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Despite my threat, he ignored me and entered the villa again, where Ayaan was still sleeping peacefully, unaware of my absence. I prayed that Vishnu wouldn’t harm him while the other guards drove me straight to the airport, where a chartered plane was on standby to fly me back to Mumbai.
An hour later, Vishnu returned and boarded the charter plane with me. As the aircraft began to taxi for takeoff, he sneered at me, noticing the worry on my face.
“He is alive,” Vishnu spat, taking the seat adjacent to mine. “But not for too long,” he added ominously. “Because your father is not going to take the news of the scandal lightly. The consequences will be dire, Meher and the bloodshed will be on your hands. Keep that in mind!”
Though relieved that Ayaan was unharmed, I couldn’t shake off the sense of danger that loomed over his life now that the media had exposed our affair. I clung tightly to the black King chess piece, which had unintentionally remained with me since Vishnu abruptly appeared at the villa. I never had the chance to return it to Ayaan. This was now the only piece of my solace - a memento of Ayaan’s presence that I carried with me. The plane took off, marking the end of our blissful bubble in Dalhousie. Little did I know that our joyous moments there was merely the calm before the storm. Ahead of us lay a storm of pain amid the clash of our families’ enmity.
The moment we landed in Mumbai, Vishnu received a phone call that clearly disturbed him. The expression on his face indicated that he had just received another breaking news update. Throughout the drive from the airport to the Walia House, Vishnu remained engrossed in phone conversations, increasing the security measures for my father and Aksh. I overheard that they were also en route from Mahabalipur. Something significant was unfolding, but everyone remained tight-lipped, making it nearly impossible to gauge the extent of the situation.
Upon arriving home, the first person I encountered was Devika bhabhi. She rushed towards me, a mixture of worry and anger evident on her face.
“Meher?” she exclaimed in concern. “Are you alright?”
Realising that Vishnu must have employed his forceful methods to bring me back from Dalhousie, she moved me away from him. Vishnu responded with a seething glare before resuming his briefing with the security personnel.
“Meher, you shouldn’t have done this,” Devika bhabhi continued, her tone laced with frustration as she took me away. “Uncle and Aksh are livid. How could you not inform me that you were going to Dalhousie with Ayaan? Do you realise what kind of scandal this has unleashed? Your cosy pictures with Ayaan strolling through the hill station are all over the television.”
I was about to respond when my attention was drawn to the television screen behind Devika bhabhi. The breaking news flashed across the screen, mentioning Ayaan’s father’s accident. At that moment, everything else faded into insignificance as I quickly unmuted the volume and witnessed the live footage of the dreadful accident that occurred in the ghats while Kailash Uncle was returning from Mahabalipur. There was blood on the road where the ambulance was parked. A dead body, assumed to be of the car driver, was covered with a white cloth, and they replayed the footage of Ayaan’s father being taken away in an ambulance. The reporters stated that his condition was critical.
“Oh my god, bhabhi, that’s… Ayaan’s father…” I choked on my words, pressing my palm against my mouth in an attempt to hold back tears. The shocks of the day seemed never-ending, one after another. “I need to call Ayaan. My phone. Where is my phone?”
Just as I spoke, Vishnu returned.
“Give me my phone,” I demanded, my voice trembling with fear.
“Sure,” he responded casually, gripping my hand and forcefully pulling me towards the stairs.
“What the hell, Vishnu. What are you doing?” I protested, struggling to break free from his hold. However, Vishnu remained steadfast, unmoved by my resistance.
“Locking you up in your bedroom.”
“Leave her alone, Vishnu! You can’t treat Meher like this,” Bhabhi’s voice rang out, her words filled with anger as she followed us.
“Sorry, Devika, I am not doing this of my own will. I’m just following orders,” Vishnu retorted, his tone devoid of any remorse.
With that, he shoved me into my bedroom and locked the door from the outside, effectively trapping me inside.
“Vishnu, I need my phone! Please open the door!” I pleaded, pounding on the door with desperation. “Ayaan’s father is... critical. I have to speak to Ayaan. Vishnu, please open the damn door!”
All my cries and screams fell on deaf ears as Vishnu refused to open the door. I could hear bhabhi arguing with him for a while, but eventually, everything fell silent. Even Devika bhabhi couldn’t override the orders given to Vishnu, most likely by Dad, to keep me locked up. It was the first time my family was so ruthless in their treatment towards me. After all, I had fallen in love with their enemy’s son, and now our affair was splashed across the media, exposing it to the entire nation. These were the consequences that Ayaan had warned me about. If only my family knew that no matter how hard they tried to control me, they could never make me stop loving Ayaan. It was ironic to think that I was in Ayaan’s arms just a few hours ago, and now circumstances had torn us apart so drastically that I feared whether we would ever reunite again.
I turned on the television, hoping to get some information on Kailash uncle’s accident. And as the footage kept playing, varied thoughts ran through my head, scaring me of the repercussions I would never want to face.
Lost in my thoughts, I collapsed onto the bed, overcome with tears and worry for Ayaan and drifted off to sleep. When I eventually opened my eyes, darkness enveloped my room. It was night. Voices reached my ears from the doorway, signalling Dad and Aksh’s return from Mahabalipur. I could sense the tension between them. Someone unlocked my room, and soon I heard Dad speaking to Devika bhabhi.
“Did she eat anything?” he asked.
I held the pillow tightly, trying to muffle my sobs. I lay with my back facing the door, hoping no one would realise whether I was awake or asleep.
“No,” Bhabhi replied.
“Bring her some food.”
I heard footsteps as someone left the room, and then another person entered and approached my bed. Before I could realise it, I felt the weight of the bed shift, and Dad’s hand gently caressed my head. I was too frightened to react or face Dad. Deep down, I knew that Vishnu must have informed Dad about my intimate relationship with Ayaan. It was evident from the look on my face earlier today, and there was no hiding that truth from Dad any longer.
“I know you are awake, Meher, and that you’re listening,” Dad spoke softly. “You’ve hurt me deeply today.”
I tightly pressed my lips together, holding back tears.
