AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Here he is!’ said Vikram, spotting Pitajee.
‘What’s going on?’ I said, now looking at my half-husband and his brother.
‘What did you find out?’ shrieked Pitajee.
What the hell is happening?
‘It is not his,’ said Vikram, slapping the bed. The words seemed to have a marked effect on Pitajee who, in a matter of seconds, began to tremble with rage.
‘What is not whose?’ I repeated, but the three men were too busy staring stupidly at each other to bother with me.
‘What is not whose?’ I asked again, my voice dangerously calm.
No one paid any notice.
‘WHAT IS NOT WHOSE?’ I yelled at the top of my voice. That brought them back to the present.
‘The medical reports that Anu’s mom showed her…’ said Pitajee, looking strangely at me as if it were my fault, ‘are not Govind’s.’
Excuse my French, but what the…
11.10 p.m.
Within minutes, the startling story tumbled out. Anu had been clearing up her room after her mehendi ceremony late last night, when she chanced upon some papers – her father’s medical reports that Ahya had flung across the room a few months ago in a fit of rage. Surprised that such important documents had not been missed, Anu began to look at them, when her eyes fell on what looked like a blood sample report.
The patient’s name was Govind Goswami. Blood type A+. Interesting, because Anu knew for a fact that her father’s blood type was not A+.
Intrigued, she called up Pitajee, who left my sangeet immediately and got her to fax all the documents to him. He then had Vikram take a look at them. Vikram had concluded that the reports did not belong to Anu’s father.
‘Do … maybe … I ... I think there is some mix-up … just the wrong reports…’ I stammered.
‘Nope,’ said Vikram, shaking his head. ‘I spoke with lab technicians at the hospital; professional etiquette can go to hell. Those reports are fudged. They never got any tests done; some Raam Lal was paid a thousand for these.’
‘Does this mean…’ said Padma, who had been urgently called inside the room as well.
‘Yes,’ said Pitajee. ‘Anu’s parents lied so that she would not marry me.’
‘Has Anu felt any change in her father’s health … does he look weak?’ Vikram asked Pitajee.
‘That man is an ox! Nothing about him is weak!’ he thundered and I stepped back. I had never seen Pitajee’s eyes look as dark and dangerous as they did now.
‘So,’ I asked, looking around, the yellow sari that I should have worn by now lying forgotten on the bed. ‘What do we do next?’
There was silence.
‘Call Anu. Right away,’ said Purva. ‘Put her on speaker.’
I did as told. One ring. Two rings. Three rings.
‘Oh god, what if Anu does not pick up the phone?’ said Padma, wringing her hands with worry. We all looked at each other, tense, unsure of what the night now held in store.
‘Hello,’ came Anu’s voice a few seconds later. Nothing had ever sounded sweeter. You could feel the relief in the room.
‘Anu!’ I said.
‘Anu!’ screamed Purva.
‘Anu Di!’ shouted Vikram.
