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Dad clenches his jaw as I press on.
“Vishnu has fulfilled all his duties as a son towards you. Now, it’s your turn to fulfil the role of a father. You can’t effectively lead the state if you can’t find a place for yourself as a father in your children’s hearts. Think about it.”
Saying that, I turn to Aksh bhai.
“I’m sorry, bhai, but I’ll only wear that Raksha Dhaaga when both my brothers are ready to tie it together on my wrist. Otherwise, not at all.”
Without waiting for his reply, and before any of them can stop me or attempt to persuade me to complete the post-wedding ritual, I march to the door and leave the house. Dad makes an effort to call me back, but I’m too hurt to glance behind. In my current state of mind, I’m not prepared to listen to his excuses for concealing this truth in all these years. Moreover, his excuses can never alter the past. Vishnu is undeniably his son, my half-brother. It’s high time Dad acknowledges this fact and takes steps to make amends, or he will have a lot to pay for.
CHAPTER 4
AYAAN
How did we overlook this? After Meher left for the Walia House, Krish approached me with news about the missing footage from Raghav’s unexpected visit yesterday. Among the 28 cameras that had been monitoring my wedding reception, data from one of them took longer to retrieve, and that’s when we stumbled upon crucial information. It turns out Raghav not only met me at the party and gave me a gift box, but he also met Meher separately and presented her with a similar box as well. Unfortunately, we have no insight into their conversation, but the footage clearly shows that Meher was equally taken aback by the encounter, implying she was unaware of Raghav’s identity just as I was. The thought that he had been in such close proximity to her without my knowledge sends a chill down my spine. Nevertheless, the question that continues to haunt me is related to the contents of the gift box he gave Meher and why she did not confide in me about it.
I’m aware that Meher’s box might contain some shocking and entirely unexpected contents, similar to the hidden secrets about my father that were sent to me in my gift box. Could it be that Meher’s box contained something related to Pratap Walia? Or could it be connected to her mother? That might explain why she was calling out for her mom during her nightmare this morning. It seems like an old memory had resurfaced, and my intuition tell me that it is linked to the contents of the gift box she received. This situation is highly worrisome.
Krish’s voice interrupts my chain of thoughts, and his irritation with Meher for keeping this from us is evident. I realise that even the smallest omission could have serious repercussions. “Ayaan,” he says, “please ask Meher to share even the most insignificant detail that appears suspicious. That’s the only way we can collaborate effectively to ensure your safety.”
He’s absolutely right. But with Meher concealing her encounter with Raghav yesterday and the mysterious secret inside her gift box, I can’t help but wonder if she’s shielding her father’s misdeeds yet again. Is that why she didn’t confide in me? What else has Pratap Walia done that Meher is hiding? There’s no way I’m allowing her to withhold anything from me this time. We’re life partners now, and regardless of how unpleasant the secrets may be, we’ll share them between us. That’s the only way to develop and maintain the trust that has always been on shaky ground in our relationship, all thanks to our fathers’ standing on opposing sides.
“What is going on, Ayaan?” Dad’s sudden interruption shatters my reverie, and I turn around to face him.
He and Bhaskar Uncle are walking towards us. I haven’t informed Dad about the events of last night. Seeing him now only revives the haunting memories of the contents of Raghav’s gift box from yesterday. But I won’t confront him just yet, not until I have solid evidence to explain this situation.
“Why is the CCTV monitoring team still here at Shergill Mansion?” Dad asks. “The event is over. They can go home and rest.”
I swallow nervously, fully aware that rest is the last thing any of us should be thinking about until we locate Raghav, who has suddenly appeared and shaken the foundation of both the Shergill and Walia families. Finding him has become our top priority now.
“They’re just doing their jobs,” I reply, deliberately keeping my answers vague and attempting to change the subject. “By the way, why are you out of your room? You promised me that after the wedding, you’d rest and make up for all the times you busied yourself with my wedding preparations. Or do you plan on sneaking out to meet someone again, like you did last time?”
Dad looks at me with a surprised expression as if he didn’t expect me to bring that topic up again. He knows I’m referring to the day he went to Antop Hill to meet someone, lying to me about having urgent social work commitments.
Bhaskar uncle laughs, breaking the tension between us.
“No, Ayaan. Kailash has no plans to snoop around this time,” Uncle remarks. “He’s excited to plan your honeymoon. I doubt he’ll rest until he sees you two off.”
Honeymoon! There’s no way I’m leaving with these pressing matters unresolved.
“That’s right,” Dad continues, his curiosity evident. “Have you spoken to Meher? Where does she want to go for the honeymoon?” he asks me.
“We’re not planning to go anywhere, Dad,” I assert. He regards me suspiciously. “I mean, what’s the rush? We’ve just got married, and—”
“And honeymoons are for newlyweds, son. If not now, when are you planning to go? On your first wedding anniversary?”
He and Bhaskar Uncle both share a laugh, while Krish and I exchange knowing glances. Only we understand the gravity of the current situation.
“I’m not leaving until you’re fully recovered,” I offer as an excuse.
“Oh, come on, Ayaan. What will Meher think if you deny her a honeymoon? She’s your wife now. You have a responsibility towards her. And stop worrying about me. There are plenty of people here to take care of me. I’m safe even in your absence.”
Arguing with him has always been challenging, but this time, I know that not arguing could have dire consequences.
“No honeymoon for us until you’re completely alright, Dad. That’s final. So, if you want us to go, you’ll have to rest and follow all our instructions to recover quickly. This argument ends here.”
Dad sighs in disappointment.
“No, it won’t,” he shakes his head resolutely. “Let Meher come back. I’ll talk to her myself and persuade her to convince you.”
