and bravery I had gather in these months after Baba’s  death seemed to have vanished. A weird feeling crept in my chest and I could feel the vomit reaching my throat. I could sense that it was my Rudransh on that chair, but who were the others there? Why was Rudransh there? And most important question in my mind was that the other boy standing there seemed like Rudra. I was shocked when I saw him stand there and watch and do nothing. 

Unable to stand there, I ran out and puked near the tree. My heart was filled with pain and agony but in a corner of my heart was a seed of hatred towards Rudra was planted, because according to whatever I saw he stood there, he could have acted, he could have saved my Rudransh but not he chose to stand there like a fucking statue. But I cannot act anything now, since they don't know I'm a police officer and I will have to act decent in front of him, hiding my hatred. I somehow gathered myself and ran home.

Rudra’s POV

The letter fell from my hand and I collapsed down on the floor next to bhai’s bed. “ No.. No bhai cannot possibly end his life.. No.. No.” Words silenced down my throat as the gravity of the situation hit me. I quickly opened my phone and saw his location to be our under-construction mansions. I drove as fast as I could and saw a man and a woman standing there.

As they heard my footsteps they ran from the back door. I had I feeling that there was one more person but I couldn’t see him properly. The man and the boy seemed familiar but I had just seen their structure through the mirrors.

And then laid there on the chair tied, burnt and lifeless, my most dearest person - my everything, my Bhai. The person who could go to any lengths to save a loved one faced such a brutal end. I tried to check whether there was a pulse but he  was soo hot even going near seemed like touching fire. Gathering myself I stood up and dialled the driver. The whole time till they arrived I sat there still looking at the lifeless body of my bhai.

We reached home, I had already told Veer to make arrangements. Though he was my closest friend, he always stayed our place as he was an orphan and he now had become like one of our family members. I didn’t know how I would tell this to Maa. As I was placing the body, I had just placed the bedsheet when I heard Maa’s footsteps coming in my way.

“Ye kya hai Rudra, jaldi bol beta kon hai ye aur mera Rudransh khaha hai? Bol Rudra kuch toh bol” She asked.

“Maa ye.. ye..”

She couldn’t wait anymore and she removed the bedsheet from the face. The truth struck her she screamed and cried and cried and suddenly fainted but just in time as her head was about to hit the wall.

A familiar feminine figure came from behind and caught maa from behind, she quickly made maa lie with the support of the wall and yelled,

“Why the hell have you come now Keerti? Are you not satisfied by taking him away from me? Who else do you want to kill? Didn't you say that you loved your bhai then how did you murd- ”

“ Stop. Enough. How can you even think that I have killed bhai.” I snapped back.

“Remember Rudra I will come back and make sure the police arrest you for the murder of my Rudransh”

“Wait, No one will leave this house” A voice demanded from the doorstep and every head present in the room snapped in the voice’s direction.

“The whole world now knows that this girl is going to marry Rudransh and now that Rudransh is no more, you Rudra you will have to marry her to save my and this family’s name. And you this girl if you don’t agree now you won’t find any suitor who will marry you, so even u better agree.”

I stood up and clapped loudly as I approached the person, “ Waah! You saw Veer, who’s back and that too when, and guess what this person hasn’t changed a bit. He came back and instead of mourning for his son and helping his wife here he this telling others what to do.”

“You see Keerti this good-for-nothing father of mine has returned and oh I forgot to mention that I was the one who had given the fake news of his death so that my maa and my bhai would lead a happier life. Now you, my dearest father just get lost from our house. We are capable enough to handle ourselves.”

I stepped closer to my mother and Keerti, looked at bhai and continued , “Nor do I nor maa no one needs you and let me tell you that you should go party today cause the person you hated the most, Rudransh bhai is dead, so don’t even think of staying here for even a second.”

“Rudra beta” he continued with sarcasm dripping as he stressed on the word beta, “ I will leave don’t worry but let me just remind you that your brother had mentioned in the press conference a few days ago that this girl will marry into our family and don’t forget our company has got many deals because of this marriage. So Rudra think.

He turns around to look at Keerti, “And you.... you what’s your name.. ah. Keerti you too that day “mi mazhya baba chi shappat ki mi fakt Ani fakt Chauhan’anchi sun hoin” (I swear on my father’s name that I will only and only become the daughter-in-law of the Chauhan family) So now think about it, It’s about your father’s name. Also don't you know that no one in our society wants a girl whose engagement has been broken. And oh how do I know about all of this?”

He laughed slyly and continued, “don’t forget Rudra I am your father Mahesh Chauhan and I know everything about the company and believe me this decision will be the best for the company. So I will get the decorations done in the courtyard so be ready, the date fixed is exactly 3 days from today.”

Author’s POV

Keerti stays at the Chauhan house only because Meera doesn’t allow her to go back to Pune Keerti will be alone in the house and feel lonely.

“Keerti even though your parents are no more and now Rudransh too is not with us anymore, I don’t want you to feel lonely and disheartened. Always remember Rudra and me both of us are there for you.

It’s my personal advice that you should now forget Rudransh and plan about your new life. I know it’ll be very tough because it’s the same house where you have seen him dead but believe me they both are carbon copies of each other and if you could win over Rudransh you can definitely win over Rudra.”

"But maa how can you accept his death so easily?"

"See beta, some things are never in our hands. Now though all we can say is that he must have done some bad deeds and that's why God separated him from us. I know I'm his mother so I should be mourning his death.

But you, Keerti, you have your entire life lined up in front of you and I don't want u to ruin it behind my son. Rather my views would be that you should move on as fast as possible because not only will it be good for you but also for our family."

On the other hand, Keerti was looking after Meera and left the room after Meera had gone to sleep. She went to the kitchen and washed her face and sat on the dining table thinking about the new life that was about to unfold in front of her.

“I know that I can completely deny this wedding but right now I feel that Rudransh’s underworld business which will now be taken over by Rudra will be the only thing that might help me to reach Rudransh’s murderers as well as Baba’s. Right now I don't know anything about their business but if I become his wife, I can surely go into the depths of the murders.

I will by no means be involved with that Rudra in any way for sure but I have seen with my eyes that a person with a similar physic was there but I don’t know whether it was him only or not and my duty has taught me one thing that I should never reach to conclusions with any concrete proofs.”

Please, Vote and Comment!
Love, inksphire25 💗

Also follow my Instagram account: Inksphire25