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Her jaw dropped. Dev was right. Gone were the dull tiled floors and the dark walls. In its place was all contemporary elegance. Marble floors, printed wallpapered walls in off-white and gold, modern glass lamps and chandeliers, and black and white interiors greeted her. The few colored cushions and rugs sprawled about added color and made the entire home look cozy and homey. The living space looked larger as if he had broken down a few walls and extended the space.
She walked further inside and looked up at the moonlight drifting inside through an overhead glass roof. Her heart settled. This house was far different from her memories. Thank God. She pivoted and found Dev watching her.
She gave him a smile. “The house resembles nothing from that time.”
“I ensured I removed every trace of him once he died,” Dev said, his voice tight.
More and more, she was beginning to think that Pritam Luthra had wronged his son too.
An old man stepped out from a corner, smiling at her. She recognized him immediately.
“Ajayji,” she gasped. “You’re still here?”
The older man greeted her warmly. He used to be Dev’s butler and housekeeper all those years ago. He had adored Dev and Sanjana. Perhaps he still did, and that’s why he remained in Dev’s employment.
Neil, finished with his own exploration, came to stand beside Dev.
“Ajayjistill is my most trusted staff member,” Dev informed her. “He will provide you with anything you need while you’re here.” He addressed the older man. “This is Avantika; I’m sure you remember her. And this is our son Neil.”
The older man’s eyes filled with a strange emotion as they settled on Neil.
“You look like a mini version of your father,” the older man told him.
Neil beamed.
“Come, I shall show you to your room,” Ajayjisaid. “I have plenty of stories to share of your father. He used to be very naughty when he was your age. He was always getting into trouble.”
“Really? Tell me more.” Neil followed him, looking ecstatic.
After Neil left, Dev drew her in his arms. “You will be safe here. You have nothing to worry about. The past won’t come to hurt you ever again.”
She kissed his cheek, truly feeling safe.
Dev’s phone rang, and while he spoke into it, she wandered around the house, taking it in.
“I have to go,” Dev told her. “A few of my old staff from the mine are meeting at one of their houses since I don’t have access to the offices anymore. I need to go and check with them what’s going on.”
“Okay,” she said.
“Rest. We will talk once I’m back.” Drawing her to him, he gave her a peck on the lips and turned to leave the house.
Sighing, Avantika followed the sounds of Neil chatting and climbed the stairs. She’d wait up for Dev until he returned. And then they’d have that long overdue talk.
* * *
The night,however, changed to daytime, and now, two days had passed since he’d brought Neil and her here. Two days in which she’d hardly seen him. Dev left early in the morning and returned late at night. He’d gotten completely caught up with the explosion at the mine, finding out what had happened, who was injured, and organizing to get them treated properly.
She’d heard from Shaurya that her brothers had also arranged to provide aid and relief to the injured workers. Shaurya was still the only brother who kept up communication with her, and she was grateful for that. She hated the distance between her and the twins.
She looked into the late afternoon sunlight from her bedroom window. Dev’s bedroom window. The first night, she’d taken up space in one of the guest bedrooms, with Neil in another. But she’d woken up in the middle of the night to find Dev carrying her out from there and into his own room. He vehemently refused to stay away from her. He made love to her each night and held her close as they slept. Being with him like this was becoming as natural as breathing again.
Neil had been more than happy to see them share a room. As per him, moms and dads were supposed to sleep in the same room.
She smiled. Her son, in his own innocent way, was encouraging his parents to get back together. She’d spent the two days exploring Shimla with Neil, and reacquainting herself with all her old haunts. Although much had changed in the last decade and more, a lot of it still remained the same. The ice rink where she used to skate with Dev was the same, the forest behind his house was the same, and the market was more or less the same, barring some new shops.
The one thing she hadn’t been able to bring herself to do was to visit her old home. She knew it had been burned in the fire that had sprung up after she and her brothers had escaped from the basement that fateful night. They’d run into the forest, and heard a loud blast and seen their whole house go up in flames. But she hadn’t gathered the courage yet to go there and face the demons of her past and to see the charred remains of her one-time home.
Over the years, she and her brothers had considered themselves fortunate to have escaped alive and unscathed before the house was burnt. However, now she questioned everything about that night. Had their escape been plain luck, or had they been aided…by Dev?
